To War!
To Reform!
Introduction
The incumbent, Mayor Denton, has been a corrupting influence on Gumtham City for too long.
�He has run unopposed in the last nine elections, and the people of Gumtham have suffered under his leadership.
You have watched. You have waited.
�The suffering has continued.
You are Cthulhu.
A being beyond mortal comprehension.�A harbinger of higher states of consciousness and impeccable dental hygiene.�
And, apparently, the only one willing to run against Mayor Denton.
�Your platform, choices, and ability to convince the people of Gumtham are the only tools available to you.
But before you begin your campaign—�you must decide on a platform.
Over the last decade, clove extract dealers have been allowed to take root in the city. Their product numbs the pain of Gumtham, but also numbs their ability to see a better future for themselves.��By aggressively focusing on the influx of clove extract you hope to free people from their poor choices and enable them to choose a path that will benefit the city as a whole.
For decades, systemic neglect has taken root in Gumtham, hollowing out the city and leaving decay in its wake. Lack of education, lack of healthcare, and lack of resources have deepened the divide, creating a city where survival is a privilege, not a right.
By investing in the city's future, you hope to empower the people of Gumtham, giving them the tools and support they need to rebuild. But to fund the social policies the city desperately needs, you must confront the wealthy elite who have hoarded its prosperity. The fight will not be easy, but true reform never is.
The war on drugs A1
In order to make sure that your platform will resonate with the people, you studies history, statistics, and the behaviors of the average citizen. With information in hand it is readily apparent that people are just lazy and don’t want to work. Sharing these ideas a local real estate mogul has reached out and would love to donate to your campaign. He is a blue bottle of mouthwash, with a suit and tie much like your own. A golden crown adorns his head. ��King, King Pin, he introduces himself. He has connections in this city and can put you in contact with the right people to really help you reach the voting base in gumtham. He also leases prison space to other citizens so you’d have a place to put folks who use illegal substances, and connections to the local police so that you both can fund their projects to really clean up the plaque decaying your city.��With such resources it’s a wonder King Pin isn’t running for mayor himself, but he says not to focus on that right now. All he needs to know is if you’ll let him help you.
Of Course! How could I say no?
No, a real squid pulls themselves up by their bootstraps to get the job done.
King Pin’s aid A2
Honestly since accepting King Pin’s aid you haven’t had to do all the much yourself, signs and advertisements for your candidacy went up over night.��King honestly has such great ideas, and any problem you can come up with has solutions at the ready. The hardest part is just waiting for election day. Since you can only communicate via sign language it’s been really nice having a friend you can count on. Who sees the same problems you do. ��Once elected mass hiring is going to happen in the police force to enable search and seizures on incoming ships at the docks. You’ve seen people from outside of Gumtham smuggle in loads of clove extract under the current Mayor’s watch. ��Election day comes and goes, and you win in a landslide. The only problem is that when it comes to disposing of the clove extract you wanted to oversee this personally, It was the whole reason you ran. But King is very pointed that you allow him to handle this. ��Only one question needs to be answered at this point. Are you going to trust King to dispose of the clove extract effectively. Or are you going to push forward and be an involved mayor, even if it means letting some of the paper work you should be doing pile up for a minute?
Let’s Trust King, he’s been great so far!
I won’t be able to sleep at night if I don’t oversee the destruction of such harmful materials myself.
The Squid Stands Alone A3
As much as you appreciate the Offer from king, you need to ensure that no external entities have influence or sway in what you’re looking to do. You refuse to be someone who gets elected only to have to compromise on your ideals in order to meet past favors.��You start doing activist outreach, looking to find people who are willing to help you make posters. You become really popular at PTA meetings, and with home-owner’s associations. Your posters and advertising might have been better with more professional help, but you’re proud of the community you’ve helped to create.��Communicating is still difficult, not everyone speaks sign language, and it makes it difficult to tell if people are truly getting your message. Everyone wants to hear your voice. The need to know that you would be an effective leader both inside the office and outside. Pressured by the parents of children who would one day come to live in the very would you’re trying to create you deeply consider whether you should speak up or not during the next debate with Mayor Denton.
