RP: Shameless Self-Promotion

Under the incessant pounding of  Kimika's Ring of the Ram, the stone slab standing between the Guild's trapped tomb and the fresh, clean air crumbles away. As you emerge from the catacombs and looks around, you see looks of dismay and agitation on all of your friends' faces, but none so intense as that of  Germain. He sputters and stammers, clearly wanting to speak, but in place of his usual incessant and tiresome dialog, there is little more than red-faced silence. He turns to face the group, closes his eyes, and takes a few deep breaths, and finally manages a sentence:

 Germain 

It's not that we were lied to. It's not that we walked into a trap. I expected both. It's that we are little more than lap dogs, begging for tasks and treats to win favor in the eyes of a bunch of incompetents. The guild and the wraiths have forced our hand time and time again, and once more we have accepted it without complaint, unwilling to set our own path!

Don't you see that these people will never win this war? This whole damn issue was caused by the Wraith's politicking. They have tied themselves up with the Odessans with the hopes of currying some sort of political capital for themselves, and were caught with their dicks in their hands. And all they can do is turtle in their little castle, hoping for someone to save them. The Guild, on the other hand, has stepped from the shadows, and despite the fact that their behavior has weakened the city considerably, they have managed to twist our arms to help them build smuggling routes and deal with their own internal strife without risking their own necks. And I'm sure they have been rewarded by our goddamn compliance!

We are nothing more than a bunch of fucking lackeys! What are we trying to save? Bricks and stones? The people of Wydmoor are dying alone, while we scramble to help a bunch of cowering nobles, politicking mercenaries, and opportunistic thieves! We are the only people that seem to be willing to stick our necks out to save this city, and yet we can't seem to pull our heads out of our asses and do what needs to be done! All we can manage to do is run errands for the bastards that put the city in this position in the first place! What the hell are we doing?!?

 Germain glowers and fumes.

 Al finds himself in the odd position of completely agreeing with  Germain on matters of politics.

 Al 

Yeah, dude! I still don't really get why everyone's so worried about who gets to sit at what table in what room, but I'm all for dumping the lot of them and just helping the people who need help! Stick it to the man! Let's go take all the food, medicine, etc from the rich folks and give it to the people who need it. But that's just a stopgap. What we really need to do is help these people learn to survive on their own! Teach them how to grow their own food and live off the land, outside these horrible walls.

 Kimika looks up thoughtfully. 

"I agree with you both and I desperately want to help the people of Wydmoor; the ones who are suffering. What do you suggest we do, Germain?"

 Quinalin snorts then replies in a dispirited tone, 

"I recall, though it seems like years ago, we got started in this city by trying to distribute wealth to the citizens so they could buy the right to vote for someone who would stand up for them. All that got them was burned out of their homes. We tried to take down one corrupt and evil official, and now it feels like there is nothing but corruption or at least pure self-interest. We can't just take over the city for ourselves. The Odessans don't seem to be interested in helping anyone. I don't see many good choices here although I would be happy to have my eyes opened.

  Egg 

I don't think you're wrong, either of you, not exactly, but I think you're all "missing the Owlbear." Err, that doesn't translate so cleanly, but you get the idea, maybe? Everyone we worth with... for? They all have *agendas*. Plans and goals. What do we have? What do we want?

If we want to help the refugees, why are we sitting with sacks overflowing with desperately needed healing gear settling personal vendettas in town? If we want to see the Odessans crushed, why do we refusing to leave sight of the city for more than a week at a time to strike against them? The Odessans, for all their advantages and strengths here, are spread across the mainland to the point that attacking them anywhere is attacking them everywhere. If we want is to see the Odessans gone, why are we not negotiating with them, especially now that their claims and demands are laid bare? We grab for everything and so take hold of nothing, and then direct our anger at those who employ us to their ends. Imagining, perhaps, that just because we all share the desire to lift the siege that all of our other desires are harmonious.

It's appropriate we all meet in the "War Room." Because, while the war rages outside, another one is fought within. The war to save Wydmoor, and the war to rule it afterwards. Which war are we fighting?

My partner talks easily of "doing what needs to be done," but what does that even mean? Might as well say we want to "make the world a better place" or "oppose evil." It's nice talk for a sermon, but not much of a plan of action. An easy, comfortable thought, and a good line to rouse the masses, but something the Silverwalkers seem to have struggled to nail down for as long as I've worked with you. Without any personal goals it is certainly convenient and profitable to work for those who do, but don't expect their agendas to make room for our pet issues.

