Realistic or Modern Saoirse (Irish Revolutionary Period Historical Questlog) *COMPLETED*

[The Omen of Death]

( ViciousVip3R Agent Pryno official clown business Historical Storyteller due to majority voting Saoirse, that is what we shall do, going in the more historical direction, and I also wanted to take this moment to thank you all for your continued support and being so loyal, you are what will keep me going in doing these questlogs, let's continue to have some fun shall we? Oh and we are shifting back to normal rules, so if you die you will get another chance again.)

Michael McCarthy, Dublin, Ireland, August 1914
​

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

A good quote, you think to yourself. It'd have had to be written by an Irishman, of course. The English would never speak of themselves being in the gutter with the common muck, they'd claim to be of the stars themselves if they could. No, an Irishman would have to have written it, because only an Irishman would understand subjugation.

You stand under a gray sky, a field of barley and oats surrounding you. Thanks to it being August, there's relatively little to do, so you're given time to think. Of course, without working to keep you going, the thinking usually goes downhill. Either your evenings end with you grabbing the bottle, or staring at those stars as dreams of freedom fill your mind.

Eireann (Ireland) is truly in the gutter, you think to yourself. The British boot sits on her throat, keeping her down, like it has for hundreds of years. It will continue to, until the people can rise up and fix that problem. Of course, Britain weakens, its empire collapsing inwards. It's only a matter of time before you finish what the proud Fenians of old had started, what Wolfe Tone continued, and what your generation will finish: the fight for independence.

"Michael! Michael, get in here!" a shrill voice screams from the farmhouse.

You turn, sighing, as you work towards the farmhouse, your boots plodding through the mud. It's always something with that woman, you think to yourself. You reach the door, pushing it inwards as you walk into your cramped kitchen.

"Ma, what's wrong?" you say, leaning in the doorway.

Ma sits in the kitchen at the table, a newspaper in her hands. Joseph stands next to her, his tall, sturdy frame filling a long overcoat. Mary is staring around Joseph, a frail, timid creature in comparison to your burly brother, like a delicate flower growing next to a great Oak. Ma motions for you to see the paper, and you shrug, leaning in to see the pages.

You lean over, looking at the crinkled paper. "BRITAIN AT WAR: GERMANY IGNORES FINAL ULTIMATUM" reads the title.

"Jesus Christ," you say.

You're struck in the face by Ma, who doesn't miss a beat in doing so. While the age has certainly taken much from the woman, it sure hasn't sapped her strength by how much it stings. Still, your mind is too focused on the looming war to even register the pain.

"Michael, don't say the Lord's name in vain!" the old woman croaks.

"We're at war, Ma, don't blame him. He's shocked," Mary says, rubbing your arm.

"We're at war?" Joseph says indignantly. "When did Ireland declare war?! This is their doing, not ours!"

"You can't be saying that, Joseph. It's our empire too!" Mary says.

"Like bloody hell it is!" Joseph says, stepping back to avoid the incoming slap from Ma. "I'd sooner bow downs to the King of Holland than the King of England."

"They gave us a parliament!"

"They didn't give us a parliament! They promised us a parliament, which we haven't gotten! Now that'll be postponed because of the war, and when that's finished, we'll be feeling the British boot pressed against our throats yet again!"

There's a short silence, as you all think about the repercussions this new war will have.

"Will you be signing up? They're recruiting," Mary says softly.

Joseph lets out a barking laugh, shaking his head in disgust.

"Are you joking? Unless the Kaiser's recruiting Irishmen to take out the crown, you can count me out!"

Joseph spits on the ground, turning and heading out of the room. Ma immediately darts up as quick as a bullet, far faster than any old woman has a right to do, heading after him to give him another smack. You chuckle as the two rush out of the room. This leaves you and your sister standing alone around the table.

"We're in dark times, Michael," Mary says to you. "I'm worried about Joseph. He's been hanging around too many hotheads, violent thugs and brutes the lot of them!"

"Joseph's fine," you say dismissively. "How do you think he'd react when you asked him if he'd sign up?"

"I suppose," she says. "But, Michael, you understand, right? Why we need to serve the Empire, to prove the Irish are a loyal, hard-working people."

"To prove that to who?" you say, annoyed. "The British? They saw how loyal we are many a time, they just don't like what we're loyal to. We're Irish, Mary, not British. Don't forget it."

Mary turns in a huff, moving out of the room. Thankfully, this leaves you alone to think, and you let out a quiet sigh of contentment, sitting down at the table. You grab the newspaper, flicking through it. Might as well read up while you're alone.

As you do so you contemplate these events, this was going to be a divisive time for Ireland and its people... The struggle for independence you knew wasn't going to stop here, especially while Britain was about to wage war with the Kaiser and Germany, the Irish people were going to be divided between fighting for their overlords, or for their national identity. You didn't know where your loyalties laid at the moment, but you'd soon have to choose. But that didn't matter, because in the heart and blood of many in your homeland their laid one word...

Saoirse... (Freedom)​

(Now, since this is based on history, I thought you all might want to get some historical context for what you are about to embark on, I will give you choices on what to read, if you so wish you can read it so that you can understand the situation, but you are obviously welcome to skip doing that if you don't wish to if enough votes vote otherwise, but that is not suggested as it all might not make as much sense, think of it as world building.)

1. Read "Hundred year anniversary of the foundation of the Apprentice Boys of Derry Club" (General History)

2. Read "Ireland Today: Current Events" (General Background)

3. Read "Planned Marches, Events and Meetings" (Factions)

4. Read "Personal Stories" (Personal Background)

5. Put down the paper and get back to the field (One Month Later...)

 

[Agent]

*unnecessary knuckles cracking* Alright, now for more fear in the form of a wartime scenario. I think i'll have to take this a little more seriously than I did with your previous quests.

