The Four Lands - The Colony

J. Alexander · Feb 17, 2008

December 10, 1128 YL
The night is dark and storm, winds rattel the window pains and even the strong shutters and high quality windows can not prevent the room from chilling. Having been summoned from afar your arrival in the grand city of Brightlaw has been uneventful and frustrating. From day one, which was exactly 34 days ten hours and 14 minutes ago as calculated by one fuming dwarf, the assembled group has been kept more or less prisoners on the 5th floor of the Crystal Chalice. Besides non communicative staff the only person the group has had interaction with besides themself is the floor butler named Ralph. The enforced confiment has made each of you grumpy and the fact that there are two souless dwarves present in addition to several representatives of a heathern relgion combined with servearl zealous representatives of the light and one sharp tounged gadfly has made it interesting at times to say the least.

As the storm begins to roll in the sound of carriages and the heavy tramp of what could only be disclipined soliders can be heard below on the street. A late dinner is served much to the disgust of several of the group as they are denied dinner in their private dinning rooms and forced to eat with the others. The meal itself is excellent, two yearling pigs, a yearling lamb and several crown roasts provide the main course along with a lighter selection of meats such as braised duck and pheaseant. A nice savory soup with a hint of lemon provides a nice counterpoint alond with an imposing selection of fresh fruits. Several types of mushrooms are also served with one being the size of a mans fist which has been stuffed with spinach and cheese. Accompaning this all is a large selection of wine, beer and ale.

ACTIONS and descriptions of your character if you wish(Remeber your still dining and know each other by sight as you have been more or less living with each other for over a month)

Maidhc O Casain · Feb 17, 2008

Pandak Kaswitikan - Dwarven Transmuter/Ranger/Paragon

Pandak, a tall (for a Dwarf) skinny (for a Dwarf) Dwarf digs in eagerly but with excellent manners to this most excellent dinner. He sips a glass of wine appropriate to complement the duck and stuffed mushrooms, and makes easy conversation with his peers around the table. Arching a bushy eyebrow high up onto his shaved pate, he delicately wipes a bit of juice from his VanDyke and responds to Conrad's last remark.

"Yes, friend, I think we may be about to discover the reason for our imprisonment. I can't for the life of me imagine why anyone would be so desperate for my company . . . I'm looking forward to finding out!"

Scotley · Feb 17, 2008

Alvar Escobedo Human Paragon/Bard/Swashbuckler

Finishing a bowl of soup, Alvar holds up a glass of deep red wine and peers at it while holding it to the light, seemingly satisfied with what he sees, he sniffs and then sips. After a moments reflect he turns to turns to Pandak sitting on his left, "Let me thank you again for the fine work you have done. I am very pleased with the crafting. You and Conrad are to be commended. As is the maker of this soup, quite good." His voice is cultured and his words educated, but with a thick southern accent. He is an imposing man who seems confined by small spaces of the hotel. His exagerated gestures and swaggering manner require wide open spaces. Alvar is a tall dark man of thirty years with a confident bearing and rakish charm. He wears a neat beard and mustache that like his hair are dark as coal. His flashing green eyes are intelligent and observant. While a fairly handsome man he possesses a personal magnetism that is more striking than mere appearance. Alvar often wears a knowing smile. He always has a warm smile and a hearty greeting for his friends and a derisive sneer and caustic remark for his enemies. He moves with impressive grace and strength. A large signet ring is on his right hand. He wears a polished steel breastplate of finest make over fine doublets of the best material with lace at the cuff and collar. He favors a bright red sash festooned with medals to hold the sword belt where he wears a pair of Rapiers. These are custom blades thicker at the base than usual and with an edge from mid-blade to tip on the face and a quarter edge on top leading to a razor point. He also wears a bow, warmace and whip. He seems to enjoy the sound of his own voice and often has a comment on any subject and when there is nothing to say he often sings. Something in his demeanor suggests that he is always willing to put his ever present blades to use.

Nightbreeze · Feb 17, 2008

Ederin Scatterlight, human Cloistered Cleric//Druid

Ederin is slowly finishing his own food, while eying the fruits disposed on a central dish. He seems to very much appreciate them and, based on previous experiences of his dinner routine, will soon start to devour them - with utmost manner, of course. Hearing the words of the tall dwarf, he rises his face and smiles in responce Well, it was due time, I shall say. I was getting nervous about the wait.

