Talonrel move-out with the utmost stealth to observe the camp of the highwaymen and bandits off of the main roads of the Plains (F8).  After the descriptions of the various terrified rumors from the peasants and merchants, it takes little effort to locate them.  The smoke stack from their large campfires and the sounds of carousing are more than enough to draw-in your keen senses.

Taking stock, you find some heavy foliage to conceal your presence as you count their number.  Their numbers are few, no more than ten - and armed with very little of what could be called favorable 'weapons'.  Indeed they were likely hapless peasants themselves.

Possibly as a result of their undisciplined pillaging, on your return trip, you discover a half-battered smokehouse, still filled-with salted meats and barrels of foods.  From a mental note of the provisions at the bandit's camp: you realize they must have been here and only took what they could carry.  This place might make a good source of food as the previous occupants are likely dead or abandoned the area.

[ Talonrel and the Rangers achieve a significant success in Scouting (F8)! ]
[ You earn 1 XP.  Assign it to whom you see fit.  You may assign it as either Scout or Spy. ]
[ The Rangers of the Swift Arrow gain 1 Leveling XP.  This is sufficient to level them.  Assign a Stat Point as you see fit. ]
[ You gain insight into the enemy's composition:
They have no special equipment or weapons.
]
[ You discover a Normal Food Node. ]

[ Joachim achieves a Significant Success in Exploring (F6)! ]
[ Joachim gains 1 XP in Bard. ]
[ Joachim receives a quest offer:

• Name: Dam the Floods!
• Type: Challenging Errand
• Mission: A small Hamlet in the Plains (G5) has been the victim of a series of floods that have made it nigh impossible to keep their pastures and fields safe from damage.  If they are to survive another harvest; they need a dam constructed to ward off the damages.
  
  1. Loan a single Unit (that is equipped with Construction Tools) for one week to teach the villagers how to construct a dam.
  2. Loan a single Unit for one week to help the villagers harvest Stone OR donate 10 stone to the village.
  3. (Step 2 must be completed before this): Send 1 or more Units to help Construct the Dam.  You must score at least a Success.  (You may send leaders as well.)
• Reward: Gain the services of an Extra (without paying a Recruit cost).

]

[ The Order of Sato successfully constructs a Spymaster's Suite. ]
[ You save 3 Lumber, consuming only 32 Lumber. ]

This message was last edited by the GM at 21:19, Sun 30 Aug 2015.

Updated.  Stat Point went to Offense and Scout skill was gained.

Begin [Week 4, Month 1, Year 1]




This message was last edited by the GM at 16:41, Thu 03 Sept 2015.

As he and the Rangers of the Swift Arrow passed by the smokehouse, Talonrel made sure to note the location of where the provisions were in his journal.  Since a good deal of the meat there was already smoked, he knew the food would keep for at least a week if not longer.  They would return for it as soon as they could.  Provisions were hard to come by since they had no way to farm for themselves at the current point in time.  The young elf had his hands full just with designing the layout of their new stronghold.  When they arrived back in Mythstraisia, he inspected the newly-constructed building the Order of Sato had created to store and house their information and communications and wrote a log of the location of the foodstuffs and their rough amount and quality.

As he did so, he took a look around the building.  Bookshelves had been constructed which served to hold the old tomes he had brought with him and added with the Joachim's collection along with those from the rest of the Order of Sato.  Provisions were one thing, but he was concerned about leaving the Rangers with ill-fitting human gear of low quality for too long.  It was not that the Order of Sato had been in possession of shoddy gear by any means, but there was only so much that human craftsmen could do alone.  That did not mean that humans necessarily had inferior quality to their crafting.  It was simply different.  Humans emphasized utility and flexibility in their armor and weaponry: mass production of one size would mean that they could easily outfit a large number of troops without much concern.  It was a trait that Talonrel hoped to adapt into the metalworking techniques he already knew.  Elven smithing techniques emphasized lightweight and form fit for whatever type of military unit's specialty may be.  It had the effect of granting rather high quality at the expense of resources and time.  If he could find a way to blend the two, it would result in flexible armor of high quality and usability.

However, the tools the humans use would not be conducive to elven smithing techniques.  Their hammers were too heavy and they lacked tools that helped mold the metal with subtle and precise techniques.  If they were going to expand their metalworking, they needed to adapt their tools first.  Even though the Rangers were equipped with weapons and armor that did not maximize their abilities, Talonrel doubted that they were so rusty that they could not effectively defeat a handful of barely-armed bandits.  He would only get in the way if he journeyed with them, so he sent them with instructions to drive out the bandits.  After all, if they stayed there would be a downswing of the trade that Mythstraisia needed lest it be killed in its cradle.  He and Joachim went with the Order of Sato to the workshop they had designed to brainstorm a way to work elven tools and techniques into the tools they were already using in their metalworking ventures.


