A Kammanist Uprising: Fantasy Communist Revolution Quest

The Storm Retreats Results
The Reform Commission - 37/20

Reform was a priority. For some, it was not the highest one - that went to safeguarding the Revolution for many, or fixing the scars of the nation for a few - but all agreed it was very important. Land, laws, schooling, sexuality, policing, politics, rights, religion...everyone had an opinion on it. So Comrade Kylis proposed to readjust how his task worked: he would focus his time and effort on settling internal disputes and coordinating with other front sections, while another would be responsible for creating those reforms in their controlled territory. Exactly how much power they had would be...fluid, in all likelihood, such was the nature of their politics.

While the idea in itself was popular, Kylis noticed a slightly ugly undercurrent to the debates on who should have the position. Some had felt that more was needed, that they should go further, faster, harder, empty the prisons and execute the police and bar the aristocrats and their allies from any sort of political position. And they wanted to spread the Revolution as swiftly and fiercely as possible. Their attitudes made him uncomfortable at times, but the reports his assistant brought on their behavior and attitudes were usually glowing, and several of his friends liked those involved as well, especially Comrade Livia, who he worked closely with...although given what he knew of her opinions, some of what she said should be discounted.

There was another faction that wanted to go slowly and steadily so as to not accidentally cause harm - they would be the roadmap all other revolutions would follow, after all, it would behoove them to not do anything foolish. They wanted to build up and serve an example. They seemed almost too timid at times, and his assistant's reports were bland at best.

There was a third and a fourth faction, loosely allied together, whose primary interests were in preserving self-determination and democracy. No one on the Central Committee could really be considered a member of either, although Comrade Leo and Chairman Zenus were at least somewhat sympathetic.

Things hadn't hardened, not yet, but they would soon, and his choice would likely be what led to that hardening. Unless he picked a relative nobody, someone who had absolutely no part in these arguments...

In the end, Kylis picks...

[] Comrade Zandi: Determined, driven, intelligent, and determined to drag the world through the stages of Kammanism kicking and screaming if need be. She is undeniably extremely competent, but some people have concerns about how ruthless she will be in crushing resistance, or how flexible she will be if reality does not match up to her vision. Hardliner.

[] Comrade Leo: Cunning and charismatic, he is broadly popular with many, and just as determined as Comrade Zandi. However, his experiences in leading the Emperor Nicolai III during the Summer Revolts taught him that there is value to going slow and steady. Some worry that he will go too slow, and the Revolution will end up coming to nothing. Softliner

[] Comrade Jerzy: One of the few Wloski in this city and a committed Kammanist, his focus is on ensuring rights to self-determination and self-rule are respected - it's a popular perspective for both of the other factions, making him relatively uncontroversial, but while he's the most notable Kammanist to be so dedicated, that doesn't mean he's very notable. Democratic-Nationalist

[] A Nobody: This will be the hardest choice, in terms of practicalities. Investigate the lower ranks of the Front, find someone who's fairly neutral on all the issues who will hopefully remain over any factional struggles, and give them the job. You will please precisely nobody like this, but hopefully, you won't upset anyone either. And hopefully, your neutral pick will stay neutral. Neutral...hopefully.

Walk Among the Workers
- 42+62 = 104

Sometimes, Comrade Zenus admitted reluctantly to himself, having bodyguards was useful. Other times, not so much. This was one of the times not having them was better. Which was why he had slipped off his cloak and used a bit of face paint and some judicious scissor work to make himself look older before slipping out the back of the building, leaving his guards watching an empty room. He found a smile on his face as he did so. It was just like old times, slipping out of the seminary to scrawl graffiti on walls and pass out pamphlets, and then to commit burglaries and robberies.

He listened as he walked. People spoke, quietly, loudly, apprehensively, boldly. There were children playing in the street, dodging out of the way of a cart loaded with the fruits of labor. He followed it, watching how the crowds moved and shifted. This was a relatively rich area, and there were plenty of well-dressed people looking very cautiously about. They stuck to the shadows, and slinked along, looking like alley cats scared of being kicked.