To Speak
Or not to Speak.
In Name Only A4
King was a fantastic help in getting you elected. But the problems in this city don’t seem to get better during your term. Everytime you try to get involved over the next 4 years you’re persuaded not to. Eventually it comes time for re-election and despite the backing from King you’re re-replaced by Gumtham’s previous mayor. ��It really hurts because they make fun of the fact that you never speak. Even when doing so would drive the citizens you care so deeply about to madness. More people are arrested for possession of illicit substances than ever before. However the prisons get a nice overhaul and prisoners make the state money to fund further raids on clove extracting plants. Eventually the problem should resolve itself.��Gumtham city remembers you as an ineffectual mayor however. One who over-promised and under delivered. Stats show that orphanages can barely keep up with the increased influx of children during your term. And without a proper family to take care of them experts say it’s only a matter of time before the next crime wave.��But at least you got to be mayor for while. Maybe there was someone you managed to help while you were there.
Deny, Deceive, Dispose. A5
You tell King that you’re going to oversee the disposal of the clove extract for your own conscience. Raids happen and people are arrested and the prisons that King leases fill up with clove dealers, users and abusers. Everything seems to be going well. ��Until police get a tip that your office has been hiding clove extract in it for your personal use. Because of the ability to raid without warrants that you granted to the police, you’re powerless to stop them from searching your office. To your surprise they find half used bottles of extract in your desk, with your fingerprints on them. You deny any wrongdoing but when you ask King for legal assistance he refuses to pay for the lawyer you’d need to win the case.��You end up convicted yourself, but due to your size there’s no prison that could contain you. The state has no choice but to sentence you to death. You’re impeached as mayor and the public sees you for the hypocrite you’ve been painted as. An emergency election is held before you would go on death row. King Pin and ex mayor denton run against one another. King Pin uses your crimes as the primary narrative in his campaign. Claiming ignorance of your true character and using his support of your original policies as evidence that he would be an effectual mayor. �
He wins, and is there in the crowd to witness your execution. Funnily enough, clove is poisonous in high quantities and due to your unique physiology lethal injection seems to be the best way to get the job done.��You let out one tear, realizing that to share your last words would only harm the people you were trying to save. Then everything goes black.
One voice can make a change A6
It’s Debate night, and incumbent mayor detention has been destroying your platform. Unfortunately the interpreter who was supposed to help you had to pick up their kids from their factory jobs. Mayor Denton’s platform of child labor has been gaining traction. And his backing from local mining companies has all but snuffed out any publicity you may be gaining.��Overwhelmed by the odds, you realize that if you say nothing, nothing will change. You open your mouth and let the people here what you truly have to say.��𝕋̵͕̻̈́H̴̗̗̟̄̏̽͑̎̓̎̾Ȇ̴̙̙͈̼̞̖̾͛̈́̿̀̕͝ ̸̡͋Ų̸̤͈̃̒͌̓̈́̽̈̚N̵̡̙͚͉̳̳̈́̀́̇̊S̶̢̻͇͎̤͉̿̈̄̊̄̈́̍P̴̢̛̳͈̲̥͆͑̽̈́̾̅͗ͅͅÉ̷̛̼̰͇̽̒̍̇͌Ḁ̷̪̯̺̼̝̄͛͆̕ͅK̵̲̼̰̖̝͌͆̇̿̾̕͘Ä̸̤̖́̀̑̈́͆̕̕͝B̵̡͇̞̝̌L̷̲̜̄̄Ę̸̹̪̲̏͛͑̊̏̕ ̴̜̰̍̆Į̷̍̈́̽͒̄̓̕̚S̴̛̻͎̯̯̐̌͝ ̵̛͖̪̾̃̇̈́͌͊H̷̡̬͙̯͈̯̆̍̀̀͝͝E̶̼̼̠̬̋̈́͒̏̄̋̕R̸̺̲̐́̚E̷̘̝̬̻̗̲͖̊̇͌̅̾͆̽
�The immediate audience’s heads pop into a bloody mess. Mayor Denton lets out a scream as he is erased from reality. Sirens go up as screams can be heard coming from the streets. The coming weeks are hell as the city attempts to recover. On the bright side you run unopposed, you win in a landslide as the only being with remaining candidacy.��Unfortunately those who could help you evoke the change you desire all fear you. They can’t share their observations and ideas to assist you in helping Gumtham. Parents hide their children from you. ��After 4 years you’re re-elected, but most people use clove extract to forget that horrible night in the debate hall. People stop going to work, and starvation sets in in your city. ��You have failed this city.
