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Welcome to The Cave of Dragonflies forums, where the smallest bugs live alongside the strongest dragons.
Guests are not able to post messages or even read certain areas of the forums. Now, that's boring, don't you think? Registration, on the other hand, is simple, completely free of charge, and does not require you to give out any personal information at all. As soon as you register, you can take part in some of the happy fun things at the forums such as posting messages, voting in polls, sending private messages to people and being told that this is where we drink tea and eat cod.
Of course I'm not forcing you to do anything if you don't want to, but seriously, what have you got to lose? Five seconds of your life?
Recaptured and demoralised, Admin Ein has formally surrendered to the Wayfarers, agreeing to cooperate with the party and provide what intelligence he can on Alexander, provided the party guarantees his safety.
As for the eastern division of Cipher, Ein will help the party infiltrate Terminal One... on the condition that the Wayfarers will support his bid to coup what remains of his organisation.
"I will return to Earth, and seal the breach to Forlas. You need never see me again."
"C'monnn, it's not like I care what happens to those tryhard losers up at #TerminalOne. The whole reason I was even with Cipher was because all the goody-two-shoes labs wouldn't let me science hard enough because of ethics or whatever."
Having gotten to know the city of Novelux, the Wayfarers have now heard of the following regional Mystery Dungeons...
Glass Caldera
Further up the coast of Lake Cobalt, the sand turns black and shiny – volcanic glass, worn smooth over generations. It doesn't take more than a few decades for obsidian to wear down this way, but a little further inland, one can find the source of new black-glass sand: an ancient caldera, riven long ago into a mystery dungeon. It's pretty tame, as spacetime rifts go, and something of a tourist attraction. One can make a bit of money escorting visitors with no battle experience to the deeper layers! Apparently, some 'mon see things if they go far enough in. The fiery blood of the earth welling from wounds in the crust, smoke filling the sky... Visions of millennia past?
Quartz Forest
Another fairly tame one, this is an ancient grove of fossilised trees. Most are pearly stumps, looking more like semiprecious gemstone formations than long-dead flora, but heading deeper into the rift reveals the ghostly imprint of a prehistoric forest, and some truly ancient wild pokémon species. The dominant native demographic, the lapine-majority tribe known as the Taleska Nation, hold this dungeon sacred, and some still choose to bury their dead with the fossil stumps as headstones. Would-be delvers will need to get permits from the Nation in order to enter, and it costs a dear price to remove an opalescent souvenir. (Usually a few hundred Commonwealth dollars.)
Trembling Weft
A living 'forest', this is not a community of trees, but a single, clonal colony of trembling aspens. The entire dungeon is a single organism, and it is one that takes poorly to mistreatment by battling delvers. Deceptively plain, the perimeter of the Weft is ringed by traditional Taleska fences and modern Noveluxian signage warning of a hostile rift. The Weft is downright uncanny in the extreme to explore, each tree less and less dissimilar to its neighbours, making navigation increasingly difficult. It's also, more straightforwardly, full of hostile wild pokémon and rift phantasms.
Rustwork Refinery
The archetypal 'haunted' or 'cursed' dungeon, if there ever was one. This industrial complex on the outskirts of Novelux was shuttered years ago after mismanagement and an appalling safety record made it the focus of a budding, re-emerging rift it had the karmic misfortune to be built over. After it became a dungeon, it took several full weeks before it was considered sufficiently unprofitable and enough of a PR disaster to actually close the facility. Reeking of oil, metal, and blood, the Rustworks is crawling with hostile phantasms. A public safety ordinance instructs all but the most adept professional delvers from entering, and its former owners are said to still spend their soiled dollars on keeping it out of the press.
Ghost Town, N/A
Not all Commonwealth settlements thrive. This one had the misfortune of being built in the shallows of a subterranean mystery dungeon, which eventually absorbed it entirely – its name and address now stricken from all records, it has acquired the darkly comical moniker of 'Ghost Town, N/A'. It belongs to no state. The town's structures still stand, dragged beneath the surface, and lit by eerie, unattended gaslight lamps. Boardwalks and unglamorous, rickety bridges provide a surface to walk on, underneath which is a river that has taken on the orderly look of a canal, complete with weirs and locks. It's a strange sight – frontier-style wooden buildings in sunless tunnels, signs declaring BANK and GENERAL GOODS and POST OFFICE to nobody in particular, and a persistent echo of pawsteps and shallow breaths that lingers longer than is comfortable. Its only residents are rift phantasms, and cave-dwelling wild 'mon.
