~The Game of Hills~ (Basic Survival Politics)

[Hsin]

Endowments and commissions provided the Rainbow Towers with sufficient funds to richly furnish their classrooms and laboratories. After careful consideration, Hsin Zhou had chosen the sixth room of the third floor as his temporary abode. It took another two days and a handful of press-ganged initiates to re-arrange the interior to the mystic’s whims. The floor featured a square slab of black marble surrounded by lush crimson carpets imported from Imperia. Of the original furnishings only three pieces remained: a burgundy couch, a deep blue armchair, and a large cabinet. The cabinet was a simple affair disguising the wealth within. Servants kept the larder well-stocked with all manner of mind-calming substances from spirits to wines to small vials of less conventional herbal remedies. Hsin wrote records of his research while kneeling on the bamboo mats set in front of a low table imported from his cultural home of Zinn’sunn. An alcove on the western wall contained shelves and a small collection of books and scrolls drawn from the university library. Directly across the room was a small fireplace with enough fuel and flame to keep the small room warm and cozy.

Hsin transformed the dull marble slab into a board for the Game of Hills. Lush, mountainous grassland separated by roads and streams into a ten by ten grid provided a setting for the eternal battle between the Hesparians, Chesleyans, and Irregulars. The Kemite mystic sat on the armchair dressed in grey wool shirts and slacks cut in the Zinn’sunn style. Each individual piece represented a unique manifestation of a stock Initiate illusion. The challenge was in maintaining dozens of individual illusions whist engaged in complex stratagems. Across from the Master sat a small Kemite girl clothed in an exquisite blue and gold dress. Her face was a picture of utter concentration as the possessed mind focused itself on a naked game of Colonization. The Hesparians on her edge of the board were arraigned in a traditional defensive position against the fast-moving front of Hsin’s Chesleyans. Every once in a while she spoke a soft phrase in Kemite which precipitated the movement of one piece to another square.

The door into their room remained slightly ajar. Before a visitor could touch the door, they heard Hsin speak in his customary quiet and gentle voice. ”Good morning. How may I help you?”

Those brave enough to enter would find their faces scrutinized by Hsin’s eyes. Which, for the moment anyways, seemed perfectly natural.

[Viskyia Crow]

Viskyia stepped forward, automatically glancing between the door's crease where the hinges hung it to the wall to make sure no one stood out of sight behind it. Perhaps it wasn't bravery that drove her through the doorway slowly, but rather necessity. She noted the man, where his hands were, what he was doing, did the same with the girl, then carefully scanned the room. It was like something from afar. The textures and even the entire feel of the room seemed somehow alien from the whole of Nexus' usual attire. One scroll was crooked on the shelf in the western alcove. She itched to straighten it before it tumbled carelessly to the floor.

The game they played... she assumed it was a game... was nothing she recognized. It looked complicated, and as if it required a great deal of both parties attention. She regretted the intrusion, but did not say as much, sticking only to the reason she'd come. Viskyia examination took only a brief second, and she turned back to the man, took a breath and met his gaze. Though his eyes were normal, hers were not. They were a deep warm citrine color, filled with all sorts of yellow and gold tones. She was small in frame, though what Hsin could see of her belied strength. She moved like a martial artist, though he could clearly see scars on her fingers and by her dress that she was most likely a tradesperson.

"Serale. I regret that I've interrupted your....game." She guessed at the last, truly not knowing what they were playing. "The receptionist said I could come straight up." She was slightly surprised his eyes were normal, and she met them openly. "I was looking for Hsin. I was told to come have a discussion with him about politics. It was suggested he's something of an expert on them. Have I found him?" She glanced at his opponent and said nothing more, not knowing his feelings on the openness of his doings.

Her voice was warm, and her words clearly spoken as if each one uttered was deliberate and intended, leaning heavily on the brevity of detail. She was the type of speaker that would say a great deal with as few of words as possible. As she waited for some indication of his opponents status in his descression, she studied him, openly.

