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Cynicisem on the part of the kitty.

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 9:04 pm
by Werekitty
You know, the council was against the whole idea of somebody becomming a quester in "this day and age". So they did their level best to set Quintyn up for failure.

They just give him the job, because nobody else wanted it. After all, there is no need for questers, now-a-days. There's the guardsmen, and the wizards, and the artificers. There's no evil sorcerers, no dark lords, no dungeons, and no dragons, to speak of. They figured that Quintyn would sit in his little fruit juice stand for a few months, and when nothing happened, he'd give up, go home with his tail between his legs, and take up the family business of farming. After all, you can say what you want to do all you want. Doesn't mean that you'll get to do it.

They didn't count on that swamp kid showing up. Quintyn was just this close to giving up, when he got the job.

They didn't expect him to return alive from his first quester job, either.
His being dispatched by the Gragum would have solved their problem quite neatly.
"Died in the line of duty" has such a nobel ring to it, don't you think?

So the council is still put out about having an outdated profession running around, and here Quintyn goes giving them ammunition to see if they can make him give up on his dream, again, and become a good little farmer "like he was supposed to be in the first place". Like I mentioned in another post, the people in power dislike it when those under their rule get ideas of their own. Some of the members of the council may believe that Quintyn is trying to move above his station, and is getting uppity. (Man, you can tell what part of the country I live in, can't you?)

So the censure is a black mark on his record, counteracting what little actual GOOD press he may have gotten, and making all his bad press even worse. Now Quintyn has been made a pariah in his own town, and will face ridicule from all he knows. He's been "slapped back down" so to speak, and the council will be looking for Quintyn to dismantle his stand, and slink back to the farm as an example for future kits who have dreams beyond their lot in life.

Well, that's my rather long winded hypothesis. Thanks for reading.

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 9:08 pm
by The JAM
Very good analysis, Kitty.

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 9:11 pm
by Doink
And these people think humans are monsters? Unbelievable.

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 9:13 pm
by Werekitty
Doink wrote:And these people think humans are monsters? Unbelievable.
Actually, they act rather a lot like humans. My hypothesis, even though based upon human behavior patterns seems to be sound for rac-coona in power.

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:24 pm
by Madmoonie
Doink wrote:And these people think humans are monsters? Unbelievable.
Unfortuantly, they are exhibiting very human traits. Its easy to find fault after the fact despite the good Quentyn did, especially if it "harms the public image." It happens alot to law enforcemnt officals and people of similiar situiations. As I said....very human.

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:57 pm
by Sharuuk
I think a Coup de' Gras is just around the corner. Quentyn's seriously PO'd right about now and it looks like Rahan is gonna try and give him some more sh*t to swallow. I think Quentyn may just clean Rahan's clock, or worse this time, and then charges of criminal battery might just be brought. That will give the Council (actually Gilder) the justification for stripping Quentyn of his title. He'll quite probably exile himself from Freeman Downs and cut himself off from everyone to wander the lands between the seven villages, or maybe even go back to Sactuary City.

And as for his censure......the scandal was created by the "mainstream" scripts, not Quentyn.....one thing I'm sure of though....he ain't gonna quit....some day, somehow, he's gonna shove the egotistical self-rightousness of the Council right down their politically motivated throats and use that vote of censure as a ramrod. I'll hoist a toast to Quentyn and cheer that day.

S'aaruuk

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:43 pm
by Maxgoof
Sharuuk wrote:I think a Coup de' Gras is just around the corner. Quentyn's seriously PO'd right about now and it looks like Rahan is gonna try and give him some more sh*t to swallow. I think Quentyn may just clean Rahan's clock, or worse this time, and then charges of criminal battery might just be brought. That will give the Council (actually Gilder) the justification for stripping Quentyn of his title.
I don't think so. Quentyn won't strike Rahan unless Rahan strikes first. And if he does, Quentyn will have more than enough justification to clean his clock. That's how Raconnan law works.

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 12:38 am
by Sharuuk
maxgoof wrote:
Sharuuk wrote:I think a Coup de' Gras is just around the corner. Quentyn's seriously PO'd right about now and it looks like Rahan is gonna try and give him some more sh*t to swallow. I think Quentyn may just clean Rahan's clock, or worse this time, and then charges of criminal battery might just be brought. That will give the Council (actually Gilder) the justification for stripping Quentyn of his title.
I don't think so. Quentyn won't strike Rahan unless Rahan strikes first. And if he does, Quentyn will have more than enough justification to clean his clock. That's how Raconnan law works.
That's what I was referring to. Rahan wants to pound Quentyn into the pavement in the worst way...that's why he continually goads him, to try and get him to fight. I think this time he may just make the mistake of laying his hands on Q and our young, highly pi$$ed off hero is gonna explode like a furry grenade right in Rahan's face.

Granted this is all supposition.....but I too am enough of a cynic to see, or at least expect something like this to happen.

I'm predicting that this is just the start......we're gonna be treated to at least as many pages of Quentyn's luck going from bad, to worse, to "you gotta be frikkin' kidding" to "Oh for the luvva God.....gimme a break willya?" as we got in Sanctuary City.

Buuuut....that's just me. :wink:

S'aaruuk

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 3:31 am
by SolidusRaccoon
This gets better and better, reminds me of those classic pulp novels, keep them comming.

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 5:11 am
by Yuoofox
I wonder, did Quentyn pay back all of the warehouse people in Sanctuary City? (you know, the ones he took the supplies from)

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 7:01 am
by Tbolt
My two cents:

This is free publicity, granted it's not nice on the face, but a public censure will definitt our little Questor a tot of notoriety.

