 About Build a City Velsking Family:
Ottar Velsking (LN middle age human male Warrior 1/Expert 3 ) the current patriarch of the Velsking family, an extended family of miners and smiths, and one of the primary forces behind this little expedition. He's a hard, cold, man who rules his family with an iron fist, and has a vindictive streak a mile wide, but is also scrupulously fair as well as smart and determined. He intends to be mayor of this little community, but it's possible someone more likable (like a bear with a toothache) will manage it instead. Amira Velsking (LG middle age human female Aristocrat 1/Expert 2) is Ottar's wife, daughter of a successful merchant house, and was widely considered scandalous and mad for marrying Ottar in her younger days, but really loves the man. She's polite, charming, and everything her husband is not, often softening his attitudes with a bit of gentle persuasion. Svanhilde Velsking (CN human Expert 1) is Ottar and Amira's youngest daughter and trouble on the hoof. An extremely beautiful young woman, she is only 17 and rebellious, seeking to do anything and everything her parents might disapprove of. She was against coming out to the middle of nowhere at first, but having realized there are significantly more men than women out here, she is beginning to see the advantages. Several young (and not-so-young) men have made advances, but so far she (or the existence of her intimidating father) have kept things from going too far. How long that will continue remains to be seen. Jaspar Velsking (N human Warrior 1/Expert 1) is a nephew of Ottar and Amira, a veteran, and a skilled smith. He has no family of his own and is a touch bitter about it, partially because of his love of children. Normally taciturn and cold, he's great with kids, and children in and out of the Velsking clan are often left with him while he works at the forge as an unofficial babysitting service.
Crompton Family:
Crag Crompton (N old human male Expert 4) an experienced cattle herder Eliza Crompton (NE old human female Commoner 1/Expert 2) a mean gossip Galious Crompton (NG young human male commoner 1)
Wortherson Family:
Devin Wortherson (NG middle age human male Cleric (Sarenrae) 1/Expert 1) head of the Worherson family and head clergy. Cleric of Sarenrae. Besides being the locals only religious leader his family also raises a produce farm, growing mostly vegetables and such. Being a Priest of Sarenrae he is often called to bless new crops and new farming grounds as well as other mundane services, child births, weddings etc. Banetta Wortherson (NG middle age human female Commoner 1/Expert 1) Liela Wortherson (CG human female, Commoner 1) Goreden Family:
Mikael Goreden (NG middle age human male Expert 2) Mikael Goreden (NG Human Expert 2) the father of the Goreden family, Mikael is a veteran of an area torn apart by civil war. Tired of unending conflict, he took his family and left, settling in the first reasonable-looking town. Unfortunately his wife died on the journey, and now it's just him and his young daughter. He wants to start a bakery, that sounds... peaceful. Alyssa Goreden (N Human Sorcerer 1) Alyssa has always been a quiet, curious child. At the age of fourteen, however, she became more than just a little weird. The magical side of the bloodline manifested in her, as it did her grandmother (maternal). Alyssa does not yet have strong control or understanding of her powers, and would rather keep it between her and her father for now (bloodline-verdant).
Buslem Family:
Bornel Buslem (N middle age human male Aristocrat 1/Expert 2) The Buslem's are a wealthy family who supplied a good portion of the initial start-up funding for the new settlement in hopes of reaping the rewards of the valley's rumored riches. Bornel, the family patriarch and successful merchant, hopped at the opportunity to cash in on the prospect of untapped wealth. Coming along for the ride are his two children Conroy and Tamary who have become accustomed to their fathers impulsive whims ever since their mothers unexpected passing. The Buslem's act as the financial arm of the settlement with Bornel handling any mercantile ventures (trading and shipping/receiving of goods) while his son Conroy does the books, money lending and acts as the village treasurer. Conroy Buslem (NE adult human male Aristocrat 1/Expert 1) is a keen-eyed contemptuous snot who is in it for all he can get. As his father’s second he manages the books and skims some of the top for his troubles. He isn't above selling someone out or conducting shady business practices to get ahead, even if it isn't always done legally. His only soft spot is for his younger sister who he regards as innocent and looks after with an uncharacteristically tender hand. Tamary Buslem – (NG Human, Female Commoner 1), Bornel's youngest, is a kind hearted girl who is not all there. After the surprising death of her mother when she was much younger she became mute and a bit dumb. Her condition was said to be caused by the trauma of her mother's death and she has never quite recovered.
