Rosalynn flopped down onto one of the chairs in the library, the edited Accords of Jastrey in her lap.
"I don't know what we expected," she said aloud to the library. "No justice in Jastrey and all that. Though no one got stabbed for their thoughts, which was a pleasant surprise. Maybe we ought to rethink how we phrase and deliver this whole Understanding/Accords thing. It was a bit...technical."
Looking around to see if anyone was listening, she pulled her flute from a pocket in her cloak and disassembled it, polishing each piece with a worn-looking cloth.
"I still think my 'don't be the scrotal skin of a bull' was a good rule."
Rune stands in front of a large sheet of parchment pinned to a wall while a quill writes yet anouther draft of the Understanding. "There will be much re-wording of this document over the coming mests. This one understands that it is percived as dry." emits from the construct
"I wouldn't worry about it, Rune," Althena looks over at the golem. "Although Rosalyn's suggestion during our failed meeting with Jastrey is accurate. If we worded it so that they could all understand, without being too wordy, the intentions may come across better."
The ixifar raises her head slightly, but chooses to ignore the call. She feels that the Docent meeting is, at this moment, far more important.
Weylyn nodded from a nearby chair. "It seems several people were confused but when i explained to a couple that it meant that if they were attacked, they would be able to have someone help get retibution or every member of the understanding would have the ability to go after them, it seemed they couldn't wait to sign." He sighed his ears splaying outslightly as they drooped "If only we didn't have to resort to the threat of excessive violence to end violence but it seems some people don't understand anything else."
Rune turns around to face the Docents. "Why are you all downtrodden? This one thinks the Understanding we precislely as expected. We knew less than half of town would be willing to sign, and who the hecklers would be before they spoke. This one is quite pleased with how things went." Run motions to the man to have a seat, and wait a moment.
Upon seeing the golems invitation, he hangs up his bow on the wall. As he moves towards the seat his eyes better adjust towards the Inner towers lighting and is taken aback from the sheer size of the library alone. Recomposing himself he quietly slips into the chair, and peers around at the architecture of the tower.
Frowning, Althena rose from her seat. "I had actually hoped that the folk of Jastrey would prove our expectations wrong," she admitted with a shrug. She took a deep sigh and seemed to relax. "I am also still rather disheartened by other recent events. Ignore me, my fellow Docents. I am simply in a state of mind not fit for company."
" Lady Althena your frustration is heard." A knocking noise is made as knuckles of the tired looking ixifar wrapped on the door. "I hope you do not mind I found my way in." He stepped into the room. " Justice is based on the eye of the evoker. When the evoker is not law then what?" Faro'oq takes a deep breath and exhales "Unfortunately Jastrey is an infant. A tender thing that does not know right from wrong everyday. Like an infant it cannot learn laws. Not those of man or elf, dwarf or uordeq, angori or fea. There is justice in Jastrey it is simple not always fair."Faro'oq looks to the docents "I mean not to criticize your work or turn you away from it. For it is just. work and I will stand behind it. Rune is right you had a great victory, but know the paladins have talked of rules and laws for a long time and not many listened."
"Downtrodden?" Weylyn repeats after Rune with a chuckle "More like relieved. I was more worried it would go with no one wanting to sign." he told the others before falling silent as Faro'oq came into the tower and spoke to them. After he finished the fox ulf gave him a smile "Precisely why we avoided mention of a law. Most of the people here only care about what can be done for them, the understanding gave them a reason, I suppose it was worth having our neutrality muddied somewhat."
Hearing the echo invoices on the wind Peleus interrupts his mid day meditation to join his fellow docents. "Perhaps an enforcement maybe necessary once many have signed? Pressure from words mean nothing but pressure from a mob can lead to action." Peleus sighs, "I see this possibly causing a division in town which then will lead to Civil War."
