Investiture of a new Head of State, Inutoland

[Inutoland]

1 Dog · 7 Armadillo · 10 Macaw

The last meeting of the Council of Nine under its outgoing chairman finally drew to a close. All of its allotted business had either been dealt with, or else formally deferred until after the transition of authority, and now the way was clear for the incumbent High Tuyas to step down and pass his office to the next in line.

As his final, ceremonial act, High Tuyas Tilun Anu removed the ceremonial crown of office and set it upon the table in front of his chair. The intricate gold circle took the form of the ceremonial feathered headdresses which were the ancient symbol of the noble classes, but this one was delicately cast in gold and set with rubies and emeralds which glinted in the flickering light of the ritual fire. The crown would sit there upon the table until it was taken up by his successor in their formal investiture ceremony in two weeks' time.

The nine members of the Council filed out of the council chambers and out to the public portions of the Palace of the Nine States. A small knot of sign-waving protesters were clustered around the statue of Mota the Great, and as they caught sight of the Nine, they began to chant. Tilun Anu, now merely one of the nine Tuyas, couldn't quite make out what the protesters were shouting through their thick Purutalinese accents and irregular rhythm, but he could guess:

"No to Tanese Aroca as High Tuyas!"
"Preserve the traditions that make our country great!"
"Keep the highest authority in the hands of the right man!"

Tilun sighed. Much as he had enjoyed the prestige of the chairmanship of the ruling council of Inutoland, the role was really as much trouble as it was worth. Twelve years of struggling to weld the independent-minded, often fractious, seldom-unified elected monarchs of the Nine Allied States into something even remotely resembling a coherent whole had taken its toll on him, especially factoring in four different Chancellors in that time period, three of which had radically divergent ideas about the proper course that Inutoland should take. It was probably a good thing most Inutolanders didn't take politics very seriously, considering the crazy government system they had saddled themselves with. Even if he couldn't seriously imagine anything else taking its place.

The young Tanese was welcome to the whole mess of it.

[Inutoland]

1 Dog · 7 Armadillo · 10 Macaw

The protesters made immediately for Tanese Aroca. As the youngest High Tuyas in almost a quarter of a cun, she was a natural focus for the discomfort, objections and pure bloodyminded stubbornness of the most conservative age-equals-status factions of the Inutolander political landscape.

And if that wasn't enough, she was a woman. The very first female High Tuyas ever.

Oh, there had been female Chancellors and even a handful of female Tuyas, the elected monarchs of the Nine States. But always before, the highest authority had been in the hands of a man.

Outwardly, Tanese maintained the air of calm and poise which was one of her most effective political assets. Inwardly, she railed silently against the outright stupidity of most of the protesters. The trouble was that entering into debate with them, challenging the logical inconsistencies of their position, only undercut her authority with the moderate rest of the country. Besides, it didn't work. She'd tried.

As if the presence or absence of something between the legs were any indication of competence! Far better to make judgement based on what was between the ears, but that would be too sensible. The fact was, it was an emotional reaction, and one which a surprising number of the generally egalitarian but oh-so-tradition-loving Inutos shared.

They weren't all so vocal by any means. But just enough of them weren't leaping to the defence of the system which had finally rotated the first female Tuyas to the highest authority that you had to wonder.

It was the hypocrisy that bothered her the most. The protesters based most of their arguments on the tradition that leadership power resided in the hands of men, not women. But the very system they purported to defend was the one that had elected more than a handful of women to the Council of Nine, and finally timed things right so that one of those could assume the rotating premiership.

By the cut of their clothes, most of this crop of protesters were from the Roa of Purutala. Well, that figured – Purutala was well known as the most conservative, not to say backward, state. But even the most conservative Purutalinese ought to recognise that Hacune Poyala had made a pretty effective Tuyas of Purutala, and that was over 90 years ago! And there had been others since – not many, but they had been there.

The Council Security forces moved in to keep the protesters at a distance. Tanese watched them closely without appearing to take much notice. She would certainly let them do their job, but the one thing she really couldn't afford right now was to be goaded into breaking up peaceful protests with armed police.

[Inutoland]

4 Fire · 7 Armadillo · 10 Macaw

The interregnum would last a full 13 days, with the formal investiture of Tanese Aroca on 1 Curassow. During that time, the Council of Nine would not meet unless an emergency session was needed, but the council chambers, and indeed, the entire Palace of the Nine States, would be a hive of activity. Alongside all of the regular political activity of Council and Parliament, there would be a large number of diplomats preparing to host foreign dignitaries here to witness the ceremony. Then there would be the swarms of press personnel, both foreign and domestic, the Palace's service corps buzzing around taking care of all the physical preprations, and an increased Security presence to keep everyone safe.

