Making an Investment

The remainder of the trip to Gilhaan was relatively boring. With only a dire wolf pack to be dealt with on the third night and a group of roadside bandits to scare off on the fourth day, our party managed to return the carriage to the busy trading city with little more damage to it. Rolling into town and catching the eyes of every passerby, we eventually pulled up to the Caravan Guild House, where we were met with quite the crowd of onlookers. Once there, we reported the events of our travels to the Guild Master, noting the mass casualties of the attack and where they may be able to find the remains. 

While understandably concerned about the state of Ir'fornu's transportation network due to the information we delivered, the Guild Master was nonetheless grateful for our safe return of what we could save. That said, the Caravan Guild insisted that since we hadn’t purchased travel insurance, they were not legally mandated to refund us for the trip or pay us for the return of their cart. While that had not been the intention of our meeting with them, I couldn't help but silently curse the bureaucratic nightmare of a city I had written into existence. Now that I was present in the world of Esseria, I wished I could have gone back and erased capitalism as the driving factor of so many of this era's nations.

Grydor Mazin, the dwarf we had saved, and Venali Woodwalker, his elven companion, spent the majority of the return trip trying to find ways to pay us back for both saving them and giving them the wealth they had always dreamt of having. In fact, it wasn’t until the day we returned to Gildhaan that we found a way for them to repay us. 

After agreeing to let the duo treat us to a meal at one of the nicer establishments in Gildhaan, we got to discussing the next leg of their journey. That was when I discovered that the pair specialized in construction, both in architectural design and industrial planning. Learning a bit more about their unrecognized accomplishments in Bucharion's Pass, I decided that I had just the job for them. So, asking them to travel with us a bit longer, I invited them to Tahvinstead for a chance to make their dreams of building without restriction a reality. 

With much discussion following this, in addition to enough alcohol to kill a giant, the pair excitedly agreed to do anything to assist us. And that was how the triop and I gained ourselves both a pair of adoring fans and master artisans capable of building up Tahvinstead as a City of Tomorrow.

After enjoying a night's rest in my apartment and making sure to pick up functioning communicator gems for our group, the four of us met up with our new contractors outside the Goodshore portal. From there, the walk to the Thantossa household to collect our pets was quick and enjoyable, especially after two weeks of riding in a carriage. In fact, it was so nice to walk that I wasn't even upset when we discovered that the royal carriage was in use and we'd have to travel to Tahvinstead by foot. Though this wasn't to say that we didn't at least try to get a ride from the Goodshore Caravan Guild, but it appeared that all of the horses and carts had already been hired out.

"Oh no, two days to stretch out my legs?" I jokingly complained outside the Thantossa manor as Ruckus came up from behind me and licked the side of my face. "Whatever will we do?"

Rubbing at the wolf's head, I eyed the creature that was now standing nearly as tall as me when on his four paws. Moose had, of course, been hovering by Aesandoral's side since the moment she returned. Off to the side, Sharzin rode on an appeased Sharmin, who was now even bigger than the pair of dire wolves.

"It will be nice to walk for a bit," Rionriv added, reaching out towards the shade cast over the road by the family tree as Blitz emerged from the shadows for chin scratches. "And I think the pets missed us."

"You don't say?" I remarked, Ruckus now aggressively nudging his nose at my arm in an attempt to get more scratches from me. "Oh-okay! Okay!"

I ran my hands through the wolf's coat, following him down as he rolled onto his back for belly rubs. That was when I caught a glimpse of our newest allies. Slack-jawed and wearing looks of amazement, they shifted their gaze from us to our pets.

"These are your...pets?" Venali gasped, finally picking his jaw up enough to speak. "Two dire wolves, a dire bear, and—what even is that?"

"A shadow panther," Rionriv replied as Blitz rubbed his body up against hers, the pair of tails wrapping around her torso protectively. "His name is Blitz."

"Yeah, and they're their pets," I said, standing up from Ruckus. "They just come to me for treats—ack!"

Saying the wrong words, I was suddenly pounced on by all the animals as thick tongues lapped at my body excitedly.

"Wrong word!" I cried out. "Wrong word! Off. Off you beasts, I don't have anything!"

After a few laughs and some double-checking of supplies, we began our trek south towards Tahvinstead. The two-day trip on foot wasn’t awful and, overall, was predominantly peaceful. We did have to fight off a variety of oversized beasts, like elk and bear, but the pets mostly handled that as they eagerly fought to work off their pent-up energy. Meanwhile, midway through the only night on the road, Aesandoral had noticed a small coven of hags that hadn’t yet found a place to settle. Not wanting any future problems, our group dealt with them stealthily.

By midafternoon on the second day, we had arrived back at the hamlet, where we were immediately greeted by people who knew who we were. Familiar faces of those we had rescued a month before pulled us into the long hall where a feast was prepared for us from the magical cauldron we had left in their care. In that time, Burgermeister Maire Alcalde had been alerted and arrived to welcome us back to the village.

