The Vanished Wilderness [IC | Closed]

[G-Tech Corporation]

The Vanished Wilderness

OOC Thread

Far across the Northern Sea, beyond the Isle of Light and off in the darkness lies a land. For ages and ages it has lain undisturbed, unsettled, hearing neither song nor voice nor tramp of boot ever since the long times of creation. But now man walks upon it, explorers eager to find new vistas, settlers searching for something they couldn't find in the Old World. Opportunity beckons in the untrammeled acres, the savage vistas, the waters untasted and wind unbreathed in all the many lives of men. Many types of folk have come to this new land, and you are one of them, come to write your history upon these blank lands.

---

It was early morning when the Wind's Pride arrived at the ramshackle dock of Farholme, her passengers roused from slumber in what rude cabins they had obtained by the bellows of the first mate. A low fog hung over Lake Nemis as the ship arrived, lines cast out into the dim gloom by experienced sailors being caught by shadowy figures to make fast the light caravel at her anchorage. As weathered men hauled the sails closed, and the few rowers put up their oars, there was a general air of relief to the tired figures; the journey from the Old World had been a rough one, through wind and storm, but they were here.

Of course, here didn't look like much. Not yet. In the mist a half dozen buildings squatted on the northern shore of the vast Lake, a rough-hewn palisade blocking access from land, the largest building obviously some sort of fortified barracks or outpost, and a large open pit mine barely visible through the gloom. A few men in battered leather and metal armor, cuirasses bearing the livery of the Company, stood near the shore watching the docking procedure as others bent by labor hauled the ropes fast to the pier.

"Alright layabouts, to shore with ye. The Guild do ne' cover passage farther than Farholme, and here we do be." The wizened captain spoke not harshly, but obviously with a fair degree of seriousness; Aberforth was a hard man, but the crossing would likely have failed if not for his steady hand on the keel, and now he was happy of a fair harbor and land beneath his feet.

Down the gangplank trooped the sailors, and the colonists, mostly ignored by the guards and workers, save for one man wearing a grubby apron. His chubby face beamed with delight, and beneath a shaggy brown beard his smile was wide. He waved a hand merrily, apparently chipper despite the hour, and spoke loud for all to hear.

"Welcome newcomers! I am Ultar, representative of the New World Company here in Farholme. If you are looking for work, work I can find you, and goods are for sale for those who need them. My prices are most reasonable, please, come browse my shop."

---

All PCs, and three NPC Colonists make landfall in Farholme.

Farholme:

Jobs Available:
Ultar will pay 2 Copper Nobles for each piece of Timber floated to the Farholme docks.
Ultar is hiring Miners to work in Farholme; pay is 1 Copper Noble and 4 Copper Knaves for twelve hours of labor every day, and includes housing in the stockade but not food.

The Explorer's Guild has paid for a week's lodging and food for all new colonists in the stockade's blockhouses; if this offer is refused, Ultar will provide those striking out on their own with a Bushel of Wild Fruit instead.
Four places in a Stockade are available to rent for 2 Copper Knaves a day.
The Smelter is available to rent for 5 Copper Knaves a day, the Lumbermill is available to rent for 8 Copper Knaves a day.
There are no NPC colonists available for hire at the moment. Four laborers work in the mines, and there are four guards of Farholme, the Wardens.

Ultar's Shop is currently stocked!
Goods for sale:
3 Baskets of Wild Fruit: 5 Copper Knaves each
24 Planks: 3 Copper Knaves each
3 Lengths of Heartwood: 7 Copper Knaves each
10 Freshwater Fish: 3 Copper Knaves each
1 Slab of Salt: 1 Copper Noble 5 Copper Knaves each
0 Baskets: 3 Copper Knaves each
18 Loaves of Bread: 1 Copper Knave each
0 Copper Spears: 1 Silver Knave 2 Copper Nobles each
0 Copper Axe: 3 Copper Nobles
3 Copper Hammers: 2 Copper Nobles
1 Copper Pickaxes: 4 Copper Nobles
1 Copper Scythes: 3 Copper Nobles 4 Copper Knaves
3 Copper Hoes: 4 Copper Nobles
2 Shears: 5 Copper Nobles 6 Copper Knaves
1 Anvil: 5 Silver Knaves 7 Copper Nobles

Items which are bid on simultaneously without enough supply to fill both orders will be auctioned- other goods may be ordered from Ultar, who will set them aside if they come in the next shipment of supplies, but may take several weeks to arrive. Or longer.

Note that the average workday includes 16 hours of labor and 8 of sleep- this can be defied, but may have long term negative consequences.

[Pentapolitan Kyrene]

Edmund Grufydd
Farholme

Edmund had never been at ease at sea, he didn't trust the winds or the waves, so divorced did they seem from the streams and rivers he was used to. He had only been on short transport vessel trips before, between campaigns, and the long, rough voyage to the new world had been a treacherous one. He had spent much of it pacing about the deck trying to keep himself useful and follow order without being sick or getting in the way, and had picked up a knack for hauling barrels that had provided him enough hard labour to focus on to avoid having to look at the roiling, furious ocean. He was, at least, comfortable in the threadbare hammock he'd been provided with for the journey, and found himself enjoying, at times, the ease with which he now had the chance to live, without orders and officers crowding around him to direct his energies. It all gave him plenty of time to think on things, and he spent much of the hazy afternoons of the journey loungigng easily in his hammock and thinking of home. Not of the camps and festering inns he'd spent a decade in, but the cabin in the woods he'd been born in. That was what he wanted, not the silver or indigo he'd heard so much about, he wanted, more than anything, a cabin to call his own, in a wood all of his own. He was tired of wearing clothes he'd have to give back, of sleeping on bedrolls he'd have to account for, of living with men he'd likely not know longer than a year. He wanted, ironically, to settle down, and to do it he'd come to the greatest adventure of his life.

As they'd drawn near the coast he'd spotted trees in the distance, and as they drew further up the river he found himself grinning as he looked out at the virgin wilderness waiting to be wandered. Edmund had not realized how tired he'd gotten of milling about aboard a ship. He stood waiting as they drew into port, alongside his fellow explorers. He'd kept mostly quiet for much of the journey, seeing the gentlefolk among them and doing his utmost to seem respectable, utilizing his best manners and keeping respectfully quiet and distant. He'd laughed with the crew, and made a few friends among them, telling stories of his time at war and hearing theirs of distant journeys, but he'd tried scrupulously to avoid offending the sensibilities of any of his fellows. He wanted no business with any tricksters of vagabonds, not again. Still, he could not help but smile as the ship drew to a halt and the captain had them head down the gangplank onto the dock. Edmund was struck instantly by the homely smell of sawdust and raw-cut wood, and gave a soldier's salute to a few of the assembled soldiers, before smiling companionably and listening closely while Ultar spoke.

