Scene #7917: More Exciting Is Better!

Owner	Pose
Undivided Queens	The latest move, played by the shipwrights and merchants' union guild of the capital city Arsiene, in a bid to choose a third option and slip out of their current economic pinch without ceding sociopolitically, has failed egregiously. Part of it was significantly thanks to the Paladins, actually, having sided only with the citizenry and genuine governance and with no private interests whatsoever, and having no love of supporting the bloodshed and seizure planned by the city's elite, de-facto rulers. But the other half was the Concord and Watch; somewhat self-sabotaging and chaotic as it was, it seems it was certainly 'good enough'. Namely, the attack on the 'supply caravan', structurally responsible for actually feeding the besieges citizens, is a known and published quantity now, after the ambush operation was compromised and overturned. Further, Darren's inciting of an open riot within city limits has emboldened the disgruntled populace and garnered further support. As spies report, there are now actively calls, within the city, to convene the senate immediately, dissolve the union guild, and seize all of its assets. People already knew who their real nobility were, but the overt show of force from 'private military', bordering on assassins, has drawn attention and widespread mislike of them openly wielding violent power, and the attempt at seizing runeciphers for themselves is most egregiously taken, apparently, as an act of sedition, if not treason. Of course, that won't get them out of a seige; not even Seilatiya is so carefree, and neither Queen is so unambitious. However, it would still be significantly helpful for the guild to be stripped of its power through proper channels and its power bloc peacefully and cleanly dissolved with the full support of the citizenry; it makes it much easier to transition governance over to Imperial rule and would allow the retainment of officials who can ostensibly be trusted, without the no doubt severe scuffles of dismantling the guild by force. Accordingly, this is what Seilatiya would like (though, again, she does not have a habit of appearing on the frontlines, working through her Reconciliators instead). Popular support for the dissolution of the capital's financial center would allow diplomatic overtures to land squarely and possibly even finally negotiate an end to the siege the the considerable bargaining chip of replacing the trade province's economic backbone; give it a few years to steadily absorb the rest. However, it'll certainly be a very bad look if the senate refuses or fails to actualize, requiring even more forceful restructuring on the part of the Empire, and if the Empire clearly waits for the vote, and then overturns it, should the citizens fail to vote as desired, it amounts to a blatant policy-driven coup. Isahane doesn't want to deal with that. In her opinion, they have more than enough justification to prosecute the capital for the conduct of its guild and who knows what other shadowy figures. Retaliation for an obvious attack on humanitarian personnel is an easy justification for simply barging in and taking the city by force; an essentially guaranteed, sweeping victory, paid in the lives of those who resist. Inciting more dramatic, violent unrest for the paymasters responsible for endangering the caravans that feed the people is plausible, but unambitious. An 'intervention' or 'peacekeeping' operation on behalf of the 'oppressed citizenry' on the pretext of both that and Darren's riot is another option. Isahane is also more than confident in her kinsmen's ability to simply hunt down and execute any and all figures within the city that they choos, and demand an unconditional surrender by breaking the trade city's spine for the foreseeable future and simply taking its wealth hostage. Some of these strategies are mutually exclusive, some are not, and some imperil the success of others; all have benefits and risks.
Undivided Queens	The two haven't been able to unanimously agree on one between them, and so, surrounded by the bold colours and scents and bustling commotion of the war camp, all those on the Empire's side are welcomed to sit (well, kneel) at the longtable with just the War-Queen Isahane and the recently promoted Reconciliator Orinoka, to be the tiebreaker by sweetening any given option with pledges of their skilled aid and strong reasoning.
Chains Knight	"A bloodless takeover?" says Chains Knight, increduously, when presented with Seilatiya's option. "What sort of euro-style indie trash is this?" And so he goes to the table, and lays his cards out and shows his hand. "Look - Barbarian Giant Flame Archers," he says, pointing at the cards he's laid out at the table. "Gigantic bows, as large as a person, that are launching basically torches. Tell me that you don't want to see things like that deployed in an active siege. They're practically poetry in weapon form. And I've got enough tutoring cards for them that they're practically guaranteed topdeck," he says, showing the hand of seven cards he drew as a fishbowl test. Setting puns aside, he looks around the table. "Do you want to waste a good siege on a political story?" he asks. "There should be a flashy end to it - an exciting end! Victory or defeat, it matters not, as long as it is the stuff of legend and the substance from which heroes are forged!"
