Doomsby 2024/03/12(Tue)15:11 No. 1086224 ID: 462d8c
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It had been many weeks by this point since your group had left familiar shores. The Empire has entered full swing into its golden age and its burgeoning populace and resources demand new lands to discover. You are one among many groups sent out among the Cloud Seas to seek out new islands to inhabit. To conquer if need be. Though now your supplies have dwindled down enough that you were reaching the point of no return. Do you turn back and live in shame, or continue on for glory and death? However, you didn’t need to make that call for we have finally found it:

Genesium; Island Crystal

This is the seed that can form new lands. While it’s hard to imagine, your vast homeland started with such a similar rock as well. The entire company takes on a joyous tone as you bring the main ship closer. It’s by instinct that the crew begins to resonate with the floating crystal, and it’s by their prayers that a new island begins to take form.

Suggest some possible tiles
They can be biomes, resources, land features, geological phenomena, or general environment. Magical or mundane.

Assuming the central tile doesn't cover this: A peculiarly shaped mountain with caves for shelter, the whole thing ready to be shaped into a watchtower (with some work).
Alternatively: a lake with some oddly musical reeds growing around it

mossy forests, wheat fields, standing stones, shimmering white sands, labyrinth grass

>>1086224
A pristine spring of fresh water

A great mesa riddled with tunnels

A savanah of tall grass and lurking animals

Ancient ruins filled with forgotten magics

A great spiralling pit studded with ores

One lake tile, one river tile, two grassland tile, one desert tile (with iron sand and oil), and one snow tile.

A great river flowing uphill instead of downhill.
Ore filled caves filled with odd glowing plant life that seems to hide away into the cavern wall at a touch.
A rainforest filled to the brim with the fruits of life, as well as the dangers of nature.
A lifeless and barren bleached white desert with life, riches and ruins buried and burrowing deep beneath the sand.
An expanse of snowy taiga that seems set within a permanent cloud, fog and snow both so prevalent that it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. There may even be solid cloud mixed in with the snow you walk on.

an eerie flat plane of solid quartz, the depths of which house odd moving lights at night (the rumours of it being haunted begin almost immediately)

a rugged river valley filled with dangerous but fascinating megafauna

regular ol' desert

-Colored strands of soft fabric grow from the ground like grass, swaying gently in the breeze. With some care it is possible to cultivate scarves, coats, all kind of clothes. In some places unusual wind patterns spontaneously produce socks.

-A river of tar flows lazily through rocky lands, ending in a waterfall falling very slowly into the Cloud Seas. Crab-like organisms live in it, inedible and highly flammable.

-Here, inexplicably, it occasionally rains very small live snails.

-A dense grove of good, sturdy trees. Songbirds call to each others in the canopy, unseen critters rustle in the fallen leaves. It is full of life.

-Stone cubes litter the landscape as far as the eye can see. Some are small enough to be used as die. Others are so big, you could carve whole palaces out of them. It is otherwise a perfectly unremarkable plain.

-The fertile slopes of an old volcano. A faint rumble can be heard coming from it and every ten days and a half precisely a wave of very fine ash pours out of it, forming scorching hot streams as it flows down its sides like water.

cavernous caves filled with soft moss, gigantic crystals, and giant intelligent bugs, basically a chunk of Hallownest cause that shit's cool.

Biome: The Shattered Archipelago
-Small chain of small floating islands teeming with magical energy and crystals. Several Archipelago tiles linked together can cause certain magical phenomena to occur.
Ancient Forest: Large and ancient trees perfect for shelter and lumber.

Hanging caves, a fairy ring the size of an entire tile, a dust bowl.

A roaring volcano surrounded by craggy basalt hills. This place is incredibly dangerous. Toxic clouds, rivers of lava, dragons, and all manner of heat Loving magical beasts. The ground is filled with unparalleled numbers of gems and metals both magic and mundane. Cruel Dungeons spawn below the surface, luring foolish souls into their waiting maws with the promise of riches beyond measure.

The presence of the volcano creates an occasional island wide hazard in the form of ash storms. These storms, while dangerous to unsheltered animal life, make all the soil across the whole of the island considerably more fertile.

An ever misty forest that, from the outside at least, seems ever changing. It's much bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. it is home to all manner of creatures, from the moment to the magical to the horrifying to the bizarre. It connects to many thousands of worlds through countless ever shifting portals. Anything could come out of there, but most who enter do not leave, not in this world, at least.

Suggestion: Water and water and water water

A caldera of jagged rock surrounding the core,
Rolling hills of rugged plantlife
Transitioning into a plain of grass albeit with individual blades the size of trees.

One tile could be a sinkhole.
A great gap in the terrain showing the strata all around the edges and a fathomlessly deep drop beneath to the clouds below.
Criss crossed by the roots of nearby megaflora, it could be traversable albeit with risk due to the winds from below.,
It could even house a town hung like a cradle and sustaining itself as a community of "cloud fishers".
They lower great nets beneath the sinkhole woven from harvested smaller megaflora roots and drag up oddities and lifeforms from the clouds below.

A black void full of stars.

A mass of living flesh

Doomsby 2024/03/20(Wed)07:35 No. 1086814 ID: 462d8c
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After some time with your people in fervent prayer, some are silent and some are vocal, the crystal begins to resonate with the ritual happening before it. A cacophony of sound bursts forth; the grinding of stone, the creaking and snapping of wood, and the roar of pouring water. Within a heart beat new lands are formed.

>-Here, inexplicably, it occasionally rains very small live snails.
One of the first to form is a lush, wide meadow full of leafy greens and low shrubs. Very few plants plants go beyond the knees and none above the waist. Everything seems to sparkle with morning dew even well into the heat of the afternoon. There also seems to be an unusual amount of snails about, littering the ground with crunchy, discarded shells.

>Alternatively: a lake with some oddly musical reeds growing around it
A lake bubbles forth and forms. Well, it would be a lake if its waters weren’t continuously flowing over it’s exposed edges. Who knows where all its water is coming from. Away from that the lake itself tries to be as tranquil as can be as fish and insects fill the area. Around the waters reeds start to grow that give a sharp whistle of varying tones as the wind blows past them. Nothing one would call music though.

>A roaring volcano surrounded by craggy basalt hills. This place is incredibly dangerous.
A flat plane of rock appears and immediately cracks and roars to life. Columns of basalt quickly grow as a surge of fire and ash rages in the middle. Soon a tall, tall volcano is formed. Clearly active, this will surely pose a threat to your people, but the rich minerals and ores the magma brings up also represent tempting opportunities.

Doomsby 2024/03/20(Wed)07:36 No. 1086815 ID: 462d8c
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>Ancient Forest: Large and ancient trees perfect for shelter and lumber.
>-A dense grove of good, sturdy trees. Songbirds call to each others in the canopy, unseen critters rustle in the fallen leaves. It is full of life.
>An ever misty forest
Next comes a dense forest. Trees of wide variety spring forth; elm, ash, birch, and firs to name a few. The forest floor is also covered in greenery trying its best to cover up the many animal trails about. The canopy is also full of life as birds and critters make their homes in the boughs. It’ll certainly take time to fully explore, however, and at night a mist rolls through that bring forth chilling calls for help.

>wheat fields, standing stones,
>A savanah of tall grass and lurking animals
A large hill bulges forth from another tile and sturdy, golden grass starts to roll over it. Menhirs begin to dot its landscape, standing silent against the winds. These standing stones vary in size but all seem to be carved in the same manner. So far, they do not seem to be magical in nature. Most wildlife here tend to be small, scurrying things that like to make holes that the careless wanderer will break an ankle on.

>shimmering white sands,
>A lifeless and barren bleached white desert with life, riches and ruins buried and burrowing deep beneath the sand.
>A great mesa riddled with tunnels
Finally, a land of blinding sand is formed. Shimmering clouds of dust traverse the desert as the stark dunes ever shift. This realm seems actively hostile, even beyond the damaging glare and stinging winds. Scouts report burning sensation and of loss of sight even with protective gear. Within the desert stands a massive, towering mesa, silent and watching over the sands. Due to the difficulty of the desert, it remains unknown beyond it’s presence.

Doomsby 2024/03/20(Wed)07:37 No. 1086816 ID: 462d8c
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A breathe of relief quickly followed by cheering erupts from your people. This is it. This is what they’ve been working towards. Soon simple moorings and temporary shelters are set up as crews begin to unload. The fastest ship of the group is given extra rations as the crew are quickly sent back to tell the news to the empire. They are sullen, but will soon return with fresh supplies and even potential colonists. For now though, you can bask in the glow of a new world. Just a little bit as there is work to do.

Resources: starting supplies
Food: Rations
Other stats may appear or disappear in the future

Suggest some actions:
Begin a construction: Suggest a building and where it’ll go. An associated resource is required to be used as building materials. (Though right now there’s only one.) Once started, each construction will be given a number of rounds before completion. You can offer an opinion on how long it’ll take, if you wish. Only one construction can be -started- per a round, though multiple continued constructions can occur.
Start a project: Suggest a project that’ll involve a number of people, will take time to do, but isn’t explicitly putting together a structure. Resources to be used are option where appropriate. Like construction, only one project can be -started- a round but multiple can be worked on. You may as well offer how long you think the project will take.
Enact a ruling: Currently, everyone is working under the assumption of Imperial Law, but you may wish to put something specific into affect. This can be to deal with past or present events, try to manage future events, encourage certain behaviours, or just lean things towards what you think is best for society. Just make sure the Empire doesn’t hear of it if you over-step on some rules.
Other: You’re a clever bunch, and this isn’t an exhaustive list of everything that can be done. Feel free to suggest something that doesn’t quite fit with the previous three actions.

Step one: shelter. Start building more than just tents to sleep in.

>>1086816
Shelter would be wise.
Bordering the forest for ease of access to lumber.
Something like this is not only an essential, but could raise morale for the shipfolk when they return.

>>1086816
Construction: snail meadows seems like the most logical place to set up some proper shelter, since it borders the forest for the collection of wood.
Either make full homes or perhaps a large communal barracks.

Project: Research the desert, both to try and find a safe way to traverse it and explore the Mesa but also see if the properties of what I assume are the sands or dust can be put to use, possibly for al/chemical purposes

shelter and food. make sure nothing dangerous can enter the settlement.

You need shelter, food, and water. Constructing wooden huts in snail meadow next to the lake should take care of all of that, provided you have fishermen with you. It probably won't take too long. How long is a round by the way ?
If you can start both a project and a construction, and if building a boat is a project and not a construction, you should make simple boats. Use poles and paddles to move them around, even if you have cloth it is better to use it to make shelters rather than sails.

Enact a Ruling: Frontier Government

A temporary total repeal of Empire law while we lay the groundwork of Civilization. Common sense, Frontier justice, a drive for progress, and mutual care for our fellow man should be all our initial settlement needs to thrive.

Let us become self sufficient, let us grow our numbers, let us build the seat of government. That is when the law is the Empire shall return. Until then, we need only our wits.

Let's not make an enemy of the Empire on the very first round. We should at least wait until they have sent supplies and manpower.

We don't even know what the laws of the Empire are. The Empire has been described as having "entered full swing into its golden age and its burgeoning populace and resources demand new lands to discover". Such an empire probably has laws in place to help and encourage new settlements like ours. We should know what the other options are before choosing lawlessness and the enmity of a whole nation. And we should at least try to learn how the colonists feel about it before making such a change.
We can always change the laws later once they are not suited to our situation anymore (and when we have some kind of infrastructure that would make us somewhat self-sufficient).

>>1086832
Pioneering is a messy, chaotic process, and the early days are not only the most critical ones, but the ones where the distant government naturally has the least control and is the least helpful outside of just sending supplies. Beyond that, the laws of a far flung empire will never be a perfect fit for what's going on in the ground of a distant land.

Besides, particularism is beneficial to all parties involved. Right now the only thing everyone wants is for a stable settlement to be set up. Our benefactors will appreciate anything that speeds that up, even if that means we aren't crossing our T's and dotting our I's.

Beyond that, should they tire of this behavior earlier than we expect, they'll send a strongly worded letter before an army. Should that come to pass we can simply reenact the empire laws then.

Many colonial projects have operated like this historically. It'll be fine.

