Question before I decide on POLL...

[Alexandria]

I’ve sat back. I've watch good people do what seem like stupid things. But then you’re struck with a sudden epiphany, giving you have a million question.

I’m one of those silent active towns’ folks but I can’t be silent for this. Too much as happen for anyone to remain silent. We have a poll asking if we want to become a Monarchy or stay Republic. How do you answer that without asking…

Who will be the first King or Queen?
better yet...
How is the will the Monarchy be determine?
But will it kill the town before it really get started?

Now I’m not asking for answer to any of these question. Not true I like answer to the question. I like answer to a lot of question but this is a start. I could keep going but I promise my husband Grayson I wouldn’t. Help me to understand why this county is going to crap in a handbasket.

[Aishe]

The Viceregal Council should have created a discussion themselves to help shine some light behind the short words of this poll. It's unfortunate to see it had to be started by a concerned citizen instead. It would have only been right to provide context of what seems random to those outside of the Council, as well as explain the reasons why the Council decided this would be a good idea, the pros and cons of a monarchy VS republic for those who don't understand, and in general - have an open line of communication to a very confused populace.

Much confusion still stands from lack of public statement of Nocturne's seemingly illegal revolt of the castle. This poll, which to some creatures is seen as created by an illegal Viceregal Council, will undoubtedly not help such confusion and I cannot blame if it will be taken badly, given the 1) recent revolt, 2) lack of communication from the Council (both on the poll and the revolt).

I look forward to seeing some real answers being publicly provided on both circumstances.

- Aishe E. Sanchari -
Mayoress of Bravia City

[Amaelianna]

I believe, in my own opinion, and from what I have borne witness to in my two years as a citizen, and as a member of council from time to time, that our viceroyalty is "going to crap in a handbasket", because people, in general, are not doing anything to proactively move forward. The apathy has run rampant in our nation. Citizens sitting back idly watching as our walls crumble from within. Petty disagreements, from everything from a word or clause missing from laws, and instead of fixing the problem, they choose to squabble over it - to our current situation of having to perform council approved revolts to save our country from being taken over by bandits, or worse. Our animals were starving. Our fields were drying up. Our citizens are going hungry.

And as a matter of clearing up another issue, Aishe, continuing to call Nocturne's actions illegal, will only continue to cause dissent among our citizens. If you wish to see the nation progress, try getting over your personal issues and maybe take an active role in the city you are acting mayor of. The VR and all of our citizens will benefit more from action, than your empty bitter words.

[Nocturne]

"Finally!" The nether beast smiled, "With all the whispers and things going back and forth, I was wondering if some of those whispering would actually stand up and make their voices heard. THAT is how you break out of apathy, by standing up for your beliefs if you haven't heard." He applauded for a brief moment before walking towards the ladies gathered.

"And now that your concern has been voiced, it can be addressed. Despite what assumptions may have been made, this is actually thought on, and elections will be held. Bravia isn't a place where one person holds the keys to the kingdom - proverbial or otherwise. Who would be the first king or queen? Whoever the people elect would be the first King, Queen, President, or whatever term Bravia chooses to use for the leader. This is nothing that is decided for you - You are part of this great Viceroyalty, and you take part in that decision. Being a Monarchy style would change that you would have a 90 day leader elected, and that leader can adjust councilors as needed. It allows swiftness of action in the event a few councilors go idle for a time, without the fun times of throwing Rannek through the windows, as much fun as that was..."

He laughed softly, walking in a slow circle before continuing. "Part of my own interest in this has been the reaction of the people. How many people at this very moment haven't even realized what has been going on in the town? I'll say without naming names that several I spoke with hadn't known that the castle had been revolted. I don't view things like that as public statements. I'd welcome anyone to come in and look, but frankly, I find it does people better to seek knowledge on their own than being spoon-fed such things. You should be interested in what things are going on in your VR and at the same time, you shouldn't be so eager to throw everything out publicly for the safety of your own populace, either.