 Germain 

Exactly. Each of those acts you mention, Quinn, were another's plans... we were only the executors. Perhaps these plans were really mistakes, but they might also be plans within plans. These plans certainly benefited someone, perhaps even the person who brought them to us. How can you say they didn't match our agenda? We don't have an agenda! It's time we did.

Don't kid yourselves--we'll make plenty of mistakes, but that is no reason to refuse to make decisions. We have many irons in the fire right now, and while we have been negligent in working all of them, we are left with many options. Do we find a way to save the refugees? Do we deepen the schism within the guild? Do we throw the Wraiths to the wolves as punishment for their political machinations that brought us here? Do we expedite the foundation of the Traveller's Temple in Wydmoor? Do we weigh in against Odessa in their other conflicts with the Wraiths in Alexia? Do we open up a new conflict for them in Celestia? It's time to pick the projects we feel are most decisive, and use our time to drive them. The power brokers that rule this city have failed to protect it--it's time to become power brokers ourselves to set things right.

Now, what do we do first?

 Mose 

By Alexandria, Germain-- did an air elemental drop you on your head or something? We are on a mission of our own already. I feel like we've been driving our quest for Good all along. Sure, we've been used and abused, but (waving his sword over his head) we've also done our share of abusing, too! I'm convinced at this stage that we've already been smacked around and abused too much by these vampires and this Thieves Guild. We need to put an end to that and I'm even more convinced now that they fooled us into this trap. I don't want to do *anything* but continue to attack them. Sure, perhaps it's important to jump in and (with condescension) diplomaticize with various groups, but there's one thing I have learned is that you never turn your back on a thief, let alone an entire guild of them. That goes doubly for vampires, wererats, and (trying to catch up with his mouth) undead vampire wizarding assassins. They will thwart us behind the scenes at every turn, as they have so many times, if we back away. Let's hit them as hard as possible while there's a chance they think we're dead in their trap. We'll have time enough to do (trying to use proper grammar) powerbroking once we've shown the rest of the city that we won't tolerate evil in this town, and that there's finally someone in town that can stand up to it.

 Germain 

No doubt we've been fighting the good fight, but we've been doing little more than reacting and we have not been working towards a larger plan. Routing the Guild, even if they are weakened by an internal schism, is not a matter of hours or even days. It's weeks or months of our undivided attention, plus the attention of most of the Geese. In that time, what will happen? It's unlikely that anything will change with the refugees, and the rest of them will probably die. No one will launch an assault on the Odessans and they will have more time to recuperate and regroup for another attack of their own. Are we ok with that?

The point is, even though we've been doing good deeds, we've been all over the place and it shows in the sustainability of our work. The time we spent helping the refugees only prolonged their suffering, because when we left them behind and ignored them, half of them died just the same. If the Theives Guild, the Wraiths, the Odessans, or someone in Sherdam pisses off the lizard folk--probably far too likely--they may unleash those guardians on the swamp just the same as our blackguard friend did. And if we only manage to get half-way into routing the guild before we wander off on another project, they'll regroup and slide into the shadows, and we'll be back where we started.

I think the Guild is a time sink--lots of work with a low chance of success. We know little to nothing about the vampire, but I suspect that it has been active in Wydmoor for over 700 years in near-complete secrecy despite some high-profile accomplishments. It is going to take a lot of time and manpower to make an impact on its organization. Frankly, it would probably be quicker and easier to win a personal war on the entire Odessan army than it would be to take the Guild. Regarding the refugees, however, I think we possess the political capital and lack the opposition to solve their problem more permanently, and perhaps even bring them back into the city, in less than a week.

So... are you sure a war against the guild is really the right course now?

 Al 

Solve the refugee problem how? If we bring them into the city, won't they just starve and die of disease here instead of where they are now? I'd love to help the refugees, but just saying "solve their problem permanently" isn't a plan, and if we just move them around from place to place, what good does it do them? I'm no expert on the politics of refugees and war, so maybe I'm missing something, but it seems to me that the best way to help the refugees would be to end the war and get them back into their regular lives. Ideally, we could teach them the survival skills necessary to live off the land, but that's a longer term project.

 LE likes to follow Germain's lead in matters like this. She listens, but only barely. Discussions like this are not her cup of tea.

 Germain 

The city keeps a significant grain reserve to protect against seiges like this one. It's a function of their history--since Wydmoor gained its independence after a long seige, their founders provisioned to be able to sustain another. Given this year's long growing season, the decimation of the population through disease and fire, and the fact that the Mayor only released a pittiance of the grain to the refugees, these reserves should be abundant. It's not lack of grain that has caused the refugees to starve--its the fact that the mayor refused to release it and the wraiths can't move it through occupied territory. Inside the city, there should be enough to weather a long seige.

