Getting rid of those pesky forest squatters

[Jd Smith1]

So, Stanford (yes, the university's namesake) probably post-dates the Old West, but his business practices were ... not wildly atypical for the category.

It's also probable there was some resentment over the rail owners having a monopoly over something so vital. Resenting Big Business has deep roots in the US, after all.

I've never understood why. Big business is what makes a nation.

 

[Jd Smith1]

hm. Not as fun
But true

If you want to get a good situation going, make both sides likable.

Instead of squatters, made the inhabitants of the forest a declining tribe devoted to a nature deity who view the entire forest as a place of worship.

Make the lumber company addressing a crucial wood shortage caused by boring beetles; if they do not harvest hardwoods in quantity and soon, the local community's workshops will close for lack of materials, the oncoming winter will kill the old and the very young for lack of fuel, and general hard times will descend upon the good people.

 

[Drazen]

If you want to get a good situation going, make both sides likable.

Instead of squatters, made the inhabitants of the forest a declining tribe devoted to a nature deity who view the entire forest as a place of worship.

Make the lumber company addressing a crucial wood shortage caused by boring beetles; if they do not harvest hardwoods in quantity and soon, the local community's workshops will close for lack of materials, the oncoming winter will kill the old and the very young for lack of fuel, and general hard times will descend upon the good people.

Well, there is a thought!
I see, both sides will have reasons for being.
The people wish to keep their homes
But the lumberers need the wood supply to keep their homes

 

[prabe]

If you want to get a good situation going, make both sides likable.

Instead of squatters, made the inhabitants of the forest a declining tribe devoted to a nature deity who view the entire forest as a place of worship.

Make the lumber company addressing a crucial wood shortage caused by boring beetles; if they do not harvest hardwoods in quantity and soon, the local community's workshops will close for lack of materials, the oncoming winter will kill the old and the very young for lack of fuel, and general hard times will descend upon the good people.

I actually agree that it's more interesting in many ways if the PCs are choosing between competing goods--I definitely like it better than choosing the lesser evil, and it's more realistic if both sides think they're in the right than if one side is irredeemably Evil. If your players are fine with it, of course ... (some might feel less heroic if there's not a clear Good and Evil).

 

[Drazen]

I would like to see this play out. Will you keep me updated on what happens and how the PC's resolve this situation?

 

[Jd Smith1]

I actually agree that it's more interesting in many ways if the PCs are choosing between competing goods--I definitely like it better than choosing the lesser evil, and it's more realistic if both sides think they're in the right than if one side is irredeemably Evil. If your players are fine with it, of course ... (some might feel less heroic if there's not a clear Good and Evil).

My players are never heroic. They are motivated by four basic principles: spite, greed, petty-mindedness, and irrational affections for inconsequential NPCs.

But you're right, you have to tailor your scenarios to the group you have.

Although solving both groups' issues could easily be heroic.

 

[Tonguez]

Which brings up an issue: the railroads made the West, and were made possible by none other than Abe Lincoln. So why in gaming and Hollywood are rail barons evil?

Hmmm, maybe but theres good reason for the Rail Barons being cast as villains.
Firstly the Railways were paid for via government money usually raised via the sale of Public lands. It was only later that the private investors got involved in operations making loans in return for Shares and then actively manipulating the share prices and land purchasing arrangements to their own benefit. Its that Government sanctioned transfer of public wealth to invidual corporate entities that essentially defines the Robber Baron stereotype

The railway also allowed access to isolated areas of the west and thus were a key vehicle of imperialism and displacement of the Native peoples from their lands. This was underpinned by the US invention of manifest destinty.
The arrival of rail on the great plains in particular lead directly to the mass slaughter of Bison which the local native peoples were dependent on.

Transferring that to a Lumber Mill investor, especially in a world were Tree hugging Druids have actual power makes sense enough ...

 

[aco175]

There could be a way to force the squatters to your fledgling town and out of the forest. Then you have more population for a growing town and workers to cut more forest. Having them see that it is in their best interest to be part of your group and you have allies. Then they can ask their PC family to attack the wyvern who by now the surviving kobolds have allied themselves to.

 

[DemoMonkey]

Have the Logging Company "leak" information to the PCs about a powerful magic item that is far far away that would totally ruin their plans. The poor squatters beg the PCs not to go, but the power hungry PCs probably will anyways.

While they are off chasing the item - it doesn't actually exists of course - strip the forest bare.

 

[Eltab]

Traditionally, a 'dark wood' is another way of describing wild forest.

I may be reading too much into the OP, but in Forgotten Realms lore, 'darkwood' is one of a few non-IRL trees that holds magical properties and so is a valuable (and uncommon) natural resource.