From reading the Uber CD I don't get the impression that the rac-conans are a necessarily "tame" race that stands on decrees and traditions. They seem somewhat ornery to me. One of the preferred sports of the fruit pickers is to battle on their tall stilts, if not for the risk of getting hurt it "wouldn't be fun"

Their national hero is essentially flipping the bird, making "an obscene (hand) gesture" in every one of his statues. At his own request. Oh, yeah, this sounds like a nation that really thrives on propriety.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that their culture lacks civility, they definitely have dep faits and loyalties. But something ljust tells me that a proclamation like this is not going to have the elder's (guilder's) desired effect.

He will be the hero of every tea rag in Sanctuary and that will not be kept silent forever.

Plus I'm certain that his references would be more than willing to tell the truth if asked.

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 8:30 am
by Nikas_Zekeval
As much as I'd like to see Quentin catch a break AND I think his situation in Sanctuary had serious exteniating circumstances (not to mention a 'look at the country hicks!' press coverage) the female elder (did we ever hear her name?) does have one point. And she did support Quentin taking up the position in the initial debate.

Quentin is the Questor of Freeman Downs. His actions do reflect on more than just his reputation. Now I admit ATM the censure seems a bit harsh, unless one of the council members like Rilcreak come by later and says he did a good thing, just next time try to handle it better?

As for Rahan, does the Seven Villages recognize dueling, even a non-lethal 'beat the crap out of eachother' style? Anything on the CDs? If he goes to far into outright slander Quentin could challenge him in that case to put up or shut up. And if the censure is a black mark, how much of a mark is it against a merchant if his son, and up and coming replacement in the family business, is seen slandering in public then turning down challenges when called on his word? In societies where dueling was accepeted there was a reason you couldn't turn a challenge down, get branded a coward and dishonorible for lying (which was the snap judgement if you weren't willing to back up your words) and you could get little or NOTHING done that needed an agreement with others. You were by default 'untrustworthy'.

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 11:33 am
by RHJunior
Mind, they were expecting more of a symbolic/figurehead questor than an actual working hero.

Plus, keep in mind that there's a little bit of politics going on here.

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 11:56 am
by Kerry Skydancer
Heh. A little bit of politics? Whiffs to me that the powers that be are leaning on Freeman Downs to Do Something About This! This is the least that F.D. can do and still claim they're complying with said demands. I thought that Lady Rose looked quite upset about what she was saying, as though she was being coerced. And Rillcreek certainly was amused before the down-vote. He needs to come and see Quentyn and explain what happened, I think.

Personally, I don't see the 'censure' as a problem. Once it gets out past the mainstream newsrags that he's effective, being willing to break the rules and offend people to get the job done will be seen as a plus by a group that has as much respect for authority as we happy denizens of the forum. 8)

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 8:39 pm
by Sharuuk
Kerry Skydancer wrote:<snip> will be seen as a plus by a group that has as much respect for authority as we happy denizens of the forum. 8)
YO, Kerry.....yer givin' me WAAAY too much credit here.....WHAT "respect" for authority? :wink:

S'aaruuk

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 10:32 pm
by Kerry Skydancer
It's called 'damning with faint praise'. AKA sarcasm. Why do you think we lot love the Rac'cona so much? I'm not a raccoon furry by preference, myself - but I like the way these guys think. 8)

Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 9:08 am
by Doink
Kerry Skydancer wrote:Why do you think we lot love the Rac'cona so much? I'm not a raccoon furry by preference, myself - but I like the way these guys think. 8)
Luckily for you, I AM. This strip helped me into that role, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Wait, are you saying that there's a group of raccoon furries that meet on a regular basis?

Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 9:35 am
by Tom Mazanec
Tbolt wrote: Their national hero is essentially flipping the bird, making "an obscene (hand) gesture" in every one of his statues. At his own request. Oh, yeah, this sounds like a nation that really thrives on propriety.
Normally I do not give TOO much data from the disks, to prevent diluting their value, but to satisfy possible curiosity, as well as a public service to anyone who might find themselves magically transformed into a Racconan ala Between Worlds, I will make an exception. How do you flip the bird when you have an even number of digits on your hand, thus no middle finger? Extend your thumb and outer finger (ring finger or pinky, depending on how you want to look at it) while folding the middle two digits on to your palm. WARNING: If you become a Racconan, practice this gesture only in private, not in public (unless you really want to, of course). Violating this warning may result in a bloody nose or worse. BTW, Wikipedia has evidence that our version goes back to Medieval and even Classical times (yes, they have an article on this).

Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 10:17 am
by Doink
Tom Mazanec wrote:
Tbolt wrote: Their national hero is essentially flipping the bird, making "an obscene (hand) gesture" in every one of his statues. At his own request. Oh, yeah, this sounds like a nation that really thrives on propriety.
Normally I do not give TOO much data from the disks, to prevent diluting their value, but to satisfy possible curiosity, as well as a public service to anyone who might find themselves magically transformed into a Racconan ala Between Worlds, I will make an exception. How do you flip the bird when you have an even number of digits on your hand, thus no middle finger? Extend your thumb and outer finger (ring finger or pinky, depending on how you want to look at it) while folding the middle two digits on to your palm. WARNING: If you become a Racconan, practice this gesture only in private, not in public (unless you really want to, of course). Violating this warning may result in a bloody nose or worse. BTW, Wikipedia has evidence that our version goes back to Medieval and even Classical times (yes, they have an article on this).
Wait, you mean throwing the horns? Well, that's kind of ironic.

Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 10:52 am
by Tom Mazanec
They have an article on the horns at Wikipedia as well!