Grey Skies (Orders due by July 10th!)

[TheMeanestGuest]

Segment Two of 888

Lords of the Kingdom: Ciara Romanova and Marle Lourdes Izar

[ooc=The Council will hear all Concerns and Complaints of the Citizens and Subjects of the Kindom, as is its Duty]
#1 - "Burn the Syndies out of Forge!"
#2 - "Seritha fades! Someone has to do something!"
#3 - "I'm Hungry!"
#4 - "The rights of the worker should be protected by law."
#5 - "The gangs run the streets. Where is the Gendarmery?"[/ooc]

Of the Far Reaches of the World

A massive storm begins to brew over the Drowning and buffets the Windward Islands. Storms like these are often a sign of increased Outsider activity, and the wise stay far and away from such a conflagration.

Of the Frozen Sea

The Samish, a mostly nomadic people - and one of the Four Clans of the Confederacy -  long known as barbarians and savage raiders, have begun to move south from their normal hunting grounds in force. They gather at the ancient fortress of Samsarax, not far from the small Royalist enclave at Cascade. Judging by the sheer numbers of migrating Samish the entirety of their clan could very well be relocating. The cause of this migration remains unknown.

Of Tiriol  

The Syndicalist insurgency continues in Tiriol. Despite the valiant efforts of the militia and some few of our brave Knights the territory under their foul influence grows daily, and they continue to encroach upon the wards of our loyal Subjects. At best our current efforts will keep them from gaining total control of Forge.

It is said that the fever of the Angel Seritha has grown so great that the stone floor of the chamber she rests in begins to smoke and crack. None may approach her, lest they be burned to ashes. The small Talents of the Church continue their efforts to scry the source of her illness, but to no avail. The faithful weep openly, and fear clutches at their hearts.

Financials

The Office of the Exchequer reports on the current status of our Kingdom's finances.

Exchequer: 1 Assets

Income:
- 10% sales tax on Luxuries: 3 Assets per segment

Expenses:
- Gendarmery: 1 Asset per segment
- Civil Service: 1 Asset per segment

[spoiler=Personal Financials]Phayn Xavid-Acherus
Production: 3 [?] / (0/10)
Assets: 6
Property, Possessions, Agents, Servants, and Chattel: Secret Laboratory, Apprentice (Tiberius Vell), Corner Snep

Ciara Romanova
Production: 5 [3 Graft, 2 Vice] / (2/10)
Assets: 5
Property, Possessions, Agents, Servants, and Chattel: Estate, Security Personnel (200|1APS)

Daedalus Sato
Production: 6 [5 Armour, 1 Energy] / (4/10)
Assets: 6
Property, Possessions, Agents, Servants, and Chattel: Estate, Scientist (Dr. Kylee Renner|1APS), Security Personnel (50)

Marle Lourdes Izar
Production: 3 [?] / (1/10)
Assets: 6
Property, Possessions, Agents, Servants, and Chattel: Estate, Armour, Infiltrator (Mathias|1APS), Knightly Retainers (50)

Phineo Trennan
Production: 3 [2 Construction, 1 Electronics] / (0/10)
Assets: 4
Property, Possessions, Agents, Servants, and Chattel: Estate, Armour, Knightly Retainers (50), Property in Hydro, Winning Smile[/spoiler]

Missives and Media

[ic=Message to Marle Lourdes Izar]Lady Izar,

It brings much warmth to my heart that you express such fervent support for our Crusade against the evils of Syndicalism. It is my greatest hope that Glorious Tiriol will soon be rid of the Syndicalist pestilence, and united in force of arms unrivaled we will crush these worms into the bloody snow. Traitors abound in Great Absolon, thinking to sell us out to the Syndicate for their own personal gain. But I see through their plots and schemes, and their heads now rot on spikes. Those who would challenge the Legitimate Authority of the Kingdom of the Frozen Sea cannot in any form be tolerated.

