A town meeting [open to all Acumin PCs]

[Desmodus]

Timestamp: 10th Brightening of Aperitus, Era XI Post Fractum

Making a public announcement in Acumin was not all that difficult. With fewer than 40 people, and only three or four locations of any significance apart from his own office, Aedile Latherin Veridos could be confident that everybody in the village would know about the meeting he had called.

He went to the Sooty Cavern Tavern & Inn, spoke briefly to Mila, and then posted a sign on the door calling upon all interested townsfolk to come that darkening to an important meeting to discuss what Acumin was to do with its unused land, and how it could best revitalize its economy without jeopardizing its pact with Carmelya. He posted similar signs at the Ranger Hall and near the Fountain after speaking with Jon Litate and with Lehan, respectively. Finally, he returned to the enclosed mound of vegetation that was now his own office, and posted a similar announcement there.

When darkness fell, he would close his office and go straight to the Inn. Litate, Lehan, Mila would all be there, as would several of the other Acuminites. Latherin knew that the subject he was about to bring up was a touchy one, one that was likely to cause arguments, perhaps even fights and hard feelings. He was not looking forward to this. But it had to be done, and it needed to be done sooner, rather than later, if Acumin was to survive as a community.

[Desmodus]

Latherin, although nervous, looked rested and reasonably groomed when he entered the Sooty Cavern Tavern and Inn to address the citizens of Acumin. Most of them were there, not suprisingly; apart from the Ranger on guard shift (currently the young half-elf woman, Edhilde Falconeye), or the odd mother tending to a sick child, nobody really had anyplace else to be.

The inn was busy with patrons eating and drinking, but the atmosphere was businesslike rather than festive. Mila was busy, and although she was glad to have customers, her manner tonight showed concern and intentness. The townsfolk, whatever they thought of Latherin's leadership abilities, at least knew that he was no windbag who would call a meeting just to hear himself talk. If the Aedile was calling a meeting, then it was probably important.

The mutter of the small crowd inside the tavern, already somewhat subdued, died down almost immediately the minute Latherin walked through the door. The Acuminites would be polite and respectful enough to allow him to take a few minutes to sit down and get some food and drink for himself, but he had no intention of dragging this out any longer than he had to. Latherin sat down at a table where Lehan Y'las and Jon Litate were already sitting and saving a chair that was obviously for him.

Also sitting with them was Morris, the Persettie that had arrived in town just two darkenings before, and whose visit had in part occasioned Latherin's decision to hold this meeting. One got the distinct impression that the katta had invited himself into their company, rather than being invited. He practically purred ingratiatingly to Lehan, who tolerated Morris' simpering courtesy with patient indifference. Jon Litate was considerably less patient, and he glared at the tabiri with unconcealed disgust each time he asked Mila: "Are you *sure* you don't have any other vintages of wine besides those from around Primus Gaudeo? Not even one little drop of Medonian red?"

Yet as much as the community leaders sitting at this table hated the idea of even acknowledging Morris' presence, they realized that his visit had potential importance for their village, and that they would all have to put up with him for at least a few more brightenings. It was mainly his proposal that the townsfolk would be listening to and considering this darkening.

Latherin had eaten his pracenda at home before coming, so he only ordered some mead to drink, to wet his throat while he spoke. After drinking a mouthful or two, and wishing to cut short Morris' attempt to engage him in some distracting and irritating discussion of Centripaxian politics and economy, the Aedile stood up and cleared his throat. It took a moment for all the guests to realize that their Aedile was about to speak, but as soon as they did, the murmur in the room subsided. Clearing his throat again, Latherin addressed his audience in a clear, if somewhat colorless voice:

"Serale, citizens of Acumin, and thank you for coming here tonight."

ooc: to be continued

[Desmodus]

