New Politics
The Istan, and otherwise, Invasions (or those who aren’t Fort born)
There’s been in and out movement of riders through every turn, intensified around the two plagues and their losses of course. A little more so lately. High reaches used to be Fort’s best friend...riders from there who wanted to come to a better Weyr have certainly been coming for a long while. Just note the Southern and Istan weyr gameplay notes below. If your rider is a transfer rather than native born, give a thought to *why* he’s transferring- forced? willing? desperate? Be aware the transfer in of a female dragonrider would have been- and still mostly is- next to impossible unless its after turn 22, they are one of the Istans and have a ranker sponsor able to put on a *lot* of pressure or call in a *lot* of favors. And be aware people will really not be too happy to have her.
Woe for Fort, an awkward gold and a pair of aggravating bronzes were were packed off in true style to Fort. Who knew it wouldn’t stop there? And a Weyr has recently collapsed. There’s new faces around.
The Ista Nostre (Ista’s Rankers): Devorah and her cronies have been playing at politics for a very long time in a very little world. Expect any Istan ranker who’s taken the challenge (or glorious opportunity) to move to Fort to be used to oiling their way, making friends to help offset their enemies, holding close useful people and grateful lackeys who get well rewarded- and strictly punished. Playing favourites is their favourite game! Fort’s old guard probably aren’t too happy to have new folks in their Weyr...but they might learn a thing or two about new flavours of nasty by watching. The Ista Nostre ranker will certainly have a circle of ‘cronies’ of all shapes and colours...resistance sympathisers should certainly be very careful about presuming *any* green or blue rider will be naturally sympathetic. And remember to watch the shadows for eyes.
(Gameplay note: Only the Istan rankers forcibly booted to Fort would have arrived in turn 20. Others will have taken the opportunity to fix..er..help Fort now there’s room to grab power, from Turn 22.)
More-Fort-Then-Fort (Ista’s Lessers): On Devorah's rise to power, it was obvious enough there was something Wrong with Fort (tm), and she’d not the time to waste trying to find who she could trust while trying to hold the Weyr together. Plus, she missed ‘her’ reliable people- not one of the drudges had been able to get her favorite dress as pressed as her caverns girl at Ista, for a start! No *goldrider* should have to suffer those indignities. There’s been a steady trickle of Istan supporters to bolster the ranks, subtle requests, ‘accidental’ transfers....Ista’s been awfully soft for a long time and there’s been those chafing against the ‘fall’ from grace and power for a while.
Your ‘More-Fort-Than-Fort’ Istan has grown up around liberals, rather than actually feeding off the structure that was in place in Fort. It means a couple of things.. mainly that their idea of Fort is just that. A Glorious Idea. The Perfect Weyr. A ‘true home’ they’ve never lived in. The hard core attitudes of Old Fort Establishment have been put on a pedestal...as *they* understand it growing up in *their* world. Old Fort rankers think Devorah should be a good little gold, shut up and let her bronze men think for her.... good luck telling her that! There’s women and lessers both come from Ista and sure...they don’t think they’re better then the rankers but...they may be surprised at what Fort really thinks of them. On the flip side, they are zealots. They’ve never learnt that sometimes you might need to turn a blind eye to an uppity lesser if it suits you both. They haven’t had turns to settle into a routine...they have rock hard conviction instead. Be scared.
(Gameplay note: Some Istan riders *might* have arrived in the years since turn 20 and the dragon plague to help plug gaps. They’d have been plain joes like all other transfers with a smattering of view from all sides of the fence- but how do they feel now? From turn 22, others are more likely to have been lured, seek transfer or choose to come play with their friends back in the First and Glorious Weyr deliberately *because* of their pro-Fort attitude.)
The Trippy Hippies: Southern Weyr is no more. Once proud bastion of...all the things Fort hates. Needless to say, the conclave were very wary about rehoming refugees from that Weyr to Fort but....there’s only so many people a Weyr can *take* before its own start suffering and some poor souls are *going* to have to suck it up and do what they can. Its probably not going to be fun. Are you up to the challenge of being a fancy-pants liberal at Fort?
(Gameplay note: The chances of anyone not of a radical and old school turn of mind transferring *from* Southern to Fort pre-Southern’s close in Turn 22 are slim. They’d probably have been rejected anyway.)