The Guilds form a ring around Absolon, thinking to squeeze the spirit of resistance from us. Day and night their guns rain fire down upon us, but we persevere. Our reactors cannot be breached, and the Shield holds yet. They make foolish attempt on the gate again and yet again, but we throw them back, and their corpses are as a mountain before us. There are countless thousands of the Guild Rats, but let it be as no concern. When at last you march to our aid, we in turn will sally forth from our City, and they will fall before us as so much wheat before the thresher.   

Duke Raynald Corlon, Supreme Despot & High General of Great Absolon[/ic]

Inquests

[spoiler=Phayn Xavid-Acherus]"The world is full of locked doors, child. We but search for matching keys."

For an instant the room grows impenetrably dark. Your apprentice cries out, but you silence him with a hiss. Light returns. There is a strange tang on your tongue, and a slight pressure behind your eyes. You scan your surroundings; you know it's here. A crash. The tinkle of broken glass is followed by a peel of tittering laughter. One of your many apparatti lies broken on the floor. Your glower sweeps the room. There, in a far corner. A disturbance of light. Your vision nearly imperceptibly skewed. You crook one long manicured finger and suddenly the disturbance lies in the palm of your hand. It titters at you, and a grinning row of sharp teeth appears in the air. A Corner Snep. The juvenile form of the sinister and deadly Bonombr. Perfect. No door can bar the passage of a Corner Snep, and no chain can bind it. They are innately free of physical constraint, and take advantage of this at nearly any opportunity in the furtherance of their pursuit of mischief. You have bound it to your power, and it will serve you, at least for now. You whisper to it, informing it of its task. It grins again, and then it is gone.

Minutes pass. Your apprentice attempts to speak on several occasions, but you shush him ruthlessly. Finally there is another peel of child-like laughter, this time right in your left ear. Your new Snep rests on your shoulder, it's posture languid - if one can say that about a disembodied set of teeth. It hums and whispers and laughs, and shadows dance on the ground before you. They coalesce, and slowly images begin to form, black and grey and fraying at the edges yet possessing a strange depth, seeming almost too real, as if looking through a set of eyes far superior to your own. A bedraggled man in a long coat clutches at a jarringly pristine rifle as he leans to peer out of a broken window. Rubble and trash strewn hallways and rooms - many filled with more grim looking and well-armed men and women -  flash by disjointedly; corner, to corner, to corner. Deep in the bowels of this apparently immense structure an insane maze of pipes leads off in every direction, but concerns as banal as geography are nearly irrelevant to a Snep, and it's disorienting course continues unabated. A bare concrete chamber, unremarkable except for the presence of a battered young woman - no more than seventeen - hung by shackles from the ceiling. A man and another woman stand near the entrance, both distinct from the others you have seen in this bizarre vision. She accoutred in what might have once been a fastidiously maintained military uniform, he in a dirty lab coat and civilian business-wear. The Snep speaks in voices not its own. "We have little Serum left.. I do not know how much longer she can be controlled. If we push her, she may break free... you do not understand! Her rage is immense... with her amplifiers she could bring ruin to the entire city!" The man, panic and fear in his voice. As if to underscore his point, the room shakes, and the girl thrashes and keens before falling back to stillness. The woman sniffs. "Good. Then we shall die for our cause, and so too shall these Royalist pigs. The authority of our Syndicate cannot be called into question. Better Tiriol dies in fire and blood than falls into their greedy, grasping hands. You will send her out, Verner, and we shall test this theory of yours. We will win, or we will all die. In either case, the honour of the Syndicate is upheld." The woman gives the room a lingering glance as she speaks, her features utterly serene. She steps smartly through the open door, and is gone.  A bead of sweat runs down Verner's face as the shadows again take up their dance, and the vision fades before you.[/spoiler]  


[spoiler=Ciara Romanova]Mercenaries

Tiriol has little in the way of trained military professionals for hire. Unfortunately for you, the Guilds did not encourage private competition to their monopoly on force. You have contacted Securitech - a small firm that has provided you with additional event security in the past - to fulfill your needs, such as they can be fulfilled. Securitech seemed quite eager to secure your business, which to your knowledge would be their first major contract. You were given a private tour of their facilities, and their chief-executive treated you to a lavish dinner. They have offered you an outfit of 150 of their best  contractors to complement your own in-house security. These men and women are for the most part ex-Guild law enforcement or comparably skilled Foreigners. Well-armed and well-dressed. Their demeanor and comportment is professional, and they are trained in the handling of small arms, crowd control, VIP escort, and fireteam level tactics.  They would be best employed in the defence of your property and person, and would fair poorly in the role of aggressor on a traditional battlefield.  