The Incumbent is Re-Elected A7
Your silence on stage is felt. People realize you don’t have what it takes to back the policies you’re supporting. Mayor Denton’s child labor platform is enacted, and no one has time to even abuse clove extract anymore. They’re all working too much.��On the bright side, you didn’t take help from King Pin, who is arrested as the leader of the local mafia. He was actually the person running the Clove smuggling ring in Gumtham city. He got caught because the mining companies funding Mayor Denton actually enjoyed your policies about the war on drugs. More prisoners means more unpaid labor for mining. ��The city changes under the re-election of Mayor Denton. Over the next 4 years people stop showing up to PTA meetings. No one can afford homes anymore due to the lack of income provided by their mining jobs, so there’s no longer Home-Owner’s associations. You start to feel ill due to mercury runoff from the mines polluting your living space in the bay near Gumtham. You start to detach from reality, unable to live with your failure to uphold your responsibility to the citizens you claimed to care about. ��Hermitude suits you. You start making hats, and thinking about how you could sell those hats to others in order to continue feeding yourself. No one buys your hats and you starve in the winter of the 4th year of Denton’s term. ��You never find out if things ever get better for Gumtham city.
The Price of Progress B1
Let’s face it, you’re an extra dimensional being who’s regular speaking voice leads to madness in the most fortunate of listeners. If you’re going to communicate effectively you need to pick your interpreter carefully. Someone who knows sign language, but can also bridge the gap of translation in a charming and charismatic while maintaining the integrity of your platform.��
Eugene Edwards
Margaret Wood
Dr. Mimi Strings
Margaret Wood is a toothpick who has been a lifelong activist in her community. She learned Sign Language in order to help mute orphans who had been traumatized over the loss of their parents. She has connections in local communities, but is a bit of a hot head due to their passionate disposition against Mayor Denton’s platform this election.
Dr. Strings is a political PHD who minored in Sign Language. They may not have the outward charisma you’re looking for in an interpreter, but they do possess a brilliant understanding of policy and ethics. Dr. Mimi will help you make sure that you’re arguments are presented holistically with an adherence to fact. You can trust that as far as policy is concerned they will not misinterpret what you’re trying to convey.
Eugene Edwards is an electric toothbrush who is used to the more affluent circles in Gumtham city. Not as passionate about policies and integrity. However, Eugene has what it takes to help you get the backing of wealthier donors. He’s familiar with politics and willing to do what it takes to help you win this election.
What a touching Backstory!
I’ll need connections if I want to win.
I love a good resume!
Campaign Funding B2
Margaret actually goes by “Maggie” usually. You both know that funding the campaign is the next decision that needs to be made. Luckily Maggie has experience organizing grassroots campaigns and spreading awareness via word of mouth. ��As debate night draws closer, you’re organizing papers in your office realizing just how much you appreciate Maggie when a figure crashes through your window. You have just enough time to realize they’re pointing a gun at you and take action.
Shout at the intruder!
Break out the Nine
Get to Maggie and escape!
