[Royal Guard] OOC: Informal would-be poll....

[J.D. Strausse]

This poll pertains to a current storyline that's likely to come to a head in
the next few days, so before you deicde how your Guard would answer it, if
answer at all, you'll probably benefit from a brief synopsis of the
storyline as it's happened so far.

Several months ago, Aridia Vlorress, a fallen angel that was once a vampire
and before that a mortal woman, applied for citizenship to Abraxas ul-Bralk
Caros, a Chancellery magistrate. For those of you who don't know already,
the Chancellery magistrates are the folks in black robes who try arrested
criminals. Outside of hearing criminal cases, these magistrates handle
citizenship applications, licensing for ships, the roll of citizens, and
host of other administrative functions. Aridia citizenship application was
denied and mostly because she had once been a vampire. The Chancellery
magistrates don't like the undead in general and loathe vampires in
particular and not without good reason: they've endured vampiric serial
murderers, vampire rights movements (yes, there was a time when Drache's
vampires wanted to be treated like citizens), the fallout from vampires
warring to be Drache's "Prince," and they also read the Guard
reports--usually not lacking for vampires who antagonize, attack and get
away.

Accordingly, Abraxas denied Aridia's bid for citizenship. If she was a
vampire in the past, then that was, in his mind, grounds enough to deny her
citizenship. He also couldn't wrap his mind around how one had gone from a
vampire (she was a vamp for over 1,000 years) to a mortal fallen angel.
Abraxas wasn't necessarily fair or right in his decision, though. Aridia has
done no harm while in Drache and she is, like it or not, now a mortal.
Someone more open-minded would've granted her citizenship.

Denied by the Chancellery, Aridia appealed the decision to the Regency
Council. For those of you who don't know, the Regency Council is Southern
Arangoth's ruling body (Northern Arangoth is ruled by the King); they have
power of the purse and sword. The Council is to the Chancellery what a
congress / parliament is to the judiciary. Here, Aridia found cooler heads.
The Council interviewed her and then ordered the Chancellery to grant her
application for citizenship when she next applied. She hasn't done so. Not
yet.

This might look like an innocent disagreement--like a petty squabble between
two parts of government, but it's anything but. ;) Consider what might
happen if the Chancellery disobeys the Council's order and refuses to grant
Aridia citizenship: the Chancellery magistrates stand in open defiance the
Council. That would be rude at best and treason at worst. The Council will
have to act and, given the dogged and stubborn nature of the Chancellery
magistrates, act forcibly. That's to say that the Council will likely have
to call on the Guard to compel the Chancellery magistrates to obey--and
possibly arrest them. ;)

Jax's character, Lorla Daranek, is a former member of the Regency Council.
If your character knows that and keeps up with current events (as they've
been describes as above), then he might guess why she's asking. Namely, the
Council isn't sure of the Guard's loyalty and might be a little worried
that, in the vent of a conflict with the Chancellery, that the Guard might
not take their side. A few possible reasons for this might be:

--The Guard owns a considerable loyalty to the Chancellery by virtue of
their work. Magistrates often go on patrol and involve themselves in the
same brawls as the Guard. Loyalty to the Chancellery likely increases the
higher up the chain of command you go; old guards have had a lot of time
with the magistrates, newer guards not as much. Think of it as a
cop-prosecutor relationship.
--The Guard is, with exceptions, as hawkish and anti-vampire (even
ex-vampire) as the Chancellery. See the reports (anyone brawled with
Pardus?)

But by the same token:

--The Council is probably more in the right on this matter than the
Chancellery.
--To defy the Council and side with the Chancellery would be treason (unless
the Chancellery wins its bid for power).

Keeping all that in mind, I hope you'll be able to figure out where your
guard will stand: pro-Chancellery, pro-Council, or neutral. As to the poll,
those of you who want to join the Council faction can e-mail Jax at
mizzjax at mchsi.com and those of you who want to join the glorious revolution
can e-mail me at jdstrausse at earthlink.net

If y'all have questions. I'm usually on under MunInFull or Resque. Or you
can get Dan under Stygian or Ravenant. Jax is often under Jaxity. ;)