Hmm? Ahh, the faithful of Prophet's Rest are joyously at their work. One cannot achieve a society this harmonious, nor a town this lovely, by lazing about in the middle of the morning, after all!
Every morning before dawn, the faithful here flock to the temple for Father Lumley's service. Afterward, they confess to cleanse their soul and the souls of their neighbors. Thus refreshed, the faithful embark upon the day's industry with harmony in their hearts. So enthusiastic are they, that they often work until after sunset.
You should be thrilled to know that I have put the entire village of these industrious individuals, ones of such great and powerful faith, at your complete disposal, for the repair of the fort.
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** spoiler omitted **
What wonderful introductions. Thank you. Mask Narsen nods.
As you PCs enter the village, the fog is burning off. You see a ruin about a mile away on top of a tall promontory rock overlooking the village and the Glass River valley. Even from a distance, it looks to be in poor repair. Mask Narsen notices you looking. That is the fort. It may be in rough shape, but it has great bones!”
...
"That sounds like the last person from which my clan bought the old inn. Great bones they said!" She smiles at the priest who seems to be trying to make an impression
"Yes the flowers are nice, do you frequently greet external visitors?"
"Yes the flowers are nice, do you frequently greet external visitors?"
Yes, they are aren't they? I'm glad you like them. People do come to our borders at a certain frequency. He haves a hand. What is the name of your clan's inn? I am delighted they chose emissaries with building experience!
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Hmm? Ahh, the faithful of Prophet's Rest are joyously at their work. One cannot achieve a society this harmonious, nor a town this lovely, by lazing about in the middle of the morning, after all!
Every morning before dawn, the faithful here flock to the temple for Father Lumley's service. Afterward, they confess to cleanse their soul and the souls of their neighbors. Thus refreshed, the faithful embark upon the day's industry with harmony in their hearts. So enthusiastic are they, that they often work until after sunset.
You should be thrilled to know that I have put the entire village of these industrious individuals, ones of such great and powerful faith, at your complete disposal, for the repair of the fort.
Yup. The slaves are all slaving, so there's no one in town. Ugh! I hate this place! "Oh wow! They must do a ton of work! It's so generous of your government, in the name of the Living God, to reduce their normal responsibilities so they are free to help us rebuild the fort instead, and without penalty. We are deeply honored." Yeah right! --Try to act innocent and oblivious...
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Dethor looks amazed that anyone would give money to the family without any hopes of getting anything in return. He was for paying the bosun just to get back at the priest!
"Scowls a lot?" he scowls. "I don't scowl!'
"People come in a certain frequency? What sort of frequency would tha' be?" he asks. "I am wonderin', as yer city greeter seems t' be takin' 'is cut of th' immigrashun taxes."
He gives Mask Narsen a description of the initiate of the first step.
Mask Narsen nods at Salaish. I am glad. The townsfolk can, of course, refuse to help you. That is their right. But they also know how important this project is to the Living God himself — thrice-blessed be his name — so I suspect they will be delighted to contribute! Further, you have brought funds with which to pay them, yes? Well, shall discuss the details over eggs and sausages at breakfast.
He turns to Dethor. Border-fees are a complex matter and vary from country to country; I shall have one of my assistants in Xer open an inquiry to create a report to determine whether an audit is necessary. We certainly want to ensure that any gold is funneled to its destined place in glorious Razmir, in accordance to the wisdom of the scriptures. I thank you.
When you enter the inn the thin inkeep quickly jumps to her feet bows deeply to Mask Narsen. She ushers you into a back room where a delicious breakfast has been laid out on a table — bread, eggs, steaming sausages. The bounty of Prophet's Rest! Mask Narsen claps his hands delightedly and digs in. Mmm. They do eat well here! The inkeep lingers in the doorway while Narsen isn't looking, eyeing you almost angrily before departing.
The mask wipes his hands. Now… to business. He pours himself some tea, I’ve personally convinced the Visions of the 15th Step to allow your organization into our Blessed Nation. The abandoned fort up the road is yours — a mere mile from this picturesque hamlet, and mere hours away from the majestic port city of Xer itself. A prize indeed!
