I've read 30% of this thread so far and hope to have it finished tomorrow.

I'm willing to see if the Secretary of Labor's policy works. I think we need to be careful, though. If there aren't appreciable gains in loyalty we may need to pursue harsher measures.

I would like the missionary to preach about the virtues of loyalty and good citizenship, however. That kind of an approach may help to reinforce the extant labor policy.

Missionary: I can coordinate with the Loyal Elders to provide a suitable funeral.

Tasks:
Have the Mason build a Guardhouse at the docks
Have the Mason build a Guardhouse by the woods
Have the Mason build a small school
Have the Missionary/Loyal Elders coordinate at funeral for fallen Loyalists
Meet the King's Quota of 1000 Pearls
Sell 25 Pearls to Merchant
Have Missionary begin preaching the Faith


Policies
Allow Loyal Elders to handle punishments including prison of up to 1 year (ENACTED)
Make it illegal for colonists not loyal to the King to approach buildings marked with a banner (ENACTED)
Lower the age of the workforce to 12 (ENACTED)

Magistrate, those 13 former prisoners that are now loyalists, where do they work? And I just remembered that a while back we gave all the original loyal families 12 gold each. We should encourage them to buy what they can with that.

And can we get 1 tomato to every loyalist this month? We can ramp that up right after, but they deserve the fruit they've wanted, so each shall have a fruit.

Prado, have you read my various proposals? I need your assistance in calculating the appropriate amount for the relief packages I was thinking of having delivered to separatist families. Care to weigh in?

KC, what do you think about the property seizures?

Maher, welcome to webDipia. I am serving as the Secretary of Relations, which basically means I coordinate our communications between our councilors and the loyalists and between all of those loyal to the king and those branded separatists. Right now, I am hoping to establish open dialogue with the separatists and provide them some relief - feel free to read my mega post last page. And please, while it is not inappropriate to blame poor communication for the current uprising, it's not my fault, my position just got established ;)

Oh, and as for the freed prisoners, I believe my original proposal involved 50% compensation for three months. Once completed, they will take a sworn oath and then be paid in full and given their seals. Just keep that in mind.

The Magistrate assures the Council that all colonists who have sworn fealty are equally loyal.

Tasks:
Have the Mason build a Guardhouse at the docks
Have the Mason build a Guardhouse by the woods
Have the Mason build a small school
Have the Missionary/Loyal Elders coordinate at funeral for fallen Loyalists
Meet the King's Quota of 1000 Pearls
Sell 25 Pearls to Merchant
Have Missionary begin preaching the Faith
Give one tomato to every Loyalist

Policies
Allow Loyal Elders to handle punishments including prison of up to 1 year (ENACTED)
Make it illegal for colonists not loyal to the King to approach buildings marked with a banner (ENACTED)
Lower the age of the workforce to 12 (ENACTED)

Just a question: Can the alchemist be put to use for military or propaganda purposes? (pretending I dont know anything about these "unknown" things but explosives, tear gas like weapons, contaminating drinking supplies with temporary poisons that cause minor illness, research into any ways to fake an act of god: Balls of light that will rise from the missionary to be used to convert separatists and strengthen the loyalty of loyalists.)

I would not be in favor of open warfare. I would prefer we take a subtler approach, just as we have done so far. It has worked, and the separatists are upset, which is to be expected. We just need to be patient, keep adding on, and let the torment of fighting the king bring them to us.

Alchemist: I can research Military discoveries if the Council wishes.

Bo, I don't think we have the military power for seizures. I think we need to maintain strongholds at key locations, (ie granary, docks, fields) and make a safe haven for the Loyalists.

How many separatist families are there, Magistrate? And, bo, what were you planning on putting in the relief packages? Those would help with the calculation. And, if I do remember correctly, tomatoes are produced every 3 months?

The seperatists were starving? I suggested to give them rations to prevent them from starving on p61, but thought the conclusion of our discussion was that they were self-sufficient? Confusing. It'll be hard to make solid policy suggestions with all these misunderstandings. Any suggestions on how to tackle those?

