Open Call To Order

[Perplexity]

.

27th of Winter
Midday

Zeltiva had fallen on a very hard time as seemed to be the trend in years of late. With so much befalling the once relatively quiet seaside city there were many who questioned the wisdom in staying. Ships that once sailed in and out of Matthew’s Bay were now struggling to make port. A portion of the large expanse of water had frozen over leaving many merchant vessels and fishing vessels locked in place. Efforts to get the ships out of the ice were slow but some progress was being made. Zeltiva was not well equipped to deal with such harsh cold weather.

What’s more is that the storehouses that the city used to fall back on in times of hardship had been broken into. The stockpile of goods that could survive storage had been tainted and the already strict rations in the city had become even more so. The people were hungry. They were afraid. They were tired. Most of all though? They were angry. How could their leaders fail them so dramatically? Where was the attention to the needs of the city? For years now hardship after hardship had fallen upon the city with barely a word from its leaders. The people were fed up.

“Where is the so-called change we were promised!?” A crowd of protesters had gathered outside the Lord of Council’s Office demonstrating their anger. The office itself was under heavy guard to dissuade any aggressive attempt to storm the center of Zeltiva’s government. A collection of crates had been piled together and atop them stood a middle-aged gentleman whose hair was greying. He wore simple homespun clothes and didn’t seem to be a man of great standing. But what he might have lacked in political influence he made up for in having the attention of the very large crowd of people rallying around him.

“Where was the respect for our interest!? We slave away rebuilding our city while our so-called leaders get fat off the sweat from our toil!” A cry of indignation resounded throughout the crowd. The man pointed to the building behind him.

“The vainglorious Lord of Council sits on his ass while our people starve! While our people suffer! What has he done about it!?”

“Nothing!” Came the reply in angry unison.

“And the Council!? Where are they!? Hiding behind the luxury of their wealth! They scoff at our plight! When the plague struck down the impoverished where was the relief!? When the militants bathed our streets in blood, where was our protection!? When the waves crashed against our homes and swept up the lives of the lowborn, the working men and women, the backbone of our city, where was our aid!?” The crowd spat forth outraged cry after outraged cry. This man had his audience and it was obvious they agreed with every word that came out of his mouth. Many voices spoke as one and in this moment they would not be ignored.

They would not sit idly by as the rich played their power games. They would not turn a blind eye to politics of the city. No, they would be heard. They would be acknowledged one way or another. The tension in the air was almost palpable. Several of the armored guards around the Lord of Council’s Office had their hands resting on the pommel of their swords or their shields slightly raised. It was only through their conviction and the leadership of their officers that they did not draw their weapons. Such a display would on exacerbate the problem.

“If our chosen leader, the so-called savior of Zeltiva can’t protect us, can’t guide us, then I say out with him! Out with Ignotus! Out with the Council!” The middle-aged man threw a fist into the air, a gestured that was repeated by many. They echoed what would be the rallying cry that overtook the crowd.

“Out with Ignotus! Out with the Council! Out with Ignotus! Out with the Council!” Unrest had overtaken Zeltiva. It was the way of the world when men and women knew only fear and famine. So much had been lost in the days leading up to this single moment. Frustration reverberated through the city and now the people lashed out in the only way they could think of.

Please Read! :

Have at it folks! Join in whatever capacity you choose.

[Ricky Maze]

Tension already seemed to be on the rise for one unlucky man who became very popular, and if one were to judge the tones of the crowd it could easily be said he was by far the crowd favorite at this point. From where he stood it looked as though the gathering of people definitely made a sight to behold, only one he hadn't honestly been prepared for anyways. Was he ready for this? Was it really that time for Ignotus to be knocked from his high seat, to be pushed over the edge and fall from such a high place he'd no doubt worked so hard to get? It by far didn't go the way Ricky had expected it to, he more or less imagined a different setting, where it was a quiet time for him to visit and in turn surprise the man with a visit.

The plan? Overthrow Ignotus somehow, what else was there really. Zeltiva needed to be free of his cold clammy grip, and he felt more than willing to dirty his hands and achieve this. This however was much more better than Ricky anticipated, what better way to humiliate him by a swarm of crowds demanding that he step down? The only thing that remained was to remove him from the world permanently, so that he couldn't worm his way into some other city and manipulate its people like the parasite he was. Still... Oi'm not ready... Oi've not de power t' face 'im alone yet. He wouldn't have it any other way though, why endanger the lives of others when he could do it alone. The burden was his to bear after all, and this was the only way to set things right. How else would everyone that had fallen victim to his whims would be free? Already the pressure felt heavier on his shoulders, but alas he wouldn't let it get the better of him yet. He was still a fisherman after all and fact is time still stood on his side right now, though that all depended on what else transpired today.

