+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | The Olympia Times times@pbm.com | | August 10, 1994 issue g1-7 | | | | turn 7 120 players "Familiarity breeds attempt" | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+Questions, comments, to play: info@pbm.com
Olympia PBEM
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To stand up straight and tread the turning mill, To lie flat and know nothing and be still, Are the two trades of man; and which is worse I know not, but I know that both are ill.
-- A.E. Housman
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A small plug for Linux ----------------------
I run pbm.com on a Linux system. pbm.com is home to an FTP archive (which is mirrored by the two main PBM FTP sites), a Web server, the diplomatic mail forwarder, and of course the order scanner. Turns are run weekly on this machine, I send and receive personal email here, and use the machine for development and other activities. pbm.com is connected to the Internet with a 14.4 slip link. It also secondaries for some small MX email domains.
$ uptime
4:31pm up 50 days, 20:12, 20 users, load average: 1.17, 1.08, 1.02
Wow! Rock solid.
Player-contributed press
The Olympia Atlas is accepting contributions, and is available for download!
In the tradition of Oleg's Map (tm), the Atlas is a compilation of geographical information useful for explorers, traders, and adventurers. Best of all, it's absolutely free!
To contribute to the Atlas, simply send turn excerpts (cut out all the incriminating parts) that contain the following information:
o) Mapping data (region & route info) o) City market reports o) City skills lists o) Inner locations
and send it to sx6@g1.pbm.com. We'll include it into the next version of the Atlas.
Contributions are needed even for areas already covered by the Atlas. Inner locations change ownership, market prices change, new buildings (castles, towers, inns, temples, mines) are constructed, etc. Information in the Atlas marked by turn number ages rapidly and needs updated frequently.
The Atlas is available by ftp from your nearest PBM ftp site (ftp.erg.sri.com in the USA, check the PBM FAQ for other sites), in the directory /pub/pbm/olympia, as atlas.X.
The Atlas is also available on the PBMGames forum on CompuServe, in the fantasy games section, as atlsX.oly.
In both cases, X is replaced with the turn number of the last update. The turn 5 version of the atlas is currently available at both sites.
Brought to you by the Skulking Vermin (sx6)
To The Council of the Eumenides:
There is nothing worse that sloppy spies. Your information on what nobles belong to what factions in the previous Times had at least two errors. By your mistakes, you are now encouraging others to attack nobles uninvolved and innocent of the events around Newleaf. Thereby opening new feuds and conflicts. If you truely desire to help calm the situation, stop throwing mud. And train your spies a bit better.
Acumen, the Seeker
Found on a dead carrier pigeon washed ashore...
Dear Mum & Dad -
You should be glad that you are not here. Shipboard life is not for us Highlanders. No work AND no play! I've been keeping busy by practicing me swordsmanship, and trying to develop a taste for grog (YECH).
We did have some fun though last week when a band of Pirates attacked us. I grabbed by sword and, using a lid from a clay pot that was handy as a shield, yelled a challenge. Little did they know when they boarded that those peasant workers we had down in a hold were waiting for them. But it is good to know that all this practice is paying off - we took them with nary a scratch.
We hope to spot land in several more weeks, and there is a lot of it so I'm told. A land as large as Provinia! I hope to send for you once I have established myself.
Angus
A scholar can always do research No matter how the ship does lurch. You can also teach your horse to kick When enroute - that's quite a trick! While in port a forester could Stay on board and harvest wood. You never have to leave the dock To recruit some hardy peasant stock. But in his stateroom, no matter how nice you ask, A mage won't perform even a common task!
The shrivelled creature sat hunched in its cave, hidden deep in the vastness of the Channel Mountains. It was old, and very nearly blind, but it had the Gift. Some whispered that it had willingly given up the ability to see the present in exchange for a glimpse at the vistas of the future.
It sat on the cold rock and muttered to itself. "The fools! These men call themselves nobles and claim their world is civilized, yet they turn their backs while their neighbors feed upon one another like rats upon swill. They must be warned. They must be warned, before it is too late."
The recent attacks to the northeast of Imperial City only serve to illustrate the wisdom of the Honorable Horace Greely: Go West! Or was that Horse-Greedy who said that? No matter. The point remains the same, and in this case the point is directed squarely at the renegade who made those unprovoked attacks. [To be continued]
For those of you who've been anxiously chewing your nails for a week waiting for The Answer (to last issue's "The Riddle"):
>>>It's "JAMBALAYA"!!!<<<
Not convinced? Well, we haven't QUITE got all the ingredients yet, but we've cooked up Rice, blackened Shrimp, and threw in some overheated Red Pepper.