Personal Stories. Can't be controlling encouraging a nobody, after all.

 

[Historical Storyteller]

( ViciousVip3R Agent Pryno official clown business Historical Storyteller due to majority voting Saoirse, that is what we shall do, going in the more historical direction, and I also wanted to take this moment to thank you all for your continued support and being so loyal, you are what will keep me going in doing these questlogs, let's continue to have some fun shall we? Oh and we are shifting back to normal rules, so if you die you will get another chance again.)

Michael McCarthy, Dublin, Ireland, August 1914
​

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

A good quote, you think to yourself. It'd have had to be written by an Irishman, of course. The English would never speak of themselves being in the gutter with the common muck, they'd claim to be of the stars themselves if they could. No, an Irishman would have to have written it, because only an Irishman would understand subjugation.

You stand under a gray sky, a field of barley and oats surrounding you. Thanks to it being August, there's relatively little to do, so you're given time to think. Of course, without working to keep you going, the thinking usually goes downhill. Either your evenings end with you grabbing the bottle, or staring at those stars as dreams of freedom fill your mind.

Eireann (Ireland) is truly in the gutter, you think to yourself. The British boot sits on her throat, keeping her down, like it has for hundreds of years. It will continue to, until the people can rise up and fix that problem. Of course, Britain weakens, its empire collapsing inwards. It's only a matter of time before you finish what the proud Fenians of old had started, what Wolfe Tone continued, and what your generation will finish: the fight for independence.

"Michael! Michael, get in here!" a shrill voice screams from the farmhouse.

You turn, sighing, as you work towards the farmhouse, your boots plodding through the mud. It's always something with that woman, you think to yourself. You reach the door, pushing it inwards as you walk into your cramped kitchen.

"Ma, what's wrong?" you say, leaning in the doorway.

Ma sits in the kitchen at the table, a newspaper in her hands. Joseph stands next to her, his tall, sturdy frame filling a long overcoat. Mary is staring around Joseph, a frail, timid creature in comparison to your burly brother, like a delicate flower growing next to a great Oak. Ma motions for you to see the paper, and you shrug, leaning in to see the pages.

You lean over, looking at the crinkled paper. "BRITAIN AT WAR: GERMANY IGNORES FINAL ULTIMATUM" reads the title.

"Jesus Christ," you say.

You're struck in the face by Ma, who doesn't miss a beat in doing so. While the age has certainly taken much from the woman, it sure hasn't sapped her strength by how much it stings. Still, your mind is too focused on the looming war to even register the pain.

"Michael, don't say the Lord's name in vain!" the old woman croaks.

"We're at war, Ma, don't blame him. He's shocked," Mary says, rubbing your arm.

"We're at war?" Joseph says indignantly. "When did Ireland declare war?! This is their doing, not ours!"

"You can't be saying that, Joseph. It's our empire too!" Mary says.

"Like bloody hell it is!" Joseph says, stepping back to avoid the incoming slap from Ma. "I'd sooner bow downs to the King of Holland than the King of England."

"They gave us a parliament!"

"They didn't give us a parliament! They promised us a parliament, which we haven't gotten! Now that'll be postponed because of the war, and when that's finished, we'll be feeling the British boot pressed against our throats yet again!"

There's a short silence, as you all think about the repercussions this new war will have.

"Will you be signing up? They're recruiting," Mary says softly.

Joseph lets out a barking laugh, shaking his head in disgust.

"Are you joking? Unless the Kaiser's recruiting Irishmen to take out the crown, you can count me out!"

Joseph spits on the ground, turning and heading out of the room. Ma immediately darts up as quick as a bullet, far faster than any old woman has a right to do, heading after him to give him another smack. You chuckle as the two rush out of the room. This leaves you and your sister standing alone around the table.

"We're in dark times, Michael," Mary says to you. "I'm worried about Joseph. He's been hanging around too many hotheads, violent thugs and brutes the lot of them!"

"Joseph's fine," you say dismissively. "How do you think he'd react when you asked him if he'd sign up?"

"I suppose," she says. "But, Michael, you understand, right? Why we need to serve the Empire, to prove the Irish are a loyal, hard-working people."

"To prove that to who?" you say, annoyed. "The British? They saw how loyal we are many a time, they just don't like what we're loyal to. We're Irish, Mary, not British. Don't forget it."

Mary turns in a huff, moving out of the room. Thankfully, this leaves you alone to think, and you let out a quiet sigh of contentment, sitting down at the table. You grab the newspaper, flicking through it. Might as well read up while you're alone.

As you do so you contemplate these events, this was going to be a divisive time for Ireland and its people... The struggle for independence you knew wasn't going to stop here, especially while Britain was about to wage war with the Kaiser and Germany, the Irish people were going to be divided between fighting for their overlords, or for their national identity. You didn't know where your loyalties laid at the moment, but you'd soon have to choose. But that didn't matter, because in the heart and blood of many in your homeland their laid one word...

Saoirse... (Freedom)​

(Now, since this is based on history, I thought you all might want to get some historical context for what you are about to embark on, I will give you choices on what to read, if you so wish you can read it so that you can understand the situation, but you are obviously welcome to skip doing that if you don't wish to if enough votes vote otherwise, but that is not suggested as it all might not make as much sense, think of it as world building.)

