[Sweetsong] Like Minds

[Vega]

61st Ymiden 722

It had been a few trials, but things were starting to take shape.

Walking around the settlement, Vega was pleased to see the settlers who were here. She had made sure to go around to each person or group and welcome them, talk to them, get to know them but it was here, around the main campfire, in the evenings that Vega wanted everyone to have a sense of coming together, of community. So, on this - the afternoon of their second trial together, she had asked Sally Settlement NPC linked here and Sian Personal NPC linked here to meet here here and now, the three women worked together to do the cooking. Both of them both NPCs are competent were good enough cooks, but Vega had to admit that she missed Arlo's food. Because of that, she had decided that she had come to rely too much on Arlo for his cooking and so, she wanted to get that dealt with.

They were preparing a large steaming cauldron of stew, and Vega's job was to cut and prepare the vegetables and then to cut the bread. She was cutting up potatoes and trying her best to make sure that the pieces were more or less the same size . After all, they wanted this to be cooked, not half-done. However, she made sure to make sure that the pieces were large enough that they wouldn't just disintegrate into mush as they cooked

She made sure to work as cleanly as she could. She didn't leave things laying around and she made sure to put the peelings other detritus to the side so she could pop them in the composters they had in her camp later. Once she had chopped the vegetables and they were added to the pot, she looked at Sian and Sally and asked "I'm gonna ask folks to meet up here, in maybe an hour. That goin' to be ok for the two of you?" Both women immediately nodded.

"This will largely take care of itself now," Sally said. Sian nodded her agreement, but added, "I'm going to taste it every half-break or so, and add any seasoning, things like that."

Vega smiled at the two of them and then, made her way around the camp. She spoke to each group, each person, and asked them to convene in the middle of the camp in about a break. She'd call when it was time, she assured them, and she made sure to include everyone. As much as she didn't like the notions of "leaders" of settlements - in fact she liked it even less than the need to build houses and so on - she recognised that, at the moment, people were looking to her. And, she also recognised that they did that because she was the best qualified and most experienced person currently here. So, all in all, she was alright with that; but it meant that she needed to get things going and people to get whipped into shape. Because if she didn't, no one else would.

A situation, she hoped, which would change soon.

[Vega]

61st Ymiden 722

She had hoped that, by the time the hour went past that there would be a smell of cooking stew and baking bread and, indeed, there was. Vega turned to her cousins and her father and she asked them "Would you go get people comin', please?" Huw, Reese and Shon nodded and went about doing just that. Vega figured that she'd give them ten minutes and so she took her time to chat with people, to take time with them. Vega knew that mingling with folks and chatting was something they liked, and got a lot from , but she also knew that she was better at being bossy.

So, once everyone was gathered, Vega sat on a table and looked around at them all. There were more of them than she'd thought would come, she had to say. She counted nearly fifty people in all and that was quite a lot.

"Hi, thanks for takin' a moment," she said and she gave a slight smile. "I have to admit, I were worried that no one would come." She had never been anything except an honest person, and she saw no reason to change now. "So, what I wanted to talk about was what we're doin' here. An' more important, how we're doin' it. I'm sorry in advance if what I say next sounds obvious, but it's important that we're all on the same base line." There were nods generally and so she carried on.

"We've come here because we want to live our lives in a way what's more free from the confines of houses an' structures an' buildin's. The point behind this place is to live in balance with nature an' in a way what works with, an' helps, Ol'Tuck." She paused and looked around, making sure that there were still folks who were nodding or looking like they were listening along. Vega was pleased that there was no one looking like they weren't paying attention and that everyone seemed happy with what she was saying.

"But we've got to eat, an' we've got to feel - an' be - safe, an' things like that. So, what I'm gonna do is suggest a few things that I think we could do to make our time here easier. First thing first, we need to be workin' smart as a group an' that means doin' what we like an' what we're good at. So, I'm goin' to suggest that what we do is work together, as a community. We need hunters an' farmers, we need cooks an' foragers, also builders an' weavers, too."

One of the settlers - a redheaded woman named Starr, spoke. "Why'd we need builders if we're not building houses?"

It was a good question - and a fair one - and Vega was happy to answer. "Because builders build more than houses. They make chimneys an' troughs, fences for animals an' for plants to grow up, they build defenses an' boats, bits an' bobs." Starr nodded, happy with the response and Vega gave her a grin and continued. "An' somewhere to hang the hides of the creatures we hunt, come to that. So, I think the first thing to do is to set that up. I propose that we set up an admin tent, basically. With a map of the surroundin' area an' the camp. When we organise huntin' or some such, we log in where we're goin'. When we leave here, for whatever reason, we log where we goin' an' when - or if - we expect to be back."

There were some expressions of uncertainty there, which Vega had expected, and so she explained. "I don't care - in the nicest possible way - where you're goin' or how long you're goin' for. But we're a community here an' if somethin' went wrong for you, an' no one knew where you were or when you were expected back, we'd be stuffed if we have to go lookin' for you. So, my suggestion is that there's literally no enforcement of people havin' to log in or out, but if you don't then you're bein' a plumb." Concerned expressions were replaced by smiled at that and Vega grinned. "An' it helps the hunters, too. I'd like to gather information on what's around an' not over-hunt any one area. So, if we work together, we can do that." More nods. Vega was happy with how this was going and she smiled.

"So, what I suggest we do is that we've got these pieces of parchment. On each one, there's a place for you to write your name, an' then the three things that you feel you can bring, skill wise, to Sweetsong. That's anythin' from survival to huntin' to cookin' to dancin'. We're a community an' we need to celebrate each other."

Pieces of parchment got passed around and people wrote on them. Vega did the same, and she made sure her family did, too. All her family, so that included Joy and Wren. Ru and Conlan and Akor were too young, but Wren and Joy were old enough and so they were involved. It took time and people asked questions and chattered as they did it. Vega was pleased by that.

"A'right, so, Wren has offered to help me with this. Anyone else want to?" There would be nothing closed or secret about what they did here, Vega was determined. "If a few folks can get the list goin', I can get the tent set up before we eat. Anyone?"

As people volunteered both to help out with the getting organised and the setting up of an administration tent, Vega smiled. They were doing it, they were happy and they were willing to work together. She didn't doubt that this would work, she hadn't ever doubted it - but seeing it in action was rewarding in a way she couldn't quite describe. So, she accepted that it was just a nice feeling and then, she made her way to start making a tent.

[Pig Boy]

RPG Rewards:

All Players

• Language: Scalveen

Vega

• Renown: 5
• XP: 10
• Knowledges:
  • Cooking: Vegetables which are cut to the same size will cook at the same time
  • Cooking: If you want your stew not to be mush, cut relatively large pieces
  • Cooking: Work clean to make things easier in confined spaces
  • Leadership: Keep checking that people are with you and read the room when making an address

Link to Review Request on the Forum: Standing Trials

Skill Review: All Skills used appropriately to PC's level

Notes: Sorry bout the late review after claiming.

Stew and bread, seems like a good starting point for a new cook who generally thinks they're useless at cooking. While there are still ways to mess those tasks up, it goes easier with some help from an experienced cook, and Vega is sensible enough to recognize she'd need help.

The dinner was a nice scene, and productive as Vega tends to be, getting things sorted out and planned. An admin tent sounds like a very good idea. With a group of wandering nomads/gypsy-types it could soon become like wrangling cats if you aren't giving yourself a way to track people. And if they can't be arsed to leave log of coming or going at the admin tent, then what can you do?

Good thread! I enjoyed it much.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this review, feel free to PM. Enjoy your rewards!