Tunnels and Truffles, Poisons and Ponds
Log Info
- Title: Tunnels and Truffles, Poisons and Ponds
- Emitter: Cryosanthia
- Characters: Carver, Jinks, Mikilos, Sabina, Seyardu
- Place: Scalehaven (maybe Ashenvale)
- Time: Wednesday, November 23, 2022, 8:55 PM EST
- Summary: Construction has begun in an effort to resettle the area re-named as... (to be determined). Today, the three-in-one host in the colorful wagon offer a taste test of new and exciting exotic dishes while continuing their quest for assistance in getting the inn (and town to follow) built. Jinks has made some progress with construction firms and the local druids. Most of the others seem unwilling to directly hitch themselves to this progressive wagon. Carver considers contract work. Seyardu slowly comes around on consulting. Sabina has some practice running a tavern. Mikilos is dubious about trading in his manse and grounds for a roadside shack.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Carver 5'7" 133 Lb Human Female A plain-faced woman with a brown top knot. Jinks 3'4" 39 Lb Gnome Male A gnomish fellow in fancy garb and jewelry. Mikilos 6'8" 180 Lb Dawn Elf Male Tall male dawn elf, rosey blonde and handsome. Sabina 5'4" 130 Lb Human Female Tsuran woman of dark hair and green eyes Seyardu 5'6" 150 Lb Sith-Makar Female A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= NPCs of Note =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Yaretzi-Yolotli Vouivre Female A pretender dragon, cleric and knight. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GMs =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
The town of ... to be decided.
Far north of Alexandria, sits the ruins of a town that a crazed benefactor has decided to try and restore. They have had an election and chosen a mayor, and decided on the first building. An Inn.
The Nest Egg Inn.
Self-financing is great. Fortunately they had a great store of treasure, which is part of the draw. The Inn is under construction, rapidly rising after the money came through. A small set of tents surround the site, which is set back a safe distance from the edge of a marshy crater. The house is finished, the shape of the Inn is taking form.
A colourful Vardo is situated nearby, with the Mayor, her assistant, and their immense Swiftclaw sprawled on the ground. They're all watching the road expectantly.
"I still think Sand Dollars should count as currency. What if we accepted them on par?" The orange haired draconically elfin woman grumbles.
"It would be economically unstable, but I'm not sure how." A deep and feminine voice rumbles, emanating from the Swiftclaw.
"Shhhh! Adventurers!" The green haired twin hushes.
Mikilos arrives on the same horse he first came to the Great Hole upon. It knows the way, and let's the wizard read as it travels. Not as fast as teleportation, but mildly more productive... for certain definitions of production. Dismounting and removing the saddle, the wizard makes sure his ride is situated before heading towards the Vardo.
"Greetings and salutations, ladies. What's this I hear about menu testing?"
Sabina strides along the road with a fast gate that eats the miles up, moving almost as fast as a carriage might go. Feathers is the outfit of the day. A cloak of black and red feathers over the top of a long dress in darker shade of peacock tones. This matches the bird who rests on her shoulder, long glorious tail covering half the cloak. The outfit looks poorly designed for road travel. Yet she makes it seem like it does. And it has the benefit of being warm in the cold.
She moves up and nods to Mikilos before looking over the vardo with a wide smile. "Lovely. I love it. Wonderful colors."
Carver arrives on the most trusty of steeds; her own two feet. Dusty and a little tired, sure, but horseflesh cost a lot of money and she doesn't have a lot of 'influence' so can't bully a mage for a teleport. Not that she would want that logic-defying skip, it always gives her the worse heartburn. Coming in behind Sabina, in her beaten leathers and drab colors, she's the ugly duckling to the prettiest peacock in the ball. When Sabina, like a graceful swan, swoops in on Mikilos her temperament only sours farther into a sullen glare beneath the road dirt staining her cheeks.
"Well we're deciding what to serve at the Inn." The orange haired, orange-ish woman replies, leaning out the window and down, bringing her head closer to Mikilos.
"Eels, mostly. Although we don't have the Eels." The green haired twin adds, "We still need the druids to stock them."
Two heads turn to watch Sabine arrive rapidly on foot. "Oh, you're new! I'm Retzi, the Major." The orange one says, "I'm Yolo," the green hair adds. Both say, "Our swiftclaw is named Yaree."
"She doesn't talk," Yolo says firmly, "Very pleased that you like the colours. Would you like some tea?"
