Everyday Life in Beachtown

[OGRE MAGE]

A frail old woman hears the brute shouting and comes around the corner of a shack. She gasps when she sees Maag's face, but speaks with him anyway.

"Ya? I know a little something bout that, but I ain't no unter!"

She looks the half-orc up and down for a moment.

And just who er you? I ain't never seen the likes a you round here before."

[Jernau35]

Maag

Name's Maag. Wos your name? Nah, I wouldn' fink deres a lot like me around 'ere. 'Cept Saracen a 'course. I'm tryin' to keep me 'ead down, but it looks like I bin dragged into lookin' for some poisonous spiders in dis big buildin over dere."

The half-orc fishes a gold coin out of his pouch and rolls it between his knuckles. "So wos der score den? Got anyfink dat will come in 'andy out dere?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Felicity

The old woman doesn't shy away from the brutish half-orc.

"Name's Felicity, then."

She eyes the coin with contained interest.

"Don't know nuthin bout no spiders, but I know where the big shack out there is."

[OGRE MAGE]

Marge is indeed large.....and in charge. She and her water gathering train are just about to depart when Jaxsen and Gwen approach. Marge is amazed to see the helpful Jaxsen again. She is even more amazed when she notices he has brought help along with him.

"Hello again Jaxsen! There are plenty of pails, I'm sure we can find one that will work."

She looks the tiny Gwen over first.

"Hello there dear. I haven't seen you around here yet. We have a few yokes that the kids can carry, unless that cute halfling tried to leave it out in the jungle again. Maybe that would work? Are you both ready for a few hours of hard work? Everyone must do their part, you know!"

[tomlowshang]

Gwethglersinwen Larendirina

"Hello Marge, call me Gwen. And you are right. I just arrived."

Gwen finds a yoke suitable for her 4'3½" stature. She estimates the capacity of the containers and notes the number of people in the water bearer train.

"I'm ready," she says to Marge. "Are you one of the original settlers?"

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag considers Felicity's offer. It's likely that Gilbert already knows where the spider building is, so he won't be gaining much at all, in his opinion. He decides to take the chance anyway. He holds out the gold piece between finger and thumb.

"Orright den Felicity. Tell 's what you know."

[OGRE MAGE]

Saracen rolls his eyes. He bows and leaves the tavern. He will head to the beach and have a look around for any sailors or guards that patrol the colony.

Again the mighty warrior looks around to find that the defenses of this colony are nearly nonexistent. There are a few fishermen down near the water, but he doesn't see any guards or a patrol of any kind. There are no towers or guard posts built anywhere and the entire town seems susceptible to attacks from every direction. There is always someone tending the fire pit, however.

[OGRE MAGE]

Gwethglersinwen Larendirina

"Hello Marge, call me Gwen. And you are right. I just arrived."

Gwen finds a yoke suitable for her 4'3½" stature. She estimates the capacity of the containers and notes the number of people in the water bearer train.

"I'm ready," she says to Marge. "Are you one of the original settlers?"

Marge is thrilled to see the enthusiasm of the new recruit, even if she can only carry one of the smaller yokes.

"Welcome, Gwen! Nice to meet you! Yes, I'm the Marge everyone here talks about. And no, I wasn't one of the original settlers, but pert near! I've been here nearly as long as anyone now, other than Mr. Nehru, of course. He is such a great man."

The dozen or so people in the water gathering train, now joined by Jaxsen and Gwen, set out east up the beach trail towards the river. There is one man in the group other than Jax today, the rest of the group is made up of women and older children.

[OGRE MAGE]

Maag

Maag considers Felicity's offer. It's likely that Gilbert already knows where the spider building is, so he won't be gaining much at all, in his opinion. He decides to take the chance anyway. He holds out the gold piece between finger and thumb.

"Orright den Felicity. Tell 's what you know."