Build a town hall in the snail lands by the lake. For now this is a structure for communal housing that can later be repurposed. This location makes the settlement equidistant to both wheat and wood, and furthest from the dangerous areas.

Start a project to collect fish and snails for cataloging and analysis of potential as sources of food or maybe oil.

I think the first major project, after establishing a basic base, should be clearing out some of the trees nearest the volcano. If we can make a fire break then we can prevent a future forest fire and ensure that we don't lose all that lumber and hunting grounds.

>>1086816
We should construct our initial settlement in the snail meadow, this will give us access to both the water of the lake and the lumber of the forest

Oh and I'm voting against any radical changes in government. Or any radical changes at all. We gotta walk before we can run.

>>1086838
Good idea onmthe catalogue project.

Snail shell powders have been used in numerous folk medicines, but even if that doesnt pan out, it can be used as a calcium source for animal feed and even some soil fertalisation or ph balancing properties.

Doomsby 2024/03/23(Sat)18:40 No. 1086996 ID: 462d8c
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>We should construct our initial settlement in the snail meadow
>You need shelter, food, and water. Constructing wooden huts in snail meadow next to the lake
>Construction: snail meadows seems like the most logical place to set up some proper shelter, since it borders the forest for the collection of wood

You begin to draft up a design and set aside some sites in the snail meadow for some housing. These single room hovels won’t be much more spacious than the current tents people are living in, but simply having a door to put a lock on offers much more of a sense of security. Small stoves brought over from the mainland offer hearths that’ll provide regular warmth and cooking that won’t rely on the weather. As for the material the structures are made of, light but sturdy wood is brought out of the cargo holds. This “cloud wood” represents the backbone of many buildings in the empire, but of course it’s now in very limited supply for the settlement. For now, it’ll serve the noble task of housing your people.
Simple housing will take 1 round.

>Start a project to collect fish and snails for cataloging and analysis of potential as sources of food or maybe oil.
>Good idea on the catalogue project.

While plenty of people are more than happy to put their muscles to work after spending so long on a ship, there are many others whose strengths lie elsewhere. You have scouts and book-keepers eager to go out and stretch in their own way and you feel it’s best to help guide that. In short order you put together some groups to identify, catalogue, and research the indigenous species of the meadow and the lake. Having safe sources of protein will be important, but finding purposes beyond that will take some time. Of course, your research groups will bring to your attention any of their findings immediately.
Reports will take 2, 4, and 6 rounds.

>How long is a round by the way ?
They are an ill-defined and shifting amount of time. Probably think roughly the length of a season but not bound to the weather.

Doomsby 2024/03/23(Sat)18:40 No. 1086998 ID: 462d8c
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Event: Whose whose?

The first few days have been a chaotic mess. Everyone is eager to do their tasks, assigned or otherwise, all while having to wait for goods and their property to be unloaded off of the ships. This has proven to be a serious bottleneck to operations. Only so much can be unloaded at a time which is further slowed down as record keeping tries to label and sort everything. Efforts are slowed even further still by the crowd of impatient settlers hanging about with literally nothing better to do than to wait for their property. Supplies are rushed out as quickly as possible and even quicker still are they picked up and whisked off by their perceived owners. This has led to many, many squabbles as people are as to which poorly labelled parcel belongs to who.

Such was the case this morning. Once again shouting is heard above the regular din and in short order a minor officer beckons your presence. A lady and a young man are in a shouting match that could probably be heard all the way back in the empire. Between them a clothed package is being wrestled, yanked back and forth between them. Without even breaking eye contact between them, they start yelling their case to you.
“This ruffian has been lurking around my pile all morning!” Spits the lady. “Been looking for an opening, and grabbed my stuff as soon as he could. Got faster eyes than him though!”
“Fuck off!” The young man succinctly retorts. “This old biddy has been hoarding anything that doesn’t have a name on it. She’s got three axes. Three! Bet she can’t even swing one!”
And the arguments continue in such a manner. You do eventually sort them out, with the most difficulty being you getting a word in, and the two parties are sent on their way. The particulars aren’t really important, more so that this sort of story keeps happening. As leader you can’t be pulled away from your duties over every single bundle of clothes, can you?

What to do?
A.) This is an organizational problem will only get worse the longer you leave it be. You have ship logs, manifests, and people to sort through them. However, in order to do so you’ll have to stop all unloading and distribution of supplies. This will take a bit of time but it’s the only way to be sure of who owns what.
B.) This is about security. People are feeling vulnerable and will try to take any advantage they can to feel safe. Posting and patrolling more guards while property is being unloaded and distributed will not only discourage people from stealing, but should also help alleviate people’s perceived need to steal. This will, of course, take able-bodied people away from other areas where they are needed.
C.) Really, dealing with these disputes as they they pop up only really inconveniences you and one or two subordinates. For most no intervention is required and operations are otherwise running smoothly. Administrative tasks will continue at a snail’s pace during this time as you deal with this minutia, but otherwise the status quo is functional enough.
D.) Other_________.

D) Have each of the settlers write up a list of objects that cannot be re-appropriated, which will be a fraction of the amount they brought with them; enough that nobody kills each other over their sentimental heirlooms getting used to the best of their ability and completely broken. From there, have the remainder of the inventory liquidated at market prices: compensate the owners with scrip, and set up a market. Whoever needs something can buy it in scrip or barter. Remember, the growth of the colony is the whole point of all this. If a few extra goods have to be shuffled around from their 'rightful' owners, then they already knew the risks of colonization in the first place.

C) personal property should have been labeled and logged when it was stowed. Now its too late and you have do deal with the chaos. Make sure future shipments are organized.

A) Not only is this is an organizational problem, but it's one that's going to happen again and again with each new ship that comes here. For now it's just a few disputes, but once you have traders and merchants, thing will become much worse.
You need to put together a group of people to oversee all the administrative tasks that come with running a port. You're going to need them soon anyway, once news get to the Empire a lot more people are going to want to come here to settle and trade.

By the way, assuming the island will keep expanding, wouldn't it make the city progressively harder to reach by ship as the edge of the island gets further away ?

>>1086999
A small, dedicated team of administrator types could be set up to fulfil this.
Im a little vague on the educatiobal standards of the empire but even if high, universal literacy isnt a guarantee.
Scribes will have to help.

If this group of cargo arbiters are given delegated authority to resolve disputes and enforce them, it'll be a step towards the organisation needed for any port we set up in the future.

On reappropriating goods.
If an item can be reasonably proven to be owned by a settler but is needed elsewhere, they should be given a scrip of debt from the colony. Numbered and matched with the ledger kept on all redustributed goods.
This entitles them to a consumate reward of equal worth at a time when the colony is more settled.
Its a small way to head off any discontent from axe hoarding grannies.
Framed well, they could be seen as an honourable thing to be a bearer of.
Physical proof of the sacrifices a bearer has made at this most crucial time of colonial need

>>1086998
D: a variant of A.
Stop unloading stuff, EXCEPT for basic necessities. Food, water, clothing, that sort of thing. Not many will want to hoard or steal that, and it should be fairly obvious what belongs to whom. If anyone needs something unusual they can come up to the ship and request it, and you can take a log of that.

Doomsby 2024/03/26(Tue)16:18 No. 1087205 ID: 462d8c
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>You need to put together a group of people to oversee all the administrative tasks that come with running a port.
>A small, dedicated team of administrator types could be set up to fulfil this.
You decide to set up a team to focus on handling port duties. Unfortunately, as currently the settlement is at the stage where people have to wear many hats, this does mean you have to pull some people from the research teams in order to utilize people with basic education.
[All Projects delayed by 1 round]

>Stop unloading stuff, EXCEPT for basic necessities. Food, water, clothing, that sort of thing. Not many will want to hoard or steal that, and it should be fairly obvious what belongs to whom. If anyone needs something unusual they can come up to the ship and request it, and you can take a log of that.
>From there, have the remainder of the inventory liquidated at market prices: compensate the owners with scrip, and set up a market. Whoever needs something can buy it in scrip or barter.
>If an item can be reasonably proven to be owned by a settler but is needed elsewhere, they should be given a scrip of debt from the colony. Numbered and matched with the ledger kept on all redustributed goods.
You decide to prioritize expediency and the needs of the community, even if that means stepping over the boundaries of what “ownership” means. You order your team to focus on personal belongings to start. Once those are identified and distributed, you appropriate the rest of the civilian goods. In short order, your port administrators have written up inventories, values, and the many associated scrips. Port bills of set amounts are then compensated to the appropriate former owners. While doing so the administrators are quick to learn what the people think of this;
“Wait, so I have to buy my goods for a second time? I had to spend days hunting some of that stuff down!”
“Oh... I guess the Crown will just take my stuff here in the new land as well, huh...”
“I didn’t consent to this! Who decided what my property is worth?! My tools were top of the line and now someone else will buy them instead of their cheap, slum-jobs.”
This was not a popular decision. However, it did allow for a smooth unloading as most the bureaucracy could happen on shore. All other supplies were transferred to the construction sites without further delay.

Doomsby 2024/03/26(Tue)16:19 No. 1087206 ID: 462d8c
File 171149514753.png - (1.78MB , 1250x1024 , highsland08.png )

>By the way, assuming the island will keep expanding, wouldn't it make the city progressively harder to reach by ship as the edge of the island gets further away ?
Land expansion has always been a logistic problem since time immemorial. However, it’s not a particularly large obstacle for flying ships. While a port of piers out into the open sky is the most efficient use of space, once the island edge is too far then a community can simply switch to landing pads. Certainly not the most optimal use of space, but works just as well. The empire capital boasts a vertical port, an engineering marvel, but anyone who’s used it can question it’s efficiency.

Construction complete: Simple Housing
Wooden huts and hovels have been set up in the snail meadows. Definitely the opposite of luxurious, but they more importantly mark property that they can develop and raise a family on.

Resources: Some starting supplies
Food: Rations

Current construction: None
Current projects: Catalogue reports (2,4,6 rounds)

Suggest some actions:
Begin a construction: Suggest a building and where it’ll go. An associated resource is required to be used as building materials. (Though right now there’s only one.) Only one construction can be -started- per a round, though multiple continued constructions can occur.
Start a project: Suggest a project that’ll involve a number of people, will take time to do, but isn’t explicitly putting together a structure. Resources to be used are option where appropriate. Only one project can be -started- a round but multiple can be worked on.
Enact a ruling: Instate a new bylaw or temporary measure.
Other: You’re a clever bunch, and this isn’t an exhaustive list of everything that can be done. Feel free to suggest something that doesn’t quite fit with the previous three actions.

Start by researching each of the zones. Your priorities are water, food, and building materials. After that, take a week to review the research methods and teams and see if anyone needs re-assignment or nonstandard guidelines.

>>1087206
While its certaimly important to scout and assess all zones (starting with neighbouring zones i presume), if we have to flag a priority, i'd suggest the forest.
Its likely to take a longer time to fully assess than snail meadows and the lakeshores, but it could provide all three primary needs.
A potential source of forage and hunting, fresh water is plentiful enough for dense foliage and nihhtly mist, and then the ever essential building materials

The night noises from that place make me wonder if any potential threats lurk in the deep of the woods and dark of the night.

For consideration:
Observe closely the report quality and results from scouts.
Candidates for a founding group of rangers to follow priority missions may make themselves known this way.

>>1087205
Well, so long as we don't do that again it'll be fine. I'm not sure why people didn't just immediately rebuy any stuff they wanted to keep...

>>1087206
Project: create a vehicle capable of traversing the blinding desert. Was our protective gear just not dark enough to shield the scouts' eyes, or is the damage not just from visible light? (darkened)Periscopes and similar indirect viewing should avoid that issue since mirrors only reflect visible light. A similar mechanism could probably be made for a bulky helmet to allow non-damaging viewing. As for the stinging wind... maybe something like diving gear? Or maybe we need magical protection for everything.

>>1087206
The Mesa has me curious, now that the ship is unloaded would it be possible to use it to approach the Mesa from above and thus avoid thr hostile desert that surrounds it? If so I suggest landing an expedition to explore the Mesa.

What we need right now is food and building supplies. Construct a workshop on the edge of the forest to start manufacturing tools for hunting and farming.

Do we have a count of skilled workers and in what crafts?
Also roughly how wide is one tile?

