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"How's the work going on that old galleon? Have 'er ready yet?" "See for yourself. She's out of dry dock, just loading equipment and getting her ready to sail." "Why are they bringing her back into service anyway?" "Ah, the MCTC lost the Prince Fernando two months ago. You know, when we had all those bad storms. This ol' mistress of the sea is from the same class, so they're refitting her to replace it." ------ Just a small build to sistership the Prince Fernando.

Willem Guilder couldn't believe it. More paperwork! He thought he had everything sorted out for the MCTC's additional ships and for his own accounts. "Get van der Meede to meet me at the warehouse. And bring the paperwork!" yelled Guilder to an assistant. "That warehouse manager has mucked things up!" Guilder grabbed his walking stick and hurried down to the warehouse district. "Gov'ner, back so soon?" said the warehouse manager. "You wuz just down here the other day. I got the warehouse prepped just the way you wanted." "Don't 'Guv'ner' me. The paperwork you sent has all the cargo assignments in my name! The dock master can't tell what are MCTC cargoes and what are mine." Just then Aaron van der Meede arrived with paperwork from the dock master, desperately trying to get things in order as Guilder continued. "Look, there are different forms for the cargoes from MCTC ships." Guilder motioned to van der Meede without looking at him. "And use these other forms for shipments from my personal ships." Aaron continued to struggle to organize the papers. "What could be easier. Now get it straight!" And with that Guilder hobbled back to his office, leaving van der Meede and the warehouse manager to sort out what was what between Guilder's personal account and the MCTC accounts. --- This corrects my error of using only one build to illustrate both my purchase of extra ship levels and the MCTC purchase of ship levels. Now there are two builds.

The warehouse manager was surprised to see Gov. Willem Guilder, director of the Merchants Colonial Trading Company, walk in in the middle of the afternoon. "G'day, gov'nor. What brings you down dockside?" The warehouse manager's accent sounded out of place to Guider, but he ignored it and pressed on with his business. "I'm here to make sure we have proper warehouse space allocated for the coming trade season. The winds are fair at this time, and our trade ships will be busy." Guilder looked around the warehouse and motioned with his walking stick. "That space over there will be needed. We've added ships to our roster. And make sure the outgoing cargoes are logged properly..." The warehouse manager tried to keep track of everything Guilder said, but frankly he was just glad he hadn't been napping when the governor walked in. "And make sure you keep the schedules updated properly. The Lady of Madrice is back in service; I don't want her overlooked..." The Lady of Madrice? Didn't that ship sink? thought the manager. Then again, the ol' Wench seemed to have nine lives. "OK, do you have all that?" The warehouse manager shook his head. "Yessir, gov'ner!" "Very well, get to it" said Guilder as he turned to leave. The manager scratched his head. Now what was he saying about that space over there? ... --- Just a little build for the MCTC and Guilder to purchase some extra ship levels.

Hojaroja, Otoño, the Prio Seas, March 617 HojarojaEp1_1 by Phadeout, on Flickr Alejandro felt the rowboat jar against the sands and come to a halt. He could see the Eslandian soldiers waiting on the beach, the commanding officer looking put out but well-presented and his men equally well turned out and alert. With Nacho he disembarked and walked through the sands towards them, seeing the letter in the officer’s hand and knowing that the orders had arrived before him. The officer would be unsettled, knowing that a civilian had effectively taken over the operations on Otoño, as Hojaroja, the only settlement of any size at all, and the scattered holdings on the island had previously been under a form of martial law due to the strong local Mardier presence. The MCTC had been resolute though, it was time for a sign that Eslandola wasn’t in going to sit back in the Prio seas, they were looking to expand their influence, the reports of unusual, and therefore hopefully precious minerals in the soil would be invaluable for the war effort and, as long as the troops could protect the settlement, Hojaroja could become a thorn in the side of the Mardier war machine, forcing them to engage another threat and spreading themselves thinner and thinner again. HojarojaEp1_2 by Phadeout, on Flickr Alejandro paused in front of the officer who cleared his throat, and with an almost imperceptible nod of the head said “Don de la Calle, Otoño and Hojaroja are honoured to have you here to assume governance of the settlement, I am Capitan Henrique Velasquez and am at your service, and I trust your journey was satisfactory.” “The journey was fine, I understand however the reason for me rowing ashore from a mile out is because you were concerned about the possibility of a Mardier assassin attempting to remove me from my role before I had even begun. Is the island so unsafe?” “We had received intelligence that an attempt was being planned, we used a decoy on El Heraldo de Oro and we succeeded in flushing out the agent, he will be interrogated and we hope to gain information about Mardier plans in the area and also how they knew of your arrival so far in advance. Rest assured that your safety is of paramount importance to us.” Velasquez turns to his aide saying “Escort Don de la Calle to his residence and make sure he has everything he needs I will return to the fort and try to get some answers from our new friend from Mardier.” “Lead on, Lieutenant, it has been a long day and I think I will save the full tour for the morning.” With that Alejandro and Nacho followed the soldier through the tree line and on to Hojaroja.

MCS stands for Merchant's Colonial Ship. Presenting the Filo Morado , by far the largest ship I've ever built! What I like most about this ship was that it only took me a week to build. Despite the front curve, this was a lot easier and a lot sturdier to build than it might look! Third mate enjoyes smoking a pipe on break time. The Captain of the Filo Morado has a very curious practice when it comes to punishing refractory crew members... he dresses them up in Oleonese costume, chains a cannon ball to their leg, and then makes them swab the deck. The Oleon ambassador to Eslandola suspects that occasionally the unfortunate individual thus "punished" is actually an Oleonese prisoner, but he's never been able to prove anything! The cook cleans fish over the side. Credit for the lantern design to W. Navarre. Glad to be back with another BoBS build! C&C appreciated, and thanks for checking her out! I'd like to upgrade this to a 6F whenever that's available, so I'm stating my intentions here as per the Naval Court rules.

Around seven miles east of Nova Terreli a small ridge called the Terreli Hills rises to a height of approximately 300 metres. At their foothills Román Fontonajo owns a huge part of the lands. Young men from the old world come over to make a fortune, start their own lives and bring their families soon after. One of these men is Dilano Guerva from Terreli in the old world. He is running a medium cotton plantation in the area. On Fontonajo's land of course, and as Fontonajo's business partner. The deal is simple: The price for cotton is set, slightly below market average, yet more than enough to make some good profit - because after all Dilano has to pay neither for the small house nor for the land he farms. And of course Fontonajo knows the best ways to use the cotton for further profit. Win-win. It will only be a year or two until Dilano will have saved enough money to bring his wive and two young boys to the new world, and maybe buy some land of their own, or make a new deal with Fontonajo.

