3/14 Grey 2024/03/14(Thu)22:55 No. 1086452 ID: 3f89df
File 171048211673.png - (8.76KB , 500x500 , bloodmother reveal.png )

> Because what is a 'Bloodeina'?

We are a group of various kobolds, pawn-bolds, and cute-bolds that worship the true goddess and creator of life itself, Blood Mother; blood mother is a pure white dragon with red undertones whose wingspan covers the entirety of Urhier through just her claws; she laid an egg, which is when Urhier was born, with the various kobolds being created in her image. However, the blasphemous kobolds turned to the earth, worshiping the coal of her other exotic draconic children, ignoring blood mother; with her presence lessened, she dug beneath the earth, only to reemerge ounce her worship and regain its former glory.

We, as Bloodeina, wish for Blood Mother to rise from the earth to delight us with an age of prosperity, peace, and hope.

When we pass, Our souls leave the mortal earth, traveling underground where Bloodmothers eternally rests underneath Kuih-ea, once you meet with her, you become one with her blood and live in absolute harmony with other souls that inhabit that system.

I am pretty curious if you, by yourself as angels, meet those same criteria. If I am your current host, it means that you are coursing through my blood, a divine gift that symbolizes my connection to the goddess; however, that is just a current theory.

> For that matter, the gods aren't consistent on afterlives. Some souls go to ethereal paradises, some go to the Hells, some lose all their memories and are put into new babies, and some... get eaten.
And the gods sometimes make mistakes on who goes where.
It's a mess. Be afraid to die.

I see... I know that death is not something we, as Bloodeina, wish to partake in perfectly, but knowing that blood's mother is watching us and that we will, in time, become a part of her is a reassuring thought.

4/14 Grey 2024/03/14(Thu)22:55 No. 1086453 ID: 3f89df
File 171048211976.png - (15.20KB , 500x500 , putting your moms dead corpse in my sac.png )

>>1086113

> Consider that we are angels of the Blood Mother, and our Mother just died in this ruined Blood Mother temple. And now you're our Mother. It's not hard to jump to conclusions!

It is odd to think that BloodMother would be an orb of Pychaninum rather then an dragon trapped beneath the earth, And if that the case then I.........
I will just think of you as angels sent by BloodMother. And I'm your mother? Well, that's sweet! Although I wasn't expecting to be a mother until I turned nine, BloodMother's path can't be understated.

Just in case, I'll make sure to keep your Mother's remains in a bag; maybe if I get some more Psychaninum and channel some of my own energy, I'll be able to bring her back to life, and then finally, we'll both have answers to her questions.

5/14 Grey 2024/03/14(Thu)22:55 No. 1086454 ID: 3f89df
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> Well, you're special now!
Among your companions and enemies, you found us first. That means we start out loyal to you... though, that can change if you manage to be insufferable.

> This 'loyalty' also applies to our... 'ethics'. For instance, if that Gin-worshipping psychopath you happen to employ were the one to form a covenant with us, we would be more... well, violent. Or, with your husband, we would choose to employ organized force more often. Still, we have our own set of independent moralities and drives and will occasionally give you advice that you might not like.

I see. I guess I should count myself lucky then, although I am a tad sorrowful that neither Bardeibor nor Crocodile got you instead. As I said before, I'm not a master of the blade like Bardeibor, nor am I a leader and tactician like Crocodile; however, I will not beat myself up for something out of my control.

It makes sense that your loyalty and ways would change, You are advisors, after all, therefore you and your ideals will change accordingly, as much as I don't wish to believe in the fact that Bardeibor openly worships Gin, He is essential for the team.
While someone like Bardeibor would most likely hate that you souls have differing opinions, I am actually grateful; It is best to know a wide variety of perspectives and points of view on a situation. Even if it isn't helpful or something that I don't personally agree with, Denying that idea would make me a terrible advisor, not unlike yes-men to a parasitic king.

6/14 Grey 2024/03/14(Thu)22:55 No. 1086455 ID: 3f89df
File 171048212546.png - (16.49KB , 500x500 , if your two arent an item grey then why is your ta.png )

> Or with your husband

My-my Husband? I-i assure you that Sir Crocodile is not my husband..
Even if he was, I'm just from a gifted upbringing. However, Crocodile is from an official house, a full Noble; it would never work. He'll move on once he finds a much prettier, smarter woman of royal or noble heritage. He... He just calls me his Queen to his King because he is sympathetic... of my plight, that's all.

> Yeah, I think our ancestors used to advise them. From what we know of the humans, they are weakness made power.

That seems to ring true from what I've personally heard and seen from the Empire. Their numbers seem to be quite small, Only having a singular capital and not spreading out further than that, and nearly everyone hates them: our capital, our allies, and our enemies. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone across Uriher was hostile towards them due to their reckless actions. However, we do have the advantage of being considered a new nation-state, so as long as we keep our ties to the capital a secret, We may, through time, be able to commit a new allyship, although with intense diplomatic preconceptions because of that.

7/14 Grey 2024/03/14(Thu)22:55 No. 1086456 ID: 3f89df
File 171048212910.png - (17.05KB , 500x500 , gasp tramatic backstory.png )

I agree that Humans are blood-thirsty and self-serving; they are the main contributors to wars and to people getting hurt..... and families getting broken apart....

8/14 Grey 2024/03/14(Thu)22:55 No. 1086457 ID: 3f89df
File 171048213297.png - (34.96KB , 500x500 , im okay i just had a tramatic backstory moment.png )

Sorry, My apologies, I... I don't wish to discuss this any further.


> So your long-term goal is to siphon as much human tech as you possibly can and then build a civilization in a hidden place. As long as you can prove you're not going to wage war on the big, scary Empire, you can get away with being an 'informal' client state of the Empire. And then you and your descendants wait until they screw themselves over.

That is an excellent plan but only the passage of time and the decisions we make along the way will give way to that truth, most humans aside from the Empire are near or around our current technology, I'd say, however, I must admit that I have not personally visited any human settlements until our previous expedition.

>>1086120

That's... that's a relief; I would have never forgiven myself if I ended up destroying life, and no, I have not seen any sentient pychaninum before, and not those that end up in such a defined form such an orb, Psychaninium is usually quite spikey and long, with many, many branches of ore almost equivalent to that of a tree, I recognized your mother by her spiraling purplish glow, like that of an internal whirlpool.

I do wonder what you'll become and if you'll eventually gain a physical form. Quite honestly, you are absolutely fascinating, and I wish to conduct a thorough study on you, although that is not a high priority at the moment.
It's a shame you didn't know what happened to our city, but I can't end it against you. I'll find a way to revive your mother. Your current questions make me curious about what she knows, too, although if she killed herself to hide her shame, then she belongs to be brought back to shards If you'll allow so.

> She said you and her have similar minds. What would you do in her situation?

I'm....i'm not sure I'd have the best answer for you, it's... it's pretty embarrassing, especially as an advisor to Crocodile. May we continue on?

9/14 Grey 2024/03/14(Thu)22:55 No. 1086458 ID: 3f89df
File 171048213532.png - (19.56KB , 500x500 , tech reveal.png )

> I thought at first that our Mother might have been the Blood Mother, but she was mortal, not a goddess. Maybe we *are* angels, which would mean she was one too. I cannot say if she was acting on the Blood Mother's orders or not; she didn't tell us.
What is the Blood Mother like?

Blood Mother is a nurturing, kind god; despite what her name may believe, her blood runs through all life in the ecosystem, and she blessed our world with her daughters and sons, the dragons her divine seers and eyes, ears and mouth; I have not met her expect in spirit, so I do not know the exact definition.

> class of ranged weapon that will launch projectiles via controlled explosions. It's called a firearm or a gun.

Oh, are you referring to a musket? It's quite a new invention, and its quantity is rather small. It's definitely not ready for wide-scale adoption for an army at the current moment, but it's quite interesting that you know of that current invention! It only happened just a year ago. The GoldScale capital has given their guards muskets, and that has helped with defense fairly recently.

I am only familiar with the other races and ourselves using wind and water turbines alongside steam used religiously near the capital. However, it is a fairly expensive technology, so getting steam would be quite a financial commitment, but when you have the time, please tell me about all you know that you think we should do; it would be a massive help to us.