1. Read "Hundred year anniversary of the foundation of the Apprentice Boys of Derry Club" (General History)

2. Read "Ireland Today: Current Events" (General Background)

3. Read "Planned Marches, Events and Meetings" (Factions)

4. Read "Personal Stories" (Personal Background)

5. Put down the paper and get back to the field (One Month Later...)

3. One man can find the courage to take on the world but he can't do it himself. You'll need like-minded individuals if you want a shot at changing the world for the better. Read the news, find out where the meetings are taking place, and join a group. There's a chance those Brits will storm in an attempt to assert their authority but if you really want to take back your freedom you've got to brave the danger. The British will never give you your freedom, they'll never hand you over parliament, and even if they do life won't be any better than it was before. You have to take things into your own hands and assert yourself. You've got to take freedom for yourself, for your family, for your nation or you'll feel a British boot on your throat forever.

Their empire is collapsing, Germany is rising, their world is falling apart. This is the perfect opportunity to gain independence or at least some representation. Remember what Littlefinger from Game of Thrones said? Chaos isn't a pit, chaos is a ladder, you've just got to make the climb. Bad things gotta happen for things to change. You've got to exploit all the opportunities given to you because they won't come in the next few decades or even a century later. For the first time in a long time, things can finally change and you can be one of the players or just another pawn on the chessboard.

 

[Historical Storyteller]

You know, we can start a discussion here anytime if you want. This thread doesn't have to be dead for a few days before a new post when we can talk about anything. Ask questions. Ask the right questions and maybe you'll get the right answers. And maybe Omen can get some ideas from our discussion and we'll all end up contributing to the story.

For instance, I want to ask what is your stance on Irish politics. What are your goals? And how far are you willing to go to achieve it? I want to know who you are.

 

[official clown business]

Well, if I didn't have work right now...
Honestly, I just want to know everything. History's always worth a read. But for now, all I can say is that backgrounds, factions, and personal (in that order) are the biggest deal here. Heck, I think I'll pick background first and then someone else drops a general history choice so we can have all the information.

I'm sure I'll be saying more later. But for now... yeah.

 

[Pryno]

Which one I want to read? Every. single. one. of. them. I personnaly think that the personnal background and the factions are the most important, but we can all agree that the order doesn't matter. If there is a tie, just choose all those that have the most votes.

 

[The Omen of Death]

(Option 4 has been chosen with 3 votes!)

You're a young man of nineteen years, a mind full of wit and a heart full of ideals. With a relatively moderate sized farm, for a Catholic, you're not doing too badly for yourself, with enough crops to feed and cloth the family with even a bit left over, but you're a far sight from rich, instead forced to work hard during the Spring and Autumn months, laboring away to keep the farm going.

Your father died a good few years ago, when sepsis hit him hard. Ma was left to finish raising you all, and with her strict Catholic upbringing, she worked hard at it. Sure, she raised a pair of lads who take to the drink a bit too often, aren't afraid to gamble and swear as much as any other man, but you're both good, moral, god-fearing men.

Joseph has always been the more quick. As your younger brother, he never learnt discipline at the end of your father's belt, so once he learned to overcome the sting of Ma's slaps, he was a rogue from then on. Short-tempered and quick to fight, he's a passionate fellow. Rather than raise his hand to a woman he'd sooner hack it off, and if you're good to him, he'd never betray you as long as he'd live.

Mary, on the other hand, is a frail, gentle creature. She's always kind-hearted to a fault, she's toss a bone to a wolf. A good, Catholic, chaste and modest girl, she's the envy of more than a few boys. Of course, given that she has Joseph and you for brothers, it's enough to keep them away. However, she's too young and naive to understand that the relationship between the British and Irish isn't a peaceful one, still thinking that there's a chance for peace between you two.

All in all, you've a good, strong Irish family, working the fields to survive like many, many others.

1. Read "Hundred year anniversary of the foundation of the Apprentice Boys of Derry Club" (General History)

2. Read "Ireland Today: Current Events" (General Background)

3. Read "Planned Marches, Events and Meetings" (Factions)

4. Put down the paper and get back to the field (One Month Later...)

 

[The Omen of Death]

For instance, I want to ask what is your stance on Irish politics. What are your goals? And how far are you willing to go to achieve it? I want to know who you are.

Btw are these questions directed at me?

 

[Historical Storyteller]

(Option 4 has been chosen with 3 votes!)

You're a young man of nineteen years, a mind full of wit and a heart full of ideals. With a relatively moderate sized farm, for a Catholic, you're not doing too badly for yourself, with enough crops to feed and cloth the family with even a bit left over, but you're a far sight from rich, instead forced to work hard during the Spring and Autumn months, laboring away to keep the farm going.

Your father died a good few years ago, when sepsis hit him hard. Ma was left to finish raising you all, and with her strict Catholic upbringing, she worked hard at it. Sure, she raised a pair of lads who take to the drink a bit too often, aren't afraid to gamble and swear as much as any other man, but you're both good, moral, god-fearing men.

Joseph has always been the more quick. As your younger brother, he never learnt discipline at the end of your father's belt, so once he learned to overcome the sting of Ma's slaps, he was a rogue from then on. Short-tempered and quick to fight, he's a passionate fellow. Rather than raise his hand to a woman he'd sooner hack it off, and if you're good to him, he'd never betray you as long as he'd live.

Mary, on the other hand, is a frail, gentle creature. She's always kind-hearted to a fault, she's toss a bone to a wolf. A good, Catholic, chaste and modest girl, she's the envy of more than a few boys. Of course, given that she has Joseph and you for brothers, it's enough to keep them away. However, she's too young and naive to understand that the relationship between the British and Irish isn't a peaceful one, still thinking that there's a chance for peace between you two.

All in all, you've a good, strong Irish family, working the fields to survive like many, many others.

