The Vanished Wilderness - A G-Tech RP Reborn [IC]

[The GAmeTopians]

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.
Three NPC colonists are available for hire at the moment, at a copper noble a day. Four laborers work in the mines, and there are four guards of Farholme, the Wardens.

Ultar's Shop is currently stocked!
Goods for sale:
10 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
2 Slabs of Salt: 1 Copper Noble 5 Copper Knaves each
5 Baskets: 3 Copper Knaves each
20 Loaves of Bread: 1 Copper Knave each
1 Copper Spear: 1 Silver Knave 2 Copper Nobles each
4 Copper Axes: 3 Copper Nobles
4 Copper Hammers: 2 Copper Nobles
4 Copper Pickaxes: 4 Copper Nobles
1 Copper Scythe: 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.

[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 a hammer, 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 proprietor duly handed over the implements, and several of Petyor's last knaves suddenly took flight, 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. Still, there was work to be done. The implements of a miner's trade and a fine stout axe secured, it was time to get to it.

Petyor purchases Copper Hammer, Copper Pickaxes, Mining Permit, employs Ivan (total -7 Copper Nobles, 7 Copper Knaves) | The party of two is striking out east of Farholme, searching for mineral deposits

[The GAmeTopians]

The captain's shouts pierced through Mercy's peaceful slumber, standing with a groan from her rudimentary sleeping area aboard the Wind's Pride cargo ship. Running her fingers through her messy, far from noble-looking blonde hair, Mercy sighed and headed up to the deck, the copper nobles jingling in her pocket reminding her of how far she had fallen.
Curse my piece of shit brother...
She shook her head to herself, passing over the gangplank and onto dry land.
Well this is a new opportunity at least, best make good use of it.
Mercy stood and listened to the merchant's introductory spiel, idly formulating her new life plan as he described his wares. As his advertisement ceased she began following him to his shop, right behind a dark-haired frontiersman and ahead of the cluster of colonists that had accompanied them on the ship. Ducking into the poorly illuminated shop, she immediately pinpointed the items she needed.
"Shopkeep, give me an axe, a pickaxe, and the offered bushel of fruit."
Ultar looked over to her, having just finished his transaction with Petyor, and nodded to her.
"You got the coin for that, miss?"
Mercy dug into her pocket, counting out all but one of her copper nobles onto the counter one by one.
"Seven copper nobles, sir, that should do."
"Indeed it does, miss."
Ultar handed over the axe and pickaxe, along with a basket of wild fruit collected in the area. She nodded to him, hefting the two tools against one shoulder and holding the bushel of fruit in her other hand, before setting out for the eastern border of Farholme.

Mercy purchases a Copper Axe and a Copper Pickaxe (-7 Copper Nobles) | She sets out east of Farholme, searching for mineral deposits just as Petyor and Ivan are

[Pax Nerdvana]

Jack Calhoun
Jack woke up to the captain's shouts. He climbed out of his bunk, and grabbed his meager belongings which were contained in an old bag. He walked up to the main deck, and off the gangplank. Ultar was addressing the crowd. He was both asking for miners and soliciting his store. Jack decided he would get a job with Ultar as a miner, for now. Eventually, he would like to explore, and try to find the mother lode out in the wilderness, but that would have to wait until he got more money. Jack raised his hand, and said,"Sir, if you're looking for miners, I'd like to take a job. Are you providing equipment, or do we have to buy our own?"

[The GAmeTopians]

Jack Calhoun
Jack woke up to the captain's shouts. He climbed out of his bunk, and grabbed his meager belongings which were contained in an old bag. He walked up to the main deck, and off the gangplank. Ultar was addressing the crowd. He was both asking for miners and soliciting his store. Jack decided he would get a job with Ultar as a miner, for now. Eventually, he would like to explore, and try to find the mother lode out in the wilderness, but that would have to wait until he got more money. Jack raised his hand, and said,"Sir, if you're looking for miners, I'd like to take a job. Are you providing equipment, or do we have to buy our own?"