Whisperwind Comb
Supposedly the most dangerous of the regional dungeons, and certainly the most obscure, this one is often outright unlisted in most literature about the topic. Still, the Comb does exist, and is even evoked sometimes by the Taleska when they swear. The Comb is a lattice of caves in the hills to the south of Novelux, marked by calcite fins and 'boxwork' lattices of stone in honeycomb-like patterns. The deeper caves are filled with whispering sounds that could well be just the wind, but are said by the superstitious to be the voices of ghosts, or even of the dungeon itself. Deeper inside, those interlopers who return report being toyed with by the rift, either being turned around by wildly volatile floorplans, experiencing horrific hallucinations, or worse. Taleska folklore instructs visitors to enter strictly in pairs, if they enter at all.
There are also rumours that the Novelux Duel Dome uses a 'fool's dungeon' as a means of expanding its interior dimensions, creating different arena environments, and other strange but useful purposes...
The archetypal 'haunted' or 'cursed' dungeon, if there ever was one. This industrial complex on the outskirts of Novelux was shuttered years ago after mismanagement and an appalling safety record made it the focus of a budding, re-emerging rift it had the karmic misfortune to be built over. After it became a dungeon, it took several full weeks before it was considered sufficiently unprofitable and enough of a PR disaster to actually close the facility. Reeking of oil, metal, and blood, the Rustworks is crawling with hostile phantasms. A public safety ordinance instructs all but the most adept professional delvers from entering, and its former owners are said to still spend their soiled dollars on keeping it out of the press.
Some Wayfarers have chosen to explore Rustwork Refinery, aka 'the Rustworks'.
If all goes well, this dungeon in Novelux's industrial district would make for a conveniently positioned anchor for one of Betel's fast-travel waypoints, close to downtown and the wharf. However, it is crawling with hostile phantasms – common species include Gurdurr, Diggersby, Varoom, Durant, Heatmor, and Coalossal. What's more, the very environment itself is full of rickety, capricious echoes of the industrial environment, with mezzanines, conveyor belts, smelting furnaces, and other remnants all being liable to present an environmental hazard. Watch your step.
How will the Wayfarers approach their expedition to the Rustworks?
Solid participant responses and a party-wide investment of 50 Rare Candy will secure Rustwork Refinery as a new Waypoint!
Nova primarily equips his Water Drive and has a combination of Iron Defense, Rebellious Soul, and Multi-Attack to deal with the fire and ground-type phantasms, while also using Follow Me and the occasional King's Shield to draw attention away from whoever's accompanying him. He also tries to use the water element to cool off furnaces and other heat-based machinery that threaten to cause problems. And with his overall large frame, he offers to carry smaller Wayfarers over obstacles with large, leaping bounds or by using his chitinous claws to climb along areas where it's safe to.
Of course he brings some berries and elixirs to keep his strength up.
Before preparations to head to Novelux, Koa spends a good portion his remaining few days around the Monastery hanging out with Shira. If its not training, or touring the area, he happens to find himself hanging around while she's on guard duty, just to chat or keep watch.
A friend and sparring partner on Forlas isn't so bad. Fighting with her reminds him of home, in a good way.
He would also try to seek out some of the other monks, see what they can tell him about using Radiance, and while he regrets not being able to stay longer and learn properly, spar or train a bit more with fighting techniques.
In order to get better at dungeon delving, Koa accompanies the team into the Rustworks (Training can't hurt either, maybe this will be the time he evolves please). Coping with the ground-types isn't very fun, but he's been experimenting with Rain Dance and Hidden Power for opponents that resist his electricity. That plus tactful applications of his martial prowess helps with rock-types, and speed and timing help him evade the worst of blows.
It does pique his curiosity to see how the dungeons has shaped the mechanical parts of the dungeon, and he's no stranger to poking around hazardous and tricky terrain, thanks to both his time here and his time as a trainer. And there's nothing like a few well-used orbs to navigate through a rough patch or distract a tough opponent.
Frontier Town's next mayoral-gubernatorial election is now underway!
While some towns have mayors with purely ceremonial roles, or whose political power is checked and balanced by other positions, not so for Frontier Town! The settlement's position as by far the largest municipality in the Soja' (and being fairly remote from a Commonwealth embattled by other domestic concerns and a contentious foreign policy) makes it practically synonymous with the frontier itself. In fact, the mayor is not only the town's political executive, but also the de jure Governor General of the Sohavenia Territory!
Besides being a public figure, the mayor may set policy; pass, amend, or veto legislation; appoint judges and sheriffs; issue business charters to corporations; raise and command a lawful militia; and declare war. Naturally, this makes this election quite important, not just to townies, but to all citizens in the Territory. There are no limitations on who can run for office, although many locals will voice their distaste for carpetbaggers from out of state.
