Council Meeting: Rebirth 721

[Pegasus]

Rebirth Cycle 721
~~1st Cylus 721~~

It had been a full arc since Brandel had stepped down as Alberach. In that arc some things had happened which were positive, there was no doubt. But the reputation of the Council was of a group who - generally - did not get things done, did not act fast enough in the face of adversity.

~~Current Roles, Reputations & Rumours~~

Below is a list of Council Members. Each council member starts with a Neutral reputation and 1 rumour. In-character actions will impact that reputation and create / change rumours.

Name	Role	Reputation	Rumours
Kura	Alberach	Neutral	There are rumours that Kura is linked with Maxine, now a wanted criminal on Scalvoris.
Nir'wei	Natural Affairs	Neutral	There are rumours that Nir'wei is actually a spy for the Eternal Empire
Rand	Militant	Neutral	There are rumours that Rand is actually a Yludih necromancer
Shania	Accountant	Neutral	There are rumours that Shania is a mortalborn
Marcelle	Trainer	Neutral	There are rumours that Marcelle used to be an assassin
Francis	Merchant	Neutral	There are rumours that Francis is having an affair with Brandel
Jo'ne	Almundian	Neutral	There are rumours that Jo'ne is secretly part of an underground group of criminals
Liza	Egg	Neutral	There are rumours that Lizai is one of triplets, and that's how she's so busy
Linca	Harvardeen	Neutral	There are rumours that Linca has a terminal illness
Leigh	Proper	Neutral	There are rumours that Leigh used to be a Rynmere noble
VACANT	Devout	NA	NA
VACANT	Academic	NA	NA
VACANT	Welfare	NA	NA
VACANT	Welfare	NA	NA
VACANT	Darbytonian	NA	NA
VACANT	Gunvortonian	NA	NA

~~NPC Roles & Existing Vacancies~~

Each of the tabs below is an existing role on the Scalvoris Council which is NOT filled by a PC.

~ Where there is an NPC in there, they are currently in the role.
~~~ If the role is identified as Vacant, that NPC is willing to move out / on.
~~~ If the role is NOT identified as Vacant, the NPC wishes to stay - but that doesn't mean that PCs can't take over, it'll just be more of a struggle.

~ If there is no NPC there, the role is currently empty.

Militant

Name: Rand Broson
Race: Sev'ryn / Human
Age: Born 667
Title: Militant of Scalvoris Council / Militant of Elemental
Skills: NA: Prophet only NPC. You don't need to know!
Other Information: Rand is a hard, fair man. He doesn't speak much as he believes that you learn a lot more by listening than you ever will by talking. He is the head of the Scalvoris Military (the Elements) and he is very proud of that job. A hard working man, he tends towards solitude and does not make friends easily. He has a temper, as his troops will attest and he will not back down when he believes he is right. [/mod]

!	Message from: Peg
	Rand is well-respected and has brought the Elements back from the brink of a very negative situation following the Scalvoris Docks Collapse. He would be very difficult to get out of his role and replace

Accountant

Name: Shania
Race: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Title: Gunvorton Overseer / Accountant of the Scalvoris Council.
Skills: Unknown
Other Information: If there is one thing which everyone agrees on, it is that Shania is a nice lady. Friendly, helpful and always willing to help out, she is the backbone of the growing region on Gunvorton. She knows everyone, it seems, and she's always there should anyone need a little bit of information. She runs the local inn and it is her job, as she tells everyone, to make sure that all who come to her establishment leave just a little bit happier.

!	Message from: Peg
	Shania is almost universally liked and seems to be a genuinely lovely individual. She would be very difficult to get out of this role and replace

Devout

Vacancy for PC

Trainer

Vacancy for PC

!

Message from: Peg

Current Role is held by: Name: Marcelle Tren Race: Mixed Blood Age: Born 687 Title: Trainer of Scalvoris Council Skills: NA: Prophet only NPC. You don't need to know! Other Information: An educator of children by trade, Marcelle would be the first person to tell you that she is out of her depth in this whole Council thing. But she's doing her best and she has a sharper mind than she gives herself credit for. She is a passionate teacher and a friendly woman. Also, she isn't afraid of conflict and has the skills of managing a classroom of five arc olds. Veteran soldiers have quivered and quaked at her stare.

!	Message from: Peg
	Marcelle is well-respected and friendly, but she doesn't want this job. She would be relatively easy to get out of this role and replace as long as her replacement makes sense.

Academic

Vacancy for PC

Foreign Affairs

Vacancy for PC

Merchant

Name: Francis LeShard
Race: Mixed Blood
Age: Born 687
Title: Merchant of Scalvoris Council
Skills: NA: Prophet only NPC. You don't need to know!
Other Information: Francis is a shrewd businesswoman who is here representing the Merchants' Guild. Really that is exactly and only who she is representing. She has worked as a businesswoman throughout the north and east of Idalos and her bottom line is the profit. She is nice, friendly and polite to everyone. She would also sell her grandmother for the right price.

!	Message from: Peg
	Francis is a respected member of the Merchants Guild, although there are some suggestions that she is too reluctant for change. She would be very difficult to get out of this role and replace for anyone not in the Merchants' Guild. For those in it, much easier.