>>1087224
This

We should make an hospital, when we need it it'll be too late to build it.
If we can start a second project without delaying the first we should create a group of rangers or explorers. We will need to explore the more inhospitable zones at some point, and we can't do that without properly trained explorer. At least not if we want most of them to come back alive.

Doomsby 2024/03/31(Sun)13:51 No. 1087538 ID: 462d8c
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>What we need right now is food and building supplies. Construct a workshop on the edge of the forest to start manufacturing tools for hunting and farming.

It’s important to have the right tool for the job. So it’s equally important to be able to make that tool in the first place. You decide that a workshop should be a priority. After all, every other task and job will depend on the tools provided and you can only rely on the ones you’ve brought with you for so long. It will by no means be akin to a manufactory, more of a shed with a work bench, but it will prove to be vital.
Workshop will take 1 round to complete

>The Mesa has me curious, now that the ship is unloaded would it be possible to use it to approach the Mesa from above and thus avoid thr hostile desert that surrounds it?
>Was our protective gear just not dark enough to shield the scouts' eyes, or is the damage not just from visible light? (darkened)Periscopes and similar indirect viewing should avoid that issue since mirrors only reflect visible light. A similar mechanism could probably be made for a bulky helmet to allow non-damaging viewing. As for the stinging wind... maybe something like diving gear? Or maybe we need magical protection for everything.
The mystery of the white desert tugs at your mind. The initial scouts were wearing clothing appropriate for a desert excursion. Loose but covering clothing and basic eye protection. Still they returned with what looked like rashes and broken skin. As previously mentioned, some of the scouts had trouble with their vision even hours after leaving the desert. A closer look at their gear revealed several small tears and holes beyond basic wear and tear. There’s something strange going on, and if you are return you’ll have to properly prepare for it. You delegate some scouts to investigate and experiment with what is going on with these sands. You need to know what precisely is causing so much damage and how we could mitigate it.
>Project: create a vehicle capable of traversing the blinding desert.
Your end goal will be to construct a vehicle capable to reach the mesa. Whether it’s a skiff to glide across the sands, an airship to travel from above, or some other construction.
Investigation will take 3 rounds. Building a vehicle will take 1 round after.

>Do we have a count of skilled workers and in what crafts?
You were not in charge of who could apply or who was accepted for colonising. People’s skills and former occupations are unknown.
>Also roughly how wide is one tile?
For context, a tile is large enough to hold a volcano. You should be able to fit your entire city in just the snail meadows, though supportive towns and industries would have to sprawl beyond.

Doomsby 2024/03/31(Sun)13:52 No. 1087539 ID: 462d8c
File 171191832661.png - (750.95KB , 1280x1024 , highsland10.png )

Decision: Unwelcomed guests

Oh frabjous day! The ship and crew that were sent back to the empire have returned. This small reunion has brought a bit of joy to the colonists. Everyone gathers around to share news from the homeland and to catch the crew up with the going-ons of the colony. Just as welcomed are the supplies they’ve brought with them. While no fresh food is able to survive the trip, the food they did bring fall more under the category of preserves rather than rations. Pickled vegetables, salted meats, jams, and grains rather than hard-tack and pemmican. Of course, they’ve also brought more lumber and materials for any new projects.

The leader of the group pulls you aside for two pieces of news for you in particular. First, there is a lord in the Council of Maesters that has been gaining popularity. He’s apparently been stoking sentiment that the empire is expanding too fast That the colonies are taking too much resources for the homeland for too little in return. Already he’s pushed for measures to cease support for new settlements or to implement taxation sooner. So far, none of his motions have gotten past arguments, but the seed is there and it’s growing.

Before the captain can continue, you notice a large party disembarking from the ship. A sigh and exasperated look tells you that this group is the second bit of news.

“Unfortunately, dearest leader, we were accompanied by some unwelcomed guests...”

Who are they?
A.) The Persecuted: The group of men, women, and children all in wide-brimmed hats and the same shade of blue greets you. They introduce themselves as the Chasonites; a religious sect seeking refuge from the repressive dogma of the homeland. When pressed as to what exactly they’re being persecuted for, they reiterate it’s that their values do not align with the state denomination. The pressing issue seems to be over the divinity of what they refer to as “The Blue Saints.” You do not know what they are referring to and the captain of the ship signals that you’re better off not asking. Talking with others, you’ve gathered that these Chasonites are known seclusionists, have strict dress codes and diets, and that this is not the first time they’ve been chased out of the empire.
Or
B.) The Exile: An entire retinue of servants and guards exit the ship with a fancifully dressed fellow being the last to leave. Even before he introduces himself you know he’s a noble of sorts.
“Pharinieas Galfaunis Mortisonne IV. Lord of East Westerbank, Maester of the third borough of Vandershire, heir to the County of Westerbank, and ex-Chancellor of Bells.”
You do not recognize the name nor his titles. He explains that he’s been disgraced, (wrongfully, he adds,) and has been exiled from his estate and barred from his position in government. Being in a position of privilege, however, means that he cannot be directly harmed for his (supposed) transgressions. So exile is still the main form of punishment for someone of his stature. When asked what his supposed crimes are he breaks out into dramatics and puts so much embellishment on things that it’s impossible to discern what exactly the point is.
C.) Of course, you could always, how we’ll say, “show them off the island.” Be warned, though: this will have consequences.

A. Don’t need nobles here.

>>1087539
A.
Labour in exchange for sanctuary.
They will help us establish ourselves and perhaps we can pledge a secluded area to them when resources allow in exchange for their help.

I expect outcasts will have learned a lot about self reliance and could teach us a thing or two or at least bolster our skillpool.

A) At least they wouldn't be expecting luxuries or obedience.
Will their strict diets be at odds with what we have available?

B. All it will take is a little convincing to go on a glorious expedition for adventure... and all those trained maids and guards will be yours.

>>1087539
A should be fine. They want seclusion, well we have a surplus of land. They don't bother us, we don't bother them.

B.
It's a tough choice but the cultists are probably worse. If I understand correctly it's the prayers and beliefs of the inhabitants that shape the island, so if they believe in apocalyptic or unpleasant things we could end up with horrible places on the island. And if the locals always chase them off once they discover what their beliefs are, we probably won't like the answer either.
The noble is not being honest with us but if he poses legal trouble we can enact a ruling, we can't do that with religion. And maybe he could help with that lord in the Council of Maesters. He lives here now, he probably doesn't want the Empire to raise taxes or cease support, that should give him some incentive to help us.

Whoever we end up choosing, we should try to find out what exactly they did. They seem to think that if we knew what it is we would not want them here.

Doomsby 2024/04/04(Thu)11:21 No. 1087934 ID: 462d8c
File 171225486041.png - (376.23KB , 1280x1024 , highsland11.png )

>A. Don’t need nobles here.
>A) At least they wouldn't be expecting luxuries or obedience.
>A should be fine. They want seclusion, well we have a surplus of land. They don't bother us, we don't bother them.
As the blue-clad people start gathering their things, you are resigned to these new neighbours. You try to get more information, approaching a variety of them, but are met with silence and wary stares. Then after some futile attempts, you talk to what you believe is their leader again. Letting them know that while they’re allowed to have their seclusion they are still expected to help the community as a whole.
“Of course, we would be terrible neighbours if we did not!”
You also ask, out of curiosity, if they’re still able to maintain their strict diet when resources are so limited.
“We appreciate the concern, but we have prepared for this. Worry not, we will grow our own food and sew our own cloth.”
With that, the entire group gathers their things, hauls some lumber, and makes a trek around the lake to the land of wheat and standing stones. In due time a large lodge can be seen with a constant stream of smoke coming from it. Their activities and happening unknown as most don’t bother making the trip over and the Chasonites certainly haven’t made the effort either. You suspect that if you want something from them then you’ll have to officially approach them.

Doomsby 2024/04/04(Thu)11:21 No. 1087935 ID: 462d8c
File 171225489433.png - (1.78MB , 1250x1024 , highsland12-m.png )

Construction Complete: Basic Workshop
We now have a small station to produce tools and repairs. Due to limited supplies and materials, the workshop currently do much more than fix and maintain what we already have. Primarily fixing shafts and hafts, and sharpening edges. The shop is also able to convert scraps into useful objects, such as plank cut-offs into dowels and pickets. So even in this limited capacity this workshop is a boon.

Resources: Some starting supplies; basic tools
Food: Preserves

Current constructions: None
Current projects: Catalogue reports (1,3,5 rounds); Mesa expedition (2, 3 rounds)

Suggest some actions:
Begin a construction: Suggest a building and where it’ll go. An associated resource is required to be used as building materials. Only one construction can be -started- per a round, though multiple continued constructions can occur.
Start a project: Suggest a project that’ll involve a number of people, will take time to do, but isn’t explicitly putting together a structure. Resources to be used are option where appropriate. Only one project can be -started- a round but multiple can be worked on.
Enact a ruling: Instate a new bylaw or temporary measure.
Other: You’re a clever bunch, and this isn’t an exhaustive list of everything that can be done. Feel free to suggest something that doesn’t quite fit with the previous three actions.

Either something for cultivating and growing food, garden or greenhouses or the like, or start setting up defenses for when the cultists inevitably wage war on us.

>>1087935
We needto start securing food supplies, get farmers tilling and planting while some scouts see if there's anyhting worth hunting/fishing/trapping/foraging nearby

Depending on what our resources are looking like, either a lumber mill or some farms.
The wheat in the standing stones area... has anyone tried eating it yet?

>>1087976
Agreed.
Sustainable food supply is the primary concern.
Farming a must, but its slow and we need to discover what will flourish in this soil.
So starting thatbis important.

In the meantime hunting and foraging will supplement long term supply usage.
We need to see if theres a sufficient amount of game.
Maybe set up a smoke house for preserving meat if theres enough to warrant it.

Got to find something to help stretch things until the first harvests come in.

Set up some small plots to test the snail land for farming. Don't commit all our supply of seeds yet.
Also start gathering some wheat.

You need to start setting up your own farms too.

Doomsby 2024/04/15(Mon)15:40 No. 1088867 ID: 462d8c
File 171322082739.png - (551.04KB , 1280x1024 , highsland13.png )

First catalogue Report:
Your scouts and researchers finally bring in their first notes and findings. A pile of papers with various scrawlings and diagrams cover your crude desk and with some representatives of the teams you start to go through them.

Starting with the lake and the creatures within. Initial efforts have been apparently stymied by one particular fish; brown, potato-like, and about the size of a can. This fish seems to have a habit of swarming when one of their number is in distressed, such as when one is caught on a hook. These summoned allies would then bite whatever is the perceived problem, “bogging down” the line and often causing it to snap. These “Bogging Fish,” as the researchers have been calling them, are also quite numerous in number. Any attempts at fishing for other creatures have merely resulted in catching more of these vexing creatures. They are edible though, with the texture described as “slimy” even when cooked and was considered mild even by lake fish standards. They will probably be the backbone of any fishing industry we develop regardless of our intentions. Now other fish have been observed, but more time is needed to actually inspect them.

As for the snail meadows, the researchers say that there have been so far an innumerable species encountered so far. The entire food chain seems to consist of nothing but these gastropods and sorting them has been a herculean task. It seems like most small ones with pale coloured shells fall into the “prey” category, because there are plenty of predatory snails involved. Except for the “pastel yellow” ones, those are poisonous and should not be consumed. Predatory snails come in all shapes and sizes and so far there hasn’t been a basic rule of thumb identifying them. Many are venomous and use a sort of harpoon to attack other species. The most noteworthy of which is the “Regal Whorl” a large specimen having reached upwards the size of a ball. This may be the apex predator of the biome. Due to it’s size its venom sacs are fairly easy to harvest and though applications of the venom will be slow to discover.

Otherwise, efforts continue and further reports are forthcoming.

Doomsby 2024/04/15(Mon)15:41 No. 1088868 ID: 462d8c
File 171322086364.png - (1.78MB , 1250x1024 , highsland12-m.png )

>We needto start securing food supplies, get farmers tilling and planting
>You need to start setting up your own farms too.
You begin to order the clearing of some acres to turn into farmland. To figure out the conditions of the soil, you decide to plant a variety of crops on a single plot. The settlers have been growing some of their own in sustenance gardens, but this only gives so much insight as it is clear that many of these people aren’t farmers. Still, in due time we’ll figure out what grows and what adjustments could be made to the ground for more.
Simple Farm will take 1 round to complete. The harvest, however, will take longer.

