Nest Egg Inn, the

tb - Monday, November 14, 2022, 8:55 PM

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The Town of Ashenvale.

It would be hard for a town to be more ruined. Evacuated, overrun by wights, expunged of wights, burned to a cinder and covered in ash, stripped of magic then dropped in a sinkhole of sizemic activity as magic returned, all it lacks is a convenient marsh to fall into.

Although, a marsh is appearing.

The road to Ashenvale ends at a crater two miles wide, the edges punched fifteen feet down and the bottom sloping away towards a distant centre. Rain and nearby streams have been drawn into it, the bottom is soggy. There's still a good distance of blasted plains and soot covered hills surrounding it, before unscathed old-growth forest resumes.

Parked on one side of the road is a colourful Vardo. Lying on the ground in front between the rails is an immense Swiftclaw with beautiful emerald scales. An awning has been thrown up, a wide side window opened, and the mayor and her assistant sit with side tables, tea, and a small plate of biscuits. For themselves.

On the opposite side of the road, there's a three sided tent, with some tables, chairs and large pillows. Also a sideboard of refreshments and snacks.

A humaniod shaped tree walks down the road towards the besieged town of misfortunes. The job simply stated that adventurers wanted for consulting. No real background or history and the guild stated she qualified to go. Yet as the tree nears the area of the town she looks about and starts to wonder if that's true. Reaching up and taking off her wooden helm the tree becomes a elf, female and concerned.

She lets the wind have it's way with her hair for a moment. Too long stuck in her helm and damp as she makes the last hundred feet or so walk to the vardo. She slows and looks from one side of the road to the other and raises a brow. "Hello..?"

Seyardu was making good on her promise (or threat) of making a courtesy visit to the destroyed town of ashenvale. It seemed like any remnants of the mysterious affliction was gone, but that still left the place a ruined town, which was only marginally better. The silver cleric wandered towards the camp, taking a glance around as they leaned on their billhook. "Peace on your nests on this day." She greets.

"Oh hello!" An elf... well, more of a half-elf. Actually while she has elfin features, in the face and the ears, as well as her hair, her build is more generous and there are hints of scales along her cheeks, the backs of her hands, and her eyes are clearly reptilian. She has green hair, wears a green dress, and seems a twin of the other woman relaxing at the window, although that one has more of an autum theme in her colouration. Red-orange hair, eyes, scales, and such. "It's our goldfish adventurers! I think this one is new."

"We should really learn their names," The auburn haired woman says, "they don't like being called that." She takes a sip of her tea, then waves, "Hello. I'm Mayor Retzi, this is my assistant Yolo, and our swiftclaw is named Yaree."

It's important to introduce their beast of burden, after all.

"Oh thank you! Peace on your nest too." Retzi gestures at the tent opposite, "There's refreshments."

"Not poisonned at all!" Yolo adds.

The fancy little gnome arrives on the back of his shadow-and-thunderclouds pony, sitting low in the saddle with his scarf up about his face to ward off the chill winds. The phantom animal's hooves burst into roiling darkness with each step onto the open air-- only to reform when it lifts its leg to gallop on. It never quite finds the road or the ground of the camp but instead settles low enough for the glittering bard to dismount safely.

With his polished boots of terra firma, Jinks lowers his scarf and tugs it to sit a lit looser about his shoulders. The coat he wears is heavier than his usual; another concession for the weather. In spite of their previous victory in the ruins of Ashenvale, he came equipped for further misadventure.

"'Tallman' works for most of them... if you don't have the impulse to remember names and titles," Jinks offers with a lopsided smile. "Though Miki isn't here to make it a real time-saver." He nods around as he stuffs his hands into his coat. "Coyote laughs," he greets.

Lauriel (the tree) nods to those who were on the road and stop here as well. Her attention turns back to the two semi=scaled ones. "I am neither gold nor fish. I, and likely these others, have come because you require those with some knowledge to have a chat with? That is correct, yes? I'm in the right place?" She motions towards the ruined town. "Because that is where I was told to go and it obviously really isn't anymore. And that's what we're here to talk about I'd guess."

Sjach walks towards the town, using his glaive as a walking stick not that he needs it- he seems spry and limber as ever, but each step of his feet is accompanied by the haft of the weapon tapping the ground ahead of him. The reason for this becomes clear, as the ground begins to become waterlogged. It is probed with the haft of his weapon ahead of his footfalls- he is no stranger to swamps and marshes, though he usually prefers them a bit more tropical than this. Still, though, he steps onwards unperturbed towards where the others are gathering.

"Tallman." Retzi nods, her long orange hair bouncing. A few seconds later Yolo nods in a similar fashion. "He did have some titles."

Retzi continues to stare at the gnome, leaning her chin on her hand, then winks, "Your secret is safe with us."

"Yes, this is the right place!" The green-haired, semi-elfin-draconic woman leans out and waves at the crater, "We want to turn this back into a town, then rule it! So we want to talk about buildings and laws and punishments."

"Definitely punishments." The mayor agrees.

Even the swiftclaw makes an agreeable sounding snort.

"So what are your suggestions?" Yolo asks, pointing at Seyardu, "the best building in town to have is...?"