<Orange>

Though not particularly concerned about the needs of the travelers, sending the Rangers of the Swift Arrow still served the greater purpose of putting their combative prowess to use.  Taking up what arms were available, they strode out to the northern plains and sought out a few travelers along the way to confirm the location.  It seemed that the bandits had become bold and flush with their trivial successes on unarmed merchants and were not prepared for a real skirmish.

The Rangers of the Swift arrow dove upon the poorly armed bandits with the dawn, striking fear with their alarming speed.  Unfortunately, highwaymen had developed a penchant for violence and bloodlust and despite the lack of formal training; soon struck back.  But, without adequate equipment; they soon fell to the blades of the Elven band.

---

Being strapped for coffers and resources made preparing better tools difficult, so the Order of Sato made do with what pithy materials they had and a set of rusty tools already at their disposal.  Working at a steady pitch, they burned-away some of the dross, most of the effort being put into stoking the fires of the workshop to a sufficient temperature to temper the metals once more.  It took days to painstakingly restore value to the Crafter's Tools, but in the end - the effort was worth its while.  Now, having new tools of which Talonrel could be quite proud; they knew they were ready for more strenuous projects.

[ Talonrel, Joachim, and the Order of Sato achieve an Astounding Success in Reforging the Crafter's Tools. ]
[ The Quality changes from Rusty -> Mediocre (+9%). ]
[ You gain two XP which may be assigned to whom you see fit.  It must be assigned as Mason Artisan XP. ]
[ The Order of Sato gains 2 Leveling XP. ]
[ Reply with XP distribution. ]

[ The Rangers of the Swift Arrow defeat the Bandits. ]
[ The Rangers of the Swift Arrow sustain 2 casualties. ]
[ You can replace these at a cost of 2 Gold per casualty.  If you opt to pay for the lost members now, they will be available at the beginning of the next week. ]
[ The Rangers of the Swift Arrow gain 1 Leveling XP. ]
[ You recover:
8 x Gold
1 x Earth Tools
]
[ You successfully complete the quest: Stop the Bandits! ]
[ You gain information regarding two grids:
1 x Normal Gold Node in (H8)
1 x Normal Stone Node in (I7)
]
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:28, Wed 16 Sept 2015.

Increased Max Tools and Speed on the Order of Sato as well as gave them Artisan[2].

Spending the 4 GP to replace the Ranger casualties.  They gain Offense 2 -> 3.

Upkeep paid.
Gold: 14 - 10 = 4
Food: 2 -2 = 0
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:58, Fri 11 Sept 2015.

Begin [Week 1, Month 2, Year 1]




[ Your Spymaster's Suite provides information! If you Scout in (F7), you will have a +10% to the check.  This will increase the chance of finding nodes. ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:56, Sun 13 Sept 2015.

The Rangers returning from their successful bandit clearing, Talonrel finally felt like they had established some kind of security to their new location.  But, problems still weighed on his mind.  Their food supplies that they had initially brought were running dangerously low, and with the rains they had been having, it was likely that one of the villages they had seen would soon flood without a dam being built soon.  With their knowledge of construction, Mythstraisia had the ability to help the villagers, but what good was doing it for them?  That would amount to nothing more than giving a man a fish when they could teach him to fish for himself.  That required a small sacrifice in that they would have less security while the Rangers of the Swift Arrow went to teach the villagers how to construct at least the foundations of a dam.  In their day, the Rangers had dealt with weather of all different types on their missions, so they could at least get thing started.  It was true that the Order of Sato was probably more well-versed in construction techniques, but they had another path they needed to follow.

Stone would be needed to actually construct a dam in its entirety, but the tools they had on hand would not nearly be good enough to extract the sum which they needed from the ground.  So, modifications needed to be made.  Better quality tools would allow them to extract more resources in the coming weeks.  It was true that the rains were going to get stronger soon according to their calculations, but if they rushed to try to gather as much as they could now, it was likely they would get less in their haste than they would if they made better plans now and prepared.  Spending some time with Joachim and the Order of Sato, the dark-haired elf made some schematics of what he had in mind before they started their work.  Within a week's time, hopefully the Rangers would have taught the villagers enough that they would be useful helpers in the dam construction before the rains really came.  Preparation required a timetable, and Talonrel had already planned for it the best he could.