> It sounds like you know of steel, at least. Do you know of anything stronger than that? What about stainless steel? Tungsten alloys? Diamond-tipped saws and grinders?

We know of all of the ore you're provided, although I've never heard of Diamond-tipped saws and grinders before; we are also familiar with Silver, Copper, Plasteel, Uranium, Jade, Gold, Pychaninuam, and Untoaminin.

Although I'm no miner, the exact list could be clearer for me; if you end up getting the power to do so, you should tell Bardiebor about that; I've heard that he was a child miner prodejey before he picked up the axe.

10/14 Grey 2024/03/14(Thu)22:55 No. 1086459 ID: 3f89df
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>>1086166

> One thing about Bardeibor. He knows how to use "magic," as you call it. I'm not sure if this is new information to you or how common that is among your species.

Oh yes, magic! Well, because of blood mother, everyone can technically use magic; however, it is completely dull in most people across *most* races; with the help of Pychaninum, however, it can open your mind and allow you to use abilities and matter around you in whatever way the caster seems fit, just make sure to not overheat your mind.
I was given this gift when I was younger during training as allowing to me to help heal, soothe, and calm down patients much easier than through normal skills; It seems Bardeibor uses it in order to more use his abilities to his fullest, or to drive himself into an beserk rage.

Oddly enough, Crocodile does not have it, so before I knew that she was sentient, I was thinking of turning your mother into a psycast wand in order to unlock Crocodile's abilites. However, pychaninum, and psy-casting, while not exceptionally uncommon, is fairly rare, and unless you have good connections, most will not be able to use them in their lifetime.

11/14 Grey 2024/03/14(Thu)22:55 No. 1086460 ID: 3f89df
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Oh, yes, my bandages... well... I assure you I'm perfectly healed. There are other reasons I wear these bandages, and it's not your knowledge to know.

> Apart from that, we need to know what promises you made to your kobold brethren of the main capital, who or what your closest neighbors are, your relationship with them, and how good your current location is. Do you have easy access to food and water? How harsh are the winters, and how defensible are they? How feasible would it be to relocate ?

[i] The main capital is the GoldScales Covent, located near the middle of Kuih-ea in an underground city amongst the highest cliffs, the distance between the capital and a larger near Uhi, an average size port-like city of pawn-bolds, and the city of pure dragon-kobolds of Upo, Lastley there seems to be an interesting set of bi-raced umm... Spirit worshipers that, let's just say, have an interesting choice in ware near there; besides the spirit worshipers who are neutral, we are on fairly friendly terms with the other kobolds, although I'm personally more familiar and have connections between Insutna and Fang Tooth, I mean- GoldScale Covent.

12/14 Grey 2024/03/14(Thu)22:55 No. 1086461 ID: 3f89df
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This may be embarrassing, and please, if you gain the ability to switch between most of us at will and someone new joins, promise me you won't tell them this, but...

Crocodile is no prince, nor is he a king. he is no higher then a Baron. He is personally indebted to GoldScales after an agreement to give people, animals, food, and support and land out south in return for regular taxation and agreement as Kobold owned laned under GoldScales jurisdiction Crocodile has worked all of his life in order to get to this moment, but after all of his hard work, it just disappeared like it never existed.. I wonder how he feels right now.

We must give GoldScales his payment. Otherwise, I project heavy consequences towards the capital, but our current amount is not sufficient; on very rare occasions, at minimum, he usually charges him 1000 gold, almost around 2442 farmers' labor in wages, when converting from silver and bronze to course, It is also why I am concerned to leave this location, however, if we are near a kobold settlement or elsewhere he may find us relatively easily, I reckon he'll or one of his treasurers shall be here in around three months, to collect our payment. [/i]

13/14 Grey 2024/03/14(Thu)22:55 No. 1086462 ID: 3f89df
File 171048215463.png - (6.90KB , 500x500 , yes grey get that thinky face on.png )

Regarding food and water, there is a river and some easy-to-find underground wells due to the vertical nature of our hill face; food is fairly common with berries, fruit, and some other edible plants growing here, as well as small and large mammals around here. Since we are near the northern equator, it can snow quite a lot and get quite cold, which can be quickly dangerous for our cold-blooded temperatures without proper equipment, and because of that, we can only grow our crops in mid-spring to late fall if we are lucky to do so.

In terms of the position, it's not the best; as we've said before, we are close to the middle of the continent, so there is a wide variety of passers-by. I also see more of the Empire's flying ships pass by over here, then I saw back near Kuih-ea, although we do have the advantage of mountains and hills since we live in a valley. Therefore, if we play our cards correctly, we can have a good defensive position.

In terms of relocation, we have around 12 days of food, not counting those hunting or foraging. However, Bardeibor is the only one decent in those skills, and being on the road for too long can attract bad attention; the best bet is to relocate north towards more kobold settlements or explore west to discover new lands, east leads to unknown lands, plus human empires of varying intensity and warfare, and since I see the ships mainly coming from the south, I do not wish to explore south-word either.

In all, it's potentially risky but manageable. However, I would prioritize settling down whenever possible due to our time limit as opposed to the capital. [/i]

14/14 Grey 2024/03/14(Thu)22:55 No. 1086463 ID: 3f89df
File 171048215956.png - (13.89KB , 500x500 , hehehe muni is yippish for.png )

> And we have not been given a name, so as far as I'm concerned, you may choose one for us or just call us whatever name your mythology uses for the sort of beings we are. Except if it's some kind of horrible monster, please don't name us after a monster.

Hmmm........ I think I'll call you Muni!

So Muni, after all that you have heard, what do you think we should do?

>>1086463
Muni is a nice name grey mother.
I'll wear it happily.

Very well then.
To work.
Shelter is of primary need.
Build a simple, storage warehouse. It can double as a shelter until you have built a proper residential building.

If any of you are absolutely incompetent at building or sorting supplies then they could range around the new site as a scout.
Not too far. Get a feeling for the local terrain.
See if theres anything misseed on initial scouting and become familiar with safe places and danger spots.

Hard work ahead grey mother, but you build a foundation for the lives and legends that will come after.

Maybe we should check on our neighbors and build relations? You seem to be a bit more of a charismatic sort, rather than a builder.

Moving closer to other's territory will just cause conflict. Stick to this spot before you loose your claim on it.

It would be good to visit your neighbors and recruit people to help work the land.

>>1086455
Yeah, you can do better than that idiot.

>>1086456
We apologize for the sins of our ancestors. If only we guided them to reason, rather than perseverance.
Every human has a seed of rage, of madness. But most of the time, that seed is grown by an outside force. A force that manipulates the human into worshipping them - and orders them to kill everyone else.
They are so pathetically gullible, tricked into believing ridiculous things. Even the smartest among them can be swayed with time. One of the few competent human philosophers noted that the crazier a human's beliefs, the more evil you can order them to do.
Odds are, the human who... did all that to your family genuinely believes he was following the orders of a good god.
If you want revenge, find the ones who taught him that 'murder is a good thing' and stop them.

>>1086458
Grey, all of the Empire's standard primary weapons are really advanced muskets.
There's a plethora of stats around guns - stopping power, aiming assistance, pellet spread, recoil as the excess force from the gun hits the user, and how long it takes to arm the next shot, or re-charge the weapon entirely. But at the end of the day, a gun is something you can learn in an hour. That power, to turn anyone with a hand into a competent conscript, with the bare minimum of training, is what ensured guns became the only ranged weapon worth training in the Empire. In most civilizations, really.

Of course, since all the money goes into guns, melee training has devolved into small emergency weapons, mostly knives.

>>1086458
I don't know those last two elements. Also, you do realize Uranium is blighted, right?
Lead is great at absorbing blight before it affects you, but otherwise it's actually pure poison and can cause brain damage by merely licking a slab of lead. You'll want to put all the lead between the walls of your shelters and nowhere else.

>>1086459
...Waaait a minute.
Normal Pychaninum is starting to look a lot like Psitanium. I know a little about that, and... I don't think it's healthy. Psitanium has this unfortunate tendency to make slightly insane people even more insane. If they're the same mineral...
I mean, the last human we saw driven insane by Psitanium tried to sneeze peoples' brains out and turn them into vehicles!
In short, are you sure exposing people to this stuff to develop powers is a good idea?

