Fantasy Claimants of the Forsaken Lands

[Cosmo]

Claimants of the Forsaken Lands Turn 1
Harvest Season (Fall) Month 1

Harvest season has started in the Forsaken Lands. For most of the realm, this is a time of wealth and prosperity as the farmers start to bring in their yearly harvest. This is when most players will have their highest income and most coin. Harvest Season last through the fall, three turns, and will end once Winter begins. For the majority of you, your income will drop considerably come Winter, make sure you ration and spend well.

Read your intros carefully to discover where your main source of income comes from, what possible dangers exist and consider ways to expand your wealth, expand your influence and expand your reach across these Forsaken Lands for you never know what new dangers the turn of the season shall bring.

[On Buildings, most buildings will not have a set cost. If you have access to a resource that helps with building, say, lumber and you want to make a palisade, you will pay a fraction as much as someone who has to import the lumber because they are in a terrain that lacks large amounts. Generally, the larger the building, the more expensive and longer it'll take. You can pay more by using more laborers or importing material to speed up the process [at increased cost]. You do not have to pay for buildings all in one go. You can set aside a certain amount of coin to be used for a building, and I will tell you, on your next turn, your progress. You can freely build something expensive by throwing 100 gold at it here and there. If you use more coin then is needed, it will be refunded.

Every village, except for Twister's, can be assumed to have a small number of craftsmen buildings needed to keep a village going, ie, seamstress, basic town smithy, a tannery, etc. These buildings allow for the crafting of basic tools, clothing and necessities needed for living.]

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Helbaron

Helbaron, once a relatively quiet village nestled in the rolling foothills near the sand swept mountains, is now a bustle of activity and filled with whispers of a questionable deity. A new religion has been growing within Helbaron based around a strange being made of shadows known as 'Tegbaron' who descended from the heavens to guide them to a better future. Not all believe in this, seeing this 'Tegbaron' as a daemon or false idol come to lead them astray, this discourse has been growing within Helbaron and if swift action is not taken to mend the rift, the small village could be torn apart in the strife of conflict. This rift did not truly appear with Tegbaron, his appearance merely exasperated it. There has always been a rift between the Shepherds and the Farmers, both believing they had a larger claim to the lush farmland of the hills. This resentment had simmered just below the surface since the founding of Helbaron, and now that the farmers had thrown their lot in with the cult and Tegbaron, the rift is now all but unsurmountable.

Even with the undercurrent of resentment, it is a bustling time within Helbaron for not only is it the first month of Harvest Season, but it is also time for the biannual auction. Shepherds throughout the lands of Helbaron bring in their sheep and their saved wool to sell both, the wool and sheep then taken out of the land and into nearby lands or beyond to be sold once again. The new lord, or 'god', of Helbaron should spend their coin wisely as it will be some time before the auction comes around again.

[Once every six turns, you will receive a large amount of money from sheep. You will not gain this wealth again till turn 7 assuming nothing happens to village, the shepherds or their valuable sheep]

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Helbaron Population
418

Cult Members
278 [65% are members of the cult.]

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
100% Human

Taxation
50%

Resource
Sheep

Terrain
Hills

Income
745 Gold, 6 Silver (570 gold is purely from sheep)

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Foalsfort

Foalsfort is less a village and more a collection of tents and primitive shelters made of loose sticks and leaves. As befitting the name, every single person that calls this place home is a child, a refugee from Grand Abbey Orphanage that burnt down not too long ago. Foalsfort lacks any real organization or direction, the children within surviving off a series of gardens started by a particularly bright one of their number and scavenging in the forest. As it is the Harvest Season, the forest is providing enough food and resources to keep them alive, especially when coupled with the bounty of their gardens, but winter is coming and the children lack both sturdy, warm shelter and leadership.

Unlike most other villages in the realm, Foalsfort does not have a 'tax', instead all the children bring what they find to the stash to share... For the most part. There is a small number of children who keep personal, hidden, caches. While they are in a forest abundant in very valuable Ironwood, Foalsfort lacks any real tools to attempt to harvest the trees and its bounty, nor do they have any real means to defend themselves and it is only a matter of time before they are discovered by one of the less savory aspects of the Forsaken Realm.

Foalsfort, the home for the lost children of the Grand Abbey Orphanage, stands on the edge of the abyss. Will they rise up and become a tale of legends or fall and become another sad tale of those lost to this misbegotten land?

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Foalsfort Population
67

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%100 Children

Taxation
Village 95% [Collective]

Resource
Lumber (Ironwood)

Terrain
Forest

Income
21 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 copper

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Icewick

Icewick. What madman would start a village here? A place so high and deep in the mountains that it is covered in snow even in early Fall. The knowledge that winter will come and be much worse sends shivers down the spines of most of the residents, at least, more shivers then the frosty air already adds. The village of 'Icewick' is less a village and more a collection wagons and primitive built shelter to ward off the worst of the cold.. as well as they are able.

The exiled prince of Ironhold, a failed master of ships, a failed master of coin and now a failed navigator. The promises of lush fields has turned to ash in the mouths of all that followed Thesius, and in its place nothing more then ice and rock. Discontent had been growing even before they arrived to this place, but now it has been steadily climbing. The rations brought from Ironhold are quickly depleting and the actions of the hunters are only delaying the inevitable doom of starvation. Already coughs start to wrack the old and the young as sickness begins to worm its way into the young village, something must be done. And it must be done soon.

The knights that accompanied the Prince, along with their destriers, are currently fine, having plenty of fodder for their steeds and taking the majority of what 'good' rations remain. They do not require payment as there is expectation of lands that await them once the realm has been 'settled'... but few of them are eager to own land in this frozen wasteland. The longbowmen are a bit more discontent, eating weak gruel and thin soups, their pay lower then before to stretch out the finances, but for now, they obey.

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Icewick Population
437

Demographic Breakdown:
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
100% Human

Taxation
50%

Resource
Fur

Terrain
Mountain

Revenue
128 Gold, 9 Silver

Upkeep
40 Gold, 5 Silver
(Food, monthly payment, horse care, equipment maintenance)

Income
88 Gold, 4 Silver

Military
8 Knights w/ Warhorses
36 Longbowmen

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Nehekara

Nehekara, the jewel in the desert, or, well, it could be if it survives. The lands that Nehekara were built on were already lived on prior to the arrival of the Anubite to this realm, it was home to the Salters. Not far from Nehekara is a large, flat desert field with numerous wells dug in. These wells go to a deep source of water that is said to be all the way in the Underdark, this underground water has an incredible salt content. The water is pulled from the depths and then spilled into large, carefully maintained stone grooves. As the water evaporates into the hot air, the salt condenses and is left behind for the Salters to gather. This salt is known as 'Forsaken Pink', a highly valuable and pure salt. While such salt is extremely valuable, the Salters, and in turn Nehekara, are at the tail end of a very long distribution chain. The salters make the salt, and then it is bought at cut throat low rates by the 'Salt Mongers', a conglomerate of Caravans, that take the salt to the various ports and mountain passes and out to the world at large where they resell it at high prices. The salters, in the past, have tried to renegotiate, but it has never gone in their favor. The Salt Mongers, stop paying them, and already poor and in need of coin, the Salters tend to quickly fold, any caravans or traders the Salters try to contact, to work around the Salt Mongers, are 'dealt' with by hired mercenaries. If Nehekara is to profit from the salt, something needs to be done.

The Salters make up the majority of the population and while used to being 'second class', it is not a position they enjoy and they feel like 'second class' to the Anubite. The Anubite came to this land, finding the oasis on which Nehekara is built around, and started to make it their home including a small series of farms built around the oasis using the fresh water to grow some more heat tolerant produce. The salters inevitably found themselves working as servants and laborers to the Anubite and it wasn't long before one of the Anubite rose to declare itself the 'leader' and that all had to pay taxes to them. Will the caste system settle? Will something be done about it? Will the Salters take matters into their own hand? Only time can tell.

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Nehekara Population
414

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
40% Anubite/60% Human

Taxation
50%

Resource
Salt Fields

Terrain
Desert

Income
171 Gold, 9 Silver

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LightHome

Nestled deep in the mountains is the small dwarven settlement of LightHome, created for the single purpose of being the site of great discovery, the final resting point of the research expedition from MountainHome. Of course, the whispers of it being nothing more then an exile for an errant son of an errant house continued all the way from MountainHome, the presence of the Disgraced Guard doing little to elevate such whispers as who wants to travel with such honorless brigands? The morale of LightHome is mixed, many see it as a chance at a new beginning, free from the stifling traditions that sought only to hold back the march of progress, of science! Others, especially the servants and laborers, miss their home and see this as being caught up in the fighting of the noble houses and that they are surely to die in the Forsaken Realm as all had done before them, and not only would they die, they'd have to die while enduring the endless positivity of their other half.

Still, happy or not, the dwarves went about their work with the single minded determination and stalwart work ethic that only their kind can do, quickly turning the sport into a small, welcoming settlement. There is enough flat land to have some farms, but not much and many a dwarf pine for the day when they can find some proper tunnels to start making some proper stone bread, and some trees that can serve as lumber. The lumber isn't as much use in trade as it could be as there lacks any major river nearby for them to sail it down stream, the easiest way to move such things, but it provides some profit and building material. The real treasure, as all dwarves know, lies within the mountain. It was here, at LightHome, that iron ore was discovered and it was here that they made their home. Dwarf miners toil and chip away at the mountain, bringing the precious ore back to town where it is sold off to traveling merchants.

However, it is ore that is being sold. LightHome lacks facilities to smelt it down and refine it into proper steel, or even iron ingots, and they certainly lack the proper facilities to turn that steel into proper arms and armor. The iron ore provides some profit, but its hard for any proper dwarf to not look at all that unprocessed iron and feel a bit restless at the possibilities being lost.

[You have one 50 pound keg of blackpowder remaining. This is enough for 400 musket shots. I'll be keeping track so don't worry too much about counting. It cost 75 gold for a single 50 pound keg and 150 for a 100 pound keg. Blackpowder is very expensive!]

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Village Population
429

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 Men and Women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
100% Dwarf

Taxation
50%

Resource
Iron

Terrain
Mountain

Revenue
120 Gold, 2 Silver

Upkeep
32 Gold, 2 silver
(Food, monthly payment, horse care, equipment maintenance)


Income
88 Gold

Military
23 Disgraced Guards

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Azdanur

Azdanur, a pretty little village tucked in the rolling hills near the edge of the Forsaken Realm. The village had escaped notice for most of its existence, and when it hadn't, the inhabitants were wise enough to get help when needed such as from the Order of Silver. With their old saviors and allies lost and in need of a home, and Azdanur more then willing to have constant protection, it was a deal where everyone prospered when they joined hands. While a few people aren't quite as happy to lose their independence as others, especially when they have to start paying 'taxes' to the Order of Silver so they can rebuild, the majority are content with the protection believing this could be the dawn of a new, better, day one where they don't have to tremble in the night.

A little smaller then other villages of its size, Azdanur has its blessings, fertile farmland wraps around the village, weaving in and out of the hills, as the farmers harvest their grains. There is plenty of room and fresh grass for possible future livestock herds and the large hill Azdanur rest on gives it a commanding view of its surroundings, but the true treasure of Azdanur lays just behind it. A large pit goes deep into the ground and it is here that the Aether-Kissed Marble is found. This beautiful white marble has thin silver veins that run through it that almost seem to sparkle and glow when looked at. This rare marble is extremely valuable not only thanks to its beauty but its sensitive to the Aether. Mages find their powers come more naturally to them when binding the strands near them and the marble reacts more readily to enchantment and change. How a village could have such a valuable material and not be a sprawling industrial city? Ignorance and greed.

The peasantry of Azdanur were simply unaware of the marble's worth and the trade caravans that courted it away were none to eager to share that information, in fact, it seems Azdanur has been 'trapped' in a series of binding legal contracts with a few large caravans and trading companies that give them control over the exportation of the uncut and unprocessed marble. If Azdanur is to truly prosper with its rare gift, the contract holders will need to be dealt with, or perhaps, a cunning leader could even find a loophole or grounds for a more favorable renegotiation. If all else fails, what strength do contracts truly have in this forsaken realm?

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Village Population
382

Demographic Breakdown:
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
80% Human/20% Other [Dwarves/Halflings/Other]

Taxation
50%

Resource
Aether-Kissed Marble

Terrain
Hills

Income
166 Gold

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Occiden Marag

The small village of Occiden Marag sits on the shore of the Arling River, the major river running through the Foraken Realm and rest just within the border of the Marlow Forest. The Arling River is a slow flowing river making it ideal for travel, trade and fishing which many of Occiden Marag's residents have taken to. Between it, and the decent number of small farms and farmsteads built around the fertile shores, Occiden Marag is spoiled for food and it is unlikely they will be facing any shortages anytime soon. The local forest lacks any real treasures that have been found so far, a standard assortment of soft and hard woods. Thanks to the river, if the people of Occiden Marag were to make trade partners with villages down the stream, perhaps even the port town of Skallig, they'd be able to float the lumber down the river at much greater profits as, currently, any trade is done overland in one of the few carts they have or is bought by caravans, their large size and weight make such transportation costly and not very profitable.

Hunters and gatherers are finding good hauls within the forest even as Karl the Wanderer patrols its realm, keeping an eye out for any threats. He has found several tracks so far, from wolves, a bear as well as one pair of large tracks he has never seen before, but they do not appear to be heading to the village, but he could follow them if the village felt it was needed. The tensions between Aetherlings and the humans who are not yet part of their faith and culture is low, Ada the Confessor, has done well in keeping the peace between them and is well liked by most people in the village, even those that find the Aetherlings, and the humans who adopted their ways, as odd and off-putting and she is frequently consulted for all manner of ailment and is, seemingly, always happy to help, even in such cases as Old Man Thomas who has shown her the same sore for the ninth time this month.

While there is a lot of room for improvement, especially when it comes to better utilizing the Arling River, life in Occiden Marag is mostly peaceful and flurishing.

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Village Population
400

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
60% Aetherling, 40% Human

Taxation
50%

Resource
Arling River

Terrain
Forest

Income
130 Gold

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Port Zolond

Port Zolond is less a port and more a village with a small 'pier' that is about ten feet long. The name is not for what it is, but for what it could be. A prosperous free port where goods, no matter how illegal, can flow in and out. Where mercenaries, pirates, traders, inventors and rogue mages can find work, give work and cut out a living in a thriving port that is the beating heart of trade for all of the Forsaken Realm. That is what it could be. For now? For now it is a small fishing village that has its fair share of drunk and disorderly. Even before Nym and his Gilded Blades arrived and claimed the village, it had its share of troubles. Its populace was a very diverse group with the person in charge being whomever could afford to pay the three Ogre siblings [Krug, Budge and.. Magdalena] at the time which was most often the wealthiest farmer of Zolond, the Respectable, Honorable, Most Courageous, Halfling Master Theodore Hotpot. This all changed when Nym and the Gilded Blades arrived. Magdalena, exceptionally large and smart, for an Ogre knew better then to try to fight an entire well armed regiment and stood by as they claimed the town, although the trio of ogres still hang around to growl menacingly at whomever comes their way as they await their next employer. Theodore Hotpot still kicks up a small fuss here and there, but mostly, far from the earshot of any of Nym's 'goons'.

Despite the change in leadership, and one that is seemingly cemented, Zolond is still a den of ruffians. Orcs and Half-Orcs get into brawls in the street, to which the Gilded Blades tend to watch and take bets on the victor, only stepping in when it gets out of hand or things of actual value are threatened. Goblins skulk in the shadows, testing wild inventions, stealing whatever isn't nailed down and having a rather nasty habit of pranking the other inhabitants. None of them have gotten brave enough to try to prank their new lord.. Yet. Most of the work in the town comes down to three things: Farmers, Fishermen and Miners. A small series of farms rest outside of Zolond with all of them being owned and worked by humans and halflings, neither one of them seemingly to trust the other denizens to do the work, or simply, preferring to 'keep to their own kind'. What humans aren't farmers, join the goblins and some other races in fishing the shallows of the ocean, they don't catch anything truly noteworthy, but the fish and occasional shell fish do help to keep the town fed even if the constant smell of rotting fish can be nauseating to those not used to it.

The last work is the hardest and tends to fall upon the poorest of the town, which also happens to be the Orcs and Half-Orcs, which work the quarry pit just beyond the village's crest. This quarry is filled with limestone, a strong, sturdy stone that doesn't hold a lot of material value, as it can be difficult to transport large distances, but is great for building. Some profit is made selling the quarried and cut bricks over land, as well as to a few merchant ships that stop by now and then, but the pay is low and the work is hard. Still, if there was any work needed to be done in stone, they have more then enough to go around.

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Village Population
412

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
40% Human
35% Orc/Half-Orc
10% Goblin
9% Other
5% Halfling
1% Ogre

Taxation
50%

Resource
Limestone

Terrain
Coastal

Revenue
126 Gold, 6 Silver

Upkeep
42 Gold
(You only pay them wages, Mercs buy their own food and pay their own equipment maintenance)

Income
84 Gold, 6 Silver

Military
42 Gilded Blades

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Nova Empearal

Nova Empearal, a beautiful name for the small village tucked in the mountains. The village rest in the gully of the great Cloud Spire mountain, a truly massive mountain that seems to pierce the sky and is the largest mountain of the sandswept range. When the morning light hits it, the mountain seems to glow with an ethereal, almost heavenly, light. It is said that, in the Age of Gods, the Goddess of Light, herself, liked to visit and stay at this mountain along with her heavenly host. If this is true or not has been lost to history, but every villager likes to believe this is the case and it is hard not to be overwhelm with its beauty whenever the light hits the rocks just right. The village of Nova Empearal is a peaceful one that has, so far, avoided attention from monster or bandit, there isn't much farmland around, and what little there is, goes mostly to feeding the people along with what game can be found in the wilds. A few of its citizens take to the clusters of trees to have lumber, but the selling of lumber doesn't make anyone much wealth as they lack any means to easily transport the heavy goods, so a lot of it gets used for fires and building. The true worth of Nova Empearal is in the silver. Discovered when the village was founded, the silver vein has been a gift from the gods, the rare, and valuable, ore letting the village prosper even if the work, itself, is back breaking.

The mining of silver is very valuable, but Nova Empearal lacks any means to refine it into ingots, much less, refine it into more valuable commodities like fine jewelry, or even, the very brave whisper, coins. To make coins would bring great wealth, but coinage tends to be a signal of rulership, of ownership, and to create coins cast by the village would be to issue a challenge to all around, including the neighboring kingdoms, and so remains a pipe dream or drunken rant of the more boisterous citizen. Still, the silver of the mountain holds so much promise that has yet to be tapped... And so much danger. Nova Empearal has managed to escape notice through sheer luck, the caravans that come to gather the silver doing a decent job at keeping where they got it hidden, having no desire to lose their source and have to renegotiate existing contracts or deals, but it is only a matter of time before people find out there is silver to be had up here and such wealth will attract many undesirables, bandits, mercenaries, rival aspiring claimants and.. darker things.

Nova Empearal plays a dangerous game, can it push its silver resource to its fullest potential? Will others came to take what they have especially if they learn how defenseless the village is? Hard to say, Nova Empearal could just be another failed settlement in the Forsaken Lands or it could become something truly special as befitting the beauty of their home.

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Village Population
418

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
90% Humans, 10% Other

Taxation
50%

Resource
Silver

Terrain
Mountains

Income
198 Gold, 2 Silver​

 

[CaptainSully]

Arakis​

• Post
• Stats
• Spells
• Magic Items
• Background

• 
  New Beginnings
  
  The sands of fate had turned against Arakis and his followers, manipulated by the jealously of those who longed for his position and power. Yet, even after the darkest of turns the former Archpriest had managed to start something with the potential to be truly amazing.
  
  Before him in his humble, sandstone home stood one of his dearest friends, Amun. He had formerly been a farmer but his excellence in cookery earned him a spot among Arakis' household. He knew the former Archpriest better than most and he knew that what had happened on that fateful night was not by his hands. That is why he followed him across the scorched desert to begin anew.
  
  "The construction goes well," Amun said with a nod. "We don't expect any delays in getting the school built."
  
  Arakis stared out from his window across the village he had created. Several small buildings, a smattering of homes and then the fields. It was a far cry from his old home but it was a wonderfully humble beginning.
  
  "That is most excellent news," Arakis said, turning to present Amun a smile. "We are in your debt Amun, me so more than most."
  
  Amun scoffed loudly and let out a laugh soon after.
  
  "Forgive me for laughing but you still say the funniest things," he replied as he approached the table between them with a most solemn tone. "You owe me and the others nothing. We could have stayed but we all chose to follow you because we know who you truly are."
  
  Arakis couldn't hide the smile as he nodded gently in gratitude for his words.
  
  "Thank you Amun. Please...pass my thanks to the farmers, I need to attend to some important matters but I will visit the construction as soon as I can."
  
  Amun bowed before bidding farewell, leaving Arakis deep in thought.
  
  It wasn't long until there was a knock at the door, emerging from behind it was a small group of humans who sheepishly entered.
  
  "Ah...welcome. Please be seated everyone," Arakis instructed, "we have much to discuss."
  
  
  Actions

  Action 1
  ☥School of Magi | A place primarily used for learning and developing magical prowess, but is also being used to identify any individuals with magic potential - 50 Gold
  
  Action 2
  ☥Meet with Humans | Arrange a meeting with the leaders of the humans in Nehekara to discuss the current living arrangements and the Salt Mongers.
• Current Stats
  
  
  Wounds - 14/14
  
  
  Fate - 3/3
  
  
  Magic Power

  3
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Weapon Skill

  25
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Ballistic Skill

  25
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Strength

  26
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Toughness

  42
  ☥No Modifier
  
  
  
  Agility

  27
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Intelligence

  50
  ☥Primary
  
  
  
  Perception

  45
  ☥Primary
  
  
  
  Willpower

  49
  ☥Primary
  
  
  
  Fellowship

  16
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
• Core Spells
  
  
  Glowing Light

  CV | 3
  ☥Can cause any item in your grasp to glow with the light of a lantern for one hour or until you let it go.
  
  
  Sounds

  CV | 4
  ☥Create a phantom noise with volume ranging from a whisper to a roar. You can choose the type of noise and the volume, the spell can reproduce any noise but speech. The noise can last 10 seconds.
  
