1613 Revolutionary Congress & General Elections

Zyxey

The Revolution may have been won, but it has not yet been secured until a worker's government can be formed. Until then, however, a provisional Congress has been assembled to discuss the future of the Kyldigardian Provisional Government. The attendees are mixed, mostly former guerilla leaders and exiled political theorists adhering to various shades of leftist beliefs. Overall, the Revolutionary Congress could be divided into four main factions:

The Nubásli, or the "Orthodox" faction, are the old guard of the revolution, headed by the elderly union organizer-turned-political activist Báder'ím Vijorǔsé and his younger protégé Gutǒje Kùr'mév. Their beliefs are more pragmatic than ideological, dating back decades to the birth of the workers' rights movement within the early Republican era before the revolution began. Focused on unions' rights and creating a "fair and prosperous" state utilizing a left-wing market economy, their planned actions are the least revolutionary of the factions, which makes them popular among reactionaries but disliked by all of the other factions, at least when they aren't listening in. They are by far the most well-known of the factions to the general public, but that fame is also a sharp double-edged sword, as they have had their share of controversies which gives many workers a mixed opinion on them.

The Tjùskôsli, or the "Patriot" faction, are considered the mainstream "new guard" of the revolution, inspired into existence based on the ideas of Dagnâm Kjêtsǐjǔ, a writer and organizer who seeks to adapt socialism to specifically Kyldigardian conditions, as well as take revolutionary action to correct reactionary cultural and political practices. Dagnâm is a much newer figure in the revolutionary space, only rising to fame during and after the revolution's triumph. Rather than supporting a confederation of trade unions, the Tjùskôsli believe that, to prevent maligned or counterrevolutionary interests in certain trade unions, a vanguard state must be established, and the trade unions of Kyldigard must be "unified" into "One Big Union", which also happens to be their faction's popular slogan. The Patriots, despite having a name implying otherwise, are actually internationalists at heart, with the interests of the global proletariat in mind, only second to the needs of Kyldigard's proletariat. Kjêtsǐjǔ is charismatic, unlike the reserved Orthodox politicians, making him popular with the masses, however his radical ideas alienate certain reactionary groups and skeptical individuals.

The Balor'a!ǎskì, or the "Firewave" faction is likely the most chaotic, being based on the ideals of left-anarchism rather than state socialism. The faction is led by "direct action activist" Gèr'ǔm Mjetsetsúk, well-known for their work orchestrating attacks on several high-ranking figures of the old government in acts of vigilante justice for the working class. Some moderates see Mjetsetsúk as a terrorist, and their ideals as unrealistic, but their supporters are wholly devoted to the cause, almost cultishly so. The Balor'a!ǎskì wish to establish a decentralized, stateless government run by workers' collectives, with all industry and most property being fully collectivized, excluding only small-scale personal property.

Finally, the dark horse candidate, the faction simply known as the "Klùk Njatsvêlèkì", or the "Nationalist Clique". Led by guerilla fighter Tsàvyjû Der'êlebì and her supporters, the Klùk Njatsvêlèkì espouses an unorthodox ideology promoting national self-reliance ("Xitsǒmỳt"), interpersonal revolution ("Max'abíjǔ Kabîri"), and a more radical form of the Patriots' cultural revolution ("Max'abíjǔ Tútǔ"). Der'êlebì wishes to strip away all of the "bourgeoisie elements" of Kyldigardian culture and society to create a nation entirely devoted to the revolutionary ideal. The Klùk is the political form of the remnants of the underground guerilla organization known as the Gỳm Klùk, which once violently fought against the bourgeoisie state in a direct military manner, unlike the various more indirect methods of other factions, which makes her faction more well-known than some, but less popular to certain cautious groups. While she leads the smallest of the four factions, she is opportunistic and willing to work with her opponents to further her goal of "total revolution" ("Max'abíjǔ Tsètâl") and sweep away the misery of capitalism, definitively and permanently. Where the Patriots see themselves as patriotic to the nation to a healthy point, many bystanders worry that the Klùk's ideas border on a return to the dangerous exceptionalism of the past.