The Merchant’s Colonial Trading Company is always looking to expand its trade connections, and establishing partnerships with other colonial powers in the islands is good for business. As Eslandolan governor of An Holli and a regional director of the MCTC, Willem Guilder reached out to Major Dirk Allcock, Corrington’s military governor of Alicentia and a member of the Royal Society of Natural Philosophy, to see where their interests might meet. After a short correspondence during the summer, an agreement was reached. Major Allcock dispatched a man to Weelond to establish an educational facility, and the “Red School” (as the locals call it) was operational in August of 616. At the same time, Governor Guilder dispatched Gerrit Leydecker to Alicentia to establish an MCTC office and warehouse facility in Mooreton Bay. A suitable property near the docks was secured, and as of the end of October of 616, the MCTC warehouse is up and running. Construction is of local materials, but the design is clearly typical of structures found in Weelond. Residents of Mooreton Bay find the Eslandolan design somewhat peculiar, with green double doors on the second floor with no balcony! A small footprint makes financial sense, packing more storage space into a smaller area, and MCTC workers simply hoist barrels and crates up to the second floor loading doors. One of the local militia comes by to see what all the activity is about. Leydecker is still getting settled into his office space on the third floor of the warehouse. He will definitely need more space for shipping records, but he has enough to conduct business. Some additional pics: This will be licensed as a small commerce property. As always, all C&C welcome.