The old woman leans forward, as if she is going to whisper something. She puts her frail hand on the coin as she ineptly tries to put her other hand into the stocky half-orcs front pocket. He notices here feeble attempt to rob him immediately. She tries to change the subject once her failure is obvious.

"You look like ya could use a bit o' companionship, big fella! Any chance you like the older ladies?"

[tomlowshang]

Marge is thrilled to see the enthusiasm of the new recruit, even if she can only carry one of the smaller yokes.

"Welcome, Gwen! Nice to meet you! Yes, I'm the Marge everyone here talks about. And no, I wasn't one of the original settlers, but pert near! I've been here nearly as long as anyone now, other than Mr. Nehru, of course. He is such a great man."

The dozen or so people in the water gathering train, now joined by Jaxsen and Gwen, set out east up the beach trail towards the river. There is one man in the group other than Jax today, the rest of the group is made up of women and older children.

Gwethglersinwen Larendirina

"Well Marge, you've been here a long time and must be quite knowledgeable about the town. Is Mr Nehru the town administrator?"

OOC: I know who Nehru is. I'm wondering why Marge called Nehru "a great man" but that's awkward to ask outright.

After walking some distance with the group, Gwen realizes just how far water needs to be transported.

"Marge, do you know why the town was established so far from the river? It seems like a huge mistake. Or maybe they had no choice?"

Gwen looks at the area south of the trail to see if it was cleared or is a natural beach.

"At some point in the future, the town's water needs will exceed what can be carried by hand." She shrugs. "But that's probably far enough in the future that most Humans won't worry about it until its too late."

"What about you, Marge? As the chief water bearer, have you thought about this problem?"

[Jernau35]

Maag

Being used to this kind of behavior from some of the company he used to keep back home, Maag isn't fazed by Felicity's offer. "I 'avent bin 'ere long enough to get lonely yet!" laughs Maag, not unkindly. "But when I do, I'll come lookin' for you, orright darlin'?" He squeezes both her hands in his and winks at her. The he hands her another gold piece. "Dere's a dahnpayment for yer".

Maag takes a step back, checking that his purse is still there as he does so. "Now den Felicity, I need yer t'do me a favor while I'm gone. Keep yer eyes and ears open fer any strangers dat come lookin fer me, an' let me know. An' any gossip yer pick up about strange buildin's or weird 'appenin's will come in 'andy too". With that, he turns to leave. Just before he does, he blows a kiss to Felicity, "See yer soon, sweet'art!"

The half- orc walks back towards the tavern, keeping an eye out for any of his new companions as he does so.

[OGRE MAGE]

Gwethglersinwen Larendirina

"Well Marge, you've been here a long time and must be quite knowledgeable about the town. Is Mr Nehru the town administrator?"

After walking some distance with the group, Gwen realizes just how far water needs to be transported.

"Marge, do you know why the town was established so far from the river? It seems like a huge mistake. Or maybe they had no choice?"

Gwen looks at the area south of the trail to see if it was cleared or is a natural beach.

"At some point in the future, the town's water needs will exceed what can be carried by hand." She shrugs. "But that's probably far enough in the future that most Humans won't worry about it until its too late."

"What about you, Marge? As the chief water bearer, have you thought about this problem?"

Jaxsen just smiles when Gwen asks a lot of the same questions that he himself asked when he first arrived here.

Marge seems quite happy to disseminate more information.

"Mr. Nehru prefers that we don't give him a title, but he is definitely our leader. He is the one who had the idea for this community, out here away from the tyranny and oppression of the mainland."

"When we first started coming here, the river mouth was a busy place. A lot of dangerous wildlife and monsters that inhabit the island frequented that area. So, Mr. Nehru thought the town needed to be as far away from that danger as possible, as long as we could still go there to gather fresh water. It is obviously an extra burden for us, but it has been working out so far."