"We do not particularly like being referred to like that, no." Seyardu sighs. "And if you would like to actually run a town here, then you should show you actually care about the people here and their wellbeing."

"Ah, Shach! I was not expecting you here, but it is good to see you as always." The cleric greets without even needing to turn around to see them. Their tail sways a bit happily in spite of the others she was dealing with. "Ah, right. Punishments, you will still be a town under the jurisdiction of greater alexandros, so that is not your place to determine. As for buildings, you will need places to actually support a populace. A marketplace is needed, and homes where people can stay, hunt, and grow or forage food."

The black-eyed gnome offers the three-part host a quirked eyebrow and shakes his head. "What secret? I'm an open book." He punctuates the second sentence with a shrug. The shadow-pony stands where it was left, waiting, with its long mane whipping through stormwinds that none feel.

"The village seemed to support orchards and farms. A trading post is a good start. It seems doubtless that you'll want your mayoral manse," Jinks muses after nodding his agreement with Seyardu. "A roadside inn and general stores. You can let your residents expand into their own buildings as they decide to settle...

"And getting a reputation as a penal colony built on forced labor won't earn you many settlers."

"Well, that's only if they come out here, and only if someone complains." Yolo says.

"No, I think she has a point." Retzi counters, "A group of unaccountable oligarch nobles that are ruling as a regent council in the name of an absent king have the ultimate authority over local desires. They protect the area, after all."

"Even though the protection was 'evacuate to the city'?"

The 'mayor' doesn't answer that, only shrugs her shoulders and rolls them, "we can still execute bandits for banditry."

"So, no forced servitude, but we can kill them. Are you certain they wouldn't prefer a few years hard labour in a mine to being killed?" Yolo asks.

Retzi shrugs again, "if they survive fighting adventurers, if they made it here. They're not the smartest or they wouldn't be bandits."

All heads turn to look at Jinks, "Write that down." Retzi commands. Yolo frowns, the swiftclaw makes another groaning noise. Yolo takes out a notebook, "Trading post. Orchards, Farms. Mayoral Manse. Inn. General Stores. Let anyone that shows up build their own things."

Her head pops up, "Wait, is there money in being a penal colony? Do you know if Alexandria wants to outsource its prison?"

Sjach dips his head as Seyardu greets him, catching up with her he lays a hand on her back for a moment, before looking towards the others, canting his head as he listens in on the conversation. "Thiss one hoped to offer a perspective of the wild." he says then as he glances around. "There are few animals after the undead beasts passed through, and it will be a lean winter. Thiss one hopes that the settlement will not strain the wildlife further, until it hass time to recover."

"Measuring your quality of rule against that of Alexandria is setting the bar too low for yourself; it might be better than an island sandcastle erected with slave labor... but not by much." Jinks sighs, some of his fatigue with the world at large bleeding through. "An absent ruling class that leaves problems to fester only to lash out petulantly when they don't agree with how a third-party solves them." He half-turns and looks back over his shoulder. "You can do better."

The gnome considers Sjach for a moment and wonders, "Do you have ties with the druid's grove? I'd suggested contact. It seems prudent to clear out the ruins and treat the rot before it attracts vermin and disease." He withdraws one hand from its pocket, pointing a ring-laden finger at the sinkhole. "Depending on the effort required, it might be worth addressing the crater, too, before any structures are built only to sink away."

Seyardu wraps one hand around Sjach and leans against the hunter, while she listens to the others speak their turn. "Ah, I don't believe I have introduced you, Jinks, despite likely having talked about them before. This is Sjach, my cihuaa." They add to the gnome, before returning to other, less pleasant business. "Yes, a town does not develop in a day, or a year even, it will take some time. I would a advise against letting buildings be created anywhere, there must be some discussion and planning to prevent issues down the line. And while I do not agree with the city on many matters, most of their laws at a lower level make sense, and have to be upheld."

"Sjach speaks true, as well. Food will be a challenge not only now, but in the future should things not be managed properly. The druids are a good place to start, as with animals depleted, food will need to be found elsewhere. Any farmers will still need to be fed while they wait for their first harvests, after all."

"Isn't that recommending not re-building at all?" Yolo asks.

"There was something here before, so some reason for a town, so something will move back in." Retzi says.

"Without a trading post, or orchards or farms or animals to hunt? They won't come to trade if there's nothing to trade for, just a road won't be enough."

"Pigs." Retzi says, "Pig farms. They'll eat garbage and produce piglets every three months, and they can be released into the woods and animals will come eat them. Orchards take longer to grow the trees. Farms, I guess you can have a crop farm going in the same year."

"So, you'll be mayor of Hogtown."

Retzi waves her hand at Yolo, leaning more around her to watch the gnome intently, and seemingly listen. "We haven't trundled the wagon over there to have a chat. Wasn't sure how aspiring administrators would be recieved. Druids aren't... enthusiastic, regarding civilization. I've heard."

There's some silence, she looks out towards the crater, "what could be done about that? Summon some elementals... can druids make land rise?"

A glance at Seyardu and Sjach, "Do you get sick if you eat magic food all the time?"

