Having decided to build the teleport gate, I brought all the officers together to discuss what defenses we need to put in place.

Yamina spoke first. "We know one gate can send us Demons and Devils, so defending against them is top priority. The access by permission only nature of the Grove will help as well. But we don't know if it will stop them from coming, or do something to them after they are here. Somehow I don't think our neighbors will thank us if we wind up ejecting the demons to our border and just cutting them loose."

Fannon spoke next "What resources do we have other than our two hands? I wouldn't mind bumping the CP taxes for a few weeks to build up what we need. Or maybe put together an expedition to level everyone up? We could go enmass to the plateau. Then we set up on the fountain you described earlier and have the whole settlement grind on skeletons. Even at a half and half split, we'd all each be better off. Folks are super excited to see their progress on the new character sheets. I know I've worked much harder at improving my skills since I can get feedback on what's increasing daily. The hardest part is not running over and checking it ten times a day. Certainly, having a safe and steady source of food has helped there too. I'm not making whatever I need to just put food on the table. My skill has improved dramatically, I’m getting close to making my masters-work and getting promoted."

Thorbjorn mused aloud in his musical accent." Back home, in the north, almost every free man and woman can fight. Many just have a spear or an axe. But when the chieftain calls, all rally to the fight. We should try to build us all up to be like that. All men here are free, so it should work even better."

I spoke up, "Great idea, in England they required the welsh peasants train with a longbow one day a week. Maybe we can incentivize that. Reduce their taxes if they train that week. Less gold taxes, more CP earned. It'd offset itself. Even better a blessing that lasts a week based on participation. I’ll need to dig into that."

Fannon spoke again. "Spears and axes Bill and I can produce easily. Longbow are beyond my ken. "

"I built a crossbow back in my old world, and read alot on bow making. I bet between us we can make a serviceable crossbow. Longbows are better with a life time of practice, but a crossbow can be taught much faster. With a crank or a lever to cock it. Most could fire one with heavy poundage, but we should probably start with lighter ones for now. Or reproduce the Greek belly bow where folks cock it using their weight. It's the great grandpappy of crossbows. gastrophetes, Heron of Alexandria described it. Alot harder to be accurate though."

The Gastrophetes, or Greek Belly bow

Priestess Granny spoke up, interested" We could buy bonuses for the glade, to increase everyone's ability with at least one of them. I bet a plus one or two to speed or accuracy would pay off. An alarm bell to mobilize folks would be a good idea too. I think the healing house has an option for a bellfrey."

Jimni interrupted that thought, his mouth working " Calling folks up is great, but we needs to hold da bastards in place tills we can makes dem do a porcupine impersonation. Fer Dat we needs walls built up and defended any time de gate is workin'. We can turn the fucker on and off right? Make it work only when we wants it to? We ain't got the men to defend it night and day. We should open it regular like, once we gets traders coming through. Traders like everything nice and regular. Especially meals. Trust me on that. Speaking of walls, the alarm bell should be atop da walls, as nowhere else can see both the in and out of da Walls"

Rhuadh made a point diffidently, "If we have a list of who can can't be in the Grove, can we have a list for the gate too? But fancy like, say this gate or city can come, but other can't? We have to get to know a couple wide open first. But once we know one safe city, just let them in, and they’d tell us about the others?"

Granny answered him" That's a fine idea lad, you speak up if you have another, hear?"

At that Rhuadh sat back his shoulders looser and a glow in his eyes.

Fannon reached out and patted his shoulder and gave him a nod.

"I agree we need to put serious time in now, figuring out a filtering system for the gate. The more feature rich the better. We should ask around see if there are any tales of cities with gates. Maybe we can limit to them from the get go. I can see filtering by city, gate, religion, race, specifically non deamon and devil." I mused, my inner programmer spinning fantasies.

