• Closed • [Port Diabolo] Homeward Bound

[Trouble]

Homeward Bound

3rd of Cylus, 721
Port Diablo

"C'mon! Hurry aboard now. Quickly does it."

Port Diabolo was not the sort of place that one would ever usually call "bustling," but today there was an unusual hum of energy in the air. Close to a hundred people were hurrying back and forth loading three cargo ships with a wide range of supplies: dried food, camping equipment, metal tools, and even the few odd wooden planks. It was almost like watching a nest of ants: everyone scuttling close together in all different directions, each work on a thousand different task that all added up to the one great whole. Harried scribes checked and double checked each and every item brought aboard and ticked them off their lists, trying to bring a sense of order and logistics to the chaotic march of progress.

Today was the day that the refugees from the volcanic eruption of Faldrass were finally permitted to return to their home island. Geologists from the Scalvoris Academy had concluded that, although the volcano was most definately active, there were no more signs that it would be erupting again in the forseeable future. Although some of the refugees had decided it wasn't worth the risk and opted to find new lives for themselves on the mainland, most of the small population who'd lived on Faldrass before the incident demonstrated the traditional Scalvoran stubborn spirit and demanded to be allowed the return as soon as it was possible. Seeing no sense in arguing, councilwoman Shania had gathered together enough supplies for the refugees to begin the rebuilding effort, organised for the three ships to carry them, and announced that anyone keen to lend a hand was welcome to join the refugees in gathering at the docks on this very day. In just an hour the ships would be departing, and from then on it would be up to the determination and resourcefulness of the Faldrass residents to build something new for themselves. Nobody had any complaints about the lack of government guidance; they were Scalvorans, and knew that they had to work hard to make their own place in the world, not wait for it to be handed to them. There was a grim determination in the eyes of the refugees as they stored their equipment on the ship, welcoming the challenges that they knew would be waiting for them at their old home.

And there would be challenges. No doubt about that. The geologists had also reported that the eruption had made quite the impact on Faldrass' landscape. They couldn't stay long enough for a more detailed study, but it was clear that the island's ecosystem was in quite the state of fluctuation. With some species of animals eradicated, others had thrived from the lack of competition, and the change in landscape had given rise to territory disputes and new beasts from the mainland migrating over. There had even been reports of unknown beasts being sighted, but no concrete evidence on what they might be could be found.

Something had drawn Balthazar and Darius to Port Diablo that day. Perhaps it was to help the refugees out? Perhaps it was idle curiosity? Perhaps it was fate? But for whatever reason they found themselves among the crowd that afternoon, feeling the hum of the atmosphere around them, when they felt a different kind of hum; not from around them but from within. A heat in their blood, comforting and warm, began to pull them in the direction of a nearby alley, and their spirits Fuego and Katara began to stir with excitement.

"He's here! He wants to speak with you." They both whispered telepathically into their respective owner's minds, leading the way without command towards the alley.

General Info

Howdy! Thank you both again for taking part in the settlement system test. This thread will provide you IC with your starting settlers and all the resources you can reasonable expect to help found a village. I hope you enjoy.

Rules

Other than violence and the odd swear words I would ask that there not be any explicit adult themes.

Mod Style

I am shamelessly copying this style of moderation (and the template structure) from Pegasus, who I gather was taught it by someone called Crimson, because it looks like it works really well. Imitation is the highest form of flattery after all. My thanks to both of them.

The NPCs do not reflect my own personal thoughts of feeling on any subject. They are just characters.

I promise I'm not actively trying to kill your character, severely wound them or anything like that, but I would like to give fair rewards/consequences for any actions taken in this thread. If you feel that these are at all unfair please let me know.

Otherwise let's have some fun!

Obectives

Must Do

1. Follow your fireforged spirits into the alley. Your boss is calling you.

Can Do

1. Explain your reasons for being here with the refugees, and your character's thoughts on the Faldrass incident.
2. Do a kind deed for one of the refugees. God know they could use one right now.

