Chapter #1169
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+ THE ADVENTURERS +
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+ Epic VI +
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+ Many of the locations, non-player characters, spells, and other +
+ terms used in these stories are the property of Wizards of the Coast +
+ which has in no way endorsed or authorized their use. Any such +
+ property contained within these stories are not representative of +
+ Wizards of the Coast in any fashion. +
+ The player characters depicted in these stories are copyright +
+ 1991-2024 by Thomas A. Miller. Any resemblance to any persons +
+ or characters either real or fictional is utterly coincidental. +
+ Copying and/or distribution of these stories is permissible under +
+ the sole condition that no money is made in the process. In that +
+ case, I hope you enjoy them! +
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+ Cespedes 19th level human wizard, elementalist +
+ Dexitheseus 17th level human wizard, jack of all trades +
+ Pallin 18th level grey elven wizard of Celestian, teleporter +
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+ Date: 7/1/586 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: midday +
+ Place: the Brass Hills, within the Bright Desert +
+ Climate: hot and dry +
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+ "You know, some days maybe you just can't save the whole world. +
+ Maybe you're better off getting your own house in order." +
+ - from the _Heroes_ episode _Close to You_ +
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MCLXIX. Workforce of the Future
As the month of Reaping began, ten full days had passed since the most
recent meeting of the entire Bright Alliance. In that time, an amazing
amount of progress had been made on the massive wall that would one day
contain the sprawling fortress-city from which the wizards would oversee
the region and shape its events.
Pallin: (floating several hundred feet above the ground, he surveys the
project from this high vantage point) One thing is certain...the work
of the elementals is a major advantage here.
Cespedes: (nods)
The latter wizard had enlisted the help of a half-dozen of the huge,
powerful natives of the elemental plane of earth, who had been working
this entire time and doing the heavy lifting. As noted earlier in the
planning, temporary portals had been opened to that plane as needed,
which allowed the elementals to bring additional building material from
there to augment the rocks and other raw material already here in the
Brass Hills. The extra-planar laborers were huge and broad, standing
more than fifteen feet high and possessed of not only copious strength
but the ability to bend stone and dirt to their will. Better yet, they
were tireless workers who required no rest or sustenance...they simply
moved stone and earth, hour after hour, day and night. They handled all
of the heavy work - obtaining and moving the raw material, fashioning it
into gigantic blocks, and putting them into place. Then they would move
on to another section of wall, and the dwarven miners would come behind
and handle the finer detailing work. The initial push wasn't to build
the wall up to its entire two-hundred-foot height section by section,
but rather to build a solid base (about a fourth of the final height)
and initially complete that base all the way around the entire site.
The immense undertaking would have required many years, perhaps even
a decade, to complete if constructed by conventional means...but with
the elementals and the virtually unlimited supply of building materials
that were available through the efforts of Cespedes and Pallin's magic,
the base of the entire wall was on track to be complete by month's end.
The dwarven master builder Vogric Stoneshaper and the elven architect
Talathion Undiviel were hard at work in their own way, laying out the
design of the future city within that massive wall. They had to look
at the hilly terrain, factor in things like the slope of the land and
the composition of the ground, and make plans accordingly. One grand
(and potentially quite useful) idea they'd come up with earlier was the
possibility of creating a small body of water within the city, which
would not only provide clean water for the city and its inhabitants but
also feed it out to the surrounding areas.
Pallin: That was their basic idea, at any rate. They think they can
make it work, if only we can somehow create a small lake.
Cespedes: I believe we can. If they plan its location and shape, the
huge basin that will contain the lake...we can later open up a conduit
to the elemental plane of water and fill the basin, so to speak. (he
frowns) Of course, that must happen after the earth elementals are
done working and out of the area...they do not much care for water.
Pallin: Of course. (he pauses) I am curious, how is it that you play
free and loose with portals to these elemental planes, yet never seem
to anger their inhabitants or bring trouble through?
Cespedes: (nonchalantly) I have been parleying and forging alliances
with the denizens of many such places for a long time now.
Pallin: Ah.
Cespedes: (spots another individual heading their way, also magically
airborne) Dexitheseus approaches.
The elderly wizard was seated in a translucent, nearly invisible seat,
which was his preference while flying. He appeared to be pleased about
something.
Pallin: What news?