Joseph spoke up then" we need a small area out of the glades influence for folks to land safely. Or we'd never get a visitor to begin with. Can you do that. First. Just big enough to stand and ask to be added to the white list, or invite us to theirs. I don't see a demon staying there long. Nor with walls and towers do I see anyone we don't like stuck there long before they go full porcupine. "

“Good point here is my list of things we need to do, what we called Acton items back home”

Research stories for town with teleport gates, might give a clue to a safe one to white list. (everyone) Incentivize weekly training session with weaponry. (Bill, Yamina, Granny) Research adding a 3*3 none safe landing zone for gate. (Bill) Research Couple filtering systems for who can and can't use gate, with build in scheduling. (Bill) Create a spear and a mace for each settler. Fannon, Bill for supplies, help if I have time. Design and build a prototype crossbow, with a foot loop goats foot lever for folks low on str. (Bill, Fannon, Olaf) (Bill, blueprint first) (Fannon iron prod, stirrup, Irons and trigger) (Olaf wood work and assembly) Design blueprint for mini keep with towers to surround gate. Make it river flood able? More defenses. (Bill with revision from whole group). Build teleport gate. (Bill) Build defensive fort. (Bill) Build water flood channel too fill defensive fort with water. (Bill)

I spoke off the list aloud and saw, I was pretty much the single point of failure on all of them. I made a pencil from wood and carbon converted to graphite. And wrote the list in the margin of one of my goddess letters.

“Okay, here is one thing I can say right off the bat. We need a couple more shaper mages, and to level them up to advanced shaper quickly. Next, we need a couple more apprentice blacksmiths, and a legit builder, carpenter, or similar. Let’s offload some of these tasks. Granny can you dig into the interface and find a couple way to incentivize people to do 1 day a week of militia training? Start with a quest to do it with auto rewards, but let’s make it tastier than that.”

Granny eyes sparkled at me, with the eyes of a woman who’d raised several generations of boys and said “You leave that to me. What day is militia day?”

“Let’s put together a 15 min service thanking Danu on Sundays, and then have militia practice after that.”

“Perfect, I’ll set up a pot luck with the mothers, and set up a quest where they get some fancy ingredients from the stores free for each dish they bring. I’ll judge the best dish in each category with a couple of the prettier lads and that should be a great start. Soon as we get beer and make it a regular party, it’ll be a bone deep tradition within a month. We’ll have the prettiest young mothers and maids judge who worked the hardest in training etc. and give prizes for that too.”

I grinned back at her “I see I’ve chosen the right lady for the Job. See if you can set up a point system that allows them to buy things from the Church of Danu store more flexible for rewards. All the shops can use them. Eventually we’ll need coins or tokens, but for now I’ll just build it out of the settlement. We’ll start getting rewards there. I’ve been dumping all kinds of stuff in the store, feel free to set cash trade and points up on each item. “I’m keeping the weapons and armor though; we’ll need that for the Guard.”

I stopped and set up the basics a settlement points system and passed it off to Granny to fine tune.

“Thor and Jimni, I’ll dig a 6 foot pit, and I want y’all to get a group together and put up a log wall about 6-8 feet tall, with a platform to stand on and shoot. Don’t’ worry about a gate. Just a ring of logs points up, with the bottom buried in the ground. Cross beams and braces on the out side.. This is a temporary measure, but build it strong. Logs and rammed earth. Very simple. ” I pulled out one of my 3 divine letters, flipped it to the back, and drew out a diagram for a square palisade 10’ on a side

“Ya, for sure, we can do that.” Said Thorbjorn.

(Temp image of palisade)

“For now, we’ll get people in and out with a rope ladder.”

I saw a blinking message and looked

Nice!

Next, I made a simple bit and brace for Olaf, and a Forster bit to drill a flat bottomed 1-1/4” hole for the nut of the cross bow. I made a very simple drill press for drilling it straight. One of these days I needed to dig into my memory and draw a full blacksmith drill press. Those things are awesome. I made a mental note to get some paper bought or produce it locally, but didn’t’ write I down and promptly forgot it.

I looked at the remains of the badger bear in my inventory and began to shape the bones into a perfect Cylinder, with a 1/8” hole, and a groove for the string. I made 2 – 3-foot-long sections, at an inch and a half or so each, that should make lots of nuts for the bows. I concentrated the bone to be immensely dense and tough. Olaf should be able to cut these into crossbow nuts and then notch them with a chisel.

I pulled out a second divine note, and drew out all the pieces of a basic crossbow, based loosely on a 15th century munition bow. Then I made an example of all the parts out of steel, with a hardened and tempered prod. I included the pins and a goat-foots level for cocking. I then formed the wood of the stock, getting the seat for the prod at the right angle, and the cut out the center for the nut and the trigger. Then I made a complete set of parts second bow for reference so they can look at it together and apart.