"Charity"

Your food aid was well received in the wards and sectors of Tiriol that you chose to focus on - primarily located in the southern quadrants of Forge. It is well that you procured additional security, as the distribution centres you established were nearly overwhelmed by the hungry mob before order could be restored. Thankfully, only five deaths were reported. The worst of the hunger has been alleviated in these areas, for the moment at least, and has brought about the return of some much needed normalcy. Morale is up, and there has been a noticeable increase in militia volunteers. However, the selective nature of your distribution efforts has led to resentment and increased riotous behavior in sectors that did not receive any significant aid, leaving them increasingly vulnerable to occupation by the Syndicalist resistance.

And Corruption

It is a delicate thing, maintaining the veneer of respectability necessary for an individual in your position while at the same time extending the reach of your corrupting touch through the benefits afforded you by your new office. It is of course an open secret that many of your business ventures involve less than legal entanglements, but such has previously been a matter of little concern to your fellow Peers being contained as it is to the lower levels of the city. You have felt out the situation through some of your more well-placed contacts, and it has come to your attention that there may indeed be just such an opportunity for personal gain as you have sought. A representative of the Angelus Consortium has explicitly intimated to one of your contacts that Mr. Angelus is greatly distressed by the continued labeling of many of his products as 'luxuries', thus rendering them subject to tax. Mr. Angelus feels that this wrongful designation substantially limits the growth of his business, and desires the establishment of an arrangement that might see his concerns addressed.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Daedalus Sato]She Blinded you with Science

There is little that goes on in Tiriol that relates to the potential production of Armour that you are not aware of. You have been observing a start-up operation run out of a small warehouse in Hydro by a Dr. Kylee Renner, an ex-Guild scientist involved in the production of weapons systems and purportedly an expert in mechanical engineering, automatronics, chemical ballistics and a number of other equally scientific fields. However, you have not been able to accurately ascertain the precise nature of the research being carried out by her and her team to this point. Increasingly aware of this fact - and the attendant rumours relating to her operation circulating through the factoria, forges, and workshops of Tiriol - you have finally sent a polite inquiry in her direction.

Dr. Renner seemed incredibly enthused by your interest, and proved to be immensely co-operative, sending over a dossier outlining her work thus far. It seems she has been independently continuing a project initiated by the Forgers Guild of Tiriol at the behest of Syndicate Command to explore the possibility of developing a suit of Armour to replace the venerable Armsman for general service. Dr. Renner appears utterly unconcerned by the attendant politics of the situation, only wishing to continue her work and to finally see one of her many designs enter production. Apparently she intended to present a proposal to the Royal Council upon completion of a functional prototype. Your offer to absorb her operation into Oceanus Corporation was almost immediately accepted, and she has since relocated her team and her work to your factorium, gleefully taking advantage of your superior resources. Dr. Renner does not present as being particularly professional in her behaviour, and though brilliant it might be, her work seems somewhat scattered. It is likely they she will require a significant amount of time and direction before actually producing something you can work with.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Marle Lourdes Izar]The Gendarmery