Name	Start	Action	Target	End	Notes
Talonrel	G7	Assist	G7	G7	Reforge
Joachim	G7	Assist	G7	G7	Reforge
Sato	G7	Reforge	G7	G7	Earth Tools
Rangers	G7	Quest	G5	G7	Complete Part 1

Whatever latent secrets lay in the mind of the young Elf from his mystical homeland guided the new efforts to take the rust and cracks out of the Earthen tools.  If the Usurpation were to succeed; dredging their fair share (and more) from the land would be needed.  Starting with the pickaxes, The Order of Sato applied their newfound knowledge of craftsmanship against memories and whispered speeches that they recalled from youth.

Burning through the dross was difficult, and with the workshop being little more than a clay and stone hovel against a chimney  backdrop, heat was not their friend.  However, Joachim had learned more than a few tricks himself for stoking a flame and containing heat within stone compounds and soon helped burn-away flecks of waste as they poured new material into even molds; hoping to round-out each tool.

[ Talonrel, Joachim, and the Order of Sato achieve an Epic success in reforging the Earth Tools. ]
[ You gain 3 XP, which may be assigned to whom you see fit.  It must be assigned as Artisan XP. ]
[ You gain 3 Leveling XP. ]
[ Reply with how you assign XP. ]
[ You reforge your Earth Tools into Earth Tools, Moderate! ]
[ You consume 1 x Stone. ]

[ The Rangers of the Swift Arrow return from hamlet (G5). ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:40, Fri 18 Sept 2015.

Updated.

Order of Sato becomes Level 5.
Defense 1 --> 3
Offense 1 --> 2
Artisan 2 --> 5.

This message was last edited by the player at 03:09, Thu 17 Sept 2015.

Begin [Week 2, Month 2, Year 1]




[ Your Spymaster's Suite provides information! If you Scout in (F7), you will have a +10% to the check.  This will increase the chance of finding nodes. ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:34, Tue 22 Sept 2015.

The rains were coming.  Of this, Talonrel was sure.  The problem became that now they were battling against time to see if they could save both the villages and themselves.  The rains would more than likely destroy whatever foodstuffs they had managed to find in the past few weeks, so they would need to stock up, but not before actually securing the stone needed to build the dam in the first place.  There was no telling when the orcs and ogres would come back to claim their dens in the hills and mountains once again, so they had to work quickly.

Taking every single able-bodied person they had, the dark-haired elf set out to the East to attain some stone they had previously found.  Unfortunately, it was located in the swamps which had only become more treacherous with the regular rains that had been occurring as they built up to the torrential downpour that they knew was coming.  For hours they all worked, human and elf alike until their clothes were caked in the muck in order to get as much stone as they could possibly carry back with them to Mythstraisia.  It was probably more than they needed to help construct the dam, but whatever they did not have to use to help the villages would be useful for themselves in order to keep improving their own buildings and tools.  There was no telling when something else with a higher priority would take up all their time and attention.  Nor would be there be a way to tell when they would need stone the most in an emergency situation.

The young elf wanted to be prepared in case anything happened.

Name	Start	Action	Target	End	Notes
Talonrel	G7	Assist	I7	G7
Joachim	G7	Assist	I7	G7
Sato	G7	Harvest	I7	G7	Normal Stone
Rangers	G7	Harvest	I7	G7	Normal Stone

Although Talonrel was certainly not accustomed to hollowing-out holes in the side of the earth, Joachim welcomed it; even though his heart knew some of the stone may be appropriated to assist the nearby hamlet, the inner crafter in him bubbled forth as he saw easy opportunities to carve-out some usable chunks.  The key was finding blocks large-enough to be worth the effort of making the haul; and with as little dross mixed-in as possible.

The work went easily as the new earthen tools, with their sharper edges, and heavier spades made the work far less back-breaking; a feature that the Order of Sato appreciated heavily (pun intended.)

[ Your Usurpation achieves an Astounding Success in Harvesting from the Normal Stone Node in (I7) ]
[ You gain 2 Skill XP, which must be assigned as Stonecutter.  Reply with whomever receives the XP. ]
[ You gain 2 Leveling XP.  Reply with whomever receives the XP. ]
[ You return with 20 Stone. ]

Order of Sato gains Stonecutter[2].

