The new town certainly wouldnt support a brothel, , but like all people before she showed up on the frontier had to come from someplace, just to justisfy her leaving a thriving city for litterally the middle of nowhere. "They treat a common street walker with more respect back there than a trained bard."
I used an npc stats block to work out skills, i'm just making it clear this is not a person that anyone in their right mind would go into a mine clearing exercise with.
@Odraude, I like the idea of special landmarks, but definately would be more natural or left over from the previous hobgoblin who had lived here. But for an idea, maybe something like Pomona Natural Bridge. And of course the remnants of the hobgoblin's settlement, maybe a burned out husk of a wooden fort-town.
Why would the wooden fort have been burned out? I thought it was a massive quake that flattened the Hobgoblin camp?
Perhaps we can incorporate the landmark into the destruction of the Hobgoblin camp by having remnant shacks teetering on the edge of a wide and deep crack (formed by the last major quake) that runs diagonally across the valley. Most of the Hobgoblin settlement toppled or fell into the gash when the land split.
In cities built primarily of wood in a culture where most internal lighting comes from oil lamps, candles or fireplaces, fire is generally more destructive after a quake than the actual quake damage itself. In the 1906 San Francisco earthquake the city was not leveled by the quake, it was burned to the ground by the fires that started and which the fire departments could not put out because roads were impassable and water lines were broken.
@Odraude, I like the idea of special landmarks, but definately would be more natural or left over from the previous hobgoblin who had lived here. But for an idea, maybe something like Pomona Natural Bridge. And of course the remnants of the hobgoblin's settlement, maybe a burned out husk of a wooden fort-town.
@Brambleman, I think its safe to assume that each family would be bringing their speciality to the area...Cromptons cattle; Velsking mining and definately indentured labor; Wortherson vegetable farming.
How does this sound then?
The Wicklight Jut
"Folks say that over by the ol' watering hole, there's a large bedrock tower that juts out of the ground near the lake. Story goes that if you come by the lake on summer nights, you can see on the tip of the outcrop a strange flickering light, like a candle. Some say its a ghost of someone that drowned in the lake, while others say its just swamp gas. Me? I don't stick my nose into business that ain't my own."
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Going with a fire damaging the town previously I think it best if we make this not accidental. Lets say there are remnants of the Hobgoblins that thrived here before. Relatives to those ancestors if you will. Thinking the ground is theirs by historical right they occasional attempt to sabotage hinder the operation of the settlement.
The Hobgoblin numbers wouldn't be large, a small 'tribe' of maybe 60 or so members. That total including women and children. Knowing they could not openly fight the humans settling there, instead they use other tactics.
This also would create a good adventure hook for the town later for a party of adventurerers. "O please save us from the Hobgoblins, they've begun taking our children in an attempt to erradicate us from this land."
The Frisco fires weren't started by knocked over candles and oil lamps though, they were caused by ruptured piped lighting gas lines run under the city.
The New Madrid Earthquake in 1811 was more typical of earthquake damage before piped natural gas.
I used an npc stats block to work out skills, i'm just making it clear this is not a person that anyone in their right mind would go into a mine clearing exercise with.
The key that I think you're missing, though, is that we are specifically not statting up these NPCs. We're not created stat blocks, nor defining their skill ranks. Point buy will not be used, as we aren't defining these NPCs' ability scores.
This seems pretty cool. Any chance that we can make special landmarks, urban legends, and areas of interest? Things like an abandoned prison that might be haunted, or an unusually large and old tree in the city park, or a specially made bridge?
I don't think these should be defined yet. This is a new community, with the settlers just arriving in the region. As we post updates, we can begin having them exploring the area, finding and naming those land marks and areas of interest, as well as developing new urban legends; the only ones that lived here thus far are the hobgoblins, and I don't think anyone feels they had the opportunity to share information with the settlers before being wiped out. Even if they wanted to.
