Embassies

The following appears, posted in all the usual public places.

An account of the Ranger Assembly of 16 December, 2013

Wilk Potskin showed up promptly, but there was a battle group assaulting a golden boss, so there was a pause while various people trickled in. Then Wilk started the meeting with the announcement that he had several subjects to discuss.

First, homins have been selected to take part in the short scouting expedition into the Old Lands. We had been told that they would be contacted by Izam Mail, but late applications meant that the decision was announced here instead. Those selected were: Deprayken, Daomei, Bitttymacod, Djiper and Zorroargh. Congratulations were uttered, and there was a sense of suppressed excitement on the part of those selected. The selected homins will meet later to discuss details with Wilk.

Termite mound reports were then asked for.
Rangini reported his mound at (1,3,2 constantly).
Daomei reported nothing changed with her termites.
Kiwalie reported nothing changed – however, Zorroargh is taking care of the larder and she will be able to bake lots of cookies for the expedition. We should take a big bag. Silon says check to make sure that Kiwalie doesn't stow away. Kiwalie denies any such plan.

Wilk asked Rangini if he could make the termites grow in Forest or if they are not reacting properly to the potions. Rangini reported as he did last time that he found they reacted the same way in Hidden Source as in Almati Wood and that he had deliberately reduced the numbers to calm the worries of the Matis. Wilk asked that Rangini raise the numbers slowly to 150 or more termites so as to test if there are Goaris that come. Rangini agreed to do so.

Zhoi interjected, asking if Wilk had read her open letter to him. (http://app.ryzom.com/app_forum/index.php?page=topic/view/18677/1).
Wilk answered, "Yes."
Zhoi stated that in the meantime things have gotten worse. Filira Salazar has left politics and Filarae Ozwomen has gone into permanent retirement.
Wilk said: "We are in the process to build up an agreement with the Karan himself. To deal with diplomatic issues born from that situation."
Zhoi claimed that the Nobles are not being respected and that Wilk should take some action to show that the Rangers respect the Nobles.
Wilk noted that Zhoi is neither Matis nor Noble. Various members of the audience also voiced agreement that the Matis Nobles should speak for themselves and not have Zhoi take it upon herself to talk for them.
Zhoi went on to voice her concern that the Rangers might deal with the Theocracy in the same way, talking to the dynastic circles instead of the circles of the cities.
Bittty stood and said that Zhoi should speak for the Zorai if she had concerns, but that she should let the matter of the Matis be handled by someone else.
Zhoi went on at length about "mingling" on matters of great interest, bringing up the matter of the illness of Emperor Dexton, which was addressed by all people on Atys, not just by the Fyros. Wilk failed to see that this was relevant to the matter of termites and politics.
During the exposition, Rangini stated, rather bluntly: "I don't care about the Nobles anymore. They did not even react to what I said, and a Noble is lower rank than Karan, isn't it?"
Zhoi attempted to link the question of termites and Dexton's illness by pointing out that sharing of information was what led to the end of that episode.
Wilk agreed to consider the matter "for what it is worth."

Wilk called for question time:
Who has killed Kitins? Some, not as many as last time – definite reports of other people killing them as well as those present. It is hard to tell who is killing them and who is not.
Who has helped build defenses? Some people raised their hands. Kiwalie says that's pretty much all she's doing.

Bittty gives a long and detailed report on strange Lacerating Kirosta behavior near Loria Ponds.
Wilk asked if it looked like they might be guarding something? Neither Daomei nor Bittty had seen anything.
Note added after the meeting: Careful investigation has revealed no apparent reason for their behavior. There are no harvestable materials or other items in the immediate vicinity, and there are definitely five pods of the anomalous Kirostas.

Wilk asks the Rangers Compagnons to notify Lakes authorities. Le Justes volunteered, en masse. There was some confusion because Le Justes are not Ranger Compangnons. Wilk calls for the notification not to overdo it. Then Zorroargh stepped forth and undertook the duty – he had at first mistaken the meaning of the question..
Zhoi asks "who are the official Rangers Companions?" Wilk answers that none are "official". "Ranger Companions are not diplomatic official Rangers. They are willingful(sic) homins wanted to ease diplomatic discussions between nations." A brief list of the Comagnons was given: Zorroargh, Deprayken, Kiwalie, Daomei.

Chonchon had a question: What is the difference between a diplomat and what the companions are?
Wilk: Diplomat can move assets and keep promises. Companions can carry messages but not promise. Bitttymacod suggested that the Compagnons might be like attaches in the real world. Wilk thought the analogy described the idea "more or less."
Chonchon said directly that it was not clear to him at all. "If I understand (or not), scientists are diplomats and diplomats will be our companions. What is it that for, since they are always the same ones?"
A period of speaking back and forth across each other then occurred between Wilk and Chonchon. The best that I could understand with my poor knowledge of the dialect of Avendale (French) and the translations by the estimable Krill was that Chonchon thought of all of the aspirants as wishing to be Ranger companions, a reasonable use of the term "companion" meaning "friend" or "party member." However, Wilk had given special titles to the diplomatic volunteers recruited by Kiwalie. These titles were Ranger Companion or Ranger Compagnon. The titles were not using the word "companion" in the common meaning, but as special titles. In the opinon of this note-taker, perhaps a different title would have helped, but what's done is done.
Wilk finally told Chonchon to sit down and brought the meeting back to something that somewhat resembled order.
I have here set forth the matter as well as I might, and hope that upon reading this report Chonchon might understand a little more clearly what caused the discussion. If I have interpreted either the position of Chonchon or the position of Wilk, I hope they will correct me.

Wilk then announced that he will be in contact later to tell the volunteers for the scouting expedition about details.

The next meeting was announced for (13 January, 2014). Then the gathered homins cheered Krill for her remarkable feats of cross-dialect translation. She blushed.

Respectfully submitted.
--Mac'Od Bittty


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Seal of the Guild of Scribes of Pyr
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