For In-game taunting, discussion, and preparation for council.

Council Rules:
Before each council session, players are encouraged to talk, exchange ideas, bully, bluff, and otherwise prepare for the actual council voting.

During the times where victory points are tabulated, a council vote will take place.  The Arbiter will alert the Usurpers and draw them to the voting chambers.  During this event, players will have a single week (real life) to hammer-out their votes.  Players may even speak to each other in private to work-out deals and trades in exchange for votes.

Voting occurs in two steps:

1) Select the Articles.
2) Enact or Decline the Articles.

During Step 1: Select the Articles, everyone will receive two votes (one for each living leader), with which to select WHICH articles will be part of step two.  Votes may only be cast 'FOR' a particular article.

During Step 2: Enact or Decline the Articles, everyone will receive a number of votes equal to the number of living leaders multiplied by the number of Usurpers still in play. (thus, if there are four players, each would receive 8 votes provided that they still have their leaders.)  Then, players will receive a single bonus vote if they are leading in at least one victory point category (no more than a single bonus vote can be earned this way.)

http://wiki.rpol.net/?id=66962/Council


Expectations:
All players are expected to participate in the Council discussion and voting process.  Failure to do so means inability to apply your will to the council voting.  If you don't vote - you don't get to whine.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:33, Tue 11 Oct 2016.

A summons had been made.  You knew better than to trifle with the strange personage that was the Arbiter.  It was clear that it was he who had ushered you into your current circumstances.  Whether you had initiated the departure from your previous life or not - it was the Arbiter who had ensured your arrive to these parts.

An ominous voice is heard, sitting at the large, round table.  Taking his seat, you see the Arbiter; the so-called neutral party.  Each of you takes your seat, taking a moment to take stock of the representatives set before you.  Working with others was no easy thing for anyone; but, a small amount of cooperation would be needed if the antiquated and languishing civilizations were to be crushed and removed in your own life times.

The dry, cracking voice uttered, "Well, well.  Of the seven that began in these lands, five remain.  seven would-be rulers of the region, and five now take seats." Seeing the eight chairs, four which now sat empty, you take the chill of the meaning, "Whether by crow, crook, famine or failed feet: each has fallen to a different ailment.  What will you five do to ensure your names continue forward?"

Pausing to gesture to the two previous speakers, "Now that the representatives are in their seats, what shall you convey?  Will you quake fear into the land?  Will you shine brightly, drawing those to your benevolence?  How shall the old Tyrants be deposed and their images be carved anew unto your own?"

---

Stage 1 Votes:

Usurper	Votes
Lieutenant Colonel Rajesh Singh	2
Chastity Cinsum-Felmar	2
Ruree Malachite	2
Harold	2
Jakob Algrove	2

Stage 2 Votes:

Usurper	Votes
Lieutenant Colonel Rajesh Singh	11
Chastity Cinsum-Felmar	11
Ruree Malachite	11
Harold	10
Jakob Algrove	11

This message was last edited by the player at 13:39, Tue 11 Oct 2016.

"Look who the cat dragged in. If it isn't Rajesh! How have you been!"

He makes sure that Rajesh can see he doesn't have a dagger and he gives the LTC a handshake.

He will shake the other's hand, but he has only heard rumors of them until now so they do not get the interesting verbal greeting.

The young, green-scaled lizardwoman has a strong handshake, and returns the silence with a quick nod.
Something is stuffed in a pocket, then she too will shake hands with whoever else is convenient before taking her seat.
In her seat, a piece of paper is pulled out of her pocket.
She reads it, looks to Harold, and does a shrug and a shake of her head - quite casually and without subtlety.

When she speaks, it's slowly and in a thick accent (or possibly dialect, depending on which side of the national boarders she's from) that sounds about how you'd imagine someone would sound if their culture had a habit of chewing gravel.
"Images carved unto ours... You think it foreseen that we will be Tyrants?" The question seems posed to the Arbiter, but she looks around at the reactions of the other usurpers anyway.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:16, Tue 11 Oct 2016.

