|
Post by Admin on Aug 4, 2015 21:40:04 GMT -6
[Ngowa City, early morning]
*boom*boom*boom* Fati awoke with a start to the sound of someone pounding on the front door. The lights in her room flared on, temporarily blinding her with their dim, yellow glare. She dimly made out her mother's figure in the light before she felt a rush of air as her covers were pulled away. "Up! Up! They're here!" Her mother shook her roughly as Fati finally sat up and her eyes adjusted to the dim glow. Her alarm clock read 2 AM.
"Mom? What's going on?" She asked, looking about and stretching. Why was she being woken up at 2 in the morning? It was pitch black outside and she had school the next morning.
"Fati Fengawati!" A voice called up from outside her window as the door was pounded again "It is time for your initiation! Today you will become a true Fengwati! Come down and join us!"
Fati started, the adrenaline finally hitting her system. Initiation! The secret rites of her tribe! Her mother had never told her the details, but she knew it changed many people's lives. It was a time of celebration and memory, when new women were brought into the tribe and taught to remember each other as sisters. Excitement danced with nervousness as she threw on clothes as swiftly as she could and stumbled out into the dark of night. A half a dozen other girls were there to meet her, all similarly dressed. As she passed out the door they cheered and wooped, screaming ululations in the dead of night as they welcomed her into the group; an older girl in a wooden mask Fati recognized as the one who had called her put beaded bands around her wrists. For any other occasion such mirth and noise would have disturbed the entire neighborhood and caused immense complaint, but not for initiation. Those who were woken would simply smile and remember their own rites, or put up with it silently for the sake of tribe and tradition.
They stopped at six more houses in short order, summoning other girls in the same way, greeting them each time with ululations and cheers, placing the same beads around their wrists. As they proceeded through the city, led by the one girl in the mask, they encountered more groups, whom they cheered as well. Finally, they reached a large parking lot where hundreds of initiates waited with their guides. A dozen or so busses waited there to ferry them to spirits-knew-where for the hidden rites. There were girls from all walks of life, she recognized girls a few girls from her school who were known gang members, as well as others who she knew had rich parents. They piled into the busses, anxious, tired, excited, awash with emotion. They drove for hours, chatting, sleeping and eating on the bus, stopping only for breaks. By the time they reached their destination the morning sun was just rising over the horizon. Many women in wooden masks were waiting for them. They cheered and ululated as the first girls stepped off the busses, beating drums, pulling them out of the busses and handing them a skimpy brown dress.
"GIRLS!" A voice boomed over the assembled crowd, hushing them immediately. A woman stood on a makeshift stage overlooking the unmarked clearing full of initiates and tribeswomen. She did not wear a mask, but her eyes were tattoed in black, and she wore many colorful beads over her elaborate dress. "GIRLS! That is what you are right now! Young girls! Children!" The women beat their drums as she spoke, as if to emphasize her words. "But not for long! Today we begin your Initiation! We will tell you the sacred stories! You will do the sacred rites! For the next month you will eat together, sleep together, work together, and breathe together! You will be one tribe and one people. there will be no contact with the outside world, and no distinction between you. You will all wear the Fatati - the dress you now hold - so that there will be no distinction between you. It will not all be fun and games - you will have to learn and study and face hardship, but know that your entire tribe will be with you!
"And in the end, you will be WOMEN of the FENGWATI Tribe! Adults in the eyes of your people and the spirits! You will be sisters to all Fengwati; the memories you make here will bind you together and remain with you for the rest of your life." She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in to the girls before her. Then, abruptly, she yelled out, and all the women repeated with her: "Fengwati!" Then they cheered and clapped, and lead the girls into the smokehouse where they would sweat away the last remnants of their life as girls, put on the Fatati, and begin their initiation. Fati stepped forward eagerly, unsure of what awaited her, but determined to face it. After all, her mother and her mother's mother, and all those of her tribe, had done the same rituals and partaken in the same memories.
|
|
|
Post by zurajai on Sept 24, 2015 20:17:52 GMT -6
Tusi Military Sector, Tusi Kwazan Conglomerate
"This is Ngawa Zulakwaza reporting live from the Military Sector on Tusi where leftist radicals are rioting against the legitimate government of the Conglomerate and in the process endangering the lives and livelihoods of thousands. Around me are the members of 4th Company, loyal troops from the First Conglomerate Guard deployed to restore law and order."