Alexandria, to address your issues, most specifically the "crap in a handbasket" -- So recently the town hall was besieged by peasants after issues of apathy. The VR was being struck by that same beast when not even 7 of our 10 councilors were fully active at the time, and it was falling apart. I was sanctioned to revolt and to test the defenses of the army. Thus, I used my sanction and revolted when we were low on activity, to aid the VR in the only way that I knew how - getting active people back in places that needed activity. As to the final of your questions, the town was about to be eliminated by the mages once, as you recall. We came in, made adjustments, and it now flourishes as much as any other. That is what the entire Viceroyalty needs - the ability to flourish, for I have faith in our people to do so.

The crimson orbs would turn to Aishe for her comments and questions, "No, it's actually perfect that a concerned citizen should step up and say something. I wondered how long it would take from the start of this, honestly. At least Alex didn't disappoint me, good girl that she is. I've offered on several occasions to show evidence to people, but I'm at the same time not posting open council dealings publically. I'm sure from your experiences elsewhere, you can understand why I feel anyone should be hesitant to do such things." He nodded slowly, "The pros and cons that the council weighed are being put forth as well to the public. I do encourage everyone to consider this, as the monarchy gives us much more flexibility and prevents the inability to act when needed, but the power still rests in the peoples' hands, as it should."

Finally, he would walk around by Amaelianna, whose personality he swore sometimes matched her hair - fiery and bold. "I understand your sentiments, but we all want unity - to bring the country together stronger than before by these things we're taking steps to accomplish. And I do concur that we need more unity and less divisiveness. I could speak the deeds of every member who's served on council this term, placing them in the limelight so that people know what's ongoing. As a matter of fact, let's do that, of both those on elected council, and those placed here for the interim.

"Starting alphabetically, Aishe has made several speeches that have brought up various points that have been discussed amongst council. Akos has worked hard on law reform, so that we can end loopholes and be more efficient with our laws and actions. Alexandria here, actually brought this to the forefront of the discussion, and while I'd hoped a typical citizen would be the one to do so, she has served her people in this aspect. Amaelianna is doing an exceptional job as the Finance Minister in keeping things in progress and preparations for our people to be supplied. Gawain has been a diligent mayor, and a steady reliable rock on the council. Grayson is currently standing by to help as needed as a minister at large. Johnstone has always been there when Bravia needed to call upon him. Kiara has setup several cases as prosecutor during her tenure on council and stepped up to fill the void. Lum has always helped us by holding honor high, and bringing perspective where it is needed. Nikola was Viceroy when I first came to Bravia, but likely has served in about every position on council at this point. Always ready to help as needed, and thinking of the people and how to best serve them. Captain nortad has always been ready to fight for his beliefs, and support the people of Bravia in whatever way necessary. Varann took up the mantle of Viceroy to give Nikola a break for a bit, and allow her and Johnstone to take a much-needed vacation, and served admirably. Willow - another anchorstone of the council with Internal Affairs, keeping us up and running with animals fed and corruption low - Thank you for consistent reliable service. All of you."

He nodded slowly, and seemed to float for a moment to be able to look out among all gathered, "Any who have desire as citizens to see the evidence gathered, feel free to message me, and I shall grant you that what you seek. But to speak of illegality, there needs to be evidence, for we are a country of laws, and accusations without basis are not smiled upon either. Let's come together as one, for Bravia, and bring hope back to this land, with this vigor, we can achieve this."

[Grayson]

Hey Wifey, Be home soon! I am one of those folks that has been sitting in the dark so to speak. I have been traveling back and forth gathering wood and stuff as needed. I did not really know what had happened and I still am some what leery about the whole situation. And like Alex I have questions? My questions will be sent out to the town and Viceroyalty both. 1.) why does it seem that people dont want to step up and take care of the town and surroundings but want to complain about it? or in this scenario say nothing at all? 2.) why is it so hard to get anything done in council as well?