[Darius Baer]

Arc 721, 3rd of Cylus

Almost an entire arc had passed since Darius last set foot in Almund, and much had changed since then. He had arrived as a sailor, earning his passage from Scalvoris Town with a combination of hard graft and the fortuitous saving of a fellow seaman's life. Now he was a captain of his own ship, who had experienced the grief of his best friend's death, and the abundant joy of their post-resurrection reunion.

But Scalvoris itself had changed much more. Darius had yet to meet a fellow Scalvorian who hadn't been impacted in some way by the eruption of Faldrass. Hundreds of people had lost their lives, either to waves of lava or of water. Almund, like a handful of towns, did not escape the devastation, and large swathes of the very landscape of Faldrass was unrecognisably scarred.

What had changed very little, if indeed at all, was the Scalvorian spirit. The people were hardy, and, for the most part, preferred to push on through difficult times, rather than lament their misfortune. They had survived the rule of pirates; they weren't going to change their approach to life because of something as trivial as a volcanic eruption.

The bearded blond found himself in the midst of many of those people. They were eager to return to Faldrass and attempt to rebuild their lives. In other parts of Idalos, Darius wagered, some people might consider such a notion madness, but for many of the refugees, the volcanic island was the only home they'd ever known. It only made sense that they would want to return.

And Darius Baer wanted to help them. He had ferried some of them; buried some of their kin, and rescued survivors. A select few recognised him - or, more likely, his ship - and had expressed their gratitude. If he was able to assist with their return, he would do all he could.

In the moment, that meant carrying goods down from the docks and along the jetties to the ships that would eventually take them home. Despite being a captain in his own right, Darius had never shied from hard work, even if others with similar titles didn't necessarily view things in the same light. His crew seemed to appreciate it, and he caught a glance of Astra's appreciative grin as he passed the Libertalia with another crate awkwardly held in his arms. Even in the midst of a mass relocation of refugees, he felt a faint blush at the sight of the half-biqaj, the feathers in her hair fluttering in the gentle sea breeze. He ignored the strain he felt just long enough to return the smile, grateful for the brunette's presence.

Beside her stood Katara, the hawk diri's claws wrapped around the ship's rail. Astra paid no heed to the creature, for she could not see it. Perhaps, in time, that would change.

As Darius set the crate down on the jetty, he heard a cry go up behind him. Turning, he saw an older man, close to the age of his father, struggling with a crate of his own. The aged refugee was visibly struggling, and he was teetering back and forth, making his way down the jetty in a haphazard zigzag direction. Most of those around him were lost in their own tasks and thoughts on a trial with such gravitas, but a few had noticed the poor fellow and seemed to be enjoying the spectacle.

"Help him," Darius growled under his breath, before heeding his own advice and rushing to close the gap of twenty or so paces that separated them.

Just as the sailor arrived, the older man's shaking legs led him to the edge of the jetty once more. His foot slipped and his grip on the crate faltered. Darius managed to grab hold of it, though he only managed to slow its descent so that it rested gently upon the wooden walkway and didn't tumble into the Hollow Sea. The old man clung to the sleeves of the bearded blond and remained there for a few trills as he regained his balance and caught his breath.

Darius waited until the older man appeared settled, and after receiving an expression of gratitude and an assurance that all would be fine, he lifted the man's crate and carried it down the jetty to be loaded with the others.

It was then that he heard a familiar shrill screech. Looking back towards the Libertalia, he saw Katara take to the skies, flaming tendrils trailing her winged feathers. He heard the message she sent his way, too, and with an added sense of urgency, the seafarer followed his guide and protector back towards the docks.

The warmth in his blood was comforting, but that didn't prevent him from showing some caution as Katara disappeared into an alleyway. He looked both ways, hoping to reassure himself that nobody was watching as he tentatively rounded the corner and stepped into the narrow passageway.

[Balthazar Black]

3 Cylus 721

Balthazar loved Cylus more than any other season but it was the season the passed by the quickest. He has spent his last two Cyluses in Scalvoris working for and with the people but this one was shaping up to be very different than the last. This Cylus he was mutated in ways he was not last time. His bright blue glowing eyes with the etheric tears creeping down his cheeks allowed him to see as clearly in the dark as any other man or woman might have seen during the trial. The world looked so different and yet so wonderful when you could see but the people around you couldn't. People looked funny in the dark sometimes. It wasn't exceptionally dark around the docks where Balthazar found himself surrounded by refugees and supplies but it was dark enough that he walked, wearing his crimson cloak, with his mutations on full display.

