Megan's Kingmaker PbP

Game Master Megan Robertson

After breakfast Calinder quickly helps clean up. He then prepares to leave and waits for Rhasa to lead the way to Oleg's.

As the group leaves Calinder says, "'Master Bokken, thank you once again for your hospitality."

"My pleasure," says Bokken.

"Occasional well-mannered visitors are fine, it's just hordes of folk all the time that I cannot abide."

Rhasa does a little scouting while breakfast is being fixed, but returns with plenty of time to enjoy the fruits of the morning's labors.

She thanks Bokken before swinging up into the saddle to lead toward the road and Oleg's.

Appreciative of the meal, Lothar gave his thanks to Master Bokken along with the others. He even helped cleared the dishes once everyone was doing breaking their fast.

With a full stomach and a light heart, he climbed up onto the back of his mule and followed Rhasa toward the road. Would that all of our days were as peaceful as this.

His comment elicits a glance back and a raised eyebrow from the elf, but she turns and concentrates on the path ahead and makes no comment.

"I agree Lothar it was nice to have a pleasant stay with Bokken, and I'm sure we will have the same once we reach Oleg's. At least I hope that is the case."

By mid-afternoon, after an uneventful ride, you approach Oleg's Trading Post. You hear it before you see it, looks like there is quite a tent city sprung up around the original stockade. The clang of a forge, the cries of various animals...

The tent city brings Nilus back to his days as a soldier Ahh, the smell of dysentery.

Well chaps, seems that you 'ave visitors. Heh. I'll be watchin' and lookin' for likely ones to hold a spear.

Nilus gives Bess some rein and she trots off towards the stockade and tent city.

"Oleg be happy bout tha business but a bit less bout tha people."

"Should we do a look through tha encampment o head straight intah Oleg's?'

Lothar will check the conditions of this tent city to ensure that it is sanitary before heading on to meet with Oleg and his wife.

The tent city seems reasonably well-organised, although they do have a rather smelly waste heap and lots of loose animals who are doing what comes naturally all over the place.

Calinder is amazed at the tents that surround Oleg's trading post. He follows Lothar and the others as they check the conditions of the encampment. When the Wardens finally make their way into Oleg's fort Calinder waves a friendly greeting at Oleg and says, "Oleg how are you. Looks like you've gathered quite a crowd here. Are all these folks look to head down south to homestead?"

Barnabus nods and smiles at Oleg.

Rhasadilara nods as Nilus heads off, but accompanies Lothar to look over the city. She gives some thought to the waste heap and the loose animals and how to handle them better.

Thinking on ways to 1) take care of what is there now and 2) plan a better solution for future such. Totally unsure of the appropriate rolls to make.

Oleg looks like he wants to tear out his hair.

"This place is getting far too busy," he grumbles. "People keep turning up saying they've heard that this area is being opened up for colonisation, and wanting to know where to go. Or worse, just barging through and assuming that they can go where they like!"

Sinon is rushed off his feet, all the visitors are drinking his ale as fast as he can make it. He's recruited a couple of youths out of the new arrivals as apprentices, but he's running out of barrels.

Svetlana says she doesn't stop cooking from dawn to dusk, if not later. She seems to be coping better than Oleg, however.

A blacksmith has arrived and set up a forge ("Without troubling to ask!" splutters Oleg) and is busy seeing to horses' feet and tools and wagon parts and has knocked out some hoops for barrels for Sinon.

Everything seems very chaotic.

Oh, and a very pregnant woman has just arrived in a cart piled high with household furniture.

"Aye the answer is simple enough all who enter must come through here, and enter their information into tha registy, much like Svetlana's bookkeeping she does fer tha trading post. They must tell occupation an family an livestock an then we can tell then where to go. Tis human nature one man will settle his cattle on tha best land with tha most water an keep ths resources away from his neighbor."

"Oleg, would it help if we sent a group of people to lead folks coming to this area down to the settlement area on say a weekly basis?"

"And we would be willing to discuss any other suggestions you may have to make this easier for you."

"It might help," intervened Svetlana, "If you could see your way to appointing some kind of colonial administrator to look after the new arrivals, rather than leaving it to Oleg."

Nilus rides through the camp slowly, spending time examining the newcomers, looking for riffraff, troublemakers and others who might be put to good use holding a weapon and pointing it at the other guy's riffraff and troublemakers.

Profession:Soldier: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 to identify possible candidates for military training in the future.

"Let us see what we can do or who we can appoint to a position like that to try and relieve you of a lot of this burden. And I would like you to know that we appreciate very much what you have done for us thus far."

"Is there anything else we can do to help you while we are here?"

"Curious Svetlana I was thinking of you for the task...."