I understand that there is extra work and time in being a Mayor or filling a position on the Council, It has been a while but I have done it. I will be doing so again. So to the town and those involved in our every day affairs we need to run a poll or something that will attract the creatures attention and get them more involved with their homes.

But i would like more on what our options are? What brought on the idea of a monarchy? Why was there a revolt in both the castle and the TH? And were they all sanctioned, If not what is being done about it? more later when i get more info

[Nocturne]

Grayson,

To address yours, I have named that beast Apathy as well. I think it's a demon that's attempting to influence our citizens. I appreciate the hard work you and Alex have both put into the wood gathering, and improving of our homeland. I recall when I was in Fenia on council, and the thought was "Bravia's just going to push it off 'til the next council anyway, takes forever to get even the most simple of things done." That is one thing we need to change. For example, to expect the entire council to come together and vote every time someone wants an assistance package isn't efficient. We need to entrust our elected officials with the ability to just act when they see something that's within their domain. Let the finance minister verify that this person is in fact aiming to do what they're aiming to do, and issue them a check with the same stipulations and laws attached, that they must use it to achieve the goals as set forth.

One reform I would like to do is attach a maximum 3-day window to any deliberation going on unless reason is viewed that it should continue longer, if other things come up, and the viceroy or council could voice that request and move it forward that way. But there is little to no reason that most of things this council has deliberated on, for example, are taking as long as they have. For example, the elected council did vote on the Monarchy issue on July the 16th. Yes, that's almost two weeks ago, and it's just now being pushed to a straw poll to aid the people in getting things done.

There is a bit of extra time and work that goes into a mayoral or council position, but it's nothing that can't be completed rather swiftly in most cases. Working together towards the common good and helping one another along the path when needed are the tenants of what make Bravia great, and there are usually people willing to step in when needed. The Monarchy will give the elected leader the ability to switch out counselors when someone has an emergency and needs a break, the only government form that will do so in that manner - The Republic as it stands has struggled to get 10 people to accept council positions even criers (In the forums and PR channels) and mass communications from mayors of both towns. Monarchy gives a longer time - 90 days instead of 60 days that the republic stands, which also reduces the net costs of running the goverment, miniscule though they may be, and allow counselors to be found to replace people as needed. Nikola will be explaining about other things on this likely tomorrow (RL interference, irony? ).

The revolt in the castle was a sanctioned revolt, to aid the VR when Viceroy Varann needed a break, and we were already down multiple councilors in activity. Most who know me know that I hate leading and prefer to advise from the shadows, but this was a duty entrusted to me, so I acted to fulfill that duty. As to the Town Hall revolts, I'll have to recap, it seems. There hasn't been a revolt since the one at the end of June, when Aishe had a sanctioned revolt to reclaim her place as the rightfully elected mayor of Bravia City. That revolt was Sanctioned by council, as was DarkRose's prior revolt. Ophelia had revolted prior against Aishe and took office without sanction. Ophelia accepted a duel to death against me, and was ejected from office by DarkRose's army's revolt.

Excellent. Please, any other questions?

[Nikola]

Nikola brings a stack of parchments to the meeting and posts them along the castle walls where all can see. She gives the Viceroy a weary smile and steps forward to speak to the gathering crowd.

"There are many rumors, ideas, and what-not being bandied about concerning the vote to consider changing Bravia's style of government from that of a Republic to that of a Monarchy. Much of what I'm hearing is either misinformation or emotional responses to misinformation as well as a knee-jerk reaction to having this brought before the people so soon after the revolt on our castle. I think it would be wise to set the record straight about what exactly a Monarchy is according to the laws handed down from the Mages themselves. To that end I have brought to you the precise definition and explanation of both a Monarchy and a Republic insofar as Secfenia is concerned so that you can learn and compare."

The Monarchy

Table of Contents:
1. The Rite of Succession
2. Authority of the Monarch/Council
3. Responsibilities/Positions
4. Nobility

The Rite of Succession

The Monarchy is governed by the power of the Monarch and their Viceregal Council led by the Viceroy. The Viceregal Council typically may contain 9 additional people plus the Viceroy. They serve at the discretion of the Monarch. A Monarch is selected once every 90 days in the Rite of Succession.

