The Official Don't Vote Thread

[Keyaz]

*skipping around the plaza in a usual joyful mood Demarthl thinks to herself*

\" a vot that is not cast is a vote to someone you don\'t want as an Octarch \"

*Demarthl then skips off to climb a tree*

[Zan]

What purpose has spreading your own truth to those who do not ask for it?

None besides making it easy on people who cannot or refuse to think for themselves if you ask me.

A teacher is one who asks questions and lets their pupils find their own answers. Not one who provides answers to unasked questions.

[Am-Heh]

Fellow citazins of the realm, Dont sherk your responsibilties as voters!! you all combine together to create a diverse electorate..Without your presence some one will be voted in as Octarch that doesnt truelly represent the majority of our community!!

Come and voice your support for me as Octarch....If you plan on voting against me...you\'d do better to stay with this movement and stay at home on voting day.

[Cha0s]

Hearing Am-Heh\'s words, Selaros shakes his head. \"Am-Heh is crazy. Since I\'m not running, it doesn\'t really hurt to poke some fun at him, does it?\" Selaros murmurs.

Nodding resolutely, Selaros jumps up onto a nearby platform and calls out to the crowd, \"Attention everyone. Please, look on Am-Heh. Look, and laugh. This person advocates neither voting or not-voting, nay. He advocates voting for Am-Heh. \'Of course,\' you say, \'he should be. He is running for election, after all.\' To you, I say that this is not the place. This discussion is about whether to vote or not. It is not a debate on who to vote for. I, for one, am sick of Am-Heh\'s shameless self-promotion in every conversation that he participates in. There is a place for campaigning. This is not it. People of Hydlaa: if you wish to vote, go, and vote for the one you would like to see elected as Octarch. If you\'d rather not vote, then vote for no one. Whatever you do, though, make sure that you make your own decision and are not bludgeoned into voting for a candidate by such pervasive and repetitive campaigns as the one Am-Heh employs!\"

[Am-Heh]

*Grins at chaos.

[Darkblade]

Darkshade rolls his eyes atop the battlements.
\"Even worse, now they incite a revolution!\"

Darkshade stands, and hurries along the battlements until he drops down to the outer wall of Hydlaa.
Scampering along, he finally comes to rest where the rest of the plaza can hear him

Standing, he shouts out across the plaza.

\"People of Hydlaa! Do not be deceived! Anarchy will not solve your problems!\"
Darkshade gestures with his hand.

\"Regardless if you all refuse to vote, it makes it that much easier for a tyrant to take control of the city!\"

Darkshade listens to the silence that his voice made, as it reaches across the plaza.
He then cries out again.

\"If you choose no government, then a person could take advantage! No government means no rules, no security, no safety.\"

He points to a mother and child

\"See her there? With her child? It is the law that keeps us safe, keeps people from stealing from her and killing her and her son!\"

Darkshade waits for the cries to die out. But as he does so, he hears a question.
\"What\'s to stop me from doing that to her? Eh?\"

Darkshade stops moving for a second, a grim smile on his face. Then he responds.

\"There are... Repercussions. And me...\"

Darkshade moves into a position of threatening, then relaxes

\"But, if there is a choice between a self-elected tyrant or a choosen leader who can turn our humble city of Hydlaa to a great city, whom whould you chose? For that is what lies before you!\"

He gives a grand gesture, sweeping his hand across the whole city

\"Regardless of what you choose, the one vote that you do not cast, will help a tyrant ascend, turn this city into a haven of torture, pain, and death...\"

Darkshade looks at the crowd, his words soft, the crowd in anticipation of his words

\"But keep an eye out... Let no one threaten you, or bribe you into changing your vote. It is those that will ultmately harm you. Hydlaa\'s fate rests on your shoulders, citizens of Hydlaa... Be sure to make the right choice... To be happy.\"

In silence, Darkshade walks on the wall, back towards the battlements. In silence, he climbs the rope he left.

But as he went out of sight, and sat down, he could hear, quite loudly, the cheers and exclamations of people, each incited by his speech.

Darkshade grinned.

\"There\'s one less problem, now.\"

He then shook his head, and continued to listen from above

\"... Even though, I hate politics...\"

[Learch]

Learch paced slowly near the back of the crowd where the crowd was thinner. His stride was not agitated but was the unhurried gait of someone amused by goings-on.