  
  Drop

  CV | 4
  ☥Compel a target to drop whatever they are holding. The subject can resist it with a Will Power test
  
  
  Marsh Lights

  CV | 6
  ☥Create a number of distant lights that could be mistaken for torches or lanterns. They can be sent off in any direction [within 100 yards], they disappear into nothingness if they go past your line of sight. Concentration Spell: You may not cast any other spells while Marsh Lights is active.
  
  
  Magic Dart

  CV | 6
  ☥Bolt of magical force with a range of 16 yards. Damage 3.
  
  
  Sleep

  CV | 6
  ☥Your touch causes an enemy to fall into a slumber for 1d10 rounds unless a successful Will Power test is made. This is a touch spell [must pass a Weapon Skill test].
  
  
  Aethyric Armour

  CV | 5
  ☥Weave the strands of the aether into an invisible barrier to shield yourself. Gain number of armor points equal to the magic power used to cast it for 6 rounds. This cannot be used with actual armor and putting on armor will cause this effect to immediately end
  
  
  Blessed Weapon

  CV | 6
  ☥Can enchant one melee, thrown weapon, or ammunition [up to 5 shots]. These items gain no direct combat bonuses but do count as magical making them very useful against ghost and other ethereal targets. Last 1 hour.
  
  
  Magic Lock

  CV | 7
  ☥Enchant one lock or bolt that you can touch for 1 week. This magic lock cannot be picked or forced open during this time. [Beware, the item, itself, can be broken. A magically locked door can still be smashed apart, etc].
  
  
  Magic Alarm

  CV | 8
  ☥Create a silent alarm on one spot you touch. If a creature comes within 2 yards, you will be mentally alerted instantly no matter how far you are. This will wake you up if sleeping. It provides no identity of who tripped it, only that someone has. You can only have 1 magic alarm at any time. Last until triggered or you cast another.
  
  
  Heaven
  
  
  Starshine

  CV | 22
  ☥You call down the light of the stars [Can be used in daytime or indoors], the area is illuminated by soft light that reveals all that is hidden. Any darkness, magical or mundane, is banished, the invisible is made visible, hidden or disguised characters are exposed and secret areas (doors, chambers, etc) are revealed. Starshine last for 1 week.
  
  
  Greater Portent of Amul

  CV | 18
  ☥You read signs and divine clues about what the future holds. For the next 24 hours, you gain two rerolls that you may use for whatever you wish. Unlike Portent of Amul, you may use these rerolls to force your opponent to reroll as well. You may not gain more rerolls from this spell until both have been used or expired.
  
  
  Life
  
  
  Father of Thorns

  CV | 14
  ☥You cause thorns and briars to burst from the naked earth with 48 yards in a wall. Anyone within the area who tries to move through takes a Damage 4 (D10+4) hit. You, and only you, are not effected within this area. The thorns and briars retreat back into the earth after a number of rounds equal to the power dice used to cast.
  
  
  Woodshape

  CV | 16
  ☥You allow a willing creature to take the shape of a tree. The type of tree depends on the character of the individual, a melancholic person may transform into a weeping willow while an evil being may turn into a black oak. The target maintains the form of a tree for as long as they wish and may voluntarily end it at any time. While in tree form, the creature can see and hear as normal and may communicate with you, or other trees.
  
  
  Illusion
  
  
  Pot of Despair

  CV | 24
  ☥You conjure a black pit within line of sight that has a 24 yard radius. All enemies within believe they are plunging to their death in a bottomless chasm, screaming in terror all the while. They must pass a Will Power test to resist this effect, those that fail are considered Helpless but may take another test each turn. Pit of Despair last the number of rounds as the power dice used. [Helpless opponents may not defend themselves and so are hit automatically in combat. All damage rolls are maxed against Helpless foes].
  
  
  Doppelganger

  CV | 18
  ☥You create a perfect copy of yourself anywhere within line of sight. You can hear and speak through this shadow version of yourself, it can freely move anywhere within your line of sight and you may cast through this illusion. Enemy must pass a Perception Test to decipher its true nature. Illusion last for D10+Power Dice Used.
  
  
  
  
• Magic Items
  
  
  Staff of Inhotok

  Bound Spell | Greater Portent of Amul
  ☥Impact | When rolling for melee damage, roll 2d10 and pick the best.
  ☥Slow | Opponents get +10% to parry or dodge blows from this weapon.
  ☥Magical | Magical weapons will never break [outside of the most extreme circumstance] and can hit ethereal units.
  ☥Spell Storage | You may store a spell within the staff that has a Casting Value of 20 or less. This spell will last forever or until a new spell is stored within. You may unleash the spell within as a free action [which could allow you to cast twice in a round], once unleashed, the staff has a game turn recharge until that spell can be used again.
  ☥Untapped Potential | Magic swirls in this staff, its essence eluding you. It holds some secret or potency it has not yet revealed.
  
  
• 
  Character Details
  
  Age: 173 years
  
  Race:
  Anubite - Long-lived bipedal creatures whose appearance is far more intimidating than their demeanor.
  
  Personality:
  A solemn being who has been wronged and as a result is slowly being eaten away by the urge for revenge. He battles the growing darkness daily, trying to remain on the path that he knows is just and true. He wants to continue to be a role model and benevolent leader to his people.
  
  Skills:
  Magic - A key facet of the Archpriest's role is to master the use of magic. Over a century of practice has led to some semblance of skill. He has the capability to use most forms but has a particular penchant for the Heavens, Life and Illusions [Shadow & Heavens] styles of magic.
  
  Potions and Poisoncraft - Sometimes magic needs to make way for more physical means. Archpriest's pass on the knowledge of potions and poisons, meaning they can create cures as effectively as they can develop toxins.
  
  Equipment/Personal Possessions:
  Archpriest Staff - Equal parts status symbol and polearm, it is a tribute to the God of God's, Inhotok, leader of the Khemrian pantheon.
  
  Assorted crafting items - An assortment of items to be used in the creation of potions and poisons.
  
  Past/Current Profession: Archpriest to the Pharoah
  
  Family:
  His entire family was executed on the night Khaemt turned his world upside down.
  
  History:
  Arakis spent the first twenty years of his life learning the way of the priests. He was born under the blood moon and due to custom was believed to be the next Archpriest as chosen by the gods themselves. He was no more than a standard priest until his forty sixth year when the previous Archpriest died after a long, complicated illness. At this moment Arakis felt his entire world change.
  
  He would spend the next one hundred years taking care of the royal family and social elites. Fine tuning his magic to protect them, his potion skills to heal them and poison craft to defeat their foes. He was adored by all but a few and it was they that would see to his downfall.
  
  Arakis awoke in a pool of blood, surrounded by the corpses of the Pharoah and his wife. The chill cries of his only child, Amuhn, roused Arakis from his slumber. His head was blurred and the previous twenty four hours non-existent in his memory. The footsteps of guards charging towards him echoed through the ornate corridors of the palace, he had to run.
  
  As he fled he spotted a lone priest leant against a pillar nonchalantly, a smile forming as he watched Arakis running. Khaemt raised a hand and waved sarcastically for a moment before pointing towards Arakis. He yelled out, "Guards! Guards! The Archpriest has slain the Pharaoh!"
  
  For the rest of that night Arakis did what he could to avoid capture, eventually finding himself in the deep desert. Along the way he had managed to find some of his attendants but they were nothing more than cooks or handmaidens.
  
  After walking for two nights and one day the group found an oasis not far from the River Osht. It was here that Arakis would found Nehekara.
  
  Village Name:
  Nehekara - A village of small size that sits next to a lush oasis.
  
  Desired Starting Terrain: Desert
  
  Retinue/Unique Perk:
  A small group of faithful and trusting attendants followed Arakis as he fled Khemri. They range from cooks to handmaiden's, servants to initiate priests. He does retain the magical item of his former position, the Staff of Inhotok.
  

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

Pilgrim-robed
heart on a journey
becomes quiet.
​

Irving sat along the riverbed. Distant from the village, he was met with tranquility. The sun kissed his skin with its intimate warmth. He gazed into the river and observed its flow. Down and down the water rolled, along the bank of the Arling River. So silent were these lands that one could almost forget how deadly they were. The Aetherlings had made much progress. They had undergone a long journey to reach these lands and even here, danger potentially lay in every corner. So far, they had been blessed. They had found this piece of fertile ground near a river, surrounded by trees. The river and the forest provided plentiful bounty. Yet, there was still much to do. They would be well fed, but could they produce enough food to store and save for the winter? Irving knew that they would have to build additional root cellars and granaries to make sure that they would have enough food stocked. Yet, to build they would need much lumber to build with. The forest provided plenty, but it was labor intensive. Simply shaping felled trees was a time consuming ordeal in itself. Additional steps had to be taken to improve efficiency of the village's lumber production. Why spend their limited manual labor when before him... Irving could simply witness the infinite strength of the river spirit. Yes, the river flowed slowly, yet it never stopped. The water could be harnessed to further help the village.

A twig snapped behind Irving. He called out "Hail, Lady Ada. I thank thee for promptly answering my call. Come, join me." as he dipped his hand into the river to feel the water gently press against his fingers. Ada the Confessor walked out of the foliage and gently sat upon the ground next to Irving. "Hark, the river spirit graces us with its wisdom and bounty." Ada said as she watched Irving seemingly play with the water. Irving smiled and replied "We are blessed." as he looked at Ada only to see a man silently approaching from behind her. "Ahh, Karl. You have arrived as well. Come, come... let us begin the council." Karl silently walked up to the others, but instead of taking a seat proceeded to find a nearby tree to lean upon and stay on his feet instead. Irving cleared his throat and said "I have summoned you both today to discuss our plans. We have finally established a stable village, yet it is far from safe or prosperous. While we did not come to make riches, we must obtain the means to continue our sacred quest. Knowledge, magic, and special talent are not cheap goods that can be purchased at discount."

Irving continued "Thus, we must continue to grow our humble settlement. I plan to lead our people in the raising of a watermill to help us process felled trees quicker into useable lumber and timber. We will need those materials to build our settlement and establish bountiful warehouses and granaries. Further... we will have to think about the future. While it would be a convenience to build ships and attempt to establish trade with those down the river... These lands are not without danger. We may want to consider building a wooden palisade or wall around the settlement. In addition... it would be prudent to train all able bodied men to be able to take up arms and serve as a militia if needed in emergencies. Karl, you mentioned seeing large prints that you do not recognize? These lands are likely filled with strange and potentially dangerous creatures. We must remain vigilant."

Karl grunted in agreement and gave a quick nod. Irving then spoke "Karl, I will entrust thee with picking some of the most capable hunters of our village and going out on a patrol around our lands and scout. We must be certain that we are not under imminent threat, and learn what more lies in the lands around us. We would be fools to blindly walk into the wild." Irving looked to Ada and said "Lady Ada, I will ask you to join me and our craftsman in building water mills. More efficient labor will be crucial for us to obtain both the time and resources to continue exploring for the solution to the Maelstorm." Lady Ada replied "While I am not formally trained in the matters of architects, I am well learned in the maths and do what I can to help the people." Irving smiled and rose from his seat. "Let us proceed, then. The spirits are not the ones to favor the idle and lazy."

---

Actions:

1. Scouting/Exploration of the lands around/nearby the village

2. Construction of various watermills to process things like logs, grains, etc. quicker and more efficiently (50 Gold)

 

[Kent]

Nova Empearal

Spoiler: Details

Village Population
418

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
90% Humans, 10% Other

Taxation
50%

Resource
Silver

Terrain
Mountains

Gold Reserve:
65 Gold, 2 Silver

Araquiel was sitting under the tree as day broke and the ethereal light of the mountain shone on the surroundings. He hummed a song that he used to sing in the 5th mountain as well as dreaming of what was to come. His future, the future of the village, and his people.

The situation back in the village was peaceful, but it wouldn't last for long. The silver, a blessing by the Gods as the villagers say, is at the same time a curse due to their weakness. They do not have the power to claim it for themselves, at least for now. Sooner or later, the situation will turn bad, outsiders will discover the presence of the mine and wish to claim it for themselves.

The humming stopped and Araquiel opened his eyes, his golden iris matching the golden light from the mountains. "And so I must act."

He stood up and looked at the skies and sneered, his angelic aura of innocence completely disappearing and replaced with scorn. "I will brave through all the trials and one day, you will kneel before me, mother. Living as a mortal for years has given me more wisdom than centuries of living in the Seven Mountains. I was naive, but not anymore."

Actions:
Order 1: Creation of Paper Charms

Spoiler: Order Details

9 Barrier Paper Charms are created.
4x 1 Week Charms - 40 Gold
3x 1 Hour Charms - 15 Gold
2x 1 Month Charm - 40 Gold
Total Expense: 95 Gold

Order 2: Talk with the Caravan Leaders
Total Expense: 40 Gold
​

 

[Crocodile]

Port Zolond
​

---

Nym sat in his office regarding the map of the settlement he'd had made to consider courses of action. He'd moved in quickly to assert power with his private little force of sellswords. The Gilded Blades were reliable and well trained, considering the effort he'd invested into hiring them in the first place. It was time to put them to use and perhaps keep them a little preoccupied as he worked his skills to convert the little village into a future trade hub. The first order of business was to know about the surrounding area so as to better respond to issues.

The major issue right now was to make sure the Gilded Blades and others might put more money into his coffers. He had one of the local stone masons working up plans for an extensive tavern to be build called The Last Gasp, its sign to be a skull with playing cards for teeth and dice in the eye sockets set to 1 and 6 to show all fortunes were welcomed there. He hoped to recoup lost pay from his mercenaries while also getting money from the locals and visitors. It would also give a little more business to the local fishers and farmers due to the need for food. Drink would have to be imported but that was just a cost of doing business until they could get a brewery going.

He muses to himself, thinking he'd have the pleasure workers organize and appoint a leader amongst themselves. Happy workers made things easier and would be encouraged to extract secrets from those they did business with. Flesh was good business but knowledge was too even if it might just be a warning to head off some trouble. He needed to exert control over the town but being iron fisted was costly and troublesome. Better to be insidious and become too necessary for the village to function by being the major owner or investor in all successful businesses he could.​

---

Actions
1. Explore the areas around Port Zolond and its its outlying lands.
2. Build The Last Gasp: Stone tavern of good quality sized for local, sailor and trader business. Gambling hall and Bordello with food and entertainment. (50 Gold)​

 

[Trektek]

Logrim BlazingHand

Turn 1

It was to become the place of vast discovery. LightHome was to be a beacon of Scientific and Magical Discovery. A combination of Runecraft with the ingenuity of Dwarven technology. Already it was something that he, Prince Logrim sought to bring forth to all the people. Not just Dwarvenkind. Though of course they would get to be its first recipients.

He would make sure that those under his care would receive the benefits of what they were trying to do and so that they could see what he had to offer. He wished for all of them to be stronger for it. To have the freedom to act in a way that would give them the most ability to perform at their best.

Some called this outpost a “soft exile” that sort of thinking was preposterous. Was it an exile to be given resources and a contingent of fine warriors from across the Dwarven Lands and sent to the Forsaken Lands to improve quality of life there? Logrim didn’t think so. After all, the first Dwarves to settle the Forsaken Lands could easily shift the balance of power within the world. And he was going to be the cause.

This would benefit all that came along. The Science would prove well worth it.

Logbook of Dwarven Miner, Boron

Day 5

“We struck into the mountain today and found the Iron Ore. It be a proper MountainHome now. They be calling it LightHome. That we be spreading the Light to the Forsaken Lands. But what do I care about that? I be a Miner, littered in the dark.”

Day 7

“Lots of Iron Ore in this Mountain. It be an even better pick than me and the boys thought. Once we get a proper Dwarven Brew set up, we’ll have to celebrate. It be a good mining location that we’ll have for a while.”

Day 10

“The boys be telling ghost stories of a previous expedition into the Forsaken Lands. The Dwarves there were swallowed up be some creature called the SoulStealer. That they Dug Too Deep. Bah! Like I be believing such nonsense. All the same, I be keeping me holy symbol of Dwager close by.”

Plans coming Together

Logrim stood pacing around a table. His Uncle Hazzim thumped a heavy hammer on the table.

“Laddie. You can’t keep waffling on this matter. Iffin we don’t be having a way to smelter the Iron Ore, it’ll go to waste. And all of your technological experiments will be for naught. Plus….”

He watched as Logrim ceased pacing and crossed his arms over his chest, the young man almost pouting.

“.....It’ll be not only a better show of wealth, but also raise morale in the town. There are many that are saddened with their current lot out in these Forsaken Lands.”

Logrim waved a dismissive arm. “And there are many that are happy to be out of the stifling grip of Traditional Dwarven Values that slowed down progress and crushed the fun out of life, Uncle.”

Hazzim Smirked. “Aye, Laddie. You’re not wrong there. But a Smelter station would allow everything to improve for the better.”

The Prince released his arms from across his chest and started fiddling with the rifle at his back. “Aye Uncle. You’re not wrong. Very well. We shall begin construction of a Smelter facility. And in order to raise spirits, open up a new tunnel for Stone Bread Creation.”

Hazzim gave a deep bow. “It shall be done, my Prince.”

He gave a wink before heading off to follow the orders.

“We shall get this place fully up and running yet. And when my father hears of this, he will show great pride. I just know it.

Actions:

Action 1: Spend 50 Gold to Build a Smelter and Refining Facility

Action 2: Spent 20 Gold to open up a few new tunnels for creation of Stone Bread and other Tunnel Based Food products​

 

[Dest]

Azdanur​

---

'A thousand curses upon these blasted greedy merchants,' Kaiden scowled, listening to the report from one of the villagers about the village's current affairs. "You have done well to inform me of our standings Berius, go now to your wife and child and have some rest before the workday begins anew."

"By your leave," the human is quick to leave, eager to see his family after a long day toiling in the fields.

"Gideon, remind me why I agreed to lead this village again?" Kaiden turns to his companion in the room, not at all surprised to see the giant of a man just barely awake. Truly, the man could train others like no one Kaiden had ever met but he was unable to sit through any kind of meeting and pay attention.

"Because our order is down to me, you, and Alice. The rest are either trainees who aren't worth a thing in a fight or dead," the normally cheerful man's face darkened a bit, but he was quick to smile once more. "Take heart though, for now that we have our place here, we can truly call ourselves an order of fair knights!"

"So you say my friend, but I would hardly call this village the like of some of the castles and strongholds that other orders can claim as their own."

"Then we will simply have to make it as such my friend! Now come, let us walk the village and see if we can't find a place for a training field, perhaps you will even clear your head enough to figure out a way out of these contracts we appear to be under!"​

---

Actions
1. Establish a training ground so that a basic militia might be trained
"You call that fighting? I'll show you fighting!"

2. Examine the contracts that the village is under in order to attempt to find a loophole
"You're born. You suffer. You die. Fortunately, there's a loophole." -Billy Graham

Village Population
382

Demographic Breakdown:
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
80% Human/20% Other [Dwarves/Halflings/Other]

Taxation
50%

Resource
Aether-Kissed Marble

Terrain
Hills

Income
166 Gold​

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

Tegbaron
"And so a journey starts"
​

So a little experiment may have landed old Tegbaron in his current situation one that the shadeling regretted immensely, but he was here now and he had people who looked up to him sure they where fairly cultist but when you resembles the "Master" so much and crashed into their church even Tegboran had to admit he very much would have through the same in there shoes, right now he had bigger less philosophical fish to fry. The locals where prideful of their professions sheep and farming, both with their idea of who should own the land frankly Tegboran hopped he could get them to work together the village would be stronger economically with both parties at least not in an antagonistic relationship, the farmers had already thrown their support behind him however that was a good thing it meant people would ve able to eat. But afford other things... unlikely without the support of the Shepard's,


Action: speak with both shepard and farmers to assess their concerns properly

Spend 200 gold on improving town general inferstructure and conditions

 

[Twist]

CƎNSUS

Foalsfort Population
67

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%100 Children

Taxation
Village 95% [Collective]

Main Export
Lumber (Ironwood)

Land
Forest

Income
21 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 copper

Demitri tossed and turned in his slumber, the first rays of the Sun shining through the numerous gaps and hollows of his twiggy tent. Rolling to the side, the young lads attempt to catch some much needed sleep was thwarted, his leafy mat affording little protection as a rock grazed his forehead. Instinctually he shot up, eyes wide open as he let out a pained grunt.

"You okay in there?"

Demitri rubbed the small nick on his head, as a fair haired, fair skinned face poked through the door. "I'm fine, Adam" Demitri answered, glancing up at his friend

The same age as Demitri, Adam was a few inches taller than him, with lanky arms and legs and an unruly mop of hair on his head. Always happy and chipper, Adam had seemingly taken to their new circumstances remarkably well, walking around the camp half naked all the time with a big smile on his face. "Great. Guess I can come in then now that your up and all."

Without hesitation, Adam entered the tent, forcing Demitri to scoot backwards in the sticky shelter, the enclosed space having barely enough room for the two of them. Inches away from each other, Demitri couldn't help but notice his friends quickly growing muscles. With broad shoulders and a strong chin, Adam would surely grow up into a handsome man. Demitri wasn't too sure he would grow up in the same way. With a square face, long hair and some stubborn puppy fat Demitri still had some growing to do.

If they survived that long.

With the Grand Abbey Orphanage, the only home they ever known, gone in a terrifying inferno, alongside the pious nuns and monks that has served as the guardians, the helpless children had been left to fend for themselves in this Forsaken Land. With it being almost a month with no sign of rescue, their hopes of survival were quickly dimming.

Demitri rubbed the sleep from his sullen, sagging eyes as Adam spoke to him.

"Marta wants to see us" he said, Adam's eyes twinkling.

Demitri's hand dropped from his eyes, hanging limply. "Really?!"

The crush of nearly every boy in the Orphanage, including Demitri, Marta was the nicest and kindest person you could ever meet. Willing to do anything for anyone, Marta had helped nearly every child at one point or another, even helping the Sisters to raise some of the younger ones, back in the Abbey. She was also really pretty....

"No lie?" asked Demitri.

Adam leant back in mock offence, hand to his chest. "I was raised in the Abbey same as you so you should know lying is a Sin."