Narmonen Family:
Themiell Narmonen (NG human Druid 2/Commoner 1), the elderly father, and his two sons. After the unfortunate passing of his wife last winter he has decided to return to "civilization" in the hopes of having his two boys married. Farmers by trade Kam is quick to tell of his fathers almost "Magical ability to grow near anything anywhere" Biden Narmonen Kam Narmonen Others:
Lysanthir Mistmorn (NG half-elf ranger 3) Latham the Trader (N human Expert 1)
Year 1: 4711 AR
Calistril, Pharast, and Gozran: The recent string of earthquakes caused their share of destruction, but for one Ottar Velsking they signalled a great opportunity. The shifting earth opened up a path wide enough for wagons into the mountains to an area he had long suspected to hold the mineral wealth that would make him and his family rich. However, he knew and his family wouldn’t be able to survive settling the unexplored valley alone. Careful not to invite competing miner families, he convinced the other founding families of the untold number of possibilities that exist in settling a new community. Spending a considerable amount of his own money, he hired Lysanthir Mistmorn, a ranger familiar with the nearby mountains, to be their guide and to stay with the settlers at least until the end of their first winter. It remained a secret between the miner and the ranger that a tribe of hobgoblins were known to have lived in the valley. The trip to the valley took several days but the optimistic spirit of the settlers carried them through it easily. However, the valley itself disappointed many of them. Instead of the verdant fields and mountain flowers of their imaginations, they are met by yellow grasses and the last vestiges of winter. The first cabin was constructed near the largest stream that flowed down from the volcanic mountains, and was erected quickly out of the timber that had been purchased by the merchant Bornel Buslem, dragged along with the party. It took nearly a month before five more suitable cabins could be constructed from the timber that grew on the sides of the mountains. While a spirit of community remained among the settlers, after the initial teamwork of building the cabins the individual families turned a lot of their efforts towards their own endeavours or exploring the rest of the valley. Total Population - 22
Desnus: While surveying the foothills immedietely outside the valley in the hopes of finding better soil for his crops, Mikael Goreden and his eldest son discover the intact skull of what once must have been an impressive mule deer buck. Taking this as a sign of divine guidance, Goreden gathers a number of mossy stones from the stream and uses them to construct a crude shrine to Erastil at the entrance to the valley. The skull is placed atop the mound of stones to compete the simple structure.
Sarenith: As the air begins to warm with the promise of summer, thunderheads appear to the west releasing a deluge. A deluge that starts with a thunderstorm and lasts for three days with intermittent drizzle with the occasional heavy burst. As the rain passes, it has soften the ground and allow for easy plowing of fields. Summer planting is done between the many summer showers and flash thunderstorms. The river swells with melted snow water supplemented with the summers storms, and several of the men take to fishing the river bringing in trout, sturgeon, and a strange long spoon-billed fish (paddle fish). One exceptional catches yield a great many fish eggs, which is then smoked to produce a fine caviar. But the rains return with summer storms that turn the areas around the cabins into a thick sludge of mud. People are miserable and tempers are short, level heads prevail for the time. Total Population 22
Erastus: The violent spring rains gave way to heat of summer. This was initially a welcomed relief to the women in the community who found it difficult to keep mud out of wood cabins and impossible to keep clothes clean or dry. However, some of the men of the community worried the dryness of summer meant that their snow fed stream would wane and that water might become an issue. While noone could recall after the fact who suggested the building of the well-hut, it was clear what happened next. First, Crag Compton excused his family from the work, citing their responsibilities with their cattle. While both the baker and the cleric offered to help with the work Ottar Velsking took it upon himself to call out Bornel Buslem and his son for their uncanny knack for disappearing when their was work to be done. The conversation deteriorated further until both Buslem and Velsking were yelling, shoving, and making the claim that they were the obvious choice for a community leader. It was only the level head of Devin Wortherson that stopped a real fight from breaking out. In response to the outburst the Wortherson's met with each family individually to pich the idea of a town council instead of any individual mayor. While neither Velsking or Buslem was found of the idea, it was certainly better than losing out to the other. The heads of each of the founding families were determined to be members of the council (though Bornel Buslem insisted his Son be offered a place to give his household proper representation), and major decisions would be made by a majority vote. Their first order of business was to decide to build the necessary weirs and well-hut needed. The fish found in the new community's central stream suggested that it flowed from a larger source, so while the founders focused on keeping their fields from scorching, Lysanthir took the eldest Wortherson boy with him to explore where the stream originated from. Total Population 22
Arodus: Fresh off the formation of the village council, scandal rocks the town when the young and decidedly unwed daughter of Devin and Banetta can no longer hide her pregnancy. While the young girl manages to conceal the identity of the father, most eyes in the village look to Conroy Buslem as the likely culprit; for Conroy's part, he accuses one of the Crompton boys. Devin, meanwhile, retreated into prayer, leaving much of the grunt work in the village to the others. Without his stabilizing influence, tensions continued to grow, much as the young Wortherson's belly. Banetta, on the other hand, took to her impending grandmother status immediately, and was able to convince the others to spend additional time building a smaller hut next to her own for the new family. The month ends with Lysanthir and the new uncle returning to the village; they closet themselves with the council for a while reporting on their findings. Total Population 22.5