Welfare

Vacancy for PC

Almundian

Name: Jo'ne Tide
Race: Mixed Blood
Age: Born 691
Title: Almund Representative of Scalvoris Council
Skills: NA: Prophet only NPC. You don't need to know!
Other Information: Jo'ne is the Mayor of Almund. Her father was a pirate and his father before him. Her mother was a whore and her grandmother a drug dealer and the bane of the seas. Jo'ne is a foul mouthed, tobacco chewing woman who will take no nonsense from anyone. [/mod]

!	Message from: Peg
	Jo'ne is well-liked in Almund and considered a "true" Almundian. She would be very difficult to get out of this role and replace

Darbytonian

Vacancy for PC

Egg

Vacancy for PC

!

Message from: Peg

Current Role is held by: Name: Liza Race: Human / Sev'ryn Age: Born 694 Title: The Merchant Queen Skills: Negotiation: 65, Appraisal: 65, Business Management, 60, Seduction: 50, Glassblowing: 50 Other Information: Liza is a friendly woman who has taken the rag tag nature of Egilrun and turned it into a place for trade. She is keen business woman who is more than able to strike a hard bargain. She is hoping to strengthen trade negotiations with Viden and to be able to supply them useful and unusual goods. She is loyal and tenacious and will always work for the betterment of Egilrun specifically and Scalvoris generally.

!	Message from: Peg
	Liza is wanting to move on and follow her own business pursuits. She would be quite easy to get out of this role and replace - as long as her successor was seen as a good choice

Gunvortonian

Vacancy for PC

Havardreen

Name: Linca
Race: Biqaj
Age: Born 678
Title: Chief of the village of Havardr
Skills: Other things too. Need to know....
Other Information: Linca is the chief of Havardr, the hardest worker on the island, some say, and a straight talking fellow. He will trade, but he won't be fiddled and is a hard negotiator.

!	Message from: Peg
	Linca would rather die than abandon Havardr. He would be very difficult to get out of his role and replace

Proper

Name: Leigh Birch
Race: Human
Age: Born 693
Title: Scalvoris Town Representative of Scalvoris Council
Skills: NA: Prophet only NPC. You don't need to know!
Other Information: Leigh is the Mayor of Scalvoris Proper. She lives there and has her offices there. She is a friendly and very well organised woman who is keen to listen to all of the opinions on offer. She has trouble sometimes as she can have a bit of a tendency to avoid conflict, but that just means that she sits back and doesn't take sides. It certainly doesn't mean that she's lacking opinions.

!	Message from: Peg
	Leigh is well-respected but some see her as not active enough. She would be relatively easy to get out of this role and replace

~~This Season~~

The following represent the five most pressing situations on Scalvoris, as seen by the populace - they are presented as quotes, but in truth are things you might here throughout Scalv. Acting (or not) on these will impact the Council reputation - and that of the individuals within it - next cycle.

!

Message from: The Faldrass Fallout

"It's impacted us all, hasn't it? I mean, I feel bad for the people who lost everything, but what's the Council going to do about this for all of us? And what's happening with this new place? I want to hear from our Council about this Saoire and what that means for us as an island. I don't want to become like Viden or Rharne, where they're beholden to one Immortal. This is Scalvoris, we worship them all."

!	Message from: Empty Seats
	"I've never known so many empty seats in the Council. What's wrong with them? Don't they care? We need a functioning government or we're going to descend into anarchy!

!	Message from: Law & Order
	"All these people who have arrived here. Are there going to be extra Elements on the streets? What about safety!? What about jobs?! I'm worried that we can't cope!"

!	Message from: Economy
	"We need to have some kind of push in the Merchants' Guild or something! We make the best glass and so on in Idalos! Why isn't it more famous? Scalvoris needs to be more wealthy!"

!	Message from: Health & Welfare
	"The Order of the Adunih are great, but why doesn't the Council fund them? We should be sure that everyone has basic medical needs met!"

The focus for the Council this season is

!	Message from: Council Focus
	As per this thread the council needs to deal with Slag's Deep. This will be a mod-involved thread

~~Impact Threads~~

Anything and everything to do with the council here, please.

1. If there is a thread which will impact the council (either by one of its members or about the council or the result of things in the council) please link here and give a brief description.
2. If you wish to contact the council - please do so here.
3. If you are a council member - you can post announcements here, replies to letters, etc

This thread is, therefore:

• To give PCs a place to contact the council.
• To give Council members a place to put notices and announcements.
• To give all PCs a place to note impact threads
• To give Council members a place where they demonstrate their reactions to events which may not need a full post / thread, but need to be responded to.

!

Message from: Thread Rules

There are a few rules which apply here. 1. All posts must have an IC date. 2. If you are a PC and wish your communication to be anonymous - PM the post to a Scalvoris Mod and it'll get posted anonymously. 3. If you are a council member - make sure that you are absolutely clear in your post about what you're doing. 4. EVERY post will be given a modnote like this with the outcome. That might be action needed or a result of your actions, or just 'noted' - but once that modnote is there, you can assume the outcome IC

Please note that this thread is now closed.

Previous Council Meetings

• Rebirth 720

[Bao Bao]

1st Cylus, 721

Eager to go and explore after the time he had spent talking to his new friends at the restaurant earlier that trial, Bao made his way through the town and glanced to all the different places they had told him about, noticing a building that seemed to be busier than all of the others thus far. Wiping his face of leftover crumbs from just a few stops away, Bao walked through to the council room, unknowingly entering an important meeting that was fortunately open to civilians to go to and talk in. As he entered he smiled at those at the door, some of which discussing important conversations out the front before deciding to head inside.