It rests atop a small tor and has magnificent views! It’s a fixer-upper, as they say, but you will have the village's help — for a price, of course. I have also brought in a skilled stonemason from the capital that you can hire as well. I have also had quite a lot of wood shipped in from Xer to assist you in renovations.
I suggest you see the fort for yourself. Alas, my old bones can't make it up the hill, and I am off to Xer anyway. I am happy to entertain any questions before I depart.
"It would help if you could tell us a little more about the fort before we go - its history, how much work it's going to take, that sort of thing."
“The fort was last held by a bandit lord before the coming of Razmir, thrice-blessed be His name, but the ruin is several hundred years older than that. It was most likely built by a Taldan or Kellid lord long ago to control the estuary of the Glass River. It may be in rough shape, but as I said, it has great bones!”
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Salaish catches the innkeeper's glare as Mask Narsen claims the people eat well here. Ugh! I bet there are laws to make the people stay poor and starving. Such jerks! Just let people be, for crying out loud! Neglect is better than this! Resolved to rebel a little bit, Salaish makes a bacon sandwich and sticks it in her pocket. "Mmm! You folks really know how to feed visitors. I hope you don't mind if I pack a snack for later. Tiny people's tiny tummies empty quickly, you know." I just have to make sure he doesn't see me palm it off to that innkeeper on the way out. I think I can do this...
And now business. "So, the matter of hiring the townsfolk. I have a bunch of questions. Where do we find them? Are the patrolling guards for hire, or just the civilians? What is the going rate for standard day labor around here? Will anyone who chooses to help us still be expected to get all their normal work done in addition to this? Are there any labor laws of which we should be aware?"
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Honzak notices the angry look from the innkeeper and pauses his small talk about the glories of Quantinium, before subtly shifting the topic. "Uh, my manservant here doesn't need to eat much and could probably be a great help in tidying up the kitchens here. This is such a spread that they must have made a right mess in there. He's more than trained in handling tidying up and is a right wizard with stains!" The gnome gives a small wave and glance at Dimitsi.
*Dimitsi, can you talk to the innkeeper and see what her thoughts on this are? She might be a good contact to have, and having someone who can deliver food to the lodge (not to mention any news about what's happening in the area) would be nice to have.*
Honzak then turns back to the conversation at hand. "You know we have a lot in common, I follow the teachings of a mastermind of a wizard, you the teachings of a living god..."
After breakfast when conversation turns to business, Honzak pauses and looks up the hill. "We're going to need to staff the place as well. Would it be a problem if we hired people from the town? We'd pay them a livable wage, of course."
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Dimitsi, with a mission and request, moves out of the room after the innkeep and tries to catch her in the hallway. In his slightly booming voice he asks, "I have no need for breakfast. Is there anything I can help you with? As a manservant, I understand that you did a lot to prepare that breakfast and would be honored to help you with any tidying you might have, or daily tasks that got disrupted due to us being here."
Anyone you ask will work for you. The village is at your disposal. You Pathidners are known for resourcefulness, yes? I trust you will be able to first inspect the site and then create a strong project management plan. It is not my place, as a humble mask of the twelfth step, to tell the experts how to accomplish their task. You are considered the Subject Matter Experts.. It is why you were sent.
However, if you will indulge me, I can advise two things. A first step would be to see the fort itself to form your plans. It will be weeks of work, surely. A second step might be to put a gate on its walls, as it's not really a fort without a gate, now is it?
He turns to Honzakqed. Nothing you do in the course of this mission should run afoul of labor laws in our glorious kingdom! If you are not sure, consult with Father Lumley.
As for staffing the fort… one thing at a time, though I do appreciate your aspirations!
They both look up at the Eidolon and make the sign of Razmir for protection. The inkeep stammers: May the Living God — thrice blessed be his name! — protect us! No… no thank ye, sir. I have plenty o' help here. What with my sons and Bessama here, though she's a lazy wretch most o' the time.
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Breakfast over, Narsen enjoins you to tour the village and then visit the fort for yourselves.