I like the settler feel, but remember that any giving point each person will have say over a relatively short period of time (1 to three months) and shouldn't have the town suddenly explode in size. And I love all of the brainstorming here, but I think a key about other races etc in the valley should be we figure it out as the settler's do.
Also, just because it has a western feel does not mean it is destined to be a John Wayne movie.
As you are familiar with this type of environment, would you like to take a stab at describing the native flora and fauna? Which kinds of critters are native to this valley? What are the usual weather patterns?
There's no single answer to any of this. As Winnegan's fake noted, there are several areas that can match this description in the western US alone, from the coast to the Rockies and spanning the entirety of the region stretching north to south. It results in a lot of variety.
That said, the domestic goods the settlers might try to cultivate in the area are more easily defined. Plants and produce need to be particularly hardy, as this close to mountains sudden frosts are common even in a warm growing season. Root vegetables, such as potatoes, would grow well provided the soil is well tilled. Beans and other legumes could also do well in such an environment. Irrigation would allow for a greater variety of produce, but a proper irrigation system is difficult to establish and maintain properly. It would likely be several generations before such a system could be put into place.
Sheep and goats are the most likely livestock to be brought; they can graze on low-lying plants and tend not to be too picky about what they eat. Cattle can work in small numbers, but if the size of a herd grows too large it can quickly decimate the land for several seasons. Regardless, any grazing animals will need large tracts of land, and their handlers will need to keep them moving to allow the natural vegetation the opportunity to regrow after being consumed.
I like the idea of several families moving into a new area. No previous human/friendly settlement. Maybe timeline starts with the first permanent community structure being finished. Something like a town hall or church. The settlers only know valuable minerals are in the area; former area of humanoids settlement; and geologically unstable area i.e. they know about the big quake and some litttle quakes.
And if this is a western I like the genre themes of:
* Conquest of the Wilderness - the settlers
* Confiscation of the territory from original inhabitants - the hobgoblins
* Resource desputes - Cattlemen versus farmer
Small Settlement (Reason: Enterprise and Riches); Former Hobgoblin Territory; Threat from Quakes
Government: Council of 10 (Two Family Heads from Five Families)
Currently four families listed: Velskings, Crompton, Wortherson, Goreden.
Environment:
Surviving Hobgoblins – InsideOwt, Azoun the Sage, and Rannald
InsideOwt: I would suggest that the Hobgoblin have not all been wiped out and some small groups still dwell in the darker spots of the valley, brooding to rebuild there numbers.
Azoun the Sage: The Hobgoblin numbers wouldn't be large, a small 'tribe' of maybe 60 or so members. That total including women and children. Knowing they could not openly fight the humans settling there, instead they use other tactics.
Rannald: I like this, but I would say the group of sixty are spread out over a large area.
Remnants of the Hobgoblin settlement: InsideOwt, Rannald
Remnant buildings, teetering on the edge of a wide and depp crack (formed by the last major quake) that runs diagonally across the valley. Most of the Hobgoblin settlement toppled or fell into the gash when the land split.
Frequency of Quakes: InsideOwt, Rannald
There is also the threat of quakes and I think it is not unreasonable to say that minor quakes are experienced in the valley almost monthly while stronger quakes might happen once or twice a year, doing some damage.
The hobgoblins of course, could have taken a partially collapsed mine, made it work again, and set up a dungeon type complex complete with forge.
I question this assumption. The sample Thorp from the PRD has 16 people, one of which is 5th level, one 4th, and one 2nd. We don't know anything about the rest of the people (other than that there aren't any 2nd level spells), but JJ said that almost all NPCs are in the 1st-5th range. I think 2nd level NPCs shouldn't be as uncommon as you're saying, although they still shouldn't be in the majority.We can look back at the guidelines established in 3.5 for a better idea of what the rest of a standard community would look like; community stat blocks have been refined for Pathfinder, and only list a handful of NPCs above level 1, but in 3.5 they contained the levels and classes of everyone in the community.