You received a full report from Sergeant-Commander Green less than ten minutes after making your official request; over two thousand pages of detailed information on  Gendarmery operations in Forge. You have set your aides to task, and they are currently pouring over this wealth of documentation. From what you have gleaned so far, it appears that the volunteer militia overseen by the Gendarmery is outnumbered and slowly losing ground. The current roster of militia totals 3346 individuals, while it is suspected that the Syndicalist resistance can call on at least twice as many insurgents. The ranks of the Gendarmery total only two hundred and fifty gendarmes, and with their dual responsibility for policing the entire city and command of internal military operations Gendarmery resources appear stretched to the limit. Assistance offered by Tiriol's Knights is sporadic at best and relatively uncoordinated. While a push by a Knight in Armour supported by his or her retainers may dislodge insurgents from a fortified position quite easily, it is next to impossible for the militia to move in and retain control of such territory. Additionally, badly burned survivors from several militia squads have made report of ambuscade by a suit of Armour bearing vicious claws that exude a terrible heat. To force through to the Five Corners and scatter the movement would likely require a full muster of the Knights of Tiriol supported by the Gendarmery and the militia. Collateral civilian deaths in such an attack are estimated to be high.

The Underworld

You sought out an agent to delve deeper into Tiriol's shadowed underworld in order to further your own understanding. The man gives his name only as Mathias, and you know absolutely nothing about him, but you have been assured by your contacts that he is among the best at what he does. His work is not yet complete, but he has delivered what he can. Crime in Tiriol has expanded exponentially since your regime seized power in Tiriol. With the Gendarmery occupied with the Syndicalists, criminal gangs have sprouted throughout the lower levels. Their main sources of income appears to be the manufacture and sale of illegal psychostimulants, the operation of protection rackets, net fraud, and human trafficking. Most of these gangs answer to one of two higher authorities. Your agents has managed to infiltrate the first of these, the Black Rose Triad, but has so far failed to identify the leader, a mysterious woman known only as The Stiletto. The Triad's operations are based out of the northwestern quadrant of Forge, and it appears they have contacts in both the Syndicalist resistance and the Gendarmery to make certain that their ventures are not disturbed in any significant way. The second group, knows as the Brass Hall, violently competes with the Black Rose Triad for territory. The Brass Hall does not seem to have any arrangement with the Syndicalists, and thus restricts their operations to Hydro and the southern quadrants of Forge. Your agents suspects that the Brass Hall ultimately answers to members of the Peerage.

The Military

This is a unique idea, as the Kingdom of the Frozen Sea has never itself maintained a standing military force that could be considered in any way 'elite'. Of course, you are aware that the retainers of Tiriol's Knights are unmatched on the battlefield, but these men and women are beholden to their respective masters and it is the responsibility of each individual Knight to maintain a retinue that can be called upon by the Kingdom in times of war. You have approached Hector Valda, and he seemed intrigued by the idea of establishing a crack force independent of the Peerage. Volunteers will not be a problem, but it could take years to create a comparable force through traditional methodology. There are more extreme routes that could be taken that might yield the desired result in a more reasonable timeframe.[/spoiler]  

[spoiler=Phineo Trennan]In Search of Celebrity

You descended to Forge in force with your retainers. You were greeted politely by Sergeant-Commander Leeward Green and were apprised of the current situation at forward command. Accompanied by a battalion of militia and a dozen reporters you proceeded to the front. Between sporadic exchanges of gunfire you spent your time among the men and women of the militia, giving an encouraging word here, or lending a thoughtful ear there. Your lack of hesitation in combat and your willingness to throw yourself into the breach quickly earned you the respect of your new comrades in arms. Indeed, it was perhaps only your own valour and that of your retainers that thwarted a major Syndicalist push from breaking through to the Guildhall of the Forgers, the centre of Royalist power in Forge. Drawing the fire of Syndicate heavy artillery in Serpentine, your distraction allowed for the reformation of an entire regiment that had broken under bombardment. Leading the counter-attack you drove the insurgents from their positions and inflicted heavy casualties. A significant amount of Syndicate materiel was scavenged from the battlefield, including several heavy lasers, providing the militia with desperately needed supporting firepower.    

Your subsequent appearance on 4N went extremely well. Ms. Rossi kept her promise, and you did not appear at any point challenged or flustered by her questions. She praised your recent personal involvement in the struggle against the Syndicalists while stirringly patriotic images of you at the front lines were displayed in the background. Charming and suave as always, audience response was enthusiastic, particularly among the 16-80 female demographic. Your presentation of support for the government was succinct and compelling, and the case you made for the plight of Absolon has helped to further harden key segments of the populace against the Syndicalist resistance. Your appearance on 4N left many netviewers wondering: why isn't Fin Trennan in charge?