As Ultar’s spiel concluded, he looked over and noticed the man with his hand raised.
“‘Fraid you’ll have to buy a pickaxe yourself, but I’ve got 4 stocked in the store at the moment. They’ll probably go pretty fast, but I’m told there’ll be a ship in next week with my last batch of orders.”
With that, he turned and headed toward his store, colonists and frontiersmen in tow.

[Theyra]

Day 1
Nakhu Olziyt

"Finally, we are here" Nakhu thought in excitement to himself as he heard the captains voice. He was just getting out of his bunk when the ship docked at Farholme, Nakhu was used to waking up in the early morning during his days working on his family's farm. He rather preferred it, even if it was still dark outside. More work that can be done during the day and a good opportunity to catch the sunrise. Collecting his belongings, Nakhu went up onto the deck and followed the folk getting off the ship. For Nakhu it was nice to get on dry solid land, he was too used to seeing a sea of grass. Not saltwater and he was a bit seasick during the voyage.

Once on dry land, Nakhu listened to Ultar and rather than stay and work. He had other plans, plans outside of Farholme. During the trip, he learned of the areas of the New World so far, and the Aherrad Plains sounded like the perfect place to settle to him. Kind of reminds him of his homeland, the vast open planes and breathing in the fresh cold air. The thought made him feel happy and homesick at the same time. "No, I did not come here to return home so easily." He thought to himself, "I am here to settle in a fresh new land, and that is what I am going to do."

Nakhu headed to the store and to buy some supplies. "Hmmm, the axes are already gone, that was fast." He said quietly to himself as he looked at the wares, better buy something he needs before someone else takes it. Getting Ultar's attention after he sold an axe to a woman. "I will take a pickaxe and the basket of food."

"You have the cooper nobles to buy the pickaxe, sir?

Nakhu opened his coin purse and placed the four copper nobles on the counter. "Four cooper nobles right?

"Right and here you go" Ultar handed over the pickaxe and the basket of food.

"Thank you, sir" Nakhu replied and walked out of the store. He noticed the same women from before heading out with a pickaxe in tow. "Might as well see where she is going and maybe find someone to work with me." He thought and headed east.

Nakhu purchases one copper pickaxe, - 4 Cooper Nobles, 1 Cooper Noble left, heads out east looking for mineral deposits

[Sudbrazil]

Peter Zimmerman
Farholme, Lake Nemis

Zimmerman breathed in the fresh morning air as he stepped off the ship. The landscape, draped in fog, reminded him of his teen years, when he would gather wood for his father's workshop in the misty forests. His musings were interrupted when a man, naming himself Ultar, came to introduce himself. His work proposals seemed interesting, and while he didn't see mining as something he would be comfortable with, logging would bring him a considerable sum of money.

Peter followed Ultar to his shop, where a few familiar faces were browsing through the wares. He approached the shop-owner with his purse, which felt particularly light in his hands. This fellow was a bit different than other merchants at home, presumably due to his ties to the Company, but his prices were still flexible. The carpenter left the store, glad to once again wield an axe capable of cutting down both trees and men alike. Granted, it was only made of soft copper, but given the high demand for steel in the continent, the New World would have to live with scraps.

The blockhouses were pleasant, but Zimmerman knew that he wouldn't be staying that. As he uncoiled his skilled tongue once more, he learned that the folk there were rather friendly and knowledgeable of the surrounding terrain. From the stockade's kitchen he claimed a ration of food, enough to last four days, then departed into the wilds.

Peter Zimmerman buys one Axe (3.9 Copper Nobles).
He travels to the wooded areas of the lake, where he fells a tree

[Pax Nerdvana]

Jack Calhoun
Jack woke up to the captain's shouts. He climbed out of his bunk, and grabbed his meager belongings which were contained in an old bag. He walked up to the main deck, and off the gangplank. Ultar was addressing the crowd. He was both asking for miners and soliciting his store. Jack decided he would get a job with Ultar as a miner, for now. Eventually, he would like to explore, and try to find the mother lode out in the wilderness, but that would have to wait until he got more money. Jack raised his hand, and said,"Sir, if you're looking for miners, I'd like to take a job. Are you providing equipment, or do we have to buy our own?"