Zyxey

Novus 1, 1613 AR: Meeting of the 1st Revolutionary Congress of Kyldigard

82 representatives sat in the former republican seat of power, the old house of representatives, now transformed into the place where the revolution would take its next steps.

"Thank you all for being here", said Báder'ím Vijorǔsé, de-facto speaker for the Congress, "Now that the immediate concerns of the past days of the Congress is behind us, we must now decide how we will be structuring the government, as well as who will be taking on the mantle of our first Premier. But let us skip to the important part of this meeting, so as to not get caught up on minor details. I, speaker Vijorǔsé, nominate my protégé and friend Gutǒje Kùr'mév, to be the pr-"

"Excuse me, Mr. Vijorǔsé, but if I recall, this is meant to be a people's government", interrupted Dagnâm Kjêtsǐjǔ. Dagnâm had a displeased look on his face as he adjusted his red beret.

"I-I'm sorry?" sputtered Vijorǔsé, clearly visibly upset, "What are you insinuating good sir?"

"Well, it seems to me that your Nubásli have the numbers in this Congress", explained Dagnâm, "And all of the old guard is loyal to you, sir. Any choice you would make would certainly be accepted by an internal vote, regardless of what the people want."

Congress representatives murmured amongst themselves, realizing the truth in what is being said.

"I don't follow..." scowled Vijorǔsé.

"What I believe my comrade here is saying", said Gèr'ǔm Mjetsetsúk, coming to a stand and quieting the room with their intidimating physique, "is that the only fair way to form a people's government would be to ask the people themselves." Gèr'ǔm stared boldly into the eyes of the frail old man before him. "The Balor'a!ǎskì demand a referendum on general elections, or we will go on strike against whatever illegitimate government you set up without the consent of the workers of Kyldigard.

"I second this motion. The new guard will also strike if no referendum is made. This will leave your government without control of key areas and risk a civil war," said Kjêtsǐjǔ in agreeance.

It was very rare that the anarchist and vanguardist revolutionaries currently standing with one another would agree on much of anything, so it was no secret that the old guard leader found himself between a rock and a hard place. When applause rang out from the Congress, even from certain old guard members, the elderly man's frazzled brow furrowed as he sighed in defeat. "Fine. Referendum on popular elections for Premier of the Federated Cantons of Kyldigard, beginning now. All in favor, rise and raise your hands, all against, stay seated."

The votes were cast, and the referendum passed 63 For to 19 Against. Kùr'mév, the young protégé, winced, realizing his Nubásli comrades had made up the majority of the Against votes. This will not look good for my campaign... he thought, seeing his mentor and most of the faction leave the Congress and feeling the old guard's legitimacy already collapsing into thin air.

Tsàvyjû Der'êlebì, despite not being a fan of popular elections herself, led her clique to vote For, mostly to unseat the plurality Nubásli from their place of stability and maybe, just maybe, have a chance to snag her dream of victory.

Mjetsetsúk and Kjêtsǐjǔ just grinned at one another as the Revolutionary Congress clapped in celebration. "I hope you know this is likely the last time the two of us will ever vote on the same side, comrade," whispered Mjetsetsúk, sweeping a tuft of fur out of his face. "I wouldn't expect anything less, comrade," quietly laughed Kjêtsǐjǔ, as the two both went back to their seats.

"The general election campaigns will take place over the course of the next two months, and once the campaigns and debates have fully finished, the voting booths will be open to the public to vote for whichever faction the people choose", said Dagnâm Kjêtsǐjǔ aloud, "all in favor?" Unsurprisingly, the motion passed unanimously from those who had not stormed out of the room.

"Who does the old guard nominate?" asked Kjêtsǐjǔ. After brief discussion, the remaining old guard nominated Gutǒje Kùr'mév, unsurprisingly. The other three factions nominated their respective factional leaders, also unsurprisingly.