In the Soja', those born in the Territory may vote, so long as they are of voting age. (This is usually 21, with exceptions for married heads of households and any who serve in the Rangers or the Commonwealth Army.) Otherwise, you must have been a continuous resident for at least five years (or two years, if you own property locally). Foreign nationals and convicted outlaws are also prohibited from voting. All you need do is go in person to Frontier Hall, sign the electoral register, fill out your ballot, and vote! ...There's just the small matter of the poll tax, a nominal $1 fee to cover the costs of running an election.
Naturally, many 'mon are either unable or unwilling to make the journey from out of town, can't afford the poll tax worth a day's wages, haven't lived locally long enough to qualify, have a previous conviction, or lack the basic literacy to sign their name. Despite more than a thousand 'mon in Frontier Town, and thousands more in the wider Territory, only a few hundred are likely to vote on election day.
After some debate among the town council, acting mayor Lucien Voclain has determined that the Wayfarers, having never set foot outside the Commonwealth – are considered to have been 'born' in the Sohavenia Territory. That means you get to vote. And with such a small electorate, your votes may constitute a key swing demographic...
The Candidates
Whimsicott Cal Greasewood
Frontier Party
Home State: Sojavenia
"Politics can't be dismissed as the pasttime of a powerful few. It belongs to everyone who has a stake in society – and there's not a one of us who doesn't have that."
Cal Greasewood is best-known as the proprietor and principle barkeep of the Sun Stone Saloon, in the middle of town. It is widely said that he is already among the most influential local 'mon, and he enjoys some additional name recognition (and public approval) for his opposition to disgraced former mayor Ignatius Voclain. He may face scrutiny for an estrangement from his relatives, and a related irregularity over the Sun Stone's property deed, but is otherwise considered respectable.
The new 'Frontier Party' is a reaction to recent political upheaval, calling for a 'new politics of the west' and for citizens to take responsibility for their governance. What this means in practice is a subject of fierce discourse, but members and advocates agree on the principles of civic duty, personal liberty, and independence from federal control. In other respects, the Frontier Party is somewhere between the establishment Charter and Concord parties on the traditional political spectrum.
Greasewood is running on a fiscally moderate platform favouring limited government and modest political reform, but notably has a strong anticorruption plank. Transparency and integrity are a key theme of his campaign.
Floragato Sonora del Sur
Independent
Home State: Tenacinde
"The difference between banditry and banking is in the letter of the law, not moral rightness. There's plenty wrong done that's still 'legal', and I mean to change that."
Sonora is most known as the leader of local gang 'Las Picaras', once wanted for highway robbery. She and her gang have received full pardons from Mayor L. Voclain after it was revealed that her actions were in the public interest, and led to the rescue of several abducted citizens. Public sentiment on Floragato del Sur is mixed, with some calling her a common criminal, while others reverently describe her as a kind of folk hero.
The former outlaw insists she is running not for protest votes, but as a serious candidate. She has no political experience, but as she puts it, she's "spent enough years wrangling rogues to know how to be a leader of 'mon". Her eclectic proposals include total government transparency, abolishing the poll tax, antitrust statutes, workers' rights laws, and the establishment of a state orphanage.
Del Sur's campaign emphasises her charisma and her biography as a vindicated vigilante, reconciling her background with her anti-corruption platform by framing herself as a protector of the vulnerable.
Stoutland Minerva Whetmore
Concord Party
Home State: Alexandria
"Grand promises and catchy slogans certainly inspire the heart, but real governance demands patience, dedication, and a willingness to compromise. Pragmatism may not be popular, but it is pragmatists that get things done."
Minerva Whetmore is a career politician, with many years of experience at the local and state level, and more recently as a representative – and later senator – in the Commonwealth Assembly. She has a pristine public record and has achieved high approval ratings in her home state of Alexandria for her diligence and attentiveness to her constituents' concerns. Townies describe her as respectful, stoic, and even-tempered, and as having a limitless patience for critics, children, and crackpots.
As a lifelong member of the Concord Party, Stoutland Whetmore is running on the party line of law and order, deregulation of private businesses, and stable, principled government. In these strange times, many in Frontier town would welcome "less crime, less chaos, and less overreach", even as others view a potential influx of corporate interests with more wariness. As a faithful Aeonite, Whetmore stands especially firm on the safeguarding of "travellers, transients and traders" in the tradition of Latias and Latios, and has pledged to secure the continental rail route, even if it requires military action against outlaws and quarrelsome clans.
