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[Bandin Everdance]

The young smith was more than impressed at the air of community that the showing demonstrated; everyone was there to help everyone else get what they needed off of the Veronica.

He almost didn't believe it, that idealist scene seemed too good to be true. "Now that's something."

"I don't imagine you have a mining operation here, yet?" Bandin continued when James brought up shipping in the goods everyone had ordered. "I learned a thing or two about that in Syliras. Ores I mean. Still, it's a labor-heavy thing a mine; I imagine most of the metals and ore is shipped in here, yeah?"

He was just musing; his mind was already onto the topics of resource sourcing and production.

When James returned Bandin only had a single backpack, and a fine-enough glaive strapped to it, to claim as his own.

"I travel light. Things were never my vice. That would be a pretty smile and pretty voice," he joked. "That sort of want has probably got me in a lot more trouble than greed ever would've, though."

"Could you show me the forge you've got now?" Bandin asked after the humor had passed. "I imagine it's not a too-large production, but I'd like to see what's what."

On their way, Bandin would continue the conversation, happily allowing it be led any which way. The smith very easily gave the impression that he was talker, a calm unobtrusive one, but a talker nonetheless. He simply seemed at home speaking about anything, like a social situation was just the right sort of home for the laid-back man.

"I've already decided I'm going to be around for at least a little bit. I've already said my goodbyes in Riverfall and I can't think of anywhere I too much want to go right now. Maybe I'll eventually have to go and see the horse-clans, but I'm in no rush, back-tracking through Cyphrus isn't sounding too fun--not in the rainy-season. I've seen enough these past few years to make me pretty happy with just resting my feet in a place like this, maybe doing some good work while I'm at it."

As they toured, there'd be the sight of new construction here or there. Bandin would comment on that and ask about the various projects:

"I imagine it's the simple stuff you're needing: nails, screws, tools, and hinges. The backbone of a structure. You probably need it in droves too. A would-be city like this is going to be pretty held back by having to account for and ship in every single fastener."

"While we work out just when and where I might be setting up and a time-table for it, I'd be happy to start helping you produce what you need here locally at the public forge. I imagine I'll need the coin to start paying back whatever we decide on loan-wise. And it's better that my hands are doing some good than just resting idle. That's the sort of thing that'll drive me mad, so you'd be doing me a favor giving me something to do," Bandin prompted James. "If you can get me an inventory of what needs smithing and for who, I could be working on it soon enough, once I get my bearings. And that shouldn't take too long, I'm used to settling into new places by now."

Word Count: 558 Words

[Gossamer]

James shook his head. “No, no mining. I don’t think anyone’s even went out and looked for possibilities of ore. We import most everything from Riverfall.” He added, though perhaps the second bit of information was unnecessary. “No one is really interested in starting a mine. Its hard dirty work and people die young at the job. That’s not something we’re too interested in doing here.” He added, not mentioning that most mining operations almost always only turned a profit if their workers were slaves or very poorly paid and kept in debt. That wasn’t something that the Founders would tolerate easily.

They had several people living here that had escaped slavery in Kenesh and probably wouldn’t take too kindly to it in Syka. There were no laws, per say, but then again the settlement had no formal charter or laws against such practices either. James made no mention of that fact though. He’d rather pay premium prices from Riverfall than worry about the dynamics of a mine being in Syka.

Besides, the only thing that tended to come out of Falyndar was diamonds and precious gems.

The Captain chuckled at Bandin’s comment about pretty smile and voice. “You sound like Randal. I think you’ll find the women here aren’t so easily swayed.” He added, thinking of his proud daughter and how picky she’d always been about men. Most of them just weren’t good enough in her eyes. “They’ve been dealing with him since we settled here.” James said, apologetically.

“The forge? Sure… it’s just off The Commons here.” James said, gesturing for Bandin to come with him. The older man led Bandin off The Commons platform that seemed to be just a hang-out area for the denizens of Syka to gather in. Just off Swing Beach, the breeze was definitely the reason the Commons was where it was. For as soon as they descended back onto the beach, the heat of the baked sand wafted about them. There was cobble everywhere, smooth things that were separated by sand but still made walking anywhere easy. It was clear to see that The Commons was a hub, and that heading off in all directions were groups of buildings tucked randomly into the trees where they would fit. Most everything was designed to catch the breeze, provide shade, and shelter against the sudden rain showers that happened morning and evening.

James set a healthy pace, but it was nothing Bandin couldn’t follow. Everything was close by, from a massive shelter holding dozens of tables and benches plus a small stage. There was a big Communal Kitchen were the smells of barbequed meat filled the air. People milled about. And most everyone was what would be considered elsewhere severely underdressed. Men wore shorts, went shirtless, and often were barefoot. The ladies were no better, with their flowing skirts, wrapped tops, and many crocheted tank tops that were more for style than coverage. A few were bare-chested, especially if they were down near the water.