Rangers of the Swift Arrow become Level 5!
Strength 1 --> 2.
Strength 2 --> 3.

Also, 10 Stone sent to complete Step 2 of the quest considering I got more than enough.

Begin [Week 3, Month 2, Year 1]




[ Your Spymaster's Suite provides information! If you Scout in (F7), you will have a +10% to the check.  This will increase the chance of finding nodes. ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:12, Fri 25 Sept 2015.

Having sent word to the village that the required stone for the dam had been found, the members of Mythstraisia helped load the stone onto a cart the villagers brought to haul it back to the site of the dam they needed to build.  Watching the wagon recede into the distance, Talonrel looked to the heavens.  They did not have much time left.  However, they could not help the village and afford to starve themselves.  Their food stores were bare.  If they did not do something soon, they would have problems toward the end of the month.  So, he called on all their members to go find the basic necessities they needed for life.  It would be cutting it close, but they could probably manage to finish building the dam at the end of the month.  What other choice did they have?  They could help no one if they hurt themselves in the process of trying to provide aid.

Name	Start	Action	Target	End	Notes
Talonrel	G7	Assist	H8	G7
Joachim	G7	Assist	F8	G7
Sato	G7	Harvest	H8	G7	Normal Gold
Rangers	G7	Harvest	F8	G7	Normal Food

Joachim and the Rangers made due with the general lack of tools at their disposal, thankfully the stack of burlap sacks in their possession were more than adequate in gathering the salted meats from the smokehouse, and the barrels were small-enough to roll.  Returning slowly, but under the cover of darkness; you manage to keep the noise to a minimum as the Rangers alternate between carrying, dragging, and pushing everything.

[ Talonrel and the Order of Sato successfully Harvest from the Normal Gold Node (H8). ]
[ Thanks to the Order's Human bonus and Talonrel's bonus as a scholar; you gain 1 Skill XP, which must be assigned as Digger. ]
[ You return with 5 Gold. ]

[ Joachim and the Rangers achieve a Significant Success in Harvesting from the Normal Food Node (F8). ]
[ You gain 1 Leveling XP. ]
[ You gain 1 Skill XP, which must be assigned as Forager. ]
[ You return with 7 Foodstuffs. ]

Digger[1] assigned to Order of Sato.
Forager[1] assigned to Ranger of the Swift Arrow.

Rangers of the Swift Arrow attain Level 6.
Offense 3 --> 4

Begin [Week 4, Month 2, Year 1]




[ Your Spymaster's Suite provides information! If you Scout in (F7), you will have a +10% to the check.  This will increase the chance of finding nodes. ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:15, Sun 11 Oct 2015.

With the rains starting to come down in full force, Talonrel sent the Order of Sato along with Joachim ahead to the villages to gather the other workers and begin construction on the dam.  The foundations had already been put in place from their previous work, but now that the rainfall had begun in earnest, they could no longer afford to delay things.  However, the young elven leader could not afford to dedicate the entirety of their forces to the effort.  As it stood, they did not have the resources to afford to keep Mythstraisia going if they did not find more soon.  So, he had decided to personally accompany the Rangers of the Swift Arrow back to the site where the Order of Sato had tried to find gold the previous week to see if perhaps they had missed some sort of vital clue.

After all, there were things that a man of knowledge might see that had been overlooked by people who had been used to the practice for many a year.  That was how research was done and technology evolved.

Name	Start	Action	Target	End	Notes
Talonrel	G7	Assist	H8	G7
Joachim	G7	Assist	??	G7
Sato	G7	Harvest	??	G7	Dam Construction
Rangers	G7	Harvest	H8	G7	Normal Gold

Heading-out with the Order of Sato, Joachim came to finally understand the problem.  The heavy river had been diverted only by the heavy stones and leaning logs that prevented the wayward waters from crashing into the hard-packed earth that surrounded the eastern edge of the small hamlet.  Unfortunately, it was eroding and was likely to crack and break soon.  You notice plenty of damage already from areas where the townsfolk had hastily repatched.

Setting to work - you manage to make use of the hamlet's labor and soon refortify the area with your expertise and the Order of Sato's strong backs.

[ Talonrel and the Rangers succeed in Harvesting the Normal Gold Node in (H8). ]
[ You return with 6 Gold. ]

[ Joachim and the Order of Sato succeed in Constructing the Dam for the villagers in (G5). ]
[ You complete the quest for Flatscar. ]
[ You discover a CP:
]
[ You receive an Offer for the services of an Extra:
]
[ You may recruit Sam Buck without paying his recruit cost. ]
[ Finally, you receive 6 GP as a reward. ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:03, Sat 05 Dec 2015.