Demitri looked at him, questioningly.

"Fine. I swear by her Immaculateness"

"Then we better be going then." exclaimed Demitri, jumping to his feet, his shabby shelter shaking as it almost came down round their ears.

Adam slid out backwards as Demitri hurried out, taken off after his friend who had already quickly got to his feet.

Seeing a steadily growing amount of children as they neared their meeting place with Marta, Demitri's thoughts of this being a private meeting quickly vanished. With the crowd thickening with every step, Demitri could hear the raised voices of some of the children. By the sounds of it, the situation was starting to heat up.

Following Adam as he pushed through the crowd, Demitri's heart skipped a beat as he saw Marta's face light up as she waved at him. Standing on top a log in a small clearing, she jumped down at the boys approach, grabbing the hem of her skirt as she walked over. With her deep green skin, and rich earthy coloured hair, the half Orc, Marta seemed made for the forest despite her ancestors mountainous origins.

"Morning Demitri" beamed Marta.

Without hesitation or inquiry, she began to groom Demitri like a doting mother, dusting down his raggy brown tunics and pants. Demitri cheeks went red in embarrassment at her fussing but he wasn't going to say no to such attention.

"I appreciate you bringing him Adam." she thanked, pulling a twig from Demitri's long hair. Noticing his cut, she tutted and licked her thumb, wiping it over the wound. "I'll have a look at that later" she stated. "After the meeting"

"What meeting?" asked a confused Adam, as he ran his fingers through his own hair.

Busy with Demitri, Marta didn't reply to the question, giving Demitri one last look over instead. Happy, she turned on her heel, and spoke to the anxious crowd from atop the log.

"Boy's settle down! Please!" Marta shouted.

From the clearing Demitri could see two lads, one big and one small and only slightly younger than him, close to a shoving match. "I agree that these problems need sorting but unless we have one clear voice and a focused direction, we won't get anywhere" She looked at the crowd "What we need is a leader!"

"And I suppose your going to be leader" snapped one of the fighting boys. Short and squat, the lad seemed to compensate with a big mouth.

"No." calmly stated Marta. "I suggest a vote"

"What's a vote" squeaked a girl no more than eight years of age, with strawberry blonde hair and freckles on her cheeks.

"It's an important process, where you choose someone you think would make a good leader. Someone like Father Tate from the Abbey, but you can pick this time." answered Marta, warmly

There was a murmur from the crowd. "Sounds fair" chimed Adam

"I suggest we choose people with experience and knowledge. People we think could really help us set a good foundation for our camp."

"Can't we just wait until we get rescued?" asked one of the children

There was another murmur from the group. "Well we can't be certain when that is, and as Tlitos and Neeso mentioned we have certain issues that need addressing right away. With a strong and fair leader we can do that. And by having a vote we know that everyone had a voice in choosing one."

Everyone looked at one another and nodded, Marta's speech seemingly settling the issue. "I'll cast the first vote. And I choose Demitri."

With everyone turning to him as Marta pointed him out, Demitri could only look on wide eyed "Wha..." he stuttered

"He's calm, collected and intelligent. And he has experience working in the township as a stable hand."

"What's a stable hand?" asked the same little girl from earlier.

There was a twinkle in Marta's eye as she heard the question, as if hoping someone would ask "He worked with horses."

The little girl stared at Demitri, jaw agape. Looking out through crowd, a lot of other young girls seemed to have the same reaction.

Uh oh

"If you think Demitri would make a good leader please raise your hand." asked Marta

Demitri's stomach dropped as hands began to raise.

​

Turn Actions:
A vote, mainly a show of hands, will be held to determine leadership of Foalsfort. Residents knowledge in both useful and essential crafts and occupations will be discussed in the hopes of forming a reputable town council.

Spoiler: The Vote

Demitri is guaranteed to win, it just depends on how good the margin is. What I'm thinking is roll a d100 to determine how much of the vote Demitri actually gets, e.g a roll of 30 is 30% of the vote, 50 is 50% etc. with certain buffs or negatives applied depending on the result. If possible, could I use a Fate reroll if the number's a bit low?

General Tools will be made with applicable craftsman knowledge. If possible, tools will be granted specialisations in noted crafts e.g (Gardening/Husbandry etc.)

 

[Charlie12520]

In the Frozen Wastes



Thesius wondered whether the sour liquid in his goblet was wine or piss, before deciding that it was probably vomit. He drank deeply. If I closed my eyes, I could be tasting sweet Albanese in a glassy solar, he thought. Instead, he was here in a ripped pavilion with his buttocks scraping up freezing dirt and his head cradled between two large barrels. The drink did not taste good, but anything was better than sobriety. I wonder what my father would think if he saw me now and knew what I had done. Laugh? Thesius quickly took another sip. The homing birds had all died from the cold, so no one could inform his father of what happened. As if I would ever let them do that. Regardless, it was more comfortable to lie here and do nothing than to face his men. They are my men, though. My responsibility. My fault. They had all trusted him, and he had led them straight into death.

Thesius had begun to drink before his men had halted the wagons and built his pavilion, and he had not stopped since. Has it been a day? A week? A year? Thesius could not tell. All he knew was that they had left Ironhold in the summer, so winter must be coming soon. When that time comes… they were all going to die. And my men know it, too. At first, he had heard people shouting, but they were all quiet now. They are waiting for the cold to deliver their sweet fates, just like me. No one had bothered to check on him. In fact, all his men could be dead already. Or they could’ve ditched him to continue on in the knee-high snow.

All except one. The pavilion's entrance flipped open, letting in a gust of freezing wind. In stepped a man with a kind-looking face marked by wrinkles, a messy beard, and a frown. He was dressed in several leather tunics, each layered on top of each other. They were lined with fur pelts of varying sizes, sewn awkwardly onto the arms and legs.

“... Remus?” Thesius could not believe what he was seeing. “Where is your armor?”

“Too cold for that. Unless you want to freeze me and eat me later, like some of the longbows are saying.” Remus said. He stepped in and closed the pavilion’s flap. “You smell like shit.”

“Pardon me, my old friend. I was just about to take a steaming bath.” Thesius replied. A bout of laughter burst from his lips. Where did that come from? But Remus did not even smile.

“Faron and Valentus are running things. They’ve tucked us between two hillsides and arranged the wagons and pavilions close together, to protect from the wind. Hunters have been sent to collect all the meat and fur they can before the animals migrate down the mountains for winter.” Remus glanced at Thesius’ barrels before scanning him up and down. “We have provisions for perhaps a fortnight or two right now, more with rationing. Perhaps it will be enough to make it through the mountains.”

As long as you don’t ration my wine. “Do whatever you like, Remus. But please, come and have a drink first.” Thesius raised his goblet. Some of the wine splashed and stained his cloak.

Remus didn’t seem to hear him. “When we stopped, Faron and Valentus argued constantly. Faron wanted to take our chances and push onwards, before winter comes. Valentus said we should cut our losses and turn back. Faron called Valentus a coward and said that a true fighter would press on, and then they would continue shouting. Now, both of them sulk quietly, consolidating power. Most of the camp supports Valentus, but Faron is your second-in-command and controls the military. But our support wavers as the days pass - the longbowmen starve while the knights freeze, and we all dream of home. If I were Faron, I would murder Valentus, slaughter his supporters, take the food and march off now, while he still has our loyalty. I would be surprised if Faron is not already planning on doing so - he refuses to let the longbowmen use the horses to scout, preferring to keep them both close at hand. Thesius, if we do not act, Faron will make another Karthold.”

Thesius looked at his goblet and then drank it all. “Then act, Remus. I am done giving orders.”

There was a long silence after that. He saw Remus’ eyes, unwavering and sad. Thesius could not blame him. The man is the last of his house. He’s hitched everything to my wagon, and look where I brought him. Thesius expected him to yell or to shout, but the man did neither.

“I have a present for you,” Remus said quietly. “Something that might help you make your decision.” And with that, he stepped out of the pavilion.

In came a woman. She had a comely face - a narrow nose, a small mouth. Two pretty eyes. She was dressed in layers of wool clothing and wore a shawl of orange diamonds. It made her look like a wide cloud with the sun glowing on top. Despite the thick wool, the woman hid her arms underneath her shawl, shivering.

Of course Remus knows exactly what I need. The thought brought a smile to Thesius' lips. He tried to stumble to his feet, and fell over onto the barrel, dropping the goblet onto the dirt. “Come here, girl.” He mumbled. The woman did not move. Didn’t Remus pay her already? Thesius looked at her again, more closely this time. He saw a tear dripping slowly down the woman's reddened face, and Thesius realized that she was frowning. The woman stared back at him, unblinking.

He had enough. “You hear well? I said -”

The woman’s hands grasped something round within her shawl and threw it at him. She missed. It hit the edge of a barrel with a clunk.

Thesius watched as it slowly rolled across the floor. Like the woman, it was also wrapped in wool cloth. The cloth soaked up dirt when finally, the cloth unrolled completely, all brown and dusty. The room was cold, but Thesius felt sweat creep up his back the moment when he saw the frozen baby emerge, naked, from its woolen home to face him, its face partially covered in shadow.

A thin metal knife had been stabbed into its temple. It jutted into the dirt, halting the baby with a sudden jerk. On that side, the baby was caked in a layer of thick blood. The other side was charred - a series of blackened scales. She had tried to burn her son, Thesius realized, but it was too cold. And now she’s given him to me. My responsibility. The scales and bloodied skin were all shrunken in, compressed onto the baby's skeleton. Thesius could count every bone.

But worst of all was its face. Through the darkness, Thesius could make out some of its features. Its mouth hung open. A hole had opened in the neck where the fire had burned through it. The forehead had turned purple. And across its face was a heavy imprint of a slender hand. The fingernails dug into a cheek, leaving five little crescents in the skin. How long did she hold him, after he died?

Then, the eyes. The cold had frozen them unnaturally open. They stared at Thesius in reproach, in accusation, seeking answers. Why did it have to die this way? Could anything have been done? My fault. Another gust of wind blew in from the pavilion's open entrance. The torch’s light flickered, and Thesius saw the eyes clearly for the first time. They were both as black as pitch.
​

Actions

Two longbowmen, dressed as warmly as possible and each with a fortnight of rations, will take two horses and scout the extent of the mountain pass. How long will it take to make it out? Are there any nearby civilizations? Somewhere without snow? Caves?

Take all the chisels and hammers and pick and plows, even, and see if the skilled worksmen can carve out a small alcove in the mountainous rock.

 

[Cosmo]

Claimants of the Forsaken Lands Turn 2
Harvest Season (Fall) Month 2

The harvest season is in full swing! Farmers work their fields in a hurry trying to get all of their work cut and collected before it starts to wilt. Millers are hard at work converting grain to flour and the various animals of the wildness are preparing for a long winter as the trees start to change their color and leaves begin to fall. The caravans bring no dire threats or large news, the Forsaken Lands are calm and peaceful.

For now.

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Helbaron

Helbaron, despite the ruckus and failure of the first meeting between farmer and shepherd, is still a quiet, prosperous village. The buzz of the sheep auction is over, as is, the influx of trade and coin, but the farmers are still bringing in their harvest so the village can still expect to gain a solid amount of coin for a bit longer. While the buzz of commerce has slowed, the buzz of construction has grown. Forty laborers toil day in and day out to complete their task, of improving the infrastructure of the village. The dirt and gravel roads are being regraveled and leveled, holes that naturally occurred from animals digging, carts kicking up pebbles and the natural settling of rain is being filled. This road work is not expensive, but it is very labor and time intensive. The people of the village chatter excitedly about the upcoming projects when some of the older buildings and storefronts will receive their uplifting, including, the not so well kept secret plans for renovating the old shrine.

The renovations aren't quite as well received by those living outside the village, such as the shepherds, as they are migratory by nature and don't tend to enter the village save for the purchasing and selling of goods and the fact that most of the coin for this work is surely coming from the tithes they had to pay, it would be very easy for the more dogmatic of their number to use this as evidence of how the 'Daemon' intends to use them and their labors for the good of the farmers and itself. But, so far, the tension has seemingly not increased from before. Things are still very chilly, but no conflict or violence has broken out between the groups yet.

There has been a very small influx of immigrants [8], but the flow isn't as strong as it could be both because of the unseen, but easily felt, tension between the villagers and the fact that the cult worshiping some shadow being is a bit uncomfortable for new arrivals. Helbaron grows, but slowly.

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Helbaron Population
426

Cult Members
290 [68% are members of the cult.]

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
100% Human

Taxation
50%

Resource
Sheep

Terrain
Hills

Current Projects
200 (35 gold used so far) gold for infrastructure [19%]

Much of infrastructure work done is on the village streets and the various dirt paths that lead to and from the village. While such work is very time consuming and labor intensive, it doesn't require much material value to do as its mostly bringing in gravel and releveling them and filling holes [They are not trying to implement stone, brick or cobbled roads] nor does Helbaron have any bridges or other expensive logistical features that would need to be repaired. Of course, there are bolder plans to renovate some of the older buildings and storefronts to make it more attractive for traders or people looking to settle down, but that will come later and will consume much more coin then the preliminary road work with the final goal being to renovate the old shrine to make it befitting Tegboran.

Revenue
176 Gold, 4 Silver

Upkeep/Expenditure
200 Gold

Income
-23 Gold, 6 Silver

Treasury
722 Gold

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Foalsfort

Foalsfort needed direction, guidance, so they did what adults often could not do and settled it with a discussion and a vote. To everyone, but Marta's, surprise, Demitri won. Demitri wasn't the most handsome or strongest of the boys, in fact, he didn't seem desiring for the position at all, but Marta saw something in him that no one, least of all, himself could see. Marta was extremely liked by all the children of Foalsfort, the closest thing most ever had to a mother, even compared to the sisters at the old orphanage. So when she spoke in Demitri's favor, many others followed suit. Be it boys who voted for him in hopes that their support would be noticed by their crush, or small children who voted for Demitri in the hopes that a 'stable hand' in charge meant there would soon be horses for them to pet, either way, twenty-seven hands raised for him.

Others were nominated, for their popularity or their skill such as Marta, who despite wanting Demitri to be in charge, still managed a respectable thirteen votes. Adam, always popular for being rather good looking and good natured, received eleven. Kahmen, who had always been rather clever and sharp, received nine while Neeso got six votes. If someone was counting the hands closely, they'd know that only sixty-six people voted yet there was supposed to be sixty-seven people. One person had not voted, they had abstained, or perhaps, they had never shown up to the meeting at all. It was not hard to guess who that person was.

The biggest changes that Foalsfort saw this month came in the form of tools. Kahmen had always been clever, but now it really seemed to shine. He created 'axes' out of wood, sharp stones and twine, he showed Neeso how to create small traps including snares, so Neeso could lead his 'boys' hunting, capturing rabbit and other small game.. Kahmen was even able to create knives. He did not do this using chip stoned, as it broke too easily and was hard to maintain an edge, instead Kahmen found sticks of very, very dense wood [Ironwood], and shaped them to be knives. Pounding and treating their edges until they could cut through plant, cloth and animal flesh. These tools were proving to be a massive help to the others. [Gain access to Poor Quality Daggers, as many or few of your people may have these]

Armed with the traps of Kahmen, Neeso has had great success in capturing rabbits, squirrels and other small animals. It was a bit of a learning experience, cleaning and preparing an animal, but the wooden knives proved quite adept the job. A lot of the younger kids, and some of the older ones, are a bit squeamish at the sight, but meat was a welcome edition to their food stocks and bellies.

Perhaps there was hope after all?

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Foalsfort Population
67

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%100 Children

Foalsfort Council
Demitri (40%)
Marta (20%)
Herbalist Adam (16%)
Tinkerer Kahmen (14%)
Hunter Neeso (9%)

Taxation
Village 95% [Collective]

Resource
Lumber (Ironwood)

Terrain
Forest

Revenue
40 Gold, 8 copper

Expenditure/Upkeep
-

Income
40 Gold, 8 copper

Treasury
61 Gold, 5 Silver

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Icewick

Eight people died before they could set out their journey. Seven of those were old, taken by sickness after days of struggling against it, but the most painful had been the infant who had been claimed by the frost. It seemed Oberon had been watching his little ones as that was the only infant to go, although there was some close calls. The barbarian woman, Nasrin, was just as barbed tongued with civilians as she was the bowmen and knights, especially with Remus who she considered to be an 'insufferable fool', although she seemed to be slightly kinder to Avery and Thesius, although if anyone would want to talk to a someone who'd happily spend half the time insulting them was another question. While she may not have won friends, it was undeniable that her help was invaluable. She opened the stocks of her home and allowed them to empty them, while it was a drop in the bucket as supplies for two did not quite go far for over four hundred, the gesture was still felt by the common people. Keeping to her word to 'do what she could' she led hunting parties into the forest and greatly expanded their food reserves, it was almost as if she could 'smell' the deer, elk and boars of the forest but she certainly seemed to know the beast paths that crisscrossed the mountains. Her advise on the underground tubers also turned out to be a godsend for they were nutrient rich, although their flavor was rather terrible. Some of the knights refusing to even touch them and sticking to meat and rations.

People still could not eat their fill, but for the moment, it seemed starvation would be held at bay. The tension of the camp, which had seemed ready to boil over, had simmered down. It was still there, whispers in the back, daggered eyed looks that checked if anyone was listening, but there was the faintest scent of 'hope' in the air. The caravan was once again moving, they had a direction, that direction may only be known to a shrew tongued barbarian, but it was something and in the darkness of the world, people would grab onto the tiniest ray of light.

The only question was... where were they going? She had said the pass would be covered in snow before they arrived, and when questioned, she reconfirmed this. The men of Ironhold, the Marcelli, where not going to where the map said. They were going to a MountainHome, an ancient keep built by the dwarves in ages past when they first tried to colonize this land. It was lost to time, and it was claimed the woke up the 'SoulStealer' by digging too deep, and too greedily. The MountainHome was now empty.. of dwarves, at least. Its tunnels ran deep into the mountains and one of them, which she knew but did not say how she knew, led to the base. They would need to get to the MountainHome and then traverse its dark depths to reach their promises land. They had to do both of these things before the winter set it, or they would all die.

It was a bleak proposition.

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Icewick Population
429

Demographic Breakdown:
50/50 men and women
%14 Elderly
%25 Children
%61 Adults
-
100% Human

Taxation
50%

Resource
Fur

Terrain
Mountain

Revenue
155 Gold, 1 Silver

Upkeep/Expenditure
40 Gold, 1 Silver
(Food, monthly payment, horse care, equipment maintenance)

Income
115 Gold

Treasury
203 Gold, 4 Silver

Military
8 Knights w/ Warhorses
35 Longbowmen

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Nehekara

The small village of Nehekara, hopefully someday the Jewel of the Desert, was still a peaceful village. There may have been some resentment between the Saltmongers and the new Anubis arrivals, but nothing had broken out into violence nor was there any reason to believe it would. While the relation was very frosty, things seemed to still be civil, at least for now. The harvest season was still ongoing and so the small amount of farmland around the oasis was still producing valuable product and grain for the village and, as always, the saltmongers worked under the burning sun to produce their salt that would be soon to be collected by the Green Dragonborn Nithra. If Arakis was to turn this village around, to truly help it prosper, he'd have to fix the relations with the naturally distrustful saltmongers, or break them and bring them to heel, and deal with Nithra. Did he try to renegotiate? Perhaps offer favors? Build his wealth and hire an army in an attempt to deal with her or demand a better deal? Or did Arakis have some other cunning plot known only to their well educated mind? It was hard to say, but there was a palpable tension in the village almost as if they could feel that, something, was likely to go down soon. Something that could decide the fate of hundreds, possibly, thousands.

During the building of the school, Arakis went about testing the magical capabilities of the Anubites, as they'd be more then willing to test, both because of their admiration of their leader and the fact magic did not carry the same taboo in their culture. To have magic was to be closer to the gods and to be blessed, as far as they were concerned. Still, magic was extremely rare, and of those Arakis looked at, only a single youth was shown to be sensitive and, little wonder, it was one of the young acolytes that had followed him to this land. Still, young talent was young talent, clay that could be shaped and molded into something wonderful.

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Nehekara Population
415

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
40% Anubite/60% Human

Potential Magically Adept Students
1 Anubite
[Have not been able to test humans yet]

Saltmonger Trust
Canann - Hesitant
Thorli - Hesitant
Attia - Distrusting
Arden - Very Distrusting

Taxation
50%

Resource
Salt Fields

Terrain
Desert

Current Projects
50 (23 gold used so far) gold for School of Magi [58%]

The work on the School of Magi goes well, much of the foundation is set and the walls are starting to be worked on. For the most part, this is the cheapest part of the work as it is a very low cost, but high labor work and time work. Sand is gathered from around the oasis, wetted and patted to find the clay within it. The clay is then pounded and any impurities removed from it before the clay is slammed into a mold to shape it. After removal, the clay brick is then fired in a kiln to harden. As Nehekara lacks a single large clay pit, the gathering, shaping and firing does take a bit of time. The layout of the School of Magi is far from grand, looking to be a single level with eight bedrooms for apprentices, a single large room for study and classes, with two side chambers for a potential library and magical application facility. This school could, in theory, receive renovations and 'upgrades' to both its size, appearance and facilities in the future.

The most expensive process of building will be coming soon. When the furnishing of this school will be done. Furniture wasn't cheap, but even beyond that, to furnish the study and magical application facility would be very expensive as the various apparatus were exotic, rare and expensive. It was estimated to cost a single wizard fifty gold for enough instruments for them. If the School of Magic expected more then a few students, they'd likely need to spend a hundred to a hundred and fifty gold to fully equip its facilities [this will not furnish the other rooms, such as the bedrooms] unless Arakis could make deals or find another solution.