The place was clean. There was a lack of garbage and indeed even attention to décor. A totem statue of a fish had been out by the dock and another sat in the commons – a large elephant. They skirted a water feature that seemed to be a stone shrine to Kihala, who had water flowing out of her stone hand and draping plants for hair. The pools were full of colorful fish.

In what seemed like just two or three chimes, James had lead Bandin to a forge that was as simple and primitive as forges came. It was huge, with big open timber beams, and racks of tools around several anvils. There was an actual big forge, several fireboxes, and a large quenching tank. James paused, letting Bandin look around, before he pulled out a ring of keys and opened a large shed to one side. “Here’s the raw materials. The forge is free to use, but the material rates are listed on the sign in the forge. On the far side is a fuels bin… coal and firewood. There’s also a charge for fuel.” He said, gesturing to the two signs inside the forge. “Tool usage is free.” He added. Bandin would see the inside of the shed, which held racks and racks of ingots. There were scrap bins a plenty, and a collection of broken things that seemed to be part of a ‘to-do’ list. The forge was well stocked, as if the Founders had prepared to not have resupply runs cease at any moment.

Then he gestured to ledger tucked on a small shelf near the entrance. The place had no real doors, but the space of the forge was still clearly defined. James grabbed the ledger, flipped it open, and saw a notations all over the page listing requests for various things… nails, a hammer repair, something for something called a hang-glider, and endless requests for hinges and other fasteners. “All the wants are listed here. Our blacksmith makes what he can, but I pick most of it up on my runs to Riverfall these days.” James admitted, gesturing out to a set of palms that had a hammock stretched between them.

A big blond Svefra snored loudly in it. There was a small keg at the head of the hammock set on the ground, while a loose mug dangled from the man’s hand. It looked in danger of falling any moment.

“That’s Artik.” James said, wrinkling his nose. “He’s …. Rarely sober.” The Captain confessed, looking thoughtful. “He’s in charge of the inventory and makes what he cans out of the want ledger. But its not much, truth be told. I think he’d be glad of the assistance.” He added. “And if we aren’t talking business and you are simply working on things from the want ledger, you can earn a fair wage as a blacksmith of your caliber. So if you decide to build a forge of your own… which will take time, especially if you don’t have carpentry or construction experience. Randal is the one you want to contact to build things. But his time is limited and you’ll have to get on his schedule.” James added.

“Look around. Don’t wake Artik. Just let him sleep. He’ll introduce himself when he wakes up and sees you hanging about… or if you need in the shed.” He added, smiling slightly. “Anything else you want to see?” He asked, glancing around as if it was almost time he needed to be somewhere else. James checked the position of the sun, glanced through the trees as if he could see something, and glanced back at Bandin with an eyebrow quirked in question.

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[Bandin Everdance]

Bandin noted James' disapproval at the idea of a mine and nodded along. Images of Sunberth came to him. Syliras too, really; despite his fondness for Ros Vizerian and his Ironworks, Bandin had to admit that the Lykolav Mine had its own sins associated with it, though the young man blamed much of that on the iron-fisted influence of the knights. Justice and peace above all else could lead to harsh rulings, especially when there was little mention of mercy in the same philosophy.

He, upon thinking on it, even found James' tone a bit reassuring. The old man wasn't afraid to say what he meant, even if it was sent across politely and with few words. That was good in a leader, both the tact and the bluntness it, paradoxically, allowed.

"I can understand that," Bandin said and got a bit more serious. "Not all efficiencies are worth the human cost."

He was glad his joke landed well with the founder and smoothed the conversation out a bit. He followed the flow with another smile.

"Like Randal, eh? I'll have to meet him. And that's not too bad a thing about the women. It's nice to meet different sorts of people," Bandin said, showing that despite being a bit of a skirt chaser that he was hardly a pig.

"Especially women," he joked. "Never good for a man to just experience the same thing again and again."

An artist by soul, Bandin couldn't help but admire the totems as they passed; craftsmanship of a respectable caliber, regardless of the craft, always drew the young smith in and the animal carvings almost looked alive. "The statues you have here are beautiful. Who made them?"

Getting lost in the ebb and flow of the conversation brought them to the forge quite quickly.

And on that note... well, it certainly wasn't the Ironworks, or even Ruth's humble workshop for that matter, but there was a pureness to it.

It was routine, utilitarian usage in the form of a structure. At first, he was a bit hesitant, trying to see if there was everything he might need there.