"Food that's -not- poisonned!" Yolo emphasizes, waving at the sideboard, "It's good, you should eat it!"

Sjach dips his head in deference to Jinks, "Yess. Thiss one only worries where those doing the work will find sustenance." he adds then. "Those coming from cities to settle outside... rarely give mind to the balance they impede upon." he says. Sjach, clearly, doesn't seem perturbed by the thought of building nothing and letting nature claim the land back. He looks around. His toes squish the soft soil underfoot.

"Build upon stilts." he suggests, "Like the roots of mangrove trees. Long poles to reach firmer ground. And grow crops which enjoy the wet. There are many such plants in Am-shere. Thiss one is certain there must be some which thrive in colder climates." he suggests.

The swiftclaw scratches at the road idly, head turned and vigilantly monitoring the conversation.

"Stillllllts." Retzi says, "hmmmmmm."

"Lots of places for snakes." Yolo observes.

"Yesss..." Mayor Retzi drawls it out, "not many want to live in marshes. Kobolds, the Sith'Makar. Rice could work."

"Ah," is about all Jinks has to say on the matter of mates. He does offer Sjach a thin smile and listens to the man speak, turning to Seyardu and the vouivre's two talking heads in turn. Then, he considers the vardo at length.

"This is all moot if you can't pay a workforce. Do you have funds in there or is it just you? Start with the roadside inn if you've the funds; you only need a road for that." He turns again, canting his chin up at the path. "Fill your stores from the markets of Alexandria until you have the ability to be self-reliant.

"No harm in starting small." He frowns at the notion of stilts but it's like just a 'small person versus tall buildings' thing. And he's not planning on living here, regardless.

"Yes, you do not need to rush development, that is a poor idea in the long run. Mistakes made in haste may not become apparent until much later, when they have expanded well beyond the original issue." Seyardu warns. "If the land is naturally water laden, then it is difficult to fight against it, likely better to just work with it. build things up that will function with a smaller amount of people to begin with. Though, I am not entirely sure if it is wise to have kobolds here. For various reasons."

"I want to run the inn!" Yolo says rapidly, leaning far out the window to look at the swiftclaw, "You can watch the stables, and you..." she pulls back, stares at her 'twin', "you can sit around by the fire and scowl at adventurers. Until we have the town, then you can be Mayor."

"Well..." Retzi says slowly, "it's still my decision if we build the Inn first." She turns to stare at Jinks, "were you saying an Inn should be the first option if we had no money?"

A good way to make a small fortune by establishing a town is to start with a big fortune.

"It was mostly subsistence farms surrounded by old forest." Yolo explains, "then it sank. Not sure what it naturally is now." She puts her hands on her twin's shoulders, "Roadside Inn, then a bridge to the other side of the road. That won't cost everything we have."

Sjach glances about once more, and then shrugs his shoulders. "An inn is... fine." he says then, clearly not a big fan of creature comforts like... walls and ceilings, this one. "This crater iss not natural, but nature will make it its own. The ground is soft. It is deep, it will stay soft. If there is stone beneath, water will pool." he advises, but mostly lets the others who have better insight to offer on matters of civilization speak, leaning against Seyardu.

"I can find you carpenters and lumber at a price that's more than fair," offers Jinks with no small mount of confidence. "Or would you prefer masons? A combination?

"Can you clear the ruin and rubble or would you rather hire hands?" He considers the scope of the destruction to the region and works on the mental math comparing it to the true size of the shape-shifted creature.

"There was stone. The stone was tunneled by the zombie-worms and then collapsed which..." he gestures with his chin again to indicate the crater. "My wonder is the stability of the crumbled, sunken earth, now, and thus my interest in wilderness shaman. If it needs a tremor or two to finish it settling-- better to do that before the town is half-built and people are sleeping in it."

The bejeweled hands are taken again from the warmth of the coat pockets and the fancy gnome twirls a ring in thought. "What's your budget?"

"Yes, it all depends on what is within reason, does it not?" Seyardu nods. "And befire there can be any building done, the ground needs to be evaluated. Hiring some druids to figure that out and advise would be best, yes?"

The cleric sighs. "I have never attempted to build a town before, this is all new to me."

"The original inhabitants could stay at the inn, decide if they're going to return. You could do land surveys and assign them plots back." Yolo smiles brightly at Retzi, "That's mayor stuff. We could charge them."

"Full rate or discount?"

"Depends how badly they want to come back."

Two heads with far too many snake-like features for something elvish turn back, "It takes what, a week to build an inn? Faster, with magic? Start with wood, then turn it to stone later? Put it on stilts while we wait to see what the ground does."

"We can clear some of the rubble but it might be easier with others." Retzi observes.

"You sure kobolds don't want to come and do that? They're great at that."

"How big is our budget? Is that a euphemism?" Yolo tilts her head.

The swiftclaw snorts VERY loudly.

"It's one of those things..." Retzi taps her fingertips together, "our rewards and riches are more of a spiritual nature."

"Lately." Yolo grumbles.

"Maybe adventurer Druids are cheaper?" Retzi asks, "They could do the ground pounding or whatever you think it needs."