People didn't seem bothered by him the way they had in other places. He wasn't just some anonymous mage anymore, not here in this place. He was Balthazar Black, the Flame Trooper who'd stop Nellie from brutalizing her girls in her brothel. He was the mage who'd spent all trial making water for the survivors, and then created a portal to save them all breaks of walking. Unfortunately he was also Balthazar Black, the Flame Trooper who vanished. He had told his superiors about the trip's purpose and reasoning but it didn't change that he had just disappeared to the rest of them. He didn't even take a ship off the island. Spies couldn't report to each other that they'd seen him leave because one night he was just gone. He stomped around loudly enough and publicly enough that when he stopped stomping, people noticed. His anonymity was a joke. People knew Balthazar Black. It was likely criminals knew about him too... but the smart ones weren't afraid. The ones who really knew him, knew he was good friends with a smuggler. He let things slide that he shouldn't have because he thought it served the greater good.

That was what he wanted to do more than anything. He wanted to help these people. He thought that the best way to do that would be to throw himself back into his work but he found the early season surprisingly lacking in cases. Pirate attacks continued to plague the waters and that was why Balthazar had come to Port Diabolo, but he didn't end up stopping any pirate attacks. Instead he found himself helping a few refugees load large boxes onto the ships they were taking to go back to Faldrass. He helped the old and pathetic looking before helping the more able bodied but after a while he found himself moving into and out of the ship with an aging biqaj over and over again. The silver blooded traveler told Balthazar about a shop that he'd owned in the Faldrass Marketplace where he sold the various baubles and trinkets he found exploring the world. Balthazar, in turn, helped move the Biqaj's things onto the ship and told him about his recent adventures until there was nothing left to transport.

A little later in the trial he found himself standing on a corner, watching the refugees work their hardest and conjuring a small breeze to help them along. The breeze cooled them in part but it was mores intended to help lighten heavier loads that they were moving around. A little updraft wherever he saw need so long as he could without hurting himself. He wanted to stay ready in case their was an attack or a robbery. In such a crowded space, he was expecting pickpockets so he was keeping an eye out.

He didn't see a lot of pickpockets. He just saw a lot of sad but determined people who would go back to their land whether or not it was safe. They were stubborn, like him. He wanted to go out there too. He wanted to go back to Faldrass to see how the land had changed in the time since he last visited it. He got a small glimpse earlier but Cylus was the perfect season for him to explore it. His ability to see in the dark would help him avoid falling pray to certain dangers that others would be unable to avoid. His mind was turning and trying to construct some plan to convince the Elements to let him go back with the refugees. It was not really his department. Security was the purview of the Land Troopers more than the Flame Troopers. It was his branch's job to find and investigate dangers to the island... not to stand around playing guard.

He never thought he'd want to play guard... in fairness he didn't. He wanted to see what there was to discover on Faldrass with these stubborn fools who refused to stay away from their old home. Fuego seemed to sense something suddenly. The small flaming rock that stood beside Balthazar took off and the mage moved quickly to keep up with his diri as it raced away. The little spirit lead the mage to an alley where he saw a familiar face. "Darius?" Balthazar said his old friend's name tentatively. He didn't expect the sailor to take off running again but he was prepared. "Did your little friend lead you here as well?"

As quickly as he'd asked the question, Balthazar was looking past Darius and down the alley to see where the individual the spirits spoke of was. There was only one figure he thought the diri would have been referring to and he did not expect to see that being in Almund.

[Trouble]

Homeward Bound

3rd of Cylus, 721
Port Diabolo

As the two men ducked into the alley a gust of warm air immediately rushed out to greet them, wrapping around them like a blanket as if beckoning them inside. The alley was hot, unnaturally so, but as fireforged the heat was by no means uncomfortable for either of them. Up ahead they could see that they alley took a left bend, concealing it from the view of any passersby, and that a dull red light was eminating from something down there. Fuego and Katara did not hesistate to lead the way, and as Balthazar and Darius turned the corner an unusual sight awaited them.

