City Design by Journal Entry -Reboot!-

[loogie]

For a bit of context, I've made a list of the current players.. I don't think I've missed anyone...

Figures Back Home
Havlair, Mining Guild Leader

Natives
Therris, Eldest son of the Winterdales

City Figures
Fyrdrick, Captain of the Guard
Baxis, Guard (angellus00)
Thane, Guard, Archer
Liam Napper, Guild Liason

User Contributions
Adam Citrine, Smith
"Little Johnny" Apples, Brewer
Anya Vanyer, apothecary/physicker, age 26
Jehan Maras, Merchant - Lumber
Marcus Kvarn, Hunter - Swords
Damriel Kvarn, Hunter - Archer

Undefined
9 Workers

Deaths
Tam Donnrel, Worker - Ambushed by Orcs

[Lukc]

Irshe Dal Agaba, Turalian Master

journal date: ?.?.?

Passed through a settlement in the middle of nowhere on my way south. Looks like bog-nowhere, but it's humans and wait a few decades and I bet they'll be teeming like roaches. I doubt they'll have met the local Orkas yet, that'll be a treat for them when they do. Sooner or later the place is going to start crawling with rough-and-ready types, too many swords, too much flower wine, too little distractions. There'll be business for me then.

I thought I'd ask them if they have any recently deceased, since I need an animated li'l helper to lug my gear and books on to Aericsbier. Too bad the last zombie rotted away, I tried using twine for sinew, like the jungle priests of Ommramru do, but the vines here are only good for smoking. I'll be circumspect about it, maybe they'll trade a deader for a copy of Hibrecht's Pamfphlet of Usefull and Toxick Plantes off the Northe. Hell, I'll even let them keep the head if he's someone they were close to. All I need is a relatively composed pair of lags and arms. Mouth quite optional.

[galenty]

If this isn't too presumptuous, I have a suggestion...

How about putting a loose time frame on some events? It doesn't have to be detailed, just a general idea of where we are in the compilation of letters.

For example:

Year One

Orcs begin forays around fort (current events)
Harsh Winter--heavy snows and unusually cold.
First contact with Elves (think pilgrims and Indians)
Flooding (early thaw of mountain winters)
Crops/Forest get and unusual blight
Spring--brings illness
Spring--brings new immigrants--unsavory sorts.
Summer harvest

Whatever you come up with, you can go back and edit it to show where we are, generally, in the time frame, and you can always add on for additional years. That might solve any questions about where we are and what we might be doing. You could put it on the first entry, so its easier for people to reference..?

Anya, herbalist and physicker

Dearest Sister,

I am sorry to hear that Lord Horesy has been troubling you. I beseech you, do not place your family in danger on my account. His wife was sorely ill and there was naught I could do. He had allowed Piota to treat her and his 'remedies' did nothing but worsen her condition. That he holds me responsible is upon my head. If you feel there is danger upon you, I give you leave to tell him where I am. If he were to take up the journey, which I seriously doubt, then I will face him. Perhaps running away was not the most prudent choice but, as you know, he is powerful enough to put me in gaol for the rest of my life.

My work here is going well, but not as well as I hoped. I had to spend a great deal of time hauling soil to make a garden suitable for plants. This is not the most ideal farmland, as shale and rock is rather close to the surface. I lost about half my seedlings but the rest are hardy enough to thrive. I'm hoping that the new garden will fare better.

We've has some trouble with the local 'wildlife'. Apparently some orcs have become curious and threatening; we lost a man while he was out in the forest. They ambushed him and he was killed instantly. I had no opportunity to help him. But, Captain Fyrdrick allowed me a brief examination. While he had a few injuries, it was a single blow that killed him. By the looks of it, these orcs possess a singular strength, which did not please the Captain. Perhaps they grow hardier up here? And, while there were other injuries, they weren't so many that the fight had gone on long. Does this mean they are as stealthy as they are strong? An unsettling thought, that.

I still forage to find more plants, but I keep my activities to mid-day. Everyone is taking care that we do not go out alone or too far a-field. I promise, I take no untoward risks!

Give my love to Tomas and little Bri. I do expect to hear more of how you are faring.

Your Devoted, Anya

[Sular]

Letter from Jehan to Guimar

Guimar,

A good deal has occurred here since my last letter and I do not think I can do better than to set it all before you just as it happened. To inject my own views on these events might well cloud your own opinions so I shall save my reflections for the time being and try and be your faithful and disinterested chronicler.

