Swamped

"I was trying to get information from him. Of course I had to tell him something - and all I told him was what he already suspected. I thought it worth the risk if it convinced him to release me, so I could return with the information sooner."

You look at each council member in turn.

"I hadn't realized that you'd already decided to attack. Now, why exactly did that happen? It hadn't even been a full day since we got the report of the egg harvest."

Claws glances at Mantis.

"Someone apparently received his sign from the gods."

"I will not have you mischaracterize my prayers," Mantis says. Is he actually angry? "I was seeking guidance, knowing the decision was of great importance."

"And then you settled your vote right after you found out your disciple Requiem got poisoned. Are you telling me that wasn't what made up your mind?"

"I was, of course, deeply upset by the news. But I had already concluded that this was my path by then. Requiem's poisoning merely strengthened my resolve. And I do not believe I made the wrong decision."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Claws snaps. "Rider's gone!"

"In the end, we called off the attack and learned that the Bogknights were not behind the poison. I believe this was the will of the gods. That we were meant to prepare for an attack, only to cancel it. In time, the reasons why will become clear."

"What a load of..." Claws shakes her head. She doesn't really want to go there. "Or maybe you made a mistake, and the attack was cancelled because the gods didn't want it."

"You are welcome to disagree," Mantis says. "These are merely my own thoughts on the matter. The will of the gods is difficult to decipher, and ultimately none of us can ever be sure we walk the right path. We can only strive to do the best we can."

"That's enough," Razor says. "If you want a religious debate, have it on your own time. Stick to the matter at hand."

"Which is what, at this point?" you ask. "I've explained what I told Captain Long and why. Am I, at last, permitted to leave?"

"Just one thing," Razor says. "The one-armed prisoner we were talking about earlier. I don't want you questioning them, or meeting with them under any circumstances, without a council member present."

That could be inconvenient. You're not even sure you could trust Claws in this matter.

"Or would another councilor care to object?"

Silence.

"Well, you have your orders, Mudviper. You may resume your duties now while we discuss other matters."

"Thank you, Council," you say, before walking out of the chamber.

Then you give the nearest wall a good punch.

How dare he!

Marshall's been left in the dark for seven years now. You can't just let that continue.

But you've been ordered to stay out of the way. And worst of all, whatever your emotions may be saying - you know Razor made the same call you would have if you were in his place. As angry as you are, you can't even object in good faith.

So what are you to do?

Better go talk with Corvus.

Well. You've still got one ally here you can trust. Not completely, not to the degree you trust Rider. But you're in no position to complain.

Corvus and his squad will be in one of the spare rooms you use for briefings and debriefings. It's not hard to find the right one; Goldtooth is standing watch outside.

"Finally done, Viper?" he asks.

"Yes, but I want to talk to Corvus. About matters Rider discussed with him."

"Well you'll have to wait," Goldtooth shrugs. "Maybe a while, even. The second debriefing only started about ten minutes ago."

"Second debriefing? Why two?"

"Crosswinds popped up just as the first finished, and said there were some more questions to ask. Don't know what the questions were, but that's the story. Of course, it's Crosswinds, so you never know how long it'll take."

The door swings open.

"Done. Oh, is Viper taking over now?"

"Not for a full debriefing. I just want to talk to Corvus. Rider has some standing orders for him that I'll need to address, given the new situation."

"Knock yourself out. But don't keep poor Goldtooth waiting too long."

Goldtooth just grumbles.

"Don't worry about me, we're expecting lots of debriefings today after that mess last night. I'm already expecting to be here until evening."

"I'll try not to take too long, regardless."

You step in, and dismiss everyone but Corvus. He lets out a groan as the rest of the squad walks out. You shut the door when they're all through.

"Am I ever going to be able to leave here?" Corvus moans. "I'm starting to wonder if I'd have been better off in the Bogknights' cells."

"I need to talk about the order Rider gave you," you explain.

"Can't he do that himself? Or is he busy feeding his beast?"

He's behind on the news.

"Rider disappeared last night. You didn't hear yet?"

"Nobody thought to tell me! What do you mean, disappeared?"

"I mean, Captain Long challenged him to a duel, and the duel ended with both of them vanishing. We don't know much more than that."

"What the hell! Rider's gone? I can't believe it!"

"That's why I need to talk to you. The new Bogknight you were after - we've got them in a cell. But the council's ordered me not to talk to them without a councilor present."

"Are you telling me to do your dirty work?" Corvus sighs. "You know perfectly well I've got no clue why Rider's interested in this at all. And I don't especially want to know, either."