A woman sat on a barrel, the top half of her face concealed by the hood of the brown cloak she wore, but the bottom half set in a cheerful smile. She certainly looked mysterious, but nothing about her seemed suspicious; in fact the vibrant aura surrounding her and her generally petit frame gave off the impression that she wouldn't harm a fly. A single lock of long blonde hair had escape past the confines of her hood and trailed down the front of her shoulder, reflecting the red light around her to take on a ginger hue. On the wall in front of her a large rectangle of golden light had been drawn, roughly the shape and size of a full-body mirror, and the section of wall within the rectangle was just... gone. Balthazar especially would immediately recognise it as a portal, but one far quieter, cleaner and infinitely more precise than any he had ever seen before.

On the other side of that portal lava rolled and churned in lazy waves, never passing through the confines of the portal but providing the hot air and red light that gave the alleyway its unusual atmosphere. Waiting just before the portal's threshold, standing straight with the posture of a military general, was an armoured figure that both fireforged recognised immediately.

"Balthazar. Darius. I thank you for coming." The Induk Faldrass greeted, bowing his head in a short but respectful nod.

Fuego and Katara seemed curiously drawn to the hooded woman, and as they approached she let out a light, melodic giggle and reached out to pat both of their heads, apparently having no trouble either seeing or interacting with the spirits. "Hello there little ones." She cooed, giving Katara a quick scartch under the chin, before turning to look back at the men. Both were struck with the sense that they'd seen her before somewhere, and quite recently, but with her features obscured it was hard to place exactly where. "And hello again to the both of you, champions of Faldrass. It warmed my heart to see you both aiding your fellow men without thought for your own gain. Such kindness deserves a reward."

There was the sound of tinkling bells, again oddly familiar. Both fireforged felt a little weight appear in one of their hands, and if they looked would find that a tiny box, no bigger than their palm, wrapped in red paper had appeared from out of nowhere. Though if they tried to peel open the paper they would find that it stubbornly refused to tear. The hooded woman shot them both a gentle smile. "Don't open them just yet. They're a surprise for later. You'll know when the time is right."

"But now to business." Faldrass interjected, capturing their attention one again. "I requested your presence because I once again I am in need of your assistance. Though my binding was not my doing, I still share much of the blame for the eruption on mine island that caused such misery. I would see this debt repayed by helping civilisation to flourish in my land once more."

"But involving oneself directly is not the answer." The hooded woman cut in. "Faldrass has become a far more dangerous place and survival will be a harsh challenge. Yet if he or I were to intervene personally the people would become dependant upon our protection. Such would be a great disservice. All creatures, great and small, should learn to be independant. I do not mean to imply that Scalvorans are incapable of this alone, only that they underestimate just how different of a place Faldrass had become."

"What the people of Faldrass need now is not a god, but a leader. One among their own who can show them how to adapt with their own mortal hands." Faldrass resumed. "I wish for the two of you, my fireforged, to be those leaders. It need not be forever, just long enough for them to learn to stand upon their own two feet. Prove with your actions that yours is an exammple worth following, and they shall rally behind you. What say you, my kin? Will you accept this charge?"

General Info

OOC Notes

Rules

Other than violence and the odd swear words I would ask that there not be any explicit adult themes.

Mod Style

I am shamelessly copying this style of moderation (and the template structure) from Pegasus, who I gather was taught it by someone called Crimson, because it looks like it works really well and I'd like to give it a try. Imitation is the highest form of flattery after all. My thanks to both of them.

The NPCs do not reflect my own personal thoughts of feeling on any subject. They are just characters.

I promise I'm not actively trying to kill your character, severely wound them or anything like that, but I would like to give fair rewards/consequences for any actions taken in this thread. If you feel that these are at all unfair please let me know.

Otherwise let's have some fun!

