Tidelan's eyes darted momentarily towards the triton as he spoke in Primordial. A language he loved and knew well but never really felt like he deserved to speak. Though, nobody here knew that, this was a fresh start.

"I'm not a giant, clearly" Tidelan said, his voice strongly indicating he considered that to be obvious. "You're taller than I am" he said and then scoffed.

"Anyway. I'm not here to antagonize you, I'm here to tell you that this is nothing but a job, to me." he said, his voice steady, although he held back any quavering as he felt how truly arrogant he was being to someone who hadn't offended him.

"You are also a Triton then."

It was a statement, not a question.  In truth the two humanoids were alien enough to Verbannt that he had difficulty telling them apart.  It was not that he was slow, just inexperienced with the races of the Triton Sea.  Blue skin was evocative to him of other things, and it was hard to get the image of runty Cloud Giants out of his head.

"Work, earn a place, these are good reasons to be here."

He'd expected a much colder welcome than this, he wouldn't have been surprised if his presence at the door had been enough to make the others reach for bows and blades.

"You will get no trouble from me."

He nodded, and brought his right fist to his chest as he said it.

"Then we are happy to have ya. As for the advance I can take half wages, but I'm afraid that'll put you further down the list. Construction may take longer, especially for a place that size. As for the traps, that sounds like an excellent idea."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:15, Thu 19 Dec 2019.

Tidelan began to wander away, muttering under his breath, a guilty, "You should cause them all trouble, anyone who doubts you" perhaps it was directed at Lukas or himself, either way he made sure he was out of earshort first.

Tidelan goes to stay the night in an inn before getting up for perimeter guard duty, next morning.

As the night starts to settle down so too do the people of this settlement. Tucked into the cots and bed rolls in the town hall everyone got their rest. After a while the sun started to make itself known. The long rest was over and the new day was about to begin. Some of the travelers would go with Galenna and others would stay behind to guard the perimeter. Either way both important tasks. They would each set off shortly. Was there anything any of the players would like to do before setting off to their tasks?

OOC: I need to pick up some traps from the traders. Depending on how many has, I'll pick up a couple each trip round and set them up.

Erret will be having Jessop supply the traps.

Sounds good, then I will have him pick them up in the morning.

This message was deleted by the player at 23:58, Thu 19 Dec 2019.

Verbannt had been too large for the cots, so he had unrolled his sleeping mat and set it up in the corner.  For a long moment, he had stared at his tent, but instead ended up just unwrapping his goatskin cloak and setting it down.  Looking about, he began the long process of taking off his leathers and cleaning them.   He spent almost an hour tending them with a cloth and what smelled like a strong spirit, evidently meticulously cleanly despite his bestial appearance.  It was strange, how little space he seemed to occupy, despite his bulk.  Tucked away, his head down as he worked first alcohol and then oil into the leather, he was so silent as to be almost unnoticed.   Only when he had meticulously cleaned every inch of it did he bury himself within his cloak and drift off to sleep.

Having finished unloading the contents of the wagon he had escorted here, Wightvale strolls into the Smith's Gambit. "Galenna Keenbellow?" He looked for acknowledgement of the name, then walked over to meet the woman. "You have coin and need an escort, yes? I am such an escort, and in need of coin. Call me Wightvane.

Cetus wakes from one of the many rough cots and has a look around.  When he gets to the notice board he stops and reads for a bit.

He then walks up to someone who looks like they are in charge.

My name is Cetus.  I am new here and seek gainful employment.  I note that you are looking for volunteers to patrol the perimeter. He says.  It is a request, but it sounds like he is giving an instruction to a servant.

"Howdy. Boss is with the patrol that just left," said Jessop. "If'n ya hustle, I reckon ya might catch 'em in time to join up. Folla' the road thattaway to the watchtower. Or ya could wait until we gather another team and set out for the second patrol group."

Xannan will spend some time learning the general layout of the settlement.
During that time he finds and reads the Job Board. The Guard Duty job stands out to him.

Xannan makes his way to see Erret Smith, and introduces himself.

Xannan bows and says "Master, I am your servant. I have desire to help your good people. Please allow me to aid in your Guard Duty."
This message was last edited by the player at 08:17, Sat 21 Dec 2019.

Thank you, Cetus replies, whoever you are.

With that Cetus turns and leaves.

>>> To the Perimeter Patrol

Smith returns from the watchtower, and goes into his office. He notices the tiny man offering help. "I'm Erret Smith. Nice to meet ya. Sign the contract, detailing our promise to pay and your promise to work, and this waiver, saying we ain't responsible if ya get yerself in over your head out there. Once we have a few other folk sign up the job, you and the lumberjacks can be on yer way."

Cael was a sour looking young man, with a face that said he'd been swallowing his pride from the moment he got here, if not before. Nevertheless, he was a handsome man, even if he couldn't hide his obvious disdain for the entire situation. He looked at the job board, and scratched his chin.

"Is the job for securing the perimeter still available?" Cael said to Erret. "I think that would be best, given my abilities."