"Alcalde, come, sit with us." I beckoned him into the seat across from me. "You're just in time!"

"Welcome Alcalde!" Aesandoral spoke up gleefully, sliding to the side and patting the bench beside her. "Ishara was just about to reveal his grand plan."

"Grand plan?" The elderly dwarf asked as he slid into the space being made for him. "Concerning...Tahvinstead?"

As he sat, I reached into my bottomless bag and withdrew a scroll of parchment. Unrolling it before me, making sure that everyone could see, I began to draw out my vision. Since the idea of Tahvinstead becoming a city of tomorrow first popped into my head, I had been putting together everything I remembered that made the best cities of Esseria special. Before I could get to that, though, I needed to ensure that the current residents were safe.

“I want to build up Tahvinstead,” I explained to the group, glancing at the triop enjoying their food as I explained. “A process that will take, of course, many years to accomplish, but ultimately begins with fixing up this hamlet and making it a proper outpost. Grydor, Venali—oh, right! Alcade, let me introduce you to Grydor Mazin and Venali Woodwalker. They'll be managing all the construction-related tasks for Tahvinstead."

"Oh, I see," Alcade replied with a nod, directing his attention towards Tahvinstead's two newest additions. "Wel-Welcome! Please consider your stay at the lodge covered until we can provide you with a proper home."

"Very kind of you," Venali said with a soft bow.

"Which leads me to my next bit," I continued, looking towards the contractors. "Now that you’ve seen the place, what is your estimate to improve living conditions and turn this into a proper defensible outpost?”

“Well, there ain’t much to’er, eh?” Grydor muttered, taking hold of my hastily drawn blueprint of the hamlet and pulling it over to him. "And you want to keep the hamlet here in this boggy mess?"

"Well, I mean, I—" Alcade stammered, looking between the dwarf that was much younger than he and the elf that may as well have been a child. "This is our home."

"Yes," I cut in, pointing at the map. "We will eventually build a new core to Tahvinstead, more centralized with better access to the mine, lake and whatever resources we find useful. But this spot is important for travellers coming from Goodshore and Valenkamp. So we want it to become a haven for commuters and act as the first stop when entering the future City of Tahvinstead—a ravelin of sorts."

"Aye, fair enough," Grydor muttered, looking to Venali and back to the map. "Fair enough. May I?"

Tossing Grydor the charcoal I had been using to mark up the paper, I watched as he began to scratch in strategic locations without a moment of hesitation. It was impressive to watch him work as he crossed out certain houses, built new ones, and, after expelling a metric ton of technical jargon, began his concluding statements. 

Grydor started by pointing out the obvious fact that, to protect Tahvinstead, it would need a curtain wall with battlements and at least two gates to allow the main road to pass through. After that was built, providing the hamlet and its people protection, any remaining stone was to be used to pave the roads within the walls and lift the residents above the muck. Only then could the process of constructing more durable residences begin.

At the center of this new and improved Tahvinstead, Grydor recommended that we invest in building a Bergfried-style tower. With arrow slits and at least one siege weapon topside, it would become both a lookout for threats and a defensible location for the civilians to retreat to in the event of a siege. 

Finally, with the anticipated increase in the hamlet's foot traffic, the planner insisted on the need for a new trading post, particularly one capable of handling a wider array of goods. At this, Venali added that Tahvinstead could become a midway town between Goodshore and Valenkamp, where traders who didn't use the magosdromes could sell their products without needing to make the full trip. This would reduce transit time, increase safety, and, as a result, Tahvinstead could charge a small fee for the convenience. On top of that, if the hamlet improved their lodgings for the travellers, with a better kitchen capable of handling at least a hundred people, they could make even more.

"On top of that," Grydor finished, looking between me and the others who had been watching him. "At the very least, the workers who will be coming in to help make this project a reality will need adequate food and lodging. Until we can create a workers' camp for their lodging."

“And," A wide-eyed Alcade muttered, stress weighing down on his shoulders as he dreaded the answer to the following question. "How much will all that cost?

“Well,” Venali spoke up, his brain tailored to the business end of things. “Between the cost of stone, lumber, and a sizable workforce to ensure the project is completed promptly, I’d estimate thirty-five thousand gold.”

The aged dwarf coughed at this number, his old bones rattling the plates atop the table. I eyed the sweat that had formed atop his forehead as a bulging vein revealed itself.

“H-how much?!”

“Alcade, it is okay,” I replied as I withdrew the leather sack of diamonds. “We’re covering this. But before I pay, I have some other questions."

"Aye, lad," Grydor responded with a pleased grin as he withdrew a cigar from his coat and slipped it between his lips. "Shoot." 

"First, we’re also going to want to create a personal manor for the four of us closer to the lakes, so I want you to take that into account. And second, beneath said manor, there is a mine we would like to begin working with as soon as possible. Would the excess stone from that reduce the cost of the other projects?”