Once he made it inside Bao found a seat for himself, clambering up it carefully and looking to the people on either side of him. A young man with nervous blue eyes and dirty blonde hair sat on one side of him, anxious to get started but nervous to be in front of people. So nervous he barely paid attention to the Cadouri now sat next to him. On the other side, however, was a far more calm man with a long messy beard and grey hair drooped over his head. Bao turned to him and nodded, the man returning the nod and offering a hand to the Cadouri. Without hesitation Bao shook it, smiling. "Bao" he said simply to the fellow civilian.

"Rorik, good to meet ya, Bao. Cadouri already interested in the council ay?" the man asked, Bao a little confused at the question. Noticing the confused look in his eyes, Rorik put the pieces together and raised an eyebrow of his own. How did someone accidentally stumble across a council meeting? Apparently, he thought, this Red Panda had managed it. Bao, on the other hand, was still confused as to what any of this meant - having never had a 'council' or 'meetings' for the Cadouri.

"As I can see you're confused, the council meets and makes choices about the issues across the island. We talk about problems, they help us out - or so they're supposed to. Whether somethin' gets done or not is up for debate and depends on who you ask" he shrugged, not much caring for how much the council did and solely coming here to ensure his voice was heard. Bao's eyes widened a little at the words and nodded. "Then I can stay and help, do you think they'd be happy to take me on?" he said with excitement, Rorik chuckling at the enthusiasm.

After a moment of laughter, he patted Bao on the shoulder. "As much as I'm sure they would love to have you, it's not as easy as just joining up to the council like that. But, I s'pose if you wanted to help you can stay and give ideas now. No better time than the present, aye?" he smiled to the Cadouri, Bao still maintaining his wide eyes and nodding with understanding. Perhaps he couldn't be a part of the council today, or ever, he wasn't sure how it would work with the Cadouri. But either way, he could and would help. That was more important than any title or position they could give him.

"So how do I start?" he asked Rorik, the man maintaining the warm look to the Red Panda, almost envious of the enthusiasm. "We wait till councilwoman Kura arrives, and the others of course, and we discuss" he explained. Bao paused at the name for a moment, wondering where he had heard it before jumping up in his seat. "Kura...I know her! We met at the soup stall, she sat next to me and we ate soup and talked, it was really nice."

With that excitement out the way, Bao stayed standing, waiting now for the meeting and eager to offer his help in any way the council wanted him to.

!	Message from: Peg
	Noted your arrival. Please feel free to be as involved as you like!

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura let the rest of the council enter ahead of her before she entered the Council Chamber, her expression and demeanor as calm and collected as ever. The could practically feel the relief from some members of the crows, who were more familiar with her temper from past meetings, that her eyes were their usual icy blue rather than the gold that indicated that something had managed to piss her off again. However, there were some odd looks as Cally followed her into the room carrying a large, rolled up piece of canvas. The Albarech took her seat, as Cally hooked the parchment onto the wall behind her and stepped to the side. Kura waited patiently for things to quiet down following the Council's arrival, then stood up to address the room. "This meeting of the Scalvoris Council is now called to order. As usual, any who wish to run for a seat on the Council or to bring an issue forward for the Council to address is welcome to do so. However, before we address the planned business of the day, I would like to take some brief moments to address the rumors and concerns that have been floating around the island." she said, before gesturing at the empty council seats.

"There have been concerns about how many empty seats there are on the council right now. I assure you all, this has not gone unnoticed by the Council and concerns us as well. However, the frank truth of the matter is that the Council itself can do little to affect this ourselves. The Scalvoris Council is made up entirely of volunteers who apply for a seat and are voted in by the current sitting Council. Quite honestly, if people do not step up and apply for council seats, we can do nothing to fill them ourselves. By your choice," she said, now gesturing to the audience as a whole, "this government does not have the power to conscript people to serve the needs of the government. If you want it to continue as such, then you must step up and do your part to make it work. Otherwise, we shall simply have to do the best we can with what we have. However, I for one refuse to let Scalvoris fall to strife or anarchy. I'll keep working for our people's future even if I'm the last person left on the Council." she said, her voice firm and her convictions as clear as she could make them.

"Now, as to the security situation on Scalvoris. Our intent is to put more Elements in the field to as to increase security during the ongoing refugee crisis and our new influx of arrivals. However, securing jobs for everyone is more of a struggle, though one I am committed to solving. I have a proposal on this matter later in the day, but rest assured that I am committed to making sure that everyone can find work so that they may keep a roof over their head and food on their table." she said, her tone calm.

Then she turned to Cally and nodded, leading Cally to unfurl the rolled up piece of canvas, revealing it to be a fairly well rendered map of Idalos. "Now, as to the economic concern I've heard floating around. This map is Idalos. At the edges of the map are barriers that functionally prevent travel through them. Scalvoris itself, however, is here." she said, reaching up to tap the island on the map. "The problem with our international trade is our location, frankly. Scalvoris is a small island that is almost literally at the edge of the world. It's hard for merchants to get to us, and even if the Eclipse Portals were open to general use, trade through them would limited due to their size. As such our direct trading partners are limited and travel is both long and expensive for merchants." she said, her tone calm. "I encourage all efforts to solve this problem, for it is not an easy one. And those looking to solve it need not be merchants, mind. If a shipwright can build a faster ship with more cargo space, for instance, that would help as well." she said, before gesturing to Cally as she closed the map.