 Al 

Ok, so say we get the refugees into the city. How do we know the city will give them food? I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't get them into the city (assuming the food is really available), just that we ought to have some assurance that the food will be given to them. How do we know, for example, that whoever's in charge of the food won't keep it for themselves? I mean, who's to say they aren't planning for a years-long siege? Or that the slimy city leaders aren't just greedy bastards who don't care if a bunch of refugees die?

I've seen enough of how cities are run to know that the leaders don't necessarily have their residents' best interests as a priority. Personally, I think we should tear down all walls in all cities and teach people to live as nature intended, but, again, that's more of a long-term project. Short-term, I'm all for getting the food to the people who need it by whatever means necessary. I just think we need a plan other than "trust the greedy bastards to do what's right." I'm completely ok with part of that plan being "the Silverwalkers find the food and forcibly take it from the greedy bastards."

OOC (Trav): Assume the preceding has "dude" and "stick it to the man" scattered throughout. Also, maybe a tangent to talk about the process of growing grain in the wild.

OOC (GM): It's stops being the wild once you cultivate it. ;)

 Kimika brightens at the talk of getting the refugees into the city. She sits down and prays furtively for Alexandria's help in saving these people. 

Many of the refugees are sick. I could summon a small herd of bison to pull wagons with refugees toward the city. However, much of the warrens are still burnt down and resources in that respect would be more limited. Perhaps we could establish a permanent residence for the refugees in the Landing?

 Kimika sighs. "I'm no good at planning. I do want to save the refugees, not only for their sake but so Bethnalay's death won't be in vain."

  Egg 

I think it's going to take more than a few dozen bison summoned for an hour or two to get thousands of sick and dying people moved - through siege lines and enemy occupied land - into a city that actively doesn't want them. Don't get me wrong, Kimi, I'm not saying your idea is impossible, or even that it's bad. It's just, well, like the gnomes say "Dream Big, Scheme Big." Even the most radical things being suggested are not impossible, not in a world that saw Gracklek's castle fly: seizing the grain supply, relocating all of the refugees, *smiles at Quin*, hells, even "taking over the city." More has been done by fewer, but never by accident and never by increment.

I think, Al, you get to the heart of our problem in regards to the refugees. Not the disease, part, though. I don't know that the Odessans have left us with enough materials to clear the poxes from camp, but certainly to alleviate their woes now that the hobgoblin reavers have taken their vengeance. However, all reports are that Onrarch is essentially a ruin now: the Onrarch Halflings have taken to flight since the death of Bethanalay and abscondment of Maggr and his outriders, relying about the Concord Traditions to let them slip passed the Ubrekti closed borders. Since then, the Odessans have taken no notice of them and the Free City has been unable to send any more food or aid past the siege lines. Now, if that aid would move even if it could is anybody's guess. As several of us have suggested, the commoners are an ancillary concern to the Powers That Be in Wydmoor, even the Bog Wraiths. I don't know that they're "greedy", exactly. Well, some of them certainly are, and I suppose to us most of them seem that way - but to you, Al, burning a forest seems like a high crime while to the Bog Wraiths it is just a matter of common sense: easier to replant a grove than unraze a city. To them, so long as the city stands, new bodies will flood in to replace the old. Laborers. Farmers. Desperate men and women hoping for a better life. These are not in short supply in the world we live in. They do the work and clean the shit, but make none of the decisions and are infinitely replaceable. *scowls* I'm acquainted intimately with the mindset, but I think we should have learned by now that assigning moral values to these decisions - and leveling moral judgement against those making them - does nothing but hurt us in the long run. They have their priorities and concerns, and we have ours. Where they overlap, we can work together... but where they conflict? Hmmm.

But, that's just me thinking out loud again. Al's right about one thing: the plight of the refugees is not the concern of the Wraiths, or anyone else for that matter. Edrell is about the only person who has ever done much for them, and who is to say if that kindness and support was from compassion or political calculus?

 Germain 

Don't understimate us. Once the refugees are in the city, its much easier than you think to make sure they are taken care of. Whether you realise it or not, I've been very careful with my politicing to create a situation where only the Geese and the Silverwalkers have any real capital with the refugees. If they receive the grain and care they need, we are probably the only ones that can keep them peaceful and the city running normally. If they do not receive what they need and we retaract our support, I can assure that there will be riots. In another time, the riots would be easy enough to suppress, but with the Odessans at our door it's a strain on the city's defenses. Also, you are underestimating our ability as power players to force the issue once the excuses about supply lines and sieges are gone. The powers-that-be are well aware of all of this, so we will almost certainly have to play hardball to get them to help us, but once they are here I think providing for them will be a much simpler task.

