Game of courts and shadows - RPLOG
Participants
Date
24/5/477
Log
The road leading to the front gate was quite literally filled with a sea of individuals whom had trecked all the way from the Shanty Town. The road was still clear enough for individuals to travel down it, and thankfully it didn't hold up the merchants and nobles trafficing through this time. Instead, the entire display appeared to merely be a civilized projection of presence, merely forcing all entering or leaving to view the poor and downtrodden from the Shanties.
That is, it would have been much more quiet and civilized, if it wasn't for a large group of workers from all walks of life, standing about around the gates while yelling at the Shanty Town individuals. Dock workers, lumberjacks, and a few more manual labor workers armed with planks of wood, pitchforks, and a plethora of torches as they shout at the large group. "Get out of here! You have your own pits to crawl back to, we don't owe you our lively hoods!" A particularly aggitated weasel shouts at a few of the residents, and judging from the way the others kept just behind him, he was the leader of this counter demonstraition.
"They have as much a right to the chance for success, as anyone! As the first texts say, all serve a purpose in this world, and to deny them such a right is the greatest crime one can commit!" Shouts a male Ram from the Shanty side, clad in ornate blue leather armor, with a plethora of hand crossbows and short swords about his person, most likely Gregor, the main head of the 'shanty council' leading this event. He's not the only one armed though, as almost two dozen 'life keeper' guards are present with the crowd, helping to block the worker's easy passage to the protestors. The indivudals honestly looked like they had lived their entire lives as bandits or cut throats, their armor and weapons a mix match of what was stolen or lotted from the dead most likely.
The city guards are currently staying back just behind the gate, and along the walls, armed and ready to enforce the safety of the city should things turn ugly... They had no plans of wadding out into a fight it seems, instead just working to keep it contained outside of the walls.
Jera lands light on his feet, cloak still billowing a little from the remnants of air math as the kit fox surveys the scene, keeping his distance for now. His heavily perforated cloak gives him some cover amongst the ragtag Shanty people, deciding to watch...and wait for backup before trying anything.
Cassidy settles herself stop the city wall, clad in armour and mask as she dangles her legs over the edge near the gate, looking down with a little frown. Nothing wrong with a protest on either side, but being rude was totally uncalled for! She adjusts her capelet a little and leans forward, looking down over the counter-protestors for a moment. "Why don't you think they have a right to try to improve their situation?"
Selena seems to be settled in comfortably near the demonstration, peering in over the huge group of beings gathered at the gates. She doesn't take too much of a fuss, simply shaking her head. "He's right, you know. There's no reason for these beings not to have a chance to prove themselves. At the very least, they deserve that much. Imagine if your children weren't allowed to take their test because of a misdemeanor from your childhood." She suggests, furrowing her eyebrows.
Fenris saunters between the two lines of protesters. In place of his usual rakish getup, he wears an old, tattered, but heavy coat of black leather belted at the waist with a plain belt with an iron buckle. Along with his patched, tatty coat, he is wearing a patched, tatty face. Fenris is wearing one of his favorite guises today, Amos Longtooth, information broker and hard nosed old soldier, a familiar face around the shanties and some of the seedier bars in firmament. His distinctive tattered ear and scarred face with it's milky left eye have been seen just about everywhere outside the castle district in Firmament. Trailing behind him is an enormous golem, probably the old soldier's own handiwork. "Now what's the problem here?" he rasps, turning to spit in the dust of the road. He glares at the rowdy workers through his one good eye, "Ain't you boys got work ta be doin'?"
Johnny casually approaches the protest from the middle, not worried about placement as he moves closer to watch, followed by his own trainees armed with fairly decent weaponry and armor, at least it isn't the cheap used stuff you find on the marketplace. As he approaches he listens to the opinions of the others as he flicks his tail and racks his brain for the right words. "Shaddup and bicker like normal folks." he finally says. "What are you all complaining bout?"