"Thiss one can go to the grove. See if Druids will come." he suggests then, slipping his arm from around Seyardu and standing up straight again as he prepares to leave. "This one knows a little of stone and soil, but they will know more." he adds then. He dips his head once more to all and sundry, before turning to head to the north, and the grove that way.

"Okay. Thanks! Uh... what was his name?" Yolo waves as Sjach readies to depart.

"He's her Cihuaa." Retzi answers.

"Okay, let the road nip at your heels, Seyardu's Cihuaa!" Yolo well-wishes for the departure. Presumably that's a good bye.

"I can assure you that I'm only interested in your money," promises Jinks. "Putting aside matters of taste and the questions of compatible anatomies..." He sucks his teeth and shakes his head quickly, dislodging a train of thought he'd prefer not to ride at the moment.

"I need to know how much you wish to spend before I can obtain contract labor on your behalf." The dashing dandy puts in more-concrete teams. "... and if you fall into bottles you're best off not spending time in taverns. While you try to break your old habits, you're best avoiding a species with the predeliction for abject servitude."

Munch buzzes cheerfully, strolling from the direction of Mictlan, a feather in his arms. Big feather. Massive feather. Feather as big as he is, and looks like a goodly bit is missing. A feather that gets slightly smaller as the golem holds the end up to his grinder filled maw. Either he's yet to spy the gathering, or too distracted to give indication.

The cleric turns around to give the hunter a hug and nuzzle before stepping back. "Very well Sjach, I will see you later." Seyardu hums, waving off the sith-makar before he leaves.

"Well, you can't fund a town with no gold. And I agree with Jinks, no kobolds." The silver cleric nods.

"But what if we paid them? And made them the soldiers and guards. There's a bunch already trained just for that, and they'd also be great at mining if there was something to mine!" Yolo protests, enthusiastically cajolling Jinks and Seyardu.

Even Retzi is slowly nodding along, her eyes locked on Jinks. "Even if you were in charge of them? Our gold standard scale enforcer."

The approach of the war-golem causes a loud thump underneath the Vardo, another Swiftclaw snort with her attention directed up the road.

"What's that doing here?" Yolo asks.

"We might need a treasurer." Retzi explains, sighing, "I should have every coin we own memorized but it was too painful to look at them after all we had to leave behind. So there's an amount but I don't know what it is." She frowns.

Munch raises an arm in greeting as he gets closer, shifting direction to approarch the Vardo and it's vaugely familiar occupants. A nod is given to Seyardu in particular. "Roast Roc back at Mictlan if you've yet to have dinner. Or breakfast. Or lunch. There's a lot. What are you guys up to? Gals. Whatever." He eyes the Vardo again, and perks up. "Oh, hey, I remember you! What you been up to?"

"I don't want to be a kobold chief, commander, or king," Jinks dismisses with a sigh. "I don't want to be in charge of-- or responsible for-- anyone." He closes his eyes and tucks his chin, just taking a moment for a deep breath.

The gnome glances at Munch and then back at Seyardu. His head tilts for a moment and then he's considering the vouivre once more.

"I don't know," he admits in relation to the golem's arrival.

"Diplomat? Spymaster?" Yolo throws out a few other options.

"We're saving a town." Retzi says, gesturing at a crater that intercepts the road where a town of sorts once was. "There's lots of rocks that could use moving around. Or eating. Can you grind bi rocks into smaller rocks? Gravel might be useful for some things."

The Swiftclaw snorts again, a long, drawn out noise.

Reluctantly, Retzi adds, "We ... can supply some miracles, in lieu of money. No questions asked."

"Ah, hello Munch, no, I haven't eaten dinner yet, I will have to go and have some later." The cleric nods to Munch. "We are discussing what will happen to this area now that it is cleared out and relatively safe."

"No kobolds. No slaves. No indentured servitude or any forms of coercion for people to come out and work here." Seyardu states firmly. "You need to be able to account for all your funds, you may need a treasurer, at least as part of someone else's job."

Munch buzzes quietly, looking out over the rubble. "Not doing so great on saving. What all happened here? Looks messy." He shrugs to the ladies. "Breaking rocks is easy. Moving is a little tougher, but helped clear farmland before. Powdered rocks can improve soil quality, or make it worse. Depends on the soil, the rocks, and what you're planning with it." He considers. "When you say no kobolds, you meaning none allowed, or none purposefully brought in?"

Jinks considers the women at length as Yolo rattles off a handful of titles. His expression is flat and his hands stay in his pockets. After some time, he sucks at his teeth again and starts the walk around the vardo. "Squeeze off to one side. I'll take stock of your funds."

Whether that's accepting a role or dodging the question is up for debate. He stops at the back side of the wagon and waits for the door to open. He'll disappear inside once it does for some quick bookkeeping.

"There might be an exception... for one kobold." Retzi stares at Jinks, then huffs, "but it seems they're determined we don't bring in any kobolds at all."

Yolo sighs, "or slaves, or indentured servants or any forms of coercion... wait, where are you coming up with that? Are those Alexandria's laws? Force is a form of coercion and there's been no shortage of that!"

