The Four Lands - The Colony

[Nightbreeze]

OOC: Alton has invested 100,000 SP in the academy with Randal (see post#419). It has not been clarified if that is an independent school or one affiliated with the NCD.

I asked you to decide on your own, keeping in mind that if it is not affiliated with the NCD, it will be a "standard" academy that gets support from the NCD. If it is affiliated (thus, those 100ksp become shares and the company invests them in such a way), it will become a reasearch facility which main objective is to enrich the company and the colony

Nightbreeze--You do realize that 6000 goats will require 1000 acres of mostly cleared land for themselves!

True, but don't forget these two spells: Plant growth and Diminish Plants. Unless JA gives us a no-no, they would easily solve such problems. There are certain advantages in having two high level druids If JA frowns upon this or says that the spells cannot be used in such a way, your proposal is very good, though.

We need to secure the area and clear the land for industries of all types before we fill in the industries. Who is our urban planner?

Err...that would be Ederin, full ranks in all related skills. He started out as a city planner, not a businessman. Infact, this is still his focus with the NCD

Your list is exceptional, many thanks for the jobs. The wiki page also would be very very nice.

Ah, and Ja, I have to ask you again about that spell, bottle of smoke, and another one from Spellcompendium, lay of the land. If you don't have it, I'll provide you with full descriptions.

 

[Nightbreeze]

I'll have a poke at your to-do list. Additions are bold

[sblock]To-do list, not in order--please propose order and additions. Not distinguishing between Company and Colony, for now.

A. Load up the ships and set sail
B. Make it safely to the colony.
C. Off-load the inital shipments and put things somewhere....
1. Build a fort to defend, so we can keep workers and other alive in case of all-out attack. This may eventually become a regional capitol. Use magic and harps of building to do it fast.
2. Build a port for supply ships and trade vessels.--have to keep them contained so the colonial goveernment can collect trariffs to pay off the mainland. When our economy is developed, transform the commercial port into a place where modern naval forces can be build: we will be the only place on that side of the ocean where it can be done, and it will give us the required independence.
3. Map out the land holdings of the various parties. Start with exploring the lands nearby, and if there are no populations, keep a low profile. If there are populations, estabilish if they are at odds with D'shai, and make immediate contact, striving for an agreement of secrecy. Show good will and try to obtain a monopoly for the trade with those populations. (obviously, on the behalf of the NCD. Which reminds me to buy gifts). Ederin needs to explore (roughly) the continent, and understand where are the D'shai, and what is the probability of a contact
4. Clear various land holdings as necessary for industries and agriculture. Druidic magic and low-qualified labor
5. Secure various land holdings as outposts from the garrison--protects workers, etc. and provides advance notice of attacks. We have a mercenary company
6. Need to explore the area and catalog threats to people, animals, and crops.
7. If we are discovered by the enemy, take the war to the enemy to keep them off balance.
8. Build an economic base.
-Much to say here. Obviously, we will need to build what every community needs: a solid infrastructure, agriculture and such in order to be self-suficient. However, I bet that 90% of our profits will come from exports to the mainland. Thus, precious metals: gold, silver, precious stones, spices and exotic food, fruits and vegetables, and so on. Of course, as we will export seeds, we have to make sure that only certain companies in the four lands grow them (for example our subsidiaries ). Start transferring loads and loads of people to the new company.
9. Pay off the ********* ***holes that put us here and saddled us with large taxes.
10. Revolt and declare our independence. (Oops, did I think that out loud?) (that will have to wait a little bit, I fear)
11. Make an effort to control any new city or colony that is founded in the new lands. The best way to ensure this is to be the one who found them, or hold some kind of monopoly of especially important commodity. Or, we could just be the only ones who have an exclusive trading agreement with the natives, and a peace arragement. Not being able to supply and being in constant warfare with the natives is the doom of any colony.
[/sblock]

 

[Scotley]

Alvar

"I have some thoughts on settlers. We could invest some company money in a recruitment operation I suggest we base this operation in areas where there is an abundance of people eager to move out."

OOC: JA What areas of the Four Lands are currently experiencing economic hardship and or famine? What about lands where there are currently refugees fleeing warfare?

 

[Scotley]

Alvar

[sblock=Pandak]If the company isn't interested in the spirits operation, Alvar will be willing to invest in a joint venture. I might even be able to find a market for some of our product. I suggest we hire a couple of brew-masters and secure a couple of tons of equipment. A small operation shouldn't require too much to get started.[/sblock]

 

[Scotley]

Alvar

"I second the call for good legal representation."

 

[Nightbreeze]

Investments so far:

Nascent Company for Development:

• Material required for the construction of 4 medium sized mines
• Slaves:
  150 general workers
  100 women in breeding age
  100 teenagers
  2+1 carpenters
  2+1 blacksmiths
  2+1 glass blowers
  2+1 lumber millwrights
  1 herder
  1 woodcutter
  3 miners
  1 scribe
• One 75ksp warship-cargo, named "Seed". 120 ton vessel some 80 feet long 25 feet wide and is a two master. She has 75 tons of cargo capicity and mounts one catapult forward and two on both the port and starboard sides.
• 6000 goats (176 breeding bucks, 248 estabilished breeding does, 372 kids, 4204 yearlings (mature) does, with 90 days of grain: 388 tons.
• 30 Heavy plows
  40 mature cows/oxen
  120 heavy horses
  60 harrows
  60 seeders
  200 calves (20 male, 180 female)
  200 colts, mostly females
  Hire 50 cowhers/grooms
  900 harnesses/horse collars
  food for 600 animals for 180 days.
  - total weight: around 450 tons

Note that we are still waiting for the price of the last items.
Also, keep in mind that we have 5000 tons of cargo space....so really, we can buy a lot more.