"As for internal trade, there is a limit to the economy an island the size of ours can generate, absent a newly discovered gold mine or the like. If we wish to expand the economy of our island and make it richer, we'll need additional sources of revenue, which comes back to the problems with international trade." she said, before giving a slight shrug. "Again, any who wish to solve these issues is welcome to try. I encourage you to give your suggestions to Accountant Shania or Merchant LeShard as is appropriate."

"Now, as to the suggestion of funding the Order of Adunih. I am glad everyone appreciates their efforts, but the Order is not a part of the Scalvoris government, nor solely a Scalvonite institution. They are an international organization with branches in most major cities and countries. The reason the Council does not fund the Order of Adunih is because, quite bluntly, they have not requested any financial support from us. I would not be against offering such support, of course, but as they are not required to report their financial needs to us, we have no way of knowing how much we should offer." she said, her tone calm.

"Finally, there's the matter of Saoire and the disaster of Faldrass. We are working to help everyone who has suffered because of the disaster, but our focus has been on the Faldrass refugees because, quite simply, while the rest of the island was impacted, we didn't have entire lives destroyed in a single night. Almund, for an immediate example, still stands and its people are able to live and work similarly to how they did before. The people from Faldrass do not have that luxury right now, and we've been focused on helping those who need it most." she said, her tone saddened under its usual calm.

"As to the matter of Saoire and the concerns about us becoming an Immortal focused nation, I do not think that Saoire will demand such. Remember, for generations, we have only known her as the giver of gifts, not as a fully fledged Immortal. This indicates that she does not desire either dominion or worship." she said, her tone calm. "Furthermore, her presence on Faldrass is all but certain to help the rebuilding there, which is all to the good." she said, before pausing slightly as she grinned. "Plus, I don't think anyone is aught but enchanted by the presence of the Cadouri."

"Now, before we move on, I would hear from my fellow Councilors and from any of the citizenry of Scalvoris who wish to speak." she said, sitting back down in her seat as she waited for the others to have their say.

[Klaudia]

Klaudia who was sitting In the crowd had listened to the speech that head councilwoman Kura had given. And she was right! If no one stood up to take seats no one could help govern the city, maybe it was part inspiration or perhaps an attempt to try and implore the council to do a better job at looking out for members of the Adunih.

Green cloaks relied on there cloaks for protection often failing to perceive the dangers that surrounded them, there have been incidents as long as she had remembered that followed that very narrative.

People with skill were in short supply, the Elements were still reorganizing. Every time skilled surgeons or drs fell prey on there pilgrimages on the island, everyone suffered.

Klaudia waited keenly for moment to speak before standing up. And as she did she had come to the realization that she wasn’t a good public speaker as her face became flush and her cheeks flared a rosey red.

“Well I don’t think that’s exactly right”she piped while she began playing with her fingers trying to ignore the fact she was now under everyones magnifying glass as they measured her worth. ”The order that is, I volunteer for them like they volunteer for the city. Most people pay for there services with food but mostly fish, if I can get an apple well hey it’s a pretty good day.”She started rubbing the back of her head as she realized she had gotten off track, trying to lighten the mood but maybe crashing and burning. ”But it’s because they are a charity they accept it.” There was an emphasis on that sentence before continuing “They are not an international business that doesn’t suffer the same issues we do being so secluded and fish for medicine is not a sustainable practice.Klaudia began to feel more confident as she expressed her sentiment on the matter “And time and time again they have come to the aid of the city without asking so much as a copper in return, so why should now be any different?” she would close with her final statement much more confident then before a little more fire in the temperament of her voice ”I think it’s unwise to unfund our only large scale health care provider as it seems even more crucial now considering how cut off from the rest of Idalos we are.” there was a brief pause before she continued.

”Thank you for your time Alberach Kura” she nodded politely before returning to her seat.

She had wanted to ask for a chair but it wasn’t a good time maybe she was shy or embarrassed maybe both, but maybe just maybe next time she’d have enough courage to ask at least that’s what she thought. But the volunteer bodyguard did want to try and get money or resources to the order, it was worth a shot and it was interesting to participate and see what came of it.

She’d worry about herself next time, those around her came first.

[Shl'Drei]

A bundle of nerves, anxiety, and intimidation. Shl'drei had never been one for politics if he could help it, but in light of the recent events, him coming out of hiding so to speak... there were some concerns. While the Albarech was right at points, there were things he disagreed on. Still, he waited, and only stepped forward slightly to get a better look at the room. There were enough people here for certain. Overwhelming. The Albarech spoke, her words held an air of authority and power that Shl'drei would admire if it hadn't been so scary. Though he was here now, he couldn't exactly back down or leave without saying his piece.

Though listening to the others present, the shy one at least, gave him confidence. After the fiasco with the housing collapses, he had... kind of gotten tired of the lack of action. Both in himself and otherwise. Mainly himself- he'd been a dormant for most of the last arc, barely went out, the whole works. He'd managed to find his ground at the Glass temple, but he remained otherwise unchanged. Still, after learning the the housing collapses weren't limited to Darbyton, well... it was clear something had to be done. A new position in council? No, that caused to much of a hassle in his mind. It would probably need citizen approval, with how the council was currently viewed. Plus he'd have no way to determine what the position was for or what it would do.

