Sunday, November 29, 2020

The Trade War in Cambrey, Years 59 to 69, and Spate Station

There has been a Trade War going on in Cambrey. Omri Bevanson moved there from Cod Bay in Year 47, changing his last name from DeAryl and marrying Adacia, a woman from the Aryl native village his father's family had come from.  Omri was trying to build a 'new map of the South' because the -then fledgling- map started at the bank only went north from Cod Bay.  

Omri made a little progress.. but he severely butted heads with Pamela Benson, now Eastham, who had moved to Cambrey years earlier, in 36.  Pamela's husband Erik had moved from the East Native village to join with Charles Robinson in making the Cambrey outpost against Pillagers.  However, she had asserted control over the sugarcane AND the cows in the town to make 'Bensons' Books', a small bookstore located behind her house.  Richer villagers from all around could come and purchase books to fill bookshelves at their homes, paper, ink and other dye products.  

when a wandering trader showed up on top of Omri's house near the 'failed' map project, and then Omri and Charles Robinson helped him get down


Omri, being a butcher's son, soon had his own cows and pigs and was producing leather to be used for item frames for the Map.  Pamela bought out as much leather as she could from Omri, sometimes trading sugarcane and paper for it, sometimes simply offering too large a price that Omri could not refuse.  Omri could see the price of sugarcane going up and up and up... but for some reason he never did see that he could simply plant more of it himself.

Brian Eastham, Pamela's second son, did see the idea as something to cut through the poison eating the town up from the inside-out.  He moved out of his family home and built a new house at the same time Gregory Robinson was building his, year 59.  Gregory was so busy mining, he really didn't care what was going on elsewhere.  He had wooed young Eileen Eastham from Ravenna, and was starting a large family.  Like his father Charles and grandfather John before him, he pulled large quantities of stone from the earth and built a large house with two stories.

Brian was a bit more savvy.  He saw his mother's tight control of the sugarcane but knew she would also refuse to plant any more to widen the supply.  Omri had bought sugarcane from Cod Bay and from Ravenna, but it was tough for those smaller communities where they used most of the crop that they grew for other things.  Victor Robinson built his little cafe, 'Honeymakers', a play on the Robinson's way with mead, and was also requiring more and more sugar to make pies and cakes.  Brian saw a way out that would eventually benefit everyone, but probably make his mother very angry.. at least in the short term.


 Brian Eastham's sugarcane farm

He went to Ben Pippington at the bank in Ravenna, and proposed a loan.  Ravenna would 'loan' him their entire crop of sugarcane for one season.  The bit used by the medical center would remain, but all the rest of it would go to Brian.  Brian took that and all of the sugarcane Omri's daughter Luna would spare, as well - and began planting a large field across from his new house (and directly behind Benson's books!).  Pamela did see red!

Very quickly Brian had stacks and stacks of sugarcane, much more than the 39 he had been 'loaned' by Ravenna.  He returned his loan to Ravenna and planted all the rest back in a second field.  Soon, Brian was reaping stacks and stacks of sugarcane, as well as oak wood and apples from the orchard he started in his spare time.  He is providing paper to Luna and Omri for the map project, sugar to Victor's cafe and meadworks, and also has a standing offer that his mother can buy paper for the bookstore as needed.  During all of this Brian attracted the eye of Opal Robinson, of Cod Bay, and settled down in his house a very happy (and busy) man.


Luna used some of the mapping expeditions to collect extra sheep and cows from the fields South of Aryl village.  She brought back brown, black and grey sheep, and has provided enough cows that Omri has enough for meat, and for breeding.   She has continued some of her father's work, expanding on the map, even though some are now calling it the 'Failed Map of the South'.  Recently, she has married Xavier Reynard, a young machinist who had moved over from Cod Bay, to be closer to the Cambrey mines.  There is gold and redstone down in the mine Gregory has just left untouched - 'no iron tools.. all the iron seems to be used for something else in this town...' Gregory has grumbled.. but he keeps making stone and sometimes even wooden pickaxes just to keep mining.  "What is he really looking for?" Luna asked Xavier.  Xavier said : "I'm not sure, maybe a mineshaft, maybe a dungeon with treasure.. maybe just adventure?  I sure hope he doesn't find anything like they did in that mine in Rosered..."


 Cambrey and Cod Bay have nearly grown together... over the next dozen years they probably will become even more entrenched, separable only by the gulley of the end of the Firetongue River and the mines

David, Brian's elder brother, decided to get away from all of the tension and pressure in Cambrey and build his home a little further away, founding Ellsridge Farm (read that story here)

 

Victor and Jenny's house, interior, before the roof goes up

Victor Robinson has helped his brother out in the mine for short stints, in between baking and helping his father, Charles, and mother Tilly (Pippington) craft mead for the storage kegs.  He is working on building a fine house, and took several years of courting before he finally convinced Jenny Gosreele, of nearby Benson's Pointe, to marry him and move to Cambrey.