Explanations: * MOC and storyline are to be considered 100% IC * The MOC shows Don Isaac Montoya from Corrington (Bregir) visiting Román Esteban Fontonajo from Eslandola (Elostirion) in his new palace on Nellisa * The conversation below has been developed together from Bregir and myself. HUGE THANKS to Bregir for your massive help! Bregir's part in dark red, mine in dark green. * I have requested a charter for the grand residence ("Viceroy's Palace"), Eslandolan leadership is discussing it * Montario is a rather new settlement, between Nova Terreli and Pontelli, at the north of the island, few miles from the coast "My warmest words of welcome, Don Montoya. Welcome to the Fontonajo residence here in Montario, on Nellisa, the pride of Eslandola in Terra Nova. Such a pleasure to finally meet you in person." Montoya bowed deeply before his host, while swinging off his hat in a respectful greeting. "Don Fontonajo, I assure you, the pleasure is all on my side! I was honoured and humbled when I received your most gracious invitation. Who would have figured that one of the most influential people of New Terra would wish to invite a simple naturalist like myself to visit his very home, here, in the Jewel of the Prio Sea." "There is much which I wish to discuss with you, but first, tell me what prompted you to bestow me with the honour of an invitation." A slight smile played around Fontonajo's lips when he replied. "Aren't we all simple men, in our own way? Isn't influence only what other people see in us, what trust they give us? With that in mind I am quite confident, my dear Don Montoya, that I am currently talking to one of the most influential men in Corrington. Maybe that's why you have come here, maybe it's not. You've had safe travels on your journey here?" Montoya waved his hands before him as if protesting the compliment. "I am less off a marine animal than you might suspect, and the seas were rather stormy, but apart from a slight seasickness, I have made it in one piece. And I even laid eyes on the pelican! What a marvellous bird!" Recollecting himself, he continued: "But I forget myself. You have not asked me here to talk of birds, and neither is that why I came..." "We heard rumours of a Military coup here, although they were unconfirmed. I trust you came through unscathed?" Pausing a second, eyeing Fontonajo, he asked the question most on his mind. "My sources suggested you were in fact the very man behind the coup?.." Fontonajo thought for some seconds before he replied: "Let me ask you a question, before I answer yours: What do you assume will happen to a colony without any type of leadership?" Raising a brow, Montoya replied. "I believe that men must be allowed to govern themselves, without being subject to the rule of force. But of course, I am no anarchist, and believe in the rule of law..." "I suppose we go inside and continue our conversation while I lead you around the place?" Fontonajo waved his hand, inviting Montoya to join him. "Belief in the rule of law, you say... And I agree with you. The palace of the old world is far away. That's why Fernando Augusto established a viceroy in the first place. The viceroy however... Yes, I do appreciate Renato, a lot to be honest, but he was not the man up to the task of governing the colonies. I assume his thirst for adventure got the upper hand of him once more." Fontonajo sighed. "After he had left the city I was the only one to uphold Eslandolan values and order in Nova Terreli. People looked up to me, they even expected me to rule. Like it was a natural thing. We did in fact witness a slight increase in crimes in the city, on the island as a whole actually. But my measures were take to prevent worse things from happening. I was afraid the colonies might fall into anarchy, and thus I decided to act early. I showed the people that this is still an Eslandolan colony, that there is still order in here, and that Nellisa is still being rightfully ruled by Eslandola." Fontonajo made a brief pause before he continued. "So... Were I the man behind the actions? Sure I was! Did I profit from it in the end? Sure I did! Did I do it for the profit? No, I didn't! Do I agree it was military coup? No, I won't!" Listening carefully, Montoya pondered for a moment, following Fontonajo's directions. "The line between a coup to gain power and an intervention to prevent anarchy and chaos is a thin and wavy one, and hard to navigate for even the best of men. But judging by what I have seen in this colony, what I have learned of the situation, and what you have told me, I believe you have done so successfully. I can only offer the humble advice that you must keep this balance close at heart, not to let the corruption of power get to you..." Sending a respectful nod and smiling, he looked around and changed the subject. "A most marvellous palace, fit for a governor, if not a viceroy! Surely, Nellisa must be the pride of the Empire!" "I hope so. It's our only colony with more than one major settlement. But believe me, I have plans!" Honest enthusiasm played around Fontonajo's eyes as he continued. "Nellisa must be more than those two towns to be what it is supposed to be: The backbone of New Eslandola. As governor I plan for the island as a whole. First I will support the growth of the smaller villages all around. Nova Terreli and Pontelli are places of commerce, but all the sailors, merchants and of course the people working in town need to eat something. And I plan on expanding the infrastructure. The road from Nova Terreli to Pontelli really needs some improvements, as you might have noticed. And the jungle in the middle of the island is still mostly unknown to us. I will change that. My uncle is already eager to write down every little secret the Nelissan forest holds, make this knowledge accessible to the world. Improving the world is our responsibility, after all, I am sure you agree? Ah, and you would be so welcome to join our efforts exploring the jungle when time's right. And of course there is Montario, right here, my seat as governor. Yes, Montario will definitely become a jewel of New Terra, a center of diplomacy, also of art and culture, of science and knowledge." "Fascinating, my dear sir. I am quite convinced my old friend, Captain Jonathan Cooke, would be most interested in discussing the planning aspects of the colony with you! He is himself the military governor of the Southern Isles, and has many plans for its development. Somewhat obsessed with creating the "ideal city" I think you will find his views on urban planning, defence, and governance quite fascinating! I shall suggest him to seek your acquaintance when I next see him, if you would like." Turning to the next subject, his eyes lid up. "Your uncle is a naturalist? I should very much like to meet him, and perhaps invite him to speak for the Royal Society of Natural Philosophy! Unfortunately, the quest for knowledge is often foregone in the quest for military, political and economic power... I do agree that it is our charge to expand our understanding of the world, and further, to ensure that that knowledge is distributed widely amongst our peers. And I very much applaud your vision for Nellisa in general, and Montario in particular. Too many of the colonies of New Terra are devoid of the finer arts. Should you allow us, I am certain the Royal Society will be interested in adding our humble vision to yours." After a short pause, he interjected. "I only worry that such a beacon of wisdom and enlightenment will be exclusive, reserving the finer arts for the aristocracy. I believe in the education of all..." "You do have a point here. Education should indeed be for all. Maybe my motivation is a bit more... monetarily driven. But you are quite right. And I am confident that there have to be solutions. Why not have a school for talented kids from all over the island, where they can live and learn, whether they are poor or rich? Or have some large carriages bringing people to Montario for a day, just so that they can gain knowledge. Or bring the scholars to the cities? There will surely be ways, and I am happy to invite Royal Society o help me with that massive task!" The two men entered Fontonajo's newly built palace. In the entry hall two guards were waiting, and a the receptionist had a heaty discussion with a boy. "My nephew. Spoiled kid", he whispered, when they turned right and started their tour around the house. Montoya smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "I must applaud you for your ingenuity! It is initiatives like those that leads to progress for all, and might I add, to prosperity too! I see no reason to expect that the next Galilego or Archimebricks is necessarily born to inherited privilege, so equality in knowledge is a prerequisite to tap into the intellectual potential of our nations," he said with great conviction. "Hence, the Royal Society works towards free universal education, and access to higher learning based on skills and efforts, rather than birth." Chuckling inwardly, he added: "In those young mischievous troublemakers lie the future of our world! Does he attend his schooling? I know it can be hard here in the colonies..." "Yes, that's not the problem. His father believes that children will at some point learn what is right and wrong by their own experience, so we won't have to tell them. But this does not work out." As Fontonajo showed Montoya around the sleeping rooms of his mother, his uncle and the two boys (his nephew and his own youngest son) in the lower floor of the right wing of the palace, he continued with another topic. "When I heard news about the distribution of the new islands, I quickly realised that Corrington had claimed Celestia and Cascadia, the two largest islands. May I have the audacity to ask you about the reasoning of your nation? I couldn't hinder but notice those two were by far the largest islands in the archipalego. Was it sheer size that directed your decisions? Oh, and before you ask: Yes, I did indeed start a small campaign, unsucessful though I have to admit, for Eslandola to claim the Island of Flowers." Much impressed by the grandeur of the palace, Montoya followed closely, listening attentively to his host. "Well, señor, I