As Gwen walks the hard packed, heavily beaten path through the beach sand, she starts to see the beauty of this place. The natural formation of the long, soft, sandy beach that skirts the edge of the untamed jungle makes her long to know what else might be discovered here. Eager to learn more, she lets her wanderlust take over as she continues walking and talking.

Marge assures her that her assumptions have been discussed.

"Yes, we have thought of that. A few folks have offered alternatives to this task, even offering to create water by the powers of their gods, but none of those have proved a better alternative. So, until there is a better option put in place, we shall continue with out toil." Marge looks over to Jaxsen and smiles warmly as she adjusts her huge yoke upon her broad shoulders.

[OGRE MAGE]

Maag

Being used to this kind of behavior from some of the company he used to keep back home, Maag isn't fazed by Felicity's offer. "I 'avent bin 'ere long enough to get lonely yet!" laughs Maag, not unkindly. "But when I do, I'll come lookin' for you, orright darlin'?" He squeezes both her hands in his and winks at her. The he hands her another gold piece. "Dere's a dahnpayment for yer".

Maag takes a step back, checking that his purse is still there as he does so. "Now den Felicity, I need yer t'do me a favor while I'm gone. Keep yer eyes and ears open fer any strangers dat come lookin fer me, an' let me know. An' any gossip yer pick up about strange buildin's or weird 'appenin's will come in 'andy too". With that, he turns to leave. Just before he does, he blows a kiss to Felicity, "See yer soon, sweet'art!"

The half- orc walks back towards the tavern, keeping an eye out for any of his new companions as he does so.

Felicity looks confused at first, but Maag can't tell if it is because he foiled her plan, or because of the way he reacts about it. Her look soon turns from confusion to admiration once he doesn't retaliate against her actions.

"Well. Orirght then big man. I can do that fer ya." She pockets the gold without a scene and wishes him well as he departs. "We'll come find ya right off if we hears anything new, friend!"

[tomlowshang]

Jaxsen just smiles when Gwen asks a lot of the same questions that he himself asked when he first arrived here.

Marge seems quite happy to disseminate more information.

"Mr. Nehru prefers that we don't give him a title, but he is definitely our leader. He is the one who had the idea for this community, out here away from the tyranny and oppression of the mainland."

"When we first started coming here, the river mouth was a busy place. A lot of dangerous wildlife and monsters that inhabit the island frequented that area. So, Mr. Nehru thought the town needed to be as far away from that danger as possible, as long as we could still go there to gather fresh water. It is obviously an extra burden for us, but it has been working out so far."

As Gwen walks the hard packed, heavily beaten path through the beach sand, she starts to see the beauty of this place. The natural formation of the long, soft, sandy beach that skirts the edge of the untamed jungle makes her long to know what else might be discovered here. Eager to learn more, she lets her wanderlust take over as she continues walking and talking.

Marge assures her that her assumptions have been discussed.

"Yes, we have thought of that. A few folks have offered alternatives to this task, even offering to create water by the powers of their gods, but none of those have proved a better alternative. So, until there is a better option put in place, we shall continue with out toil." Marge looks over to Jaxsen and smiles warmly as she adjusts her huge yoke upon her broad shoulders.

Gwethglersinwen Larendirina

Gwen laughs when Marge mentions using magic as an alternative to water collection.

"I'm really glad that idea faded quickly! Magic is a useful tool but one should never depend on it for everyday necessities. And making yourself dependant on a magic wielder is often the first step toward tyranny and oppression."

"I hope other, more mundane ideas, are also being considered. I'm interested in hearing about them."

[OGRE MAGE]

Marge keeps right on talking the whole way to the river, giving Gwen any information she wants to hear.

"Yes, there were a few other ideas tossed around, but none of them have been attempted yet. I have heard of things like running a pipeline or digging a trench, but that kind of thing would require a LOT of work. Most of the folks that come here just want to run off into the jungle to find riches and get themselves killed. There aren't very many of us willing to do the hard work anymore." She looks at Jaxsen and gives the "grub" a big smile.