"Svetlana we can look for someone else to fill that position if you feel that it would be too much of a burden. And if you have someone that you would like to recommend, we would be open to suggestions."

"For the moment though let us sit down together and enjoy a meal together and discuss any other issues that are of concern to you and Oleg. Is there anything I can do to help with preparations?"

Lothar stabled his mule, then made his way out into the market yard and began a performing series of stretching routines to limber himself up. When he was done, the magician knelt down and began meditating as he waited for Nilus and Rhasa.

And though Lothar was no stranger to sparring, this was the first time he had done so since his incident back at the fort. He had stated to Rhasa that this to assess readiness. What he had left unsaid was that this was meant to determine his own state of readiness.

Could he be the warrior that he once was? Or had that incident done more to change who and what he was than even Lothar knew?

And that was what the magician focused his thoughts on. Was he still the warrior of Irori that walked the path of perfection or was he little more than the cold-blooded, cold hearted assassin, the secret tool of the Gray Master and the Anaphexia?

He searched deep within but found no ready answers. And so, Lothar waited, biding his time until his fellow Wardens arrived.

Rhasadilara inquires among the tent city to find if a natural leader has arisen. She also checks with the soon-to-grow family to find when the woman expected her child to arrive and what their plans were.

She's not given any thought to returning to Oleg's yet. Too much to learn, too much to do.

The pregnant woman says she is travelling to join her husband, Samlor hil-Sampt, who was caravan leader of the advance party, and who had written saying that he wished to settle here. (He, you may recall, is doing sterling work organising the settlement growing around the Stag Lord's Fort.) She hopes to get there before she's due in 3-4 weeks' time.

Svetlana does not really want to take a leading position in the colony, she'd rather cook and take care of Oleg. Running the domestic side of the trading post satisfies her. However, she points out one fellow called Nathan Peake, who is currently helping the new blacksmith but who appears to have some leadership qualities, as a potential administrator.

Calinder thanks Svetlana for her suggestion and walks towards where the blacksmith has setup his forge. When he gets there he asks, "Is Nathan Peake here?"

Nodding, "I know Master Samlor. What is your name, if I may? And are you traveling alone?" We need to make a priority of getting some of these folks to the settlement, especially Samlor's wife.

The smith is busy re-shoeing a horse, but nods Calinder to a chunky fellow with a pony-tail who is over by the anvil knocking out nails as if there is no tomorrow.

The nail-maker looks up at your approach. "Help you?" he asks. "Don't tell me the latrine's backed up again..."

Samlor's wife smiles at Rhasadilara. "I'm Hilda, honey. Yes, I am on my own." She pats her 'bump'. "Well, apart from my constant companion here."

"You are Nathan Peake? Mr. Peake my name is Calinder Suritel and I am a member of the group Called the Wardens of the Green. We have been charged with overseeing the colonization of this area. It has been suggested that you have some skills in which we are currently in need. Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your experiences, other than working as a blacksmith's assistant and pounding out nails?"

Calinder ends with a smile to hopefully show Nathan the the last remark was in jest and to put him at ease.

Rhasa smiles back and nods, "My apologies. I am Rhasadilara Goldenbough. I am one of the Wardens that Samlor might have told you about. I will visit with the Wardens - it appears that we have several new settlers that we should aid in reaching the new community. You, for one."

Barnabus nods and offers a comforting smile....

"Yep, I'm Nathan Peake, Warden Surital. Pleased to meet you." He sets hammer and nails aside and wipes his hands on a rag before proferring one.

"Right. I'm of merchant stock, but with a bit of a mechanical bent. I can work metal and wood, and have some experience as a cabinet-maker. I also seem to have a bit of a talent for organising things - a neighbourhood watch to supplement an overstretched town guard, for example, and a burial society to ensure that those unable to afford the rites get an appropriate send-off. Those were both back in Mishkar, when I was younger, in my early 20s. But I got the exploring bug and have been wandering for 5-6 years, now I fancy settling down... but somewhere I can make a difference, somewhere new and vibrant. Now, how can I help?"

Meanwhile Hilda hil-Sampt smiles gently and inclines her head. "I would rather be with Samlor when our firstborn makes his appearance," she said. "He spoke warmly of you Guardians in the letter he wrote directing me to join him to establish our new home."

"Mr. Peake, I am Barnabus and these are my fellow Guardians, and we are in great need of all of your talents it seems. Indeed we have need of you here for barrels of the new witches brew. And yet we need someone here to also document new arrivals and organize groups of colonists to journey further down."

@Hilda
"You of course we may have to consider providing you personal escort to the fort as it would be an unthinkable tragedy for our new lands should any ill befall either you or your child."

