Madison Valley Role Play

Why, why would someone draw this!?! Or this?! Why? Why even if they think we are from a book, why would they think this art? This is murder. This is evil! And so are they who draw it.

I've not the stomach for this world, if that is what passes for entertainment here.

Monsters, all of you, witches and demons, who spit on your father's graves, if you even know who they are, you sons of whores.

There is a word in elvish, both the High Speech and Sindarin, called estel. It cannot be translated directly to the common tongue used here, as it is more a philosophical concept and thought than a word, but may be best understood as 'faith' or trust, and the hope that comes therein.

The elves hold estel as the belief that Eru Ilúvatar--the Creator of the World that Is--is good, and his designs will end well for all his Children, despite our troubles. Estel is a belief that cannot be destroyed by the ways of the world or the suffering that we face therein, as we are the Eruchin, the Children of the One, and He will not suffer Himself to be deprived of us. Not by Himself, our own folly, or any Enemies.

So we hold to estel in even the darkest times and it keeps us from being overcome by the hardships we face in Arda Marred. Despite everything, the Children of Eru see the good in the world, alongside its corruptions and in spite of them. It is the Unmarred within the Marred, estel is the ability to discern the truth of it.

Have faith. It will be well in the end of all things, even unto the breaking of the world.

Gilead falls. And I am left alone to wander, the last of my ka-tet.

I, Roland, must bury all my friends, or at least see them laid out. I must listen as the tales of Gilead fade into myth. I who must see my home die, and the world move on.

Cuthbert, would that you had not left me to face this alone, although perhaps that is ka too.

I've found...something.

I didn't want to look why did Roland ever suggest I look it's worse than ever I


I'm going to be...away a while. Don't mind it.

[Filtered to Roland]

There's a book on the table by the title of The Gunslinger. I'll not talk about it. Don't press me on it, for your father's sake. I can't...I've made notes in the High Speech. In the little notebook. Read them when you're well, say true. I'll be back...when I'm back. The medicines are in the kitchen, and enough food to last.

[Filtered against Molly]
There's a 90% chance it's going to start snowing. And the building may or may not start burning in the next hour.

Congratulations, Georgia, Lissa and Cesare.

I hope we've done the right thing in choosing you three.

Why do people trust you.

Long days and pleasant nights to ya.

I'm not used to feeling such a fool, but which medicines are best for a runny nose, fever, chills and vomiting? There's a proper hundred different types and I've not an idea what they're for. I'd like as not to buy them while I'm here, instead of walking the wheel and a half back to my room to research them.

I appreciate it, say thankya.

Long days and pleasant nights to you.

This is a place where many worlds meet, and I have a notion that what I seek could be hiding among us. I am looking for stories of a Dark Tower, rising above a red field. A place of power, although the details escape me. Does any world here have stories of such a thing?

I would be most grateful for even the smallest half-remembered tale, say true.

I really like your nature documentaries. They're fantastic.

Molly:

Hey.

Public Announcement

The spatiotemporally displaced young people now living in Madison Valley have determined their chosen representative. The winner of the election is:

Lissa Dragomir

[Very painstakingly typed and spellchecked by Cuthbert]

Greetings to you all, long days and pleasant nights to you.

I'm writing this so as I can see how it looks to you all afore I send it. Writing with your letters is a thing I've had to learn since I came here. There's plenty I've had to learn in the time between then and now; four years by my reckoning though less by yours. The working of time in this place is a mystery, one of many.

My name is Cuthbert Allgood and I'm a gunslinger from Gilead in Mid-World. Some of you might not know exactly what that means. It's not that I'm just some fellow with a gun, say true. A gunslinger's duty, his entire purpose, is to uphold civilization and the Law, to protect the innocent and provide aid and succor to those in need of it. To stand for the White, which is to say all that is good and right in all the worlds, and to stop the worlds from moving on. To preserve what we have and not let chaos and destruction and death wreak havoc across the land. That's what I'm for, and that's what I believe.