"No, I wasn't planning to send you in my place. I've got news you need to know. For a start, I recommended you to take Rider's place on the council."

Corvus just stares at you.

"Have you lost your mind? There's no way I'm fit for the Council! And even if they somehow accepted me, I'm not getting involved in this mess with the newmuck just to help you. Not even for Rider's sake."

"That wasn't exactly what I had in mind, either."

"Then what the hell do you want me to do? Just get to the point already!"

i've got this great scheme to take down razor...

It might mean you'll have to fight Gray-maw, since Razor is probably pushing to put her on the council, and Mantis just loves setting up his "trials".

And you are fit - at least to hold Rider's seat, keep the council in balance and...

The real issue...Bog Hill has borrowers, big ones. Rider told me to look for signs while I was there and whatever it was he suspected was on point. There's something big going on behind the scenes. Rider said that the swamp was "hurting". It's possible that either some bogknights or marshguards or both are contributing, or even causing this to happen. We need someone on the council who can listen and observe. Rider knew you were trustworthy. He would have made the same call.

Oh, and guess who was acting commander when I was over at the Bogknight base?

"I'm preparing you. It's likely you'll have to fight for the position, since Razor will recommend one of his own. Most likely Gray-maw. So you'll need to start training now."

"Why the hell should I even be on the council in the first place? I've been a terrible squad leader. Look at the messes I've made just in the last few days!"

"I know perfectly well your opinion on the matter. You made that clear enough our last debriefing - you caught mistakes you'd made that I wouldn't have."

"Wait. Are you actually saying I should be on the council because I know just how big a screw-up I am?"

"You're better at evaluating mistakes than anyone I've seen. Do you have even the slightest idea how much the council needs that skill? Even after last night's disaster, Mantis insisted that he'd made the right vote. And the others are even more stubborn!"

"The hell? Wow, maybe you've got a point there." He looks thoughtful for a moment, then shakes his head. "But let's be real, they're not going to listen to me tell them they're full of it. Rider might have the sway to pull that off, but not someone like me."

"There's more than that. Look, you know what's been going on in the swamp lately. Creatures we've never seen here before. The rain coming early after the big storm. The poison outbreak. Rider thinks something's..." You pause here. How can you explain this clearly? "Something's wrong with the swamp. It's as if nature itself is rebelling."

"That doesn't make a lick of sense."

"Well, it's getting worse. There were burrowers at the Bogknight base, and from what I was able to gather, they were big ones. I think we can expect worse. Maybe it's even already happened."

"What are you talking about?"

You take a deep breath. This is hard to say.

"I think whatever it is... I think it's why Long and Rider disappeared."

"The hell?"

"I can't say more, really. Not unless you make it onto the Council. But I... we need someone observant and trustworthy on there. To listen to the reports, and figure out how they fit together. I know you're up to that task."

He's looking away, but you can tell he's considering it seriously.

"And... I should mention one more thing, you might not have heard it yet. When I was at the base, Captain Long decided to relieve himself of command temporarily."

"So what?"

"Well, would you care to guess which of the sergeants he named acting commander?"

It takes a moment, but the anger in his eyes is clear once he realizes.

"What the hell was Long thinking?" he shouts. "Right, no use arguing. Razor's itching for a fight, and so is Ash; but if we fight, Ash will come out ahead. That's the sort of slime he is. I'll go along with your plan, because I don't see another choice if we'll be dealing with Ash. You should have told me that from the start."

"But then would you have listened to anything else I said?"

"Point," he says. "Fine, then. I've got to get ready to prove myself. First thing first... work out who my opponent is. Gray-maw's a good guess, but I want to be sure."

"Good," you say. "Now, what would you have me do to help you prepare?"

He just stares at you for a while.

"Giving you orders? That doesn't feel right."

"You'll be doing it often if you make it to the council. So you may as well get used to the idea now."

He lets out a chuckle.

"We're really doing this. All right, then. Here's what I want you to do."

Maybe it's something like:

'One of the bogknights that ambushed our squad, Tom, I think it was, was carrying a shield. Tom's probably back in the cells by now - Shorty managed to slip out of the binds they put on us, but as frustrating as it was, I managed to convince him to wait to break free until we heard some of our own nearby. Tom hit it off with Legs, oddly enough, something about disliking nicknames.

Anyway, if you can get me that shield, I think I can have Fieldspar modify it to fit my fighting style.