I'm not, to be clear, advocating that this should be our number one priority. This is a task where we have a reasonable chance for a quick, successful turnaround, will garner us significant capital in the city, and is morally "correct" and compasionate. I also think it's far more workable and viable plan than attacking the guild directly. But there are other plans out there to consider if we feel like another task is more important than the lives of the refugees.

  Egg 

*If* the refugees were in the city, the threat of riot would be a real one, don't you mean? Where they are currently, outside of the walls and on the wrong side of an opposing army army, their ability to influence the city is nil. Hells, that's probably one of the many reasons no one of influence wants them back.

 Kimika brightens and speaks excitedly. 

"Travelers outpost! What if we went to the refugee camp and remade it into a Travelers Outpost, setting up a more organized and permanent settlement there? If we claim it is Travelers, and thus an extension of the Alexandrian church, we can get resources through by means of the church. This also fulfills Mose's dreams. The church will also be thrilled because it gives them a stronghold near Wydmoor, which is completely up in the airstride as the Church's official stance is that no cleric can participate in a war but only give aid. Now is the time! I also would like to shift my focus of my clerical duties from education to learning how to allow people to travel more effectively. It may be a far-shot, sure, but no one other than us could make this happen! Let's do this!"

  Egg 

Now we're thinking big, at least! Sadly, Kimika, as audacious a plan as that is, I don't think we have the influence to pull it off. Mose doesn't have the authority to set up outposts wherever he wants. We might as well declare ourselves Kings and Queens for all the power we'd have to enforce such a claim. If the Church had any desire to get involved in this, they'd have done so well before now. That doesn't mean they couldn't be *forced* to become involved somehow, but that kind of grand scheming is beyond me, I'm sad to say.

I think that you bring up good points, though, Kimi. Something has to be done with the refugees - something *organized*. What good will it do to ease their sickness only to have them die of starvation, or even kill each other once everyone is healthy enough to take advantage of the lawnessness. Also, I think you've hit on something else, Kimi: whatever we do, as influential as we've become and as much clout as we have with the refugees, we're going to need *someone* of import supporting whatever our final plan is: either publicly or privately. We're rich, competent, and respected enough that other people need us for their schemes. I imagine we're going to learn with a quickness that runs both ways.

 Germain ponders who might support us.

 Quinalin 

I don't know enough about the siege protections the city has other than the teleport barrier, but is there any way we could wholesale smuggle the people into the city? We have a huge burned out area that is mostly unattended.. could we have a fleet of giant badgers headed by Al dig a tunnel route through to the refugees with Kimi providing rock-to-mud and such? I could craft deadfalls to protect the tunnel and render it impassible once we were done with it.. You mentioned Gracklek's castle... could we fly them in? Create a large cloud cover and hover them in on levitating barges? As far as what Egg was saying about pulling strings, I think we could probably try to lean on Edrell to look the other way for some piece of the magical protections that he is administrating.

  Egg 

You know, Quin, that's actually... quite clever. Not the flying, I think that's probably beyond any of us, but that other thing. I was thinking actually getting them *into* the city was an all but insurmountable problem of its own. But, yeah, it's quite simple, really. If we could get them *to* the city walls, somehow, then some sort of army of tunneling creatures or whatever it is Al does might be sufficient to get them inside. Best case, you're talking a day of work between the digging and the moving, and the Wraiths or whoever could easily move to intervene. I think you're right, Quin, that Edrell is our best bet as an accomplice or whatever you want to call it for that sort of thing. Protecting the Forager's Gate is his responsibility, so he'd be able to force the issue if he so desired, or perhaps use magic to obfuscate our ruse. Also, these are ostensibly "his" people, so if anyone other that you guys gives a Alexian penny about the refugees, it's him.

Even among burnt out ruins, they've gotta be better of inside the city than outside: access to water and food, some measure of law and order. Assuming we can stop them from bringing the Pox in with them, that is. Nothing would sour the Silverwalkers reputation more than smuggling plague into the city. Now, that only leaves the other impossible problem of getting thousands of half-starved and disease ridden refugees from Onrarch to the city walls themselves. It's far too many to move magically without some sort of permanent portal emplacement, a task far beyond any of us - Edrell included, I feel safe in saying. Whatever we do among the refugees, however, will have to be done carefully and quietly. The Odessans seem to be willing to leave the camp alone, as their supply lines have no need of the river, but we're no doubt almost as well known to them as we are to our own people, and catching wind of us engaging in some sort of unknown mischief in the camps will draw undue and probably violent attention.