Broka 27th 10,391
Six took up an office room in the rear of the leyhall, this would do until he had the time for something more personal. He was tired and wanted to sleep but before that he needed to check one more thing. He brought up the village management tab and began to check things over.
Mountain’s End
Rank 1 Village Current Citizens: 483 Current Gross Wealth: 6841 Gold
Policy: Minor Monarchy Morale: Low Crime: Low
Hygiene: Acceptable Education: None Structures: 13
Didn’t seem too bad.
Six focused on gaining more information on the structures of the village and it expanded into a more granular list.
Structures:
Leyhall of Blood and Ash (Enhanced)
Smithy X 2
Longhouse X 7
Healers hut
Palisade
Leatherworkers Yard
Focusing on the Leyhall brought up a new screen.
Ley Champions 7/10
Charles 5
Tavi 4
Chegg 4
Bobert 5
Jinrai 4
Teller 3
Vaz 4
Only seven left, that means that three of the dead were Ley Champions. Six grimaced, the champion buff was good but it didn’t stop people from dying.
He attempted to assign himself as a Ley Champion but received a prompt.
The Ley Master cannot be assigned as a Ley Champion.
Six saw that coming from a mile away so it didn’t really irk him at all.
He spent a bit of time looking at the granular breakdowns of the tabs, in particular spending some time within the policy tab which allowed him to implement policies like taxation, and simple laws or change the system of governance. He selected a low 5% tax rate on all purchases, this was just the setting of a law though, the system did not actually enforce these rules. It was up to his people to follow them. He also saw a heraldry section and spent a little time designing the heraldry for himself and his ‘lineage.’ It white linework of a six sided die, with each face reading six dots, on a field of black.
The day after, Six called a town gathering. The people massed in the village square that sat before the ley hall and once they were gathered Six rose into the air on a chunk of stone that was being suspended by a pair of the pyramidal ley workers.
He projected his voice out across the crowd. “Carralevine is dead. Alison is dead. Amog is dead. I am stronger than Leoka. Does anyone wish to challenge me for leadership? Does anyone object?” No one spoke. “Does anyone wish passage back to Olisrosa?” No one wished to leave either.
Six nodded at the crowd. “It is my responsibility to provide safety, security, and opportunities, in this respect I will try my best. All I ask for is peace within our community and a personal ideal of tolerance. We are on a ship. We need to work together and be one crew, there is no compulsion or coercion to this observation. I want to help those who help me and I will compensate those who contribute.
Now, behold.”
Six then withdrew the magical seeds and displayed them to the gathered crowd.
Six had decided to use the seeds and had spent some time thinking about the reagents he would use to alter the final trees.
It was strange the transmutive effect that the crafting in this world worked. Reagents were powerful but unpredictable.
There was Kytaligan’s soul core or his artificed Furyian heart; Six imagined those would create a more sentient tree, perhaps even reincarnating Kytaligan as the tree itself. The Heart of Amog could also have a reincarnation effect on the tree or simply make it extremely durable, it impossible to know until he tried and many of these items were unique or extremely hard to acquire.
There was the concentrated blood sap, that would surely make a powerful blood tree perhaps one more dangerous than Vostialkanoko.
The glassteel ingot with its high quality rank and extreme durability would definitely produce something powerful or perhaps the stillver as according to Ravna stillver was known for its absorptive properties.
The shadow mycelium foot might yield a looming shadow fungus, who knows what that would do.
Instead Six had taken his morning to go feed the prisoners and while there had picked the rest of the empress berries then had Jebbedo cook reduce them down into the thickest concentrate the halfling could manage. This jam would be the reagent.
He went to plant the seed on the east side of the leyhall and lowered himself to the ground as he went to place it into the small hole he dug, alongside a mundane mana core.
He received a prompt.
You are attempting to plant a Superior Magic Seed This will require one Mundane Common Mana Core to complete and will take materials from the most suitable nearby source. Concentrated Empress Jam reagent detected. Would you like to begin this planting now? Yes/No?
It would be months if not a year before the bush would most likely yield another harvest, but that was ok. This was for the people. He selected yes.
The seed fell into the hole and the jam rose from the jar that contained it and flew into the pulsing seed that instantly began to sprout roots, eating dirt and air, and reaching both into the ground and up to the sky.