1. Read "Hundred year anniversary of the foundation of the Apprentice Boys of Derry Club" (General History)

2. Read "Ireland Today: Current Events" (General Background)

3. Read "Planned Marches, Events and Meetings" (Factions)

4. Put down the paper and get back to the field (One Month Later...)

3. This one next.

Btw are these questions directed at me?

Nope, just the other players.

 

[The Omen of Death]

(Since I want to keep this section moving quickly because it's not part of the actual story, Option 3 will now be next)

There are several prominent factions that have power in Ireland.

The British Government are the rulers of Ireland, ever since the invasion of Ireland by King Henry VI. Through the Royal Irish Constabulary, or RIC police force they maintain control of the militias that are rising to power in Ireland.

The Irish Volunteers are a militia of Irish patriots who have risen up in response to the rise of the Ulster Volunteers to ensure, with violence if necessary, that nothing prevents the Home Rule Act from being passed. It is is led by Eoin MacNeill, although the actions of John Redmond and the Irish Parliamentary party has huge sway over it. They number over 180,000.

The Home Rule Party, now renamed as the Irish Parliamentary Party, is a political party that has pledged to fight for Irish Home Rule. They've enjoyed huge popularity because of the recent passing of the Home Rule Act. They are led by John Redmond.

The Ulster Volunteers are a group of Protestants who have risen up and armed themselves, with the goal of resisting Home Rule at all costs. They signed the Solemn League and Covenant, pledging their lives to fight against Home Rule, some even signing in their own blood. They number over 100,000.

The Unionist Party is a political party that has pledged to keep Ireland under the British Parliament. They are popular among Protestants and in Ulster.

The Irish Republic Brotherhood (IRB) are an underground group that have pledged to rise up against the British and fight against their rule in order to get a free, independent Ireland. They are led by a secret military council, with Padraig Pearse holding the most power among them.

Sinn Fein is a political party that supports full Irish independence and the creation of an Irish republic that would be separate from Britain. It is led by Arthur Griffith. Unbeknownst to Griffith, it has a strong IRB element undercover in it.

The Irish Citizen Army is a militia made up of working class who support socialism and a change in the economy to give more rights to the worker, and a protection of workers rights in this time of industrialization. They are led by James Connolly.

1. Read "Hundred year anniversary of the foundation of the Apprentice Boys of Derry Club" (General History)

2. Read "Ireland Today: Current Events" (General Background)

3. Put down the paper and get back to the field (One Month Later...)

 

[Historical Storyteller]

(Since I want to keep this section moving quickly because it's not part of the actual story, Option 3 will now be next)

There are several prominent factions that have power in Ireland.

The British Government are the rulers of Ireland, ever since the invasion of Ireland by King Henry VI. Through the Royal Irish Constabulary, or RIC police force they maintain control of the militias that are rising to power in Ireland.

The Irish Volunteers are a militia of Irish patriots who have risen up in response to the rise of the Ulster Volunteers to ensure, with violence if necessary, that nothing prevents the Home Rule Act from being passed. It is is led by Eoin MacNeill, although the actions of John Redmond and the Irish Parliamentary party has huge sway over it. They number over 180,000.

The Home Rule Party, now renamed as the Irish Parliamentary Party, is a political party that has pledged to fight for Irish Home Rule. They've enjoyed huge popularity because of the recent passing of the Home Rule Act. They are led by John Redmond.

The Ulster Volunteers are a group of Protestants who have risen up and armed themselves, with the goal of resisting Home Rule at all costs. They signed the Solemn League and Covenant, pledging their lives to fight against Home Rule, some even signing in their own blood. They number over 100,000.

The Unionist Party is a political party that has pledged to keep Ireland under the British Parliament. They are popular among Protestants and in Ulster.

The Irish Republic Brotherhood (IRB) are an underground group that have pledged to rise up against the British and fight against their rule in order to get a free, independent Ireland. They are led by a secret military council, with Padraig Pearse holding the most power among them.

Sinn Fein is a political party that supports full Irish independence and the creation of an Irish republic that would be separate from Britain. It is led by Arthur Griffith. Unbeknownst to Griffith, it has a strong IRB element undercover in it.

The Irish Citizen Army is a militia made up of working class who support socialism and a change in the economy to give more rights to the worker, and a protection of workers rights in this time of industrialization. They are led by James Connolly.

1. Read "Hundred year anniversary of the foundation of the Apprentice Boys of Derry Club" (General History)

2. Read "Ireland Today: Current Events" (General Background)

3. Put down the paper and get back to the field (One Month Later...)

2. Let's make it quick then, Omen. This is the next thing I want to know about the most.

 

[Agent]

2. Welp, let's keep it rolling. More lore to read and stuff.

 

[The Omen of Death]

(So considering there are only two left, I will just go through them both now so that the main story can be gotten back too, and since they are both about the direct history of Ireland, I will just mix the two together, starting from the beginning to the more recent stuff. Then I will jump to 1 month later and we will go from there at the normal rate, so Options 1, 2, 3 are all chosen by default!)

The nation of Ireland has had a long and varied history. From the Mesolithic hunter-gatherers who walked there via land bridge, the Neolithic Men behind the ancient and amazing Newgrange, the Celts who soon popularized the country when it was known as Hibernia and from the Christians who spread after the return of Saint Patrick, who was enslaved by Irish pirates in his youth and endless Viking attacks, there's been a long history of pioneers and innovators creating a proud and noble nation.

Irish history first has serious Anglo involvement in the Norman invasion of Ireland. Before then Ireland was simply a series of kingdoms and warring clans. The larger and more advanced Norman forces soon managed to conquer considerable sections of Ireland. However, rather than push for a full takeover, English focuses soon shifted, leaving a fortified area known as the Pale around Dublin under British control, with the rest mostly being allowed to survive under local rule. After this, there was a divide in power between the Gaelic Lords who could trace their origins back to the Celts who popularized the lands, and the Norman lords descended from those who sought to conquer the island.