[Hsin]

Neither Kemite appeared troubled by Viskyia’s entrance or her subsequent scrutiny. As a matter of fact, the doll-like girl seemed entirely inclined towards ignoring the jeweler’s entrance. Hana scrutinized the game board for a moment longer before uttering a single sentence in the soft, sibilant language of the children of Keme. For a moment, the corners of Hsin’s mouth curled upwards into the faintest hint of a smile. The entire tableau evaporated into an ethereal mist which slowly dissipated to reveal the speckled surface of the marble slate. His attention finally free to focus upon material matters, Hsin turned his head to allow a more detailed examination of the brightening’s first caller. Soft black eyes scrutinized the Esh’lahier’s face and features whist he listened attentively to the tone and rhythm underlying her carefully constructed discourse. She seemed entirely out of place amongst the tall spires of the Rainbow Towers and the gem-blooded nobles who deigned to proclaim themselves mages. It seemed from her demeanor and the toning of her frame that the half-elf was more familiar with labor than the complexities of arcana. Nor did her clothing seem particularly indicative of the wealth and stature traditionally attributed to the upper crust of Nexian society.

The ex-Minister spoke another soft sentence in Kemite. After a moment of deep contemplation, Hana rose to her feet and stepped to the far end of the couch. She picked a thick tome off the floor before taking a seat and settling into a deep, contemplative trance perusing a treatise on the recent history of the United Arium Directorate. ”You’ve found Hsin. Have a seat,” spoke the young master after the child settled down. His voice was pleasant and his words spoken in perfect Medonian. ”To whom do I owe the visit?” It would be a trifling thing for Hsin to delve into her mind and find the information himself. Mind-reading, however, made for bad manners and even worse conversation.

Hsin fingered the black-jade ring encircling his right ring finger. The dull-red gem at the center of the carved chrysanthemum seemed to glow softly in the dull winter light. He waited politely for the half-elf to take a seat before continuing. ”What, precisely, do you wish to discuss? Politics and law are entirely different subjects despite the penchant for confusing one with the other. Though I’m hardly an expert as some suppose.” He produced a pack of tarot cards from a pocket and slowly began shuffling the painted cards from one palm to the other. His plain black eyes suddenly gazed deep into Viskyia’s yellow orbs. ”But another question. You have Esh’lahier blood in your veins. Have you been in Ethgan’tor?”

[Viskyia Crow]

Viskyia walked forward, her eyes meeting his but not dismissing the child. She noted where the younger one went and what she started doing before she came to stand before Hsin. She moved around the marble slab and took the seat opposite of him where the girl had been. Her motions were deliberate, and the way she took the seat would remind anyone watching of a courtesan taking a seat across from a potential client or someone they perceived as a threat. She eased off her feet and onto the couch. And then she started to speak.

"Well met, Hsin. My name is Viskyia Crow. I am the adopted daughter of Titus Crow, owner of the Nexus Gem and Jewelry. I'm a jeweler by trade, and as you might know my father is Guildmaster to The Jewel Guild here in Nexus. There have been circumstances lately though, and hes opted to abruptly leave town. His first calling was as a Priest of Aslan, and it seems an old war has once more unearthed itself and he's gone to join the cause. No, I am not from the city of light. But from Vortex." There was a flash of something in her eyes... perhaps pain but an observer wouldn't be certain, and then absolutely nothing, as if Viskyia's spirit completely checked out of the conversation. Her thoughts and feelings were concealed behind quiet dead eyes. Titus Crow's departure was still an open wound.

Her eyes moved to the tarot deck, breaking contact with Hsin's, and not having seen one before, she wasn't certain what they were. Playing cards? Definitely not. They didn't have the feel of such things. But they seemed more a nervous habit of the man's, than any actual weapon. She lifted her eyes once more, meeting his. They were still cold, but not so cold as the young man wouldn't truly understand the meaning of such a blank gaze.

"I care about this city, its politics, and the circumstances going on here. To be blunt, I want to assume my father's seat. I will be qualified as a Master shortly, and I hope by that time to be able to run for the Guildmaster position and assume the vote on the guild council." She wasn't asking for much, not here in the city of Nexus Prime. No. Only the world. "And I've heard that you are something of an expert on politics, someone who knows how things run. I was hoping to persuade you into passing some of your knowledge onward." She scanned the room again. It was a habit of hers, noting the locations of furniture, people, and if anything had changed abruptly. "I have very little coin. I have very little need for such things. So payment will have to be otherwise. Titus Crow is a talented jeweler, but I am better. And I will keep getting better. Soon there will be things that I can do that will have more value than coin. I can already taste it a little, and I know it will come fully into its own in time. Stones speak to me, you see. And they whisper secrets no one under the stars has ever suspected." She stated flatly. It wasn't a lie. The girl before Hsin absolutely believed what she said.