cannot speak for my peers, for as you know, the Crown of Corrington is advised by a Royal Parliament, and all are heard in these matters. However, I assure you, size is unimportant in this decision. For my part, these islands are mainly chosen for their scientific interest. The marvellous jungles of Cascadia, and its large felines; Celestia and its orchids and medicinal plants, not to mention its vanilla; and lastly Garma's Key, with its crabs and coral reefs. Certainly, the opportunity for a concentrated, defensible and well-organised colony has surely been a consideration for the more tacticly minded of my peers." Smiling, he added: "I too found the rumours of the Island of Flowers most intriguing, and hope to visit it in a scientific capacity..." "But I let my mind wander, and that in the company of such an important man," he said with a bow. "Pardon me for moving on... What news of the treasure fleet? I have myself just departed a vessel that retook one of the treasure galleons... it seems its secrets were sadly public?" While they just left the rooms of the upper floor of the right wing, where Fontonajo's brother Rialto and his wife had obviously just woken up, anger appeared on his face for a second. He regained control soon after, as they went downstairs again. "Yes, I have heard about that. Thanks for your gesture of loyalty towards Eslandola, my friend. I couldn't hinder but notice that our joint venture, the Justicia, had some great success on the seas in the past weeks. As the by far more famous naval commander I'd like to hear your opinion on how you think we should proceed?" Arching a brow, Montoya took mental note of Fontonajo's evasion of topics, and said with a chuckle: "Oh nay, you misunderstand. I am by no means a naval commander, and most certainly not a famous one. But I am lucky enough to be associated with one who appears to be the very image of the ideal of the Royal Navy. On the waves, I am but a lowly surgeon, but Cooke... When he steps onto his quarterdeck, he appears to take up a perfectly herculean appearance! And he has been singularly successful in sinking, burning and taking anything flying the flags of our enemies." Recalling the recent events, he continued: "In this recent battle, he led the horrible old Ironsides in between a much larger privateering frigate and its galleon prize in a stroke of what I am told was absolute naval genius, taking the privateers aback and making them surrender almost by his pure presence alone. Although I have come to understand that some gunfire was involved, the more experienced sea dogs ensure me that that was of little consequence compared to the bravery of our captain and crew!" "As to business, I let my man of business manage my estate, as I have little mind for it, but I do understand that McLeod too has proven a capable and effective commander in the Justitia." Montoya dismissed this subject with a wave of his hand. "But I am much more concerned with the ease of which the information of your treasure fleet was spilled... It almost led me to lose a good friend in Major Allcock, a fellow of the Royal Society!" "I am so sorry to hear that! What happened? I hope he is all well again?" They had followed a girl, carrying a teapot into another room. A saxophone could be heard, but stopped as the door opened. "Come on in, my dear, join us", they heard an old man's voice. Fontonajo invited Montoya into the room. In one corner an exotic young girl, quite obviously one of New Terra's natives, played music. On the other side sat an old man, drinking some tea, inviting the small girl with the teapot to join the two. "Oh quite, and well on his way to a medal for bravery, I believe! Yet it was still a risk imposed by a lack of discretion on the part of your Empire..." "Sorry to interrupt you, my loved ones. May I introduce to you Don Isaac Montoya, our most noble guest from Corrington? And here are my uncle Raphael", Fontonajo waved his hand at the old man, who replied with a warmhearted smile. "And over there, playing the most lovely music, is my, hopefully soon-to-be daughter in law, Poca from the Ténotclaxcan. And this is my daughter Isabelle Elisa, maybe the most inquisitive person you will ever meet." For the first time since they had started their conversation there was a completely untroubled smile on Fontonajo's face. Bowing deeply, Montoya accepted the presentations with a charming smile. "A most enchanting family, I am sure." Turning back to Fontonajo, his brow furrowed as he returned to more serious matters. "I am most concerned with the relations between our great nations. As you probably know, we approached you with the intent to sign an alliance, solidifying our historic friendship in a formal agreement, but Eslandola refused. Even a purely defensive alliance was dismissed, on he grounds that it might not be opportune to help in the case of conflict! Opportune!" "I conducted these negotiations myself, with your Secretary of State, Guy Wyndzon, and was frankly shocked at the utter lack of commitment on Eslandola's part to our common cause..." Montoya shaked his head in disarray. For the fraction of a second Fontonajo looked utterly puzzled, but quickly smiled again. "I have full trust in my good friend Guy to handle all matters of Eslandolan diplomacy in the best way possible, and I do not want to doubt his reasoning. Please do not dismiss the thought that sometimes we are not the masters of our own decisions, and forced by others to conduct arrangements we do not even agree with. I cannot speak for Guy, but can only imagine how his situation must have been like, over those past months, directly serving... Well, as for my personal opinion on this delicate matter I am quite confident you know that I and my familiy have always not only respected but also cooperated with our friends from Corrington in various circumstances. I feel like an alliance of our two glorious nations might be the first step in solidifying this new world as the place of peace, order and wealth it is supposed to be. I am also positive that most of my fellow Eslandolans would think alike." They took a quick glimpse into the general working room where Fontonajo's elder nephew was about to write a letter, before they continued their way to the upper floor in the left wing. "Regarding our continued struggles with Mardier and the most unlawful actions of their privateers at sea I see even more reason for us to keep our friends even closer and solidify our mutual bonds." "Hrmph!" Montoya exclaimed. "It was my clear impression that this was a decision driven by the trade companies, not by your King, or anyone else. It is a sad collection of powerful men that will not take ownership over the decisions they take, no matter the circumstances!" Recollecting himself, Montoya forced a smile. "Pardon me for falling out so, and i beg you not to take it as a reflection upon your person. Nothing could be farther from the truth! But your King aside, it is our impression that the rivalry between the Trading Companies are threatening to tear your nation apart. And you must admit, Eslandola has done very little this last year to make any friends amongst its neighbours... To that I might well interject, that several individuals have done great services to the citizens of Corrington, but as a nation, you have made it very hard to cooperate... Take for instance the unfortunate issue of Isla de Victoria. Had it only been handled better, it would have seemed less like aggressive expansionism, and more like an effort against the oppression and influence of Mardier. I will let you know that our reaction hung in the balance between escalation, perhaps eventually war, and assistance! Some voiced serious concern of Eslandola thus shifting the balance of power to your own advantage." Sending Fontonajo a concerned and troubled look, he continued. "And I fear that for the time being, an alliance is entirely out of the question, for reasons you know as well as I. If only things had been different, our fleets could have assisted in escorting your treasure fleet, bringing it home safe despite the negligence of your intelligence services!" They had visited all bedrooms and were now sitting in Románs office. "Am I right in hearing some bitterness, if not even anger, from your words? Understandable, but my dear Montoya! Let me assure you, that while our Eslandolan nature always inspires us towards further expansion of our businesses, we have no interest in shifting the power of Terra towards us. How would that even be benefical, from a mere economic point of view?" Fontonajo had a stern look, but his voice sounded rather exhausted as he continued. "You were right in observing tendencies of strong dissent between our trading companies. But isn't that exactly what urges us to strive for improvement in the first place? While the dissents between our trading companies gave me more than one sleepless night, a fact I cannot deny, I think those inner conflicts made us even stronger in the end. And challenging Mardier for Isla de Victoria, or KMA as we now call it, solved most of our issues. Nothing unifies you better than a common foe, wouldn't you agree? But sure, you most probably ask yourself: what was our reasoning behind it? I am quite sure you know as well as I do the agreement that was made about the distribution of new islands to the glorious nations of Eslandola, Corrington and Oleon and even the group of privateers calling themselves the Sea Rats. Mardier, as we are both aware, had no right at all to even claim an island in the first place. I totally agree with you that assistance from your side would have been the right call to uphold the treaties and order of Terra Nova. The Eslandolan Trade Companies however did act, and believe me it was the Trade Companies' initiative. We started our effort to drive Mardier from Isla de Victoria, because their claim was totally unlawful from the very get-go. Please be reassured that our invasion of the island is not at all an act of increasing our territories or our influence. It's merely about clearing the island from the unjust invaders and restoring the natural order of things. The thoughtful person of Isaac Montoya that I have gotten to know