That is a plain and obvious lie. Since the beginning of this strange confinement, he has been completely at ease. He was the first to speak with the dwarves, except for sir Alvar, who seemingly knew them already. That seemed strange at first, because on his long and exquisite vest, among the various symbols there's one that identifies him as a member of the Shennears, a small and mostly unimportant order of knights dedicated to the defense of people in the Sunbridge grand duchy. However his companions soon discovered that although a member of the Church, he almost never mentions it and speaks freely with anyone. He doesn't seem to care much about the tight dogma, although he doesn't speak against them openly: he just ignores them. Not quite handsome, and he doesn't have the personal magnetism of the armored singer that spoke before him. But he has a really important quality: once someone starts speaking with him, he feels at ease and can speak about anything for hours and hours. He has an amazing set of knowledge, and can discuss with anyone about his homeland and the history of his nation as if he had lived there since his birth. His almost always wears a warm and pleasant smile on his face.

He has a fine ability with words, and that reveals him as an excellent diplomat. When speaking with a friend, he is speaking with absolute calm and warmth. However, when he has to convince someone, or when arguing, his eyes become sharp as those of an eagle, and he seems to see through any attempt to deceive him. He never seems to be enraged, but when someone repeatedly tries to irritate him (that rarely happens), his face goes blank and unreadable.

Ederin wears an elaborate set of robes, mixing plain cloth with engraved motives, with warm colors. He is 6 feet tall, and has a long, black hair and brown eyes.

Master Kaswitikan, there was something I've been wanting to ask you for some time, but we never had the time: I was interested by the way you use to build your cities. As you live in underground spaces, I suppose that you have to carefully plan everything before starting the works. That rarely happens in human lands, where everyone builds whatever he can on his own land. Who is in charge of that aspect of your life?

As if reconsidering his last words, he speaks again. Actually, I don't think that this is a good dinner discussion: most of you would feel bored by it, and rightfully so. So, what shall we speak about? Do we settle for the amount of reimbursement that we should receive for 37 days of lost opportunities? He grins now, plainly kidding

Leif · Feb 17, 2008

Hennett, Druid/Ranger

The brooding presence of Hennett glides down the stairs and circulates through the Great Hall, seemingly on a mission of some sort. Then, spying his quarry at last, he makes his way quickly to the sideboard where an opulent variety of spiritous libations are being served. Hennett, a tall, portly man, receives a fine crystal goblet of mulled wine. He excuses himself to the edges of the room immediately, where he pours the wine into his own cup, a rude, wooden affair that he had secreted somewhere on his person. He then, knowing that if he presented his goblet to the bartender so soon, it would simply be refilled and returned to him, places the fine crystal on a marble end table.

Hennett is not much given to strong drink, but the time spent cloistered here has weighed heavily upon him. He spends much more time than most of his companions in the stables, where he whiles away the hours with his friend and steed, Beavis. Hennett and Beavis seem to have a closer bond than a man and his horse are wont to have.

In general, Hennett is a very taciturn man, speaking only when spoken to, and answering with the fewest possible words. It is possible that this is merely a symptom of his being kept apart from his beloved forest, although Hennett is a very thoughtful, quiet man. He stands well over 6 feet tall, and is quite muscular, but also has a very ponderous belly. He wears functional clothing of wool or cotton, in colors mostly in varying shades of green, but sometimes accented with a brighly colored (by comparison at least) vest or jerkin. His hair is longish and unruly, and he wears a gray headband to keep it out of his eyes. His beard and mustache are coal black, and they are not too long, but very bushy. His bright, gleaming eyes are the palest of blue, sometimes appearing gray, depending upon the lighting.

When out in the wilds, as he prefers, Hennett is never without his trusty bow, a short composite bow with which he is very highly skilled, and his greataxe, which is more like another appendage than it is a weapon.

Hennett has, evidently, elected to assume a stoic, reserved demeanor with respect to the group's "house arrest." He chafes at the confinement, but he can edure this punishment, and will continue to do so for as long as is required, as long as he is supplied with ample drink. He has faith that there is some purpose behind all of this, and that this purpose will be revealed in due course.

Hennett never uses his surname, Garlag, and few even know what it is. He may reveal it to his friends, later, but it is a sore spot for Hennett, as it is evidence that his family carries orcish blood from many generations back.

{picture to be added here, later, if Mowgli would be so kind as to craft one, hint, hint}

Dracomeander · Feb 17, 2008

Conrad Ironstar (Four Lands - Colony)

Conrad finishes the last bit of his stuffed mushrooms and pushes back from the table. He responds in the dwarven tongue to Pandak's comments.