The video-feed flickered before coming back to full definition as the camera was jostled every so lightly, the muted sound of chanting coming from the background to add to the mood. Reporter Ngawa Zulakwaza, reporting for the state run Conglomerate News Network, remained stalwart as she stood in front of the barricade currently blocking the camera's view of the action beyond. Beside her stood the uniformed figure of a First Conglomerate Guard officer, the distinctive '1' of his unit emblazoned on his right breast. Behind them armored vehicles could be seen pulling up to gaps in the pre-fab barricade hastily assembled to form a forward position as infantry belonging to the First stood ready at the view-slits, peering out at the audible crowd.
"I am now standing with Major Nobo Benege of 4th Company, deployed under General Ngawete Makwana, who is tasked with dealing with the extremists directly in order to bring peace back to Tusi. Major, please enlighten the viewers back home on the capital about the vital mission your unit is undertaking and why the leftist radicals are so vehemently opposed to the rightful government of the Conglomerate."
"Well, Miss Ngawa, the fact of the matter is that these radicals are running rampant in the streets of Tusi. Their actions have shown a complete disregard for the safety of themselves and others and I for one find it appalling that they have the gall to claim they're fighting for freedom for the citizens of the Conglomerate. I can sympathize with their thoughts and fears, the spirits know life is not easy, but to allow their base instincts to rule them speaks volumes of their character.
"There you have it folks, straight from the soldier's mouth. Radicals reacting to the same struggles you or I have to go through everyday whom have instead chose to abandon decency and take what they can't earn fairly. Major, do you care to comment on allegations that these radicals are in league and are in fact supported by RWU agents?"
"Of course. Command has known for months that the RWU, with it's blatant disregard for sovereignty and tradition, has been pushing these radicals to 'unionize' and start forcing their extremist ideals on others. If this is their idea of democracy then I want nothing to do with- . . . By the spirits, incomin-!"
In an instant the Major's skull exploded out the back, splattering the camera with blood as the corpse of the soldier fell to the floor, all on national television. All around the reporter troopers could be seen falling back or getting gunned down as the "radical" rioters climbed over the barricades to engage them, taking similar casualties in the process. An armored vehicle opened up on the crowd, main gun blasting away off camera while the pintle mounted automatic weapon opened up. Seconds later a figure climbed on top of the vehicle with lit molotov in hand, lifting open the hatch to hurl the flaming bottle and its volatile contents into the vehicle. The camera feed was shut off as Ngawa raised a hand just as the flaming hand of one of the occupants thrust out with firearm in hand to blast a hole in the assailants forehead.
The report would go down in Kwazan history as the starting point of the true Tusi conflict as tensions boiled between leftist supporters of syndicalism and the military deployed by the Conglomerate. The image of the pistol-bearing hand of the soldier inside the armored vehicle and the assailant standing above him would be reprinted en-masse by the State news as a symbol of loyalist solidarity for the cause whilst serving as a symbol of the beginnings of their revolution for the Unionized Syndicalists of Tusi. For the first time in Kwazan history a war was started on National television.
Attempts by the Conglomerate Government to quell the strikes on Tusi failed miserably when well armed and supplied rioters belonging to the Military Logistics and Support Union (MLSU) rose up against the First Corporate Guard under General Ngawete Makwana. Though relatively untrained, large numbers of arms and equipment have been obtained by the MLSU revolutionaries; presumably looted from the very military sector they worked in, the now armed revolutionaries pose a serious threat to planetary stability. Despite the open rebellion in the Military Sector the rest of the planetary sectors remain 'loyal', at least for the time being, despite large scale strikes. -- A single army is raised in the Military Sector of Tusi consisting of infantry, armored vehicles, and sparse artillery. The MLSU has declared its intent to force the Conglomerate to give concessions to the aggrieved workers of Tusi or force independence if the Conglomerate Government remains unwavering. -- Despite open rebellion on the colony of Tusi, the population of the capital remains stalwart in their solidarity against the "radicals" thanks to state run news networks spinning the story in an appealing light. +1 Order on Kwazan till the end of this conflict or other actions remove the modifier.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Oct 7, 2015 21:24:23 GMT -6
112704, Kamhala Road. This was it. The nondescript townhouse looked completely indistinguishable from the others - they all shared the same solid metal door, narrow windows and faceless, prefabricated front overgrown with twisting vines. Ghato checked the piece of paper again, took a deep breathe, walked up and rang the doorbell.