The other arriving horse, carrying Carver, gets their attention next. A similar round of greetings and introduction, with the swiftclaw staring intently at the horse. Yolo ends up asking Carver, "Are you one of the mudlarks?"
<OOC> Carver says, "what do i need to roll to recognize mudlark?" <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "K/local DC10" <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "or k/nature dc10" GAME: Carver rolls knowledge/nature: (6)+7: 13 GAME: Seyardu rolls knowledge/nature: (6)+2: 8
Suddenly, there is a large window of white light, and from out of it steps a silver sith-makar in light blue robes. She stops to take a look around, and breaks into a slightly unsettling smile.
"It seems that my timing was quite good today." The cleric notes. "Peace on your nests, it seems work is going quite well. Although, I do not know how valid my input is for food for an inn."
Mikilos nods, frowning mildly at the question to Carver, but maybe it's a sportsball team or something. "You've spoken with the druids? What all did they have to say? There were still a lot of unknowns last I was by here."
Bina nods to the introductions and then agian to the fact that the lizard doesn't talk. All without missing a beat. She's about to speak when a familiar form comes from the door of light. The priestess smiles and waves to Seyardu. "Peace on your nest, it's been a long while." And then to the red and green haired women. "I'm Sabina. And this is Lord Emp.. or Emp for short." She says, motioning to the peacock on her shoulder who lets out a cry as he's introduced, preening. "We're here to help with ..menu items?"
Carver's mood sours farther at the less than flattering description, for why else would somebody ask that in such a way unless.... they thought she fit the 'bill' so to speak. I mean, really, okay yes. She's dressed like a down-on-her-luck traveller and her hair is bit of a mess but!
"'scuse me, did you just call me a sewer person?" The Drae's tone is low, weary, and wary of further kicks to her pride. Just because she HAS gone looking for treasure and adventure in a sewer before does not mean this floozy gets to look down on her. "Some nerve comin' from a crazy cat lady with green hair in a hokey town at the edge of nowhere."
Retzi startles at Seyardu's appearence, pulling back and banging her head on the top of the window. "Ow. How do you do that?"
Tsskp. Yolo hisses, "Well, you eat right? We've been feeding the workers magical food but they grumble about it. So we need the opinions of people with normal tastes."
People that don't consider horses valid fare, for example.
"We like things, well, well done." Retzi continues, "Oooooh... that's not a pheasant you wanted us to cook up. Well, yes, what do adventurers like to eat."
"The druids..." Yolo says, interrupting herself to face Carver. She rises up, also bonking her head on the inside of the Vardo, "Well you're covered in mud and stink!" She sniffs, "Something around here stinks. Maybe it's the swamp. We're rebuilding this town and were expecting swamp people to come... and do things in the swamp."
She leans closer, "Do you want to go mucking around in the swamp searching for treasure? You can keep half!" A generous offer, usually one keeps what one finds.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "okay... So. How the Druids 'went' would be anyone who went to talk to them, making a diplomacy roll." GAME: Jinks rolls Diplomacy: (17)+28: 45
Carver's expression could sour milk, but...
"I do like treasure."
"Great!" Yolo claps her hands together, grinning widely at Carver. She has the wrong sort of teeth, for an elf, it makes her smile look very unsettling. "After the food tasting you can get a crew from over there, and go looking for treasure in the swamp!
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Carver, roll a survival. If you roll under 10, something bites you, 15 and over roll 1d4, 20 and over roll 1d4+2" <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "this will happen later, but roll now so I don't forget" <OOC> Carver says, "oh sorry, right away!" GAME: Carver rolls survival: (3)+9: 12
Bina looks about at the various folks speaking and being spoken too. She hmms softly and then shakes her head before moving to try and draw Carver in closer to herself and the vardo. "Ladies." She says to the lizard-elves. "You're missing out on great opportunities. First you're underestimating this woman and what she can do for you and your current issues. Second, you're trying to make more issues before solving the issues at hand. Druid could help you, certianly. They may also wish you to do things before or after they assist you. I've run a tavern in the city. A good one..if I may say so. Rather then gold and gems. You should have her looking for monsters and other critters that can be cooked up and eaten. Some critters, cooked correctly, are very tasty."
"It's a special ability that this one was given to check up on people who need to be checked up on by their god." Seyardu states flatly. "I do not know if I have normal tastes, unfortunately, but I will provide what insight that I am able. You need to not only appeal to adventurers, but travelers and traders as well. They will be the bulk of who comes by here, after all."