At the news of work to be had floating timber down the river, he practically beamed, his head filling with nostalgia and memories of dugout timber-ships and logs rolling down through the rivers of the old country. He would have done it for room and board alone, but for two nobles a tree he was more than willing to get to work as quickly as he could. With only a few moments thought, he strode into Ultar's little shop, hunching under the doorway and spotting the single axe, a gleaming thing of red-gold copper, he reached down straight away into his purse, and handed over three freshly minted and still shimmering copper nobles of soldier's pay, speaking in a rough, provincial accent.

"I'd buy t' axe, and be glad o' the chance to float down timber t'ye. Two nobles a tree, was it? Stripped o' branches or fresh from t' stump? Oh, and should I be with them, or just mark 'em with a sign and pick up the nobles whenever I sees ye?"

Spotting the slabs of salt on sale too, and considering it best to have such a thing on hand to keep fish from rotting too quickly after being caught, Edmund handed over another noble.

"And t' Salt too, if ye please"

"Certainly. Yes, that's right, two nobles to the tree, no stripping necessary, we've a sawmill for that. You will have to be with them; they'd like flounder out in the bay rather than ever reaching us, none of the rivers flow the right way to get lumber here without guidance. Salt is a noble, yes"

Ultar hefted the salt slab up from a case and handed it over, along with the axe.

"I'll not be taking y'up on the offer of a room"

"I thought not, here's your bushel, with the compliments of the guild. Best of luck, and be careful out in the woods"

Laden down with fruit, salt and equipment, Edmund set out to the gate out of Farholme's palisade, eager to begin a new enterprise in a new land. First, he'd have to stow the salt under the fruit in the basket, to give him room to hold his axe rather than keeping it in his belt. He took a moment to breathe in the fresh air and to test the weight of the axe in his hand. Finding the simple craftsmanship much to his liking, he looked out at the great expanse of the lake, and then focused on the rich, thick forests directly ahead of him of the Lake's east side, which seemed to grow denser and denser as far as the horizon. A perfect patch of wood for his liking, and virgin ground for a skilled lumberjack. Here, he thought, he would carve out his fortune. It was all as he had dreamed it would be; a trackless expanse to be tamed, an unknown horizon of forest, away from the tricksters and the drink that had lain him low before. He could already imagine a cabin by the lake-side and hours spent felling tree after tree and filling his house with plenty.

First, though, it would be polite to sit and wait a while, to eat some of the berries and meet some of his fellow explorers. If only for half an hour or so, he would sit within the palisade and eat his fruit, and giving his newfound fellows in the wilderness a look over, his great, calloused hand raking thoughtfully through the auburn expanse of his beard.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Petyor Vladislav
Farholme

The booming voice of the captain stirred Petyor from his reverie, staring down into the cold waters of the great lake that they had emerged into yestereve. Deep green eyes turned partially blue by the reflected light of dawn and water glanced toward the town ahead, squinting to make out details in the morning mist for a few moments before giving up the effort as a lost cause. Callused hands bearing innumerable nicks and scars came away from the gunnels of the Wind's Pride with good self-possession, and almost unconsciously the veteran felt for the purse around his neck. The familiar weight remained, all that remained of his life's savings after paying off the exorbitant fee that the Company had charged for passage to this virgin land.

But it was all worthwhile. Splendid isolation had greeted the ship ever since she passed the foaming headwaters of this Eras River that they had sailed up to the Lake, and Petyor had drunk in the untrammeled vistas and empty countryside like a man parched beyond belief in a desert land. Game he had espied at every bend in the waterway, good stands of timber, traces of glittering metals in the rocks where the bones of the earth jutted above grass and fen, and rich black soil that would bear a crop gladly. It was a country resplendent, untouched by any save God's own hand. Exactly the sort of place the son of Thunder had been searching for since he had had his fill of blood and death.

Blood and death. They hadn't followed him here to these shores. The men and women that tramped down the gangplank before the former captain looked to be a motley assortment, but none had the look of killers, even the soldier that Petyor had noted during their trip. Hell, most of the sailors looked like more dangerous customers, and that was just fine with Petyor. Less risk from men out in the wilderness, only flesh and bone against the savagery of an untamed land instead of human interference. Beneath his workboots the soil and packed earth of the Farholme docks was welcoming after months at sea, and though the land seemed to roll, it was a phenomenon the warrior remembered faintly from the crossing of the Straits. Then he had been stuffed like a sardine into a ration tin with the other members of his company, and any minute could have sent the landing craft down to embrace the Sea-Father.

Fate had spared him though. And Petyor intended to make the most of that fact. As the other civilians and sailors stumbled off of the caravel, a jolly man with the look of a merchant began barking some practiced schpiel about goods for sales and jobs to be had. Some of the other passengers looked like they might be angling in that direction, but Petyor silently bit his tongue. He hadn't saved for a half decade to waste his life in a mine for the Company. There were fortunes to be had just beyond the horizon, and land to claim for his own. A smile and a nod for the man Ivan, another colonist that had come ashore- the Eastron had been most receptive to his offer of a job out of the quarries and pits, and fortunately his savings would carry him farther than most. Many hands make light the work, and all that.

As the merchant finished his patter, Petyor strode over after him, following this 'Ultar' to his shop. Many things were appealing about the wares that littered Ultar's walls, and as the company representative it would be wise to stay on his good side... still, the pouch around his neck was only so heavy. Behind Petyor Ivan wandered in, obviously just tagging along to see what his ernstworst 'boss' would be up to.

"Master Ultar, was it? That sounds like a Essen name, if I recognize the ring. Interesting to see one of Her Majesty's subjects so far from home, but I suppose we are all strangers in these lands. Anyway, business- I would be quite pleased to have one of your pickaxes and one of your hammers, if you please." From the pouch came the nobles, carefully hoarded, now parted with in hopes of something more. A full three-quarters of his earnings, disappeared into nothingness in moments, but with the hope of more to come.

