OOC: This too long? Let me know and I can break it up.
The slow, mocking noise of Trader's applause did not halt the vigorous steps that carried her slight frame to the stage, though the flickers between Menalar's kindness left her gut twisting in uncertainty. As the accord rose, echoing throughout hall, Kaelara turned to face the sea of masculine faces. If there were women among them, she had the presence of mind to avoid peering doubtfully into the crowd in search of them.
Chin arched confidently, shoulders back, her amber eyes flicked over the audience, seeking to identify pockets, moods, those who seemed overly aware of or intimidated by Wanesman's presence.
Any resentful that I am allowed to speak first?
Eyes glimmering and bright with the reflections of lamplight, her cultured, musical lilt rang confidently out towards the assembly. Her gaze connected briefly with the sullen scowl at the back of the room as she began to speak, the vaguest suggestion of a smile curling at one corner of her lips.
"Thankyou for your kind regard, I hope to repay in kind by settling directly on the point I wish to bring before you. Yesterday, as I'm sure many of you know, was our weekly market. For the little scratch of earth that Pax occupies, I suppose it is nothing to scoff at, but as I wandered about the stalls, I noticed many of the townspeople were wandering, looking, but finding it difficult to... relinquish their grasp of even a few coppers.
"The difficulty we face as merchants is two-fold. On one hand," one palm opened and waved to the left, "we have hard-working people, whose apathy, more than lack, is causing them to hoard and save what they have. On the other," her right palm opened, "There is a surprising lack of confidence in the stability of our city, by either those supplying us our wares, or those seeking to enter in to agreements with us. While the presence of the portal lends us some accessibility, there are many Baronies, villages and farms here in the Border Estates who need more convincing that we are worth their investment. All the pieces are in place, except for the most important things: desire, need and trust."
"So how do we establish, as merchants, that the benefits we might offer can outweigh the costs? And how do we do so without compromising our own standards and profits?" Pausing briefly, to allow the question to ruminate among those present, she continued, allowing a touch of her excitement and passion to lend weight to her words.
"I propose this: instead of a normal market day, some time in the near future I would suggest we coordinate a festival. But what makes this different from a normal market day? If we have merely the same people, we might see little difference. So I suggest we pull in and pool all our resources. Firstly," Ticking off the points on one hand, she continued,
"We send invitations to the outlying towns, villages and baronies to participate. I presume that if we have a well-thought out plan, the Provost would see this as a great opportunity to show what Pax has accomplished so far. My intent is to stir up a sense of anticipation here, but also to draw in others who might also be interested in our wares, as well as other merchants and businessmen with whom we might begin building connections." Unspoken was the well-known rumor Sanguine had been sent here to prove himself, but his connections with nobility would also be a good resource for the council.
Hopefully the reference will not be lost on them.
"Secondly, how to fund this? I propose that we do this by sponsorship, and charging a minor fee for renting boothspace. If we can attract the interest of outside merchants, this will help stimulate our own economy, as well. I foresee one possibility of these funds hiring entertainment, encouraging dancing, give the people a chance to be carefree. In addition to lightening this bedeviling apathy, perhaps it will allow them to lighten their pockets a little as well." As she spoke, she sought to meet the eyes of those in the audience, seeking to connect with many on an individual level, to speak to
each person.
"Thirdly, any investment such as this, we would naturally wonder what the return might be once the detritus of celebration has been cleared away. Off-hand, one thing that comes to mind, is were we to rope off a small section of the festival, reserving it for any attending nobility, their entourage, and merchants involved in trade, that in itself would provide each of us a multitude of opportunities. Provide a quieter atmosphere for discussion, a little relaxation with a goblet of wine," her eyes flickered to Menalar, a friendly challenge in her amber gaze, as if to say,
And there is the opportunity, if you choose to take the risk. "and allow us to build relationships that will instill confidence and bring more business through the streets of Pax. In short, that is a brief outline of what I feel the important
idea behind my proposal. There are a great many ideas and minor details that would support this, but first, it is important to know if this is an idea you are willing to help support and promote." Throat dry from the effort of projecting her voice, she fell silent, nodding to Klebb that she was ready to open the floor for discussion.