text; un: beatrix [2]

[fiendennor]

I dearly hope everyone is safe after the turmoil in Olympia.
Wyver too, I've heard, though I was fortunate enough to not to experience it myself.

Does anyone else find it odd? That tensions were suddenly inflamed in such a way. Normal people turning violent.
Or the refugees ourselves having our own aggressive tendencies reinforced and heightened.

It's hard to believe that all of this is entirely natural, or the result of simple historical tensions.
Has anyone ever experienced anything like this before? Something that has this sort of aggressive effect on the populace?

Comments

[maipokerface]

Not sure if anyone was forced. I mean I drank it willingly and it was offered in a lot of different forms so it seemed like a natural part of the celebration? Or I thought it was anyhow.

[fiendennor]

Hmm. I see. Having it be part of the rite would make sense. Though, was Wyver damaged as much as Olympia was? Were the riots quite as widespread? It would make little sense to me for the authorities to want to destroy their own city.

[maipokerface]

I'm guessing so. How bad was it over there?

[fiendennor]

Fairly. There was quite a lot of damage done. Both to property and to people. [Herself included.] I can't make any claim to being any sort of financial analyst, so I have no idea how to assess the damages, but it can't be good for stability or growth. So if it is the authorities doing this for the people, there's an ulterior motive.

[maipokerface]

If there is, it's some pretty underhanded motive.
And I'd say it only benefits those authorities.

[Then again...]

I'd agree with you though. The nature of this mess doesn't exactly seem well planned. And you'd think someone with power and an ulterior motive would at least figure out some kind of strategy.

[fiendennor]

Perhaps. There are two primary schools of thought on this, I think. The first is that the ruling powers are using this as an excuse to grab more power at the expense of civil liberties. However, that would run into a second question: Why would both states do this at the same time? It almost would look coordinated. The second is that there is a third party, or third parties, looking to undermine the rule with hopes of bringing these governments down or weakening them.

[maipokerface]

If it's between those two, the choice sort of seems obvious.

[fiendennor]

I will readily admit my explanation did seem biased, but it's because I agree-- it does seem obvious. I think that the governments are being undermined. By who, or for what reason, I don't know.

[maipokerface]

Who do they think is behind everything in Olympia?
Here some people seem to think it's the Knightryders, other say Mythi's Fang.

[fiendennor]

I'm not sure. To be honest, I'm much better at researching in a library than I am at listening to rumors. Do you know anything about those two groups other than the names?

[maipokerface]

Not really. I know the Knightryders are backed by the king here in Wyver, I think? I had a friend recommend I join them but I'm not really the sort to get involved in things like that so.

[fiendennor]

I see.
That, to me, would make them less potentially culpable.
If they're acting at the behest of the king, why undermine his rule?
(Unless it's a rogue faction of the organization, of course.)

[maipokerface]

I think the only way you can really tell any of that is being in the organization itself. Sometimes you find undermining a king or any other sort of betrayal in the place you least expect.

[fiendennor]

I suppose that's true. So we can't rule the possibility out. That said, I think we're going to have to determine likelihood or probability. And I would call it less likely that a rogue element would be able to sneak around under the watch of their commanders than a third party being able to somehow access these supplies.

[maipokerface]

The question is where do we go from here?

[fiendennor]

I don't know.
That's why I was hoping to gather information.
I feel like any action we take at this point is underinformed at best.

[maipokerface]

Makes sense. Well if you need help, I don't mind since I'm more than a little curious too.

[fiendennor]

Thank you.
You're in Wyver, right? I'm in Olympia, so meeting in person may be difficult given the current environment.

I can fly wherever you'd like to meet, if face-to-face communication is important to you, however.

[maipokerface]

It's not really but we could always meet up on the station. You know, where all the sleepers are.

[fiendennor]

Always a possibility.
Though, perhaps we don't necessarily want the Orbiters overhearing our conversations.
Depending on what we're talking about.

It may be reasonable to be prudent, that's all.