Sleek Shimmer	When Shimmer got involved earlier with this mess, she had only a few perspectives to work with and the resulting chaos did not go over well with her. In the ensuing time she has made a few other allies and so, when news hits her that there's yet more going on in the city... Although still weakened from an overly zealous show of force against the archwolf, she's no longer struggling to maintain human form. She's sitting on a rooftop overlooking the harbor right now, deep in focus spiritually operating the radio waves that let her 'speak' with her contacts. She has questions for the Watch. She's seen what the people suffer through, that their grievances with the current rulers are legitimate, and that the Concord is trying to kill them with 'kindness'. But what might she overlooking about all of this? What other perspectives are there?
Darren	Darren is knelt at the longtable. He's wearing a blue-and-yellow zip-up hoodie, with a white tank top. His phone, pulled from the pocket of his gym shorts the moment he sat down, has a notepad application open. The drawstring backpack lies within arms reach. Roswell, the little alien, is beside him, in his approximation of kneeling. His head barely clears the table, making it look as though he's peeking over the edge. "If you're going to do that," says Darren to Isahane, "Go for the 'military response' angle, not the 'peacekeeping' angle. And gotta say, blood, we're better off doing it Seilatiya's way. Here's why." "What those people did at the harbor, that was inside them. I just brought it out. And now that it's out, it's not going back in anytime soon, you feel me? They're on that direct action ish. If you go in there by force now, you're shooting yourself in the foot, even with all the goodwill you got so far." Darren scrolls through a few notes. "I think the amount of support we'd need for dissolving the guild is... It's easily something I could go and drum up damn quick. Check it out," he says, listing off line items. "The guild -and- local government both know the people are willing to use force. So we get someone on the inside to work the government, and I'll work the people. Work on getting that support."
Staren	TODAY'S STAREN-CHAN: This is a war-meeting, not a battle, so Staren tries to look a biiit more formal. But what even is formal when you're still figuring out your basic style? At a glance she's got a labcoat, fitted and buttoned from the waist up and flaring out below to calf-length, paired with a mid-length black A-line skirt with a golden stripe just above the hem. (Slit in back and with a hole for her tail, respectively.) On her head is a white beret with gold trim (awkwardly perched between ears, sometimes slipping over one), the usual round glasses, and instead of a scarf around her neck a short white mantle covering her upper arms, with golden trim and three stripes across each shoulder. Under the mantle, a concord-orange sash drapes from right shoulder to left hip. Black boots with a short heel and some kind of sheer leggings complete the outfit. On the front of the beret and the back of the coat is a symbol, a large-toothed gear circumscribing a staff of Aesclepius, with 'circuit traces' of negative space eating into the gear from the lower-left. Her messenger bag is hung on her chair rather than worn during the meeting. It's a weird mashup of science nerd, business, uniform, and looking nice for a date, and it might not have been the best idea to pair it with putting her hair in twintails, but here we are. ANYWAY, Staren is considering the options when Chains Knight displays his bloodlust. She stares at him in surprise and then disdain, "This isn't a game, this is real people's lives! And besides, this wasn't a typical siege anyway." Staren sighs as she looks back towards the center of the table, holding a hand to her chin. "Still, I guess he has ONE point. Making this memorable, a tale easy to repeat, might help it stick better, make everyone remember why it happened and why they don't want to go back to some other government." She looks to Darren. "You think you can do it that quickly?" She glances to Isahane, then back to him. "If we can get it to happen now, then won't everyone be happy?" Chains Knight doesn't count. "No more delay, and the 'military response' to the old government can be shown clearly, but the new government gets a chance to make peace with us, while everyone gets to see what that peace avoids." She looks sidewise at Chains Knight. "Probably even some way to spin it as a heroic story of the people coming together to save needless bloodshed, cementing their identity as heroes making a diplomatic deal, rather than subjects being conquered."