Obectives

Must Do

1. Provide Faldrass with an answer. Will you accept his task?

Can Do

1. Take a guess at who our hooded lady is. I've dropped enough hints to sink a ship.

[Darius Baer]

As Darius stepped into the alleyway, he could see that Katara was still flying. The diri wasted no time in disappearing around the corner of the narrow passage, and as her protectee went to follow, he was overtaken by what looked like a flaming rock with stubby arms and legs.

Fuego.

Darius turned, not surprised that he could see Balthazar, but a little cautious of what the mage might think of him, given how the mariner had reacted the last time there had been a surprise reunion.

"Balthazar," the bearded blond greeted his friend. "You are well, I hope? Did you get my letter?"

There was an awkwardness there, for the mariner didn't want to have to explain in person what he thought he'd dealt with via parchment, but he valued his friendship with Balthazar enough to do so if he needed to.

With introductions out of the way, Darius was able to venture further into the alleyway and as he turned the corner, he allowed himself a moment to take everything is. The first thing he saw was the portal. He had seen Balthazar create one in the past, and his initial inkling was that the mage himself had created it.

But when he saw Faldrass, Darius knew that not to be the case. He bowed his head in a respectful greeting, still awed by the Induk. Even through a portal, the armoured figure appeared huge and daunting, and yet the seafarer felt no fear in the presence of the giant spirit.

For a few trills, Darius wondered if Faldrass knew of Yeva's death and resurrection, and if that might affect her ability to be returned to the FireForged fold, but his attention was drawn to the hooded figure as soon as she spoke. Her demeanour put him at immediate ease, and her smile appeared warm and genuine. But it was when she giggled that a sense of recognition struck Darius. He had seen her before, he realised - not just once, but twice - and he had heard her laughter in his dreams.

"Saoire," he whispered, partly a realisation and partly a greeting as he watched Katara and Fuego enjoy her affection.

The thoughts within the mariner's mind began to rush and spin, as he tried to comprehend what was going on, and why he had found himself in the presence of the Maiden of Gifts - and in Port Diablo, of all places! Feeling a weight in his hand, he looked down to find the

When Faldrass spoke again, however, all became clear. Darius found his attention shifting between the Induk and the Immortal as each spoke, but the situation was made clear: they were in need of help, and the FireForged had been called upon to provide it.

"I would be honoured," Darius responded without hesitation, finding confidence in his voice. "I will do all I can to help the people of Faldrass."

If the mariner had harboured any doubts about his suitability, the mere fact that he was being asked to take on this task by such powerful beings easily put them to bed.

[Balthazar Black]

3 Cylus 721

"I did! I added it to the collection of things I can't read in my notebook." Balthazar responded in a light tone to let Darius know that he harbored no ill feelings towards the mariner. "That was a joke. Rupturing, the portal magic, affects my eyes. I can read it's just complicated now. Regardless, I understand why you ran. I didn't handle the loss well either." Balthazar said, referring to the woman mentioned in Darius's letter. Yeva. Her death had affected them both in very different ways. Balthazar was driven into a negative pattern of drinking and brawling that he really loved, and Darius... well, Darius was shaken enough to run away from an old friend in the middle of Viden. "I was lucky enough to be there when she was resurrected though, it was nice."

It was also bleeding insane but Darius didn't need to be bothered with those details. Immortals, Syroa getting her head lobbed off, Balthazar's nice suit... all very important things but none of them seemed to matter in the moment. The diri had something they wanted to show them and the Fire Forged both seemed eager to see what it was. Balthazar felt a familiar warmth as he moved into the alleyway with Darius but his blazing heart quickly equalized his temperature. As he and Darius came around the bend to discover a tear in space and a cloaked figure, Balthazar's interest was more than piqued. The woman sitting on the barrel did not immediately register to Balthazar but as he and Darius moved closer to her and the golden portal, he began to recognize familiar things.

The portal distracted him, but only for a moment. When you could create portals, you weren't as easily fascinated by them. This portal was quiet which was remarkable but in theory could easily have been a scrying portal. Scrying allowed for the passage of image and sound. He'd used it to scout the Stormwastes for Flameborn with Praetorum and it made sense to think Faldrass might be using it to communicate with them... or was it the woman in the cloak? Balthazar looked at her again. Now that he and Darius were closer she was beginning to seem very familiar... no... no, it couldn't be.