The Holdbred and Crafters: Candidates get searched from the Holds, holders come themselves to stand or work. Fort Hold itself is even more militant the Fort Weyr- it thinks Fort’s practically a bastion of perversion as it is! Other Holds and minor holds will vary from liberal to strict.
Woe for Fort, an awkward gold and a pair of aggravating bronzes were were packed off in true style to Fort. Who knew it wouldn’t stop there? And a Weyr has recently collapsed. There’s new faces around.
The Ista Nostre (Ista’s Rankers): Devorah and her cronies have been playing at politics for a very long time in a very little world. Expect any Istan ranker who’s taken the challenge (or glorious opportunity) to move to Fort to be used to oiling their way, making friends to help offset their enemies, holding close useful people and grateful lackeys who get well rewarded- and strictly punished. Playing favourites is their favourite game! Fort’s old guard probably aren’t too happy to have new folks in their Weyr...but they might learn a thing or two about new flavours of nasty by watching. The Ista Nostre ranker will certainly have a circle of ‘cronies’ of all shapes and colours...resistance sympathisers should certainly be very careful about presuming *any* green or blue rider will be naturally sympathetic. And remember to watch the shadows for eyes.
(Gameplay note: Only the Istan rankers forcibly booted to Fort would have arrived in turn 20. Others will have taken the opportunity to fix..er..help Fort now there’s room to grab power, from Turn 22.)
More-Fort-Then-Fort (Ista’s Lessers): On Devorah's rise to power, it was obvious enough there was something Wrong with Fort (tm), and she’d not the time to waste trying to find who she could trust while trying to hold the Weyr together. Plus, she missed ‘her’ reliable people- not one of the drudges had been able to get her favorite dress as pressed as her caverns girl at Ista, for a start! No *goldrider* should have to suffer those indignities. There’s been a steady trickle of Istan supporters to bolster the ranks, subtle requests, ‘accidental’ transfers....Ista’s been awfully soft for a long time and there’s been those chafing against the ‘fall’ from grace and power for a while.
Your ‘More-Fort-Than-Fort’ Istan has grown up around liberals, rather than actually feeding off the structure that was in place in Fort. It means a couple of things.. mainly that their idea of Fort is just that. A Glorious Idea. The Perfect Weyr. A ‘true home’ they’ve never lived in. The hard core attitudes of Old Fort Establishment have been put on a pedestal...as *they* understand it growing up in *their* world. Old Fort rankers think Devorah should be a good little gold, shut up and let her bronze men think for her.... good luck telling her that! There’s women and lessers both come from Ista and sure...they don’t think they’re better then the rankers but...they may be surprised at what Fort really thinks of them. On the flip side, they are zealots. They’ve never learnt that sometimes you might need to turn a blind eye to an uppity lesser if it suits you both. They haven’t had turns to settle into a routine...they have rock hard conviction instead. Be scared.
(Gameplay note: Some Istan riders *might* have arrived in the years since turn 20 and the dragon plague to help plug gaps. They’d have been plain joes like all other transfers with a smattering of view from all sides of the fence- but how do they feel now? From turn 22, others are more likely to have been lured, seek transfer or choose to come play with their friends back in the First and Glorious Weyr deliberately *because* of their pro-Fort attitude.)
The Trippy Hippies: Southern Weyr is no more. Once proud bastion of...all the things Fort hates. Needless to say, the conclave were very wary about rehoming refugees from that Weyr to Fort but....there’s only so many people a Weyr can *take* before its own start suffering and some poor souls are *going* to have to suck it up and do what they can. Its probably not going to be fun. Are you up to the challenge of being a fancy-pants liberal at Fort?
(Gameplay note: The chances of anyone not of a radical and old school turn of mind transferring *from* Southern to Fort pre-Southern’s close in Turn 22 are slim. They’d probably have been rejected anyway.)
The Holdbred and Crafters: Candidates get searched from the Holds, holders come themselves to stand or work. Fort Hold itself is even more militant the Fort Weyr- it thinks Fort’s practically a bastion of perversion as it is! Other Holds and minor holds will vary from liberal to strict.