He stepped forward once the shy woman had finished. "Good trial, all," His voice shook, but he remained standing, and ever so slightly firm. "I agree with you," Shl'drei looked at Klaudia for this, but then turned back the Albarech. "But, in honesty. If the council is willing to fund the Order, why not offer it instead of waiting for an invitation?" He realized that was rude so he continued. "I have no experience and that's just an opinion, but being proactive would surely benefit in such circumstances, no? I'll leave that matter at that." He sighed, hopefully that made sense and hadn't offended anyone.

[Nir'wei]

"They're really..." He paused outside the entrance to the Council Halls, trying to process Wesley's words again. He knew he hadn't misheard; he'd asked the man to repeat himself twice already, just to be absolutely certain. He trusted the validity of the intelligence, otherwise Wesley would never have brought it to him in the first place... and, well, his trust for Wesley went unquestioned. "Thoughts?"

"Tylar says, speak the whole truth, omit nothing, trust in the better judgement of the Council over mob mentality, try not to flinch at baseless accusations, and handle yourself with dignity above all else." Tylar had a thing for maintaining appearance that bordered on narcissistic, but it didn't make it any less an effective strategy to apply such indifference to a crisis that it could make even the instigators begin to doubt themselves and feel ashamed of their self-inflicted panic. "Tel'wehn is preparing something to be released tomorrow to handle it. Private, discrete, low-density and high-impact. For now... don't dwell on it and be assured all is in hand." His assistant shared a small, knowing smile. This would be yet another important meeting, and little matters like these drawn up just moments before he'd been ready to push through the doors threatened to unravel it all.

When he finally pushed through the doors in time with his fellow Councillors, taking his seat of Natural Affairs, Wesley remained behind, outside. His second-in-command had already taken over for the day to attend to the regular needs, supported on all sides by Cold and Myrth. Squeak and Castile had gone hunting that morning and if he stretched his thoughts, he could almost feel damp grass folding under his paws. Greyhide slept somewhere, still tucked under a thick blanket and dreaming simple, wolfish dreams.

For once, Nir'wei truly sat alone.

The Alberach made her speech first, and quite frankly, he was left with very little to disagree with. There were still some matters that he thought to bring to attention in order to better help relieve the strains on the Elements, but one glance to his fellow Councillors, and then the audience they held as well, helped convince him otherwise and write up a mental note to apply for such changes in a more... private and confidential assembly.

And the voices began to pique up in reply... and, well, so much for maintaining a low profile, but the comments seemed to really strike home, given his first-hand experience with the hard work Faith had pushed into the organisation, only to hear it dragged through the mud as though it were some helpless charity on the brink of collapse! "Forgive me, Alberach - if I might answer that question?" he requested, sitting a little straighter in his chair and clearing his throat. "The Order of the Adunih is an international organisation with interests that extend to all manners of healthcare and wellbeing, both offered to the public and private alike... to suggest that they are without interest or benefit to be in Scalvoris, when we hold Beacon, a thriving community that continues to promote its message and provide training in all aspects to prospective Adunih staff, is... slightly hilarious. Faith Augustine herself visits Scalvoris to maintain and support it, we have a direct channel to the one voice that matters, and she asks for nothing. With that knowledge, tell me, why should we not put that money towards better security, and better investments for the good of Scalvites?"

Only slightly incensed, he stood from his chair and pointed to single out the girl that had spoken first. "And you, the volunteer... where is your Adunih Cloak, if I might be so bold? Tell me, where did you volunteer, that you need to live off table-scraps, while Cally's Soup Kitchen provides free meals for all that need it, and the Adunih are always provided with a comfortable living wage?" To think that someone would make such grossly false allegations, under the roof of the Scalvoris Council no less. "This misrepresentation of the Order is insulting to its name, and it will not stand. If anyone else has any further grievances regarding the Order and their supposed lack of funding, they are more than welcome to make an application at the head of the Scalvoris Adunih Outpost, since clearly, they seem to understand more of its logistics than they." At last, he sat.

"Better yet, the Council Seat of Welfare, I understand, is missing an arse."

[Klaudia]

Klaudia seemed enthusiastic when another person stood up and said that the governing body should take an active approach. When he looked at her she smiled and nodded in his direction, she felt a rush of excitement from it and a glimmer in her sapphire blue eyes betrayed her casual posture in the form of hope like her attempt to make a difference hadnt fell upon deaf ears amongst her peers in the crowd.

“Ethelynda be praised”she murmured as she sat in her chair reflecting on her actions, nothing was more noble then facing your fears and standing up for what you believe in even if your criticized for it. And as another picked up a proverbial shield and stood by her side she wasn’t alone.

But that’s when it came from nowhere discouraging discourse, and firey words with sharp accusations.

But how was Klaudia to know of peoples generous donations, all she knew was what she saw on the ground floor. Green cloaks being targeted and harmed while they tended the sick and injured, and people frequently not paying for charitable services.

But she still had beliefs and would not be dissuaded so easily as the councilor told her why they should fund the order. Maybe be it was her complete lack of experience with politics, her poor choices of words. But still the underlining desire was a governing body proactively insuring the well being of it’s citizens, and that’s when she realized her mistake as she’d attempt a different posture.