As Ultar’s spiel concluded, he looked over and noticed the man with his hand raised.
“‘Fraid you’ll have to buy a pickaxe yourself, but I’ve got 4 stocked in the store at the moment. They’ll probably go pretty fast, but I’m told there’ll be a ship in next week with my last batch of orders.”
With that, he turned and headed toward his store, colonists and frontiersmen in tow.

Jack Calhoun
Jack said,"Ok, sir. Where can I sign up?" Jack hoped there were still pickaxes left, because he would need one if he wanted to mine. He was actually kind of excited to be going to do something other than sitting on a ship.
Jack Calhoun buys one pickaxe. He has 1 knave and 1 noble left.

OOC: I hope I did my math right.

[Achidyemay]

The voyage had been long and hard for Olufemi. The young man had never actually been on a ship this large before, nor had he ever been out to sea, nor was he much convinced that he should ever make the trip again. The violent seasickness had arrived the second they had left the great port and despite the sailor's assurances that the sea could be rougher, Olufemi's body disagreed. The hard tack and other foods that were served would never stay down for long and Olufemi took to sleeping in a hammock in the hold next to a bucket. In fact, there were long stretches of the trip where the otherwise active youth wouldn't eat, staying in his hammock for days on end. On the days where the sea was absolutely calm, however, Olufemi would make the trip up to the top deck and look at the huge expanse of ocean. In a way it reminded him of the deserts far to the south of his homeland. A preternatural flatness in every direction. It was on these rare trips to the top deck when Olufemi would eat, establishing a friendly report with the cook and playing music to the crew on his ocarina.
It was one of those calm mornings when the sight of the new world first greeted Olufemi. It had been called out by the crew minutes earlier, but now the distinct blemish of land was appearing on the flat horizon. Most of the settlers had come to the deck to witness the land, the sense of hope and excitement was palpable. As they approached the Bay of Storms however, she lived up to her name and Olufemi was forced below deck. He was able to sleep through the rougher waters and woke up before day break the next morning. When he reached the top deck, the new world stretched around them in nearly every direction. Olufemi's mouth dropped as he took in the sights of flora and fauna unfamiliar to him. And then his mouth broke into a smile as he saw the first bit of a very familiar bit of flora; the patches of indigo shimmered gently in the breeze, dully reflecting the moonlight. They grew tall, covering the banks and the shallow waters. The swamp itself seemed to stretch on for miles. At first Olufemi thought they would be dropped off there, but the ship carefully picked its ways through the river's deeper water.
Olufemi was on deck as the oarsmen brought them from the mouth of the river to the vale and then to the lake. A few others would join him on deck from time to time, but when the sun set, he was the only one. Farholme came into view early the next morning and he was extremely excited to put his feet back down on dry land. He rushed off the gangplank, listening to the captain and the store clerk as he spun in a slow circle. There was a lot to drink in, the whole town was smaller than his father's estate, yet bustled with activity. The huge forest to the East loomed large and the lake to the West was like a small sea onto itself. Suddenly, Olufemi found himself missing his horse, and an idea dawned on him.
"Mr. Moddel," Olufemi said, addressing the sailor unloading cargo beside him, "how long will the ship be here?"
"Long's it take to load 'er, prolly be gone by day's end."
"Great, thank you." Olufemi said, tipping his head to the sailor and making his way back up the gangplank to the captain's side. Captain Aberforth saw him approach.
"Aye lad? The shore be thataway."
Olufemi smiled at Aberforth's joke, but quickly composed himself, speaking clearly and succinctly to the Captain, "Thanks, but I was wondering if you could give me a ride back down the river when you shove off. I'll pay you if you like." Olufemi added, clinking three copper knaves together.
"Hmph," grunted Captain Aberforth, but he held out his hand to accept the change.
"Fantastic, thank you Captain." Olufemi said, dropping the coins into his hand and then turning to leave.
Tired from being awake the whole night, Olufemi made his way to the stockade, collapsing into a bunk after asking the manager to wake him before Ultar closes shop or the ship leaves, whichever's first.

