The only thing that makes sense is the scouting routine (because that's what pioneers do- explore). Yet, we require more information on the nomads to determine how much of a threat they can be to our operations.
I think there's a limit to how much infrastructure the Pioneers can attempt considering Aldegard makes note of this:
They did not expect to be asked to make any kind of farm (which sounds kind of dumb consider this is a desert/wasteland combo, but we need to supplement our rations somehow), but this group also doesn't strike me as skilled builders or city planners.
Aldegard has not put much into the personnel side of stewardship, and it will still take a little time to readily understand the needs of a fledgling colony instead of a large, interconnected provincial system.
She is relatively ignorant in most part due to the 'low' nature of the pioneers' trades; farming, forestry, preservation, these are jobs she has never been expected to perform and is only academically aware of the existence of.
They did not expect to be asked to make any kind of farm (which sounds kind of dumb consider this is a desert/wasteland combo, but we need to supplement our rations somehow), but this group also doesn't strike me as skilled builders or city planners.
He was mostly confused about which thing he was intended to start doing. He settled on farming, but... it's a desert. There's enough ambient mana to make growing easier, but the soil is still very poor from centuries of neglect.
To be honest, the tools options is strange compared to all the others. I looked at it and wondered if it could truly be useless, since we can neatly extrapolate the effect of every option except that one. I think it's more likely that it is a low-hanging fruit type than a trap, though if @Powerofmind wants to clarify, that'd be great.
Mostly, these tools have been collected over time from transients who came and left, or died, and many of them belonged to the colonists still here while they were still crazed. They've basically just been sitting in large, unsorted heaps of rucksacks and boxes, and people have been raiding the piles and poking through them till they find the thing they need.
Finally, the permanent linking circle can be expected to be at least somewhat necessary. Aldegard had stopped sending messages for a decade or so by the time they settled around the heart and the madness started setting in. While no spiritually-attuned elf worth his salt would get lost trying to find the MASSIVE OUTFLOW OF SPIRITUAL POWER after making it reasonably far in (which they can at least guess is where Aldegard is), the route will be more difficult without a location to regularly ping.
Mostly, these tools have been collected over time from transients who came and left, or died, and many of them belonged to the colonists still here while they were still crazed. They've basically just been sitting in large, unsorted heaps of rucksacks and boxes, and people have been raiding the piles and poking through them till they find the thing they need.
In light of this info, why would Aldegard even think this is a worthwhile use of time?? This significantly increases the odds that yes, the mana exposure has affected her thought process. We'll have to keep an eye out for other strange options popping up in the future, especially if they do not require the use of mana and are liable to occupying people's attention for long stretches of time (while they absorb energy and go mad again).
It's mostly this. The pioneers will benefit from the organization a fair amount, and there's always a chance some preserves or useful thing was thrown on the pile and deemed useless for now.
"You, and you, to me," you say, plotting out your next efforts. The two elves you've called move to your side, one with your crest and the other a pioneer leader. "Lavash, I have heard that humans, not being as sensitive to the mana here, might have started roaming the desert. I want the region surveyed and scouted, in case this area falls along some new route for them. And you, we will need food if we are to supply the channelers who will take residence here in the coming years. You are colonists, you know the secrets of tilling the land and preparing wild ground, go, do... whatever it is you're meant to do."
You have only really just begun marking out the boundary with some raised earth when the scouts from your expedition return, harried by humans on horseback.
Aldegard is suffering from the effects of stress due to casting while suffering from mana-madness. She might arbitrarily not do things if they would require significant uses of mana.
Just curious is all those years is the result of travelling and disruptions due to the manawastes as I would have expected her to constantly send messages back with every stops?
Say why are there 2000-3000 colonial refugees in the Heart considering the known side effects of mana-madness?
Yeah, you and RookDeSult pointed out that it might be a trap. It doesn't fit with the rest of the options, but all the options taken have been productive so far, so I'm curious to see what it'll do. That's why I'm not having them build infrastructure or double up on the soil.
I wonder if Eris would eventually swing by, especially if Aldegard makes no further contact? She's one of the foremost Lux masters and she seems like the kind of person to try and reconcile family at the end of their mother's life. She doesn't really understand what Beren or this expedition means to Aldegard.
Just curious is all those years is the result of travelling and disruptions due to the manawastes as I would have expected her to constantly send messages back with every stops?