At 30 days until the next Rite of Succession, a person may register to claim the throne. It will require 200 freznics up front. An additional 800 freznics must be raised prior to anyone being able to pledge their loyalty for the candidate.

The pledging of loyalty begins on day 7 and lasts for about a week. Patrons will have their pledge counted twice. At the end of the Rite of Success, the person with the most backing becomes the new Monarch. In the event of a tie, the person who registered first becomes the Monarch.

In the event that the Monarch resigns, a new Rite of Succession will begin.

A Rite of Succession is considered stalled if there is not a single candidate fully paid for by what would be the 7th day. The Rite clock is returned to 8. For each day the Rite is stalled, the corruption will increase. There is also the possibility for each day that the peasants will sabotage the mines or even steal money from the coffers. It's best to avoid stalling a Rite of Succession.

Authority of the Monarch/Council

The Monarch is the executive of the state. They may grant powers to the Council as they see fit. As such, the governing body may select how laws are passed or what procedures may exist.

The Monarch typically is the moderator of the Council chambers and have certain functions in the IG Interface. However, the Monarch may grant special powers or privileges to the Viceroy. These could be any of the below:
- the members of who is in the council chambers in the forums
- the selection/removal of the Rector
- the selection/removal of Council Positions (General, People's Representative, Public Prosecutor, Judge, Finance Minister, Internal Affairs Minister, and Mine Minister)
- moving of the capital

Responsibilities/Positions

Council members should check into the forums and their offices (if they have any) every day. The council's operating functions are split between the various positions. Failure to check in and maintain them may result in various punishments including the reduction of clerical happiness.

Here are some of the responsibilities breakdown:

Viceroy: Can View Entire VR Log, Assign People to Positions
General: Can View Nodes Status
People's Representative: Communication via Polls and Broadcasts
Public Prosecutor: Files Cases in the Court
Judge: Gives Verdict on Cases
Finance Minister: Handle day to day Finances and has access to Fair
Mine Minister: Handle day to day Mine Status
Internal Affairs Minister: Breeds and Feeds Animals; Also in charge of Castle Upgrades

The Monarch/Viceroy may also add additional responsibilities as they see fit.

Nobility

The nobility is a social class distinguished by hereditary or honorary rank that possesses privileges and certain rights not granted to members of other classes in a society. Traditional membership in nobility is highly regulated by a Monarchy.

The noble ranks are (from Highest to Lowest):
Queen/King
Duchess/Duke
Marchioness/Marquess
Countess/Count
Viscountess/Viscount
Baroness/Baron
Lady/Lord

Additional titles may be awarded by the Monarch or their designated representative.

"Once you have taken the time to read through that and absorb what it might mean for Bravia, I point you to the style of government that Bravia currently has in place. Many have a misconception that Republic means democracy. This is not exactly accurate. Yes, there are democratic principles that are incorporated into the way a Republic is run, but a Republic is not inherently a Democracy. Keep that in mind as you read through the rulings handed down through the ages by the Mages themselves concerning Republics."

Election

The Republic is governed by the Viceregal Council and led by the Viceroy. The Viceregal Council typically contains 10 members that are selected by the number of votes that the list they were on received once every 60 days.

At 30 days until next council election, a person may start a list by selecting the Register for Council. It will require 200 freznics up front. An additional 800 freznics must be raised prior to anyone being able to vote for said list. In addition, the list must have the remaining 9 slots filled and confirmed prior to anyone being able to vote for said list.

The voting begins on day 7 and lasts for about a week. Patrons will have their vote counted twice. At the end of the election, each list will win the number of seats associated with the percentage won. The easy way to determine it is take the percentage and move the decimal point to the left.

In the event that someone resigns, the next person from the list that they were on will be on council. In the event that there are no more people left on the list, the spot will be left vacant.