The propieter duly handed over the implements, and one of Petyor's last two nobles appeared suddenly, flicked through the air to Ivan.

"A fair wage, for wandering around the countryside." laughed the other Eastron man. Petyor merely smiled, and handed the other colonist the gleaming copper pickaxe. Wandering it would be, at first, but a good nose could already tell there was ore in these hills. And given the amount of money the Company was said to be hauling out of these hills working the minor deposit Farholme was sited on top of... well, a fortune Petyor was aiming to find, if Fortuna favored the bold.

A small ration of fruit and waybread the two men drew from the stockade before their departure, at the coin of the Explorer's Guild. It was a subdued conversation they had as they walked toward the eastern gate, toward the hillocks and forests beyond; the sheer immensity of the lands felt like it precluded disruption. Another man ate quietly there, and Petyor recognized him- Edmund, the other military man in their little morass of civilians. A casual wave the ex-captain offered, no more feeling like discipline than any soldier that had dealt with it for far too long. The man had grabbed the sole axe, one of the things Petyor had contemplated purchasing, but no harm no foul.

"Fair morning, Edmund. Happy to be on dry land once more?"

[Volcanu]

John after days out at sea and buffered by the sea storms and waves, steps out of the boat onto land ”It feels good to be on land once again”. He looks around the massive bay and smells the clean cool air. He turns to Ultar, ”I’m planning to explore the Burning Heights, Ultar” “But I need supplies to go there, are you willing to give me some for 4 Copper” Ultar looks at John and says ”Why should I?” ”For gunpowder and other rare resources that could help the colony” Ultar looks at John and says ”I guess you can have leather chest and a copper pickaxe”.

"Good” he gives Ultar the 4 copper coins and Ultar gives John the leather chest and the copper pickaxe.

[The GAmeTopians]

Mercy Adella Porter
Farholme

The captain’s shout from the deck pierced into my peaceful slumber, and I let out a low groan as I rolled myself off the sorry excuse for a bed that rested against my cabin wall. Dressing quickly, I soon found myself standing upon the New World for the very first time.
“I thought it would feel more… different,” I murmured. Nothing seemed all that different - I mean, uncharted territory, sure, but nothing popped out as drastically changed from the Old World's landscape in general.
“Well, only one way to find out, and that’ll require some cash.”
The shopkeep I had heard as well, though unfortunately he had already headed back to his shop by the time I made it off the ship. It only took a few minutes of searching to find the place, but my arrival saw a lack of axes of any variety. Sighing was not enough to describe my disappointment in that regard. Ah well.
“Copper pick quick as you please sir, and get me a job in the mine if you don't mind, I’ll head there shortly.” I tossed a stack of four copper nobles onto the counter, catching the pick he tossed to me deftly.
“Aren’t you a bit young for the mines, girlie? Wouldn’t want a pretty face like yours getting hurt down there-” Ultar, as the others referred to him, showed slight concern, but I wasn’t going to let that thought linger. I cut him off, sharply but not unkindly.
“I can take care of myself, don’t you worry. The underground is a familiar place for me.” And that it was - my father had taken us on frequent trips to the mines, albeit as spectators rather than workers. My past experiences in Old World mines would hopefully prove useful here.
“Very well, then, no skin off my back. I’ll make sure the boys down at the mine are expecting you, and you can come to me for your pay at the end of each day. Grab an open bed in the stockade whenever you like, it comes with the job.” I nodded in acknowledgement and smiled slightly to show my thanks, before ducking back out into the streets and heading to the mine.

[Pax Nerdvana]

Jack Calhoun
Farholme

Jack Calhoun debarked from the ship just in time to hear Ulthar speaking. His ears perked up at the mention of a job. He would need one to save up money until he had enough for supplies to go out prospecting. He wanted to stay in the job for as short of a time as possible, because half of his family had died in a mining accident in this type of operation. He said,"Sir, I'm lookibg for a job in the mines. I have much experience in mining, starting at the age of 15. I'm currently 25."

[ApplePieistan]

Judith Pratt
Farholme

Stepping off of the ship and onto dry land felt relieving. Judith undertook this trip because she wanted to explore, run around, and adventure, none of which could be done on that cramped ship. It was quite a drag, but at least she got to meet a few cool people, namely John. He seemed to be bothering Ultar, so it seems best not to talk to him now. Instead, this time seemed better spent checking into her blockhouse, and chowing down on that explorer’s guild food. It was just fish and potatoes, but Judith was never too picky with her food.

By the time Judith emerged from her blockhouse, John had finished his business with Ultar. She approached John, saying to him “Hey, I heard you’re going to the Burning Heights. It just so happens I’ve got business in the Gasping Dust as well. Tag me in? All I ask for is some crushed limestone, and in return, I’ve got two mountain goats to carry our haul.”

[Volcanu]

Judith Pratt
Farholme

Stepping off of the ship and onto dry land felt relieving. Judith undertook this trip because she wanted to explore, run around, and adventure, none of which could be done on that cramped ship. It was quite a drag, but at least she got to meet a few cool people, namely John. He seemed to be bothering Ultar, so it seems best not to talk to him now. Instead, this time seemed better spent checking into her blockhouse, and chowing down on that explorer’s guild food. It was just fish and potatoes, but Judith was never too picky with her food.

By the time Judith emerged from her blockhouse, John had finished his business with Ultar. She approached John, saying to him “Hey, I heard you’re going to the Burning Heights. It just so happens I’ve got business in the Gasping Dust as well. Tag me in? All I ask for is some crushed limestone, and in return, I’ve got two mountain goats to carry our haul.”

John
Farholme
John looks at Judith ”Yes you can come with me, I probably can’t survive on my own” “And I can get the crushed limestone” “There is a small limestone outcrop over there that I can mine”

[Holy Tedalonia]

Edward "Ted" Tomlinson, Day 1, part 1
Stirring awake after falling asleep during the long trip. He was blinded, hands tied behind his back, and with a cloth wrapped around his mouth unable to speak. He heard murmurs louder than it was before, seems like something was happening he couldn't see. He suddenly heard grunts and heaves, probably from mean lifting crates to another location. Perhaps they were in the old world.

Taking Edward by surprise was the barrel he was in suddenly moved, but the foreign force stopped lifting suddenly, the voice said, "the hell?" Suddenly warm air hit Edward, was it light? "Boss, you need to see this!" Fortunely the man pulled the blinds off of Edward, the light burnt his eyes, unused to the sudden light after days of darkness. Only able to see black figures gathering and looking at him from above, many must have been curious to see the mysterious barrel boy.

