Rest Along the Way
Second Day of Ikomi-hamba (Ikomi Descendant) 1348 A. L. (After Landfall)
For a long moment you are silent. The name of the land should reflect the shape of it, but
that you do not know. Where does the little stream trickling towards the sea come from? What is that hill in the distance and how high are the mounds that rise behind it? You have no maps and your guides had no interest but to get you here, leaving you with the peculiar sense that the Koire retainers in their green fringed tunics think you might have been swindled and are thus making their escape as swiftly as they may before the very well-armed strangers catch on. After all, what could you use such a patch of land for? Timber? There is hardly enough of the stuff, all young slender trees that love the light of the forest's edge, to be worth cutting down and carrying as far as Orinilu. Land to grow crops upon? Even if you were not to cut those trees but burn them to enrich the soil odds are you would not make your money's worth in a hundred years. Nothing but a place for wayfarers to rest their heads.
"Wayfarer's Respite," you say at last, in Anwari so that Inge will understand as clearly as Antonio or Zaia, it is her home no less than yours.
"And here I was about to propose Alexandria. There are cities by the score named that in the footsteps of the great man," Antonio says, looking slyly to Zaia, perhaps expecting to get a rise out of him, but the doctor just gives him an arch look beneath heavy brows.
"Too many trees," he notes mildly. "First thing we'll have to fix." A moment later he swats a mosquito off his arm. "Second thing we need to fix."
Truth be told there are a lot of things you 'need to fix', need to build in fact, chief among them the basic necessities of life, shelter and food, though the latter could be managed with cooking on Marcella still so long as the men do not mind food cooked in Zaia's cauldron... they do, but not as much as they would keeping their cramped quarters above. There is also stabling for the horses to keep in mind and you would not mind a bed that does not rock with the waves either. Zaia of course mentions that laboratory for which you had chosen to put down roots down here at all, though to your surprise it is another thing he wishes to raise most urgently.
"For the love of God and all His saints let us not offend the Heaven anymore by the reek we allow to rise tither and make use at least of a decent bath, having found ourselves in the possession of a miraculous means to heat the water for such a use."
"Well and good to talk of cleaning the body, but I think we should take more care to ensure that it is kept whole," you note looking through the woods. "Two hours ride, a quarter that pushing the horses hard, is still far enough that we shall have to hold off any trouble at least a short while. We are, after all, the only ones with horses. It would take a while for this little stream to fill a moat of any size and many strong backs to dig it..."
Some of the younger men groan, no doubt reminded that their backs are all too strong, but much to their surprise and yours Esha raises a hand and whispers something that echoes with the sound of hammers underground and the earth shifts under her hand, making a neat pile five feet high and a neat wall just as high beside it. "I can do that about ten times a day as long as I have ample time to rest, and it is as easy to cast a second time upon a pit as it is on empty ground. Mad old Ipsit may have been, but not without his uses."
Esha gains Expeditious Excavation
The cheers that follow are all the more heartfelt for the relief of which they are born, followed a moment later by sheepish grins and shrugs under Tom's stern look, though even he cannot wholly keep back a smile at being on solid ground at last, and solid ground that is under the Fellowship's banner.
What do you construct over the winter?
Time available: 40 days
Funds of the Fellowship: 35,431 gp
Rules for construction
Price Modifiers:
Forest: +0%
Large City*: 1-16 Miles: +3%
Technology Modifier**: +15%
Season (Winter): +3%
Labor Savings from using Fellowship soldiers as laborers***: 3-9%
*By the standards of the place you find yourself
**Due to the relatively high cost of metal tools building anything in this age takes more manpower and thus more cost
***This ranges from light work in shifts, watching and organizing the local builders, to working 12 hour shifts doing some of the heaviest labor
Build Time
If you're in a hurry to get your stronghold built, you can pay extra to shorten the construction time. Building a stronghold takes one week per 10,000 gp of total price thus far. For every 10% extra you spend, it takes 10% less time to build, up to a maximum of a 70% "rush charge" to get the castle built in 30% of the usual time.
Potential elements to Wayfarer's Respite:
Alchemical Laboratory, Basic
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 700 gp
Prerequisites: None
All sorts of vials, flasks, beakers, burners, crucibles, scales, measuring devices, and other alchemical equipment fill this space. The room also includes a pair of basins and a ready supply of water in a barrel or two lining the wall. Along one wall stands a fireplace that not only heats the room but also provides the fire necessary for so many kinds of alchemical recipes. The floor is rough wood or stone, often stained with chemicals. Shelves stocked with chemicals and alchemical reagents line the walls. Using this lab gives a single character a +2 circumstance bonus on his Alchemy checks.
