northern underground

The lashes came down across the backs of those who had lost their purpose. I met the caravan at the edge of the territory. Apparently, word of our settlement had reached the ears of those in the other cities. In the center was a large box truck, pulled by several horses. Inside were several burly looking men, slaves. I stood on the center of the small clearing, where a path had been made. I was rather impressed that these slavers had been able to make it all the way up here this quickly. It had only been two days, after all. The caravan would come to a stop, while two men on horseback approached me. Dismounting, they spoke to each other quietly before bringing their attention to me. Words would be exchanged between us before I invited them into the small settlement. There would be a short explanation of the setup and the history of the area, along with where these people came from. With that done, we would take a seat at the center table, which was about thirty feet in front of the area where two houses were slowly being constructed. I didn’t have a solid foundation for funds yet, so the most likely move would be for me to get a small group of slaves to use as carpenters. I would have them a pile of gold, in exchange for ten slaves. The cart master would come forward later, with a line of men in shackles. I was rather impressed..

These men looked like they could handle themselves. Some looked strong, and some looked rather nimble. Either way, I was satisfied with what was happening now. Looking over at the slave traders, I would ask them for their share of supplies as well. Wood was a precious commodity here, and the more of it I could get my hands on the better. I didn’t want the lumberjacks to ever fall behind schedule, and if I could lighten their load a bit I would do that immediately. With the cart of wood being pulled into the village, I would send two of my workers over to check it out. With their signal, it would be accepted, and the currency transferred over to the slavers. Wanting to get back to work, I dismissed the slave traders, who agreed to return every couple of days. Turning to the new slaves, I gave them their first address. “You work for me now. Pledge your service and loyalty, and you will be rewarded with freedom. What you did in your past life means nothing here. Work, and earn your new start through sweat and blood. Help build yourself a glorious city and a new home. Through your cooperation, we can make this happen much quicker. As a token of my appreciation for your continued loyalty, I will bring your families here as well, so that all of you can live together in a new freedom”. To my surprise, the slaves cheered before I dismissed them.


We were going to need more tents.

+10 Carpenters, 118 wood, - 2160