An election is considered stalled if there is not a single list fully confirmed and paid for by what would be the 7th day. The election clock is returned to 8. For each day the election is stalled, the corruption will increase. There is also the possibility for each day that the peasants will sabotage the mines or even steal money from the coffers. It's best to avoid stalling an election.

"Please notice that this system of government is designed for and works best when more than one list runs for Council."

In the event that someone resigns, the next person from the list that they were on will be on council. In the event that there are no more people left on the list, the spot will be left vacant.

"The latter statement describes what has been occurring on Bravia's Councils for years now. Only one list, and that gathered in barely enough time for the elections, or even not gathered until after the elections should have started, meaning offices are left vacant when those Councilors who invariably go silent, die or leave for whatever reason vacate them. This IS a problem, people. A rather significant one."

Viceroy Selection

The Viceroy is determined by the Council within the next two days by a vote. During this time, the government will be in a transitional state with the old councillors in the government offices until the selection is complete.

There can be no ties in this selection. The tie-breaking procedure is as follows:

1) Most Number of Votes
2) Highest Charisma
3) Highest Social Points
4) Highest Intelligence
5) Highest Dexterity
6) Highest Strength
7) Oldest Player

Authority of Council/Viceroy

The Council is the legislative body of the Republic. They may select how laws are passed, what procedures may exist or what powers are granted to the Viceroy.

The Viceroy typically is the moderator of the Council chambers and have certain functions in the IG Interface. However, the council may select procedures or laws regarding how the Viceroy uses them. Some of these functions include:
- the members of who is in the council chambers in the forums
- the selection/removal of the Rector
- the selection/removal of Council Positions (General, People's Representative, Public Prosecutor, Judge, Finance Minister, Internal Affairs Minister, and Mine Minister)
- moving of the capital

Starting with r19, any councilor of the Republic could issue a Vote of Confidence after Day 50 and prior to the list election process. All councilors will be notified who requested the Vote of Confidence and will have slightly over 2 days to put in who they wish as Viceroy. The old Viceroy will stay in power under a new one is selected.

Also added in r19 is the ability for the Viceroy to call for a new election. This allows them to skip the rest of the term and start the list election process. This could be used for councilor inactivity.

"Notice here one of the majority differences between a Republic and a democracy. In a democracy, the legislators would bring a potential new law or decision to the people to be voted on and therefore either denied or ratified. Not so with a Republic. In our current style of government, the Council makes all the decisions and are not required to even seek the will of the people, much less ask for a vote. In this respect, there is little difference between a Republic and a Monarchy."

Responsibilities/Positions

Council members should check into the forums and their offices (if they have any) every day. The council's operating functions are split between the various positions. Failure to check in and maintain them may result in various punishments including the reduction of clerical happiness.

Here are some of the responsibilities breakdown:

Viceroy: Can View Entire VR Log, Assign People to Positions
General: Can View Nodes Status
People's Representative: Communication via Polls and Broadcasts
Public Prosecutor: Files Cases in the Court
Judge: Gives Verdict on Cases
Finance Minister: Handle day to day Finances and has access to Fair
Mine Minister: Handle day to day Mine Status
Internal Affairs Minister: Breeds and Feeds Animals; Also deals with Castle Upgrades

The Council may also add additional responsibilities as they see fit.

"Notice what happens when Councilors fail to fulfill their duties to the Council. Even something as seemingly trivial and simple as failure to check into their office and maintain whatever function is assigned to them may result in various punishments. Clerical happiness may sound trivial, but I can assure you it is not, and the clerical staff, over which we have no control or authority, are very particular about those offices. If they are allowed to become unhappy and this is not remedied quickly, it can cost a lot of freznics to make them happy again, and they will still look for reasons to become unhappy again. This is why we must have active people on Council. People who are capable and willing to log in, eat, work and check their office every day. Ideally they should also participate in discussions, but the clerical staff do not seem to be terribly fussed about that."

Titles

The nobility is a social class distinguished by hereditary or honorary rank that possesses privileges and certain rights not granted to members of other classes in a society. Traditional membership in nobility is highly regulated by a Monarchy.

