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expiationlogs2023-08-23 06:10 pm
feintofhart) wrote in expiationlogs2023-08-23 06:10 pm
[ OPEN GROUP LOG ] emergency planning & diplomacy
Who: Everyone! Please use this as an event log -- put up your own starters, and also tag around to your heart's content!
Where: Aldrip's neighbouring towns, the spooky forest, and throughout Aldrip.
What: The Chosen, reeling from the recent forest attack, decide to organize for future attacks, whether that's diplomacy with neighbouring towns, reinvigorating farmland, or getting some combat training in. Please see THIS OOC post for more information!
Warnings: None anticipated; please let me know if I ought to update it!
In the wake of destruction wrought by the strange beast of the forest, Claude and Marianne - both people far more well-acquainted with the ramifications of damaged farm grounds and unprepared civilians than they would like to be - have taken it upon themselves to try to prepare in advance for the next attack, whatever that may be. After discussion with the leads of Aldrip, they’ve come up with a list of what most needs to be done – and they can’t do it alone. With the community of the Chosen at their heels, new and old, for reasons of altruism and for reasons of simple exploration, they have set forth with the following tasks: an excursion through the eerie Pessiria Forest to get to Rumpitur to exchange goods and services for aid from the dubiously friendly naga-like people who live there, restoring life to the destroyed forest and farmlands so that nature can once again thrive, and to properly stock up safehouses with preserved goods, shelter, and weaponry.
What’s in it for you, you ask? Well, when the next attack comes, you don’t want to be the one going hungry.
EXCURSION THROUGH THE PESSIRIA FOREST
Rumpitur is a full day’s trek away, and not a straightforward one; in order to get to their destination, the Chosen must first hike their way through Pessiria forest. They meet with their packs and wagons at the entrance of the forest, a thick, lush wall of foliage greeting them along a winding, unsteady path. If you’re prone to listening to rumours, you may hear some of the locals buzzing about uncertainly: “no business being on that land, none at all”, “Did you hear? That’s where that Froste boy disappeared – when you go in, you never come back out”, “Going in there? They’ll be cursed!”.
No such dangers will greet the Chosen, but the more paranoid among them will be confronted with the grim reality of an entire day’s travel spent on edge, jumping at every flutter of wings from overhead and snapped twigs from the fauna skittering through the brush. During this trek, there will be ample time for the Chosen to stop and rest a while, replenish their flasks and perhaps share a story or two, but be careful; in forests this dense, it’s easy for someone to get lost. Wouldn’t it be a shame if someone was left behind?
To add insult to injury, once they arrive in Rumpitur, they’ll realize that there’s nowhere for them to stay, and the scaled denizens of the place will firmly - though not unkindly - refuse to let them into their homes. That means that to get anything done, the Chosen will need to make camp right outside, a great opportunity to swap stories around the fire, try to rustle up some dinner, go stargazing, or just complain about the effects of the hard ground on your poor old backs. Happy bonding!
DIPLOMACY OF RUMPITUR
Once diplomatic meetings have come and gone, the representatives of Aldrip and Rumpitur have come to an agreement: Rumpitur will provide its aid, but only at a cost. They have their own interests to protect, after all. But they’re flexible on how such a debt is repaid and ask only that the Chosen provide whatever they are able to – and you wouldn’t want to give Aldrip a bad reputation, would you?
Here, the Chosen can truly shine as they’re asked to give what they can. For some, this means sheer manual labour as they haul water from the wells, transport crops and goods from one place to another, or provide much-needed assistance to the smithies and shopkeepers of the land. For others, this means providing gifts, whether that’s their own handiwork of artisanal goods, of art, of culinary delights, of weapons and toys and trinkets that only the Chosen know of. Other civilians may yet yearn for entertainment; a fussy crowd they may be, but with the same people coming in day in and day out, they’re hungry for new music, new acrobatics, new shows.
Be creative in what your characters can provide – and have them ask for help too! This is a true group effort in showing Rumpitur the Chosen’s goodwill, and showing themselves as a steadfast community that can be trusted.
RESTORING RAZED LANDS
Back home in Aldrip, the Chosen are faced with the farmland and lush forests that were decimated in the wake of the attack. Now that the bulk of rebuilding has been completed for the townspeople, it’s time to turn their attention to the abundance of the earth’s gifts that were ingloriously sapped. Here, the Chosen have been asked to replenish destroyed crops by irrigating and milling the land, planting new crops, and tending to the displaced animals that require assistance – though strangely enough, there seems to be some new flora and fauna that’s popping up. Are those plants glowing? Wait, is that a giant bird? It almost looks as though if you caught it, you could ride it… and the villagers of Aldrip seem just as familiar with them as you are, commenting that new life seems to be drifting into Aldrip’s territory on a regular basis.