Policy for Love? B3
Maggie comes running into your office in response to hearing the glass shatter. You don’t have time to stop yourself from telling the assassin ���“𝔇̷̡̨̛̲͕̗̠̬̩̲̼̗͒͂̽̔̔̓̎̾́̈́̐͝𝔬̴̡͖̻̰͕͕̰͕͇̘͙͊̈́̓̋͆̋̽̑͆́̏͊͂͘𝔫̵̢̨̛̖̠̪͓̠̯͈̘͓̺̺̈́̌̿̄͗̀̀̽̏̆͂̕͝'̴̢̡̙̖̜̬̩̻̏͌̎͂͆̀̇͒͆̔̿̕̕͜͠𝔱̶̢̥̦̤̘̰̙̖̝̻̾̽̿̎̈́̽̀̈́̍̀͘͘͘͝ ̴̛̤̹̟͙͖͍̗̯̠̼̄̏̈́̌̽̋̊͆̌̑̕̚͜𝔰̴̨̪̯͉̜̘̙͚̦͙̯͓̘͍̋̓͗͊͗̌̓̆̑̎̾̈́͘͘𝔥̸̛͉̜̜͖̜̳̼͚̻̲̺̦̾̒̒̎̊̇̎̆̅̚̕̚𝔬̷̡̢̛̥̼̯̪̖͈̬͎͎̠̍͋͑̏̒̿̎̏̕̕͜͝͝𝔬̶̡̲̱̺̦̥̯̼͎͎̺̥̍͊̑̏̌̈́̅̈́̓̚͠͠𝔱̶̡̛̞̦͕͉̟̗̩̺̖͖̟̯̜͊̋̏̎̍͌̌̾̏̊̄͋͘”
A wave of fear comes over you as you realize what you’ve done. The assassin’s head pops like a abscess. Leaving your office a red mess. Terrified you turn towards the door slowly, not ready to take in the damage you’ll have inflicted on Maggie.
Shockingly, Maggie is perfectly fine, her expression a little startled but after a moment her face softens and she comes close to you. Brushing your cheek with her hand Maggie tells you that your voice is the most beautiful thing they’ve ever heard. You feel the ice inside of you thaw and you pull Maggie into a tight embrace. Debate night comes and Maggie fails to curtail her passion against Mayor Denton’s child labor platform. It costs you the election but you don’t care this is the first time you feel as if you can truly open up to someone.��You open up an orphanage for mute children with Maggie, hoping to still make some good in the world while claiming a little bit of it for yourself. You still lie awake late at night sometimes however. Unsure of whether or not you could have made a bigger impact at helping the citizens of Gumtham. Worry about the price of your choice and who will pay it looms constantly in the back of your mind. ��But at least for one brief moment, someone was there to hear you sing.
Spineless B4
You run out of your office narrowly avoiding a gunshot. You close the door behind you and knock over a bookshelf sealing the would be assailant inside. ��Sprinting you find Maggie and the two of you contact the police. They find no-one present in your office by the time they get there. Lacking funding for a proper investigation they assign an officer outside of your building for security. Debate night comes along, but by then word has gotten out that you fled from your assailant. Mayor Denton paints you as weak, and Maggie’s interpretations flare up as she chooses to defend you. ��Unfortunately the crowd begins to turn on you. Your inability to speak, or stand up to your would be assassin are clear signs that you lack the conviction necessary to carry out your policy. ��Your body is found weeks later. Hanging from a ceiling fan. Maggie swears you weren’t suicidal but that’s the most anyone’s willing to give to your case.��She ends up hiring a detective actually. Nick Fluoride. ��But that’s a mystery for him to solve, you need not concern yourself about it anymore.
You manage to beat the assassin to the draw, killing him with the revolver you had under your desk. His blood splatters across your face and suit, marking you in red. Maggie runs in. Together the two of you wait for the authorities in anxious silence.��They can’t offer much in investigation. They do assign a single officer for security. At least until debate night.