I'm sure you will be fine project managers. Get to know your workforce, then head to the fort.
I'm off to Xer. I'll be back in, ohh, twenty days or so. You get a distinct feeling he will return eartly. I am SURE the fort will be a splendor before I even return! "Under budget and ahead of schedule, as they say. He gets into a gilded carriage; off he goes.
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You take a small tour of the hamlet before going to the fort, talking to some of the villagers along the way.
Melcat’s Folly Inn, where you are now, is the only inn in Prophet’s Rest. It is run by the middle-aged Lotte Mayar, and her two adult sons, Wilfred and Mikkel. Their servant girl Bessama Lingler works here too, though Dimitsi may report that she is mistreated.
The stonemason Junissa Yovitch is the only current guest at the inn; she is disdainful of you and your project.
The Temple of Razmir is run by Priest Lumley, a middle-aged man with thinning grey hair who holds sunrise services every day that are mandatory for all inhabitants of Prophet’s Rest. Afterwards he takes private confessions. He lives in a set of rooms attached to the back of the temple along with three fiercly loyal guards: Petrus, Aasif, and Rakka.
There is a Smithy run by Martin Hengus and his husband Edgar. They are the only blacksmiths in the area.
A large farmhouse lies at the outskirts. This is the residence of a farmer named Benyan Horgat, who immediately takes a dislike to the lot of you. He's by far richest man in Prophet’s Rest, after making a fortune selling produce exclusively to the Razmiran priesthood. His wife Gerlind sitts by the window and bitterly complains about you the moment you introduce yourselves. All the work in the house is done by their sad-eyed servant Matthild.
The Cooperage is the home and workshop of Braderock Brumn, the village’s carpenter. He lives alone in a large empty house, and seems to always be looking over his shoulder.
Knicks and Knacks is the shop of a local wise woman named Sylvina Norritch. She sells trinkets and dry goods and has a thriving business selling healing creams and love charms as well. She also brews and sells minor healing potions for 4 gp each, but only has five on hand. When you talk to her you notice several rats peeking out from her hair, a tail waggling out of her pocket, and another perched on her shoulder.
Finally there is the Hunter’s Lodge, the residence of the middle-aged Plisken the Brown, a hunter and fur trapper who sells his goods in the village. He gets his name from his earth-toned clothing and his constant chewing of a local type of nut that has turned his teeth permanently brown.
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”Great, jus’ great.” complains Dethor. ”Another rebuildin’ project. Them venshure-cap’ns… Dey see dwarf, an’ t’ink, dat lout gonna wanna do sum buidin’. Well I ain’t a gonna wanna do dat. Why do toddy t’ink all dwarfs love to build?”
”An only twenny days? Me cusin Thulgrun, now he’d love dis.
“Well, we ain’t a gonna get it done standin’ around. Probably should talk to da stonemason first, as we gonna need lotsa stone fer dis. ”
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Lokoloko takes it all in, and, never having much to eat most of his adult life, eats a full breakfast, washing it down with ale and pickle brine. Seeing Narsen's interested gaze, he fishes around in his pickle jar, pulls out a relatively large pickle and offers it to him, splashing some pickle brine in the priest's goblet.
"You'se want to try pickle? Here, have pickle! You'se should try some pickle brine too!"
Lokoloko sees that his pickle jar is nearly empty, and heads to the kitchen for to ask (or buy) some cucumbers, radishes, and onions. He returns to the table with a small handful of cucumbers and onions and starts dropping them into the jar, making sure Honzak is watching.
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Honzak turns a little purple around the gills when the horrendous jar of rotting cucumbers is pulled out again and opened. He suffers, though does silently gag over watching Narsen actually eat one of them. It's not until he sees the goblin reloading things into the jar that Honzak has had enough. Tsukiyo above, he's making MORE?! The gnome stands and quickly excuses himself from the table, seeing if Dimitsi has finished setting up things in his room here and fleeing the gastronomical horror happening at the table.