And Some Land

Finding land was quite easy. Though finding some that you can begin improving immediately was not. Mr. Baudris Gome has been trying to sell a vast swathe of properties encircling the Guildhall of the Providers for months and was willing to offer quite the bargain, and a deal was brokered. Should the Syndicalist insurgents ever be forced out of the Guildhall your new land could quite easily quadruple in value, being adjacent to such an important edifice. Until that point you merely possess a potential battlefield.[/spoiler]    

[TheMeanestGuest]

That took awhile! Going forward it is my hope that my mercurial nature does not significantly impact the course of the game. Still have a little bit of editing to do, including updating maps and missives.

[sparkletwist]

[ooc=Act of Expropriation]
The following bill is placed before the Electorate:

Henceforth, any property, businesses, holdings, or other assets controlled by a Syndicate loyalist who is killed or captured by the rightful authorities of Tiriol will be nationalized and become the property of the Government of Tiriol, to be administered by the office of the Lord Regent. Only those who willingly surrender to us and peacefully submit to our rule will be allowed to keep their holdings and wealth.

[ic=Speech before the Electorate]While our goals are lofty, our coffers are relatively bare. However, that does not mean there is not wealth in our city. Indeed, there is actually a great deal of wealth out there. Much of it is in the hands of our enemies. Why should we allow them to keep this wealth, when they would only turn it against us when given the chance? Therefore, I propose this act, that shall enrich our efforts at their expense, while meanwhile providing a strong incentive for peaceful capitulation.
[/ic]

Ciara casts 5 votes in favor.
[/ooc]

[ooc=Fiat Currency]Henceforth, all government payments will be made using scrip and electronic transfers that are redeemable for hard currency, but are not themselves hard currency. That is, do not actually deduct any Assets from the treasury unless people actually redeem our certificates. If so, pay them in the appropriate commodity, but only then. Keep an independent track of the amount of soft currency outstanding relative to the amount of actual hard currency we have in our possession.[/ooc]

[ic=Message to Lady Militant Marle Lourdes Izar and Sergeant-Commander Leeward Green]
As I am sure the both of you are aware, the primary concern of our people is that the Syndicalists still occupy large sections of our city, interfering in our governance and preventing the rightful authorities from carrying out their affairs in an orderly fashion. While at some point we can and may wish to assist other cities in their own struggles, first and foremost, our objective should be to get our own affairs in order.

I will do what I can to fight them economically, and attempt to use what resources I can muster in order that our war machine be well supplied. However, the actual fight must be won militarily. I believe you both to be capable commanders and leaders, and I believe the city of Tiriol is blessed to have you in charge of our efforts.

I ask you two questions, then:
- What do you intend to do to rid our city of the Syndicalist threat?
- How may I best assist this effort?
[/ic]

[Mason]

[ic=Message to Madame Ciara Romanova, Lady Regent of Tiriol]

Lady Regent,
   I thank you for the words of encouragement. No dount the vile Syndicalists will soon be eradicated from our great city. But let us forgoe formalities while the enemy still festers in our cities belly. In a few hours I will broadcast a speech mustering the Knights of Tiriol to take arms and descend upon Forge in force, myself among them. The plan and time frame for our attack will remain secret except unto a few key Knights. I want to keep any watchful eyes guessing as to when the attack will come. If you have any contacts in Forge, anyone who can give information on key figures in the remaining Syndicate force, contact them now. To formulate a plan I need intel Madame, and this is what I do not have. 

