Tales of Opression Chapter 1: The slaughter of the miners

[lordraleigh]

[OOC]This is the version from one of the miners about this hidden history being told by his son, full of exaggeration, idealism and glorification. The realistic and cold version of an assassin is below[/OOC]

It was a sad day when I received this blood stained scroll with a hastily done script from my loved father. Not only he died but also the "righteous" Octarch rule "confiscated" all the wealth from my family, that my father struggled for years to earn. This letter is more than just a last will, this letter is the proof that the current government is wicked, corrupted and tyrannical. This letter will be a small part of the dark history of Yliakum once this age of darkness has passed and I hope it will serve as one of the many sparks that will ignite the flame of the revolution to awaken all the opressed races. This is the true history about the miners rebellion of seven twenty five through the eyes of my now deceased father.

"

Dear Son:

    If you are reading this scroll, then it means that the powers that struggle against the will, freedom and dignity of the hard working people sent their ruthless assassins against me and all other miners that fought for their rights. I hope my trusted friend gave you this letter and did not betray his promise to me, because I would not like to know that you became clueless about my fate, and because I do not wish that the truth about what happened stays forever covered by the blankets of lies and deceptions of the evil institution called government.
    First, I will report all I can write about what I was witnessing before the battle of now. It was a dark night, not unfitting with what was about to happen. I was marching with other fellow miners, until we set camp in a hill across the road to Hydlaa near the east gates to take a rest, our peaceful protest intended to pressure the government to make a drastic reduction on the outrageous mining taxes and the end of the prohibition of mining in other levels beyond level one. Suddenly several dark figures were spotted running somewhere about fifty yards south from our encampment, and desperation started to emerge on our hearts...
    Few miners of our hundreds actually had weapons, those who had them had drawn their axes and swords, others got their rock picks ready as the shadows approached, and I, as one better with words than with swords, was chosen to report the best I could about what was and is happening in case we cannot defend ourselves. After that the other miners made a circle around the hill facing outward and I stayed on the center, watching and waiting. Once the first killers started climbing the hill, one of ours recognized them as the "legendary" elite assassins of the Yliakum government that supposedly existed only in tales of oppositors of the current rule.
    Now I will report the battle that is happening. My fellow friends are fighting bravely, or this message would stop in the last paragraph. I am amazed to see how brave and strong is the will of the awakened people, that in their last stand are fighting until their last breath and even those whose limbs were teared apart continues to fight with a determination that no "elite" force could reach.
    We have chosen to die free than to live in slavery, we have chosen to fight until death for dignity, and now we see the consequences as many of us already fell. Still, we do not regret our choice, as we die in honor and as martyrs of the cause of the people, and even outnumbered, we prove our worthiness as one of us can, even with the lack of proper equipment,  take at least four of those bastards to the death realm before he dies.
    Several bodies on the ground, and the blood flows down from the hill like there was a waterfall on it, I fear that after glorious three minutes of battle and hundreds of deaths, my time is about to come. I get ready my pick axe as I finish to write this to you son, always remember me, I hope some day the name of your father may be on history or on a memorial to the victims of this rule. Always remember me son, try to remember not only from this sad moment, but also from our happy meals in family, from our swimming races on level seven waters where you always won and from the times I could stay with you and talk for hours about everything. Do not give up your life son, you may have a great future ahead and perhaps one day you may have a chance to bring justice to this world. I will always love you.

Last Will From your loved father... (All that remains is an attempt to write a unknown letter and several blood stains) "

[Quitarias]

  Genius .... thats the first word that comes to mind for me the letter isj ust so full of emotions and they flow so well that even a lazy bastard like me  couldnt stop reading i just loved how you put into account the bravery of the miners who fought (DIE FILTHY BASTARDS!!) and i just want to say "I WANT MOOOOORE!!!"

* Quitarias starts a rebelion to get more story's from lordraleigh

[lordraleigh]

This is an elegy... in memory of the dead miners... [It is vaguely inspired on Guy Fawkes]

Seventh Yndoli, a day to remember,
Despair and hope in a dark plight
When miners became fencers
To defend themselves and their rights.

The will of freedom on the air,
The flowers landed on the hill,
Only wished to be treated fair
Answer they met, a fate of ill.

Swords shutted their speech,
Lies silenced their final destination,
Reputations threathened by besmirch,
Ordered coldly their assassination.