Say why are there 2000-3000 colonial refugees in the Heart considering the known side effects of mana-madness?
Contact dried up due to a combination of mana exposure and Aldegard becoming drawn into her research; most of her expedition is primarily composed of apprentices and understudies on their first century of magical training.
These people came from the farthest reaches of the empire, in the aftermath of devastation. They had little choice in where to go, and the Heart sort-of-sings to attuned mortals that wander in the desert. Mana-madness has also almost never progressed to such an extreme state prior to the catastrophe.
Most of them were crazed, transient people by the time Aldegard got there.
[X] Plan: We Need food, We Need Walls
-[X] Secure more food supplies , Expedition
-[X] Build up colonial infrastructure , Aldegrad
-[X] Secure the colony with fortifications , Pioneers
-[Pioneers] Improve the local soil
-[Expedition] Establish a permanent linking circle (not pioneers)
-[Aldegard] Improve upon the settlement's defenses
Mana-hoarding: 10, Aldegard stubbornly does nothing
The pioneers' work is slow, and the answers on why are partially confused. Many of the cereals and vegetables common to elven farms are bred to be of a higher sensitivity to mana, to make them easy to work growth enchantments into. This has backfired spectacularly in the wastes, with spells sliding off or failing to take hold when raw, denatured mana overwhelms the delicate balance of the spells. The natural improvements of the soil are also delayed, since the lack of many herd beasts has made creating certain mundane fertilizers challenging.
Regardless, these pioneers have experience in difficult conditions. Enough has been forced out of a harvest that stores of preserved supplies have held mostly steady despite the harsh conditions of the wastes.
You spend far too much time keeping an eye on the horizon, and while you wish dearly to raise a real wall, you must weigh whether or not the walls are more important than your own strength... The raised earthworks will have to do. The humans broke on them before, and your power will be needed to drive them off if- when they return. The smoke in the distance from their campfires, slowly crossing the horizon, all but assures it.
You alternate your time with checking the expedition's efforts with the circle, and while their work could be better, the arcanist apprentices have clearly been learning something in their academies. When the circle is raised, you transmit a short message with the coordinates of it back home. Within the week, an expedition of channelers contacts you more directly for guidance through the wastes. They will probably arrive sometime in the next few months.
Approximately:
150 apprentice mages of varied disciplines (primarily Forma and Lux), suffering from limited mana exposure
50 hired hands trained in exploration, suffering from limited mana exposure
2000-3000 colonial refugees of various pioneer trades and means, suffering from limited mana exposure
1 Bound Demon of the Foul-Tongue Caste
Resources:
Rations and supplies, meant to last many years for 200 explorers, stretched to feed roughly 2500. Might last another year.
Pack animals and survey equipment
Various and unsorted, if limited, pioneer supplies from refugees
Places:
Small fields, of poor soil quality that can support some subsistence farms
Low earthworks fortifications, raised in a large circle around the center of the camp.
Current conditions:
Safety: Simple Fortifications, Violent Human Nomads
Food: Limited, poor soil
Colony: Permanent Camp, some long-term shelter
Heart: Mostly Unknown
Spirits: Unaware of you
The Homeland: Regular contact
The Humans: Elves! Can we... can we take them?
Aldegard must manage this fledgling colony. What should she focus on for the time being? Create a plan only. (Choose a total of three, marking them with [Pioneers], [Expedition], and [Aldegard]. Aldegard can be used to double-up on another action, as she can probably use powerful magic to support it)
[] Secure more food supplies
[] Build up shelters further
[] Build up colonial infrastructure further
[] Improve the local soil
[] Improve upon the settlement's defenses
[] Establish a scouting routine (not Aldegard)
[] Establish a scrier's tower (not Pioneers)
[] Launch punitive attacks against the raiding nomads (Aldegard may assist, but may not act alone)
[] Study the monolith further (expedition only) [] Begin binding the local spirits (expedition only) The channelers are arriving soon [] Begin negotiating with the local spirits (expedition only) The channelers are arriving soon
[] Sort through all of the trinkets and belongings of the refugees for useful tools
Aldegard has avoided casting. She will be more willing to let herself cast in the near future, but her condition has worsened somewhat.
