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A young scholar presents a paper projecting that, if current birth trends continue unchecked, Betaria will outpace the agricultural capacity of the Rhizel floodplain within three generations. This sparks the “Population Symposium,” a series of open debates and working groups across Citara and Redvale. For a time, some residents suggest a formal child limit—drawing comparisons to policies from the Bad Times.
The idea is publicly debated, then rejected as antithetical to Betarian values. Instead, the response becomes an elegant campaign of proactive cultural shaping:
- Public schooling begins including curriculum on population sustainability and cooperative child-rearing.
- Community celebrations elevate adoptive families and “auntie-uncle” style caretakers.
- A new public position—Community Steward—is created to support childcare, elder care, and education, with prestige and Lem bonuses attached.