Hi-Lo (mercantile)

[Storm11]

Saracen will make his goodbyes and then wander down to the town itself, checking people he comes across in townwith his magical senses until the spell has run its course.

Seeing the others gathered together he heads over to say hello.

[OGRE MAGE]

The priest of Pholtus leaves the office of Nehru with nothing more than a goodbye. He eyes up more townspeople as he passes them by, trying to read their alignments. He finds that most of the commoners he checks are of a goodly nature. Some of them seem to prefer neutrality, but he doesn't detect evil emanations coming from any of them.

He joins the others already discussing a trip west into the jungle to find a strange wooden structure that Brother Gilbert knows a little something about.

[OGRE MAGE]

Little Storm sneaks around to the back and tries his hand at getting through to the strong willed Mr. Nehru.

Storm watches the half-orcs go and shakes his little head. Well I am off to see his Nehru character. If anyone knows about what’s happening on this island the leader of the town should. Right? RIGHT?” He looks up at the remaining companions and then shrugs again.

Until tomorrow then he says, and with a wave sets off back to Beach town and Nehrus office.

He will rap loudly upon the door and poke his head within. Eerrr scuse me! Are you busy? I need some info and I think you are chap to give it. I hear your a damn nice fellow too. For a human.

He finds him at his very fine desk this morning, looking over what appear to be shipping logs.

"Yes? I am a nice human, happy to give out information."

[Storm11]

Storm grins his most pleasant of smiles and smooths his curly blonde locks into place.

There may be an expedition heading into the jungle in search of a large square building. To the West I think, passed some giant beetles that squirt actual acid out of their assholes, if you can believeTHAT! Is it somewhere you have heard of at all? What’s there, why was it built, and has anyone else been to investigate it before now, and if so what did they find, if they ever returned at all.

He plops himself down in a chair at the desk and rests his head on his fists in rapt attention, like a school boy listening to a favoured teacher.

[OGRE MAGE]

Mr. Nehru smiles back at the halfling and his boyish ways.

"Yes. A strange mage did indeed tell me about those beetles. I was horrified and hoped he was only exaggerating."

"I have heard mention of a wooden structure that sits alone in the jungle to the west of here. To my knowledge, nobody has investigated it fully yet."

"What do you suppose it is?"

[Storm11]

Storm leans in closer. Honeslty I don’t know, but some acquaintances of mine met a mysterious invisible woman in the jungle that said bad things are about to descend upon Beachtown, and finding a more secure place for the townsfolk to go would be wise. So this could be that place right? Just in case she wasn’t bluffing.

[OGRE MAGE]

Mr. Nehru jumps out of his chair.

"WHAT? Invisible woman? Bad things? What kind of bad things? Where did they see.....I mean....where did they hear this woman?"

[Storm11]

The halfling looks startled. He glances from side to side trying to find an exit. Errrrrr..... weeeeeeell..... I can’t be sure but I think it was in the jungle when they were trying to rescue me. Maybe. Brother Gildert knows more. But not much more. The invisible woman was very cryptic. Something about zombies being the beginning and the least of the trouble coming to Beachtown, and she wanted to warn the innocents here to get out before the mad wizard attacks. Or something.

The little Druid cringes

[OGRE MAGE]

"ONLY THE BEGINNING? That sounds absolutely horrible! Where is that damn Chauncey? I thought he was going to look into this problem?"

The man looks seriously concerned, pondering the possibility of another attack in his head.

"Do you know Chauncey? I need to know more about what he has found out so far!"

[Storm11]

Storm adopts the pose of a hobbit seriously ruminating. Rubbing his jaw he finally points upwards as if an idea comes to him.

Oh Chauncey. That’s a sauce right? For the bbq?. He looks blankly. Nope. I got nothing ...

[OGRE MAGE]

The tall, thin, wispy haired, brown-skinned man rolls his eyes at the halfling.

"No. He is a wizard. He told me that he was going to figure out where these zombies are coming from! I guess one can simply never trust a scatter brained wizard when it comes to such matters of importance."