Undivided Queens	Sitting at opposite heads of the table, keeping all attendees (though there are only three, so it's a pretty empty table) between them and equally in view, Isahane reclines with her (large) arms folded over her midriff, and Orinoka remains primly seated with her hands relaxed in her lap, but both are clearly hanging on the contradictory and slightly baffling words of the group assembled. It's not like they say so, but it's semi-obvious, by posture and gaze and focus, that the two of them are trying to judge more than just the rhetoric. Unspoken levels of confidence, expectations, misgivings, personal and ideological desires, under and overlaying them. Chains is pretty simple and on the level though. Isahane laughs, loudly, gesturing at him to slide the card over the table so she can pick it up between her nails and examine it for herself. "And what do you call a 'good siege', Knight? Barely a stone has been thrown or a cannon been fired all this time. Srife is banished from within the walls and tension banished from without. Compared to the sieges of my youth, this barely counts at all. Why should it not be, as you say, 'a political story'?" Still, she kind of seems like she prefers the idea. Or at least wants to see fire giant archers. "Even if we set Arsiene to the torch, do you think it would be a battle worthy of song? By your word of the defenders, do they have the skill, the will, to be anything more than a bare few words of scarce mention in the tale that follows?" Orinoka is, of course, professionally opposed. She may be entirely appalled, but she doesn't show that in the slightest, at least. "Would the use of fire not imperil thousands of innocent lives? I am no tactician, but there seems to be little point to setting the capital ablaze. After all, is it not more valuable a jewel to add to the crown in one piece? How long will it take for its people to accept words of redemption if they harbour grudges of flame in their hearts?" Isahane flicks the card back to Chains. Her unusual eyes fix intensely on Darren. "Despite our disagreement, neither Seila or I are strongly opposed to the other's choice. My desire is to end this campaign and return home. But I know well enough that it is by far easier to stoke resentment to blood and fist than it is to unity and debate. What guarantee have you at all? How many will really leave their homes to make such demands? How many of their leaders will truly cast their lot in with the will of the people that chose them? Even by their own process, nothing prevents the guild's strings from settling in their favour regardless of the people's will." Orinoka looks politely interested. "Of course, I'd be more than willing to offer whatever assistance I or the Empire is able in such an effort, but what is it that you mean by 'working the government'? How will you plant anyone 'inside' such a closed system? Your talent at gathering people is beyond question now, but how is it that you will shape events beyond that point?" Isahane tilts her head onto her knuckles and runs a finger idly through the hair around one horn. Trying to parse what Staren wants, no doubt. "'Peaceful' and 'memorable' are unfortunately often utter opposites along the same axis. You want to protect the people's lives, but also want to make an example of their resistance. What new and old government? Who will be 'shown' what?" Orinoka, in time, follows, always after listening. "I understand why Honoured Spears' suggestion appeals to you, but is it not opposed to the closure you seek? Will you be happy, satisfied, with the governing people who lead to this state, who allowed this inequality to prosper under their rule, tying their own hands, to simply take the wealth of some and sit at negotiations? None will be punished as I feel that you desire."
Undivided Queens	What the Watch has for Sleek Shimmer mostly includes what Rita had already tapped them for. Little has particularly changed since then. Mainly, Darren's little micro-insurrection has been intensely polarizing. There are some who are organizing to try taking more drastic action on their own initiative, but are hesitant about doing it without superpowered Elite support protecting them again. There are many who consider those people traitors to their nation who have sided with the enemy and engaged in outright seditious sabotage, mostly mindful of how the city will be affected by all of this lack of discipline and unity 'when things go back to normal'. The Watch estimates the likelihood of an emergency senate meeting is quite high; after all, they've had months of doing very little save stressing over not being able to take any action but failed outreaches to allies. Having casus belli to actually do something and make a decisive move is appealing to most politicians. However, most politicians are very aware of the fact that their entire country is built on the activity of the guild, or more broadly, organizations like it, they'll be called on to judge. Whatever they do will be precedent-setting, and if they hope to come out intact, they'll definitely want to make the absolute least radical move possible, giving the people enough of what they want to get them to back off and restore faith in rule of law. The guild will certainly pick a scapegoat in that eventuality, and exert pressure to ensure it comes about.
Chains Knight	> "Compared to the sieges of my youth, this barely counts at all." > "By your word of the defenders, do they have the skill, the will, to be anything more than a bare few words of scarce mention in the tale that follows?" "... Hmm." Chains' position visibly shifts, and also he literally shifts (to the side a bit, in thought.) "Could we arm the defenders somewhat?" he asks. "Even up the sides a bit?" "... Hmm. Do they not have some sort of champion? Could we at least extract some momentous duel with grave stakes from this?" "Perhaps the political approach will at least allow us to extract a good anecdote..." He gathers his cards together, shuffles them, and puts them back away. "To be honest - it is sounding like a question of which option is not best, but which is least bad at this point. A onesided rout, or a fizzle of a climax."
