I would really love to see the Presbyterate Adventuress run for mayor, if that could work reasonably well within the lore.
Slivvy would be awesome, and it’d be interesting to see what he would do on behalf of the urchins and Storm. I doubt he could actually run, but if he could I’d back him for sure.
Mr Murgatroyd! He’s mentioned all over the place, is a highly successful businessman (giving him a good pool of assets to run a campaign), and it would be excellent to have a face to go with the name.
The Professor Denuntiatus of the Department of Infernal Rarefactions. Here is a woman who has seen the impossible, and successfully pinned it down into reality. Quirky and relatively unknown, so she’d be a fun character to give a chance to shine.
You know, the more I think of it, the more I want a rat-related mayor. Not necessarily a rat themselves, just someone appreciating the little b----rds. No, not you, Big Rat, please sit down. Not that kind of appreciation, no.
"Sympathetic about ratly concerns" is a thing (a thing I do not have, because i got a free-roaming snuffer in my neighbourhood instead. worst trade deal in the history of trade deals, maybe ever.), and there apparently is some kind of a rat-suffrage, even though, well, to quote the resolution of rattus faber invasion in one’s lodgings, "it is a cause currently espoused only by crackpots". But I just really like rats.
I think the softhearted widow would be an excellent candidate. She could be the candidate who desires to help the poor and downtrodden somewhat like Sinning Jenny and the DMT were. Shelters for the homeless, orphanages and schools for the Urchins. She certainly has a cause she’s pursuing. Becoming mayor would be a great way for her to accomplish her goals of improving society.
The Ambitious Barrister is very intelligent and of course, ambitious. She’s the type of person who would pursue office. She could have policies that give opportunity to ambitious Londoners trying to move up in life.
Some people have mentioned Devils. You could have the Brass Ambassador be a candidate. Her policies can make the London Economy boom with an expansion of the soul trade and technological marvels from hell. The Brass Embassy would certainly like having a Devil installed as mayor of London. It might not be legal since she’s from elsewhere, but so was Feducci.
I think these candidates would all be entertaining and competitive. edited by Hunter Grey on 7/30/2017 edited by Hunter Grey on 7/30/2017 edited by Hunter Grey on 7/30/2017
Now that I’ve had some time to think about it, there is a single character (excluding returning candidates (that means the Contrarian and Bishop)) which would give me some pause before instantly voting for the Ambitious Barrister. The Numismatrix. She could run on a campaign of improving the economy (as a front to gather more exotic coins), as well as mediating peace (or at least trade) between the various factions (since she’s the one who let’s you become Closest To: ). There’s a fairly obvious and entertaining idea about the fate story she’d be involved in should she win, revolving around attempting to barter for rare treasures within the Bazaar’s vault.
Edit: Fixed an accidental smily face in the parenthesis. edited by Yeah on 7/30/2017
It would be an interesting concept to throw in characters that have been impacted by the player in the course of playing various storylets.
What if, hypothetically, the Comtessa’s Father or the Cheery Man were to run for mayorship?
While it seems both unlikely and unfeasible, it would propose some interesting stories in which a player’s previous choices (or yet to be made ones) come into play again. Did you side with the Last Constable? Then The Cheery Man is obviously going to wonder wonder where your loyalties lie.
-Obviously, the Cheery Man is not going to run himself, but what if he were to secretly support one of the candidates, or what if one of his underlings were to run in his stead. The Blind Bruiser would certainly be an interesting character to write a speech for.
Secondly, I’d also like more characters to appear in the election storylines. Seeing Chuffy McAvoy-Dauntless and the Manager of the Royal Beth appear in the elections was very pleasing, and I hope FBG will use next year as an opportunity to evolve the storylines of some characters (I, for one, think the Haunted Doctor would fill an excellent auxiliary role).
he better not, or the election race will look like this :)[/quote]
Do remember that he can’t actually walk all that well, perhaps he wouldn’t enter the race in the first place.
Heck, the more that I think about it, the more it seems like the Numismatrix is already Mayor of London. Hard to get an appointment with, controls the flow of Marks of Credit, connections to just about every faction in the city…
I quite like this idea. Not just for exploring the nature of Notability and the Brass Embassy, but for the notion that the mayor of London is not a real person, but an agreed upon idea.
He’s got my vote!
From the perspective of drama, the Ambitious Barrister would be a great candidate. Fun, and dramatic. But in a real Fallen London, she’d never get my vote–she’s too much in league with the Devils and other chaotic forces.
I like the idea of Mrs. Plenty as a candidate, too. She has enough force of character to get things done, and she knows the truth about a lot of what is going on with London. I’m not so sure what she wants to do with that knowledge, but a Mayoral campaign would expose her positions, I’m sure. And given the fact that she runs the Carnival, she’d have lots of support from different factions and some unusual personages.
All of 1894’s candidates were more or less established, respectable public figures - a bishop, a business leader and a famed debater. That’s been bucked with the election of Feducci, a gentleman whose qualities can all be prefaced with the word "dubious". Therefore, I feel emboldened to nominate similar outsider characters for next year’s election.
(Further, while I’ve previously hesitated to propose characters who also serve as player romances and/or companions, enough of London’s major players fit in that role that I think I’ll include them anyway, and trust in Failbetter to make it work nonetheless.)
Thus, I nominate - a little more seriously than in the past - the Pirate Poet. An Unfinished artist who fights for freedom with the sword and the pen alike, her policies could turn art and science on their heads. Her established allies and rivals within the Set - and her grudge against the King with a Hundred Hearts - would make for excellent political drama. And, if nothing else, the experiences of her campaign would make an excellent addition to the verses that adorn her.
Runs one of the city’s most prominent businesses, seen at the best parties, has the ear of one of the Masters… in this city, that means respectability.
Mr. Slowcake would make a splendid candidate for all the reasons listed above, and also because a candidate who doesn’t actually exist fits the bizarre atmosphere down here very well imo.
The Ambitious Barrister and Mrs. Plenty sound like cool candidates, as well. Though the latter might find it difficult to simultaneously run London and shoo away the hordes of hopeful Seekers who keep popping up at her Carnival at the most inconvenient hours.