Mr. Nehru has looked disparaged before, but never more than he looks right now. He thinks long and hard again before responding.

"Would you like to organize a team to look into these new threats master.....wait.......I don't think......who did you say you were again?"

[Storm11]

I am Storm, Druid of the shires. I already said Mister, I am part of a team that’s going to check out the wooden structure passed the acid bum beetles and the poisonous spiders. It could be that this is the place the zombies are coming from perhaps, I will keep an eye out. More than that, well, you need a priest to speak with the zombie spirits. I hear tell they can do that, smarty pants that they are. I don’t hold truck with disturbing the spirits of the departed myself. Stops them coming back again, so Druid lore says. Chauncey. A wizard. Never heard of him. Scatterbrained is he. Well I shall watch out for him too. I shall try and keep you updated if you like. If I don’t die a horrific jungle death that is. Cheery bye for now. Storm says cheerfully, giving him a wave as he leaves.

[Xaxyx]

Glansandi Storeyja

Stepping into the Hi-Lo cautiously, Glansandi first glances about, then gestures for the young man standing nearby to follow him inside. Then, with a calm yet alert demeanor, he begins to circumspect the various items on display. Frowning, he turns to the man he presumes to be the proprietor.

"You are Mr. Nehru, I presume? Glansandi Storeyja," the elf says, inclining his head. "I was hoping to browse your... wares. So as to better prepare young Jombo here for any trials to come." Folding his arms, he raises one eyebrow. "I also understand that you offer employment, of sorts. I would inquire as to what assistance you might be seeking."

[OGRE MAGE]

Entering the front door of the towns only store, the newcomer elf, followed by his new local friend, learns a bit of humility right from the start of his adventure.

The chubby dark-skinned woman behind the counter of the Hi-Lo gives the strong looking elf a perturbed look when he addresses her as Mr. She clears her throat and replies.

"My name is Nalissa. That's Miss Nalissa to you, sir. If you are looking for Mr. Nehru, he is in back. In his office." She looks at young Jombo and smiles as if she knows him well, then back to Gladsandi.

"I can handle any purchases you want to make, but you will need to see Mr. Nehru about any employment."

She smiles again at Jombo, causing the young man to blush slightly, though he remains quiet, letting his new employer do all the talking.

[Xaxyx]

Glansandi Storeyja

"My apologies, Miss Nalissa," Glansandi says carefully, inclining his head. "My dealings with humans have been limited thus far. I meant no offense." Turning to Jombo, he gestures with one hand. "Remain here. I will return momentarily." He then makes toward the back office, in search of Mr. Nehru.

[OGRE MAGE]

Jombo nods and complies, gazing towards Nalissa as the elf heads back out the door.

When Glansandi rounds the back corner of the building, he nearly runs over an exiting halfling. Once inside the back door, he finds the one he seeks. Mr. Nehru is a tall, thin, human with wispy, greying hair. He sits at a beautifully carved desk that looks freshly crafted. He has a seriously concerned look on his face when you first enter, but speaks pleasantly enough.

"Hello there!"

"I'm sorry.......I don't think I know your name yet. You were with the group that came in on the last ship, yes? Is there something I can help you with, master elf? Please tell me you are here to ask about work!"

[Jernau35]

Wes

The druid arrives at the Hi-Lo and sees that Mr Nehru is currently occupied with a visitor. He waits patiently for his turn, and then once it arrives, he enters and delivers his message. The Plan Of The Shalm.

“Mr Nehru, I am Wesfaeren Rhey. I believe we met briefly when I arrived. I am a loyal disciple of Obad Hai, lord of nature. Forgive my appearance. I have returned from a dangerous journey through the jungle. All my companions were killed or captured by a gang of cutthroat smugglers. Only I escaped, by fleeing into the jungle. It was out there that I received a vision from Obad Hai: The Plan Of The Shalm.”

“The Plan came to me as I was out there in the jungle, dreaming of making it back here and sleeping in the safety of one of your hammocks. That, believe it or not, is the answer to our food problem: raised beds”.