is still aware of how the war with Mardier started, at least I assume so? Mardierian privateers exerted their continuous aggresion on our trading fleets, neither any cause given, nor any decleration of war from the Mardierian site. As their government repeatedly rejected our calls for peace and negotiations, we had no choice but to declare war ourselves, so we could even start protecting our trading fleets. But back to Isla de Victoria - I can assure you that I, and also all other members of all MCTC, ETWC and MAESTRO would warmheartedly welcome you and your brothers, as well as all Oleanders and Sea Rats, to join our efforts on Isla de Victoria. We would love to once again struggle alongside you to restore order in Terra Nova!" Fontonajo took a deep breath. Montoya sent Fontonajo an apologetic glance and sighed. "I must admit, those negotiations did leave me bitter, but more so, disappointed. My Queen offered her unconditional friendship in the form of an alliance, an offer we thought attractive to you, and it was rejected due to narrow concerns of profit? And more so, as Wyndzon, no doubt an honourable gentleman, seemed unable to fathom how your unwillingness to commit to even a defensive alliance could only be interpreted as a lack of commitment to our friendship. I was told that Eslandola might consider intervening, if it was in your own interest..." Montoya shaked his head with a sigh, dismissing the subject. "I am well aware of Mardier's transgressions, and their fleets have targeted us too. In fact, I will tell you that we too are considering a declaration of war... And that you may find your invitation to Victory Island unnecessary. I cannot give you any specifics, but as we speak, events are in motion that cannot be stopped. I would have wished many things different, but most of all, that this incursion on Isla de Victoria had been coordinated with us. Had not the doves amongst us acted voices of reason, we could have met as enemies at war. I myself called for an aggressive response." Sighing deeply, obviously full of regret, he continued. "You must understand, I was not motivated by any ill-will against your nation, but by the need to ensure that force does not become the ruling principle in New Terra. I see now that such a reaction would have been excessive... But I was not alone, and there is still unresolved tension. I only hope our response will help lowering the tensions between our nations. I would so loathe to be forced to consider you my enemy." Bowing respectfully, he added. "But now your King is at it again... This claim... Is he quite in his right mind?" Almost furious Fontonajo immediately took the subject, and obviously driven by emotion responded. "Dont't you ever call him that again! The Mad Man has no right to call himself anything close to royal, least of all 'king'. I will not respect that person anymore, nor accept him as my leader. And many Eslandolan's in the colonies think alike - that he is ruining us all. Let alone that he is ignoring all rights of humanity. This cannot be tolerated anymore!" Calming down a bit, Román Fontonajo continued. "His claim on the Oleander throne... was weird, to say the least, but an understandable - yet utterly dumb - attempt to increase his influence. This however was the first true sign of warning to me, that he had indeed understood nothing, nor was able to adapt his priorities to the requirements of a rapidly changing world. The colonies are the place where every leader's focus should lie those days. If it weren't for the Trading Companies Eslandola would already be irrelevant in Terra Nova." With a deep sigh he brought up the topic he had evaded through all the conversation with Montoya. "If only the Mad Man had let us alone. But then he came up with his ingeniously stupid plan to sabotage his own treasure fleet. I see it so clear now, how he had planned it all along..." Full of expectation he looked at Montoya. Raising his brow in surprise, and leaning back a bit, Montoya eyed Fontonajo for a moment. "You may of course count on my full discretion, my friend, but you must realise that these are dangerous words, marking you as nothing less than a republican, nothing less than a revolutionary. It could cost you your neck..." Realising the implication of Fontonajo's last words, Montoya fell back in his chair in shock. "Sabotage? But surely, this cannot be substantiated!" "Just think of it! Why does he need the money right now? Surely to finance his invasion on Oleon! There is no other reason, don't you agree? And how did he set up the treasure fleet? He gave order to many, many men who should contribute to the treasure fleet. We did not know of each other, thus he split up the treasure fleet. But he also made it inevitable that someone would leak something, with so many people involved. And most surely he himself made sure to leak a detail here and there! Yet still with the treasure fleet so separated into many small entities, he could be absolutely sure that most of the money would arrive in Terreli to fill his coffers of war! Now imagine a single Oleander would have attacked a single ship from the fleet or even only done any other harm to the whole enterprise?! Wouldn't that have justified all of the mad man's actions against Oleon? Wouldn't that have justified even war? And wouldn't that have united all the Eslandolan colonies against Oleon as well, seeing their hard-earned wealth being stolen? If it had not been for the discipline and loyalty of all Oleanders in the colonies, which I most deeply admire, the mad man's plan might even have worked out! Do I have proof? Most unfortunately I don't. But you have to admit that it's most obvious? But before we speak of him again... I have heard some rumours of redcoats on Isla de Victoria? And maybe even bluecoats? I am most certain you can share some knowledge in that regard?" "I would suggest caution. Such accusations based only on speculation are dangerous and may lead you directly to the gallows. And the evidence is nothing but circumstantial. As you suggest yourself, it was in factan ingenious way to ensure at least most of the treasure returned to Terreli, which may be the sole reasoning. Of course, an Olean attack would have been... convenient, given his further plans, and he might have considered this... But to go so far as to have hoped for it..." Montoya was obviously still shocked, and somewhat confused. "As to your rumours of troops... As I said, wheels are turning, and there is no going back now. But we have decided to aid you in denying Mardier their unlawful claim. And I cannot deny that the fact that it also limits Eslandian control of the island might have been part of the considerations. I know not the details of the intervention, but expect our troops to set up some degree of permanent encampment. And that Oleon may do so too. Afterall, Mardier have long preyed on the shipping and commerce of all our nations!" "That leaves me full of hope that there is a chance our three nations could become reunited at least here in the colonies again. Thank you for your trust, my friend." Fontonajo slightly bowed his head and hand as a gesture of respect. "But as you said, the wheels are turning already, and things have been set in motion now that cannot be stopped. Right as we talk my heralds are setting up all over Nellisa - in Nova Terreli, in Pontelli and in all the other settlements as well. And when by tomorrow I will step out of my palace and proclaim the independence of Nellisa from the Crown, the same words will be heard all over the island. Thousands will follow my call, and we will finally be freed of Fernando Augusto's chains. The Eslandolan Republic of Nellisa does no longer bow to a king." Fontonajo set up a massive smile, when he looked at Montoya. "I am totally aware of the gallows waiting at the wrong end of the road that I am taking. But only those who dare may also succeed. Fernando Augusto's reign in the colonies is over. It is about time we take matters into our own hands." "An independent republic of Nellisa? A bold move, I must say, and quite unexpected! Is this independence to stand, even if the King is... removed, or will you rejoin a united Eslandola under new rule? Do you expect other colonies to follow in your footstep? Is Eslandola to become a federation, or even confederation, of independent colonies? And what of your homeland in Halos? Pardon me, but your plans raise numerous questions!" Considering for a moment, he then added. "Is that the true reason you called me here? To ensure good relations with Corrington once you stand alone? And how will this republic be governed? I suppose there will be elections... a constitution... courts..." "I am fully convinced that the concept of a monarch is completely outdated. There may be royals like your very Queen Annetta, who are actually worth looking up to. But some day, maybe in ten years and maybe in two hundred, even Corrington's ruler will be falling under the pressure of the crown." Fontonajo took a deep breath. "I fully believe in Eslandola and all of its values, though. Nellisa should not be a nation of its own, but rather belong to an Eslandolan Union. Whether that can include the Halosian territories or not, I am not sure. I am definitely hoping for Colonial Eslandola to not fall apart. I am on very good terms with many of the other rulers, like Governor Guilder for instance. But someone has to take the first step..." Sitting in silence for a while, he continued: "As far as the government is concerned I am afraid that I myself am currently the only one capable of being governor of the Eslandolan Republic of Nellisa. As such we have already set up a constitution. When time has come, I will make room for others, that is certain. The least thing I am interested in is a new monarchy here in Terra Nova. But only time can tell how things will continue..." "And be assured that most certainly, good relationships with Corrington and Oleon, most of them all, are among my very prime ambitions, Isaac." And so they spoke until the late into the night, closely debating every possible angle on the current situation, both aware that the coming months would be defining for the future of New Terra. Full Album on Flickr