Rivers of blood and mounds of skulls,
The hill of the grim battle echoes dark,
Thanks to the support of the blind tools,
Another work accomplished by the Octarchs.

Thus this was the day of treason and tyranny,
Even if they try to fool you with a fake haven.
Fallen will become their tricks and their legacy,
If all remember Yndoli, on the night of day seven.

[Phinehas]

Ok, I printed out your first story and read it away from the computer because I've realized that that's the only way I'll get any of this stuff read. Here are the very basic of things that I would like to point out. However, before I point them out, I'd like to say that it's a good idea. I like the idea behind the story, very creative and interesting. Now, the problems I saw with it on first glance:

1. Run-on sentences
2. Redundancy
3. Lack of believability

Those are a few things you should work on. I'm not going to get nitpicky unless you specifically express a desire to feel the full brunt of my editorial might. Unlike people who create guilds, I believe that people who write stories actually put thought and effort into their tales, and, despite what many think, I have no desire to crush young talent.

Once again, despite certain flaws, it was a good story.

[lordraleigh]

Ok, I printed out your first story and read it away from the computer because I've realized that that's the only way I'll get any of this stuff read. Here are the very basic of things that I would like to point out. However, before I point them out, I'd like to say that it's a good idea. I like the idea behind the story, very creative and interesting. Now, the problems I saw with it on first glance:

1. Run-on sentences
2. Redundancy
3. Lack of believability

Those are a few things you should work on. I'm not going to get nitpicky unless you specifically express a desire to feel the full brunt of my editorial might. Unlike people who create guilds, I believe that people who write stories actually put thought and effort into their tales, and, despite what many think, I have no desire to crush young talent.

Once again, despite certain flaws, it was a good story.

It was a letter from a miner telling about assassins hunting their group and in hope that someone would be inspired by its content. Appealing to the emotional is a part of several "subversive" writings in world history. How would anyone feel courageous and motivated by its history if the writer told that he ran away from the place and that he was writing the letter while the assassins, that slaughtered the other miners quickly, were searching for him? Would many worry about it if it was just a few dozens of miners? The description of the combat is particularly the main aspect of its bias and an obvious example of hyperbole. About the redundancy and run-on sentences, it was written by a miner, not by a scribe or professional writer, and by the fact it was written in a rush, I believe it is acceptable.

P.S. : I will post a non-biased version of the event in this topic... if a few ones are willing to know about it.

[Phinehas]

That does explain a lot, although I'm still skeptical.

[lordraleigh]

[OOC]Although it has a "Establishment Defender"(Lawful Neutral) bias, this diary describes the happenings without exaggerations[/OOC]

*From the inside of the locked diary of an honorable assassin, written with a code used by all of them, the register of the real history about the miners slaughter is stored...

Day six, Yndoli

     Tonight I received my largest assignment until now from my superiors, I am pretty excited about what tomorrow will deliver to me. Usually I deal with individual targets, but this time... I guess they got something really big messing with them. All they said is that I will have support of other members and that the targets are not very experienced with combat, but are in large numbers.
     I begin to reach the bunkhouse and my bed with anxiety over the next night that will come, after drinking the tonic potion that my buddy Harold makes for us... nice fellow, like me he knows that we do this because we do not wish that chaos reigns over this world, thus he does it for duty, not for pleasure... unlike many of the nastier individuals around here.
     Harold really have many similarities with me, as for example sometimes we had nightmares seeing the faces of those we killed, as if some kind of slept conscience under ourselves was trying to convince us we were wrong, but we dismissed these bad dreams easily knowing this is being done to guarantee stability and unity for this world.