He saw one group go into a tavern, and followed them. A few rounds of free drinks later, they were describing how all the food they got from the kitchens was maggoty or rotting, how all their fathers had lost their jobs, how they were selling jewelry and paintings for bread to grim-faced men who showed up in these taverns.

Where these men were getting the bread or where they were taking the goods they did not know.

The next day, he slipped out again, listening to more rumors in taverns. Someone was burning crops, people whispered. There were attacks on farmers. Bandits, some thought. Imperial cavalry, others whispered. Rebels, the Firstites, he even heard people mention the Doytch.

Send Farspeakers - 43

They had regular messages going back and forth between the four cities that had successful Kammanist uprisings. So he simply asked a few farspeakers to be scrounged up and given to the men and women delivering those messages. Now they had radio communication between Avla, Olvo, Selvada, and Korvio, and when he sent the first messengers to Maltka, they would them too. His other emissaries would also be equipped with such equipment when he sent them to Trokograd and to the fucking Wloski and to his foreign friends.

Better news from allies, increased possibilities for coordination and unification, other actions improved.

Look Into Laws
- 34+78 = 112/??

And with that, he turned to the law books once again. Courts had been handled already, and he was pleased with what he had heard about the results. Some people thought he had gone too far, or overstepped his bounds, or whatever meaningless complaint they had.

He struck a few laws off the books, decriminalizing homosexuality and making divorce easier for both parties, simple things that everyone in the Front would approve of (and if they didn't, he really didn't care), but considered whether he should go further...they would be establishing a separate commission for this, after all, and it would deflect some accusations of arrogance if he halted. He put away the law books and began to think about it.

A couple minor reforms passed, but Stephan is unlikely to continue this action due to the establishment of the Reform Commission.

Investigate the Councils, Stefan's Approach
- 74+68 = 142

Instead, he and some of his friends on the councils began to investigate and see if they could find any notable corruption. He listened to votes, did his own counts, and compared them to the official results, hung around council meetings to hear what was discussed. There were a couple minor issues that were most likely simple foolishness, so he passed the tips on those on.

There were two more significant issues he found, however. First, the councils that were based on areas that contained the wealthy and the poor had their boundaries drawn...strangely, in ways that made sure there were only a few dozen middle or upper class individuals voting in each council. But in those same councils, the wealthiest were often bribing council delegates.

The rest of the councils seemed relatively free of corruption at least, aside from the occasional bit of...what was the term again...pork.

Expand the Councils, Towns -37+46+58 = 141

Everyone was enthusiastic about the councils, at least in the Front. But expanding them would likely prove tricky, for reasons both geographical and ideological. But for the towns, the primary concern was ideology. The police and the other enforcers of the ruling class were cowed for now,, but not disarmed. They would likely attempt to subvert any democracy and turn it to their ends.

But Kylis judged the risk one worth taking and sent speakers, escorted by small bands of soldiers, who were responsible for setting up the councils and making contact with local Kammanists and allied organizations. The councils began to form, and they generally passed resolutions some found unpalatable, but they were not going against any of the Front's rules, and they were not being unusually corrupt, so there was only a little grumbling about tolerating reactionaries and counterrevolutionaries. And he had a useful argument against that - this way, they knew who their opposition was.

Councils established in towns, a slight increase in their support for you, but an even slighter penalty to Front Support

Evaluation Board
- 56+35 = 91/80. 11 overflows to Wealth Tax and Land Reform

But on the heels of the councils came the Evaluators, made of some educated Kammanists and some middle-class individuals who were deemed trustworthy. They used records from the tax offices to find the wealthiest and then inspected their land and properties much more thoroughly, to find what the tax collectors were ignoring or what had been hidden from them. Jewels, musical instruments, antique furniture, porcelain and paintings and other art, hidden stores of gold and silver, all were noted. Next came the investigations of land...