Retzi watches Munch, "Wights attacked, wights were destroyed. Some kind of Flesh monster took over. It was destroyed. When it was destroyed the ground collapsed. That used to be people's homes, and everything. So tragic. We figured we'd get in on the ground level, putting it back."

"Just a minute." Yolo, the green haired, elf-dragon-human-ish woman nips inside and the back door opens. She leans to the side, "The floor is a bit uneven, so be careful. The chests are there."

"I do not know if those are Alexandria's laws, I am simply stating that avoiding them is the right thing to do." Seyardu states. "Jinks will work quickly, I am sure. Once we have some idea of funding, we can actually make plans instead of suggestions."

Munch nods. "I'd heard about the flesh thing, thought that was further north." The metal man considers. "Maybe leave the crater, fill it with water, have a lakeside town? Not sure the process, but know fish stocking is a thing. Get a small population going, grows into a big population you can harvest. I mean towns don't just happen they need... uh... root... system... infrastructure! They need infrastructure to support them. Farms and trade and stuff." Which might have been discussed already, but the golem seems proud of his understanding.

"There was infrastructure, and now it's gone, and the land has changed so ..." Retzi sort of trails off. She keeps glancing inside the vardo, watching the gnome move around and shifting occasionally in her seat. "We're finding out if we have enough money to make an Inn."

She makes a rolling motion with her hand, "if we do, we'll advertise that original residents can come back and decide if they want to rebuild, and we'll... see what the crater does. We're going to ask Druids to look at that."

"You could be the sheriff, since you know all about laws." Yolo suggests, looking at Seyardu, "Want to be sheriff, in charge of crime and punishment?"

It's been a while since she's had a consultation per se on how to do something beside making something die.

For novelty's sake, and the concept of quick coin, to say nothing of shaking the rust off some other aspects of her brains.

Shrouded in a hooded cloak and scarf that generally matches the hue of the ground at large, mostly to keep from gleaming, Braelnoir rides toward the prospective town on a rental. The grim scythe slung via an incorporated series of straps a fair giveaway over the obscured figure's identity amongst the adventuring population.

Seeing the gathering ahead, she draws rein and calls with a hand raised, "Hey there, how ya'll doin'?"

A sidlong glance of wolfen eyes framed in what is visible of her silvery features, "This th'fixer-upper?"

"Oh, she's pretty. She's silver too. Hi. Hiiiiii!" Yolo seems a little too enthusiastic to see Braelnoir, "Maybe we should call the town Scalehaven instead, since there's so many scaled types."

"This is it, yes." Retzi confirms, smiling at both.

The Swiftclaw makes a point of sniffing Brealnoir from a distance.

"They do need infrastructure, but infrastructure takes time. No sense in a road to nowhere after all, but once there is a reason to build one, then one can build more things with such access." Seyardu nods. "I could not be the sheriff, as I have to many other duties to see to that are necessary. I will still stop in when I can, to make sure that things are running properly here."

The cleric sniffs once, then twice. Dragon? Human? She was trying to wrack her brain for where she remembered it from. "Braelnoir!" The cleric chuffs, swinging around to pull her straight off the horse into a hug. "The amount of time since seeing you last is too great, it is good to see you, and peace on your nest." They rumble. "You are well, I hope?"

Munch nods, considering. "Inn is a good start, lotta towns grown up around an inn. Fishing and farms seem solid foundations, but I don't know that much about either." Raising an arm in greeting to Brea, he considers. "All the weird stuff that's happened, likely fiddled with the soil and water. Maybe use that? Has extra ash in in, or whatever, which is good for some sorta plant, grow that plant. Which yeah, takes knowin what alls been done and changed. Druids can tell ya some, wizards know lotta stuff like that. But maybe just wait for spring and see what grows good."

Braelnoir hasn't been unhorsed in a good, long time. It's not an encouraged scenario for a variety of reasons. She gives a sort, hearty laugh as she's plucked from the saddle and her arms enfold the silverscale for a vigorous embrace, "Been'n age fer sure, luv, how ya been?"

Since they're all 'friends' per se, her shrouding shifts to her more customary getup with an incorporated baldric. Seeing Munch, she claps her Kor branded fist to her breastplate with a, "'ey Terrormaw, been a while, we need to find us a Manticore ta chew on an swap stories!"

She looks to the hosts, a little scrutinously and dips her head, "Heya, this yer claim, luvvies?"

"Well... we could make it rain a lot, then it might fill up with water, if there's enough stone underneath it like Sjach thought." Yolo says.

"Well we don't want to wait for spring. There were people here before the wights, and we'd like to help them get back on their feet so we can be in charge of them, so we have to start somewhere." Retzi adds, picking up a cookie and eating it. "I like fisheries. Maybe they could farm eels. Eels are neet."

"Eels ARE neat." Yolo agrees.

The Vardo rocks a little from side to side, and the Swiftclaw repositions herself.

"We stayed though all the troubles, so we claim it, yes." Retzi concludes.