A faint melody that could've been the wind (if there was wind today) through the ruins woods ends, leaving a void that's more noticeable than the music had been. An echoed clatter and heavy, stomping footfalls announce the arrival of a dark-skinned Khazadi mason climbing up from beneath the half-skeleton of the inn covered in a truly prodigious amount of dull-grey dust. She wears a backpack and a cross-shoulder satchel and she carries a wonderfully ornate sledge capped with a head that's unmistakably adamantine.
She's grumbling something in Khazdul about kobolds and tunnels over one dirty shoulder.
In her wake is a far-cleaner and more-elaborately decorated gnome. The little maestro appears to've dodged the worse of whatever dust showers befell the dwarf and he simply sucks his teeth in response to her pontificating. He hums a few bars and taps his finger through the air, plucking at invisible strands that puff section after section of the Khazad clean as they go.
The pair navigate through the budding framework and stop at the edge of the unfinished stone floor. The black-eyed gnome produces a gem and summons a pony of thunderclouds and shadow. The mason accepts payment and climbs the steed before flying off back towards Alexandria.
Whistling to himself, Jinks steps down towards the vardo and the assembling crowd, lifting his eyebrows in greeting. "Tunnel's closed," he tells the mayor and her twin (and their gnoble steed).
All heads turn towards Sabina. There's a collective, 'oooooo?'
"So... what can this Carver woman do for us?" Retzi asks Sabina.
Yolo and Yaree are simply nodding at the warning regarding the druids.
"Well maybe I want to go checking up on people." Retzi replies to Seyardu, prompting headshakes from the other two, before they are interrupted by the arrival of the Khazadhi mason and Jinks. "Oh, good. Did you find out where it went? Closed with a door or fully bricked up?"
She turns to watch the woman ride away, "Mmm. I wanted to ask her about throwing up walls of stone. If we could find someone to do it, how that should be done. Are magic walls as good, better or worse than hand crafted ones?"
Yolo grins at Sabina, "So. Monster Meals! That sounds good." She glances at Seyardu, "I think, could we say no monsters with scales? Is that a good rule? How did you pick the things to cook?"
Mikilos nods to Sabina. "Properly prepared, most things are delicious. But there's a question of sustainability and regularity. Owlbear makes a great steak, but hard to make sure you can catch enough to have them on a regular menu. Sometimes the monster is dinner, sometimes the monster has dinner." The elf considers.
"Also preperation. Shark is a Dranish delicacy.... after it's been prepared for over a year." To Retzi, he offers "Depends on who hand crafts the walls, and who magics them. A well creafted wall will certainly out perform a poorly cast one, but a well cast wall will out perform an average built one.
"Has to be edible," Carver interjects. "An' shark is delicious if given at least six months. But, one of the most important rule is you wanna eat what's been eatin' good. The balance of fatty protein means it is more nutritious an' delicious that way."
Bina nods to Mikilos and then gives the approaching Jinks a wide smile and a wave. "Hello there, Jinks, you rapscalion you." Then back to the matter at hand. She makes hand motions to Carver. "You see? Women and men who know the wilds can tell you. A chef who knows both normal food stuffs and monster cooking could work with you on what your lands can provide you and what will have to be brought in from other places. And ..ahem.. some scaled monsters really do taste wonderful." She gives the ladies a toothy grin.
"Well, it needs to be remembered that this is out of the way, and not with many people coming to see here, yet. So making things too exotic may alienate those few who do stop here." The cleric warns with a quiet puff of air. "There is nothing wrong with eating things with scales. Fish have scales. As long as you avoid anything illegal, and sentient. And do not disrupt the balance of animals in the area in the process."
"Well Kobolds..." Retzi is interrupted by Yolo's hip-check. She glares and continues, "So... if you were to say, take a dead chicken, cast restore corpse, sculpt corpse to make it look like something else, then purify food and drink, then cook it up normally as that other thing. How do you think it would taste?"
Yolo grins happily, "... because we have a few experiments..."
"Are you sure you don't want to work here?" Retzi asks Seyardu. "You could be the magistrate, or the spymaster. Checking on people."
"We've established that the animal balance is out of balance, since the thing from beyond the stars ate all of them." Yolo elaborates, tapping at the windowsill, "Well maybe we need a huntsmaster, or master chef." She alternates staring at Carver and Sabina, then calls loudly. "Bring out the food stuff!"