"Illustrious One, what are your thoughts on the protests against your accession?" a reporter from Inutoland's National News Network NCI asked Tanese Aroca.

It was not a new question, but it was the one on many people's minds. And it never hurt to get one's own side of the story out there again.

"As next in the rotation to assume the premiership of the Council of Nine, and especially as the first woman ever to assume the office, I recognise that this is a new thing. There are always adjustments to be made in this kind of a transition, and some of these are difficult for some people, especially when new ground is being turned.

"But we should all recognise that this situation has existed in potential ever since Hacune Poyala was elected as Tuyas of Purutala. And she was one of the most effective elected monarchs of her state. Our system has served us well for over 200 ipu, it seems a little ridiculous to change it over a mere matter of gender that would be irrelevant in many other spheres of life."

The reporter was nodding thoughtfully. A good sign. Thankfully, most Inutolanders were reasonable and moderate, when they actually engaged their thinking instead of their emotions. Inuto religion idealised balance, and that attitude carried over into most of life.

[Sebastianalandia]

OOC: interest tag

(if this is too early, tell me and I'll delete it)

[Inutoland]

1 Curassow • 7 Armadillo • 10 Macaw

The day of her investiture as High Tuyas had arrived. Thus far, there had only been minor disturbances due to protesters, thank the gods. Most Inutolanders seemed not to support the small group of voices raised in protest over a woman gaining the highest authority, but that did seem to be radicalising them still further... as much as Inutos ever got radical.

As was the custom for an incoming national premier, Tanese Aroca had slept in the High Temple of the Inuto pantheon in preparation for her ceremonial accession. Folk belief had it that whichever deity's image you saw first on awakening in that round, image-carven room would be the one whose influence would be strongest in your term of office.

Tanese wasn't sure how much credence she really gave it, but like most prospective High Tuyas before her, she had gone to sleep in the centre of the room with her back to Moanda, goddess of death. The omens didn't always run true in anything like a straightforward manner – Oapan Rota, the only High Tuyas to die in office, had reputedly woken up staring into the face of the goddess of fertility – but it was only prudence to avoid a bad omen if you could.

Because it certainly seemed like sometimes an omen did run true. Her predecessor Tilun Anu had by his own confession woken up looking at the left shoulder of Hapa the sky god, and it was in Tilun's High Tuyasate that the Inutoland Space Agency's space programs had really taken off: the Mitar heavy launch rocket, the Hapan Space Station, and most recently the first mission of the Selac lunar program orbiting Amaset's realm. You just never knew with omens.

Tanese opened her eyes and found herself face to face with the painted image of Hele, goddess of fire and celebration.

A little surprised that she had managed to turn almost 90° through the ring of images surrounding her, she considered what this might mean. All in all, it was not a bad omen. Hele was goddess of celebration and patroness of all the positive ritual uses of fire in Inuto religious rites, but she also had a wild, destructive side and was sometime consort of Tano, the war god. The thing about Hele was that she was joyous and beautiful, but also unpredictable and dangerous. Either Tano or Moanda would have been far worse omens, though.

So, the goddess of fire and patroness of celebration, change, creation and destruction was apparently signalling her intent to put forth her influence in the upcoming 12 years? The devout Saweyan in her was intrigued as to the personal import, but the pragmatic stateswoman just worried about the political implications of her omen becoming known. Because there was no avoiding it; it would get out, and soon.

Well, she had at least a little time, while she bathed and dressed. Tanese slipped out of the bed that had been made for her and padded off through the temple for her first bathe of the day.

[Inutoland]

1 Curassow • 7 Armadillo • 10 Macaw

Rising from the ritual bathing pool dedicated to her namesake goddess Nese, Tanese toweled herself off.

"So, who did you see?" a familiar voice asked from across the room behind her. Her predecessor had come to check on her.

Completely unself-conscious about her nakedness - Inuto body taboo was basically nonexistent - Tanese turned and smiled as she saw silk robes draped over his arm. As the outgoing High Tuyas, he had a right to ask the "who did you see" question and get an answer, but apparently he had felt the need to come bearing gifts.

Maybe she was reading too much into it. She did consider him a friend as well as a close political ally; it could be that he just wanted to give her something on her day of investiture.
"Thanks, Tilun," Tanese said. "I'll be dried off enough to put silk on my skin in just a minute."