After shuffling through an hours of integration, a warm meal curtesy of the captain, and explanation explaining where he was. Now Edward, trapped in a foreign land, needs to find a living here. This was what's he wanted right? Fortunately with the copper he got from Fared, to "clean himself up," he might actually make a living here.

[ApplePieistan]

Judith let out a slight smile. This worked out better than she anticipated, with no need for negotiation or argument. “Alright, cool. While you do that, I’ve got some prep work to do. I’ll see you in a bit.”

For making the leather, she would need salt. Without words, Judith slides Ultar a copper noble and grabs one of his slabs of salt. The next step was finding a knife, which would probably be the easiest part of this endeavor. Judith knew flint stones were lying around basically everywhere, so it only took a brief four hour search around the town to find a quality rock. It could easily be shaped to make a knife, which means all she needed was an animal to use it on. However, what animal can easily be killed that provides a decent amount of pelt?

Looking around town, Judith saw some unemployed people standing around, willing to do menial work for a copper noble a day. This gave her a great idea! Nonchalantly, Judith hands one of them a copper noble and says to him “Follow me into the Endless Wood. I need help… collecting nuts.”

[Auphelia]

Lady Diana Wensworth
Farholme

She walks down the gangplank, her hand on the braided hemp leashes attached to her children and best friends, Goatie and Goato, leading the two bleating babies to the mainland of this great new world. Smiling to herself, she stretched, pleased to finally be off the cramped and dirty ship. Still, it hadn't been all that bad. After all, this had been a very good trip for business. She was a few hours behind the rest of the colonists, but she had had a client to deal with first, and the customer was always right. With a glance over her shoulder she saw the two men she had serviced watching her leave, their eyes going places they never would have in the Old World. They hadn't been able to pay her her usual fee, but a single Noble was better than nothing. She winked at them and looked forward again, to the future rather than the past. Her shoes finally hit earth and she paused to listen to the sounds that surrounded her. This was a momentous occasion, hearing her new home for the first time. The swearing sailors preparing to leave, the birds chirping in the nearby trees, the rustle of leaves, the crunching of boots. It was the sound of adventure, and she couldn't wait to get started!

Diana makes her way down to the short dirt path to the main part of the town, a simple square surrounded by less than a dozen ramshackle buildings, mostly made of wood and the occasional brick. Not a bad place to start, all things considered. She knew everyone would have settled in by now, so she went to what appeared to be the town store (due to the sloppily painted sign that said "Ulthar's Shop") to explore, the six copper nobles jingling merrily in her pockets. Perhaps this shopkeeper would be interested in a trade of sorts for any goods she would need. She had yet to find a man who could resist her charms, and she was hungry from her trip. She tied her goat and sheep up to a thick pole outside of the shop, probably meant to hold horses or whatever steeds they had in this land, and entered the store.

The wooden door opened haltingly, and she found herself in a small, dark room that was filled with assorted barrels and shelves. In the back, behind a small counter there is a small, chubby man with a wild beard and an expression brimming with cheer.

"Why hello there, little lady! What can I do for you today?" His smile somehow becomes wider and his eyes are almost entirely hidden by his cheeks, but she can tell he is not the sort of man to accept favours for goods. A bit of a let down, but it is almost preferable in a way. At least there is still good left, even in this empty land.

"Hello there, Ulthar!" She says, matching his enthusiasm and guessing (hopefully correctly) at his name. "Say, what do you have here?"

The man squeezes out from the counter, the force of his exit causing him to stumble slightly. He catches himself on a nearby barrel that is positively brimming with fruit and waddles over to where Diana is by the door, turning to fit through the narrow rows created by his various goods. "Why are you one of the new colonists? Of course you are, silly me! I thought you weren't coming, but you did and here you are! Oh, how wonderful! I am Ulthar, the representative of the New World Company here in Farholme. It would be my pleasure to get you anything you need, for a price of course," he says with a wink, somehow cheerful while simultaneously being subtle. He leads her back through the rows and she looks around, seeing plenty of basic tools, foods, and whatnot.

"Now little lass, just for you I have a special sheet of paper - that's right, genuine paper from the continent! - with all of my goods and prices. Just be careful, I don't have many copies and as you can probably tell, paper isn't an easy commodity to come by around here!" He chuckles jovially and hands her a slightly wrinkled and smudged piece of paper lovingly, carefully smoothing it out. He sits staring at her with a blankly happy expression while she peruses the list. Hm. The prices were a bit steep, but that was to be expected. She wished she had brought more money, but she had wanted to do this on her own. Yep, that confirmed it. She was an idiot. Still, it was best to keep her chin up and get on with it. There was nothing gained by waiting, as her mother always said.

"I see you have 3 Copper Hoes listed here for 4 Copper Nobles."

"Ah yes! Interesting in farming are you?"

"A bit, yes. So if all three are worth 4 Copper nobles . . . divide by . . ." She fell deep into thought, doing the equations in her head.

"Oh well, you see what it was - " He paused as she shut his mouth for him.

"One second . . . aha! So each hoe is worth 1 Copper Noble and 3 Copper Knaves?"

"I meant to say that each hoe is 4 Copper No - "

"But you didn't. False advertising is not appreciated. But I'm sure it was just a simple mistake, yes?"

"Yes. So you understand!"

"I understand that I have been misled."

"I apologise madame! How about I knock off a Knave for your troubles."

"No, I don't believe I will be purchasing a hoe at this time."

"Would you like anything else?"

"How about some lodgings?"

"Oh dear, I nearly forgot! The Explorer's Guild has paid for a week's lodgings and meals for you!"

"How lovely! What counts as a meal?"

"You get two loaves of bread, three fish, and a half bushel of wild fruit. But for you, I could make it a whole bushel." Ulthar winks, grinning widely.

"Well thank you very much!" Not much, to be sure, but certainly enough to keep her alive.

"I'll gather the items and show you to your lodgings!"