Armed in his trusty chain mail armor and poised like the former soldier that he was, Jankar marched into the small settling after many days of travel. He had come far after he had heard about the rumblings of a new city forming from a passing traveler. As much as he loved the comradeship of the military, he knew that they would not promote him anytime soon. While he was an effective leader and talented warrior, he didn't take orders well, especially when they were against his personal ideals. He hoped that Smith's Gambit would be a change and that maybe he would earn his respect and establish a legacy here for all to remember for generations. He glanced at the board and then heard someone talking about one of the jobs he was interested in, so he found himself looking at a Monk and some other questionable characters but interesting, nonetheless. "Greetings, governor, is it? Jankar Ulmakina, former Ensign of the Alemakian Army. I trust that my military expertise will be beneficial here. I am also interested in the guard duty with the lumberjacks," he reassured the man with a proud grin and a nod.

"Perimeter patrol is always available, sign up here, you may set out as soon as you think you have enough folk to handle the job. Sign up here for lumberjack guard duty.", Smith says, handing the appropriate contracts to the people who asked.

He wasn't sure exactly what he'd been expecting when he had set his mind to heading south to the settlement of Smith's Gambit but this hadn't quite been it. The perimeter of the town was about right but the number of buildings was a disappointment. The lack of a functioning inn a bigger disappointment. Aside from travel, he hadn't spend a night roughing it his entire life. Fix loved his creature comforts. Needed his creature comforts. The current state of the settlement just wouldn't do if he was going to settle down here and since he couldn't risk going back...

Fix made his way over to where people were reporting in for various jobs. The place needed lumber by the ton. Guarding people was a far cry from his cup of tea but getting as much lumber back to this place as possible... and the people who cut and supplied said lumber he supposed, was critically important. It wouldn't hurt to start making friends with the menial labor force either. Once he was able to establish himself and get up and running they'd be his bread and butter suckers after all. The house always wins.

"I think if it's not too late I might tag along to see those lumberjacks safely about their work," Fix said as he walked up to man handing out assignments.

"It's not too late at'll, my friend. Here please sign these..." The man passed the halfling the job paperwork, "And with that you should be all set. I am Erret Smith governor here. Now please be safe out there and best of luck." Erret seemed to take care of everything quite quick has he had started to have a bit of a group form around him about the jobs, but this was quite fine as the work did need to be done to help get the settlement on it's feet. "Oh and of course nice to meet you." He said his southern hospitality suddenly kicking in fully.

"The name's Fix Liddle. Lucky Liddle, they call me. And the pleasure is all mine," he said, offering a bow with a slight flourish. "Worry not fine sir. Safety is my middle name."

With a charming smile and a parting nod he turned and made his way off to join the group set to escort the lumberjacks. Not his idea of a good time but he needed capital and he needed it fast. Riding along with the lumberjacks might just kill two birds with one stone as well as they could be a good group to get in good graces with. Perhaps they'd remember his presence at least attempting to protect them and cut him a nice discount on lumber. He was going to need a lot of lumber for his own personal abode and his future establishment. All things going his way it'd be the biggest building in town.

Though what would become a bustling town was already pretty busy in and of itself, with such gathered folk and eager workers signing up to earn their keep, there was no missing the sound that came from out the road.  The steady clomp of hooves along hard, chill-packed earth, the rhythmic clang and clap like sharp metal drums, and a remarkably sweet voice that carried on the cold wind long before its source could be seen.

Ucat udir,
ucat umom.
Otin netak o~o~otin nasho~n.
Rash numol li~~bash thol~.

So black the beer,
so sweet the wine~.
Die lonely with your pick
so deep in the mine~.

Hardly a cheerful song in lyric, but plenty cheerful in tone as a young woman's voice chimed out, clear and bright as a bell.  A traveling song to pass the time while she clapped her palms against her own breastplate for percussion, keeping rhythm right along with the trotting tempo of horse's hooves.  Though nearer the song came, it revealed in short order that it was not a rider occupying herself on a trek, but a towering Centaur woman in gleaming, silvery Dwarven armor trotting up the path.  Her equine form steamed in the cold air beneath her winter layers, though she hardly seemed bothered by the snowy environment as she made her way along past the gates.  It was no surprise at all that she drew quite a few odd stares as she cantered along for what stood as town hall; the Centaur needed to stoop low through the doors and ignored the creak of the floorboards objecting to her weight as she shuffled inside, careful not to bowl anyone over in the process.

"Pardon me... oops, excuse me please.  On your left, sir." she excused herself amid passerby moving in and out of the building as she looked about, though she brightened at the sight of the governor himself handing out paperwork.  "Ah!  Governor Smith~!  Hello sir, I'm the representative from the Defthammer Clan~!" the Centaur announced herself as bright and brassy as could be overhead of the gathered crowd.  "Do you have a moment, sir?"

Cael sighed, and quickly signed the contract for the perimeter defense.

"Alright, that should be that," he said to Erret. "Oh, yes, nice to meet you. I'm Cael Stonebrook. I've a trick or two up my sleeve, so I should be able to make sure this town is safe."

He stopped and asked the man. "Just a quick question, but what sorts of things usually threaten this area?"

"Not a problem m'dear." Erret spoke with quite looking up yet. "Wolves and spiders mostly." He answered about the question asked of him. Then he turned and looked up. "My dear girl, you're a horse folk, a centaur. That's just wonderful." He said genuinely pleased to see her. "I've had many dealns' with those of your kind and those you're representing, but I never thought I'd see one come here. How great the diversity here keeps growing. Oh and where are my manners? I am governor Erret Smith. Pleased to meet you."