Rebuilding the South
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City planners return with the assessment.
((You're looking at roughly 8000 ingots for the pipeline itself plus extra 4000 to get full-area coverage))
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Rumors fly that the priestess Anna had taken a tenday leave of absence from active duty and farm fields due to unforeseen circumstances. Rumors spread that she had fallen into doubt after being slain in the Harbinger mines, not too far from where Telli had fallen many decades ago. Though eventually returning from the shrine in Peltarch, she would return to work, enthusiastic to help and using Chauntea's blessings along with the druids to assist once more.
Anna would also contact city planners and ask for an assessment to which how much copper piping would be needed to run a proper irrigation line to the farms from the lake. Once the estimate is made, she'll be looking for people she can contract to make the pipes.
(Asking a DM to give me an approximate 'copper ingot' count required to make all the piping, and at that point, if any players want to craft it IC, they might be able to proxy crafting something else like a pick axe to RP forging proper piping, valves, etc. I was hoping installation can be done through DM or with permission, player run RP in the sewers, PCs/npcs can install while others defend them against cultists)
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The druids, too, finally begins to work on the soil using the same tactics as Anna does. The progress is extremely rapid compared to what it has been so far, the ground visibly in better shape even after the first couple of castings.
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Using an altered blessing creeping doom, but modifying the blessing with prayers to Chauntea, in a way so instead of summoning centipedes that would normally strip flesh apart from bone with ease, she would have prayed for dirt-craving earthworms instead, to process the soil and revitalize it. As the worms are called forth from surrounding wood and not just summoned, Anna would hope they would become a permanent fixture. Though there was much land to cover and the druids help would still be great, Anna hopes this is a step in the right direction.
The prayer she would use in this instance for the blessing, each time prior to casting it:
"May swarms of worm in centipedes stead, consume the earth rather than flesh of living in dead. Chauntea we revere you, as we wish this land be restored, help renew this land, with a great earthworm horde."
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/creepingDoom.htm
(The parameters she would have asked to change for the blessing would be earthworms instead of centipedes, and consuming the earth instead of attacking living beings, so in essence I do hope this is acceptable, pending DM approval! It is normally a Druid Only spell, but its on her spell list, so I hope its acceptable to use. If not, we'll disregard this post!)
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_Fodel's bringing in berries, pine cones and apple cores. He seems to enjoy helping out the priestess.
The druids prepare their spells, but await the result of the discussions._
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Crater now elevated, some of the hills restored to their natural form, homes with proper foundations being constructed, as well as some plants seeming to be able to grow in solid stone like magic, Anna works diligently with the people of the land to make sure things get back in order.
She would ask the druids, if on site, if they could lend a hand, hearing that talks are going favorably, and gestures to all that has been accomplished so far. Though their role may be critical, at the same time, with people collecting earth worms, the bait shop even being sourced to offer what they can, and while plant life is sparse, there shows no signs of stopping the machine that is the people of the City and the volunteers who offer to help as well.
Meanwhile, Anna would make Fodel in charge of gathering seeds, many trees harvested in the area, she would ask him to gather as many acrons, pine nuts, and seeds as possible, even giving him the big duty to act as her emissary, having him deliver messages to Yllalynn and to have him collect as many seeds as the southern farmers can spare. Once every few tenday in turn, Anna would take a day off to help regrow the crops in the southern town as an act of kindness for all they've helped with so far as well.
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_The druids say the negotiations are ongoing, but outlook is good. Working morale seems to be high. A local farmer turned adventurer, Fodel, tells Anna he's been hunting swamprats in case the workers need protein-rich snacks.
The seeds Anna is planting curiously begin to grow in the very stone itself._
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Anna would politely reply that she had considered this, but also understands that the fish required to feed the city is critical, and she would not want to deny the fishers bait, lest the shop itself has some live bait to spare, to which she would ask Abigail to get as much as they can spare!
Meanwhile, Anna would inquire with the druids about how relations are going, and how she did the best she could to bring discussion between then. She would urge them to start helping if they could if any responses they got were positive, even offering incentive that she would offer aid when necessary.
While working on the fields, the Harvestmistress would use her blessings from Chauntea to ask her for fair weather, not wanting to bring too much burden to the farmers while not interrupting the natural cycle too aggressively, heavy rains would become light, hot days would be kissed with a cool breeze, little steps she could take to make lives of workers easier so repairs can be done to optimum capacity.
Taking seeds from various fruit she managed to collect inside a cavern not too long ago, she would have planted some of the fenberry seeds into the dryer parts of the unsoftened stone, embedding the seeds into the stone with small pockets of dirt to try and plant the fruit familiar to the hinnish people, offering some vegetation in the area if they would begin to grow in an attempt to perhaps inspire hope! She would even go as far and apologize to the Grain Goddess for claiming the life of those that managed to grow it, thanking the spirits of the ogre druids who fell on their adventure defending themselves for the bounty that was offered.