And so he did, and even gave her a small sack of extra ghost grass, apparently because it was good food for goats and sheep. A gentleman, to be sure, and obviously quite lonely. He proceeded to stay another hour talking to her, barely letting her get a word in edgewise. From his tale she learned all about the surrounding area, the local flora and fauna, and even how to build different things. Poor Ulthar had had a hard life indeed, his long and hard tale ending with the murder of the evil witch who had imprisoned him and his time fleeing her henchmen until he boarded a ship heading for Farholme. She had no doubt it was all made up, but it was entertaining nonetheless. She stepped outside and bid Ulthar farewell as he went back to his shop before running into one of the colonists she had seen aboard the ship. Her goat, Goato, was trying to eat the poor soul's pants!

"Oh, I'm sorry about that! Here, let me help," she said, pulling Goato away. She turned back to the colonist and smiled broadly. "How are you doing on this fine day? Excited for this new adventure?"

[Volcanu]

Johns find a small limestone boulder that was carried by glacier long ago and starts hacking at it with the pickaxe and gets about 4 grams of crushed limestone, soon he finds Judith again and shows here the crushed limestone, ”Here I got the limestone we needed”

[The GAmeTopians]

Mercy Adella Porter
Farholme

I made my way out of the shop, only to get caught up when out of nowhere, a goat grabbed hold of my pant leg!
“Get off, idiot!” I tugged on my pants while attempting to pry the goat’s jaws apart, but the animal’s grip was desperate, as if my pants would be its last meal. Thankfully, it was soon interrupted by a woman who appeared to be its owner, pulling it off of me.
“You’re fine, the little guy didn’t do any damage.” I swatted the goat lightly on top of the head, scratching behind its ears briefly.
“Excited? For the adventure, yes, but that’ll have to wait until I get some coin. I’m off to the mines for a while.”

[Pentapolitan Kyrene]

Edmund Grufydd
Farholme

Edmund quite enjoyed the fruit. After weeks of hard-tack and scarce fruit rations to keep off the scurvy, it was almost heavenly to bite into the foreign pods and to taste fresh, sweet juice, and he spent a few minutes peacefully enjoying the tart, sweet new flavours of over-ripe fruit. He noted Petyor coming towards him, and put down a last fruit, wiping his mouth with all the elegance of a roughened provincial sergeant and offering a relaxed salute to his fellow military man. Petyor was clearly a soldier, to Edmund's eye, simply by the way he walked, and by the twinge in his eye shared among so many soldiers. He'd kept politely distant from the man on the journey, knowing well the desire for silence one could come upon after years in a military camp, but was glad to have something like a compatriot among the company of wanderers he then found himself keeping. He rose to his feet as Petyor drew nearer, gently setting his axe down into the grit, up against the palisade.

"Aye. Glad to plant me boots back where I can be a'marching. The sea, beauty she may be, is a tad wild of a friend for a man of my sort. And I'm certainly glad o' chance to be back in t'woods. What trade brings ye out here, if ye don't mind my asking "

(Excuse the short dialogue post)

[Auphelia]

Mercy Adella Porter
Farholme

I made my way out of the shop, only to get caught up when out of nowhere, a goat grabbed hold of my pant leg!
“Get off, idiot!” I tugged on my pants while attempting to pry the goat’s jaws apart, but the animal’s grip was desperate, as if my pants would be its last meal. Thankfully, it was soon interrupted by a woman who appeared to be its owner, pulling it off of me.
“You’re fine, the little guy didn’t do any damage.” I swatted the goat lightly on top of the head, scratching behind its ears briefly.
“Excited? For the adventure, yes, but that’ll have to wait until I get some coin. I’m off to the mines for a while.”

She looked at the woman, relieved to see that she was able to take the impromptu attack in stride. "The mines, you say? Hm. Work is work, I suppose! I might just join you."

She walked to the door of Ulthar's shop and went to open the door, carefully brushing past a person who seemed to be hovering without doing anything. With a quick "excuse me" she was through, and less than a minute later she walked back out with a pickax and a basket. Ulthar had tried to get her to agree to a Copper Noble and 4 Copper Knaves per 12 hour day, but she had worked him down until he agreed to give her a Noble and five Knaves for each day of labour. Not a lot, but it would add up. With a month or two of work and some luck enticing the men, she just might have enough to make a plot or two out in the vale and build a nice sized house sooner than she thought! She caught up to the woman and fell in step as they made their way to the mine.

"I was told to grab a basket to put whatever we find in to give to Ulthar. So what brings you to this new world?"

The two stopped having found their way to the mine, a shallow pit in the side of and next to a small mountain, more a rocky hill than anything. Three men were already at work and a fourth was drinking from a water skin, a pick resting next to him. The work didn't seem that hard from here, the pit shaded on all sides by trees. She had heard horror stories on the continent about the terrible conditions of mines, but this mine wasn't old enough to have the narrow chambers thousands of cord lengths below the surface, oppressive heat and the dreaded Black Lung disease. If not fun, it would at least be better than striking out on her own.

[The GAmeTopians]

Mercy Adella Porter
Farholme

"Adventure, freedom, all that, I suppose. My tale's not a particularly interesting one." Seeing that we had arrived, I nodded to the woman and got down to business. I slid into the shallow pit that was the Farholme silver mine, nodding to the four miners who were already present. They struck with their pickaxes at the rock that lined the pit’s bottom, slowly but surely shattering the earth below them. I didn’t hesitate to join in.
The beat of our pickaxes’ impacts upon the earth became its own song, an oddly satisfying tune that carried us through the long hours of work. It was not the most stimulating of activities, but it brought back memories; the hundreds of miners working in my father's holdings, humming the same tune in the depths as untold riches were uncovered. My father himself, Lord Porter looking on in praise as the miners worked hard under his rule. Then the sickness, stripping that success away from us all.
A single tear crept down my cheek as that thought crossed my mind.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Petyor Vladislav
Farholme

Petyor nodded, sharing the sentiment, then jerked a thumb at the rough provincial next to him.

"Ivan and I are headed out to strike it rich, with any luck. I was a miner before I took the Queen's silver, and if the Company's buffoons managed to stumble on to this deposit, you can bet your boots that there is more ore in these parts just waiting to be found."

With a smooth movement the Eastron swung the hammer down from his shoulder, and produced some of the cheese, bread, and fruit that Ultar had handed him as morning rations. Pockets, God's greatest gift to mankind. He didn't speak the blasphemous thought out loud, but damn if he wasn't thinking it. Ivan lounged against the stockade too, looking out over the endless rolling hills and forested heights rising to the east, and spoke softly.