The people revolted and opted for him to be out, for the council in general to be out. The pandemonium proved to be nerve wrecking in general even if Ricky stood back, watchful to the people as well as the door in the event the Nuit of the hour. He wanted to see the smug look on Ignotus' face as it would be wiped to the floor, he also wanted to see the Nuit lie his way out of this one, or attempt to use his hypnotic powers to calm the crowds. There wasn't going to be much luck for him today, Ricky wasn't sure who knew or how many people did know about it, but if one was aware of his secret then the rest could easily learn of it now. What better timing it would be to rat him out then, the mere thought of it made Ricky grin just a bit, as well as shiver with excitement. Anticipation as he stood back against the wall, arms crossed as he waited and watched the event before him unfold.

[Johanne]

It was impossible for anyone in Zeltiva to be unaware of the commotion happening outside the Lord of Council's office. Undoubtedly, the city was large, but the passionate cries of the crowd lifted high on the wind and carried to where Johanne was working at the Equinox. She had been set the unenviable job of cleaning the needles, which had to be done over at least five times, and then heated in an enclave to make sure any diseased blood was right clean off. She was polishing the needles for the fifth and final time when Coal clattered through the door.

"Jo, Jo, did you hear? The people are rising, Jo! They're calling for the Council to step down! Oh, stop your cleaning, you're missing out!" The needles clattered to the floor, meaning they would have to be cleaned right over, as Jo followed her colleague out the door. They ran fast, their breath puffing out like dragons in front of them, until they met the throng. Without pausing, Coal pushed through the crowd, her voice joining the cacophony, but Johanne wasn't so eager. She skirted around the edges of the crowd, reluctant to get involved.

Yes, she had a job and a room here. Yes, she had settled. But what did that mean, truly? What allegiance had she to the city of Zeltiva? She was hungry, too, she was displeased with the leadership, but this wasn't her home. Her home, her true home, lay in a pile of rubble on the shores of Kalea, and so Johanne had no home but for where her own two feet took her. She kept quiet, judging silently, agreeing with the people but raising no hand to join the crowd. Oh, but she hoped no violence would break out...

x

[Enthere]

It was supposed to be a quiet day, or, Enthere had hoped whatever was going in town wouldn't spread to the beach. That was where she stood; looking out at the frozen water, the ice-covered docks and immobile ships. She had just wanted to come see-she hadn't found the time before now- the sight of the frozen bay intrigued her. It was nothing like the frozen forests of Avanthal, nor the winter's she had spent elsewhere. Zeltiva was, in many ways, a lot harsher than anywhere she'd gone before. Except Ravok. Nothing was harsher than there, in her mind.

It was a bitter winter, harsh and cold. But it wasn't anything the Kelvic hadn't bore before, not anything she wouldn't bear again. She considered, for a moment, stepping out on the ice, but decided it would be to dangerous. This was, after all, supposed to be a quiet day. One of the few days she wasn't at the infirmary.

With nothing else to do after seeing the ice, she meandered back in town-she almost went to the infirmary anyways, day of or not, but eventually decided to see what the ruckus was about. She could hear shouting a good distance away from the Lord of Council's Office.

When Enthere arrived at the edge of the growing crowd, she took a place at the edge of it, and fought to hold her ground against the people that immediately began pushing her further into their midst. Why did they do that? It was as if a great beast was swallowing her up, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Calming herself, the Kelvic let herself be moved by the crowd, hoping that eventually she would find opportunity to escape. Meanwhile, she busied herself by listening to the shouting of the seething crowd, and the person who seemed to be leading them in anger.

[Altaira Readva]

27 Winter, 514AV | Altaira's Speech | NPC Speech

The kelvic had to choke down a smile and giggle at the high sight of it all. The angry crowds, the passionate cries for change, the very place itself, and the sweetest things of all - the call for Ignotus to step down.

There was a thrill that echoed through the entirety of the woman's being, and it took the biting of her own tongue to ward off the initial liquid delight that swamped her in a solid wave, pressing her expression to fall stoic as she slipped and wove between person and protester alike. The outcry itself was one that had been prompted by pain, suffering, and hardship, and she thought it quite rightly in poor taste for the woman to appear even the slightest bit cheerful when the city was in such a wretched state.