Revenue
172 Gold, 3 Silver

Upkeep/Expenditure
-50 Gold

Income
122 Gold, 3 Silver

Treasury
294 Gold, 2 Silver

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LightHome

There was something soothing about the smell of charcoal and the ringing of hammers and pickaxes. It was the sound of progress, of work, of the future. Numerous small 'beehive' like smelters dotted the outskirts of the mines where raw ore was being processed into bloom iron. The 'skeleton' of the foundry that would someday process that bloom iron into wrought iron was already underway and, if someone squinted really hard, they could see the numerous small holes in the ground where furrows were dug. The small amount of wrought iron they had was shoved in those with charcoal to be turned into steel after a very time consuming process. It wasn't much, but any 'proper' dwarf couldn't wait to get their hands on some steel. It wasn't 'good dwarfish' steel, as that would need some crucible steel which would allow even the creation of steel alloys, but for now, it was a start! That they had managed to get started on this after only a month sat right with most of the dwarfs. Even the most common of them, and Logrim's biggest detractors, had to admit that for all the dwarf seemed to have his head in the clouds dreaming of 'science' and 'innovation' the fact that the first things he did was work on proper iron and stonebread meant that he had his head on right.

It would be a bit before stonebread could be made, as the root needed time to grow, and while secretly, most dwarves were a bit relieved by that, the boisterous bravado of 'not being able to wait to eat some proper stonebread' had already started including brags about who could eat the most stonebread without needing to soften it with ale or water. Perhaps a bit surprising was when a group of humans, families including children, showed up at LightHome with nothing but the clothes on their back. It seems they had been traveling to a village in the grasslands to make a new life, when they ran into a bit of trouble. They were offered a place to stay at LightHome, as while it may have been all dwarves now, that wasn't what Logrim had in mind when he established this town. It would be a town for all, where any member of any race could settle and ply their trades and skill for the betterment of all. After a week or so, the grateful humans decided to settle in LightHome for good [Gain 21 Human Immigrants].

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Village Population
450

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 Men and Women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
96% Dwarf
4% Humans

Taxation
50%

Resource
Iron

Terrain
Mountain

Current Projects
50 [43 gold used so far] for Smelters [100%] and Refining Facility [33%]

The smelters are fairly easy to build. Just some cut stone made into small 'beehives' that are then loaded with charcoal, the iron ore is melted and then combines with naturally produced slag and becomes 'Bloom' Iron. Bloom iron requires a lot of work to be made useable. Lots of heating, hammering and shaping, however, bloom iron is one of the most common sources of processed iron and is what most people in the world are used to working with, shaping it to wrought iron for their purpose. While the dwarfs can't help but shake their hands at the 'shoddy' metal, they understand it is the first step on the road to masterworks. The Refining Facility is taking longer, as it is less a refining facility, and more a large foundry. In the future, bloom iron will be brought here to be heated, beaten and shaped into more valuable wrought iron. The frame of the building has been set up out of hardwood and other readily available materials. The construction of the foundry, itself, won't be too bad, just time consuming, the expensive part will be the equipment on the inside. An investment of 50 gold will get the basics installed and likely enough to process half of the incoming bloom iron, while an investment of 100 will get it fully equipped and capable of producing wrought iron out of all the bloom iron the smelters produce.

To make steel, there are numerous 'furrows' dug into the ground where the iron can be heated along with charcoal, the carbon from the charcoal will mix into the iron and become steel... eventually. The metal has to be taken out, heated, beaten, shaped, and then put back into the furrow for.. about 20-30 times before the steel is finished. Currently, Logrim is 'borrowing' the local smithy to make some amounts of wrought iron to be processed in these furrows. Once the iron foundry is fully operational, he'll be able to produce more steel in these furrows.

You gain 1 unit of steel a turn [Keep track of your steel!]

20 (5 Gold used so far, 15 gold refunded) for Stonebread (Completed)

This was a supremely easy task, doubly so because it took no time from your laborers as it was done mostly by the miners. There are already caves in the mines, shafts where iron ore wasn't found, so all too easy to do this. What little gold was used was mostly for paying the miners to clear it out, even the ground a bit, and carry in the dirt and seeds. Stonebread is made from Dwager Root, named after the Dwarven God, for its role in their society. Dwager Root can grow in almost any temperature conditions, needs no light [too much light will even kill them] and generally just needs good ol' 'fertilizer' to grow. The root is highly toxic unless dried, grounded up and made into a 'flour'. This flour is then baked into a 'bread', kinda. Stonebread is rather famous for looking like bread and tasting like stone. Only the most hardy of creatures will eat it, such as Dwarves, Orcs and.. Trolls. The best, and worst, kept secret of the Dwarves is how they actually don't much like it either, but Stonebread is a cultural food where they all pretend to enjoy it as any 'proper dwarf' loves their Stonebread. Stonebread is very useful as it can be grown all year round and a loaf of Stonebread can keep for several years if stored properly in a dry location. It has zero commercial value as nothing would ever pay to eat this.

Revenue
142 Gold, 6 Silver

Upkeep/Expenditure
87 Gold, 2 silver
(Food, monthly payment, horse care, equipment maintenance)

Income
55 Gold, 4 Silver

Treasury
143 Gold, 4 Silver

Military
23 Disgraced Guards

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Azdanur

Azdanur is flourishing. With the renegotiated contract with Saleel finished, including the task he gave to clear the bandits, coin is, for the first time, flowing into the village. Marble miners and craftsmen are finally able to sell their goods for much closer to their actual value and the Order of Silver is free to profit from the taxation of it. The village has also seen a large burst of growth as along with the thirty freed slaves from the bandit fort, more people joined, they had come to Azdanur after news of the slavers defeat and had hoped to find their loved ones. For a few, this wish was granted and they were united, but for most, it was the sad realization that their loves ones were no longer here. Many continued on their way, either having lost hope or still seeking to find their lost ones, but seventeen of these people stayed behind to help Azdanur build either for the hope of a fresh start or in means to repay them for removing such filth from these lands and avenging their lost ones.

A training guards was quickly scrapped together so that the squires could learn once again, including a very intense course on how to not lose their weapons, and a call was put out that a militia would be started and that the Order of Silver was looking for volunteers.. Upon the appointed day, the three remaining, full, members of the Order arrived to the training field and were met with over half the village. It was as if every abled man and woman had signed up... And it turned out to be exactly that. Every. Single. Man and woman had shown up to do their part. Including many teenagers, children and elderly folk that had to be turned away. The fighting spirit and raw intensity Azdanur had was breathtaking, as if every soul in it was determined to never allow anyone, or anything, to take advantage of it. The only problem was training and equipping so many, one can only wonder if Gideon would be up to it. There simply wasn't enough trained squires [that could act as sergeants] or of Gideon to go around, and so the militia would need to be trained in 'batches'. If there was going to be any hope of getting them all settled [Trained and kept trained] the training ground would need to be greatly expanded and Gideon would need to receive some much needed support.

Note on Training
2 [down from 3] turns for first batch of trained militia, 4 [down from 6] turns for squires to advance in skill


Decision Point
Reyna Ardar has already created her first masterwork, almost as if the elven woman was bursting with inspiration that needed to be let out. In honor of the Order of Silver, who made this possible, her first masterwork has been dubbed, 'The Unknown Squire'. It is a woman in leather vestments with the sigil of their order on her chest. In her extended arm is a longsword that is thrust into the air and in her other hand, she reaches down as if to pull up any who stand before the statue. The peerless statue has silver veins running down its surface and almost seem to shimmer and shine in the light.

Reyna has freely donated this statue to the Order of Silver as it seems she is far more interested in making art then in what happens to it after she is finished. The order may sell this statue to Saleel for a very high price, or they may keep it and set it up at the village square. If it is set up at the village square, all Azdanur Militia will gain 'Inspired' [Reroll panic and fear checks] when defending their land.

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Village Population
429

Demographic Breakdown:
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
80% Human/20% Other [Dwarves/Halflings/Other]

Taxation
50%

Resource
Aether-Kissed Marble

Terrain
Hills

Current Projects
5 gold spent on Training Ground (Completed)

The training grounds really aren't much to look at. It is a clear, emptied field with some straw and wooden targets, for both melee and ranged. There are a few 'sparing' squares that are little more then churned up dirt with some wooden planks nailed down to act as the border. Some large rocks were brought in to act as weights so squires, and militia, can lift them to build some muscle. There is plenty of room so they can run sprints or other aerobic exercises to build up the necessary endurance and various water trough for trainees to dunk their heads and cool off. The Order of Silver was clever enough to build the Training Ground near an existing water well so they did not need to dig a new one so their aspiring warriors can stay hydrated.

Revenue
342 Gold, 3 Silver
(+ 65 bandit gold)

Upkeep/Expenditure
(Food, monthly payment, horse care, equipment maintenance)
131 Gold, 5 silvers

Income
210 Gold, 8 Silvers

Treasury
376 Gold, 8 Silvers

Military
15 Squires
Chip
17 Hunters
[Similar to militia only they have hunting bows already are a bit more trained)
198 Untrained Militia

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Occiden Marag

The village was a buzz with the discovery of a large group of Kobolds living nearby, but even more so by the discovery of Amalthea, a white dragon that lived as their ruler. The dragon was exceptionally young, especially by Aetherling measure, being little more then the dragon equivalent of a child, but a dragon was a dragon. The Aetherlings had met and spoken with a being of legend that very, very few people in the world could ever hope to do much less get on terms to make regular trips to it. Indeed, Amalthea seemed to quite enjoy Ada's visits, she never seemed to have much patience for Ada's beliefs, but she quite enjoyed the stories, even made up fables and children's tales seemed to intrigue the young dragon to no end. It is little wonder considering Amalthea likely spent decades alone with the only company being Kobolds who tended to not be a source of stimulating conversation. On Kobolds, Zuhsa had made herself at home, able to easily sleep in the corner of a room, or sometimes the foot of a bed if she was lucky, and was fairly liked by the majority of the village. She was quirky, energetic and seemed perpetually in a good mood. Her singing, while a bit jarring at times, quickly grew on most people and she made the gatherings and village meetings a bit more entertaining, now if only she didn't talk about how amazing and beautiful Amalthea was every few minutes. Zuhsa does her best to help around the village, but is often only good for general, and very light, labor.

Ada and Irving made great progress on the waterwheels, they had all the lumber they needed to really do the materials, but some of the finer work inside, such as the metal fixings and more precise wooden instruments, did prove a bit more costly. Between their shared expertise, they were able to quickly, and efficiently, guide the workers to get jobs done faster and cut down massively on trial and error. Watermills are very touchy things, if something is off, even by a bit, it will greatly lessen its output, but all such situations were avoid or quickly spotted by one, or often both, of them. Ada also made great progress in growing the Aetherling culture and beliefs, swaying more and more of the humans who lived among them to adopt their beliefs.

There was one bit of hiccup in the prosperous harvest month, a group of fifteen refugees arrived in town. It seemed they came from a small hamlet a further up the river and were forced to flee when a monstrous spider emerged from the forest and began to kill and devour the people. The last thing the terrified villagers saw was the large hideous creature setting webs all over the hamlet. These refugees are very shaken and have no where else to go and are currently living on the outskirts of the village. They have taken odd jobs to help out, many of them becoming lumberjacks and fishermen, to do what they can to help and earn their way. The hamlet is a fair distance away, so there seems to be very little direct risk, no more tracks have been found nearby, and it does seem like, while they have a new, although distant, dangerous neighbor, nothing is happening. A watch is set up to keep an eye on their northern borders to ensure it stays that way.

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Village Population
416

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
63% Aetherling
36% Human
Less than 1% Kobold [Zuhsa]

Taxation
50%

Resource
Arling River

Terrain
Forest

Current Projects
50 Gold (Worked Paused, 40 more gold needed for construction [Time also used for month]) for Watermills (60%)

Plans are put underway for the construction of some watermills, they have to be spaced a bit apart to avoid backwater, but there is plenty of room along the river line. Of the three planned grain mills, two are finished and the third is being worked on. As the Arling isn't a fast flowing river, Ada and Irving quickly scrap plans for a single large lumber mill that could quickly process entire trees, without wasting any time or coin on trials, and instead make plans for building two smaller ones that could cut processed lumber down into smaller, more manageable and even planks that would be ideal for building and trading.

The two finished mills already get a lot of use by the farmers as the water mills are able to produce flour at a far faster rate then the slow, painful manual grinding that was used before and the flour is of a much higher quality containing less hard grains when baked into bread.

Revenue
165 Gold, 1 Silver

Upkeep/Expenditure
50 Gold

Income
115 Gold, 1 Silver

Treasury
245 Gold, 1 Silver

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Port Zolond

The Gilded Blades were in a good spirits, not just because of their victory over the Murlocs but because of the survival of 'Fortunate Miles' who is something of a mascot among the mercenaries now. How can anyone in the Gilded Blades have bad luck with Miles around to suck it all up? There is even jokes about making Miles the 'Standard Bearer' for when they have to go into real scraps. For his part, Miles takes it in good spirits, and is exceptionally loyal to his employer, Nym, for the tales of how Nym stuck by his side and kept death at bay something most people would never do with their mercenaries, after all, dead mercenaries didn't need paying. This rather sums up the Gilded Blades' opinion on Nym overall. While the Gilded Blades are paid on the lower end of the spectrum for mercenaries, Nym all but founded them, and they have served for him for so long that they really don't mind it because, they know, the coin will always come in [and steady work is rather hard to find in their line of profession] and when push comes to shove, Nym will have their backs if they have his.

Port Zolond churns on, fights and scraps in the streets between citizens and sailors, goods and services are being sold, the trade ships and caravans still come and go [although in far less quantities then would be desired], and life goes on. The Ogre Trio still wanders the street, growling at everyone that comes near, and the halflings in the fields are still mostly quiet, seemingly content, for now, to bring in their harvest and eat their fill of their hard work. Eight new half-orcs joined this month and quickly found low paying jobs in the quarry.

Nym's decision to chum the waters with the soft squishy, and very smelly, leftovers from the murlocs was an inspired source. It served as a stark reminder that fish are cruel and cannibalistic as the local fish swarmed the shores of Port Zolond to feast on the fishmen. Fishermen are pulling up fish left and right to the point that some fishermen jest that it has 'gotten almost too easy'. For the next three turns [this one included, so two remaining], Port Zolond will receive double income from fishing.

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Village Population
420

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
39% Human
36% Orc/Half-Orc
10% Goblin
9% Other
5% Halfling
1% Ogre

Taxation
50%

Resource
Limestone

Terrain
Coastal

Current Projects
50 Gold (21 gold used so far) for The Last Gasp: Tavern/Bordello/Gambling Hall (41%)

So far, the expenses have been kept to a minimum, after all, Port Zolond has all the stone they could ask for, so making a building out of stone was an easy enough task. The issue wasn't money so much as it was labor. Stone was an amazing material, once something was built out of stone it lasted, and, stone was a wonderful insulator so owning a stone building was quite the luxury. The main drawback to stone was the time. It took time to cut and process the stone blocks, the labor to move the stone blocks and building with them was back breaking and time consuming. Luckily, the fact it was orcs and half orcs doing most of this, it wasn't as bad as it otherwise would be as both are fairly robust people with high physical strength and endurance which helped greatly with the speed. The Tavern will be two stories and have a separate wing, strangely built with no windows so it was hard to tell what time it was, for the gambling hall. While the building, itself, likely won't be too bad, the furniture will carry a bit of a price tag and it will need a constant influx of ales and spirits to shove down the gullet of its patrons. Lacking any large source of local lumber to have their own carpenters do it, much of it will have to be imported. It will cost an estimated 85 gold [assuming nothing happens to the caravan or merchant ship] to bring in the furniture once the building is complete.

Revenue
176 Gold, 6 Silver
(+36 gold from stolen goods)

Upkeep
92 Gold
(You only pay them wages, Mercs buy their own food and pay their own equipment maintenance)

Income
83 Gold, 6 Silver

Treasury
170 gold, 2 Silver

Military
42 Gilded Blades

Important Note
Nym regains 1 Magic Power [Back up to 1]

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Nova Empearal

Nova Empearal was as beautiful as always, the smell of morning dew as the morning light crest the mountain was something people could breath in deeply and... Ew, what was that? The Troll. A very shabby, and hastily constructed, 'Troll Pen' had been put up near the far edge of the village. Little more then a few 'logs' used as fences over a dug in mud pit where the troll spent most of its time sitting, popping and eating... A rather vile, disgusting creature, it seemed content to stare off into spare lost in whatever thoughts it didn't have or stumble around its pit looking for something to eat. Currently, it was eating trash and leftovers from the villagers who have begun to use the pit as something akin to a 'rubbish pit' as whatever goes in is likely to end up into the troll's belly. Outside of dumping their garbage, the only person that comes around is Roselie to begin 'training'. It is hard to say how much of it is really 'training' as the Troll doesn't seem capable of comprehending advanced orders and how much of it is simply beating the fear of the small blond hobbit and her whip into the creature so it knows 'better'. Either way, from the savage grin on her face, it seems Rose really doesn't mind and would likely whip and beat the creature even if there was no tangible benefit.

Yimiko seemed very removed from the people of Nova, she did not really speak save to request for things or gain information. When she wasn't on patrol, she tended to stay in her chambers. A few, very brave and quickly chided, servants report that she spends more of her free time sitting down with her eyes shut. The five guards she has with her spend the majority of the time patrolling the village, checking the outskirts and otherwise 'keeping an eye' on things. They are a bit more talkative and some have even enjoyed some level of kindling friendship with the villagers. Although Araquiel is plagued by a rather angry farmer who is very upset with one of the guards, Hibiki, for 'befouling' his eldest daughter and demands 'satisfaction'. It is hard to guess what 'satisfaction' is, could be the forcing of marriage between them, wanting this Hibiki executed or punished, or if the farmer is demanding some sort of duel of honor. Yimiko is aware of it, and seems content to allow Araquiel to take the lead on it, but her one good eye seems to hold weight, as if she is uses this chance to judge the leader of Nova Empearal.

Nova saw a sudden burst of immigrants that moved to town, nineteen of them in total, and they happily took up work in the silver mines.


Decision Point
Araquiel is approached by Roselie who askes if there is anything 'special' he wants to start feeding the troll.

Trolls often gain unique qualities if they spend a long time eating a certain resource, a troll that eats a lot of stone, for instance, will find their hides becoming stonelike and hardened, making them harder to hurt. A troll that eats a lot of slime, fish and other 'murky' things will develop 'slippery' slimy skin that will make blows glance off.

This does not cost an action, if Araquiel wants to keep his troll as a 'standard' troll he has that option and may transform it later [just let me know], but he could gain something interesting if he feeds the troll special, or rare, resources. Depending on the resource, it could incur an upkeep cost though as trolls eat a lot!

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Village Population
437

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
90% Humans, 10% Other

Taxation
50%

Resource
Silver

Terrain
Mountains

Revenue
213 gold, 4 Silver

Upkeep/Expenditure
137 Gold
(Food, monthly payment, horse care, equipment maintenance, you only pay wages for mercs [Rose])

Income
76 Gold, 4 Silver

Treasury
274 Gold, 6 Silver
​

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

Tegbaron
"a quest begins "
​

things were not going well his infrastructure plans had.. seemed to cause an additional rift in the people due to the shepherd's nomadic nature it probably made them feel left out.. of course, they did.. they'd not be satisfied but they were necessary for the survival of the town as much as the farmers were, yet his presence has simply made more hate arise.. he wondered if even a god could fix this sort of situation.. though perhaps not.. The Masked Lady was probably giggling at these turns of even needless to say he'd need to look around the local area to assess anything else that may be of value.. touting it as a pilgrimage to the locals to explain his possible absence for some time


actions:
1) explore the surrounding area of the village
2) spend some time in the shrine to see if the master of mirrors might bestow teg with some wisdom

 

[CaptainSully]

Arakis​

• Post
• Stats
• Notes
• Spells
• Magic Items
• Background

• 
  The First Student
  
  The school structure was coming along well considering the process that was in place meant clay production was inefficient. Arakis watched it grow and it was far more humble than any school he had seen in his former home. There we no lavish statues of gold and the walls were left clay brown. The fact was a roof was all that was needed to craft a competent wizard. All the flash decoration he had grew up around was far more about ego than practicality.
  
  In between watching the structure come together, he had begun trying to identify potential students amongst the Anubite community. There was still hesitation amongst the humans, which he understood. Yet it was important for the long the goals and overall survivability of Nehekara that students were in training.
  
  Fortunately Arakis found a young female, still coming of age who showed some promise. She stood a two full feet shorter than Arakis with several more years of growth to come, but she was dedicated and eager.
  
  "What is your name daughter?" Arakis asked. Anubite teachers often referred to their students as sons and daughters given the reality they would shape the child's life as much, if not, more than their own parents.
  
  The child looked at Arakis, the nervousness she felt obvious to anyone who might see her. A mixture of excitement, worry, joy and three hundred other emotions meant she shook like a blade of grass in the wind.
  
  "My name is Nailah," she said, just about able to force the words out.
  
  "Well Nailah, it appears that you have been blessed. I can sense the winds of magic around you."
  
  The girl looked shocked, her mouth shape and only a stutters and distorted breathing could be hear as she struggled to speak. Arakis smiled and tried to calm her down.
  
  "It's okay...I reacted much the same way as you when my teacher first told me of my own blessing. It is not something to fear, as with adequate training you will be able to safely use your power to better the lives of you, your family and all of us in this village. You are the first blessed person I have found here and I would be honoured if you would take a place in my school."
  
  
  Actions

  Action 1
  ☥Anubite Smithy | Entrust the Anubite smithy with repairing/replacing damaged and broken tools. As part of the process, request for Canann to send several prospective human youths/young adults to the smithy to assist the Anubite in repairs with potential apprentices to be selected from them.
  
  Action 2
  ☥Explore | Explore areas around Nehekara.
  
  Magi School Construction
  ☥Continue Construction | Furnish the living areas so that students will be able to immediately move in, in readiness for project completion. In addition, furnish the library and begin to stock shelves with books and tomes - X Gold.
• Current Stats
  
  
  Wounds - 14/14
  
  
  Fate - 3/3
  
  
  Magic Power

  3
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Weapon Skill

  25
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Ballistic Skill

  25
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Strength

  26
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Toughness

  42
  ☥No Modifier
  
  
  
  Agility

  27
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Intelligence

  50
  ☥Primary
  
  
  
  Perception

  45
  ☥Primary
  
  
  
  Willpower

  49
  ☥Primary
  
  
  
  Fellowship

  16
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
• Notes
  
  
  Nithra

  Salt Monger Leader
  ☥ Green Dragonborn | Information says she is a green Dragonborn so likely has noxious breath.
  ☥ Moneybags | Has enough coin to be are to afford a small mercenary army.
  ☥ Guards | Has at least 20 guards.
  