The senator faces criticism for being a carpetbagger – an establishment figure from out of state, seeking office in an area she's never even visited and where she has no connections. Whetmore has stated that she believes Sohavenia is in dire need of real political acumen, and that as a recent widow, she is looking to leave Alexandria behind her and put down new roots, in the pioneering tradition.
Sneasler S. V. Arpagone
Progressive Conservative Liberal Reform Party
Home State: Yes
"I know what the people know! And the people know that establishment politics have failed!"
Mr. 'SV' Arpagone is something of an enigma. A recent appearance in local politics, he is keen to discuss his political career and experience as a Governor, but it's unclear where exactly he was Governor of... Perhaps he hails from the northern tundra, to which sneasel are native? In any case, Arpagone is a 'unique' personality, prone to bold declarations and sweeping appeals to populist sentiment. When asked about his party – of which he is founder, treasurer, candidate, and sole member – he claims to represent all voters, whatever their beliefs. He has yet to explain how he can reconcile antithetical ideologies, but this does not in any way diminish his enthusiasm on the campaign trail.
Arpagone's platform includes repealing mayoral term limits, giving the mayor responsibility for certification of election results, and raising a territorial militia that would be personally loyal to the mayor. His policies don't seem to have to do with anything besides his own naked grab for power, but those who've listened to his stump speech sure seem to think he's a good public speaker...
Mr. Arpagone would like the Gazette to add that he is offering secreterial positions to anyone who helps get him elected.
Machoke Dayle
Mental Security Party
Home State: Sohavenia
"We must secure the First Frontier – the mind of the thinking citizen!"
Famed conspiracy theorist and local crank Machoke Dayle is a patrol 'mon with many years of experience in the town watch. Candidate Dayle is running on a single, top-priority policy, and that policy is the "security and liberty" of one's mind and thoughts from the "Psychics that secretly run the world". (The Gazette cannot verify the existence of such a faction at the time of writing.)
Machoke Dayle believes that there are great superpowers hidden from the public eye that hold great Psychic sway over the populace. As mayor, he promises to dedicate a significant fraction of the town's resources into researching and combating powerful psychic forces so people can be safe from mental invasions, manipulations, and other malevolent machinations of the "Secret Class".
He is expected to receive a non-zero percentage of the vote.
Maushold F. T. R. & M. van de Huizen
House Party
Home State: Landsverd
"Je kunt de politiek opgeven. Je kunt thuisblijven en tegen jezelf zeggen: er zal toch niets ten goede veranderen. Maar juist die houding verhindert echte vooruitgang."
Frontier Town has never had a polycephalous mayor before, let alone a many-bodied one, but there is no law that specifically prohibits a Maushold colony from running for office. Which is exactly what they are doing. Running for office, that is.
Maushold van de Huizen are originally from east Landsverd, where they helped run a successful agricultural co-op, but moved west several years ago with several other Maus colonies to establish a hostel for migrants and seasonal workers. Traveller's Haus has since become an important and well-regarded enterprise in town.
It's unclear what specific policy proposals they have in mind, but one can surmise they support... small businesses and family values?
Prinplup Lucien Voclain (not running)
Charter Party
Home State: Sohavenia
"I have no wish to follow in the tracks of my predecessor. I wish only to be a public servant for howsoever long as I am fit for that use."
Although the son of former mayor Ignatius has issued repeated, emphatic statements to the Frontier Gazette that he is not in the running for the mayoral seat, his time as acting mayor has been received very favourably by citizens. His deft diplomatic management of the so-called Shadow Scandal and rising tensions with the Escarpa Clan have drawn considerable praise in the press, and despite his father's ruined reputation, voters report high job approval for the younger Voclain and would welcome a continuation of his policies. Voclain should expect to receive a large number of (unwelcome) write-in votes!
The Charter Party is one of the two establishment political parties in the Commonwealth, favouring strong federal institutions, codified rights and responsibilities, and public development programs. If formally elected (against his will), Lucien is expected to support the popular Charterist platform of state-financed infrastructure projects, meritocratic egalitarianism, and economic interventionism. Just, without the corruption this time...
Perhaps if he were to endorse another candidate, his votes would go their way instead?
Upon hearing of the various factors limiting the number of people able to vote in the polls, Ridley pitches the idea to the Wayfarers of setting up a fund designed to help people out with paying the poll tax and obtaining transport to the poll station. They can't do much about most of the problems non-voters face, but if they can give more of a voice to the people who'd usually struggle to vote, then that's a good thing, right? Maybe they can leverage their heroes-from-another-world status to convince wealthier inhabitants of Frontier Town to chip in for the fund.