"Sure," says Peake, nodding. "I can do that if you need it doing. The documentation bit, I mean. What information do you want to know about new arrivals? What about those who want to go to the woods or the plains rather than down to your new settlement? Oh, yes, I will knock up a few barrels as well - once Master Sinon gets round to actually asking for them instead of wandering around muttering that it would be nice if he had some!" There's a twinkle in his eye as he says this last.

Hilda just looks relieved. A self-reliant woman with a husband cut from the same cloth, right now she's feeling in need of someone to care for her and her unborn child.

Rhasa and Calinder are nowhere near each other. You need to decide who you are with, I think.

"Let us move the wagon near the trading post and I will introduce you to the rest of the Wardens." She adds, "Svetlana, the trader's wife, will want to see that you are taken care of, I'm sure."

She turns Sunset at works at finding a path through the chaos to the trading post where they can stake Hilda's beasts of burden, not wanting to assume that they are welcome within the walls until Oleg has said so.

"Mr. Peake, as Barnabus has said we are in need of someone here to assist with organizing those who have come to settle this area and keep record of those settlers and where they are going to settle. Is this something you could do for us?"

"Yes, Guardian Surital, it is," said Nathan Peake with an air of confidence. "Do you have a map of the region? That would help. If not, can you describe it and I'll make a fist of mapping it for you. I like maps!"

"Yes, I believe that we have been mapping the areas that we have explored, but even if we do not have such a map with us at this time I believe we could describe the places we have been sufficiently enough for you to draw your own map."

"We will want to discuss this with Warden Rhasadilara Goldenbough as this falls in her area of expertise more than mine. As soon as she finishes her inspection of the camps we can see about sitting down and discussing getting you a map I the area."

Lothar's eyes opened with a start. Something seemed out of place. What it was, he couldn't say with any certainty, but it was enough to shake him from his meditative state. Feeling somewhat anxious, the magician rose from where he knelt and slowly made his way from Oleg's, his feet taking him to the tent city. Whatever it was that he felt, Lothar was certain that it was there he would find the source of his unease.

Lothar is looking for Rhasa, he just doesn't know it yet. ;)

She is headed your way. I thought I would let Megan post again before I assumed too much. Maybe she will let you know if you found me or if you walked by on the wrong side of a tent. ;-)

The magician and the ranger meet each other just beside a tent where an enterprising colonist is selling milk from his cows. Seeing a couple of Guardians he rushes out to ask where the best grazing is, as that is where he would like to homestead.

I... is something wrong?

Lothar's expression conveyed more than a little concern.

Barnabus continues to take in the tent city eventually inquiring about who tends to the sick and wounded...

Assuming that a few minor injuries might be present Baranbus goes through the people applying the healing hex to each in turn. He then turns to the animals, utilizing his feral speech to talk to any livestock and also check for injuries.

Rhasadilara looks at him with some surprise, then looks around for hints of trouble she had missed. "Ah, no? I have been looking around the terrible conditions here trying to think of a solution, but I am unused to so many people all in one place." she shakes her head.

"I did find Samlor's wife, here, and she is very expectant. We should conclude our business here and lead another batch of settlers, including her, south to the settlement. Why did you ask of trouble?"

I'm not exactly sure myself, now that I think on it. Lothar shrugged his shoulders, then ran his hand across his scalp nervously before continuing, A premonition, perhaps? An ill feeling? I don't know for certain. I just have this feeling that something... ominous is coming.

The conditions here are not very good, but I'm thinking that Calinder may be able to aid us in figuring something out in that regard. Truth be told, I have no head for this sort of thing.

At the mention of the merchant's name, the magician raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Samlor's wife is here, and with child? I would very much like to meet her. I assume she has someone attending her on this journey?

"She is. This is her driving the wagon with their possessions, apparently without aid. All the more reason to get her to Samlor." Dismounting from Sunset, she walks with Lothar and leads the horse toward the trading post, trusting that Hilda will continue to follow.

"Nathan as soon as I can talk to my companions about you taking on this task for us then we will sit and make some plans. I'm sure they will agree to you taking on the role as our agent and administrator here."

Calinder then goes out to the "tent city" of the settlers to see if he can find Rhasa and the others.

While he walks amongst the tents, he looks for those who may be in need of any assistance he can offer.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

The milk-selling colonist is still asking where the best pasture is to be found. His cows are suffering here with nothing but hay instead of proper grazing.

Rhasadilara catches herself about to glare at the man and takes a deep breath. "How large is your herd, sir? And how will you contribute to the betterment of the settlement? I understand you wish to produce and sell your milk - but what do you plan to do for your neighbors?"

As Rhasadilara handled the colonist, he took the opportunity to greet Hilda hil-Sampt. I am Lothar and it is an honor to meet you, Lady hil-Sampt. Your husband has done much on our behalf. If we can be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to ask.