The nap proved exemplary, and Olufemi awoke feeling well rested. The sun had progressed far in the sky by now and had long since burned away the mist. As Olufemi made his way into the shop, he noticed that his peers had cleared the poor shopkeep of much of his inventory. Without the proper tools creating a good homestead would be impossible. With a frown he scanned over the inventory and the posted prices, some quick math would tell him that he wouldn't have enough money. Slowly, he picked up a hoe from the side of the room and brought it over to the counter.
"Hello, Ultar" Olufemi said.
"'Lo, settler."
"My Name's Olufemi Akatchi, and I'm here to make a fortune selling Indigo, but I'm going to need someone on my side."
"Oh yeah?" Ultar raised an eyebrow, but his posture betrayed his disinterest.
"Oh yes, yes," Olufemi was speaking in hushed, excited tones, even though they were the only ones in the shop, forcing Ultar to lean in. "And you look like the kind of man who's looking to make a fortune, but like I said, I'm going to need you on my side."
"What do you have in mind?"
"An investment, of sorts, I need to set up a homestead near the mouth of the river, where the Indigo grows. Now, I could walk there, gather a bushel, and walk back and give it to you and we could make a bit of money, but we're not in the business of a little money, you and I, we're looking to make a fortune. If I had a camp there, where I could farm the indigo, and then ship it up to you, we'd be looking at massive profits. So here's my deal, I need tools and materials to set up my homestead, in return, I'll make us rich, and to show I'm serious, that I'm not trying to dupe you, I'll give you all of the money I have."
At this, Ultar started to pay attention. "So what do you think you'll need to make this work?"
"I need this hoe here, but also a scythe for the harvest, and two wooden planks."
"You're asking a lot."
"I'm offering a lot."
"Alright, here you go, and you bring those indigo bushels back to me now, you'hear? And, here, keep this," Ultar flicked a knave back to the youth. "Oh! And this is yours as well." He said, dropping a basket of fruit on the counter.
"Absolutely, and thanks, it was a pleasure doing business. And while I'm here, I'd like to put an order in for an axe, if you don't mind."
"Sure thing, it should arrive with the next shipment."

With three trips, Olufemi was able to carry the planks and the tools to the ship, where he left them well out of everyone's way, telling the first mate about his plans and asking that the materials be left alone. While he was there, he was briefed that it would still be several hours before they left. Deciding to try his hand with the sickle, Olufemi left the ship and headed south towards the vale.
Stats:

Time
7:00 Arrived at Newholm
7:15 Slept
13:00 Went Shopping; Transported two planks, a hoe, and a scythe to the ship
13:30 Headed South

Money
8 N ~ Start {5 N + 3 N (wealthy)}
-0.3 N ~ Transportation

---

7.7 N
-0.4 N ~ (2) Plank {0.3 (base coast) - 0.1 (Silver Tongue) * 2 (two planks)}

---

7.3 N
-3.3 N ~ Scythe {3.4 N (base coast) - 0.1 (Silver Tongue)}

---

4 N
-3.9 N ~ Hoe {4 N (base cost - 0.1 (Silver Tongue)}

---

0.1 N

Inventory
1 Hoe
1 Scythe
2 Planks
1 Basket of fruit

[Auphelia]

Victoria Bracknell
Day One
Farholme

Her shoes grind into the dirt as she shifts her feet to listen to the friendly shop keeper go on while keeping her goats from nipping at the trousers of the man who had been attempting to recruit others to find the riches of the new world. She wasn't sure what it was about him, but the goats wanted to eat him. Far be it from her to understand the ways of a goat. They were stubborn animals, and didn't like to be controlled. They bucked and strained under her grasp, but her calming strokes soothed them. Since childhood she had had a way with animals, but these two were something else. Then again, they were also the ones that were strong enough to survive a cross continental exodus without dying. They bleated gently and snuffled at the dirt for the duration of the introductory speech.

After waiting for the shop to empty, she entered it, browsing the single room as Ultar busied himself tidying up and calculating his new inventory. She carefully inspected each display, contemplating. The company that had set up this outpost had had some interesting literature on the subject of the various resources of the New World, and her own research had given her a plan for her time on this land.

A few friendly words, compliments, not so friendly words, a sword fight, three shouting matches, and a quick staring contest later, she exited with a free basket of apples, two baskets, two loaves of bread, and most of her money left. Poor Ultar didn't have a chance against her silver tongue, skilled from years of operating her farm and dealing with merchants out to get her money. She knew the trade and this small time upstart wasn't about to best her, though she found it extremely irritating that there were no scythes available, and had put a hold on one in the next shipment.