(We'll add Onion and Chicken Broth soon, I'm sure.)
The rest of the AOO bozos, please take note. More retribution may be forthcoming, you'll know for sure when your nobles get trashed. Of course, it's hard to feel sorry for people who seem to think this game is Bosnia and they're "ethnic cleansers".
Signed, OLY-NATO An Equal-Opportunity Vigilante Group (we'll beat up anyone for senseless aggression)
Has anyone played around with Meditate yet? Does its extra aura point carry over to the next turn, or only during that turn? Does having an Adept rating or higher in Meditate give you any benefit? For that matter, has anyone seen any benefit to such things in any of the spells so far? Send answers -- or even just ideas -- to character b4q.
Thank you.
Wanted: Additional uses for Rose Perfume, well perhaps any use, any market willing to buy, any player willing to trade, possible exchange for clay pots, a safe disposal method. Hmm, perhaps I shouldn't have quickly bought up 5 precious, excellent containers of Imperial city's finest toilet water. Well perhaps I can find a sucker, errr, a fine discriminating connoisseur that would appreciate such a rare trade item. Contact Negentropy [pz8] before someone else buys it first.
Journal Entry, Harvest, Year 1 of the Relocation - Gonzo Greybeard
Is it possible? Can we have been on this new world for almost a year? Waning Days is upon us and Dark Night will soon be here. As we move on in search of our new home, I reflect on the punishment meted out to those who would attempt to advance by unprovoked attacks on the innocent. Perhaps we would have liked to punish them further, but there is a point at which we must provide the opportunity for peace to grow. If the olive branch is extended will it be brushed aside or will it be accepted? This will be determined in the coming seasons. There is so much to explore on this new world with mythical beasts to conquer and lands to find. We should be able to keep ourselves busy without having to fight each other (at least for awhile). I have visions of castles and towers rising toward the sky, the lands providing the production to support the exploration of the world.
More interesting figures
After last weeks column on just how dangerous _is_ that crittier what immediatelly comes to everyone mind is "well how effective is training up my nobles defense value with USE 9570?"
Monster Your Noble's Defense Value Gain after Attack -------------------------------------- 20 weeks of Value 80 85 90 95 100 training ------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ 1 1.23% 1.16% 1.10% 1.04% 0.99% 0.24% 5 5.88% 5.56% 5.26% 5.00% 4.76% 1.12% 10 11.11% 10.53% 10.00% 9.52% 9.09% 2.02% 20 20.00% 19.05% 18.18% 17.39% 16.67% 3.33% 30 27.27% 26.09% 25.00% 24.00% 23.08% 4.20% 40 33.33% 32.00% 30.77% 29.63% 28.57% 4.76% 50 38.46% 37.04% 35.71% 34.48% 33.33% 5.13% 75 48.39% 46.88% 45.45% 44.12% 42.86% 5.53% 80 50.00% 48.48% 47.06% 45.71% 44.44% 5.56% 100 55.56% 54.05% 52.63% 51.28% 50.00% 5.56% 150 65.22% 63.83% 62.50% 61.22% 60.00% 5.22% 200 71.43% 70.18% 68.97% 67.80% 66.67% 4.76% 300 78.95% 77.92% 76.92% 75.95% 75.00% 3.95% 400 83.33% 82.47% 81.63% 80.81% 80.00% 3.33% 500 86.21% 85.47% 84.75% 84.03% 83.33% 2.87%
The percent is the chance or your noble acquiring a hit with the stated defense value vs a monster with the stated attack value. Unexpected (by me) curve.
Next week (ta da!) enhancing your nobles attack value.
Edmund Blackadder [s4b] Banner: Or, Adder Flaccid Sable
The Normandy Faction reports that there are hidden reefs in the Atnos Channel which a ship can damage its hull for a few points against (4 pts. in our case). Mariners are advised to carry pitch for repairs. It only takes 1 day to launch a ship or to beach or dock it, but travel between ocean regions takes 3 days. Travel costs appear to be determined by the terrain one is moving into. Has anyopne found a traiing site for mining or religion yet?
From the Captain of the Tai Lung [w3g],
To all Interested Parties:
As we passed from the Atnos Channel to the Atnos Sea, we sighted the city of Saltstone [aa0n] at the tip of Provincia. Saltstone is located at [cf32]. We did not stop, so have no further information on Saltstone. As we continued our voyage to the east, we passed the White Desert, and later the Baldtop Mountains.
