Council Meeting: Rebirth Cycle 722

[Nir'wei]

Some conversations were beginning to move a little fast for Nir'wei to keep up with - several trains of thought all ran in different directions, and while it was certainly good to feel the constructive groundwork being laid, it did make it rather difficult to properly engage. He'd already made amends that he'd just follow up later where it might be relevant - after all, they couldn't possibly conduct all of their business on the open floor - but he was at least finding it much easier to navigate, and the few threads of conversation he could still pick up and engage with... well, something about Leigh's reply brought a bit of a smile to his face. "That's fine - it was only an idea thought up in the moment, I'll happily concede that it's not an ideal solution - and it would need time and the proper people to carry it out. But, okay. Your concern is an absolutely valid one, but I think there's something else to be said from it. These council sessions only happen once a season. But of course, we're all working every trial of every arc. So when we hold these sessions to open the floor to the concerns of the people, we're trying to handle, for a few breaks of a single trial, all of the things that have been eating away at people for the entire season, sometimes multiple seasons... frankly, some of these concerns are small and should have been dealt with much faster, much easier. If they were, the people are happy because their needs are met, and everyone is happy because we can do our jobs and serve them better."

It might have felt for a moment like he was just rambling off, but he held up a finger. "There is no circumstance where an idea, or a concern, should not be brought before the Council because there is disagreement over its importance. Every voice must be heard. No exceptions." He'd learned that from the last meeting and the struggle to simply do away with the voices of the public. How well that had worked out. "However - if a concern can be resolved before the next Council session, answers can be given and action taken by the relevant parties, and that person says that they are satisfied for it to be removed, because the issue itself is already gone - then we never have to hear about it. That's what I believe." He sat back in his chair at last and exhaled slowly. That was, perhaps, the most talking he'd ever done at once in public, and he'd be damn chuffed if he never had to do it again... but, well. Hopefully nobody could run around yelling that he never contributed anymore.

Such a shame that Woe's comments were about to ruin all of that.

"Did nobody teach you any fucking manners?" The words were tight and sharp, and left his mouth before he'd even had time to consider them. The tone was half of anger and half of sheer surprise that he would even dare suggest such a thing on a public forum. Still, in the breath before his next words, he at least had time to consider how to continue, and softened the temper of his voice in his next words - though it did nothing to dull the edge. "Making such a baseless and insulting accusation because someone disagrees with your viewpoint is very unbecoming behaviour." He shook his head, for his own benefit, to try and contain himself before he said something that might derail the meeting any further. "Irrespective of that, I continue to disagree. Trade is a two-way street, and there is a reason that these places you speak of have not reached us, just the same as we have not reached them. There's not enough profit, not in import nor export, that justifies the costs in both time and money to make such a journey when we have such good relationships with our close neighbours - neighbours whom many of those places conduct trade with anyway." He'd found his place again - that calm command, explanatory without being derogatory, and softened it even further as he began to tie off the discussion. "While your suggestion for reduced tax rates for traders willing to invest in long trade journeys has merit, Councillor Zana would need to negotiate the tax rates of imports from Scalvoris to balance that... and it frankly still isn't enough. Why take the risk of livelihoods for nothing more than profit?"

He shook his head at last and leaned back in his seat again. "I appreciate your suggestion, however this is no revolutionary new strategy that nobody has ever considered before now. Scalvoris is where it is, and short of Saoire putting this island on the back of a flying turtle, there's no changing that fact."

[Doran]

When Kura told Shania that the minutes of previous meetings could be accessed in the Council building, Doran decided that he would take a look at them when he had time. He had to admit that he had never been particularly interested in matters of economy, or taxation before – there just hadn’t been any need for him to concern himself with such things – but now that he was a member of this government, he wished to be informed. He wanted to get as complete a picture as he possible could, not just of the things that were within his purview of Devout. He wanted to understand the island as whole.

In the end, all the areas were connected to some extent.

He had disagreed with the Albarech during the previous meeting – although he had understood her reasoning for wanting to switch to what was pretty much a dictatorship – but he found himself agreeing with her to a larger extent now. She said that voting would help maintain objectivity, and she didn’t dismiss the concerns that he had about Liza, but asked Jacien for more information, and what more, he considered her suggestion to use population as a measure for how a region qualified for representation a good one.

When she stated that the government was less than ten arcs old, he inclined his head before he turned to the entirety of the room, because that was something that needed to be emphasized in his opinion, and spoke in a firm tone of voice, “I think that is something that people often overlook, especially when it comes to criticizing the work of the Council. A little more than a handful of arcs ago, the Pirate Lords were still in charge of this island. Democracy is still a new development, especially in Scalvoris. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the aforementioned criticism is unjustified. It is simply something that I ask you to please keep in mind.”

The Chief Ranger, he observed, as the man vouched for Zana, at least in part, and shared his own experiences, seemed to be less sleepy now which was a good thing and made him hopeful that it had only been a one-time occurrence rather than the norm. With that thought in mind, he turned to listen to the next speech – Darius’. His former student decided to address the matter of piracy and made a proposal as to how to deal with it.

He also mentioned that there were many small villages and hamlets that could not defend themselves and reached out to Hopetoun for assistance. He couldn’t help but wonder which small villages those were. He didn’t think that Faldrass had that many villages. There were Haven, Hopetoun and the Barony, and Saoire’s school probably had a fair number of people as well, but where exactly were the rest of those many villages?

Did the Spirit’s Rest and the Lostand Foundry constitute villages nowadays, or was he talking about the main island? Wouldn’t people on the main island be more likely to just turn to the Elements?

He furrowed his brow slightly as he thought about it, but ultimately decided not to ask Darius about it, even though it seemed a little strange to him. Darius had either exaggerated, or a lot of small villages had mysteriously appeared since he had last visited Faldrass, but it was only one aspect of a bigger and more important matter – the matter of piracy.

Having made a decision in that regard, he focused on what Nir’wei said. The man raised a few important points regarding the matter of trade – How exactly did Woe expect to transport heavy goods, for example? – but there was something about him that he found a little strange – and concerning - regardless. The longer he spoke, the slower his words came, until he stopped completely and simply seemed to stare into space for a few moments. He couldn’t help but wonder if he was alright, but inquiring about possible health issues during a public meeting hardly seemed appropriate to him. There were things that Nir’wei might not want to share with the others, and at least for the time being, he seemed to be capable of following the meeting for the most part regardless.

When Leigh addressed the matter of favoritism and suggested asking people that might know better, he inclined his head and spoke, “That is a worthwhile suggestion in my opinion. I would like to hear what the Albarech has to say in that regard though.”

He had to admit, he still wasn’t sure which issues exactly he was supposed to or was allowed to deal with – which made him briefly consider the matter of job descriptions, or the lack thereof, again. It seemed as if some of the Council’s problems were due to it still being so young, but he couldn’t help but wonder who had considered it to be a good idea to just let Councilors figure out what they should be doing on their own. Brandel gave him the impression of being an intelligent man – he had impressed him greatly during the previous meeting.