"I don't believe we've met; Petyor said your name was Edmund? Ivan Svarsson, pleasure. I don't know much about mining- my da was just a farmer in the valley of the river Parous- but if what Petyor says is true I'm all for it. Think of it, a whole continent's worth of mineral wealth just waiting to be found. Hell, if we strike gold, we'll be veritable kings. Let the next trader know what we have, stop paying the Company any commission, and we'll have anything we want."

The captain smiled at Ivan's enthusiasm. He was a young lad, at twenty-four winters, but his ambition was exactly what a venture like this needed. Sure, he wasn't willing to work for nothing, but Petyor was confident with a bit of Fortuna's favor on his eyes and some good old-fashioned Marsk know-how, there was success right around the corner. Ivan pulled one of the fruits out of his jacket pocket and began eating too, the two men apparently content to soak in the quiet ambiance for a few brief moments.

Then Petyor spoke again, gesturing to the axe.

"Ultar was a fool, only getting one of those in to sell. And copper will dull fast. I suppose you're looking to sell him timber then, based on your snapping it up?"

[Auphelia]

Mercy Adella Porter
Farholme

"Adventure, freedom, all that, I suppose. My tale's not a particularly interesting one." Seeing that we had arrived, I nodded to the woman and got down to business. I slid into the shallow pit that was the Farholme silver mine, nodding to the four miners who were already present. They struck with their pickaxes at the rock that lined the pit’s bottom, slowly but surely shattering the earth below them. I didn’t hesitate to join in.

Lady Diana Wensworth
Farholme

Following the other woman and copying what she did, Diana soon found herself falling into a soothing rhythm, beating at the rocks, beating at the rocks, beating at the rocks . . . when a pile would get big enough the others would move to another vein of silver and pound at that while she and another miner sifted through the remains, tossing anything with silver into the assortment of small baskets that were in the mine. It was a surprising amount, to be sure, most likely each chunk was worth a few Silver Knaves or even a Silver Noble. It might be worth it to get some pockets and . . . skim, just a little at a time. Leave for a few weeks with a pickax, come back with a small pouch of silver chunks . . . that might work. But those were thoughts for another day. She kept sorting, pounding, sorting, pounding. It wasn't as gruelling as she expected, allowing herself to just lift the axe and let the natural weight carry it on the downswing. It was monotonous and let her think, and paid well to boot. She could get used to this, for a while.

[Pentapolitan Kyrene]

Edmund Grufydd
Farholme

Edmund had never been in a mine, let alone been a miner. Open space, open air and life, that was his world, however much money could be gleaned by half burying yourself in the ground for days at a time. While other men had been lured across the water, seemingly most of them, by the desire for sparkling silver and king's gold, he had never had any truck with wealth. It had always been so easy to lose, after all, not like an axe or a homestead, something that slipped through your fingers like water, and seemed to burn away your sense when you held it. No, he wouldn't fall into the same traps here as he'd done there, nor the same shames he'd bought himself. His was not the life of a fortune seeker. Still, he nodded with a polite warmth as the older captain spoke, and listened earnestly.

"Aye, I suppose where there's one spot of silver ye'll find another, and what a thing for the finding."

The younger lad seemed a fair way greener than the veteran. An aide, was Edmund's first thought, but no, a hireling. A farmer's boy drawn far from his own country to dig in a foreign land for want of gold, he hoped the lad would find it, and have the sense to head home and not seek more. Edmund smiled down at the fellow as he spoke, responding kindly in his own, rough, provincial tongue.

"Aye, Edmund Grufydd. Sounds as if ye've quite the adventure ahead what with all this talk o'silver and gold."

Edmund popped a small, tart berry into his mouth as the three men paused a moment, perking up somewhat as Petyor mentioned his axe.

"Aye, though I'm sorry to say I'm grateful he only had the one. If he'd had more I'd not get nearly such good pay for a day's logging. Ye'd be surprised how long an axe with a sturdy haft can last, with a practiced woodsman to bear it and a whetstone to keep it. At two nobles to the log I'm glad o' the chance, though I'll ne'er be so prosperous as you miners, I expect. If ye'ever find yerselves in need o'fresh lumber, what to prop up yer tunnels or what-have-ye, I'd be glad o' the commission"

He nodded once more as he spoke, shaking the unruly mane of auburn hanging around his face as he did, and picked up his basket and axe, setting it over his shoulder with ease, as if making to leave.

"Talking o' such, I suppose I'd best be about it. T' trees may wait, but if I'm not careful Ultar will've sold off all his bread to our fellows, and he'll have nothing left to trade"

Edmund smiled again, glad to have encountered two men decent and honest by the looks of them, and dedicated to work and the plenty it could bring, if a might more ambitious than most, rather than any swindlers or vagabonds. Leaving his axe hanging on his shoulder, he offered out a great, calloused hand to shake before setting out towards the palisade gate with scarce but a cheery nod to the world behind him.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Petyor Vladislav
Farholme

A shake of the hand and Edmund was gone, marching into the distance as the two men stared after him.

"Figure he'll survive the Endless Wood?" asked Ivan as the shadowy outline of the lumberjack disappeared over the horizon.

Petyor shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe he won't go too deep. There could be all sorts of nasty dangers lurking out in the wilds here, or none. That's why two heads and two hands are better than none, and no mistake."

The young farmer could only nod. He hadn't thought of it that way before, but it made sense. Striking out by yourself was dangerous- a twisted ankle, a slippery path, a sharp rock placed just wrong, and it could be over in an instant. Too injured to get yourself back to civilization, and nobody caring if you lived or died, and dead you would be. The copper noble in his pocket felt heavier; he was getting paid for tagging along with the old soldier, but really, the man from Irul felt like he should be paying for some of this wisdom.

Up the pickaxe came, back onto Petyor's broad shoulders.

"Anyway, we should get moving too." A thick callused hand shaded the miner's eyes. "East is good enough, uphill, on the line of what that captain said was the White River. See here, Ivan, the stone of Farholme is what we are after- she's the outlier of the hills running up north to the Jagged Peaks, and some of their furthest expanses run broadly north-east, delineating the White. Those hills are where we need to get, and the White is what we will follow."

Away Petyor strode, and the hireling hurried after him, stuffing the last of his breakfast into his gullet at speed. No time to waste, of course, that made sense. It wasn't long before the rolling grasslands of the region around Farholme gave way to scattered copses of large trees, the first marches of the Endless, and the land grew rougher and craggy. The mouth of the White River could be heard roaring nearby, and after only a short time's traveled they arrived at her banks.