A shaft for the nuts, steel cheek plates, bone or wood cheap plates to go under that, and badger bear sinew for a flemish twist string and we had a complete bow.

We brought Olaf in and the three of us put the bow together. I had to make a bunch of rivets, a hardened shaft for the nut to spin on, and the spring for the trigger before we had everything. Quickly the three of us had built the first crossbow together.

“Okay folks speak up if you see ways to simplify this, or improve it. The goal will be to produce a bunch of these. So, jigs and fixtures will be critical.”

(Temporary art for a 15th century munitions cross bow)

(temp image of how a simple crossbow lock works)

Next I made 2 bodkin points and 2 broad head points, and a couple bolts. I didn’t have any feathers.

We added a quest to get feathers, and announced the need for feathers for fletching on settlement chat. I rolled out a big roll of sinew, and then another, and explained how to boil leather scraps for glue.

Olaf was very patient, “M’lord, I know how to make glue, and every cooper can do basic carpentry, it’s part and parcel of wood work. You don’t have to invent everything, we are skilled artisans. Let’s focus on ways to make these parts fast and accurately. You know as well as I do, we’ll spend more time in fit up and tweaking than making the bows themselves if we don’t”

My god, Olaf has just Henry Ford’d me and invented standardized and interchangeable parts along the way. This man was going to be an asset.

I then made 2 leather fletching’s, with slices to allow me to lace it on like a feather fletching. We brought Rhuad and granny over to make and assemble bolts. We used the hide glue and wrapped on the fletching to hold the fletching in place. I told them to do their best at straight wood, but that I cloud straighten it with shape later if it was imperfect. I added a quest to recruit a bowyer, a fletcher and any builds we could find for the settlement.

Granny and Rhuad were in charge of teaching folks to making a pile of crossbow bolts fletched and ready for heads.

Once that was working, Rhuad would go start arrow head production in earnest.

Then Fannon, Olaf and I started figuring out jigs to make the process easier. I made a string winding jig, a fletching jig, A flat wooden template for drawing out the top and side of the bow body. Next, we made a steel jig to make take Hot steel and bend each end of the prod into the correct shape. We made a simple steel jig with holes and pegs, to quickly bend the triggers into shape.

I made a couple drill bits, for the holes in the steel and the wood to fit the existing bit and brace.

I made several wooden mallets and several chisels just the right size for cutting the hole for the trigger in the body and the nut. A triangular file and a router plane with the same profile for cutting the groove in the top of the stock for the bolt to rest. Lastly, we made a simple steel jig for creating the foot loop and one for the bow irons.

Fannon stopped me and said “Those Bow Irons of yours are way too complex. Let’s simplify them down to a single piece of bar and a single forge weld each.” She deftly drew her better and improved bow irons, and we made a jig for making them.

“What about a simple Hardy tool, a small anvil with a flat horn, just the right width to make forge welding them faster” asked Rhuad, who’d wandered back in by then, it being much later in the day.

(Temp art of Fanon’s simplified bow irons)

I told Olaf and Fannon to pick a couple helpers and to train them in using the jigs to make parts.

I went to the black sandbar and started making steel bar in the size needed for each of the parts.

Dimensioned stock should make things a lot faster.

At the very end of the process, I remembered the small metal strap that holds the bolts on the nut while shooting and we added a drawing, and jig and metal strap for that as well. Ran over to Fannon and Olaf and updated the samples and drawings.

I went to the bottom of the drawing and added quick drawings of each kind of arrow and bolt head I could remember, and explained what they were for to Fannon and Olaf.

Olaf interrupted me about half way through. “M’lord can you pass me that drawing stick, and a piece of that parchment.”

I passed it all to him and he drew out some templates and jigs to make the creation and carving of the bows and nuts faster and more consistent. The single most time-consuming step was going to be the cutting of the mortises for the lock & irons. So, we made templates for drawing that out as well as custom sized bits for the drilling.

Next I made 24 oak stock blanks, out of the oak we already had in the shop inventory. pre dimensioned, ready for cutting. Basically, just boards the right shape and size but with none of the detail work. Plus, a huge coil of the tough cord I was able to make with shape out of wood. It wasn’t’ as good as the sinew, but we’d need it. I added a quest to get us sinew, bone and hide to the settlement as well.