When Linca asked him for more information about Liza, he inclined his head briefly before he talked about what Kura, Jacien and he had found out in the Glass Temple in more detail. “On what would later become known as the trial of the Forging, we found out that Liza had disappeared along with many of the Warden’s associates. The rot seemed to have gone deeper than we had ever expected. Some of the missing people did in fact turn out to have died, or been killed. Viden was ordering a lot of glass before the Forging, and that glass was, as I told you, sent right back to Slag’s Deep. Liza’s home was searched during that investigation. Jacien might be able to shed more light on that”, he stated and turned to the man who had helped Kura and him greatly on that fateful trial an arc before.

He didn’t know if any aspects of that investigation constituted confidential information, and thus he would let him speak, if he wanted to. He didn’t want to possibly get in the way of an ongoing Elements operation.

“In my opinion, taking a closer look at the Viden link might be worthwhile as it might reveal more about Liza’s past activities”, he stated and continued, “When we investigated the disappearances, we found out that the Logging Consortium constituted the missing link. All of its members had disappeared. Are you aware of the fact that there are tunnels under Darbyton? Have the Darbyton connection and the possible infiltration of the Elements already been investigated?” he wanted to know and raised an eyebrow slightly before he pointed out, “Mister Morandi might be able to shed some more light on the matter of Liza and Egilrun as well.” His fellow councilors had not given the man’s words the attention that they would have deserved in his opinion, and he couldn’t help but wonder why. Was it due to the fact that he had talked about Liza and her sisters shortly after his application for Egg had been denied?

He wanted to give him the opportunity to talk about it more now, if he wanted to.

It seemed as if the Militant would not dismiss the matter of piracy entirely after all which he appreciated. Marcelle’s panicked look when he asked her for numbers surprised him though. He didn’t comment on it though, but simply inclined his head and replied in a calm tone of voice, “Thank you, Marcelle. I look forward to learning more.”

He didn’t want her to panic even more, but calm down instead.

“The matter of the number of students that would be able to benefit from an outreach school makes me wonder about population numbers in general though”, he admitted after a moment of silence and turned to the entirety of the Council. “The Albarech suggested using population numbers as a matter of how a region qualifies for a representative. How current is our data in that regard? Forgive me my slight ignorance”, he continued and briefly smiled, very lightly. “But how often does the Council count Scalvoris’ citizens, or at least try to estimate their numbers? The island has undergone quite a few changes in recent arcs, and thus using numbers that might date back to the time before the Pirate Lords’ disappearance would be ill-advised in my opinion”, he pointed out in a dry tone of voice.

The matter of an outreach school had been tabled until the Trainer was capable of providing numbers, but he still considered the answer to that particular question to be of some importance.

As for a date to honor the Induks … he inclined his head slightly when Leigh asked him about that, and admitted, “I haven’t thought about the date for that in detail yet, but what about the trial when everybody regained their memories? It would make sense to pick another date that is connected to the Forging in some way in my opinion. There is also the matter of the dead Immortals and their remaining followers that we need to take into consideration and that will eventually have to be discussed”, he continued and let his gaze sweep across the gathered Councilors once more.

There was only so much that you could do during a Council meeting, without things descending into chaos or the meeting lasting forever, and thus, it seemed prudent to him not to go into details about everything. The dead Immortals were something that merited some attention in his opinion though. With his statement he wanted to give his fellow Councilors, and the public, the opportunity to say something in that regard if they wanted to.

When Marcelle told him that education depended on where you lived and who was doing the teaching – at least that was the impression that he had – he raised an eyebrow as that didn’t seem right to him. In his opinion, every student should have the same opportunities and learn the same things, regardless of who they were and where they lived.

“How standardized is the education system in Scalvoris?” he asked rather than criticizing her though. The memory of how she had panicked when he had asked her to provide them with numbers was still fresh in his mind. Former assassin or not, he wanted to prevent another such occurrence. “Is there such a thing as a curriculum that all teachers in Scalvoris have to follow? As I implied before, familiarizing the children of Scalvoris, and the people in general, with our government and politics in general would be a good idea”, he added before he fell silent again and simply listened.

He noticed that some people seemed like they wanted to say something. He looked at them for a moment, and smiled, or inclined his head, but he didn’t ask them for their opinion. He would leave it up to them if they wanted to say something or not, and not force them. It seemed as if some of his questions had been too much for them though, he observed.

When Jacien stated that they had confirmed the existence of Liza’s sisters, he nodded. “Do you know their names?” he wanted to know, silently wondering why people didn’t seem to know more about them. There had to be records that mentioned them somewhere. They had to have gone to school somewhere, for example, and there were likely people who had met them when they had been younger, before things had gotten strange.

He briefly thought about that before he turned to listen to the Militant’s reaction to Darius’ proposal. Such matters eluded him for the most part – he was a scholar first and foremost – and thus he didn’t comment on it. He was curious about what Darius had to say regardless though and listened to him with interest, furrowing his brow here and there.

Nir’wei, he observed, seemed to have recovered from whatever had ailed him before for the most part. There was some merit to his statement that certain concerns could be resolved before a Council session. He was not shocked when he asked Woe if nobody had taught him any fucking manners either. It took more than the word “fuck” to shock him. He couldn’t help but wonder about Woe’s accusation and whether there was any truth to it though.

“Councilor LeShard and Councilor … Nir’wei”, he spoke, briefly furrowing his brow as it occurred to him that he didn’t know the man’s last name, provided that he even had one. “Didn’t give me the impression of doing this for personal enrichment. I have to admit, I’m curious about the proposal that Councilor Nir’wei mentioned as well though”, he admitted in a calm and neutral tone of voice. He was not so naïve as to believe that nobody in the Council was corrupt and here for personal again, but he wasn’t sure if this was the case here. He couldn’t help but wonder why the man didn’t want to share this proposal with all of them though. Was it that questionable in nature?

Regardless, when Shania stated that the Council had approved Zana’s appointment unanimously, he turned to his former assistant and told her, smiling as he did so, “Congratulations, Miss Delroth. It’s good to see the Foreign Affairs seat finally filled.”

“Regarding the matter of trade”, he spoke a few moments later. “I’d like to hear Councilor LeShard’s, Councilor Calanorn and Councilor Delroth’s thoughts on that matter as it seems like something that is part of all of their areas of responsibility”, he admitted. That was the last thing that he said this time before he looked at the others, waiting for them to hopefully answer some of his questions, or speak in general.

[Zana]

So you resign yourself to failure, my friend
And I emerge the chilling stranger, my friend...

1st Cylus 722

After she spoke, Woe Morandi spoke again. He suggested some things regarding trade and he mentioned pirates and the waters being busy. Zana stored that away. Doran confirmed that he knew her, with a nod of his head. Zana sent him a soft smile for that, since he was gracious enough to acknowledge her, and then Kura spoke. She was the Albarech ~ a dreary and stupid title, Zana considered ~ and she responded. They were creating their infrastructure 'on the hoof' so to speak and Zana acknowledged that as important to her. It was important to her, of course, because it was an opportunity.