>The wheat in the standing stones area... has anyone tried eating it yet?
>Also start gathering some wheat.
People have been sampling the local flora, a mix of boredom and a need for fresh food, and apparently the wheat is indeed edible. At this juncture it could only be turned into a very coarse, flat bread. A mass harvesting could be issued if need be.

Resources: Some starting supplies; basic tools
Food: Preserves

Current constructions: Simple farm (1 round)
Current projects: Catalogue reports (2, 4 rounds); Mesa expedition (1, 2 rounds)

Suggest some actions:
Begin a construction: Suggest a building and where it’ll go. An associated resource is required to be used as building materials. Only one construction can be -started- per a round, though multiple continued constructions can occur.
Start a project: Suggest a project that’ll involve a number of people, will take time to do, but isn’t explicitly putting together a structure. Resources to be used are option where appropriate. Only one project can be -started- a round but multiple can be worked on.
Enact a ruling: Instate a new bylaw or temporary measure.
Other: You’re a clever bunch, and this isn’t an exhaustive list of everything that can be done. Feel free to suggest something that doesn’t quite fit with the previous three actions.

>>1088868
Okay, let's section off part of the wheat fields for renewable harvesting, and see how the fields react to the intrusion. The religious group is there so we need to negotiate with them about property lines. How much land do they need for self-sufficiency, what are their plans for expansion, that sort of thing.

>>1088867
That's a promising first report. Those Boglers seem tailor made for easy catching, just hook one as bait and then net the lot of them. We might even need to limit fishing them lest we drive them extinct.

Purple has long been a highly coveted dye, and its main source is snail shells. We might just have a gold mine on our hands, but it would take a lot of shells and a long time.

Time to set up a logging camp in the forest. Our need for wood only grows.

That's a really interesting ecosystem, we should be on the lookout for burrowing snails. And the bogging fishes would probably be easier to catch with a trident or other spearfishing tools rather than fishing lines.

I suggest enacting a wildlife protection ruling to protect local fauna and flora, or else I'm a bit afraid the snail population is going to suffer once farming starts and suddenly they are seen as pests rather than part of the scenery.
That should go hand in hand with a project to find ways to protect our farms from hungry gastropods without killing them or disturbing their habitat too much.

We should also construct a watermill while there still is a waterfall on the edge of the lake. We might as well harness it while it's there, and it could power some sawmills and workshops.

>>1088868
Okay, that's easy enough. Make some travelling harvest caravans to perform basic hunter-gathering. Set up bounties for research on what they catch, different ways to cook the stuff, the long-term effects of the food, etc.

Build a basic workshop for crafting more building supplies, and we'll see what we can make from there.

>>1088870
Agreed.
The wheat is important but so is being a good neighbour.

>>1088867
Does the slimy quality indicate harvestable oil of any kind?
At the very least, whatever fish waste produced will make for good fertilizer.

>>1088874
It would also aid in the milling of the wheat. Speed that up greatly.
Once it no longer functions, the parts can be moved to somewhere the water still flows.

I propose queuing a simple road to and trading post between the Chasonite compound and our town. It's not urgent but I think it should at least be put on the books as a to-do.

It's perfectly acceptable to allow them to manage their own affairs, but seclusion and isolation are two different things. We need to at least include them as *part of society* early on, or else the same problems that drove them here will repeat themselves.

Doomsby 2024/05/01(Wed)18:52 No. 1090113 ID: 462d8c
File 171461472656.png - (552.42KB , 1280x1024 , highsland15.png )

>We should also construct a watermill while there still is a waterfall on the edge of the lake. We might as well harness it while it's there, and it could power some sawmills and workshops.
> It would also aid in the milling of the wheat. Speed that up greatly. Once it no longer functions, the parts can be moved to somewhere the water still flows.
A spot on the shore line is selected for a waterwheel. The strong current there will be more than enough to power what we need, but not so close to the edge where the forces are more likely to tear apart our crude machinery. Thankfully, with a simple workshop already set up, the required wooden gears and axles should be straight forward to construct.
Waterwheel will take 1 round to complete

>Okay, let's section off part of the wheat fields for renewable harvesting, and see how the fields react to the intrusion.
An area on the north side of the tile is designated for harvesting. It should be far enough away from the Chasonites to not interfere with them but still close enough to our colony. A group of villagers are gathered and outfitted with the few scythes we have. Harvesting will be simple enough, even for those armed with sickles, but the real obstacle will be transporting the bales of wheat back. Without a cart or beast of burden, carrying the grains will be what requires dedicated effort.
Harvesting will be completed in 1 round


>We might even need to limit fishing them lest we drive them extinct.
>I suggest enacting a wildlife protection ruling to protect local fauna and flora, or else I'm a bit afraid the snail population is going to suffer once farming starts and suddenly they are seen as pests rather than part of the scenery.
The balance between civilization and nature is a delicate thing. So you decide it’s best to put in some precautions before there is trouble. Fishing, for now, will be restricted to certain days. While not ideal, it should be enough to slow people from emptying the lake while requiring the least amount of administration. Unfortunately, it’ll be a bit longer before we know the fishes habits enough to assign and restrict certain seasons as well. The snails are a bit trickier, as they are seemingly endless in supply and few people are actively seeking them out. Of course, this can change in an instant should an industry arise from them; whether it be food, dye, or medicinal. Until we understand things better, the current limits will be that a person can only eliminate snails on their property, and only two baskets of snails can be harvested within a period of time.
Law Enacted: Basic wildlife protections.

>The religious group is there so we need to negotiate with them about property lines. How much land do they need for self-sufficiency, what are their plans for expansion, that sort of thing.
>It's perfectly acceptable to allow them to manage their own affairs, but seclusion and isolation are two different things. We need to at least include them as *part of society* early on, or else the same problems that drove them here will repeat themselves.
You write a quick missive to the religious group. You primarily ask about land usage and boundaries, but you also try to reach a hand out for cooperation. Right now, there are still too many unknowns surrounding them to say for sure what is the best way to approach them, but being cordial is probably a safe bet. You send off a courier and wait for a reply.

Doomsby 2024/05/01(Wed)18:53 No. 1090114 ID: 462d8c
File 171461483949.png - (1.19MB , 1280x1024 , highsland16.png )

Decision: Angry Skies

There’s a storm brewing. It’s...
A.) Fire and Ash: Tremors are not unusual in the colony, and rarely do they do more than rattle the shelves. However, it’s starting to become noticeable how frequent they’ve become. Eyes glance towards the mountain in the west as folk try their best to carry on as normal. That is, until the volcano decided it can no longer be ignored. A black plume of smoke spews upwards and is quickly accompanied by a resounding crack of noise. Dark, grey ash rockets into the sky with fire hidden within and lightning dancing around. Several more eruptions follow the startling first, some of which burst forth with even more ferocity. Eventually, the volcano settles into ominous rumblings with an amorphous mass of scalding soot hangs above it. Then the winds change, and the dark cloud moves our direction. Hot ash starts falling down upon the colony, clinging and scorching to everything outside. Soon, everything is a uniform grey as the worst of the storm moves on. The damage is great, but we will persevere.
Or
Snail Hail: It’s a local phenomena that snails will occasionally fall from the sky. Often your average rain will be accompanied by a handful of “THOKs” as shells hit the ground and roofs. Dents in wood are common and most people have gotten at least one welt this way. This time is different though. Usually the snail fall for a matter of seconds and quickly peter out, but this time they only seem to be falling in greater frequency. The rain is quickly out paced by by pail shells as the cacophony of impact becomes unbearable. Then the large ones start to fall. Fist-sized gastropods cracking against roofs and smashing the smaller snails on the ground. Melon-sized snails crash down and spiky shells tear through anything outside. Finally, the hail resides as quickly as it came. Everywhere there’s splintered wood and craters in the soil. The damage is great, but we will persevere.

Scalding hot ash, or delicious gastropods? Call it cloudy with a chance of meatballs, but batten down the hatches, because your short term food problems are solved!

>>1090114
Snail hail! With destruction comes opportunity. Also probably a sign that we don't need to worry about snail populations... they're clearly materializing out of nowhere!

We're going to have to build some tougher buildings. And/or shelters.

>>1090114
I cant help but feel were just saving up for a greater wrathful debut from the volcano at a later date but I simply have to go with the
SNAIL HAIL.
its just too perfect.

Snail! Hail!
Time to consider building styles to deal with this type of weather. Steeply slanted roofs ought to deflect the heavier shells. The real problem is the effect this will have on farming. Either gardens will need to be small plots with ample overhead protection or we will need to keep the farms to the grasslands.

Snail hail ! The town is getting shelled !

>>1090146
Im more worried about the potential effect of surviving snails on crops.
The initial hut of the hail will be bad but its the persisting potential for damage that makes it worse than normal hail.
Snails are little sods.
They can be voracious little marauders if left unchecked and even if dealt with perfectly, are certain to cause damage before being brought under control.

Beer traps work well, but nothing is 100% effective.
Plus without harvested crops and a brewery, beer isnt going to be plentiful enough to use yet.

Im still glad everyone seems to be plugging for the snail hail despite all this.
Its a great concept.

Wait, this is an easy one to counter.
Salt the earth.
Now, when they land, they won't be able to run from the acid floor. You can pick them up off the ground and the salt will act as a preservative and seasoning, giving you a steady supply of preserved rations until you can get your farms restarted.

Snail Hail.

Collect as many of them as possible. The shells can be used to make concrete!

Snail Hail.

Collect as many of them as possible. The shells can be used to make concrete!

Obsidian Edge RealDoomsby 2024/05/10(Fri)11:51 No. 1090688 ID: 681cb5
File 171536707690.png - (307.03KB , 700x550 , Obsidian.png )

The snail hail is coming… and with it, heroes arrive to face its looming darkness.

Among them are you, an Avali named Obsidian Edge (original character, do not steal) with a dark and mysterious past that will never be focused on. But it’s all sad, dark and bloody, trust me. Wielding your massive 100 kilometer long buster sword, aptly named the snail slayer for the hundreds of trillions of snail it has slain, you are not only the lord of all Avali, but also the edgiest… as your 200 kilometer long sword, the snail slayer, is the biggest edge there is! Also your parents are deeeaaaaad!!!

How will you conquer this threat of raining snail? With one swing of your 400 kilometer long sword, the snail slayer, or do you find a dark corner to brood in?

This is a joke and not a real update. Also, I vote for snail hail, obviously.

Snail hail. Melon-sized, roof-denting snail shells sound like they could actually be a usable resource. Also, snail soup for weeks after.

>>1090688
He’s literally me frfr!!

>>1090690
This

Arrest that maniac!

>>1090688
Brood.
Cant beat a good brooding.
Maybe soneone will ask about your backstory.

In the meantime, we'll brace for the snailhail.
Lets just pray it doesnt develop into a torsnaildo.

Doomsby 2024/05/13(Mon)18:05 No. 1090886 ID: 462d8c
File 171564873819.png - (701.75KB , 1280x1024 , highsland17.png )

>Unanimous vote for snail hail
Citizens brace their windows as best they can as their houses get shelled. Families huddle together as relentless drumming on their roofs and walls start to drown out all thought. Soon, sickly cracking noises can be heard. First of the larger shells breaking the smaller ones but then also of the wood of the structures beginning to break under the constant assault. The simple boards were made to block wind and rain, not a barrage of large snails. Some roofs begin to fail simply out of sheer weight of all the slimy creatures on them. People let out screams as their homes start crumbling around them, unheard over the cacophony of splintering timber and deafening hail. Thankfully, it does end but the damages to our community is severe. Most of our living spaces are crushed with many trapped underneath. There were a few poor souls caught outside who have been naturally stoned to death. Recovery and rescue efforts have been hampered by needing to navigate the moving, loose rocks that cover everything. The shock of it all leaves everyone in a solemn silence as they try their best to recover.
Simple Houses is now considered Ruined. A structure in such a state cannot preform it’s function but can be repaired. Repairs are instantaneous but will be considered that round’s suggested construction.

