Discussion: Next Year’s Mayoral Candidates

Fallen London
81

This city deserves a better class of (ALLEGED) criminal.

Gracious Widow for mayoress.

She has long been a positive force in Spite and surrounding areas economic growth, dispering with unneeded regulations that have been putting a choke-hold on London’s trade rights. Our Navy has kowtowed to private interests long enough, we need a strong leader with a sense for business.

She has long demonstrated empathy and care for the forgotten and oppressed, while staying firm enough to ensure that her edicts are heeded. I need to remind no-one that Sinning Jenny was first critiqued for her campaign and she has done exceptionally well, but we need to recoup the financial losses while still keeping our current relief efforts afloat.

Elias Lowe II, Caretaker of Flowerdene Street and Founder of the Flowerdene Initiative says VOTE FOR THE WIDOW, MAKE THE NUMBERS FAVOR LONDON!

82

I agree that the Topless King and the Last Constable would both make excellent candidates, but I am disappointed that the winner of the forum pre-election is being ignored. Of course, the Merciless Modiste is only a Sunless Sea character, but one year must be enough to remedy this problem?

83

NiteBrite Incarnate vs The Goden Most Capering vs The Last Constable.

I have absolutely no idea what would happen with this arrangement, but BRING IT ON!

84

I’d say the Topsy King but he would really sweep it up easily… so let’s get something going with The Last Constable. Would be interesting to see her getting official power. She might have a lot of support on the forums, but I don’t think it will be the easy rout of pretty much EVERYONE the king would have.

Second Choice - Starveling Cat, duh.

85

I’m sure he’s been mentioned already, but I’d like to nominate the Wry Functionary. Shows up early enough in the game to be accessible to newer players (i think, I don’t know where his storylets got put in a named signed with a flourish when the early game was redone) and he’s already into politics. Also hearing his commentary on the election hijinks would be lots of fun

86

I’d love to see a squidly face in the upcoming election. The rubberies and their…questionable approach to the natural way of things are one of the more interesting parts of the FL lore for me.

Secondly: A member of London’s Admiralty would be an interesting character, riding on a military career largely built on the Surface. Also, they would probably try to avoid having a machine replace THE SUN THE SUN THE SUN THE SUN

87

Wouldn’t a rubbery have the same issue the Topsy King supposedly has? Everyone would vote for the rubbery, creating an election with absolutely no suspense?

88

Seems to me we have two options. Either three dull, uninspiring candidates, so none has a clear advantage, or three amazing candidates, so they have to fight it out. Rubbery vs Topsy vs the previously unrevealed Cool Master, Mr Surfs Up.

89

I’m putting in a second for the Wry Functionary, if only because I think he’s got that perfect combination of tremendous skill with politics and a lack of desire to make a fuss or become famous in any way.[li]

90

I’m not convinced the Topsy King would be a runaway favorite, given the right opponents/issues. But a rubbery would be, regardless of who they were up against.

91

The Dauntless Temperance Campaigner. It seems natural that this woman would run for office in order to advance the causes of temperance, women’s suffrage and prevention of cruelty to animals. It would be great to give more attention to the neathy interpretation of these 19C movements.

It would also be interesting to see the Dauntless Temperance Campaigner’s answer to campaigning. The principles she upholds and compromises, the alliances she makes and donations she accepts, and so on.

His Amused Lordship. Another man who might be a natural choice for mayoral office. He has the money to fund his own campaign, the political connections (being a regular at the court of Her Enduring Majesty and the salon of The Duchess), the secret agenda (his Dilmun club activities) and that indispensable item of earlier historical politics, art patronage.

Of course, we can easily imagine attack slogans about him being out of touch, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, etc — just like in a real election!

92

Neither a Rubbery Man, nor the Topsy King can talk legibly? How would they even campaign?

It sort of stretches credibility that you’d have people running for political office when they can’t be understood by any of the voters.

