Roland addresses Paxia (Open to all)

[Roland Moonstar]

OOC: Second Cycle of Immanis
OOC: Roland will wait for a crowd to form, so if you join this thread, you may assume he waited for you before he went with the Orationing.

IC:
After his expeditious adventures around the province, Roland decided to see how recent events had affected the rank and file citizenry of Paxia. He picked the most populous street corner he could find, (one that wasn't totally strewn with rubble) jumped on a soap-box, and began speaking.

"Serale, citizens of Paxia! If I may have a moment of your time? Arium finds itself affected by great evils at this time, where even Nexus Prime is not safe! Vortex has recently been attacked, and one only has to look around to see the situation here. Disasters both natural and man-made continue to plague our province, and forces from within and without threaten to upend all the progress we have made. Many have been affected for the worse by recent events, as cities are attacked by orcs and villains and brother turns against brother."

Roland looked seriously at anyone who was listening, and continued on. "I believe there is hope for the future, however, and I believe that working together, we can all make a difference. In this past year alone I have personally seen cities liberated, crime kingpins taken down and pirates and kemite warlords dispatched to their final reward. We need only to look at the efforts of Bethel and Dzrg in Imperia to see that this is so! It was information and teamwork that made a difference, and that is what Alleria needs right now." Roland had recently met Dzrg at the wedding of Palacrisis and Katherine, and he knew him to be a man of accomplishment.

Roland looked out into the crowd of passersby. He had given speeches not so different from this in Centripax and Carmelyn Province, back when he had been recruiting for the Legion, but this was different. Here, he was a citizen and native, and many might know him by either name or face. A good chunk of his life had been spent in Paxia. "So today I Roland Moonstar of House Moonstar, long-time member of the Paxian Merchant's League, I who was born in Arium and started my life as a guard for Thane Hakim of Paxia, where I lived right over there between my neighbours Kellenar and Adinirahc, where I debated the great Prefect Honets and the illustrious Ormand Tengear on a stage not very far from here: I come to you, citizen to citizen, to find out how recent events have affected you the good people of Paxia. Who has prospered? Who has suffered? What are your questions and comments?"

Roland looked sad for a moment, and he pointed in the distance at the Memorial. "Each of us, we have problems, and alone they often seem insurmountable. I myself lost Jenna Moonstar, my sister Josephine lost her husband in the orc invasion of Paxia. All have suffered. But we are not alone. House Moonstar is here to make sure no one in Paxia ever feels alone again. We have done what we could to help Little Paxia in Nexus, and to help here with the rebuilding. We are not alone. Together, we have power, and together. . . we are Arium!"

Roland paused then, to see how the crowd reacted.

[Adelyn Weiss]

Watching the crowd, and stood beside Roland to show her support for what he was saying. Adelyn had no experience in speeches so she just listened in awe of Roland's strong voice and all the meaning behind it. She did, however, cringe at the mention of her brother and Josephine... but set that aside as an issue that would need clearing up much later, when her head was clear.

[Eninia Moonstar]

The jewel of House Moonstar walked into the square. Her blue eyes looked at her brother as he spoke. He was always charismatic in the way of crowds. Eninia also had the same charisma but only towards the male of speices. She was dressed in a simple black skirt and white bloose.

She walked around the crowed and paused for a moment to allow her self a good view and to also provide the young men a good view of herself. Her black hair was beautifully braided so that it formed a crown with part of the hair, and the rest was braided down her back. Her beautiful black hair framed the white face. she contiuned to listen waiting for her brothers speach to finish.

[Tylag Moonstar]

Tylag had hurried through the ruins of Paxia trying to find where his brother would be speaking. Tylag had finally found a crowd gathering and his older brother preparing to speak. Roland had always had the gift of words and Tylag had admired him for it.

Tylag was dressed in his usual peasant clothes. As the crowd gathered Tylag mingled in the crowd as a better way to gauge the crowds response to his brothers speech.