She fastened the baskets onto the backs of her goats and left the borders of the town, forging towards what was known as the Eras Vale. It sounded just about right for her, and apparently it was a good place for livestock.

Financial Transactions:
+1 Basket Apples
+2 Basket
+2 Loaves of Bread
-8 Copper Knaves
+4 Copper Knaves (Silver Tongue)

Activity:
0 Hours - Arrived
1 Hour - Shopped 'til she dropped
16 Hours - Left for the Eras Vale

Inventory:
2 Goats
2 Baskets
1 Basket of Apples
2 Loaves of Bread
4 Copper Noble
6 Copper Knaves

Status: Travelling towards the Eras Vale

[Achidyemay]

Olufemi walked south. As he left Farholme the banging and scraping of stone in the mine faded. In the distance, to the east, he could hear the sound of woodsmen at work on the mighty trees. The early summer sun felt good on the young lads face and the sweet smell of the Vale swept forth to greet him. He let himself explore a bit, wielding the scythe like staff. The gentle presence of the river and the occasional slosh of a fish, the calls of birds; he turned around to see the town he had left and already it was looking quite small, a blemish on an otherwise surreal and otherworldly landscape. He was very far from home and in a place entirely untamed by man, it gave the young southerner a thrill.

He had been walking some sort of trail along the riverside, passing a fishermen to whom he exchanged a respectable nod, for a while now. It was a walking path, not tread by cart and his mind turned over to the problem of getting his goods back upstream. The Indigo would need to be sold to Ultar until he could set up some sort of connection back with the mainland, then it would be easier just to have some sort of docks in the delta proper. It may even be a good idea to set up some entrepot there and then trade the goods into Farholme as a way of maximizing profits. It was clear to Olufemi that Farholme had been built where it was because of the good mines and timber and it's position along the lake, but it also seemed like building anything in the delta would come with its own challenges. It wouldn't be too hard to import cut stone, but building anything like that would require a team of people at least. A solid foundation would be well into the ground. He had noticed a good number of trees as he came in and his mind wandered to tree houses and stilted houses. These would stay well above the waterline, hopefully.

The trail had withered from a footpath to shorter grass and then ended entirely. He had only been traveling for half an hour and already he was in a place untread by the citizens of Farholme nor their ruminants. Even the fisherman was a distant figure on the horizon. The town itself tucked away behind a berm. Here Olufemi spent a few hours with the sickle, collecting lots of long grass. At first he just sort of left it there, but eventually he realized how helpful it could be to weave the fibers into ropes and mats, and began to gather the materials together. The long grass that grew beside the river proved to be quite workable, and Olufemi recalled his lessons in rope making from his grandmother and sisters. They had made decorative chords for the Alic'A ceremony, but Olufemi had a much more industrial purpose in mind. It took a moment, but he eventually succeeded in weaving some length of rope, enough to bind together the rest of the fibers.

Noticing just how much time had passed, he headed back to Farholme carrying as much as he could. The fisherman had left and it was nearing sunset when Olufemi climbed the gangplank.
"Wondered is you were makin' 'er back." Said Aberforth, "Do a bit of weedin' there, did yah?" He took a tone that was somewhere between mild surprise and frustration.
"Yeah," Olufemi said, trying to look casual, "had to test out the scythe, figured I might as well collect the fiber if I was going to all of the trouble."
"Fair enough." Said the captain, before calling out to one of the sailors in the rigging, Olufemi supposed he was lucky that the captain was so preoccupied.
Sitting cross-legged on the deck, Olufemi began to work the remaining fibers, but became tired and fell asleep. He would stir slightly when the ship eventually cast off again, but the gentle lantern glow and the call-outs from the spotters kept lulling him to sleep.