TRAVEL ADVISORY: ULDIM PASS ---------------------------
All nobles are being advised to stay SOUTH of Uldim Pass. The area north of the pass is about to become VERY DANGEROUS.
Ducking behind a large outcropping Wanderer kept low. He had never seen lizards so big, almost dragon sized. While Dark Pirn was rumoured to hold many beasts both strange and wonderful, he hadn't expected to meet any before entering the city. Big and powerful as the lizards are, at least they were not as fast as his trusty steed.
This month he would finally set foot in Pirn, the first Imperial to do so. The treasures of the desert city would be his to see first. Then what? Maybe one of those ships that seemed to be teaming the oceans would carry him to a new continent? He had seen more of Provincia that any other man, but it was beginning to bore him.
Land, Land, where are thy land! The sea is the world encompassing all Its motion our womb as we die the slow way. We seek virgin dominance, clay to craft in our image. But water is all we see and we think all we have ever seen. Is the world we dimly remember real or a fantasy We dream in the rotting holds to escape the searing sun. Soon, Soon, it must be soon! Or the claws we strive to place at the throat of the world Shall rot away in the briny deep!
The Raptors
Diary: Harvest, Day 2 Landfall at last. We put into the city of Petelinus to make repairs on our ship, Chaste Gold, which was damaged on a reef. Fortunately, no one was injured. It seems were fortunate to leave the imperial city so quickly. Rumors have reached Petelinus of bloody ambushes, sacking and armed uprising in Provinia. The city fathers here are worried that the troubles will spread and are putting out feelers for hiring mercenaries. It seems wise not to stay too long. A brief stay to investigate trading possibilities and skills available and then back to sea.
OP News - Atnos Channel - A large number of Galleys and Roundships have set sail through the Atnos Channel. Many report finding numerous small islands often protected by Pirates or Cyclops along the way. There have been no reported sightings of the dreaded Sea Monsters, but most inexperienced captains are having some trouble with the uncharted reefs in the channel. Future seafarers will certainly benefit from the maps being draw by there intrepid explorers.
I have created a perl script which serves as a move preprocessor, allowing me to refer to items, characters, and skills by name rather than ID. I would like to make it available, but I have no public site available for anonymous ftp. I am looking for volunteers who can make this script widely available. Contact me as
gischer@sgi.com
The Masters of Sado Island Jay Gischer
[Note from the GM: I've put Jay's script up for FTP on pbm.com. Grab parse.perl from the pub/olympia directory.]
Here's an example of what my script can do:
Before:
unit Falstaff # In Aethelarn use PerformCommonTasks recruit train worker 3 make clay_pot 2 # Seems futile, but I'll try sell clay_pot 2 9 give Hal worker 3 move HMSBounty sail S fish end
After my script: unit x1x # Falstaff In Aethelarn defend q1v # Give Jay a break! give q1v 1 3000 100 # You can keep a little for yourself!
...
Now how did that slip in? Here's the real output:
unit x1x # Falstaff In Aethelarn use 9103 # PerformCommonTasks recruit train 11 3 # worker make 95 2 # clay_pot Seems futile, but I'll try sell 95 2 9 # clay_pot give y1y 11 3 # Hal, worker move ab13 # HMSBounty sail S fish end
Clann Dhabaid, qr2, is not interested in getting into any wars of banditry, either attacking or defending, regardless who the original attackers might have been.
I haven't attacked anyone and I don't intend to, but I will defend myself, whether the attackers are AOO, Avengers, or whomever. I'm leaving everyone else alone to go about their business and I want to be left alone, to go about my business, unmolested.
Farewell, sweet land of birth. Home to our Fathers. We raise our prayers to Olympus, and cast offerings in the prescribed manner- to our entreaties an answer has returned: "Above all else, Dare!"
- and so we depart - The Stokalii
Yupa sighed. Three months of travel from the Imperial City, just to find the merest hint of solitude! His comrades were far from ready to proceed with their long-term plans. With the situation still in flux, there was no telling whether their latest idea would even be able to reap any benefit; given the current chaos, it seemed unlikely that strong markets or a stable currency would emerge soon enough to meet the other, more worrisome timing constraints involved. Shrugging, watching the others diligently at work, he returned to his labors.
Anybody interested in obtaining a supply of yew, please contact Yupa [r1v]. If there's sufficient need, we can obtain large quantities and bring it to some convenient central location for resale.