Having finished everything, I could for off loading the crossbow production we did the same for spears, but it turned out faster for me just to make the spearheads in one go. It only took about twice as long as making blanks for others to turn them out. I cranked out oak poles, and pins and passed them off to Olaf as well for finishing.

I added a quest to gather oils and waxes. Then in a flash of inspiration, I added the well to be able to give quests, and set up Dannister’s Mercantile as a place to take and turn in quests.

I asked them both what else they thought they need for mass production.

Olaf said “We need a large bench like the full-time carpenters have for every 2 workers, with a vice on each end. Wood holding with be a huge timesaver. A couple good sawblades would help as well.”

Then he paused, his hand upon his chin looking down into the earth. “You’d better make me a spring pole lathe and a couple tools for it, so I can make nuts later if you are busy.”

“That’s a great idea. Let’s make 2 and you can train 2 apprentices to turn us bowls and cups as well. Wooden nuts are usually boiled in wax to harden them, and a small metal plate is added to prevent wear on the nut where the trigger rests.” I added a quest for bowls plates and containers.

After we did that, I sat and discussed with them both, how we can simplify the pattern with a pin trigger, or a roman 4 part trigger, and discussed upscaling the crossbow into a ballista’s with a simple windlass for cocking, and a tripod to hold it. We discussed making corner towers on the palisade to hold them. But it was something we’d have to do later. Honestly, we were just spinning yarns because we were so excited about the idea.

After I finished there, I went to where Thorbjorn and Jimni were, and we excavated the footings for the wall, and the hole where were going to put the teleporter.

I had to stand a stare at it a while to figure out how to make a 3-foot circle at the base of the gate excluded from the safe area. Just to be careful, I had it taper to a cone about 20 feet high, so nothing could just fly out the top. I then put a 60’ cylindrical blessing, curing, buffing and healing effect on the area. Basically, everything we had covering the palisade and the area around it. Then I cranked it as high as we could afford. It was expensive, but lighting Devils on fire was one of the goals. I wanted that on maximum, costs be dammed. Then I set up the interface to split CP from devils and daemon 90 Danu, 5% Settlement, 5% Guild. I knew she’d balk if we took too much, but this should be acceptable.

[Hey Granny, I just added a bunch of blessings to the palisade area, you might want to think about positioning the healing house with a ward to take advantage of them. They are for burning devils, so make the call yourself. Worst case set up benches and shade and folks can rest there.}

JImni spoke up, startling me from my message to Granny. “We can use Da wood in Deh shop to get this going, and use the inventory to cheat like hell and move the wood and drop it in place. But we need axes, saws to make the rest of the poles.”

Thorbjorn replied, “What if I go and we drop a bunch of trees, Bill here converts them to posts and we fill the shop with them, then Jimni and I can drop them from the shop into place.” I told them that was a great idea. I sent a message to Fannon about our need for axes and 2 man lumbering saws.

One of the new men Thorbjorn had recruited spoke up his voice as hard and rough as two rocks mating on a sandpaper couch. “M’lord, even with inventory magics, We’ll need gravel so the footings drain or it’ll rot. Fill the shop with Gravel and Dirt to use the shop to place it. We need tampers to pack it hard., Else, this wall will swerve like a goddamn drunken whore. Build a Fucking fence around the palisade, in case we have to fall back. Defensive layers dammit! The magics will stop devils, but not men. Cities fall from within M’lord. Speaking of that, line the damn pit with smooth stone, else they will climb the fuck out and eat our faces..”

I had the feeling that was more words than he usually used in a month. He was a tall skinny starved looking man of middle years, his face oddly pink and babyish on one side, tough as leather on the other. His eyes were hard and looked straight into me. His posture with that twist that a serious injury sometime leaves on a man. He looked back at me with his tough serious eyes. His clothes fit large on him, as if he’d been bigger once, but had lost much of the muscle in the years on the frontiers. Even with his clothes nearly in rags, he wore them neatly, like a uniform.

I looked him in the eye and said” Great Ideas man, what’s your name, and what did you do before joining Danu?”

He straightened and replied with his voice even gravellier than Jimnis, proud and strong. “I’m Basil Plum, M’lord. Grew up a fucking farmer. Built plenty of shit. Hated It. I left the plow first chance, and I joined the Fervian army.”