After that, can you get a report from Doc for me? We haven't been on good terms since...well let's just say I've been extra careful not to get sick. If I'm thinking of the council, I'll need info on how the poisoning has been progressing. Claws will probably want to see I'm on top of that.

Oh, and I need to check in with Greeneye. She had a run-in with the missing Bogknight girl. Weirdest thing, I could have sworn she was asleep, but as soon as we broke free she vanished."

"I want you to go to the confiscated weapons and bring me the big wooden shield."

"Big wooden shield?" You're a bit confused. "I'm not up-to-date on what the prisoners had with them, I'm afraid."

"Oh god damn, am I going to have to go through another debriefing?" Corvus sighs. He then continues resignedly. "Most of my squad got captured in an ambush. They had two knights keeping watch on us. But Shorty managed to loosen his ropes just a bit. I had to struggle to signal him not to escape right there; we didn't know how the battle was going, and if the Bogknights launched a counteroffensive, I didn't particularly want to get caught in the middle of it. Anyhow, once I heard Marshguard voices nearby, that's when I signaled Shorty to get out. He untied us and we grabbed one of the knights, the one with the big shield. Big enough he could use it as a raft, even."

"What happened to the other?"

"Don't know. She seemed to be asleep much of the time, but once we made our move, she was gone. Either she fled deeper into the bushes, or she made her way back to base. Greeneye said she was a swimmer, she remembers being ambushed and pulled under water."

"So you want the shield?"

"I think I can make use of it. Might need a little work from Feldspar, but it'd make for good cover in a one-on-one fight."

"Is that all?"

"No. I need you to talk to Doc for me. You know how things are between us, I can't talk to her myself."

"I don't think being afraid to talk to one of our key officers will help your chances."

"Ugh. You're right, I'll have to address that before the fight. But not today. I'll need time to prepare myself. For now, can you get a report on the poison for me? I'll want to take a look at that, make sure I'm up to date. It'll give a good impression to the Council, and it's a starting point for talking to Doc later. Unpleasant as that will be."

"What about finding out your possible opponents?"

"I think I can take care of that myself. I've got a lot to catch up on about what's been happening here anyways, so it shouldn't be hard to pick up some chatter about who's on the list to fill the empty seat while I'm at it."

"I'll leave you to that, then."

You're now Corvus, and as you said, it's time to scout out your potential opponents. Where are you going to start looking for information?

Better go see if swampbrew still tastes like ass. There are probably a few chatty drunks in the mess hall.

Well. Might as well take care of two problems at once. You've had no time to eat since you arrived, and the mess hall is full of Marshguards who can't help but flap their lips.

The Marshguards are a secretive bunch, but for some, that just means when they've got something they can talk about freely, they'll say it to anyone who listens.

You head for the hall for some grub. Sieve is already there, of course, very slowly sipping a mug of swampbrew.

It's horrible stuff. But water's scarce here. Making the muck remotely safe to drink is the only option you've really got. Some say Keeper's saved more lives than Doc.

You don't care to count, though. You've had poor history with both of them, for similar reasons. But Keeper's harder to avoid day to day.

"Hope you weren't expecting anything strong, Corvus," he hisses as he pours you a mug and scoops out a small bowl of mush.

"Not here," you sigh. Sieve gives a smirk.

"Well, if it isn't our top squad leader," he laughs. "I heard Claws was asking around about you. Seems she wanted to know if you were everything the stories said you were. Now, why do you suppose a councilor might be taking an interest in you, hmm?"

"Rider did," you say. You need to be careful what you say around him; what he hears soon goes around the whole fortress.

Which is, of course, why you're here in the first place.

"Yeah, he did. But I always figured that was pity. And Claws, well, pity's not something she's got a lot of. You got any idea why she'd be taking an interest?"

"Maybe she wants to take a closer look at the reports she's heard on me," you shrug.

"Could be. But, well, you know they're looking for someone to fill the empty seat. Maybe she's heard there's more to you than we all think. What do you say to that?"

How should you answer him?

You have a lot of experience playing dumb. Avoid lying outright. Keeper probably has a feel for when people are trying to pull one over on him. Dodge the question with something more interesting. Ask if they know anything about Rider's disappearance, you only just found out and that's such a huge story they're probably eager to gossip about it to fresh ears.

Then ask if there's anyone who thinks they could have done a better job than Rider. That might be your competition.

Then ask if there's anyone who thinks they could have done a better job than Rider. That might be your competition.

not rider, that's borderline mutinous talk. ask about someone else high-ranking

It occurs to you that Sieve's left you an opening to change the subject.