Regards,
Lady Militant Marle Lourdes Izar
[/ic]

[ic=Message to Phinean Trennan]

Sir Phin,
  Let me be the first to congratulate you on your successful exploits in Forge. No doubt the people of Tiriol commend your most exemplary actions against the vile Sindicalists still plagueing our beloved city.
  No doubt our forces will be triumphant. But let us be wary sir. My Commander informs me that the fighting is fierce and will require more force to bring this city under our control. I would ask your assistance sir, which you have already given of your own free will.
  In a few hours I will send a netcast calling the Knights of Tiriol to lend aid to the Gendarmery already fighting so bravely in Forge. I would ask that you do the same, and lend your support to my own voice publicy. I would also ask of you to rejoin the fight, in my personal squad, or perhaps leading your own?   

  Yours,
Lady Militant Marle Lourdes Izar

[/ic]


[ic=Message to Phayne Xavid-Acherus]

Anom,

  I call upon you with a proposition that might be of interest to you. I have attached the intial report of Project 2, given to me by my highest ranking military scientists, and ammended by Hector Valda. Mr. Valda has pointed out the flaws in the initial plan, particularly the time frame necessary to create the template for the "super-soldier" our military requires at present. If it would suit you, I would give you dominion over this project and all resources I could muster. Your task would be to provide Tiriols military with an elite fighting force independent of the Peerage. You would no doubt have any trouble finding volunteers, Nationalism is at an all time high. I am under the impression that you seek only to experiment, and this is what I ask of you. I need soldiers good Anom, and you can give them too me.

Lady Militant Marle Lourdes Izar

[/ic]

[ic=Netcast]
 
  Good Knights of Tiriol,
       Long has our honor been unquestioned. Long has our valor stood unblemished. But now, in the very heart of our city lies a disease. (dramatic pause) How can we stand idly by why the good men and women of the Gendarmery take up arms against the incipid Syndicalists? I ask of you true Knights of Tiriol, would you not join them? Would you not rather gather glory in battle then spoil it in idleness? Good Knights of Tiriol, arm yourselves! We descend upon Forge in force, to obliterate the enemy and reclaim every last inch of our city!

[/ic]

[TheMeanestGuest]

[ic=Message to Ciara Romanova]Miss Romanova. I am a keeper of the peace, be that a peace by arms or a peace by law. It is my intention to do all that is in my power to rid my city of those who would break the peace. The militia is supplied, led, and organized as best it can be considering the resources allotted to the Gendarmery. The line will be held, but it is not within the ability of the Gendarmery alone to launch any significant assault at this time.  

You could help me by impressing upon your fellow members of the Peerage the very serious nature of the conflict we find ourselves engaged in. Combating the insurgency is not a recreational pursuit or a social outing.

Leeward Green, Sergeant-Commander / The Royal Gendarmery[/ic]

[sparkletwist]

[ic=Message to Leeward Green]
Thank you for your service.

If there are additional resources for the Gendarmery that you need allocated, please tell me and will make every effort to do so. In the meantime, you will be pleased to know that the Lady Militant is mobilizing the knights in order to relieve the burden on the Gendarmery and the militia of the heaviest fighting.

I will also endeavor to relieve some of your burden of civilian policing I have attached a list of sectors in which a Gendarmery presence is no longer particularly essential, as I have made other arrangements. Hopefully, you will be able to better concentrate your forces and carry out your duties.

[ooc=The List]I'm attaching a list of the sectors where I have the strongest degree of influence (i.e., the local politicians are in my pocket) and my own private security can effectively police them. I will try to make the zone as large, defensible, and contiguous as possible. I will also try to be a bit "expansionist," and include not only areas that are securely "mine" but adjoining areas that the commanders of my mercenary teams feel confident they can secure.[/ooc]
[/ic]

[Polycarp]

[ic=Message to Lady Izar]My dear Marle, you have my sincere thanks for your kind words.  I commend you on this new initiative, and it is exactly this kind of no-nonsense drive that I hoped you would bring to the office of Lord Militant.  Naturally I and my retainers are at your disposal.  I would, however, like to float an alternative by you, if I may.