He stopped pacing beside a Kran and Enkudukai, and said, seemingly to himself, \"Interesting.\"
The pair looked at him, exchanged glances, but didn\'t respond.

Learch continued to stare ahead at Efflixi\'s frantic gesturing in the distance, and spoke again to no-one in particular, \"I\'m reminded of a small Xacha village I spent some time in. A radical thinker, an anarchist, came in and convinced the people to throw out the village chief. They banished him to the wilds, where he met certain death.\"

The Kran and Enkudukai glanced at each other, this time raising eyebrows to acknowlege the significance of the story. This was no mere vagabond.

Learch continued, \"It didn\'t take long for things to start breaking down -- the water supply became putrid, because no-one had the right to tell others not to put garbage into the stream. The village was kept awake all night because no-one had the right to tell others not to make loud noise all night. Without law and order, the gates went unguarded at night-- \"  at this unthinkable omission, the Kran and Enkudukai both gasped involuntarily \" -- and several strong men were eaten in the night by a pack of roving Consumers.\"

The Kran\'s hoarse voice asked, \"How did it end?\"

Learch smiled wryly. \"They became organized. They elected a leader to organize them. This fellow dictated who was to guard the gates on which nights, and set rules for conduct. Very strict bunch. In all that district, there was nothing stricter than the Federated Association of Anarchists.\"

The Enkudukai asked, \"So you\'d vote for one of the Octarch candidates?\"

Learch nodded,  \"Absolutely. The alternative doesn\'t work, and leads to even worse things in the long run.\"

The Kran asked, \"But what if the Octarch becomes corrupt, like the last one?\"

Learch laughed, and turned towards the tavern. He called over his shoulder, \"Well, my friend, there are always ways around that. For example, I know a really good potion-master who can make poison look like the Nusquam Esse Plague...\"

The Kran whirled to face the Enkudukai and hissed \"Wasn\'t that --?\"

The Enkudukai\'s eyes were bulging as he stared incredulously at the spot in the crowd where Learch had disappeared. He said slowly, \"Yes. Nusquam Esse Plague was what killed the LAST Octarch.\"

[Efflixi Aduro]

*shakes his head*

It is simple, do what you wish and support your cause. But  there is no need to be offensive. Your agresssion will only show your ignorance.

[Under the moon]

[ooc]*slaps Efflixi on the back*

Seems like we have drawn from the woodwork quite a few excellent RPers. Mission successful.

[ic] (let\'s see, Arnigus is in the Council Room, Had is guarding the door, Roth and Toth are drunk somewhere, Tybis is still in \'Tavern Tails\', so that leaves...ahh, the figure on the roof.)

*The figure moves though the deep shadows of the ally, keeping the cowled cloak held tight. It did not really matter if it was seen, but it prefered the company of lonelyness to the hurt of friends. That is the way it must be. Also, the election must go forth. That was also the way it must be. For good of ill, if such things truly existed.

The figure reaches the open street and sees Efflixi a little ways away. The sound of grating metal comes from its left arm as it tosses a small wooden rod wrapped in a scroll, hitting Efflixi in the back of the head. If he should turn, he would see nothing but the shadows, the figure gone with no trace or trail to follow. If he would read the scroll, it would say this*

~Though you think you further your cause, you merely cast a stone into the unerring path of Fate. Continue as you are, but know that some paths can\'t be followed, some can be, and some must be. Fate will take what it needs and cast all else aside. I know this better than anyone... for I too, have fought Fate. And I have lost.

For Fate has no forgiveness.

~A--

*the rest of the name vanishes in a smear of mud*

[Cyl]

\"Tsk, tsk. The election will happen if we vote or not. The only two possibilities are either convincing anyone not to vote, which doesnt seem to work, or move out.\"

Cyl played around with a small knife

\"So now that it is claryfied that there is no chance of having no election, the only true way would be voting for the least evil.\"

[Goldeneyes]

Yeah, government is corrupt, we should like totally have a place where people can go....and like, live in harmony, with laws to protect them so nobody can just walk into your house, and law men to preserve those laws. and a place to trade goods and services, and share ideas. and since it\'s too hard to take a vote every time we need to decide something, lets each pick someone to represent us, and the mojority vote will win, so that representative can help make the laws the people want...



oh wait, we have that, it\'s called a town.