"It is about time they did so, Pandak. If I were forced to stay here much longer, I would have to charge these folk for the improvements I will start making to this dwelling. I don't understand how these people can stand to live in such flimsy structures. Just because it is built instead of carved from the mountainside does not mean it can't be as sturdy as the mountain. It is just shameful to accept such inferior work."

The sturdy dwarf is dressed impeccably in dark reds and blues under the midnight blue breastplate that seems to be a second skin to him. He crosses over to the sideboard and grabs a large tankard of ale before moving over to a more comfortable chair to the side of the room. He pulls a small case from his pouch and draws out a cigar and a tindertwig and is soon puffing away. Then in the Illum tongue, he joins the conversation with Ederin.

"Ah, Ederin, there is nothing wrong with discussing construction over the remains of a good meal. And you have hit upon one of the major differences in our peoples. For were we to build as haphazardly as your folk do, soon we would see the destruction of our people. It takes years of study to learn how to read the stone to make the most efficient use of it. The glory of tracing where the stone is strong enough to allow our folk to shape it is just part of the wonder that this world allows us to learn. We must take into account what use the stone removed will be put to and whether the room thus formed is necessary. To remove the stone with thoughts of future expansion without the actual need for it is wasteful in the extreme. Planning is the key to making sure that the environ stays strong enough to shelter the community, and the community stays strong enough to support the environ.

"As to reimbursement for the time spent sitting here, I'm not sure our hosts could afford that cost. My fees for sitting idle are far higher than any I would consider charging for doing something useful. This enforced idleness is an affront to any sensible craftsman. More so to one of my experience and skill."

Conrad then takes a large swig of his ale and starts puffing away on his cigar again.

Scotley · Feb 17, 2008

Alvar

Alvar smiles at his companions' comments and says, "Take the long view gentlemen. This undertaking is not a task for a weekend's idle puttering in the workshop. We have a chance to build something truly substantial, and that takes time. The wages of a few days are nothing compared with the profits we stand to make. I for one will not see myself as a mere craftsman earning a daily silver and a pot of ale. I intend to reap the rewards of a leader and founder not a simple laborer. For that level of compensation, I for one am content to wait." He takes another sip of wine. "The food and the wine are excellent, as I'm sure Hennet can attest. Enjoy this chance to relax. There will be work aplenty for us all soon enough." Those who have watched Alvar over the past month know perfectly well he chaffs under the confinement as much as any present, but he also delights in taking a superior and often contrarian view.

J. Alexander · Feb 17, 2008

Clarification

The party was sent/invited with only the information that a unique and once in a lifetime business opportunity wold be presented that was benefical to you, the church, the dwarves etc......no mention of establishing a colony was made.

Nightbreeze · Feb 17, 2008

The problem with humans is that they live in open and unlimited space. Therefore, most of us don't feel the need to start planning since the beginning, because both the planning and its application would require a greater investment in time and resources. Therefore, we start cheap, hoping that someday we will go back and adjust things.

We all know where this leads: huge, unorganized and painful to look at cities, with absolutely no scheme, or beauty. The sewers are implemented several years after the completion of the city, and therefore they can hardly cover anything. Whenever a problem exists, like the like of water supply to a certain part of the city, a solution is found, but it only causes future problems. So we are costantly fighting one problem after another, maybe resolving one of them, but we stand no chance to solve the problems at their core.

This leads to a paradox: as you know that there are several cities in the Republic that were destroyed several centuries ago in the constant wars against the Empire. After the utter destruction, the local authorites had an unique chance: to start again, with extensive knowledge about the problems that they faced before. And planning accordingly since the beginning, they were able to construct some of the most efficient, beatiful and modern cities in the southern lands.

I assure you: building an efficient human city is no less difficult than building a dwarven one, although I can only guess. The fact that we have open space in any directions means that we have some advantage...but it is also true that we can be attacked by any direction, while you only have to bother about your well-protected tunnels. There are many other pains: water supply, ease to travel from and to the city without compromising its security, presence of land suited for agricolture, forests for wood, mines for iron and quarries for stone.

I humbly think that it would be difficult to find a better city builder than me in the southern lands, at least as far as I know. And I think that on the top of these problems, the greatest challenge is to beat them while living in balance with the same nature that gives us life and nourishment. That...my firend...that is how you can build a truly magnificent city.

Unfortunately, everyone things just about maximizing their profits. - Ederin sighs and rests his back on the chair, catching his breath after the long speech. Then he starts looking around and his eyes catch another juicy fruit.

Not that profit is bad, of course - he laughs - what really matters is how you use it - and he winks to his companions.