Fantasy World Online I: New Roads

New Roads! Chapter 12

Chapter 12: the Forest Ruins Mystery 

In the next 10 (ten) in-game days the builders made considerable advances, putting down the foundation and the supporting wood pillars of the inn and building the back wall of one of the houses. 

I placed a quest announcement panel just behind the entrance to the Camp and made a 'well digging', 'tree chopping' and 'wood engraving' quests for Players. 

I directed the well digging at the center of the camp while watching players come back with long tree troncs, pilling them at the side of the clearing. A player with the engraving skill came a few days after I posted the quest. I made him engrave the inn's commercial sign on a wood plaque and a number of directional arrows all indicating the inn or Djaden and Antor city.

Then I sent a caravan of five (5) wagons to each city. The first was under Seymour command as he had increased his familiarity with the soldiers, and the second under one of the NPCs with a small Leadership stat. 

Seymour's procession would cross the rest of the forest and go to the first town, Antor city after it to promote the new commercial road, they would come back with more building material for the renovations. 

The second caravan would go back to Djaden and bring back Vreen's cousin, the cook along with two (2) kitchen boys, serving girls and stable boys. There would also be a stock manager a woodworker and a smithy.

Along the way, each caravan was gonna plant the directional arrows at the tracks and trails intersections. 

By the time they both came back all of the inn's and houses' external walls had been built. The workers had run out of material so I made them erect a protective wooden wall around the three Ruin entries. 

The extra men were introduced to their future business, the woodworker, smith, architect and I talked about the woodwork and smithy shops' locations and necessary material and one of the builders' team was put on the project. 

I left all the NPCs at the renovation site, distributing a few orders to occupy them and left with all the players back to Djaden. 

The whole Expedition had been extremely quiet, near to no fighting had happened but it had allowed me to broaden my friend list and gather quickly increase the NPCs' level by sending them on drills or hunting parties. 

When we arrived back at the city I paid the players, did a small written report to the City Lord and went to many shops to buy items necessary for the inn, smithy wood workshop and the houses. I also bought many aromatic plants, flower, seeds and a few young trees. I put everything on the wagons and left, going back to the Ruins. 

Because this time there was only the ten drivers and me we were often attacked by small groups of bandits or predators. Thanks to this my level rose two (2) times on our way. I put all ten (10) points I had gotten into Vitality, raising my maximum health by 50 (fifty) points. I still had to see Kaden to choose my Job but it could wait until the project was well underway. 

I directed half the wagons to enter the small village while I went around and used the lift.

The wagons in the village were full of building materials, table wears, woolen covers and wood furniture, woodwork and smithy material.

The other half of the wagons were also containing covers, table wears, and building material but had the plants, seeds and small trees.

By the end of the second month of work, all the houses were done and the wood workshop and smithy shop were opened.

The ruins had been cleaned and turned into a giant underground hangar. Wagons would come in using the platform and be stored in the old barn stables, the most precious Items could be put under guard in the old treasure rooms, the dining hall and the dormitories were used by the soldiers, two dormitories were given as temporary quarters for passing merchants. Those who had more luxurious tastes could stay at the inn. Repairs to wagons and trailers were taken care of by the two artisans.