For some few days Lem and I, along with what escort we could manage, had been prospecting among the trees looking for likely stands from which to take our initial harvest. With such an embarrassment of riches this was no great task and within a very short order we located some quite excellent trees. Proceeding from this first stand we mapped out a plan for the progress of the logging so that we can direct our limited resources more efficiently for the time being.

Harvesting has already begun though it is a slow process for the trees are massive and our tools, though of excellent make, are insufficient to deal with these behemoths. We can get by for the present but I intend to commision new tools from the blacksmith that happily resides in this lonely and barbarous place. With saws designed for these titanic trees I am confident that the harvesting will proceed at a much quicker pace.

Forgive me brother for I seemed to be unable to restrain myself from commentary. A weakness in my person no doubt. It cannot come as a great surprise to you that I should possess yet one more flaw in a character already composed entirely of defects. Nevertheless, I shall press on with my accounting and try and give you some sense of our operations and the obstacles we have encountered.

I speak of obstacles in the plural for it is not only the size of the trees that is troublous but the lack of workers, the extreme isolation (never a gambling den to be had, nor yet a wine shop, upon my sacred honor), and above all the general dangers that seem to present themselves in so wild and untamed a place as this.

For the present we lack the proper facilities to process the lumber in any but the crudest and most rudimentary of fashions. We are therefore doing little more than felling trees, dragging them down to the river, and collecting them behind a species of boom, there to be lashed together into rafts and so floated south towards civilization. Should this first flotilla of timber prove to be as profitable as I envision I must request, nay demand that a considerable moiety of these profits be put to work in expanding our operations here. I know you brother, and know too that you’d much prefer to use the profits to adorn the neck of some mistress of yours in fine and elegant pearls, but now is not the time for such extravagances.

And speaking both of obstacles and of profits, I come in a rather round-about way to an event which is sure to peak your interest and raise our asking price for this fine timber not a little bit. It would appear that these northern wastes are populated by at least one tribe of orcs. These pestilential people, perhaps considering that we were robbing them of the trees that they had thought there own, took it upon themselves to raid our wee settlement doing considerable damage and killing at least one of our soldiers. I was uninvolved in this little spat so all my information comes at second and third hand but I can plainly state that the raid has made people here wary watchful. Defenses are being contemplated even as we speak -- possibly some kind of wall would be in order -- and there is a general sense of vigilance here about. I applaud this spirit and will join in to the extent that my own skills and temperament allow.
To that end, brother, if you would be so good as to send my way any volumes on the history and practices of these orcs I would be very much obliged to you. It is a cardinal rule of warfare to know one’s enemy and I do not like it that we have little or no information on these raiders beyond the self-evident facts of their hostility and desire to cause us discomfort.

Do try and send me the books, even if they seem irrelevant, strange, or contradictory. In the meanwhile I shall see of there are any bodies available for study. I might as well put my expensive education to some useful end.

Fortune favor you brother,

-Jehan

[alp]

I don't know if it is too lat to chip in but, if it is, here goes ...

Sagabee, me auld shipmate,

Sitting and supping me pipe and fine ale, in the Merry Maiden, a good few moons gone, I chanced to overhear a traveller by name of Irshe Dal Agaba, or so I gathered. He made reference of a new pioneering group of folk up river. Quick thinking as I ever is, I says to meself, "Jordan me Man, they needs a brewhouse t' while away the cold nights and hard labour of the back .... an seein' as there be no temple to ease the soul I culd se to there thirst and occasional victuals."

So after ponderous thought I talked with our mates Doggo, we knews on the Billy Ruffian, 'im bein' a fine Bosuns Mate and finest brawler of the lower decks as to have slung 'is 'ammock in the Petty Officers Mess. We agrees a plan, see, and with our head an' sail prize money we gets t'gether a carts and dunkey and filled it brim with barrels o' small beers, and black strap and grog 'n' all. We chanced 'pon a comely skirt named Thelda, dirty hussy she be, whoes all in to our scheme as she 'as problems with the 'mother' she lives with. We's al set to make a 'stablishment for to men, but upon whenst me sister stepped off the mizzen yard she left me with her bairn. T' barnacle be of marriageable age, but wit' a face that'll sour cheese an' scare dogs. She can fix good victuals though, and knows all 'bout them conwenieces, like, sage, n pepper, n basil, n such. Has to takes her along, as I wouldne want a ghost more fearful than t' norm as to following me round. We should be able to set a nice table with victuals an' grog. The hussy will see to t' mens itches, n' keep me warm at night.