And howls of outrage came from the towns and from the richer neighborhoods. The Evaluators were accused of theft, of harassment, of abuse of every stripe. A dozen resolutions were introduced in councils to condemn or band them. In the end, a compromise was reached. "Official" police would accompany the Evaluators to assure the citizenry of their safety. But there was still unrest and unease...

Effectiveness and ease of Wealth Tax and Land Reform improved, at the cost of a lot of unrest in the towns, in the wealthier neighborhoods, and hints of it beginning to spread in rural areas...

Land Reform
- 11+44 = 55/100

The great estates of the rural magnates were often enormous. Hundreds of serfs lived and labored on them as ranchers, farmers, or lumberjacks. Some of these estates practically had their own towns on them, others supported entire towns more indirectly. A few even had mines.

But it was the ones most dedicated to farming that got the majority of attention. The peasants on them had their own personal plots or gardens, but four days out of seven were required to work on the land that belonged directly to the noble, which was always the best and the most. That land belonged to the peasantry now, and they no longer had to pay to get their grain ground or their bread baked or to rent plows and the beasts to pull them.

But as for the rest...some wanted to collectivize the personal plots as well, and some wanted to let them have some of their own land. The headmen of the estates would need to be dealt with, and the enforcers for the nobles (although quite a few of those took care of themselves, one way or another).

The first collectivizations have been made, giving you some more popularity among the rural areas, but the process has not been completed.

Investigate the Council's, Kylis's Version
- 51+50 = 101

Kylis first thought to go and see for himself, but in the end he was too busy struggling to manage collectivization, so he relied on a mix of reading the reports his assistant brought him from his comrades and collecting information to those who attended. There were hints of things going on like people selling votes for favors and some councils being set up to exclude people, but nothing seemed widespread.

Then he investigated a little more. And it turned out the vote-selling was a lot more widespread, mostly focused around laws about what could be bought and sold, but a few votes that tried to restrict workers organizing came far closer to passing than they should have.

Seize the Gunpowder Works - 73+5 = 78/25

The gunpowder works were taken, much to the confusion of the men and women who worked there. The expressions on most of their faces were confused as the Red Guard and militia stormed the building...but a few of the foremen and the plant management showed terror, and tried to flee.

They didn't get far. Inspection and interrogations of the workers revealed that the managers claimed to be working with the Front to build up an arsenal of gunpowder weapons. Instead, the gunpowder and rifles were vanishing to parts unknown.

Rage burned through the Front when the news were learned. Trials, executions, all the bloody barbarities of the Imperial era were demanded. People wanted to know what happened, why it happened, where the guns were going...especially since some of the banditry rumors suggested that gunpowder was being used in those attacks.

The gunpowder works were being used to supply bandits who have begun launching rural attacks. The Front is furious.

Agricultural Autocaster Construction
-18/35

There was only a single small plant for agricultural autocasters in Avla, and many of its workers were on the wealthier side, and thus more reluctant to work for the Front. Only a few could be convinced to return to the plant, and that meant many new workers, most of whom were enthusiastic but...unskilled. There were several severe accidents that had to be dealt with before construction could begin, but the effort was deemed worthy.

An autocaster could pull a farm faster and longer than an ox, or it could burn away weeds and insects. It could harvest and thresh and do all the many steps of farming. Only the very wealthiest had them, but changing that would revolutionize the economy of Avlandia and show the superiority of Kammanism. The work would go on.

Raw Materials and Raw Production - 84+47+75+62+71 = 339/200

The industrial might of Avla would be vital to the success of the Revolution. For three shifts of eight hours each, workers used machines and autocaster to produce not just weapons and ammunition, but all the tools of living. Enormous, improvised kitchens provided food to the masses of urban poor.