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Abigail finds Anna and inquires if the words sold at the fishing shop are the correct type for soil enrichment, not knowing much about the whole worm deal.
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At nights, she would watch Artie and Elva, should they be present, till and toil at the upheaval, though things seem to be looking pretty good. Anna herself would summon elementals of great, power, what sounds like rolling thunder in the city from the south would be the huge creations pounding rocks into dust; though not as effective as the druids softening stone, any contribution helps.
During the day, Anna would continue to work with the volunteers to help make Onion Union members lives easier, tending to field injuries and wounds while others bring supplies, food, and equipment to continue to help with the settlement.
She would encourage the collection of earth worms from the west, noting they are much easier to notice during heavy rains, and encourages people to bring them to the fields below, providing escort so cats won't attack.
The priestess would put some of the younger ones to work as well, having them place hand made, creative, silly, and scary scarecrows about to scare off birds that might try to dine on the compost and worms strewn about, encouraging people to shoo them away as well, trying to avoid killing them if possible as not to anger the druids.
At this point she continues to await word in regarding to relations between the Order and the Circle
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Thom Tiller comes back to work after a brief break with renewed vigor. His flail is red with blood, his skin covered in bark and a wide grin on his face.
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@dd3836638e=Wywernywin:
The appearance of the bug increase the productivity somewhat. The druids appear to be waiting for something to act. All in all, everything seems to be going well. Thom Tiller appears to be on rather good mood for some reason.
Not all druids. The Silvanite makes no qualms to aid in the efforts, tossing debris to fill in the hole, and then softening the upper layers of rock to produce more muddy, fertile soil for farming.
He does notice his comrades just standing there, but he simply goes on about his business.
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The appearance of the bug increase the productivity somewhat. The druids appear to be waiting for something to act. All in all, everything seems to be going well. Thom Tiller appears to be on rather good mood for some reason.
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_The lightning warmage approaches Anna and offers his services as a polymorpher to assist with the upheaval efforts. Despite often showing up already fatigued, he puts maximum effort into hauling out rubble and debris for the time he's there before disappearing elsewhere into the city.
He even brings a sign to hang about his neck whilst shapeshifted, reading "I'm not REALLY a bug", as if it will help avoid confusion amongst the citizens and farmers._
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A few more workers appear to help with the rebuild, inspired by the fact that Anna kept working through the medal ceremony.
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After the Hero's Party Hen would make a point to tell Anna of the food, drink, and sweets that have been left over within the feast hall. She suggests a possibility of being able to get it all out to the workers and not just for the party goers.
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Anna said she would be right on finding answers and quickly heads off into the city, inquiring about as many details as possible to another servant of nature who cares just as much about the city as she does once she can find her. Prior to her leaving, she would have the druids continue to prepare the land for the eventual blessed nature to nourish it when possible.
She would ask the people who have contributed so much already to begin gathering materials and donate them to the crafting hall (since the server keeps crashing) to build the on site farm homes when the land is finally prepared to be blessed, lest of course blessings can be offered while the houses and barns are being built on site. She would leave it up to the discretion of the druid circle.
(Apologize for a somewhat uneventful last couple of days to people who contributed on this thread, been busy with work IRL but I shall be liberated and free of burden temporarily after Monday!)
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Tiller replies after going to meet the king:
"Ye know, would prefer if the druid gave more details than that. Talked to the king, he has no idea what they're talking about either. Must be some ancient thing. Need to actually know what it is to apologize for it, no?"
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Anna would have a talk with Baron Thom and the union union. No grand speeches or attempts to instill hope, but rather, down to earth and the point.
"I had spoken to a representative of the circle, and she said that she can work with the other druids in a restoration ritual. Apparently there's some bad blood though between the druid circle and the city senators as well as the Divine Shield. I will do anything and everything I can to see this is set right, and speak to sir Shannon. Baron Thom, if either you or I could seek audience with the king, and see if perhaps he may be willing to issue a formal apology to the druids on behalf of the city for things that had transpired in the past, it would mean a lot to them. The GOOD news, by the way, is that we're a few tenday away from fixing this mess, as the druids said they could make the lands fertile again once the crater is leveled and enough topsoil is softened."
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While the progress on the buildings and walls appears to be fast, especially after the dwarves joined, the lack of any fast means to get the top soil back is starting to gnaw on the morale. The season for planting seeds for the summer is fast approaching, and they do not have any ground that could support life.