Salida Este Salida Este has been growing recently, and as such the time has come for a formal schoolhouse. The roof is fully removable, for a better interior view. C&C welcome!

Location: Salida Este Now that Salida Este is a town, the defenses are growing. You never know when pirates will come. These soldiers are a bit strange. They despise shirts, so they dyed their torsos green in order to fit regulations, and while the officer wears a shirt, it's best to avoid the topic with him. Something went wacky with the plant pieces during import. To be licensed as a small fort. C&C welcome!

After the Inn opened, a logistic problem started as the wives of the sailors and smugglers started complaining about their husbands drinking too much. Other WAG's had way too much time as their husband was abroad for a nice game of soccer "shoot the enemy". A very popular game in the neighbouring Isla de Victoria. And as the WAG's started learning how to make their hands dirty while making new clothes for their beloved husbands, Lord Maximilian Damaximus had the brilliant idea to put some of those WAG's together in order to mass produce capes and hats... Bingo! The Shop: Not sure what this chicken is doing here... The first floor is where the magic happens. - One minor problem, the MCTC controlled the whole textile thingy in the New World... So, a joint-venture with MCTC started in Trador for exploiting the WAG's Textile Factory, the first ever and surely (hopefully) not the last!!! Here you see Lord Tomvaximus and a Weelond representative who just signed a contract @Capt Wolf - Oh, and to those who wonder how the daughter of the Three Flower Inn - barkeeper looks like, here she is: ---- Thanks for watching! I have to admit, the pictures are kinda blurry. But I fear I will not be able to take decent pictures within the next 8 days... Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Oh, a last note, there is no landscaping as that will be sth I will do in the future, when I start developping the streets of Trador. I have a plan in my mind, but as long as I don't have enough buildings, I can't start with it....

2016-10-15_10-40-37 by Phadeout, on Flickr As Nacho and Roldolfo walked down one of the many newer upmarket streets they pass a gentlemen of Oleon leaving one of the houses, suddenly our heroes feel the atmosphere change, as the gentleman in question walks towards a groups of Eslandian citizens who seem agitated as well as inebriated. 2016-10-15_10-40-16 by Phadeout, on Flickr "You're not welcome here, get back where you come from you megabloking megabloker" "Pardon! I am but a humble man here to trade with you. Whatever these rumours of war we are all civilised men, there is no need to argue when it is a beautiful day and there is money to be made!" "Are you making fun of us - there is more to Eslandola than money you know!" "But yes, of course I meant no disrespect, kindly allow me past and I will trouble you no more" "Not so fast - maybe you need to learn a little lesson about life in the New World" Nacho stepped forward and raises his voice over the growing murmurs of aggression. 2016-10-15_10-40-00 by Phadeout, on Flickr "I know you - you run the barrel making business near the docks, surely you know that the goods sent in those barrels as often as not ends up in Oleon hands, after we have traded with them as close friends. Why would you try to bite the hand that feeds you?" "But we are going to war with them! They are our enemy now." "We will not be going to war with Oleon, the madman with the crown in Terreli will not be allowed to wage this fool's war, the great houses and Trade Companies will not allow it, and we will not allow it, here in the new world - we will refuse his rule. Our mayor has already set wheels in motion that will protect us from Fernando and his madness - a new enlightened age beckons, a republic of Nellisa is dawning. There is no benefit to war with Oleon whilst the Mardier wolves circle and the Fontonajo understand this, they will bring a new level of prosperity to us and shield us from harm." 2016-10-15_10-39-05 by Phadeout, on Flickr "Trust me, this is the future, the New World is ours to shape, leave the past behind in the hands of the small-minded and weak, long live the republic!! Extra image for Capt Wolf

Jorge Ilabro Estèz, a well-tanned man in his fourties, and his wife Fratella had run their farm on Nellisa for well over ten years. Due to their regular trading relationships Fontonajo knew the two well as both eager and fearless loyal Eslandolans. Even more so, Jorge had always proven to be innovative and well-though-out. They seemed like exactly what was needed on Isla de Victoria, and thus Román Fontonajo had decided to invite them to the ship he had sent to the new island. Jorge had taken Fontonajo's generous offer and agreed upon setting up a farm. But Jorge knew that more than some crops were needed to survive against Mardier. He had found a great spot at the northwestern end of Campo Nuevo, Fuerte Unido or whatever people might call the settlement (he had thought of calling it Campo Fontonajo just for the fun of it, but decided against it and chose to go for one of the now popular anti-royal-jokes: Camp of the sleeping August, which seemed even more funny because most of them had gotten their orders in August. Most other villagers had laughed). At the spot he had chosen the terrain began to become slightly rocky. There was some kind of circular structure in the rocks that lay a bit deeper than the rest. With the help of some stonemasons he extended it to a real moat, and the stones were brought to the towncentre. The moat was then filled with salty water (quite an effort to get it there initially, but now a bucket or two per day were enough to keep it filled) and some fish the Tentocaxclans had caught alive. And voila, they had a fishing pond. For bad times, or when they just couldn't sail the seas for some reason. He decided to add a small palisade that served two purposes: It was both defensive structure and outer border of the flower beds. Flower beds, where they planted tomatoes, carrots, eggplants, pumpkins, lettuce and some herbs that didn't grow naturally on the island. Speaking of tomatoes, they also grew from the middle floor of the small watchtower he had added to his farm. Below the watchtower in the shadow the pig Fernando VII (yes, another rather uncreative name, but it created laughter nonetheless) wallowed in the mud. The watchtower was usually manned by one of the soldiers (today it was a man who just called himself "el mejor Capitán"). The farm als had some goats, chickens, a barrel to store rainwater and of course a hut to sleep. It also had two small cannons. Of course it had. Just in case... Due to the community-nature of Campo Unido other villagers often came by to bring some goods (e.g. grain for the chickens, or some seeds they had found, or just some food remainders to feed pig Fernando VII) or just transport the harvest of the day to the village, where people usually came together to have diner. Today they planned to have a great pumkin-carrot-soup with some fresh caught fish. Spiced with herbs, of course. Jorge and Fratella did their job to contribute to the meal. As always.

It is on this day, September the tirteenth of the year 616, that we, Román Esteban Fontonajo and Elysabeth of Drondil, mayors of respectively Nova Terelli and Elysabethtown, declare the following: -From now, the ties between our two cities will be tighted using a variety of deals and mutual agreements, as explained below -To encourage the Eslandolan fleet, a certain number of ship-builders from each city will teach a certain number of shipwrighters from the other -Considering the trading rights on the island... ... -... To further encourage shipbuilding, and thus trade and wealth, a bonus will be offered to all ships build for the Eslandolan fleet -As part of the previous agreement, we will offer a bonus of 120DBs to any ship build before October the First, 616, that is offered to the Eslandolan Crown. (Up to a maximum of three, and a minimum of class 4.) For King and Country!

Where would the MCTC be without Uncle? You all know (well, maybe you don't) that last time Guy's Uncle went off on vacation, Guy ended up throwing a mayor's application into the fire by mistake. Sir E.T.W. de Chauncourtois shrewdly suspects that was the least of the mishaps, but the others were probably hushed up for the good of the Company. Be that as it may, Uncle is always active in MCTC's service. This time he is in Bardo for a tour of inspection of the MCTC's latest investment: a Royal Cotton Plantation! Pigs have a distinct tendency to escape at the most awkward of times. One of the workers is doing his best to catch this renegade before Uncle catches sight of him. All the workers, of course, are trying hard to look appropriately busy as Guy's Uncle approaches the first segment of the plantation - or the last segment, depending on how you look at it. Guy spent quite a while at the breakfast table that morning trying hard to convince his Uncle that the plot with the aqueduct was the last plot, but Uncle insisted that since it was first on the road coming out of Bardo, it was the first plot. Uncle was glad to discover that this is only the guardhouse; no one lives here. And even he would have to admit that it's built in the most approved Eslandian style, with dark red bricks, whitewash, and green shutters. A+ here. More workers pretending to be busy. The other parts of this collab will be coming soon, so stay tuned! C&C welcome! Thanks for looking!