The Weasel huffs and hops down from his own spot to point at Cassidy as he yells out. "I don't care about their children's tests! I don't care about them wanting guards... I care about them wanting our Shadow forsaken -jobs-! They go out and try to prostrate themselves down to schlup boxes for a piss worth of crowns, and you think -we- can keep up with that!? I have my own kids to feed! They want to improve their situation -fine- do it in your shanties, and keep out of my home!" Another large Bull bursts forward as well, jabbing his thumb at his chest. "AYE! I lost my job helping to haul carts of stones from the mines, because now they have Apostates doing it instead of my old employers! I worked that job, and lived an honest life, why do I have to lose it to them!" The group nodding and shouting in agreement as they glare at the individuals taking the center.
Gregor puffs out his chest and frowns, stepping forward as he holds his arms out wide. "It's not that simple! We're attempting to fix up the Shanty Town, but there are still mouths to feed! Some of these men made a single mistake, and now their children have to starve for it? The only qualification they can offer of worth to the major employers, is that they -can- work for so cheap! That 'piss' amount of crowns, is often enough to see your kids fed, albeit poorly, for a week there!" The residents around him cheering and nodding, as the armed individuals on both sides take stock of the golem and Johnny's armed individuals wearily, before looking back to each other. A few of the more poor health looking folks in the front turn their gaze to 'Amos' and point. "Amos! You know how hard it is, we can't just make jobs in the shanties without money, and we have to work outside to get the money or commit more crimes!" A small beaver calls out.
Cassidy leans forward on her knees, humming. "You certainly raise a valid point, but... If they aren't going to get jobs out here, then how do you propose they 'improve their situation'? You can't just say it 'isn't your problem', because it is. It is your problem. If you don't want them taking the same jobs you are, then come up with an alternative way for them to get money."
Selena shakes her head, moving forwards a little as the beings start to yell and call names. "It doesn't make it right for them to 'take your job', but frankly the reason there aren't enough jobs to go around in Firmament is because they're working for resources that are being fed back into the city. There's not enough paid work for improving their own living conditions, so they're forced to work in the city itself." She announces over the din.
"What I suggest we should be considering is giving this debate a day in court for the beings in Shanty Town to preset their views and problems. Whether you want to believe it or not, this isn't 'Just their problem'. It's a problem for everyone here. Do you seriously expect an apostate from Shanty town to be able to afford a mining liscence or levy enough money to start a farm or lumber mill?"
"You give these beings less credit than they deserve. Some of the kindest beings I've met have been from Shanty town and some of the most corrupt from the city proper. There are robbers and swindlers in guilds as well as among those without. It's wrong to deny them the right to take a clan test and prove their worth and it's wrong to dismiss them from the very gates of the city they belong to. Think about it - this. Isn't. Right."
Jera folds his arms across his chest and grumblesw a little. "Yeah, and think about it, really. If we just reported this and get people to quell your little riot, you'd probably never even have a chance to get a job again." He sounds unimpressed, pulling up a simple air magic spell to make the voices of the group a little more audible amongst the rabble.
'Amos' waves and nods to the protesting beaver, "I know, Max," he rasps, "I know good as anybody how hard it gets out here." The scarred old tom gives the shantytowners a snaggletoothed grin. "But you're all doin' it pretty good," he say, "We ain't the prettiest trees, but we got good roots, right?" The feline turns to face the other side of the line. "And what have you got to gripe about, boys?" he asks, grinning to reveal the oversized fang that gives him his name, "There's always another boat comin' always a shipment that wants yer company over the new boys. Let 'em try their hand too. Ain't gonna hurt fine workers like yerselves." He leans against his oversized golem as steam vents from the construct's shoulders.
Johnny can't help but give a smirk as they eye his handiwork, these guys would be able to corral gangs better than some low-lives stuck in their ways, fight'in was an art. Almost a duel.. almost, until you stab them in the back. He points to Selena, and Cassidy and says "THe fox and the wolf have sum good points yah know. And, can I say it again, I don't think there'd be so much of a guard problem if the shanty town weren't so far from the actual city. I can't remember, who decided that? Might be beneficial to you know... close the gap, 'ave all you workers who are out of work build between the two and then when you're done, fill in the gaps with business and folks?"