But it was not as though the kelvic could not confess hardships her of her own, she herself having had her life and times completely and utterly consumed by work and study, the woman working to better her spiritism to a degree enough that she may be able to take official work in the practise enough alone to leave her stressed and worn, let alone when work had required such painful commitment. Although she could not claim to have been one who was born and raised in the city, nor could she say that she'd thus spent much time there, it was her intent to stay for many long years that had her feel as though she had a right to engage in the demonstration as a citizen.

'Lived here seasons or not, I work for the city and it is its people I serve. And for them I will remove the vile rot that infected this place, no matter how long such a task takes.'

She'd known of the body snatcher for less than a season already- and he seemed to be almost outright untouchable. There were laws in the city, much like there were in Syliras, that prevented the kelvic from outright doing away with him, assuming that she had the power and skill to do so in the first place. Politics were not her strong point, not in the slightest. But she'd spoken with the people, she had helped bind their wounds and tell them prayers, and she had faith that the people of Zeltiva could do a task that she was not equipped to.

She just needed to wait, and edge them forward in every little way she could.

She could tolerate the presence of a nuit in power for however longer she needed to wait, and patience was something that she had in spades.

..........

[Ignotus Everto]

"We knew it would happen eventually." Justus said as he straightened Ignotus' cape. "They need food, and someone to blame. We're the easiest targets. Easiest to devour."

They were in a darkened room near the top of the Council building with a maroon carpet floor and closed blue curtains. The entrance was locked, while the door leading to the balcony rattled gently from the shouting voices outside. Inside, the stone-faced Lord of Council was preparing his attire. "Are you sure this is wise, Ignotus?" the Denvali asked, his voice slightly taut from worry.

The wizard stood silent for several ticks before saying softly, "They want blood, no? They need a monster to tear down. I can give them that. Besides, you remember when we met." he teased with a reassuring smile, "That time our crowd had weapons and orders to kill. This one has rocks at most."
"Even so-"
"Justus," Ignotus chided, "Lhex favors the bold. No great victory has been won without risk. I always risk..." He turned back to his compatriot, eyes afire and a cavalier grin on his face, "And I always win."

The Ranuri couldn't help but smile back. "I see how you got here in the first place. You can't help but leap into the fire, can you?"

Something dark stirred in the Nuit's face momentarily upon hearing that phrase, but he quickly regained his composure. "It is in our natures, Justus. That's what makes us great men."
"Are you sure you're ready?"
"My dear Justus," he drawled, turning fluidly to face him. "I have been preparing for this moment since before these men were born."
"Now then," he said sharply as he strode to the balcony door. "Into the lion's den!" In the back of his mind, Ignotus felt niggling concern; the scale of what he was about to attempt could spell his end. He closed his eyes, gripped the railing, and took a deep breath. "I've driven too far to falter now." Ignotus turned inward, and felt his inner presence as a charged gas trapped inside the vial of his skin. As he burst outside, he shattered it with a sharp effort.


The doors flew open, and the Lord of Council walked to the stone railing at the balcony's edge without hesitation, clad fully in the resplendent regalia of his office. The very air seemed electrified by his presence, and to question his authority seemed childlike when faced with the blazing reality. "YOU WANTED IGNOTUS?!" the Hypnotist shouted, his voice thundering with the power of Izurden's hammer. "THEN HERE HE IS!"

If that didn't get their attention, the wizard didn't know what would.

It was now that he could take in the throng assembled before him. A faint smile twitched at his lips when he saw the unofficial leader on top of his soapbox. "How kind of them to serve me a focal point on a silver platter. This might be easier than I thought."

With practiced ease Ignotus locked eyes with the man and shot a sense of smallness mixed with vague awe through the channel created.

"Citizens!" Ignotus barked, Djed sending ripples of awe out with his voice. "I know I have shown little of myself in these dire times." A pause; the wizard's expression and sound softened. "but I assure you it was from an excess of care, not lack of it."
"I have not been resting idle: I have been lobbying. Pushing relentlessly for the welfare of the honest, hardworking men and women who saw fit to elect me to office."
The shift in tone and posture served as a vector for what could be described as the sensation one gets realizing they were in the wrong after an argument with a loved one. "Others in our leadership seem to feel it necessary to observe and plan more. I myself think that while foresight and preparation are certainly important- I could not have prevented the takover of our fair city without it- there are times for planning, and there are times for action, and I think we all agree that now is the time for action!"