Soon, people are putting themselves to various tasks in recovery efforts. Families are freed from collapsed buildings and triage is set up in the few remaining structures. In dealing with the snails, a variety of efforts have sprung up. For the smaller creatures simple shovelling and raking them into piles help open up needed spaces and pathways. Large communal pots full of boiling water and fats have been set up to cook the known edible snails. Others have organized a relay of baskets to simply toss the poisonous ones off of the island. Still more colonists just do their best of killing as many snails as they can, sorting the bodies into shells and offal. Spirits are low but everyone is working for a tomorrow.

Initial Mesa investigations finished
It seems the white desert is full of peculiars, and they all seem designed to be hostile. The sand itself seems resistant to erosive forces. The individual grains maintain sharp, star-like structures even though they should be worn down tumbling against each other. Even when melted into glass the crystals maintain their roughness, with with the glass ingots almost being able to be used as a rasp. The wind too seems malevolent, as it tends to always be blowing against you regardless of which way you’re facing. With multiple people facing different directions it still manages to blow primarily into each person’s face. The air is indeed incredibly dry, but it’s unsure if this is another affect of the white desert or just from being a desert in general.
Unfortunately, this does greatly limit what sort of vehicle could be used to cross to the mesa. Anything with a sail is unusable. An airship could be tried to approach from above, but the envelope would be susceptible to the sharp sand, making this a risky option. For now, the team is going to develop a skid that can be pushed from behind or inside, and with a shield protecting the pilot or passengers.
Mesa expedition vehicle will take 1 round

Response from the Chasonites
A letter reaches your desk. There’s no seals or insignia, but you’re told this is from the Chasonites. Opening it you find it surprisingly short. You guess their terseness extends to their writing.
“Humble greetings,
We are glad to share in the bounty of this land with you. Our sect does not believe in such things as land ownership. That is the domain of worldly kings and not of the divinely driven. You may work our soil as we may work yours.
Blessed day to you.”
This does little to clarify things, but you seem to be free to harvest the wild wheat as you see fit for now.

Doomsby 2024/05/13(Mon)18:06 No. 1090887 ID: 462d8c
File 171564879769.png - (1.78MB , 1250x1024 , highsland18-m.png )

Wild wheat harvest complete
Your team of harvesters make quick cutting of the wild wheat, doing things systematically and acre by acre. Soon enough bare patches scatter across the northern part of the tile as they complete their work. Areas and lanes are left alone between each worked space so as to prevent erosion and to let the wild grass grow back. As was the worry, the real problem was hauling everything back. After a bale was bundled there wasn’t much choice but to carry it back to the colony on someone’s back. Their many sore spines could attest that this wasn’t ideal. There were attempts to bundle the wheat into large wheels to be rolled back, but those would just get caught and fall apart among all the rocks and bumps in between. Some people took an easier route. They would thresh the wheat out in the field and then bring the grain back in sacks and baskets. However, this left a lot of useful straw behind. In time, they all just bullied ahead and hauled the bales back. Their efforts will sustain us for a long time, but they’ll probably need to rest for a season or so.

Construction Complete: Waterwheel
Our most complicated construction yet is now complete. Not only is it more than four walls and a roof, but also a full on assembly of machinery. Wooden cogs, wheels, and shafts whirr and turn inside while the giant, paddled wheel creaks outside. For now, everything is hooked up to a mill stone to grind the wild wheat into a more agreeable flour. We can, of course, change its purpose in the future if need be.

Resources: Very few starting supplies; basic tools; shells: straw
Food: Preserves; snail bounty; wild wheat flatbread

Current constructions:
Current projects: Catalogue reports (1, 3 rounds); Mesa expedition (1 round)

Suggest some actions:
Begin a construction: Suggest a building and where it’ll go. An associated resource is required to be used as building materials. Only one construction can be -started- per a round, though multiple continued constructions can occur.
Start a project: Suggest a project that’ll involve a number of people, will take time to do, but isn’t explicitly putting together a structure. Resources to be used are option where appropriate. Only one project can be -started- a round but multiple can be worked on.
Enact a ruling: Instate a new bylaw or temporary measure.
Diplomacy: Initiate negotiations, make contact, form treatises or alliances, or even conduct old fashion espionage.
Other: You’re a clever bunch, and this isn’t an exhaustive list of everything that can be done. Feel free to suggest something that doesn’t quite fit with the previous four actions.

Doomsby 2024/05/13(Mon)18:07 No. 1090888 ID: 462d8c
File 171564884513.png - (32.58KB , 908x142 , youeverhadadreamthatadream.png )

>>1090688
A bit of context for this amazing post.

>>1090887
We can use the massive amount of snail shells to build stuff. crush them down and refine them into concrete powder and mortar, so we can strengthen our buildings for the next great snail hail. this material could also be used to improve other things as well.

>>1090886
>You may work our soil as we may work yours
Ah. They don't believe in land ownership, but that goes both ways. They will trespass on our farms and take what they want of the land's bounty probably. Fortunately, we can consider that a cost of operating on land near them. An acceptable cost, overall, considering the fertility of those lands.

>snail hail fucking WRECKED everything
Welp we have two choices now.
1, set up basic housing in a different biome
2, make reinforced housing in the snail lands.

>trouble transporting the wheat
Okay let's solve two problems at once. Build some new basic housing on the shore of the lake, near the wheatlands. We don't really want to build in the wheatlands in case they catch fire, in addition to the land ownership issues... huh, can we build in the central tile comfortably? That's another option since there isn't a lot of land by the lake.

We're going to need to get more wood from the forest, and set up a mine to gather stone from somewhere... For now we can break up the boulders along the shore of the lake for stone supplies.

SO, my actions are:
1, build basic housing along the edge of the lake biome
2, scout the central tile to see if it's habitable or if there's any useful resources.

We need to rebuild the houses as soon as possible. And we should consider changing their design to better resist snail hails. Things like very steep slopped roofs to prevent the snails from piling on top of the houses and crushing them under their weight, or maybe rounded to redistribute the impacts.

For our project, I suggest exploring the forest. We need to be able to navigate it without getting lost, and there's probably more to find in it beside lumber. Like edible fruits so we have something to eat beside bread, snails, breaded snails and snail porridge (served directly into its shell, obviously).

Lets replace the houses with dugout homes (like the American pioneers had). The broken remains can be repurposed to reinforce the roofs, covered with a thick ablative layer of dirt it should resist even the heavy snails.

We also need to establish a graveyard, even if it only has wooden markers for now. What's the funerary practice of the empire? burial, cremation, sky burial, ossuaries?

Honestly?
The Chasonite ideal of the land isn't a bad one. It seems radical compared to the standard way land is parceled out in the empire, but it should prove highly beneficial to the common man. Since our new Civilisation is young, I think it's the perfect time to write up a new Land Use Policy! We need to define what is Common land vs public, private, and other privileged lands.

Diplomacy/Enact a Ruling - Assemble some people representing the interests of various groups of our community, and request the Chasonites do the same. Then meet to codify a land use policy that all parties can support. By doing this now we're sure to save everyone a lot of headaches down the line.

As for the damage, instead of simply repairing the damaged houses, why don't we instead start building Sturdy Houses? Use the mill to grind down the snail shells. Cook the resulting powder into lime. Mix with sand or gravel to make concrete, or clay for mortar! The snails have provided what we need for us to build shelters capable of protecting us from them!

>>1090887

The rebuilding of the houses is a priority.

The hail knocked us down some, so we must be swift in standing again.

As to future storms, it will take time to design and resource hail resistant buildings.
Its a goal, but a long term one.

In the meantime it would be worth building a permanent encampment albeit from camping gear at first due to using construction for repairs.
Place it at the forests edge with the intent of turning it into a sattelite village.
Our eggs are currently all in the same basket as it were.

For future consideration.
That sand and glass are a valuable resource.
Need to kmow if it retains its properties when removed from the biome.
If so, we could be exporting eversharp crystal rasps to the empire eventually.
Perhaps numerous other tools.

>>1090887
We need housing and we need to reinforce our previous designs. How strong are those desert glass ingots? Thick tempered glass can be extremely durable.

>>1090937
Hmmm, if it's durable enough we could use it to armor our buildings in the snail biome... It's dangerous to live there now, though.

Build a warehouse in each sector, a place that's extra fortified to store goods. Then, have a set of specialized transports meant for the slow but steady flow of goods.

Doomsby 2024/05/21(Tue)23:34 No. 1091549 ID: 462d8c
File 171635967225.png - (866.89KB , 1280x907 , highsland19.png )

>We can use the massive amount of snail shells to build stuff. crush them down and refine them into concrete powder and mortar,
>We need to rebuild the houses as soon as possible. And we should consider changing their design to better resist snail hails. Things like very steep slopped roofs to prevent the snails from piling on top of the houses and crushing them under their weight, or maybe rounded to redistribute the impacts.
>As for the damage, instead of simply repairing the damaged houses, why don't we instead start building Sturdy Houses? Use the mill to grind down the snail shells. Cook the resulting powder into lime. Mix with sand or gravel to make concrete, or clay for mortar!
You order for the collection and crushing of the snail shells. Folks are glad to finally have something to do with them and start piling the things outside of the watermill to be ground into powder. Pretty soon a large pile of crushed shells is made but that’s when production greatly slows down. Gathering the other necessary materials, while plentiful, is a decentralized and disorganized effort. Moulding the bricks, being done on an individual basis, has resulted in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Not to mention that bricklaying tends to be a less common skill for parents to pass on to child than hammering boards together. Any attempts at making functional glass has been even worse for similar reasons, though some have been able to pull off some decorative windows. For sod roofs, however, many people of more agrarian descent are familiar on how to put one together and is being added to the design.
Simple’n’Sturdy housing will be complete in 3 rounds

>2, scout the central tile to see if it's habitable or if there's any useful resources.
Island seed tiles are the same regardless of island and are well explored by this point in history. They are primarily made of rounded, rough rock and have the ever present and prominent genesium crystals protruding outward. No plant life grows on these tiles and no wildlife permanently inhabit it. Culturally, the land isn’t quite seen as sacred by religious means, but there is still an unspoken sanctity to it. There are some who would protest to living on the tile, but holy men, gurus, and hermits have been known to do so. Extracting resources would raise a much larger commotion, and mining genesium is strictly taboo for island destruction reasons.
>Need to kmow if it retains its properties when removed from the biome.
They appear to do so. The glass was formed and tested in the safety of our colony.

Doomsby 2024/05/21(Tue)23:34 No. 1091550 ID: 462d8c
File 171635969816.png - (686.13KB , 1280x1024 , highsland20.png )

It starts as a tiny blip on the horizon but soon a familiar ship approaches our colony. Once again a crowd forms at the docking, waiting for news and supplies. (There’s also not much else to get excited for around here.) Cheering and hollering ring out as more hopeful settlers disembark from their long journey, eagerly welcomed by our own. Not sharing in the joviality, however, is the captain who waves you over and beckons you on board.
“Do you remember that bit of political news that I shared with you last time?” He asks as as he takes you below decks. “About the one maester who felt that the colonies were taking too many resources and not giving enough back? Has more charisma than empathy, that one. He’s been gaining political power at a startling speed and, well...” He motions to the ships hold. It’s dishearteningly barren. There’s no racks of planks, palettes of preserves, boxes or barrels of this or that. There are some supplies, but they could be accounted for in handfuls. “He was quite persistent and persuasive that the colonies should no longer receive... I think he called them ‘subsidies’. Was actually loading the goods onto the ship when some administrators with the dock police arrived and halted the whole operation. Had to lighten my purse a bit to keep what was already aboard.”
The captain sighs. “So official policy now is that we have to trade for anything we need, like we’re bleeding gold or something. Of course, then he wanted to add a ‘fresh starting’ tax on top of things. I don’t know who he has in his pocket, but that law got pushed through the redtape as well. Here’s what may surprise you though, that got vetoed by His Majesty himself. Yeah, I know. The official reasoning is that the taxes would not just halt growth but ruin most young colonies, resulting in greater loss of wealth than what could be squeezed out of them. The gossip though is that the king was just looking for an excuse to cut this maester down a bit and gain a bit of public favour in the process.”
The politics of home seem like they’re just as bad as ever, and not even this far away will keep them from making your life miserable. Not having the tax instated certainly is a boon, but the lack of supplies is a more pressing concern. The captain looks at you, ready for whatever move you think is best.