"I overheard from upstairs." Swift descended by staircase from the floor above. "I do not see this as a failure. It went as I expected. Those that voiced their rejection would not sign, while those who were silent would probably sign immediately. It of course will not be taken seriously by those that rejected it until it concerns them directly. I see no problem with this. It will simply take time."
Weylyn shook his head at the air sprite "No Peleus, we can't force it on them. That would be a law and would undermine all the work we've done to get the people to not see it as such. No, it's going about as expected, once enough people sign the holdout will either sign to get some of the benefits. Stop causing trouble, which is what the Understanding was designed to do in the first place. Or the town will deal with it if the perpetrators don't cease and desist." he pointed out.
Feeling the uneasness of the situation the mysterious man stands and makes his way closer to the assembly, "I hate to inturupt, but along my travels to find out more of my people. I have seen many towns with this similar problem, especially ones filled with adventurers such as yourselves." Taking a long pause to collect himself he begins again, "Those with power will do anything to stay in power, especially to those that may one day replace them. I agree with your notions of using non enforcement, for it would only cause another to rise in his place. While these people only respect strength, using it will only cause the scared to rally behind them." With a look of disappointment he lifts his head to the ceiling and sighs out, " While no civilization has ever accomplished this task, I urge you to press forward as a beacon of hope for a better tomorrow. Evil never truly dies, but that doesn't mean we can't push it back to the hole it crawled out of."
Rune points an open palm towards the newcomer. "That. This one understand we are tired. Pessimistic. We have been working on these Accords for mestruns, only to get what we expected, instead of what we hoped. But this newcomer has it right. While this one thinks the light analogy sounds like it came from one bearing a mantel, it fits. The dissidents will continue do as they please, and as long as they are the only voice that is heard, they will get their way, and nothing will change. We have to be just as vocal. We simply need to continue to act, and do what we have always done."
Althena gives her fellow Ixifar a tired smile and then nods. "You are correct in your assessment of Jastrey," she says in a soft voice. "I had met so many here, made many friends and acquaintances of differing ilk, mind and heart, I had a hope that it would reach beyond expectations." Her smile brightens slightly, "However, as I said, I have met many here, and must occasionally remind myself that many come here because there are no laws." She tips her head slightly, gazing up at the golem. "We just have to let them see we are not trying to enforce our will upon anyone, simply allow those who may not be in a position to protect themselves another option. And, as I said, I am more tired from other events than disappointed with the reception the very idea of any accord met. "
Rosalynn sat and listened as conversation bounced around the room.
"While I joined the Docents for a love of knowledge and story, I do understand the peoples' unwillingness to sign to something, especially given that our encounters with laws and rulers has been...what's a polite way to say shitty? Less than pleasant? Yeah, let's go with less than pleasant."
Pausing a moment, she reassembled her flute.
"We're going for this," she blew a clear note to demonstrate, "and ended up getting this," she blew a second note, squeaky and harsh. "But the only way to get to the first note is to play until your skill meets your expectations. And while our expectations are high, it seems that empathizing and communicating with Jastrey isn't our skill per se. It may be that we need to word things differently, sing the same song in a different note. There's no justice in Jastrey, we all know that. Trying to change its essential nature isn't going to happen overnight."
Althena smiled softly at the bard, sitting slightly forward in her chair. "I certainly do appreciate how Rosalyn can sum things up," She glances around at the gathered companions. "And she is correct. The wording of the Understanding does not need to say anything different, just phrased in such a way that they understand it is not an imposing of Law and Order," she grimaced slightly. "And, we cannot give up. There are already several signatures on the existing draft. Others will come around." With a sigh, she rises. "Well, I have other duties to attend. No need to sit around and mope. Take care, my friends." And, with these words, she steps from the table and leaves the tower.
Kaelan walks in after her and sighs. "It really went over significantly better than I expected. We have a few guilds and a good number of unaligned people willing to sign already. There will always descenters. I do agree with your sentinament just not the word Lady Rosalyn. However maybe it did reach some of them."