The woman who answered was middle-aged. Wrinkles were beginning to form along her face and hands, and her chest and stomach were beginning to grow broad. But her hair was still a fine black sheen, her body toned and her muscles well defined, giving her the appearance of an aging but strong matron of her house. "Yes?" She asked.
"uh... are you Sha Owhani? I uh... Zwailo said you could, ah... help me with a problem?"
The woman smiled understandingly. "Why don't you come in and have a cup of tea?"
The inside of her house was small and cozy, colored by rich red curtains and strings of beads. Warmth emanated from a small unit stove in one corner that stayed piping hot. Ghato's eyes wandered across the walls as he took a seat at a little mahogany table with thick, tribal-patterned tablecloth and waited for his host to return. He observed the spirit-masks that hung in misshapen rows. Then he began to notice the other things: the little grass-woven dolls sitting on the the mantelpiece, resting against a candlestick; the pair of antlers on the shelf, carved and painted with strange sigils; the mahogany skull that was being used as a paperweight.
"My great grandmother, if you're wondering." Ghato almost jumped as Sha Owhani placed the steaming hot mug of tea in front of him.
"Sorry, sorry. It's just that I've heard so many stories about medicine..." He realized too late how accusative his attempted apology sounded. But the woman only smiled charitably.
"That we're witches and practice dark magic?" She finished his thought for him. "Relax yourself, have some tea." She nodded in approval as he lifted the cup to his mouth and discovered that it was intensely sweet and strong. He looked inside. Green leaves floated in the dark liquid. "Ignore those stories. There's more to magic than carving spells in children's bones and brewing elixers from victim's blood. Most of the folks who come through here are asking for something simple: a charm for good luck, a remedy for back pains, or a little something to help with impotence."
Ghato nodded. Zwailo, the IsiKwazan who had pointed him to Sha Owhani, regularly took her medicine for virility and swore by it.
"So why are people so afraid of it?"
"Magic is a powerful thing." The shaman answered, sipping her own tea. "A mysterious and powerful thing that can cause great changes. It is wise to fear and respect it - to do otherwise would be disrespectful to the spirits who empower us. And I won't lie and say that it can be unsavory sometimes; there are shaman out there who will use any ingredient no matter how controversial and cast a curse for the right price." She paused, not mentioning whether she counted as one of "those" shaman. "Now tell me dear, what's troubling you?"
"It's... uh, my wife." Ghato finally confessed. "We've been a bit distant lately. She recently got a promotion, and the first thing she did was buy a new car and go out drinking with her friends. I didn't think anything of it at first, but lately she's been coming home late or leaving without telling me where she's going. I... I started worrying, and I went through her email the other day and..." He buried his face in his hands. "She's talking to a matchmaker." A small moan. "I know it's her right and that it's embarrassing for her when we go to events and she's the only woman with one husband, but why this way? Why hasn't she talked to me about it? All I want is some respect, or to be asked, or something, but every time I bring up the subject she gets evasive. I don't know what to do."
Owhani listened calmly through the entire tale, her expression sympathetic and calm. As Ghato finished she reached out and touched his arm gently, as if to tell him everything would be alright. Then in a gentle tone of voice she said. "I understand. Bring me a lock of her hair, and I will weave a charm for you. Place it under her pillow and the spirits will aid you."
"It won't hurt her or anything will it?"
Her head shook. "No. It is a spell of honesty. It will bring any dishonesty she she to the forefront of her mind, and guide her to speak out."