However, as he looked around though he came to the conclusion that anything he didn't have on hand here he could forge with what he did.

He crossed his arms and stroked his light beard as James went over the ledger. There was about as much as he'd figured there'd be. "Well, that'll keep me busy, won't it?"

Bandin couldn't hide a bit of a smile. He loved his work. Something about shaping out a reality from just a possibility, it was his second love, only behind learning new ways to do it--learning in general, really, for its own sake if nothing else. He just liked to know things.

Bandin laughed at the sight of the drunken Svefra. "I can tell it gets at you a little bit, but that reminds me of some of the better memories of home."

The man noticed James becoming a bit preoccupied in his thoughts, even checking the sun. Though he still offered any further aid that he could.

"No, I imagine you want to go and see your daughter. You've been away a while," Bandin said empathetically. "I'll have a bit of a walk around."

He offered his hand. "I appreciated this. It's nice to meet someone who gets a lot of what we talked about."

After the almost-farewell, Bandin would put his arm behind his head and give a bit of a forgetful smile. "Although, I still have no bloody idea where the inn is. Think you could give me directions before you go? Not trying to hold you up, but one of my big flaws is, I'm afraid, that my sense of direction is horrible--I mean it's pretty bad."

Wordcount: 635 Words

[Gossamer]

“You will meet him soon enough. Randal is out and about, usually spearheading projects for us. He’s our youngest Founder. But we treat him more like a son than just a friend. We’ve learned a lot from him and he’s in turn gained from our knowledge. And he’s protective of our women too.” The Captain commented, a hint of warning in his voice. He didn’t think Bandin was going to be a problem. The ladies could take care of themselves, but it didn’t hurt to be a bit prickly about it.

The topic moved on. “Those statues aren’t exactly art. They were gifts from the Goddess Kihala. It’s why we have a shrine to her in The Commons… the pool of colorful fish overseen by the stone woman whose hair and face are made up of flowers? She gifted them to us to protect the Settlement in more harrowing times. I’ve seen them come alive to larger-than-life creatures, fearsome and magical. There are always five individuals that control them. They have a luminous mark under their wrists, awarded to them by Kihala herself when she claimed the Settlement as one of her own. It is said she is looking for more Guardians to control them as well, as a few have moved from this place. It’s a big responsibility. But its also a big honor.” He said as well, glad he wasn’t one of the marked. He had enough to think of without worrying about five giant animals that would fight if ever needed.

“I do miss Juli. I haven’t yet hugged her and heard what has passed when I was gone. You read my mind.” James said thoughtfully, then carefully pointed north up the beach. “Follow the Cobbled Pathway north… there are spurs off it marked by small signs that indicate where the spur leads. The Protea Inn is just past Mathias’ big bungalow with the huge porch. You can see it from the path. The Inn, however, is right on the beach and buried in palms. It’s a bit harder to see… so just watch for the sign. It’s carved with Protea Flowers.” The founder said, then gave Bandin a last smile and headed out, indeed intent on checking on Juli.
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[Gossamer]

Bandin –

Observation +5, Socialization +5, Interrogation +4, Business +3

Syka: The Layout Of The Common Core Area, James Chaliva: Mannerisms and Appearance, Syka: Purpose Of A Tenday Gathering, Jungle Wilds: Dangerous With Lots Of Predators, James Chaliva: Youngest Daughter Dead Named Veronica, Juli Chaliva: Runs The Mercantile, James Chaliva’s Daughter, Syka: Things Required Need Build – Like Buildings, Syka: Money Means Next To Nothing, The Founders: Give Loans To Newcomers, Syka: No Restaurants, Syka: Has A Tavern, Syka: Has An Inn, The Protea Inn: Location, Syka: Housing Options, Syka: Dress Code, Syka: A Smith Needed, James: Will Send For Ruth, Syka: Frowns On Slavery, Syka: Has No Ore Source Naturally Occurring, James: Network of Svefra Contacts, James: Founders Will Float A Loan With A Written Business Plan, Syka: Velispar Are Real – Brief Life Cycle Knowledge, Verusk: Half Velispar Half Human, Syka: Paper Doesn’t Survive There, Syka: Filled With Ruins, Syka: Mage Friendly, Syka: Pre-Valterrian City Location, The Communal Forge: Location And Appearance, The Communal Forge: The Way It Operates, The Communal Forge: Want List Ledger, The Communal Forge: Ran By Artik, Artik: Appearance, Drunkard, The Totem Statues: Kihala’s Gift, The Totem Guaridans: How To Spot One, They Control The Statues. Randal: Flirt and Playboy, Randal: Does Most Of The Settlement’s Building, The Cobbled Pathway: All Spurs Off The Path Are Clearly Labeled.



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