this is the kind of thing that made Lord Mayor Bainilus popular despite all the everything required to be Lord Mayor in Infernal Cheliax
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She's not actually sure this is the most strategic thing for her to be doing. It's possible that she should be socializing with the high nobility and Molthunians and Menadorians and making alliances and acquiring political power among the mighty to keep them from doing something rash (not that likely, if they're talking to each other, the ones who are predictably stupid are stupid in different directions) or against her interests (much more likely).

But as many riots and times of unrest she has handled, it's been nearly twenty years since she had one where she felt nearly this useless. She knows no one in the local power structure except a handful of delegates and Pau-Roger Santcliment, and he was nearly killed and will be recovering from his torments for days, at least.

When there was a convention, she felt like she was missing a leg. Now that the city is angry and afraid and dangerous, she feels like she's down an arm, an eye, and both ears.

Lord Mayor Santcliment is not much of a politician and when she offers to organize any of his spellcasting staff and clerks to go out into the city and earn goodwill honestly, his office is receptive. (Possibly only because she's an Archduchess. But it's not like he's going to feel threatened that she'll try to steal his city out from under him. Possibly he doesn't even want to keep it anymore. In his place, she probably wouldn't.) She burns some favors and all the non-emergency charges of her teleport staff to bring more of her own to Westcrown. She has a dozen pairs of eyes and ears searching for places a modest amount of magic or the attention of some wealthy people could do a lot of good, and be recognized as doing good. A half-dozen looking for people who others are asking for help.

From morning until dusk - she'd be getting off the street even if the rain wasn't going to start - she travels the city. Making friends, or at least people who know she did them a favor and asked for nothing other than suggestions of where to go next. And listening. To what they say, and what they don't. Which churches they like, which merchants and artisans they distrust. Who they have bought help from before, and who has had others ask for it from them. Rebuilding her eyes and arms one conversation at a time. It won't be nearly as good as what she has in Kintargo; that took years of slow reinforcement. 

After a day, she feels almost comfortable in her skin. By the end of the week, she feels like she could do something if there was another round of riots. Probably not stop it, no, not without, oh, Alexeara Cansellarion and Valia Wain and Inquisitor Shawil all working with her. But she could stop part of it.

And she doesn't feel helpless. Caring about that is probably, in infernal terms, pathetic, but it matters quite a lot to her at the moment.

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A taller urchin approaches the Archduchess. Most urchins wouldn't do this, but Oraneta has only been on the streets for a few months. She has a small cat hanging on to the back of her nest of dirty clothes. And Oraneta speaks like someone who's actually read books in her life. 

"Good morning, my lady! I work for a pampleteer. She pays well, and give us a place to stay, but now I hear they're going to make pamplets illegal, and I'm worried for my job. My ask is that you don't let them make pamplets illegal."

Sutge mews in a reedy voice as she stops speaking, and Oraneta shushes her. 

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"I'll try," she promises, "but there are a lot of scared people in the convention delegates now. I don't think they'll ban pamphlets entirely, but..." She looks at Oreneta, glances to one of her retinue, and gets a nod. "They might ban the Badgers even with a relatively sensible ban."

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She looks uncertain. "Are they that bad? She doesn't say to hurt anyone."

She looks at the pamplets in by her side, and sighs.  

"Today she had an interview with my friend Brisa, who's dead, and that was good, I think. I've never heard from anyone dead before.

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"Liches aren't popular. You're right, dear; they're fine. But if someone bans the undead from getting printing licenses, or something like that, who is going to argue?"

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Sutge mews, loudly. 

Oraneta nods at Jillia. "Yes, my lady. But anything you can do will be appreciated. There's a lot of Urchins handing out pamplets now, for the Badger, and others- and it's good for us." She says the word Urchin like she's started calling herself one.  She moves on. What a nice lady. 

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Sutge nods.

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