The Land: Founding (Chaos Seeds Book 1)

by Kong, Aleron

  “I am sure that you understand the dangers of your question, for me, Terrod or anyone else involved. I am equally sure that it’s not necessary for me to stress how important it is to be discreet, but I will anyway. That being said, yes, I was a part of the raid to free the nonhumans. We succeeded, but unfortunately lost some men along the way. We also did not free of all them as some had been sold as slaves to various nobles. We don’t know who yet, but Terrod has a ledger that we were told can point us to those that were involved. The ledger was coded so he is working now to figure it out. When he does, we are going to help him get the missing back. Specifically Isabel.”

  She listened closely while he related his story, when he mentioned Isabel though, her face broke with shock. “Isabel is missing? He tried to smuggle her out of the city? The fool! I told him not to trust those shifty Night Blades!” She stared out over the promenade for several minutes. “Okay. I understand why Terrod trusts you now. I have decided to help you. Now have you given thought to the type of people you need?”

  “I was thinking masons, carpenters, farmers for crops and livestock, and guards.”

  “That’s it? That’s all you think is required to grow a village? How will you feed them while you wait for crops to grow? You will need hunters and fisherman. How will you clothe them when the seasons grow cold? You need weavers to make those clothes. How will you help those who get ill or injured? You will need a healer! There is more to a community than just buildings and defense!”

  A host of responses went through Richter’s head, but he ultimately decided on, “Will you help me?”

  A smile replaced her stern expression, “That’s what Mama is for!”

  They went over the specifics for several more hours. Afterwards, she promised would speak to her workers and feel out who would be interested. When she told him the weekly wages most lived on he was shocked. These people were just being blatantly taken advantage of. She agreed it was well below what each was worth, but seemed resigned that this was now the way of the world. Richter told her that anyone that he decided to take with him would be paid the basic wage of four silvers per fortnight, and he would cover room and board for the first year. This brought another smile to her face and she assured him it would make it easier to convince people to leave Law. They moved onto other topics.

  The first was that the workers had families, and she needed to know if they could come as well. Since Richter was planning to grow his community it seemed well in line with his goals and he readily agreed. The next topic was how to get people there. Trekking a large amount of people through rugged terrain with the possibility of animal or monster attack was daunting. He would have to hire a large amount of guards. The other option though was to use the river ways. Now buying several boats was not feasible, but renting a few river craft while expensive was manageable. It would also let him transport needed items like anvils and the core components for a smelter to his village. Even though he was getting excited about the increased possibilities, the costs he had not foreseen were becoming daunting. He was relieved again that he had found the chest of jewels. Without their capital, reviving his new home might have been an insurmountable task.

  The conversation continued to evolve to topics of hiring a ship wright, needing a saws and tools, and investing in a new stationary buzz saw that could be powered by the river to greatly increase productivity (he hedged off the last one, what were Mist Workers for it not hard labor). At the end of their conversation, Mama had a list of items that should be obtained and categorized them as necessary, beneficial, or simply desired. Richter had told her that he had worked with Hafiz before. She said she knew him and agreed he was a good choice for obtaining what was needed. She also said that by tomorrow there would be a strong list of candidates to join him. With a final thank you, Richter and Sion left, and made their way back to the Laughing Imp.

  There were several men lounging out in front of the inn. It didn’t look like anything special to the untrained eye, but one casually got up to meet them and the other three tensed. “Inn is closed today, friend.”

  “I’m here for a meeting. I helped Terrod secure the precious cargo inside. Get him.”

  The man still stood in front of Richter, but sent one of his fellows inside. Terrod came out soon after and waved him inside. The mood of the former captives was much improved as they sat in small groups and talked smiling. It was amazing what being clean, warm and fed could do for your attitude. He followed Terrod to a back table that had five older nonhumans present, two dwarves, two elves and small humanoid that Richter couldn’t identify. He then used Analyze on all of them and found they were subraces: a mountain dwarf, hill dwarf, wood elf, high elf, and arcane gnome. More importantly though was the prompt that he was awarded.