"Avoiding the question?" Tilun inquired. "Or do you just not want to answer yet?"
"You know I can't avoid it forever," she said wryly. "Oh, it's not a bad omen as such, it's just..." Tanese sighed. "You deserve to know, I guess. I woke up gazing right into the face of Hele."

Tilun's eyes went wide and he grinned. Then his political savvy caught up, and his eyes narrowed again.
"Exactly," Tanese said. The "problem" with Hele was not that she was a malign influence, but that she was one of the three most unpredictable and dangerous deities in the entire pantheon. Inutos generally didn't like change, and Hele was the mistress of change. And when Tanese's political opponents got hold of that, there was no telling where it would take them. Only the trickster god Mori was considered more unpredictable, but a Mori omen was seen far more positively than Hele; his unpredictability was challenging, where Hele's was deadly.

"You're right," Tilun said. "There's no telling what the conservative factions will make of that omen. Still, even if you'd seen Hunu the Ruler, someone would take issue with it."

"Come on," Tanese said. "Let me get dressed and I'll go and face them. Since I can't avoid it, I suppose I'd best get it over with, and let the sparks fly where they will."

[Inutoland]

1 Curassow • 7 Armadillo • 10 Macaw - a few hours later

"So there you have it," the TV reporter was saying. "The official report says that the High Tuyas-in-waiting awoke gazing into the eyes of the Fire Goddess. According to sources close to Tanese Aro-"

Tawetun Ulenca turned off the TV in disgust. "See? This is what we get for letting a woman into the highest office! Hele - goddess of fire, mistress of destruction and consort of the War God, has claimed her as Her own!"

Something would have to be done.

The conservative group he was the unacknowledged leader of glanced around the cafe with nervous expressions. It had not escaped their notice that here in Inutipun people were a lot more apt to take Tanese's side than they were back home in Purutala.
"Keep it down, Tawetun!" hissed Liwan Hapalic, the most moderate of their group. "You want to start a riot at ten in the morning, with the whole city full of reporters and cops?"

"Bah!" Tawetun growled. "The Cockups couldn't find their own arses with a map of the Wayan Islands!" he continued, using the common derogatory name of the confederate police - the Confederate Customs Patrol. "Anyway, I've got a right to speak my mind, don't I? Or have the idiots that decided to put a woman in charge taken that away, too?"

"So what do you propose to do about it?" Liwan asked. "She's the next in rotation to be High Tuyas. Surely you don't want to bring the whole system down in flames?"

It was the wrong metaphor to use with Tawetun, especially right then.

"But that's what she will do! Hele, remember? The Fire Goddess has chosen her!"

Liwan was beginning to regret hooking up with this group. They were all nodding at Tawetun's angry rhetoric, but much as Liwan was uncomfortable with the idea of a woman holding the final authority, it wasn't something he was prepared to tear down the whole system over.

"Hey, calm down," he said, trying to soothe what he feared was an angry Megalania lizard in human form. "She hasn't been invested yet."

"No, she hasn't," said Tawetun, thoughtfully. "No, she hasn't."

[Inutoland]

1 Curassow • 7 Armadillo • 10 Macaw - around midday

Tanese swallowed her nerves as the huge giant ground sloth crouched low beside her for her to mount. This was the part of the ceremonies surrounding the investiture of a new High Tuyas that she had always dreaded. The re-enactment of Mota the Great's victory procession through the streets of Inutipun gave her the screaming willies, truth be told, and not primarily for the security concerns.

Even though the Palace stablemaster had found her the most placid specemin of Paramylodon osu, or domesticated ground sloth, she didn't ride well and positively hated large animals. Giant ground sloths were bigger than a mastodon and stood as tall as a tree. They were about as large an animal as it got, and they terrified her.

But given the fuss the conservative factions were giving her over her age and gender, there was no question of skipping that part of the ceremony. There must be no question in anyone's mind that she had done it right, and was therefore legitimately the High Tuyas.

Tanese sighed. And that meant that despite a visceral fear that was knotting her stomach and threatening to make her vomit, she had to get up on that bedamned monstrosity and then ride it through the streets looking like she was enjoying herself.

"Don't be afraid, your Primacy," the chief stablemaster soothed. "Lasea here is as gentle as morning mist, and she knows the route. All you need to do is sit there and smile."

Reluctantly, Tanese climbed up into the saddle over the shoulders. Radiating unease, she gave a rictus caricature of her usual calm smile. "Well, this isn't so bad," she muttered, as if trying to convince herself. Lasea the ground sloth blew air out in a sudden breath, and the animal's movement beneath her gave the lie to her hopeful words. Her whole body tensed, and Lasea, obedient to her training, felt the pressure of Tanese's knees and reared up onto her hind legs.