Day seven, Yndoli

     We just had a briefing from our superiors where they gave all the details about this mission, and I must say that this one is the least pleasant one I ever seen. As they said, a bunch of miners, around sixty or eighty, were protesting against the current mining taxes and they concluded that these would be a bad example for the rest, thus they should be dealt with before igniting the flame of chaos and rebellion.
     The same conscience that haunts my dreams now weighs heavily against me as I sneak towards our goal, and I can almost feel the suffering that will come from my actions, but the knowledge of the even larger suffering that anarchy would cause alleviates me. Still, sometimes it seems I am at the wrong side, but these thoughts are temptations on my loyalty induced by the forces of chaos and should not be listened.
     Finally we arrived near the hill where those miners are camping, as our captain gave us the tactical instructions on the most effective way that they had planned to accomplish our goal. We are ordered to surround that hill and to wait for a signal of fire before attacking.
     As I was moving to my position and looking to the movements over the hill, I had the impression that some of the miners spoted us, and reported it to the captain, he just said I am seeing things and that they will not have any chance against us anyway, after two minutes walking, I was positioned and waiting for that signal, as anxiety again struck against me.
     As the signal was given, our archers launched a volley of arrows against them as I rushed towards the hill, with Harold coincidentally on my left, and we could see the miners that were not killed by the arrows reading their rock picks, and a few of them with swords... When I reached the first miner, I killed him easily, even if he apparently was not afraid of death, and aside from three miners armed with swords, this battle was very easy, in my opinion. Sadly the same could not be said about Harold when he entered in melee with one of the miners, that plunged Harold's chest with his rock pick before I killed him.
     This was a sad day, not only because my best friend died, but also because I hunted and killed the last miner that survived, as he was writing a letter to his son. For the first time in this profession, I had felt a real regret over my actions while I was reading that letter, but at least I had some laughters from the ridiculously exaggerated way that the miner described the battle, like they were invincible paladins of the people slaughtering the forces of evil in a glorious last stand. Still I will miss really bad Harold, as he was the only friend I had in there.

Day eight, Yndoli

     What happened with that letter I stored? When I checked my pockets it disappeared! I asked around but no one else besides me knew about the letter, and I have enough experience to notice when one is telling a lie. I am afraid that we missed of the miners and that he pickpocketed the letter from me as I was distracted, but strangely enough, This fact worked as a comfort for my burden...

*And the assassins continued their missions, unaware that what they did on the day seven of the month Yndoli, in seven twenty-five, could actually be, in an irony of fate, the spark that would in the future ignite the flame of rebellion...

[Parallo]

While I really like this and the way it reads and what not it still seems a little unbelievable. I don't quite know if its right to claim the government system as evil and corrupt and make 'evidence' to show it. As far as I knew the government was actually just and fair. Its like me coming along saying that there are actually 9 levels to the staligtite. Fair enough if in your RP you say that they are but I've seen your character claiming to be locked up by the Octarchs and all this sort of carry on but I just don't see it happening.
The writings good and all but only as Yliakum fiction. I don't think you can play it of as IC fact.

[Quitarias]

in my oppinion the logic is just fine beacause there will always be people  who dissagree we dont live in a Utopia so get used to it and btw from the miners point of view the mining taxes might be bad enough to protest because i have yet to see a goverment without even the tinyest spark of coruption and about people being jailed i could quite easily believe it because where do you put people who did not polute the great lake (or do another death punishable offense) ask them not to do it again ?

[Parallo]

I understand what you are saying Quit but this is only a part of what lordraleigh has planned. Annera(I think thats the name, not 100% sure) is die hard anti the current political system based on these 'facts' made up by the player. Thats like me saying 'Talad is a vengeful and spiteful god. He killed my family.' Just for the sake of my rp so that I could hate him. There is no evidence in the settings so it is actually going against the settings.

[Quitarias]

there is nothing mentioned about the DE or Outlaws or Elemental light in the setings too(i just said what came to mind first no offense to other good guilds) GM's delete those guilds they werent mentioned in the setings and delete my char too he wasnt mentioned there as well 
if we looked at that everyone should get deleted and get a pre created char who is mentioned in the setings 
the PS setings mentioned the history of Yliakum so its only natural that it doesent mention curent events it only mentions the VERY VERY VERY big things and a vilager who hates the goverment is not realy that important as i see it

[lordraleigh]

[Totally OOC] I see that one thinks this game is another "Utopian paradise of wise and honest kings". I will explain everything right now:

First, Here is the OFFICIAL information about the government(Interesting points are in bold):

"Eight dignitaries called "Octarchs" rule the city; each of them supervises and is responsible for one level of Yliakum. Together they form the "Circle of the Octarchs" or "Internal Circle", that takes decisions regarding all the people living in the city.