A few minutes later he looks a little better, and flanked by the unflappable Dimitsi. He goes on the tour of town and seems a bit surprised by the open animosity from various peoples in the town, but swears to try and mollify them, especially before they learn of the rotting vegetables that one of the group has.
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What is the name of your clan's inn? I am delighted they chose emissaries with building experience!
"The Inn was called Drunken Pony, I worked there as a bartender, my clan has a big brewery Goldeoak. Later on, they stopped buying Inns and they focused on the distribution of beers of different sorts. Yet I doubt that any cask found its way here."
In the tavern Makai gets some food and eats through it, she passes on beer as it is a bit too early for her to drink.
"Is there anyone who is opposed to Pathfinders being here? Should we expect hostility from others, from regular anger up to steeling of equipment or interfering with renovations?" she asks the priest when he is still there.
After doing a tour around the hamlet Makai agrees with Dethor
"Yeah, we need to get the stonemason, and later probably carpenter if we need to make the gate." She looks at the castle from afar
"I never build a castle before, might be fun."
"Is there anyone who is opposed to Pathfinders being here? Should we expect hostility from others, from regular anger up to steeling of equipment or interfering with renovations?" she asks the priest when he is still there.
No one here is opposed to you, per see. Especially because you are paying them!
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As soon as the group is outside of the sight and hearing range of everyone else he can see, Dimitsi pulls the group aside. "It seems that the serving girl at the inn is being mistreated. We should keep an eye out for her." The bells ringing in the distance when he speaks have a more aggressive clashing sound, though his words themselves never change pitch from his usual sonorous tones.
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The stonemason Junissa rolls her eyes. Quit wasting my time. Come back to me when you have a JOB. I am not sitting in this filthy backwater, away from Holy Xer, to chitchat with my employers.
Braderock Brumn the carpenter looks worried that you're paying him a visit. Did I do something wrong? Why are you talking to me if you don't have a job for me to do? Whatever it was, I'm sorry! Look, the lumber Mask Narsen ordered is right here — dry and safe! See? What else do you want from me!? He looks over his shoulder.
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Time to move on to the fort! You have to follow natural game trails for a bit before finding an approach road that was clearly constructed of crushed stone and compacted dirt. This steep but wide road leads to the outer walls and main gate of Fort Agate and might be serviceable, but it's now overgrown with many bushes and small trees.
Makai, Lokoloko, and Honzakqed notice unusual droppings at the base of the cliff. Makai cannot identify them, but Dethor insists they are the droppings of Giant Gecko Runts. Giant Gecko Runts are small versions of huge geckoes, as evidenced by the size of these tiny droppings. Dethor informs you that Geckoes like to climb around.
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The outer walls of Fort Agate are badly degraded in many places. Built of two outer layers of mortared fieldstone with a filling layer of pebbles and sand between them, the wall was originally 12 feet high and 6 feet wide at the base, and 4 feet wide at the top. Most of the once-rectangular merlons have deteriorated and many of the field stones have fallen out, leading to an overall structural weakening. In one location near the main gate, the wall has given way entirely, creating a hole that a Medium-sized creature could just walk on through. Some fort!
Further, the wooden main gate of Fort Agate rotted away years ago.
Several of you notice a glint of silver in the walls… you find a beautiful old ring with the engraving of a lily.
You head inside the fort…
"Well, I was always more popular for being able to feed the masons than doing any of the stonework myself, but perhaps I've picked up a little something."
"Yes, these are indeed stones. Glad I could be of assistance."
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Before heading out of town, Salaish buys a writing set. "So we can make notes and lists while we're out there."
One look at the fort, and Salaish realizes that Narsen wasn't kidding when he said the fort needs work. "Oof! And he thinks we'll get it done in 20 days? Under budget and ahead of schedule? Geez! I get the feeling the only labor laws they have are to protect the employers, not the workers."
"Ooo! Pretty ring! I wonder if it's magical!" Salaish casts Read Aura on it.
After glancing around a bit more, she claps her hands to get everyone's attention. "Okay! Let's get organized! We need one concise list of everything that needs to get done. I'll be the scribe. We'll start at this corner of the outer wall and work our way around to the right and then inward. Let's get started!"