>>1086461
I already don't like that guy. A thousand gold is nothing to sneeze at, and that was your seasonal payment?!
No, this reeks of a scam. The people on loan were Gold Scale's; how hard would it be for them to ditch you so Gold Scales could claim your lives on default?
In any case, his investment is already suspicious and his terms were deeply unfair. Screw that guy.

You need guns. It's the only way to get the Empire to back off. Go south, but carefully, and find an outpost. If you can steal some guns and a few crates of ammo, hunting will become incredibly easy, and you can quickly train up an army and oust Gold Scale from power.

1/10 Grey 2024/04/17(Wed)10:12 No. 1089037 ID: 3f89df
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>>1086470
> Muni is a nice name, grey mother. I'll wear it happily.
That's good we've figured that out, Muni, or I guess Muni's; it's much easier than calling you Angels and, well, make me sound less like a religious fanatic ounce I discuss your presence to others or a stranger.

>Very well, then. To work, shelter is a primary need. Build a simple storage warehouse. It can double as a shelter until you have built a proper residential building.
> If you need to improve building or sorting supplies, they could range around the new site as a scout.
Not too far. Get a feeling for the local terrain.
See if anything needs to be added on initial scouting and become familiar with safe places and dangerous spots.
It's hard work ahead, grey mother, but you're building a foundation for the lives and legends that will come after.

Well, there's no use discussing our future without the foundation to provide it; I'll go discuss it with the others; I thank thee for the compliment, Muni

I Call out the others by name and dash towards our caravan to wait for the others. Crocodile is the first and treks there relatively quickly, but Bardeibor seems to be taking quite the century; just as I begin contemplating too just discussing my plans with Crocodile, I smell the dank horrid smell of death and Bardeibor in toe, covered in a couple of light scratches, and a Rough-Plated Monitor absolutely bloodied getting dragged amongst the ground floor below, painting the serene green with blood. While this is quite disgusting, and Crocodile must think incredibly so, too, I mustn't offend our only builder and risk him leaving our party.
“Oh, Bardeibor, that’s um. Kind of you! But we don’t need hunting right now. Actually, I was just here to discuss…” Crocodile rudely cuts me off. “You're absolutely barbaric display and behavior, you know why the other races think of us as diminutive? It’s because of creatures like thou who trash our sophisticated names like dirt.” “Crocodile…” My patience is running thin; if this is why he leaves, I’m afraid to say it, but you would be an absolute idiot, Crocodile. Bardeibor seems to chuckle “Oh, but who was the one to teach you your blade? Who was the one that is apparently so “barbaric” yet you beg, moan, and concede yourself for me to stay, You show weakness, weakness trying to concede yourself to the other races, weakness from your false god.”
Crocodile unsheathes his blade and glares at Bardiebor; Bardeibor looks amused by the entire spectacle and rolls his eyes at the thought of Crocodile challenging him; I again must be a mediator.
“As I was previously saying, I brought you all here to discuss our plans and delegate our tasks. Currently, Shelter is of utmost importance, and that’s what I must prioritize before we officially delegate our long-term goals for us Bloodeians-” “You Bloodeians” “-On our short-term goals, Therefore we must make a shelter, or in this case, a storage facility in order to make sure that our current supplies are not taken by the elements.” As I’m about to continue speaking, Crocodile gently interrupts me, “That’s good and all, but what about our Muffalo? Shall we just keep them outside to wander, and potentially leave us?” I resume Courtley, yet Bardeibor sighs dramatically. “Why don’t you just eat them? They're more pain than their worth.” I resume again, ignoring Bardeibor’s previous statement. “While you do bring up a good point Crocodile, because time is of the essence, it is most important to make sure our supplies come first before us, or even our pack animals. Crocodile, Since you are quite familiar with plant-life, you will be in charge of chopping down tree’s for material, Bardeibor because of your past experience, you will be in charge of constructing our den of residence, and since I do not have any skills to add to this endavor, I will be in charge of Scouting, Planning, and Hauling materials between both of you, ounce we have an appropriate facility, I will mainly be in charge of demanding and hauling our materials towards storage.”
Crocodile pauses. “That’s quite a lot of weight to be dealing with, Grey, are you sure that works best for you? I can deal with planning and scouting and help with the later half of the hauling as an compromise.”
“No, no, Sir Crocodile, It’s okay! You must rest your body to keep your mind and wits sharp to lead our people; that’s of utmost importance to both us and our community. I’m just a simple commoner in comparison It’s fine.”

“ Grey…” he says in a tone that tugs at my heart, “ “Don’t demean yourself like that. I know you're not from a house, but we are far from Gold Scales and his Empire. It doesn’t matter anymore, my queen, but if you insist on doing the work, I won’t stop you. In the meantime, Then I’ll focus on other priorities instead.”

I feel bad for bringing it up, but if it makes Crocodile’s life a little easier and allows him to rest, it’ll all be worth it.

As we are all about to leave to do our jobs, Crocodile puts his hand forward in a halt-like motion and speaks formally.

2/10 Grey 2024/04/17(Wed)10:12 No. 1089038 ID: 3f89df
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“Before we begin with the construction of this shelter, I think it’s important we think of a semi-permanent location in the meantime. Looking at our current stance, what we need most is resources and men to grow those resources. We currently do have enough to roughly buy, I’d say 5, slaves of varying quality, 3 if we decide on fewer. Of course, travelers, beggars, and adventurers would be much cheaper, but most will most likely cost more in the long term and have a flimsy alliance with us. Grey, I know you are ideologically disposed to slavery, but given our current predicament, It may be more important in order to get our feet off the ground and help repay our debts. I say all of this to stress that while not military-strategic and a rather risky position, we should make our base right next to the river and the trading path that runs through here; traveling is far too risky, and If they come to us, it’ll allow us to trade and make decisions without having to lift a finger, It also has easy accesses of water and fertile soil, so we could start production immediately.”

As much as I get his point, I can already tell there are a couple of flaws in his plan, baring enforcing the enslavement of poor sentient creatures aside. “But, There are other problems due to being so close to the path; it’ll be very easy for bandits, The divine order, our enemies, and them to find us, and with the hill close by, It’ll give them a militaristic advantage.”
Bardeibor Scoffs as if I’ve trashed the name of his entire blood-line
“You say that like they already wouldn't be dead the moment they set foot on our soil! Grey, are you accusing me and Gin of being weak?”
If there is one thing that both Crocodile and I hate about Bardeibor, it’s his intense pride, even if it genuinely is well-earned, given his skill.
“No Bardeibor, It’s just that.. Where considering the possibility that your out on an expedition someday, and your not here to protect us!”
Bardeibor grins and coughs. “I knew that.”
I have to resist rolling my eyes at the thought.
“But Grey, that’s the thing! I know that we currently are quite weak, but Bardeibor and I are skilled warriors in combat, and looking upon the start of our Empire, especially since we can easily make things that enforce our intimidation, such as skull spikes, that’ll be quite unlikely, and while I can discover floods being a potential possibility, I think, to at least start, that spot would be perfect for the Bloodenian way.”

I’m a bit worried that, with the boys' suggestions, we’ll end up seeming like the race Crocodile wishes we didn’t appear as, which could potentially cause more hostility between the races. Still, as his junior, I’ll follow his wishes.

“Okay, That sounds perfect, thank you, Crocodile. I just wanted to make sure you saw all the possibilities before we make a decision.” Now, to delegate our tasks.
“Alright, Bardeibor You go to the place that Crocodile mentioned and begin construction on our temporary shelter for the time being, I will tell you that focusing on the space of our storage is an absolute priority. Crocodile you begin to chop down some trees in the nearest vicinity, and I’ll go to pick them up and bring to Bardeibor as he begins construction, once he has enough wood, You can focus on what you need Crocodile, while I’ll go haul our remaining supplies, does that sound perfect for everyone?”
[i] Everyone nods, and Bardeibor and I go to the caravan to pick up our timber and bring it to our approximate spot. Crocodile follows soon after, bringing an axe, a stand, and a wheelbarrow. As that is our last, Bardeibor and I bring the wood to our destination.

