[Open] A Bit of Rabble Rousing

[telepathicignorance]

Type: Text
Sender ID: Anonymous
To: Public
Subject: Check it out!
Warnings: Descriptions of dead bodies, unjust imprisonment.



(The text is anonymous: Sidestep has no desire to attract the attention of corrupt, pissed off paladins.)

So that field of flowers the Paladins have... beautiful, right? Real romantic. Absolutely perfect place to bring a date if you're one of the privileged few allowed to visit Elah, though if you aren't you needn't worry, I've taken plenty of pictures for you.

(And as stated, there are a bunch of images attached to this post!

The rotting body of a man. His facial features are no longer recognizable but the layers of rags that still cling to the bloated corpse suggest a life of poverty and struggle. Around him, Emberblooms blossom in a stunning array of fiery oranges and deep purples.

A badly mangled body. The Emberblooms surrounding it are like gems made of pure fire.

This one is an awkwardly angled shot of the smashed up remains of a person's skull. In addition to the blooms growing around it, a single scarlet flower is sprouting up through an eye socket.

In this one, the flowers are starting to overtake a shallow and poorly dug grave. A curled hand lies uncovered. It looks like it's been picked at by scavenging birds.

A blurry closeup of some dirty and bloodstained rags trapped among a patch of Emberbloom flowers of a stunning shade of royal purple.

A paladin guard standing near a patch of flowers. Among the flowers, bones can be seen.

A thumb covers part of this picture but it doesn't manage to obscure the body that seems to have been dumped without even a cursory effort to properly bury it, only the stunning array of flowers growing over it acting as cover.

There are more, of course. Dozens upon dozens of photographs of the dead dumped among the sunset fields, corpses in every possible condition and state of decay. Some are blurry, others weirdly focused, and still more are partially blocked by clumsy fingers but one thing seems clear: this had to be the work of multiple individuals.)

I suppose dying for love is a trope for a reason...

But of course, the real sight to see is Dead Kracken Island. Normally a trip there requires one to commit a most grevious crime, but this month the Paladins have been providing trips to their most dreadful of prisons entirely for free! No age or health requirements, the children and the infirm are all welcome to have a stay in a cold cramped cell for an unspecified length of time with terrifying spectres for company!

Wanna enjoy the feeling of having your wrists bound by manacles? What about a nice relaxing period of unconsciousness while you're being transported to the middle of nowhere surrounded by ocean? Maybe you really like not knowing why you've been imprisoned or what your captors intend to do to you? Then go wander innocently through literally any area where Paladins can be found today!

Comments

Text

[misstellaron]

Hey, ever heard of something called a content warning? Jeez, like I get you're tryna stir shit up but damn. Not what I wanted to see while eating lunch.

Anyway, you need someone to hit things?

[telepathicignorance]

You mean like how the victims had warnings before they were kidnapped or murdered?

The least you can do is not look away from what's happening.

The guards around the field aren't allowing people to investigate the bodies.

[misstellaron]

You had a choice brother, sister, or non-binary sibling. At least I could've finished my sandwich first. I would have had a look after!

So then we sneak past them somehow. We have to do something about this.

text; un:catsgothistongue

[catsgothistongue]

[WELL THIS IS A HELL OF A THING TO WAKE UP TO SIDESTEP BRO WHAT IN THE ABSOLUTE FUCK.

Ranma's not a squeamish person. There's not a lot of things that turn his stomach. But... Seeing so many bodies, so many people's life snuffed out... Judging by the state of the bodies, some were ancient, and some were recent, barely showing signs of decay. It was macabre, plain and simple. Like something straight out of a horror flick.

His fists reflexively tightened, threatening to break the shellphone in twain.]

Yeesh... Next time you post a snuff film on here, think you could give people a head's up? Not a lotta people have the stomachs for this crap.

[Despite how blasé the message may seem, Ranma was feeling the exact opposite.]

[telepathicignorance]

(It figures. Even here, people would rather bury their heads in the sand and ignore the truth.)

Even here, when confronted by the unjust murders and kidnappings of so many, the first thing people think of is their personal comfort.

How tragic.