Aedile Latherin Veridos looked about at the villagers of Acumin who were, in turn, all looking at him. It seemed like they were always looking to him, as if he were some dynamic Thane or Lord Protector, as opposed to a humble functionary who had had greatness thrust unwanted upon him. He did not enjoy it. The aedile was a tall man, and some might even have considered him handsome, were it not for the perpetually tired look and manner he wore constantly these days. The care of too much responsibility borne alone by shoulders too slender had bent his posture, lined his face, and greyed his hair, so that he looked considerably older than his thirty-odd years. Were there anybody else to take his place in the limelight, somebody with ability whom the Acuminites could trust, somebody like Lehan or even Jon Litate, he would gladly step down. But there was nobody, at least not for now.

"Good villagers of Acumin," he started, in a voice that was at least clear and confident enough for the occasion, "We have all long recognized the need to restore the community and economy of our village. We have talked about it, wished something could be done about it, asked for help about it. But we have been stymied, largely by the very barrier and pact with Carmelya that protects our survival."

He paused here, and noticed that at least a few of the heads around the room were nodding, and some of the murmuring in the room seemed approving in tone, as well. Some others, notably that of both Jon Litate and Lehan, started to frown. They were clearly not sure that they liked where this might be going. Was Latherin going to suggest scrapping the pact just to get some revenue and population? But fortunately, the Aedile had, in fact, thought this through, so the answer to such questions was not long in coming.

"Yet as inconvenient as it is to us," he continued, "we cannot discard the one thing that keeps us safe in this perilous neck of the Dolwoods. It is a blessing from our divine protector, Carmelya, for all that it may be a mixed one. We must accept it, embrace it, and be prepared to work with it or around it." At this point, everybody seemed a bit puzzled. How were they to do this? Their pact did not allow them to grow crops, or clear lands for pasture, or quarry stone or cut down trees for lumber. In earlier meetings, people would point this out aloud, but nowadays it would have been superfluous to do so; everybody knew it, and everyone knew that everybody else knew it. Whatever their skepticism about Latherin Veridos' ability to find a way out of this, they were at least polite enough to wait and hear him out.

Clearing his throat somewhat uneasily, the Aedile continued: "The pact with Carmelya specifically forbids our community from practicing several of the key trades from which it used to make its living: notably lumber and stone quarrying. And not being able to clear pastureland limits how much sheepherding we can do-"

"That and the fact that all our livestock is dead!" exclaimed Mila bitterly, to a chorus of approval from the audience. Latherin had to fight hard not to groan audibly when she spoke. Mila Ventrude was an assertive woman with a strong presence and a loud voice. He knew from hard experience that she could dominate a public meeting like this and steer it in the wrong direction. It was largely she who had instigated the ill-advised attack on Dar Havark, after all.

"And that is exactly one of the things I propose to do something about," Latherin rejoined quickly, before the innkeeper could work up a head of steam.

"Like what?" a voice from a corner challenged.

Resisting the urge to glare at the person who had issued this challenge, Latherin simply nodded to acknowledge what was, after all, a perfectly fair question. And one he thought he was prepared to answer.

"I will tell you like what. First, I have already drafted a letter to the Herald, inviting people of various professions to come to Acumin: those include beekeepers, maple tree farmers, apple tree farmers, and shepherds.

"Second, I intend to start selling lots of land around Acumin. Cheaply. Very cheaply. I am not even going to pretend to try to bargain with people for a fair price. Let them name their price. If it produces even a little revenue, and brings people back to Acumin, I would count that a tidy profit."

The crowd in the Sooty Cavern was starting to murmur restlessly now. Some approved, thought it was brilliant, and about time, too. Others saw flaws and dangers, and fretted. But all were now paying close attention to the plan that the Aedile proposed.

"Thirdly, I need people actually to go to other cities, cities where there are shepherds with livestock, such as Midpoint, or beekeepers and apple-growers, like Natura probably, and those skilled in drawing maple sap. We don't need many to come. Even a few dozen would help revive the community. We need to get Acumin over a certain size. Then we can revive some surplus trade, enough to justify a caravan at least once a month or so. Get in some goods and some hard currency."