"All those who rule are tyrants to some, gods to some, and benevolent givers to others.  The nature and visage of a ruler is only told from the beholder and morphs with time.  Such is the way of all things.   The mighty dragon is little more than a sleeping serpent to five generations, and a devastating calamity to one."  Pausing to look out on the gathering as they greeted one another and took their seats, "Is any group more right than another?  For you, it is a matter of might and will."
This message was last updated by the player at 13:39, Tue 11 Oct 2016.

"We are right", offered the Lady Cinsum-Felmar as she strode to her seat. She sat languidly and propped one foot atop the other resting on the edge of the table - trous and long tunic making the gesture less immodest than feared

"Besides", she continued, "Someone has to do something about the current bloody lot"

Jakob shook hands with any who seemed friendly, took no visible offense at any who did not so seem, and sat in his own appointed chair, his attire and attitude neither overly concerned nor utterly ambivalent.

"Yes, something must be done, but what? Some might say that we should seek to enslave them. Others might say we should kill them all, or may we should use them to overthrow their own Lords. Mayhap all are right. Or maybe none hold the answer to guide us.

Jakob shrugs, a quick rising and falling of his shoulders. "I don't know the ultimate answer at this time. Perhaps it is one of those I just mentioned...perhaps not. I wonder though...if what we do here, what we decide here, might not help star our course to whatever end we judge appropriate. Or will we? Is it possible that we here will reach an accord?"
So saying, Jakob sat back, and pulled out a small package, opened it, and began to eat small dainty chocolates. He ate them slowly and with great relish though he offered the package to those who sat on either side of him, a clear offering to share his delicacy.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 20:24, Tue 11 Oct 2016.

The lizard shakes her head, the scales along her muzzle wrinkling as the muscles under tense in some expression of distaste or frustration.
"You are right that there will always be conflict, and perhaps we just don't agree on what makes a tyrant," she keeps her tone steady and her head pointed down at the table, but there's still a hint of frustration in her voice, "But there is a difference from Strangers," the last word has some emphasis, "Who end up standing against us because their goals are different, just as wolves are no friends of sheep. And a Tyrant that hurts their own people."
Her head is raised back up, and she tries to meet the arbiter's eyes with confidence, "I am part of my people, not their master or owner. If someone under me does not wish our people to flourish, or does not trust me to lead, they do not belong with us. I do not intend to lead anyone by force or fear."

Inhaling slowly and deeply, the Arbiter presses gloved fingers into the table as he leans-in to speak, "It is all well and good to discuss the morals of leadership, but, the time is nigh to make decisions.  Cast your votes and decide how the collective will influence the land."

---

Use Private message to indicate which articles you would like to see enacted.

Jakob nodded at the words of large lizard, a thoughtful expression upon his face. He nodded and spoke up.
"A leader should indeed look out for the interests of his, or her, people."
So saying, Jakob quickly wrote out several missives, some that were sent to others within the council chamber, some that stayed at his own place at the table.





When all the missives had been sent, Jakob leaned back and sighed. His votes were cast, his efforts would either pay dividends...or they wouldn't. Simple as that.

The lizard chief, because clearly it really was the chief herself given the last outburst (or someone pretending to be her, but that is a different issue), stares down at the table in front of her for a while (and its various writing and/or voting tools) - she's likely not alone, unless there is no one else who feels the need to think (or pretend to think) on the votes.
Then she looks up, "I will mostly wait to argue for or against ideas until the ideas have been chosen - too many, otherwise. But, I think the most fortune now is in voting on ideas for the long-term and for growth. Especially if we ever want to help the lesser towns; Little point, if we wait until they no longer have room to grow."

When she gets the 'missive' she reads through it with a fairly casual expression.
Then she puts it down, the words hidden against the table, and nods in Jakob's direction.
She writes something as well, and has it sent back.

After she's finished whatever means are used for voting, likely involving writing, she leans back in her seat and waits.

Yawning the young noblewoman takes out a small bag of carved wooden tokens and gently tosses two across the table to the Arbiter before chucking the bag back onto the table. Three tokens spill out, one spinning for a time before it finally clatters to a halt face up: upon it's face is a wide spreading tree - Gaia's Blessing

The Arbiter's hand reached-out slowly once more to gather the tokens and scrips of paper laid before him.  His right lifted a quill from the inky blackness to his side and began to tally on a board.  The movements impossibly slow, you all waited as the low scratching against the wooden tablet took the place of conversation in the room.