Ridley also approaches Sonora to ask whether she'd be open to supporting another candidate in return for some position of political power after the election's over. He makes it clear that he likes her platform and in an ideal world he'd vote for her, but he thinks that both her current lack of political experience and the public perception of her as a criminal are serious hindrances to her chances. He doesn't think she has much hope of winning this election, but if she takes the time to gain more experience and improve her public image, he thinks she might be able to win the next one. It would be very easy to lie and frame her more radical proposals as being due to her inexperience, with the idea that giving her more political experience would cause her to settle down and adopt more conventional views, when in actuality she'd be getting a position which she could use to start pushing the changes she wants. Would she be willing to compromise short-term in return for a stronger long-term position?
(Ridley has also floated this idea to the other Wayfarers, but he thinks it's pointless trying to have any kind of debate about it before they've even checked whether it's something Sonora would be willing to do.)
With election day rapidly approaching, and various campaigns in full swing, Lucien has begun to fret about whether he should run after all.
As a non-candidate, he's safely out of consideration for actually winning the race.
41% M. Whetmore (Cncrd)
26% C. Greasewood (Frntr)
9% S. del Sur (Indpt)
7% L. Voclain (Chrtr)
4% S. V. Arpagone (PCLR)
2% F. T. R. & M. van de Huizen (House)
1% Dayle (MenSe)
(10% undecided)
But when those same voters are asked how they'd vote if he was on the ballot...
"Steven, Steven— Look, would you look at this–? If I were the candidate, if I were running, the Gazette poll shows me getting... Saints, I'd be up four or five points against Whetmore. It'd preserve all the work we've doing, the policies, the accord with the Escarpa, everything—"
44% L. Voclain (Chrtr)
39% M. Whetmore (Cncrd)
8% C. Greasewood (Frntr)
3% S. del Sur (Indpt)
Outside of the dream encounter, Ghaspius had all but disappeared from the public eye for days. He had quit his job at Drungfield's and left behind nearly all of his equipment alongside him. He returned, unceremoniously, after some time, and merely shrugging and saying, "I'm doin' what I love now for Novelux!" without much further explanation. Those with a keen sense of smell would detect salt clinging to his cloth alongside the faintest hint of chloroamine.
Still, when the poll fund was brought up, Ghaspius suddenly and enthusiastically pitched in. "Everyone deserves to have their voice be heard!" he declared, uncharacteristically strong in his conviction, "Get as many 'mon on board as y'all can! I'll even help pay for train tickets and carriages if they need 'em!" His gemstones glittered with vigor. Did his new job really let him afford to be so careless with his spending? If asked about his own stance, he immediately would say that he's voting for Sonora, but it seemed that he could be easily persauded to go along with what the other Wayfarers could potentially be planning.
Ghaspius then asks Betel if it's possible to translate what the House Party has been saying, and if so, he decides to write them a letter to try to meet with them in person and ask what their policies are.
I have given this some consideration, and I believe that unless a world's laws of death and afterlife provided some exception, the dead are not summoned when called across the Astral Plains. Consider that if that were at all probable, that most heroic spirits would be deceased in their home worlds, as surely most souls to ever live have already passed away.
However, that does not mean it is impossible, or for a soul released from mortal housing to be summoned from some liminal existence, between life and death.
Or... shortly before death. Perhaps even as they are dying.
Steven, I feel I must tell you this. I must let you know that your soul bears some indicators of one who has... already begun to die.
Somehow, Steven didn't think being the assistant to the temporary acting mayor was the reason he was summoned to Forlas, nor would have volunteered to do so if he had known ahead of coming here. But he didn't regret his choice to stay behind in Frontier Town and help. Because as much as he despised paperwork, in some ways it felt... good knowing that the countless hours spent pouring over documents and files and assisting Lucien with meetings and greetings and all sorts of arrangements was all for progress. Progress towards making the lives of the people in Sojavena better. And wasn't that what he'd been summoned here to do?
And now the election was here. Weeks of preparation in getting everything in place for Frontier Town to finally have a say in its governance. They'd waited for years, being ground beneath the elder Voclain's heel, and now his son was working tirelessly to usher the town into a new era.
Lucien said:
"Steven, Steven— Look, would you look at this–? If I were the candidate, if I were running, the Gazette poll shows me getting... Saints, I'd be up four or five points against Whetmore. It'd preserve all the work we've doing, the policies, the accord with the Escarpa, everything—"
Steven peered at the paper clutched in Lucien's proffered flipper, and let out a small chime of surprise.