When the MCTC claimed the island of Ferro Azure for Eslandola, the plentiful fields of indigo plants were a prime reason. With a royal cotton plantation (and several privately owned cotton plantations) and a royal textile factory, the production of textiles is the MCTC’s (and perhaps Eslandola’s) biggest enterprise. But the dyes used in the textile factory have to come from somewhere, and for indigo, that somewhere is Ferro Azure -- specifically the new indigo dye factory on the outskirts of Salida Este. First the indigo plants are harvested and brought to the factory. Here a worker is coming to unload a wagon just in from the fields. The workers then fill one of the processing pits with indigo leaves and water. Water for this process is drawn from the river and stored in a cistern next to the processing pits. When the processing pit is full, a wooden frame is laid on top of the leaves and weighted down with stones. Over time, the leaves ferment into a stinky blue muck. When fermenting is complete, the muck is drained into another pit. Here workers stir and agitate the muck to a regular consistency, and then load it bucket by bucket into barrels. The barrels are then rolled over to the processing house. Inside, the indigo is poured into molds and baked into small bricks. These bricks can then be easily transported in crates, and once at their destination can be boiled into a liquid form. With the opening of this new indigo dye factory, the MCTC adds another component to its textile business. * * * * * I had to rush to get this in by the end of July to license it as a large factory. I would have liked to detail an interior for the building, but I didn’t think it was interesting enough to warrant the extra work, which kind of took on a life of its own in recent weeks. And I couldn’t find my notes on the full manufacturing process, so I had to write it up from memory; I’m sure there are some details I’ve left out. But, I still found it interesting researching this build, and I hope you like it. All C&C welcome

A (large) factory in Nova Terreli (Nellisa), producing barrels, chests, crates boxes and other means of transporting goods: 1 year earlier: "We all know trading is important", Román said. "But is it the most reliable source of income? No, sure it isn't." "You are quite right, nephew", replied his uncle Raphael Fontonajo. "But what do you plan to do about that?" "You know, uncle. I plan on making profit with those that trade. Like... a hotel for them to live in. Or building a bridge and asking for toll when the traders want to pass. Or sell them horses and ships. Or even go down to the most basic things." "What do you mean?", Raphael asked. "Like... saddles for the horses. Or sails or ropes for the ships. Or even barrels or chests to produce their wares." "Barrels? Like Barrels for Berreli? That sounds like quite a slogan." "Uncle... I think I should do that...", Román replied. Only a few weeks later the Barrel Factory of the Fontonajo family had opened. Román had bought the ground of the old quarry of Nova Terreli, just a at the rim of the city which had grown so immensely over the last years. The quarry had long been deserted, because stone was now imported, while the people in the city focussed on trade and other more financially lucrative work. But Román knew that place fitted his needs perfectly. The pit was a small cellar for his factory, and the house that they had to build now wasn't even a large one, which reduced construction costs even further. The business was running perfectly. Román bought wood and nails and some other things, and his workers manufactured chests and barrels and boxes. Some of them were brought to the Fontonajo Cotton Plantations, or to the family's trading ships, while others were sold on the markets of the city, and even others were just shipped to other islands like Berreli. Barrels for Berreli had really become a thing, after all.

It's harvesting season in Bardo on An Toli. Eager workers are doing their business and collect the cotton. Which is then transported to the manufacturing facilities. Especially to those of MCTC itself, like the huge one in Weelond. Will this ball of cotton become a shirt? Or a pair of trousers? Who knows, who knows... Lady Estrella and her niece Clara enjoy the flowers in the garden. Estrella once demanded that small garden, to have some deviation from the ever-white cotton fields. Clara however is always keen on learning new details. "How is that flower called?", "Why does cotton not grow on trees like apples?", "How did MCTC become so rich", "Why don't we build ships that can fly like birds?". Lady Estrella smiled and just thought to herself "you silly little girl". This poor guy is running away in pure horror. He must have seen something incredibly terrifying. Or from someone... Does he have an upaid debt? Or has committed some minor crime? Or maybe he has done nothing wrong at all, like others before him? Who knows, but fleeing seems an appropriate response anyway. The fields are in full growth, the cotton is ready. Believe it or not, Bardo is not only known for its Musicians, but also for its huge cotton plantations.

Here we are at the end of the tour - after everything else you have seen we come to the farm, where the family and the workers get some of their food from. IMAG4060 by Phadeout, on Flickr As you can see the cotton isn't being harvested here although that will surely be rectified soon. IMAG4065 by Phadeout, on Flickr Many of the workers are out on the farm at the moment, the carrots and apples are ready for harvesting. IMAG4075 by Phadeout, on Flickr Apparently a Very Important Person is over at the main house and is asking for some Bardo bacon, it seems it is becoming very well known, sensing the end is nigh Gustav the porker has made a break for it and is dashing off down the road as fast as his little piggy legs can carry him - the cook is furious, the VIP isn't known for his tolerance and the cook is well aware he could soon be looking for another job... IMAG4074 by Phadeout, on Flickr One final look at the farm, hope you enjoyed your tour of the MCTC's Royal Plantation in Bardo, remember the MCTC when you need large quantities of cotton and cotton goods which are available from our factory in Weelond. IMAG4067 (1) by Phadeout, on Flickr

Guy’s uncle’s inspection of the new MCTC royal cotton plantation on the outskirts of Bardo continues as he reaches the barn. Although most of the workers are on other parts of the plantation right now, the barn is where many workers begin and end their day. Various equipment including baskets, crates, wagons, plows, beasts of burden, and the picked cotton itself are stored at the barn. Guy’s uncle talks to a worker who has just brought in a wagon load of cotton from one of the fields. Not all workers are quite so industrious. This worker has decided it’s time for a drink in the shade. He’ll be hanging by his toes if Guy’s uncle sees him! Some overview shots: Thanks for looking, and check out the other sections of this collaborative build!

As you are probably aware by now, MCTC has gotten together five builders to collaborate on a Royal Cotton Plantation! Here is a picture of each of the five builds. Each one is at least 96x32 studs, with several being larger. The Farm Or "Bacon Escaping" - Phadeout Inspection Continues At The Barn - Capt Wolf Late Dinner At The Royal Plantation Mansion - Sir Stig Horror, Flowers And Cotton - Elostirion Inspection! - Kai NRG Hope you enjoyed the chance to see this develop, and look out for more MCTC ventures down the road!