A daring and near-successful escape by the rogue Artur last month, as the intrepid heathen slipped past his guardians, knocked out a local wet nurse, assumed her garb, and slipped away. A near-perfect disguise. (Experts theorize that Artur might have been a wet nurse in his previous career. :) But alas, his flight was brought to ruin by a local peasant boy.
This is his song...maestro!
Good evening dear rapscallion, lovely evening my dear! I know this man, my friends, he is the Skaithan Artur! So don't let him escape or he'll come back and kill you! This only goes to show what little people can do.
And little people know...when little people fight. We may look easy pickins but we've got some bite! So never kick a dog...because he's just a pup. He'll fight like twenty armies and he won't give up! So you'd better run for cover when the pup grows up!
That'll teach Artur to go wet nursing small boys. Hee hee!
Or, er...I guess not. He's dead now.
(Plagiarized from Les Miserables' "Little People."(tm))
Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents
When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.
--- Edmund Burke
A little fire is quickly trodden out, Which, being suffer'd, rivers cannot quench.
--- Wm. Shakespeare, Henry VI
"Well, that reminds me of the time my budy and me found a city of gold in Krussos", croaked the old timer. "Gold everywhere--they paved the streets with it, built spitoons with it, used it to pitch horseshoes, too, as I recall. My buddy and I were awestruck! Nowhere on Olympia had we seen such wealth. But then we noticed the locals staring at us. One of the more daring came up to us and studied our faces. Then he timidly reached out and carressed one of the clay pots, we had brought along to sell. They had never seen ceramics and they gave us all the gold we could carry for a half dozen of our wares." exclaimed the man. "We left to get more pots, but we never found the place again!"
WANTED!! Group of adventurers looking for information on the evirons in and around the city of Winewood. Any information would be helpful. Please send any information to Alben[c3d] the Land Sage. Thanks in Advance.
Alaric eyed his band of companions with satisfaction. They were all learning quickly and by staying together were hoping to avoid marauding bandits. They had seen the show of force which the residents of Mt. Olympus had displayed in attacking the giant birds of the area. 11 giant birds had been destroyed by a force led by Marat, with 23 angry peasants, 11 nobles, 16 soldiers, 3 pikemen, 11 crossbowmen, and 52 workers. The giant birds were driven out and captured. Things could be getting too exciting in Mt. Olympus. Time to escape.
NOTICE
The rotten apples in the AOO barrel have gotten a taste of justice. If the reasonable elements of the AOO are now willing to deal with their rogue members something resembling peace can return to Provinia.
If not, the mad dogs will be hunted and destroyed, along with anyone that shoese to continue to defend them.
If the AOO insists on supporting and defending sociopaths, then the AOO has chosen to roll in that open sewer of its own accord... and can't complain overmuch if civilized people not only hold their noses in disgust, but throw lime on them.
Oleg the Pleasant's Lore Archive remains open for business!
Oleg's Alpha-lore archive is available from me via email, or via ftp from the archives. You may be wondering,w hen is this Oleg fellow going to actually produce the reputed document which describes the differences between the Alpha-lore and the current lore? Well, I am busy window-shopping in Amsterdam, and next week I have to go camping with 10,000 of my closest friends, so keep on sending in your submissions and I'll produce that document before turn 9.
-- Oleg the Pleasant [b2q]
Tired of dodging giant rats? Need a place to rest up and heal that sucking chest wound? Just want to quaff some ale and discuss the latest basketweaving trends with your peers?
Visit the first, finest, and only inn in Provinia! The Fatted Boar will be opening for service soon, in [by24].
-- Kosar the Indifectible [n9o], proprieter.
The old man looked at the newly consecrated graveyard, and frowned when he thought of the unclean things that had been here before. He wandered through the ancient mausoleums and crypts until he found the spot he was looking for.
The damnable gate was there.
This gateway Shay Tollin was not eager to enter, but he knew that someday he must, that the Wanderer would need him to go even There.
The old man left the graveyard, leaving newly-blossoming flowers on each grave. He turned his attention to the outcrop a few miles away.
"Yes. Let that be your first temple here."
The purpose of the castle on Mt. Olympus is to block off access to the Cloudlands. After it is completed, any Noble entering the province will be attacked.
Here is some POTS & BASKETS stories -----------------------------------
Q: What is difference between pots and baskets? A: Pots sink better!
Q: Why do sailors keep their pots in baskets? A: Pots are harder to sink!
Q: What is side effect of this? A: Baskets sink better!