"A consensus has been reached, deliberations to shift the land have begun."

---

The Articles to be voted-upon are:

Bountiful Land,
Repurposed housing, and
Artisan Caste.

Further discussions can be had, however; for this week - we are now in stage two.  You now vote with the votes below on FOR or AGAINST these articles.  You have the listed total votes to cast - so choose wisely.

Lizard-Chief Malachite leans forward and studies the three changes proposed.
"All should favor all evenly," she says in her slow and rough way, "especially the first two. I would ask that no one votes against them; If you have no interest, spend the votes elsewhere. Remember: We have common enemies not present at these meetings, so our odds improve even if we keep the balance among ourselves."
"The priority seems Re-purposed Housing. I said before it needs to be done now to be useful."

Jakob listens to first the Arbiter, then to the commander of the lizard-folk. He nodded slowly, listening to the words that she spoke.

"Perhaps you are right, though, speaking for myself, I have seen little need for this development. I have found several settlements, and most seem to be small, but that also offers opportunities, I think. Tell me please, why I should vote for repurposed housing?"

Jakob let a bit of his doubt be expressed in his voice, but he was also willing to be swayed.

Leaning forward - a touch - to listen to the debate, the Lady Chastity places a handful of markers in a pouch and places it on the table in front of her. It is clear she has her votes in mind, but is not adverse to being convinced of another path

"All interesting, but not all useful it would seem."

Ruree lifts her shoulders and the end of her tail in a shrug. The tail tumps against the floor when it falls back down, "Again, it's mainly that if it's to be done, it should be done now. And bigger settlements are less vulnerable to being eliminated by Lords who wish the land uncontested.
"You should vote for Re-purposed Housing, partially at the least, because there is little that needs your full support. The land is bountiful as it is, though it could be improved, and while artists and skilled designers are good things they are not vital. Some support, at least, in case some did not believe me."

She writes on some slips of paper and folds them twice, but she doesn't hand them over to the Arbiter quite yet.
When it doesn't seem like anyone's got any good arguments left, she hands them over.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:30, Fri 21 Oct 2016.

Jakob nodded, even slower this time.

"True, but then the same thing would still apply to the repurposed housing. They already have housing. You're objection to the land being already bountiful, and artisans, which are important to any settlement of any size that wishes to continue to function, could also be applied to the villages. They already have housing.

That said...there could be something to what you're saying. Making it harder to simply destroy a settlement could be beneficial, though it might also mean that the settlements  refuse to do business, or charge greater amounts to those of us who are not their own lieges. However...I will give it a chance. I will not say that I will support it fully, but I will give it a chance."

With a wry smile Chastity tossed her pouch of markers to land in front of the Arbiter

Noting the others casting their votes, Jakob does likewise, making a quick change to one of the slips of paper in front of him.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:51, Sat 22 Oct 2016.

Well it seems it is time to vote.

He throws his in.

Tabulating scrips of paper and the various tokens assembled in a small pile before him, the Arbiter moves each slowly from his right to left.  Each bursts into a small flame and disappears.

"Well now, it seems we have reached a consensus.  How good of our young lords and ladies to be.  No word from you, eh, Lieutenant Colonel Rajesh?  So be it."

Totals (Net):
Bountiful Land: 27 - Passed
Repurposed Housing: -5 - Failed
Artisan Caste: 7 - Passed

"And so it begins... Agents will speed their way through the land to steadily bend it to your will.  Be warned - such power is not without its price; should you grow too strong: you will be found out by the current rulers."

---

Bountiful Land is Enacted.
[Caches are always found at one-category larger than the success threshold indicates.  (If at max, then: +4 gold value.)]
Artisan Caste is Enacted.
[When exploring, the chances of finding an Extra is weighted by 1.  Additionally, the chances of that Extra having the "Artisan" or "Mason" trait is weighted by 1.]