3/10 Grey 2024/04/17(Wed)10:12 No. 1089039 ID: 3f89df
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> Let's check on our neighbors and build relations. You are more of a charismatic sort rather than a builder.

That was what I initially thought about, but as Crocodile pointed out, we could trade here. Our current supplies are low once we have at least someone else working here and a better shelter. Then I’d feel much better traveling; I’m not a Builder. I don’t think I’ve even seen how they process wood into planks, to begin with, But I’d disagree that I’m charismatic; I just like designating tasks and having plans and schedules; I wouldn't be best, for example, to resolve some complex conflict or sign or speak on behalf of someone, that’s a bit too anxious for me to even consider and has mostly been Crocodile’s job, I am though willing to do what I said earlier, and trade with others. However, I get comments about my appearance, and get charged higher then Crocodile would.

>>1086573

It’s good to see that among you, Muni;. At the same time, there are comments about travel, I’m comfortable that I made the correct decision.

Me and Bardeibor had reached our spot, a rather beautiful hillside near the river followed by some short plains and the trail outwards. We moved to the trail's east side (or north from this angle) and put the wood down. I can already feel the toll of this on my back. I haven’t been one to do much physical labor in my life, besides nursing, both in and out of battle, which has kept me relatively fit, all things considered.

All right, Bareibor has already begun laying down some simple foundation. As I’ve turned away to come back up the hill, Muni, was there anything else you wanted to say?

>>1086582

>>1086455
>Yeah, you can do better than that idiot.

I-I’m confused. Are you referring to Crocodile or the Empire? Cause if you're referring to the Empire, I wholeheartedly agree that Crocodile, I, and the others can do much better than those struggling xenophobic humans ever can.

However, if you’re referring to Crocodile, then Muni, I have some things to discuss. I know I sound like your mother, and as your new “blood mother,” I guess I officially am legally obligated to give you a smackdown.
I know that you’ve not heard or seen much of Crocodile recently. Still, I swear on my mother’s grave that Crocodile was an extraordinary leader before we lost everything. We had a good thing going; we were able to pay off Gold Scales, our Land was thriving, and with our talks with the Viera Temple Captial, It looked like soon, we could ask to be an independent state with close ties on behalf of gold scales, but well, all of this happened, at the end of the day, Crocodile is a hard-working, compassionate, kind, benevolent ruler. At the same time, he may seem distant and potentially cold, I assure you that He’s way better once you know him.
If you said referring to Crocodilea , I don’t want to hear any bad talk about Crocodilea Crocodile from you again, Muni. At least I angrily yell at you with my mental thoughts for the next hour(s), and Crocodile would know that you do not want to be with me when I’m angry.

Huh, I guess I’m already bringing wood from Crocodile. Time flew when I was invested in yelling you about a what-if scenario. Hmmmm. Do you have anything else to add?

>>1086456

……

Thank you. But that can’t change what’s already been done in the past.

4/10 Grey 2024/04/17(Wed)10:12 No. 1089040 ID: 3f89df
File 171337393498.png - (16.00KB , 500x500 , hammer.png )

>>1086458
> Grey, all of the Empire's standard primary weapons are advanced muskets.
> There's a plethora of stats around guns - stopping power, aiming assistance, pellet spread, recoil as the excess force from the gun hit the user, and how long it takes to arm the next shot or re-charge the weapon entirely. But at the end of the day, a gun is something you can learn in an hour. That power, to turn anyone with a hand into a competent conscript with the bare minimum of training, ensured that guns became the only ranged weapon worth training in the Empire. In most civilizations, really.

> Of course, since all the money goes into guns, melee training has devolved into small emergency weapons, primarily knives.

I didn't actually know that! Maybe once we get our hands on one of the Empire's weapons, Crocodile and I can study the inner components and attempt to replicate them; it would be nice to create guns, if not for our protection against the Empire, then just as something to give our civilians to protect themselves against raiders and pirates.

Thank you, Muni, for divulging that information and the differences in their weapons. I must also add that knowing that they don’t have much training when it comes to melle is very important, primarily when most of the fighters here are based around mainly melee-oriented training; I do know that most of the Empire’s knives aren’t of the best quality, and are rather dull, which while it hurts like a female dog-in smashing your kneecaps with a hammer, it isn’t somewhat effective in doing much damage.

>>1086458
> I don't know those last two elements. Also, you realize Uranium is blighted.
> Lead is great at absorbing blight before it affects you. Still, otherwise, it's actually pure poison and can cause brain damage by merely licking a slab of lead. You'll want to put all the lead between the walls of your shelters and nowhere else.

5/10 Grey 2024/04/17(Wed)10:12 No. 1089041 ID: 3f89df
File 171337393785.png - (17.43KB , 500x500 , hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm are you egg.png )

>>1086458
> I don't know those last two elements. Also, you realize Uranium is blighted.
> Lead is great at absorbing blight before it affects you. Still, otherwise, it's actually pure poison and can cause brain damage by merely licking a slab of lead. You'll want to put all the lead between the walls of your shelters and nowhere else.

Pychaninuam, As I’ve said previously, is an odd tree-like ore found deep within the earth. It is mainly used to unlock our mind's full potential and manipulate the elements around us, and of others, the rarity makes it so primarily those with connections with nobles or working in a Psy-Cast Field, such as myself as a former War Medic, can get.

While it has been studied intensively by Mages and Scholars alike, I’ve never heard of something like your mother and, well, you, Muni, being able to communicate among ourselves like this. I know this may sound silly, as I don’t really understand your species, But I do have a hypothesis that is quite morbid.

I think that maybe Psychaninium is some sort of insect or other creature that lives deep beneath the earth; it is a primarily stationary creature, resembling an orb, just like your mother, instead being an ambush predator that uses psychic powers to manipulate its environment and trap prey, while also hiding from potential predators, therefore the Psychaninum that we know is just itself in an egg-like state with a rigid shell that can reflect even the strongest pickaxe, So when concentrated in a blast, the capabilities of an adult psychaninum, reflect onto their host unlocking their mind to the blessings that blood mother gives to the world.

Of course, that would mean that we have been indirectly killing children for the past couple of centuries or so; it would explain how your mother and yourself were sentient, but not how or why you are still alive; maybe that’s a question that I can study further.


Oh! The Crocodile has finished cutting down some trees and will sow the fields. Despite my muscles and body screaming otherwise, I’ll get to work hauling the rest of the caravan. When you are deep in conversation, the sores seem much more distant.

6/10 Grey 2024/04/17(Wed)10:12 No. 1089042 ID: 3f89df
File 171337393959.png - (24.43KB , 500x500 , ooooooooooooh untoaninum.png )

Okay, where were we? Oh yes! Untoaminin! Despite its similarities to Uraninum, It doesn’t serve the same purpose and has more in common with Psychaninium.

Untoaminin is another magic blessing ore, or if my hypothesis is true, but one that can only be found in the corrupted wilds, a place more reminiscent of Bloodmother’s Tumor, Red everywhere, strange, dangerous corrupted creatures, constant mawing and screaming and place that would drive most insane within the hour, Untoaminin is blood red, with a dark hue, unlike Psychaninum. However, it is relatively quick to shatter, and when it does, It triggers a short non-lethal explosion.

I have some experience with it if you want to hear about it.
So, before I met Crocodile, I was a junior Medic on patrol from Fangtooth- Ugh, sorry, old habit, GoldScales covenant. To finish off one of our enemies, the Crimson Flame, a Rebellious, Hostile Group of Draconic Red Kobolds that had been recently raiding, raping, and pillaging some nearby towns that had an alliance with our Empire, After a failed defense at Reguin-Rock had run away from our party, into the Corrupted wilds, As it was a first time in the Corrupted Wilds, we where criminally under-prepared to deal with the alien environment.