The ring is not magical. It's just a nice old ring, probably hidden here for lovers long since dead.
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Inside the fort is a courtyard full of debris; it is also full of the same Giant Gecko Runt scat. Dethor nods to himself. Of course giant gecko runts would like to climb around in here too.
There's an old watchtower so close to collapse you don't even feel safe standing near it and you cannot get inside. It will have to be collapsed, safely. If you do so, you can probably use the stones to fix the walls and other parts of the fort. Savings!
There's an old well here too, though it looks more like a pile of rubble. Makai finds a “time capsule” that was buried here. It contains love letters between an amorous couple and scrupulously details their amorous excursions. It also has a treasure map of locations in Ustalav.
The octagonal keep is in better condition than the outer walls but still has many large stones missing. It is 45 feet in height and is divided into three floors: the great hall, the roof, and the dungeon. A series of passageways blocked by rubble. The stairs going up to the roof are totally wrecked and need to be rebuilt… then, the roof needs to be rebuilt.
Finally, there's an old barracks. While the walls and furnishings of this former dormitory have been severely damaged from roof leaks, its foundations and framing are in good condition. With substantial repairs, it could once again provide a comfortable shelter to the PCs and future denizens of the fort.
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Makai walks in her half-plate armor and looks at the state of the fort. "I wonder why did the priest suggested we fix the gate first. I would totally do it if we were expecting to be attacked by something..."
Says the dwarf wondering about the threats.
"Do you think those Geckos could be here? Do we need to cleanse this terrain of them?" asks
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Yeeaaahhh. Still not sure about the Giant Gecko Runt. That sounds like a goofy made-up name. Not being much of a nature buff herself, Salaish keeps her skepticism to herself out of fear of antagonizing Dethor. It's not like she has any better ideas, anyway.
"I bet the stonemason would know how to collapse that tower. And the carpenter should be able to rebuild the roof for the great hall. The townsfolk we hire can help clear the road..." Salaish takes meticulous notes about all the work to be done.
You want to get as far as you can on the fort in fewer than 20 days. Attached here is a "project management dashboard" that we will use for the minigame. It is linked at the top and in my profile byline as “Razmiran Management Information System (RMIS)”
Each calendar day you can do one of three things: Repair the Fort, Make Friends, or Plant Whispering Lilies.
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TASK FLOWCHART
Sheet one of the spreadsheet is a visual flowchart showing the main tasks that need to be completed. It reads left-to-right. It contains all the known tasks in your project, connected by lines. These lines represent a finish-to-start dependency between tasks. This means that no Successor Activity can start until a Predecessor Activity has been completed. (for example you can't put a roof on a house with no walls; you can't build a wall with no stone).
WORK UNITS
Each task takes a number of work units to complete, measured in Days. They are designated by the boxes inside each node. For example, Clean the approach road takes an effort of 8 full-time equivalent days to complete.
These units are not calendar days; they just represent the amount of work needed to finish the task.You achieve tasks faster by poutting bigger teams on them.
TASK TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
Certain tasks require minimum training. They are labeled on the diagram as well as color-coded. Luckily there are skilled laborers Narsen brought to town who can be hired, though they can only be deployed to one task per day.
HIRING NPCS
A PC (no eidolons) can hire up to 3 NPCs per day each. They cost 1 GP each (so in general, 3gp / PC doing a task).
TASK CHECKS & MODIFIERS
Each activity takes an amount of effort, expressed in Days. If the task has no listed check, you and your three helpers make one day of progress each per calendar day, no check needed.
If you bring an NPC who has a particular speciality that’s in the task requirements, you can add your level as a a proficiency bonus to the associated check, even if you are untrained. You also gain a +2 circumstance bonus on the check regardless of your training. Note that this is a circumstance bonus and won’t stack with other bonuses like Anvil Dwarf.
If a task has a listed check, you must attempt the check at the end of the day to see how much progress you made. You pay the same gold regardless of the result. Overall your goal is to get high cost performance here, earning more than 1 day’s work per gold you spend.:
- Critical success: 6 days
- Success: 4 days
- Failure: 2 days
- Crit Failure: 0 days
The villagers attitude has no effect on DCs or progress. I have included DCs on all tasks for you so you can decide whether to spend a hero point on the check.