[catsgothistongue]

No, my first thought was 'How far can I twist the bastards who did this's legs out of their socket and kick whatever's left of their ass with it?' Just saying that 'Hey, a bunch of Paladins are killing and locking up people, we need to do something about it' would've sufficed as a call to action.

[The irony of 'personal comfort' reeks seeing as the poster's sitting comfortably behind being anonymous to avoid retribution.]

Gore show aside, count me in. No way am I letting them do whatever the hell they want and get away with it!

Video | yuezun

[yuezun]

[He can be seen on the video obviously watching his own screen as he scrolls through the photos provided. He had definitely intended to reply immediately but there were more photos than he had first thought and he was going to take his time to study it. His expression remained calm and a bit bored.

As did his voice when he finally spoke:]

Your documentation is excellent. Are you attempting to incite violence between the two armadas at this time, merely looking to rile up those who are already well-aware of what the Paladin's think of them, or open the eyes of those who follow the Paladin code because they're believed to be 'better' than the Corsairs?

[It could serve to do all three, but if the poster did have a specific reaction they were looking for, it would help to know which one to emphasize.]

[telepathicignorance]

(Still anonymous here.)

As you can see, I had quite a bit of help.

(A lie, to make it seem like there's more than just three people in on this.)

The latter, mostly. Also: getting the public to associate Emberblooms with horror and death will hopefully curb attempts to illegally poach them. Hardly a fitting gift for one's lover now, hm?

[yuezun]

[A frown at that last line. They were trying to protect the plants with this? Also... ]

The improper burial is another matter entirely, but why would being associated with death cause mortals to be less interested in the grass there? This venerable one was under the impression that death and love were intertwined in the mortal view. 'til death will we part'. 'death will not end my love for you'.

[A pause and then:]

speak not of my death as the end
even unto eternity
should my body rot
my heart's drumming beat go still
and my hands no longer hold yours
my love will live on

you will know my kiss
by the breeze on your face
the rain:
my tears
the sun:
the warmth of my arms
the winter my loneliness:
my longing for you
the blossom of a flower:
my joy at how well you live

speak not of my death as the end
for I will feed the flowers and the earth
and all of these things
will feed your soul
with the depths of my love
that cannot be contained
by this fleeting time
upon the shores of this life

UN:detectiveforhierophant - text

[detectiveforhierophant]

[ Oh. Dojima was pissed--

At two different things.

One was the fact that this had clearly been going on for a long while. The decay of the bodies gave that away, meaning this was an ongoing activity that had either been under the noses of the Paladins for years, or actually a consented activity by the Paladin higher ups--

But the other reason--

Was the fact Turo had -- for lack of a better term, 'glitched out' upon seeing them, only able to hand Dojima his phone to show him before laying down on the bed and going into what Dojima could only assume was a 'rebooting'--

He'd get back on his own phone to respond-- ]

Dropping pictures of desecrated corpses on the open network without any warning is incredibly irresponsible. Do you want to traumatize innocent people?

[ Gritting his teeth. But. He obviously couldn't just drop this now-- ]

How many bodies did you find in total? Estimate if you don't directly remember.

Fuck yes get their edgelord ass

[telepathicignorance]

(Look, Sidestep has 100% been stalking Dojima enough to know who it is messaging them on the network, though they don't have any idea that his rage is any more than the standard people being made uncomfortable by the truth.)

You mean like how the people who were kidnapped or murdered must have been? I'm sure just looking at the pictures must be truly harrowing when compared to the actual lived experience.

I'm afraid an accurate count is impossible, as the guards aren't allowing further investigation. Dozens? Hundreds? Hard to say. They consider the safety of the flowers a more pressing concern than that of the people.

text

[detectiveforhierophant]

Considering you already sent one person into a ptsd attack, I don't think you have the right to say what other people should or shouldn't feel about seeing this shit without warning.

[A glance over to Turo laying completely still on the bed, only his eyes shifting colours as he rebooted, frowning deeply before continuing.]

Those victims deserved better, both in their lives and deaths. Being made a spectacle to raise awareness is at the very least, a double edged sword.

[But. Deep breaths. He made his point.]