“I apologize for my lack of prowess in politics, perhaps it was a poor choice of words.

I think the underlining concern is the lack of proactivity between the governing body and the order.

Even if they have a fortune what good is it if there was only one loaf of bread to buy on the island but they had a hundred mouths to feed? What if sickness spread throughout Faldrass but they lacked certain medicine to treat it, what happens if there’s something the order was in short supply of despite having ample capital to pay? We do live on a secluded island and depend on trade. Ships take time to deliver goods, and at the best of times it’s a slow process. What happens if something Faith sent for doesn’t make it to the island and she’s not here to say something.

These items just don’t magically appear from a price list just because they have the coin to purchase it.”

Klaudia said what she said and said what she meant and had no shame for saying it publicly but she had to defend her honor as he tried to sully it.

“You may be so bold as to ask, I do not have a cloak because I volunteer my time chaperoning them around the island I am not a cloak so I don’t get paid. I volunteer my time, protecting them. A lot of people respect the green cloaks they carry, while sadly there are those that are depraved that prey upon them. I live on the scalvoris adunih grounds. And yes I do eat the donations because it’s wasteful not too, calling them table scraps is disrespectful to those who gave what they could.

Lastly I don’t think the highest member of the order would approve that her voice is the only voice that matters, that is not the message I think she intends.

It’s about working together to make Scalvoris a better place, at least that’s what I’ve been led to believe working with them.

But if you insist I’ll take that seat!

Thank you for your invitation and time Councilor”


As she sat down flustered like she’d been beat up in a fist fight trying to keep her reputation intact all the while trying to promote proactivity between the two. She was definitely anxious and her nerves were on edge after being verbally attacked so politely, she was visibly shaken from the ordeal and had been left mentally exhausted.

Regardless she was still happy, she stood her ground and protected her belief. Only realizing a few moments later she had put her name in the hat to take the seat.

[Bao Bao]

When Kura had entered Bao smiled, not wanting to distract her from her hard work but still hoping she had seen him. In Idalos there were many friends to be made, but all of them should be treasured. Kura was one of the first people Bao had met in Scalvoris, just a few trials after arriving on the Island. They had eaten soup together, talked about different things and just generally been kind to one another. It was something, seeing her now in a totally different environment. Bao was almost in awe.

Others entered one by one, the council meeting started and discussions went underway. Kura gave a speech and mentioned many things, most prominently to Bao being Saoire. He would be sure to back up Kura's claims around Saoire once it was his time to speak. Equally, his thought process faded and a warm smile spread on his face as she complimented the Cadouri, Bao almost wondering if it was possible for a Red Panda to blush.

If it was possible, he most certainly was blushing.

Things didn't remain particularly calm for long, however. Coming into this, having never seen or even heard of a council, Bao didn't know what to expect. This was not it. First suggestions were given, then a reply from a man that Bao could only assume was important, as he spoke with knowledge and directly asked Kura if he could speak. While he gave his speech the Red Panda gave all his effort to listen, though he understood little of it and ended up mostly distracted by the curiosity of what Alberach meant and if it was what he should be calling Kura.

Once Klaudia said her piece and sat down Bao could almost feel the tension growing, something entirely unfamiliar to him. A brief trill went by and he wanted to stay silent, stay in his seat and say nothing. But then he remembered the bird that had sung with him on the late nights of Zi'da. A beautiful, vibrant bird that had mimicked his words and sang along with him to his own song. Yet when he went quiet, when it could hardly hear his voice, it stopped. Maybe it just couldn't hear him, but Bao didn't think so. It would have moved closer because it was nice like that.

No. The bird wanted Bao to be more confident, he knew it. That was why it had sung with him in the first place. So Bao, clearing his throat a little and clambering up onto the table so he could be seen properly, turned to Kura. "If I could, Alberach" he said, taking a deep breath and visibly having to bring some confidence to himself. Once he had found that confidence, though, he was ready.

"I don't know much about this place, though I seek to learn. I've lived here for less time than most children. So forgive me if I get something wrong, I only want to help" he smiled a little, paws shaking with the nerves but refusing to give in. "What Kura said about Saoire is true, she would never want what people are worried about. As the woman that raised me, raised all of my people, I know that. Our society was built on hope and gifts, we would trade food and sing songs in exchange for other necessities because we didn't need money - we just enjoyed what we had. I promise you that Saoire wants nothing but good for all of us, all of Idalos."

Once he had that out of the way, he glanced to Klaudia, addressing her directly. "I don't really know who the Order are, but I have an idea. It won't help all of them, but it can help Scalvoris at least" he explained, turning to Nir'wei and Kura. "My idea is me, us, the Cadouri."

"We were all raised by the Immortal of Gifts, given the greatest gift of all by being allowed to live among those on Idalos. That gift warms the hearts of my people, it gives us hope and strength for the world - and it makes us want to help. So ask all of them, all the Cadouri who are willing, to help with anything. We won't need money because we never had it before, just some food to keep us going and the promise that we're making a good difference. Then people can see us for who we are and we can bring gifts to the world that has given us everything."

If it wasn't for the nerves the Cadouri might have teared up himself, thinking about all of his brothers and sisters working side by side and feeling his heart pound in his little chest. Taking another small moment to breathe, Bao looked to Kura this time. "When we met I had traded an apple for some soup, and the woman that owned the stall didn't mind or care. Maybe it was because she wanted to see the Cadouri up close or maybe she thought I was small and fluffy so she let it happen. But...if we can give people hope, show them that we can fix things just by being kind to one another, then I want to."