The pioneers' work is slow, and the answers on why are partially confused. Many of the cereals and vegetables common to elven farms are bred to be of a higher sensitivity to mana, to make them easy to work growth enchantments into. This has backfired spectacularly in the wastes, with spells sliding off or failing to take hold when raw, denatured mana overwhelms the delicate balance of the spells. The natural improvements of the soil are also delayed, since the lack of many herd beasts has made creating certain mundane fertilizers challenging.
You spend far too much time keeping an eye on the horizon, and while you wish dearly to raise a real wall, you must weigh whether or not the walls are more important than your own strength... The raised earthworks will have to do.
[X] Plan: Prepare For Guests -[X] Build up shelters further [Pioneers]
-[X] Improve the local soil [Aldegard]
-[X] Establish a scouting routine [Expedition]
We'll be getting more people in the near future, so we should make sure they have housing ready and we also need to improve the soil to better our food supply. We should also establish scouting routine to learn what is going on in the wastes, especially since humans have found us and seem to be gathering their forces for an attack.
[X] Plan: Prepare For Guests
-[X] Build up shelters further [Pioneers]
-[X] Improve the local soil [Aldegard]
-[X] Establish a scouting routine [Expedition]
We'll be getting more people in the near future, so we should make sure they have housing ready and we also need to improve the soil to better our food supply. We should also establish scouting routine to learn what is going on in the wastes, especially since humans have found us and seem to be gathering their forces for an attack.
I have two concerns about this plan. First, we expect trouble soon, but it doesn't improve our fortifications further, which is pretty much the only thing we can do about trouble right now. (Scouting/Scrying might help, hard to say. And punitive raids sacrifice our defensive advantage.)
Second, I don't think Aldegard is a good choice to help with soil. I think it's outside her experience, and using magic to help with soil issues has hit problems.
Here's a proposed alternative. We're steady on food for now, so we can afford to not worry about it for a turn. I'm opting for scrying over scouting because scouting risks losses in skirmishes with the natives, whereas scrying is probably relatively safe. The tower might help us with other things than the natives, too.
[X] Plan Fortify And Wait For Reinforcements
-[Pioneers] Improve upon the settlement's defenses
-[Expedition] Improve upon the settlement's defenses
-[Aldegard] Establish a scrier's tower (not Pioneers)
You know, this might be more efficient if we set the pioneers to secure more food stuff from the desert. At least that way we have more knowledge on what's actually out here.
You know, this might be more efficient if we set the pioneers to secure more food stuff from the desert. At least that way we have more knowledge on what's actually out here.
We don't really need more food right now, and I suspect that would endanger the pioneers. The natives could pick them off while they're outside the safety of the outpost.
[X] Plan Fortify And Wait For Reinforcements
-[Pioneers] Improve upon the settlement's defenses
-[Expedition] Improve upon the settlement's defenses
-[Aldegard] Establish a scrier's tower (not Pioneers)
We don't really need more food right now, and I suspect that would endanger the pioneers. The natives could pick them off while they're outside the safety of the outpost.
We're also about to have more guests. Sure, they'll probably bring some of their own supplies, but it would be good to know what can elves eat out here.
@TaliesinSkye had good points, so I'm updating my plan to enhance defenses, build the scrying tower and to build shelters for our upcoming additions.
[X] Plan: Prepare For Guests
-[X] Build up shelters further [Pioneers]
-[X] Improve upon the settlement's defenses [Expedition]
-[X] Establish a scrier's tower (not Pioneers) [Aldegard]
@TaliesinSkye had good points, so I'm updating my plan to enhance defenses, build the scrying tower and to build shelters for our upcoming additions.
[X] Plan: Prepare For Guests
-[X] Build up shelters further [Pioneers]
-[X] Improve upon the settlement's defenses [Expedition]
-[X] Establish a scrier's tower (not Pioneers) [Aldegard]
This is good. It's sort of hard to judge with the information we have how much we're going to need more shelter/infrastructure, or the likelihood of being attacked shortly. I'm erring on the side of defenses, this plan errs on the side of infrastructure. Both are valid right now, I think.
Aldegard's current issue in management is that the conditions in her little colony are tight. She has neither the lay of the land nor the organization necessary to make any more than relatively simple decisions, based mostly on her well-educated guesswork. Once you have successfully gotten things mostly sorted out internally (hint hint), you will start having more informed control of what you're working with.