If I remember correctly, NPCs above first level ended up being the exception, with anywhere from 75%-95% of the community possessing only a single level in a NPC class. This makes sense, as a character with two levels in a NPC class is comparable to a first level player character; PCs are supposed to be exceptional individuals from day one, but if a sizable number of NPCs are level 2 or greater, suddenly a level 1 PC is no big thing.
I don't think you can bring 3.5 assumptions into a Golarian setting. I point you once more at JJ's post here. A quote from someone else later in the thread who actually did some math on it: "1 in 20 people is of a PC class. 1 in 40 is at least 3rd-4th level in a PC class". In Pathfinder, a 1st level PC is no big thing. To put that in perspective, the 2010 census found that asians made up 4.8% of the US population. 4.8%'s pretty close to the 5% with PC class levels. So every other asian you see in the grocery store or on a college campus has at least 3-4 levels in a PC class.
Of course, the numbers might be off, but based on the adventure paths that have been published, they're not that far off.
As you are familiar with this type of environment, would you like to take a stab at describing the native flora and fauna? Which kinds of critters are native to this valley? What are the usual weather patterns?There's no single answer to any of this. As Winnegan's fake noted, there are several areas that can match this description in the western US alone, from the coast to the Rockies and spanning the entirety of the region stretching north to south. It results in a lot of variety.
That said, the domestic goods the settlers might try to cultivate in the area are more easily defined. Plants and produce need to be particularly hardy, as this close to mountains sudden frosts are common even in a warm growing season. Root vegetables, such as potatoes, would grow well provided the soil is well tilled. Beans and other legumes could also do well in such an environment. Irrigation would allow for a greater variety of produce, but a proper irrigation system is difficult to establish and maintain properly. It would likely be several generations before such a system could be put into place.
Sheep and goats are the most likely livestock to be brought; they can graze on low-lying plants and tend not to be too picky about what they eat. Cattle can work in small numbers, but if the size of a herd grows too large it can quickly decimate the land for several seasons. Regardless, any grazing animals will need large tracts of land, and their handlers will need to keep them moving to allow the natural vegetation the opportunity to regrow after being consumed.
I second this as the settlements initial sources of sustenance:
Main Crops: Root Vegetables, Beans and Legumes
Main Livestock: Sheep and Goats, Cattle (Small Herd)
The hobgoblins of course, could have taken a partially collapsed mine, made it work again, and set up a dungeon type complex complete with forge.
Where would this mine have come from? Was it a mine the hobgoblin's created themselves? If so, for what purpose?
Reading through all that has been posted so far it was purposed that a community of hobgoblins once had a settlement here and were all but wiped out by some major event (quake, fire, gorge, etc) and now have a much small presence in the valley.
If we were to make the remnant hobgoblins live in a mine I purpose that it is a really old mine created by humans many years before the settlers came. Perhaps that enterprise failed because of the hobgoblin threat and all that is left are some half collapsed mine shafts which the hobgoblins sought refuge in after their settlement was devastated.
Wild Sheep and goats would be native to the region as would deer, the rivers would yield trout and pike, and if near the sea, salmon.
The are can be dotted by mines, some once worked by humans and their demi human allies, the others by hobgoblin and other humanoid tribes. What raids and wars didn't collapse, the earthquakes have a few workable mines remain, but no one is sure of where or how many, except for the one the hobgoblins are aware of and using.
The are can be dotted by mines, some once worked by humans and their demi human allies, the others by hobgoblin and other humanoid tribes. What raids and wars didn't collapse, the earthquakes have a few workable mines remain, but no one is sure of where or how many, except for the one the hobgoblins are aware of and using.
Demi-human? I am not sure what you mean by that.
Why would hobgoblins mine? It isn't an easy enterprise and unless there is some unknown pay-off I doubt the hobgoblins would bother.
I third the settlements initial sources of sustenance:
Main Crops: Root Vegetables, Beans and Legumes
Main Livestock: Sheep and Goats, Cattle (Small Herd)
I second native fauna as wild sheep and goats would be native to the region as would deer, the rivers would yield trout and pike, and if near the sea, salmon.