[Arsenios Kacallian]

Among the milling crowd of dozens of curios Paxians, Arsenios was there, enthralled by his older cousins speech to the dispirited peoples of the forlorn city. Many grievous blows had the town sustained, one after another, after another.. Now as many others did, Arsenios felt deeply anxious and expectant towards a future looming in uncertainty. How would the city fare in these dark times? What would be the fate of the rubble that once was his beloved Paxia? He prayed fervently every eve to the gods that Paxia would be granted the fate of the legendary phoenix. That it might be the will of the Gods', for the city to rise from the desolate ruins in a hail of flames, and be reborn in glorious splendor a unmarred and healthy city!

As Roland's humble rhetoric drew to a close, and the due cheering and polite clapping subsided, Arsenios stepped forward into the unoccupied ring around the older man. "As a citizen of Paxia, I have suffered as everyone else in these times" the young man of about 18 stated awkwardly to the crowd his demeanor serious and words swift "and- I do not know if it is simply me, but I find it disheartening that a proper city government has not yet been formed! Yes, I am aware that the Aedile is fulfilling the duties warranted to him to the best of his ability, and the Imperial Government has blessed us with the presence of military troops.." He said gesturing in the direction of the far off military encampment. "But where is the thane? Where is our city council? Where are the men and woman among us to collaborate our efforts, to see that the seeds planted now are nursed into fruitation? Where are our leaders to see that our work is not in vain and to assist us in our labor? Our nation..." He started softly before pausing to contemplate his further words for a moment. "Our Empire! Has prided itself in justice and order since its inception, but, forgive me, we are failing at that now!" With that Arsenios withdrew back into the ranks of the crowd.

[Medaerus]

Roland's clear, human voice rang throught the Paxia street just as a Sylrosian elf rounded the corner and spotted him. Medaerus had nearly jogged from the city gates to where Roland's speech would be given, not wanting to miss it.

Once again, the human's passionate words held the elf in an entrancement; a spellbinding flow of dialogue that stole his gaze and attention until silence resumed on the street.

All of their losses, all of their troubles... They could do it together, pull the city from its wretched state, and House Moonstar could be the foundation of it all.

As the last words struck through the air like flaming arrows that impaled each passerby's heart with Ariumite passion, a single tear slid down Medaerus's cheek.

[Duncan Sythe]

Duncan had spent the past cycle running around madly and that had included his Paxia estate. Fortunately, it seemed, the thing was in one piece...even if it was a slightly charred piece on the outside. But then it wasn't exactly made entirely from wood either so it was...survivable, let it be said. After all having been furnished in the first place Duncan would have lost a significant investment if it had been run over by the Orcs.

But then since he'd been there before he went to Alleria Prime last season he knew all this already and hadnt spent much time except to say his greetings to the staff and guards, drop off a little more money and make his way into town by horse.

It was as he picked his way through the rubble that he spied Roland...everywhere, always, Moonstar. There was no denying the man tried but Duncan had been left with somewhat mixed impressions given his meeting with his organisation in Diana. Still, as had been said, there was no denying he tried.

Wrapping his reins around his right forearm Duncan held his horse steady to one side of the crowd, a lone mounted figure against the throng of citizens...and most likely a stand out for it, not that he was particularly remarkable. After all from the psionic glowing eyed, white bleached haired Imperial Mage he was decidedly normal and dressed normally into the bargain. A pockmarked, scar faced, blue eyed and black haired man with his features obscured by a wide brimmed brown hat. Admittedly his brown leather coat, soft gray breeches and worn boots all held some tinge of money, but given who he dealt with brightening to brightening it was a necessary evil – and besides the sword at his hip marked him out as something slightly different from a local lord who had hidden behind his walls through the troubles.

Lets face it, if Duncan hadn't been so pre-occupied he'd have done something about Paxia but as he had been preoccupied he didn't see the need to rap himself arrogantly over the knuckles claiming he could have fixed the entire thing. No, instead he'd just come here to see what could be done...quietly, carefully, discretely. In that way he was so completely unlike Roland it was uncanny. His list of achievements was long...and utterly obscure.