Have your characters mill about on the farmland together, nurse wounded animals back to health, plant seeds, and help rebuild farms. Nothing says bonding like a good old-fashioned group activity.
Just watch out – those summer storms can be absolutely dreadful, and on more than one occasion, you may find yourselves taking cover in one of the abandoned old farmhouses to wait it out. Get out of those wet clothes, get underneath those (admittedly musty smelling) blankets and use the stove inside to put on some tea. Get nice and cozy – you might be here for a while!
STOREHOUSE SCRAMBLE
Last on the Chosen’s to-do list is to build up their stores so that if an attack of this scale happens again, they’ll be ready for it. The Chosen are to come together as a group to help dig out safehouses and cellars for citizens to hide in during the next attack, and to help bolster their stores. Now that some of their ranks have brought home goods from Rumpitur, it’s time to figure out what to do with it all.
Chosen may assist in hunting and gathering resources, working together to dry and pickle vegetables, dig out safehouses (careful – there are vermin and minor cave-ins aplenty!), and to solicit local smithies to shore up their stores of weaponry – just in case.
That said, weapons aren’t much good without the ability to use them. The Chosen are welcome to test out the wares in a nearby clearing set up specifically for training, especially if they’re from worlds where they weren’t stuck with swords and bow and arrows. There are scarecrows and targets set-up to practice on, but there’s really no replacing one-on-one combat – take a shot at it, and you may even gain a small audience! And are they placing bets…? Well, you’d better do your best, or else more than your pride might wind up bruised.
Where: Aldrip's neighbouring towns, the spooky forest, and throughout Aldrip.
What: The Chosen, reeling from the recent forest attack, decide to organize for future attacks, whether that's diplomacy with neighbouring towns, reinvigorating farmland, or getting some combat training in. Please see THIS OOC post for more information!
Warnings: None anticipated; please let me know if I ought to update it!
In the wake of destruction wrought by the strange beast of the forest, Claude and Marianne - both people far more well-acquainted with the ramifications of damaged farm grounds and unprepared civilians than they would like to be - have taken it upon themselves to try to prepare in advance for the next attack, whatever that may be. After discussion with the leads of Aldrip, they’ve come up with a list of what most needs to be done – and they can’t do it alone. With the community of the Chosen at their heels, new and old, for reasons of altruism and for reasons of simple exploration, they have set forth with the following tasks: an excursion through the eerie Pessiria Forest to get to Rumpitur to exchange goods and services for aid from the dubiously friendly naga-like people who live there, restoring life to the destroyed forest and farmlands so that nature can once again thrive, and to properly stock up safehouses with preserved goods, shelter, and weaponry.
What’s in it for you, you ask? Well, when the next attack comes, you don’t want to be the one going hungry.
EXCURSION THROUGH THE PESSIRIA FOREST
Rumpitur is a full day’s trek away, and not a straightforward one; in order to get to their destination, the Chosen must first hike their way through Pessiria forest. They meet with their packs and wagons at the entrance of the forest, a thick, lush wall of foliage greeting them along a winding, unsteady path. If you’re prone to listening to rumours, you may hear some of the locals buzzing about uncertainly: “no business being on that land, none at all”, “Did you hear? That’s where that Froste boy disappeared – when you go in, you never come back out”, “Going in there? They’ll be cursed!”.
No such dangers will greet the Chosen, but the more paranoid among them will be confronted with the grim reality of an entire day’s travel spent on edge, jumping at every flutter of wings from overhead and snapped twigs from the fauna skittering through the brush. During this trek, there will be ample time for the Chosen to stop and rest a while, replenish their flasks and perhaps share a story or two, but be careful; in forests this dense, it’s easy for someone to get lost. Wouldn’t it be a shame if someone was left behind?
To add insult to injury, once they arrive in Rumpitur, they’ll realize that there’s nowhere for them to stay, and the scaled denizens of the place will firmly - though not unkindly - refuse to let them into their homes. That means that to get anything done, the Chosen will need to make camp right outside, a great opportunity to swap stories around the fire, try to rustle up some dinner, go stargazing, or just complain about the effects of the hard ground on your poor old backs. Happy bonding!