Kjêtsǐjǔ, now the de-facto speaker with Vijorǔsé absent, stood up for a cheer. "Great! May the best candidate win. Long Live the Revolution!"

Zyxey

Hours after the dismissal of the Congress...

Gutǒje Kùr'mév stood outside the old, battered House of Representatives building, approaching Vijorǔsé in the distance. "They nominated me", Gutǒje said softly to his aging mentor and friend. "I know the odds are slim, but I truly believe I have a chance. I can modernize the Nubásli idea for the modern era, and the people will vote for me!" he said excitedly. His mentor still looked defeated but smiled and pat Gutǒje's shoulder. "You keep that idealism and charisma, my boy. It's the only way we can still win this."

Drinks of alcohol sloshed in the air at the bar, the Klùk militia-turned-politicians partying at another step closer to Max'abíjǔ Tsètâl. "We have made a great step towards seizing control from those moderate cowards in the Congress today, my loyal comrades, and to that I raise a toast to all the fighting we've done to get to this point." She raised a glass and poured it down her face, getting most of the beer down her throat but getting quite a bit on her fur as well. Her drunk comrades cheered and laughed as well. Thankfully Tsàvyjû was pretty relaxed when off-duty, and she could use some laughter as well, laughing along and trying to undrench herself. This would be the last time she'd be able to truly let loose for a while, so she better appreciate this while it lasted. Because after today, her entire focus would be devoted to winning these so-called "general elections", no matter the cost.

Unbeknownst to the Congress or the world, anarchist and vanguardist leaders Gèr'ǔm Mjetsetsúk and Dagnâm Kjêtsǐjǔ were surprisingly friendly in their personal lives. What they lacked in ideological coordination with one another, they had in a childhood friendship and devotion to the revolution, whatever form it might take. Dagnâm was already writing his speech in an empty notebook, meticulously plotting every word and every stage movement he would make at his first rally. He could already imagine it, the people cheering his name, the ballots being counted in his favor...

"Hey, star boy, come back from outer space", joked Gèr'ǔm, waving a hand in front of Dagnâm's face as they sat beside one another on a bench in the park. "Yeah?" asked Dagnâm, getting no response. The park was so calm and serene. Kyldigard's people had fought for the freedom to speak up, and yet they chose to quietly and mellowly enjoy their time, rather than throwing some brash party out in the open. This was a perfect example of self-regulation. The Kylâth species could easily turn to savage barbarians without a state to govern them, and yet, with nothing but a loose provisional government in place, just the promise of freedom and peace had lightened their hearts and begun to harmonize society. Gèr'ǔm couldn't understand why their friend thought a vanguard state would be needed, but they hoped that if he won, he would at least be the best vanguard leader to ever exist.

...But friendship or not, there was no way that Mjetsetsúk would let anyone but themself win.

Zyxey

Two weeks later, in Mátsum, Mír'them Canton

Gèr'ǔm Mjetsetsúk's First Rally

Gèr'ǔm Mjetsetsúk's first rally would take place in the largest city of his home canton, Mír'them, as a tribute to where he grew up and was most active up until now.

Mjetsetsúk stepped up to a podium in front of a decent-sized crowd of cheering Kylâth, all clad in different everyday wear as well as revolutionary garb. It was unusual to Gèr'ǔm to have people pay so much attention to them, especially after so many years of being brutally suppressed by the state. But they knew that for the sake of the Balor'a!ǎskì movement they need to have a hell of an opening speech.

"Hello Mátsum! Hello my fellow Kyldigardians, my name is Gèr'ǔm Mjetsetsúk. It is an honor to be here with you all." They stretched their arms to the audience and smiled, the audience cheering. "I see all sorts of people here, old and young, red fur, black fur, white fur, and everyone in-between. It's good to know our movement is so diverse!" Gèr'ǔm leaned on the podium and pointed a finger at the audience. "I am here to represent you for this country. Not to act as an oligarch or a despot, but a true worker's representative. I myself am a worker, too, matter of fact. I struggled as a factory worker under the Republican regime as much as any other Kylâth, and I faced my share of state repression during my time as a guerilla fighter. And I know that the vast majority of you all have experienced that too."

