To Start A Fire[Job/Solo]

Job Name: Sparking Rebellion[Repeatable]
Job Rank: D
Job Location: Reim
Special Condition: Once this job has been completed three times, an organized rebel force will begin to grow.
Job Rewards: 3,000 Huang, 50 XP
Job Overview:
There are hushed grumblings and doubts about the future of Reim in Zou hands. There are a number of citizen's upset with the state of their country but few have anywhere to vent these frustrations safely. An anonymous letter has arrived for you promising a reward should you manage to find a place for these disgruntled citizens to gather and speak their minds. Find a venue for the secret meeting to take place and listen to the troubles of at least 3 citizens at the first meeting and then discuss potential solutions with each of them.

Liber was unsure of where the letter had come from. It was not addressed to anyone in particular, but looking at it's contents he was almost certain it had been intended for him. Reading over the letter Liber almost feared that it was asking him to walk into what would inevitably be a trap. Whoever had written it requested that he find this upset with the Kou occupation of Reim and find a place for them to meet and share opinions. The assassin certainly had the resources to get the job done, and promise of a possible reward made it tempting. But he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being set up considering how often he'd been poking his nose around into Kou business.

Eventually, Liber decided that he would do as the letter asked, if only to weed out it's composer. The first thing he needed to do was to find a location suitable for a gathering. It had to be convenient to reach so people would actually come whilst also being secluded enough that no guards or curious wanderers would find themselves stumbling into the meeting uninvited. Liber searched the outer central ring of Remano for potential venues and finally decided upon a co-ed public bathhouse. It was an open place where it was common for large numbers of people to gather. No one would bat an eye if the meeting was held there in late hours when usually no one would be bathing.

Liber then set out to finding people with complaints and grumblings about Kou and began handing out invitations to the late-night "party" which he'd named: "The Gathering Of Disgruntled Exposed Nipples" A humorous title meant both to deceive those not privy to it's true purpose as well as to incite laughs and interest from those who were in the know.

When the night of the event had come, Liber found that the organization of the event had mostly fallen out of his hands and into those that he had initially invited. The spread their own invitations and as he arrived he found a many dozen people gathered at the bath house. Men and women alike of all ages stood side by side naked. Exposed in more ways than one, this gathering itself was a testament to how earnest and open these folk felt about their troubles. None had weapons, nothing to hide, only their natural born bodies and the feelings contained within.

Liber took a spot at the back of the group as one of the men whom had taken charge of setting up the event stood on a small wooden makeshift stage and began the first of many speeches...

~448/500 Word Count~

"Brother and Sisters, children of Reim are us all. It was our country, led by the peaceful Claudius Augusta, which served as our motherland. The crops she bore fed us, the rains and rives that run through her rich lands sustained us, and the peaceful ways of our leader kept us free of drafts and wars...So I ask each and every one of you, would you allow your parent's to be raped and murdered before your very eyes!? For that is what the Kou dogs have done. Claudius was wrongfully murdered, his killer remains unidentified and unpunished. The Fanalis Corps. were slaughtered and made into a display of terror. Now Kou seeks to immigrate their people into our lands which will surely put a strain on that which is only bountiful in the context of our current population. Something must be done to deal with these monsters who seek to take advantage of our home!"

The rousing speech gained much agreement from the crowd but there were many who seemed unsure. Liber considered the words and found himself skeptical. While everything was true, it was merely a man blowing hot air. He had no solutions or answers as to how they should go about ousting their new "rulers" from the country. Frowning, Liber crossed his arms and watched as the first man stepped down giving the stage to an older gentleman and listened to what he had to say.

~500+/500 Word Count~

The elderly citizen looked to be in pain as he faced the throng of people and grimaced. After taking a deep breath, he gave a bow and introduced himself.

"Greetings, my name is Lanius Parnamon. I am old and withered, I've lived a long time in Reim and never have I seen it so unsteady. Even when the barbarian's of Heliohapt were invading our lands, the people did not live in such fear and confusion. But that is not why I have a grudge against Kou. My spite against them is far more personal. Please forgive this old man for imparting upon you his grief. But it must be made known." The old man paused and gulped. It was clearly hard for him to speak about this. "On that dreadful night that our Emperor was slain, another life much more dear to me was taken. My daughter. I was so proud of her when she found a good man to marry. But she always had a weak body and needed medicine on the regular. On the night of the tragedy, she was assaulted by illness. The medicine she had on hand was used up but it would have been a simple trip to the apothecary to get more. But the brash mercenaries hired by the filthy Kou whom could not even fight their own war blocked the streets. My daughter died that night. She died in pain and agony leaving behind a good husband and a daughter of her own. In addition, she was with child. Not only my daughter, but a future grandchild were both stolen from me thanks to Kou's interventions in our country. I never considered myself much of a patriot...but I can never forgive them for what has happened. I would give all my assets and money if only to strike back at them for this injustice!"