Munch buzzes happily and nods to Braelnoir, holding up the remains of a half eaten feather. A feather that used to be as big as himself. "I'd share, but don't think is your fare. Roc meat over at Mictlan if you head that way." He nods to Retzi. "Eels are pretty cool, but not sure are a solid food base. Pretty sure they eat fish, so need lotta fish to farm eels. Easier to just eat the fish." He buzzes again, considering. "Isn't about what can build later, is what you have now, yeah? Wizards interested in this sorta stuff? Research lab or something that gets lotta funding from nobels with more gold than brains? Science and understanding the universe can be a huge gold sink."

"I don't think there's much interest in a hole in the ground." Yolo says.

Retzi nods, "We didn't get much debriefing. There was the earthquake, the Flesh vanished, the adventurers went home."

Munch shakes his head. "So ya got an unexplained event of mysterious circumstances, who's details are as yet undocumented."

"Too long, Braelnoir. There have been ups and downs, a lot going on, but things are better as of late." Seyardu chuffs, releasing the mercenary and looking around. "It is too bad however that you missed this one's cihuaa not long ago. Perhaps you saw him on the road, if he wished to be seen, at least."

"Again, do not rush things. There will need to be less people in place at first, to build the place up for more to come. It may be worth exploring making into a lake, if it would work. Something else for the druids to look in to."

She does stop and shake her head though. "No, no interference from nobles. The last thing needed is them getting stuck in more things that are unnecessary."

"Well, they'll still want an Inn to stay in, unless they are going to 'poof' a magic tower into existence and live in that." Yolo says.

"They just might and if we're going to do that we need to plan on where it poofs in." Retzi adds.

Yolo nods, "Right, no nobles."

There's a wry smirk as the Korite nods, "Been out that way a fair bit, latetly, acthally."

Brae cocks her head a little bit, "Well, imagine we got soe druids on call'd probably be willin ta bring this area back ta proper life. May take don ta convince'm tahat adding a town's a valid part o'that, though. They could work out the start of a road, if only by scootin' the plants out the way. Findin' water table and workin up a way ta clear out sewage without skunking up the works."

She gives Seyardu another little squeeze, then, "Yeah, been that all over, I think. I'm sure I'll run into'm at some point, luv, glad ya found ya self a fella."

She keeps her personal baggage off her face at that, and keeps going, "Set up an inn a a waystation, mebbe even a stable fer riders ta swap out horses fer long rides'd do ya fer a spell without strainin' the local food supply if'n ya do it right."

Jinks has an affinity for wealth and a head for numbers. It helps that some of the wealth he wears enhances his arithmetic proficiencies, too. In no amount of time, he has the chest sorted and cataloged with two portions split off into purses. He leaves on behind, atop the chest after closing it, and drops the second into his coat before leaving the vardo.

The gnome idles out of sight behind to wagon for a moment and then walks around back into view. One hand is in his pocket and the other is wiping at his eye with a pinky.

"I took enough to contract for the inn. Just a good-faith first payment. I'd imagine you can get two or three other common buildings before your coffers are empty." The gnome informs the pair from outside, glancing at the newly-arrived Braelnoir and briefly puts on a thin smile in greeting.

"The bag atop the chest are things that won't spend. Sand-coins, smooth pebbles, and driftwood in an interesting shape won't spend unless you find merfolk or backwards sea-elves."

Munch nods, and shrugs, having no real opinion on nobels. "...art? Buncha artist types out to.... carve rubble into statues? Turn tragedy into beauty? Eh, but artists themselves are broke, is back to noble funding for fancy stuff."

"Well, we can go to the druids ourselves. An inn seems the most practical so we were going to do that first." Retzi says. She waves at the fields of soot and ash, "There aren't any plants right now. Hopefully something comes back in the spring. Maybe we need to scatter some seeds about."

"You think the Flesh ate everything in the soil? Seeds, worms, bugs?" Yolo asks.

Her fiery haired twin shrugs, "I have no way to tell."

Both turn to stare at Jinks, "What do you mean those won't sell? They're beautiful."

"We don't know any sea-elves or backwards merfolk." Retzi adds.

"Does backwards mean the fish part is on top?"

There is a very long sigh from the Swiftclaw.

"No Yolo, it's more culturally." Retzi glances at Braelnoir, looking her up and down, "I don't suppose you know any sea-elves or mer-folk? You look kind of fishy."

"An inn is a good place to start. Perhaps a general purpose store as well. If this becomes a stop for travellers at first, they may need supplies to continue their journeys, and people who may settle down here will need supplies they cannot acquire themselves."

"Any further however, will likely need more information. what is possible, and what are the needs of whoever returns."

"Yes, I am uncertain the extent of the damage to the area. Another job for the druids it seems, you may need to hire one or two on full time to see to the restoration."

Munch buzzes thoughtfully and strides off towards the crater, disappering into the rubble of what used to be a town.

GAME: Munch rolls perception: (2)+21: 23
GAME: Munch rolls knowledge/nature: (9)+6: 15

"Well, that would make sense for the next building." Retzi muses.

"What about tenements, or a brothel, or a dump, we could take garbage from Alexandria." Yolo asks.

"A big pile of garbage is exactly what we want potential settlers to see, arriving." Retzi replies.