And I suggest that any mines in the area be of the quarry type. Especially with any rents opened by earthquakes giving a start to a mine. The discovery of precious whatever would most likely have been more of a Sutter Mill type situation, much further down stream/river.
And as for hobgoblins living underground in an earthquake prone zone, doesn't seem like the best idea. Maybe they take shelter in old lava caves (something like B2 then) or just settle deeper into the badlands.
We should avoid detailing things like the presence or absence of hobgoblins in the area, as well as what natural plant and animal life might be found in the region. These are all things that should be defined over the course of regular updates.
We need to limit what we initially define to what our community of settlers know upon leaving to start their new lives:
We should do everything possible not to define anything else until a need arises during the course of the chronicles. That being said, with the exception of climate I think all these requirements have been hammered out.
Can we add corn to the main crops? It pretty much grows anywhere..
There are actually a lot of places where it doesn't, right up next to a mountain with limited water availability being one of them. Little water and sudden frost is a one-two punch that corn generally cannot handle. It results in a short growing season, which doesn't allow the ears to mature.
That said, it might be something that the community can attempt once an irrigation system is in place. It's just not an ideal initial crop for a community in a region such as that we've described.
I don't think you can bring 3.5 assumptions into a Golarian setting. I point you once more at JJ's post here. A quote from someone else later in the thread who actually did some math on it: "1 in 20 people is of a PC class. 1 in 40 is at least 3rd-4th level in a PC class".
Why can't we follow the conventions established in 3.5? Nothing that the developers have noted, at least in the posts you quoted, invalidates it. Additionally, with one of the largest design focuses of Pathfinder being 3.5 compatibility, it is reasonable to assume that the same conventions would continue to be followed.
Per the latest post you reference, our initial community would likely have, at most, one character with probably 1-3 levels in a PC class. This would likely be the ranger guide.
Additionally, per the first post you reference, almost all NPCs are in the level 1-5 range. What you fail to realize, however, that this does not mean they should be distributed in a bell curve. There should be vastly larger numbers at the lower end of the spectrum, with individuals of higher level appearing slowly and in limited quantity, as population grows.
Neither of the posts you've described serve to invalidate the 3.5 assumptions in any way. In fact, they actually support them.
In Pathfinder, a 1st level PC is no big thing.
A level 1 character is defined as a big deal by the game. And it's certainly a bigger thing than it was in 3.5; power level of first level PCs was increased with the rules revision. Additionally, if they were no big thing, then why isn't a level 2 commoner a viable PC?
Officially Decided Details and Purposed Ideas
Terrain and Environment:
Weather and Climate: TBD
Crops/Livestock/Goods:
Primary Crops: Root Vegetables, Beans and Legumes
Primary Livestock: Sheep and Goats, Cattle (Small Herd)
Settler Motivations:
Enterprise and Riches
Common History of Area:
- Former Hobgoblin Territory
- Prone to Earthquakes
- Rumors of Supposed Riches
Government:
Village Council - 10 Members, Two representatives from each of the five settling families.
Settlers and Notable NPCs:
Five Families: (Proposed)
- Velskings
- Crompton
- Wortherson
- Goreden
- (Fifth Family)
Guide: (Proposed) Half-Elf, Name TBD
I don't think a mine is such a good idea, as it would imply a rather high level of any previous settlement or culture. Perhaps... natural caverns, which might have been previously used by the hobgoblins to bury their dead. This might open the possibility of rumors of hauntings, or of vengeful dead. Perhaps a surviving hobgoblin shaman or cleric is even attempting to awaken hobgoblin ancestors to drive out the invading humans.
Most traditional mines were one, two-man operations. A mine operated by a relatively uncivilized group of hobgoblins is fairly reasonable.
I don't think a mine is such a good idea, as it would imply a rather high level of any previous settlement or culture. Perhaps... natural caverns, which might have been previously used by the hobgoblins to bury their dead. This might open the possibility of rumors of hauntings, or of vengeful dead. Perhaps a surviving hobgoblin shaman or cleric is even attempting to awaken hobgoblin ancestors to drive out the invading humans.Most traditional mines were one, two-man operations. A mine operated by a relatively uncivilized group of hobgoblins is fairly reasonable.