There is a kitchen in a nearby tent, and some contractors oblige, setting up first a table then setting out an array of dishes.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "So... a RP challenge for you. Describe something interesting and crazy they might have prepared, going on the assumpting that they don't understand 'normal' food, being at best, used to BBQ. And taste it, and then roll a Fort save to decide how digestible it is."
"It accesses an underground spring. Probably how they got their water before the well was put in." Jinks advises the wom(a/e)n with a little sigh. "It branches more than once but most of the tunnels have collapsed from--" he gestures vaguely at the nearby crater with fingers covered in jewelry. "Vanora suggested a stone door barred with steel for now; so we did that. Offered to return with more of her people when her outstanding contracts allow."
"A few festrog had dug in after being separated and trapped but they're dealt with," he adds as an afterthought.
"Sabina," Jinks smiles a greeting in return. "Coyote laughs. I hope you're enjoying your travels. Alexandria grows dull in your absence.
"Miki. Seyardu. Tallman." He nods at the rest, one after the other. He glances from the wagon to the others as they're solicited for positions. "It's not quite as mad as you might think...
"... and the air is slowly getting better."
GAME: Mikilos rolls fort: (18)+13: 31 GAME: Carver rolls fortitude: (2)+4: 6 GAME: Sabina rolls fort: (18)+8: 26 GAME: Seyardu rolls fortitude: (13)+14: 27 GAME: Jinks rolls Fortitude: (11)+9: 20
"Do not do that," Carver expresses clearly at Dead Cat Brunch idea. She follows, scratching at her neck in thought as they are led on the strange sightseeing occasion into the madhouse of the kitchen of someone who would actually suggest reheated magic dead cat for dinner.
She leans over to peer at the plate that has been sat before her, some strange bubbling liquid spilling from the cracked shell of some land crustacean whose maw has been stuffed with... mushrooms and fungus?
She stares at this thing with horror, and fascination, wondering if it shall grace her with a portent of her society's doom - right before swallowing her whole. She takes a fork, and very tentatively sinks it into the soft goopy hole and brings it to her lips with a trembling hand.
Mikilos wanders over to the menu table... and stares for a moment. Is this-? No, no, the ladies are obviously serious. Well, the wizard has never been one to shy from the weird.
"Grilled mouse over a dandelion salad. It's... actually not bad. Dandelions are a staple food in many places, and while mice aren't ideal, meat is meat and well roasted kills off the germs. Spices could use a bit of tweaking, but not a bad start."
Bina follows over to the table while winking at Jinks. "Not so dull then. I'll be around for the Winter I think." She steps up to a dark plated dish with sauted something or other on the plate. She too is not afraid of strange as she once was. The smell from the plate is..odd and strong however.
Wrinkling her nose she picks up a fork and takes up a bite, tasting it and then quirking brows..before spitting it out. "Hagfish? To deslime a hagfish though... Pressed hagfish in some sort of sauce. Beer based. It's ..it needs work. Less smell. More flavor and likely needs baked."
The three hostesses watch intently, even the swiftclaw interested in the meal. Their gazes flit about as each person makes a selection and samples it. "How's the stuffed mudcrab? And the Vermin salad." Yolo asks cheerfully.
"Oh, try the Black and black pie. Four and twenty blackberries." Retzi suggests.
"Shouldn't that be blackbirds?"
"No, there's a different ratio for blackbirds to blackberries. It's mostly blackberries." Retzi assures, pointing at a large pie, with a black crust, sitting in a pie-pan that's lined with feathers. There are little three-pronged Y's on the top, as if the pie-crust was marked with a bird's foot.
The pair hug each other, "So the hagfish is a hit? With some adjustments. You take notes." Retzi orders Yolo. Notes are taken.
"Oh, and thanks for dealing with the Festrog." Retzi adds, "Is that something that could be made into a dish?"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "The Black and Black pie has a DC20 fort save, fail, you'll temp lose 1d4 to wis and Int, as it's basically a hash brownie equivalent"
"Yes, no transfiguration of animals for your purposes. Perhaps I will need to take some form of advisorial role, to make sure that everything is up plank here." Seyardu states with a low nod as she takes a look around. She picks up a small bowl of salad, and a fork that was right next to it. They try a small spoonful of the leaves, and their mouth closes, then opens, before she plucks the plant matter out of their maw and places it back in the bowl.