As Arsenios chimed up after Roland had finished though Duncan's eyes flickered to the man, noting him and noting his words as he watched for Roland's reply. He would not be surprised if the man suggested he himself or even Arsenios stand for Thane...although there was a certain dry pleasure if the assassins and pains in the neck of his last visitation to Paxia were now gone to the dust and dead.

And still the horseback man said nothing, his feet in the stirrups, watching, waiting, a silent observer like so many others. One thing had stood out though, if the city had no justice that could be swiftly, brutally remedied.

[Striker]

The crowd had assembled around the Moonstar brothers without question, gravitating towards the peasant who had virtually spearheaded the reconstruction of Paxia. And although for all their efforts the Moonstar family could only boast of clearing a small section of rubble from the city streets, their altruism had resonated throughout the ears of the ruined realm’s civilians. Many had come to learn the name of the gradually strengthening family, and thus for the moment Roland and Tylag Moonstar commanded the respect of the majority.

Still, nothing could abate the horrors that the populace had experienced at the hands of the orcs. Regardless of the efforts of the Moonstar family, Paxia continued to struggle every brightening. Children continued to dig through the rubble, searching for remnants of clothing to wear or for scraps to eat. Some women had begun to prostitute themselves, having lost husbands during the war and recognizing that a warm tent beside a brutal man was more preferable than the bitter resilient sting of the outdoors. Many had attempted to flee the ravaged city to other places like Nexus Prime or Vortex, but those who remained were without outside connections, money, or help.

And the worst part of all was that there was little that they believed that they could do.

For the most part the Paxians seemed open to the Lord Protector’s speech. Some of them fully believed that he would invest every ounce of his will and resources into rebuilding the city that had once stood as the ‘gold mine’ of Arium. These people even united a chorus of cheers as Roland finished his speech Others, however, were far less willing to subscribe to his promise of hope. They had seen much better days in the city of Paxia and to them nothing short of divine intervention would remove Paxia from its impoverished state of being.

And it was these who waded through the crowd to approach Roland.

“Power? What power do we have to do anything?” A tall human emerged from the small gathering that followed him. His voice was surprisingly calm for one who had experienced the terrors that he had, but he spoke with a refinement and poise that suggested that he was educated. Feeble in appearance, the man’s right eye was covered by a tattered cloth strung diagonally across his face. His chin and cheeks bore enough bristle to indicate that he had not shaved in some time, and there was a noticeable limp in his left leg as he walked. “The government hasn’t even come to help us. They’ve left us for dead. If they don’t even think that we’re capable of saving, what makes you think that we can help ourselves? Even now orcs roam the ruins, threatening us at every corner. And worst of all, our Regent has made it illegal for them to be hunted down like the dogs they are.”

The man’s thoughts, though perhaps not the most coherently organized, were audible for most in the gathering to hear.

The others beside the tall man nodded in accord, their faces marked by grim acceptance of their leader’s logic. And even as the man spoke, others who had cheerfully supported Roland began to watch the Lord Protector and the man attentively.

Indeed, how could one find hope in a hopeless land?

[Roland Moonstar]

Looie made it his business to never stand anywhere near Roland when the man was giving a speech. First of all, the speech itself never changed, it was all flowers and candy and let's dance in a circle and wish for the best. The Lutran personally had an outlook far closer to Duncan's, but he had a job to do and an agenda of his own, so he had to at least make a cameo, speak his challenge.

Looie listened approvingly. At least Roland had learned his lessons over the years. Undaunted by past failures, he was like a self-correcting magic arrow always aiming for the bullseye. He had apparently learned that it was impossible to effectively unite a disparate group of people such as the Legion of Justice without endlessly getting bogged down in meetings-- a lesson that Keldon was apparently learning at this time-- and had instead surrounded himself by people that for the most part were already on board with his plans. Except for the former Imperial Mage, everyone here of substance was or soon would be a member of House Moonstar. Which never had meetings. They just went out and did stuff, such as chopping down trees for Paxia, or rebuilding, removing rubble.

