Life in Marin/Ruben Edition

Hey guys, we’re back again with another blog post. Instead of just telling you how progress is going, we decided to have a little fun and tell a little about refugee life in Marin. Believe it or not, we actually spent a lot of time thinking this through. During our discussions about life in Marin (Which usually involved all of us telling each other how wrong everyone else was), we asked ourselves a lot of questions. Questions…. like “How do the refugees get by?” “Where do they live?” “Can they get job?” “Why is Sybil best girl?” and “Can they break away from the other refugees?” Well, we eventually settled on answers to all of these questions, so now that some time has passed and those elements have been flawlessly implemented into the story, we decided to share it with you. So without further ado, here’s some information about the life of the refugees in Marin.

Registration: This one is rather obvious. Regardless of whether they’re an escaped PoW, fled their country, were found half-dead on the battlefield, or were forced from their homes, all refugees must get registered. If they arrive injured and need medical care, it’s the first thing they do when they’re released. Upon registration, refugees are given a bag full basic essential, such as water, toiletries, a map of Marin, a sleeping bag, and tokens (see below). They are then informed of several places they may take refuge at. These places are marked on the their maps and are called “Camps”.

Campsites: When they first started fleeing to Marin there were several designated campsites for both Bahari and Palatian refugees. These campsites became increasingly crowded as time past, and eventually refugees started spreading out to other areas of the town such as the beach, downtown, and even some residential areas.

Because of the tension between their countries, both the Palaitian and Bahari stay in their own camps. Both groups run the camps in slightly different ways, but the basic setup is still the same. For example, all of the campsites are filled with tents that are donated by a non-profit organization. This insures that all refugees have shelter and a place to rest their heads.

But like I said, both groups run their camps in slightly different ways. Both Bahari and Palaitians run their camps in a way that represents their culture. For example, in the country of Rhen-Palait, it’s very common for its citizens to be close to everyone in their specific community. Because of this, Palaitians constantly have gatheings and feasts. This is represented in their camp, as most of the people who in live in the Palaitian camps eat together for every meal. Not only that, but they are encouraged to take part in their community in anyway they can. This can be done by taking shifts and guarding the campsite, setting up tents, or just by taking care of your fellow countrymen.

On the other side of the spectrum, you have the Bahari. The Bahari are traditionally reserved people with a strong sense of independence. Although they care for their fellow citizen, the sense of being and community is lost on them. Everyone is expected to take care of themselves  and not to beg for handouts. Unlike the Palaitian camps, there aren’t constant gatherings or meetings, and no one guards the camp, as each individual is expected to be responsible for their own property.

An example of how a refugee camp may look. Made by an associate of our, Winward Chan
Note: Does not represent in-game appearance

Tokens: Tokens are an essential part of refugee life, as it serves as a form of currency for them. When they arrive in Marin, refugees are given several tokens. This can be used to buy food, water, clothes, bathhouse access, and everything else necessary for survival. Several employers have volunteered to hand out tokens, and they can be earned by taking up temporary jobs around the town , like delivering newspapers, repairing buildings, and setting up tents. Select establishments scattered throughout the town take the tokens as a valid form of currency, but they are mostly used in the market place.

The Marketplace: The market has become one of the busiest places in Marin. Originally  just a regular street, refugees and locals alike have begun to set up booths there. A variety of items are sold at the market place, from spices, to cigarettes, to food. Because of this, more refugees have begun selling items they brought with them from their home countries and have also started growing crops in order to earn more tokens.

Traditional Jobs: While it’s very unlikely to happen, it’s possible for refugees to get traditional jobs. This is very rare, and has only happened a handful of times in Marin. However, unlike the odd jobs that refugees can temporarily get, these jobs pay their workers actual money (That being the official currency of Rhenish-Braque). If a refugee gets a traditional job, it opens a whole new world of possibilities for them, as they could leave their camps and rent homes, makeshift apartments at old motels, and not rely on tokens to feed them or their family.   

Well, that’s about it for this section of the blog for now. I hope this shed some light on a lot of things and will help you get a better understanding of Marin and its inhabitants.

Now that we have that out of the way, it’s time for another side character introduction! The character we have for you today is one of our favorites and is actually pretty important to the story. That character is named Ruben.

Scruffy, collected, and always ahead of the game, Ruben is responsible for finding Vincent and bringing him to Marin. Having fled his country of Rhen-Palait, Ruben came across the carnage of the battle that had taken place while making his way to Marin. Discovering that Vincent was the only survivor, Ruben took the unconscious boy with him, effectively saving his life.

Being in his late 20’s, Ruben serves as Vincent’s surrogate older brother and helps him learn the ins and outs of Marin after he wakes up in the medical tent. While Vincent appreciates all that he’s done for him, Ruben’s personality occasionally gets under his skin, as he rarely takes things seriously and is a bit of a flirt. Regardless of this, Ruben always keep a watchful eye on our protagonist and makes sure he’s always taken care of for some odd reason… But because of his help he’s given him, Ruben could be considered Vincent’s first new friends since coming to Marin.  

Well, that just about does her. But before we scurry back into our cave, we'd like to announce that we're looking for writers and editors. If you're interested in joining the project then please email syonsanteria@yahoo.com and/or editiondevelopment@gmail.com

Anyway, that's all for today. See ya guys later.