"Would you look at that," he said. "A testament to the kind of person you are, and shows all of the work you've put in to shed your father's legacy has paid off."
He regarded Lucien with a warm smile. "You're your own 'mon, now."
You're free.
But Lucien didn't seem to share in the same joy. For some reason he looked almost more anxious with this newfound knowledge. Steven took the Gazette page from Lucien, and folded it so that the Prinplup could no longer see the numbers, before regarding him with a firm gaze.
"It might be what the people want, but is it what you want?"
Gladion's interested in bugging Sierra about a few things. He suspects that current events aren't entirely unrelated to the entropic crisis. He's willing to back that idea up with anything Betel's willing to let him share from Lumirror, and won't be remiss to point out that Betel's testing and the arrival of Starr seem to line up. (He also knows from Powehi that too many offworlders are bad for stability, it’s why the Wayfarers all have to be temporary.)
Whatever he asks is likely to boil down to two main questions:
“So. Do you mind telling me what caused your Entropic Crisis? Because whether it’s connected or unrelated, someone might be gearing up to cause another one. Or, they were at least trying to set themselves up to do so? I’m not sure.”
Betel is fine with Gladion relating that stuff to other people.
Sierra relates her take on the crisis, and in some ways is the best 'mon to tell the story, having been one of the pair who dealt with it. On the other paw, she can be laconic, and waves off some of the details.
"The same hubris that is harbinger of all the worst things the world witnesses. A proud fool who thought he could take power from dead gods and make himself immortal. The world sickens at such things. The dungeons are as a fever to a sick body, or as a pearl to a grain inside a river clam."
It would seem a power-hungry 'mon used a Saintly Relic to exert control over parts of the Soja' some decades ago, and in doing so, he spurred the rapid expansion of mystery dungeons. The critical tipping point came as he tried to create a Divine Dungeon of his own, which Sierra scaled with Jesse, to 'cut him down'.
“What was up with the Coven during that? Because they’re the only group I can think of with the power to clear Starr, Jesse, and Brisa off the board. Unless you know of anyone else like that.”
Sierra shrugs, and tells Gladion that fighting all three of those 'mon at once would require substantial strength, along with opportunity and good fortune. Perhaps only the Coven could accomplish that.
This certainly lines up with what you've learned since.
He doesn’t have anything of substance to say to Halcón at the moment, but Gladion’ll also say hi if he sees him. He pop doesn’t want to bug the guy too much but is still interested in sparring more. (Gladion’s just always interested in that. I don’t think anyone has called him a battleheart aloud yet but when he hears that it’s gonna click with him.)
Upon returning to Frontier Town, Koa catches wind of the election situation. He's very excited at first to hear Sonora is a candidate, but figures he should get to know her a little better first, even though he trusts her fairly well after their times talking.
After working up the nerve (and mentally rehearsing some questions) he tries to catch her when she's not too busy and buy her a drink (thats what they do in the TV shows, right?) and see what her plans are as mayor. He skips straight to questions; small talk isn't his forte.
Still, he ends up asking first about legendaries Saints. "What do you think of Saints? Some of them Like to make trouble or pick a fight but some are cool, and they're important..." They may not be his worlds legends but they're important to Forlas apparently; would she honor that? Even really annoying ones like the Cyclone?
"So... how do you feel about the Escarpa and the railroad being built? Would you be willing to talk with them?" Truthfully, Koa doesn't know how to feel about the railroad, but he is curious if Sonora is the kind of mon who would hear others out.
"...What would you do about nuisance criminals like those Impidimps that were causing trouble awhile ago, or dangerous ones?" Sonora might be okay in his book but his distaste for petty thievery and hardened criminals remains... He hopes to get a sense for how she'll deal with them in general.
"What's your opinion on Lucien, by the way? Do you trust him?" he doesn't say it but deep down he's thinking 'Do you judge someone for his actions or for his heritage?' How does she judge a mon in general? He also wants to get her opinion on the other candidates. "What about Greasewood?"
Koa hears about Ridley's plan of a voting fund and is happy to help contribute to it, provided everyone finds the idea solid. This situation is not like his own world so he wants to be sure they don't cause problems.
Ridley's concern that Sonora may not even be able to win at all irks Koa though, but he keeps his thoughts to himself. Maybe Ridley has a point... This political stuff is outside the norm for Koa but he still recognizes there's a practicality to it. Not everyone would be quick to forgive Sonora. Still, he feels like Sonora has earned the chance to try and do some good, and he wants to help her....