Iw rittings to you, me mate, as you owns the Pirates Plunder down river and we's could work out trade of grog an' the like. Yer regards, Jordan, Quartermaster of the ol' Ruffian

As a passing cloud, Doggo says to tells you to pull yur shrouds to the winds and if yer says Danny Fisk, our auld monkey (ships boy) to sends im our way as is dad were a brewer an the mite can turn his 'and to mead an' grog, if we gets the rite 'grediaents.

[loogie]

galenty: I like the idea, I'll try to come up with a list of things tho there won't be any large scale attacks by orcs or the like, not for the first year anyways... but orcs, goblins and the like will be skulking about the north as well... ready to pick off any who aren't prepared for them... they aren't terribly brave at the moment, but thats not saying that in the future something might happen.

[angellus00]

Mining Guild Scout Expedition Leader - Allan Stetler

Week 1

Our team has spent several days in the mountains north of Fort Jyassik
looking for signs of ore or even gemstones and a site for the first mine.
We followed the river north and we haven't run into any of the filthy orcs
nor the smaller goblins yet.

We resupplied at Jyassik, though it still isn't more then a few buildings.
We saw signs that a general store was under way and the smithy was
well stocked with tools and even a few weapons ready to be sold.

I also bought a barrel of strong apple wine from that Little Apples fellow.
He said he would be distilling fine brandy by the time we got back from
this foray in three weeks, by then we hope to have found at least two
sites near enough to the river that we can use it to send ore back down
to Jyassik rather then having to carve a route overland.

I have eight mercenaries with us, two geologists, and a geographer who
will be updating the map for us. The Capitan in charge of the mercenaries
is confident that he will be able to deal with any goblins or orcs that we
come upon.


Week 2

We have started to spot signs of goblin activity, though we haven't seen
any goblins yet. I'm relieved that it's goblins and not orcs in this area,
the two rarely get along and the goblins might be sneakier but they also
aren't very strong.

We have moved into the foot of the mountains and the path along the
river has become somewhat treacherous. One of the houses slipped
and broke and leg and we had to put it down. We have redistributed
some of the supplies to the other horses and discarded some of our feed
for the horses since we have less mouths to split it among.

The geologists have taken several samples from the river and they tell
me that it is possible that we will find aquamarines and even emeralds
in the near future. If we find a vein that has emeralds I will get a large
bonus. I'll even pass some of it on to the others.


Week 3

We were attacked by goblins last night and lost three of the
mercenaries and one of the geologists. We are holed up in a cave
while three others are recovering from some serious wounds,
including Capitan Tommen.

We have rolled a large rock in front of the cave entrance where
Jon and Perry are taking turns keeping watch. It doesn't seal the
entrance completely but it helps us to hide.

Orend, our surviving geologist, found signs of aquamarine and
emeralds in this cave. It looks like our hiding spot is also just
what we came out here to look for. He said there is also a vein
of silver and could be a lot more. Once we get back and report
in they will send a full size team up the river, likely by barge, to
start setting up the mine.

Week 4

Captian Tommen died last night. It seems his wound was
infected and there was nothing we could do for him. We have
the other two on litters and we are trying to slowly make our
way back down river without attracting any attention from the
goblins.

We are down to only one horse and have very little food left.
If we run out before we get back we have decided to butcher
the horse and eat it.

The geographer managed to finish a rough map, showing the
caves where we found the silver vein. I'm carrying it myself,
just to be on the safe side. It is starting to be hard to trust the
other members of the expedition, everyone is jumpy and
someone bolting at the wrong time could get us all killed.

Week 5

It's just me and Perry left. We managed to get away ridding
double on the horse. The others were taken by the goblins... I
think they were already eating them when we got away. We
are getting close to Fort Jyassik now and we should be back by
tomorrow. I hope we don't run in to anything else.

If we had a barge it would have only take a day or two to pole
down the river, with the current helping us. Hacking our way
through the forest and leaving a trail for the goblins to follow
right to us likely wasn't the best way to have gone about this.
I'm so glad we will be back to civilization soon and enjoying the
bunk houses at Fort Jyassik for a few days before heading back
south to make our report. I guess I only have to share the bonus
with Perry.

[angellus00]

is this dead?

[Lukc]

No, I don't think so. *prod. *poke.

[loogie]

sorry i'm still here, just been really busy.. (cats got some medical issues so i end up spending all day taking care of the fluff ball)... but i will be back.. hopefully in a few days!