"Hang on. What's this about an empty seat?"

"You mean you haven't heard?"

"I've been in debriefings all morning. I'm not exactly up-to-date."

Sieve's getting excited. He figured he wouldn't get a chance to tell anyone, no doubt.

"So last night, during the raid. Long challenged Rider to a one-on-one fight. Now, you know how that's gone before; with Long flat on his back. But this time was different, you see."

"Different how?"

"Long challenged him to a fight at the Knob. And what a fight it was! I saw it with my own eyes. Long held his ground like I've never seen before, got in a couple good hits even. Now, of course Rider's no amateur, a couple of stumbles won't knock him off his game, no. And he was ready to hit back hard. But!"

"But?"

"But Long, he stood his ground, staff planted firmly against the hill. Everyone thought he was just bracing himself... but it turns out, he was preparing a spell! I told you that man really was a wizard!"

"A spell? You've got to be kidding me."

"Saw it with my own eyes! There was an explosion, a cloud of smoke, and then they were both gone. If that's not magic, then tell me, what is it?"

Magic! There have always been rumors about Long, of course, but you always assumed that was just an act. He wanted to give the impression he had that kind of power, just to keep the Marshguards on edge. Surely he doesn't really, though; no one's seen a real wizard for decades.

"Rider's gone," you say. Even hearing it a second time, it's still hard to believe. You still sound just as surprised as when Viper told you.

"Mudviper thinks she knows what happened. Not that she'll share her ideas with the grunts, of course."

"Who could possibly replace Rider on the council?" you ask. "Who would even be so arrogant as to assume they had a chance? There just wasn't anyone else like Rider."

"Well. Crosswinds thinks they could. And many's the time I've heard Doc and Keeper muttering together about how it's a shame Mantis is the only support officer on the council."

Keeper gives Sieve a glare, but not too harsh of one. He knows, just like anyone else, that any information Sieve hears is essentially public knowledge.

"We're both far too busy to add Council business to our workloads," Keeper says. "What we'd really like is if there were more recruits with the skills to do our jobs. But, it's not as if we can really do much active recruiting."

"But if you had a sympathetic ear on the Council, maybe they'd be able to do something," you say, in realization. "We've got some contact with the outside, could tell them we're looking for another medic."

"That's what we hope for. Unfortunately, Mantis doesn't handle the same sort of problems we do, so he doesn't really see it as a priority. I'm glad we have him, mind; Doc's a wonder, but she's no good when it comes to matters of the spirit."

"Seems to me like you'd have an idea who you'd like to fill that seat."

Keeper laughs hoarsely.

"Maybe we do. Maybe we already made a recommendation to the council. What's it to you?"

Well, you'd like to know who it is, for one thing. Seems like you've got to push Keeper for info, but he's not going to part with it readily. Especially if Sieve's still around to blab it all over the base.

How are you going to approach this?

Offer to do something for him if he tells you the sweet deets.

you know what this is, right? it's seedy smoky backroom electioneering. you have to convince him or doc that you will be the best representative of his interests... without letting him know you're running for office. you will need to be a master of subtlety and glad-handing. good luck

Wait it's not Requiem is it? You've been polite but you can't hide the fact you think they've done a terrible job as postmaster. Sure, everything at the fortresses is in shambles but the rookery has gotten even worse. Mantis put Requiem in that position because he thought it would be a cushy job for his pet disciple. Ugh.

You could probably get rid of Seive if...oh hey it's Shorty off in the corner. Shorty doesn't know anything about the fight with Rider better go tell him Seive (sorry shorty)

First things first, you've got to get Sieve out of the way. Fortunately, it's not long before you spot Shorty wandering in.

"What are you doing here, Shorty?" you call out. "You didn't grab a bite right after debriefing?"

"Hang on, he's on your squad, isn't he?" Sieve says, grinning. "So he wouldn't have heard about Rider, either..."

"Probably not," you say with a shrug.

"Oh, good, good. Maybe I can find out where the rest of your squad is. They really ought to get the story straight from me."

And with that, Sieve rushes off to intercept Shorty. You glance in their direction; Shorty gives you a "what do I do" glance, and you toss him a quick "lead target away" signal.

It takes him a moment to get the idea, but soon enough you see him leading Sieve out of the hall. That gives you some privacy with Keeper.

Now it's time to press him. Maybe you can even leave him with the idea that, personal matters aside, you'd give his concerns voice on the council.