"Gaaaaa!" Tanese cried out, panicked, but managing somehow to stay in the saddle. "I thought you said it wasn't going to do that!"

The stablemaster coaxed his most placid animal easily back down onto all fours. "It wouldn't have done that if you were a little more relaxed, Primacy!"

"Oh, so now it's my fault?" she snapped, irritably. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for."

"I'll tell you what we will do, your Primacy," the stablemaster sighed, trying to think of some way to work this out that wouldn't reflect badly on him as stablemaster. "We'll have two of your guards who are expert riders flank your Lasea here on either side. That should steady her and keep her on all fours. And as backup, and to steady your mind, I'll have Lasea's usual handler walk in front and lead her. Manu will be happy to be in the parade, but it won't exactly look like the triumphant victory parade it's supposed to re-enact..."

"But if I get thrown off, trampled and eaten, it won't look like a victory parade either," Tanese said. "We have to do something!"

"All right, that's what we'll do," the stablemaster agreed, turning to give the orders while trying not to laugh. "Ground sloths won't eat you, your Primacy. They are herbivores!"

"Just so long as I can get through this nonsense," she murmured.

[Inutoland]

1 Curassow • 7 Armadillo • 10 Macaw - early afternoon

Tawetun gripped the antique handgun under his voluminous silk robe. A small 5.858mm Inuto calibre 1950s-model Vindicator Arms P-6, it was nonetheless not an easy thing to hide in the rather scant Inutolander traditional clothing. Tawetun had managed it - just - by wearing a much looser-fitting robe than usual.

It was time, he thought, fingering the weapon. The woman who had the effrontery to lay claim to the highest authority that naturally belonged to a man, was on her way. And he, Tawetun Ulenca, would stop her - and here was the good part - without overthrowing the whole system!

"There she is!" someone exclaimed, and the crowd around him began to wave and cheer. Along with them, Tawetun turned his gaze down the length of the street to catch a glimpse of his objective. Riding a giant ground sloth, she wasn't exactly hard to see. There! Flanked by guards, which was unexpected, but Tawetun was committed now. He was in the palm of the gods, and if he died, They would receive him.

Every nerve tingled as his target approached. Even at this distance he could see the tension, the fear in her face. She knows! he thought, tasting the triumph already. She knows she is defying the will of the gods and overstepping Their ordained bounds for womankind! Closer she came... closer... closer...

He pulled the P-6 pistol from his robe. An heirloom piece of his grandfather's, it was old, but lovingly maintained, and Tawetun was a good shot. But at this range, a blind child could hardly miss. He cocked the pistol, then paused deliberately to savour his victory...

[Inutoland]

"Primacy, get down!" Mandu Wuna Hilo shouted, all his protective instincts thrumming violently. Out of the corner of his eye, he had seen the glint of a weapon, and without even consciously comprehending what he saw, the alert was out of his mouth.

In one smooth move he unslung the CTW-7 rifle from his shoulder and raised it to firing position. It was still rising when the shot rang out.

It was Tanese's incompetence as a rider that saved her life. Already unsettled and uncomfortable, and transmitting her tension to her mount Lasea, the note of urgency in the shouted warning made her tense even more. As Lasea made ready to stand on her back legs, Tanese was looking around, trying to see where the threat was. The combination of her motion with Lasea's unseated her altogether, and she tumbled out of the saddle just in time.

An instant later, the space where she had been was split by a bullet, close enough that she felt the wind of its passing.

Tawetun saw his target fall, and his last thought was of the triumph of the cause of the Gods, before two military-grade rifle bullets slammed into his unprotected chest and he knew no more.

"All units: Dragonsbreath!" Lieutenant-Colonel Hilo shouted into his throat mike. The code word had one meaning, and one only: We are under attack, and the High Tuyas is down.

Ripples of shock and dismay were spreading through the crowd as Mandu Hilo dismounted and stepped over to his fallen liege lady, but Lt. Col. Hilo had more important things to concern himself with.

"Your Primacy, are you all right?"

"Someone just tried to kill me!" Tanese screamed. "No, I'm not bloody well all right!"

Luhal (Major) Satican was standing beside him now, gun raised protectively. With someone watching their back, it was time to deal with the High Tuyas' hysterics. He put his gun aside and embraced her as he would have a little child, waiting for the sobs to subside.

But his liege lady lived!