Rova: Although the rifts remain, the arrival of harvest season forces the villagers to work together to get the summer crops out of the ground, plant winter crops and build a rough storehouse to keep the harvest safe for winter. Also arriving with the ripe crops is what seems to be a plague of marmots and it becomes a race between humans and rodents to get to the crops first. Mikael Goreden comes to the fore against them, as his old training allows him to take out marmots with hard slung stones. Crag Crompton requisitions the marmot skins to be cured and tanned for later use. Most of the marmot meat is dried, smoked, and placed in the stores with the crops while the rest is cooked on the spot and served up in a rather tense harvest-home meal. Rumors of this fledgling community have reached the surrounding region. Latham the Trader has recently experienced a down turn in his luck, and he's decided that venturing here might be his last chance to turn it around. He's brought only minimal supplies to trade, but he's hoping to find out what the community needs so he can return with more, as well as to find out what the community might have to trade in return. However, if he doesn't leave before the first snow, he'll be stuck here for the winter. Total Population 23
Lamashan: The sheep and cattle will have to be moved to a lower meadow before the snows come. Without barns to shelter them, they won't survive the coldest temperatures, nor will they be able to graze on the snow-covered ground. There's not enough food stored up anyway to feed them and the people. Craig Compton will go with his herd. Also, since there will be fewer people there to keep watch, Lysanthir the ranger plans on accompany the group that goes. An early winter storm hits the area, and though it only deposits an inch of snow on the ground, temperatures drop into the teens for a full week. The ground freezes, and though those tending the crops are able to cover the garlic with straw, saving it from the cold, the kale and the snow peas are lost. Worries arise that with the failure of these crops to produce will result in a shortage of food over the winter months. Before leaving to watch over the livestock wintering in the foothills, Lysanthir hesitantly recommends a small group seek out fish upstream; though they hadn't reached it while exploring, he explains he and the elder Wortherson son had spotted what looked to be a bowl cut into the rock three days into the mountains. A small waterfall trickled over the stone nearby, and there's a good chance a small lake can be found within. The ranger voices concerns, though, that the weather may not hold; if the snows hit during such an excursion, anyone seeking the lake would find themselves trapped in the mountains and unable to return for some time. Just as the winter season begins to creep in, three new faces arrive. The Narmonen family: Themiell (NG human Druid 2/Commoner 1), the elderly father, and his two sons. After the unfortunate passing of his wife last winter he has decided to return to "civilization" in the hopes of having his two boys married. Farmers by trade, they packed up what they had from their former home and set off to this new town they had heard about from travellers founded not to far away. Among their modest possessions are the crops from their farm harvested over the past year which will hopefully be enough to help the village get through the coming winter after the cold snap that ruined the kale and snow peas. It might just be enough, but the proposed excursion into the mountains for fish is still up for discussion by the council. Themiell's sons (Biden and Kam) are "two good strong lads" of 18 and 20 who are eager to find a place in this new home. Themiell and Devin Wotherson have struck up a quick friendship for both are level, down-to-earth people. With their new house on the edge of town the Narmonens are already planning and preparing for the coming planting season with Kam quick to tell of his father’s almost "Magical ability to grow near anything anywhere" With the arrival of the Narmonen family, with wagons and horses, a barn is a necessity for the animals, and it became apparent that the well needs to be insulated with a cover built over it. With the early snow, Latham the trader was feeling a touch of panic. He was going to leave if the weather improved slightly, since it was looking like food would be scarce and the village didn't need another 'useless' mouth to feed, but with the arrival of the Narmonens with their food, he's decided to stay. After talking to the villagers, he's become convinced that there is still something to be mined in the area. Population: 26
Neth: The community comes together again through shared work raising a barn. To celebrate they organize a short holiday, a humble pot-luck feast with dancing and singing afterwards. Bornel Buslem provides a small cask of fine liquor. Buslem and Velsking get a bit heated over something or other, but everyone shames them into letting it go before they can really get going. Toward the end of the night the real drama happens when Conroy Buslem and the pregnant Liela Wortherson get into a loud argument over her supposedly flirting with Galious Crompton, one of the Crompton sons. This is when it comes out that Conroy is baby’s father which he had denied out of jealousy, wrongly convinced Liela was two-timing him with the Crompton boy. The party ends on a hopeful note with Conroy and Liela getting engaged. Both families begin planning a small wedding for the two. The well is insulated and properly protected from harsh weather. Everyone works franticly to gather enough wood and grasses to fuel fires for the winter which is stored in the barn with the pack animals. A tom cat promptly moves into the barn and the hearts of the more sentimental townsfolk. The young Alyssa Goreden brought home a litter of abandoned, nearly-weaned baby rabbits. She nurses them to health and considers them her pets. The other town members are willing to amuse her for now at Mikael’s stern insistence, but are already making breeding plans. Population: 26
Kuthona:
Most of Kuthona is unseasonably mild, with temperatures rarely dipping below freezing, but as the new year approaches Calistria shows why the month is named after her, 20 inches of snow is dumped on the little village. A shrine to Calistria is quickly build in an attempt to appease the goddess and spare the village of more harsh weather. The garlic drop was harvested before the storms hit. A white scaled kobold is driven off from the barn by the ranger Lythansir. Not a good turn of events, as the populace begins to wonder how far away the kobolds are and what the level of the threat is. In response Lysandir sets some noise-maker traps in key locations, and he proposes a watch be set, then begins to train everyone in the use of the bow. Using fallen lumber from a snow-felled tree, he creates 3 bows for use of the village. Bornel begins to push to make himself leader of the village due to his aristocratic upbringing. Ottar Velkson strongly opposes Bornel as village leader and proposes he become the village leader. Population: 26
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