"When are the troops coming, Latherin?" Mila asked. "You told us that the Provincial General had promised to send a garrison of troops to Acumin. I should think that would help our coffers and our trade a lot." Again, Mila's speech was met with much approval.

Once more, the Aedile restrained his urge to protest and argue, and willed himself simply to nod and acknowledge the question graciously. "The troops are coming. I don't know exactly when or how many, but they will come. And yes, their presence will help much. They will bring security, hard currency, and a demand for goods.

"However," at this point Latherin raised his voice and his finger dramatically, and was secretly pleased at the effect that this unexpected show of animation from their Aedile had on the villagers: "however, with the troops also come problems. First, they will not want to abide our village's pact. They will do what armies always do when they set up winter quarters: cut down trees, level fields, dig ditches, build stone-walled, fuel-hungry foundries. And although they will buy our goods from us, the soldiers will also want many things that Acumin will not only not be able to provide them, but that we would not even want anywhere near our village: Liquor, drugs, prostitution, gambling."

Angry sounds met this litany of ills and vices as Latherin recited it. Various suggestions, boasts, epithets sounded out from the crowd at this point, and the Aedile had to stand and wait a minute or two for the commotion to subside.

"Villagers of Acumin, I hear your concerns and suggestions. But some of you are focused on the wrong problems. The real issue is not whether or not we Acuminites will fall into the same vices, or whether we can get the soldiers to abide by our values. The issue is that, if we are not careful, and if we do nothing but look to the arrival of the troops for our economic and social salvation, we will lose. We will become marginalized. Our forty voices will be drowned out by the clamor of hundreds if not thousands of well-organized soldiers, with an assortment of odd vendors and artisans in tow. Our very identity and character will be overwhelmed. I fear that Acumin will not become like the Acumin of old, reinforced by a friendly garrison, but rather simply an Imperial fortress, with a curious collection of yokels underfoot, cooped up inside a bubble of cultic magic.

"I don't want that to happen. I want to see Acumin regain some of its *own* strength, within the bounds of the Pact. I believe that it is possible, but we must proceed soon, and with vigor."

[Medea Quilde'tal]

Medea had secreted herself within one of the far corners of the Tavern as was the norm for her kind. Shrouded in the shadows and the folds of her cloak she had waited for the meeting to commence having previously seen one of the signs advertising its timings. There she remained, sipping upon her glass of wine for its commencement, a creased frown upon her face at the taste of the wine on offer; if she were to remain long within the village then she would have to find a merchant to import some decent vintages or perhaps even arrange it herself. If not then the female elf might have to resort to drinking dwarvish ale - a shiver ran down her spine at the mere thought of such a come down.

Eventually, however, a figure rose to its feet and began an oratory, snatching Medea's attention away from the contents of her glass. Although yet to meet him, Medea assumed that this was the Aedile whose Herald article she had read and which had brought her to Acumin. As a Disciple and Champion of Carmelya, Druid and Ranger, Medea held her patron deity in the highest of regards and thus had an interest in what this Aedile had planned for Acumin. Should he intend anything that would offend her Goddess then Medea would be one of the first to attempt to scupper his plans.

However, his plans appeared simple enough and essential for the sustainment and prosperity of the village. Medea was sure that if the would-be farmers worked in harmony with Nature then Medea could convince the village's Druids to even lend a helping hand with the occasional 'Growth' spell. What did raise the female elf's concerns was the potential for the village to be swamped by a horde of military. Despite her previous time in the ranks of the military she knew that such vast numbers would bleed such a location dry of its resources and would cause more of a problem than their presence would deter unless their numbers were kept in check. Thus, she remained quiet and listened for any further outcome from the meeting.