Braelnoir's eyebrow twitched just a bit, "I get that now'n then." she observes drily, "Anywho. Probly gonna need ta bring in fertilizer an the like."

"Yer gonna wanna few types o different seed. There's a sequence ya plant'm, so ya doin't over strain the soil. Cain't rightly remember what that is at the moment, but a Druid'd know fer sure."

She shrugs, waving at Jinks a moment, then, "Hey luv."

The.. supplementary income gets another little smirk, then, "Could probly work a wing of the inn fer them kinda services, luvvie. Better have you a doc on hand. Fer.... complications."

She gives the locals a bit of a queer look on the dump musings, then, "Ya ain't gonna get you much of a population bringing garbage out this way. Even if ya got it tucked away, ya'll get that gawdawful smell, and likely invite critters like rats an the like, sometimes ya'll get diseases comin' with'm."

Munch returns soon enough, a large rock in hand, which becomes a small rock, sheared off into the golems adamantine maw, and swiftly ground into powder. "Garbage is good. Lotta worms and bugs and stuff in it. Basically none in your soil. Between wights, fire, and flesh stuff, this ground is dead. Garbage, manure, sewage, all good to bring dead soil back to life." Chewing on rocks doesn't seem to interrupt his speaking, his voicebox on a separate line. "Rocks are hit or miss. Some are solid, some are cracked and flawed. Top layers are most likely to be bad, with still solid foundations. Deep down might hit that flesh stuff's damage, but anything accessible should be decent, I think."

Retzi and Yolo watch Munch as he talks and eats. They nod slowly, Yolo comments, "So, dumps bring bugs and diseases, but we need bugs and diseases and sewage."

"So the soil is dead? Completely?" She frowns, sips her tea, "We should hold off spreading that around."

"Brothels are not a bad idea, yes, but perhaps save that for further development." Seyardu sighs. "If all you have is an inn, a general store, and a brothel, then all you will be known for is a brothel. That will not attract the people necessary for a town to develop and thrive."

Talk of the state of the land draws her attention, and Seyardu nods. "That is, concerning. Although, perhaps it would draw more druids who would wish to heal the land in the process?"

Munch shakes his head. "Not totally dead, but darn close. Have enough life in the land around that some blows in, but gotta take effort to renew the soil." The golem starts off again. "I'ma go take a look at that crater, try and get an idea if it needs patched to become a lake."

The silvermane hrms as Munch comes back with a more in depth, certainly unique, counterargument to her own and she nods, "I never got that sorta talent, so I'ma defer ta you on that one, luv. If'n we're worried about the soil first, then, yeah, I guess we can bring in stuff ta composte an till in ta bring it back ta growin' condition. Old town probly had a well, we take a look at that'n see if that's still viable, or's that already a known factor?"

"Farmers will have ideas. Failing that, druids. If not the druids, the Hymn." Jinks says. "Follow up with your man. Let me know if I need to go and talk to the Yggdrasil people in Alexandria, please," he asks of Seyardu.

The gnome crosses back to his pony and hops smoothly up into the saddle. "I'll be back today with the contract details." There's a low roll of thunder through the phantom steed's half-real form and then it turns and gallops up into the sky at speed.

Yolo sighs happily, watching the gnome ride off on his shadowy steed, "He's such a cute k.."

HSSSST! Retzi hisses loudly, interrupting, staring, STARING at Yolo and shaking her head. "Well, druids and the hymn then, hopefully."

The woman turns and takes out a quill, and a parchment, followed by an inkwell. "So, I will issue an Edict that we are re-establishing this town. We were thinking of calling it Ashville or Ashenvale because... so much burning and soot."

"Although..." She rubs at her cheek, at the small patch of orange scales there, then glances at Braelnoir, then Seyardu, "... Scalehaven, Silver Scale Tharp... other suggestions?"

"Soil will not stay dead forever, with enough effort, life will spring back, of this I am sure." Seyardu nods. "I am not good with naming, however. Do you have any ideas, Braelnoir? I am surprised you would ask what it should be called."

There's barely more than time for a blink before Noir's reply rolls out as, "Renewal." with an offhand shrug whilst the others drift off to their respective tasks.

A hand lifts and she calls, "Good seein' ya, boys. We'll throw back some pints next time, eh?"

There's a considered look to Seyardu, then the would be Mayor, "Wha'bout Nest Egg?"

"Oh, that would be a good name for the Inn, The Nest Egg Inn." Yolo speculates.

Retzi frowns, "Renewal... hmm. That wouldn't work once it was established."

"Could call it 'Fish Farm', then people will know what to expect. Better than 'Brotheltown'."

Yolo gets the side-eye.

"Bartertown? Fishkill? Moose Factory? Skull Cave-in."

She gets more stares from Retzi, "Those seem... unimaginative. How do you even make Moose. I like the idea of something scale related though."

"Nest egg inn, I don't mind that, no. It could work."

"The others though, they are probably not the best. Perhaps, hmm. If you really wish to atone for what you did, perhaps Hope's Ascension? Hope for short, but it is just an idea, and not one I am certain about."

"Well, when two meese -really- love each other..." Brae asides as she looks toward the town center, with lips drawing back from a grin full of smartass, setting the spiked hand on the crook of her hip.