He turned and looked through the portal at the source of the heat in the alleyway. Faldrass looked much more stable now than he remembered the induk being back in the volcano but Balthazar's memory of that was still fuzzy at times. Like Darius, Balthazar thought about Yeva when he saw Faldrass but only because Balthazar had brought Yeva back to Scalvoris so she could be initiated into the Fire Forged again. They hadn't gone through with a trip to the heart yet, but they would. He thought about Elisabeth as well. He wanted to tell her about the Fire Forged but he was not sure where their little band stood on secrecy... it just didn't feel right to ask at the moment.

Balthazar returned the nod Faldrass gave them and Fuego moved to the woman, shocking comfortable with her. The diri had been nothing if not shy in the time Balthazar had known him and so seeing the little flaming rock run up to the cloaked woman did a lot to steal his attention from the induk in the portal. When she spoke, Balthazar was certain he recognized her voice from before. She spoke to them about their kindness and a box appeared in Balthazar's hands. A gift? As one of the better detectives on the island, Balthazar was fairly certain he knew who the woman was now. She told them not to open the gift and so the mage did not try to. He turned it over in his hands, thinking about trying to use omnivision to see what was inside the box but he did not. If she was who he thought she was, he would trust her.

Darius said the name he was thinking and Balthazar looked over at the sailor. "Yeah." He wanted to attune to her to be sure but he didn't. He wanted to reach through the portal and attune to Faldrass but he didn't. The last time he'd attuned to Faldrass it had gone very poorly... but if he did it successfully it could be very useful to the both of them... yet just like inquiring about secrecy, it did not feel like the right time to do it so instead he listened. They would not have taken the time to appear here and lure these Fire Forged from the crowd if they did not have something important to discuss, and it turned out that what they wanted to discuss was very important.

Faldrass spoke of the eruption and his own personal feelings of responsibility. Faldrass wanted to bring life and civilization back to the island that had been ravaged by lava and ash. Balthazar did as well but he didn't know where to start. There was much to see and explore on Faldrass that had not been seen yet. The woman cut in to provide a little more context for the gathering. The Immortal and the spirit could not, or for the good of the people would not, act directly to reestablish life. Faldrass cut back in to explain that the people needed leaders who could show them how to adapt with their own 'mortal hands.'

Balthazar looked down at the etheric cracks lining his hands and arms. Mortal hands... he was mortal but far from normal. He was no Immortal, no Induk, but he was also more than just a man now. Still, when Faldrass charged them with becoming the leaders to help those returning to the island get back onto their feet, the answer Balthazar gave would be the same as if had been the first time Faldrass had asked something of him. "Of course," he said, his vow in line with Darius's, "I will do everything I can."

[Trouble]

Homeward Bound

3rd of Cylus, 721
Port Diabolo

Saoire, for indeed that was who the hooded woman was, grinned with joy as Darius whispered her name, and again as both men agreed to help Faldrass' cause. Faldrass put his hands together and bowed to them both respectfully. "I thank you both. It was the right choice indeed to share my power with you." He gestured in the direction of the docks. "Three ships are due to depart from the docks, each heading to a separate location they believe may be the starting point for a new foundation. You should each choose one ship to accompany. I have no doubt that each settlement will encounter a trial soon, and when those moments occur the people will follow you if you lead the charge to meet them. Do that, and I foresee you having no difficult in becoming their leader. Farewell my fireforged."

Saoire waved her hand and the portal faded out of existence, replaced by the bland stone wall. Her hand brushed across Fuego's head one last time. "And remember: a leader knows not just how to solve a problem, but how to teach their followers to solve their problems for themselves. If you ever are in need of advice the doors of my academy are always open to you. Take care; I'll be watching over you." Her form began to shimmer with a green-gold light, as if viewed through a heat haze, and in the span of a second Saoire was gone.

"ALL ABOARD! TIME TO DEPART!" A voice yelled in the distance, accompanied by the ringing of heavy bells.

General Info

And there we have it folk! The introduction thread is finished.