Roland had, so far as the otter could see, learned that you don't build a tower from the roof down. You pick a place like Paxia, you focus your friends and family on it, and then you see what happened. Success here could be built on later, and failures would go unnoticed amidst the general backdrop of a war-torn, impoverished city, allowing one to try, try again as necessary. Roland might never wear the Aethercrown, or be a Consul, but appeared competent enough in a Thane sort of capacity, where he would be forced to focus his considerable talents and energy on a single task from start to finish.

The otter had to give Roland credit: the man planned ahead, and had packed this mob with shills like Arsenios ready to guide the crowd in the direction indicated. Another lesson learned from dealing with Jaqi and Sitandria, he supposed.

Roland had given him some cues to listen for from the crowd, and possible replies, and when one of them came up, he raised a paw in the air. This should be good.

"Yes! The man speaks the truth! What power do any of us? Is there anyone here with the power to combat injustice, to fight tyranny, to fight for Paxia? Words are pretty, but I would like to see a show of strength."

He looked around for a boulder. Thank Meephos there was rubble everywhere. "You are just a human, a peasant farmboy. Do you truly have the power to face an orc, to make a difference in words, not just in deeds?" He waddled over to the boulder, and using the strength bred for the bottom of the ocean, attempted to move it a little, indicating how truly heavy it was. "Do you believe you have such power, human?"

Duncan might sense the crimson aura growing even before Roland spoke, but this was a magic that had nothing to do with Mysticism. "I am Roland Moonstar, Lord Protector of Paxia. And I believe I DO. I believe I have the strength to stand up and fight for whatever injustice comes to Paxia. Now just in character, not just in words, but in deeds. Yes, Lutran, I will accept your challenge." For good luck, or out of habit, he tapped the crimson, sigil-shaped earring he always wore, then bounded over to Looie with a speed born of something far beyond desperation.

Roland took a deep breath, grounding and centering the crimson energies coursing through him. "Paxia is not alone. There are beings, god and planetars who test us, because they want us to succeed. Rak is one such planetar, who wishes Paxia to regrain its power and glory. Fear not that this man in Nexus or that man in Alleria Prime ignore us, for we have greater allies than you can imagine on our side. I believe in Rak, as much as an I believe in a better future for Rak, and in the end, it's all about belief." The man who had been truly tested in his beliefs by a literal baptism of fire now squatted down, and attempted to lift the boulder overhead, then throw it into a distant pile of rubble.

Once he succeeded, more or less, the Lutran would applaud, act all astonished, and add "I was wrong! If a mere human can do that, then truly anything is possible. Praise be Rak! You do have the power! We do have the power to help ourselves! I didn't want to believe it, but I believe it now! Lead us, Roland Moonstar!Paxia will truly live again!"

He rubbed his tummy and looked forward to the two extra helpings of grouper he was going to get for supper tonight.

[Duncan Sythe]

They did? Really? The Gods wanted Roland to succeed. If they did Duncan would eat his own hat...but then admittedly he'd also be caught muttering under his breath. “He's your bloody Lutran.” in regards to Looie who he'd seen before. In the end it was admittedly slightly improved on last time Roland had spoken but Duncan's ear was not one to be trusted in regard to performance speaking, he was about as public relations tone death as an interrogator who used blunt instruments for fun.

That was not to say Duncan did, it was just an apt comparison of his awareness of the impact of words upon large groups of people. No, Duncan was a one on one kind of speaker. Lord Protector though? Duncan didn't miss much and he hadn't missed that either. So the illustrious Roland Moonstar had found another Thaneship or equivalent, it would be interesting to see what he did with it and certainly ironic, first Thane of a non-existant city, he certainly had a fresh slate to start with.