I realized that there plently of things for JA to review, so I will wait for the others to sum up their investments and then proceed to make a list.

Meanwhile, I propose other investments to the shareholders (they may overlap with something you already bought, I don't know).

1) Salt. We are going to have loads and loads of meat at the new colony, and unless we let the herd grow exponentially (well, we could allow that), we may want to put up some reserves.
2) Materials required for a huge mill.
3) Tools required for skinning strange animals.
4) Boats, in order to explore the inner river, if the ship cannot make it
5) Arrange for a restaurant to be built here in the city of Brightlaw. It will be then used to present the new spices, fruits, vegetables and meats. Of course, some of the best cooks shall be taken, and it should strive to become a place for the elite of the city.
6) A samwill, or two. We will need huge amounts of lumber. Of course...as this colony will be respectful to nature, we will be careful in not destroying forests.
7) Alchemic materials. Acid and alchemist fire could be useful into dealing with specific materials that we can't foresee now.
8) Cranes, in order to deal with good's transportation from and to ships
9) Wheels for carts.
10) More horses. We don't know if there are going to be horses there, so we may buy some horses for military and scouting uses, as well to start an initial herd.

Currently, I am short on ideas, so I need some inputs. Any further ideas? Have you got any proposal for business? Or something that you already invested in, but could use more investments?

 

[Scotley]

OOC: I have the cranes covered. You suggestions are excellent. The salt in particular will be important if we can't mine it locally. You hinted at this as well, but trade goods for whatever locals we find might be useful. We are also going to need basic household goods for the colonists. It will be some time before we can make all the furniture, pots, pans, everyday tools and blankets we'll need.

I had no idea we had such a large volume of cargo space at our disposal. We should definitely take more horses.

I would also suggest paper making equipment. The sawmills should produce enough scrap to justify making paper for the large amount of record keeping that our operations will certainly entail.

 

[Dracomeander]

Scotley, good thought on a paper maker. Would add book binder's skills to that need as well.

On the to do list, Conrad has already been planning how to quickly raise some stone ramparts for defense of the colony. We have enough clerics and druids to be able to enclose a sizable area in Walls of Stone spells in just a few days. Once in place, they can be bolstered by earthen ramparts on the inside to increase their durability with general laborers and a single supervisor.

Conrad has purchased the materials for one sawmill apart from the funds he has put into the Company. Also, he and Pandak both have Alchemy Labs available. The problem will be finding time to do everything they need to supervise.

Conrad has also purchased 50 sets of tools for the four major construction crafts - masonry, carpentry, lumbering, & mining. We need skilled people to wield those tools. They do not need to be masters, but they need to be familiar with their use. Most likely journeymen or advanced apprentices almost ready for their journeymen exams. There is too much work to do to get the colony established to try to train unskilled people for those jobs.

 

[J. Alexander]

Shopping

Cost of Good Legal Advice
75 sp per hour plus billiable expenses...
50 sp per hour plus billalbe expeseses with a monnthly retainer of 250 sp
250 sp per hour plus billable expenses quarrtlery retainer of 1000sp
Pick which company you want.

Goats
Hey there spells .......I am sure i can wreck mischief with them as your try and reek benefit from them

Spells
I have reviewed them and have no problem wtih them i have several ways around them if necessary

Population
There is always some portion of the fourland exp. economic hardship but that is outweighed by the sheer size of the Four lands itself. You can always find poor people in the slums of the Republic or Cracker types in the Confederated States and of course people discontient with the local Bishop etc in the Valley.

 

[Nightbreeze]

As we are one the trip, we will have several hundreds of people with nothing else to do. They may as well start learning some profession, especially the young men.

I agree on the basic household goods, but I don't think we should go overboard: afterall, this is a colony. no need for us to pay full and expensive goods for each household, basic things will suffice. Of course, that is only my opinion, and it may be completely wrong.

Regarding the salt, I think that 10 tons should be enough? I am buying these, if you think we may need more, tell me. I am also buying 2 boats and 200 wheels for carts, and I am doubling the amount of horses and relative equipment that we have so far (and I am editing the last post accordingly). Furthermore, I'd like one ton of colored glass and pretty glass compositions, as well as 10.000sp worth of precious gems. Furthermore, I'd like 10.000sp worth of expensive and exquisite clothes, for men and women of various heights. These are materials that, if not used, can be easily sold again. Also, a paper producing laboratory, for company's needs. Also, I'd like to buy 50 engraved bottles worth 50sp each: they will be used as a focus of the "Bottle of smoke" spell, which will give our scouts exceptional abilities. That will be complemented by 10 spyglasses.

Alvar and Conrad: would you like to invest the samwill and the cranes in the company, and get an according number of shares? It needs them anyway.


OOC: Do you think that JA will seriously screw with the plant growth spells? I am willing to take the risks . Besides, goats can really eat anything.