The trip to the river goes by uneventfully and no animals are there to contend with this time. Marge and her crew begin filling their pails for the much more arduous final leg of the journey.

[tomlowshang]

Gwethglersinwen Larendirina

Gwen's eye's light up. "An aqueduct! Wonderful idea!"

Then she sighs and looks downcast. "But the resources required are significant, and its not just the labour."

"What materials to use? Would wood work?" Gwen smiles faintly at the unexpected alliteration. "The town may be higher than the river, so the slope of the pipe or channel would need to compensate. A Dwarf may be helpful. There are a lot of things to consider," Gwen concludes and growls in frustration. "I should've spent more time in the construction section. Who knew?"

Gwen sighs again. "Now I understand why only nation states can afford to establish colonies. Its difficult to see how a young colony can survive without outside assistance."

Deep in thought, Gwen fills her pails and gets ready for the return trip.

OOC The moment of truth. Can Gwen carry the water and still walk?

[Jernau35]

Wes

The exhausted druid finally awakens. He wishes he could stay in bed, but he knows he has a busy day ahead. He rises and performs his prayers to Obad Hai, supplicating for his for further magic with which to perform his druidic duties. When this is done, he sets out to keep his promise of the night before, and tracks down the severely wounded Alordan, to bestow The Shalm's blessings on him. Alas, the exhausted druid is able to do very little, though he does reduce the severity of the injuries.

Cure Light Wounds #1: Cure Light Wounds [1d8] = 1

Cure Light Wounds #2:Cure Light Wounds [1d8] = 3

After this, Wes stumbles down to the surf and into the water. He bites back the screams as the saltwater washes across his patches of raw skin, but manages to clean himself up to an acceptable level.

Finally ready, he walks to Mr Nehru's office to deliver The Plan Of The Shalm.

[SirOwen]

Jaxsen Reiter

Jaxsen absolutely BEAMS when Marge associates him with hard work. "What you say about an aqueduct.... how could we do that here, with no more workers than we have? We can get lime and the rest of the ingredients from the sea, and sand from the beach, which would start us on the way to making cement and concrete. But the manpower is beyond just the few of us. We are talking miles..." He lets the question linger a bit. "You know I would work until I drop, but we need more people."

[OGRE MAGE]

Gwen, Jaxsen, and Marge talk openly about improving the most basic system's of need here on the island as they walk back to town with their pails of fresh water. Jaxsen makes up for what Gwen cant carry by taking even more than he normally does this trip. He smiles at the thought of the work being even harder this time.

Surprisingly, nothing pops out of the jungle to eat them on the return trip, and they all make it back to town unscathed to dump their labors into the community barrels as they do almost every day here.

Marge thanks the pair again as always, hoping that their talk isn't just more hyperbole. "Maybe we will see you both again tomorrow?"

It is around midday when the train returns from the river.

[ChubbyPixie]

Pausing just outside Aavala's door, Chauncey has a thought. He once again pulls out the crayon and a piece of paper from his pack and quickly sketches out seven darts to restock his supply:

IMG_9948.JPG (144.86 KiB) Viewed 504 times

He then knocks on the door. "Aavala! Are you quite home? I wish to speak with you, my friend."

Hey, OM: Before the small brazier, the pearls and now the darts, the magical crayon had four and a half inches remaining.

If the mage answers, Chauncey will fill him in on the results of the excursion up the river, the destroyed village and the news of the slaving enterprise he gleaned from the cheeky sailor and from Wesley's accounts. He'll also tell him of the temple said to be beyond the illicit fields. "Finally, my dear Aavala, I wish to impart custody of the Amazing Crayon into your hands for a time. I've had a small bit of use of it and fear I will exceed my due if left in possession. Please take good care of it and use it as you see wise." he says. "Oh, and eh... I may need to borrow it for more darts in the future. I seem to lose these suckers roughly every other throw..."