No one is really disputing the hobgoblins ability to mine. What is missing is any motivation to do so. They are not exactly known as worldly merchants or hoarders of riches.
Looks great InsideOwt
I suggest our ranger guide be a distant cousin of Mikael Goreden, seeing as Mikael has lost his wife this would then give the family two seats on the council. Maybe the ranger learned or perfected his trade in the same civil war that Mikael is leaving behind.
For the families; the Velskings are our miners, smiths, and maybe even merchant; the Cromptons would be cattlemen, ranchers, tanners and maybe even weaver or cheese maker; the Worthersons would be the devout serving the community like school teacher, preacher, and mediator as well as growing legumes and tubers; the Goredens are the baker, miller, and farmers but instead of legumes and tubers they grow buckwheat, which could also mean they brew beer too. That just leaves our last family, which is still an unknown who and what they do.
And as for the climate – something temperate, maybe somewhat like the southwest of Montana or eastern Idaho.
Weather and Climate: TBD
There are several options for describing the semi-arid region we've described. The first is that there simply isn't much precipitation. Due to factors such as geographic position, moisture-laden clouds simply don't appear frequently. Perhaps the settlement is in the rain shadow of the very mountains it sits next to, or another range in a distant direction.
Another option is that it frequently gets too cold for clouds to form. The reason some colder regions appear barren is because any moisture entering the air freezes and falls back to ground before being able to collect in any quantity. With insufficient moisture in the air to form clouds, there is no way for the precipitation to travel inland.
A third reason is that the ground simply doesn't hold moisture well. If the water table is low in an area, and the soil porous enough, any precipitation that falls can simply drain away. This makes the growing of crops extra difficult; not only is such soil poor, but the land ends up parched.
There are many other reasons as well. These are just a few ideas.
No one is really disputing the hobgoblins ability to mine. What is missing is any motivation to do so. They are not exactly known as worldly merchants or hoarders of riches.
Ah, but they are in Golarion. In this setting, hobgoblins are probably the most civilized goblinoid race, with several examples coexisting alongside the perceived goodly races throughout Avistan and Garund. They make good traders and merchants, though they usually maintain their evil outlook. Of course, they're also exceptional thieves and scoundrels ...
Additionally, per the first post you reference, almost all NPCs are in the level 1-5 range. What you fail to realize, however, that this does not mean they should be distributed in a bell curve. There should be vastly larger numbers at the lower end of the spectrum, with individuals of higher level appearing slowly and in limited quantity, as population grows.
I think the thing you're missing is that the 1-5 range as a whole is the bulge at the bottom end. NPC leaders and heroes are in the 6-10 range. Even the 11-15 range has a few people per country, on average. Which doesn't mean the village should have a 6th level NPC to start out, just that the assumption that everyone has a level or two at most isn't valid. Having a 4th level Ranger (for example) leading a bunch of 1st-3rd NPC-level settlers to the site is perfectly reasonable given the overall percentages, rather than shoving everyone down to one NPC level with a few having a 2nd.
I'm going to bow out, though. As I said in an earlier post, I'll enjoy following this, even if I don't help build it. Since no one else has chimed in on either side, I'll defer to the one who's actually participating.
The Romans mostly trench mined for their iron and other metals, they just dug a groove in the ground and dug out what they could take, they didn't tunnel unless they had to, my understanding is tunneling something hogoblins and other species do for building lairs. The metals the hobgoblins would want are the same ones the Romans mined for, Gold, Silver and Copper for trade, and Iron for weapons, the Hobgoblins would not however, want lead.
I would like to propose the fifth family to join the settlers:
Buslem Family:
Bornel Buslem - N Human, Male (Aristocrat 1/Expert 2)
Conroy Buslem - NE Human, Male (Aristocrat 1/Expert 1)
Tamary Buslem - NG Human, Female (Commoner 1)
Family Dynamics:
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.