Immediately under an Octarch there are twenty "Vigesimi", high civil servants that deal with law and order. There are 160 "Vigesimi" in total and they form the "External Circle". At the beginning of every year there is a meeting of all Octarchs and Vigesimi that lasts for several months. In this event they evaluate all expenses and revenue of the previous year, all complaining, problems, etc... Vigesimi normally come from the Craft Guilds of each level, and their position is hereditary. Nevertheless is not too rare to find some high citizens that are elected thanks to people acclamation, taking place of Vigesimi that are dead, that are judged inept or that are found to be guilty of thievery.

At the beginning of every season takes place the meeting of all Vigesimi of a level, generally (but not always) directed by the Octarch. During these short meetings the members of the External Circle can elect a new Octarch if the previous is dead or too old. An Octarch can't be removed, nevertheless in some cases the Octarch was assassinated because it was too cruel, inept, dishonest, etc... One of the most famous cases is the one of Fertedian Dalko, Octarch of the 4th level, that was tied to a hypnotized Megaras and sent straight towards the Crystal. "

Here is a very interesting similarity:



1984's Inner Party - Inner Circle?
1984's Outer Party - External Circle?
1984's Proles        - The Peasants and powerless masses?

And as I highlighted:

1) The Vigesimi main function is to "deal with law and order", not "to guarantee the dignity of the people"
2) "Their position is hereditary" No need of comments on this one.
3) "Not too rare", it means sometimes(but still in almost rare occasions) popular figures are chosen. Probably as a way to give the people the illusion that they rule for them.
4) "Judged Inept" : Who judges a Vigesimi as inept? The proper government obviously... And what are their "standards"?
5) "found to be guilty" : It's easy to bring down the less discrete politicians as scapegoats to illude the people that something is being done... And I don't believe that it is easy to find one of them guilty.
6) "An Octarch can't be removed" : Here is the main point... nothing more adequate to spread the abuse of power...
7) "Too (Negative qualities)": Only when one is too cruel..., not when one is cruel... it is an obvious way to settle down a possible uprising before it is too late.

And that is the Official information about the government... Who knows what happens behind the scenes? [/OOC]

[Parallo]

Aye, but you have taken certain fictional happenings about something which is very central to the settings and seem to be twisting it to make it into fact. If there is so much oppression why have we not heard of it before. It is my opinion that this writing is very good and shows much potential but if one could take that as fact is debatable. Think of Dwarvesbane. They had it right in so much as at one point or another they were miss treated by a dwarf. Fair enough. If they claimed that every dwarf they ever met mistreated them I'd be inclined to either dissmiss that as nonsence or believe that they have met very few dwarves. Plus not once did I say it was utopian. There has never as far as I know been anyone with serious problems caused by the government of Yliakum, save you who claims that lots and lots of people suffer them.

@Quitarias: Thats rediculous. You completely exaggerated what I said.

[lordraleigh]

I see Quitarias wasn't exaggerating...

No reference to the Dark Empire in the PS Story...

So I guess it shouldn't exist as well.(Never saw any NPC talking about the DE so as no NPC ever had problems with the government no one ever heard of the Dark Empire)

[IC]How could such scheme be devised? How could the truth be transformed in madmen tales?
No one would ever imagine the amount power that one has if he controls the information...
All that was possible was done to guarantee that what happened against the miners was not a slaughter.
The Official story is that they were killed by a bunch of very ruthless bandits that tried to rob them(Something they made sure that would be acceptable by ordering the murderers to loot the corpses). Their knowledge on the art of deception have thus far kept the truth hidden and all the few who know what really happened are considered delusional, mad and such.
As long as they hold grip of the information, their version of history will prevail as their disinformation and cover ups continue to be done when necessary[/IC]

Now... because no one else RPs a victim of this kind, it doesn't means that it isn't supposed to exist. If all thought that way then certain common but unique types of character that I saw would not exist too. And Nothing beyond a guild called "Yliakum Government" could exist!

The setting doesn't say much details about government, but gives several hints that it is far from a good government. And it is supposed to be mostly a functional description(on how it works, not on its morals and integrity) from the way it is written.

Case closed... It is totally possible... but not widely known.(Unless a developer involved in the creation of the PS Setting says it is impossible Roleplay-wise, I will keep my ground)

[Parallo]

You obviously don't understand what I'm saying then if you agree with Quitarias. I'm not saying that you should stop. It adds colour. I'm saying that you should review the way your doing it, the severity of your accusations. They are actually based on nothing. If you maybe made your accusations on a smaller scale that would be grand. I'd see absoutly no problem with it. Right now your making up settings your self.