The Masters acquire cities when a potentate accepts their proffered exchange, viz., a city for … ‘assistance.’ From this I conclude that:[li]
1)The Masters cannot take a city willy-nilley, and
2) A city can only be obtained from one who has some right to dispose of it.
Those possessing such rights are monarchs, emperors, and the like. Unfortunately (for the Masters), Surface monarchies are being replaced republics, and, typically, no single individual in a republic has the authority to barter away a city. Choices for future fallen cities are thus becoming limited.
Commonly, republics can only divest themselves of territory through a legislative act (legislators, of course, being elected). Therefor, I conclude that London’s Mayoral elections are a laboratory for the Masters to study the nature of elections, and, potentially, the engineering thereof, so that they may influence one or more, should such act or acts be necessary to obtain a future city.
That… Actually makes a lot of sense. The masters aren’t that human, so it makes sense they would want to get an idea of what they were dealing with the next time they got a city.
It’s not just for assistance that cities are sold but for love, as we know. And it’s hard to love an ideal rather than a person which makes Democracies troublesome (saying that rather than a Republic, thinking of Rome.) Though I could see a class of people threatened being motive enough for a general vote to pass.
Though serious analysis aside, I swear the people of Philadelphia would sell it to the Masters for a single Eagles championship.
Eagles nothing, we’d sell it for a single cheesesteak.
As for the topic at hand, makes sense the Masters don’t take anything necessarily. While they are rather unsavory, they are traders at heart. Govern trade, and operate through trade. Even if their trades aren’t exactly fair or balanced.
Also makes me wonder, if they engineer who wins an election, does that compare to manufactured love stories?
The God Eaters seem to have been more interested in ascension rather than romance, although one could argue that the deal was struck for the purposes of serving their own possible narcissism…love for oneself is as valid as for another, no?
Also, given…recent Exceptional revelations, I would possibly contest the idea that only a city’s ‘owner’ can sell it. Perhaps the Masters have more of an interest in gaining the support of a city’s populace than it’s leader. Seeing as rebellion seems fairly common amidst fallen cities, maybe their experiments in democracy is them trying to figure out what would make the idea of selling more attractive to a potential candidate’s citizens as a whole.
‘Come down to the Neath, we have grand secrets and otherwise impossible treasures, and also eldritch cookies!’ That sort of thing.
[quote=Parelle]It’s not just for assistance that cities are sold but for love, as we know. And it’s hard to love an ideal rather than a person which makes Democracies troublesome (saying that rather than a Republic, thinking of Rome.) Though I could see a class of people threatened being motive enough for a general vote to pass.
Though serious analysis aside, I swear the people of Philadelphia would sell it to the Masters for a single Eagles championship.[/quote]
I was imagining something along the lines of the Masters offering to save something the people of a republic loved (a country, an ideal) in exchange for a city.
And Parelle, with the Cleveland Cavalier’s recent basketball championship, I am now exceedingly worried about my native city’s fate.
[li]
Not jokingly: That’s actually … a very interesting theory. I am finding it hard to disagree. It must be very obvious to the Masters – what with the Republic and the exiled aristocracy at Mt. Palmerston – that a new way of thinking is coming. I can’t see them simply ignoring that.
Jokingly: I think if Boston could have sold itself we would probably already be gone – I doubt the Sox would’ve ever reversed the curse and won the Series after all those years if not for aid from the Masters.
That makes a lot of sense, considering the masters seemed to have trouble dealing with human concepts. Especially when it comes to learning new ones. As far as I know, all the cities have been sold for love in one way or another, so selling a city for love of an idea might be something they’d investigate.