Recruit: Sam Buck
Upkeep Paid:
10 Gold
2 Foodstuffs

This message was last edited by the GM at 20:04, Sun 11 Oct 2015.

Begin [Week 1, Month 3, Year 1]



A1 = Armor (Type 1)
Fo = Foodstuffs
Ir = Iron


[ Intelligence Network: +10 to Scout (F8) ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:41, Wed 14 Oct 2015.

The torrential rain came and the citizens of Mythstraisia pitched in to help alongside the townspeople of Flatscar.  Amid the downpour, they met a man hammering alone trying to patch up what the townspeople had managed to accomplish on their own.  At a glance one could tell that he was no novice to the hammer and nail.  Even his well-toned arms made it obvious that he was used to working raw material into something creative and new.  Coming to his aid along with their supplies and expertise, the crisis was avoided.  Introducing himself as Sam, he offered to go back with them to Mythstraisia as he was excited to be alongside those with a similar talent for the creation of items for the betterment of the people of the world.  With the work they had done for the people of Flatscar, it seemed that the townspeople were warming up to their presence.

With their pantry stocked and enough monetary resources to see them through another few weeks, Talonrel brought his attention to the fact that despite the amount of blueprints they had created, they simply did not have the raw materials to turn any of their ideas into reality.  They had spent a great deal of raw materials just making sure Flatscar made it through the floods.  But, the immediate concern was whether or not the bandits that had been in the area would take advantage of the townspeople that were just now recovering from the disaster.  The young elf knew that it was the habit of bandits to prey on people when they were at their most vulnerable.  What time was more vulnerable than now?  It was because of this that he had decided to go along with the Rangers of the Swift Arrow to become the guardians of the people of Flatscar and root out any bandit elements that may be on their way to loot and pillage.

He would miss the nightly meetings with Joachim and Sam over wine and fire as they discussed their ideas at length.  Sam was an apt carpenter and smith and came with his own ideas and experience to add to the melting pot of their ideas.  But, the dark-haired elf knew that if they left the bandits alone, much of the work they did putting together the dam would have been for nothing as Flatscar collapsed from attack.  Leaving the town, he left Joachim to renovate their building dedicated to information gathering with new maps on the potential movements of different mineral veins and the types of wood that were good for various types of crafts.  Their information was starting to blend between human and elven gathering techniques until it became one.  In the evening after a long day's work, Joachim would still be able to drink with Sam and discuss further ideas that would end up benefiting them both in the long run.

Name	Start	Action	Target	End	Notes
Talonrel	G7	Assist	G5	G7
Joachim	G7	Assist	G7	G7
Sato	G7	Build	G7	G7	Upgrade Spymaster
Rangers	G7	Scout	G5	G7	Searching for Enemies
Sam	G7	Teach	G7	G7	Teach Artisan Joachim

This message was last edited by the player at 02:29, Thu 15 Oct 2015.

Nibbling on bits of choice food, Sam Buck takes to heart the necessities of the task before Joachim and the Order of Sato.  Proud to be among those who value his knowledge and craftsmanship in general, he alternates between explaining the finer points of refinement and material cleansing while admiring the work of the tools that the Order of Sato puts to use in establishing the obstacle courses, trials, and other trappings of the Spymaster's Suite.

It would do any Usurpation little good to attempt to gather information surreptitiously without their networking being as well trained and equipped as its warriors.  Afterall, every battle was a combination of knowledge, equipment, and maneuverability.  In this apex; the knowledge and guile grew to new heights as Joachim oversaw the construction.

[ Talonrel and the Rangers succeed in Scouting (G5). ]
[ You discover a Small Cache containing:
1 x Spyglass, and
4 x Gold.
]
[ You discover a Poor Cache containing:
4 x Gold.
]

[ Joachim and the Order of Sato achieve an Astounding Success in Renovating the Spymaster's Suite! ]
[ You gain 2 Leveling XP, which must be assigned to the Order of Sato. ]
[ You gain 2 Skill XP, which must be assigned Mason. ]
[ You renovate the Spymaster's Suite to Renovation Level 2! ]
[ You save 3 Stone, consuming only 7 Stone. ]

[ Sam Buck trains the Skill: Artisan to Joachim. ]
[ Joachim gains 1 Skill XP in Artisan. ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:24, Fri 16 Oct 2015.