"Ah, I can see how she got her name." remarked Ivan, eyebrows wide. It was true; this early in the spring, the force of the immense river was a sight to behold tumbling out of the east, foam and breaking currents dashing themselves to pieces at speed on the rocks of the torrent. At his side Petyor bent, and nodded.

"Mm, yes. So, the first part of earning your pay begins. We need baskets, if we hope to carry any ore we find out of this wilderness. These grasses are thick and fibrous, but flexible- if you gather them, and make ought which we may need to haul the bounty, that will suffice for my demands."

Ivan nodded. Easy enough, even for a relatively unskilled laborer like himself. The grass near the banks of the White River was indeed thick and hearty.

"What will you be doing?"

Petyor held up a small speck of mineral that hadn't caught the younger man's eyes at that comment, and his smile was wide. In the blonde worker leaned, and the pale glittering of the metal became clear. A slow smile touched Ivan's face too at that revelation.

"Finding us our fortune, and some flint while I'm at it." said the man from Muscovy.

[Ludim]

Jonathan Crosp, Farholme

Jonathan didn't believe in divine intervention in this world, nor much of any holy text that was frequently thrown into his face whenever he stepped foot in any city, be in Imperial or foreign, but there wasn't something about the Wild Lands that challenged that. The lack of any people, and their warring ways, seemed to be reflected in the untouched world that stretched before him. It was only a shame that Farholme had come into view shortly after, quickly reminding him that the touch of man would inevitably touch everywhere on this world, known or unknown. He resolved it in himself that if any man were to do that, then he would be among the first, even if it killed him. A likely outcome.

Stepping off the boat and onto the shoreline, he let out a silent sigh of relief to feel solid ground beneath his feet, grateful that he no longer had to adjust his step to counter to rocking of the ship. If his first feeling of arriving in the new lands was relief, then he was brought back into the reality of disappointment when he lost out on the axe to a man that stood many heads taller than him, probably a wise choice to avoid any confrontation with that one. Taking his leave after receiving of pittance of supplies, he managed to find the Company man at his store.

"Ulskar, were it?" Jonathan asked, his muddied boots leaving tracks on the wooden floor.

"Ultar, but you're forgiving, I can't quite expect every man, woman, and child here to remember my name from a brief encounter" Ultar corrected, his cheeriness acting as a disarming and off-putting factor to Jonathan.

"Right, my apologies. But, I hears you got some employment up in the mines, that true?" he asked, with Ultar responding with a curt nod.

"Indeed we do, we provide free housing, though you've got to provide your food cause, after all, Company can only provide so much"

"S'pose so, and how's the pay?"

"1 Copper Noble and 4 Copper Knaves for twelve hours a day of labour"

"Only 1 Noble and 4 Knaves? Seems a bit of a low rate for work of such pioneers, you ain't scamming us, is yuh?" he asked, playing on tricks he'd learnt when travelling the Empire before his impressment into service.

"The Company provides housing, good sir, what more can we be expected to provide?" Ultar answered, his voice losing a hint of its cheery public relations persona.

"Oh, dunno, maybe an extra Copper Knave, just ta get us out yuh hair n all" Jonathan said, looking around the shop as Ultar pondered

"Fine, fine, but mention this to anyone else, and we'll have trouble, understand?" Utar finally said, offering out his hand

"You've bought my silence" Jonathan replied, taking the hand and shaking it. From there, it was nothing but a quick exchange of hands for a rudimentary pickaxe and giving directions on the way to the mine. Arriving, he took one final breath of fresh air, before heading into the mine, the rhythmic chink being oddly hypnotic in contrast to the muggy and damp heat of the mine. Regardless of comfort, he set himself to work, only pausing briefly when he saw two women wander on it and get to work, but he shook it off. If everyone's earning their keep, then there ain't no reason why a woman can't break her back down here.

[Vrijstaat Limburg]

Christopher Burrows
Farholme town
7:00 AM

Christopher sat down on a rock near the town square, and watched the merchants doing business with the fresh explorers and labourers throughout all of the Empire. He inspected the newcomers thoroughly. Christopher was ready to go out into the wild again, but he didn't have the proper equipment. His eyes surveyed the stalls, checking for useless tools like spears or even a bow. He did see a copper spear with one of the merchants, but he remembered that he didn't even have half the amount of copper nobles that the merchant would ask for. Christopher was ready to get up and go back to the place where he normally begged for money, but his eyes caught a bearded man talking to a load of colonists. Christopher was intrigued, and decided to get closer.

"Miners! I'll pay you a copper noble and four copper knaves for a day's work in the mines! You'll receive housing provided by the guild!"

Christopher listened carefully, and, although he didn't know much about mining and he was very young, he did really like the sound of four copper knaves and a copper noble for a day's work. Besides, if he claimed that he was a fresh colonist, then the guild would give him food for a week. With the money that he earned from the tiring yet profitable business, he could buy a spear and some bread, and he could venture out back into the wilderness. He liked this plan a lot. After hearing the bearded man's speech about work and trade, he stepped up to him, announcing that he'd like to make a living by working in the mines.

"Oi, sir?"

"Spit it out, lad."

"Ye said something about working at the mines, I'd like to do that, sir. Can I join you still?"

"Bugger off, boy. I'm looking for miners in my estate, not children."

"Sir, please. I'll work very hard I will. Could ye not give me a chance? Ye need labour and I can give it to ye, sir. I'll work very hard, I promi-"

"Stop whining, boy. Here: You can work at the mines, but I'll pay you a copper noble and only one copper knave for a day's work. That's all I can do for you."

Christopher hastily nodded his head, and thanked the merchant heartfully. He was then assigned to sleep with the other miners in a housing facility near Ulthar's estate, and he put the few things he had in the room's drawers and cupboards. He was ready to go out and work in the mines.

[Pax Nerdvana]

Jack Calhoun
Farholme

The night before, Jack Calhoun had signed on to work at the mines, and been directed to his quarters, where he had stowed his meager belongings. He would still have to buy his own food, but at least he had a place to stay now. He climbed out of the bunk and decided to go buy a loaf of bread, which would be his food for the day. He walked out of the building, and made his way to the store. He opened the door, and went inside.