Her hair writhes to the limits of it's fold in the wind, as she surveys the aftermath of everything that had transpired, here.

Hearing Seyardu's input on certain aspects of their client's past, and plugging it into the 'scale' requirement, "Balancin' Scales."

Yolo grins back at Braelnoir, widely and showing a lot of strangely pointed teeth. The scales on her cheek bones and reptilian eyes enhance the inhuman effect. Retzi is not nearly so expressive, and does not dive into the contest to determine the smartest of asses.

A deep and feminine voice rumbles, "We're not thinking about that." Did the swiftclaw speak? Surely not. It is staring off into the distance.

"Well, I'll think about it a bit more. So, welcoming original inhabitants back but not encouragements to settle, since our sand dollars aren't actual dollars."

"Unless they'll take sand dollars."

"Unless they'll take sand dollars. No taxes, for now, and no one enforcing laws since we have no law enforcement." Retzi pauses before writing, looking at Braelnoir, "You want to be in charge of that? We can say Alexandrian rangers enforce them. Hopefully no one will notice there aren't any."

"Think about it more, yes. A day is not long enough to make complete decisions on this scale, and you need to wait for a report from Jinks and Sjach," states Seyardu.

Braelnoir laughs a bit at the offer and slaps her thigh with the other hand, "Hell, no!"

She looks back to the scaly Mayor, "Too much goin on fer that sorta biz, luvvie."

Besides, she's a Korite, law enforcement could turn into a bloodbath if people get too spritely at the wrong times, "There's some folk back'n Alexandria'd probably do ya fine as a Sheriff. I'll give'm a nudge. May show up, may not."

She nods to Seyardu and reaches out to touch knuckles to her silvern peer's shoulder, "Yeah. Ya ain't talkin' bout bivouacin' a company on'a march fer a couple days, this's permanant structure that's gonna need forethought on layin' out space, workin' out clearin' sewage, an' allowin' fer growth. Get too big too fast, ya'll need lookout towers an' signal fires. Yer gonna probably wanna storehouse fer emergency supplies, though that'll take knowin' what ya got ta work with."

"There will be certain, special requirements, true." Retzi nods. "Well these are all good ideas but right now all we have is a trailer and a crater."

Yolo nods.

"Well I'll squiggle the name and draw the map so we can put up a sign when they arrive." Retzi decides, "Does it matter? Isn't there a town around here also built by adventurers that's called 'Town', The 'Town of Town'?"

"Goldfish." Yolo grins.

The auburn haired woman writes a few more things, melts a bit of sealing wax and then presses a knuckle into it, "Need a proper town seal too." She holds it out.

"We have the signal fire covered." Yolo says proudly.

The Swiftclaw snorts again.

"I believe it is made by arvek-nar, and not literally called. Having it in another language helps." Seyardu nods. "If you have a signal fire, make sure it is safe to use, at the very least. And please, think through your plans, do not jump on the first ideas that come to you."

Braelnoir shrugs again and looks back toward the Swiftclaw, "Sometimes actin' on yer first impulse gets... messy." she notes, thinking of a moment that left a former chum cleft in twain.

She misses the friendship, but balms herself with the fact that he's still alive to hate her.

"Could always translate a couple words inta different languages and tack'm together." she ammends.

The twins nod, with Retzi says, "Well, we'll come up with something."

"Dragontown!" Yolo laughs.

"That might be too attractive for the wrong sort." Retzi contradicts, "We'll come up with something. Play with some words." She waves the missive again, "Anyone want to take it? I don't bite. Put it up... hm... hire a crier to say it in Alexandria."

The two sit back.

"An announcement in Alexandria? I am sure there are plenty in Alexandria who would take the job." Seyardu nods, taking the missive and a few snacks to not be impolite. "And it will let me proof read it beforehand. I shall return to mictlan, if I do not, there may be a lot of roc uneaten otherwise, yes? You are welcome to join if you wish, Braelnoir."

Braelnoir nods and returns her outfit to it's previous, more anonymous configuration as she turns, "There's plenty o'cryin' in Alexandria." she quips, then steps over to the pair to scoop up a handful of munchies, "Thanks."

As Seyardu gathers up the missive, she grins her way and nods, "Sure thing, luv. We got us some catchin' up ta do...."

Besides....

"Got any o'that scale polish left....?" she wonders.

For a friend, obviously.

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "So, Kingmaker Rules wise, 1st turn, 0 hexes controlled, skip to edict phase. In Edic phase, rulership positions are assigned. Jinks is Treasurer, Yaree, Retzi and Yolo are in 3 other positions, to be named, no other PCs wanted one. The Hex is claimed, you've decided a house and an Inn, which Y-Y is paying for. It's a marsh hex, and I'll count the earlier T4 event as 'improving' it, which allows the 2 buildings, you can add a Fish Farm, so that's in the works"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "oh, and despite Y-Y's best efforts it's not a Chaotic Evil town, but a Chaotic Neutral one."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "rules seem here, https://aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?Name=Kingdom%20Building&Category=Kingdoms%20and%20War"