Mmixamk and Rehit invited us — everyprime on Strayway, leaving only our terrifying ophidian defense grid to keep the ship safe — to a little ceremony for Yerenthax and Jyondre, at the Tall Guardhall at noon.
Getting there was more troublesome than we expected. We asked for directions to the Guardhall, and got sent to a tall wicker spire by the outward gate, where a pair of guardfolk laughed at us and told us that we were at the Useful Guardhall, and we needed to go to the Tall Guardhall, most of the way across town. Fortunately, the actual ceremony couldn’t start until Yerenthax and Jyondre got there. Rehit rushed them up to the balcony, and the rest of us — and some dozens of locals and semi-locals — gathered in the plaza in front of it to listen. By “semi-locals” in particular I mean Jyondre’s family and some friends, come in from Heleshario for the occasion.
Harulse read a short mayoral speech in very pompous tones. (Mmixamk presumably can’t give his own speeches, but he obviously wrote it not Harulse, since I understood every word.) It was all pretty basic, and basically pretty, things like Our honorable guests from ancient Ketheria and rescuing Pwishika with no thought for their own safety and They didn’t have to do it.
And finally, officially proclaimed to be heroes according to the eyes and the laws of Eigrach.
Jyondre — who is a native of Srineia, if not of Eigrach — gasped at one. For it is quite significant.
It’s even grammatically significant. Jyondre is now allowed to use a new set of historical status markers — he can call himself “I-hero”. He had undergone the jivu ceremony earlier so he could get up to “I-jivu”, so he obviously cares a lot about status markers. Now he’s up to “-hero”. He’ll never be able to get the top one there, “-colo”, since that’s only for children of the original colonists, and he can’t change his parents.
Then Rehit gave a little speech too. Rehit isn’t the orator that the Mayor is, but a couple of points were worthy of note:
- If Yerenthax and Jyondre ever want a job in Eigrach, they are welcome in the City Guard. This is rather a throwaway.
- Yerenthax and Jyondre each are granted a stipend of seventy lozens a month [several hundred dollars a month -bb] as long as they return to Eigrach Mene each month to collect it. This is not a throwaway, since it costs Eigrach something.
Actually, the stipend is quite unusual, at least by Ketherian standards. Sometimes rescuers are given money as a reward, several hundred lozens even, but usually just as a purse of amber. The stipend … I wonder if they usually give a larger purse, and they’re planning to save money since Yerenthax and Jyondre are leaving with me in a few months?
Anyhow, Yerenthax and Jyondre were absolutely — and deservedly — delighted, and embraced and kissed on the balcony. The rest of us wrongfolk cheered for them,
At times, the heroes’ cup is full of honeyed brandy.
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That was really awesome!
Maybe having some openly traff HEROES will shake up the culture a bit, in a good way?
I expect that Eigrach is hoping that this stipend will be an incentive for at least some, if not all, of the wrongfolk to linger in town. A one-time fee would be too detached. This way, they keep you — or, at least, Jyondre and Yerenthax — engaged with the city in a protective role.
gyah I wanna be able to log in so I can fix / prevent typoes like that / edit my posts / etc.
You’re registered as of a minute ago, I believe.
I am much impressed by your heroic friends, and it speaks well of a city which up until now hasn’t been making itself look terribly good, to honor them so. One day I hope I will be able to perform great deeds that at least begin to match theirs, but alas that day is not today!
…Huh. Given the attitude toward transaffection in Eigrach… that was a rather daring conclusion on their part. Granted, they’ve been steeped in Vheshrame attitudes for quite some time, but Jyondre still seemed to have some vestiges of Srineian thought on the matter. Hm.
It’s good to see them rewarded like that, indeed. And hopefully their display won’t cause too much doom.
With Jyondre’s parents present, I have little hope that it won’t cause any at all, alas.
Oooh, -hero! I thought -jivu was better than -hero, since Jyondre wouldn’t explain how he got it. But congrats to the heroes for being appreciated! Stipend is pretty cool. Will it stack up waiting for them to come collect it, if they come back years later?
Rather the opposite of stacking: if they don’t collect it one month, it is over.
[*grin* Good thinking, Heavenscalyx! -bb]
Oh, I see, that does make practical sense for the city. It incentivizes the known heroes to stick around and keep heroing for them.
How did the crowd react to the sudden display of public transaffection?