[Hsin]

Most civic-minded scholars referred to the Kemite people as a single, homogonous culture. They failed to appreciate the body of lore carried eastwards in the minds and hearts of the refugees as they fled the scything black talons of the Xet. Stories of the ancient clans endured throughout the diasporas; great tales of the golden-clad warriors of Clan Hydra or the wily seagoing merchants of Clan Dolphin. Despite a thousand years of enmity growing into exile, the entirety of their culture traced their origins to a single ancestor and her unity with the divine. Keme, with her beauty, honor, and wisdom, caught the eye and the heart of the great Torek and mothered an Empire. Most of her descendents still held the Allerian manifestation of Torek-as-Aslan with the highest regards. That was not to imply that the great Lion of honor and bravery was a universally beloved figure. The pessimistic elders considered the destruction of their homeland and their scattering alongside the gradual corruption of their ancient traditions by the descendents of the Medonians. If, indeed, Torek fathered their kind, He subsequently abandoned them to the fate of a slow death over a hundred generations. It was a somewhat depressing strain of thought often plaguing the old and the philosophically inclined. Hsin Zhou paid lip-service to Aslan during his service in Alleria Prime; his true resentment sprang from the quiet girl sitting so close to Viskyia.

It was, Hsin reflected, somewhat ironic that Viskyia’s father exchanged his craft and his family for the sword and flame of the priesthood. Pursuit of honor condemning a daughter to mature amidst the inequity of Vortex. The cards in the Kemite’s hands seemed to flow back and forth quicker after the sudden glimpse of a deeper pain surfacing in the Esh’lahier’s eyes. Later, perhaps, the mystic could indulge his curiosity and probe the secrets of the past. ”I don’t need coins,” responded Hsin after a moment’s consideration. The pride the half-elf took in her work was evident even if her mind seemed somewhat odd. Powerful mages, cunning politicians, and skilled artists all shared the same seed of lunacy conceived from the dreams of the future. ”Talk of remuneration can wait. In Alleria Prime, my work dealt more in the accounting of crowns than the management of Ministers. Monetary matters hold little interest. ”

”You care about the city, and the politics, and the circumstances, and wish to follow in your father’s footsteps.” The observation seemed sudden and abrupt as Hsin slowly savored the briefest glimpse into her psyche. Tarot cards flicked into a final rest cradled in the palm of his right hand. ”Politics is not law. It requires a familiarity with the laws of the Empire, but not inflexible understanding. You should, at the least, read the Annarian Code of Law. The library in the Towers has a copy if you’re unable to procure one on your own.” Hana seemed suddenly interested in the conversation, her cold dark eyes suddenly turning to study the half-elf. ”Who holds your father’s seat now? What does he do, what duties does perform? And, more importantly for your ambitions, how do you intend to unseat him?”

[Viskyia Crow]

Viskyia stared at the mystic, studying him carefully. He was about her age, though not mixed like she was. Interesting. And the cards flowed across his hands like water across rocks. He wielded them with a familiarity that was almost disconcerting. She longed to see what the card faces revealed. "I will purchase a copy and read them. I think perhaps I even have one at home." What she didn't say was it was owned by the constable that camped out in her back yard. She didn't see a problem with borrowing it though. And so she shifted, nodding. It was a good idea too that she knew the laws. Viskyia really didn't have a clue.

"Titus Crow used to attend guild meetings, debate the issues, help pass guild laws. He had the voting seat for the Jewelers Guild, being the Guildmaster. He also was in charge of collecting guild dues for Jewelers... and actively worked to keep up relations with our affiliates. Mainly, the Hammer Guild, Free-Thinkers, that sort." With that she paused, then smiled. "I do not need to unseat my father. He's left town to pursue his other career. He's a priest of Aslan, from The White Crane School." The school she mentioned was a legendary monestary involved with almost every major Arium battle in the recent written histories. Its members were famous for their particular brand of Zinn'ka, and devoted entirely to Aslan and his Tenants. "I'm particularly interested in how to grease stubborn wheels in this city... procure visas, or at least know how to bribe those that could. That sort of thing. So, I don't have to unseat him really. The spot is vacant... and so far no ones taken it." She said, having missed the last guild meeting for a trip out of town. That was the problem with the Jeweler's Guild. They had no strong leadership personalities.