Syndicalists within are bad enough, but Syndicalists without as well - well, that's exactly what I fear we're going to be faced with if Absolon falls, and you and I both know that's what will happen if we do nothing about it.  Now, I understand completely the need to take care of our own house first, and that's just the reason I lent my personal aid to the Gendarmery last segment,  but I would hate for us to find one day soon that we'd been so busy stomping rats in Forge that we'd let the vermin take over everything outside our little bubble.  Don't you agree?

Perhaps we don't have the strength to lift the siege, but if we can even disrupt it we will have bought a little more time for Absolon and ourselves.  Let me go, Marle.  I could never beat you in the arena, but my charming little Serpentine isn't made for those kind of fights - she's made exactly to run circles around superior enemies, giving them hell and never letting them catch a break.  This is her kind of fight, and my kind of fight, and I'll be of more service to us keeping Absolon from destruction than blowing up Syndicate rats in Forge.  Let me pick out a squad of militia, just a fraction of what we've got - whatever you think we can spare - and I'll buy you and Absolon both the time you need.

How does that sound, my dear Lady?[/ic]

[ic=Comments to the Electorate]Oh, but as much as it pains me to say so, I'm afraid I can't support this "Act of Expropriation" quite yet.  These Syndicalists are, after all, thieves, and who is to say the property they "control" doesn't rightfully belong to a loyal citizen?  But if the act were, say, amended to apply merely to unclaimed property - that is, property neither owned nor claimed by any loyal citizen - then it would give me great pleasure to support it.[/ic]

[sparkletwist]

[ic=Comments to the Electorate]Sir Phineo makes a valid statement, but allow me to point out under the current disorganized system, there is no guarantee that the rightful owners of property stolen by Syndicalist thieves will have it restored, either-- odds are, it will be snatched up or inherited by some other Syndicalist, pounced upon by street gangs or other opportunist jackals, or simply decay in abandonment. While the problem Sir Phineo cites is a very real one, not supporting the Act of Expropriation will not remedy it in the slightest.

Instead, to solve this problem, we must look ahead. Once the Syndicalist insurgency has been crushed and order has been restored, I believe it in our best interests to facilitate the restoration of property to its rightful owners. At that time, a committee can be established to handle property claims. The owners of all that is taken will be paid their due recompense. However, in order to reach that point, there must be a future. We must win this struggle now, first, and this Act aims to give us the means to do so.
[/ic]

[Polycarp]

[ic=Comments to the Electorate]Goodness, you make it sound like it's either government seizure or throwing it back to the dogs!  This needn't be a matter for the Royal Council; why not drop the whole dreary business of examining claims of ownership into the lap of some civil court and be done with it?  If the bureaucrats find it doesn't belong to anyone, or at least nobody reputable, then I'm sure nobody will mind handing it off to the Lady Regent's office.  There's simply no need for some blanket nationalization, and surely the common man and woman will think the better of our government for giving back what the rats below have taken from them instead of snatching it up without letting a word in edgewise.

Surely we have something more important to talk about.  Does the Lady Regent have any plans to address the food crisis?[/ic]

[sparkletwist]

[ic=Comments to the Electorate]I apologize for the misunderstanding. I never meant to imply it would be a matter for the Royal Council directly. I merely meant some sort of committee-- perhaps one consisting of bureaucrats from the civil courts, as you suggest-- would have to see to the process of returning the property. Returning the property is something I fully intend to do, by the way, so your claim of "snatching it up" is entirely unwarranted. However, that is a matter for peacetime, when our future has been secured. Why should these many resources not be put to good use in the meantime, when our fledgeling state needs them so desperately?

At present, private donors, myself included, have been providing food relief. You are welcome and encouraged to make your own donations to this cause. I would very much like to supplement these private charitable works with official food relief provided by the Regency, but our financial resources are very low at present. All the more reason the Act of Expropriation is necessary, to give us the means to handle situations like the food crisis. Will you support it, or will you allow our people to go hungry?
[/ic]

[Llum]

[ooc=Votes on new laws]
6 Votes against the Law of Expropriation
6 Votes against Fiat Currency
[/ooc]

[Polycarp]

[ic=Comments to the Electorate]Did I miss something, or did my driver take me to the set of one of those detestable network debate shows instead of the Royal Council?  I could have sworn just the other day I was fighting on the front lines against the Syndicate in defense of our people, but it seems I was actually concocting my nefarious plot to steal food from the mouths of those same citizens by expressing - dare I say it, my friends - disagreement with an act beloved to the Lady Regent!

