Surveying the Land

[Timmean]

Timmean makes his way through the forest, making a closer examination of a fairly flat area just behind The Watering Hole. As he goes, he breaks off occasional tree branches, using them as markers for the edge of the field-to-be.

Good so far... good... that rock will have to go, that'll take some work... good here... this will be perfect...

[Torvallis!]

"Timmean! Thank Lord Fire you're okay!"

[Timmean]

Upon hearing the exclamation from Torvallis, Timmean glances up at the fire mage, surpirsed.

"Um, yes, I'm quite alright... is there a reason I wouldn't be?"

[Torvallis!]

"Uh, what? No, no, thank the Fire Lord that today is a good day and that everyone is in good health and cheer! Thank him enthusiastically, every day, for every bounty of the world, (except rain, rivers, lakes, ponds, and other wet)! Thank the Fire Lord that you are in good health and with optimistic plans for the future! Hey, I think stuff needs burning, do you think stuff needs burning? I'm going to burn stuff!"

[Timmean]

Timmean smiles and chuckles to himself as Torvallis goes on with his enthusiastic thanks, but his eyes widen in slight panic as Torvallis utters the last few lines.

"Uhh, actually Torvallis!, we DO plan to burn a lot of this! But not quite yet. I'm hoping to get most of these trees out of here first, to use as a building material... or as firewood for the winter! No point in burning it all now when we could prolong it for the whole winter, right?"

Timmean presses his lips together in a nervous smile, hoping his immediate future won't require an escape from a forest fire.

[Torvallis!]

Torvallis! turned around to face Timmean, with puppy-dog eyes.

"Did I hear . . . Torvallis!", Torvallis! began, in a bad Timmean impression, "'DO burn a lot of this!'?"

They began maniacally laughing as they juggled fireballs.

[Lessa]

"No, fire mage. He distinctly said not to burn anything yet," Jennet interjects, having finally snapped out of her lengthy doze and stepped out of the tavern. She ducks back inside and reappears with a bucket of water, dripping wet. "It would not be wise to displease Phineas' second-in-command at the tavern. You never know what will happen to your food and bunk. So I'll have to throw this all over everything, including you, if you release any of those fireballs." She hoists the bucket, disregarding the water that runs down her side as she takes direct aim, then pauses to see what happens next.

[Torvallis!]

Torvallis!'s grin suddenly diminished. They popped one fireball into their mouth like a candy, and reduced the others back to mana, which went back into their multitudinous pouches.

[Timmean]

Timmean exhaled a long breath, relaxing now that the forest fire threat seemed to have passed. He turned to nod in thanks to Jennet.

"My thanks; Torvallis can certainly be helpful in some situations. Notably when anything DOES require burning. But in other situations... actually, in pretty much every other situation, 'loose cannon' is an understatement."

He glances back at the forested area he'd been surveying.

"If you'd like to give your input on the suitability of this bit of forest - hopefully our future farm plot - I certainly wouldn't mind a second opinion. But if you're busy, don't let me take up any more of your time. Thank you again."

With that he turns, continuing his walk through the patch of forest.

[Lessa]

"Good work, mage. I'll remember to ask for your help next time the fire does not come when called," says Jennet, smiling encouragingly at Torvallis!. She looks around for a dry spot and, finding one a safe distance from all three of them, dumps the water on it. She straightens and looks at Timmean. "Farm plot, huh? That's not something I have too much experience with, but the land looks fine. What are you planning to farm? You should have no trouble at all raising spiders, though some of the patrons might be uneasy about that."

[Timmean]

Timmean grimaced, remembering a recent spider encounter that hadn't ended well.

"You're right, but they don't seem to need much encouragement. I'm not certain exactly what we'll plant, that will depend on what edible plants we can find, and how successful we are at cultivating them. Phineas has also agreed to speak with a few of his contacts, to see if we can buy some seeds from other farms on the island."

He sighed, thinking back to the days on his farm back home, before landing on this island.

"I must confess, while I've farmed for most of my life, I never had to start one from scratch. And the climate here is somewhat different than I'm used to. I'm sure I can make this work, but I may need a little help from other farmers more accustomed to the area."

[Lessa]

"I have some travelling to do in these parts anyways as I won't find my sister any other way. If you like, I can talk to some farmers about crops and such like as I go, maybe bring back seeds if they're willing to share or trade." Jennet looks thoughtful for a moment as she rubs her tattooed cheek. "I'll bet some of them will be glad to know of this tavern and the people connected to it. It can be a good hub for trade, I imagine, especially with a forge attached and the water so handy for travelling on."

[Timmean]

Timmean nodded, looking thoughtful.

"That would be much appreciated; getting this farm going is sure to be a sizable task. You could talk to Phineas on the topic also; I'm sure he'll have some thoughts on how best to, ah, 'advertise' our little settlement. And speaking of Phineas, I need to speak with him..."

Timmean turns toward the Watering Hole, and takes a few steps before pausing, his eyes downcast.

"You said you're looking for your sister... good luck. My reason for being here is not so different. If I can help in any way... just let me know."

With that, Timmean stalks off toward the inn.

[Torvallis!]

Torvallis! came up to the field, looking for where they left off last time, and began tearing up old roots and collecting branches. Burning this will keep the bunkhouse warm tonight, and in the morning the coals left over will fuel the forge. And slowly, Timmean's field was getting cleared of useful fuel before the controlled burn.

[ThraenOfHeart]

Thraen starts surveying the land to try to get his bearings, but nothing looks familiar. It's as if the entire land has been changed, "why am I and what's going on!?" The elf cries

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