[Desmodus]

Although people glanced curiously at Medea, especially a certain male elf sitting at the Aedile's table (Medea might or might not have had the opportunity to learn that he was Lehan Y'las, Master Druid of Acumin), they eventually shifted their attention away from her as they noticed how she chose to sit apart from the rest in her corner. The meeting was what they were here for; the strange woman they could inquire into later, assuming she did not step forward on her own.

The Aedile had done almost all the talking so far, and although he was nearing the conclusion of his announcement, he was not yet quite done. Although there were some skeptics here and there in the Tavern, and although Latherin even had a couple detractors in Acumin, by and large the reaction to him and his speech was positive. There was excitement and curiosity in the air, a sense that something good was possible tonight.

Latherin Veridos' fatigue-hooded eyes scanned the assembled villagers in the Sooty Cavern. He did not want to do all the talking, but knew he had a few more things to go over. The energy in the room was good, and he did not wish to have it dissipate by boring his audience with too many dry details. At some point he would have to sit down and let others do the talking. Such a transition was always the tough part in public assemblies like this, and the Aedile wasn't sure he had the technique to pull it off. But he had to try.

"I have already set parts of a plan in motion, though I did not wish to proceed too far without consulting with all of you." This was greeted by a mostly approving murmur, and Latherin continued, somewhat encouraged. "I have already written letters to my counterparts in Midpoint and Natura, asking for their help in identifying people with the sorts of skills I have just mentioned who might be interested in coming to Acumin. I have mentioned that the prices for land here are likely to be quite low, as little as 200-300 Crowns per acre for good pastureland at first, though I may up that price. A couple questions I need to have answered, and which I need to put to all of you are the following: First: houses. I will need the help of the Druids to construct houses, since we cannot use the conventional means for doing so that other people in the empire do.” Latherin turned to the elf seated next to him. ”Master Lehan, can I count on your support and those of the other Druids as far as planning houses go? And if so, what would be a fair price to charge new residents for growing their homes?”

The quiet elf was somewhat surprised at being asked a question and suddenly thrust into the limelight: ”Wh- er…Yes of course you can. I, ummm…” at this point the elf muttered something that few people could hear.

”Speak up!” shouted Mila from the bar.

Lehan flushed slightly and stood. Clearing his throat, he finally began to speak in a voice loud enough for his audience to hear. ”Well, I don’t think we could really manage to grow more than a few new houses per cycle, perhaps ten to fifteen new houses per month. Price? I-I don’t know, Latherin, that seems like your department. We druids really wouldn’t need that much. Ummm, 1000 Crowns for a single-family dwelling?” It was a somewhat low price, but then poor Lehan really had no idea about housing or land markets, and several voices from the crowd helpfully called out higher prices.

Latherin listened to the voices and mused for a moment, then said: “I think 2000 is not unreasonable. We should get as many new residents at that price as we can really handle for the time being. How much of that would you need for yourself, for casting the necessary spells: 500 Crowns per house?”

Lehan frowned, then looked inquiringly at a couple other druids in the room. ”Umm, I think that works, but then I am no good with money. Perhaps now would be a good time to ask the other Druids what they think, since we are on the subject, and since they will be the ones ‘building’ these houses,” Lehan suggested. ”What do you guys think?”

A couple of the other druids in the room looked towards one another, then leaned their heads close and briefly exchanged some whispers. The collected Acuminites began to murmur. There seemed to be a collective tacit agreement that the meeting was briefly recessed, and Mila wasted no time circulating among her patrons to find out what else they wanted to eat or drink.

While this went on, somebody sitting not far from Medea turned unexpectedly towards her and asked: ”Excuse me, ma'am! Are you a druid? I heard you’d walked through the barrier without any problem. What do you think of all this?” The somebody turned out to be a male elf, dressed like a Ranger. He had long blue-black hair and a friendly, though somewhat crooked smile. ”Kesiryl Lai-Haeth is the name, Ranger of Acumin.”