  
  
• Core Spells
  
  
  Glowing Light

  CV | 3
  ☥Can cause any item in your grasp to glow with the light of a lantern for one hour or until you let it go.
  
  
  Sounds

  CV | 4
  ☥Create a phantom noise with volume ranging from a whisper to a roar. You can choose the type of noise and the volume, the spell can reproduce any noise but speech. The noise can last 10 seconds.
  
  
  Drop

  CV | 4
  ☥Compel a target to drop whatever they are holding. The subject can resist it with a Will Power test
  
  
  Marsh Lights

  CV | 6
  ☥Create a number of distant lights that could be mistaken for torches or lanterns. They can be sent off in any direction [within 100 yards], they disappear into nothingness if they go past your line of sight. Concentration Spell: You may not cast any other spells while Marsh Lights is active.
  
  
  Magic Dart

  CV | 6
  ☥Bolt of magical force with a range of 16 yards. Damage 3.
  
  
  Sleep

  CV | 6
  ☥Your touch causes an enemy to fall into a slumber for 1d10 rounds unless a successful Will Power test is made. This is a touch spell [must pass a Weapon Skill test].
  
  
  Aethyric Armour

  CV | 5
  ☥Weave the strands of the aether into an invisible barrier to shield yourself. Gain number of armor points equal to the magic power used to cast it for 6 rounds. This cannot be used with actual armor and putting on armor will cause this effect to immediately end
  
  
  Blessed Weapon

  CV | 6
  ☥Can enchant one melee, thrown weapon, or ammunition [up to 5 shots]. These items gain no direct combat bonuses but do count as magical making them very useful against ghost and other ethereal targets. Last 1 hour.
  
  
  Magic Lock

  CV | 7
  ☥Enchant one lock or bolt that you can touch for 1 week. This magic lock cannot be picked or forced open during this time. [Beware, the item, itself, can be broken. A magically locked door can still be smashed apart, etc].
  
  
  Magic Alarm

  CV | 8
  ☥Create a silent alarm on one spot you touch. If a creature comes within 2 yards, you will be mentally alerted instantly no matter how far you are. This will wake you up if sleeping. It provides no identity of who tripped it, only that someone has. You can only have 1 magic alarm at any time. Last until triggered or you cast another.
  
  
  Heaven
  
  
  Starshine

  CV | 22
  ☥You call down the light of the stars [Can be used in daytime or indoors], the area is illuminated by soft light that reveals all that is hidden. Any darkness, magical or mundane, is banished, the invisible is made visible, hidden or disguised characters are exposed and secret areas (doors, chambers, etc) are revealed. Starshine last for 1 week.
  
  
  Greater Portent of Amul

  CV | 18
  ☥You read signs and divine clues about what the future holds. For the next 24 hours, you gain two rerolls that you may use for whatever you wish. Unlike Portent of Amul, you may use these rerolls to force your opponent to reroll as well. You may not gain more rerolls from this spell until both have been used or expired.
  
  
  Life
  
  
  Father of Thorns

  CV | 14
  ☥You cause thorns and briars to burst from the naked earth with 48 yards in a wall. Anyone within the area who tries to move through takes a Damage 4 (D10+4) hit. You, and only you, are not effected within this area. The thorns and briars retreat back into the earth after a number of rounds equal to the power dice used to cast.
  
  
  Woodshape

  CV | 16
  ☥You allow a willing creature to take the shape of a tree. The type of tree depends on the character of the individual, a melancholic person may transform into a weeping willow while an evil being may turn into a black oak. The target maintains the form of a tree for as long as they wish and may voluntarily end it at any time. While in tree form, the creature can see and hear as normal and may communicate with you, or other trees.
  
  
  Illusion
  
  
  Pot of Despair

  CV | 24
  ☥You conjure a black pit within line of sight that has a 24 yard radius. All enemies within believe they are plunging to their death in a bottomless chasm, screaming in terror all the while. They must pass a Will Power test to resist this effect, those that fail are considered Helpless but may take another test each turn. Pit of Despair last the number of rounds as the power dice used. [Helpless opponents may not defend themselves and so are hit automatically in combat. All damage rolls are maxed against Helpless foes].
  
  
  Doppelganger

  CV | 18
  ☥You create a perfect copy of yourself anywhere within line of sight. You can hear and speak through this shadow version of yourself, it can freely move anywhere within your line of sight and you may cast through this illusion. Enemy must pass a Perception Test to decipher its true nature. Illusion last for D10+Power Dice Used.
  
  
  
  
• Magic Items
  
  
  Staff of Inhotok

  Bound Spell | Greater Portent of Amul
  ☥Impact | When rolling for melee damage, roll 2d10 and pick the best.
  ☥Slow | Opponents get +10% to parry or dodge blows from this weapon.
  ☥Magical | Magical weapons will never break [outside of the most extreme circumstance] and can hit ethereal units.
  ☥Spell Storage | You may store a spell within the staff that has a Casting Value of 20 or less. This spell will last forever or until a new spell is stored within. You may unleash the spell within as a free action [which could allow you to cast twice in a round], once unleashed, the staff has a game turn recharge until that spell can be used again.
  ☥Untapped Potential | Magic swirls in this staff, its essence eluding you. It holds some secret or potency it has not yet revealed.
  
  
• 
  Character Details
  
  Age: 173 years
  
  Race:
  Anubite - Long-lived bipedal creatures whose appearance is far more intimidating than their demeanor.
  
  Personality:
  A solemn being who has been wronged and as a result is slowly being eaten away by the urge for revenge. He battles the growing darkness daily, trying to remain on the path that he knows is just and true. He wants to continue to be a role model and benevolent leader to his people.
  
  Skills:
  Magic - A key facet of the Archpriest's role is to master the use of magic. Over a century of practice has led to some semblance of skill. He has the capability to use most forms but has a particular penchant for the Heavens, Life and Illusions [Shadow & Heavens] styles of magic.
  
  Potions and Poisoncraft - Sometimes magic needs to make way for more physical means. Archpriest's pass on the knowledge of potions and poisons, meaning they can create cures as effectively as they can develop toxins.
  
  Equipment/Personal Possessions:
  Archpriest Staff - Equal parts status symbol and polearm, it is a tribute to the God of God's, Inhotok, leader of the Khemrian pantheon.
  
  Assorted crafting items - An assortment of items to be used in the creation of potions and poisons.
  
  Past/Current Profession: Archpriest to the Pharoah
  
  Family:
  His entire family was executed on the night Khaemt turned his world upside down.
  
  History:
  Arakis spent the first twenty years of his life learning the way of the priests. He was born under the blood moon and due to custom was believed to be the next Archpriest as chosen by the gods themselves. He was no more than a standard priest until his forty sixth year when the previous Archpriest died after a long, complicated illness. At this moment Arakis felt his entire world change.
  
  He would spend the next one hundred years taking care of the royal family and social elites. Fine tuning his magic to protect them, his potion skills to heal them and poison craft to defeat their foes. He was adored by all but a few and it was they that would see to his downfall.
  
  Arakis awoke in a pool of blood, surrounded by the corpses of the Pharoah and his wife. The chill cries of his only child, Amuhn, roused Arakis from his slumber. His head was blurred and the previous twenty four hours non-existent in his memory. The footsteps of guards charging towards him echoed through the ornate corridors of the palace, he had to run.
  
  As he fled he spotted a lone priest leant against a pillar nonchalantly, a smile forming as he watched Arakis running. Khaemt raised a hand and waved sarcastically for a moment before pointing towards Arakis. He yelled out, "Guards! Guards! The Archpriest has slain the Pharaoh!"
  
  For the rest of that night Arakis did what he could to avoid capture, eventually finding himself in the deep desert. Along the way he had managed to find some of his attendants but they were nothing more than cooks or handmaidens.
  
  After walking for two nights and one day the group found an oasis not far from the River Osht. It was here that Arakis would found Nehekara.
  
  Village Name:
  Nehekara - A village of small size that sits next to a lush oasis.
  
  Desired Starting Terrain: Desert
  
  Retinue/Unique Perk:
  A small group of faithful and trusting attendants followed Arakis as he fled Khemri. They range from cooks to handmaiden's, servants to initiate priests. He does retain the magical item of his former position, the Staff of Inhotok.
  

 

[Kent]

Nova Empearal

Spoiler: Details

Village Population
437

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
90% Humans, 10% Other

Taxation
50%

Resource
Silver

Terrain
Mountains

Revenue
213 gold, 4 Silver

Upkeep/Expenditure
137 Gold
(Food, monthly payment, horse care, equipment maintenance, you only pay wages for mercs [Rose])

Income
76 Gold, 4 Silver

Treasury
274 Gold, 6 Silver

Araquiel kindly smiled at Roselle and replied without hesitation, "Feed the troll Silver. I'm interested in what kind of troll variation will result from this."

"Silver upkeep for a troll, it's going to be expensive." Roselle replied with an expression that says, 'are you sure?'. Araquiel just chuckled and nodded, "I'm interested to see what kind of traits a Silver Troll would have. Perhaps it would surprise us and our troll friend here will prove to be more of an asset."

"I guess it would be nice." Roselle tried to imagine a Troll clad in silver scales and started to become excited. Araquiel seeing the halfling excited simply chuckled before adding, "I would also like you to prepare yourself and the troll for battle, you might be needed soon. I received news that there are bandits nearby. We will take care of them."

"Bandits? With just us? That's crazy!" Roselle looked at Araquiel as if he was crazy. Araquiel shook his head and simply replied, "Just trust me, I have my own plans. I expect you to follow them and I guarantee we will seize victory. Now, go back and continue training the Troll."

Roselle stared at Araquiel for a couple of seconds before she left. Araquiel called for his assistant as soon as the halfling left, "Take 10 Gold from the treasury and buy me a standard sword from the caravans. Also, summon the farmer to my office. It is time to address that issue."

The farmer arrived a couple of minutes after Araquiel's assistant left his home office. Araquiel let him explain the issue again before replying, "If you want Hibiki executed or punished, that is out of the question. They are our guests who are protecting our village."

"If you want Hibiki to be married to your daughter... That is not our choice. It is the choice of either Hibiki or your daughter to marry. If they decide to do so then I will gladly officiate their wedding."

"If you want a duel of honor with Hibiki then you are free to do so. Who am I to stop you? After all, it is a personal matter and all I could do is mediate. If you decide to do so, I will not help you fight nor provide you with anything aside from my good wishes."

"Now, all of these options are under the assumption that Hibiki did not force your daughter. If he did, that would mean he has committed the crime of rape and all crimes in this village must be punished. So, tell me with all your honesty, my fellow villager, did Hibiki force himself unto your daughter?"

[If Hibiki did commit the crime, Araquiel will punish him, but will first inform Yamiko about it.]

Actions:
Order 1: Explore The Surroundings of The Village

Spoiler: Order 1 Details

Aimed at the information provided by Cendeb.

Target: Village and Bandits

Order 2:
Magic Academy + Paper Charm Training

Spoiler: Order 2 Details

Araquiel will inspect all the villagers and train those with the potential for Paper Charm Magic. At the very least, they must have the potential to be able to create paper charms to support Araquiel's plan to create a paper charm industry. Even being able to create 1-hour paper charms will do.

Araquiel, being the Village Head, is busy with other important matters and thus cannot support the creation of the industry alone.

Edit: A Magical Academy will also be built. A budget of 100 gold is set aside for this. (Take as much as needed)

Free Action 1:
Feed the Troll silver.​

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

Industrious progress began to dot the riverbed as a few buildings along the river began to be accompanied by spinning wheels. Pushed by the slowly flowing yet steady river, these wheels provided labor and freed up others from menial tasks of painstaking grinding grains into a fine powder and soon would help turn lumber into more usable pieces of plank. 40 more golds worth of materials was all that was needed to finish up this project, and it would gladly be spent. However, the village's excitement and jubilation about meeting a dragon and the construction of these mills were soon grounded to a halt as refugees from upstream arrived in the village. Their hamlet had been attacked by a giant spider... it was the likely creator of the tracks that Karl had spotted and had ambushed those adventurers.

Alarms went off in everyone's heads. It was clear that this giant spider was dangerous. However, it was a manifestation of the spirits. It could potentially be pacified through non-violent means. In fact, word began to spread that Ada was planning a ritual to commune with the local spirits and thank them at the end of the season for the bountiful harvest and blessings that they had been blessed with. Yet, the Aetherlings could not be naive. There was true evil and malice in the world that could not be reasoned with. They were fortunate that the kobolds were true to their faith in Amalthea and only sought to please her. Many had heard vicious tales of cunning kobolds who were little better than barbaric raiders. The village could not stand idly by when potential threats lay close to the village limits.

Yet, the village could not also afford to be willfully blind. They had to explore to prosper and continue on their sacred quest. So far, the only directions away from the potential predation of the giant spider was towards the east away from the forest and south down the river. The Aetherlings had heard of a large port town near the mouth of the river... Skallig. There they would likely be able to find much more talent and information that could be useful in their journey. Yet, the Aetherlings knew little of how far this town was and it would be foolish to simply float down the river in a boat without establishing friends and rest stops along the way. Thus, the idea was put forward to begin exploring down the river.

---

Summary:

Project: Remainder of the 40 gold required is spent to finish construction of the unfinished mills.

Action 1: Due to the lack of martial training that most of the village has, yet the looming need for safety ever foreboding, the decision was made to rally and train volunteers (male adults) in the art of archery and polearms/spears since Karl and the 20 hunters of the village are skilled with them and could teach others. This step to militarization would begin with the construction of an archery range where hunters and volunteers could be given and practice with bows, spears, and javelins. The most skilled/naturally gifted volunteers will be offered paid full time positions as Guardsmen (Current max quota of 20) while the less skilled would still be offered incentive to come to training to form the backbone of a militia. This project is allocated 150 gold for the construction of the archery range, equipment, and recruitment incentive bonuses to entice people to become guardsmen or part of the militia.

Action 2: Travel South to explore down the river in search of friendly villages and towns to establish trade relations with.

 

[Trektek]

LightHome

Logrim BlazingHand

Turn 2

Prince Logrim was happy as he was looking at a map of the tunnels within the mountain. It was something that had been upgraded recently and showed not only the areas where the Stone Bread was being made, but also how well the mining and processing it also proceeding.

He smiled as he began to think how things would be able to move along once steel was flowing out from the smelters. They would be able to construct large machines that could make things easier. The thoughts that rambled along his mind were things that people might think that he was mad.

But of course, there were those whom thought that the construction of the Rifle was a thing of madness. And that has led to the protection of many a MountainHome and the defeat of enemies long before they were in range of the Dwarven Army.

Soon enough, they could have many kinds of long range and even close range weapons in order to protect the advanmcents that will make LighHome a place of wonder.

Transport along rails at high speeds using metals and steam would make trade easier among the many clans and villages assembled all around.

As he thought these ideas, his Uncle Hazzim cleared his throat. The young Prince had been so lost in his imaginations that he hadn’t heard him come in. A smile crossed his face.

“How can I help you Uncle?”

Hazzim bowed slightly before giving a wide grin of his own.

“The humans that had arrived have decided to settle in our town.”

Logrim chuckled.

“Why, that is most wonderful news Uncle. I can hope that this is the first of many people that will come together to join our community. Their arrival will make LightHome all the stronger and give more diverse ideas. Hmm.”

Logrim began to stroke his beard as Hazzim placed his hands behind his back.

“We shall have to reach out elsewhere as well. Perhaps it is time that we finally reached out to our neighbors.”

“It shall be done, my Prince.”

And with that, Hazzim left quiety as the Prince continued to stroke his beard and went back to his own thoughts of future technologies they could grow.

Logbook of Dwarven Miner, Boron

Day 35

“I’ve heard tell of the smelters being constructed for the Iron Ore to become Steel. That’s good. What we mine should go towards good products, not shoddy ones. The better, the more proud we miners can be.”

Day 42

“I hear tell of some humans that were passing through with nothing. Poor sods. On their way to a holy land with just the clothes on their back. Too bad they don’t have a Prince or a Lord looking out for them. But I do be thinking that humans act without thinking. Ah well. There are new tunnels to dig.”

Day 48

“Humans decided to stay. Guess they decided that they liked having a Prince to protect them after all. Good for them. Now we are working alongside some human miners. It be a weird thing. How do they mine without feeling the rock? Also, their eyes are ill suited to the darkness and they need more light than we do. Human I’m working with calls himself Jeff. He wields a pickaxe like a newborn babe, but he at least has some good stories.”

The Foundry

The Foundry was coming along nicely, but it needed more of an investment in order to become fully functional. Logrim knew that it would take most of their money in order to get this project up and running. But once it would be finished, they could move on to other more adventurous projects. They needed the proper metals to make the larger projects that he was envisioning.

It was something that needed to get done. And he knew his people would be happier for it. Already he had been informed of the murmuring of his competence at getting a forge and smelerting facility up and running so quickly after the founding of their own town.

So this act could only endear him further. As long as he had the support of his people, the pride would follow once they showed the world how they could create new and better technologies from dwarven engineering and science combined with Runes.

Action 1: Spend 10 Gold to to fully outfit the Foundry with Everything it needs

Action 2: Send out a Scouting Party to locate and greet neighbors for setting up trade and business deals. Also possibly offer protection if the village is in need of it.​

 

[Dest]

Azdanur​

---

"Fifteen more repetitions lads and lasses, then we can take a break!" Gideon called out across the training yard, getting a ragged cheer from the various tired men and women at work doing various exercises. "Remember, today you may think what you are doing is hard, but you do it to defend your families!"

"Ah, basic training. Am I ever glad we finally got to start learning to use our swords!" the squire who spoke, a man named Dolf, winced as Gideon's eyes fell upon him.

"Ah! Dolf, come! You and I will be sparring as a demonstration for our soon to be militia!" the giant of a man smiled cheerfully, a hint of mischief in his eyes as he watched the panic bloom across the other man's face.

Shawn and Dave shivered from the stones they were sitting on, watching their 'ally' get thrashed by the older warrior. The duo jumped as they heard a chuckle from beside them, their eyes finding another squire as they turned.

"And that is why we keep our mouths shut if we don't want to be fighting Gideon during training," the young woman turned to the former bandits, a light grin on her face. "A pleasure to finally properly meet you two, I am Kirsten."

"Dave, and this is Shawn," the man was cautious around any of the other members of the order, Kaiden's threats of his death still at the forefront of his mind.

"You two can calm down, none of us are going to kill you unless you start any trouble," the duo looked on their other side, another squire taking a seat on another rock next to them. "While you two aren't going to be anyone's favorite any time soon we aren't cold-blooded killers."

"Patric! Shouldn't you still be resting?" the female squire was quick to move to the other's side, checking the bandages that partially covered his arms and peeked up from under his tunic.

"I had to get out and about for a bit, I was getting stir crazy helping Lady Silvan so she sent me away till I could sit still," the man pushed away her hands gently, fixing his eyes on the duo. "As I was saying, most of the village knows your story by now so don't expect to be welcome until you prove yourself. Most of us were surprised when Kaiden recruited you, and even more so when he recruited the goblin, but we all trust him to do what he thinks is best for the order. You two are going to be judged though, so I hope you put forward your best effort to show you are willing to repent."

"Kirsten, Dave, Shawn! Get over here for training!" Gideon's call made the entire group's eyes shoot to him, the now bruised Dolf laying on the ground groaning next to him. "That means now! Lag behind and you'll be joining Gavron in his laps of the village!"

"Yes sir! Come on you two, I don't want to run that much any time soon!"​

---

"It's beautiful Reyna, I'm amazed by how quick you were able to create something this large," Kaiden walked around the statue, observing it from all angles as it sparkled in the sun.

"Thank you Kaiden, I'm quite proud of it," the elven woman smiled serenely, a light sparkle contained within her hair from the dust of the marble.

"As you should be, it shall stand within the town square for so long as we lay claim to it," the grandmaster of silver rested his hand upon the statue's base, feeling the elven letters which spelled its name.​

---

"No, it would be too easy to arm twenty men and women. Instead, we are going to arm the entire bloody village!" Alice threw down her list in a huff, scowling at the lack of weaponry contained on it. "Can't discourage them he says, just do your best he says. Well, I'd love to see Kaiden arm nearly two hundred soldiers with nine weapons spare."​

---

Actions
1. Start construction of basic walls to protect the village
“The strength of walls depends on the courage of those who guard them.” - Genghis Khan

2. Explore surrounding terrain to ensure that no threats are nearby.
“Exploration is curiosity put into action.”- Don Walsh.

Village Population
429

Spoiler: Demographic Breakdown

50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
80% Human/20% Other [Dwarves/Halflings/Other]

Taxation
50%

Spoiler: Resources

Aether-Kissed Marble

Terrain
Hills

Spoiler: Treasury

376 Gold, 8 Silvers

Spoiler: Armor of Gurak

Very heavy and cumbersome armor, built for an Orc. Will get -20% agility for any non-orc that wears it [-10 for an orc] counts as Armor Point 4.

Spoiler: Axe of Gurak

A very large, but well made, axe. This axe may only be used by someone with a Strength of at least 40%. The user will have -5% agility, but have +1 Damage. This has Slow and Impact.

9 Unused Swords/Axes/Maces
8 suits of gamberson
6 crossbows
3 suits of chainmail

Spoiler: 1 suit of nice looking scale

Medium armor, [Armor Point 3], seems to be a masterwork and you can't fathom who'd leave it behind. As a masterwork, it will not hurt your agility.

Spoiler: Military

15 Squires

Spoiler: Squire Names

Gavron, Aurem, Forgrin, Shawn, Dave, Rodrick, Patric, Townley, Dolf, Kirsten, Arietta, Marvelle, Godiva, Halley, Eliza

Chip
17 Hunters
[Similar to militia only they have hunting bows already are a bit more trained)
198 Untrained Militia

Spoiler: Militia Names

Haha No

 

[Crocodile]

Port Zolond
​

---

The fishing boom for Port Zolond pleased Nym considering the source of the uptick in fish output. It would certainly help cover the costs the settlement might have to deal with for the most part as he continued to make plans for investment and expansion. To make a true port city required various things but one of those was a deeper harbor space. Plus he wanted to plunder whatever minerals, treasure and corpse might be hiding in they bay at this time. How wonderful he had a full force of skeletons to animate now that a whisper of his power had returned. They would be perfect, sleepless workers to do such awful work while keeping them close in case he need undead cannon fodder to help with defenses. This also meant he could let the Gilded Blade recuperate from the Murloc raid for now. He'd taken to keeping Miles, Konrad and Tera around as his personal retinue for the time being.