So the problem comes down to, are the Paladins the perps, or merely complacent. Do we know if they are criminals the Paladins executed, or people found dead around Elah who were just dumped by whoever the hell, and the Paladins just ignored it? Either way it's criminal behavior, but we need the right targets to go after for what.

Voice | ID: gr1m

[gr1m]

If only I could say I was surprised, given some previous... activities.

Wonder whose nose is being gone under here- or maybe you've got yourself some backroom deals for some deep pockets.

[No really, did some good work there.

He could also take the time to review the pictures again. Given the effort he put into taking all of the ones not supplied at the start, he was allowed; even if privately.]

[telepathicignorance]

Why don't you tell me a bit about your own experiences in this matter?

Might be interesting to compare notes.

(What did the Paladins do prior to their arrival, in other words.)

[gr1m]

Well, the casualness of their swooping in and claiming artifacts they tend to keep whatever information they glean off such things for their own. More so if they consider you undesirable to set foot on Elah at all. Shit luck if you're a Corair interested in helping out there.

But that's politics, isn't it?

[Stated so very dryly, but-]

Of course, more along these lines? I doubt anyone around at the time can forget the Paladin Guard higher up that was behind the mass Corsair arrests and mass executions without trial. Didn't even do anything, just existed as a Corsair.

At least some from the group deemed it only fair that the man's pay go to the families of those that were killed.

not here

[astudyinviolet]

[ On one hand, Sherlock is looking at the pictures to discover any more patterns which may come from this and realizing that he's seen worse. That is both a sombering and sickening thought.

On the other hand, dear Lord. He would have had some tact to give a warning first. He's not going to be surprised if people disregard this as a sensational fabrication rather than an attempt to bring the truth to light. ]

voice; un: passimclamoribus

[passimclamoribus]

Might I inquire as to how the two are related? This switching of topics makes one wonder just what you're trying to get people enraged over.

[ Of course he is completely unbothered by the corpses. :) ]

[telepathicignorance]

Are you truly so blind as to be unable to see the obvious corruption and cruelty that runs rampant among the Paladins?

[passimclamoribus]

Yes yes. That's all well and good and you can continue to fight the good fight.

You may want to connect the dots on how one relates to the other. Otherwise your message is lost.

text / un: general-affairs

[general_affairs]

Gonna have to agree about the warnings, yo. Mangled bodies are a bit much for a lot of people.

But yeah, I was wondering about all the bodies there without any explanation. Are there any paper trails for any of the guys found there, or are we talking about a cover up?

[ Because that would be tasty and Reno would love to get his little fingies into that. ]

[telepathicignorance]

You and everyone else, apparently.

(It's almost like people expect them to admit to bring wrong. That's not happening.)

Cover up for sure. The guards won't let people investigate the bodies

[general_affairs]

Word from the wise, boogeymen have a way of finding whistleblowers.

You wanna do something? Shock and awe ain't it.

Text; un: chatterbox

[cursedwords]

[ His reaction to this is downright embarrassing - and he will not be leaning into it. He focuses instead on whatever he's rambling about. ]

Nice vacation pitch. Asshole move going after innocent civilians who had nothing to do with that shit.

You want justice? You want to protect people? Don't inflict shit like this on the innocent, take your anger out on who deserves it. There are people who do the dirty work for a reason.

[ Never mind pissed off corrupt paladins, watch your back for pissed off corsairs who ride the line. ]

[telepathicignorance]

Better to leave innocents complacent and unaware of the danger than show them the truth, then?

(They know they fucked up but fuck actually admitting it. This is a matter of principle now.

Also, better distressed than dead.)

Can't go after these assholes alone.

[cursedwords]

Actually, yes. Do you know how panic works? You're inciting discord between paladins and corsairs when the majority currently get along, as far as I know. It's one thing to say you found something terrible that people need help, and you'd get help to deal with it. It's quite another thing to cause chaos for no reason.

You shouldn't do that, you find those that deal in these kinds of things and go deal with it.

[ It's not just distress. As one of those who suffers so others are protected, this has upset him greatly. ]

Nor should you, if you don't know what you're doing.

Where is it exactly?