What do we do next?
A.) We need those supplies, so we’ll just have to find something to trade. Looking at what we have, the only things left in excess is straw and snail meat. Straw is barely above garbage on the mainland so that’s not likely an option. The snail meat won’t survive the trip unless we preserve it and right now our main means to do so would be to smoke them. Snail jerky is unlikely to fetch much at the markets, but should be enough to grab what we would most desperately need.
B.) While it certainly makes things difficult, we should be self-sufficient enough to survive without the regular influx of goods and food. We can send the captain back with no trade and simply ask for him to continue bringing back hopeful settlers and needed news. In time, we’ll figure out some sort of trade good to produce for any desired supplies in the future.
C.) It won’t earn you favour with the Maesters, but there is another way to obtain needed goods. The captain commands a loyal crew and flies no flags tied to our colony. We could send him to farther, busier trade routes and have him... “politely ask” the other ships to share in any useful supplies and goods. This would result in an even longer wait between returns, and could only be done a couple of times before the captain would need to seek safe harbours.
D.) Other __________.

>>1091548
A, let's smoke some snail meat.

ALSO:
D: take out a loan of sorts to get some additional supplies! Tell him you have access to a unique type of sand that you will be prepared to deliver in quantity next time he comes, so he won't have to worry about you paying him back. Though, you will also have other mundane goods by then in case the sand turns out to not be worth trading. Like wooden planks.
Actually, can we just straight up give him some bags of entropic sand so he can find out how valuable it is? Tell him it can be smelted into a coarse, extremely tough kind of glass, and might have other uses like in sandpaper or other sorts of grinding. Probably not polishing as it's too coarse.

We can also mount an expedition to recover materials from the volcanic region, there should be something valuable there... at the very least we can harvest volcanic rock and ash.

C) I don't know what's going on in the head of that Maester, but it's clearly not profit. He's intentionally crippling the empire's economy and we're not going to worship that.
Target the ships that seem to be working for the Maester - and be sure to give charity to most of the other ships. Make it clear that this isn't mainly about profit - it's about being pissed off from getting screwed over for no good reason.
Meanwhile, you need to come up with a product. Something you can consistently package, store, and sell for serious cash.

>>1091550
Snail jerky for now but looking into turning rhe more colourful shells into pigments just rose sharply in our priorities

>>1091550
Agreed.

We dont need to send a singular trade good either.
Our brick production is poor so, repurpose the crushed shells into trade.
We'll take a hit on time to completion but supplies could speed other goals.

Sort by colour and potential use as pigment.
Store in barrels.
Dye makers pay well for good pigments. They pay ok for poor pigment too.
Add this to the smoked snail meat.
For the love of the genesium core, no salting the meat.

Regarding the piracy...
If that has to be an option and the captain and crew are loyal enough to keep such a secret...
Would they be willing to BE pirated?

Leave the goods then report the items we traded as having being raided by a light airship sailing under no flag.

The story we tell increases the amount of stuff we send massively compared to what we actually send.
The smaller nature of the raiding ship means they could overtake the heavier laden vessel swiftly, but unfortunately also meant they couldnt take it all.

The crew of the ship in our story are not savage pirates but desperate fledgling colonists who have been driven to this desperate measure by the penny pinching maesters policies.
The only way to stop it will be guard vessels, an even greater cost than thebmeager supplies being sent prior.

This serves to offer his rivals ammunition of the political kind.

So, broken down...

.gather what goods we can
.captain leaves all supplies
.captain records a larger take than reality, enough to cover supply cost
.Captain and crew get the story straight regarding the raiders we claim they were hit by
.goods we actually sent now represent the remnant left.
.raiders are reported and portrayed as desperate loyal citizens squeezed too hard by the maesters poorly considered policies
.maesters rivals smell blood in the water

Added bonus, if the cap knows peers who equally can be trusted, they too could be struck by these noble but unfortunate fictitious raiders.

>>1091559
This piracy angle sounds good.
Send some samples of sand and glass to pass around potential buyers. If it only has a niche market we will want to keep supply low to match.

D) Like >>1091551 suggested, we could try exporting sand. Sand is useful as an abrasive, and our sand is extra abrasive.

>>1091559 I'm a bit worried this plan could give colonies a reputation as havens for pirates and bandits. And this maester would probably love to depict us a dangerous criminals. None of that is good for trade or attracting new colonists.

Let's save the piracy for if/when we get more desperate, it has a high probability of causing more serious problems down the line

Doomsby 2024/06/02(Sun)19:48 No. 1092326 ID: 462d8c
File 171738292628.png - (1.09MB , 1280x1024 , highsland21.png )

>A, let's smoke some snail meat. [...] Actually, can we just straight up give him some bags of entropic sand so he can find out how valuable it is?
>D) Like >>1091551 suggested, we could try exporting sand. Sand is useful as an abrasive, and our sand is extra abrasive.
>Snail jerky for now but looking into turning rhe more colourful shells into pigments just rose sharply in our priorities
You put together a concentrated effort to gather and smoke as much snail as possible for the captain to trade. You also have a several barrels of the white sand filled and samples of glass brought on board of the ship. The captain and yourself spent many a long night discussing, arguing, and concocting a possible conspiracy about pretending to be victims of a pirate attack. In the end, the two of you decide not to, deeming it too great a risk to our reputation for a pay-off that was not guaranteed. Though perhaps in the future, such a false flag could be flown. For now, the captain will play the merchant. He’ll peddle out our less than desirable meats will scouting for potential buyers or investors over our unique sand and glass.
“I’ll be damned if I know what to do with glass that scratches you, but I’m sure a bright-eyes from the university could come up with a business venture.”
Soon enough, the ship that is your only lifeline to the old world shrinks off into the distance. Now you can only hope and pray that, when it returns, it’ll return with good news for once.

Mesa Expedition:
The team tasked with exploring the mesa has completed their vehicle and set out. Using a sled of sorts, pushed by the explorers and with shielding at the front to protect them and their supplies, they accomplish the several day trek to the base of the mesa. Exhausted, they flip and maneuver the sled to act as an impromptu shelter of sorts while they regain their strength before attempting to scale the rocky cliffs. The climb was when they were the most vulnerable to the sands and winds, but it’s relatively a short time before they are at the top. Things on the mesa are much more peaceful, though not necessarily more welcoming. The wind is noticeably calmer, and of course this land is above all the blasting sand. It appears to be a scrubland of sorts. Thick, sharp grasses and stunted shrubs litter the flat terrain. Insects and wildlife seem to be completely absent. The most eye catching thing, however, are the large, monolithic slabs of stone. They are wildly placed, with no clear pattern or direction to them, and spaced seemingly anywhere to 10 meters to nearly a kilometer. The expedition encountered dozens of them and can only take wild guesses as to how many more there are across the mesa. They all include carvings of faces and notably three circles. The purpose of these escape the scouts, and they are not nearly trained nor skilled to research this. It is noted that one of the slabs they encountered was cracked down the middle, and the one member insists that they felt air flow though this was not collaborated by the others. In returning, the crew did find that the sled they left behind was entirely buried in sand but the rest of the journey was uneventful.

Doomsby 2024/06/02(Sun)19:49 No. 1092327 ID: 462d8c
File 171738296652.png - (1.78MB , 1250x1024 , highsland22-m.png )

Catalogue Report #2:
Progress has been made researching other fish in the lake. The first of note is an ambushing predator being referred to as a Bearded Eel. These eels have tendrils surrounding their face and may be how they sense the world around them. Like other eels, they tend to hide in holes in the surrounding rock, waiting for a fish to come by to snap up and retreat with. Useful when your primary food source likes to swarm in retaliation. There’s also been plenty of encounters with a parasitic... well there’s debate whether it’s a worm or a fish. Regardless, it is a long, straw-like creature that can grow to about 11cm. It possesses a sucker-like mouth that it attaches to it’s victims and with rasping teeth it’ll slowly try to burrow inside to continue to consume. Unfortunately, it seems it is more than willing to try to attack people as well. A small pair of shears is recommended to cut them off at the mouth when assaulted.

In the meadows, there’s been a lot of study put into what sorts of dyes could come from these snails. First attempts involved trying to crush down the more vibrant shells. However, most of the colour on these were only surface level, resulting in nothing but calcium slop. Scraping it off has resulted in some pale colours that could work in an oil paint, but it is labour intensive and fails to colour any sort of thread. Some progress was found, however, in a more unassuming snail. It may have a dark-brown smooth shell, but by serendipity it was discovered that it’s mucus gland can produce a pale amber hue. Harvesting and distilling enough of these seem to create a usable, tawny dye. The longevity and vibrancy is still being tested.
Outside of gastropods, a curious plant has been found. Like many in the meadows, it has broad leaves radiating from a centre, but it possesses a taproot that can grow almost a meter into the ground. It’s relatively thin for it’s length, making extracting without breaking it a bit of a challenge. It’s flesh is white and starchy, but any attempts to prepare and eat it have resulted in it immediately being expelled from the body. For now, it’ll just remain an oddity.

Chasonites have completed a palisade.
The religious sect seems to have erected a large wooden fence around their main lodge. The perimeter also seems wide enough that it could hold 2 or three other small buildings, but no other construction was spotted. Prevailing minds believe that this is just them secluding themselves further, but the more nervous are whispering that it’s in preparation for a retaliatory attack.

Resources: basic tools; straw
Food: Preserves; wild wheat flatbread

Current constructions: Simple’n’Sturdy housing (2 rounds)
Current projects: Catalogue reports (2 rounds)

Suggest some actions:
Begin a construction: Suggest a building and where it’ll go. An associated resource is required to be used as building materials. Only one construction can be -started- per a round, though multiple continued constructions can occur.
Start a project: Suggest a project that’ll involve a number of people, will take time to do, but isn’t explicitly putting together a structure. Resources to be used are option where appropriate. Only one project can be -started- a round but multiple can be worked on.
Enact a ruling: Instate a new bylaw or temporary measure.
Diplomacy: Initiate negotiations, make contact, form treatises or alliances, or even conduct old fashion espionage.
Other: You’re a clever bunch, and this isn’t an exhaustive list of everything that can be done. Feel free to suggest something that doesn’t quite fit with the previous four actions.

>>1092326
Interesting. Possible religious site? We'll have to send a report back to someone who can research it. Or if we're lucky one or more of the settlers is familiar with the markings. Let's show them around, shall we?

>>1092327
>immediately being expelled from the body
What, it jumps out of your mouth? Maybe we can use it as reusable fish bait.
>palisade
Huh. That's VERY strange considering they believe the land to be free. And unfortunately we can't easily mimic that action considering the snail hail will destroy a wooden wall and a stone wall will be much harder to build and expand. Some kind of trench or moat could work though...
Wait where did they get the wood for the wall? Have they been logging and transporting wood? I mean, that's ok, the forest is certainly productive enough to share.

Anyway, we need to start making trade goods now. Make some kind of crafts workshop. Hmm, I wonder how far down the dirt layer goes in the snail meadows? We could make underground storehouses to protect valuables from the hail, or even start living mostly underground and have sturdy "huts" above ground for the entrances.

As for what to make the workshop out of, I'm thinking we should use wood and put it in the lake biome.
Do we need a lumber mill?

>Chasonites constructed a palisade
Uh-oh.
Send a diplomat to negotiate terms: State that you will accept their right to defend themselves, and you'll even supply them resources to maintain their buildings, on the condition that the walls be upgraded with ramps on the inside. That way, the walls can be quickly scaled in the event of a fire. In truth, you want to make sure that anyone who is within the boundaries is not being held against their will. Future safety codes will be implemented with the intent of making it hard to get in but easy to get out. Finally, ask if they'd be willing to trade labor in their palisade-building business in exchange for the stuff you're making.

>What next
You're struggling in a sea of resources. Build a Research Center! You need to come up with more products before you run out of viable things to pay the merchants with!

We haven't been paying any attention to the forest. While obviously it's got wood, we don't know what other useful flora and fauna are inside.
Set up a small camp within the edge to use as a base for logging, hunting, and exploration.

