A ruler had just ascended the throne, and began to look into the reports of what was going on in the kingdom. They knew some of it, but until their father retired, there was little they could do. Now, they were going to crack down on the mistreatment that so many, like the Tieflings, Kobolds, and other "lesser" races, were receiving at the hands of the authorities of this nation. -- Anon Guest
Being unwelcome is a self-defeating life. One is judged, not on one's own behaviour, but by an imaginary "ideal" that is a conglomeration of all the worst things one's own kind could possibly be capable of. Or, for that matter, what they could impossibly be capable of. They are followed by the Watch, from the moment they enter a citadel, to the moment they leave it. Just in case they commit a crime.
When one is both overcharged and short-changed by "decent folk", reviled, rejected, and refused service: it's only natural to be a bit prickly.
Even the most noble soul could crumble to pieces under that kind of pressure, and the new King Iyrnfest understood that. He was among the rare few. He was not the firstborn heir. Not even the third, as favoured by so many faerie tales. He was fifth in line and expected to be one of the diplomats of a less-favoured ally. As such, he had learned a lot about the so-called "unwelcome peoples".
Iyrnfest had learned more than he was supposed to. By the time one of the "unwelcome" came to his offices, they had an air of exhausted defeat about them. They presumed that they had already lost their last hope. They were shocked, surprised, and astounded to discover someone willing to turn everything upside-down to help them find it again.
He learned a lot about the niggly loopholes of every bylaw and the very legal wording of the letter of the law. A wording that was unfairly balanced in detriment to the "unwelcome" folk.
Orcs, Tieflings, Goblinoids of all kinds, and even Kobolds suffered under such specific legalese.
Now that Iyrnfest was an unexpected King, he could finally do something about the unfair laws. Of course this lead to a hullaballoo amongst the "welcome" sort.
"They'll take our jobs," they screamed. "They'll take our money," they wailed. "They're stealing our women!" And the ever-reliable classic, "They'll write laws that are unfair to us!" Because what a bigot fears most is their own bigotry reflected back on them.
King Iyrnfest was unmoved, and worded every single law to include all intelligent creatures before allowing debate in an open council.
Practice with the slimy verbiage of the assorted legal departments had given him an excellent advantage there, too. Ultimately a King can do as he whist, and even punish people with execution if they object. It's a fine balance between rooting out traitors and a reign of terror, and Iynfest knew it.
Therefore, he created a Protectorate, where all the "unwelcome" were permitted to put down roots, start businesses, and otherwise keep to themselves. Where they were not 'taking' anyone's job, anyone's money, or anyone's women.
Naturally, the very next objection was that they were not becoming a part of the communities around them.
"And how," asked the King, "are they meant to blend in, when you keep throwing them out?"
Three generations is all it took. The first generation sealed themselves in their Protectorate and did very little for or against their neighbours. The second generation played with the children outside, and it was the "welcome" ones who pulled their children away from playing with "that kind."
More than one instance of otherwise forbidden love occurred. More than one instance of formerly-concealed genius arose from otherwise reviled stock.
The third generation were citizens. Some, the product of the forbidden lovers. Finally, they became a part of the greater whole, and the Protectorate didn't need so much protecting, any more. Despite dire predictions to the contrary, the formerly unwelcome populace added to the prosperity of the realm.
And never once did a single one of the "unwelcome" take anything they had not earned in full.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / balabolka]
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