Inn keeper: What can I get to you? Noble: Wine. One pot for me and one for my friend!
Q: Why did they throw noble out from local inn? A: He had too many pots!
Q: Why didn't they let noble into local inn? A: He had too many pots already!
The Imperial City Logging Corporation is now open for business. Contact mmwang@mv.us.adobe.com if you wish to place an order for wood.
Dearest Miyuki,
I miss you terribly. But, alas, there is no end in sight. We continue to move on without finding our goal. The wilderness is a wonderful and strange place of exotic beings. Most have simply watched us from afar, affraid of our pikemen, but we may yet hit trouble. We have passed plains, mountains, and forests but still no oceans, swamps, or deserts. And the magical gates are apparantly far apart out here. I have heard rumors of trouble near Imperial City. I hope you are staying safely inside the city limits. I hope you liked the perfume I got for you before I left. I know it is readily available in the city but I thought you might appreciate it anyway. I suspect your studying doesn't give you much time to go shopping. I impatiently await the day when we will be together again. Please take care until then.
- Kovaq'nu
This months prize from the price is right is....
One free galley all built and ready to sail.
How much is it you ask?
0,000.00 GOLD!!!!!
Yes that right, it's free!!!
And the race is on, who will be the first noble to claim the galley?
signed, a travelling salesman (first time anyone ever paid me to sell something for nothing :)
What!?!? Ships CAN be built anywhere there's a coast, not just in ports?!?! Why didn't somebody tell me sooner!?!
To the so-called "Council of the Eumenides": Your post in last week's Times contains serious inaccuracies, including listing a number of my characters as belonging to the factions at issue and other errors. I have not attacked any player in the game, and will not attack anyone without good reason, but I will certainly defend myself if attacked. Your threats against Mt Olympus are also misplaced, as the facilities under construction there belong to me and not to either of the factions you name.
With my help, the parties directly involved in this situation are working out a negotiated solution. But since none of them claim to have any knowledge of your "Council", I have to believe that your post was solely for the purpose of causing trouble. If you wish to demonstrate otherwise, feel free to identify yourselves.
I urge all parties to refrain from unprovoked attacks.
Barry Eynon The Aolian Circle
Notice Regarding Punitive Action ================================
It has come to our attention that many player factions are not taking a sufficiently aggressive role in punishing the AOO for its many breaches of civilized behavior. Those factions which are not actively participating are getting a "free ride" at our expense. We have therefore reluctantly decided that it is necessary to institute a tax upon all residents of Olympia to pay for our police action. Each faction which cannot show that it is taking an active role in attacking the AOO will be assessed 100 gold/turn to cover our costs. This sum to be delivered to the Imperial city or another place of our choosing. Those who refuse to pay our demands are no less guilty than the AOO itself, and should expect to be treated accordingly.
Further details of how to make your payments (and an easy installment plan for those who may be slightly cash poor) will be posted shortly.
The Council of the Eumenides
This morning, while on a romantic picnic, an Atnosian couple, who prefer to remain anonymous, were "busy" exspressing their admiration for each other when, a report of a major confrontation between the forces of evil, and a pair of fair haired noble maidens ensued. This was thier account as they reported it to us:
18: Jasmine [q2w], with nine soldiers, one ox, seven pikemen, arrived from 18: the east, accompanied by: 18: Dahlia [d3g], with one ox 22: Jasmine [q2w] attacks Skeleton [bj4d]! 22: 22: Jasmine [q2w], with six soldiers, one ox, ten pikemen, 22: accompanied by: 22: Dahlia [d3g], with one ox 22: 22: Skeleton [bj4d], skeleton, number: 6 22: 22: Jasmine [q2w] is victorious! 22: 22: Skeleton lost five skeleton. 22: Skeleton [bj4d] was wiped out. 22: 23: Jasmine [q2w] attacks Skeleton [cb5v]! 23: 23: Jasmine [q2w], with six soldiers, one ox, ten pikemen, 23: accompanied by: 23: Dahlia [d3g], with one ox 23: 23: Skeleton [cb5v], skeleton, number: 8 23: 23: Jasmine [q2w] is victorious! 23: 23: Dahlia [d3g] was wounded. 