However, in 1536, Henry VII led an invasion of Ireland. Although there was brutal fighting as the Irish appealed to Catholic Spain for help, Ireland was soon conquered. Then, with a religious divide forming due to the birth of Protestantism, the issues first began arising. Using a system of land confiscation and colonization known as Plantation, English and Scottish Protestants were given Irish land to run, using the Irish Catholics as slaves. Although there were many brutal Irish rebellions such as the War of the Three Kings, which succeeded temporarily before the re-conquest of Ireland by Oliver Cromwell, the Rebellion of 1641, which was fought over the division between Catholics and Protestants, and many more bloody and brutal rebellions, Ireland failed ot successfully regain control of its lands, and were treated as second class citizens by the Protestants who ruled over the country.

Ireland is home to a serious cultural divide. The majority of Ireland is made up of the Irish Catholics descended from the original Celtic tribes as well as British colonists who interbred with them. They're the vast majority in Ireland, although due to British-caused sectarianism they're much poorer than the Protestant majority. The Catholics are the main supporters for the Home Rule movement, which wants Ireland to have its own parliament.

The other main ethnic group are the Protestants, descended from later British colonists who arrived with a specialized attempt to further colonize Ireland with the plantations, which were more successfully in the Northern Province of Ulster, leading to that being the richest and most Protestant-controlled area. The Protestants are much richer and more powerful in comparison to the Catholics thanks to British backing. They're behind the Unionist movement that wants to stay under the rule of Britain's parliament to keep power in Protestant hands.

Ireland suffers from serious political divide for these reasons. Ireland is ruled by the British Monarch and Parliament, although recent acts have passed to give Ireland it's own parliament, though Britain will still be in power over Ireland and be in charge of war, trade, foreign policy and war. Still the recent war with Germany has prevented this from being put into place. There's a small, hardcore movement that wants full Irish independence with the party Sinn Fein, although the success of the Home Rule Party in passing the recent acts have drawn votes away from the party.

...

One Month Later...
​

The next month is one of turmoil and trouble. The war escalates, and it does as suspected in stopping home rule in its tracks, much to the frustration of the Irish people. That is, to the frustration of the hard-working Catholics. The rich, upper-class Protestants are more than happy to keep the power in the hands of the British who support the status quo that gets them richer and gets you poorer.

You sit in the kitchen, the kettle on the burner as you wait for the water to boil so you can get a cup of tea. Ma comes in, a bag of groceries in one hand and a newspaper in the other. She pops the newspaper down on the table, and goes off to begin buttering bread. You lean over the newspaper, reading intently.

"Don't slouch, you'll end up hobbled," Ma says, walking into the room.

"I love you too, Ma. I'm doing fine, thanks for asking. Yourself?" you say dryly.

"Don't be cheeky!" Ma chastises.

"I made you a cup of tea," you say.

Ma leans in, her tone immediately changing, kissing you on the lips for a brief peck before moving towards the tea bags. If nothing else, the woman appreciates a cup of tea.

"Thank you, Michael," she says.

You grab the newspaper, and begin reading. "John Redmond to address Irish volunteers" is the title. Reading on, you learn that John Redmond is assembling the Irish Volunteers today for a grand speech. It's actually happening fairly close by, so it'll be easy to head down to it.

Joseph walks into the room, taking off his cap and leaning over you to read the newspaper.

"Redmond's calling an assembly," you tell him. "We should go."

"Give me a sec, I'm still reading," he says, before staying silent for a brief moment. "We should definitely go. The volunteers need numbers. We could fight for the independence of the country."

"Let's do it, then," you say. "We'll head after tea."

When you arrive at the assemble, the speech has already started. A massive crowd of volunteers stands near the stage, listening to Redmond intently.

"It is our responsibility, nay, our duty from God our Father himself, to protect a fellow proud Catholic nation like Belgium! If we join up with the British Army, we prove our loyalty, prove that we are to be trusted and show to Britain that the Irish people are strong, that the Irish people are proud, and that the Irish people are loyal! I ask you, sons of Eireann (Ireland), to join up with the British Army if you're able, and if you're not, we abandon the name the Irish Volunteers. Instead, we are the National Volunteers! So, who's with me? What proud Irish men are willing to take up the cause?"

While many cheers go up through the crowd, there are several boos. The majority of the people here seem to support Redmond's choice, but a small minority seems outraged. The outraged begin storming off, seemingly led by the Volunteers' leader Eoin MacNeill, although to your surprise the majority seem to be staying amongst England.

"This is an outrage! Anyone loyal to the spirit of the Volunteers won't stand for this! We won't pay their blood toll!" MacNeill yells.

You also notice that Redmond is directing many of the Irish Volunteers, or National Volunteers now, you suppose, towards a recruitment officer for the British Army, while the rest of the crowd digests this new information.

Ireland is going through troubled times, and you need to do your part. The only question is, who are you loyal to?

(Note that listening is not going to mean immediately signing up for the side, it's for who to listen to and hear what they have to say for the time being, I want you guys to listen to them before a final decision is made, and feel free to have discussions about this as well. I would love to see what you have to say as well!)

1. Listen to the recruiting officer

2. Listen to Eoin MacNeill

3. Talk to Joseph

 

[official clown business]

Right, let's make our way over to the recruiting officer first and see what the fellow has to say, and we'll go down the list here. Perhaps I should say more. Perhaps we'll see if I'll have more to say after I let a good bit of the weekend go by. First, though, we'll need to hear from everyone and then get Joseph's opinion on all this.