The crowd clapped and cheered, Gèr'ǔm's message ringing true to the people as the crude television broadcast setup zoomed into their face. "I promise to honor the promises of the revolution, to secure the people's liberties and democratic control of the means of production, and to act as a democratic worker's representative, and not yet another dictator like we have had up until this point!"

Gèr'ǔm stuck their hand high in the air, pushing their palm up into the heavens. "All of that hate, that state overreach, that capitalist and reactionary violence..." They clenched their hand into a fist and slams it into the podium multiple times. "It ends with us! It ends with me!"

Cheers erupted from the audience and a young voice cheered out "we love you, Gèr'ǔm!", followed by applause and crowd cheering.

"Thank you friend, I love you all too. I love this country, I really do. This is my home, and it has been since my inception. I am running in this race to make sure that control of the nation doesn't fall into the hands of statist pigs who just want a repeat of the past! I am here, after years of struggle, to secure a victory for the people's revolution!"

The crowd cheered and held up pro-Mjetsetsúk and pro-Balor'a!ǎskì signs, posters, and flags, the crowd raving as the "black flag master" themself bowed in front of the crowd. "I promise, my supporters, you will not regret voting for me this upcoming Hilaria! Thank you all so much!"

The crowd clapped and shouted Mjetsetsúk's name as they stepped down off of the stage and the rally ended, the crowd still congregating around the rally area until later that day.

"So what did you think?" asked Gějun Smỳk, Dagnâm Kjêtsǐjǔ's campaign manager and friend.

"It was... interesting, to say the least. I'm surprised they called the other candidates pigs, if I'm being honest. The crowd looked pretty excited though. It's gonna be a tough race for sure", replied Dagnâm. Gějun nodded and took some notes.

"But I think I have an idea on how to beat them."

Television had not yet been established nationally, so only the former elites and those fortunate enough to live in major population centers had television at all, but miraculously, Jîmò had managed to get her hands on a discarded television at the dump, and using her engineering skills, she had managed to fix it up for herself and her baby to watch. It still had virtually no signal, but she managed to just barely catch the recent rally's television signal in time for the program to begin.

An hour came and went and the words spoken by Mjetsetsúk stuck with her as she picked up her red revolutionary pin and toyed with it in her hand. She had believed in Kjêtsǐjǔ's words for so long, but what if something different really was what the people needed?

She held her baby close and began to pack up her belongings, determined to be able to see the next rally for herself to clear her mind of all of this political confusion.

Zyxey

Four days later, in Mùr'émỳtst's East Park

Dagnâm Kjêtsǐjǔ's first rally

Pink cherry petals fall to the ground as the late day sun shone on the snowy grass of the iconic East Park Trail. Dagnâm Kjêtsǐjǔ had expected a crowd, sure, but that was a lot of people. "Are you okay? quietly said Gějun from behind the outdoor stage area.

Dagnâm nodded, taking a swig of water and brushing the droplets off of his red face. He pointed finger guns at Gějun and then prepared to go up on stage. Gulping down a bit more water to wet his throat, he took a deep breath and walked up the stairs to the rousing cheers of the massive crowd, adorned in red clothing, red berets, and red and golden flags, strikingly bright against the white snow and pink trees. Dagnâm smiled, reaching out to the audience and waving as he took his place on stage. Dagnâm Kjêtsǐjǔ smiled and waved until the loud audience noise piped down.

