For Sale

You see, Roan?

Landfall itself is only a place. A few miles of dirt that are labeled on a map. It is incapable of having ideals, or fighting wars. This is what you most fail to understand. The gypsies aren't attached to this patch of ground more than any other. What makes this place significant, what holds the values and aspirations of Landfall are the people who call it home. The voices of those values, the people chosen to rule.

I know no one in these discussions are native to Landfall. And yet Lord Gyr claims to rule it - and many have set to defend it - as home. It is a place you are constructing as a bastion in - to borrow Iftikhaar's words - the fight against tyranny, slavery, and necromancy. You are not just fighting for these things, you have dug in and declared you will fight for these things here and now, come what may. Never mind the fact that there are likely greater sources of these evils than the Harkonian empire elsewhere, or better places and times to engage in the war you did choose.

Make no mistake - this fight is as much about Landfall, and her right to exist as such a bastion against the darkness that would threaten her as it is the war on such darkness itself. It has become a fight for survival for all those who would call this place their home. Call me venomous if you must, but at least I am honest about my concerns, allegiances, and goals. You endanger everyone to recruit allies amongst the Squamata, but you spit in the face of a man who is already standing at your side? You say I have no value, but I wonder if you would be singing that same tune had my taking those scrolls prevented the dracolich ritual.

I draw distinction between the gypsies and the people of Landfall not to divide, but to explain. We agree with your war verystrongly when phrased in general terms, and we would count many of the individuals here as friends, but this is not a fight for survival for us. You speak of how little tangible reward you receive for the war of principle you wage, and I tell you that there is less even of the intangible reward for us than for you because of these disparate goals. In effect, I ask you to tell me why Landfall is a better place to fight tyranny, necromancy, and slavery than a place where a more decisive blow can be struck from a position of greater strength. When I answered that question for you, the answer was "because this is a good community, they are in need of allies, and if I am killed in this war as opposed to another then there will be resources that I have collected that can be sent where they are needed."

Was I wrong?

-Ian Moretti
 
Friends I really don't know how to respond to all of zis.

I have stood beside many of you and seen bravery and sacrifice from so many in zis community many of you have been cut down by ze swords of ze harkonians only to get back up once again and charge right in to be cut to pieces once again.

Words can cut just as deeply when they come from friends.

I am tired of hearing the backroom accusations and the backstabbing comments. Every one of you knows what I am talking about. The loot comes up light "It was that person" or "I saw ___ take ____ form zat and not share it." People are building simple misunderstandings up to be something they are NOT. Am I saying zat there is never any thieving? No of course there is there are some out there that believe that they can cheat and steal their way to wealth. I myself care nothing for wealth I simply want to build a better world so I do what I can to do that and sacrifice whatever I have to, to save lives.

Iftikhaar you are one of ze bravest people I know and one of ze most honorable as well I have nothing but respect for you. I have to agree with my sister that putting up a general message about thieving in the heat of battle here rather than creating a separate thought was a poor choice. My sister misunderstood your intent and I can easily see how she did.

Roan you have been a good friend to me and I have nothing but respect for you.

Brother you are family and I will always love you we have stood together in battle and you have fought hard for everyone here but please let us keep this civil.

So I ask all of you please do not assume ze worst, calm down before you respond to something, and please think about what you say before you say it. Everyone here needs to take a step back from this discussion and think hard about where it is going.

Friends it's been a long night and I am very tired tomorrow when I come back here I hope to see a more polite discussion.

And when we beat the Harkonians drinks are on me.

Vavarick Chik Abesoloma
 
Ian.

I rarely chime in on discussions here in the Dreamscape. I find others normally add the points I would have made, and do so more diplomatically than I would have. In this case I will not refrain from speaking my mind.

I have two problems with you. First, your actions at the Minotaur camp. Everyone at the camp was to have been Enslaved to our enemy and charged with not acting against them. Getting caught stealing from under their noses would be a red flag. Those who have adventured far longer than you, and are clearly far wiser than you, feel it was a mistake. I have dealt with people before who loot when and where they can and try to make a living this way - while I rarely think it's appropriate, I don't normally make an issue of it. Are you a thief? Yes, but I do not think that is necessarily a derogatory term, and not what I take issue with. Instead, I think you are foolish and made a stupid decision. That statement, I make with derision and condemnation. You placed the lives of dozens of adventurers and dozens of slaves at risk with your idiotic action. You claim "what if?" as though you might have improved the situation with your actions - that makes your foolhardy actions no better. Do not try to paper over your mistake with claims of grandeur. Your choice was that of a fool - own up to it and admit your error instead of making excuses and trying to flee from what you did.

Secondly, I take great issue with your statement. "I would also remind you that only one of the two groups nearly lost. Poor division of forces was the reason for your difficulty there, and perhaps poor leadership, but it wouldn't have been changed with an alerted enemy." You have no knowledge of what went on on our side of the battle. We fought far greater odds than you did, and several of us - including my beloved - paid with their lives. Had we not held firm down to the last few of our number against terrible odds, the rest of town - including you - would have been overwhelmed, scattered, and hunted down like dogs. We made sacrifices so that you - yes, you personally as well as the others on your side of town - would survive. You should be giving your deepest, most heartfelt thanks to those who perished on our side, as we saved your insolent and unworthy life. Casting slurs upon our actions makes you seem like a pathetic churl, unable to appreciate when others put forth real sacrifice.