Then, with one final piece of courage left in his body, he smiled at the Alberach. "And you'll never be the last person left on the council, because that's not fair to anyone" he said with confidence, nodding to her as he anxiously scratched some fur on the side of his shoulder. "Because I volunteer to take a seat, if it means I can help people - and if it means I can help you."

[Rei'sari]

3rd Cylus, 721

Location: ---


Ari'sora slipped into the room quietly, and found a seat among the other citizens that had come to see the meeting. She had never attended a council meeting before. And even now, she was questioning whether she had any right to be here. She almost hadn't come at all for that reason. But she wanted to help if she could. If there was something she could do that would help the council...or anyone else, really, then she wanted to do it. And it wasn't impossible to think there was something she might be able to do. She had worked with one of the council members in the past, after all.

All around her, people talked among themselves as they waited for the council members to arrive. Ari'sora didn't join in on their conversations, but she did listen to them. They were none of her business, but she could hardly avoid doing so. Some spoke of worries about Saoire, or of how the refugees that had been displaced from their homes in Faldrass were going to impact them. Others spoke about the empty seats on the council, funding the Order of the Adunih, the need for more Elements on the streets for safety now that the refugees were here, and fears that there wouldn't be enough jobs for everyone. Still others spoke of the need to make Scalvoris more wealthy than it was. There were even rumors about the council members themselves. Ari'sora didn't know most of the council members, so she dismissed most of the rumors completely. She simply had no way of knowing if they were true or not...and no interest in finding out either.

But two of the rumors caught her attention. One was that Councilor Nir'wei was a spy for the Eternal Empire. That one confused Ari'sora. She had heard of the Eternal Empire before. But she knew very little about it aside from the fact that it existed, it was very big, and that they wanted to rule the world. Probably. As she thought about it, she figured that if they did want to rule the whole world, that meant that they wanted to rule Scalvoris too. But...why start with Scalvoris? Scalvoris was an island at the end of the world. Surely there were other places more valuable to the Eternal Empire than Scalvoris was? It was possible that they had already conquered other lands...but Ari'sora was pretty certain she would have heard about it if they had. So why would the Eternal Empire want to have spies in Scalvoris?

Then there was the question of spies itself. From the stories Ari'sora had read, and her very limited understanding of what a spy was...she believed them to be bad people. People who would betray others to the people they were spying for. And she didn't think that Nir'wei was a bad person. So she turned to the person who was spreading that rumor and told them that she thought it was a lie.

The other rumor that had caught her attention was that the Alberach was tied to Maxine, a wanted criminal. That one was more uncertain for her. She knew that the Alberach had been there with everyone else when the Baron had called for help. She had seen the woman in the cave with Faldrass. And although she had not known at the time, she later learned that Maxine had been there as well; had in fact been fighting someone else in the storm that trial. Ari'sora guessed that that was why she was a criminal. But just because both of them had been there did not mean that the Alberach had ties to Maxine. Then again...it did not mean that they didn't have ties either. Ari'sora just didn't know enough about the situation to make a guess either way.

When the council members arrived, the Alberach addressed some of the issues. The empty seats were a concern to the council as well, but unless someone stood up to take them, they would remain empty. That made perfect sense to Ari'sora. She hoped that someone would take some of the seats. It wasn't something she was even remotely qualified to do, though.

Other issues were addressed as well. Ari'sora listened carefully, but she couldn't really think of any solutions for them. Opening more shops would create more jobs, but it probably wasn't that simple. Someone would have to want to open those shops first...and have the means and skills needed to do so. Ari'sora wondered how many more jobs would be needed, because that would also be important to take into consideration. Creating jobs also meant finding the money to pay the people who had those jobs. It made Ari'sora's head spin as she tried to think it through and see if she could come up with any ideas to share.

The next issue that caught Ari'sora's attention was that of funding the Order of Adunih. Was that really something that the Council was supposed to do? The Order was...everywhere, wasn't it? Or most places, at least? Did that mean that whoever was in charge of each place that the Order of Adunih was in was responsible for funding them? Or was there...something beyond that? If the Order of Adunih was in many places all over the world, then wouldn't they have to have some central...base or something that coordinated them all? And if they did, wouldn't they be the ones to fund each branch of the Order?

The Alberach spoke of Saoire next, and Ari'sora agreed that Saoire probably did not want to be worshipped. At least not the way some people were saying. Saoire was known for giving gifts to people, not for demanding worship. And Ari'sora couldn't see how her coming to Scalvoris would change that.

Someone spoke out about the Order of Adunih, saying that they only got paid for their services with fish and apples, and that made little sense to Ari'sora. She knew that they treated those who could not afford to pay for free, but she also knew that people who could afford to pay them would do so. She herself had paid them for their services the last time Rin'saia was sick with a fever. So to talk of unfunding the Order and such seemed wrong to her. But Ari'sora knew that she could easily be missing something. It hadn't seemed like it at the time, but maybe most people didn't pay for the services of the Order of Adunih, and she was an exception to that? If most people paid for their services with food, did that mean that that was what the Order wanted to be paid with? Should she have given them food as well? She would have to ask the next time she needed their services.