The great machine that was this industry must be fed. And so dozens of Front members and hundreds of workers were put under the Office of Industry and sent to investigate what materials a factory needed, where they normally came from, if they were short, what people were doing to make up for shortages.

There was almost enough coal and food, but stocks of both were lowering almost imperceptibly...but that would grow worse as winter grew colder.

Aether crystals were much scarcer, especially differentiated aether crystals, and there was barely any steel production. A few large blast furnaces were operating, but they didn't have enough raw ore, and if they did there wouldn't be enough coal. Most other metals were in short supply as well. There was more than enough wood and cloth though.

A dozen plans appeared on desks, proposing methods for fixing this: destruction of public buildings, reclaiming additional mines, rationing, trade...

Slight but increasing shortage of coal and food, shortages of most metals, severe shortages of steel and aether crystals.

Institute Permanent Police
- 51+54+65 = 170

The People's Revolutionary Police were founded under a cold gray sky. They consisted of a mixed multitude: politically reliable police, Red Guard who had been wounded in battle, citizen volunteers. They followed more or less the same model the old Imperial police did, just with somewhat more restricted powers - again, the rights that applied to the nobility were applied to all. They were also better paid, in the hopes of averting corruption.

Their first test came not a day later, as unrest and alcohol combined to make a brief tavern brawl spill out into the streets. Ten men were arrested, five were released without charges, and the remainder went to trial. Overall, the new police were deemed successful, and the boiling tension in some districts of the city died away, especially when a few faces familiar to their denizens joined the new police force.

Create the Office of Operations - 32/20

The former Imperial officers had been the only ones with real experience in the complicated parts of running an army. Leading his men in a charge or holding a trench, that Alexei and Bejen could do easily. For things like staffwork and logistics and coordinating marches, they needed experienced help. And Alexei knew which men could be trusted with such a vital job.

The Office of Operations sat in a nondescript building two doors down from the Mage's Guild. Inside were a few secretaries, a few farspeakers, and a great many maps and men in uniforms with red armbands.

The Staff immediately had a dozen complaints about how the army was organized, but they also had suggestions for fixing it, and their suggestions would hopefully be put in place in time to turn the army into a real fighting force.

But for now, they faced their first test...

Small penalty to Front Support, actions and dice adjusted, new actions adjusted.

Maltka Attack
- 80+ 58 = 138

1d5+4(Training)+3(Equipment)+3(Morale)+3(Warmages)-4(All in one Place) vs. 1d5+3+1+3-2 = 12 vs. 8

500 soldiers, accompanied once more by landships and warmages, marched out. This time they traveled south, to relieve embattled comrades. Again, a familiar experience for them, but this time they were operating under commanders who cared for their lives and would not grind them to dust in useless offenses. This time, when they charged the trenches, it would be the defenders that broke and fled. They were giddy with confidence.

And that made it all the worse when the train shuddered to a stop, and shots rang out, striking a few men. The doors of the trains were blasted in, sending splinters into more, but there was no follow up barrage. Peering out of the dust, cautious eyes spotted clouds of gunpowder smoke. Fierce grins appeared. With a battle cry, hundreds of men charged down, warcasters firing. No one could reload in time to fire back.

They got back on the train, blood up and running hot.

Part 2 coming soon

Farspeaker Listening
- 73/20

There were enough farspeakers for this as well, although they would need to look into producing more soon. All the ones they had right now were imported, unfortunately. Livia ignored the thought as she sat and listened, slowly turning it in different directions and tuning it at different tones, trying to cover every possibility. For most, there was just silence or faint sounds. From Maltka, she heard the defiant singing of a familiar tone...which never stopped and didn't seem to hear people speak back into it. From Balink, she heard promises of victory for the new Emperor. From Tuvak, she heard promises of victory for a different Emperor. From Devato, she heard promises of peace and victory for the Union of Avlish Peoples, who spoke of democracy and prosperity.