We could take out the hostile creatures reasonably easily due to the size of our platoon, but our main enemy was between each other. This place seemed to hurt our psyche, with most foot soldiers and even some knights beginning to act erratically. One Knight, Antelope, known un-formally as Trien, smashed his GreatAxe into a nearby deposit near a hill to teach some foot soldiers to shut up around some personal affairs; however, in doing so, the Untoaminin exploded, and Trien and a group of soldiers were caught in the crossfire. After the other medics and I assessed the potential injuries, it initially seemed as if they had not resumed any injuries, and we began our campaign as usual.

However, at nightfall, that’s when the true horror stuck. I was awoken and called quickly by Moth, my Senior, to deal with an influx of soldiers dealing with rapid signs of illness and deterioration; it was an awful sight that I don’t want to spare you the trouble of seeing Muni, Vomiting Blood, Screaming of absolute agony, Seizures, Skin rot, Foaming in the mouth. Even though it was only around six soldiers, including Trien, It was difficult even when using some spells to attempt to deal with and treat some of the problems.

But even with everyone rapidly deteriorating, it was as if their bodies wouldn't die; over the night, the other medics started to notice that in place of their rotting skin, they were shifting, changing; some of the medics thankfully took the initiative and put most of them out of the misery, but Me, who was charged over watching over Trien couldn’t, It was my third job, and I couldn't do it, I thought that maybe If I just try hard enough, he’d be expected, and I tried my most challenging as Trien kept shifting, and shifting until he looked like a monster.

He awoke and seemed to keep some of his mannerisms, his speech was sullied, and he didn’t seem to be hostile; however, that quickly changed when the other medics entered the room, hearing the commotion caused by Trien’s new form. According to Moth, who can read magic, Trien’s power was on par with hers, One that had been training, studying, and doing magic for decades. They quickly escorted me out of the room, fearful of my safety, and that made Trien fall into a blind rage, injuring many of the medics and even killing one until finally, Moth managed to finish him off.

After Moth told the captain what happened, the captain assessed it with her supervisors the following day and decided that this land was too hostile, so we left. We have yet to hear from the Crimson Flame after that. Untoaminin has been carefully studied in the capital but deemed too dangerous to consider, even for warfare.

While I have read and could describe the symptoms, I think you get the point, Muni, that Untoaminin is something that we shouldn’t mess with, even in emergencies.

Oh, right. You also had some comments about some of the ore. Please reiterate.

>Also, Uranium is blighted.

Oh! No, I haven’t; I guess that makes sense, finally. Most of the workers who used to work with the stuff back in the capital ended up getting relatively ill and tended to have an increased rate of cancer compared to everyone else. Oh yes, now I remember about the lead; I didn’t recognize that either; I know that we didn’t use Uraninium that commonly, except for small-scale bombs, but we ended up using lead for some tools and instruments; I’ll consider that shortly, thank you, Muni.

>...Waaait a minute. Normal Pychaninum looks a lot like Psitanium. I know a little about that, and... It's not healthy. Titanium has this unfortunate tendency to make slightly insane people even more insane. If they're the same mineral...
>I mean, the last human we saw driven insane by Psitanium tried to sneeze peoples' brains out and turn them into vehicles!
>In short, are you sure exposing people to this stuff to develop powers is a good idea?

I mean… I’ve been exposed to Pychaninium for the last 17 years or so, And I wouldn’t consider myself insane…..

…….

Actually, let’s not delve into this topic.

7/10 Grey 2024/04/17(Wed)10:12 No. 1089043 ID: 3f89df
File 171337394223.png - (13.95KB , 500x500 , woah thats a lot of rocks.png )

>I already don't like that guy. A thousand gold is nothing to sneeze at, and that was your seasonal payment?!
>No, this reeks of a scam. The people on loan were Gold Scale; how hard would it be for them to ditch you so Gold Scales could claim your lives on default?
>In any case, his investment is suspicious, and his terms are profoundly unfair. Screw that guy.

>You need guns. It's the only way to get the Empire to back off. Go south, but carefully, and find an outpost. If you can steal some guns and a few ammo crates, hunting will become incredibly easy, and you can quickly train up an army and oust Gold Scale from power.

Look, as much as I don’t like Gold Scale, he’s the capital, and besides some nearby towns and cities, He has much more of a political and social standing between the kobolds than we could ever dream of, I don’t think that if we fail to pay our seasonal payment he’ll initially go to execute us, It’s more likely that Crocodile would lose his privileges and his land, and at most we would be banished, of course, that is if we don’t rebel militaristically, in which case we’d have the same reaction to what he sent to deal with the Crimision Flame.

Or we’d be perfectly indebted to him. I must admit, despite what the other kobolds think, I hate GoldScale. He throws out our current leader, Fang, then says he’s an illegitimate heir, renames the capital, and has a religious god complex in the capital. Not only that, but he embodies what drove blood mother to reside among the ground, Worshiping her children among herself.

Initially, that may be a good idea, but it is risky. Right now, we need some room to produce goods and gain enough people, so that is a good idea.

Oh! It seems as if Bardeibor has already finished, and it’s starting to get rather dark out, and my hunger is gnawing, so It’s a perfect time; I see Crocodile, hard at work, entirely focused on the fields; he seems to be doing decently well, and I have hauled our goods in the meantime, any others I’ve missed I’ll do later, Well before I call it quits for the night, Let’s see what we're dealing with-

8/10 Grey 2024/04/17(Wed)10:12 No. 1089044 ID: 3f89df
File 171337394444.png - (14.60KB , 500x500 , woah bardeibor.png )

Oh! A table and a couple of chairs? It’s not much, a bit tight, and the plywood is definitely not something we can keep long-term, but this looks rather good. Of course, there’s the storage container, which now, with a perceptive eye, contains most of our inventory from the caravan; going north from the storage container or kitchen seems to lead to a small hallway with a cramped bathroom to the end of the right side, and what seems to be two doors to two-rooms on the left side. To the left, there’s nothing. It looks more like a closet than anything else; I hope to BloodMother that is Bardeibor’s room, and to the right, it’s…

Well, thankfully, It’s much larger, but there’s also nothing, by the Gods! Bardeibor made a table and chairs but didn’t find it fit to make a bed for Crocodile!

9/10 Grey 2024/04/17(Wed)10:12 No. 1089045 ID: 3f89df
File 171337394723.png - (16.71KB , 500x500 , uhoh sleepy cringey.png )

This is bad, really bad. Crocodile is quite greedy regarding his chambers, and I already know how much he dislikes sleeping in a bedroll. I don’t personally care too much as I could survive sleeping on the floor, but I can’t imagine Crocodile liking the same.

Our dinner wasn't too noteworthy, and while his reaction to sleeping on the floor was just as I expected, it wasn’t bad enough for him to have a complete breakdown. He accepted it quite well, but mumbled about the savagery of the day. I found it hard to disagree, and despite not feeling safe, I inevitably fell asleep.

10/10 Grey 2024/04/17(Wed)10:13 No. 1089047 ID: 3f89df
File 171337398632.png - (13.47KB , 500x500 , Yawwnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.png )

Now, with a new day on the horizon and the sound of a caravan passing by the roads, I ask for your assistance, Muni, on what we should prioritize now.

>>1089039
Well... fine. Just... be careful. Even if he was a hero, what is he right now? What is he going to be if the crisis keeps growing?
I'll give him some time. We'll see how this plays out.

>>1089041
That's very insightful. You're the expert on magic, not us.

>>1089047
Alright, I did some 'training' on settlement tactics. It's complicated.
Everything begins with food. Make sure you have enough to perform at least one mid-term project. If not, then concentrate your efforts on securing more, no matter how tempting the other gambits.
Next, put all your efforts into chopping trees. You need space, building materials, and fuel, and the local trees can give you all of that. As long as your numbers are low, the devastation on the environment should be minimal, even if you clear out a glade.
And be daring! You're kind of desperate, so look for high-risk adventures to give you an edge in new resources and powers found in these dark woods!

>>1089047
A passing caravan brings opportunity grey mother.
Trade, gossip, information.
Perhaps even a good price for some of your muffalo should you be worried about lising them.
Primarily there could be trade to be had.

Regarding another issue.
The slavery.
I do not like it.
At all.
but it could be worth bringing in three because you are spread too thin for the work needed right now.
As such, i have a proposal grey mother.
One that may be more in line with the philosophy of a group seeking to be free of their own masters...