In the tradition of the Republic, Nobility is not available. However, a Republic may grant a title of honor to a member of their society as a master of their profession or way. The method in which the honor would be bestowed is up to the specific Republic.

"Let us examine and highlight the primary differences between the two styles of government. Remember that in a Republic, the people form one or more groups of 10 people who join together to form what is referred to as "a list". If there is more than one list, the lists determine what ideals their group should stand for so that they can compete with the opposing lists, presumably presenting the people with ideals that will garner votes. I can't even remember a time that Bravia formed more than one list, but I have heard that in long ages past during a more populous period of our history this did occur. We have not the active population for this now. With only one list, there is no need to present a platform of ideals for the people to choose from so typically none is forthcoming and the people have no clue what ideals are represented by those who choose to serve. Essentially the people have no real choice as when only one list runs, all it takes is one vote to win the election. Although a Republic sounds very democratic, in practice the people of Bravia have had no say at all in who governs them for years, unless you count choosing whether to volunteer to join the Council list or not as a choice."

She pauses to give a little time for that to sink in before continuing.

"Let's look at the primary differences between a Monarch and a Viceroy. A monarch is elected by all the people once every 90 days in Rite of Succession. A Viceroy is elected every 60 days by the members of the Council, [/u]not[/u] the people. I can hear you asking about Fenia, whose king has sat his throne for as long as I can remember. I cannot see Bravia ever choosing an absolute monarchy, but rather what some have termed a constitutional monarchy, which would bind the monarch under certain laws and regulations that perhaps do not exist in Fenia. I have not lived in Fenia, nor have I ever served in a Monarchy, so I cannot say for certain from personal experience, but I believe that the concept of a constitutional monarchy is what most appealed to the Council that passed this measure as was required by the mages before presenting it to you, the people."

She pauses again to give a little time for that to sink in before moving on to the full Council.

"The Councils for both Monarchy and Republic are identical. The jobs are the same. The work is the same. The responsibilities are the same. Under both styles of government the leader appoints Councilors into their positions and can move them around from office to office as need dictates. In a monarchy, the leader is the Monarch. In a Republic, the leader is the Viceroy. The primary difference, and this is what sold the Council on the need for this change, is that a Monarch can choose his Council from among the people and when those chosen go missing, need a break or fall silent, the Monarch can remove them and replace them with others from among the people whereas under Republic rule, the Council that is placed every 60 days comprises the ONLY people who can be placed into office and while these people can move from office to office, if they fall silent, retreat, die or whatever, there is no pool of people to pull from. If 10 people enter Council and 4 go missing after the first week, that leaves 6 people to do 8 jobs. This means one or more of those remaining 6 Councillors will be doing more than one job and the Viceroy will be busy moving people around offices every day. This unfortunately happens more often than not here in Bravia and becomes particularly problematic when the Viceroy himself goes missing as has happened in the past.

Remember that the monarch is chosen by all the people whereas the Viceroy is chosen by the Council, not the people. In Bravia with its long history of barely scraping together a single list of 10 creatures per election cycle, this means that the people essentially have NO choice in who their leader is or who does the work of the Province."

Again she pauses for breath and to give a little time for that to sink in before moving on.

"Nobility versus Titles. This means little to some and everything to others. The differences between them can be found in the descriptions written on the parchments I have posted upon the walls for your review. To summarize very briefly, Nobility is regulated by the Monarch and is considered a social class with noble ranks bestowed upon subjects at the whim of the Monarch. Nobility does not exist in a Republic. Rather a Republic rewards achievement with titles such as Master Butcher or Master Priestess for mastering all requirements for that function. This, to most of those involved in the debate and subsequent Council vote, was not a major issue and can certainly be addressed with modifications as needed should we become a monarchy."