Conroy is a keen-eyed contemptuous snot who is in it for all he can get. As his fathers 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, 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.
Family Role:
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.
Weather and Climate: TBDThere are several options for describing the semi-arid region we've described. The first is that there simply isn't much precipitation. Due to factors such as geographic position, moisture-laden clouds simply don't appear frequently. Perhaps the settlement is in the rain shadow of the very mountains it sits next to, or another range in a distant direction.
I would like to second this to be the climate/weather:
Semi-arid with little precipitation
If anyone could elaborate a bit more on how seasons manifest and temperatures fluctuate it would help round this our a bit.
Taking information from wikipedia Idaho and Montana: A maritime influence causes a wetter summers and drier winters. Hot summer days are tempered by the low relative humidity and cooler evenings during summer months since, for most of the state, the highest diurnal difference in temperature is often in the summer. Winters can be cold, although extended periods of bitter cold weather below zero are unusual. Average rainfall in the plains is 15 inches per year while the mountains might see as much as 100 inches. Tempeatures ranger from 32/16 F in winter to 89/60 F in summer.
So would that work?
I second Buslem family, and I assume the father and son are the councilmen?
Concur all the way around
I second Buslem family, and I assume the father and son are the councilmen?
Yes, Bornel and Conroy would be on the council as the representatives for the Buslem family.
The Council as it stands:
1 Ottar Velsking LN middle age human male Warrior 1/Expert 3
2 Amira Velsking LG middle age human female Aristocrat 1/Expert 2
3 Crag Crompton N old human male Expert 4
4 Eliza Crompton NE old human female Commoner 1/Expert 2
5 Devin Wortherson NG middle age human male Cleric 2/Expert 1
6 Mrs. Wortherson still unknown
7 Mikael Goreden NG middle age human male Expert 2
8 Bornel Buslem N middle age human male Aristocrat 1/Expert 2
9 Conroy Buslem NE adult human male Aristocrat 1/Expert 1
10 I suggest again our guide take this spot, then Ranger 3
I made everyone middle age unless it made sense otherwise. The levels taking from what has been posted or suggested. Considering the farmer npc listed in the GameMastery Guide is a human expert 1/commoner 1 this seems like a good spread for the leaders, but still maybe needs fine tuning.
I propose that Devin Wortherson is revised as the following:
Dovlin Wortherson - LG Human, Male (Cleric 1 (Sarenrae)/Expert 1)
I would also like to propose that Mrs. Wortherson is revised as follows:
Banetta Wortherson - NG Human, Female (Commoner 1/Expert 1)
Banetta is an able-bodied, stout woman with rosy cheeks and plucky demeanor. Though she is both intellectual and spiritual, she is also known to be quite bawdy and a flagrant gossip. She is both a caretaker and teacher of the village youth as well as the villager's practicing mid-wife and nurse.
Is there room for an old city-builder to join in?
Taking information from wikipedia Idaho and Montana: A maritime influence causes a wetter summers and drier winters. Hot summer days are tempered by the low relative humidity and cooler evenings during summer months since, for most of the state, the highest diurnal difference in temperature is often in the summer. Winters can be cold, although extended periods of bitter cold weather below zero are unusual. Average rainfall in the plains is 15 inches per year while the mountains might see as much as 100 inches. Tempeatures ranger from 32/16 F in winter to 89/60 F in summer.
I second this.
The Council revised:
1 Ottar Velsking LN middle age human male Warrior 1/Expert 3
2 Amira Velsking LG middle age human female Aristocrat 1/Expert 2
3 Crag Crompton N old human male Expert 4
4 Eliza Crompton NE old human female Commoner 1/Expert 2
5 Devin Wortherson NG middle age human male Cleric (Sarenrae) 1/Expert 1
6 Banetta Wortherson middle age human female Commoner 1/Expert 1
7 Mikael Goreden NG middle age human male Expert 2
8 Bornel Buslem N middle age human male Aristocrat 1/Expert 2
9 Conroy Buslem NE adult human male Aristocrat 1/Expert 1
10 I suggest again our guide take this spot, then Ranger 3
@HerosBackpack, its an open project. But to me, the more the merry!