You do yourself no good with either your actions or your statements. Do not try to make this out as an issue greater than you. I have no issue with others of your kin, and am proud to have formed bonds of friendship with some of them. This is not about Landfall, or the Romani, or freedom, or slavery, or anything other than your stupid, stupid actions and statements. Learn to take ownership and responsibility for your mistakes and become a better man, or face the consequences of proceeding as an idiot.

-Arannin
 
Great Mists! Vavarick, and Alcandar are right. Leave this lie and come at it once more with cooler heads at the Council. You're all making this worse than it truly is, and this is not what we need right now.

Can any of you, wait but a few days before you begin to rip at one another again? It's only a few days. Surely you noble men and ladies can hold your tongues and tempers in check that long?

Four days of peace. That is all I ask. When the Council dawns, you can attack each other however you wish, but please, please, take these few days to sit and think.

Caoimhe
 
Bear with, I promise that I am done with fighting words for this discussion.

Arannin, I hope you will indulge me to respond to your issues with me in reverse order, but I will do so as an individual responding to same.

As has been pointed out several times, I wasn't with both groups when we freed the Squamata children. I am guilty of speaking in haste, and I apologize. The gypsies asked at the time why the group expecting the lion's share of the resistance declined to take the most potent Celestialist available, but to my knowledge we were brushed off. That was the basis I had for the comment I made, and I never intended to slight the courage or dedication of those involved. It was apparently taken to be such, and for that I am deeply sorry.

As to your other problem with me, that... is more complex. Yes, things turning up missing in the Harkonian office would have been a red flag, but I implore you to think it all the way through. How much time would it have taken the Harkonians to 1) notice the absence,(amidst a mess, and within a completely overbooked schedule according to the notes on the same desk) 2) Conclude theft,(amidst a mess, and in a "population incapable of stealing") and 3) Do something, anything, decisive? If that timeframe is longer than 4 hours, the red flag is too little, too late to have any relevance to the mission. Bear in mind that it's also 20 minutes of travel from the office to the slave encampment. I have marveled at the skill with which you stalk and lay traps, surely you can see how this scenario plays out.

I don't "loot when and where I can and try to make a living this way", I provide services to people whose cause I agree with, and expect fair payment for my contributions. Aren't soldiers paid a fair wage in this land? You are painting me as something I am not in order to dismiss me, but I am asking you to listen to the truth. When I presented the scrolls alongside the information regarding the Harkonian movements to Sir Iftikhaar that allowed us to time the Squamata abductions, I breathed not a word about compensation. It was part of the mission I had agreed to undertake. I took those scrolls to weaken the enemy, not to profit. That I was able to profit by the same action was - I thought - a fortunate coincidence.

When I arrived at Landfall, I possessed little more than a spellbook, the clothes on my back, and the weapon in my hand. Now I have armor, and my sword is silvered, but the single gold in my pocket couldn't even replace them if the Harkonians decide to break them. So yes, I am trying to accrue profit. But I haven't stolen from any of you, nor have I EVER taken spoils of battle for myself that were intended for distribution to the group. Have I stolen from the Harkonians? Yes, but I am at war with them, and those thefts have been to the benefit of Landfall. You ask me not to "paper over" my achievements? These are the simple facts.

-Ian Moretti
 
Enough, my brother. Enough, my friends. Truly wise words have been spoken saying that this has gone too far.

I did not intend for this to cause the eruption of angry words and feelings. Clearly there are some issues here at hand that should be addressed at length, especially considering that we are walking into a deadly and dangerous battle in the near future. I call to you now, enough.

Iftikhaar, whose military decisions I trust implicitly even if I don't understand them, and I have spoken, and I believe we are working on an understanding. My anger, which has since been resolved, was never with the community of Landfall, and I sincerely doubt it ever shall be. This land is not my home, but the people here are.

I find it strange to actually be saying this, but let us pause and rest. Let us sleep on our anger, and perhaps tomorrow we will awaken to find that it is less profound, less damaging. As I have found myself, intent is often lost in dreams that would have been clear in words. If nothing else, let us agree that there are different perspectives on what has happened in these past few weeks for now, and we can discuss them in person later.


Finally, I open myself once more to members of the community: if you believe you have earned a portion of the proceeds from the scroll, please feel free to contact me. My Dreams are open to you. I will seek out those who Iftikhaar has pointed out to me and speak with them as soon as possible, in an effort to ensure no one walks away resentful. However, I don't think it wise to respond to any more questions posted here because of the anger it seems to inadvertantly generate.

If there are any other concerns about the scrolls in our possession, their origin, their names, what we plan on doing with them, whatever, again, I say to you, my Dreams are open. Speak with me, I will not turn you away. Knowledge should be shared.

I hope that this will end our angry debate here. Let us all take a calm breath and move on for now. There are Harkonians who are more deserving of our anger and bitterness than each other.

May you find the Peace of the Earth and the Calm of a Summer's breeze.

Prashka
 
People of the Golden Horn,

If you can't all get along, my brothers and I will be forced to hug you, decorate you with flower wreaths, and sing until the tempests in your hearts subside.

This is no idle threat. As I once heard a human say, "We mean business." And not the kind of business that results in sweet tasting brews. Talk to the pointy-hatted gypsy for that. He's an expert.

Watch your backs. And your fronts. Probably your sides, too.

I'm terrible at this whole intimidating thing.

-Zeth
 
As a reminder, bidding ends tomorrow around noontime.
 
Bidding is now closed. Thank you.
 
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