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Creaking wood was the primary sound as it rose up alongside the building and quickly became a small tree about three meters in height. Broad deep green spade shaped leaves sprouted from the branches and a sweet scent filled the air. Its deep purple bark was ringed like a birch or cherry.
Planting Successful!
- Magic Emperor Tree -
Level: 3
Rank: Enhanced
Rarity: Rare
Weight - 131 KG
Durability 400/400
Traits: Will of Records, Inspired Retention
This tree may endow individuals within its domain of influence (2km) with the following buffs
Will of Records: 10% increase to the experience gained
Inspired Retention: 10% increase to skill acquisition
Everyone clapped as Six held his hands out, gesturing at this marvel.
Six couldn’t hear anything in his mind as he did with Vostialkanoko but he knew there was intelligence in these lifeforms.
Six inclined his head at the tree. “Welcome, tree of learning. Thank you for your blessing.”
There was a slight shudder amongst its leaves, but perhaps that was the wind.
Six looked out across his people and watched as the murmurs rippled through them. They spoke of this tree and the benefits that would come with it.
Six marched to the opposite side of the leyhall and prepared a hole much the same, this time the reagent would be different.
The first tree had been for the people. Six hadn’t been sure as to the exact benefits it would have provided but he was sure it would have provided some benefits to whomever controlled it. This Emperor tree may withdraw its boon one day, and on that day Six might have to cut it down.
But this next tree was for him.
And it would stand for as long as he would. This he knew.
Six held his hand above the hole and Lump quivered its way to his palm. From the blood golem came blood, it poured and watered the thirst ground. It drenched the earth.
Six could have used the remaining Concentrated Magic Blood Sap to make something pure and powerful, but that would not have been for himself.
Six could have used the blood of others, something broad and reliable, but that would not have been for himself.
So he had slowly been filling Lump’s reservoir with his own blood. The blood of the land, of the ley.
You are attempting to plant a Superior Magic Seed This will require one Mundane Common Mana Core to complete and will take materials from the most suitable nearby source. Ley Master Blood reagent detected. Would you like to begin this planting now? Yes/No?
Yes.
The blood fell in reverse, it was pulled up from the ground. The seed and mana core held by Six were taken by the coalescing streams of blood, brought further into the eye of the roiling orbits. The seed sprouted tendrils of pulsating flesh, searching. They grew and when one latched on to solid ground the rest quickly braided themselves along the anchor. Their exterior hardened into ridged plates as dark leaves sprouted from crimson branches.
The seed grew suspended by magic and flesh. It happened quickly and soon Six saw a crimson hued big leaf maple tree reaching above the leyhall.
It was beautiful.
Planting Successful!
- Primordial Blood Tree -
Level: 3
Rank: Enhanced
Rarity: Rare
Weight - 146 KG
Durability 400/400
Traits: Four Folded Aspects, Ley Life Well, Bloodcasting
Six immediately felt a new mental connection form with this thing. It was barely awake but there was something there. A hunger, a need.
A want.
Six dominated the lower leveled tree and his will easily brought its cravings under control.
Six could feel it extend its mind and explore the connection. It recoiled a bit when it encountered Six but eventually ventured forth to find him and understand their relationship.
Six could feel its outrage at being subservient but that outrage also felt right.
It had once been a part of him and that was the only reason that it was considering this acceptable, within its limited experience and understanding.
But once Six impressed upon it the consequences for breaking his laws, it understood its place.
Six once again inclined his head towards the tree of blood. “Welcome, tree of passion. Thank you for your blessing.
The blessings were quite powerful
Four Folded aspects:
This tree may endow individuals within its domain of influence (2km) with the following buffs
Blood and Soil: Earth affinity += N*2
Current increase: 6%
Ley Life Well:
The tree and ley master share a connection, allowing a transference of health between the two.
Transfer speed = 20% of respective max health over 1 minute of channeling
He felt a weak pull at his lifeforce from the connection and laughed. He crushed that pull and exerted himself over the plant.
Six turned to the speechless crowd and smiled. “We ain't even started yet.”
The next few days were pure work as Six began to mold the village into the machine he wanted to see.
He elected new ley champions and trained with the guards in the morning and then grinded on patrol with Nibbler and his golems. After a few hours of grinding he went back to help with scaling the town, they needed more infrastructure so he built on his own as Franklin put buildings up with her crew. Six delivered on that bakery and grew a prestethic for Min, the man had been patient and getting more and better bread was a good way of stretching the food stores.