Some time later he returns to Sonora and asks if she'd ever consider being Sheriff (sheriff's are sick, and she did help them stop Cipher, and she's pretty strong...). Mostly it's a bit of a passing idea though, he admits he doesn't know how likely it is, just that he wants to help and he believes in her.
And given all the chaos lately the town could probably use someone...
Ridley pitches the idea to the Wayfarers of setting up a fund designed to help people out with paying the poll tax and obtaining transport to the poll station. Maybe they can leverage their heroes-from-another-world status to convince wealthier inhabitants of Frontier Town to chip in for the fund.
Ghaspius suddenly and enthusiastically pitched in. "Everyone deserves to have their voice be heard! Get as many 'mon on board as y'all can! I'll even help pay for train tickets and carriages if they need 'em!"
An informal fund is soon created by interested Wayfarers to pay for the costs of travel for 'mon living distantly from the polling locations. Transport is arranged for several communities that would otherwise have no participation. Previously disinterested residents of outlying counties are soon paying attention to the race, and murmurings ensue about the unfairness of the current polling procedure.
The new voters could go for anyone, but the good impression left by the Wayfarers might influence a few of the most attentive...
Ridley also approaches Sonora to ask whether she'd be open to supporting another candidate in return for some position of political power after the election's over. He makes it clear that he likes her platform and in an ideal world he'd vote for her, but he thinks that both her current lack of political experience and the public perception of her as a criminal are serious hindrances to her chances. He doesn't think she has much hope of winning this election, but if she takes the time to gain more experience and improve her public image, he thinks she might be able to win the next one. It would be very easy to lie and frame her more radical proposals as being due to her inexperience, with the idea that giving her more political experience would cause her to settle down and adopt more conventional views, when in actuality she'd be getting a position which she could use to start pushing the changes she wants. Would she be willing to compromise short-term in return for a stronger long-term position?
Sonora isn't looking for a lecture on how to moderate her stances, or on the electability of former outlaws. She knows she's not likely to win, but she wants to push other candidates towards her positions, and change what's considered 'moderate' by comparison. She also sincerely believes in what she's saying.
"Fella, I know I ain't gonna be mayor. Not even if I bullshit. But I ain't gonna bullshit nobody, neither. If all as comes of this is that folks see these kindof ideas've got some support, that'll be enough fer me."
Having said that, she quite likes the idea of having some other office or responsibility...
"Guess I never gave that any thought. It's not like the sheriff's elected or nothin'."
In speaking with her, Ridley establishes that law enforcement is Sonora's particular concern, and that the rest of her policies are largely a more esoteric, less technocratic version of Greasewood's platform.
Ghaspius then asks Betel if it's possible to translate what the House Party has been saying, and if so, he decides to write them a letter to try to meet with them in person and ask what their policies are.
The van der Huizens are perfectly literate, and provide a helpful letter of remarks for Ghaspius regarding their positions. (In-person, they are only fluent in Meernish, a language almost nobody speaks locally, and Betel is helplessly unable to autotranslate hiveminds like the Maus.)
The letter is somewhat of a hodgepodge of pet issues and vague idealism, but a discernable House Party platform is buried in there too. It seems they're more or less a labour party, favouring strong guilds – particularly for hospitality and artisans – and workers' rights.
They also believe in a quite specific economic ideology, which calls for 'a single tax assessed on land value', and the 'return of surplus revenue as a citizen's dividend'... which they have significant trouble explaining to Ghaspius. In any case, their appeal to their supporters seems to come down largely to working-middle class economic discontent.
"Would you look at that. A testament to the kind of person you are, and shows all of the work you've put in to shed your father's legacy has paid off. You're your own 'mon, now."
You're free.
"It might be what the people want, but is it what you want?"
"You're... right, of course, Steven. Thank you. I suppose one could hope for less than to be popular as one exits his political office, no? Aha..."
Lucien will not be running for mayor. Some of his write-in supporters eventually get the message, and their votes move elsewhere – largely to Greasewood for those wanting a trustworthy local face, and to Whetmore for voters who want a moderate, establishment candidate with real experience.
43% M. Whetmore (Cncrd)
28% C. Greasewood (Frntr)
9% S. del Sur (Indpt)
5% S. V. Arpagone (PCLR)
4% F. T. R. & M. van de Huizen (House)
3% L. Voclain (Chrtr)
1% Dayle (MenSe)
(7% undecided)
"What do you think of Saints? Some of them Like to make trouble or pick a fight but some are cool, and they're important..." They may not be his worlds legends but they're important to Forlas apparently; would she honor that? Even really annoying ones like the Cyclone?
"The Saints are the Saints, my friend. They'll do what they will, and he's a fool as thinks he can give a god a court date."