Then, Oram spoke and he acknowledged that she was right - and in doing so, of course, that he was wrong. Vindication was a sweet taste and the fact that he did so in a public forum was even better. Her ice blue eyes met Oram's as he spoke and she inclined her head, just slightly. He had done the correct thing and acknowledged her greatness, so she forgave him and promoted him once again to utterly unimportant in her mind. Next, Darius spoke and Zana listened carefully to him. He spoke of piracy and the danger on the waters, also; he also put forward a solution.

Nir'wei, the Council Member for Natural Affairs and, as far as she could tell, a professional hobo, asked her about her winged transport. First, he told her that having her own winged transport was not a significant advantage over other applicants and Zana nodded. "I'll try to remember not to mention my transport to all the other applicants, then," she said sweetly. There were no others, after all. To take the edge of her obvious sarcasm, Zana smiled. "My transport is a dragonling of Drathaidir, known as a Gaithir. A most beautiful creature. You are more than welcome to meet him, after the meeting." She loved to show off Zacchary and Zeke, after all. Nir'wei then knocked back Woe's suggestion, and Zana got a distinct feeling that there was a history there - that would be interesting to find out, if it became relevant.

Then, they voted.

As Shania said that she had been unanimously voted in, Zana smiled at the council members. "Thank you," she said and she stood and slid gently into her seat. As she did, first Woe and then Darius spoke. There was a very noticeable difference in how they spoke - Woe made some rather passive-aggressive statements, while Darius sought to clarify a point he'd made. Nir'wei responded to Woe and he did so very robustly - nothing passive about his aggression and Zana looked between the two of them.

They were talking about foreign trade and, Zana realised, that would mean that she would need to be involved. Oh dear. Still, she considered, as Doran began to talk, at least she didn't have to deal with them both having the kind of eyebrow-bush that the Devout had. She was saddened that his furry monobrow of humongous proportions hadn't been groomed and yet was rather expressive. He could furrow those caterpillars and it showed. Maybe, she considered, the eyebrows were political tools. She smiled at him, a beaming smile of genuine fondness when he congratulated her. "Thank you, professor."

And then, Doran said that he'd like to hear her opinions on the matters of trade. There were other people whose opinions he wanted, Zana didn't know who they were and, mostly, she didn't care and wasn't listening. It felt like a baptism of fire suddenly; she'd just been given the seat and now they expected her to talk about foreign trade and so on. Breathing in, Zana took a moment to gather her thoughts. Her back was straight, her hands folded in her lap, resting on her knee as she sat with one leg folded over the other. Zana knew that it was important that her first actions as a council member were as important as the first impression she had just made. So, she needed to rise to this occasion.

Which, of course, she would. In fact, she would do more than rise to the occasion; she would own the room. Like she owned every room.

So, she looked around at her fellow council members, and then at the audience in the gallery, and then she spoke. "Expectation management," Zana said, "is vital to any relationship." From prostitute to nobility, from business owner to worker, that had been the case in every role she had ever held. She saw no reason for it to be different now. "Mister ... Morandi?" Ice blue eyes turned to look at Woe. "I believe that it is your expectation, as it is Baron Baer's and as it was mine, that you will come here, be able to speak and then be given an answer to your raised point." She smiled around at all of the people in the room. "And right now, that is not happening. At least, I should say, it is not happening for some. I came here, I raised an issue and then there was a vote and I was given an answer. If they vote had been no, or if it was yes, I still had a reason for that answer. Right in front of me, concrete." One perfectly manicured hand which had never done a hard day's work gestured delicately to Woe and Darius. "But the response that people get when they put forward a proposal such as these two gentlemen is far less concrete. I believe the issue is expectation management. They expect to be listened to, not simply heard. I believe they should be listened to, but if they aren't going to be, then that expectation needs to be managed"

With a slight - just a slight - smile at him, she addressed Doran specifically. "You ask for my opinion on foreign trade, professor Thetys and my answer to you is that I do not yet have enough information to give you an answer." Her gazed turned to Nir'wei then. "But simply telling someone no is not a good way to gather support, not a good way to boost morale or loyalty, and it's not a good way to use power." Her shoulders lifted, just slightly, in a shrug. "I'm not sure what the expectation is here, but I believe that those of us who were and are in the gallery watching have the expectation that we can affect change. That we will be listened to. Most importantly, that we will be given a real opportunity to put forward a case." Gesturing to the council table, she spoke what she believed was true after her twenty minutes of observation. "The council believe that is the case, but it does not seem to be the experience of those not in these chairs."

Smoothing down her dress, Zana stood. Her voice was trained for singing and that was what she used now - the melodic, seductive skills she had. "I would say to you, Mr Morandi, that there is no need to behave in a way which is, fundamentally, an insinuation of corruption. That kind of behaviour is inappropriate. Of course, council members should be held to a higher standard again not, in fact, a lower one." There was no need for vulgarity, it was unnecessary, but Nir'wei knew that, Zana thought.

"In terms of your proposal, Mr Morandi, I would say to you that on first hearing I share many of Councillor Nir'wei's concerns. However, I believe that you are unlikely to have just plucked this idea out of the air as you walked in," which was the real problem of course - people were being treated like they had done just that, "and so you very probably have ideas and considerations of how those things can be overcome. I am very happy to approach this with a 'well, how can we make it work' viewpoint, so I would like you to put together a full proposal and if it makes sense, you'll have my backing. Scalvoris is in a very isolated place and we need to be inventive to maximise trade, yes?" She smiled at him. "Perhaps your suggestion could even be combined with Baron Baer's? Both share some important features." She raised an eyebrow. "What say you, Mr Morandi? Are you willing to put down a concrete proposal and to work it through with me? I'm sure I'm going to have an office and staff who can help."

She turned her attention to Darius then. "I can not and will not speak of the military situation here. Obviously, things like that need to be sorted out. But if the waters of Scalvoris are safe, that facilitates foreign trade and helps us to keep trade, information, and people, flowing in and out. Once you have the situation clarified in terms of the military, I'd like to look at what the possibilities are for using this suggestion to increase trade or, perhaps, communication. I have some ideas but those can take a back seat until you've sorted the small details." Obviously, the military were in charge of military things, but this quibbling over minute details was not what they should be doing here. They should be encouraging people to speak, to suggest - and if what they suggested was stupid, then the person who suggested it would find that out when they tried to put forward a sensible proposal.

In response, finally, to Doran's question, she smiled. "I believe that we can improve trade and we do that by being prepared to think outside the box. Once I find out where my office is and how many staff I have, I believe that my first job should be a full report on all the exports and imports Scalvoris has had over the arcs. Before this government and during it. Trade of any kind, be it goods or services, requires one party to have something, be it an item or a skill or a resource or a knowledge, which the other party wants. I want to make sure that I know what we have, and what we want. If Liza was, for example, trading this... drainglass ... to Viden. Is there a market for specialised glass in Viden? I suspect so, with all the alchemical and science labs, all the windows which need to not be frozen. Lets get the glassblowers of Egilrun talking to the academy in Viden, to the nobility there. I believe there are things we can do and I hope to bring a fresh set of eyes and, of course, a rather marvellous pair of legs," she grinned at Doran with a mischievous, teasing expression, "to what will be an exciting time."