 

[Historical Storyteller]

(So considering there are only two left, I will just go through them both now so that the main story can be gotten back too, and since they are both about the direct history of Ireland, I will just mix the two together, starting from the beginning to the more recent stuff. Then I will jump to 1 month later and we will go from there at the normal rate, so Options 1, 2, 3 are all chosen by default!)

The nation of Ireland has had a long and varied history. From the Mesolithic hunter-gatherers who walked there via land bridge, the Neolithic Men behind the ancient and amazing Newgrange, the Celts who soon popularized the country when it was known as Hibernia and from the Christians who spread after the return of Saint Patrick, who was enslaved by Irish pirates in his youth and endless Viking attacks, there's been a long history of pioneers and innovators creating a proud and noble nation.

Irish history first has serious Anglo involvement in the Norman invasion of Ireland. Before then Ireland was simply a series of kingdoms and warring clans. The larger and more advanced Norman forces soon managed to conquer considerable sections of Ireland. However, rather than push for a full takeover, English focuses soon shifted, leaving a fortified area known as the Pale around Dublin under British control, with the rest mostly being allowed to survive under local rule. After this, there was a divide in power between the Gaelic Lords who could trace their origins back to the Celts who popularized the lands, and the Norman lords descended from those who sought to conquer the island.

However, in 1536, Henry VII led an invasion of Ireland. Although there was brutal fighting as the Irish appealed to Catholic Spain for help, Ireland was soon conquered. Then, with a religious divide forming due to the birth of Protestantism, the issues first began arising. Using a system of land confiscation and colonization known as Plantation, English and Scottish Protestants were given Irish land to run, using the Irish Catholics as slaves. Although there were many brutal Irish rebellions such as the War of the Three Kings, which succeeded temporarily before the re-conquest of Ireland by Oliver Cromwell, the Rebellion of 1641, which was fought over the division between Catholics and Protestants, and many more bloody and brutal rebellions, Ireland failed ot successfully regain control of its lands, and were treated as second class citizens by the Protestants who ruled over the country.

Ireland is home to a serious cultural divide. The majority of Ireland is made up of the Irish Catholics descended from the original Celtic tribes as well as British colonists who interbred with them. They're the vast majority in Ireland, although due to British-caused sectarianism they're much poorer than the Protestant majority. The Catholics are the main supporters for the Home Rule movement, which wants Ireland to have its own parliament.

The other main ethnic group are the Protestants, descended from later British colonists who arrived with a specialized attempt to further colonize Ireland with the plantations, which were more successfully in the Northern Province of Ulster, leading to that being the richest and most Protestant-controlled area. The Protestants are much richer and more powerful in comparison to the Catholics thanks to British backing. They're behind the Unionist movement that wants to stay under the rule of Britain's parliament to keep power in Protestant hands.

Ireland suffers from serious political divide for these reasons. Ireland is ruled by the British Monarch and Parliament, although recent acts have passed to give Ireland it's own parliament, though Britain will still be in power over Ireland and be in charge of war, trade, foreign policy and war. Still the recent war with Germany has prevented this from being put into place. There's a small, hardcore movement that wants full Irish independence with the party Sinn Fein, although the success of the Home Rule Party in passing the recent acts have drawn votes away from the party.

...

One Month Later...
​

The next month is one of turmoil and trouble. The war escalates, and it does as suspected in stopping home rule in its tracks, much to the frustration of the Irish people. That is, to the frustration of the hard-working Catholics. The rich, upper-class Protestants are more than happy to keep the power in the hands of the British who support the status quo that gets them richer and gets you poorer.

You sit in the kitchen, the kettle on the burner as you wait for the water to boil so you can get a cup of tea. Ma comes in, a bag of groceries in one hand and a newspaper in the other. She pops the newspaper down on the table, and goes off to begin buttering bread. You lean over the newspaper, reading intently.

"Don't slouch, you'll end up hobbled," Ma says, walking into the room.

"I love you too, Ma. I'm doing fine, thanks for asking. Yourself?" you say dryly.

"Don't be cheeky!" Ma chastises.

"I made you a cup of tea," you say.

Ma leans in, her tone immediately changing, kissing you on the lips for a brief peck before moving towards the tea bags. If nothing else, the woman appreciates a cup of tea.

"Thank you, Michael," she says.

You grab the newspaper, and begin reading. "John Redmond to address Irish volunteers" is the title. Reading on, you learn that John Redmond is assembling the Irish Volunteers today for a grand speech. It's actually happening fairly close by, so it'll be easy to head down to it.

Joseph walks into the room, taking off his cap and leaning over you to read the newspaper.

"Redmond's calling an assembly," you tell him. "We should go."

"Give me a sec, I'm still reading," he says, before staying silent for a brief moment. "We should definitely go. The volunteers need numbers. We could fight for the independence of the country."

"Let's do it, then," you say. "We'll head after tea."

When you arrive at the assemble, the speech has already started. A massive crowd of volunteers stands near the stage, listening to Redmond intently.

"It is our responsibility, nay, our duty from God our Father himself, to protect a fellow proud Catholic nation like Belgium! If we join up with the British Army, we prove our loyalty, prove that we are to be trusted and show to Britain that the Irish people are strong, that the Irish people are proud, and that the Irish people are loyal! I ask you, sons of Eireann (Ireland), to join up with the British Army if you're able, and if you're not, we abandon the name the Irish Volunteers. Instead, we are the National Volunteers! So, who's with me? What proud Irish men are willing to take up the cause?"