"So... how do you feel about the Escarpa and the railroad being built? Would you be willing to talk with them?" Truthfully, Koa doesn't know how to feel about the railroad, but he is curious if Sonora is the kind of mon who would hear others out.
"I've wondered if'n I got more in common with clanner civvies than with the great an' the good of town. Ain't got nothin' 'gainst 'em. Didn't much care if that railroad ever got built, t'be honest with ya – 't'weren't my capital that paid fer it."
"...What would you do about nuisance criminals like those Impidimps that were causing trouble awhile ago, or dangerous ones?" Sonora might be okay in his book but his distaste for petty thievery and hardened criminals remains... He hopes to get a sense for how she'll deal with them in general.
"Impidimp ain't just pickpockets, they're bullies. There's a diff'rence between pinchin' pennies and hurtin' folks. They're where they oughta be, in the lockup.
"Dangerous ones? Depends if they wanna do it the hard way."
She says it nonchalantly. It makes Koa wonder if Sonora has ever killed a 'mon.
"Not yet, I haven't. But y'can't sign on as sheriff thinkin' it'll never happen."
"What's your opinion on Lucien, by the way? Do you trust him?" he doesn't say it but deep down he's thinking 'Do you judge someone for his actions or for his heritage?' How does she judge a mon in general? He also wants to get her opinion on the other candidates. "What about Greasewood?"
"Thought that kid was a fuckin' pushover. But, ah, he's done alright. He's not his papi, look like him as he might."
"Cal's an alright 'mon by me. He's a smart cookie. And decent, deep down. Don't know that we got too much in common, but he's popular fer good reason, I'd say."
Some time later he returns to Sonora and asks if she'd ever consider being Sheriff (sheriff's are sick, and she did help them stop Cipher, and she's pretty strong...). Mostly it's a bit of a passing idea though, he admits he doesn't know how likely it is, just that he wants to help and he believes in her.
And given all the chaos lately the town could probably use someone...
Nova makes it back, has one look at the Gazette issue, and immediately recalls what he said to Powehi and Zapdos. If he tries to use his Wayfarer status to influence things, that would just be exerting his influence.
Instead, he takes the candidate profiles (sans Lucien) over to the Escarpa and Sierra and asks around for opinions: "Who would you want in charge?" He'll vote based on their thoughts.
For the actual election, Nova uses the smattering of money he's sat on to take out Gazette space and offer transportation to and from the polls for those who would need it. Even if it takes up the whole day and leaves him exhausted.
It's definitely not a blatant attempt at avoiding the fact that the team has now rescued the cat whose cabin he and Sage have been squatting in. Nope. Nuh-uh. No siree...
...
...
...
...
... There's going to have to be an awkward conversation, isn't there?
"Not a bad thing at all, to have so many who believe in you."
Since Lucien's official, official, announcement that he would not be running, some of the tension and stress seemed to melt from the air surrounding the interim mayor's office. Some did remain, though, given the importance of the task at hand. The weight of Frontier Town's future had Steven had mulling something over...
"Lucien, about what you said earlier, about abandoning all of the progress you've worked for. Maybe... Maybe you don't have to. Even if you're not in charge, the groundwork you've laid can still influence policy if someone who is like-minded takes office."
He tapped a claw to his chin. "If you were to, say, endorse someone who shares your beliefs, it can show the citizens who believe in you that there's another candidate they can believe in, too."
As the election draws near, Kimiko prods Greasewood about his election plans one night while closing and cleaning the saloon, as well as expresses her mild surprise at learning he was running. She makes passing mention of the Wayfarer's plans to set up a fund to cover anyone who normally couldn't afford to vote, seeking his thoughts on that.
She asks about his thoughts on the other candidates - Whetmore and Sonora in particular - and, if his thoughts on the floragato are positive, questions if he'd consider working together with her.
In that event, she doesn't mention 'sheriff' by title, but she quite intentionally plays up how well a job Sonora has done as security for Gerome at the 'Zera, and plainly notes that they already align on some points, notably the 'transparency' angle in particular. She also notes that Greasewood knows a thing or two about treating his workers right, speaking from her own personal experience.
Regardless of how the Sonora conversation goes, she also asks him his thoughts on the Escarpa and if he would be willing to work with them as well, given their reputation in the Soja and, just as important, their history.
M. Whetmore (Cncrd)
C. Greasewood (Frntr)
S. del Sur (Indpt)
L. Voclain (Chrtr)
S. V. Arpagone (PCLR)
F. T. R. & M. van de Huizen (House)
Dayle (MenSe)