I can't say for certain why we're here. I can say that I'll treat this place as any other, that I'll do what's right and not hesitate in it. I won't tolerate unfairness from this Council, nor the mistreatment of any one of us, you have my word upon it. I'm from a place very different to this America. Many of my customs aren't alike to yours, but it strikes me that the essentials don't change. That justice and truth, loyalty and courage, those qualities remain constant across worlds and times, and you having many sparklights and cars and drinking sugar-water doesn't change a bit of that.

There were some specific issues that folk asked to have addressed. I'll do that next, may it please you all.

Firearms: I'll say that I understand the concern folk have about guns in the hands of those who would use them for evil purpose. That's a concern we all have, say true. I wouldn't like to believe that any of our number might have such intent, however, and to restrict others on the basis that someone someday might break the Law? It strikes me as wrong. I'd be perfect against any ban on firearms. There are those of us for whom carrying a gun is a matter of tradition, or in the case of Americans, a matter of rights, and I'd not infringe upon that.

That said, it may be that incompetence is a greater danger than malice as guns are concerned. I'd consider the idea that for any new purchase of firearms, a basic safety and proficiency test might be set as requirement.

Magic: I'm an honest fellow and I'll be the first to tell you that I'm fair uncomfortable with magic. That said, as representative my duty would be to speak for people as need it, and that includes witches and wizards. I take my duty seriously. I'm not in support of the current ban. It's my belief that if someone's using magic and it isn't having any effect on or causing any harm to others? It does no good to restrict it. I hold the Council's action to be unfair and I'd see it overturned. Using magic maliciously, however, is a different proposition, and I'd see that dealt with swiftly under the Law.

Age Requirements: When I first arrived in this town, I was counted as underage. Now I'm not, and I've seen both sides. I hold that the system here was not set up to account for walk-ins from other times and worlds, it does not serve their needs, and an alternative is needed. There are children here in need of guidance and guardianship, but age alone is no way of determining that, not with the cultural variances within our population.

I'd suggest that every walk-in be treated as an individual, their capability to live independently and their status at home both taken into account. Those who are capable should be granted adult rights. Those still in need of guidance should be appointed a guardian - but one from among our number, a volunteer as it were, and one that's as good a fit as we can find for their own time and culture, that they might have proper assistance to adjust to life here.

Blood Samples: This is a straightforward matter as I see it. It's an unjust law and I'd call for its immediate removal. None of us walk-ins asked to be brought here and those as would work to earn their keep don't deserve punishment for it.

I've spent more time here than most, one way and another. I don't fully trust their Council, and I shan't. If I'm elected to it, it's us that I stand for, not them, and I shan't ever forget it. It may be that there's not a place in all the worlds without some element of corruption, but there are still people who stand for what's right and true, and I say to you that I'm one of them, as a gunslinger and mayhap as your representative, if you'll have me.

I'll take questions. Any that are reasonable, I'll answer.

| Written by Cuthbert Allgood, son of Robert |

Who: Cuthbert and Roland
What: Talk of important things!
Where: Cuthbert and Roland's apartment
When: Yesterday afternoon, after this conversation.
Warnings: Will update if needed

( Read more... )

[Filtered to Roland]

Did you see that Sai Cesare that I told you about is now a candidate for councilman? I'd...not stand against him, Roland. It doesn't strike me as the right thing.

[Filtered to refugees under the age of 20]

Further to discussion after my previous message, the nominees for youth representative candidate are:

Cuthbert Allgood

Lissa Dragomir

Kvothe

Voting is now open. I've attached a link to a secure site where you can cast your vote. You can only vote once, and your vote is secret. If you're a candidate, you can vote for yourself. In fact it would be odd if you didn't.

Voting closes in 24 hours at which point we'll offer official support to the successful candidate.

Instead of having a row over the ones to be nominated, mayhap we should also be discussing what demands concerns they'll be bringing before the Council?

Where do we, as a whole, stand on firearms? On other issues?

If we come not together in mind and spirit then the 'representatives', cry your pardon, will do us naught but harm. We must be sure that our representatives go armed with not just their own opinions, but in a greater sense we should see that they go serving the White.

My concerns lie mostly in the following two issues:

Firearms. I'm not against required training for the possession of a firearm - and I'd even offer my help with such - but I'm strong against any sort of ban, regardless of age, sex, or origin.