Viskyia's main problem was taking the vacant seat, and once achieving it, holding it. Then once she was instilled in the city guild politics, she wanted to know how to manipulate people, when to manipulate people, and the best ways to go about it.

[Hsin]

During his stint as Imperial Exchequer, Hsin carefully cultivated an appropriate persona befitting the stature of a Minister. His close advisors, of course, witnessed the sleepless night and endless intrigue necessary to ensure the fiscal solvency of the Empire. No doubt the average clerk paid heed when Empress Arabella appointed the diminutive Kemite their leader. However, as cycles wore into months, the legion of faceless accountants returned to their abacuses and their ledgers. Their recollection of the soft features faded, replaced by a trickle of gossip and stories from the upper echelons. Through wordplay and mystic coercion, the Kemite crafted for himself an image of a shadowy figure utterly dedicated to the twin gods of Efficiency and Production. Alas, the fickle whim of existence soon swept the Exchequer out of Alleria Prime to play an antagonist to the Regent. The mystic heard no news of a replacement, or of replacements for the half-dozen empty Ministries. Judging from his own experience amidst the marbled halls of Alleria Prime, the difficulty of obtaining a position paled in contrast to the execution of its responsibilities. Titus Crow seemed inclined toward a similar conclusion, having abandoned his duties for a life of aesthetic meditation and martial training. Whether for good or ill, only Viskyia could judge.

”That simplifies matters,” offered Hsin thoughtfully. His illusionary eyes seemed suddenly distant as the Kemite mystic considered the half-elf’s predicament. Conversely, the deck of tarot cards slowed their endless flight from one hand to another. ”It removes the considerable problem of unseating an incumbent Guildmaster. I assume you have an idea of what you wish to accomplish. It becomes a question of communication then. Why should they trust you to represent their interests? You’re still young, and the elderly are inclined to trust the youthful.” At a mere twenty-odd Ordinations, it had been a hurdle the Kemite encountered more than once in Alleria Prime.

”As for visas,” continued the mystic with scarcely a pause. ”You can always find a member of the Aedile’s office susceptible to the greasing of palms. Of course, it’s difficult to find such an individual on your own. Another possibility. Visas are occasionally lost, and frequently reissued. It’s merely a question of finding a woman of your approximate build and appearance and providing a convincingly forged set of references and witnesses.” The deck suddenly snapped into Hsin’s right palm as the Kemite rose gracefully to his feet. Without breaking his line of conversation, he dragged the table onto the marble floor. A plate of pastries was procured from the cabinet and duly set before Viskyia and Hana. ”Such things are easier with allies. Well, more accurately, politics is easier with allies. Do you have friends amongst the Jeweler’s Guild? How would you gain their support for your bid?”

”Oh yes. Would you like some tea?”

[Viskyia Crow]

Viskyia sat before Hsin, and considered his questions. While she didn't look particularly unsettled by them, she did look thoughtful. "They won't trust me. The problem is that to a man, every one of them is so self absorbed in their work that they do not want to step forward to take the Guild Seat. It involves too much work on their parts. And its not pleasant work. However, the main issue is that while they do not want such a burden, they will block me from easily ascending to it, because such a thing would be entertaining." Then she paused, took a breath, and continued.

Viskyia smiled slowly at his next statement. "I've been seeing Roland Moonstar for that express purpose. His sister Eninia works as the Aedile. I think for the hint of deepening the relationship, he would see to it that a Visa was procured if one was needed. I'm not sure this is the right way to go about it though. I'd rather approach her myself, but then she'd be fully aware of conditions surrounding the reason a visa was needed." She said thoughtfully. In reality, she was asking advice in this regard; for his insight. Viskyia wasn't one used to using her body to get her way, but she realized in the future it might be necessary.

"Truthfully I know only the other jewelers by reputation and face. There were no face to face interactions. Titus Crow was popular among them, but I was newly come to his life in the last days he was in town." She said. Know thy enemy? Were the other jewelers truly her enemies? She wasn't certain. What was certain was that she was starting to suspect one category was overwhelmingly full of people, and it wasn't the category where she labeled her friends.

With that, she smiled. "Yes, tea would be lovely."