While many cheers go up through the crowd, there are several boos. The majority of the people here seem to support Redmond's choice, but a small minority seems outraged. The outraged begin storming off, seemingly led by the Volunteers' leader Eoin MacNeill, although to your surprise the majority seem to be staying amongst England.

"This is an outrage! Anyone loyal to the spirit of the Volunteers won't stand for this! We won't pay their blood toll!" MacNeill yells.

You also notice that Redmond is directing many of the Irish Volunteers, or National Volunteers now, you suppose, towards a recruitment officer for the British Army, while the rest of the crowd digests this new information.

Ireland is going through troubled times, and you need to do your part. The only question is, who are you loyal to?

(Note that listening is not going to mean immediately signing up for the side, it's for who to listen to and hear what they have to say for the time being, I want you guys to listen to them before a final decision is made, and feel free to have discussions about this as well. I would love to see what you have to say as well!)

1. Listen to the recruiting officer

2. Listen to Eoin MacNeill

3. Talk to Joseph

3. Family comes first before the nation. You must protect your brother and stay by his side no matter what. Because if he dies and both of you don't make it back home, who will take care of your little sister? Damn Ireland, damn the British, damn the National Volunteers, damn the Irish volunteers, damn them all. All of them are like vampires waiting to suck your blood. They don't care about you, they just care about the idea of a nation. They're going to fight pointless wars for pointless ideas in exchange for everything you've got to give them. They'll suck you dry until you're nothing but an empty shell.

Redmond is an idiot. All he's doing is trying to turn us into British lapdogs and we'll be at their mercy. Just how many times did they screw over countless peoples across the world? Just how many times did they screw you? Do you think that these people have warm feelings for you? That if you suddenly die for them they'll feel sorry for you?

Eoin is insane. He wants us to fight a world superpower by throwing as many bodies as we can towards the British Empire? How many will die before we secure independence? All those meaningless deaths for a beautiful idea will kill Ireland forever. Gods, why do people ask us to die for them? Can't they die for themselves? Everybody is like the devil, tempting us with ideals, making us do ugly things for them and all for what? To make the world an even more fucked-up place than it already is.

So I say, fuck them, damn them, shit on the ground and throw your feces at their faces.

That, is what I have to say.

 

[Pryno]

Ah, the factions...many have great ideals at the base and are corrupted to the core. For whom do I want to fight? The party of Redmond, who tries to defend the Home Rules? He is probably going to defend the Irish rights without trying to reach independance. He is a political man, probably not a fighter. Compromise is great, it's a path to peace, but are we trying to be peaceful or free?

Fighting at the side of Eoin? It's risking not only our own life (which doesn't really matter) but Joseph's life. I'm pretty sure that if he had the choice, he would choose the Irish Volunteers. He is already patriotical, do we want him to turn radical? If this faction succeeds, we will reach independance, but at which cost? Is Eoin a good ruler or a fascist? We don't know anything about him and his projects for once Ireland is free.

Honestly, I'm pretty curious about IRB. They are not available yet, but a secret military organisation that fights for freedom? We work in the dark to serve the light. We are...
Well, you understand.

Or should we decide to refuse the help of anyone who could use us as their puppet? Stay attached to no strings?

Anyway, as for what we should do, I think we should at least listen to what each of them says, regardless of prejudice. Let's listen to the recruiting officer first, but without commitment.

 

[The Omen of Death]

(Option 1 has been chosen with 2 votes!)

You walk over to the recruiting officer, who stands sharp and proud in his uniform, shouting out in a loud, attention-grabbing voice.

"People of Ireland! Through joining up with the British Army, you ensure economic support for your family! No longer will your family go hungry, they'll eat like the King himself on your pay!"

He's right. The British Army is a good place for work, they'll pay well enough to help support your family, and keep them in a good financial state.

"You ensure the safety of Catholic Belgium! We will not let the German protestants trample over such a good, god-fearing people! We will drive them back, not letting Germany crush them without regard!"

You almost laugh at that one. You see little difference between Germany's treatment of Belgium and England's treatment of Ireland. But he is correct. Belgium is, to your knowledge, a nation of good, god-fearing, moral individuals. The invasion of Belgium is just another act of Protestant aggression and expansionism.

"Most importantly, you ensure that Britain knows you are her loyal subject, fully deserving of a parliament! You show that as loyal British citizens, you deserve to be treated as such, and I will personally ensure that this nation of loyal, hard-working people gets the respect it deserves! Come on boys, do your part! Eireann's (Ireland's) calling! What scourge dare ignore her call?"

With that you decide to move back, contemplating those words, but there is more to hear from.

1. Listen to Eoin MacNeill

2. Talk to Joseph

 

[Pryno]

Nope. Let's hear what Eoin has to say.

 

[Historical Storyteller]

(Option 1 has been chosen with 2 votes!)

You walk over to the recruiting officer, who stands sharp and proud in his uniform, shouting out in a loud, attention-grabbing voice.

"People of Ireland! Through joining up with the British Army, you ensure economic support for your family! No longer will your family go hungry, they'll eat like the King himself on your pay!"

He's right. The British Army is a good place for work, they'll pay well enough to help support your family, and keep them in a good financial state.

"You ensure the safety of Catholic Belgium! We will not let the German protestants trample over such a good, god-fearing people! We will drive them back, not letting Germany crush them without regard!"

You almost laugh at that one. You see little difference between Germany's treatment of Belgium and England's treatment of Ireland. But he is correct. Belgium is, to your knowledge, a nation of good, god-fearing, moral individuals. The invasion of Belgium is just another act of Protestant aggression and expansionism.