Then, with a nod to Kura, she sat down. As she did, she looked at Nir'wei. "And if you do have an idea that might be useful? Do share with the group. It's rather what we should be doing, isn't it? You know ... leading by example and putting forward ideas in a can-do way. Lets leave it to the other places to behave in other ways. "

Her office had better be good, she considered, and her budget huge. Still, she'd just landed herself a chance to travel all over the world and have someone else pay for it. To meet with rulers and governers, rich and famous people all over the world in the name of diplomacy and politics. That meant, she was sure, formal dinners and fancy frocks, fawning servants and fine food. It meant the life she was owed.

Or, at least, it was a start.

To eradicate the problem, my friend
Unsheathe the blade within the voice

[Oram Mednix]

Three were all the folks in Beacon

As Oram listened to all the topics people brought up and discussed: trade routes, holidays, pirates, merfolk mercenaries, he wondered how much he had missed during the last meeting, when he could barely stay awake after a frantic, last-bit ride from Scalvoris Town to Almund all through that last sunlit night of Saun. There was no way he was going to take it all in, let alone speak to it. Eying a small, ornate oblong case on the table by his elbow, the Chief Ranger wondered if he ought to avail himself of his magic spectacles in order to take notes. For now he decided against it. Maybe next time he wouldn’t.

There was, once again, a bit of drama and rancor around Woe Morandi, although this time the pallid man was largely responsible for starting it. Oram’s eyebrows shot up when he said something about “private enrichment”. If Oram understood correctly, Woe was suggesting that there was something corrupt about Nir’wei’s dealings, without any real basis as far as he could tell. Nir’wei was understandably incensed, and lost no time saying so. Oram wanted to say something about it.

But first, Zana wanted to say something. Now that she was the new Foreign Affairs, she wanted to say several somethings, apparently. And one of those somethings dealt squarely with Woe’s insulting insinuation. And it was better worded and more eloquently delivered than Oram himself would have done. The hunter guessed that she spent many breaks a trial talking and talking; apparently, all that practice had paid off.

His brow creased when she mentioned budget and staff. Individual councilors got staff? And a budget? Oram’s thoughts went to the dusty furniture that stood neglected in the cobweb-filled rooms that the attendant back in Scalvoris had told him were his offices. Foreign Affairs suggested that her endeavors merited a staff and a budget, because of course she did; perhaps she was even right. Did he himself, then, at least merit a clerk who would keep that office tidy and its papers organized? He would have to ask at some point, especially since he intended to use that office as a place where he could study and prepare in peace for the Certificate he was now working towards at the Academy.

Somebody asked the Chief Ranger a question, much to his surprise. It involved looking into smaller settlements and villages around the islands, perhaps to determine their populations? Get a feel for their unique needs? Oram thought a moment, then nodded at Shania, who had asked the question.

”I suspect we could help, if I’m understanding your question correctly. The Rangers already visit and stay in contact with smaller, um…what’s the word, ‘underserved’? communities, although we have not done so with a view of doing some sort of comprehensive survey. That is certainly something I could arrange: a survey of communities on the islands. I’m not volunteering to have Rangers take a census, mind you, but we could certainly estimate a rough headcount of various villages and settlements, and from there maybe we could decide which if any of them call for taking a census of.”

Uneasily, Oram wondered if Shania thought that should include the tribes in the Scaltoth Jungle, who were notoriously suspicious and unapproachable.

A bit overwhelmed by the range and depth of topics being discussed, Oram let most of them pass by. He did address one item that Zana had mentioned. ”Our new Foreign Affairs is likely onto something with her suggestion that other places like Viden might be interested in Scalvoris glass products,” he said, glancing at Zana for the next bit: ”…with one important caveat. The drainglass traffic you alluded to was nothing like a normal trade deal; it was a scheme to conceal the movement of a very evil and deadly commodity into Slag’s Deep. If anyone were to look for and approach whomever in Viden was involved in that particular business, it would most likely be with a view to investigate and exact justice for their wrongdoings, not to make any sort of deal. These would probably not be people one would want to do business with.” He looked away from the gold lady towards the rest of the Council and continued: ”That excepted, I think looking for markets for our island’s colored glass products is an excellent idea.” The hunter sat back down, not wanting to go on lest somebody query him about details he was not prepared to discuss.

His mood soured again as he thought of Egilrun and the whole Liza glass thing. He did not understand why so many of his fellow Councillors had voted against accepting Woe as Egg, and he could begrudge the man his annoyance upon learning that the post might now be opened to new applicants after they had already rejected him. He did not, however, say anything about it.
.

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Council Meetings, Kura mused, always seemed to be more complicated than they needed to be. Perhaps it was a natural outcropping of having so many people involved in the actual decision making process, but it was all very messy and busy. Still, it was going better than the previous meeting, and it seemed like things might be more generally productive than usual this time. Still, she thought to herself, she could not find the sense in ruling by committee. But they had made it quite clear in the last meeting that they wished to continue this mad experiment of theirs, and so she would abide by their wishes. No matter how silly she thought it was.

The topic of making sure how candidates were qualified was discussed, and Kura thought on it for a moment, and when Doran asked for her thoughts on the matter, she nodded. "It has merit, certainly, but out relative youth as a nation is goin' to make certain experts hard to find in Scalvoris itself. For at least the time bein' we'll need to accept the possibility that we may need to look abroad find experts on some topics, especially if the prior seat holder is, for whatever reason, no longer available. Granted, better education will make more local experts, but that takes time to get from implementation to reality. That bein' said, Academic is currently our only non-regional seat that hasn't been filled, so what we may wish to do is have the current seat holders what they consider to be the requirements for their jobs and then have experts check those as we find them." she said, her tone calm.

When Rand said he'd have a report on her desk about the piracy by the end of the trial, she nodded. Rand's efficacy was not, to her mind, in question and so she had nothing further to say on the matter of piracy for the moment. When it became apparent that Marcelle was not ready for the numbers and Shania suggested tabling her suggestion until more concrete numbers were available, Kura nodded. Doran made a brief comment about their knowledge as to the population numbers of Scalvoris and Kura thought for a moment, then nodded. "I do not believe we've taken a formal population census of the island in some time, since that's a resource intensive project to undertake when there's been a recent crisis to deal with." she said, though she didn't, this time, comment on the fact that Scalvoris was frequently dealing with recent disasters or attack. "But with recent changes, and the relative calm since the Forgin', it might be a good time to do a formal census." she said, before glancing at Shania. "That bein' said, we do have a consistent rough estimate of our numbers and where our people are." she said, before smiling slightly. "We do, after all, have taxes to collect and we can't be collectin' taxes from people if we don't know where they're at." she said.

She had nothing to say on the matter of when celebrations happened, so she let that conversation go by without her input, except for turning to look at Jo'ne when the Almundian rolled her eyes at Marcelle. "Do you have somethin' to add, Almundian?" Kura asked, her question slightly pointed. Marcelle's lack of planning may be a touch frustrating, but if Jo'ne didn't have anything to add to the question, then her snarking was of no assistance. Doran's response to her answer, however, got Kura's attention. "Standardized curriculum is worth pursuin', certainly, but we may first need to teach some teachers." she said, before shaking her head. "All things considered, it's like as not that a not insignificant number of our teachers, especially those who aren't part of the university, that weren't all well educated themselves." she said, her tone calm.