Then you also have the problem that they do not really have strong connections or grassroots support to base their campaign around. The Contrarian had burrowed his way into the heart and soul of Bohemia and Veilgarden. Jenny had the initial backing of the Masters, who control Fallen London commerce, and through her… personal businesses… has friendly connections with men from all segments of society (high and middle classes, toiling classes), all kinds of night life, dockers, etc. The Bishop had the Church and the goodwill of most godfearing subjects of Her Majesty in the city.

Rubbery Men are widely reviled and scorned. Merely being seen in their company besmirches your character.

The Topsy King is a raving lunatic and known crime lord.

These don’t seem like good choices for political office.
edited by Frederick Metzengerstein on 8/7/2016

93

I don’t know how this thread got so far with no one mentioning Silas, who would be a truly amazing candidate.

94

I would suggest
-The Last Constable
-The Clay Coalman

-Mr. Hamilton

95

[quote=Frederick Metzengerstein]Neither a Rubbery Man, nor the Topsy King can talk legibly? How would they even campaign?

It sort of stretches credibility that you’d have people running for political office when they can’t be understood by any of the voters.

Then you also have the problem that they do not really have strong connections or grassroots support to base their campaign around. The Contrarian had burrowed his way into the heart and soul of Bohemia and Veilgarden. Jenny had the initial backing of the Masters, who control Fallen London commerce, and through her… personal businesses… has friendly connections with men from all segments of society (high and middle classes, toiling classes), all kinds of night life, dockers, etc. The Bishop had the Church and the goodwill of most godfearing subjects of Her Majesty in the city.

Rubbery Men are widely reviled and scorned. Merely being seen in their company besmirches your character.

The Topsy King is a raving lunatic and known crime lord.

These don’t seem like good choices for political office.[/quote]
I don’t disagree that a Rubbery candidate would strain the willing suspension of disbelief, given that all the writing up to now has shown them to be generally despised by the public at large and (with one very wealthy exception) excluded from society. Like, one of the defining features of the Rubberies is that people fear and hate them and they don’t understand or fit well into human society. Those aren’t qualities that win elections with a largely human electorate…

But the Topsy King can communicate. One doesn’t set up and run a criminal kingdom by being completely incomprehensible. He wouldn’t communicate in the normal political fashion, but he could definitely figure something out if he put his mind to it. To illustrate by comparison, the Contrarian was able to get his message out despite ceaselessly and deliberately contradicting himself.

The Topsy King also doesn’t lack potential connections, as his Flit stands at the center of London’s otherworld. Consider all the groups that make use of his kingdom for their own purposes. The urchin gangs live there and we know from various stories that grown up urchins are to be found throughout London’s adult criminal networks and even within London’s government. Spies, revolutionaries, bats and cats use the Flit for exchanging secret messages involving the intrigues of the Great Game, the Liberation, the Mirror Marches, and the Duchess. Criminals and revolutionaries meet and make plans there for heists and bombings. Members of bohemian and high society often venture into the Flit to attend the Disgraced Epicurean’s parties. The Bohemians might be London’s counter culture, but the Flit is London’s alternative society.

Jenny’s campaign made use of urchins. The Contrarian’s campaign organization was not very respectable, making use of Tomb Colonists, revolutionaries and criminals (the criminal element was very much in the background and overshadowed by the Tomb Colonist pranks and the revolutionary feuds, but it was mentioned in passing). So a Topsy led coalition of the non-respectable parts of rooftop London is in theory possible.
edited by Anne Auclair on 8/7/2016

96

Are you all forgetting that if the Last Constable sets foot in London ever again, except in the most careful, subtle, incognito way, the Cheery Man will send a towering wave of murders and cutthroats to drive her back out again? She can just barely sneak back to order a meat pie and hang out with the player character, and you think she’s going to run for public office?[li]

97

Be so public that it’s hard for the Cheery man to touch you without the law noticing?

98

And I think the master’s would want their little experiment to actually happen, and interfere if there’s an assassination.

99

Has anyone nominated the Postal Rat yet? Hannah for mayor!

100

My choices for who should run for Mayor Next Year Would Be: His Amused Lordship
A Devil or Deviless

I do think the next election could be very interesting if some of the groups within London pledged their support to candidates for example: the tomb colonists, the rubbery men, the Brass Embassy, and so on and so forth.