Staren	Staren is oblivious to the additional levels of communication and evaluation going on here. It's probably for the best -- if someone pointed them out, she'd become even more of a second-guessing, paranoid wreck than normal. She places her hands on the table and leans over it. "I'm saying, Darren gets the rebellion going, and the military shows up at the walls just as the wealth-stealing jerks are overthrown, the fight barely beginning -- I don't care if the old leaders are handed over, or made an example of, or what." The people of the city see the army ready to fight. See those who really support them, tossing down the false leaders who invited such wrath upon their city, and then negotiating to spare them where the old leaders refused. Big memorable show, tale for the history books, and the people aren't spun as the losers trodden underfoot by an admittedly benevolent dictator." And then Staren sighs and sits back in her chair. "No, I guess I can't really commit to that being the best way, can I? I want Seilatiya's way to work. No blood spilled, the city's soldiers live rather than dying for spectacle, and even the city's old leaders, removed from their positions, given a chance to become better people rather than just suffering punishment or revenge for others' satisfaction. Even if there's more risk of rebellions later... I couldn't face telling the families of the dead that their loved ones died for that..." She takes another deep breath, and lets it out. "Besides, once the city's conquered, Seilatiya is a MASTER of preventing that sort of thing, right? So it doesn't matter how the conquering happens, as long as it's within her parameters."
Sleek Shimmer	After taking a good ten minutes to question and absorb all the details about the situation, Sleek Shimmer stands up and gazes out over the water, pondering it all. She can sense, across the city, many strong auras gathered in one place. Two, she's familiar with. "Staren and the chain warrior with several other people..." Well. Staren is smart. Shimmer's help is unneeded on that angle. And yet... "The root problem is, it doesn't matter who is in charge, if those in charge are much much stronger than the people of the city, the people will just exchange one ruler for another. Weak people can be bullied. Only the strong can bargain." Although the one 'besieging' the place seems to have good intentions NOW, will that continue after taking over? "Maybe if I teach them the basics of the War God Arts..."
Darren	"Good questions to ask," says Darren to Orinoka and Isahane both. "Obviously, we can't just knock on the front door after the train we ran on 'em." He takes a look around the table. " But we might not have to. In fact, there's several different ways I've considered, for getting that vote." "Let's start with 'getting somebody inside,'" he says with a smile. "Thought you'd like that one. You got scouts, right? If you can spare any, have 'em scope out the senate building and look for aides, clerks. The rank and file. People who go home to... not much. You feel me? We put a bug in that person's ear..." He pauses. "That's an expression." "It means we turn them to our side. Then we use that person as our foot in the door. If you really wanna go hard on democracy theater, maybe I could go and get signatures for a petition, then we get our person to pass it up the chain. There's gotta be some opportunists in that place that'd jump at the chance to put this behind 'em and look good for doing it." He smiles confidently. "That's plan A." "Plan B, we find a way to make the guild look like poison for the senate. Couple of different ways you could do that. The tried-and-true is putting them in a position where they have to act; you can count on panic to give you a favorable response." He pauses, scrolling through a few more line items. "Something like their warehouses or ships mysteriously going up in smoke during the night. Nonstop monetary pressure until they make a misstep trying to stop the bleeding, and when they do, then you can swoop in with the diplomatic corps." He elaborates further: "Plan C is a protest, march up to the senate building and agitate for change. Hard to tell what turnout would be for something like that, but it's the most direct for sure." Steepling his fingers, Darren nods towards Isahane. "Now, I ain't forgotten about your point--engagement. How many people will do something like this?" He shrugs, and frankly answers. "Depends on the method. But I'm confident that I can get enough no matter which method. 'Enough' is the magic number, you feel me? People are really upset out there. They're looking for a change. I think we got the numbers, average Joe wise." "Upper-echelon wise... they can be convinced, too. You just gotta appeal to their survival instinct."