The three you "buy", once their previous owner is out of earshot, make them an offer.
That they will work for an agreed period of time, after which they will be freed.
That period of time equating in labour of the value you spent on them.
Explain what you are founding here.
Your goals, your hopes, your ideals.
After they are freed, should they wish to stay and be part of what they have helped build, they will be welcome to and embraced as kindred.
Should they wish to leave, they shall be allowed without constraint and shall hopefully consider you allies.
The hardest part will be convincing them you are not lying.
As such, their food and residence should be of equal quality to yours.
If the others oppose this, then bring up the following.
Turning three resentful slaves into three, free ,loyal citizens is better than forever having to worry about waking to a violent revolt.
And
What value our ideals if we merely act unto others as goldscales do unto us?

If you are fortunate, the caravan nay have candidates for you.
Choose for demenour over ability.
You are not numerous enough to cope with a disruotive element.

Of course, final decisions rest with you and the others, grey mother, but the council of this muni is to embrace freedom and grow unity not to chain souls and sow strife.

>>1089079
In the case of Indentured Servitude, I would propose we give the slaves the option of Double or Nothing.
Option (A): They leave, with nothing but the clothes on their back. They're completely free.
Option (B): They stay, their pay is docked to minimum possible wage (which you then have them use to pay for room and board and a few goodies here and there) until they have made what you bought them for - at which point, to their surprise, you then give them double the monetary value of what they produced for you. So now, not only do you pay back what should have been their wages but then give a gift out of the profits you made from their labor, showing that civilizations make far more than what they pay their citizens and you are willing to give some of that profit back to them. This should solidify their loyalty. From there, wages are normal, along with incentives, sidequests, and XMAS bonuses.

Wow you got all that done in a day? That's some great work ethic.

>>1089081
If you must do slavery, this is the closest to moral way to do it.

Hail the caravan. Even if you have nothing to trade yet it's good to see whats on the market.

1/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094766 ID: 3f89df
File 172202994755.png - (29.94KB , 500x500 , uhoh this is kind of an big ask for some slaves.png )

>>1089051
>Well... fine. Just... be careful. Even if he was a hero, what is he right now? What is he going to be if the crisis keeps growing? I'll give him some time. We'll see how this plays out.

So you were talking about Crocodile! It is highly offensive that you'll still consider him invaluable to the settlement. Even with all I've said and all you've seen, do you still think otherwise? Crocodile is the kind of leader to break his back sowing the fields early in the morning and late to the night; the future is almost always in his mind, and I'm confident he can make the right decisions.

He is still an official Baron until Gold Scales says otherwise, which gives him privileges among our neighbors, including Exceptional Hospitality, and potentially requesting resources from the Capital and our neighbors, but that may give us some risks.
No matter what Gold Scale says, Crocodile will still be an Emperor in my eyes.

>Alright, I did some 'training' on settlement tactics. It's complicated.
Everything begins with food. Make sure you have enough to perform at least one mid-term project. If not, concentrate on securing more, no matter how tempting the other gambits. Next, put all your efforts into chopping trees. You need space, building materials, and fuel; the local trees can provide more. As long as your numbers are low, the devastation to the environment should be minimal, even if you clear out a glade.


Thank you for your initial consideration. Currently, our main priority is food. Crocodile has already started plowing the fields, and that will continue to be his focus today. Baredibor will most likely be hunting, and we still have food from our Caravan. We should be fine if we don't move to a colder climate or deplete the local wildlife. Regarding plants, we prioritize rice, corn, and some cotton, with rice being our primary focus.

>And be daring! You're desperate, so look for high-risk adventures that will give you an edge in discovering new resources and powers in these dark woods!


That is much harder to swallow; if we get acquainted by passing adventurers on the road, we should begin a quest. I'm not one to really adventure that often, as I find it hard to squish a life, but you know better to lead an empire than yourself, Muni, and I'll do so; maybe to start, I can investigate the noise of that approaching Caravan.

2/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094767 ID: 3f89df
File 172202995147.png - (9.94KB , 500x500 , slavers well aint that convient.png )

Crocodile and I step out of our rooms and towards the sound.
Almost immediately as I do, I recognize the Caravan. It's one of the Empire.

There are four knights and either a Praetor Or a Baron Himself.
All the knights are dressed head-to-toe in custom-built, with some gold-laced armor in various builds. Some have their muskets as belts, while other larger ones can be seen across their backs. They have a muffalo alongside a sleek, quill-based predator with multiple yellow eyes.

They seem to be slave traders or tribute collectors. They seem to have a comprehensive collection of slaves of numerous races behind them, their goals clearly being to either lead them back to their base for production or sell them off; otherwise, their muffalo seem to contain bags and carts of unknown treasure or goods.

Despite the potential risks, I take the road to hail the Caravan. Crocodile stays close by but behind me; as I do so,

As I see them get closer in view, I can overhear the discussion from the humans.

"And that's why we'd never let Jhon-" A knight beside him interrupts him
"Halt my Good man It seems that there's some ankle bitters ahead."
"Ankle Bitters? Those Little Bastards? Hmm Not a lot of them I hear, maybe it's best if we add them to the little party here."
The Baron looks at them. "Don't even finish that thought, Copper, Where Tribute Collectors, The empire has no need to squabble among the savages of this land."
A Female Voice adds, "Besides Ven, Think about it economically, the savages buy our slaves at quite a markup price then the empire, and for Gold too, Ven what do you think the King wants, another little servant out of his ten to wipe his fat ass, or instead gold that we can use to get out of this blighted place."
"Steel your Tounge Gold, This is a professional matter. And Copper, do not speak unless you are reporting." The Baron glares at the misbehaving soldiers
Both soldiers regain their formation and begin profusely apologizing. "Yes, Sir, sorry, Sir. It won't happen again, Sir."
[/i]

3/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094768 ID: 3f89df
File 172202995321.png - (12.57KB , 500x500 , yo no looking at the ugly human.png )

As their Caravan gets ever so closer, I'm reminded of the absolute size of humans compared to us; even with Bardeibor potentially close by, I feel defenceless as a bug; even so, trade is essential, and it seems due to his in-action that Crocodile is testing me on if I can successfully talk, despite low circumstances, I step back out of the road. I hear a whip of the reigns as the muffalo begins to slow down, the knights get into a defensive position, and the baron looks at me, awaiting a response.
"Hello Sir-" "Eyes to the ground, hands behind your back Ankle Bitter." I immediately look down towards the ground and tie my hands behind my back. "That's much better, Dog, now do you wish to do business? Or should I cut off your tongue for wasting my time?"
"Business, Sir," I quickly reply.
In response, the Baron claps his hands in a rhythmic formation. Two of the rear guards begin to unload some of the slaves stashed away in the Caravan, and the ones walking all get into a straight, presentable line. "I want no funny business out of you, bitch, so make your decision and we'll give you a price." I hesitate to ask him further questions based on his temperament, but one sticks out. "I wish to make an informed decision about our slaves and what they are best at, may I ask the slaves about themselves?"
I can hear the coldness in the baron's voice. "Publically, and- " He turns his attention to the slaves, "I expect quick replies out of you, any longer than a recital, and you'll all get thirty lashings."
"Before I make my choice, Do you wish to Trade Further? I noticed you-"
He screams in my general direction, "Don't even think about it you pest, that caravan is for the KING, you moron, if you let you or your little doggy friends even near that thing, We'll burn up this entire forest and slaughter your little tribe."
"Sorry, Sir. I'm only interested in the slaves."
"That's what I thought, now choose from your selection."

Muni, We have around 325 gold Coins. About 50 silver coins are gold, and about 100 copper coins are silver. Since you may not know a reference to compare that to a prosperous farmer makes, on average, around 20 silver a year, and the less successful ones make around 90 copper a year.

I begin to scout the selection; they seem to be from a wide variety of backgrounds and races, with some being races I've not even seen before,
I go from the back of the line to the front.

Before I question them, I turn to the baron, my face staring at the ground. "May I ask them for their names?"
He responds in an odd tone of voice, "Well, I don't care one way or the other, savage, but if you're planning on coddling them, just know that some have murdered their own kind in their own blood."
"I'm aware of the possibility, I'm wondering if there are any names that ring a bell politically, that is all."
He scoffs, and I return my attention to the slaves.