He followed with a blast of vindication and a dollop of comraderie. The Council bigwigs didn't know how bad it was in the trenches! Coincidentally, it was at the tail end of this induced collective thought that Ignotus continued "I do not say this emptily, either. Those of you with ships frozen may recall seeing me right with the other Reimancers, risking ourselves to free what few vessels we could. When the waves came crashing upon us, I did not barricade myself in my office, but strode out to save what I could, even if it meant the end of me!" His energy began to leak to the crowd, and their passions rose in unsion as Ignotus leaned into the railing and cried "And I would face a thousand more storms a thousand more times if it meant even one life saved!"

The vial shattered again, causing blazing admiration to explode from Ignotus like a solar flare for a half-tick. The Hypnotist rightened himself to his full stature again, his face alight. This was his element! He had been wary of using a surge on the number of people found in a rally, but he barely felt a thing. If anything, he was even more invigorated.

"I do this, because I love you!" Ignotus said, throwing his arms out as if to pull everyone present into one massive hug. "I love you because only here could someone like me exist without being plagued by hate." A faint swell of pride."I love you because only here could a penniless fisherman's boy get the education he needed to rise above his station!" He's one of us. "I love you because you give me the drive and purpose to continue in the face of hardship after hardship!"

Here Ignotus zeroed in on the unofficial leader. The once-fiery despiser of the Lord of Council had been swept up effortlessly in the current of Ignotus' magic and was simmering down from the burst of activity the surge had caused in the audience. "I know these times have been hard." he said more to the man than the crowd. "I too experienced famine. Attack from outsiders. Do not think there is a 'you' and 'me.' There is Zeltiva, and as long as we are unwilling to yield to hysteria and hate, no force can break us."

Guilt at endangering his city's safety welled up in the man on the platform, and as Ignotus followed up with a warm pulse of welcome and understanding from himself, the commoner sunk to his knees in tears. "Forgive me..." he sobbed. "Forgive us all."

"I do not fault you for acting out of fear." Ignotus said, a fatherly aura radiating from him. He sent the ringleader a conviction that he had come to the side of good (Ignotus' side) to get him back on his feet, then continued once he had regained his composure. "But we cannot turn on each other now! It is now more than ever that we must stand together, and stand tall!" Another wave of patriotic energy, slowly cresendoing as Ignotus spoke. "We have weathered a hundred storms a hundred times worse than this, and we shall weather this one as well. We are unshakable! We are unbreakable! Zeltiva WILL PREVAIL!"

With those final words, Ignotus threw his fist up in the manner of the protesters, unleashed another surge of nationalistic fervor, and held for their reaction. If he started to feel the signs of overgiving, then Ignotus would swiftly stride back inside. If he overstepped with the second surge, the people could not be allowed to see the results.

[Matthew]

Though not his intention, Matthew generally stood out like a sore thumb. Even with the horrid conditions Zeltiva had been in within the past few weeks, the handsome Harlot somehow still managed to wear the most pristine of clothes and carry himself with a sort of alluring grace. His face held none of the worry, despair, or anger that most Zeltivians felt at the recent explosions and awakening of obelisks, nor did it betray the hunger that gnawed away at the innards of his stomach. It was that eternally passive and studious gaze, sharp blue eyes ringed with an even lighter shade of blue that somehow managed to glint brightly when caught by the sun. A thick knee-length peacoat was pulled over his slim form, a bit of his muscle lost to the famine that plagued them. His hair was still styled though, his face still seemingly untouched by age or natural blemishes. The Harlot was the ideal physical specimen, something that stood out even more during times such as these. He didn't seem to notice the mildly puzzled and sometimes irritated glances cast his way, though. He merely plodded slowly through the gathered horde, sharp stare flicking from detail to detail, soaking in everything that he saw. The only other thing on his person was a hidden weapon, tucked into the back of his slacks and secured there by a belt. He had no intentions of using it. It was merely for his own protection. To be quite honest, he hadn't even planned to be a part of this swelling mob. He had just been on his way to work and noticed the loud crowd.