When the subject of her suggestion of population numbers as the determining factor of Council seat-hood was addressed came up, Kura nodded. "Of the two numbers, I would prefer 500 as the number to hit. It's not so high as to be impossible for smaller regions, but it's high enough that it represents a sizeable portion of our populace. We are not, after all, particularly sizeable as far as nations go." she said, her tone calm. When Jacien gave his report, she simply nodded at him. Next was the matter of Woe Morandi's suggestion, and he seemed inclined to say no more for the time being. Then it was Baron Baer's proposal, and he responded before Kura could answer Rand. Kura nodded at him then spoke. "I'm glad to hear you weren't proposin' a private military, Baron. In response to your clarification, however, I can see where you're coming from. In terms of a quickly formin' defense, a volunteer militia that serves to hold the line until professional soldiers arrive could be quite helpful. As to preventative measures, privateers has merit, but that kind of thing can lead to privateers turnin' pirate if the waters start gettin' too safe for them to keep up profits from privateerin'." she said, her tone calm. "I would be interested in hearin' your opinions on the topic of a militia or privateers, Militant." her voice calm.

Next was Nir'wei's proposal about people bringing matters to the councilors to then bring up. The general discussion was good so far, but Kura did have one thing to add. "If we adopt Councilor Nir'wei's proposal, I think it would be wise to require that any who submit a matter to be discussed are required to be present at the next Council Meetin'. Both so they are there to ensure that their proposal is represented fairly, and so they are on hand should the Council wish their clarification on the matter or their input on solutions." she said, her tone calm. Then Francis asked Woe to address Nir'wei's comments and things rapidly became more dramatic.

She had intended to comment on his statements about taxation, but his comment about personal enrichment caused her to turn to him as her eyes yellowed. However, Nir'wei's response had her looking back at him, her eyes not getting any less gold for his response. Instead, if one looked closely, they could see that she'd just clenched her jaw and she seemed rather more tense than usual for a moment before her posture relaxed. However, before she could respond, Doran and then the new Councilor...Delroth, and there had been a slight twitch from Kura when Doran mentioned that name, had spoken first. Despite Zana's familial connections, and Kura was determined to let Zana stand apart from her father no matter how much she disliked Delroth, she had to admit she was impressed with her cool head. She appeared to think quick on her feet as well, which was definitely good.

When Zana had finished, and Oram had spoken to the questions addressed at him, Kura stood and spoke. "Councilor Nir'wei, it is ill becomin' of a government to swear at its populace. While I understand your frustration at bein' accused of corruption, please keep a reign on your tempter." she said, her tone quite firm. Then she turned to address Woe. "Mister Morandi, these meetin's are for settin' laws and hearin' from our people. Matters of logistics and supply are not done at these meetin's, if only because we would never accomplish anythin' if every matter of government was settled in the course of seasonal meetin's. If you have evidence of corruption, please do present it. Throwin' baseless accusations around does nothin' but waste time." she said, her as firm as it was with Nir'wei.

"As to your proposal, the idea of tax rebates for foreign traders who come all the way here had merit, but taxes are not the only problem. The biggest problem, besides time, that we will have attracting foreign business is that of food. Keeping a the crew of a ship fed on the trip to Scalvoris will not only be expensive, it will take up space on the ship, which means less space for trade goods. If we can alleviate that issue, then we will do a great deal to attract foreign trade. Alternatively, we could find a way to meet long distance trade partners halfway." she said, her tone calm. "All said, I encourage you to speak with Councilor Delroth, Merchant LeShard, and Accountant Shania, as Foreign Affairs offered." she said, before sitting down.

After sitting down, however, she turned to Zana. "In regards to your office and staff, speak to either myself or Accountant Shania after this meetin' concludes. While Almund is our capital, and we all have an office here, we all also have offices closer to home and such, your primary office will likely be where you live." she said, her tone calm.

[Bao Bao]

Returning back to what Leigh had asked of him prior, Bao paused in thought for a moment. "With regards to voting, I think privacy is still important. For how we'd do it? Mostly how we have been so far, and if people have concerns about the decisions we made they can bring their argument forward to the council" he said, not fully understanding what the solution might be. Saoire had told him as a child that if something wasn't broken it was best not to fix it, and he considered that mentality to be a smart one in the context like this. "Elsewise, I don't know what more we can add. The safety and privacy of our councillors is just as important as making sure everyone is heard."

He hoped he maintained some respect from people for that answer, before he listened to what the others said. The main thing that caught his attention was the rangers going to the vault, with help from the Elements. "If I can be of any help beyond information, I'd be happy to assist"" he nodded with a soft smile to Oram, the first friend he had ever made in Idalos. When he had arrived here, he didn't expect to end up working with the man on the council of Scalvoris, though he was very grateful to be working with someone he knew and trusted.

When the topic came down to trade there was little Bao could add to the conversation, not particularly knowledgable on the subject. That being said, Zana made a compelling argument when it came to trade, and spoke very bluntly to Woe. While Bao never much liked conflict, he had a respect for how truthful she was, especially after how both Woe and Nir'wei had talked to one another. There was a tension to the conversation at hand, one that felt very reminiscent to how the past council meeting had gone. Kura, thankfully, spoke up and told the both of them that their behaviours was inappropriate.

Though Bao had hoped they both knew that already.

Keeping quiet and letting the room sit for a moment, Bao glanced around the room at everyone present, silent. While this felt like an improvement from the last council meeting, there was still a lot of tension between people. It was always bound to happen, but the way in which it did was upsetting, to say the least, blatant public arguments breaking out for everyone to see. It left a bad taste in Bao's mouth, and he was sure the same was true for a lot of people. But there was little he could do about it.

The Cadouri made a mental note to talk to Zana once this meeting was over, however, and thank her for her straight talking. It would be a good chance to meet the new councillor, and offer support if any was needed.

[Avalon]

Rebirth Cycle 722
~~1st Cylus 722~~

The council meeting progressed. Some matters seemed easy to solve with a few moments of consideration, and others, well, not as simple. Some Councilors were much more vocal than others, offering unique challenges. Everyone seemed to agree to let The Trainer's proposal rest for the time being, waiting on more concrete information from her – one less matter to contend with right then.

Shania looked over the votes from the previous round of voting and nodded to the Albarech. "By unanimous vote, the seat of Egg is now considered vacant. The previous seat-holder, Liza, is removed from the seat."

Zana took her place on the Council. The gallery seemed relatively pleased about the appointment, although there were still the mumbles and grumbles - whispers and the like. Still, too many seats were unfilled.

Bao had more to say regarding voting privacy, although it was only to confirm that what they had been doing seemed to be adequate for the time being. Nods were given around the table, and it seemed that everyone agreed, although the door was open for more comments should others have them.