4/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094769 ID: 3f89df
File 172202995599.png - (15.38KB , 500x500 , Gnoll looks like a gnoll made from gnoll i mean gn.png )

The first one seems to be a well-built knoll, with what seems to be many diffrent scars and stitches across his body and fresh wounds from whipping all throughout his body.
"My name is Trick RedClaw: I can haul, hunt, chop trees, help with light construction, and, if you're a sweet master, let me fight in the front lines."
The Barron adds.
"This one and his tribe ambushed us while we were collecting tribute from an acolyte's settlement, a true savage. Since he committed an offense against the empire. Its price is 40 gold."

5/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094770 ID: 3f89df
File 172202995757.png - (13.41KB , 500x500 , as the artist who knows what she looks like she is.png )

I move on to the next one. It is a blood-red, draconian kobold child or something from another race. It's hard to tell, as she wears a thick veil all over her body. She seems moderately dressed in some long robes. Her voice is soft but quite loud as if multiple mouths were talking simultaneously.
"My..m-y I'm sorry Madam! please don't hit me!" She seems to brace herself but seems confused when the blows aren't hit. For the sake of keeping my intentions unclear, I don't say anything.
"M-m-mm, madam? Sorry, my name is Runi; I don't have a last name. I'm good at magic and researching artifacts, but my magic may not be something you like, madam."
I turn to the baron. "If you don't mind me asking, why does she wear that veil?"
The knight loudly responds, and I see Runi shrink away from the noise. "Cause she's an ugly bastard, that's why! A pure-blooded abomination, that thing! She looks like her mother came from the Corrupted Wilds, and her Father was a blobfish; it's no wonder the Grenfell House gave her as tribute; what a waste she is!"
I hear Runi loudly sobbing, her hands bound by her chains, as her tears fall from her eyes."
The Baron seems to ignore the Knights' barbarism and looks at me. "She's a terrible slave, through and through. So I'll give you a deal: 3 gold, although I am willing to accept giving her for free if you buy at least three slaves."
Despite my maternal instincts screaming at me to help the sorrowful child, I move on down the line.

6/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094771 ID: 3f89df
File 172202996073.png - (13.53KB , 500x500 , is this just an ordniary adventuere or a bard.png )

It's a human, a tad taller than the others, with a thin yet still muscular frame and flamboyant features.
"My name is Aludem Huen I'm a former adventurer; I can Travel, fight, play music on my lute, and tell tales of adventure that'll last multiple generations to come."

"Don't listen to this bandit. he's an "adventurer" who attempted to double-cross us during trade. Instead of throwing him into the ocean like we should have, we kept him around since there'd be a suitable punishment back home in the empire. 40 gold"

7/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094772 ID: 3f89df
File 172202996275.png - (13.62KB , 500x500 , birrrrrrrrrrrd.png )

I go up to the next one; it is a long, thin, bird-like race with a pronounced beak and swift bird-like legs.
"Greetings, My name is Leiko Theresa, pleasure to make you aquantince, in my old life I was an Jewler or Tailor, but if it's anything that requires me using my claws, I can easily fit that into your role."

"35 gold"

8/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094773 ID: 3f89df
File 172202996558.png - (14.01KB , 500x500 , oi you cant have a sexy cat girl in your party tha.png )

The next one seems to be a breed of blue-skinned humans with odd cat-like features; they have a soft face and defined features and seem to be what humans would call "Attractive."
Before I can question her, the Baron immediately speaks up, and one of the knights blocks me from her view. "Hey, you can't have that one. That type's the King's Favriote 150 Gold."
I quickly move on to the next.

9/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094774 ID: 3f89df
File 172202996721.png - (10.00KB , 500x500 , crabbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb killllllllllllllllllllllll.png )

It is a small crab-like race. He eyes me suspiciously
"Oh just you wait- just you wait until I'm Free! FREE! I Tell you! I'll Kill you, I'll kill you all! When I get bigger then you'll be crushed between my claws ya hear? KILL-"
"Those Crab races are nothing but an menace, 10 gold."

10/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094775 ID: 3f89df
File 172202997035.png - (9.63KB , 500x500 , fat cat but he just an working class.png )

I move on to the next one, It is a medium-sized tuxedo cat.
"My name's Punt Lil. I'll keep this short for both of us, I used to be a Miller, but then I became a Baker!" They say.
"35 Gold"

11/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094776 ID: 3f89df
File 172202997230.png - (9.06KB , 500x500 , bee me me beeeee.png )

Next is a Race that Crocodile And I are more than familiar with Eusa's. They seem to have either ant, bee, termite, or a mixture of eusocial insect traits. I know from first-hand experience that Insectia cares more for their Queen's Will and Mission above all else, so she'd make a terrible long-time member, especially if we get ambushed by Eusa's shortly.

"Hunter, Fisher, Herbalist, Gaurd," She says blankly. She didn't even give me a chance to speak.

"20 Gold."

12/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094777 ID: 3f89df
File 172202997474.png - (16.97KB , 500x500 , nyehehyehehehehehhe nyeh and i say i-.png )

The next one is- I almost jump back in surprise from their appearance and stench; it seems to be some sort of magically resurrected skeleton, but obviously not a mindless drone, from what I've seen before.

"Hark, Miss Empress Cutebold, I'm Tomp Hearl, Former Human turned Profane. While I was a Scholar for the Profane faction and avid user of the Dark Arts, It seems that my current predicament in the hands of the empire makes it so that will not be possible. You may be taken aback by my appearance, and that would be reasonable for mortals, but Since I can not get sick, nor suffer the effects of poison nor sores I can easily deal with the less *pleasant* side of running a colony."

"This one gives a big talk, but it seemed like his savage brothers wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible. Nonetheless, if he's telling the truth, he'd be an excellent slave for you barbarians. 50 gold."

13/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094778 ID: 3f89df
File 172202997757.png - (11.31KB , 500x500 , lizard with boobies no way its the lizard with boo.png )

The next slave seems to be a large reptile girl. Her head and body parts are possibly covered in scales in an armadillo-like fashion. She also seems to have mammalian lumps. That's quite odd for a reptile.

"Welp, whatever I say can't be as good as that pitch, Heya new masters, I'm Untella Brendmear I used to do mercenary work due to reasons that I won't bog you down with, but I then moved to bartending for awhile until the empire swiped in, stole my supplies and shop, and now I'm here, destined to go to god's knows where to mine stupid shit until I collapse dead. Ya, I know there going to whip me till I can't walk ounce your gone, but I honestly don't care anymore."

14/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094779 ID: 3f89df
File 172202998013.png - (9.79KB , 500x500 , Good boi sorry i mean girl i mean boi i mean grill.png )

The next one is a frankly adorable small dog-like race that resembles Corgis. I'd want to pet this little guy severely if this wasn't a professional setting.

"Howdy there miss! I'm Sweetie Huntdrop, Me and pops was farmers more specifically we where fruit producers, If you'd choose me, I'll let you in on a family secret that's been passed down for generations, upon generations. I know it'd be worth all the gold that ya'll keeping!"

"More Farmers have no use to the Empire, 15 Gold."

15/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094780 ID: 3f89df
File 172202998244.png - (10.51KB , 500x500 , bovaine with bovaine equals bovine bovine plus bov.png )

The next one is a sizeable bovine race covered in fur, even over its eyes. It bears its muzzle and has an underbite tooth.

"I used to be a dock worker, so I mainly did heavy hauling and occasional construction or repairs if it was needed, oh and before I forget, my name's Dieala Vun! Pleasure to be meeting you!"

[color=#8836E1] "30 gold"

I go to the next slave; it appears to be some sort of human; there's an awkward silence between us, but just as I'm about to leave, they physically grab me and pull me closer to them.
"Wait, before you leave, I'm not what I seem, I assure you, My name is Kent If you have enemies, Any enemies, I'll help you slaughter them, I won't hurt you. But please, I'm hungry; And if I'm stuck here any longer I'll starve, please-"

They are hit on the back of the head by one of the knights: "Know your place Thrall, Hands off your potential Savage Master, whose got hands in gold, they are worth more then you'll ever be."