And so he absentmindedly wandered into it, eyes glancing around but mind paying attention to something else. He was letting just a trickle of djed flow up the back of his throat and into his skull, from which it would eagerly dance through his veins and coat the gelatinous orbs of his eyeballs. He didn't focus it all there, though. Some of it dripped through his nose and gushed out towards both of his ears. When he expended a gentle flow of djed for Auristics, he didn't just want to see. He wanted to taste and smell. He wanted to hear the song of the auras. Right now, most of his focus was dedicated to blocking and distancing himself from all of the auras around him. He didn't particularly care for them right now. Instead, he was focused on the rotting taste of the black dagger hidden on his person. It smelled of putrid flesh and oozing pus, all while humming a tune that seemed gleeful. He was trying to advance his Auristics, trying to learn to focus on auras that he wasn't actually staring right at. He had found he depended on line of sight for this sort of thing. He could not allow himself to be limited by just that.

He found himself humming along with the aura of the dagger, his mind two places at once while he slowly walked the crowd. The Harlot put meager intelligence skills to use, absentmindedly observing and analyzing to try and get a better idea of what was going on. It was also a good opportunity to add on to what little he knew about politics.

A distant thought echoed out of some far recess of his mind, bringing to attention the fact that the crowd was angry. He briefly considered attempting to use some of his other talents to calm down the more angry of the folk, but soon decided against it. He wasn't really wanting to involve himself with a side of this, not until he understood it a bit more. Ignotus was who they called for? The poor fellow.

Matthew would eventually slow to a stop beside of Ricky, taking a few ticks to move away from the bulk of the crowd and to the vantage point the Wave Guard had found. While the two men stood shoulder to shoulder, they couldn’t be more different. One was pristine, the other scruffy. A quick glance at the rather burly bear revealed that he was attractive in his own way, though. He was masculine. Did Matthew perhaps taste envy on the edge of his very own aura? How odd.

Envy was soon interrupted by a majestic voice shouting out from the very front of the crowd, causing Matthew’s blue stare to slowly blink and refocus his attention. This was the one the mob wanted? He tilted his head slowly, studying the figure of Ignotus and the power that surrounded him. The aura of the man danced and glittered, teased and tempted Matthew to indulge in the beautiful noise it knew it could make. It was a prideful thing. He did not pry though, making a point to disassociate his focus from the personal aura of the man. It wasn’t any of his business. Many things were better left unseen. Instead, he was content to focus on the speaker and the way his words made Matthew feel.

It was such a foreign sensation. He retreated within himself, examining them each in turn, attempting to identify what exactly they were. Was that admiration? Perhaps it was awe. Then there was a sensation of guilt? It matched his understanding of guilt, though he had no idea why he was feeling guilty. Guilt was a silly thing. He discarded it, feeling mildly annoyed as he shoved the emotion underwater and held it there until the bubbles stopped. The next two emotions… he had no idea. One of them remotely felt like… companionship? Did he wish to be a lover of the man? No, that wasn’t it. He gave up, not going to the trouble of analyzing the rest of the emotions that followed. He had no hope of understanding what he was feeling. It certainly spoke volumes of Ignotus’s skill, that he was moving Matthew so. Mere words had this much power? Matthew shivered, intrigued. The Harlot felt like it was a perfect opportunity to test how his own social skill had developed. He had never tried influencing a crowd, or someone within a crowd.

Slowly, carefully, he focused on gingerly reaching out to random auras around him. He would gently trickle out the smallest of subliminal suggestions, gifting it to random people within his personal sphere of influence. It was the simple and subtle concept of hunger. He did not manipulate them any further then that. He let them decide for themselves if they would band together and depend on Ignotus to solve their hunger, or be reminded of their anger with him.

Then, he took it a step further. What better opportunity would he have to study? He timed it carefully, waiting until the end of the speech and the height of emotion. He waited until right before the swell of the crowd erupted into either cheers or boos and suddenly shouted out, his voice crisp and clear, infused with the slightest hint of yet another suggestion. This time, it was basic curiosity that would be dripped into those random assortment that it affected. “Let us help! Let us assist you in your valiant quest, and combine our powers with yours! An advisor should be elected, by the people and for the people, to aid the one who is sacrificing so much!” His voice was not mocking, nor was it overly enthusiastic. It was a rather perfect and professional voice of reason, a sentence designed to help the crowd feel that they had a way to be involved. For some reason, it all felt oddly similar to a game. He couldn't help but let a certain game of strategy come to mind. Who was his opponent, though? The crowd? Was he perhaps working with Ignotus to help calm them? Politics confused him, but he would try. He had to learn somehow.