[Hsin]

”I beg to differ.” Hsin seemed thoughtful as he filled a beautiful china teapot from a larger iron container suspended above the small fire. The vessel was set in front of the Esh’lahier and a small tin container retrieved. Inside was a mass of fragrant leaves from which the mystic took a handful and deposited in the pot. Three cups also appeared on the table, waiting for their owner to declare the fragrant amber liquid ready for consumption. ”The jewelcrafters won’t oppose your appointment out of mere entertainment. In all likelihood, they wish to wield the power of the guildmaster. It’s a pleasant job, no? An edge over your peers, the courtship of parties wishing for your votes. They also, most likely, have the same reservations as you. Governance is a desirable position, but one with a heavy demand attached.” He chuckled for a moment before opening the lid and inhaling the smell. Three cups were duly poured and set in front of their respective persons. ”In part, that’s why I left my previous office in Alleria Prime. This is, by the way, green tea imported from Zinn’sunn. You’ll find no better in the Empire.”

”Their suspicion is understandable. You’re a new member, and an inexperienced one in comparison to their years of work,” murmured Hsin before blowing gently across the surface of his tea and watching the resulting ripples. Hana had ignored her drink entirely, preferring instead to place a muffin on a plate to slowly consume. ”Why support an outsider they scarcely know when they could promote a well-known acquaintance who’s far more predictable? However, there are ways to work around this comradely.” Finally satisfied with the temperature, Hsin took a small sip. ”You’ve got no face to face interaction? Then there’s a good place to start. Humanity, painted in broad strokes, is far more concerned with self than others. They may profess to distain your lack of inexperience, but when their taxes increase because their guild chose the wrong alliance they become more malleable.” Hana produced a small knife from the table and cut the muffin in half, the untouched half being promptly offered to Viskyia. ”What would you want to do once you are Guildmistress? It’s far easier to raise support if you can appeal to your peer’s interest.”

”A word of warning concerning the Moonstars.” The name was pronounced with the slightest hint of distaste. ”Procuring a second visa could raise some questions regarding personal ethics. Once you announce your candidacy, your enemies will scrutinize your dealings. If you must engage in such dealings, do so away from your home. Vortex, or perhaps Imperia.”

[Viskyia Crow]

Viskyia thought about what Hsin said. It made sense. And so she nodded gracefully, eyes still thoughtful as she thanked him for the tea. She picked up her teacup and brought it to her lips, sealing them and tilting the cup in the illusion of a polite sip, but she tasted none of it. She was cautious about such things, even though it was hard to resist the urge to to try such an exotic fair. She gently set the cup back on its saucer, without so much as a rattle, and then began her questions.

"As I stated before, I do not think the position appeals to any of the other guildmembers because as of yet, none have stepped forward to fill it. My Father has been absent for two seasons now, and two sessions of guild meetings. I have been dutiful and dropped our dues at the guild hall, but nothing else has come of it. For two seasons, the gemcutters have had no representation. So why, now, suddenly, would someone oppose me? Its the busy season coming in the industry. Soon none of the gemcutters will have time." She questioned, wanting to know Hsin's reasoning.

"As for what I would do... two initiatives have passed since I have seen the office vacant. One dropped taxes in the city all together, then one, yet a season later, doubled them. We need moderation in government. And we needed to have a vote. I know for certain if the gemcutters had voted on the first initiative it was close enough that it would not have passed. The second was a wider margin, but the lack of taxes for three months drove the need to fuel an initiative for higher ones past that. It was wholly unwise of them to pull such things on the people. Now everyone is stuck with higher taxes while the guilds play catchup." She said.

Then she smiled. She'd need interaction. "Perhaps I should arrange a Guild event then, and bring them all together in a social setting to talk about our problems and enjoy ourselves. It's true we have little cause to interact and are tremendously busy. It would also be a good time to showcase new styles, new techniques, and the latest trends. Would something like that be appropriate?" She said, wondering if the jewelcutters guild hall was large enough. She thought perhaps it was.

"Ah. I had wondered. There are reasons I cannot go to Vortex, but perhaps Paxia or Imperia will be a better choice. Is Paxia too small for such workings?" She asked, curious. Then she sat back, waiting for him to respond to all she said.

[Viskyia Crow]

Hsin has taken an extended leave/quit the game hence I'm marking this thread dead.