"Most importantly, you ensure that Britain knows you are her loyal subject, fully deserving of a parliament! You show that as loyal British citizens, you deserve to be treated as such, and I will personally ensure that this nation of loyal, hard-working people gets the respect it deserves! Come on boys, do your part! Eireann's (Ireland's) calling! What scourge dare ignore her call?"

With that you decide to move back, contemplating those words, but there is more to hear from.

1. Listen to Eoin MacNeill

2. Talk to Joseph

2. You want us to listen to a madman? Talk to Joseph, talk him out of it, let's both just go home and prepare to dodge the draft when it comes. Go somewhere else when you've still got a chance. You don't have to fight and die for these selfish bastards. They can do the job themselves. Protect your family first, put yourself ahead first because all everyone else wants is to turn you into a meat shield. This stupidity, this madness has gone far enough. Gods, get Joseph out of this before he listens to too much of this. Get him out before its too late.

I don't have to listen to these idiots and lunatics to know that I should stay out of their way. They're speaking dangerous words to dangerous people and by God you better not fall under their spell. Because they will fuck you up.

 

[The Omen of Death]

2. You want us to listen to a madman? Talk to Joseph, talk him out of it, let's both just go home and prepare to dodge the draft when it comes. Go somewhere else when you've still got a chance. You don't have to fight and die for these selfish bastards. They can do the job themselves. Protect your family first, put yourself ahead first because all everyone else wants is to turn you into a meat shield. This stupidity, this madness has gone far enough. Gods, get Joseph out of this before he listens to too much of this. Get him out before its too late.

I don't have to listen to these idiots and lunatics to know that I should stay out of their way. They're speaking dangerous words to dangerous people and by God you better not fall under their spell. Because they will fuck you up.

(I am sorry to say, but this is gonna be railroaded into joining one or the other, personally I couldn't truly think of a way to maintain a story like this without having you guys join either the British or the one of the Irish independence group's at least for right now, I might figure a way to remain relatively uninvolved later on but for right now my intention was for you guys to choose a side, I just wanted to let you know now, so that it doesn't feel like I am ignoring you.)

 

[Agent]

2. I dunno. Let's speak with other guy I guess.

 

[Historical Storyteller]

(I am sorry to say, but this is gonna be railroaded into joining one or the other, personally I couldn't truly think of a way to maintain a story like this without having you guys join either the British or the one of the Irish independence group's at least for right now, I might figure a way to remain relatively uninvolved later on but for right now my intention was for you guys to choose a side, I just wanted to let you know now, so that it doesn't feel like I am ignoring you.)

Oh, well, all right then.

At least I gave you my reasons. Just gotta let it all out, you know?

 

[The Omen of Death]

Oh, well, all right then.

At least I gave you my reasons. Just gotta let it all out, you know?

(Don't worry it's fine, I respect your reasons, and I respect that your thoughts on this, makes your responses feel more organic, I will try to see if I can leave room to be a bit more uninvolved.)

 

[AlbaGuBrath]

(Ooh, interesting! I'm geeking out a little bit now. Irish history is one of my major areas of study and I'll soon be working on research regarding 1916 and historical memory, so I definitely want to keep an eye on this! I'll probably not be participating myself, but I'm curious how it will turn out. If it's okay, I'd like to lurk and maybe discuss thoughts and sources with y'all. I can hunt down some links to political essays exchanged between Arthur Griffith and 'An Ulster Imperialist' published in 1914, I believe, (edit: 1911-12. My bad!) and can recommend a fascinating diary and political essays written by a journalist present in Dublin during the Rising. Very interesting stuff, quite eye-opening.

I do think the question asked earlier about perspective is a valid one, if people are comfortable discussing it. With a topic such as this, personal convictions are likely to be high and to affect the way that people think about and discuss people, events, and ideas. I'm a bit curious about what sorts of views may be present and/or how they may be represented here (and how they're not, since character beliefs don't equal personal beliefs). I don't mean to begin a discussion of who's right/wrong or whatever, it's just helpful to have some idea of author background, so to speak.

If an OOC discussion thread is created, can move over there, or can just discuss in a PM or Discord or something. Either way, I'll not disturb this thread any further, but I would like to say this is an interesting concept, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all pans out.)

 

[The Omen of Death]

(Ooh, interesting! I'm geeking out a little bit now. Irish history is one of my major areas of study and I'll soon be working on research regarding 1916 and historical memory, so I definitely want to keep an eye on this! I'll probably not be participating myself, but I'm curious how it will turn out. If it's okay, I'd like to lurk and maybe discuss thoughts and sources with y'all. I can hunt down some links to political essays exchanged between Arthur Griffith and 'An Ulster Imperialist' published in 1914, I believe, and can recommend a fascinating diary and political essays written by a journalist present in Dublin during the Rising. Very interesting stuff, quite eye-opening.

I do think the question asked earlier about perspective is a valid one, if people are comfortable discussing it. With a topic such as this, personal convictions are likely to be high and to affect the way that people think about and discuss people, events, and ideas. I'm a bit curious about what sorts of views may be present and/or how they may be represented here (and how they're not, since character beliefs don't equal personal beliefs). I don't mean to begin a discussion of who's right/wrong or whatever, it's just helpful to have some idea of author background, so to speak.

If an OOC discussion thread is created, can move over there, or can just discuss in a PM or Discord or something. Either way, I'll not disturb this thread any further, but I would like to say this is an interesting concept, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all pans out.)

(Don't worry we kind of use this as an OOC in itself, and it's a shame you won't be participating! I bet we would all love to see you join, I know I would since it's quite simple as all you would need to do is put in your choice for a decision and see if the others agree. But I am glad to see someone with historical inclinations as well! Feel free to discuss to your hearts content here!)