Thusly though given his attitudes towards public speaking, crowds and the Lutran, Duncan did nothing but sit at the back of the crowd and wait on his high horse. Noticable? Only in a vague way, identifying him wasn't going to be easy under the scarf and the hat. No, he'd wait this out and see what was said because apparantly not all the crowd was happy and charmed, he'd wait to see the response to Roland's statements, wait to see the proof and the Cyraxian in the Details.

For so far Roland had been inspirational but insubstantial, he wanted to know what the man planned for the city. He could acquite a meeting with said Moonstar very easily, so there was consequently no need to interrupt. Nope, Duncan was better of waiting and seeing and watching. Which was precisely what he did.

[Halftpint Naddas]

A cloaked Cether hung back to the rear of the crowd, having arrived late to the meeting. He listened the best he could to the last half of the fine announcement. This human Moonstar seemed a people's person, a gladhander that was at his zenith in inspiring people. Not that it was wrong, thought Halfie, there were need of such men.

And there was also a need for small halflings like Halftpint as well. Paxia, the tragedy that it was, nonetheless was the place of ultimate opportunity in Telath. It was a blank canvas of rubble and ruined infrastructure, but Naddas knew that what once made the city grow could be grown again.

Roland finished and began to weave his way through the crowd.

Halftpint remembered their interaction at the gates and decided this was as good as any time to reconnect with the Lord Protector about city business. His small stature payed dividends as he ran juked his way through the throng, dodging kness and thighs as he snuck his way through.

Just in time to hear the otter's outburst and the weird exchange that Roland, the Lutran, and the commoner had. Halftpint squirmed into the front row, very nearly running into Looie as he gave a little leap to make it through the last person's legs.

His small eyebrow arched as he observed the thrown boulder.

"Belief in the gods is advisable, belief in ourselves is indespensable!" Halfie threw his two pieces of silver into the debate. He slyly nodded his head as he pulled back his hood. He gave a short bow to the Lord Protector. "Serale your grace. Wondering if you had a bit of time later to talk about making this belief a reality."

[Adelyn Weiss]

Adelyn seemed pleased with the turnout of Paxians to hear her brother-in-laws speech. Many agreed, several disagreed, and this was definitely to be expected. The main point, she felt, was in notifying the people that there were people ready to help bring about change. Rebuilding can't do itself, after all.

She frowned slightly on Roland's tactic with Looie, but thought little of it. Looie was entertaining, if nothing else. She stood at the front of the crowd, by Roland, but with her back to him, looking on at the crowds. These had been her neighbors, her friends, her community. Adelyn looked around, trying to see if any of the remaining Paxians were friends from Schola. She looked around frantically, but wasn't sure if she knew anyone. Much impoverished, they'd be hard to recognize anyway.

"Fellow Paxians! Together, we can help rebuild what once was ours. Paxia will shine once more, this I promise!" Adelyn shouted gleefully, full of hope.

[Medaerus]

Medaerus very nearly suppressed an uncontrolled fit of laughter as Looie acted as a innocent commoner. The elf knew that the lutran could be considered as many things, but commoner would not quite make the cut on Med's list. After training with the lovable lutran, he knew him quite well, and Looie had become one of Medaerus's favorite people in all of Aelyria.

Now, watching the otter acting skills, Med raised his eyebrows appraisingly. Looie had some style - of course, if you paid him enough. The elf did not doubt that Roland had garunteed his lutran companion extra helpings of fish in the coming Brightenings.

When Adelyn stood up from the crowd and Med noticed her for the first time, he started to make his way over to her. Then, before his first step fell, she began preaching enthusiasm, and once she finished, the elf rushed over to her twice as fast.

Standing close next to her, he finished her words of wisdom by saying, "She is more right than you know. We must stick together, and most of all, listen. Ladies and Gentlemen, I strongly advise you to listen to this man." Medaerus gestured to Roland, who was still perched atop his makeshift podium. "He knows more of death, destruction, and reconstruction than anyone else in Arium. So my plea to you is to listen. This man has leadership of the likes I have never seen."