From this point on your are now free to write threads about the development of your settlement in the Faldrass sub forum. When it is completed make a quick post in your settlement profile thread to let me know, and your profile will be updated accordingly.

You are welcome to post once more in this thread if you would like to, and are always free to PM me about any questions during the trial process. I'll have a review of this thread up soon.

Thanks you both again.

Rules

Other than violence and the odd swear words I would ask that there not be any explicit adult themes.

Mod Style

I am shamelessly copying this style of moderation (and the template structure) from Pegasus, who I gather was taught it by someone called Crimson, because it looks like it works really well and I'd like to give it a try. Imitation is the highest form of flattery after all. My thanks to both of them.

The NPCs do not reflect my own personal thoughts of feeling on any subject. They are just characters.

I promise I'm not actively trying to kill your character, severely wound them or anything like that, but I would like to give fair rewards/consequences for any actions taken in this thread. If you feel that these are at all unfair please let me know.

Otherwise let's have some fun!

Objectives

Must Do

1. None

[Darius Baer]

Darius nodded as he listened to Faldrass' instructions. The task before himself and Balthazar was simple in concept, but it would require no small amount of planning in order to give the new settlements not just a chance at survival, but to thrive.

The Scalvorian knew there was a great deal of responsibility on his shoulders. He didn't only have to answer to Faldrass himself and Saoire, but to the refugees themselves. Their island home would be vastly different to how they remembered it, and for some, it would be unrecognisable.

"I will do everything I can to help the people of Faldrass."

He turned, then, to Balthazar, and did his best to look into the mage's glowing eyes.

"I think it would be best if we stay in contact," the mariner suggested. "I don't know what challenges these settlements might face, but if we're able to find a way to assist each other, I think we'll both have a greater chance of success."

Darius looked down at the small gift in his palm once more, before offering a grateful smile to Saoire and putting the item into one of the pockets in his coat. He was curious to know what it was, but now was not the time. If it had been, the Maiden of Gifts would have told him to open it when she'd given it to him.

"Thank you, both," he breathed to both Faldrass and Saoire.

His gratitude was sincere. He knew this responsibility would stretch him to his limits, but if there was anything that motivated Darius Baer, it was helping others.

With a final nod to the other three present, he turned and left, heading out of the alleyway and back towards the docks. He had to discuss the matter with Astra.

[Trouble]

Review

Darius

Experience: 20 points. Cannot be used for magic.

Knowledge:

• Leadership x4
• Logistics x4

Renown: 10 points. For leading the refugees to their settlement sites.

Skill Usage: Appropriate to level.

Loot/Losses: Little Red Present: A palm-sized box covered in red wrapping paper. The paper cannot be torn or otherwise removed from the box until the end of the cycle. Contact Trouble at that time to recieve the gift inside.

Injuries/Conditions: None.

Consequences: A group of refugees are now looking to you to lead them in their reconstruction efforts. They will thrive or perish based upon your decisions.

Comments: Thank you again for participating in this settlement system trial. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of settlement develops under your guidance.

Balthazar

Experience: 20 points. Cannot be used for magic.

Knowledge:

• Leadership x4
• Logistics x4

Renown: 10 points. For leading the refugees to their settlement sites.

Skill Usage: Appropriate to level.

Loot/Losses: Little Red Present: A palm-sized box covered in red wrapping paper. The paper cannot be torn or otherwise removed from the box until the end of the cycle. Contact Trouble at that time to recieve the gift inside.

Injuries/Conditions: None.

Consequences: A group of refugees are now looking to you to lead them in their reconstruction efforts. They will thrive or perish based upon your decisions.

Comments: Thank you again for participating in this settlement system trial. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of settlement develops under your guidance.

!

Message from: Trouble

As of the beginning of the Hot Cycle, Arc 721, the Little Red Present reward opens to reveal: Scrying Snowglobe: A palm-sized crystal ball, within which appears to be a minitaturized replica of your settlement. This orb is in fact a powerful magical item enchanted with the ability to remotely view your settlement from afar. By watching the snowglobe you are able to see, in real-time, everything that occurs outside of buildings within the boundaries of your settlement. Thank you both again for your hard work and patience during this settlement system trial