Gained better sources of news

Investigate the Councils, Livia's Version
- 87+86 = 173

But the farspeakers were a relatively low priority. Livia would not allow treachery and corruption to undermine her glorious Revolution. She would root it out if it was the last thing she did.

The investigation began with people going to bars all over the city and drunkenly complaining about the councils. It worked well, aside from one incident that forced her to visit the jail with Comrade Zenus and got her an embarrassing lecture. Then she had people listen in on council meetings, break into the homes of some of the richer delegates...

She regarded the report on her findings with a mix of disgust and admiration. Someone had done admirable work to limit counterrevolutionary influence, but in doing so they had exposed a weakness: council delegates were being bribed and bullied by those who once had more money and status.

Even worse, there was a vote-selling scheme, a rather extensive one she had found, based on notes found in the homes of a few of the poorer delegates. It seemed like a fairly long-term one as well, based around the assumption that they would win (which she found pleasing in the back of her mind). The goal seemed to create an area where workers could be exploited under the control of a select few.

There would be blood for this.


There will also be some changes to the front page in an hour or so.
 
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And that made it all the worse when the train shuddered to a stop, and shots rang out, striking a few men. The doors of the trains were blasted in, sending splinters into more, but there was no follow up barrage. Peering out of the dust, cautious eyes spotted clouds of gunpowder smoke. Fierce grins appeared. With a battle cry, hundreds of men charged down, warcasters firing. No one could reload in time to fire back.

They got back on the train, blood up and running hot.
Well it seems we found at least one band of bandits.
 
[ ] Comrade Zandi: Determined, driven, intelligent, and determined to drag the world through the stages of Kammanism kicking and screaming if need be. She is undeniably extremely competent, but some people have concerns about how ruthless she will be in crushing resistance, or how flexible she will be if reality does not match up to her vision. Hardliner.

I know I'm probably going to lose this vote, but I do think that this is the best choice, both for her skills, and because when it comes to reform, we want to be as radical and thorough as possible. The softeners won't push hard enough, and the democratic nationalist candidate isn't as qualified, and wont push as hard. The Nobody doesn't get us anything, and doesn't push that hard, and I also have an irrational fear that it will end up some power hungry bureaucrat switching teams every which way to gain strength for themself

Zandi pushes the hardest for reform, and that's what matters most
 
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[X] Comrade Jerzy: One of the few Wloski in this city and a committed Kammanist, his focus is on ensuring rights to self-determination and self-rule are respected - it's a popular perspective for both of the other factions, making him relatively uncontroversial, but while he's the most notable Kammanist to be so dedicated, that doesn't mean he's very notable. Democratic-Nationalist

I'd argue that puting the needs of one's people first is the right course of action. After all, our revolution started due to a government that put politics and status ahead of it's people.
 
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[] Comrade Jerzy: One of the few Wloski in this city and a committed Kammanist, his focus is on ensuring rights to self-determination and self-rule are respected - it's a popular perspective for both of the other factions, making him relatively uncontroversial, but while he's the most notable Kammanist to be so dedicated, that doesn't mean he's very notable. Democratic-Nationalist

I'd argue that puting the needs of one's people first is the right course of action. After all, our revolution started due to a government that put politics and status ahead of it's people.
He may put a focus on it, but it is still something that all other factions care about. If we put the hardliner in charge we will still get self determination, and while our push on that specific subject might not go as far as it does with Jerzy, we get much more reform everywhere else. This is a revolution, we can accept no half measures. Zandi is the only candidate who will push hard enough to actually fully reform society, and get done all the things that other candidates might stall on.
 
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[] Comrade Jerzy: One of the few Wloski in this city and a committed Kammanist, his focus is on ensuring rights to self-determination and self-rule are respected - it's a popular perspective for both of the other factions, making him relatively uncontroversial, but while he's the most notable Kammanist to be so dedicated, that doesn't mean he's very notable. Democratic-Nationalist

This is the way. Hardliners and Softliners would destabilize the current balance we just need to work on his charisma.
 