23: 23: Skeleton lost seven skeleton. 23: Skeleton [cb5v] was wiped out. 23: 24: Jasmine [q2w] attacks Skeleton [ho3j]! 24: 24: Jasmine [q2w], with six soldiers, one ox, ten pikemen, 24: accompanied by: 24: Dahlia [d3g], with one ox 24: 24: Skeleton [ho3j], skeleton, number: 8 24: 24: Jasmine [q2w] is victorious! 24: 24: Jasmine lost one soldier. 24: 24: Skeleton lost seven skeleton. 24: Skeleton [ho3j] was wiped out. 24: 25: Jasmine [q2w] attacks Skeleton [fr6i]! 25: 25: Jasmine [q2w], with five soldiers, one ox, ten pikemen, 25: accompanied by: 25: Dahlia [d3g], with one ox 25: 25: Skeleton [fr6i], skeleton, number: 9 25: 25: Jasmine [q2w] is victorious! 25: 25: Jasmine lost one soldier, one pikeman. 25: Dahlia [d3g] was wounded. 25: 25: Skeleton lost eight skeleton. 25: Skeleton [fr6i] was wiped out. 25: 26: Jasmine [q2w] attacks Skeleton [hm1v]! 26: 26: Jasmine [q2w], with four soldiers, one ox, nine pikemen, 26: accompanied by: 26: Dahlia [d3g], with one ox 26: 26: Skeleton [hm1v], skeleton, number: 10 26: 26: Jasmine [q2w] is victorious! 26: 26: Skeleton lost nine skeleton. 26: Skeleton [hm1v] was wiped out. 26: 27: Jasmine [q2w] attacks Skeleton [ek4z]! 27: 27: Jasmine [q2w], with four soldiers, one ox, nine pikemen, 27: accompanied by: 27: Dahlia [d3g], with one ox 27: 27: Skeleton [ek4z], skeleton, number: 11 27: 27: Jasmine [q2w] is victorious! 27: 27: Jasmine lost three soldiers. 27: 27: Skeleton lost ten skeleton. 27: Skeleton [ek4z] was wiped out. 27:
Seen here: Jasmine [q2w], with one soldier, one ox, nine pikemen, accompanied by: Dahlia [d3g], with one ox Skeleton [cm9f], skeleton, number: 11 Skeleton [bd8v], skeleton, number: 12 Skeleton [eg5q], skeleton, number: 19 Skeleton [fm7c], skeleton, number: 15 Skeleton [ev8q], skeleton, number: 11 Skeleton [bd8w], skeleton, number: 14
The couple is waiting to see what happens next. Stay tuned.
fish
Why was it never mentioned -- never -- in all the chronicles histories tragedies of exploration sailing travelling the endless endless endless m o n o t o n y of it all? Fishing, what was once a great hobby of mine own and something at which I excelled, has become as b o r i n g as well. If only there was more to do on shipboard, like shuffleboard pool poker stealing the captain's beer summoning heinous demons wanking hazing the peasants distilling water drinking a n y t h i n g but just sitting here.
Robert and his comrades-in-arms, Douglas and William, along with the remains of their retainers, waved good bye to the fishing boat that had found them adrift at sea. A drift for 6 weeks, 3 days and 10 hours. They had been cold, wet and not hungry at all. In fact they had set out with 35 retainers, but some had had the misfortune of drowning in the storm that took their ship and others .... well some gave up their lives so that the others would not suffer hunger pains ....
They had set out looking for adventure in strange new lands that they had been told of were far to the East. However, as can be sumised from the start of this tale, adventure found them.
Walking up from the beach onto a near hill, they spy a great city - Imperial City. The surrounding land appears to be forest. A forest of many varieties of tree - pine, oak and others which they have never seen before.
They had arrived.
A portion of a private communique recently intercepted...
> ...through the Uldim is impassable 'til after Snowmelt. No, we > are forced to reassess our position and stake our claim in a new > and potentially more lucrative territory. > > While our competition wastes time building Temples near Castles and > plays the toady trying to curry favor with the local nouveau riche, > there is a diamond in the rough that goes unnoticed. > > Check your maps gentlemen, the point of land which is located > farthest and directly East of Imperial City will be of incalculable > worth to the faction or alliance that controls it or has a financial > stake in its development. > > The strategic location of that single patch of unclaimed land will > allow its owner to wield unprecedented commercial and military power > over the entire hemisphere. > > It is for this reason that I am transferring the balance of my > personal funds into your account and am ordering that you cease > development of our marginal operations around Newleaf and Redwine. > Gather whatever supplies and transportation you can find and proceed > directly East from your present location. > > Once you arrive at the coast, deploy in your usual fashion. > > Time is of the essence. Do not delay. > > signed, > Eyem Theone
End of message.