Six reorganized the priorities list and they started on a central construction yard as it would increase the speed of any subsequent construction. A saw mill was produced to maximize resource creation and provide milled lumber, which as a material, synergized with the construction yard well.
A kitchen was created for Jebbedo and more longhouses were put up to give people space.
Leoka had stressed the importance of keeping the hygiene stat high lest the travelling doctors pay Mountain’s End a visit.
Ominous but Six didn’t plan to let this place get nasty nor did he have time to really get into that, because after his construction shift Six would run to the farms and lay down a Plant Growth buff on the land. He hoped to make sure everyone had enough to eat and that meant making sure the land provided. He returned at near midnight and began the same thing again the following dawn.
Of course his skills skyrocketed with such constant use, rising multiple skill levels.
Analyze - Initiate - Level 6-7
Athletics - Initiate - Level 5-7
Elemental magic - Initiate - Level 5-8
Cycle magic 3-4
Blood Magic - Initiate - Level 7-8
Blood Casting - Initiate - Level 8-9
Butchery - Initiate - Level 10-11
Carpentry 8-12
Construction 11-14
Heavy Armor - Initiate - Level 21-22
Herbalism - Initiate - Level 10-11
Taming - Initiate - Level 10-11
Traps - Initiate - Level 11-12
Maces - 4-5
Masonry - Initiate - Level 10-12
Meditation - 12-15
Mindfulness - 6-8
Perception - Initiate - Level 9-10
Polearms - Initiate - Level 14-15
Unarmed - Initiate - Level 8-10
Survival - Initiate - Level 8-9
Stealth - Initiate - Level 10-11
Swords 9-10
It was relentless and everything Six feared. Still it wasn’t as bad as it felt.
Charles had organized the guards into five groups of six give or take one or two, the Ley Champions distributed two a piece to each squad. If they ever doubled their numbers of warriors then they could have ten squads of six, but until then Charles determined this was the best distribution of fighters durability.
They had talked about how to handle the bandits and had decided on adding one or two to each patrolling group. Charles was to impress on the townspeople that they did not have to like them but to treat the prisoners with respect and decency. The boy was confused but Six explained.
“Some of these people are probably animals but I think most could be turned to our side, a more considered way of life. Treating them properly is not only just right it is also more psychologically effective than just fear. The goal is rehabilitation.“
It was alot of responsibility and Charles was young. That being said, he had gone to an academy and it sounded like survived a difficult academy arc. He had also proved himself, time and time again, Six had to trust that the kid had it controlled.
He had managed to ask that Celine person, who had been a young human woman, about casting for affinities and she kindly accepted with little negotiation on her part. Which was strange but everyone seemed to be
Gatbark was none too pleased and let SIx now as the enchanter was laying down some stone floors. “you’re stealing my workers!”
That was a big accusation outta nowhere. “Your workers?”
“Celine was working for me and you come in here and just commandeer her like that?”
“I asked and she said yes.”
“She can’t say no to the lord!”
“Eh. That’s not true. She could have very well continued to work for you, but while we are here talking, let me make one thing clear.” Six leaned in a whispered so only Gatbark could hear him. “Where I came from wealth was power, and I see that in you, a desire for wealth, but underneath that the power it brings.”
Gatbark pulled up and steeled his face, revealing nothing.
Six smiled. “You can either work for me, or play within my rules. I will tell you now, I will never let another’s wealth have control over me and if you attempt to fuck with me in that way, you will fuckin find out right quick bud.”
Gatbark nodded.
Right then. I'm planning a trip to Olisrosa in a week of two, do you wanna come do some trading for me?”
Gatbark sniffed. “Leave all my ventures? I'll be ruined. The compensation I would need to justify such a trip would be pretty hefty, not to mention-”
Six waved it away. “No problem, I’ll figure it out.”
“Wait, wait, don't be so hasty, I can be ready in a week or two.”
Six nodded the potential for making money was too much for the dwarf. “Perfect. Thanks man.”
Once the Plant Growth buff had been sufficiently and evenly applied SIx had alot of his time open up.
Time he used to begin the training of his enchanters and time to work on some personal projects, the new fullplate Ravna was close to completing and a new project he wanted her to work on. But to have the full toolkit available to enchant his armor he would need to seclude himself and work on breaking down and cataloging some of the new enchanted items he had access to.
It was time for inventory management.