The matter of piracy seemed to float around the meeting in several forms. As the Militant addressed the Albarech regarding the issue set forth by Darius, the young man stood and began speaking again, seemingly amending his earlier statement for clarification's sake. Rand patiently waited for him to finish, drumming his fingers on the table. When Darius Baer had concluded, the Militant hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"I appreciate you are not wishing to waste our time and that you clarified your proposal." His tone was as straightforward as ever, betraying nothing of what he felt about what Darius had said and allowing the others, especially Kura, to speak to the matter before he weighed in again.

After the others were finished, he spoke. "The Albarech makes a good point regarding privateers versus volunteer militia, and I myself lean towards the volunteer militia angle. I understand, Mr. Baer, that there are many details to sort. For example, I'm unclear if you are proposing this for the waters around Faldrass or its meant for wider implementation. You mention the Barony and settlements, which point towards Faldrass, so we need some clarification and I don't want to bog down the Council as we sort through things. I wonder if you suggest this as an experiment – start with a small area, see how it goes, and reassess. There's merit to that."

Sitting back in his chair, he continued. "I feel for something of this nature, a volunteer group meant to hold the tide until the Elements get there, that perhaps some training with the Elements should be required so that the volunteer group understands the expectations."

More drumming of the fingers as if deciding something. "But the truth is that there isn't a widespread issue right now. There have always been encounters, yes. I'm not sure we will ever rid ourselves of them, and there are always going to be rumors. The fact that it isn't a large issue means we have time, and that's a good thing.

Rand, usually one of few words, seemed to pick and choose his carefully, writing a few notes down in his notebook. "Mr.Baer, you spoke of the 'small fleet' at the disposal of the von Smooglenuff Barony and settlements. Could you clarify this fleet for us and who owns what?"

"I support Mr. Baer exploring the idea of a small-scale experiment, with the specific details to be ironed out no later than the Vhalar Council meeting and submitted to the Council for a formal vote. It's fine too if it's ready in time for presentation at the Ymiden Council meeting, but I'm wary of rushing. Things take time and I feel this will require a lot of meetings between various people to sort the details."

Doran's comments to the gallery regarding the infancy of the Scalvorian government were met with the same whispers. The Councilors themselves nodded, appreciating that someone understood the monumental task they were all being asked to undertake.

The matter of favoritism was batted around between Doran and Leigh, the latter suggesting an idea the Devout seemed to approve of. Leigh considered what Kura had to say, nodding along, reserving her comments for the end. "If we are looking for specific people, then I suppose we need to come to a consensus on what those jobs are responsible for and go from there. Or at least put the job descriptions down in writing, and then, as was suggested before, come up with a soft list of," she hesitated, thinking.

"Perhaps' requirements' is the wrong word. How about simply a list of things we would like to see in an applicant? That can be done in the time between Council sessions and formalized once we have the final list. While the open seats would be the priority, we should do this for all non-regional seats. Once we have that, we can give that information to whatever experts we decide to reach out to. Is there anyone willing to spearhead that project?"

Leigh glanced around to see what the others thought of her idea, scribbling a few things on paper.

The matter of population numbers came up, and a few people had thoughts on that. Doran asked after the procedures of taking the census. The Albarech went into a bit of detail regarding the matter, interjecting a few ideas related to taxes, which Shania agreed with. There were records regarding that, and they could be used to form rough numbers.

Shania had addressed Oram, asking for his input on the matter. He replied with something of an offer, to which she nodded and scribbled a few things down, thinking of another thought.

"The Chief Ranger has suggested that the Rangers could perhaps identify regions that they estimate might be approaching the population requirements, and we could send someone for an official count. I propose that, as the Albarech suggests, when a region reaches 500 people, and the Council verifies that count, they be offered a seat on the Council, and I'd like to put that to vote."

Linca spoke up next, piggybacking on what Kura said. "Perhaps we could do a census of one area an arc or something? That would conserve our resources for such a project, not having to do the entire island at once. It could be a rotating thing even."

As Doran suggested the date of memory return for the honoring of the Induks, most of the Councilors seemed to agree. They took time to consider how to respectfully handle the dead Immortals and their followers. "Perhaps a conversation with Stan at the Glass Temple or Reza on Immortal's Tongue would help clarify some options regarding the fallen Immortals and those following them?" Linca spoke to that, airing a suggestion for the Devout.

Kura clapped back at Jo'ne's dramatic expression towards Marcelle, which didn't recieve anything more than a clipped "Nope," from the Almundian. For the rest of the meeting, she remained silent, but it was apparent the woman was still listening.

Nirwei and Leigh had a friendly exchange regarding his proposal, and Kura also weighed in on it. Considering what Natural Affairs had to say, Leigh nodded her head lightly. "I don't argue that point, Councilor. I think a lot could be handled outside of the Council meetings. I agree with everything you've just said, but the process will be a bit trickier to figure out."

Kura's follow-up was met with general approval from most of the Councilors. "That would be ideal, yes, Madame Albarech, and that takes care of the concern I had out the outset of this discussion." Turning her eyes back to Nir'wei, Leigh wrote a few notes down and then spoke again. "I'd be happy to work with you on a proposal draft for the next Council meeting. Maybe if we put our heads together, we can develop a streamlined approach?"

The new Foreign Affairs Councilor had some thoughts about managing expectations and spoke explicitly of her experience compared to Woe and Darius'. Leigh had some thoughts about that too. "Your point is taken, Councilor, but it's almost like comparing apples and oranges. Your proposal was straightforward. You put your name forth, told us why you should have the position, and we voted. The proposals often brought up here are generally not so simple and require discussion. How would you manage that expectation? I don't believe anyone has ever come before this Council and not been listened to. Perhaps you could assist Councilor Nir'wei and me in coming up with an appropriate proposal regarding how to handle proposals?"

The question of education came up from the Devout, and despite her earlier fumbles, Marcelle, a teacher by trade, readily replied. "The education system is straightforward but ever-evolving. Before age five, children in Almund and Scalvoris Town have the opportunity for early education, but the Scalvoris government only partially funds it. Parents are responsible for covering part of the cost. We are trying to push out to other areas, but it takes time."

Moving on, she continued. "At age five, children start their formal education, which is more standardized, although it's hard to say how much considering the early stages that our education system is in. Children learn the basics of reading, writing, and mathematics as core subjects. They also study sciences like biology, chemistry, physics, and social sciences like religion, history, and psychology. There's also a foundation in fine arts. As they grow, towards their final two years of education, they can customize their classes slightly, focusing more on their subjects of interest."

Looking around at the other Councilors, Marcelle's eyes landed back on Doran. "I should stress that this form of standardized education is very new. Before, it was more hit and miss. We are still working on things, and I think adding government and politics to the list would be a worthy suggestion." She gave Doran a bit of a smile, hoping that answered a few of his questions, and then nodded to Kura as the Albarech spoke of the subject a bit more.

Trade dominated a great deal of the conversation, with several people weighing in. It was, undoubtedly, the most heated topic. Woe explained his position a bit further and made remarks, seemingly in response to an exchange between Natural Affairs and The Merchant. Francis arched her eyebrow, turning her attention to the man to address him before Nir'wei ripped into him.

All the Councilors sat up in their chairs, watching. Jo'ne seemed to enjoy the display while others showed various expressions ranging from disapproval to anger, although it was challenging to know towards which participant.

