Chapter 274: North Farthing

Chapter 274: North Farthing

Over large bowls of hearty gopher stew, the new inhabitants of the Barony of Gadobhra discussed what to name their new Hamlet. Sloth Hollow was proposed, but it was quickly pointed out that there weren't any sloths left—the same for Gopherville and Shewburg. Still, most felt that the huge battle needed to be remembered somehow. Ozzyburg was proposed, but the Butcher was too modest to accept such an honor and quickly declined. Finally, someone suggested the name, North Farthing. "After all, this was part of the South Farthing Gopher wars, and we're north of everything else in the empire." The name stuck.

The pub was, of course, dubbed 'The North Farthing Pub.' The building was made of stone with a slate roof, similar to buildings in Sedgewick. It came with a few tables and chairs, a hundred crude clay mugs, and four barrels of beer. The local men were intent on drinking most of it that night. It would go a long way to easing the stress of the last two weeks and the terror of the battle. The women had one or two mugs each and then turned to the critical business of sorting through the wagonload of cookware. There turned out to be more than enough to supply each home with fine copper pots, large cauldrons for the hearth, and cast iron skillets. The extra was stored away for the inevitable expansion of the Hamlet as young couples married and new homes would be needed.

How to spend their points was a subject that took over much of the talk. The older children were asked not to do anything without talking to their parents first, and most agreed. Luckily, children twelve and younger needed the help of their parents to allocate points. Having the most experience with such things, Ozzy and Woodrat were asked endless questions. It turned out that everyone in North Farthing had the Peasant Farmer class. With hard work in a craft, their class could be upgraded to Village Blacksmith,Village Carpenter, and other classes that revolved around craft skills. Knowing that Ozzy spent a lot of time talking about the classes Suzette was giving and the possibility of training people in Sedgewick to take on those roles.

It boiled down to several choices for those who were full-time farming or taking care of the household.

Like Ozzy, they had the options for Abundance and Skilled Provider. Fully half the people dealing with the crops took these skills. An increased grain harvest and the occasional five-hundred-pound pumpkins could transform a lean year into one of plenty. Ozzy cautioned them that it would create more named creatures to show up in their fields. He told them about Root! and some of the treants that had fought in the War of the Oaks. The farmers saw this as a bonus, now that they were allowed to kill the little bosses and score points. There was a risk to it, but after being burned from their homes and harried by bandits to the border of Pinchpenny's lands, being attacked by a giant turnip didn't seem so bad.

The long journey had broken up some of the families. Two of the older woman, Alice, and Irene, were widows without anyone to care for. Gaining five points of STR and knowing how to use a weapon made them eager to do more. The only ranged weapon skills they had available were Sling and Peasant Bow. They took both of those skills, two points of CON, two points of DEX, and a hunting skill called Don't Spook the Ducks. When they made it known that they wanted to learn more fighting skills, Ozzy suggested they head up to the Bunny Barrow. If they could gain some experience there, he promised they could join hunting parties in the Beast Woods and visit the Shrine of the Huntress. He'd also pass on their names to the squirrel hunters. Dot was always looking for people to fill out her party.The initial instance of this chapter being available happened at N0v3l.Bin.

Other popular skills were Hardy Animals, Care for the Herds, Sturdy Plants, Scarecrow, and Better Barns for the farms. Some of the abilities of peasant farmers centered on their homes. Healthy Family aided with childbirth, staving off infection and disease, and quicker recovery when someone was hurt. Mistress/Master of the Hearth allowed the head of the household to channel their stamina and mana into their dwelling for small repairs and upkeep. Better Cooking 1, 2, and 3 were popular skills for any family. Being able to turn stones and a turnip into a tasty stew was an old peasant trick that could get a family through a harsh winter. With better food available the cook in the household could produce amazing pies and puddings on holidays. Ozzy was frankly jealous of the skill and wondered how it would work with smoking or grilling.

Four of the older children asked Ozzy about training to be Shepherds. Besides the benefits to the village of protecting their herds, they'd seen what a Shepherd could do to bandits. After hearing their stories, it seemed Rolly had made an impression on them. The Butcher suggested that they take the two skills that dealt with animal husbandry and then wait for Rolly to pay a visit to the village and give them more advice.

One of the few surviving Smokejammers to travel the planes, the Auric hulled Splinter is blessed by the great Cyclones of the Smoke. So much smoke has been put into her the wood of her hull that even her rum barrels carry a powerful enchantment.

The crew of the Splinter will gain a bonus of +1000 Smoke, +1000 Heat, and +1000 Fuel as long as they get their daily grog. This enchantment will slowly fade away without sampling some of the ship's magical rum. The rum will lose its magic if removed from the ship.

The crew saw the announcement and took it as an excuse to open another barrel of booze. Woodrat spoke softly to Joe. "I thank you for that. It will make my soft-hearted friend quit worrying about a few guppies running away to join a ship. It makes me worry a bit less as well. I feel my ship, and I owe you something for that."

Joe thought about it. It had been a princely gift. "Tell you what, cause some trouble up there for me. The gods and the Queens get too complacent about their place in the world. Jack does his best to give them problems, but he's only one person. Shake things up some now and then cause some trouble, and we'll call it even."

Woodrat grinned and shook the smoke golem's hand. "Count on it. I'm not sure I could avoid trouble if I tried."

The rum drinking was interrupted as someone leaped from the smokehouse to the ship's rigging before landing on the deck and bowing. "Apologies for breaking up your drinking, Captains, but we have a problem with an infestation of imperial bureaucrats. The baron and the mayor have concocted dastardly and clever plans that require the help of three brave and dashing Captains from the Smoke. I will replace you here on this fine ship and make sure that your share of the grog gets drunk."

Ozzy eyed Ben warily. Mixing his friend with rum and pirates could end badly. "What do they need from us? And I want your word that you won't try to fly off with the ship."

Ben looked slightly disappointed because he had been wondering how he would accomplish just that. "I'll promise as long as I get to go sailing before she leaves for the sky. She's too pretty not to get a taste of her." He looked appreciatively around the ship. "As to your part in this plan, the mayor asks that you put on your fanciest pirate gear and go have dinner, the Baron's compliments."