“Raised beds are not for sleeping. They are used to grow crops in poor soil. The soil here is full of salt because we are close to the beach. The water table is right under our feet and filled with salt. So, we dig a trench, 12 feet across and 1 foot deep. We put six feet of the soil on one side of the trench and six feet on the other, and there they are: raised beds. The crops grow in the 12 inches of soil on top of the ground, away from the salt”.

“We make the trench as long as it needs to be, in order to grow the amount of food Beachtown needs. Even the work won’t be that hard, it’s not digging to depth, just scooping earth aside. Ah, you say, but what about clearing bushes and trees? That’s where the real beauty of The Plan starts to show.“

“Cleared plants and bushes go into the raised beds to act as fertilizer. Trees can be felled, because we will need the lumber: we’re going to build an aqueduct. The bottom of the aqueduct will go into the 1 foot deep trench we dug for the raised beds. The other end of the aqueduct will be at the river, about 5 feet off the ground. The water will flow down the gradient, it doesn’t have to be steep, to the raised beds, and into Beachtown. We’ll irrigate the crops and bring water to the people.”

“Yes, it will take time to build the aqueduct. But each day it will get closer to the river. That’s less work for Marge and her water carriers every day. At some point, the aqueduct will be close enough to the river that they will be able to make multiple trips in a day. And then, eventually they won’t be needed at all.”

“The work would proceed even faster if we can procure some goats and donkeys. Both animals will eat almost anything. They can help clear the path through the bushes by eating them! The donkeys can also be used to carry water from the river, and the goats can provide the town with milk. Sadly I have no money of my own to purchase these animals. You may wish to do so, but The Plan will proceed with or without them.”

“The final part of The Plan, once the aqueduct is complete, is to construct a water wheel at the river end. Then the water will flow down to Beachtown continuously. Once that happens, the town will move from just “surviving” to “prospering”. More people will come here. Prosperity means laws. People will want to defend a prosperous town, and they won’t want a nest of pirates and smugglers on their doorstep.”

“This is The Plan Of The Shalm. It can begin with only a few mattocks, adzes, and some strong backs who will work to achieve the goal. Mr Nehru, Obad Hai offers you the future. Will you accept it?”

[Xaxyx]

Glansandi Storeyja

"Indeed so, Mr. Nehru," Glansandi says, nodding slightly. "I am Glansandi Storeyja, and I would be of service to Beachtown. It is to my understanding that the surroundings are perilous, and much work is to be done to bend this land toward prosperity." He opens his hands. "What opportunities would you offer?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Glansandi Storeyja

"Indeed so, Mr. Nehru," Glansandi says, nodding slightly. "I am Glansandi Storeyja, and I would be of service to Beachtown. It is to my understanding that the surroundings are perilous, and much work is to be done to bend this land toward prosperity." He opens his hands. "What opportunities would you offer?"

Nuhru's expression suddenly changes to one of hope.

"Then you are very welcome here, Glandsandi! And I am glad to meet you! I do indeed have something urgent that needs looking into, but I must warn you, it might be very dangerous. Several people have turned the offer down already, and some have ignored it completely, so it must be bad."

"I need someone to investigate deep into the jungle for me. To try to find someone who I think might be out there ready to do harm upon us. I don't expect you to take on this menace alone, but a single scout might be better at gathering information than a large party. Find out what you can and report back to me, then we can make a reasonable plan once we have more information. Does that sound like something you would be willing to do? It would be a great help to me and to all of the people of Beachtown. I might even consider a reward if you are successful. If you are willing, I will give you a few more details and you can get started right away."

[Xaxyx]

Glansandi Storeyja

Frowning, Glansandi ponders. "While I appreciate the urgency of your request, Mr. Nehru, I doubt whether I would be the most appropriate individual for such a task," he says. "I am a soldier. I have training in neither stealth nor tracking, and am unfamiliar with jungle terrain. While I am not one to shy from danger, I suspect that to attempt such a mission would be throw away my life."

Glansandi shakes his head. "Perhaps there are tasks you could offer better suited to one of my skills," he says. "Otherwise, I will seek elsewhere."