She pauses only very briefly to consult her notes before bringing her speech to an end

"This issue has been debated off and on for months over multiple Councils. Our last Council, the one that was replaced when Nocturne overthrew the Castle, finally brought it to a vote. The vote passed in favor of taking the idea of changing our style of government from a Republic to a Monarchy to the people for them to make the final decision so far as Bravia's wishes in the matter. Out of 10 Council members, 6 voted and the vote was unanimous in favor of the change. On 16 July, Council was waiting for it to be brought to the people in the Straw Poll. On 21 July, Ophelia attacked Bravia City’s town hall and threw Aishe out on her arse in an unsanctioned revolt. The process of removing her from office and restoring Aishe as the rightfully elected mayor derailed the plan to bring this to the people for a vote. Other issues, felt to be more important at the time arose from that tragic turn of events and this was nearly forgotten. As the dust finally settled and things calmed down, Councillors began to go quiet again, leaving their posts for other worldly activities or just not remembering to poke their heads into their offices each day. Former Vicereine Varann indicated that she needed a break and after Nocturne assured her that he would provide her with that break and that he would make sure that Bravia was well cared for, she went to visit the monks without resigning her position. A Republic needs its Viceroy to function. Varann left it in Nocturne's care; however, no one can simply step into the role of Viceroy, not even Nocturne, without first overthrowing the castle. This is where things get a little hazy and where much of the anger and resentment has arisen."

She stops, asking for a drink as her throat is now dry from so much speaking. She is also uncomfortable with what needs to be addressed next before she can conclude her speech. A glass of water is provided to her and she drinks gratefully before setting down the glass and consulting the parchments still remaining in her possession. Closing her eyes, she takes a deep intake of breath and lets it out slowly before opening her eyes again to survey the crowd. She tries to smile, but the topic is too serious, has caused too much grief already and she finds she cannot manage it so with a troubled expression she finally speaks again.

“Around the same time as the vote was about to get started on the Monarchy issue, Nocturned requested permission to test Bravia’s defenses by raising an army of his own and attacking one or more of our other armies. The idea at the time was to not only test for weaknesses so that we would know where we needed to bolster strength, but to tactically help people to gain skills through the exercise. He specifically suggested adding revolts on the castle and town to test defenses there. Varann liked the idea as did Akos and Varann suggested going ahead and taking it to a vote.

"This vote never occurred. However, neither did anyone object to the idea, although that alone does not make acting on the idea legitimate. Whatever his faults are, I do believe that Nocturne had the best of intentions for Bravia as a whole. That said, the manner in which he chose to go about giving Varann her requested break and test the castle defenses is what has ignited the storm of protests over the action.

"Nocturne withdrew from the official army stationed outside the castle walls and started his own one-person army. That appears to be so that if his attack failed, heh would be the only one harmed rather than risk damaging any of the creatures serving in the primary army. I should mention that at this time, he also served as Sheriff of Bravia City, so would have been able to set the town defenders to follow whatever function was being done by the castle guard. If the castle guard defended against attack, the town defenders would attack. If the castle guard joined in the revolt, then so would the town militia. Evidence has been presented from multiple sources showing that the town militia joined in the attack on the castle. Nocturne states there was no castle guard when he entered the castle so there was no one to oppose him.

"For those unfamiliar with how revolts work, when the castle is revolted, the entire Council is removed and replaced with whoever happens to be in the Castle. In well planned revolts, new Council members would have been already chosen and be in the army so that everyone would be in Council the moment they entered the castle. Having 10 or more people in the army also increases the odds of a successful revolt. There is no option to keep any or all of the current Council members in place. They all go. So when he entered the castle unopposed, he became the entire Council. He submitted his list of Councilors to the mages for replacement and restored all but two of the Councilors to their positions while adding several additional Councilors to ensure that there was a full contingent of active Councilors on board.

"Once things settled, as much as things can settle amid questions, arguments and debate over “what really happened”, the new Viceroy began pushing through things that had been left undone prior to the revolt. This poll was one of those items. I will agree with many that the timing was probably not the best, making it appear that he was grabbing more ever more power on the heels of his victory. Whether that is the case, or whether he was simply trying to tie up loose ends only time will tell.”