Is there room for an old city-builder to join in?
An old carpenter could easily be added to any family dynamic. Presently we are focusing on the families and assuming there is a labor force of minor, less note worthy, NPCs.
The Council revised:
1 Ottar Velsking LN middle age human male Warrior 1/Expert 3
2 Amira Velsking LG middle age human female Aristocrat 1/Expert 2
3 Crag Crompton N old human male Expert 4
4 Eliza Crompton NE old human female Commoner 1/Expert 2
5 Devin Wortherson NG middle age human male Cleric (Sarenrae) 1/Expert 1
6 Banetta Wortherson middle age human female Commoner 1/Expert 1
7 Mikael Goreden NG middle age human male Expert 2
8 Bornel Buslem N middle age human male Aristocrat 1/Expert 2
9 Conroy Buslem NE adult human male Aristocrat 1/Expert 1
10 I suggest again our guide take this spot, then Ranger 3@HerosBackpack, its an open project. But to me, the more the merry!
I don't think that the guide should have a spot on the council as he is more of a temporary figure. He would be paid for his services as guide and would probably remain to help setup the settlement but I can't see why he would be given consideration to be on the governing council.
He is hired help, not someone who cares about village politics. Perhaps the missing spot could be filled by a NPC developed by HerosBackpack? Mikael Goreden's tough retired carpenter father?
Sounds good for me. I was just trying to fill that last seat and tie it to the Goreden family (i.e. guide is a cousin). But drawing in another victim..er..participant sounds better! I second this.
1.A mountain stream flows through the valley. The ground is rocky, generally poor for growing crops, though it supports hardy native grasses and shrubs; this natural vegetation is enough to support light grazing animals, such as sheep and possibly small numbers of cattle, in addition to any native herbivores we add to the area as we progress. The valley itself leads into volcanically-formed mountains, that remain seismically active despite there not being an eruption of any kind in recorded history. The mountains are rumored to support glacial lakes and springs, and hardy trees grow upon much of their slopes. The valley opens up into the mountain's foothills, a region more suitable for crops yet still requiring more work than usual to generate any sizable harvest. Native grasses and shrubs grow here in abundance, in addition to small groves of trees near permanent and seasonal sources of water.
1.Semi-arid region with little precipitation. A maritime influence causes a wetter summers and drier winters. Hot summer days are tempered by the low relative humidity and cooler evenings during summer months since, for most of the state, the highest diurnal difference in temperature is often in the summer. Winters can be cold, although extended periods of bitter cold weather below zero are unusual.
2. Average rainfall in the plains is 15 inches per year while the mountains might see as much as 100 inches. Temperatures ranger from 32/16 F in winter to 89/60 F in summer.