DIPLOMACY OF RUMPITUR
Once diplomatic meetings have come and gone, the representatives of Aldrip and Rumpitur have come to an agreement: Rumpitur will provide its aid, but only at a cost. They have their own interests to protect, after all. But they’re flexible on how such a debt is repaid and ask only that the Chosen provide whatever they are able to – and you wouldn’t want to give Aldrip a bad reputation, would you?
Here, the Chosen can truly shine as they’re asked to give what they can. For some, this means sheer manual labour as they haul water from the wells, transport crops and goods from one place to another, or provide much-needed assistance to the smithies and shopkeepers of the land. For others, this means providing gifts, whether that’s their own handiwork of artisanal goods, of art, of culinary delights, of weapons and toys and trinkets that only the Chosen know of. Other civilians may yet yearn for entertainment; a fussy crowd they may be, but with the same people coming in day in and day out, they’re hungry for new music, new acrobatics, new shows.
Be creative in what your characters can provide – and have them ask for help too! This is a true group effort in showing Rumpitur the Chosen’s goodwill, and showing themselves as a steadfast community that can be trusted.
RESTORING RAZED LANDS
Back home in Aldrip, the Chosen are faced with the farmland and lush forests that were decimated in the wake of the attack. Now that the bulk of rebuilding has been completed for the townspeople, it’s time to turn their attention to the abundance of the earth’s gifts that were ingloriously sapped. Here, the Chosen have been asked to replenish destroyed crops by irrigating and milling the land, planting new crops, and tending to the displaced animals that require assistance – though strangely enough, there seems to be some new flora and fauna that’s popping up. Are those plants glowing? Wait, is that a giant bird? It almost looks as though if you caught it, you could ride it… and the villagers of Aldrip seem just as familiar with them as you are, commenting that new life seems to be drifting into Aldrip’s territory on a regular basis.
Have your characters mill about on the farmland together, nurse wounded animals back to health, plant seeds, and help rebuild farms. Nothing says bonding like a good old-fashioned group activity.
Just watch out – those summer storms can be absolutely dreadful, and on more than one occasion, you may find yourselves taking cover in one of the abandoned old farmhouses to wait it out. Get out of those wet clothes, get underneath those (admittedly musty smelling) blankets and use the stove inside to put on some tea. Get nice and cozy – you might be here for a while!
STOREHOUSE SCRAMBLE
Last on the Chosen’s to-do list is to build up their stores so that if an attack of this scale happens again, they’ll be ready for it. The Chosen are to come together as a group to help dig out safehouses and cellars for citizens to hide in during the next attack, and to help bolster their stores. Now that some of their ranks have brought home goods from Rumpitur, it’s time to figure out what to do with it all.
Chosen may assist in hunting and gathering resources, working together to dry and pickle vegetables, dig out safehouses (careful – there are vermin and minor cave-ins aplenty!), and to solicit local smithies to shore up their stores of weaponry – just in case.
That said, weapons aren’t much good without the ability to use them. The Chosen are welcome to test out the wares in a nearby clearing set up specifically for training, especially if they’re from worlds where they weren’t stuck with swords and bow and arrows. There are scarecrows and targets set-up to practice on, but there’s really no replacing one-on-one combat – take a shot at it, and you may even gain a small audience! And are they placing bets…? Well, you’d better do your best, or else more than your pride might wind up bruised.
no subject
He was not a fighter in the physical sense, though he could defend himself. No, his weapon was the word and being able to inspire people of the Undercity. People might not have liked him or his policies, but they feared what he could do should they become enough of a threat to earn neutralization. Most also respected him, given how untame the Undercity was, and it took a certain drive to drag a whole city into the light.
He shrugged his shoulders, sitting up from his previously relaxed leaned over position.] We've gathered information, and no matter how little progress is made otherwise, that has value. [He made a soft hmmm noise and reached into his inner coat pocket. He produced a silver case.] That was mild compared to most negotiations I've been in. No one was stabbed this day. You've also done this before, I see. Larger or smaller scale?
no subject
No, no stabbings. Though I wasn't sure when we came if it would come down to that. Large scale, if you must know -- there's no hiding it after helping arrange this whole thing.
[ Nobody in their right mind would want to arrange for a diplomatic mission. That's the realm of politicians. Narcissists and masochists, the lot of them. Claude fancies himself a little bit of column A and a little bit of column B. ]
Back home, I'm a Duke. But that means I can rely on my bloodline during negotiations. Here? Not so much. [ He nods at Silco, glancing curiously at the silver case in his hand. ] And yourself, Sir?
no subject
So far this kind of diplomacy was plenty of favours and flattery while offering to fill the gaps of boredom. It was best that they better discovered the weaknesses and strengths of these people.]