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You are not just here to build a fort, you must also make inroads for the Society. You can eventually ask some of them to carry Foala’s token… if you earn their trust. (Of course, some of villagers may betray you to their Living God anyway — even if they like you — so choose wisely.)
Sheet 2 of the spreadsheet tracks NPC skills and attitudes for you, and has a a small notes area for who’s who.
On any given day you can opt out of working on the fort to Make an Impression on any three NPCs instead. You will roll 3 checks and apply any feats you ahve that help with Make an Impression. This is all you can do for that day.
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This takes 1 day and needs to be accomplished but once.
Repairing the fort example:
I want to collapse the watchtower. I’ll hire the Stonemason because I am only trained. Her guidance will lend me a +2 bonus, though I don’t get to add my level because I’m already trained.
Adjusting attitudes
I will try too befriend Lumley, Braderock, and Plisken.
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Seem like a lot? It is. And it LOOKS like more written down in a PbP. A couple tips:
- Always hire 4 people unless you have fewer than 4 days of work to complete in a node, and you should always try to roll high.
- Err on the side of keeping the game moving and post quickly. We have up to 20 days to get through this and it might get repetitive.
- Deploy your PC’s skillsets wisely to aim for crits.
I will endeavor to keep us on track and too keep things clear with initiative blocks that note which skilled NPCs are available, and I will be betting players who fail to post every 24 hours.
Best way to start is learn by doing.
Always hire 4 people unless you have fewer than 4 days of work to complete in a node, and you should always try to roll high.
This should say "hire 3 people."
Lokolo and his crew clear about half the courtyard!
Lodge of the Project Manager, Day 1
Salaish Talenduth
Daraj l'Bayal
Makai Goldenoak
Lokoloko
Honzakqed
Dethor
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Honzak gives a small sigh over the mess that the place they've 'inherited' is and how much manual labor he'd have to do. Turning to Dimitsi, he says, "Go help Loko with clearing the courtyard, I'll go get some help from the village."
Honzak then tromps back down the nearly non-existent path and finds a few unskilled workers to help clean the place. After a few minutes he comes tromping back with the Horgats and their slave to help.
He takes a good spot on the edge of the courtyard trying to look busy before ultimately getting distracted by something and falling asleep. But he somehow stays on the opposite side of the courtyard from Loko and his horrendous rotting onions now.
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Makai buys a barrel of beer and looks at the plan the day before work. She looks at the tasks at hand and decides what to do the following day. When she gets up she leaves her half-plate armor in her room. She carries only a shield, Warhammer and her padded armor that she wears under her steel plates.
She goes for the Priest Lumley
"I see that you finished today's morning services early, I would like to use your help in cleaning the road. We were said that we can use all the help that we can get, I think it would be an inspiration seeing a priest working side by side with regular townfolks."
Since she is there, she grabs also Aasif and Rakka guards of the priest and takes them to clean the rubble
As they work through the day Makai is a harsh boss, she looks at the work done and raises plenty of objections "We will not agree to inferior work, how you do small things reflect how you do other things. Come one bend your backs! Put some heart into this!"
Makai tries to work the hardest and aims to do a perfect job from the work at hand. Showing the priest that he will work just like any other is just to make a point.
"You worked well, here is your payment"
Daraj will join the effort in cleaning the road. He would like to bring Sylvina and Lotte with him, and discuss mutually shared interests during the work (potioncraft with the wise woman and cooking with the innkeeper). Petrus can be the third, since he will have no one to guard with the rest of the church hard at work.
Dimitsi cleans the courtyard while Honzak "project manages" the work.
Makai chooses the priest and two his guards for menial labor. Some of the townsfolk seem pleased with this.
Daraj completes the road!
Lodge of the Project Manager, Day 1
Salaish Talenduth
Daraj l'Bayal
Makai Goldenoak
Lokoloko
Honzakqed
Dethor
Dethor completes planting the lilies, closing out the task!