[Inutoland]

1 Curassow • 7 Armadillo • 10 Macaw

Red-uniformed palace security troops were scurrying all over the area in the background as the reporter faced the camera.

"...As you can see behind me, Palace Security are all over the place here along the parade route, but so far there have been no further shootings. We just spoke to Major Satican, the second-in-command of the High Tuyas' bodyguard, and I quote: 'All the indications point to a lone gunman, but we can't guarantee that's the case.' Once again, the High Tuyas-in-waiting has been the subject of an assasination attempt on her way to her formal investiture. I'm Tori Lawesu, for NCI News, Inutipun."

Elsewhere in the city, a group of very nervous protesters were gathered around the TV.

"What do we do now?" Utasi Pundaru asked plaintively.

"Nothing," Liwan Hapalic said firmly. "Unless you want to turn yourself in?"

[Inutoland]

"I have to finish the route," Tanese said, getting a grip on her emotions once more.
"With all due respect, your Primacy, that is the last thing you need to do," Lt.-Col. Hilo countered.
"But the ceremony!" exclaimed the High Tuyas in waiting. "I have to follow the traditions, especially now! There must be no doubt about the legitimacy of the investiture. Look at what happened with poor Oapan Rota!"

"Primacy, I don't think he meant to, but by trying to kill you and failing, this reactionary idiot just destroyed about 99% of your political opposition. But what we don't know is whether he was acting alone or in concert with others."
"Mandu, you said yourself there was no way he could escape after he shot at me. Are you suggesting he was deliberately set up to die by someone else? Why?"
"It's cold and ruthless, I know, but there are people out there who will set someone up as a sort of 'white duck', so that when the security forces neutralise that obvious threat, they can move in while we're confident that you're safe."

"Mori, Amaset and Hunu! And I thought politics was Macchiavellian! So you think there could be more of them out there?"
"Honestly, your Primacy, no. As you said, there was no way for him to escape, and all of his focus was on the act; if he were a white duck, he'd know he wasn't the only hope of taking you out." That wasn't quite true, but there was no need to make her nervous. "But anyway, I want you where I can control who has access and by what routes. Parades and walkabouts give us security types the screaming willies."

"No." Tanese said firmly. "You may be right about the tactical situation - you'd know better than I - but I think you're wrong about the political situation. Yes, for the moment, I have the people gathered to my defence. But when the surge of the moment fades, they will start thinking again, and I can't afford to have them thinking 'she was afraid she couldn't cope with the realities of command, so they whisked her away and crowned her quickly'. I must see this through!"

She shuddered. "Even if it means I have to get back up on that great awful hairy beast!"

[Inutoland]

Liwan watched the TV screen incredulously as Tanese got back up on her ground sloth. The camera zoomed in on the event, and Liwan noted the reactions of both Tanese herself and of the colonel in charge of her bodyguard. Tanese looked uneasy, but the colonel was really unhappy with the situation. As well he might be; even at the best of times, that kind of situation must be a bodyguard's worst nightmare.

Liwan took a deep breath, caught between the events playing out on the TV in front of him, and the uncomfortable introspection they were provoking. This answered his main question about putting a woman in charge.

The memory rose unbidden of himself arguing with his brother Owan, when Tanese had first been elected as Tuyas of Nala:
"She'll be High Tuyas in a year or so, too," Owan has said approvingly. "Our first female High Tuyas! Won't that be something?"
"Yeah," Liwan had grunted. "High Tuyas and Commander-in-Chief of the military. But how much gut-level courage can a woman be expected to have, when it all flies apart, eh? Will a woman really have the heart to do what needs to be done, no matter the danger?"

Look at her, he told himself fiercely, wrestling inwardly. What kind of courage does it take to get back up on the sloth after something like that and carry on regardless of personal danger?

The others seemed to have decided he was in charge now that Tawetun had been slain. Liwan made his decision, and got up from the TV.

He had his outer robe on before anyone asked him where he was going.
"I'm going to turn myself in," he replied, and smiled at their shocked expressions. "It'll be better this way, trust me. If they track us down, they'll never believe we knew nothing of this. But if someone goes to them..."
"But..." they all began to protest. Liwan waited for his logic to sink in. It was harsh, but probably a true statement. The police seldom believed people they had to chase.

Liwan was actually strangely calm now the decision had been made, watching the thought percolate through their minds... What!... No, you can't... They might not catch us... But then again, they probably will... Hmmm.... Better him than me...

At length, they all nodded their understanding. Without understanding the heart of it at all. He closed the door on the roomful of people he would never see again.