Nir'wei explained his thoughts on trade which represented one unique viewpoint. It was quickly revealed that several other Councilors had opinions and views, and it took time to go through them.

Zana spoke her thoughts when The Devout prompted, speaking to Woe and the general state of trade. She put forward action steps for the man should he want to pursue the matter with the Council. Oram and Kura had additional thoughts, with the latter leveling some direct comments towards both Nir'wei and Woe, letting them know they were out of line.

Having opened the door with Woe regarding the topic, Francis spoke next, being directly called up by Doran to do so. "Trade is a complicated beast, truthfully. As Natural Affairs points out, our location makes things tricky in exports and imports beyond Scalvoris. While I think we should be looking for trade partners beyond our borders, I think it's important to keep in mind that we shouldn't ignore trade amongst the different areas of Scalvoris itself. "

She hesitated a moment, then looked around. "There are many points raised that I believe have merit, but everything is very scattered. Since Foreign Affairs has been proactive in asking Mr. Morandi for a proposal, I'd ask anyone else that has thoughts on the matter to do the same. Then she and I can perhaps collaborate on a cohesive proposal to present at the next meeting that includes some of these ideas?"

Shania, who had also been asked to contribute her thoughts, nodded at the idea. "I think it might be wise to step back and consider all this information in a wider context. The very idea of long-distance trade is relatively new for this government, and it seems the options available are wide and varied. It makes sense for some information gathering and a comprehensive proposal to be created. It's not wise to make any concrete decisions right this second, nor do we need to."

Trade seemed to bring up the issue of Liza again, who had just been removed from the Council. Doran gave information and deferred to Jacien regarding what had been learned about Liza while searching her home. Standing again, the Spirit Deputy addressed the Council. "Indigo Manor, Liza's home and office in Egilrun, was searched, as well as her place of business. Nothing was found that gives us clues to what happened to her or what she was up to. In fact, the spaces were almost too clean. That leads us to believe that she sterilized the environments before she vanished or it was done by someone else after, and doesn't give us any additional clues as to what happened."

To the matter of the sisters, Jacien did have a bit more. "Emma and Eva are the names of Liza's sisters."

Rand followed up on Jacien's comments regarding Darbyton and the Elements. "We know there are tunnels under many different areas in Scalvoris. The issue is mapping them because they move frequently. As to the infiltration of the Elements, that's what led to the Dock's Collapse. We are confident that we got rid of those defiers and Fire Masks involved."

Shania gathered her papers, looking around as voices settled. "I would take this time to urge anyone who has any further business for the Council to speak up as time is running short. Final comments or proposals?"



One matter was set to vote for the Councilors.

Matters Set to Vote

• Proposal - Shania proposes that once a region reaches 500 people, and that population is verified by the Council, that region be offered a Council seat.

Matters Set Aside

• Marcelle's proposal for outreach education
  
  SUPER IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR EVERYONE! (Updated)

  
  I'm attempted to wind things to a close for this Council meeting. Please start wrapping up your ideas/plans/etc and raise your final issues. My goal is to give your pcs as much time as possible to plan and coordinate before the next Council meeting.
  
  
  ~~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	Always there during big trouble, but is she causing the trouble? Maybe she's suggested autocratic rule so she can be in charge of the island.
  Nir'wei	Natural Affairs	Neutral	Rumors that Nir'wei is a saboteur for the EE, and his inactivity weakens Scalvoris against a planned invasion.
  Bao	Welfare	Good	There are rumours that Bao is actually Saoire's MB son
  Oram	Chief Ranger	Good	There are rumours that Oram is a were-bear who can turn into a bear at will.
  Rand	Militant	Good	There are rumours that Rand is actually a Yludih necromancer
  Shania	Accountant	Good	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
  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
  Doran	Devout	Good	There's rumors that Doran once held Syroa's mark
  Zana	Foreign Affairs	Neutral	NA
  Vacant	Egg	NA	NA
  Vacant	Academic	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

  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

  Gunvortonian

  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.

  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

  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: Council
  	"Good people are stepping up and the Council are turning them away! Why would they do that? What do they have to hide?"

  !	Message from: Law & Order
  	"We need to have some movement on Slags Deep and the Vault. We need to make sure things are really safe now! And what about the prisoners?! Are we safe in our homes?!"

  !	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: Pirates
  	"What's going on with all the Pirate activity?!? Are the Pirates Lords coming back?"

  !	Message from: Council Inactivity
  	"The Council ain't doing anything, yet people that are working directly with Scalvorian are being shuffled to the side when they try to help. That don't seem right! We need people doing stuff on the Council!"

  The focus for the Council this season is

  !	Message from: Council Focus
  	Council Structure

  Next Council reply will be on April 16th, 2022.
  
  
  
  Previous Council Meetings

[Woe]

Woe waited for a reaction from Nir’wei, and he was not entirely surprised at the returning comments. He’d of course met Nir’wei in the bowels of the Scaltoth, when they’d freed the Induk there. While he’d proven cunning and decisive in that affair, he’d also revealed an issue with his temperament, and tendency to react with immediate hostility to anything that contradicted his understanding of a situation. In the matter of survivalism in the middle of a jungle, that had proven of great importance in the Forging. Here, however, Nir’wei merely displayed his hasty ignorance on matters of international trade and political ineptitude to the entire Council. And he was willing to expose it because one had dared imply that his intentions may not be on the level. Perhaps Woe had hit a nerve? Whatever nerve he’d struck,however, was of no importance to Woe at the moment. He only wanted to show the people that ineptitude hadn’t departed the council with the disappearance of Liza and the criminal avriel that had preceded Zana as foreign affairs councilor.

The swearing was really the least of it. Woe was more offended by his lack of vision, and the blind rage which he was willing to unleash without pause. He gave a small, unctuous smile, as he sank into his seat, and waited for the others to speak, while he thought on ways to counter the arguments put forth by Nir’wei,and expand on other suggestions to further long-range trades.

When Doran asked that Woe might perhaps be able to shine more light on Liza’s fate, he lifted his hands in a shrug, “I’ve shared all I know of Liza, as for Egilrun, there may be more I can do and say on that front, if you have any more specific queries.” And maintained his seat without standing.

Zana was the next to speak to Woe at length, first admonishing him for his insinuation of corruption against a councilor, and then prompting him to come up with a proposal on his own time. Without much in the way of expression, Woe said, “Yes, I am open to combining my ideas with Baer's suggestions if a time can be set for a meeting. If not, I'll forward them to your office, if there's no need to discuss it openly in a council meeting."

Kura reiterated Zana’s admonishment about the insinuation of corruption. And that appeared to be the end of Woe’s part in the meeting. He’d come with just a few concerns, and those had been addressed adequately enough. Whether he would follow through with a report to Foreign Affairs was a matter for another time.