And they let you know one more thing. ��A note was found inside the jacket pocket of your hitman. Most of unreadable due to blood stains.
But you can make out the name of who signed it. ��-King
Who Hired this dude?
I need to focus on the campaign.
Gunsmoke B5
The Offer B6
The night before the debate a letter comes in. Maggie has been fidgety all week after the incident. Apparently the assassin was hired by the leader of the local mafia. King, King Pin. King offers you a deal. They won’t harm Maggie, and they won’t try to kill you again, good hitmen are hard to come by. King will even personally finance the rest of your campaign. However you will be required to enact policy according to his interests.��Unfortunately it’s too much pressure. You’ve seen Maggie’s hands tremble all week. You can’t keep putting her through this. She’ll be safe, and at the minimum Denton will no longer be Mayor. You write back agreeing to take the offer.��The debate was lukewarm but it doesn’t matter. With King’s financial backing you win the election no problem. Maggie and you have a falling out however. She can’t understand why you would turn your back on your campaign promises and you’re not allowed to tell her it was for her own good. She runs a campaign against you when it comes time for re-election. She evicerates you in the debates and the crowd sees what type of person you really are. ��Unfortunately Maggie suffers an accident as the polls start to open. You read about her obituary in the newspaper, no one has any answers to what happened. Running unopposed you win re-election, but the difficulties Gumtham City faces continue to go unaddressed. Why’d you even run to begin with?
You place your campaign planning on hold temporarily. If someone’s going to attempt to kill you in Gumtham City there’s really only one way to make sure they don’t try again.
You start searching, trying to figure out who King is. It takes a long time but eventually you receive an invitation. It’s to the penthouse suite of a local hotel. King knows you’ve been asking about him and wants to meet to discuss terms.
King is a bottle of mouthwash, wearing a suit and a crown. He carries himself with a stable confidence that tells you he already knows what choice you’re going to make.
He wants you to drop out, and in return he won’t harm you or Maggie. He turns around to stare at the city, HIS city, while you weigh your options.
Cthulu, P.I. B7
Break out the Nine!
Regretfully Accept
Defeat B8
You consider shooting King where he stands. The silence in the room growing louder. You can’t do it. You decided to run in order to fix the corruption in this city. If you claimed power in the same way as King has you wouldn’t be any different. ��You accept King’s terms and announce the end of your campaign the next morning. Maggie refuses to talk to you. Unable to explain yourself you return the same solitude you started in. Denton wins and his policy enables the local Mines to start hiring Child Labor. You watch from the sidelines as Maggie struggles with her Grassroot campaigns and activism in a desperate attempt to create something resembling justice.
Eventually it hurts to watch and you cut yourself off from the outside world all together. What’s the point of even trying anymore?��The city grows more drab, and hopeless. And you feel your soul grow to reflect that.
Not that there’s any point in taking note of that either.
The price of Power B9
The offer is a tempting one. Freeing you from the burdens of your current struggle with no punishment for having attempted it in the first place. People saw you come into the hotel, but you don’t care. Sometimes doing the right thing means doing the hard thing. King’s proof of this enough. You put one in his back hitting him centermass. He crumples over in pain letting out a low groan. While he’s reaching for his own piece you put another in his head. ��The king is dead.��Long live the king.��Without the funding King was offering Denton’s campaign falls apart. You win with little difficulty and are free to start putting the policies in place that will help the citizens of Gumtham flourish. Still, it becomes harder to look at yourself in the mirror, and Maggie grows distant. No matter what she says you know she can see the blood on your hands. The actions you took to secure your victory. Despite being the Hero she believed in you’ve proven you’re really just more of the same deep down.��Sure prosperity may reign for a few years. But it’s really only a matter of time before the streets know the truth again.��The King is dead.��Long live the King.
Campaign Funding BX
Campaign Funding BY