"Seriously, who'd you recommend? You've got me curious."

"Why do you care? You never struck me as one to give much thought to who was on the council."

"Yeah, well, that was before last night's mess. We could have been rescued hours earlier if we didn't send out so many troops on that damned raid. And from what I've heard, it was a bust. So you know what, I think I do give a damn who's going to be on the council now."

Keeper does that hoarse laugh of his again.

"Fine then, I'll tell you. We suggested Requiem. Figured Mantis would be keen on them."

"Requiem! Why Requiem?"

"I told you. We want a support officer. Yeah, maybe they don't understand the problems as well as we'd like, but as postmaster, they've got a better view of it than Mantis does. Plus, having some sway with Mantis might help them get in. Best chance we've got, I figured."

"Are you kidding me? The roost is a shambles! I didn't even know we had a postmaster, that's how bad it is! We'd be better off putting the crows on the council!"

"I'm not happy with it either. But they're the best option we could think of."

"Come on, now. It doesn't need to be a support officer, per se. Just needs to be someone who'll actually listen to you."

"Good luck there." Keeper laughs again. "You're the first person to ask my opinion on anything in months. And I bet it's just because you're angling to get something from my stash again."

Ugh. It's true you haven't had a stiff drink in a long time, and Keeper's not going to forget your last few desperate efforts to get one. Doc won't, either, but that's a problem to deal with tomorrow.

But you've accepted that your drinking days are behind you now. And hell, you really do want to help the bastard. How can you convince him of that?

waste swampmuck by pouring it all over the floor to prove how uninterested you are in drinking it

I mean, what /are/ the problems support officers have, beyond the general problems every position on this base has?
no, really, you want to know

You've been off the stuff since Rider put you in charge of the squad. Having folks to look after has really shaped you, even if it's barely been a year.

Folks don't often talk about their past, but you've seen how merchants work - not the seedy crap that brought you here, but there were some good ones, and they always stared by keeping their support in order. It was the ones who skimped on the basics that burned up fast and got gobbled up by the big fish. You don't need him to think you care - you just need to show him you understand.

...also you should maybe help clean up that brew you poured everywhere.

"Look, I know I didn't handle myself well when you cut me off."

"You threatened me with a knife."

"...yeah, and that was because I was too wasted to hold my pike straight. Believe me, I remember. I remember every harebrained scheme I came up with. And if I ever forget any, you can bet Sieve will be all too happy to remind me. Look, the point is, that's not who I am any more."

"How many times have I heard that from your type?"

"It's true. Look, maybe it's that Rider put me in charge of a squad... or maybe it's that I still have a sore spot on my back from when you caught me trying to steal Doc's keys. But at some point, I realized, I can't go around getting drunk off my arse any more. It's my own damn fault I made it on your little list, and all those schemes were just my way of pretending it wasn't. You could pour me a glass of your best stuff right now, and I'd just toss it on the floor, because I know I don't deserve it."

You get so caught up in your words that you actually grab your glass and pour out your plain swampbrew onto the floor. Good thing you already drank two-thirds of it.

"Don't expect me to clean that up," Keeper snarls.

"Sorry. Got carried away. Where's the mop, I'll take care of it."

"You think we have a mop around here?" He grins and hands you a dishrag. With a sigh, you stoop down and start cleaning.

"Well, even if this is a trick to get at my stash, it's a better effort than you've tried before." Keeper laughs hoarsely again. "Got to give you some credit. So why are you taking such an interest in my affairs now, if it's not for the booze?"

"I told you. Leadership messed up big last night. Figured I should start taking the composition of the Council more seriously, before they mess up again. If you're so desperate for an advocate that you'll take Requiem, I imagine you feel much the same way."

"Might quibble with the details here and there, but I suppose you've got that much right. So what? You got someone better in mind?"

"Not yet! I only just found out the seat's open. But there's got to be someone. Have you even tried looking?"

"Told you. You're the only one who's ever given a damn about my opinion. Aside from Doc, but she's got her hands full as it is. And Sieve asks piles of questions, but only so he gets new stories."

"Yeah, well, maybe you should just try complaining whether someone wants to hear it or not. Worked surprisingly well when I had a problem with what Rider was saying to me."

Keeper's eyes widen.

"You talked back to Rider?"

"When he was blaming me for something I didn't do? You bet I did. I had enough screw-ups to start with. And at least half the time, he agreed! Even told me my smart mouth was one of my biggest assets - yeah, I didn't expect that either."