No one shivs on the first round of negotiations unless they have no interest in negotiating at all. We're all here to declare outrageous expectations to see how much we will both have to give.
[He made a noise in his throat at the title. He made no secret of shaking his head slightly at the mention of bloodlines; the Undercity was all a bunch of mutts.]
No, now you must rely on the merit of your own skills. [He opened the case and pulled out a partially smoked cigar. With a snap of the case, he turned his mismatched gaze back on the Duke.] I've been told I'm no one of importance. I was born in the slums, lived in the slums, and I died in the slums.
no subject
[ He says that to be humble. In truth, while he does gain authority by virtue of his birth, he has full confidence in his skills; people have distrusted him at every turn and yet he has managed to lead, lie, and manipulate people into doing his bidding for the last few years. He's pretty certain he can handle some intervillage negotiations, though that remains to be fully seen. Maybe he overestimates his own abilities after all.
Fare more interesting than self-analysis, however, is analysis of the fellow in front of him. He doesn't speak like someone from the slums, though that preconception has long since been challenged at the Academy. He seems to carry himself as one of importance. Though Claude finds himself woefully lacking in dealing with the underbelly of any society, they must have a hierarchy of their own, he muses. ]
I doubt that you're of no importance. You're too used to this stuff for that to be the case. [ If you're not important enough, you don't make it into any negotiations, plain and simple. He frowns. ] What do you mean died in the slums?
[ Congratulations, Silco; you're the first dead man walking he's had the pleasure of meeting. ]
no subject
[Silco had learned skills to put people at ease despite the threat that also came with him. He had built an empire on loyalty, and he took care of those that sided with him while also being able to juggle the various selfish wants and needs of the other Chem-Barons. For those on his own level, he hardly played nice given that they all were scheming to overthrow each other, but as long as profits remains steady then they would grow fat and complacent. So he had them by the throats on that.
He raised his cigar to his lips and took a drag, blowing out the smoke as he tapped ash off of the tip into the dirt. He sat up at the analysis and gestured to the open air at nothing in particular.]
To those of your station, I'm an inconvenience. To my people, I either deserve accolades or to burn. There's never much wiggle room on the opinions of others who've only heard of you. [He raised the only eyebrow that he possessed at the question. Oh, was he the first?] I didn't misspeak. In Zaun, I'm dead. How that translates here I haven't been able to determine, though I am very much alive it seems.
no subject
He wonders if a man like Silco wants the same things, even after death. ]
That's incredible. I didn't even know such a thing was possible. [ Is that what messed up his face? A horrible death at the hands of some enemy? No, Claude decides. His scarring looks old. That was from something else. ] So that means... anyone could show up here. No matter what.
[ Maybe even Teach could. Is it crass to consider being reunited with a long lost loved one in front of a dead man? Probably. ]
Either you've been brought back to life, or this is a really strange version of the afterlife. If I were a betting man, I'd bet on the first one.
[ He raisesa brow, deciding on humour instead of offering his condolences. They would ring hollow anyway. Claude doesn't know the man; he has no business in telling him he's sorry that he's dead when he's killed dozens of strangers himself. ]
Your enemies must be terribly disappointed.
no subject
So it would seem. I assure you that I didn't overtly assist with the process of my resurrection to this place. [He offered a shrug of his shoulders to the statement.] I suppose that depends on what our overlords are interested in about those that end up here, but I wouldn't deny the possibility anyone could come.
[While he didn't move more than bringing his cigar to his lips for a drag, he was keenly aware of the healing injuries on his chest. This didn't feel like what the afterlife had been promised in silly childish tales, so he assumed he was back alive.]
I expect you are likely correct. And that means our old enemies could also appear.
[It was a warning as much to himself as it was to Claude. Everyone had enemies, and it seemed like neither one of them had clean hands.]
Enraged actually. They walk the knife's edge of wanting to put me back in my prior state. [He smirked through the cloud of cigar smoke, his mutilated eye glowing orange even brighter for a moment.] Their hesitation is a gain I plan on capitalizing on.
no subject
[ It's what he's said, over and over again. It's nothing personal. The words may ring hollow as soldiers die on the battlefield for something that's not personal, but the discomfort around it don't make it any less true. He can only imagine if he and Edelgard were to run into each other here, they would work together to return home...