"Thank you." Ghato said, finally breathing easy in the warm glow of the stove, his anxiety finally free to depart. "Thank you.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Oct 9, 2015 20:07:42 GMT -6
The reforms implemented by the Conglomerate were not widely publicized. The great tribal conclaves met in tens of thousands of locations across Tusi, filling up many a convention center or state part. From there the Elders had gone to the shareholder's meeting of the Conglomerate and explained their desires. For weeks they negotiated, haggled, and considered in closed doors, privy only to the Elders, shareholders, and Wuxian observers. News releases were kept terse and factual. The RWU was not mentioned; broadcasts said only that the Yuyan had helped arbitrate a dispute between the tribes at the Conglomerate's request. Finally, the agreement was finished. After a generous vote the measure passed into Conglomerate policy. Local news sites covered it in detail, but it was downplayed in areas that had not been directly touched from the crisis.
Although the actual document was more than a dozen pages long, its measures could be broadly summed up in a few points: 1. A series of share swaps, reinvestments and urban planning agreements would ensure that the tribes on Tusi and the industries they had major stakes in more closely coincided, giving their members the ability to influence industry through their tribe's stake. 2. A general amnesty was declared for all those involved in the "controversy," excepting people who had "directly coordinated treasonous actions with foreign powers" - those who had colluded directly with the RWU to set up the Unions would be prosecuted, but the vast majority of IsiKwazans would not be touched. 3. A series of pay raises, reduced hours, new regulations and other minor concessions were passed in the affected industries. 4. A group of new Elders from Tusi was endorsed.
|
|
|
Post by zurajai on Oct 15, 2015 19:34:04 GMT -6
Tusi Military Sector, Tusi Kwazan Conglomerate
"And with this final weapon placed down, we both symbolically and truly end the conflict on Tusi!"
The crowd cheered loudly as they were faced with the prospect of peace at last when the very last weapon used by the revolutionaries on Tusi was returned to the supply case from whence it had been torn from a year ago. The crowd itself was nearly a million strong and consisted of the very revolutionaries that had seized the fortifications and armed themselves in defense of their freedoms. It was now that the conflict was at an end at the hands of the Elders who worked tirelessly to gain the reparations through diplomacy, the revolutionaries who stood up to their so-called betters for their rights, and even several Wuxian delegates representing the Yuyan after his push for diplomacy. After all, for the past few months troops from the 1st WDF Combined Arms Cadre had been deployed to Tusi in a strictly peaceful, aid-providing mission to defuse the situation. The troops hadn't even carried weapons.
"Now, my brothers and sisters, there is still much to be done," called out Rra Goto Baromo, beloved diplomat who sat at the table of the bosses and brought them to real compromises, "There is still much to be done! Despite what we have received, and the good that will be done from these well-earned concessions, there is still those issues that stare us straight in the face! Through our new position within the Conglomerate we will take steps to have ALL members of the revolution be freed, no matter their affiliation, and speak out against the shill-job that was the pay raises! We cannot be bought! Their acts of making us culturally relevant were the true path, not some bribery!"
The area was once more filled with noise as the crowd cheered again, bouncing up and down like a living tide, thunderous applause filling the air. Of note were the minority of strangely garbed Kwazans seemingly wearing a mix of traditional clothing and the bright orange of Wuxianese clerics. An entire portion of the crowd, near to the raised dais from which the Elder spoke, looked up with smiles and cheered all the same. This newly minted brand of Fundamental Truth had begun being practiced on Tusi during the aid mission of the Wuxianese army, mixing Wuxianese religious tradition with Kwazan beliefs and the ideals of personal freedoms gleaned from their leftist swing. Officially calling their religious movement the Spirit's Way, the belief system began receiving serious merit and a vocal minority of Tusi had converted due to the ease in which it's beliefs could be translated into Kwazan tradition.
-- Conflict on Tusi is officially over as Revolutionaries relinquish their arms. -- Tusi citizens highly appreciative of more cultural concessions such as share allocations and the number of new Elders being recognized. -- Tusi citizens highly unappreciative of concessions involving simple pay raises, viewing them as bribes to buy off their displeasure. -- Spirit's Way, a hybridized form of Fundamental Truth and Kwazan Animism, has become active on Tusi. -- Pleased with cultural concessions, Tusi activists now push for further concessions and reforms through legal, political means received through concessions.
|
|