Other matters were needing to be handled and the Ogres had been something of a concern, until Nym again opted to turn a problem into a solution. The Last Gasp would need some fearsome types to keep the rowdy visitors in line. Three ogres was perfect for that, considering Magdalena might like having some turf to run while getting a cut of the action. Nym was pleased with this agreement since it meant they would help complete the Last Gasp while ensuring a firm grip on the location action. This might also help pull in more income for the visiting sailors and even his own mercenaries.

That left the concern for a major commodity. Alcohol. A port needed its own supply of alcohol with a tavern coming in and the docking of ships. More trade for the town meant more flow of coin into his own purse and that of locals. Expansion of funds meant a flow of profits for all which could feed into the growth of Port Zolond. He also wanted to get some major construction finished before winter or a potential storm season hit. He was wary of straining his funds... but the dredging could solve this. Or not. But he wanted to get those dead men working and remind the town he was the power beyond his small private army.​

---

Actions
1. Animate Dead to animate 18 Murloc Skeletons and 6 Human Skeletons for 24 Skeletons who are to dredge the bay for minerals, bodies and any foreign objects.

2. Build a Brewery for business and trade (75)

Free: Hire Ogre Triplets to work the Last Gasp and help its construction (35)​

 

[Twist]

CƎNSUS

Foalsfort Population
67

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%100 Children

Taxation
Village 95% [Collective]

Exports
Main: Lumber (Ironwood)
Minor: Daggers (Poor Quality)

Land
Forest

Income
40 Gold, 8 copper

Wealth
61 Gold, 5 Silver

Government
Elected Officials
(Demitri 40%
Marta 20%
Adam 16%
Kahmen 12%
Neeso 9%)

With introductions out of the way, and a name finally settled for their little retreat, the council could finally move on to needed business. While not the greatest, fiercest or the most inspiring name, it was a name that most of the children could get behind in one way or the other. The council session was being done out in the open, with any of the kids from the gathering whom chose to stay free to listen or participate, which many did when it came to naming the plot of land.

With horses put in their heads, a number of little girls eagerly proposed all manner of equine words. Pony, Horsie, Unicorn, Prancer and while all 'good' suggestions, they were not names for a settlement. The boys fared only slightly better in their suggestions with words like castle, guards, knight, king with the latter quickly leading to other suggestions from the girls such as princess and fairy. Neeso had jumped on the word castle, offering Fort instead which garnered support from both sides, mostly the male population, after a simple explanation to those unsure.

"A fort is like a castle, and both are homes to kings, princesses and knights." he had smugly stated.

Marta had given him a subtle look, as if gauging his intentions before weaving the discussion back to the earlier suggestions, that of horses. Under his mop of hair, Demitiri pursed his lips, as he offered a suggestion "What about Foalsfort...?"

Adam, standing beside him, had given an approving nod "It's got a nice ring to it"

There was another inquiry from the stands, as to what a Foal was. Demitri cleared his throat and gave an explanation. "It's a young horse. Depending on the breed they can grow up into strong, powerful stallions or beautiful mares. With a little training when their young you can get yourself a friend for life."

There was an agreeable murmur from the crowd, with words such as strong and powerful a big hit with the boys, though the actual context in which they were used might have been lost on some of them, and horses were always a plus for the girls.

"Sounds good." smiled Marta "A fitting combination with Neeso's and everyone's suggestion."

She looked at Neeso as she said his name, the young man looking out with self assuredness at the crowd. With Neeso seemingly satisfied, she quickly moved the conversation to a vote. With an almost unanimous approval their small camp was christened Foalsfort. And so the newly elected council, undertook their first task, a proposal by Marta.

"I'd rather not have the youngsters have to go out into the woods to do their business. While some are happy to have minders, some of the shy ones are really struggling with it, leading to accidents in camp. It would be really nice if we had a dedicated facility for ablutions, so no-one has to venture into the forest just to relief themselves. It would also help with changing and washing the babies."

As if on cue, a little boy no more than four, waddled towards the council. With legs thick with mud from an eventful play session, the toddler made a bee line for Marta. "Marta. I need to go potty" he asked quietly, tugging at her dress with his free hand as he held his bottom with the other.

Crouching down to his level, Marta looked him in the eye. "Okay Palio. Take my hand and we'll be off in just a moment."

Holding the boy's hand she looked at the members of the council "I'll be back soon" she reassured, before wandering away with Palio.

"She raises a good point. We don't really know what's out in them woods and no one wants to get taken unaware with their pants down."

It was a darkly humorous thought, one that made Demitri almost chuckle, though Neeso had stated it as a matter of a fact. Standing across from him in the clearing, Demitri could see him scratching away at his chin, as thick coarse hair the colour of pitch slowly grew in.

One of the boys who were fighting earlier, Neeso had been the shorter of the pair, and had gained a spot on the council for his hunting skills. A rat catcher's apprentice for the township the other side of the mountain, the dwarven lad's small size had given him an advantage in hunting the vermin. With the tricks of the trade scalable for the smaller wild game, it wasn't a hard sell for the boy to earn some votes.

"A bonfire and a few torches would be a good idea for the camp. Keep the beasties away during the night and give us some light if there's any trouble."

Demitri nodded along, happy to let Neeso do his thing.

"Kahmen, think you can lend a hand with the latrine?" asked Demitri to their resident Tinkerer.

With dust coloured hair and sun soaked skin of a desert dwelling tribe she had never known, the talented teenager had been elected to by her peers for her sharp intellect. Staring down her narrow nose as she worked the piece of Ironwood on her lap, Kahmen bobbed her head from side to side in thought before quickly answering "Sure. I can think of something."

"That gives me an idea too..." voiced Adam, the signs of his brain hard at work clearly visible on his face. "Might need your expertise, Demitri, if you'd be willing to lend a hand"

Demitri eyed his friend warily, though he wasn't giving anything away. "Okay Adam. Sure"

"Hey! If your all helping with the Latrine who's going to help me get wood for the fire?" exclaimed Neeso.

An awkward silence fell over the meeting. Adam shifted his gaze around uncomfortably, as Demitri tried to offer an answer to the waiting Neeso.

"I'll help" called out a voice from behind them.

Turning around the group was met with the dark gaze of a wild haired young man....

​

Turn Actions:
A Public Latrine will be made, with facilitates for the younger children and babies to be bathed and changed in. Project will be overseen by Marta and the Tinkerer (Kahmen) (Poor Quality Daggers used) . Waste will be converted into a Compost Pile to help the garden alongside other natural byproducts such as animal bone and rotting plants. Demitri will till the pile while the Herbalist (Adam) will see to it's proper application. (Beacon of Hope used if applicable)

A bonfire and torches will be made to protect Foalsfort from wild animals and the cold, being lit at nighttime and watched over by Virgil. (Poor Quality Daggers used)

 

[Charlie12520]

Somewhere in the Mountains

As the horse-drawn carriage trudged through the pass, Thesius could feel every bump on the road as the wheels rolled past them. Even though the carriage had been lined with fur, it was still freezing cold on the inside. Thesius laid on a small mattress built into a wall opposite a long bench. Thesius looked towards it. On that bench was a man whose few hairs on his head were as white as snow. A long, pointy beard stretched downwards towards his stomach. Despite his age, his movements were fluid and graceful. The man carried a small leather sack, from which he reached in and produced a handful of squirming black sausages.

Leeches. The old man pointed at his leather boots, coated with fur. Thesius nodded, leaned forwards, and started taking them off. Even now, it still does not hurt. Underneath the boots were white cloths, bandaged tightly around his soles. He took those off too, revealing a set of toes whose nails were colored purply black. Thesius wiggled his toes in the air.
As the old man took a step towards his toes, Thesius felt a twinge of uncertainty. Miles had been Ironhold’s physician for decades, even before Thesius was born. But the man had more experience with wounds and cuts then with fever and frostbite. When Miles had warmed Thesius’ feet up by a fire, the pain had been nearly unbearable. And was it even worth it? Even now, I feel my toes slowly freezing again.

“Miles, are you sure about this?” Thesius muttered. The old man stepped forward and placed two leeches on each foot. They were freezing cold, slobbering wet towels on Thesius’ skin. Thesius grimaced.

The old man replied, “My lord, the purple color comes from the bad blood within. Just like a fever, we will need to suck out the bad humors in order for the feet to heal.” Miles looked at Thesius, seeing his lord’s pained expression. “Next time, maybe you shouldn’t rush out without fur lining your soles.”

Miles was right, Thesius knew. It had been a mistake to venture out unprepared. In his steel armor, he felt as if it were a giant ice cube surrounding him. Although, it had been a surprise to find his feet black and swollen. He remembered his feet hurting for the first day or two of the mission, but then could feel nothing.

The thought of his failure came unbidden. So did the words. “Nasrin lied to us. She pretended it would still have been that giant monster. It was only her father…” And when I tried to carry his corpse…

Miles sat down on the opposite bench. He leaned backwards onto the wooden wall. “My lord, if you would permit a word.” Miles said, paused, then went on. “You care too much of what others think, Thesius. You should do what you think is best - if that was to go and fight that monster, so be it. Even if it does not turn out the way you expect.”

Thesius watched the leeches run over his feet. It tickled. “My father said that a good king must act strong. Otherwise his men quickly lose faith.”

“Aye, and the best way to act strong is to be strong. Weak men cannot be strong for long, even if they try. Focus rightly on the correct decisions, more so than the image you project, and you will find that men’s words will shift to the right direction.” Miles replied, as he rubbed his hands on a cloth, soaking up the slime from the leeches.

The carriage jerked to a sudden stop. Miles stood up and flipped over the weighted cloth that was hung over the window. The cold air let in, and Thesius let out a cough. Miles stuck his head outside, but Thesius could see what was happening already. The carriage was traveling in between two mountains. The path, which started about ten horses wide, had been slowly constricting. Now, Thesius could see the rock only a couple of feet away. He put on his boots, and then stood up. His toes screamed pain in protest.

“Order the men to demolish this carriage, Miles. I will make the rest of the journey on horseback.” Thesius said. Miles nodded, as he shouted an order to the men outside.
​

Turn Actions

- Order the men to start building collapsible fur tents (preferably with Nasrin's help) during breaks out of any extra furs they can muster.
- The rest of the capable should all be out stockpiling tree roots and hunting for the winter.

 

[Cosmo]

Claimants of the Forsaken Lands Turn 3
Harvest Season (Fall) Month 3

Most of the leaves have fallen and the drab grey cloudy skies are becoming more and more common across the land. People begin to bundle up in thicker clothing as the chilly winds of early winter begin to blow down from the mountains. Winter will be here soon [next turn]. Farmers hurry to get the last of their crop harvest before the first frost comes and kills the rest. Winter is a hard time in the Forsaken Lands. Income is greatly reduced, people tend to stick more indoors to wait out the cold, and sickness can settle in and easily ravage a village. Many people are already paying homage to Oberon and other such gods to guard their hearths and homes over the coming winter and safeguard them from sickness.

Use this chance to finish what must be finished and prepare, for winter is coming.

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Helbaron

The village of Helbaron has been a constant buzz of activity since the great infrastructure work began, finally, near the end of the Harvest Season, the actual road work has been completed. The people of Helbaron have received a few pleased comments and notices from the caravans that come through, as although they are still dirt and gravel, the fact they are now filled in with no holes does make it easier on the carts. Work is going to begin soon for the actual buildings along the main street and there is a small buzz over who gets to have their store and homes fixed first, but it is a seemingly harmless discussion. The farmers are bringing in the last of their haul for the Harvest Season ends soon and winter is coming. The ending of the Harvest Season will hit Helbaron hard as the vast majority of Helbaron's income comes from wheat and sheep, starting next month, Helbaron will be receiving very little income.

The defeat of the sand tremor sent ripples through Helbaron, not only was the beast defeated, it was defeated by Tegbaron along, clearly, a sign of his divinity. The defeating of the beast swelled the belief in him in the town as the cult is very, very close to reaching critical mass. The shepherd have been quiet, for while Tegbaron did avenge one of their number, it seems they see their control slipping away quickly and aren't sure what to do about it, whatever happens will likely come to head soon.

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Helbaron Population
426

Cult Members
315 [74% are members of the cult.]

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
100% Human

Taxation
50%

Resource
Sheep

Terrain
Hills

Current Projects
200 (70 gold used so far) gold for infrastructure [38%]

The road work is finally complete, it took awhile as it is just a lot of labor and busy work, however, now that is over work should happen much more rapidly. This faster work will also cost more though as unlike filling the holes in the roads and releveling them, repairing the stores and some of the more worn down houses requires much more gold in terms of material and tools., the towns people are quite excited for this work and there is some disagreement over who gets to have their house and/or shop fixed first.

Revenue
176 Gold, 4 Silver

Upkeep/Expenditure
0 Gold

Income
176 Gold, 4 Silver

Treasury
898 Gold, 4 Silver

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Foalsfort

Foalsfort was going through some rapid changes thanks to the new leadership. Things were actually getting built. Not stick and fur huts and lean-tos, but actual things with a purpose. The latrine proved a bit difficult to build until Kahmen had a brilliant idea. Instead of trying to build a bucket, which required finding a stump and hacking and craving away at it with their ironwood knives, a difficult and time consuming process that would require constant cleaning and replacement [something no one wanted to do], what if they just.. made a hole? A hole that had a hollowed stump for a seat. A hole that dropped underground? A few feet away, a tunnel was dug that ran diagonally from the surface to under the latrine, because Kahmen said something about there not being enough air if they tried to dig straight. At the bottom of this hole, and directly underneath the latrine, furs, sticks and leaves were arranged that would... 'catch' the waste and the ends could be easily brought together and the furs dragged out of the hole and over to the garden for repoopising, as the youngest of their members liked to giggle and call it. The latrine itself was much like the other buildings, little more then logs and sticks erected to make something 'close enough' to a building, its walls were then covered with leaves, pine needles and furs to keep it insolated with the added bonus that the furs could be 'opened' to let the smell out when it needed to air. The 'baths' were far, far more primitive. Little more then wood lugs that had been hacked and bashed until there was a 'hollow' space in it. It didn't hold water forever, as it would leak, but it did allow the older kids a place to bathe the smallest of their members as well as quickly wash their clothes and themselves [although they could not enter]. To start making real baths, sinks and furniture, they'd need more advanced tools. Still the latrine was a giant success, helped immensely by Marta's advice and leadership, including one moment when an unfortunate boy slipped and fell down the hole and into the.. pit. Thanks to Marta's quick thinking, he avoided ridicule and an unpleasant nickname [Rolled crit fail, but a high success which offset fail] not just for allowing people to stay within Foalsfort to use the rest room, but the waste would help the garden flourish. The garden won't see the full bonus of this till next year as winter is coming very, very soon.

A large central bonfire is built and kept going by Virgil, oddly, at times, when the fire goes low, it suddenly flares back up despite no fuel being added. Peculiar, but nothing that other children think is worth looking into. A 'barrier' of torches are made and are closely watched as a fallen torch, or loose ember, in the middle of a forest could be a very dangerous situation. The children can be reasonably sure that the common beast would avoid the heat and fires that surround their camp. Still winter will be very cold, so something more will need to be done. Neeso's idea is to hunt more, to gain more, and possibly hunt more dangerous prey, to get thicker furs for blankets while Kahmen believes they should build a large central structure around the bonfire where they could all sleep to have better access to its heat for winter. Both ideas could work, but which does Demitri prefer? Or does he have his own idea?

There has been something odd going on in Foalsfort.. Some of the youngest of the children have been behaving oddly. They don't play anymore, instead sticking to Marta and some of the other kids that show more paternal instinct. When anything comes that serves to distract Marta and the others, or tries to separate the children from her, they tend to react very negatively, demanding Marta 'make them leave'. Virgil isn't sure, but he does believe he saw something move in the darkness, just beyond the torch light but he couldn't tell what it was, but Neeso has noticed a strange stench around the outskirts of the camp, like something is rotting. In addition, Demitri has had some odd dreams of late. A man.. Or a woman, it is hard to tell. Some nights he is sure it is one, but then the next, he is certain of the opposite. They are obscured in darkness, but they keep reaching a hand out to him, a hand the bid for him to take. Each and every dream ends the same, "When hope fails and fear takes your heart, reach out to me and say my name."

[A 1 was rolled, you had an event happen to you. You may auto-resolve it, or do it. Just tag me for which ya pick and if you wanna do it, just tell me what time would be good for you and I'll try to be on then! You will not need to use an action to address this, specific, issue.]

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Foalsfort Population
67

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%100 Children

Foalsfort Council
Demitri (40%)
Marta (20%)
Herbalist Adam (16%)
Tinkerer Kahmen (14%)
Hunter Neeso (9%)

Taxation
Village 95% [Collective]

Resource
Lumber (Ironwood)

Terrain
Forest

Completed Projects
Latrine (Fertilized Garden)
Wall of Torches

Revenue
42 Gold, 2 Silver 4 copper

Expenditure/Upkeep
-10 Gold

Income
32 Gold, 2 silver, 4 copper

Treasury
93 Gold, 7 Silver, 4 copper

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Icewick

The trip was a difficult one, another person, an infant, froze to death in the icy nights, however, with Narsin's help, many others survived [Narsin reroll saved 15]. With Thesius personal coach torn down and used as kindling, it sent a strong message: they would make it, or they would all die here. There was no going back. This did not help with the frostbite Thesius was suffering, but to everyone's surprise, Thesius frostbite stabilized [Passed Challenging -10 Toughness test], assuming they were able to make it to the fallen dwarf MountainHome and get away from the snow, Thesius would make a full recovery, however, for now, his foot is blackened and causes a lot of issue in moving [-10 Agility for this turn]. With Narsin's assistance, collapsible tents were made using the fur they had been harvesting in their hunts. These tents were not better then the ones they already had, but they were smaller so many had taken up the practice of setting up the smaller fur tents inside of their larger tents. The true value of these tents would be in the month to come, as the MountainHome was likely to not be spacious enough in many areas for four hundred people to set up an entire encampment, but with the smaller fur tents, that would be easier to carry, they'd always have a place to sleep.

The people were urged to double time it on their gathering, to increase the food supply as much as possible before they entered the MountainHome, as once within, food will not be a likely thing to come by [You will burn through food (treasury) to keep your people fed while in the MountainHome]. Many tubers were dug up, but many people nearly got frostbite in their fingers as they dug, but quick intervention by the more learned among them stopped that from happening. As the weeks went on, they drew closer. Narsin even pointing out the mountain to which the entrance lay, and soon they'd pass the point of no return. The point where turning back would be impossible even for a few men on horseback, still, what did that matter? They were nearing their goal, and assuming Narsin was not lying, they would have their path to the grasslands that was promised...

Betrayal

It happened at night, a shout of warning, the smell of burning, the camp was on fire as people screamed. Thesius emerged from his tent and was met with two allies who had come rushing to check on him, their own weapon in hand... But before both of them, stood another familiar foe, a blade in their hand. Thesius would have to fight. If he lost, the expedition would be lost. If he won, the cancer would be cut out from his forces and he could continue on to the MountainHome.

Decision Point

Thanks to your good rolls, you are ahead of the betrayer, as such, the vast majority of knights [and so Longbowmen], and are Thesius' side, however the betrayer knows that to and has burnt the camp to sow confusion while he assassinates Thesius. Because you had four degrees more then the traitor, you will select two allies to have with you, can be Remus/Leo/Narsin, etc. This is a battle and so will be fought. In order to win, Thesius needs to eliminate, or subdue, all the assassins or survive 12 combat rounds [2 in-game minutes] for reinforcements to arrive. Tag me in discord when you're free to do this encounter.

This is a special battle, if you lose this, your journey is over. Fate or no fate. Pick your companions well.

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Icewick Population
428

Demographic Breakdown:
50/50 men and women
%14 Elderly
%25 Children
%61 Adults
-
100% Human

Taxation
50%

Resource
Fur

Terrain
Mountain

Completed Projects
Collapsible Fur Tents [20 gold spent]

Revenue
176 Gold, 7 Silver

Upkeep/Expenditure
60 Gold, 1 Silver
(Food, monthly payment, horse care, equipment maintenance)

Income
116 Gold, 6 silver

Treasury
320 Gold

Military
8 Knights w/ Warhorses
35 Longbowmen

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Nehekara

The hiring of Melian's Desert Rangers was met with equal parts hope and wariness. Had the Saltmongers traded one iron fisted ruler with an iron fist for another? There was some whispers, such as from Canann, that Arakis could not be expected to deal with Nithra without some sort of military backup. Luckily for Arakis, Melian was very polite and professional, her Waabooz did not cause trouble in the town and when they did drink, they tended to do so in their own camp which made her settling in happen with relative ease. Before they could begin training people, Arakis would need to either start drafting or taking volunteers for a military or militia. Also a place to actually train the soldiers would help immensely. The repairing of the rakes took most of the month, but the anubite smith was able to do it, he did get two human 'apprentices', but both human teenagers were just as unsure of the arrangement as the anubite, but they did as they were bidden. Almost none of the iron from the rake was reusable being far too pitted and corroded by the extreme salt content of the water they rest in, if the village had some smelters, some of the iron could perhaps be salvaged. Still the repairing of the rakes, even with the importation of iron, was considerably cheaper then it would have been to pay retail, doubly so when Nithra was likely to price gauge them. The fact Arakis delivered on his initial promise helped trust a bit, but most were still waiting for the other boot to drop, and it was all too easy for his detractors to point out that Arakis, himself, would also make more money for fixing the rakes, so it was a long term investment, nothing more.