Then Councilor Nir'wei spoke up, confirming what she had believed about the Order of Adunih to be true. Ari'sora was relieved to hear it, and she fully agreed that any money the council had should be used to help Scalvoris in the best way possible. Since the Order seemed to have the help they needed, then it was only natural to think that the money would be used for something else.

Ari'sora wasn't certain what to make of the woman's counter speech about having just one loaf of bread to feed an island. If the Order was short on a type of medicine that they had the money to buy but were waiting for it to be shipped from somewhere else, how would the Council giving them more money help to fix that problem? Ari'sora was glad to see the woman offer to take one of the empty seats, though. She probably understood the matter far better than Ari'sora could, so maybe she had ideas on how to fix things.

Another person offered to take a seat. As Ari'sora looked to see who had spoken, she saw a small, cute talking animal, and realized that he was one of the Cadouri. Ari'sora had seen a picture of an animal that looked like him once, but she couldn't remember what it was called. While she was glad that he was offering to take a seat, the part about asking the Cadouri to work without paying them anything other than a bit of food disturbed her greatly. That was slavery, and slavery had been abolished. Slavery was wrong.

"I think..." she said slowly, hoping that she was doing the right thing by speaking up.

"I think it is a good thing that the Cadouri want to help. So do I, though I don't think I am the right person to take a seat on the Council. But asking someone to work without pay is wrong unless it is a volunteer based thing. Maybe something could be offered to the Cadouri who want to help in trade if they don't need money?" she suggested.

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura looked up at the citizenry as a woman started to speak up regarding the matter of funding the Order of Adunih. Kura raised an eyebrow but did not give an immediate response, instead letting the next person speak. He too addressed the matter of funding the Order, and then Nir'wei asked her permission to reply. Kura nodded at him and sat back to listen to his response. Then the woman who first spoke up offered her attempt at a rebuttal, and was followed by Bao, the Cadouri that Kura had met the season prior stood up to speak. She nodded at his suggestion, then let the next person speak. When she finished, Kura stood up.

"First on the matter of the Order of Adunih. We do not volunteer to fund them unasked because, as Councilor Nir'wei suggested, there are any number of other places that money could go that do not have the international resources that the Order does." she said, before looking dead at Klaudia. "Furthermore, miss, you speak of the Order not being able to acquire something if there is a shortage and phrase it as a lack of connection between the Order and the government. Quite frankly, if something simply cannot be had, we cannot make it available by decree unless the government has stores of it ourselves. In such the event we do have such stores, we will of course make them available if needed. However, Doctor Augustine was present on the island shortly after the disaster of Faldrass and spoke to both myself and Councilor Nir'wei. In neither meeting were mention of a lack of supplies made."

Frowning now, Kura continued. "In addition, there are the Eclipse Portals. While these are not viable for large scale trade, they are more than adequate for the securing of emergency supplies. Now as to attacks on Green Cloaks, I presume you mean the raids on the supply chain. We are looking into that, but as been previously stated, the Elements are being pulled in many directions." she said, before she looked at Klaudia again, this time with a hint of gold to her eyes. "As for what Doctor Augustine intends or what she would approve of, she has served on this council in the past, Councilor Nir'wei and I both knew her before any of ever came to Scalvoris, and we have remained close since her departure. I would advise you not to act as if you have the authority or the knowledge to speak for her." she said, before turning to Bao and Ari'sora, her eyes blue again.

"The idea of getting help from the Cadouri is a good one. They are new and generally well accepted by the people here. However, I will not have them work without pay, no. While there are those who are willing to barter goods, that requires both parties to have something the other is willing to accept in trade. Money serves as a universally accepted trade item, and so having it will make things easier for them, though other means of support are also viable." she said, her voice clear, though there was a slight smile to it now.

Then she looked at her fellow councilors. "We have two volunteers for empty seats on the Council. Before we resume, we will hold a vote on whether or not we will accept either candidate. Since Bao Bao has declined to specify a seat, if he is accepted, I will assign him one." she said, her voice calm. The vote would, of course, proceed as it normally did and Kura would not interfere with the voting process or the announcement of the results. If both were accepted, Kura would give the seat of Devout to Bao Bao. If Bao Bao was accepted while Klaudia was not, she would instead give him the Welfare seat, as she considered that one more the more important of the two to fill.

Once the voting was done and any new Councilors had taken their seat, Kura looked at the Council. "Now, to the days business. Those who attended our Rebirth Cycle meeting will recall the discussions we had about the Logging Consortium and the Slags Deep Prison, and their attempts to undermine and control the government through financial manipulation. Since then, the Logging Consortium has been broken and their power dispersed. That does, however, leave the matter of the Slags Deep Prison. With the situation on Faldrass back under control, it is time we turned our attention back to them." she said, her tone calme.

"Slags Deep made a deal with the original Council to have itself declared an independent state from the rest of Scalvoris. This makes their manipulation of the Council doubly malicious, as it is also an act of war. It was agreed in the Rebirth meeting that we would respond with military force. Now that we have opportunity, I would advise that we put Slags Deep under siege, with the intent to starve them into surrender. With the help of Earth Defiers, we should be able to locate any secret entrances or exits, so they cannot slip by us. Furthermore, I would not recommend we try to fight them in the prison itself, for we do not know the layout of the prison nor what traps they may have in place." she said, her voice calm. "Now, does anyone have any suggestions of their own on this matter?" she asked.