June 2021 - Sheep Island

[staymods]

So Fluffy!

The first month on the island has been a lesson in patience and hard work. While everyone can survive on the island, it takes much more to thrive, and there are plenty of projects that will help make life on the island seem just a little bit fuller.

Through the efforts of several individuals, the first of those projects has been complete. And on the first day of June, a herd of 50 sheep in both white and brown varieties arrives at the settlement. They are quickly ferried off to Sheep Island, where the repaired fences and passable barn make for a good home. These sheep will prove to be important to life on these islands, Milk, wool, and mutton are now all available for use on the island, though take care to ration your use of each! These 50 sheep are all you will get for now, and if you want more you will need to breed them.

Along with the sheep come a pair of Finnish Laphunds, Jorkki (male, the black dog) and Taimi (female, the brown dog). They're trained up and ready for sheep herding.

The Skald

The sheep aren't the only new arrivals to the islands on this day though. A man in his 50s, with red hair that is starting to go grey, also disembarks with a bag of personal effects.

Once everyone is settled and the sheep are taken care of, he will give a gruff greeting: "Mauri Möttönen, Skald. I'll be here for the next month, surveying the area for hidden Troll nests and making calls for the Cleansers to come as needed. They said all of you were doing alright on your own, but if you have any questions feel free to ask. You're not the first Otherworlder settlement I've been to, so this is familiar territory for me."

After that, he will take his things to the Main Hall and set up a sleeping area for himself, one a bit of a distance away from everyone else. It seems that he was right about being familiar with the area.

Comments

Questions for the NPC

[staymods]

If you have any questions for Mauri, ask them here.

[maidofmistakes]

Hi! Uh... We've been hearing some weird noises from the other islands, and it feels like something's watching from over there. Is that what Trolls do, or is it just some animal or something?

[staymods]

[Mauri doesn't seem too surprised to hear this.]

Moving in already, huh? Hmm... It is normal for Trolls, yes, but it's not good that they're so close to the islands. That's why we inspect the islands every summer, to see where Cleansers need to be sent.

[maidofmistakes]

I was kind of afraid of that. So you guys are here to get rid of them, huh? Uh, anything we can do to help?

[staymods]

[He kind of just huffs at that.]

Do I look like a fighter to you? I just call in the mages who do the cleansing.

[maidofmistakes]

Sorry. I just, uh, didn't want to assume. You can't always tell how strong someone is or what they can do, right?

[argentlarvae]

What's a skald?

[staymods]

Someone who works to preserve the knowledge of the Old World. In winter months I make copies of Old World books so they can be referenced without damaging the old materials.

[argentlarvae]

Really? You're a scholar? [Sir you don't look like a scholar to him.]

[staymods]

What? Do I not look the part?

[That is said with a touch of humor. He knows he doesn't look like a scholar.]

[battling]

Ain't the first Otherworlders,

Did the rest of 'em end up on a different group of empty islands? How many of these d'ya got?

[staymods]

More than enough. Didn't the name "Otherworlder settlement 5" give that away?

[relictus]

[He's maybe eavesdropped on some of the other conversations-]

I heard you mention you make copies of "Old World" books. Do you happen to have any of them with you?

[staymods]

I don't have any with me right now, but if you're interested I can get a copy of something sent over. There's several that can be requested by anyone and aren't restricted.

[relictus]

Anything that has to do with the history of this world would be ideal.

Though it would be nice to have more reading material in general...

[staymods]

That I can do. It'll take a couple weeks, but I'll have them send some stuff over.

[Thank u for giving me a prompt to use in the first July post.]

sheep sheep sheep

[argentlarvae]

[Cyan is... not a shepherd. But the sheep are so fluffy. They're so fluffy. They're varying levels of tolerant of him, but he's found one that is content to let him pet it on the nose. And the other sheep are starting to investigate.

So fluffy.]

[maidofmistakes]

They're friendly, aren't they? At least if you're careful with them. Which is probably easier for you.

[She says while very, very slowly and shakily brushing a sheep.]

[argentlarvae]

They're so soft. [He says, voice low as he gently pets the sheep on the forehead.]

[maidofmistakes]

Yeah... We can probably get a bunch of wool from them to make clothes. Uh, if anybody knows how to do that. It's kinda hard to adjust here, huh?

[argentlarvae]

Oh, I don't know anything about spinning wool or making clothes.

sheep sheep sheep sheep sheep sheep

[relictus]

[There may be someone not too far away also petting sheep and he may even be smiling a little to himself... fluffy......]

[...until he notices he's not alone, and stops. Nothing to see here.]

Someone will need to care for them.

[argentlarvae]

[there's no shame here, these are some fluffy sheep. he's petting this one still. another sheep nudges at the hem of his tunic, probably hoping for snacks.]

I think we all have to take care of them, unless you know a lot about sheep.

[relictus]

[Faust crosses his arms, even as the sheep he was petting noses at his clothes.]

I have- I know someone who- he's a shepherd... but he's not here, and it's not like that means I know much about it.

[argentlarvae]

I don't know anything about sheep at all, and I don't think a lot of the other people here will either. You might be the most experienced person!