Gregor nods and smiles at those that had stepped forward to speak for him and the shanty residents, crossing his arms with a grin as he nods and raises his voice once more. "Can't you all see? Progress is what our people are meant to achieve! By throwing those whom made mistakes into the ground, and keeping them there, we're given nothing good from it! But if we listen to them all, and focus on expanding outside of these simple mindsets, we can achieve more than we've ever dreamed of! Yes some sacrafice has to be made, but that is merely the way of this world! We sacrafice from ourselves, to allow all to achieve greatness." The Ram giving a deep nod of his head, as many around him cheer in agreement.
"Bring it to the Courts? You want us to dredge this all the way up to the courts that line their pockets through our works? If they replaced us all with them, and merely had us switch places, they'd line their pockets more! I'll not chance a thing such as that to happen so long as I can prevent it!" The workers nod and seem to grip their makeshift weapons tighter as they glare at the group, Selena's words not doing too much to calm them it seems as a Collie woman makes her way to the front, still clad in a serving wenches uniform. "You think it's that simple? To expand the city enough to attach the Shanty Town to it? What idiotic fool would do -that-?! They'd waste money to build the shops and all the works, only to have the gangs then spread like a plague into the city proper! There's a good reason why the Shanty Town is far from us!" The Bull nodding to her, before looking to Amos as he snarls slightly and points to his chest. "Will they? If you're a merchant, and instead of paying ten crown per box, you need only pay three, who in their right mind would opt for a higher cost for the same service? You don't think it will hurt us? It'll hurt us the most! The only who won't be harmed from this, are the nobles and merchants!"
Cassidy folds her hands behind her head, lacing her fingers together. "What do you suggest, then? How do think they should make money that won't impact you? There are more people than jobs. But if you have a suggestion to let them get ahead, then by all means! Let us hear it."
Selena shakes her head - "That's not what I'm suggesting at all." She replies to the collie. "Your suggestions have gone from a lack of jobs due to apostate to suggesting they'd take all of the jobs in circulation. Neither is true. Consider this: Who makes the bricks and mortar for walls and houses? Where do they come from? Who transports it? Who would be building it?" She lists. "Yes, merchants have a hand in that, but if their job is so easy and lucrative, why aren't we all merchants?"
"For that matter. Gangs in Shanty town are no different from muggers in the city, just on a larger scale. They do what they do because they need jobs, and the only way they can draw in money is through those means. And if you're so worried about your jobs, then that could be addressed in courts as well. If you do your job well enough then hiring someone with no experience would be foolish."
"Yeah." Jera offers in agreement, letting Selena take charge for the moment while he tries to weave out of the crowd to get into a more comfortable place...just in case the wolfess riles them a little too much.
Fenris raises a scarred eyebrow at the Bull, "Wouldn't I?" he asks, "Ain't you better at yer job than a bunch o' new bloods? Don't you work faster, more efficient? Yeah, I'd pay fer that." He shrugs and picks at his teeth with a claw, "But then if you ain't any better, than sure, the cheaper labor has my coin."
'Amos' frowns at the collie woman. This is one of the leaders of the anti-small folk riots! Fenris had tried to track her down after all the hubbub, but had never been able to find her. Now he wished he had spent more energy on that search. Because here she was, inciting her SECOND riot. Odds on that being a coincidence seemed slim. "Nobody here askin you to build nothin', lady," he says to her, "Only asking fer a little kindness and consideration is all." He spreads his hands wide, showing that he carries no weapon, and isn't threatening anyone. "These good beings are just askin' for a chance is all," he says with another lopsided grin before leaning in a little bit. "Don't I know you from somewhere,Miss?" he rasps.