  Congratulations! You have reached skill level 5 in Analyze! In addition to the information you already received you will also be provided with basic information of the target’s race, the target’s name and the target’s disposition towards you.

  Curious he quickly used his ability again on everyone present.

  Name: Terrod. Human: Lvl 6. Health 170. Mana 120. Stamina 160. Disposition: Friendly. Humans are one of the shortest lived, but most prolific breeders in the Land. Humans have a broader affinity for skills than other races. No special bonuses to race. Humans get four points to distribute per level.

  Name: Sion. Wood Sprite Lvl 9. Health 210. Mana 190. Stamina 120. Disposition: Ally. Sprites have several subclasses which determine their specific powers. Wood Sprites are naturally gifted in tracking and woodcraft. They have a skill of imbuing their strikes with mana greatly increasing damage. Sprites get three points to distribute per level, and each level gives +2 to Dexterity.

  Name: Hilda. Mountain Dwarf Level 10. Health 240. Mana 120. Stamina 260. Disposition: Friendly. Dwarves have several subclasses that determine their specific powers. Mountain dwarves are a hardy folk that get bonuses to Constitution and Endurance each level. They have keen eyesight that gives them excellent night vision. Natural miners, it is said mountain dwarves can “smell” veins of precious metals. Increased resistance to negative physical effects. Increased affinity and resistance to Earth Magic. Mountain Dwarves get three points to distribute per level, and each level give +1 to Constitution and +1 to Endurance.

  Name: Poltan. Hill Dwarf Level 8. Health 250. Mana 130. Stamina 210. Disposition: Friendly. Dwarves have several subclasses that determine their specific powers. Hill dwarves are the most social of the dwarven races. Highly skilled in crafting. One of the few dwarf races known to be skilled in ranged combat. Increased resistance to negative physical effects. Increased affinity and resistance to Earth Magic. Hill Dwarves get three points to distribute per level, and each level give +1 to Constitution and +1 to Endurance.

  Name: Ulin. Wood Elf Level 10. Health 170. Mana 260. Stamina 110. Disposition: Friendly. Elves have several subclasses that determine their specific powers. Wood elves are gifted in archery, woodcraft, and healing. Increased accuracy and damage when using ranged weapons. Bonus to dodge. Wood Elves get three points to distribute per level, and each level give +1 to Dexterity and +1 to Intelligence.

  Name: Wisteria. High Elf Level 12. Health 130. Mana 300. Stamina 110. Disposition: Friendly. Elves have several subclasses that determine their specific powers. High elves are gifted in archery and most magical arts. They have increased resistance to magical attack. Bonus to Intelligence and Wisdom each level. High Elves get three points to distribute per level, and each level give +1 to Intelligence and +1 to Wisdom.

  Name: Berin. Builder Gnome Level 9. Health 140. Mana 190. Stamina 210. Disposition: Friendly. Gnomes have several subclasses that determine their specific powers. Builder gnomes are obsessed with the application of knowledge. Known to make amazing devices and build fantastic structures. Gifted in magical crafting. Builder Gnome get three points to distribute per level, and each level give +1 to Intelligence and +1 to Endurance.

  It was a pleasant to see how they all
viewed him. Not overly surprising though, considering the role he had played in freeing their people. Well no reason not to grease the wheels. Looking at each in turn, he willed himself to speak their native languages. All had surprised looks that only grew as they observed his apparent mastery in multiple tongues.

  Terrod and Sion sat, but Richter remained standing. He had given some thought to how he would address them. He decided to maintain his customary tack of honesty and strength. Switching to the common tongue, “I am Master of a Village and a Place of Power. I need help to grow the village into something good, something to be proud of. When I came to this Kingdom I thought that only meant getting people with skills to grow the physical village, raise crops, and erect walls. I don’t believe that any longer.”

  “I can give you many reasons why coming to my village is the smart thing to do, but only you can truly answer that. Only you have lived through the past years of oppression in this kingdom. Only you know how it has affected your lives, your livelihoods, you families. Only you can make a simple decision. Do you continue to live here being forced to kneel, or do you take a chance to come with me and stand on the merits of your own skills and hard work? I make no promises for the future, but I do promise that if you come with me, we will meet it together.”