"When using stinging nettles in your cooking, you need to boil the leaves to remove the stinging hairs from them. And I believe that this bowl is made from poison oak wood. To be frank, I am a bit impressed that you managed to discover hostile serving vessels for this, as well."
A skewer is selected from atop a bed of cave algae and Jinks takes a moment to consider the battered black creature that looks a mix of arrowhead and octopus. He nibbles at the tentacle underside of one on the edge, crunching through the batter and chewing more confidently after a moment's consideration.
There's a thoughtful noise and he swallows, taking the conical top of the first skewered morsel and chewing. A crunch becomes a squelch. The gnome coughs and gags, stumbling a few steps and spitting the gobbet to the ground. He coughs again. Spits. Then he produces a pocket square and wipes bright-blue ink from his lips and tongues.
"Agh... ech." He considers the stained cloth. "The battered tentamort spawn need to have their poison sacks removed before they're served." He takes a slow, steadying breath and finds a clean edge to wipe sweat from his brow. "Or you're going to need a lot of mops."
"Poison oak gives the food that extra little sting. I thought it would be perfect with the stinging nettles!" Retzi says proudly, staring at Seyardu with an uncomprehending smile. "Oh, wait, that wasn't praise. It hurt your mouth! That's why you wanted the nettles boiled."
"I was sure the principle for leafy things was crispy, and dry." Yolo adds.
"Right, not boiled to mush. Should we fry it? To kill the germs?" Retzi is serious.
The gnome's sudden retching draws their eyes, "Oh, oh I'm sorry." "Sorry." "We aren't trying to kill you! Really! Are you ok? Another note Yolo, remove poison sacs, save for alchemists."
Carver has frozen, utterly still, with fork still in her mouth. Her dark eyes are wide with some primal emotions, caught in utterance that is fit to be called a whimper but yet more tortured still.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "now, should anyone have the profession/cook or profession/innkeeper, this would be a great time to roll." GAME: Seyardu rolls profession/cook: (16)+19: 35
Mikilos eyes Carver with growing concern, and offers a small glass vial. "Wintermint oil. Kill any bad flavors gone."
"You okay Carver?" Yolo leans in, up close there are small scales over her cheekbones.
Carver eyes snap to Mikilos, then to his vial, then back to Yolo and her all-together too familiar interest in her response. She snatches the vial from the archmage and FLEES.
Yolo blinks, flicking out a forked tongue as she watches Carver flee, "Was the food that bad?"
Mikilos frowns mildly, eyeing the dish Carver sampeled. "...might be an allergy. But I suspect the shell pieces are supposed to be removed, not stirred in."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "heh, very much so. So how did it go with the Druids?" Cryosanthia pages: Druids probably agreed to a lot. While the soil is dead they can do some things to put nutrients back in it, which involve spreading a bunch of different kinds of rocks, like quicklime and some coral (harvested live). From what you know of Mictlan hunting, there should be big beasts around, and a few monsters that are interested in those. You paged Cryosanthia with ‘So, like, an agreement to meld up the stone in the crater for a lake, rain in some water, and get some healthy algae and vermin-eating fish species in there. Then maybe subsidize the area with a decent chunk of goodberries until the land can be seen to and crops grown?’ Cryosanthia pages: yes, that sounds good Cryosanthia pages: a lake with marshy edges that are good for fish farms
"Oh, so, crunchy isn't good. Or it's good sometimes? Should it be 'shell in' or 'no shell in' options, or just always no shell. I don't mind the shell." Retzi, the hybrid admits.
Yolo sits back, leaning against the wall, "This is why we asked adventurers, you know all about good eating."
There's a low growl from the swiftclaw.
"Oh! Anything you think is bad, give it to Yaree! She's hungry." Retzi suggests cheerfully.
GAME: Mikilos rolls knowledge/engineering: (17)+17: 34
Mikilos snorts softly. "Texture has it's place, but most foods are preferred without the shell." The elf looks over the options. "I'm seeing some decent herbs here, dill, basil, carrots, garlic... I think you just aren't using them to the best advantage. I can bring over some cookbooks, help get an idea for how they're typically used."
Sighing, the wizard looks out towards the crater. "You're planning on turning that into a lake, yes? I can help with getting it filled, but that shoreline may need some work. As it is, lot is just going to crumble into the water, make for a rocky marsh rather that a lake. And I assure you, as the lord of one, rocky marshes are bloodly useless."