Pawn to E4.

Now that he had made his move in whatever game was blindly being played, he could take a moment to examine the one sensation that lingered. He felt oddly endeared to Zeltiva. Perhaps even proud of it. He rolled the taste of that around on his tongue, examining it closely, trying to understand how his mind was reacting to the swell of genuine emotion that was still lingering. Should he be nervous? It was foreign and uncomfortable, but at the same time it wasn't. It made him feel like part of a group, a feeling that he hadn't experienced for a very long time. Part of him felt like he should toss an arm over the shoulders of the man next to him and drop a quick, inspirational line about comradery. After all, they were in this together. He'd just have to take some time to figure out exactly what this was. He had come to realize he wasn't entirely sure.

[Jadlin Hayes]

The gathering already gave off a feel of outrage as Jad became aware of it. He understood the discontent. He had a family in the making, and they were starving along with the rest. But he also had wounds they did not; injuries they did not. And it was a crowd much like this one that had inflicted them on him. He would not be surprised to find members of that mob in this one.

And that was all this was shaping up to be, a mob. He had done no wrong. Not to anyone. Yet a single word, misunderstood, had been perceived, and it was instantly magnified to ridiculous proportions. And acted upon with brutal ignorance and frenzy.

The warehouse, where he frequently was posted as a guard, was in shambles. And had he not been left for dead, he probably would be dead. As it was, he had that familiar feeling of wrenched and bruised bones and flesh. Getting beaten as a Mage Silencer suspect; getting run over by his own runaway cart; thrown from a horse; strangled by a Yukman; a training session with his half-brother Ricky Maze. He wondered if he'd spent more than a few days in a row NOT needing a cast on one body part or another.

But this last incident. The simple rumor of food stored in the warehouse and an ugly mob scene had quickly ensued. His efforts to appeal to reason leaving him beaten senseless, the job site a near ruin.

He looked at this crowd, demands for immediate change being thrown out, as if reality would or could accommodate it. Jad scowled as a streak of pain shot up his side. A reminder of what rewards decent people could expect when mob frenzy won the day. Had anyone offered to help clean up the warehouse, or replace the broken windows and scaffolding, he might not be so sour now.

But no, they had not only NOT offered to help atone for their rampage, they actually seemed to resent their error as though it had been his fault for not making it a reality somehow.

And now they were doing the same thing. 'How can they blame this Ignotus guy for the rash of freakish disasters? What could he possibly gain by destroying part of the university? Or freezing the ships in the harbor?'

"If he'd saved up more food earlier, you'd only have complained all the sooner!" he thought. Then, as angry faces turned his way, he realized he'd spoken aloud. But he was too angry at this mob to curb his opinion. "What? You're no different than the mob that trashed my job and left me for dead! By what right do you make complaint about justice? Is this to be a reasoned debate or just another ugly mob scene?" The pain in his ribs at trying to speak loudly enough to be heard only added to his resolve.

Several sets of narrowed eyes took a step toward him, a few pausing as they weighed his obvious injuries and considered the possible truth of his words. Then a figure appeared on the balcony overhead, and Jad recognized the man that had attended Ricky's party for his new son, Martin. The Lord of Council himself.

[Perplexity]

.
Ignotus’s hold on the mood of the crowd was impressive to say the least but even the skills of the Master Hypnotist could only stretch so far. Especially with the skills of yet another Hypnotist working subtly in the crowd. The de facto leader of the crowd was sent sprawling to his knees wracked with guilt over the foolhardy mistake that he nearly made. A blubbering mess, the middle aged man was helped down from the crates. The crowd was a mix of emotions. Some had been abated by the speech given so passionately by the Lord of Council. Some were not so moved. Some didn’t know if they should be angry or proud but it was clear that it would take more than just a speech to allay the fears and anger of the people gathered at the doors of the Lord of Council’s Office.

But with the initial speaker for the gathered now rethinking his perspective or rather, an emotional mess, who would step forth? Would anyone? To what end?

Poof! :

Alright folks, I release you to your own devices. I may pop in again just to stir things up but where things go from here are in all of your hands.

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky had become rather ignorant to any of the people that might've clustered nearby his post, as his gaze never really shifted from the balcony which stood empty for a while. To him it felt as though they had waited a long time, long enough to think that the Lord himself might've cowered in his hole. Yet just as soon as the thought seeded into the mind, Ricky soon found out that their patience with the Nuit had just been rewarded. Ignotus burst out in his grandeur of a scene as he beckoned the gathering crowd, with a glorious well put speech to follow as he addressed the common folk. For a brief moment Ricky felt unusual about the entire event as he recalled one important key factor, and it was the fact Ignotus himself could manipulate others with Hypnotism.

