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[comebewe]

So we've learned a few things.

That Tithe we've been hearing about? Didn't always used to basically exile. Actually it was a diplomatic thing. The Tithe would go to the White Tower for this thing called the Concordance, where they meet up with all the other Tithes from the other city-states in the Federation of, uh, Hel. Not Hell Hel, mind you - so don't you bloody start screaming at us, Jules - just an unfortunate resemblance.

It was one of the Tithes that brought the plague.

Jules, that's not an invitation to start screaming either, this was goddamn ages ago. If this thing's still around it's clearly not running rampant.

Anyway. The big symptom of the plague was lesions, but they found that sunlight halted the progress of the disease and made them less painful. So they made the infected keep to the day, and the uninfected to the night. This whole Lightside / Darkside divide? That's their quarantine. And they used supplements in the food to enforce it - they made the infected blind at night, and gave the uninfected better night vision. And I think they're still doing it. There's a guarded facility in Gritta that's making a lot of shipments to grocery stores, but they don't mix the Lightsider and the Darksider shipments.

But what we do not understand is why the quarantine is still in place. Because if there was still a need for it, the Dusklings screw it all up. Apparently there were only a few dozen of them after the plague, but there's a whole district of them now - and they're running around all over the city, interacting with both sides. If the plague was still around, they'd be spreading it. Either they're doing a phenomenally bad job of enforcing their quarantine, or they're keeping this divide up for other reasons.

I think it's unlikely that the plague's still around, but just in case I've written down some details of how they tested for it. It's not my thing, though, so I'd appreciate it if someone who understands this sort of thing better would take a look.

[[ooc: takes place late in the 2nd mingle, after this thread. I think I've managed to have Matthew repeat all the important information, but feel free to poke me if there's something I've forgotten that needs to get mentioned]

Comments

[memoryandtheft]

Or the Dusklings are immune. For all we know, susceptibility to the plague and susceptibility to whatever they're drugging people with are linked.

[comebewe]

Maybe. It's possible, though I'm not sure how likely. As far as I know, the drugs don't have any connection to treating the plague - just enforcing the quarantine. It'd be a hell of a coincidence.

[memoryandtheft]

How many of them died of the plague when it was first active?

If there's a chance someone can develop a vaccine, it won't give these people back everything that was stolen from them, but it might help them move past the divide.

[leftbehindagain]

...well, hell. I might be able to make sense of the test, and if I can't, I know who can. I'd been considering testing the food to see if something was up, but this kind of makes that a moot point.

The increase in Dusklings might be people building up a tolerance to whatever they're adding. This charade's going to come crashing down sooner or later, and I'd bet the council's hoping for 'later.' Why they've insisted on propagating it this long, I couldn't say.

[private, double protected]

Thank you.

[comebewe]

Might be a good idea to test the food anyway. You know, just so we know how it affects us.

[there's a slight pause]

We have noticed that it is...slightly more difficult to see in the light than usual. And I'd really like to make sure that this isn't bloody permanent.

[That thank you is noted. But Matthew doesn't comment on it]

[leftbehindagain]

Thaaat is a good point.

I'd imagine it's as permanent as anything else we can do on jaunts, but it's still worth pursuing.

[failgoyle]

What makes you think I'm going to start screaming?

Just because someone is jacking with the food and hell is involved and all...

[comebewe]

[Their reply is slow and hesitatnt. This...this was not the reaction he was expecting]

Because you scream at anything and everything?

[failgoyle]

This isn't just anything and everything!

It's a perfect time to start screaming! We're all going to be poisoned just like Thorne said if the plague doesn't get us first!

[thezerothlaw]

A quarantine?

I don't doubt it started that way, but I can't believe this is still true. What of Lightsider children born to Darksider parents? I, or rather my overlay, had a romantic liason with a Darksider woman in his youth. The sides do interact on occasion, even if the Dusklings are not viable carriers, and plague does not result.

They must have some other reason for continuing to enforce it. I cannot imagine what.

[comebewe]

We agree with you. I can see how it was useful once, but right now? It doesn't make sense.

Not to mention - if it's the food that makes you what side you are, how do you end up with kids who are different from their parents in the first place?

[thezerothlaw]

I would also guess it's highly impossible to guarantee no one ever eats food of the other side. I'm certain that I have.

Are we equipped for any sort of chemical analysis of the food? It might suggest something, if we could identify the nature of any additives.

[memoryandtheft]

What does happen to Lightsider children born to Darksider parents?

[thezerothlaw]

They're adopted out. It's uncommon, but not unheard of.

[mytearsaremine]

In case anybody cares, Sabetha is the one supposed to do the tithe collecting. Everybody avoids her. Her name's Verena here.

Also, I think I'm going to eat all the lightsider food I can and hope it makes me hate sunlight less. I mean, unless it'll like poison me or something.

[comebewe]

Uh. We are not sure that liking sunlight is one of the effects? And you know. It might be best to wait until people have looked into it and made sure it's not permanent and all. Unless you want to possibly get stuck only being able to see in the kind of light you hate, that is.

[mytearsaremine]

Well, it's not that I don't like it, exactly. It's like it's gone all scary. It's stupid, ever since I got shadow-fied, sunlight makes me want to crawl in a hole and wait until dark. I mean, I'm fighting it, because sunlight is nice and healthy for you and stuff, but it's annoying, you know?

[uzoda]

What? What?

Oh geez, no wonder everything's been way too bright in the day, lately....

[comebewe]

Sorry. [It's not his fault. But it still sucks, so he can spare some sympathy]

We have the same thing, a little.

[uzoda]

So you've been eating the wrong sort of food, too?

Any idea of this is permanent or will wear off or... or what? You want me to change my diet and watch for changes?

[It really is mostly an annoyance. And if he can do anything useful, he'll feel better.]

[naturaltwohands]

This is certainly quite a bit to take in... I truly hope that the plague is indeed gone, but that begs the question on why the quarantine is still in place, as you have already mentioned. Perhaps this quarantine is what we are meant to "fix" about this world?

I also suppose we should avoid the food, then, if it is going to change our eyesight, although I am uncertain how it would change mine or my father's "night" vision. We see heat patterns in darkness, Infravision, and it is quite a bit different than seeing better in the dark.

[comebewe]

Maybe. Maybe not. We do not really care what it is the Trumps want us to 'fix'. They're playing a game, and I sure as hell don't trust in their goals. But disaster of some kind is a common thread in jaunts. This place is heading towards something.

I...can't help you with that, either. To be honest I don't know the first thing about how they're managing to do this. It's not exactly my area.

[naturaltwohands]

[Hmm. It seems that there's many opinions on the Trumps, just like the gods of Toril. It's in some way comforting and confusing at the same time.]

Then at least let us hope we are not the cause of it.

And the only way to learn is to let one of us or both of us be affected, which I will not allow if we can avoid it.

[gotabadfeelingaboutthis]

I also kind of think there's more than what's on the surface. If the plague wasn't here anymore, the quarantine should be over.

So is there a way to get food aside from what could be drugged? Cause I really don't like that idea.

[Han does hope the plague is gone. He hates medical stuff. And he doubts the elves can just plop him in a bacta tank if he gets it. Not that he's that fond of that, either.]

[comebewe]

Duskling stuff is okay, apparently. But if you want to be certain? Eat liminal food.