The Hardliners will be able to push all the reforms through, the democratic nationalist not only isn't as competent as them, but won't push as hard or as strong for reform, which is the most important thing for someone in this position
 
[] Comrade Jerzy: One of the few Wloski in this city and a committed Kammanist, his focus is on ensuring rights to self-determination and self-rule are respected - it's a popular perspective for both of the other factions, making him relatively uncontroversial, but while he's the most notable Kammanist to be so dedicated, that doesn't mean he's very notable. Democratic-Nationalist

This is the way. Hardliners and Softliners would destabilize the current balance we just need to work on his charisma.
The democratic nationalist canidate changes the balance just as much as the other two, if you want someone to stop factionalism then the fourth option is your pick
 
Radicalization of any cause tends to end poorly and gives rise to the likes of Maximilien Robespierre and Joseph Stalin.

I'd rather avoid becoming their likeness through the foundation of a movement that puts the Party's desires ahead of the people's.
 
[X] Comrade Zandi: Determined, driven, intelligent, and determined to drag the world through the stages of Kammanism kicking and screaming if need be. She is undeniably extremely competent, but some people have concerns about how ruthless she will be in crushing resistance, or how flexible she will be if reality does not match up to her vision. Hardliner.

We need the most reforms possible, and she's the one to do it. The softliner is too moderate to get any real change done, and the democratic-nationalist is both not competent enough to push things through, and not interested in actual reform, just in securing national self governence, which the hardliners will want to do anyway, as it specifically said that all factions support it, and the Zandi is really big into pushing all the reforms through, so we'll be able to get just as much done on that subject, while also fixing everywhere else
 
[x] [X] Comrade Jerzy: One of the few Wloski in this city and a committed Kammanist, his focus is on ensuring rights to self-determination and self-rule are respected - it's a popular perspective for both of the other factions, making him relatively uncontroversial, but while he's the most notable Kammanist to be so dedicated, that doesn't mean he's very notable. Democratic-Nationalist

I'd rather not install a Robspespierre into our flegling nation who's unwilling to admit when the Party's in the wrong.
 
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[X] Comrade Jerzy: One of the few Wloski in this city and a committed Kammanist, his focus is on ensuring rights to self-determination and self-rule are respected - it's a popular perspective for both of the other factions, making him relatively uncontroversial, but while he's the most notable Kammanist to be so dedicated, that doesn't mean he's very notable. Democratic-Nationalist
 
[x] [X] Comrade Jerzy: One of the few Wloski in this city and a committed Kammanist, his focus is on ensuring rights to self-determination and self-rule are respected - it's a popular perspective for both of the other factions, making him relatively uncontroversial, but while he's the most notable Kammanist to be so dedicated, that doesn't mean he's very notable. Democratic-Nationalist

I'd rather not install a Robspespierre into our flegling nation who's unwilling to admit when the Party's in the wrong.
We have literally nothing backing the idea that Zandi is a Robespierre who's unwilling to admit when the party is wrong.

Hardliner doesn't mean their some cult of personality bureaucrat, it just means that they aren't willing to compromise the principles of the revolution or the international struggle. Think a softer version of Lenin, not a communist Robespierre
 
We have literally nothing backing the idea that Zandi is a Robespierre who's unwilling to admit when the party is wrong.

Hardliner doesn't mean their some cult of personality bureaucrat, it just means that they aren't willing to compromise the principles of the revolution or the international struggle. Think a softer version of Lenin, not a communist Robespierre
The evidence is in the text:
[ ] Comrade Zandi: Determined, driven, intelligent, and determined to drag the world through the stages of Kammanism kicking and screaming if need be. She is undeniably extremely competent, but some people have concerns about how ruthless she will be in crushing resistance, or how flexible she will be if reality does not match up to her vision. Hardliner.
 
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