  Richter sat down. No one spoke for a moment, and they simply watched each other. He was pleased with what he saw. No doubt there would be more work to fully convince them, but from the nods and speculative looks on their faces, he was confident the Mist Village was about to have dozens more residents. It was good to be the king of Charisma!

  They all agreed to come with him in the end, and had already spoken to their people. Richter now had dwarven smiths and crafters, elvish hunters and healers, and gnomish builders and farmers. There was even an elvish shipwright and his apprentices. Each race had a smattering of fighters and casters of various types as well. All told including families, wives, husbands and children, one hundred and eighty two souls agreed to come with him. The topic of wages came up and he interrupted them in the middle of their proposal. He refused to pay the wage they would have made in the Kingdom, and instead promised to pay the wage their human counterparts would have made for the same work. Richter had already resolved he would not sow the seeds of discord and disharmony in the early days of his new community. He made it clear that all would be treated equally. Tears welled in several eyes at that, and the gnome freely shed a few tears and reached out to shake his hand. Richter merely nodded in response, and further told them that for the first year as they built the village he would also provide free room and board. They in turn would help to grow the village, protect it as needed and respect his position as Master of the village. He was also firm on the point that all would help each other advance their skills. Richter planned to have a skilled population that was versatile. There was no dissension.

  That only left the problem of getting them out of the Kingdom. Thankfully this was not the insurmountable problem that Richter had feared it to be. Terrod had the solution. The original plan had been to smuggle the nonhumans into the Kingdom of Rione, which did not distinguish between the races in how they treated their citizens. Terrod had hired the thieves to shelter the nonhumans so they could slowly move small groups them through Rald’s Pass, the only well-traveled and safe passage through the Serrated Mountains. It was the only direct way into Rione, as no rivers large enough to carry ships connected the two Kingdoms. Incidentally this was also why Rione had not been annexed by the Kingdom of Yves long ago.

  Now that the ultimate destination was the Forest of Nadria, different possibilities were open to them. The Undine River, the apparent name of the major waterway that ran behind Law, connected to the Forest of Nadria as Richter well knew though. They could hide the nonhumans on river barges taking them past Leaf’s and into the forest. From there, Richter could guide them among the forest’s many tributaries until they were only a few miles from the village. He and several others would guide them through the mists and then guide them back out. The basic location of the village might be known by a few ship captains, but nothing specific would get back to anyone in the Kingdom.

  Richter was acutely aware that the greatest defense of his village was its obscure location. Taking the ships to the village was the only option though. Despite his need for caution, he had not forgotten the dangers of the forest or his encounter with the troll on the way out. Taking a host of defenseless children and nonfighters over hundreds of miles of wooded terrain would be inviting slaughter. It was these very dangers that had led Terrod and the others to reject the Forest of Nadria, or any of the other neighboring lands initially. The Silent Hills, the Whisper Woods, the Plains of Gold, all of them could be reached by river. They were all populated with monsters or hostile tribes though. It was only because Richter had found and created a safe haven that the forest was now a viable option.

  It would take several days to arrange the transport, collect the families, and bribe the ship captains, but Terrod was confident he could do it. In the meantime, each of the five leaders worked with Richter to make a list of the materials they would be needed for their various professions. Some of it was minor such as seeds for planting. Other items could be made once there, nails, boards, shovels, and plows. Some would be brought with them like jewelers tools. Some had to be bought however, like the smelter components for the blacksmiths. Many of the requests were already covered during his talk with Mama. Also if he wanted livestock he would have to arrange for that to be bought. Ideally everything would be waiting to be picked up in Leaf’s Crossing. He had several hundred gold in cold currency, and the jewels he had obtained from the thieves plus the lion’s share of the jewels from the treasury. It was time to see Hafiz again. He had only gotten a few hours of sleep in the last two days though, and just the thought of all the money he was about to spend was exhausting. He said goodnight and walked up to his room, falling into a dreamless sleep.