The school is 'finished', save for the very expensive training room where the various expensive machines, sigils and instruments that would allow for 'relative' safe experimentation with the strands would be built. Until this is built, magic training cannot truly begin as Nailah cannot safely begin her first steps into the world of magic. There was a rather surprising discovery made by Arakis during his wanderings of the countryside, a large outcropping of stone. As most of the land was a wide, open expanse of desert, to find such an outcropping of stone was quite the surprise, on closer inspection, veins of golden like metal shimmered. For a second, there was hope that it was gold... But no, it was copper. Copper is a valuable trade good, after all, a coin is made from it. It has more value in its raw and processed from then Iron, but unlike Iron, Copper cannot then be made into weapons and armor [at least, the kind people would want to buy] that skyrockets iron's value. In addition to the copper, turquoise deposits were found along with the copper. Turoquise, especially desert turoquise, is known to be especially beautiful and valuable. No one is working the newly found copper yet, but it wouldn't be too difficult to make, or acquire, basic mining equipment and get to work [If you do this, I'll pull workers away from other tasks to mine copper].

Nithra will be arriving to Nehekara this turn to collect her due. Arakis can talk to her, attempt an ambush, or bide his time until he has gathered more forces for a stronger negotiation position, all of these options carry risk, so Arakis should choose wisely.


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Nehekara Population
415

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
40% Anubite/60% Human

Students
Nailah [Anubite]

Saltmonger Trust
Canann - Neutral
Thorli - Neutral
Attia - Hesitant
Arden - Very Distrusting

Taxation
50%

Resource
Salt Fields
Copper (Turquoise)

Terrain
Desert

Current Projects
100 gold used so far gold for School of Magi [99%]

The School is 'complete'. The actual training room where a mage can start to experiment with the strands in 'relative safety' has not been completed, but the chambers for six students and the library are done. The library has some books, but none of them are truly special, being some of the more 'common' magic tomes available, mostly general introduction, applied theories and history books. In order to begin teaching actual magic, the training facility will need to be finished. This will cost 50 gold for just Arakis and Nailah, but if the school wants enough to train Arakis and the future students, it will take 150 gold and 'finish' the School of Magi.

42 Gold used to Repair Rakes [100%]

It was a bit more expensive then originally thought as the tools couldn't really be reforged. Due to the extreme salt content of the water these rakes spend most of the day in, when the metal rake finally gives in, the metal is so corroded and pitted that it is worthless to try and use it for anything else. Perhaps if the village had a smelter, it would be possible to melt it down and salvage some, but as is, the rakes had to be made from imported iron. The sheer number needed wasn't cheap, however, the smith was able to do it for a little under a third of the cost of retail [and retail is likely cheaper then what Nithra would have charged]

Completed Projects
Repaired Saltmonger Rakes

Revenue
182 Gold, 8 Silver

Upkeep/Expenditure
-162 Gold

Income
20 Gold, 8 Silver

Treasury
315 Gold

Military
Melian's Desert Rangers
10 Tatou Riders
25 Waabooz Warriors

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LightHome

The expedition to DeadLight had gone well, while Logrim hadn't been able to establish a foothold in the Merchant's Quarters like he had wanted, they didn't even make it to the Merchant's Quarters, the expedition was undoubtedly a success. Not only did they recover a lot of coin to further the advancement of LightHome, but Logrim had uncovered something far more valuable, a lost Master Rune. He also learned quite a bit about DeadLight and, in turn, SpireHold. He learned of the dangers that lurked even just on the upper levels although there was some questions as to what horrible monster was in the Merchant's Quarters that they missed.. Bands of racist dwarves with forked beards prowled it seeking to kill and eliminate any 'Umgi' they found, and if they were all as tough and skilled as the small band Logrim fought, they could prove to be an issue especially if their rot had stretched far into DeadLight. There was also a chance for him to set up, or join in on, the blacksmithing operation in DeadLight, after all, lots of adventurers went in and out of SpireHold, there was bound to be a lot of coin in some fine dwarf crafted steel.

The humans who arrived had settled in nicely, while there was some issues of culture shock, there has been no incidents of note. Although the humans have quickly learned to stay far, far away from Stonebread much to the laughs and jeers of the dwarves who... eat it while keeping to the sacred dwarf tradition of pretending to enjoy the taste for the sake of the ancestors. Still, there is some value to this cultural need to pretend to enjoy the Stonebread. Stonebread can be grown underground, once turned into bread, it can last years without going bad [not even the insects seem to enjoy it], and so is the perfect food for fighting famine or enduing sieges. Both of these contributing greatly to why dwarf MountainHomes are so difficult to take, it wasn't usually possible to starve them out and fighting in the labyrinthian Dwarf MountainHomes, in tight quarters, against the stocky, strong, low-center of gravity dwarves was not something almost any race wanted to engage it.

Still, there lay a lot of possibilities in this land, both for righting the wrongs of old such as reclaiming SpireHold, even if some of his fellows thought it impossible, to exploring more of this wild, untamed land and, of course, the unstoppable march of progress that Logrim would bring to the world.

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Village Population
450

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 Men and Women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
96% Dwarf
4% Humans

Taxation
50%

Resource
Iron

Terrain
Mountain

Current Projects
150 [120 gold used so far] for Smelters [100%] and Refining Facility [74%]

Work on the foundry goes well, if no laborers are taken to other jobs, it is assured that the foundry will be completed before winter arrives. Already there is an improvement in Wrought Iron produced, and in turn, the amount of 'refined' Iron that Logrim has to turn into proper steel for proper dwarf arms and armor. Once the foundry is fully complete, the only iron that will leave LightHome will be the far more valuable Wrought Iron.

You gain 2 unit of steel a turn [Keep track of your steel!]

Completed Projects
Smelters
Stonebread

Revenue
334 Gold, 6 Silver
(+192)

Upkeep/Expenditure
172 gold, 2 silver
(-40 purchases in event)
(Food, monthly payment, horse care, equipment maintenance)

Income
162 Gold, 4 Silver

Treasury
305 Gold, 8 Silver

Military
23 Disgraced Guards

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Azdanur

The month had been a very busy one for Azdanur, from the people coming and going from the town, to train in their duties as the militia as well as the constant sounds of construction as a large wooden wall is going up to surround the small village and keep it safe. The oddest things of all happened to the squires, they went to sleep one night as.. themselves and woke up entirely different. Their personalities and memories remained unchanged, Eliza is still Eliza, but she is also different. Her body is stronger, covered in strong muscles, and she even feels smarter. Able to grasp things faster then she was just the day before, she is faster, tougher, even more charismatic as if leading has become second nature, an instinct... And her skill with a blade has grown immensely. Before Eliza, and the other Squires, were little better then militia, but now? Now they can stand toe to toe with any member of the Order of Silver and even win some. It was as if their bodies had learned everything they would ever need to over night. Many squires have questions as to the missing eye of Kaiden, and now that they are all smarter, they have managed to put two and two together. Gideon's warnings of the demons in the house who makes deals, Kaiden's missing eye and their sudden power.. They all know Kaiden made a deal for them. This has had a mixed reception, some are happy, flattered even, that Kaiden would sacrifice his eye for 'them', while the others see it as a devil's bargain, to give something so precious to a dangerous entity rather then do it the 'true' way was surely to come back to haunt them. Either way, the deal was made and, as far as they know, cannot be undone. As for the entity that called itself 'Angie', one day the cottage was there, the next it was gone. Someone, or something, had made the final deal and so Angie took her leave as she said she would. The ground was completely undisturbed as if nothing had ever been there, much less, an entire cottage. Whispers were abound as to what Angie truly was, but only a few knew the truth, the few that Alice decided to share the information with.

Training began in earnest now that Gideon had much needed support to act as sergeants, so skilled now that they could take over entire sections of it with little need of his personal input. The raw number of militia still means they have to be trained in batches, the training grounds simply aren't large enough to do them all at once, however the well trained squires can be trusted to keep the militia trained, so the fear that by the time the last batch was trained, the first batch would now be untrained [from no practice] was gone. Once trained, the militia would stay trained so long as the squires were a high enough number to keep it so.

Reyna did not create a masterwork this turn.
[Rolled 853, need 900+]

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Village Population
429

Demographic Breakdown:
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
80% Human/20% Other [Dwarves/Halflings/Other]

Taxation
50%

Resource
Aether-Kissed Marble

Terrain
Hills

Current Projects
100 [80 gold used so far, estimated final cost will be 400 gold] for Wooden Walls [20%]

The Order of Silver, worried about reprisal from the figure known as 'Rokzog', ordered the construction of a large wooden wall to encircle Azdanur. Construction has begun and the wall is estimated to be around twenty feet, not ideal, as thirty would be preferable, but would take longer. To solve this issue, The Order of Silver implemented the effective, and low cost, solution of digging a ten foot ditch in front of the walls making its height now thirty feet and providing an obstacle for siege weaponry and difficult terrain for infantry to have to contest with if they wanted to get to the walls, themselves. It would be a simple matter, if a siege was threatened, to implant stakes and other defensive obstacles in the ditches to further hamper enemies. The wooden walls will be complete with ramparts and battlements that can be walked and fought on. The battlements will be five feet wide, only large enough for two people to stand comfortably as it is not an especially wide wall. The interior of the wooden wall is filled with gravel to reinforce the wooden structure and give it some 'weight' to help protect it against catapults and other such weaponry. Construction of the wooden wall will take some time unless extra gold and manpower is directed to finish it. Winter and summer are great building times as many of the farmers won't have anything to do and so can be hired as extra labor with the right incentives.

Completed Projects
Training Field

Revenue
277 Gold, 3 Silver

Upkeep/Expenditure
(Food, monthly payment, horse care, equipment maintenance)
136 Gold, 5 silver

Income
140 Gold, 8 Silvers

Treasury
517 Gold, 6 Silvers

Military
15 Squires
Chip
17 Hunters
[Similar to militia only they have hunting bows already are a bit more trained)
198 Untrained Militia

Military Training
1 turn for first batch of trained militia
Squires are at their 'max' for training.

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Occiden Marag

Occiden Marag was a flurry of work as the final watermills were built, farmers and lumberjacks flooded into town to have their work processed by the rapidly working watermills. Farmers had the last of their crops milled into fine flour that was then given to Irving as tax or taken back to their farm as the case may be. Lumberjacks refined the trees down into more manageable chunks, including removing the bark, and then let the watermills quickly process them into fine, even sized planks, perfect for building with or stacking to make transportation for sell easier. A training field, although primarily an archery range, was quickly established as well. It doesn't take all that much to find a mostly flat land and then set up a few targets and dummies, after all. The field is nothing advanced nor is it particularly large, so Karl will need to train the recruits in 'batches', but it worked find as the poor blacksmith and fletcher had the mother of all orders placed in, so would take them time to actually create the Bows, Shields and Spears needed for the guardsmen and militia. They should be able to keep pace with the training process and have each batch of guardsmen and militia's equipment ready for when they finish 'basic' training, so a process that'll take three months for the first batch.

The guardsmen are made up almost entirely of fishermen, and a few laborers, who quite their jobs and took up work as soldiers for the better pay and to defend their home. Between the Guardsmen and Militia they have about 3/4ths of the adult men of the village 'under' arms. There isn't a whole lot more rooms for them to grow outside of taking in women or getting that last chunk of abled bodied men to join the militia. The spider to the north and what happened to Ichern, and the rumored village even further below them, was ample enough reason for many many to join the militia, if only for safety's sake. Trade goes to and from Ichern, but nothing too grand as neither has any special resources the other doesn't have access to, but still, it is good to have as they can cover the shortfall of the other if there is a particularly harsh season. Irving's refusal and disposal of the wizard is met with approval by the entire village. The Aetherlings, of course, not happy with the wizards who misuse the spirits for their own ends, as that old man was clearly doing, and the humans just flat out not liking or trusting magic so glad to see their leader seems to have a similar opinion. With this support, there is a surge of support and Ada is able to convert a large chunk of the humans to following the Aetherling religion and cultural trends.

Nearing the start of the third month, a large river barge is spotted rowing down the river, but it stops to anchor off the village and a rather dapper looking skeletal figure calls for the village of Occiden Marag to pay tribute for the use of his beautiful river. If they do not pay tribute, they will be forced to take the tribute from the village.

[A 1 was rolled, an event has happened to you. As they are contacting you, you do not need to spend an action to address it]


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Village Population
416

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
68% Aetherling
31% Human
Less than 1% Kobold [Zuhsa]

Taxation
50%

Resource
Arling River

Terrain
Forest

Current Projects
90 Gold for Watermills (100%)
All five watermills are now complete, farmers are bringing the last of their harvest in to have the grain grounded up into flour and the lumberjacks are bringing in the timber to be processed into nice, even planks, perfect for building with, or, stacking and selling.

5 Gold for construction of a Training Ground (100%)
The archery range isn't hard to do. Just clearing a field and creating some straw targets. Some obstacles are put in for easier exercise including wooden logs that could be lifted to build strength, at the risk of someone pulling their back or thighs. A few 'target dummies' are made from wood that people training with a spear can poke and prod at to get some form of melee training including a 'fighting' pit for some form of sparing to be done. Luckily, Karl is a good enough fighter, in both melee and ranged, that the militia can learn from him to become true soldiers in the future.

Completed Projects
Watermills
Training Field

Revenue
208 Gold, 1 Silver
(+10)

Upkeep/Expenditure
(Food, monthly payment, horse care, equipment maintenance)
263 Gold
[A lot so doing a break down: 40 for waterwheels, 5 for field, 240 for equipment, 28 for guardsmen pay and food]

Income
- 114 Gold, 9 Silver

Treasury
140 Gold, 2 Silver

Military
20 Untrained Guardsmen
20 Hunters
1 Kobold [Zuhsa]
60 Untrained Militia

Military Training
3 turns for first batch of trained Guardsmen/Militia


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Port Zolond
Port Zolond was seeing a lot of construction and people were very excited both by the promise of an inn, filled with hookers and blackjack, but also by the concept of a brewery. Alcohol tended to be a bit pricy in the Forsaken Realm as it often had to be imported from far distances, so most people made due with 'homemade' spirits which tasted foul and tended to be more akin to rotgut then an actual drink. The idea that Port Zolond could be home to their own special brand of beers, wines or spirits was quite the novel idea. Not only could they sell it, and keep the inn well stocked, the people, themselves, could likely acquire a fair amount at a 'discounted' price. Neither structure had been completed yet, but it was only a matter of time, the wealthier folk in Zolond were especially excited for drunk sailors were dangerous, but also exceedingly stupid and so would buy things they normally wouldn't and with the Ogres in charge of the tavern, that took care of the 'Stupid' part well enough. Magda had already started to refer to The Last Gasp as 'her' inn, eyeing it like a troll eyes a pie, heaven save any drunken sailor that tries to cause a mess in 'her' inn.

The only hiccup was.. the skeletons. The people of Port Zolond, like most fine people in the world, distrusted magic. Magic was foul, it corrupted, it attracted daemons, it destroyed the world and so its users were equally distrusted. The vast majority of people were unaware that the Dark Elf, which made it even worse, was not only a mage but a necromancer. Seeing the dead walk into the ocean and return back with buckets full of sand and coin, or even bodies, did not put them at ease. Still, this is Port Zolond where many of the outcast of the Forsaken Realm had gathered, so there was more leniency then normal, but a Dark Elf Necromancer... That could be too far for many. So far, order is being maintained thanks to the Gilded Blades and the three, rather large, imposing ogres, but the people are disturbed by the dead that walk among them. Perhaps they will grow used to them in time. Perhaps.

Dredging Results
[50% dredged, may attempt to dredge it again if desired]
The skeletons worked 'hard', well, as hard as a puppet control by magic could which was rather hard if not a bit clumsy, dredging Port Zolond's bay with various tools, nets and even a few buckets. Various coins were found, some likely dropped from pockets while others were likely tossed into the sea as some sort of religious custom of sailors praying for a safe voyage and so 13 gold worth of coins were recovered. In addition, various goods such as pearls and other such jewelry, likely tipped over a boat long ago, was discovered [46 gold value in pearls and jewels]. As one could expect from a town like Port Zolond, numerous humanoid corpses were dug up, most were bound in chains or otherwise held down clearly murder victims. Some of the bodies had flesh on them.. at least, under water, but the sea was cruel to flesh and between the fish feasting on them and being removed, the majority of the flesh fell right off the bones. As such, Nym recovered 24 humanoid skeletons include a few smaller ones that most of the people have taken to assuming are halfling for their own sanity. The bay was 'dug' deeper thanks to the skeletons removing so much sand and silt, enough to possible accommodate larger vessels if they had a larger dock to suit them.

Some other larger bone pieces were pulled out from the water. It was... interesting. Some appeared to be some kind of giant and others obviously came from a massive shark. Nym could almost certainly mix and match these massive bones to create something special, a Bone Golem. [You may spend an action putting together a Bone Golem if you so desire].

One more turn remaining for double fishing income

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Village Population
420

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
39% Human
36% Orc/Half-Orc
10% Goblin
9% Other
5% Halfling
1% Ogre

Taxation
50%

Resource
Limestone

Terrain
Coastal

Current Projects
50 Gold (50 gold used so far) for The Last Gasp: Tavern/Bordello/Gambling Hall (99%)

With the Ogre's help, The Last Gasp was 'completed'. Well, the actual structure was. Until it could be fully furnished, it was just a rather large, impressive stone building sitting near the docks. Need 85 gold to bring in the furniture and finish the tavern and open it for business. You do not need to do an action for this, just declare it in the post.

75 Gold (10 gold used so far) for a Brewery (13%)

Much like The Last Gasp, the brewery is being made of stone, which takes awhile. However, unlike the Tavern, the brewery will be smaller and not need specialized chambers for bedrooms or a gambling hall which will help. Not as much work was done on the Brewery as otherwise as much of the labor went to finishing the Tavern for the month. Much like the tavern, the actual building, itself, will not be as expensive as what is inside, merely time consuming to build. However, seventy-five gold will cover the expenses for construction, so now it is just a matter of waiting for it to be complete. As Winter is about to start, if Nym so desires, he can hire farmers, who will soon have little to do at home, to help with the construction if it is something he feels he needs to rush.

Revenue
199 Gold 6 silver
(+59 for dredging)

Upkeep
132 Gold
(You only pay them wages, Mercs buy their own food and pay their own equipment maintenance)

Income
67 Gold, 6 Silver

Treasury
237 gold, 8 Silver

Military
42 Gilded Blades
24 Skeletons
[18 Murloc, 6 Humanoid]
3 Ogres

Important Note
Nym regains 1 Magic Power [Back up to 2]

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Nova Empearal

Nova Empearal is still the quiet beatiful place it has always been. Construction is underway for a Magic Academy, although this has caused some discontent and stirring in the general populace. People don't like or trust magic, seeing it as wrong and dangerous, the people who enjoy the tranquil beauty, and peace, of Nova aren't exactly thrilled that Araquiel wants to turn this quiet haven into a breeding ground for magic which they believe to be foul in its very nature. They are content with Araquiel and his own 'studies', because Araquiel is rather charming, but this magic academy is pushing the boundaries for many of the people living there. The traders from Grensbrook arrive as promised and collect much of the silver shipments and take them back to their village where the Engram family works to turn them into fine jewelry that can be sold to caravans. Grensbrook is certainly getting the better end of the deal, and making the most money out of this partnership, as silver that has been refined and turned into jewels are worth far more then the raw silver ore Nova is putting out. This is seen as 'fine' by the people as Grensbrook is also shouldering the larger risk of collecting the silver shipments and transporting them back, and it seems their leader, Alywn is seen as a charming young woman by the few from Nova that have met her, so everyone sees this trade deal as a 'good call' from their leader.

Cendeb returned and quickly made himself at home by eating a few of the local delicacy's and purchasing his normal order of silver ore. Cendeb stopped by to give Araquiel a hefty bag of 33 gold, the profit for the sold charm, but sadly the charm was sold to a rather eccentric collector, so it is doubtful that will be a constant buyer for future charms. Cendeb wasn't able to get into any high end magical auctions, but as he said, he did warn Araquiel that he may not have the clout to do so in the first place. Still, 33 gold is a decent return on the investment and certainly better then nothing. Cendeb also returned with two mercenary contracts: The Companions of the Grave and The Grimblades.

Companions of the Grave
The Companions of the Grave are a small group of hedge knights who were the losers in some civil war in one of the smaller Middle Kingdoms and have taken to acting as mercenaries after their lands were stripped from them. They have sworn to travel, and fight together, until the grave takes them all. They are a small mercenary company, more of a band then anything. There are 6 knights in the company, who all are reported to have courser [light warhorses] and a handful of attendants. The Companions of the Grave will demand a 60 gold sign on bonus and 5 gold a month [30 gold a turn] in a three month contract however their contract stats they are free to take any captured prisoners of war as personal chattel. From what Cendeb says, they are highly trained, discipline and loyal to the contract but have a reputation for being cruel and arrogant.

Grimblades
The Grimblades are a halberdier mercenary from the Middle Kingdoms. They suffered pretty heavily in a battle awhile back, but they made it out in, relatively, one piece. They are well armed and trained as they are professionals. There are 32 members in the Grimblades and they will demand a 40 gold sign on bonus and 2 gold a month [64 gold a turn] in a three month contract. From what Cendeb says, they are a mercenary regiment with a solid reputation for bravery.

______

Araquiel seemed to not really want to deal with Hibiki one way or the other so mostly took a 'non-stance stance'. The farmer insisted the guard took his daughter in force, the daughter could not really speak and instead simply cried and withdrew into herself during the process while Hibiki insisted on his innocence. As no proof could be gathered that he forced himself upon the woman, there was no grounds for a true trial [as it was rather hard to convict people of such acts without witnesses, which there were none and tends to be a he said/she said scenario with the wealthier of the two usually winning]. Enraged and with little else to do, the farmer decided to go for a 'trial by combat' and as expected, was cut down by Hibiki as the daughter screamed in sorrow and terror. Hibiki was now 'innocent' as per the laws of the gods.

Yumiko does not seem impressed with Araquiels more passive stance to this issue. The next time Hibiki is seen in the village, he is missing several fingers from his left hand and has a mark carved into his cheek, supposedly, done by Yumiko. It is hard to tell if she cares about the verdict so much as if she cares about Araquiel doing decisive action.