Applicable Modifiers: -50% (Equipment already bought)
Armory, Basic
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 500 gp
Prerequisites: None
Racks of armor and weapons fill this simple room, which has enough space to hold equipment for 25 soldiers. If you need a greater capacity, you can purchase this component multiple times.
Barracks
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 400 gp
Prerequisites: None
This open room contains up to ten simple wooden beds with straw mattresses. A small footlocker sits at the end of each bed for personal belongings. This component includes a privy, though it need not be attached or adjacent to the barracks itself. A barracks can hold ten people (usually guards or soldiers). If you need a greater capacity, you can purchase this component multiple times. (Each of the sample barracks depicted is actually a double-size barracks representing two components.) If you want a higher class of quarters for officers, purchase bedroom components instead.
Bath, Basic
Size: 0.5 ss
Cost: 400 gp
Prerequisites: None.
This standard, sparsely furnished room contains a simple wooden or metal tub and a chamber pot or two, along with some rough wooden benches for seating.
Applicable Modifiers: -20% (can use alchemical cauldron to heat water when not otherwise in use)
Bedroom Suite, Basic
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 800 gp
Prerequisites: None
This master bedroom includes a walk-in closet and privy. The furnishings are rough, but they include a straw bed on a low frame, two chests of drawers and a mirror hanging on one wall. The bedclothes are made of rough cotton, wool, or even burlap, and the blanket is often a patchwork quilt made of whatever was available. A couple of rough benches form a sitting area next to a small table.
Bedroom Suite, Fancy
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 5,000 gp
Prerequisites: None
This master bedroom comes complete with a well appointed walk-in closet filled with fine clothing and a tastefully adorned privy. The bed rests on a handsome frame and includes a mattress made of cotton batting. The sheets are of fine cotton, and the blankets are wool. Two finely carved bureaus are here, in which are kept stylish clothes. A bell rests on each bed stand so that the occupants can easily call for the servants. The bedroom suite also includes a pair of upholstered benches and a small writing desk.
Applicable Modifiers: -5% (Antonio's contacts in trading luxury goods)
Burrow Otter-kin, Basic
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 400 gp
Prerequisites: None
Carved into the side of the sandy hill near the stream this half buried bedroom recalls in miniature the distant hall of Willowbrook. Narrow are the passages and small are the halls, but for its inhabitants it is just right.
Bedrooms, Basic
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 700 gp
Prerequisites: None
This stronghold area contains two smaller bedrooms, possibly with a connecting door. The furnishings in each room are rough, including a straw bed on a low frame, a single chest of drawers, and a mirror hanging on one wall. The bedclothes are made of rough cotton, wool, or even burlap, and the blanket is often a patchwork quilt made of whatever was available. Each room also has a rough bench sitting in front of a small table. This component includes a privy, though it need not be attached or adjacent to the bedroom component itself.
Bedrooms, Fancy
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 4,000 gp
Prerequisites: None
This area contains two smaller bedrooms with a connecting door. Each room has a bed that rests on a handsome frame and includes a mattress made of cotton batting. The sheets are of fine cotton, and the blankets are wool. Each room has a finely carved bureau and a handsome wardrobe. A bell rests on a bed stand next to each bed so that the occupants can easily call for the servants. In addition, there's an upholstered bench and a small writing desk. This component includes a privy, though it need not be attached or adjacent to the bedroom component itself.
Applicable Modifiers: -5% (Antonio's contacts in trading luxury goods)
Chapel, Basic
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 1,000 gp
Prerequisites: None
This space is dedicated to the worship of the higher power of your choice. It includes a simple altar, some rough pews for the worshipers, and an icon of the power in question. There's also a closet for keeping religious supplies and garb in. Up to forty people can fit in here for a service. If you need a greater capacity, purchase this component multiple times.
Common Area, Basic
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 500 gp
Prerequisites: None
This plain room features bare floors with a few benches and walls with uninspiring artwork or tapestries. It might serve as a waiting room, a general meeting area, or an all-purpose room. Purchase this component multiple times if you want a larger common area. May serve as a dining room, though not comfortably.
Dining Hall, Basic
Size: 2 ss
Cost: 2,000 gp
Prerequisites: Kitchen
Long, rough, rectangular tables and benches line this main hall, both at the edges and in the middle. A fireplace sits at one end of the place, providing warmth for all. The walls of such a place are often decorated with hanging weapons, animal heads, and the like. The floor is usually either made of worn wood or rough stone. This seats 30 people comfortably. Purchase this component multiple times if you want a larger dining hall. May be used as common area at the cost of seeming rustic to one's guests of high station or wealth.