This speech was a bit more tear jerking and seemed to rile the audience on a different level than the first. Liber remained emotionless on the outside, but internally he felt his distaste for the way Kou handled the invasion of the capital grow. If they had come to meet Reim on the open battle field then perhaps only the lives of soldiers willing to fight and die would have been lost. But their dirty methods lacked honor and had led the the deaths of people who had no place on a battlefield. He wondered how many others suffered from the loss of movement when the streets were blocked as a third citizen took to the stage.

This time it was another male, albeit much younger than the last. He seemed to be in his early thirties and had darkly tanned skin of a man who worked most of his life in the sun.

"I'd like to not share may name...but I'm a farmer by trade. Some of you may know me as from time to time I deliver fresh produce to the market. My main reason for being here tonight is to bring a problem to everyone's attention. Now, as one of these gentleman said earlier, Reim truly does have a bountiful land that we've all been blessed with. But to be honest, we also have a very large population. We are already nearing the limits of our current food supply. Demand for my crops grows faster than the crops themselves and there is only so much fertile land in Reim's borders. If Kou decides to immigrate people into our lands, it will strain our food supply even greater. All it would take is one year of bad harvests or famine to send a great many people into hunger. Our previous emperor saw this as a potential problem even before there was a supposed influx of foreigners. He sought to expand into the western front and I was among several farmers asked to survey those lands for fertile soil...we found little. If we don't do something about Kou rule and they do increase the food burden, I fear Reim will suffer starvation in just a few years time. Thanks..."

With that, the man stepped down. While his words were the least emotional, they held the strongest impact as few people know of this impending issue. There was lots of muttering among the crowds and it didn't seem like anyone else had the guts to take the stage at the moment so Liber did so. Normally he didn't like being in the spotlight, but he felt like all that had been spoken here tonight was problems. No one was talking about how to solve any thing.

Naked, both nipples exposed, Liber took to the stand and cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention. He considered telling these people that their hero Octavius lived, but that would only cause trouble for the old General as surely these people could not all be trusted to have tightly sealed lips. Once a silence had fallen, Liber spoke, "I've listened to all of your concerns so far, and I have to say that I'm disappointed in each of you. Right now you're just complaining. Quiet grumbles in the distance will do nothing to keep the Kou invaders at bay. It's too late to stop them from taking Reim, they already have it. The only way you'll be rid of them now is if you take it back." One in the crowd seemed to take offense at this and got defensive, "And what do you suggest we do? Huh? They are coronating a new king and the military isn't fighting for us!" Many others seemed to agree with his sentiments. Liber held up a hand and shook his head, "While it's true there are some in the military who serve the new king, it is mostly older officers looking to retire soon. They hold authority for now, but the men and women who serve under them are surely as upset about things as you all are. They swore an oath to protect the Emperor, I don't believe they will bow down to his killers so easily as their superiors who have been swayed by personal debts and promises of large retirement bonuses."

"For now, I suggest you all remember why you came here tonight and look for others who share your feelings. Continue to meet like this and show those in the military and others in your communities that you are not satisfied. Do not be violent to the Kou nationals who arrive, they are likely just as upset about being displaced from their homes as you are about receiving them. The real enemy here is the higher governance of Kou and the ambitions of its Emperor. When enough people renounce his claim to our lands, the soldiers will follow. They know who it is that sows the crops they eat. Who make their weapons and maintain their armor. It is the people. As dissatisfaction grows in the people, so too will the power of the people. Please be patient and don't give the new king or his puppet masters a reason to order a slaughter. We can't afford to lose any one of you to a riot right now. Our time will come, and when it does, Reim shall be sovereign once more!"

Liber got mixed responses but most seemed to agree with his reasoning. Stepping down from the stage Liber listened to a few more people speak their minds and then left back to his inn to find that his reward was already waiting for him sealed within an envelope. This was either a very convoluted trap, or he'd caught the eye of a true revolutionary mastermind.