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Village Population
437

Demographic Breakdown
50/50 men and women
%15 Elderly
%25 Children
%60 Adults
-
90% Humans, 10% Other

Potential Magically Adept Students
1 Human

Taxation
50%

Resource
Silver

Terrain
Mountains

Current Projects
100 gold for (31 used so far) for a Magic Academy [31%]

The construction of the Magic Academy goes. Lumber is slowly processed into planks and then those planks are used to form the walls, floor and, someday, roof of this new academy. It is shaping up to be a large building with multiple rooms for personal bed chambers, six planned, with another chamber to act as a library, a central 'common' room and the last will be for magical application. The building, itself, will cost a bit due to just time needed and material, but the true cost will come once that actual structure is complete, the magical equipment and devices needed for 'safe' magical experimentation are not cheap. It cost a wizard 50 gold to get such equipment for just them, to outfit this academy with them? Likely looking at 150 gold needed to outfit such a room to its fullest extent. The people of Nova Empearal aren't quite as excited as Araquiel by this academy for magic is disliked and distrusted by the vast majority of people in the world, especially humans. Most of the people of Nova want very little to do with magic and see this academy construction as a bad omen. Winter is coming, so if extra coin is thrown at the project, farmers could be tempted to come to town to work on it in their free time.

Revenue
275 gold, 2 Silver
(+33)

Upkeep/Expenditure
126, 2 Silver
(Food, monthly payment, horse care, equipment maintenance, you only pay wages for mercs [Rose])

Income
149 Gold

Treasury
423 Gold, 6 Silver
​

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

​

Irving sat in the grand hall of the village manor, which was a bit of a generous term as it was more of a larger house (compared to the other houses in the village) where most of the administrative business of the village took place than a wealthy domicile for a Lord. Sat at the table with Irving were Karl and Theresa, in the midst of a serious discussion. "The Giant Spider is a looming threat that we cannot ignore forever, yet it clearly is a major threat that may be beyond our abilities... the fact that it wiped out the village to the north... bodes ill." Irving said to the two. Theresa replied "Winter arrives soon. Like all creatures, it will likely hibernate or at least be less active during the cold and that would be our time to strike." Irving inquired "Do spiders hibernate?" An awkward silence fell in the room before Karl finally spoke up "Some do. Others find shelter and remain largely dormant to conserve energy." Irving frowned slightly as he then replied "Even then... a fight with the spider even when its in a torpor does not sound like it would be in our favor. I wonder if it would be possible... to tame the spider somehow and instead feed it with a steady stream of meat. We could then attempt to harvest its silk, spirits know that it would help our meager coffers and enable us to buy proper equipment for the guards and militia. More importantly, it would be a safe way to render the threat of the spider to a more manageable level. A spider that is provided for is one that won't hunt of out necessity." The other two grunted in acknowledgement. "Regardless, I believe you are right to say that winter will be our best chance to deal with this spider, in one way or another. Karl, when the time comes, I ask that you go north to the attacked village. Hopefully, you will be able to find tracks that will lead you to the Spider."

Karl nodded in silence as Irving then cleared his throat and then continued to speak "Now, we have started to train a guard and militia, but with so many volunteers and not many people to train them. It appears we will have to prioritize and make due with the situation. Karl, can you focus on training the Guards and then train the militia? We need an active guard first and foremost. Perhaps, Ichern would be able to send an instructor or two among their own guard or hunters to aid us in training the guards and militia. Then once our own guard are trained, then they could also help train our militia." The meeting continued for a while as the three discussed logistics surrounding the protection of the village.

---

Irving stepped out of the manor and out into the crisp air. Winter was certainly approaching as the air had a certain refreshing aspect to it as it was accented with the smell of wood fires, freshly cut wood, and harvested produce. There seemed to be a flurry of activity and cheeriness around the village. There was excitement in the air, and for good reason. They had gone through much the last few months and came out with newly found friends and allies, not to mention that they foiled the plans of a diabolical wizard. The harvest was coming to a close and the people were well provided for and stocked up for winter. They were not rich by any means, but they were flourishing. What more could they ask for? People walked by, greeting Irving. Their recent actions gained them a lot of trust among the people, both Aetherling and Human. Not far from the manor, in the center of the village, Irving spotted Ada, preparing for the harvest ritual, an annual ritual that they performed to commune with and thank the local spirits for their generosity and to seek their guidance and boons for the coming year. Fish scrap would be buried in the fields and forests to thank the spirits of the earth. Game blood and offal would be offered to the river to thank the river spirits. There would be a feast, dance, music and happy times dedicated to the spirits. Finally though perhaps the most important, Irving, guided by Ada, would undergo an entire day of prayer and meditation to achieve a state of communion with the spirits to offer his thanks in person and to gain their wisdom. Incense would burn to evoke the spirits and the Dreamgrass would be smoked to ease the communion in the middle of the village.

Things were truly looking up for the village. That is until a runner came up to Irving "Bailiff! Bailiff! There is a skeletal figure who came on a large barge from upstream! He demands we pay tribute for using the river or else. What shall we do?" Irving frowned slightly and said "This is quite a sudden appearance, but regardless they are a messenger and our guest. We will not be rude or drive them away without hearing what they have to say. Please, escort him to the manor where we will receive them like any guest or visitor."

---

With the village 73 gold worth of goods and coins poorer, things became abundantly clear to Irving that they would not have as much bounty as they initially hoped. Yet, they would not be deterred. While construction projects and other capital intensive projects would have to be put on hold for now, Irving sat with Ada in the manor to discuss plans and ideas. "Our warehouses and stockpiles are leaner than I hoped now. Thank the spirits that we still have one more month to prepare for the winter." Irving commented as he looked over a simple report. "What can we do to better preprare...?" It was then that Ada spoke with resolute steadiness and said "Why not further develop our bonds with the spirits and our new friends? The spirits will provide, one way another with this one last harvest. And if we find ourselves in need, then we may rely on our friends and allies and place our trust in them."

Irving looked at Ada with a raised brow and said "The spirits do not favor the idle." Ada retorted "We will not be idle. Nay, we will spend our time and attention to share with our new friends and to teach them our ways and learn from them as well. The Harvest is a time for us to give thanks and appreciate the gifts that the spirits gave us. Let us break bread with them and pray with them so that we may show each other our appreciation and bring us closer together."

Irving's lips pursed together slightly as he considered the sage's wisdom. He couldn't find a gap in the logic. A relationship was not a firey burst of excitement. Nay it was slow, and steadily maintained like a campfire. It needed consistant maintainence to grow warmer. Even though the Aetherlings had saved the village of Ichern, they had not grown closer together through time and shared experiences. While he still felt uncomfortable with the numbers, perhaps Ada was right. Perhaps, this was a time to have faith in the spirits and their friends, a time to grower closer and share during a festive atmosphere. Irving took a deeo breath before speaking "Very well, I see the wisdom in your words. This End of Harvest Festival will not be a display of productivity and wealth, but rather a time of sharing and friendship. It appears I will have to send messengers to invite our friends to our celebrations."

---

Summary:

Karl is asked to focus on/prioritize training the Guards first and then the militia.

Event: Meet with skeletal figure

Actions:

1. End of Harvest Festival and Ritual: To celebrate, thank and commune with the local spirits and receive their wisdom and boons. 50 Golds worth of materials is dedicated to this project. The villagers of Ichern are invited to partake in the festivites as guests and experience Aetherling culture in an attempt to begin culturally integrating them.

2. Hearts and Minds: A cultural exchange program is established to send representatives led by Ada and gifts to Ichern and the Kobolds/Amalthea to develop closer bonds and spread goodwill. Ada will also take the time while visiting their friends and allies to serve as a travelling healer to do some humanitarian work and help any injured or ill. This project is meant to synergize with the Festival and help with the process of integration. 50 gold is allocated to this project.

 

[Crocodile]

Port Zolond
​

---

Nym regards the trident he kept hanging behind his desk, right where he could grab it in case of trouble. It was a trophy from eliminating thieving Murlocs but also now served a practical purpose in giving him a personal weapon while he was out in the field. Right now though it seemed more just a focal point for his thoughts. The Ogres had done the trick in helping to complete the Last Gasp but now he needed to get it filled with the various items to make it work. An expensive propostion but winter was almost here and that meant business would be booming. The Brewery was the new project to be completed, giving Port Zolond something unique in the Forsaken Realms. Local alcohol. He hoped to produce various types but honestly anything local was a gold mine. Who wouldn't want more affordable drinks, doubly so in the misery of winter?

The local laborers would have to be paid for the accelerated work, but that was worth it not only to raise local morale but to start generating profits. He'd heard the whispers about his necromancy and knew he should tread carefully. He could bully the locals but it seemed better to win them over or at least disarm their anxiety. This was the dance of power that Nym had loved to play when he'd served House Zolond. He'd taken pride in it, but now he got to do it for himself and savor the outcomes. Five small skeletons had been among those found. He would bury them in the local graveyard which he had pointedly not plundered for corpses. He would have them given full ceremonies and rites on his coin since he felt worry they could have been children. Along with that, he would give those dead a wake party to draw the locals together in community and also to celebrate the growing business that the town would be seeing as it continued to build up. So what if he was using skeletons? Most of those take were already dead, murdered or bandits. The sea had already claimed its bounty from them, those bones had work to do for the town.

That left the curious larger bones found and Nym never turned down an opportunity for something useful. A Bone Golem would give him more muscle and labor power in the town. That aside he continued to present himself more as a business man. Sure, he could probably slaughter the town and raise a horde... but that wasn't profitable. Bad business as he would say so publicly. The Dead were just an investment but he would continue to pointedly honor the local cemetery and burials. Only criminals would get the penalty of becoming permanent employees. The trick was to appear fair on some level and interested in the well being of the community. That was true in a certain sense for if this place did not flourish, he would have no resources to to his true work. To study the depths of necromancy and perhaps learn from the hunger of the Leviathan.​

---

Actions
1. Animate the 19 Adult Humanoid Skeletons to add to the Dredge Team and continue operations to complete the work.
2. Construct a Bone Golem and put it to work with the Dredge Team.

Free Actions
-Funeral Rites for the 5 Child-sized skeletons to be buried in the town cemetery (Tied into Festival Costs)
-Fall End Festival to celebrate the harvest and growth of the town, along with saying farewell to the young dead (40 Gold)
-Hire Laborers to accelerate completion of Brewery (10 Gold)
-Purchase Furniture/Finishing of the Last Gasp (85 Gold)​

 

[CaptainSully]

Arakis​

• Post
• Stats
• Notes
• Spells
• Magic Items
• Background

• 
  TIme Before Bloodshed
  
  Arakis sat alone in his home waiting for the moment to come, the one that would would see him face combat for the first time in his life. He had seen bloodshed, but he had never been the one attempting to let it. He was a pacifist at heart but the situation called for someone made of sterner stuff, a kind heart and soft soul would only result in Nehekara being under the book of Nithra until she died of old age. Firm action needed to be taken.
  
  He scribed a letter addressed to no one recipient, but rather for anyone who may read it if he was to fall.
  
  I had lived my life for the Pharaoh and for my fellow anubites, yet that was all taken from me by someone had I had long called friend. I had to flee my home and I was blessed to be accompanied by my closest friends who left their home to help protect me. I can never quantify in words what their loyalty has meant to me.
  
  Arriving in Nehekara and our continued living here has been difficult. I have tried to befriend the humans but I imagine the appearance of an anubite, combined with their constant let downs by outsiders, is what has made it nigh on impossible. They trust me so little that they would not even tell me what difficulties they face to allow me to help. It matters not, I will help them even if they do not wish it.
  
  The humans are as important to the success of Nehekara as anyone else. Their culture and ours combined will only provide delicious fruits for future generations to feast from. Yet, to get there I must conduct an act that can only be described as murder. While I have logically explained to myself that it must be done for the betterment of everyone in Nehekara, it still doesn't stop the stain from dirtying my soul.
  
  I pray that should I fall, forgiveness can be found before the Gods.
  
  
  
  Actions

  Action 1
  ☥Set ambush against Nithra | Ambush Nithra
  
  Action 2
  ☥Create training facility | Create a training facility for melee combat training. Speak with the human and anubite villagers and ask for volunteers. The safety of the village is everyone's concern after all. Build to a decent standard so as not to impact training quality.
  
  Magi School Construction
  ☥Complete Construction | Spend enough gold to fully equip the school to true completion. - 150 Gold. [/I]
• Current Stats
  
  
  Wounds - 14/14
  
  
  Fate - 3/3
  
  
  Magic Power

  3
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Weapon Skill

  25
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Ballistic Skill

  25
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Strength

  26
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Toughness

  42
  ☥No Modifier
  
  
  
  Agility

  27
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
  Intelligence

  50
  ☥Primary
  
  
  
  Perception

  45
  ☥Primary
  
  
  
  Willpower

  49
  ☥Primary
  
  
  
  Fellowship

  16
  ☥No Modifiers
  
  
  
• Notes
  
  
  Nithra

  Salt Monger Leader
  ☥ Green Dragonborn | Information says she is a green Dragonborn so likely has noxious breath.
  ☥ Moneybags | Has enough coin to be are to afford a small mercenary army.
  ☥ Guards | Has at least 20 guards.
  
  
  
• Core Spells
  
  
  Glowing Light

  CV | 3
  ☥Can cause any item in your grasp to glow with the light of a lantern for one hour or until you let it go.
  
  
  Sounds

  CV | 4
  ☥Create a phantom noise with volume ranging from a whisper to a roar. You can choose the type of noise and the volume, the spell can reproduce any noise but speech. The noise can last 10 seconds.
  
  
  Drop

  CV | 4
  ☥Compel a target to drop whatever they are holding. The subject can resist it with a Will Power test
  
  
  Marsh Lights

  CV | 6
  ☥Create a number of distant lights that could be mistaken for torches or lanterns. They can be sent off in any direction [within 100 yards], they disappear into nothingness if they go past your line of sight. Concentration Spell: You may not cast any other spells while Marsh Lights is active.
  
  
  Magic Dart

  CV | 6
  ☥Bolt of magical force with a range of 16 yards. Damage 3.
  
  
  Sleep

  CV | 6
  ☥Your touch causes an enemy to fall into a slumber for 1d10 rounds unless a successful Will Power test is made. This is a touch spell [must pass a Weapon Skill test].
  
  
  Aethyric Armour

  CV | 5
  ☥Weave the strands of the aether into an invisible barrier to shield yourself. Gain number of armor points equal to the magic power used to cast it for 6 rounds. This cannot be used with actual armor and putting on armor will cause this effect to immediately end
  
  
  Blessed Weapon

  CV | 6
  ☥Can enchant one melee, thrown weapon, or ammunition [up to 5 shots]. These items gain no direct combat bonuses but do count as magical making them very useful against ghost and other ethereal targets. Last 1 hour.
  
  
  Magic Lock

  CV | 7
  ☥Enchant one lock or bolt that you can touch for 1 week. This magic lock cannot be picked or forced open during this time. [Beware, the item, itself, can be broken. A magically locked door can still be smashed apart, etc].
  
  
  Magic Alarm

  CV | 8
  ☥Create a silent alarm on one spot you touch. If a creature comes within 2 yards, you will be mentally alerted instantly no matter how far you are. This will wake you up if sleeping. It provides no identity of who tripped it, only that someone has. You can only have 1 magic alarm at any time. Last until triggered or you cast another.
  
  
  Heaven
  
  
  Starshine

  CV | 22
  ☥You call down the light of the stars [Can be used in daytime or indoors], the area is illuminated by soft light that reveals all that is hidden. Any darkness, magical or mundane, is banished, the invisible is made visible, hidden or disguised characters are exposed and secret areas (doors, chambers, etc) are revealed. Starshine last for 1 week.
  
  
  Greater Portent of Amul

  CV | 18
  ☥You read signs and divine clues about what the future holds. For the next 24 hours, you gain two rerolls that you may use for whatever you wish. Unlike Portent of Amul, you may use these rerolls to force your opponent to reroll as well. You may not gain more rerolls from this spell until both have been used or expired.
  
  
  Life
  
  
  Father of Thorns

  CV | 14
  ☥You cause thorns and briars to burst from the naked earth with 48 yards in a wall. Anyone within the area who tries to move through takes a Damage 4 (D10+4) hit. You, and only you, are not effected within this area. The thorns and briars retreat back into the earth after a number of rounds equal to the power dice used to cast.
  
  
  Woodshape

  CV | 16
  ☥You allow a willing creature to take the shape of a tree. The type of tree depends on the character of the individual, a melancholic person may transform into a weeping willow while an evil being may turn into a black oak. The target maintains the form of a tree for as long as they wish and may voluntarily end it at any time. While in tree form, the creature can see and hear as normal and may communicate with you, or other trees.
  
  
  Illusion
  
  
  Pot of Despair

  CV | 24
  ☥You conjure a black pit within line of sight that has a 24 yard radius. All enemies within believe they are plunging to their death in a bottomless chasm, screaming in terror all the while. They must pass a Will Power test to resist this effect, those that fail are considered Helpless but may take another test each turn. Pit of Despair last the number of rounds as the power dice used. [Helpless opponents may not defend themselves and so are hit automatically in combat. All damage rolls are maxed against Helpless foes].
  
  
  Doppelganger

  CV | 18
  ☥You create a perfect copy of yourself anywhere within line of sight. You can hear and speak through this shadow version of yourself, it can freely move anywhere within your line of sight and you may cast through this illusion. Enemy must pass a Perception Test to decipher its true nature. Illusion last for D10+Power Dice Used.
  
  
  
  
• Magic Items
  
  
  Staff of Inhotok

  Bound Spell | Greater Portent of Amul
  ☥Impact | When rolling for melee damage, roll 2d10 and pick the best.
  ☥Slow | Opponents get +10% to parry or dodge blows from this weapon.
  ☥Magical | Magical weapons will never break [outside of the most extreme circumstance] and can hit ethereal units.
  ☥Spell Storage | You may store a spell within the staff that has a Casting Value of 20 or less. This spell will last forever or until a new spell is stored within. You may unleash the spell within as a free action [which could allow you to cast twice in a round], once unleashed, the staff has a game turn recharge until that spell can be used again.
  ☥Untapped Potential | Magic swirls in this staff, its essence eluding you. It holds some secret or potency it has not yet revealed.
  
  
• 
  Character Details
  
  Age: 173 years
  
  Race:
  Anubite - Long-lived bipedal creatures whose appearance is far more intimidating than their demeanor.
  
  Personality:
  A solemn being who has been wronged and as a result is slowly being eaten away by the urge for revenge. He battles the growing darkness daily, trying to remain on the path that he knows is just and true. He wants to continue to be a role model and benevolent leader to his people.
  
  Skills:
  Magic - A key facet of the Archpriest's role is to master the use of magic. Over a century of practice has led to some semblance of skill. He has the capability to use most forms but has a particular penchant for the Heavens, Life and Illusions [Shadow & Heavens] styles of magic.
  
  Potions and Poisoncraft - Sometimes magic needs to make way for more physical means. Archpriest's pass on the knowledge of potions and poisons, meaning they can create cures as effectively as they can develop toxins.
  
  Equipment/Personal Possessions:
  Archpriest Staff - Equal parts status symbol and polearm, it is a tribute to the God of God's, Inhotok, leader of the Khemrian pantheon.
  
  Assorted crafting items - An assortment of items to be used in the creation of potions and poisons.
  
  Past/Current Profession: Archpriest to the Pharoah
  
  Family:
  His entire family was executed on the night Khaemt turned his world upside down.
  
  History:
  Arakis spent the first twenty years of his life learning the way of the priests. He was born under the blood moon and due to custom was believed to be the next Archpriest as chosen by the gods themselves. He was no more than a standard priest until his forty sixth year when the previous Archpriest died after a long, complicated illness. At this moment Arakis felt his entire world change.
  
  He would spend the next one hundred years taking care of the royal family and social elites. Fine tuning his magic to protect them, his potion skills to heal them and poison craft to defeat their foes. He was adored by all but a few and it was they that would see to his downfall.
  
  Arakis awoke in a pool of blood, surrounded by the corpses of the Pharoah and his wife. The chill cries of his only child, Amuhn, roused Arakis from his slumber. His head was blurred and the previous twenty four hours non-existent in his memory. The footsteps of guards charging towards him echoed through the ornate corridors of the palace, he had to run.
  
  As he fled he spotted a lone priest leant against a pillar nonchalantly, a smile forming as he watched Arakis running. Khaemt raised a hand and waved sarcastically for a moment before pointing towards Arakis. He yelled out, "Guards! Guards! The Archpriest has slain the Pharaoh!"
  
  For the rest of that night Arakis did what he could to avoid capture, eventually finding himself in the deep desert. Along the way he had managed to find some of his attendants but they were nothing more than cooks or handmaidens.
  
  After walking for two nights and one day the group found an oasis not far from the River Osht. It was here that Arakis would found Nehekara.
  
  Village Name:
  Nehekara - A village of small size that sits next to a lush oasis.
  
  Desired Starting Terrain: Desert
  
  Retinue/Unique Perk:
  A small group of faithful and trusting attendants followed Arakis as he fled Khemri. They range from cooks to handmaiden's, servants to initiate priests. He does retain the magical item of his former position, the Staff of Inhotok.
  

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

Helbaron​

winter.. oh how tegboran hated winter... people kept dying and his people were to blame "a shadeling steals the cloaks of those unaware" an old saying often told to children to make sure they didn't go and get lost without something warm on but of course they where to blame.. same with them stealing firewood so they could sneak into your huts at night and eat your soul or whatever nonsense people kept attributing to them, least he had more luck then the other month aside form possibly attracting the attention of a.. rather distasteful deity.. or something by pure bad luck... hed killed a huge worm seemed to have calmed the Shepards down.. but.. still winter would be hard on everyone he'd need to get some sorta proper medical care together and a stockpile.. just incase.. perhaps offering the shepherds a share would help settle old grudges.. or knowing his luck cause more animosity until some other big monster showed up that he'd be force to fight alone and in this case possibly die.. oh well those where through for the present he'd need to look towards the future..




action1) 100 gold to set up a winter hospital in case of a disease outbreak alongside shelters and winter previsions
action2) make an offer to the shepherds to stick around the village for the winter

Revenue
176 Gold, 4 Silver

Upkeep/Expenditure
0 Gold

Income
176 Gold, 4 Silver

Treasury
898 Gold, 4 Silver


inventorty: 4 monster leather