"It depends on the vegetables being used. You should always be aware of what you are cooking, so you know the proper preparation. For instance, you can cook stinging nettles and use them how you might use spinach, for a variety of dishes, or you can make it into tea. But you can not serve it un cooked the way you might with spinach for a salad or garnishes." The cleric begins rattling off, taking a look at the others and shaking their head. "I planned for any potential issues, if anyone needs healing or to be cleansed of poison, I can provide such. As for the hagfish, scalding it in hot water and rinsing it will remove the majority of the slime, but I would recommend a white wine based sauce instead of beer. Hafish needs a lighter flavored sauce if you are not battering it beforehand, at least that is what I was told."
"As for what made miss Carver run off, that is much like the nettles. You have to double check what you forage, especially with fungi of any sort. Many poisonous ones are imitated by poisonous ones, and it can be difficult to differentiate with younger mushrooms as well."
"So... adventurers wouldn't want to eat something poisonous, wait for the poison to start to kick in, then get a dispell poison so it doesn't actually kill them, but they'd have the experience of what it tasted like, felt like, in the interest of building up an immunity or at least, a knowledge of various digestible poisons?" Yolo asks. She was taking notes.
"Quite useful for food tasters. 'Oh, this is Deathcap. URK!'" Retzi giggles.
"White wine, boil, cook nettles like spinach, never uncooked nettles." Yolo dictates as she note-takes.
Retzi nods towards Mikilos, brushing her orange hair behind an ear, "We're hoping to do something like that with it. Depending what help we can get."
Well and past his retching, Jinks repeats his simple little manipulation of the Weave and cleans his pocket square before tucking it away. Then comes the flask out from his coat pocket and he's washing the last of the taste away as he listens to Mikilos, Seyardu, and the trio.
"The Yggdrasil Union has agreed to devote some of their sprouts to fertilizing the farmlands and filling the pond. They were glad for the practical training opportunity where failure doesn't mean turning good soil to fallow," explains the gnome, returning to his platter. He slides each of the skewers free from their bounty and piles them to the side before serving the plate to the 'swiftclaw.'
"Earth and stone magics to make the crater a viable pond. Water magic to fill it. Then algae and fish crops transplanted from nearby lakes. The fish will help keep vermin like biting insects in check." He takes a long draw from the flask, eyes fluttering closed as he savors the indulgence.
"They're also able to start work on reinvigorating the land; something the farmers can take over as they return. If needs be, they'll offer a healthy bushel of goodberries until crops can support the town.
"It costs you next to nothing, too," he informers the three-in-one. "They have a few simple asks relating to their dogma as followers of the Word; mainly that you continue to work to make things better after they start it. There's something called 'the Pledge of Good Neighbors.'" He shrugs at the mayor as if it's nothing. "You make out like a bandit."
Mikilos frowns thoughtfully. "A practical guide to what poison tastes like could be useful, but would be a very niche market." Listening to Jinks, he nods. "I'm good at shapeing earth and stone for construction of houses, but when it comes to making a lake, they have the better understanding and skill. Same for filling it with water. I could get the job done, but wouldn't mesh as well with the surrounding ecosystems."
The trio stare at Jinks with mouths agape. Retzi and Yolo seem speechless, Yaree more interested in the food he pushes her way. The swiftclaw has bad breath and a maw that's strikingly large, with some heat emanating from it. She's not acting in a hostile way but it's impossible to ignore how large the lizard is. She enthusiastically chows down.
"That's amazing! They agreed? You did an excellent job." Retzi finally says, swaying towards the gnome as if she would pick him up, then refraining. "The Pledge of Good Neighbours? What's that? Doesn't sound like a problem. We certainly want to get things improved. More and more people, under our benevolent rule!"
Yolo is nodding, "Well, if you're good at building houses, maybe you could help us put up a few, or make a bridge. Once the Inn is done we want a tenement to replace those tents. Give the poor workers a little shelter." She sounds insincere more than concerned, but the thought was shared. "Hmmm... do you want to be the town's magic advisor? We could build you a shack in a rocky swamp, it'll be just like your imaginary home!"
"I am not saying that you should be out seeking to poison people, just that I considered it a potential concern." The cleric notes as they take a step back while the others make their suggestions. "Anything you are serving in the inn should be tested thoroughly beforehand, and you must take into account what your available ingredients will be at any given time. What is not foraged or hunted will need to be brought in with traders, so you should minimize as much food waste as possible. Meats are best obtained from hunting within reason, but you can not always count on having enough on any given day. It will need to be supplemented with preserved food. Look into setting up a smokehouse and drying racks for any excess."