"Welcome! I am so happy to be here with you today, comrades of Mùr'émỳtst and Kyldigard and beyond!" began Kjêtsǐjǔ, "I am proud to be speaking to so many wonderful workers of Kyldigard today!" Kjêtsǐjǔ had to shake a feeling of nervousness and continue talking and seeming as confident as possible. He had to, for the good of the proletariat of Kyldigard.

"My fellow Kyldigardians, the task of voting for a candidate and choosing the future of our revolution may seem daunting, and I commend those of you who have come here today to reaffirm your commitment to the revolution and what it stands for! For economic liberation, for true equality of all peoples, for the end of reactionary oppression, and for the dawn of an era of revolutionary change the likes of which nobody on this planet has ever seen!" The crowd cheered and Kjêtsǐjǔ reached out a hand to the crowd standing in the park. "I will be your vanguard, bringing hope to the impoverished and education to the neglected! Bringing justice to the betrayed and destitute, and stability to those who are in need!" The crowd was very enthusiastic, probably because nobody knew what they were supposed to be doing in a democratic rally after years of despotism.

"There are issues that I'd like to address with you all. Issues of mass poverty, drug trafficking, and years of neglect towards the Kyldigardian queer community. These are all issues that are very important to me, and they are issues that I will start addressing day one of my premiership when I am elected. These issues are injustices towards the Kyldigardian people that have gone on for far too long! All people in this country deserve security, dinner on their plates, and the freedom to be who they are, without the fear of persecution or social ostracization! And I will defend that, and we will make this country into a country which can be proud of itself again! We will make this country into a country which can smile again! And we will make this country into one which can be truly patriotic again, after years of the corruption of such a concept by reactionary leadership!"

The crowd cheered for Kjêtsǐjǔ and clapped for him, and his confidence, which had already started to rise, had gotten to a point that, after a quick breath of air, he no longer felt the worries of his stage anxiety, brushing it aside for his passion for the people of Kyldigard.

"Now, I promised I wouldn't be fearmongering to win against other candidates, and I still won't, but my friend Gèr'ǔm Mjetsetsúk brought up something at their rally which I would like to address." The crowd murmured among itself.

"Specifically, if I recall a statement by Gèr'ǔm Mjetsetsúk themself, they had the gaull to call us "statist pigs". Do you really want to elect someone who will be willing to stoop to calling the majority of the Kyldigardian people..."pigs"? But let's focus on a different matter, something that concerned me personally and it should concern you. Specifically the statement that we "want a repeat of the past".

Kjêtsǐjǔ paused for a moment and looked around at the crowd. "But let me tell you, that, with all due respect, they are wrong. We do not want a return to the past, anything but that! We want to bring this nation into a bright future, a future without the weariness and the struggles of today! A future of social equality and economic justice, and of technological progress and modernization, and a future in which the workers are protected and represented! Alone our unions and communes can do little, but together, we can accomplish amazing things! Together as One Big Union, we can accomplish harmony, progress, and justice!"

The crowd erupted in excitement and cheering.

"Thank you my comrades!" Dagnâm shouted before his first rally came to an end. He stayed afterwards to answer questions in person and take pictures with people, before departing for a new location when the sun was setting.

As he sat in the back of his car, driving away, for the first time since the election campaign season began, Dagnâm Kjêtsǐjǔ smiled and thought to himself, "I can do this."

Kjàmâd*... thought Gutǒje Kùr'mév. "The radicals are so popular...I don't know how I'm supposed to appeal to the average voter..." he said aloud. He quickly said a prayer to Thijân before turning to his mentor who sat behind him watching the television. He looked very troubled, and he grasped his chest in pain. "Báder'ím? Are you okay?"

Báder'ím Vijorǔsé fell over in pain, clutching a nearby table before collapsing entirely on the ground. "Báder'ím, no! Kjàmâd! I'm getting the car!"

Before long, he was driving as fast as he could to try and get his mentor to the hospital downtown before it was too late. Holding back tears, Gutǒje Kùr'mév put thoughts of campaigns and politics aside and before long he was carrying his old friend through the door of the hospital...