Yet there wasn't any real indication that magic was at work here, at least not directly since Ricky seemed all the more aware of it. The part that troubled him more or less seemed to be the part where there feelings were caught in the mix, the party present caught in a stir as some had changed hearts while others still felt uncertainty. It was then at the end of the speech Ricky felt like he should step in, intervene and call out the Nuit on his tricks as they were. There wasn't any proof but there was still a possibility, a gamble on the fact that the Lord of Council would react in a manner most approvingly. However just before Ricky could make his move another took the step first, a stranger who suggested that the people be allowed to help as well. It scattered the train of thought the fisherman had in him, and left the Zeltivan bear practically speechless as he had to reconsider just what damage had been done. Now there risked even more possibility that today would go horribly wrong, or at least completely different compared to the direction Ricky first had in mind with this...

Callin' 'im out now wouldn't do de city any good, neit'er would it do if Oi were de one t' expose 'im. D'ere needs t' be a more t'orough plan t'ought out, an' its best t' do d'at when t'ings 're settled. The father reasoned as he clenched his jaw a slight frown, as the leader of the crowd seemed to falter from his position and left the stand open. He... owes me one fer d'is. He thought in silence as his heart jumped at a more frantic pace, panic existed deep down within the core of his nerves but his mind had been set, seeing as how now appeared to be the only time to step up and say something that might make a difference. What the city needed wasn't Ignotus, and his time would come when it was due, for now however Ricky decided he needed worry about him. The thing that proved to be more important was his home, and what good would it be in if it's people fell to chaos.

"People o' Zeliva, hear me please!" The fisherman called out as he hoped to drag some attention, albeit the last thing he'd ever want to do in his life, to himself in an effort to address the mob that stood before the Lord of Council. "Oi know what it feels like t' be scared, t' be afraid when it seems hope isn't around. Oi too 'ave suffered an' Oi do it hopin' me wife an' child will live, hopin' d'at t'ey will 'ave a future t' carry on. Oi say d'is because Oi know many o' ya 're worried fer yer families, an' yer reasons fer bein' 'ere 're all justified fer it!" He assured the lot with but a few quakes in his tone, he looked up to Ignotus with a look of consideration before his gaze returned to his fellow peers. "Ignotus 'as been 'ere fer us, workin' 'ard t' find de best solution possible fer our dilemma. Time 'fter time Oi've found me self givin' 'im credit fer his 'ard work, because he's looked out fer our best interest since he's joined office!" He took a moment to breathe before he continued.

"Oi say we 'old ont' de benefit o' de doubt, continue t' trust our Lord o' Council! But don't just leave de work t' him, instead do what d'is man 'ere 'as suggested!" He waved a hand out to the stranger he failed to notice earlier, a glint in his eyes as he soon found the words came more naturally now. "We 're Zeltivans 'fter all! Instead o' just lettin' our fair Council handle affairs, let's do what we can an' lend our hands in aid! We de people can work as a whole, and great strength can be found in numbers like ours! If we should be de one's t' decide Zeltiva's own future, d'en lets do it by askin' our Lord o' Council fer guidance!" Now the slightly difficult part Ricky had to get past, hoping that the crowds seemed swayed by his own speech. Although it wasn't something he thought about doing at first, the fisherman figured at this point nothing more could be done to harm his progress. Confidently he turned to look up to where Ignotus stood once more, a sharp look in his eye as he mentally reached into his hand to activate the mark.

"Ignotus Everto! By me own heart an' soul," He raised his right hand as he spoke and released the energies found within his grasp, a small ball of radiant light generated above his fist as he finished his speech, "Oi will be de first to guide t'ese people in our endeavor! Tell us what our first objective is as a whole, an' t'get'er we as Zeltiva can achieve anyt'in!" Whether he sounded like he was bat shyke crazy or actually making sense felt unknown, really Ricky just put forth all his effort into making the crowd find courage in his words if not Ignotus'. He wasn't aware of what other things might be going on in the environment, but it became too late to really worry about that or what his actions would bring. Now Ricky stood at the centerfold ready to hear what reactions might occur from around him, while deep down harassed himself for being the biggest idiot of the city.