Dexitheseus: I spoke with leaders among the Sterish refugees in other
lands - the dwarf Mongo had given me the names - and told them we'll
be back tomorrow to marshal any who want to come to this region to
work and earn a better living, and then begin the journey here. (he
smiles happily) Based on the conversations, I believe we will soon
have several hundred new residents to help with our efforts. Ahead
of their arrival, I've worked to obtain additional tents, provisions,
and other supplies. (he gazes out at the encampment that houses the
current group of dwarven workers from the Good Hills area)
Off to one side, near the center of the large space bounded by the
wall in progress, a cluster of tents had sprung up. These served as
living and sleeping quarters for the dwarven miners, and nearby were
wagons and chests full of the items the workers needed for sustenance.
Obviously, a great deal of magic had thus far been employed to import
such supplies, but in the long run a different and more self-sustaining
method would be necessary.
Pallin: Perhaps we should identify all places within this desert where
crops can be grown, and take advantage of them.
Dexitheseus: It won't be enough. I'm exploring some...other options to
make this region more self-sufficient.
Cespedes: (eyeing the work of the massive earth elementals below, he
gives no indication that he's even listening to this conversation)
Pallin: (to Dexitheseus) You spoke of the Sterish refugees...what of
those from Tenh?
Dexitheseus: (frowns) I recently spoke with Lord Marcus about this,
as he hails from fallen Tenh and best understands the challenges its
people now face. The bulk of them never escaped when the Stonefists
swept into their land, and are basically enslaved at this time. But
those who were able to flee in time have taken refuge in Nyrond or
the Country of Urnst, where they have not been well-received and have
struggled to make a living. There is a much smaller number who made
it into the woodlands south of Tenh and are surviving as best as they
are able. (he sets his jaw) But we will soon see what we can do to
offer a better life to as many of them as we can; Lord Marcus and I
will be pursuing that once the Sterish arrive here.
Pallin: Can that general be spared? I assumed he was needed here, to
firm up the military forces and guards.
Dexitheseus: He's made solid progress there and has concentrations of
troops organized and stationed in the desert's three major forts.
He can always use more, which is part of the reason he's coming with
me to seek out capable folk of Tenh. (he frowns) Although knowing
him, he will simultaneously recruit anyone else he is able to. He's
good at that, and his name is well-known in many lands.
Pallin: (nods) Indeed it is. Some say that one such as he can raise
an army anywhere, anytime.
Dexitheseus: It's true. I've seen it happen, or more accurately I've
seen the end result. He's really done a good job here, building on
Belphanior's alliance with the centaurs and other folk of the desert
to show them that we can help. Just the other day, south and west of
Gai Hur, a squad of his troops engaged and destroyed a pack of giant
scorpions that had been roaming the area. It was reported that the
centaurs were impressed by, and thankful for, this.
Pallin: This isn't the first account I've heard about those monsters
being loose in the desert. Exterminating them should be part of our
long-term plan.
Dexitheseus: Agreed. Giant scorpions have no place in a civilized
kingdom. (he chuckles) Once troop strength is up and there are more
forts in the region, such tasks will be much easier.
Pallin: Those aren't necessarily short-term accomplishments, but it's
good to hear that they're being planned.
Dexitheseus: Agreed. (he pauses to think) So. More workers will
soon be here, from Sterich and hopefully also from Tenh. We may also
bolster out troop strength through Lord Marcus' efforts.
Pallin: We will still need some sort of permanent military force for
the future. We cannot count on a mercenary army in the long-term.
Cespedes: So make the general an offer of permanent employment.
Pallin: Eh?
Dexitheseus: I didn't think you were listening to us talk.
Cespedes: I hear everything. (he turns to them) The answer seems
obvious to me. Determine whether the general of mercenaries-for-hire
can be convinced to become the general of a powerful new kingdom...
one whose magical and monetary resources are substantial and which
has immense potential to grow in structure and influence. Soldiers
could stop wandering and instead settle down and make a home. That
is, at the simplest level, what most people in the world desire.
Pallin: Hmm.
Dexitheseus: (having already considered this possibility but kept it
to himself thus far, he frowns) I'll mention it during the upcoming
mission north. He might be open to the idea. In the meantime, I'll
find Vogric and Talathion, and let them know that more help is on the
way. The couple hundred miners we already have may soon be nearly a
thousand total workers.
Cespedes: (drily) More tents will be needed.
next: fast-forward a week on these various efforts
map: http://www.peldor.com/world/atlas/bright_desert_1156.jpg
www: http://www.peldor.com/download.html
homepage: http://www.peldor.com/
email: tmiller@peldor.com
released: 9/27/2024
notes: I actually don't much enjoy hammering out these details...
the actual building of cities, finding workers, forming some sort of
permanent military, and all that. I know what I envision the end
result to look like, but showing the work is...well, it's work. And
so it's possible that I'll avoid highlighting on the "how" in favor
of the end goal of showing the "what" for the Bright Lands.
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