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Action Id: 4724 Crisis: Participants: Duarte, Mirari, Katarina and Avita
Status: Resolved Submitted: Nov. 15, 2023, 12:29 p.m. Public: True GM: Apostate


Action by Duarte

Fealty Volitant uses its vast network of spies and informants to distribute a series of anonymously authored and illustrated booklets called "Confessions of a Poor Hungry Demon". This heartfelt series follows the life of a poor, sad toothless fluffy bunny who one day gets asked to eat just one little secret and then becomes an insatiable, mean-tempered gluttonous blob-bunny. Brimming with ridicule, the narrative is told in the first person from the Poor Hungry Demon's perspective. How he was just "so hungry" and "only following orders" - he hopes the reader can find it in their heart to forgive him.

Each edition of the series introduces a new bit of magical knowledge and history (e.g. the role of primum, or a beseeching ritual) which the Poor Hungry Demon greedily devours to hoard for himself, only to be foiled by Perspicacious Owl who reminds the Poor Hungry Demon that he's "not the only game in town" where secrets are concerned. Mostly illustrated, even those of low literacy can glean some understanding of the magical nature of things.

Towards the end of the series, the Poor Hungry Demon reduces in size back to the sad fluff-bunny he was before as all his colleagues and friends desert him for shinier things. He grows so small that he can't even eat a bite-sized secret, and when he's no bigger than a field mouse the Perspicacious Owl eats him up.

Of course, the crew is very careful to cover their tracks, keeping the authorship of this loveable series untraceable even with the most modern of 14th century investigatory technology.


Action by Katarina

Katarina will be telling her noble friends about the most charming series of books she's read. That said, a book called 'Confessions of a Poor Hungry Demon' might not fly with her more Oathlands-y friends and family, so she'll be choosy about to whom she voices this recommendation. More discreetly, she'll personally translate the books into Eurusi, to ensure that they can be spread in the Eurusi Quarter of the Ward of the Traveler.


Action by Mirari

Mirari will use her street contacts to help with the distribution of the books. The intent is to make sure that no one knows the source, where they came from, etc. But also, to convince those that receive these shipments to make sure they get distributed and placed front and centre.


Action by Avita

Avita has found the most darling books, just laying about!

Why, it's so simple even a child could understand the plight of the Poor Hungry Demon -- and you'd have to be completely heartless not to at least feel a little badly for the obviously remorseful little beastie, right?

Right!

So, with all the generosity and forgiveness that Avita is SO well known for (I heard that scoffing, knock it off), she delivers a copy to that Library Raja's always speaking about in the Lowers -- the one always in need of books -- and to the Archives, that others might enjoy her find as much as she did. She will speak to others about the book candidly, if off-handedly, in a way that marks her as the clueless silk that she is:

It's so original! So evocative! What a strange tale, a new perspective, oh, she just can't say enough about this unknown, unnamed author and illustrator -- but, their cheek! Their audacity! Their -sincerity-!

Why, it's just what those dreary, dusty stacks need, isn't it?


Result

It works. It really, really works, in that most people in the Lowers in particular are now openly making jokes about the demon. In fact, a lot of common people are joking about 'Azazel, the Eater of Stories' in particular, and Duarte is pretty damned sure he never used the name. All of them now seem to be being followed by crows quite often in public. The black birds just... watching them. And angrily cawing at them whenever they pass by.