  CHAPTER 24

  Richter woke early with the dawn. He decided to leave Sion sleeping, and made his way downstairs after gathering his bag and weapons. A half asleep barmaid gave him a biscuit to break his fast. Thanking her, he grabbed one more, and walked outside, eating on the move. Bleh! This tasted like it was barely made with any lard at all! His grandmother wouldn’t have fed this to the dogs! Sigh, he had so much to add to this world! On the plus side, the sky was clear. There was still moisture one the pavestones from the cool night before. Though the sun was rising two moons could still be seen low in the sky. He walked at an unhurried pace. It occurred to him that this was one of his only moments of solitude since waking in The Land. It was, he reflected, a beautiful morning.

  Hafiz’s shop was still locked by when Richter arrived. A round of vigorous knocking brought a sleepy and annoyed face to the window. Holding up the biscuit bribe, Richter gave his most winning smile. Hafiz didn’t seem impressed, but unlocked the door anyway. The disheveled man bowed his head, “What can your most humble servant do for you,” he said, clearly irritated.

  “Just how many potions of clarity could you sell per month? Each lasts a full day and gives a 25% bonus to experience.”

  Hafiz lifted his head, a large wolf-like smile slowly growing on his face.

  Huh, thought Richter, if that’s the way I look it is kinda creepy.

  The two men haggled good naturedly for about an hour. It was clear that the negotiations were more about a shared enjoyment of the art of bargaining, than a need to one up each another. With his high Charisma and the promise of future profits, Richter ended up paying half of his gold and about a third of his remaining gem stones, but he was able to get all of the items he and Mama had come up with. He also bought enough grain and foodstuffs to ensure that his people could eat for four to five months even without hunting. That should last them until the first crops came in. They agreed that one of Hafiz’s emissaries would meet him at Leaf’s Crossing with two plough horses, one bull, seven cows, ten sheep, several dozen chic
kens and a twenty pigs. Richter asked for some goats, but those apparently were only in the northern part of the Kingdom, and could not be obtained on short notice. Hafiz promised to arrange for delivery of several at a future point. Richter smiled thinking about goat stew, yum! He felt that he might have gone overboard with the animals, but he was a southerner! The idea of actually getting bacon and fried chicken made his mouth water. If there was one thing this world would thank him for it would be evolving dinner meat past mutton! It required another five gold to arrange transport to be waiting in Leaf for these supplies. It seemed steep, but Hafiz assured him it would cost a large amount just to convince a ship captain to let animals ride in his hull. Thinking of the smell, Richter revised his earlier opinion and acquiesced.

  Hafiz, or someone he worked with, would also meet him at Leaf’s Crossing at the beginning of each month. They would collect the potions and anything else Richter had to sell. They would also take any requests the fledgling village might have.

  Business concluded, the two men clasped hands and parted ways. Richter was happy to see the following prompt:

  Congratulations! You have reached skill level 2 in Trade. 0.5% bonus to buying and selling.

  Richter walked to the Hall to see what Mama had found. He tried to use his internal map, but in just the space of a day the tent city had changed! Richter wouldn’t have believed it possible, but it seemed the Grand Market was almost a living thing. Sighing, he found another urchin and gave him a few coins. Somehow the barefooted boy was able to navigate in a way that not even the Traveler’s magic could match! Half an hour or so later, he emerged on the promenade and walked towards the Hall. He found Mama at the back and was early enough that the line hadn’t formed yet. When she saw him she gave a few muttered directions to one of her aides, then stood and led him outside. He told her of the nonhumans that had agreed to come with him and what their professions were. She nodded and said she had several families of hunters and farmers, as well as several individuals in a variety of professions, that would happily join him. He was taken outside by one of her associates and spent the next several hours meeting the candidates. He spoke to each about nonhumans, and dismissed from consideration any who showed issues with them. He ultimately chose another fifty seven humans. When their families were factored in, he had agreed to take in another one hundred and three people to the village. He went back inside and paid Mama her fee, five coppers per person. He was about to leave when she stopped him. “There is one more person I would like you to meet.” She grabbed one of her older associates, and stepped to the side with him. The man looked somewhat confused.