I need to put some thought into what precisely the town they arrive in has going for it. I know it can support an adventurer with a house full of crap, I know it is next to a river with the jellyfish that eat the sewage gunk. I like the idea of this being an exploratory phase, more of an outpost than a functioning trade thing, but I'm not sure it works in this particular context, I think that's what the next town should be. You get pulled off of adventuring here because of the potential for them to do useful things at an actual Outpost, so this is a landing area that is an established but small actual functioning town and village, which means it needs a economic center. It needs to be something that can be done from within the wards,, which kind of rules out farming. And I like the idea of them having to import food and manage the stocks and stuff more so than I like the idea of writing about harvests and craft like that, I want this to be about trade. Trade. If they import food, what are they exporting? Exports in the ancient world tend to be luxury goods, things like silk, tea, copper, ice. So maybe they have a mine or something underneath of town where they get stuff, and the adventures job is to delve into it? Feels kind of lame, but it would explain why everyone else is safe mining; they are digging straight into the ground. There are shades of path of exile here, but I think it's important that they are actually digging the mine. Also worth noting that I have a couple of friends who are the kind of engineers who do in fact dig out mines, so that would be a useful resource. Also stuff like salt mining is really crucial in history, One of these outposts would definitely need to be salt. The way this works is that Tuft’s AURA doesn’t stretch as far as protecting all of this stuff — he can only protect the town. And sometimes “things” from the void crash up against the landscape he’s touching. They swipe things. They grab, they break, they attack. So it’s not reliable. And it takes a lot of energy for Tuft to move away from the “detritus that has washed against his shore” — much less energy to SEND Sevarik and BRING HIM BACK with just the key things. But some of the stuff he comes back with is too powerful or would lose its usefulness if it’s inside the world seed aura, so it has to be tucked into the house right on the outskirts of town. It’s basically the model of a walled city and the outlying farms… Miria being a CITIZEN is only by dint of her magical-marriage to Sevarik. --- The episode where miria goes with sev should involve either a cattle ranch or a fancy political ball. Maybe the mayor would normally go but miria has to because tuft can't send the mayor anymore due to the marriage? Or maybe the mayor is sick or something. Or miria has a conflict with her and demands the privilege. Or getting out and doing somethig... it's the source of a fight between her and another woman in town and mayor graciously suggests that miria do it. Miria is scared at first but steps up. Because the event is such that we've has to take a "date" and now he's married it has to be her? Some kind of quasi annual thing they do whenever they're in this part of town? An agent meetup of tuft's "siblings"? What's the purpose? Trade. Once per year—during a festival when Tuft's drifting Skerry overlaps with neighboring realms maintained by Tuft’s symbiotic "siblings"—there’s a formal, gala-style trade summit. Each "sibling" sends representatives to exchange unique goods: rare magical livestock, enchanted seeds, cosmic technology fragments, stories (valuable as narrative "motes"), and exotic resources crucial for survival in the Void. --- - This event takes place on a luxurious ranch-like Skerry owned by one of Tuft’s oldest siblings, a symbiote focused on breeding rare, magical "cattle" creatures whose horns and hides provide protection against Void creatures and whose milk strengthens magical power. - Etiquette demands each envoy brings a "date"—traditionally the mayor would attend with Sevarik, representing Tuft’s Skerry. - The mayor, feeling unwell (or secretly stepping aside to manage growing tensions among villagers), nominates Miria publicly. It also strategically defuses conflict between Miria and another woman who openly resents Miria's sudden authority due to her accidental marriage to Sevarik. - Miria, initially overwhelmed and reluctant, decides this is her chance to establish herself. She accepts despite fear, eager to prove she’s more than an accidental spouse. - Conflict arises from navigating unfamiliar diplomatic rituals at the ball, complicated by Miria’s uncomfortable parallels with Earth’s political charity galas and the strange nostalgia it evokes. **Central Conflict:** Miria, inexperienced with magical trade etiquette, inadvertently offends another powerful sibling-envoy—risking a critical supply deal. She must rely on her ranch upbringing—using Earth-learned negotiation skills, livestock savvy, and social grace—to repair relations, broker a new deal, and protect Tuft’s community interests. Sevarik, usually confident alone in dungeons, struggles in this delicate diplomatic environment, relying on Miria’s social experience. **Trade Goods Include:** - Magical livestock bred for utility in the Void (milk enhances magical ability; horns/hides are essential protective gear). - Narrative motes: exchanged as powerful currency that Tuft and siblings use to grow their auras. - Enchanted seeds capable of adapting rapidly to harsh conditions, essential to Skerry agriculture. - Salvaged cosmic tech fragments: mysterious devices used sparingly as power sources or magical amplifiers. **Resolution:** Miria and Sevarik’s teamwork and growing trust impress other agents, strengthening Tuft’s standing among siblings. Miria secures a lucrative trade agreement ensuring critical supplies and stability for their Skerry, earning genuine respect within her new community. **Character Development:** Miria solidifies herself as a capable, respected leader. Sevarik learns that she has useful skills. Miria learns that Sevarik is capable of letting her take the lead sometimes when she demonstrates her competence. Let's make sure to get some non-humans in the mix, too. Tuft's skerry is mostly humans but they are by far from the only creatures out there. - [[Vitreans]] - [[Nautiloids]] - [[Eheuians]]