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura watched the by play of the council quietly, nodding when Shania announced the outcome of the Egg vote. Rand's commentary was entirely for Darius, and Kura had no more to add to that particular discussion. Next was the matter of council seat descriptions, and Kura watched that one quietly for the time being. If no one else volunteered, she'd ensure the job was done herself. For now though, she waited to see if anyone involved in the project wanted to take the lead on it. Shania and Linca had comments on the requirements of membership to the council, and Kura nodded at them both. "Agreed. Surveryin' the island in stages is much less demandin' on our resources than tryin' to do it all at once." she said, before pausing in thought for a moment. "Shania, when we're lookin' where to survey first, I would like you to be present. If there's areas where our gathered information is thin, we'll want to start there, and your department has the most up to date information we currently possess on such matters." she said, her tone calm.

She had nothing to say on matters religious as they currently stood, and she gave Jo'ne a somewhat chiding look at her statement that she had nothing to add. She had nothing further to add in regards to Nir'wei's proposal. Leigh's response to Zana had Kura giving the new Councilor of Foreign Affairs an appraising look, as if she was waiting to see how she reacted. Next was the matter of education and now Marcelle had a lot to share on the subject, which spoke to her experience as a teacher, even if she was still growing as a politician. Next was the matter of trade, and Kura had already said all she intended to on that matter. Trade was, as Francis said, a complicated beast. Next was the matter of Liza's residence and her sisters, and the information that Jacien gave wasn't unexpected, since it matched what he had reported during the Forging itself. When Rand commented on the idiots responsible for the Docks collapse Kura let out a mildly annoyed huff. "I should hope we're confident we destroyed that idiotic little cult. I killed...what, half of them myself?" she said, scowling slightly at the memory.

When Shania called for final proposals, there was a quiet moment as Woe, who had said he had no more information to share, said his final piece. Kura was always thinking, it was something she couldn't really help even if she had been inclined to do so, and now she turned her thoughts to the future. Kura was an excellent politician, and it had given her a form of political foresight, something she was using now. After a moment, she stood up, her decision made. "Our system of government, as a whole, benefits from differing viewpoints. With this in mind, as well as the outcome of our last vote, I would request that Woe Morandi stand for the seat of Egg." she said, before looking at Woe himself, her gaze intent. "Mr. Morandi, you have made it clear that you familiar with the workings of Egilrun, and have shown that you are willing to speak your mind freely, and that you're concerned about issues outside those of Egilrun." she said, her tone calm. "With all this in mind, I would see you join us."

With that said, Kura sat back down to see the reaction her proposal brought. There was little doubt that what she had just done was a challenge, but she wondered how many would pick just who she had challenged. Certainly, Woe was the most direct challenge, but she had just challenged the Council as well. They had chosen to run as a democratic Council, and that did mean they couldn't just have people they all agreed with. Were they ready to accept dissenting voices among their number? They had to be, if they were going to continue to grow along the lines they had set for themselves. Kura's plan for Scalvoris was to see that it outgrew its need for someone like her helping it grow, but that meant that she couldn't coddle the island and its leaders.

Of course, she wasn't reckless either. She herself was at little political risk with this move, at least out of the five most likely outcomes she had predicted. If Woe, had become the center of frustration with the Council during this meeting, bowed out of her invitation gracefully and had a good reason for his refusal, then she'd look more willing to accept voices that opposed her, and neither the Council or those who opposed them would lose face. If Woe reacted to her invitation with hostility or otherwise made an ass of himself, it would not only damage his own credibility, but that of the wider frustration with the government, without costing the Council anything and making her look the more reasonable party. If he accepted and the Council reacted with hostility, she would look more reasonable than the council and the dissent against them would grow, while Kura's previously dismissed autocracy proposal could look more viable. The same could happen if the matter came to a vote and Woe lost the vote, though to what degree everyone was affect would depend on the ratio of the vote. Finally, if Woe accepted and the Council voted him onto the Council, the Council as a whole would look better, much of the dissent might be answered, and the seat of Egg would be filled. Of course, there were always variables, and if an unexpected outcome popped up, she would deal with it as it came.

[Woe]

Woe was prepared to sink into the stonework of the building on concluding his statements expressing willingness to put forward a proposal to pair with Darius' suggestions and Zana's oversight as Foreign Affair's Councilor. He already was considering his ideas for expanding trade beyond the Hollow Sea, considering the ways the challenges risks could be effectively trammeled. However, to say he was prepared for Kura's proposition that he be nominated Egg now caught him off guard. More than once, Woe had considered how the vote to make him Egg could've been so contentious as to split down the middle of the Council. He wondered at who had voted no, who might have voted yes. There were too many councilors, and many of them being unknown factors. Woe couldn't say who voted against him and who for. He would have tortured himself if he spent more than a few moments wondering about it. So in the aftermath of the previous meeting, that was exactly what Woe had done.

Whoever among the council that might've voted for or against him, whatever configuration he imagined, he never considered the idea that the Albarech gave him her vote.

So why should she change that now? Woe stood, feigning a slight bit of surprise. Whatever one could say of Kura, a woman who'd stood before Chrien and had the audacity to admonish her for storming the Element's Hall, Woe didn't believe she was stupid or random. She had become the Albarech somehow, of course, and that was by her exceptional skill at politics. Which was on full display now. While some of the calculations behind inviting his nomination now might elude him, and whether she actually had a change of heart toward working with him, he knew for sure that she meant to stifle whatever opposition had galvanized behind his failed candidacy for Egg by offering him that very same position now.

And considering that, Woe knew that of the possible responses he could give, and the possible results of the vote, none of them would jeopardize the public image of Kura. The other councilors, and the council itself was another matter, should they decide to vote against him again, as they surely would. Woe held no illusions as to his own popularity as a public figure. Ever an arachnid a manipulator and deceiver - even far from the web of his mother- the idea that he'd occupy a seat of authority, even of a place as small as Egilrun, would sit ill upon most peoples' humors.

He knew his strengths, and public stature was not one of them. But he also knew that Kura would best be served in her ambitions by his acceptance and inevitably failed candidacy, as the vote (without a serious change in demographic on the council, or change of heart among them) would surely go against him again. In any event, it didn't matter what he thought about Kura's intentions, anymore than her calculations did. He hadn't come in the intention of joining he Council as a member. He'd only a few concerns to bring to their attention and see how the council was dealing with certain current affairs. He still did consider Scalvoris as much of a home as he had at the moment, and how it handled its affairs was important to him.

He couldn't join them. His hand was forced by events that eluded his control. Augusta was still missing, Eve needed to be returned to Quacia, and so many threads were drawing him back to that city, he simply couldn't in good conscious accept an office in Scalvoris as unlikely as the vote was to go in his favor. So he considered it for a moment, then replied, shaking his head, "I'm honored by your confidence and respect your willingness to invite those who disagree with you on council. This invitation, in light of the results of the last vote, is unexpected."

"I'm afraid, however, a serious personal crisis has arrived that will necessitate my temporary departure from Scalvoris in the near future." Woe frowned, "I won't be available to give the undivided attention that the office of Egg deserves in the meantime. " Woe shook his head then turned to look at Zana, "I will try and honor a meeting in your office with Darius Baer, should you still wish it by the end of Cylus. Otherwise, I can forward my suggestions to your office to peruse and discard at your leisure." Turning back to face Kura and the other councilors, "Thank you for your consideration."