"Maybe you've got a point there," Keeper muses. "Maybe I've been so convinced there's nothing that can be done, I've stopped trying to do it. Worth some time to think, anyhow."

"So what is so rough about being a support officer, anyhow? I mean, compared to other jobs around here."

"We don't get prioritized," Keeper snarls. "When new supplies come in? If there's a combat unit that wants something, they get it over us. Even if we really need it. And there's little effort to get things for us through our outside contacts. Meanwhile, new mudpikes come in every shipment, even if we haven't lost any. Because you never know when we might."

"And you and Doc still get drafted into patrol duty, too," you muse. "Even though there'd be big trouble if we lost either of you."

"I wasn't going to gripe about that, but yes, it would be nice not having the burden of the whole base on our shoulders. If the Bogknights lose a cook or medic, they've got plenty of people who can pick up the slack while they send someone back to civilization to look for a replacement. Us? We're out of luck. We only get whoever's desperate enough to come here."

"And with all the focus on combat, it's not like you get much chance to find someone else you could train to help."

"Especially someone I can trust with the booze," he growls. "Same goes for Doc. This whole base is being held up on our shoulders, and nobody gives a damn."

"Yeah, I've seen what happens to merchants who run their businesses like that. Never ends well." You shake your head sadly. "Had no idea it was so bad... I suppose folks like me are part of the problem. We don't care what's going wrong for you, we just want our drinks."

"And that's why I recommended Requiem. They're not much better, but they know enough to realize the roost needs more than it gets."

"Don't suppose there's anyone else you'd give consideration?"

"No one's come to mind so far. But I do know a few other names the council's thinking of. If you're so eager to change my mind, why don't you see if one of them can offer me better?"

Seems fair. He gives you a short list. Gray-maw and Crosswinds are on it, of course, but there's a few more names. Not your own, but maybe it just hasn't made its way to him.

Or maybe the Council isn't taking you seriously as a candidate. Can't really blame them for that.

So who are you going to pay a visit to now?

doc, let's make this a whistlestop tour

Doc will be a tougher sell than Keeper. You were a roudy drunk to Keeper but you were a straight up asshole to doc. For a while, you were one of the only folks at the base that could crack her tough exterior and get her to smile once in a while - but honestly, it was all for the booze.

She knows you've changed, or at least she's heard you have, but some wounds don't heal, they just leave scars.

Maybe Mudviper has had a chance to soften things up with he--goddamnit Crosswinds when did you show up??

Actually, Crosswinds will probably have heard that you've been recommended for the council. They were one of Rider's supporters, and they know they might be in line for the same seat. You doubt they'd want to give up their freedom to move about for a council seat, but they won't give it up to you unless you could convince them that you're a viable choice.

"Doc's on this list? You said she was too busy for Council work."

"She is. But they can't deny her extensive experience, so they're looking at her as an option. I did say she'd be my first choice if they could somehow persuade her to join, but I find that doubtful."

Ugh. You really don't want to talk to Doc yet. At the least, you want that information from Mudviper first. Not that it'll make things any more pleasant, but you'd rather have something to talk about than the past. Some kind of excuse she'll believe, at the very least.

You thank Keeper for his time, and giving you a chance. Then you head out and try to figure out which of these candidates you need to know more about.

"What's this, now? Checking out the competition, are we?"

"What the..." You turn around and see Crosswinds. "How long have you been there?"

"Shut up and tell me why the hell you, of all people, got recommended as a councilor."

"Apparently, because unlike our esteemed leadership, I've got the sense to know when I've screwed up. Why do you care? I know council's not your thing, they'll want to keep tabs on you all the time so they can drag you to meetings."

"Heh. Can't deny it. But look at that list there, Corvus. Doc's solid, but she'll never accept. Everyone else? Pathetic." They let out a sneer. "Now, if the council had an ounce of sense between them, they'd pick Mudviper. Razor may hold a grudge, but she'd easily persuade the others under normal circumstances. But they won't, because that would be admitting they screwed up by calling that raid."

"Your point?"

"My point being, as little as I want to deal with council meetings and other nuisances, I'm prepared to make that sacrifice if there's no one better available. So, just like you, I'm scouting out the competition. Seeing who's worth half a damn. Maybe I'm misjudging someone."

They lean in close.

"Like you, perhaps. So, go ahead. Prove you've got what it takes. Make your case however you'd like."

wait wait wait wait, if the neither of us really, REALLY wants this... why don't we team up and help rehabilitate mudviper?