With this, Grydor and Venali glanced at each other, their gazes seeming to speak volumes in the silence. Standing, Venali strode to the front door where he stared out from the threshold. He examined Tahvinstead with a critical eye as the rest of us continued our meals. Eventually, returning, he pulled out his own parchment and began scribbling words and numbers as he calculated the costs per building. Then, after a moment of enjoying a drink from his tankard, he placed the ale down and looked to me.

"It could definitely reduce costs, depending on the quality of the stone," Venali answered my question before waving a hand towards the door. "But if we're looking to cut costs, how about the lumber? If we could harvest local timber and mill it on site, we could also reduce the long-term cost of expansion. How much of this land falls within Tahvinstead's possession?"

"Th-that is a great question," I replied, immediately shifting my gaze to Alcade. “Burgermeister-in-Chief, how much land does Tahvinstead have under its management?”

“Uh, land? We-well, the land is under the control of the Queen Matron of Goodshore and is overseen by the Warden of the Densewood Thicket—”

“Wait! Hold that thought!” I held up a finger, looking to Aesandoral. “Aes, your mom oversees this land?!”

“I guess?” The elf replied with a shrug, looking to Alcade and then back to me. “I never really paid attention to all of that. I guess Tahvinstead is at the edge of the Densewood Thicket sooo—”

“Alright, well, I may need you to start listening to what your mom goes on about.” 

"Ugh! Do I have to?!"

"Yes, for the benefit of Tahvinstead."

At this, Aesandoral released an exasperated sigh, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. As she began to mumble frustratedly, I decided to lessen the blow and potentially flirt my way back into her good graces. So, reaching across the table, I gently rubbed her hand reassuringly. This brought her back to the conversation immediately as she glanced down at my touch before locking eyes with me.

"Please?" I continued, softly, watching as her cheeks began to redden.

"Fineee." She replied with a huff and a pout. "I won't like it though."

"Thanks, I'll find a way to repay you," I answered softly, gently tracing one of her fingers with mine before drawing back and turning towards the Burgermeister. “Sorry, Alcade, go on? The square mileage?”

“It is in total one thousand five hundred and ninety square miles of woods, lakes and meadows. We've had the right to work the land within reason, but we've never had the means to do so.”

“Well, you will now,” I responded, raising my tankard and gently knocking it to his across the table. “Would you mind doing me a favour? Can you send a few of your strongest people to the Valenkamp and Goodshore Guild Halls? Tell them we’re looking for workers for all types of jobs. Venali and Grydor will give you a list of what we need. And tell them not to hold back. The more the merrier.”

With this, Grydor and Venali nodded as they began to write up the list of professionals Tahvinstead would need to make my dream come true. As they did this, Alcade looked at me, dumbfounded and as pale as if he had just come face to face with a giant. I shuddered at the thought of a giant rampaging through Tahvinstead, but immediately took control of the emotion as Alcade did something surprising. The old man, a grandfatherly figure if I had ever seen one, began to tear up before me.

"Alcade?" I heard Rionriv ask from beside me.

“Sorry, I’m sorry, I just never thought Tahvinstead would be—” He wiped at his tears and exhaled a relieved sigh. “I never thought I'd live to see Tahvinstead become more than...than, this. I always thought we’d be cursed to live in this miserable place until some creature took us—like my father and his before him. I never hand children, because I didn't want to damn them to take up the mantle of this dying hamlet. But you..."

Reaching across the table, Alcade took my hand in his and gripped with as much strength as he could muster.

"Ruby Oracle...thank you. Thank you for making my dream—nay, my father's dream and his father's before him—come true.”

Damn, just scoring fans lately. I thought as I gently squeezed the Burgermeister’s hand in response. Grandfather is going to make me cry. 

“We share a common dream," I responded with a smile. "So let’s make it happen!”

Alcade nodded with a smile, wiping at his tears. As he cleared his throat, he motioned towards the tavernmaid who had been seeing to us, calling over another round of alcohol.

"Oracle," Alcade asked as more drinks were poured. "Can we not send anyone else to these cities? If we send our strongest, they will definitely make the journey, but it will leave Tahvinstead vulnerable to attack until they return."

Crap, right, the roads can be dangerous for non-adventurer types. I mean, I would go, but I really don't want to deal with Guild bureaucracy. Maybe I should give them some money to use the magosdromes and hire a carriage for the return journey. Oooh, we can send the pets to defend them, too.

"Ah, well, you're in luck," I replied, nodding to the tavernmaid as she poured my drink. "I had no intention of leaving Tahvinstead undefended. My party and I will remain for the rest of the summer to scout the land and defend you!"

"You will!" He gasped.

"We will?" The triop directed their ire my way.

"We will!" I responded loudly, jumping from my seat to the top of the table. "To Tahvinstead! To the future! HYAAA!"

Raising my tankard high, I toasted this next stage in Tahvinstead and hoped to distract from the unilateral decision I had just made on behalf of my party.