[Akos]

*sighs dramatically*

First, Alex, bravo for bringing this to public attention. Nikola has provided an outstanding explanation of the pros and cons of a monarchy so I'm not going to elaborate on that. I do however have this annoying need to point out inaccuracies when I see them, so I'm just going to point out some basic errors and explain why they are errors.

And as a matter of clearing up another issue, Aishe, continuing to call Nocturne's actions illegal, will only continue to cause dissent among our citizens. If you wish to see the nation progress, try getting over your personal issues and maybe take an active role in the city you are acting mayor of. The VR and all of our citizens will benefit more from action, than your empty bitter words.

Much confusion still stands from lack of public statement of Nocturne's seemingly illegal revolt of the castle.

Note the use of the word "Seemingly". It's an important one to take notice of because on a lot of fronts - most importantly the legal front - it does in fact appear to have been an illegal revolt.

Why do I say this? Well, let's take it one step at a time shall we?

But to speak of illegality, there needs to be evidence, for we are a country of laws, and accusations without basis are not smiled upon either. Let's come together as one, for Bravia, and bring hope back to this land, with this vigor, we can achieve this."

Unfortunately, there IS evidence. Let's take a look at the laws:

Article one related specifically to treason and it is this section that is most relevant here:

Further treasonous prohibitions may be defined as:

1.Revolt of a Republic town hall or the Republic's castle without written authorization from the legally elected council & legally elected viceroy.

The issue here, regardless of whether Varann offered her personal authorisation, is that legally, authorisation must come from both the council as a whole and the Viceroy.

There are a couple of other sections that are relevant and would result in their own charges, but for the sake of length and everyone's sanity I will leave it to this one (unless you'd like me to elaborate). In doing so, I would also like to point out that I too sincerely believe that Nocturne was acting with the absolute best of intentions, it's just that these actions conflicted with the current set of laws. Laws that Nocturne and I have spent much time revising and editing so that situations like the one we are in won't happen again.

However, in all of these we are also limited in one other key area - once again a legal limitation.

Addendum dated December 3, 1650

Only legally elected councilors have the authority to change laws by a simple majority vote.

This addendum to the laws essentially hamstrings the new council as it stands now, and appropriately there has been much debate about how to proceed due to this. Discussions are taking place this moment about how to move forward in a way that ensures the legality of the council so that we can govern effectively for all.

[Nocturne]

Indeed, Akos, let's do take note of the word seemingly. I thought we were past this issue, but it seems otherwise. As a nation of laws, that seemingly would be everywhere, and apply to everyone, not just me, right? Yet it wasn't, it was plastered over town, up until the last day of the mayoral election, and you haven't said a word about it. There are other things that are equally disturbing, but this is a place to discuss the poll. New elections will be held soon - and be they monarchy or republic is the concern here, whereas most of the rightfully elected council feels that a Monarchy will best serve the Viceroyalty as a whole.

This is politicizing an event, which sat as the mayor's message from the time of the sanctioned revolt up until today, so this will be the last time I address such.



While there is much else that can be discussed, this isn't the place for it. So please, focus here on the meeting and questions that were asked, regarding the monarchy. If you feel a law has been broken, then by all means, FOLLOW THE LAW rather than bicker. Take it to the public prosecutor. I've stated on multiple occasions that I will do as such when the evidence is fully gathered and I"m not focusing on the Xanthareel problem, because the safety of the citizens, not a mistake by her former mayor, is my priority. Back on topic.

[Akos]

Oh, but Noct, as a politician I find it to be my responsibility to be as long winded and irritatingly pedantic as possible! It's easy to politicise a thing when everything is politics!


Rest assured though, I did specifically answer a question that was asked:

Why was there a revolt in both the castle and the TH? And were they all sanctioned, If not what is being done about it?

Do you think ice cream comes in a political flavour? I wonder if it's called 'the tears of everyone'. Sounds delicious!