If we could all just calm ourselves for a moment, then I could point out that my only concern is that once a thing ends up property of the state, it tends to stay that way, and I'd prefer the courts to come before the nationalization rather than the other way around.  Keeps anything from getting "lost," accidentally or otherwise.  Seems sensible enough to me and hardly something to charge up the Invective Cannons for, don't you think?[/ic]

[sparkletwist]

[ic=Comments to the Electorate]I salute your efforts to rid us of the Syndicalist menace and thank you for your service to Tiriol. My way of serving Tiriol, on the other hand, is simply to ensure that those efforts do not falter for want of funding.

Your concern is certainly not without merit. However, while the bureaucrats and courts do their work, deciding this way or that, many valuable resources will sit idle. Resources, I might add, that our state desperately needs right here and right now. I would prefer the courts to come before the nationalization, as well. In a perfect world, they would-- no, in a perfect world, something like this Act would not even be needed. Unfortunately, this world is far from perfect, and these times are desperate. Our struggles and our needs cannot wait for the courts to finish their deliberations.
[/ic]

OOC Side Note: "Fiat Currency" isn't being voted on in the Electorate. It's an order being enacted by the authority of the Lady Regent (or at least authority she's claiming to have) following a proud tradition of chief executives unilaterally messing with the currency. Unless you're watching the activities and decrees of the Regency carefully, you might not even know about it yet.

[Steerpike]

[ic=Message to all members of the Royal Council]Colleagues - I attach to this message a recording containing intelligence I believe many of you will find distressing, to say the least.  It seems the Syndicalists will imminently be unleashing their little pet; we must act quickly to avoid disaster.  I suggest you muster what forces you can and converge on the Guildhall of the Providers.  By the time you read this I will be bringing what power I possess to bear on the problem.

[spoiler=Attachment: Recorded Vision]A bedraggled man in a long coat clutches at a jarringly pristine rifle as he leans to peer out of a broken window. Rubble and trash strewn hallways and rooms - many filled with more grim looking and well-armed men and women -  flash by disjointedly; corner, to corner, to corner. Deep in the bowels of this apparently immense structure an insane maze of pipes leads off in every direction, but concerns as banal as geography are nearly irrelevant to a Snep, and it's disorienting course continues unabated. A bare concrete chamber, unremarkable except for the presence of a battered young woman - no more than seventeen - hung by shackles from the ceiling. A man and another woman stand near the entrance, both distinct from the others you have seen in this bizarre vision. She accoutred in what might have once been a fastidiously maintained military uniform, he in a dirty lab coat and civilian business-wear. The Snep speaks in voices not its own. "We have little Serum left.. I do not know how much longer she can be controlled. If we push her, she may break free... you do not understand! Her rage is immense... with her amplifiers she could bring ruin to the entire city!" The man, panic and fear in his voice. As if to underscore his point, the room shakes, and the girl thrashes and keens before falling back to stillness. The woman sniffs. "Good. Then we shall die for our cause, and so too shall these Royalist pigs. The authority of our Syndicate cannot be called into question. Better Tiriol dies in fire and blood than falls into their greedy, grasping hands. You will send her out, Verner, and we shall test this theory of yours. We will win, or we will all die. In either case, the honour of the Syndicate is upheld." The woman gives the room a lingering glance as she speaks, her features utterly serene. She steps smartly through the open door, and is gone.[/spoiler][/ic][ooc]Use all available Assets to summon as many offensive creatures as possible, then march on the Guildhall of Providers to attempt a pre-emptive strike against the Syndicalists, hopefully taking them by surprise.[/ooc]

[Llum]

[ooc=Orders]
-Invest 5 in to my Armor business.
-Pay 1 to keep Dr Renner on as staff.
[/ooc]