I saw Thorbjorn and Jimni both perk up at that, giving him an approving once over with serious eyes. I grew up around Spec Ops officers and noncoms, old tough son of a bitch sergeants walked the earth like gods in my childhood. I was already half sold, Senior NCO and combat vet rolled off the man like smoke.

Basil continued “I followed the drum for 25 years, Fighting, fucking and sieges. I was Sergeant-Major of the 4th Fervia Heavy Infantry. Got my shit burned with oil at Gorowmar Gap, uglied my ass up down my right side.” He gestured at the pink side of his face. ”I got drummed out soon as I could put food in my piehole, barely able to move. Scrambled to keep body and soul together since. Priestess Granny just magic’d my scars up enough to work and sent me here. She even made my face pretty enough again to get laid once in a while. She says the rest will get there in time. Under the collar I’m still a fucking mess. So only tough old matrons get to apply. No maids accepted, Sir. “

I laughed at the last bit, “Excellent, I want you to Join Jimni and Throbjorn on the guard, let’s promote them to senior LT’s, and you to Sergeant. I want you to pick a squad of recruits and train them in the spears and crossbows. It’s not heavy infantry, but it’s what we have for now. We’ll keep you at Top, as the guard increases in size. With luck eventually you’ll get your old rank back.”

“Yes M’lord, If that’s the case, I want to run the weekly Militia training. I can pull off the cream, and keep training standardized.”

I looked to the heavens and whispered “God I love competent NCOs!” I did all the promotions and added an NCOs and Guard chat channel and added him to that and the officer’s channel. I gave him full control of the channels for Ncos and the whole Guard, same for Jimni and Thorbjorn.

“Grab some people, go help Olaf finish the spears. Women and men will be fighting, give the kids pointed sticks. I pulled out my mace and buckler and handed it to him. Then I pulled out all the random weapons and gear from the raid on Miningtown and passed them over. Then I added him to the Guild so he’d get the adventurer’s pack. Looking at his frame I threw in a half dozen apples as well.”

“This will give you something to start, have Thor and Jim there show you how all that magic crap works so you can stow that stuff. We may pay for crap and work you like a mule, but we do have perks. Keep an eye out for a couple corporals and junior lieutenants. Let me know when you find em. Once you have people half trained. We’ll take them up to the plateau and get some powerleveling in, or use the gate to farm some deamons, haven’t’ made my mind up yet. Oh have Thor and Jimni take you to the altar and show you how the character sheets work, you’ll need to integrate that into training.” I gave the 3 of them the ability to make guard and militia quests as well.

”If you have any questions they can’t answer, hit up myself, or even better Yamina. She’s where I take my hard questions she’s a green as spring grass, but she knows her system and magic. Lastly if you know some farmers, send them my way as well. I have crop seed to both improve our chow, and to produce some beer. We need to get that going soon, if we’re recruiting soldiers.”

He straightened to his best attention and pounded his right fist on to his chest over his heart and held it there; his eyes aglow with fervor at the mention of beer. “Damn fucking straight sir.”

“Also, I want you to put out the word on the old soldiers network. My father served on my old world. So I damn well know it’s there. “

Basils Eyes got large and round at the mention of my old world, for a split second, before his Sergeant’s face took over again.

”The old soldiers gossip channel and knitting society is there, put it to use. Granny is founding the Healing House. Soon we’ll be able to heal most old wounds, and even regrow lost body parts. Regular bathing in the river can fix many problems over time on its own as well. I recommend it to you. “

“Start pulling in good men and women you trust. Soldiers, engineers, whatever you can gather, any army but trust them at your back. We’ll start healing all old soldiers in exchange for a year and a days service here or in Dannister. Free if they convert. They will get to keep their gear after service plus a bonus to get them home in beer. They are welcome to move on or stay and serve here. I expect a lot of growth in the next year. If they can’t serve, we’ll find a place for them to work in Dannister to pay off their year and a day. I want that news spreading on the old soldiers rumor mill as fast as you can get it.”

“Yes m’lord”, I could see he was raring to go. I said, “Go, your mind is already half way there, get to work”

He limped off vigorously, ready to get back to what he knew, his back already straighter than when he’d walked in.