Salaish Talenduth is up.
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Being a skinny little gnome with more than her fair share of charm, Salaish volunteers to butter people up. "I'll get sweaty and dirty when it's needed, but we need these folks to want to help us, so off I go to make 'em like us!"
First, since Junissa Yovitch the stonemason came across as rather full of herself, Salaish pays her a visit to chat a bit, and drops hints about the upcoming job contracts heading her way. She makes sure to ask her about previous work, both to gauge her abilities and to stroke her ego.
Afterwards, she heads over to the Cooperage. Braderock Brumm and Wilfred Mayar hadn't seemed very friendly, so Salaish feels the need to start working on them right away. Who knows how long it'll take to grow on them? For today, she keeps to safe subjects, since Braderock seems skittish.
At the end of the day, she checks in with everyone else. "Great work today guys! Hoo! My brain is beat. Probably not as bad as your backs, with all that hard work you did. Tomorrow I'd like to talk with either the Horgats or Priest Lumley and Aasif. Plus someone else; I dunno who yet. Try not to hire one of those pairs so I can talk to them without making them feel harassed."
Junissa is unmoved by Salaish's hints.
The husbands are also unmoved.
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Salaish Talenduth
Daraj l'Bayal
Makai Goldenoak
Lokoloko
Honzakqed
Dethor
We really need that stone to get going, so Daraj will work on collapsing the watchtower, hiring Junissa for her expertise and Aasif and Rakka so they can further demonstrate their devotion to the Living God, thrice-whatever be his name, by making the environs a more beautiful place.
"I might not be your traditional dwarf, but I can see that you are all doing marvelous work here."
Daraj and the Stonemason prep the tower for collapse. hopefully tomorrow they can complete the work. The guards Aasif and Rakka prove to be good at demolition. They like breakin' stuff.
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Salaish Talenduth
Daraj l'Bayal
Makai Goldenoak
Lokoloko
Honzakqed
Dethor
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Before the gnome finishes his overseer duties, he takes the single gold piece each of the employees would be getting on their first day and polishes it clean with a ritualistic flourish. "Here, may they bring you good luck and happiness here."
Honzakqed, noticing that it rained in the night, pulls on some rain boots and heads into town again. Having slept in a luxurious extra hour, the gnome is a bit late compared to everyone else. He waves to the nice Sage lady at the potions store, wishing he had the time to stop and have a proper chat with tea and accouterments.
Instead he knocks on the door of some unskilled laborers in town, who ever hasn't been taken by his companions and leads them back up the path. He stops by where Makai is and hands off Dimitsi and the three helpers to her expert eyes. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go start making sandwiches for lunch! Dethor gave me a wonderful recipe to try.... But before I head off can you answer me one thing? What's a 'pickle'?"
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Seeing that Daraj has the watchtower well in hand, Lokoloko goes off to clean the barracks. He hires his old crew, Bessama, Mikkel and Petrus, and soon they're happily sweeping the floor of the barracks and putting things in order.
As Lokoloko takes a breather, he hears Honzak's question. Smiling broadly, he wanders over. "You'se wants pickle? Here, have pickle!" he sticks his hand in the pickle jar and pulls out a large cucumber that looks like it'd been sitting in brine for months.
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Okay. I can do this! Bracing herself for a tough day, Salaish pops in on Priest Lumley right after services to chat him up and smooth over their rough introduction at the dock.
After she leaves, she takes a lot of deep, calming breaths on her way to the Horgats' home. She makes sure to compliment them in subtle, harmless ways.
Lumley and Benyan rate drinking tea and discussing how to fix prices at the local market. They just stare at Salaish.
Gerlind, however, loves to be contrarian and takes a break from her complaining to declare what a nice gnome Salaish is. If only to annoy everyone around her. Nevertheless, her attitude improves a little!
Back at the job site Lokoloko torments his friend with more pickles before cleaning the barracks.
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Salaish Talenduth
Daraj l'Bayal
Makai Goldenoak
Lokoloko
Honzakqed
Dethor