"It sounds like you have good plans in place with the druids, as well. Thank you for seeing to that Jinks, maintaining good relations with them will be important for further development."
Yolo nods to Seyardu, "Okay, those are good suggestions too."
Retzi is nodding also, staring at Jinks with wide eyes, "He is our very special... gnome." She winks.
A large crunching noise interrupts, as Yaree chows down, eating the food, skewers and all. It seems the poison oak bowl is spared only as an afterthought. She growls happily, drooling on the road, staring at the remaining food on the table.
"Oh, how are our finanaces holding up Jinks, did you invest them in a bank in town?" Retzi asks.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "so, Jinks you get to make a treasury roll, which is 1d20 +8 for the current economy bonuses, -0 because there's no unrest. That turns into build points for turn 2" GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+8-0: (8)+8+-0: 16 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "so that divides by 3 and turns into 5 Build Points" <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "25% chance of event" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d100: (96): 96 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "no significant events until the tavern is finished." <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "mechanics wise, the rules say if you hold a position it requires 7 days out of every month, which wouldn't interfere with adventuring but you would have to IC say 'I'm busy doing X' once in a while." <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "PCs in a position give extra bonuses. There aren't easy ways of calculating how much a building should cost, when there are casters who could 'wall of stone' 4 interconnected walls in 24 seconds, although I guess it's handwaved in a 'costs X to do the thing, magically or mundanely'" <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "although PCs can burn money to get more Build Points, which is the currency for buildings"
Mikilos snorts, but smiles. "You're welcome to visit Estranillia some day, though is quite the trip. And while I'm happy enough to provide counsel, my other duties requre that I keep things unofficial. I don't have the time to do justice to a formal position."
Jinks has left the 'steed' to her feast and stood back to listen again. He glances at Seyardu and blinks as she adds her observations, then looks down at the ground and nods. "It was just another thing to do. The druids wanted the same thing..." He's lost for just a moment before frowning up at Retzi.
"What there was, yes. Supply in the city is thin and prices are higher than normal. We'll finish the tavern and have supply for one or two more simply out buildings." He half-turns and glances down the way Sabina and Carver retreated. "You'll need income sooner rather than later." He cants his chin at Carver's back. "Contract recovery at the sandcastle, maybe."
There's the familiar sound of the gnome sucking his teeth and he's turning back towards the wagon. "If you think the kobold tribes would've left anything behind." He shrugs and seems to get lost in thought again.
"Ah..." The three are suddenly skittish. Retzi is adjusting her clothing and rubbing against the side of the Vardo. She faces Jinks, "they're... ah... the Black Kobold took over the Sandcastle. There are a bunch of kobolds there. I don't know what they're doing."
She hesitates, then continues, "Pretty sure they're keeping our treasure."
"Well they're our treasure, so it's treasure guarding itself." Yolo insists.
"Right, they're doing their thing and we're leaving them alone." Retzi mumbles, "though if someone wanted to talk to them..."
There's silence, except for the crunching sounds Yaree is making, which are followed by a plaintif rumble that shakes the ground as she STARES at the table and the food which isn't moving nor eating itself.
"If we're done with the dishes, they can be given to Yaree," Retzi tells the cooks, then nods further, "income sooner than later. Okay. We'll do what we can."
"I should get a nice aerial survey, so we can figure out plots." Yolo suggests.
The fancy little gnome takes a deep breath and sighs, nodding his head. "... someone else should try," he decides with a glance at Seyardu. He tries a song but his voice falters. He clears his throat and tries again, gesturing to conjure another of the shadowstuff ponies.
"I've been out for too long as it is. I'll check-in later," he adds. There's a pause as he sits atop the roiling animal to think silently and then a shrug. The silent beast takes one long stride and begins to tear back through the air.
OOC
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "So, I'll set pose. General theme is you're at a town that's a good 8 hours carriage ride away from Alexandria, and well, it's not a town anymore, but is trying to be. There's a very odd 'patron', and there was an Explorer's Guild listing to come test out the menu and help with town planning."
Kingdom Stats
Size 1
Economy 8, Loyalty 6, Stability 3, Unrest -1 (0), Consumption 1, Treasury 5 BP
Pop/Society +1
First Kingdom Turn
Phase 3 - Income - 5 Build Points, no extra added
Phase 4 - Events - No Events
End First Turn