[Striker]

By all accounts Roland’s subterfuge should have failed. Many in the crowd had seen the otter in the company of the Lord Protector before, and many of them had been present when Roland and Looie had supervised much of the clean-up of Paxia’s tremendously littered streets. Luckily for the leader of House Moonstar, however, these were the very people who agreed with him. In fact, the only people -barring Duncan- who could have exposed Roland’s deception for what it was fully supported him.

And his ploy worked.

The commoners who had voiced their disagreement with the Lord Protector observed the scene carefully, meticulously noting the otter’s laborious and vain attempt to remove the rock from the premise. Their faces brightened with confidence, too, as Looie proceeded to protest against Roland’s claims. What they had not expected, though, was the Lord Protector’s ‘inhumane’ strength in removing the boulder –which he successfully accomplished with more strain than intended.

And Looie’s sudden motion of support bolstered Roland’s influence considerably.

A song of cheers rose from the amassed crowd, most of them immediately convinced by the Lord Protector’s demonstration of resolve. They had seen the otter struggle; they had seen the otter change his beliefs; it was more than enough to persuade the crowd which had clung onto the littlest of hope for all this time. It did not matter to them that the Planetar Rak was barely worshipped in Paxia, and it did not matter to them that Roland had failed to elucidate how he intended to save the city. What mattered was that in that moment they truly did believe that something could be done…

“Let’s here it for the Lord Protector!” screamed one voice.

The blaring hurrah answered.

A few grumbles were murmured here and there as the Halfling weaved through the crowd, cutting across the space with his quick little legs and joining Roland on stage –a sight that elicited an unexpectedly hearty cheer from a certain cether aedile in the group below. Surprisingly, though, even the petite Halfling was awarded with an agreeable cry of unity as he emphasized the value of belief in each other. And it seemed as if the intuitive Naddas was not alone in rallying to Roland’s side.

As Adelyn and Medaerus joined the Lord Protector on stage, several hands clapped along their backs, commending them with firm utterances of approval. Adelyn in particular riveted the undivided attention of the men in the crowd as she vibrantly supported her brother-in-law. Several frowns marred the onlooker’s faces, though, when Medaerus maneuvered closely to her. Still, it seemed as if those of House Moonstar and supporters alike had won the crowd over –temporarily at least.

Several nods could be seen amongst the congregation of refugees as Medaerus encouraged them to heed Roland’s words. They looked at Roland like sheep awaiting direction from the sheppard and thus the same question was virtually written across each of their faces: what now?

[Roland Moonstar]

Roland went back on stage. He thanked everyone for their support. Then he continued on with the rest of his speech. "Pretty words and flashy demonstrations are nice, but they do not rebuild cities. It was my goal to give you a little bit of hope, so that you would be more amenable to the details of my plans. Details are sometimes dry, so I ask for a moment of patience from everyone. This part is not going to be as exciting. But hopefully it will be illuminating and informative. I will answer questions afterwards from everyone, as there is much to cover and I am sure I won't cover every point you are all curious about."

Roland took a deep breath. "I am not a man who was born yesterday. I have been around Alleria for 9 eras of activity now, and in that time I have seen the best that Paxia has to offer, the golden days under Hakim and Angelo, and I have seen Alleria at its worst. I was there when only the quick thinking of Palacrisis D'Jones saved a few of us in the basement of the Assistant Aedile's office when the entire village exploded around us. And from times like that, I have learned from Palacrisis and good people like him what to do when confronted by a situation as we have here in Paxia.

So, I won't pretend that what I am about to tell you is some crazy House Moonstar plan I hatched with Tylag this morning. This is a time-tested recipe for rejuvenation and renewal, and I have seen it work. In Tearsfall, and across the Empire when applied elsewhere. I shall tailor this "D'Jones Plan" to Paxia, and what I bring is the strength and tenacity to carry it out, and the vision to know how to adopt it successfully to Paxia."