He said to the proprietor,"I'd like one loaf of bread. I can pay." He placed a copper knave on the counter. The proprietor took it, and handed over a loaf of bread. Jack picked up the bread, and left the store so he could go down to the mine.

It took him about five minutes to walk to the mine. He grabbed a pickaxe from a toolrack and began digging into the ground. There were already several other miners there. He continued digging. Jack had almost forgotten what this was like. Fortunately, he only had to work eight hours, not twelve like he had back home. He decided to take a break about noon for his lunch, but that wouldn't be for several hours.

[Lusela]

Vasily Constantinovich Vodyanov

Day 1 ~ 7:30 am

Vasily couldn’t help but smile, as he walked down the gangplank and took in all the sounds and sights to be seen. Well there wasn’t much to look at, Farholme was pretty basic in all aspects of a settlement. Only a couple of simple buildings made up the port, Farholme was really as small as it can get. But there was no doubt in his mind that in a couple of months it will grow rather large as more and more settlers come pouring into the foreign continent. Voices shout above the shrill ringing of pickaxes in the silver mine nearby. From what he could gather aboard the Wind’s Pride, Farholme is situated on top of a silver mine, acting as both a small military fort and a miner’s camp.

One particular voice pulled Vasily away from his thoughts: “Welcome newcomers! I am Ultar, representative of the New World Company here in Farholme…” a sailor holding a large box pushed past Vasily, almost knocking him over.

“Git off da gangplank an’ make yer self useful!” barked the burly sailor.

Vasily stepped down sheepishly and made room for the working sailors, being interrupted from his thoughts once again Vasily could only catch the last bit from Ultar, “...come browse my shop!”

With nowhere else to go presently, Vasily made his way towards Ultar’s cramped shop. Aboard the ship Vasily already made plans of how he would make money and provide for himself, he just hoped these few nobles in his pockets were enough to get him started.
Vasily ducked through the wooden doorway and made his way through, just as Ultar was getting behind the counter. A long paper scroll was pinned to the wall and showcased all the available items and their prices. Letting out a short whistle and exhaling suddenly Vasily made it known to the shopkeeper that he didn’t like these prices.

“Quite it and buy something already lad. I’ve got no time for your lollygagging, if you don’t have business you best be either on your way or finding work.”

Vasily’s cheerful mood slightly soured at Ultar’s tone of voice, but he let it go. It wasn’t his place to judge the man, especially of the representative of the company. Vasily put aside his thoughts and replied quickly and full of renewed energy, “Yes Sir, I will Sir. Please take these 3 copper nobles and 4 copper knaves in exchange for the scythe.” He fished for the coins and placed the due amount on the counter.

Ultar took the coins and shoved it in his pocket without counting them. He then disappeared through a door --perhaps it was the storeroom-- and returned a moment later with a copper scythe and placed it on the counter for Vasily. “Anything else boy?”

“Yes Sir, a basket of fruit.” four copper knaves were smacked onto the counter.

Ultar took the coins and went to get a basket of the goods. “Here ye go.” he said monotonously throughout his sentences, “Lad, I struggle to see your profession. You best find something with more worth than cutting grass all day. Take it or leave it, but you’ll be dead before the sun rises on the morrow.”

“Thanks kindly Sir, I’ll keep careful note of your words.” Vasily fake smiled as he took his basket and started for the door.

“If yer not staying in Farholme then take this extra bushel of fruit.”

Vasily turned around and actually smiled, “You are too kind!” He grabbed the bushel Ultar was holding.

“Company policy.” he stated flatly.

The young man’s countenance visibly fell. Vasily quickly ducked through the doorway without any words and walked away from the shop. The warm morning sun eased him slightly from his receival at Ultar’s. Vasily checked his person and his newly bought items, only a copper noble and two copper knaves were left to his name. He put the bushel in the basket of fruit, adding onto the pile. The woven basket was hung over his left shoulder and the long scythe was lightly grasped with both hands, at the very least it could possibly deter any animals with its long range.

Wanting to finally get his new life started Vasily scarcely said a word to any of the colonists or soldiers milling about. With new vigor putting a spring in his step, Vasily made his way out of Farholme. He had a long journey to the Mouth of the Eras River, he always had a brisk step that allowed him to go faster and farther than anyone in his family. Not looking back at the wooden palisade Vasily made his way into the foreign continent, he would have described himself as fearless in that moment, but it was more or less youthful ignorance of how hard his new life would be.

The two soldiers standing watch began betting on how long he would survive as soon as the young lad was out of earshot.

[Lusela]

Vasily Constantinovich Vodyanov

Day 1 ~ 9:45 pm

Vasily trudged slowly through the mud, he stumbled every other step. For nearly fourteen constant hours he had traveled from Forholme to the Mouth of the Eras River, he could tell he was nearly there as everything was becoming wet. The grass, wet. The trees, wet. The very air even felt wet to Vasily.

All he wanted to do was sleep, he had walked so much today he could probably pass out anywhere. The travel had been relatively uneventful: he saw only a few animals, mostly deer, squirrel, and the like. The land was fairly easy to traverse, even in the brush. Vasily was expecting more extreme elevation but the terrain was rather flat along the river. The mud grew thicker the closer he got to the Mouth, Vasily thought that was the hardest part of the trek from Farholme. His boots were caked with mud, both inside and outside.

Just when Vasily thought he couldn’t take it anymore he spotted a small glade a little ways off from the river. “I’ll sleep there in this, uh, clearing. Yes, clearing.” he spoke out loud to himself between breaths. As soon as he was in the glade he dropped everything he was holding and sprawled out on the floor in utter exhaustion. Not even a minute went by did Vasily fall fast asleep.

Day 2 ~ 1:22 am

A crash in the distance and a chorus of crying birds woke up Vasily in a cold sweat. The moon was high above him and covered him in its luminosity, a billion dazzling stars twinkled in the night sky. Vasily got up hastily and cursed himself that he was so stupid to sleep out in the open of the wilderness.

Looking around Vasily saw a couple of Manymun trees, they seemed easy enough to climb and were rather tall. He swiftly climbed one of the Manymun trees, higher than he probably should have but he didn’t want to take any chances of being eaten by some wolf, or whatever predators lurk in the dark. He hugged the tree and leaned against it for support, it took some time but Vasily was once again asleep.

Unbeknown to him he Vasily had forgotten to hide his wild fruit and scythe that was back down on the ground. Throughout the night many small critters came and took a couple fruit for themselves.