Undivided Queens	"I refuse to arm our enemies." Isahane is abrupt with Chains. "Needlessly imperiling my own warriors to defeat an enemy that can't be lost to is an absurd act for a strategist and leader." A (sharp) toothy smile comes back after though. "A duel, though. A champion. Wouldn't that seem like so light and reasonable a demand for satisfaction. The guild, electing or buying their champions as they will, our own strongest facing them, and settling the matter on their results. Like the old ways. Once we crush them, we take and own them." Orinoka makes an even hum. "A very minimal form of violence. A romantic kindness extended to the people. And this would even place pressure on their senate to dissolve and seize the guild's goods and authority, that they may make futile attempts at retaining it, rather than lose it to 'pillaging'. I'm afraid their view of our peoples is very dim, you see." A soft, thin smile pulls her lips. Isahane upturns a palm and gestures vaguely at Staren. "The original plan, then. A foreign intervention. Heeding the will of the people and backing the rebels. Something that Seila has already accepted. Of course, the army will likely resist, to some extent or another, but no doubt without morale or commitment; not against the will of their own people, or overwhelming force. Those who die will have chosen to. And even Seilatiya has little pity, and no honour, for those who choose to draw swords against her love." Orinoka nods. "Indeed, we have little concern for the administration of Pharsei so long as this conflict resolves on the terms of the people. It is the role of myself and my sisters, after all, to spread the peace and fulfillment that our Holy Empire offers, and help others accept the light of the Goddess into their heart and embody our virtues in their daily life. Cultural, sociopolitical, economic reclamation, should be well-accounted for." Isahane snorts in amusement to Darren's nearly rhetorical question. "Though they think us mere barbarians, my scouts are more skilled than they imagine. Enough that even acting as mere spies, they outclass the paltry attempts to send their own professionals to infiltrate us. The task you're asking for is trivial. Making them bleed wealth away in their property is just the same." Orinoka nods and sagely adds. "Should they deny a duel, they should be reviled for incurring the assumed wrath of the Ilenjeh Queen. Should they accept and lose, their people will demand they be made an example of for failing them. These two paths are aligned, should your claims of being able to find and manipulate a useful traitor within their ranks be accurate." Apparently she has no qualms with unharmonious social behaviour in the pursuit of the greater good. "As I said, your methods for stoking the passions of the people are beyond doubt."
Chains Knight	"A duel it is, then," says Chains. "Whatever champion they choose to bring to bear, against our champion." He nods. "Bring them before me, and I shall empower them," he says. "Victory shall be ensured."
Sleek Shimmer	Further thought on the subjecct... leads to the conclusion that, there's already enough chaos in this mix. Perhaps her plan would best be attempted only if the ruler change doesn't work out right... there's no great way to guartantee whoever she teaches won't just make things WORSE. And so, Shimmer closes her eyes, focuses on those distant auras... and-- SHWOOOOOOF! Across town she teleports, appearing near a wall behind Staren in her casual attire. The teleport's noisy enough to be noticed... "Been thinking on everything. Way too much thinking. Are you talking about what I think you're talking about, Staren?" Only after getting that out does she glance around the room to see who else is there... or who might be hurling anything at her by reflex. Just in case she needs to duck or evade.
Staren	Sisters? Are all of the Reconciliators female? Huh. The idea of a duel is put forth. "I guess that would be an acceptable amount of bloodshed. The duel doesn't even have to be to the death. With healers standing by... death could be prevented entirely." She gives Darren an apologetic look. "I don't really get that political stuff... I can feed everything we have to my AI though, if you need help deciding between those plans. How likely are they to turn into a bloody mess?" And then there's a fox. Staren's ears perk up and she turns, hand reaching for where her pistol would normally be. Oh, it's just Shimmer. "I think about everything. I'm not very good at dealing with these sorts of situations..." Her ears splay. "Clearly, both Chains Knight and Darren know things I don't, besides the mountain of things the Empress and Queen know better than me. Chains's approach I can at least wrap my head around though."
Darren	Darren's hands lay flat on the table as a smile spreads across his face. His eyes gleam. "Well, it sounds like we got a plan, then. Have your scouts get me a line on somebody, I'll do what I do. I like the duel thing, too, if I'm being real. If y'all wanna get that rolling too, then I'll run my route and that makes a nice little RPO--the external pressure of the duel, and the internal eyes we'll have."
Undivided Queens	Orinoka makes a startled 'oh my' when Sleek Shimmer simply jumps in, but Isahane doesn't even twitch. It's the confidence that comes from knowing that she's surrounded by thousands of soldiers and warriors under her command and that an actual assassin wouldn't be dumb enough to reveal themselves for even a split second under those circumstances. "Then we've settled." she continues without missing a beat. "I will send my scouts to retrieve what you wish from their senate. Darren Spears, you will tell me exactly when your machinations are ready. Then Knight of Chains, you will lend your efforts to their first and sole moment of honour." She spreads her arms. "Let us be on with it at once. Of course, after you've spent the night enjoying Ilenjeh hospitality."