If the Tjùskôsli had politically confused Jimò, then the Tjùskôsli rally and the recent news of Báder'ím Vijorǔsé's passing shook her political beliefs to the core. "A great revolutionary hero has passed away today", said the announcer on the café's television, "regardless of who you are voting for, we must be in solidarity with the Vijorǔsé's family and his friends, including Gutǒje Kùr'mév, Vijorǔsé's protégé and friend, and one of the four major candidates for the general elections this year."

Jimò held her baby close and smiled into their eyes, nearly crying thinking of the fact that someone somewhere had lost a father, just like her baby had.

But hopefully her struggles would be able to cease soon, under the stability of the Patriots, or maybe even the equal ideals of those anarchists...

Honestly she just wanted anyone who could help her at this point. And who that was, she was still unsure...

*This is a profanity akin to the s-word in English/common

Zyxey

A week later, Skymji Park, Skymji

It had only been a week since his mentor and friend Vijorǔsé's passing, but political campaigning left little time for mourning. Rather than a stage typical of other candidates' rallies, Gutǒje Kùr'mév opted for a more natural space. Sitting on a fallen tree in a clearing, he spoke to a small crowd of interested voters and fans of Kùr'mév's ideas.

"A lot of people, they ask what I stand for. They see the old guard, the Nubásli, and think we are an aimless group. But that couldn't be more of a falsehood!" he charismatically spoke, "We may not have been unified in the past, but today my faction stands by my three principles of the people..."

Gutǒje stood up and motioned towards his audience.

"The first principle is Democracy, the quality of listening to and being accountable to the people. The Kyldigardian people have never had democracy. We have only had dictators and despots, it's been rough, but now we're finally in a new era. And I promise to you all that a democratic Kyldigard will be my first priority in this new era."

"The second is Equality. The motivation behind the revolution itself. Don't let the other factions persuade you, we may have decentralized economic policies, but we are no capitalists. Under me and my Nubásli comrades, the means of production will be owned by the common worker."

"The third is Prosperity, the flourishing of the people and of the economy. Through external trade and people's co-operative businesses, we will make the Kyldigardian economy thrive within five years!"

The crowd cheered and clapped some more.

"Now as we all know, recently we lost a great man today...a great revolutionary...a friend", a tear came to Gutǒje's eye and he wiped it from his fur, "but Báder'ím Vijorǔsé's revolutionary spirit lives on in this country, and I will promise to keep it alive! Thank you all very much!"

The crowd cheered as the rally came to a smooth ending, Kùr'mév's guards surrounding him as he made his way to his ride. He thought things went pretty well. Hopefully Báder'ím would be proud of his first rally.

Jimò and baby Mímujǔ sat on a bench in the park, still pondering the most recent of her visits. She had now heard the points of view of all three of the major candidates, and could now begin to decide for herself, for once in her life, what she was going to do.

Suddenly, a woman sitting next to her locked eyes with her by accident. Jimò felt her heart jump but tried to play it cool. "Hi..." she said, trying to be nonchalant and casual but sounding nervous. The other woman was picking burrs and grass out of her fur, also looking a little startled.

"Wait, do I know you from 13th Year, from around the Lígjé area?* Did you go to Bright River Studium?" the woman asked, smiling. "Oh! Yes! I went to Bright River! What a coincidence!" Jimò responded, shocked that someone recognized her. "I'm Kynèn, but you knew me back then as Gijnèn...I don't go by that anymore though..."
Jimò was shocked. How could this be possible? Gijnèn was a man... And this woman looked nothing like-

"The new revolutionary provisional government has opened up opportunities for...people like me..." Kynèn interrupted, "I'm a mage now, and a woman too, at least in the physical sense...and I never would have thought-" Kynèn snapped back out of her thoughts, "but enough about me, what has been happening with you, Jimò?"
Jimò paused for a second and smiled, looking down at her baby.
"A lot."

*Lígjé is a borough of Skymji