Stats:

Time
13:30 Traveled South
15:00 Harvested Long Grass, crafted fiber
19:00 Traveled North
21:00 Boarded ship, crafted Fiber
21:30 Fell asleep

Money
0.1 N

Inventory
1 Hoe
1 Scythe
2 Planks
1 Basket of fruit
2 Fiber

[Sudbrazil]

Peter Zimmerman
Eastern shores of Lake Nemis ~ Day 2, morning

Sun rays reached through the canopy of leaves and gently touched Zimmerman's face. He had slept like a stone on a bed of leaves which had been arranged last night, and was pleased to see that his food basket - carefully hung on a tree branch - hadn't been touched by hungry beasts nor meddling men. He ventured forth to the lakeshore where a few woodcutters had gathered and greetings along with introductions were exchanged, followed by a moment of awkward silence as the men unpacked and chewed on their food. His breakfast, cold beef jerky and slightly dry bread, was accompanied by water from the limpid waters of the lake. It wasn't really good food, especially when compared to the beer and wursts found at home. Thus, a conversation arose on the price of spices and food, branching off to address the quality of life. It was agreed that they were all stout and hearty fellows, as not any wimp from the continent would be able to make a living here in the wilderness.

After all had finished washing and eating, the lumberjacks then dispersed into the treeline to peck at the tall green pines. Zimmerman lingered around the shore, collecting long grass. His arms ached from the felling of the wooden giant, a symptom of the lack of exercise during the overseas voyage, but he nevertheless gathered a bushels of the stuff with which he returned to his campsite.

The fallen pine waited alongside what few possessions he had. Peter sat down and leaned his back on the brown trunk, fiddling with the grass straw. His mother's teachings were quite firm in his memory, but it had been a long time since he had weaved anything with grass. After an hour's worth of work, he managed to make two baskets of surprising quality. A length of the pine's firm limbs was chopped off, and with it a carrying pole was fashioned.

Zimmerman was fairly pleased with his work, though he missed many of his instruments. It struck him that flint could perhaps be found near the lakefront. In practice, finding the material was difficult, but after some time of fruitless searching he found a sizeable chunk of the material which has sprung up among the pebbles. Perhaps he would be able to flake it into something useful with one of the more common stones. Satisfied, he retreated once more to his temporary abode.

Actions

0600-0700: Zimmerman wakes up, washes and has breakfast.
0700-0800: Peter gathers a bushel of grass.
0800-0900: Two baskets are crafted with a bushel of grass
0900-1124: Zimmermam finds a chunk of flint.

[Auphelia]

Victoria Bracknell
Day Two
The Eras Vale

She woke up from a long night of travelling, not exactly refreshed, but having rested well enough. She wanted to simply roll over and go back to sleep, back to a world where she didn't have a small rock poking into her hip. Then her goats started snuffling at her face, totally ending any thoughts of rest. With a groan and several muffled complaints towards whoever decided to make the ground so hard, she managed to get to her feet and start the day.

It was rather dull, pulling up long grasses, shooing off the goats when they tried to eat her piles of harvested grass rather than the literal fields of the stuff all around, weaving baskets, gathering more grass, and pulling up some rather sticky plants growing near the river bank. She knew that with the proper amount she would be able to make plant oil, something she knew for a fact was valuable, remembering a rather heated argument with a merchant many years ago about the stuff. The woman had been the shrillest shrew Victoria had ever met, trying to wrangle three silver knaves per pot during the annual village market gathering. Those coastal merchants really aggravated her.

By the end of the day she was exhausted and readily fell back onto the ground, not even noticing the fact she was laying on three different jagged rocks. She would be feeling those in the morning. Next to her, the goats slept soundly on large piles of freshly harvested long grass.

Financial Transactions:
N/A

Activity
4 Hours - Gather 4 Bushel of Long Grass in Eras Vale
2 Hours - Convert 4 Bushel of Long Grass into 8 Baskets
8 Hours - Gather 8 Bushel Long Grass --> Convert Long Grass into 2 Bushels Fibre
2 Hours - Gather 1 Bushel of Sappy Plants
8 Hours - Sleep

Inventory:
2 Goats
10 Baskets
2 Bushel Fibre
1 Bushel Sappy Plants
6/7 Basket of Apples
1 1/2 Loaves of Bread
1 Copper Noble
6 Copper Knaves

Status: Setting Up A Life As A Pot Lady