Dock, Basic
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 500 gp
Prerequisites: Two laborers (voided so long as Marcella is crewed)
A dock allows ships to load or unload people or cargo from or to the stronghold. This component can support up to two rafts, keelboats, rowboats, or longships, but not warships or galleys. Purchase this component multiple times to allow additional ships to moor at the stronghold's docks. It's common for storage spaces, shops, and taverns to be placed near the docks for the convenience of travelers and sailors. Marcella may dock here and be maintained due to her... peculiar nature voiding many of the more costly repairs typical for a ship of her size.
Guard Post
Size: 0.5 ss
Cost: 300 gp
Prerequisites: One guard per shift (minimum; many use two per shift)
This component allows guards to keep watch upon the surrounding environs. If part of the exterior wall, it includes free arrow slits instead of a window.
Kitchen, Basic
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 2,000 gp
Prerequisites: One cook (Covered by Zuan so long as the ship is in port and he is still employed)
This rudimentary stone- or wood-floored kitchen centers around a fireplace or stove. It includes a pantry, in which basic foodstuffs are stacked on shelves or hung from the ceiling. The kitchen includes pots and pans made of tin. A scullery provides storage for brooms and rags, along with a basin for washing dishes and laundry. You can prepare meals for up to fifteen people in this space. In the absence of a kitchen the men can still be decently fed between the ship's stores and the enchanted cauldron. Expect some grumbling over eating 'food seasoned with witch's brew'.
Library, Basic
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 500 gp
Prerequisites: None
Plain wooden shelves of books fill this room, arranged in any manner you desire. One or two small tables allow people to read the books, and a single lectern allows you to read a book while standing. This library can hold up to two different lots of books on specific subjects. For example, it could contain books on Alchemy and Metallurgy. In the absence of a library research actions will take a -1 malus from the inconvenience of stacking them in unsuited places or you must pay 50 gold/researcher/season to have them work in the city.
Smithy, Basic
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 500 gp
Prerequisites: One smith
This basic smithy features a forge, an anvil, and a full set of metalworking tools. It has a barrel of water in which hot metal can be cooled. The stone walls and dirt or stone floors guard against accidental fires.
Applicable Modifiers: +10% (high cost of bronze, including tools required for smiting), -50% (Masterwork Equipment)
Stable, Basic
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 1,000 gp
Prerequisites: One groom (Voided as the men of the Fellowship have grown used to caring for their horses under far worse circumstances)
This rough, wooden structure features stalls for up to six Large mounts, a wooden water trough, and hay covering the unfinished floor. Tack and saddles hang over the dividing walls between stalls. Because of the smell, you'll want to place the stable far from the main part of the stronghold. If you need a greater capacity, you can purchase this component multiple times.
Storage, Basic
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 250 gp
Prerequisites: None
This empty room has rough walls and an unfinished (possibly dirt) floor. Due to the need for aisles and sensible stacking, a typical storage component offers about 2,000 cubic feet of usable storage space. If you need a greater capacity, you can purchase this component multiple times.
You can turn a storage space into a vault with the addition of safeguards such as watchmen, strong walls, traps, locks, and wondrous architecture. In the absence of at least one unit of storage Antonio will have to rent warehouse space in the city, which will cost 200 gp/season. A second unit of storage will allow him to deal in more bulky goods.
Study/Office, Basic
Size: 0.5 ss
Cost: 200 gp
Prerequisites: None
This space, also sometimes called a solar, comes complete with a desk, some shelves for books, a chair, and a closet for storage of things that should be close at hand, like paper, ink, and so on. The floor and furnishings are rough, but sturdy. In the absence of an office Antonio will make due with his cabin on the ship, he's dealt with worse.
Training Area, Combat
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 1,000 gp
Prerequisites: None
This open area allows guards and soldiers to train in the art of war. It has a rack of wooden weapons and padded armor, archery targets, and practice dummies. Up to eight people can train in such a place at once. If you need a greater capacity, you can purchase this component multiple times.
Applicable Modifiers: -75% if a courtyard is used (will not be usable in all weather)
Trophy Hall, Basic
Size: 1 ss
Cost: 1,000 gp
Prerequisites: None
This glorified storage space allows you to display trophies won in your expeditions and adventures. Most trophies hang from the walls, while others line tables scattered throughout the room. If you need a greater capacity, you can purchase this component multiple times. Trophy halls allow one to display one's martial prowess as well as that of the Fellowship potentially increasing the quality of the contracts gained.
Moats and Wooden Walls
Size: Variable
Cost: 400gp/space
Simple walls of wood and earth whose excavation also creates a mote around the perimeter of the stronghold. The cost of a single gate is included in the cost.
Applicable Modifiers: -60% (Esha's Expeditions Excavation spell and wood from the forest terrain)
OOC: Nothing fancy beyond bedrooms available for now as you simply do not have the contacts to source marble or high quality furniture. Also no mage workshop and such since you will have to either gain the paraphernalia for that from a quest reward or loot it, it does not tend to be available on the open market. 
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