So, perhaps superfluously, I entirely support the idea for rations.

@abge: is it possible to put the latest monthly text blurb in the sheet? tnx!

I thought they were sself-sufficient as well. Ah well. Live and learn.

The magistrate reminds Councilor TMoW that both the Farmer and the Missionary advised the council that their policies may cause the Separatists to starve.

Magistrate: there are around 100 Separatist families.

I have read the entire thread.

I have to wonder what the king would think if he knew the extent to which this council has tried to appease those who refuse to pledge fealty to him. The secretary of relations tried to pay over 500 gold pieces to these seditious elders not three months ago. How dare this council pay the King's money to traitors?

I thought the "starve them out" approach might work. Yet a substantial amount of separatists remain committed to their elders.

I propose the following, to be said out of the earshot of the Magistrate.

We send the following letter to be read to the elders:

"To the Honorable Elders of WebDipia: We grieve with you the deaths of so many of our friends and neighbors in the last month. We recognize that there is a deep need for peace and reconciliation. We are willing to offer sacrifices to your gods for atonement of our wrongdoing. We invite you, and your religious leaders, to a meeting away from the settlement, on neutral ground, where we will make these atoning sacrifices and can come to a mutually agreeable resolution of our recent problems."

I propose that we have 10-12 members of the Royal Guard lay an ambush at this "neutral ground" and there kill or capture the elders. I propose that we publicly execute any who are captured. I would remind the council that the magistrate stated, "The colonists are not hostile and they have primitive weapons. None appear to be trained soldiers and even in their greater numbers are no match for the Royal Guard." We have nothing to fear from these rebels.

If these elders will not bend the knee, then it is time for new elders. And since the elders are the 12 oldest people among the colonists, then we need to make sure the younger, more pliable people become the oldest left.

That is a terrible idea. The entire population would revolt. We don't have the man power to completely subdue the entire island.

Also, just so you know, the Magistrate is not a colonist. He comes from the same land as we do. (presumably Europe)

Half of them are already in revolt and an uprising against us. The other half have already subordinated their "happy native feelings" for the elders by pledging fealty to the king. Let's make some of them the new elders.

I see no need to cater to those in open revolt already.

I realize that imperialism may be repugnant to many of you. But you are on webDipia, being imperialists. There's a reason imperialism was brutal - you can't half-ass it. Friendly and smiling doesn't get indigenous people to act against their own interests. These colonists have revolted against the king that you and I are here to serve.

If we have to do business with the colonists, let's empower the loyal ones. Let us create a rival Elder board that will be in nominal control of food distribution to loyal natives.

We already have Maher.

I didn't see that anywhere - the rival Elder board?

I think the decapitation strike is something that should seriously be weighed by the council. It might bring a quick resolution to this protracted conflict.

We have a Loyalist Council housed in the Town Hall. They have the ability to sentence their own people to up to a year in prison. They also weigh in on issues. Mostly, they interact with the SecRel (bo_sox)

Great. I must've missed that reading over the past 60 pages of forum. Sorry.

I would like to hear from the Captain of the Guard and see what he assesses the feasibility of being able to execute my decapitation strike plan would be. Specifically - (1) do we know where native religious practices are conducted, or some viable alternative "neutral ground" from our survey of the geography, (2) do the elders usually have some form of protection when they meet and (3) do we have ample men to be able to execute this strike?

Welcome Maher!

Sorry for being rather inactive. RL..

The plan of sending over 500 gold a) was my plan, not that of the SecRel (which position didn't exist at the time), b) was formulated at a time before the divides formed and any uprising could be fathomed (that we didn't pay is part of the reason we've gotten to this point), and c) was much less than what they wanted. The 530 Plan (my official name for it) is a thing of the past, and would be unfathomable at this point.
We should consider recruiting some of the people on the boat. Physician and who else?

Magistrate, those 13 prisoners who so recently pledged fealty, where are they working now that they are released?