 Charles still spends most of his time out tending his beehives, enjoying good health and trying not to listen to the bickering that has been happening back in Cambrey.  He has beehives between Cambrey and Ravenna and also between Cambrey and a farm built by the Man from Kriganzy, Mavic Rigginson, who moved in and built a large strange house just around the time his own sons were making their new homes.  Mavic caught and bred wild horses, using apples and gold which he mined deep beneath Meadowview Farm.  It was amazing luck when he found a saddle in a dungeon chest.  Paul Daniels had also found one in the mineshaft beneath WestSea, and his daughter Callista had taken to riding horses but had never been able to breed them.  Alvin Allen (Paul's nephew, as his mother was Piper Daniels) wrote to WestSea and tried to play matchmaker to bring Callista out to meet this 'Man from Kriganzy', after Mavic helped him finally breed his black spotted horses to produce a fine little filly.  Alexander Daniels finally convinced his sister Callista to take his wife Alisa to visit her aunt Sara, Allen's wife.

Riggins Ranch, built by Mavic Rigginson, originally of Kriganzy


interior of Mavic and Callista's house

Charles Robinson still stops by and talks horses and catches up with Alvin Allen at Meadowview, just north of Riggins Ranch.  Mavic and the Robinson boys have a lot to talk about between the different mines they are working in, as well as the animals.  Together with Allen's farm, they are trying to perfect some sort of watermelon honey wine.. but mostly so far they have just drank their experiments and not made anything commercial.  It can get to be a loud night on the Cambrey Plain when the Allens and the Robinsons break open a keg.

Saul Allen has taken this to heart at Spate Station, the new waystation he was assigned South of Rivertown.  The road from Rivertown heads straight through Beam Ridge to Spate Station, and then to the dock that heads South to Whitmoor.  Saul took some time convincing Wallace Garvey of Benson's Pointe to move there with his wife Maggie Robinson, originally of Cambrey.  They had a young family and the swamps can be a dangerous place, but Saul has done his best to make the Station into a well-lit Estate full of food and safe buildings.  Saul got to work and built a huge house on the plain while making frequent visits to the Cambrey mead nights on the Plain between Riggins Ranch and Meadowview.  Saul finally got what he was really aiming for, when he asked Melanie Robinson, Maggie's darker-haired twin sister, to marry him and move out to Spate.  The road between Cambrey and Spate Station has now become a well travelled pathway, and has also sent several of the Robinsons and Easthams headed off to Whitmoor, where another boom is happening.



 Spate Station shortly after Saul first moved in

Spate Station after Wallace Garvey moved in and Saul built his house

an attempt at tree farming


Saul's sister Sadie moved out to Whitmoor with Olaf Eastham, of Cambrey.  She had been helping her sister Natalie with the weaver's guild in Rivertown, but Whitmoor offered a lot of opportunity.   Olaf helped manage the cows and crops for Kevan Thomas while Kevan was off mapping and mining.  He sits in Tyr Rockham's smoked meat shop often, and discusses the roasting and spicing of beef.   Sadie helps at the school with weaving and loom construction, and has a community of other weavers there, Sanguine Aristo, Hyrine Eastham (nee Perkins of Rivertown) and her daughter, Klea, who teaches the high school students at the Whitmoor Kilnmaster School. 

Joiner Robinson, Charles' youngest son, moved out to Whitmoor in Year 69, with Olaf, and immediately began to build a large house.  He made his own little mine on the side of the shore and was pulling large quantites of stone out of it, like so many Robinsons before him.  Joiner convinced Ava Riggins, the elementary school teacher, to marry him just months before suffering a terrible lava incident under the mines of Whitmoor.  


It also doesn't hurt that Joiner Robinson knows how to build indoor plumbing, which he has installed in his house and Olaf's in Whitmoor.  He is starting to teach this at the Kilnmaster, school, too.



 This is why you do not build your mine towards a lava pit!

Joiner learned that day not only why you never mine near lava and gravel, but also that an underground lake, like the many that exist around Whitmoor, can save your skin literally in such a horrendous situation.  He mined gravel that was hanging over his head, and then ran around on fire for several seconds after the gravel dumped to the ground and then lava dumped on his head from the pool above.  The underground lake he had seen on the way into the mine saved his life.  Arturo Aristo, surprised the boy survived, offered him a job at the school as Mining Safety Instructor.  When asked about the tragedy Ava said he was still better looking than average, and she didn't see what all the fuss was about (his charisma was 11/12 before, and rolled a 7/12 afterwards).  Apparently the burns were only superficial, but perhaps the knowledge learned can save another Minecraft life in the future.


the Barracks and Defense at Whitmoor

Other developments :

Kevan's wife Sofia Aristo, of Vaya village, has been warning all of Whitmoor to prepare for war with Kriganzy.  Hawk Riggins, who fled Kriganzy with his wife before coming to Whitmoor, agrees there has been internal conflict brewing about whether to accept and trade with Outsiders or whether to attack.  The new Eagle Clan that took control soon after Tan Vandreas tangled with Kriganzy back in 47, has been advocating for attack.

Rega and Rygo, Tan's twin sons, have been making the journey there with their mother Terezea and understand the language and the customs.  They have come to Whitmoor to talk with Garan Eastham about trying to make a pact with the Fish Clan there, to at least have a line of information about coming attacks and problems.  Garan is leery of the idea, but has set up a waystation West of Whitmoor with the twins and cemented a pact with three daughters of Fish Clan leaders.  Their village will be the first to know if there is danger headed East.  It is a scary situation to be in, but Garan, who had been training to be Supplymaster of the Whitmoor Barracks, has set up a fortified enclave and is ready for what might be coming. 

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