Underground warehouses in the snailands would be good. Can we test how well the sharp glass stands up to shell impacts? If we're going to live underground then skylights would keep things from getting too depressing.

Hm, question. It's clear that we can only start one construction per turn and one project per turn... but what about the other actions? Can we use diplomacy more than once a turn? Also, what about doing more than one type of action during a turn, for instance starting a construction *and* doing some diplomacy?

>>1092327
Hm.

Interesting plant.
Im sure theres more to it, but even if not a reliable purgative can be of use to herbalists.
Being able to induce the body to eject all consumed substances can help treat other conditions.

Also, in agreement.
Its time to start checking the forest for more than lumber.
Base camp, exploratory teams.

Honestly, given their recent history, a palisade is more than reasonable, especially since they lack recognition by the empire, unlike us.

Diplomacy/Begin Construction
Let's try and build a road between our settlement and the Chasonite's fort.

>>1092340
Currently, only constructions and projects are limited to once a turn per those actions, but there are no limits on how many actions you can take in a turn overall.
So in a suggestion you can make as many rulings actions as needed, as many diplomacy actions as needed, as much as anything more nuanced as needed, but only one construction suggestion and only one project suggestion.

>>1092350
Nice.

Then we should:
1, build some trade-related infrastructure either in the forest or the lake
2, scout out the volcano area for resources

Diplomacy :
We need some kind of event where our settlement and the chasonites get together peacefully, maybe to do some kind of mutually useful task. Maybe a celebration of some sort? And we absolutely need to have regular diplomatic meetings with a representative, if only to make sure they're doing fine. We can't act like strangers when we are less than a day walk apart, especially if they're building defensive infrastructure in a place where the only people they could be at war with is us. If they're doing it out of fear we are going to attack them it's very worrying, because the next step is attacking us first.

I'm against making demands of them. They have no reason to obey or trust us, and we don't have any way to enforce those demands. Even if they agree they may resent it later.
I think an offer to build a road between our settlements is a better idea. It's a sign of trust, it's an opportunity to work alongside them and it will help us reach the fields and help them reach the forest. It's a good diplomatic first step.

Oh, and next time the captain comes, we should ask him to spy on the cultists from the sky with a spyglass or something. Just in case.

Project :
The forest and the volcano still need to be explored. Let's start with the forest, it's closer.

Building :
I think it's time we made some kind of infirmary or small hospital. When we need it it will be too late to build it. Putting it at the northernmost part of the lake would allow us to build it out of wood while still keeping it close to the village.

Oh, and there is one definite use for glass that scratches you- it would make for a cool nail file. The sand would be good for exfoliation in general.

>>1092782
Sandpaper and files

>>1092863
Sand storms in that place are going to be lethal.

A bad enough lungfull and itd be terminal.

Doomsby 2024/06/14(Fri)02:27 No. 1092941 ID: 462d8c
File 171835723854.png - (819.06KB , 1280x1024 , highsland23.png )

>Set up a small camp within the edge to use as a base for logging, hunting, and exploration.
>Also, in agreement. Its time to start checking the forest for more than lumber. Base camp, exploratory teams.
You direct for a staging area to be set up along the edge of the forest; a basecamp for both logging and exploration. Unfortunately, we currently lack any suitable materials to make any sort of proper structure. Almost all of the shells that we have gathered are being used to make housing, leaving very little to make proper bricks from, and of course the latest shipment failed to deliver us any usable amount of planks. Thankfully, for the purposes of both logging and exploration putting together some tenting is more than enough of a shelter for practical purposes. Some of the tenting used in our initial landfall were simply patched, sewn together, and raised on sturdy poles. Haybales have also been utilized as sort of saw-horses when debranching the fallen timber. This set-up is unlikely to survive weather that’s more than a summer shower, but is more than sufficient for two occupations that’ll spend little time inside anyways.
Do to it’s simple design, the logging camp construction is instantly completed.

As for exploring the forest, you seem to have hit a bit of an unexpected snag. There seems to be no one in the colony who you would describe as “explorer” material. Or scholarly, really. Unless you’d wish to reassign some people from the lake cataloguing project but they’re stretched thinner than you’d like as is. You can’t seem to think of second or even third choice picks either, as there just seems to be no one here who qualifies. Even more distressingly, every time you go to look for exploring or research gear the needed supplies seem to dwindle with each visit. Even after posting a guard equipment seems to be steadily decreasing. The guard and even nearby residents report no one coming or going from the supplies. Unfortunately, you’re just going to have to put things on hold until you’re both resupplied and competent help arrives.
Forest report will complete in {??} rounds

>Diplomacy/Begin Construction: Let's try and build a road between our settlement and the Chasonite's fort.
>We need some kind of event where our settlement and the chasonites get together peacefully, maybe to do some kind of mutually useful task.
You send a delegate tot he Chasonites about about future cooperation and mutual benefits. You let them know that, while your workforce is occupied elsewhere, you are considering creating a road between the two settlements. If not for trade then even just for ease of company. Of course, this would be a mutual project and you request for help in this shared project when the time comes. You also put in some brief formalities that your office is always open for ideas from them as well.
When the messenger comes back you are informed that their leadership is discussing the matter and that we’ll know their response shortly.

>Wait where did they get the wood for the wall? Have they been logging and transporting wood?
No one has seen them doing any logging in the forest, nor are there any tell-tale marks of timber being dragged across the land.
>Can we test how well the sharp glass stands up to shell impacts?
Like most glass, it’s impact strength is rather fragile. Outside of it’s unusual sharpness it seems to function as regular glass in most physical properties

Doomsby 2024/06/14(Fri)02:27 No. 1092942 ID: 462d8c
File 171835727646.png - (1.79MB , 1250x1024 , highsland24.png )

Island Growth

People feel it in their souls even before the crystals at the heart of the island begin to glow.
It’s happening.
A deep, metaphysical pulsing begins to wash over the land as the Genesium begins to slowly light up. A comfort and happiness starts to swell within the populace as anticipation builds in every action. People begin to prepare celebratory treats for the occasion, prayer flags are hung from trees, and small, rudimentary shrines begin to dot the area. The Chasonites for their part begin to organize a procession, as their children practice dances and special garbs are woven. A tension of sorts begins to form as unspoken excitement grips everyone on the island, ready to snap into celebrations at a moments notice. Soon the glow from the crystals begin to cast light throughout the night, causing late-night parties and drinking to occur.
This is it.
In clumsy unison people now gather at the central tile. Many fall into prayer and others proclaim their wishes. Many, however, turn to you to guide them.

How do we focus our efforts?
A.) Envision a new land for us. Once again you can suggest the emerging tile’s biome, resources, land features, geological phenomena, or general environment. Unfortunately, you will not be able to control it’s location which will be randomised instead.
B.) Concentrate on a specific direction for us to expand. The location of the new tile can be chosen; however, the tile type will instead be selected from previous suggestions.
C.) Leave it to fate and instead just enjoy the festivities. Tile type and location will be determined by the author.
D.) Now, there are means to suppress the growth. Using often forgotten techniques, a new tile will not form until the next time. Growth cannot be stored or saved up, and there is no other mechanical benefit to doing this. This will upset pretty much everyone, but it is technically an option you can do.

>>1092941
>supplies going missing, no intruders spotted
Put someone watching the supplies directly. If they vanish into thin air then there is some kind of magical thief responsible.

>Chasonites didn't do any logging
...is it possible they already had the logs needed? If not, I suspect they have a kind of magic that lets them summon things they want, and that's where our supplies are going, assuming we can witness them vanishing into thin air. This would explain why they were exiled, why they claim things should be shared, and why they built fortifications-- they are expecting retaliation for what they're doing.

>more island!
B. Expand adjacent to the snail meadows. Not sure which hex, maybe straight east.

>>1092943
The chasonites magically stealing resources is a possibility, if only because they are the only other people here with us.
Except I suspect they are not.
Is there documented case of peoples spawning alongside a tile ? Because there is traces of civilization in the mesa. There is evidences of caves inside it that could contain life. There is something supernatural trying to prevent exploration of the area, and now exploration tools are disappearing into thin air, preventing us from exploring the mesa.
I think there is a hidden village in the mesa, and they are the ones trying to prevent us from discovering them, using magic.
Well, that is, if magic exist. If it doesn't, then, I don't know, maybe someone is tunneling into the storage, or the guards could be corrupt.

The chasonites suddenly having the wood to build those walls is surprising, sure. But apart from being reclusive they haven't done anything suspicious, they have been distant but polite, and we should give them the benefit of the doubt.
In fact we should talk to them about our tools disappearing, because they could be experiencing the same issue, which would explain their sudden need to build a wall and the fact they did so discreetly : they think we are the thieves.

>>1092942

A.) This is a dark and quiet place. Sound is subtly dampened. Light travels slowly from its source and lingers for a little while once said source is gone. Small things skitter at the edge of the darkness, but whatever made a sound is long gone once the light reaches further.

A) We need to concentrate our efforts on becoming self-sufficient as the empire's corruption strangles our supply lines... We need metal.
Rainbow Ores.
Each ore contains every mineral known to the empire and beyond.
The new land is one big ore farm. Literally. Special trees harvest the ores, absorb most of the minerals as nutrients, and secrete one type of mineral each.
Oh, and the ground is made of graphite. Totally useless. Yep.

>>1092942
A. The mineral rich rocks and soils of this land form a colourful lanscape upon which fantastical plants grow, their deep roots gathering minerals and metals which blossom into shining and shimmering fractals upon the surface

>>1092945
Thats an important question we need an answer to.
Have any lands ever formed with indigenous population?
Anything catagorised as a high intelligence animal?
Limited tool use level smart?

Regardless.
Assign any hunters short of prey, amateurs even, to checking the site of thefts and surrounding areas for anomalous tracks.

As to the expansion...

A)
A place of rough, rocky hills and sparse soil.
Stones jutting from the ground like jagged teeth.
dotted with wide trunked, squat, ugly trees with thick branches and dense drooping foliage.
Leaves that glint in the sun with a faint emerald hued metallic sheen.
Trees that in the harsh environment have sent roots deep and far, adapting to draw not on nutrients but minerals instead.
The wood is dense, extremely heavy and difficult to work,
The trees hard to fell, blunting most saws.
They are quite fire resistant but once burning equally hard to extinguish.
However the branches are cuttable with effort.
the leaves and very hard shelled, highly toxic large nut like seeds are all more easily harvestable.
And they contain a great deal of various mettalic compounds.
Smelthed, seperated and pollutants filtered, this troublesome ironrooted tree can offer a unique bounty.

A) a flat plain of gray silt wreathed in mists. The air is still and the sky seems dim and colorless. The ancient bones of some colossal beast jut from the dour earth.

This fertile field would make an excellent place to farm.

This area is populated by countless little floating islands, some small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, others large enough to fit fields a
Or a few buildings. Each small island has it's own small piece of genesium at it's center, it's size directly proportional to the size of the island. Each island possesses is own unique features and biom. Countless strange and tiny plants and creatures exist here.

Though the shattered lands are fragmented, they extend not only far and wide, but above and below. There is potentially many times more usable space here than any other tile- if one were to have the special equipment required to traverse it

Doomsby 2024/07/01(Mon)19:07 No. 1093678 ID: 462d8c
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>The new land is one big ore farm. Literally. Special trees harvest the ores,
>A. The mineral rich rocks and soils of this land form a colourful lanscape upon which fantastical plants grow, their deep roots gathering minerals and metals which blossom into shining and shimmering fractals upon the surface
>A place of rough, rocky hills and sparse soil. Stones jutting from the ground like jagged teeth. [...] Trees that in the harsh environment have sent roots deep and far, adapting to draw not on nutrients but minerals instead.
With a sudden burst a new land crashes into existence south-east of the hilled grasslands. A desolate landscape stretches forth, endless miles of windswept rocks and crags. The ground is dark and stained as it absorbs the day’s heat and light. Things do grow here, however; gnarled, banded trees cling desperately to the edges of cracks and gullies; black, spherical cacti seek shelter in crevices; and if you’re lucky you may encounter a saguaro that’s pale and a translucent white. Even luckier if you find one with a vein that has that infamous yellow shine. It is a very unwelcoming place, but is also one rife with opportunity.