Age-based laws. It's right strange that I can't buy a cup of graf here, or that I must have a guardian when I've well passed my rites of manhood. Mayhap make age-based restrictions contingent on origin?

What of the rest of you?

ISSUES

1. Firearms
2. Magic
3. Age Restrictions
4. Blood Samples

Three doesn't seem like near enough people to me, but I suppose it's something we didn't have before. If we do this well and responsibly, maybe we'll be given more?

Anyway, I think we need to think carefully about who to send, and do this by consensus if at all possible.

To help out, I'll keep a list of nominations here, and you can discuss their merits and the drawbacks.

So at this point, who has been nominated? And what categories of people should we be certain to represent?

LIST OF NOMINEES

Cuthbert Allgood
Lissa Dragomir
Tony Stark
Georgia Mason

[Filtered to Cuthbert]

This Lord Phantomhive. Who is he?

[Filtered to refugees under the age of 20]

One of us needs to be chosen to represent our interests to the council.

You'll all know me and that I have no interest in any...collective sentiment or anything of the sort, but there are a lot of us here who are young and dealing with things we wouldn't have to in our own timelines and we deserve to have representation.

You know me and you know also that I set up a network against the Council so I'm not going to be intimidated by their authority. If there's not a better candidate, I'll nominate myself. But I'm realistic and I know that I'm young even by our standards and there's very probably someone who will be more accepted.

I believe in democracy and while I know that the whole of my ideology isn't a popular one here? We've got specific interests in this specific context that merit working together. Shared interests, shared values.

So, if you'll follow the idea, this is the primary.

If you'd like to be representative, state your case here. We'll choose our candidate. Then we'll support them in the public thread. We've got the numbers, if you're willing to go along with the idea we can at least see that one young person is chosen, even if not your particular favorite candidate.

Nobody's obliged, of course. If you don't like the idea at all I'd ask that if you want to tell me why? Message me privately. I'm happy to talk about it but I don't want to derail the discussion. Let's have it more like datanet and less like internet. I'm not going to tell anyone how to vote but there's a reason why real elections have political parties and chosen candidates. I think it's important that we're listened to. Maybe some of you do, too.

ATTENTION REFUGEES

There has been much discussion among us about the limiting of weapons and dangerous articles among the refugees. However, as we embrace the second amendment as much as any American, we are loathe to seize any weapons that you may have brought with you.

As we have been unable to come to any clear conclusion over what is to be done about this problem, we would like to meet with representatives at a time and place convenient to you. We are sorry that we cannot meet with all of you, but we feel it is better for security reasons to limit the number allowed in the council chambers.

So if it is possible, please choose - or elect - three representatives to come and argue your case before us on this matter.

Thank you,

Madison Valley City Council

Holy Mother in all my years I've not seen a peace keeper drive a man from the woods and back into the city proper. It's always been they're keen to push the sorry souls as far from respectable people as possible, else our indecency offend their delicate sensibilities.

Makes no sense to a man of my learning that he'd be charged a fee and told a place he could lay his head even in the wilds. If I'd had the coin to spare I'd take a room in a tavern and have a girl to boot. I'll not pay to lay my head on the ground.

Roland:

I owe you an apology. I made unwarranted assumptions of your opinions based on Cuthbert's, and did not consider your thoughts as a separate person, something to which you're entitled.

I'll try to remember you're individuals.

I killed her, Cuthbert
She's dead because of me
I'm a fool and I let her die
She trusted me and I let her die

I'm proper famished, Cuthbert. I'm going to go find a place with decent food, and maybe some graf and bring some home to you. Do you know such a place?

[Filtered to Roland Deschain]

I hope your headache's better this morning! I considered what you said. Really did think about it carefully and I do want to learn to shoot so I'm willing to uphold the contract we settled on.

[Filtered from the Council]

So I read about it on the internet but I'd rather ask advice from people I actually know because your internet's full of ridiculous opinions.

What's the best sort of handgun for a beginner to try?

Cry your pardon, but where am I?

Or am I forever lost in the pink?