Linked together with twenty other minds in Nette's mental space, time seems to not exist. Compared to other meetings in the spider's domain, this one lacks an abundance of detail. We are practically sitting inside a void. To say we are even sitting is a stretch. Instead of bodies, we are more wisps of light with a hint of personality attached. Besides a few peculiar details unique to each person, their voice is the primary identifier for who's speaking. I wonder whether the mind templar tries to preserve the perfect tone for each person or if it happens naturally. Whatever she's doing works, though. We all know who is talking. Plans are made efficiently, and few distractions allow us to stay on task in this hyper-focused realm.
"If I may make a suggestion," says Scotty at the beginning of our town meeting. "I think it will be advantageous for you to use this city as a guild society." The lean man says casually, like it is common knowledge. Judging by the other humans nodding along, perhaps it is. Within a split second, I'm also nodding along. Although not common, there have been cases where entire towns are established by guilds.
Knowledge continues to flow into our minds. Guilds are essentially clubs that get carried away by their own grandeur. The Guild Society is a worldwide establishment that protects registered guilds and keeps them orderly. The Society's whole goal is prosperity. When nations go to war, the Society keeps the people alive. Seems like a cracked idea, but being a representative, Scotty has mostly positive thoughts on the ruling guild branch.
The backing thoughts of Gavin, Lana, Jaken, and other attendees share the same settlement. Though the Society is the head, the most common guilds are Adventures, Merchants, Crafters, Alchemy, Food and Drink, and some private guilds that seem more like mercenaries than clubs. The Silvers are a guild of legends — the organization responsible for driving Gene and her people out of their original home, the Ebony Woods.
"Why would becoming a guild be beneficial?" Nette asks through our link.
"It will give Howler Island legitimacy," says Scotty. If we contribute enough to their cause, we will be open to the Society's resources, including a teleport array. People will be more comfortable with our cult. And we can run the dungeon openly, keeping the truth hidden in plain sight.
"That is a terrible name. I will not have my home be called Howler Island," says Gene.
"Second," says five people at the same time. Becky's voice is the most distinct.
"Bones asked me to use it in a side message."
"Boo. You rat."
"No side chats," says Becky.
"Bones said I had to. He pulled the boss card." Nette tries to ditch the blame.
"Two rats."
"Nette..." This comes from Gene.
"I also liked the name and suggested Bones recruit Scotty."
"It is terrible," says Lana, who seems to only ever say nice things.
"The name has been removed from the options," says Nette, albeit grudgingly. The current list of home names held in the back of our minds is shortened by one.
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"How are contributions made?" Asks Fury.
"Credits and cores are the most common," says Scotty.
"New knowledge, equipment, food, and resources can also be used," adds Kaelin. The former pirate turned quartermaster is rarely seen without his pet falcon. Kaelin's scarred eye is much more prevalent without his bird stealing all the attention.
"Credits?" That thought is my fault, and like all questions, it gets answered immediately. The monetary value of each core. Common cores start at one hundred credits; each rank above that is multiplied by ten.
"We do not want to be controlled by anyone," says Nette.
"Once you have become an official guild, you are not required to donate to the Guild Society," says Scotty. "All that is required to register is ten epic cores or one million credits."
"That seems steep," says Bloom, her frugality somewhat shocking. More than anyone else, she knows the wealth of cores we have stashed away. She's the one who helped me inventory them.
"So we kill Fury once and be done with it." Bones's math is off by a small nine hundred thousand credits. He's a skeleton, though. I don't think anyone expects him to math.
"You wish. I no longer have a core."
"Shame. Shame," says Glimmer with a jest.
"We will consider becoming a guild over the next couple of days," says Gene. "I do not want to decide for my people too soon, nor do I feel like Bones or Jim are confident in deciding right now. I do like the easy cover it gives us. It will also allow us to vet people looking to join us. Do you really think we can get more teleportation arrays?"
"Usually, they can be traded for epic cores," says Scotty. "Of course, having a dungeon and being an exciting place of destination could earn us a couple of arrays on their own merit."
"Becky, you said you could build arrays out of cores."
"I am nowhere as efficient. It would take me at least ten epic cores for one portal stone. I would need another ten epics to complete the other half of the portal unless we are happy with a one-way ticket. One epic core for a complete portal is a good deal."
"Seems too easy." Damn my thoughts.
"The Guild society is not afraid to invest in prosperity," says Kaelin. "When the Lyconia opens up, the merchant guilds, crafting guilds, and adventuring guilds will be the first to arrive. They will make trades with the Guild Society to climb the ranks that will favor both parties. Then there are always the transportation fees for using the teleport."
"We were banking on the fees funding our wallets," says Nette. "Is there any room for negotiations?"
"I'm sure they will be willing to hear you out," says Scotty.
"Thank you for the suggestion, Scotty," says Gene. "We are open for more."
****
The island planning council agreed after exchanging ideas, arguments, and counterarguments. Our three towns will be structured as such. The north coast will be our permanent housing district. Most of the people looking to live on the island will live there. There is room for expansion and plenty of natural resources. The only downside will be the threat imposed by the horde. These houses will act as defensive strongpoints to repel invasions, and the teleport will be available for residents to escape to safety quickly.
The Golden Coast, aptly named by Lana, will house visitors, entertainment, pubs, and other lucrative businesses in the tourist industry — the beach and destination alone will drive the people. A few shops and restaurants will also be located in this district. However, most basic shops will be in our main town square.
Our main town square will hold our town or guild hall, the academy, markets of all types, and teleportation arrays. The main town will be the first stop for anyone coming through the teleport. Ideally, we can quickly scan them for any nefarious intentions. To control traffic flow in and out of town, we might even limit long-range teleports to certain hours of the day.
None of us are fooled by the illusion that our setup will be secure; however, with plans and contingencies set in place, this allows us to keep our island connected and protected to the best of our ability. Now, all that is left is for the planning of each district, starting with our town center.