1. Crops – root vegetables, buckwheat, beans and legumes.
2. Livestock – sheep, goats, and small herds of cattle.
3. Goods – basic supplies, tools, and amenities from civilization
1. Velsking – miners and smiths moving into the area to take advantage of newly discovered mineral deposits.
2. Cromptons – cattlemen, ranchers, and tanners moving into the area to take make a grab for grazing lands.
3. Wortherson – devout followers of Sarenrae and bean farmers who are spreading the word.
4. Goreden – bakers, millers, and farmers moving into the area to leave the horrors of war behind.
5. Buslem – merchants, bankers, and shippers moving into the area to capitalize on the expanding territory.
1. Earthquake and geologically active area
2. Destruction/desertion of the natives
3. Discovery of precious minerals
Council of ten, made up of two senior members of each major family
1 Ottar Velsking LN middle age human male Warrior 1/Expert 3
2 Amira Velsking LG middle age human female Aristocrat 1/Expert 2
3 Crag Crompton N old human male Expert 4
4 Eliza Crompton NE old human female Commoner 1/Expert 2
5 Devin Wortherson NG middle age human male Cleric (Sarenrae) 1/Expert 1
6 Banetta Wortherson NG middle age human female Commoner 1/Expert 1
7 Mikael Goreden NG middle age human male Expert 2
8 Bornel Buslem N middle age human male Aristocrat 1/Expert 2
9 Conroy Buslem NE adult human male Aristocrat 1/Expert 1
10 currently unfilled
1. The Guide
2. Velsking (Ottar, Amira, Jaspar, Svanhilde)
3. Cromptons (Crag, Eliza, four sons)
4. Wortherson (Devin & Banette)
5. Goreden (Mikael & Alyssa)
6. Buslem (Bornel, Conroy, Tamary)
7. Any Others
I added buckwheat to crops planted, can be ground for flour and does well in poor soils with little watter. Did I miss anything else?
Well friends, I created the "official thread" for creating our city. I linked it back to here so people can read all of the great ideas that have been posted. The new thread is still in the homebrew forum (though was anyone else lost when it got moved over from general discussion?) Build A City community project.
I also took the honor of posting the first chronicle.
On a different note I'm not sure if this thread would still serve the best for most of the "what about these ideas" type of post, or if most of it could just move on over to the new thread. Thoughts?
I think we should move to the new thread. Our initial brainstorming is done and the project underway; there's not much need to continue this thread any longer.
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Economics
Wood & Timber
FUEL: So how do they cook their meals? Firewood? If so they need half an acre of light wood per citizen per year (on a fifty year regrowth cycle that is like 25 acres per citizen or 25.6 people per square mile of light forest).
PLANTATION TIMBER: Plantation Timber grows at about 20 cubic feet per acre per year.
CARTAGE: Cartage is about 10% of the Population employed to continuously cart in Firewood - if it becomes industrialized.
Ewes, Grazing........180 days @ 1 sheep/3 acres.............1/4 gallon milk/day, 2&1/2 lb Wool /year
Ewes, Fodderfed......All year @ 12lb mix bushel/day.........1/4 gallon milk/day, 14lb Wool /year
Cows, Grazing.........8 months...............................140 gallons per season
Cows, Fodderfed.......All year @ 50lb mix bushel / day.......20lb milk/day
Pigs, 32 weeks fodderfed...870&1/2lb grainmeal, 1040lb sweet potato ...........200lb liveweight
Pigs, 20 weeks fodderfed...500lb grainmeal..............100lb liveweight
Bees, Skephive....straw rope hive.........Northern Europe:10lb honey, 1lb wax
Bees, Boxhive.....wooden box hive ........N.E.:30lb honey, 5lb wax, Australia:800lb honey, 100lb wax
Fuel, Wood........10,000lb/person/year....................20,000lb/acre
Fuel, Peatmoss....28,500lb/person/year...............3,584lb/acre @ 15'deep
Hens...............freerange@20/acre................180 eggs/year/hen
Fish................9 months/year, 1 cran =4 firkin 1 cran/day, 37&1/2 gallons of fish
Salt...............36 gallons of seawater=9lb salt 1/4 lb per 1 gallon, 1 firkin=200lb salt
Wheat, fallowground.....................................36 bushels
Wheat, stubbleground....stubble growth @60% Fallowgrowth......19 bushels
Barley, fallowground..........................................28 bushels
Oats, fallowground............................................24 bushels
Rye, fallowground...ergot:1/10lb/acre(marsh conditions.........30 bushels
Maize, fallowground............................................32 bushels
millet, fallowground...........................................30 bushels
Rice...........................................................40 bushels
Linseed.............produced for flax...........................14 bushels
Tomato.........................................................600 bushels
Hay............................................................5 ton/acre
Turnip.........................................................25 ton/acre
Rape............................................................5 ton/acre
Sugarcane......................................................20 ton/acre
Tea............................................................1240lb/acre
Grapes...........10 row vinyard acre............................2&1/2 ton/acre