So they could return to war, no doubt. But such is politics. ]
You, however, are in a different situation. [ Claude raises one hand to toy with some of the hair hanging over his face, habitually coquettish. This man doesn't seem very trustworthy at all, mainly because he's advertised the fact, which makes him all the more fascinating, glowing eye and all. It's been too long since Claude's been able to speak with someone else with a barb or two. ] I have to admit, I'm curious. It sounds as though you have ambitions, even in this new world. Or just old grudges that need to be settled...?
no subject
[Silco knew the line 'not personal' well, but he also understood that knowing another's strengths from a different situation made them dangerous in a new one. Neutralizing a future competitor was always motivation enough where he was from, and it was why he would bring any Chem-Baron that came to this place in line immediately. He knew what they were capable of, and he'd rather utilize that himself or squash them to prevent future trouble.
He expected that a war was on the horizon here. At least, there would be conflict, but no part of social society could seem to avoid it for long from his experience. He planned on being ahead of the curb on that one once the tensions began to rise.]
Am I? [He watched Claude between casually puffing on his cigar, letting the lit tip illuminate his scarring. He cared little for the opinions of others in this place or anywhere else for that matter, and he simply shrugged a shoulder at the observation of ambition.] What is a man but ambition made flesh? Anyone to claims they have no ambition is either following someone else's order or a liar.
no subject
[ It's part of why he finds this place so very challenging. He has always been a man dictated by his tendency to look two steps ahead of everyone else, always reaching, fighting, yearning for something beyond. Why focus on today when tomorrow still remains in flux? Here, he has been robbed of his goals, left to float meaninglessly from place to place.
Perhaps it is unkind to think of the people of Aldrip as being so separate from him, especially when he's here claiming to speak for them, but such is life. It's for their own good anyway. ]
There are plenty of smaller ambitions than whatever you've got cooking up. To live a peaceful life, to find love, to raise a family, to become worthy in your chosen profession, [ Claude rattles off with a wave of his hand. ] It's just that a man such as yourself seems like the sort to dream a little bigger than that. [ He tilts his head, the gesture mirroring the curve of his smile. ]
I'm curious about what that looks like in a place like this, impermanent as we hope it is.
no subject
[Silco inclined his head slightly, as if disapproving of this fact. However, he wouldn't deny a man of skill utilizing those skills, especially when they had nothing to lose in the process. It provided him new insight on this one, and he found the determination to be lackluster but not unexpected. To be ripped away from one's home and friends and rivalries to be here had to be so disappointing and discombobulating.
He had no issue adapting to a new place, though the continual fresh air, clean water and welcoming attitude prickled him. That was not the way of the Undercity where everyone at some point would be used and tossed aside at some point. He still had no reason to not make grand plans as he had no reason to return to his city.]
I don't believe you know what sort of ambition I have, though if one doesn't dream big, he'll end his life disappointed. [He was not content to sit around; he had to build a life for his daughter, an empire for her to sit at the top of. That was his cause.]
Impermanent for you, perhaps. I have no intention of leaving.
no subject
In all honesty, it's similar to how he feels about his life in Fodlan as well. They are moreso his people, yes, but he had never expected to stay, never expected to lead, certainly doesn't expect to be any more embraced than he is now. But unlike this place, he has greater ambitions for it, unbeknownst to them all. All he's doing is putting them into place so that he may achieve his dreams in the future.
But here? Here, it's a test of his own mettle, of attempting to secure the safety of the people and of himself, knowing that the long-standing ramifications won't touch him in the same way. He's a nobody here, after all, and a nobody he is content to stay as long as he can mill about the rooms where the big decisions happen, so that he can lay in wait and learn. Learn until he can find a way home. ]
So you intend to stay. [ He cocks his head, considering this. ] Why? You've been brought back to life. You could go home, continue on where you had left off.
no subject
Contradictory to your point, if you have no skin in the game, you have no reason to negotiate the best deal. It can even be argued that you have limited knowledge of what exactly your constituents actually need. [He eased himself to his feet and tugged his coat collar straight again.] More secure, you say? Time will tell if your claim comes to pass.
[For one, he wasn't looking for security, least of all someone else handing it to him. He came from a world where backstabbing was as common as breathing, and keeping a rag-tag innovative lot loosely grouped together was more about resources and knowing how to give people what they thought they wanted or needed. Sometimes it was little more than nudging them towards opportunities... or wiping them off the board.
So far this place left much to be desired. That was fine. He had lived in 'work-in-progress' places for much of his life. This would be no different.
He gestured with his cigar tip at Claude.]
Could I? What's the cost for using this new life back where I came from? Do we know it's even possible or if leaving here means I simply return to being dead? No, I'll build what I need here.