>Is there documented case of peoples spawning alongside a tile ?
>Have any lands ever formed with indigenous population? Anything catagorised as a high intelligence animal?
Yes, creatures both in groups and in the singular can form with what one could call an intellect. A good example would be a dragon that makes it’s lair in a mountain. It has cunning and can understand language. Or an enclave of spirits can appear in a land, causing mischief that requires a mind more than an animal. Of course, these would be categorised more as “monsters” or savages, and not so much as people.

Doomsby 2024/07/01(Mon)19:08 No. 1093679 ID: 462d8c
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Experimental farm has come to harvest/[u]
Finally, after many moons of hard work and set backs, our little test farm has started to bear fruit. Literally.

[u]Response from the Chasonites
Once again, you receive a simple letter back from your inquiries.
“Humble greetings,
In principle, we hold cooperation as one of our values. However, we do not desire a road. We require privacy and seclusion away from sin. If trade is what you seek, then we are suggesting the possibility of a pair of fishing docks to facilitate both industry and exchanges. We will assign labourers when you are ready.
Blessed day to you.”
They don’t seem to be against shared projects, but they certainly put their foot down about the road. Seems like the fishing docks idea would have to be something you’d initiate, if it’s what you want to do. Of course, you could also try negotiating something else in another letter.

Resources: basic tools; straw; logs
Food: Preserves; wild wheat flatbread

Current constructions: Simple’n’Sturdy housing (1 rounds)
Current projects: Catalogue reports (1 rounds); Forest catalogue ({??} rounds)

Suggest some actions:
Begin a construction: Suggest a building and where it’ll go. An associated resource is required to be used as building materials. Only one construction can be -started- per a round, though multiple continued constructions can occur.
Start a project: Suggest a project that’ll involve a number of people, will take time to do, but isn’t explicitly putting together a structure. Resources to be used are option where appropriate. Only one project can be -started- a round but multiple can be worked on.
Enact a ruling: Instate a new bylaw or temporary measure.
Diplomacy: Initiate negotiations, make contact, form treatises or alliances, or even conduct old fashion espionage.
Other: You’re a clever bunch, and this isn’t an exhaustive list of everything that can be done. Feel free to suggest something that doesn’t quite fit with the previous four actions.

One more letter to the Chasonites:
"The following terms are a summary of all official communications between the Governor's Office and the Chasonite Collective:
* Intent to work in the fishing industry is understood. The governor's office intends to supply this building, but expected time to completion is six (6) months and may be far further if complications arise.
* Zero (0) roads will be built near Chasonite province due to religious and social requests from the residents of the province.
* Any un-official intrusion near the Chasonite province by non-Chasonite residents will be prosecuted. Chasonites are given full authority to visit any public area.
* All walls on Highsland Island will be built according to governor-approved regulations, primarily of which are internal ramps to ensure safe evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency. The Chasonites are not exempt from this policy.
* A group of inspectors will inspect all known buildings on the island every year, beginning next year. The Chasonites are not exempt from this policy.
The above terms are non-negotiable, and policy communications will temporarily cease, to confer with the Chasonites' requests for privacy. Any further communications may begin by the Chasonites' choice.
See you next year."

Get to work on farming ore. We're going to need a metalworking facility if we want to make all these complex buildings.

>>1093679
Construction: Let's start the fishing docks as suggested by our neighbors.
Project: send out some people to the new tile and see if we can collect some copper or tin or lead, maybe gold if we're lucky. You know, metals which we can use without a dedicated forge construction.

>>1093684
I second this!

>>1093684
Just a quick survey to see what's laying around.

Also we should put a pin in the forest exploration, we can't afford to loose tools. Any logging or hunting needs to be done within the day. When the lake survey is done we can get the smart folk to investigate the thefts.

The volcano, it hasn't been surveyed, but how active has it appeared from a distance so far?

>>1093679
Well, im convinced theres some indigenous species in the forest we'll need to identify.

As to the chasonites
>>1093683
Yes.
A pledge of not only respecting their isolation but actively protecting it, with the proviser they are still citizens of this land and beholden to the laws.

May be worth preparing them to see a road in that tile but not with their home as a destination.

If minerals are present in the new tile a road will be needed for transport. A direct line takes us close to them.
If we are to divert for their comfort, we should try to pick a map point that gives us staging point for later development and access to other neighbouring tiles.

Oh, we can enact a Ruling to inform our citizens that it is now illegal to disturb the Chasonites without official orders.

Docks are a fantastic idea! They help secure a food source, give us a way of interacting and trading with the Chasonite's without making them uncomfortable (As they can easily control dock access like a port of entry.)
And we gain a potential easy route to the savannah biom, assuming we later build a landing on the far shore.

Just let our potential fishermen know that the lake will be treated as a common resource.

Let's build those docks. It'll be useful to be able to easily cross the lake.
Then we should start a project to quickly survey this new land. Nothing in-depth, we don't have the supplies or tools for it.

Doomsby 2024/07/21(Sun)17:13 No. 1094589 ID: 462d8c
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>Construction: Let's start the fishing docks as suggested by our neighbors.
>Docks are a fantastic idea!
>Let's build those docks.
You’ve taken a liking to the Chasonites suggestion. Docks would serve a wide variety of purposes. They’d be a good start to getting a fishing industry going, and would allow for excellent transportation of people and materials. For now though, it would have to be a fairly crude form of construction, being made from logs that, at most, have undergone debarking and been sawed in half with uneven cuts. On the other hand, the resulting weight should make for sturdy pilings.
Docks will take 1 round to complete

>Project: send out some people to the new tile and see if we can collect some copper or tin or lead,
>Then we should start a project to quickly survey this new land.
Unfortunately, we currently do not possess any free personnel to conduct any meaningful surveying. Otherwise you would’ve sent them to explore the forest as previously planned. The scholars currently studying in the snail meadow and lake are almost done though and should be up to one of those two tasks.

>A pledge of not only respecting their isolation but actively protecting it,
>Oh, we can enact a Ruling to inform our citizens that it is now illegal to disturb the Chasonites without official orders.
Respect is the cornerstone of any relationship, whether it be personal or of a community. While there hasn’t been any reports of any sort of negative interactions between us and them, (at least, none worthy enough to reach your desk,) it’s best to set up some groundwork before problems actually occur. A bill is posted to the board stating that the Chasonites are not to be disturbed outside of official business. One of your subordinates takes on the task of informing those who are illiterate.

Letter from the Chasonites:
Quite unexpectedly, you seem to get a rapid response from the sect. Usually they are rather slow to correspond back when you contact them. Of course, their expediency is not unwelcomed.
“Most humble greetings,
Our labourers have notified us that the stockpiles are lacking in supplies. Is all well? We will not complain over this situation and shall be resourceful for our projects. Do let us know when more supplies arrive.
Blessed day to you.”
No acknowledgement of the docks, so perhaps this was written before hand? It does leave one curious as to what projects they need supplies for, however.

>The volcano, it hasn't been surveyed, but how active has it appeared from a distance so far?
By all classifications it is very much an active volcano. Smoke is always seen rising from it, glows of spurting lava is sometimes seen at night, and rumbles can be felt through out the land. There have also been the occasional eruption, but nothing that would threaten the colony.

Doomsby 2024/07/21(Sun)17:14 No. 1094590 ID: 462d8c
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Decision: New growth

It took a few seasons with our experimental plot of farmland, but we now have a better understanding of what sort of crops we can grow in our new home. The main deciding factor is, of course, the quality of the soil. For some crops we would be able to supplement with the snail shells and a potential potash industry. Unfortunately the majority of traditional staple foods would require fertilizers that we would not have access to. Grains and cereals being the main exception as they seem like they’d take naturally to the fields near the Chasonites. The next concern is the snail hail. For the most part, the scant few gastropods that fall during your average rain will just have to be a calculated loss. The cost to prevent these damages would be far greater than the resulting broken vegetables. As for the actual snail hail storms, well, there’s not too much we can actually do against it. Our best strategies would be to use crops that can recover quickly, can be replanted and harvested quickly, or just grow outside of hail season. This all greatly reduces our choices and we’re only left with a handful of options.
While cleaning up our last batch of potential crops, however, a keen-eyed farmhand noticed something strange at the edges of our farm plot. A small patch of tiny sprouts that are not of any of the plants we’re brought in but dissimilar to any of the local weeds. Instead, it seems an unexpected hybridization had occurred. Cultivating these new specimens has great potential and could possibly solve some of our agricultural woes.

What happens with these hybrids?
A.) The plant seems to be a hybrid between a parsnip and the long tubers our researchers have previously noted. They lack in a lot of the sweetness and the texture is described as “mealy”, but the new plant is significantly longer than your standard parsnip. It works perfectly well in many of our old world recipes and as a crop it is quite resistant to the local turmoils. This will become our new staple crop while still bringing the taste and comfort of home to our colonists.
B.) We are unsure what the one parent plant could possibly be, but the resulting hybrid has resulted in the most unusual sort of bean: it’s spicy. Certainly not as hot as the peppers of some far off islands, but certainly hotter than any legume we know about and is more than enough to roil the stomachs of our settlers. Still, it would most likely be effective against parasites and some of our people have even started to take a liking to it. Would unlikely be one of our primary crops, but it will be a stable foodstuff regardless do to it’s local resistances.

Spicy beans! Extra fortified against crop diseases and vermin!

>>1094589
>letter
Respond by confirming that some of your supplies have been going missing despite noone being seen taking them. Ask how they are aware of the shortage. Have they been borrowing your supplies?

>>1094590
Spearnip.

Root vegetables have so many culinary possibilities. Mash, chips, bake, soup, etc

>>1094606
The statement that they will be frugal with their projects in consideration of the status of the stockpile implies an expectation that the stockpiles would be a contributing element.
While i suspect there is still a third party at large, we can infer that the stockpiles have been used to complete some of their completed works.

If the situation is confronted it should be done quietly and diplomatically.
People could very well percieve their actions as callous theft and give credence to the rumours and prejudices that follow the chasonites.
I suspect they have a more relaxed attitude towards property (with the exception of their compound which they seem guarded over)
and have expected the same to be true of us.
They must be made aware that stockpiles are carefully monitored and resources pre alloted towards future essential works that have yet to begin.
Their failure to coordinate will result in some projects having a delayed start date which could have a repercussion on long term settlement viability and inflict unnecessary hardships upon people.
To use an analogy, we are all pulling the same cart up the same hill.
We wont get very far if someone decides to run on ahead with one of the wheels.

As to the plants...
Gah.
I cant decide.
Spicy beans sound good but a parsnip you can fence with is also appealing.
Nul vote as i like them both.

Honestly, if they admit to using our supplies then we have to tell them we expect to be able to do the same with what's in their compound, and send someone over to take stock. At the same time we'll be able to find out exactly which types of objects they consider community property, because sharing EVERYTHING doesn't make sense when they're open to trade! We should also ask them to coordinate with us a bit more about what projects they're interested in doing. We have stuff we need to do, too, and if we're the only ones harvesting lumber then we can't exactly afford to put big pallisades everywhere.

I have no issue with them drawing from the stockpiles, honestly. If we continue with our close cooperation then they're just as much our people as our own. That they are particularists is of little issue. We're on this island together, likewise our fortunes will rise and fall together.

Let's try some mutual cooperation

First, nform them that their laborers are to check-in with the quartermaster when they draw from the stocks. Keeping accurate counts is important, and our poor quartermaster has been spending so much time counting and recounting that he hasn't had a decent sleep in weeks.

Then inform them that around the time of their arrival, we were supposed to receive a large shipment of vital supplies. In it's place we received a pittance due to some political upheaval back in the empire. Meanwhile, most of our efforts here so far have been put toward securing our food supply.
This means that currently, we lack the tools and facilities to produce more supplies. If we want to start producing our own we need to start from scratch, which means we need a Lumber Mill, Carpenter's Workshop, and Charcoal Burner. We can't even think of mining, smelting, and forging metal tools without those.

Suggest to the Chasonite's a mutual construction project to establish this critical industrial supply chain.

Finally, I'm voting for spicy beans!

>>1094613
This plan for mutual cooperation is sound.
I like it.
Hope the chasonites do.
Hopefully theyll feel reassured over our attitudes towards their compound and be open to such closer ties.