The baron says, "25 gold."

17/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094782 ID: 3f89df
File 172202998763.png - (5.59KB , 500x500 , awwwwwwwwww sad boi whos changed up and then going.png )

The Second to the Last seems to be some sort of Gelatinous Slime creature that attempts to have a human-like frame but lacks the necessary details to look human.

"......."
"Can you speak?" I reply
It shakes its head.
"Can you write?"
It nods its head.
"Can you do basic, and complex tasks?"
It nods its head again.

"The slime is 20 gold."

18/18 Grey 2024/07/26(Fri)14:39 No. 1094783 ID: 3f89df
File 172202999083.png - (33.59KB , 500x500 , small shadow child.png )

Finally, the last one seems to be some sort of creature the size of us; they have a horn protruding from their head that goes back and a semi-large tail, they have what seems to have large bat-like ears, and are covered head-to-toe in bandages.

"Are you going to call me an abomination, too?"
"What?"
"Everyone who sees me calls me an abomination, it's why mommy didn't want me anymore, called me the spawn of Ueritix, why the pastors threatened to burn me at the stake, why mommy sold me to the empire."
"Hey, hey, it's alright, little one. Can I ask what your name is?"
"It's Uea, my race's tongue for demon spawn. Mommy doesn't want me to use her last name; she said she'd beat me if I did."

"Kids are useless for anything other than washing floors, and shoveling dung 10 gold."


Seeing all of these unknown races makes me feel as if we kobolds have been relatively isolated from the broader world for centuries.
Finally, with all of the slaves out of the way, It's now time to make a decision, Muni; even though we have 325 gold, It would be less than ideal if we spent it all on these slaves; we still need supplies, and with every new recruit it is another mouth to feed, which is vital to consider if they aren't focused on anything that won't help us produce food, it's also essential to consider a person who won't betray us at a moments notice.

So Muni, who do we choose?

[1] Trick RedClaw: (Gnoll) Hauler, Wood Carver, Light Construction, Hunter, Gaurd. 40 gold.
[2] Muni R (Red) (???) Magic Researcher and Magic Caster. (Free if I choose up to three slaves) 3-5 gold.
[3] Aludem Huen (Human) Former Adventuerer, Gaurd, Bard, Thief.
[4] Leiko Theresa (Long-Limbed Bird Race) Tailor, Jeweler, Flexible. 35 Gold
[5] (Blue Skinned Cat-Like Human) ??? (King's favorite Race.) 150 Gold.
[6] Punt Lil (Tuxedo Cat-in?) Miller, Baker. 35 Gold
[7] ??? (Eusa's) Guard, Herbalist, Hunter, Fisher. 20 gold
[8] Tomp Hearl (Profane (Skeleton)) Scholar, Necromancer, User of Dark Arts, Willing to deal with disgusting things. 50 gold
[9] Untella Brendmear (Armadillo-like Lizard Race with breasts?) Former Mercanry, Bartender. 30 gold
[10] Sweetie Huntdrop (Corgi-like race) Farmer. 15 gold
[11] Dieala Vun (Furry-Bovine race) Hauler, Construction, repaired ships and the docks. 30 gold.
[12] ??? (Small Crab race) Has murderous intent. 10 gold
[13] Kent (Not a Human (Shape Shifter?) Hungry? Has combat skills? 30 gold.
[14] ??? (Slime) I can do simple and complex tasks and write. 30 gold.
[15] Uea (Child: Abomination?) It is somehow demonic in nature, 10 gold.

>>1094783
...
Grey mother, would that you could take them all...

1, 4, 9, 10, 11 then 15 with poor little runi for free.

I still say the intent should be to offer them a path to freedom.
To join with you or earn their freedom.
When what you have payed to free them is recovered, or its value in labour returned, then they are free.
The money can then be used to free another enslaved soul.

I hope talking with you will convince them of the value they would have and the regard they would be held in if they join you.

I council kindness grey mother.
Open hands and hearts may open thier minds to your ways.
A nation of free souls is better than a gathering of shackled ones.

>>1094769
Hm...
Risky. I don't think we can trust him; if we had a stronger army I'd take the deal, but it would be like buying a lit bomb. This man cannot be restrained by anything we can currently make, so if he goes rampant, people will die.
I'm okay if you buy his contract, but be ready for the worst...

>>1094770
You so need to buy her contract immediately. Cheap price means you lose little if she chooses to leave, and you can easily connect to her low self-esteem with your own bandage issues. Even if she doesn't have an Occultist power, having a loyal handmaiden will help you get more done each day, and having a friend will help your stress levels.

>>1094771
Ah, a classic rogue/bard. These guys are shifty, but usually care more about survival than murder. If he turns on you, it's just a matter of maintaining cohesion to mitigate any tricks he has. And as much as I don't want to admit it, having a human silver-tongue will seriously improve your diplomatic relations with the human empire. Worth the risk.

>>1094772
Unfortunately, I don't think we need her services yet. Precision crafting is going to be important in the mid-game, but that requires engineering laboratories and equipment worth thousands of gold. The long-term plans for our defense and armies involve guns, magic, and tech, meaning her claws will be a long-term detriment - kind of hard to hold a gun with giant keratin fingers.

>>1094773
Well, dang. I get the feeling there could be an investment opportunity here, but those soldiers would sooner go hostile than let their promotion requirement slip out of their fingers. Only way we'd get her is by attacking the convoy. and that's suicide.
Still, the Emperor loves blue-skinned catgirls. That intel will be useful, I'm sure. Apologize to the lady for her upcoming concubine status and give her an expensive gift, personally. Maybe she'll be... 'removed' quickly, but if she becomes part of the Emperor's harem, every favor you can court will be repaid tenfold.

>>1094774
Oh, quite the menace indeed! It's clear that this fellow isn't going to ally with you if you buy him, but his purchase price is cheap, he's not as invincible as he thinks he is, and his anger makes him honest. Despite the risk, I think we can try to earn his respect by pitting him against Gin. If it fails or if the psycho tries to kill us, Gin can kill him in ritual combat as tribute for his blood gods, which will make him more powerful.

>>1094775
I just... no. Expensive, weak official skillset, and very suspicious.
If you need baking tips, we can transfer some. Mediocre baking is incredibly easy and we won't need gourmet chefs for a while.

>>1094776
Ah, a hive species. I don't think she'll stay with us permanently, but you can see that she is very rational. She knows that she stands a better chance of making it back to her hive to serve if she serves as a temporary paid worker for us first. Her skillset is strong and generalized, meaning she'll make good work for us before she heads back to her hive. Definitely grab her, she's low risk, high short-term reward.

>>1094777
Well, you heard the man. Ultimately, my gripe is his extreme cost; if he bolts, there's little you can do to recoup your losses - he's just bones!
Too expensive, but otherwise a fair investment.

>>1094778
A hybrid? Cheap price, and I think we can sway her. She sounds like she'd make a great merchant, and if we save her ass then she'll owe us a favor regardless of how she gets back on her feet. Merchants and mercs need to keep their word, or they'll find that the once apathetic market is going to stare at them.

>>1094779
Definitely get her. Not for the secret, but because she's cheap and you will need farmers. Even if she leaves, she can spread word to her fellow farmers.

>>1094780
Well, you can get her if you want, but... I don't think her modest strength score is powerful enough to justify her purchase price. Even if she has sailing skills, we're not going to need those anytime soon.

>>1094781
...His name is Kent?
If this guy is who I think he is, then he's more powerful than he realizes. House El is famous for its heroes, born with the power to turn sunlight into physical and magical super-strength, and famed for their unwavering beliefs in morality and honor.
Pity that those idiots kept supporting empires over ghettoes.

>>1094782
Great deal, here. Modest price for a woman whose body gives her the potential to learn complex skills while mitigating most physical dangers. Main downside is that she won't give much if she chooses to just leave, but it's not a steep loss compared to the others.

>>1094783
I think he's a good deal. Cheap, and since the rest of the world considers him a pariah, I'm confident he'll stay with you if you show him respect. His species might make him eligible for unique magics.