Location: Salida Este The Children of the Salida Este School were putting on a play about a great hero of Eslandola's fight to rid the Island of Ferro Azure of pirates once and for all. It may have been slightly fictitious, since no Pirates have ever been reported on the Island, regardless everyone was having a great time. And Thunder-Rod had come to town to sell fish today, so he was narrating. "The Young Captain Wyndzon forced the dread pirate No-Beard up the steep hill. There would be no escape for the Slippery fox this time." The story in this build is about the esteemed uncle of our leader Guy K Wyndzon. As far as we know he has never actually been to Salida Este. C&C Welcome! To be licensed as a small Arts and Culture.

Welcome to the Merchant’s Colonial Trading Company Discussion Topic! Here’s where members sign up, organize transactions, vote on expenditures, and more. Of course certain strategic discussions are kept private, but if you have any questions about the MCTC or the relative parts of the EGS, feel free to ask below! What is the MCTC? The Merchant’s Colonial Trading Company – often abbreviated MCTC – is a chartered and recognized Eslandian Trading Company. Founded by Captain Wynd of Eslandola, the company started out as a small alternative to the East Trade-Wind Company’s red tape. After Captain Wynd’s death, his son Guy K. Wyndzon inherited the position of leadership. With the help of his wealthy Uncle, Guy has led the MCTC from a small no-name band of merchants and explorers into a booming trade company. Mostly, the MCTC has focused on colonization. Recently, Guy has stepped down in favor of Governor Guilder, who has big plans to continue expansion and to extend MCTC influence into the Colonial Council. Why should I join the MCTC? Join the MCTC because we're awesome. Because although we’re the underdog, we're rising. Because we're going to rule the Eslandian Seas... and all the other seas, for that matter. And don’t forget that the MCTC colors – black and green – are ever so much cooler than, well, any other colors except purple. Or, if you’re just looking for practical reasons – the MCTC holds monopolies on cotton plantations, textile factories, and iron mines. These monopolies translate into in-game economic benefits. The MCTC can provide protection to your property and pull strings if you want to land a position as mayor or civil servant, or even a member of Eslandola’s High Council, if you show that kind of commitment! Plus, the MCTC provides a great setting for you to engage in the Monthly Commerce and Raiding Action along with like-minded Eslandian traders. MCTC Role Call: @Capt Wolf - Philip "Pip" Janszen - MCTC Leader @Aventador - Kenway Cuervo@Elostirion - Román Esteban Fontonajo@Kai NRG - Guy Wyndzon - Former MCTC Leader@Phadeout - Alejandro de la Calle@Sir Iron - Francisco Iron of Ironia@Sir Stig - Victor Servadac@Stash2Sixx - Atticus Cuervo@Tiddlymouthwash - Jim Cuervo@Tuben - Ulrich von Koehler@Umbra-Manis - Revon de Crocodil MCTC Settlements: Name: Bardo Ownership: MCTC Location: An Toli Mayor: Colonel Oystrigde - @Sir Stig Who can own property in Bardo: Any MCTC member. Who can freebuild in Bardo: Anyone. Bardo Thread Name: Chiquita Ownership: MCTC Location: Chiquara (New Haven Island #1) Mayor: TBD Who can own property in Chiquita: Any MCTC member. Who can freebuild in Chiquita: Anyone. Chiquita Thread Name: Salida Este Ownership: MCTC Location: Ferro Azure Mayor: @Umbra-Manis Who can own property in Salida Este: Anyone, from any faction. Who can freebuild in Salida Este: Anyone, from any faction. Salida Este Thread Name: Weelond Ownership: MCTC Location: An Holli Mayor: Willem Guilder - @Capt Wolf Who can own property in Weelond: Any MCTC member. Who can freebuild in Weelond: Anyone. Weelond Thread MCTC Monopolies: Cotton Plantations – If a MCTC member licenses a cotton plantation, he/she will receive a 150% return. Textile Factories – If a MCTC member licenses a textile factory, he/she will receive a 150% return. Iron Mines – If a MCTC member discovers and licenses an iron mine, he/she will receive a 175% return. MCTC Assets: Heart of Eslandia, Ship, Captured, (Terms) Prince Fernando, Ship, Sunk, (Terms) Prince Fernando II, Ship Shares: MCTC________50100% Capt Wolf_____50% Jon El Flurry, Ship Cotton Lady, Ship, Sunk (sistership pending) Holder's Secret, Ship Augustinian Colonial Textile (ACT), Factory, (Terms) Dividends eliminated after revenue reduction Shares:______________________Monthly Garmadon (ETWC)____1________20 DBs Sir Stig______________5_______100 DBs Phadeout____________3________60 DBs Capt Wolf____________4________80 DBs Umbra-Manis_________1________20 DBs Kai NRG_____________5_______100 DBs Elostirion____________10_______200 DBs____Note: One of these is "builder's share." Stash2Sixx___________1________20 DBs Royal Cotton Plantation (RCP), (Terms) Dividends eliminated after revenue reduction Shares:______________________Monthly Sir Stig______________5_______100 DBs Phadeout____________5_______100 DBs Capt Wolf____________5_______100 DBs Umbra-Manis________22________40 DBs Kai NRG_____________6_______120 DBs Elostirion________`____6_______120 DBs Stash2Sixx___________1________20 DBs MCTC Finances: Monthly Income_______Qty_____________________$$ Settlements___________4______________________40 Licenses____________Varies__________________Varies Share in PF__________40%___________________Varies ACT_______________________________________150 RCP_______________________________________150 Expenses______________Frequency______________$$ Mayor Salaries___________Monthly_______________31 Charter Fee_____________Monthly_______________50 Bank Account Balance = see current account sheet Current MCTC Activities: New info coming soon

Do you wear a shirt? Or pants? Or underwear? I am sure you do. And I am also sure that some of the cloth you are wearing was manufactured in Weelond. Weelond?, you ask? That's right, Weelond, on the island of An Holli. You don't believe me? Come along, young lad, and let me show you. A while ago the largest facility in the new world has commenced its business. In the Augustinian Colonial Textiles (named in the honour of our beloved king), the MCTC fabricates cotton, making some of the finest cloth in all of Terra Nova. From here, the cloth is brought to cities both in the new and in the old world. Come and join me for a small tour through our Royal Cotton Factory, or look around yourself. Augustinian Colonial Textiles The workers are working quite hard right now. Take a look from the top, right through the roof, and see the inside unfold. Isn't it colourful inside? Spinning cotton is no easy task. We have quite some machinery, here in Weelond. Those men are really doing their best to keep the spinning machines running all the time, and running and running. Whenever a piece of cotton is all rolled up to a thread, a new one is put on the machine, and a new one, and so on... Believe it or not, your shirt did not grow on a field like that. Someone has added that precious green colour to it, at some point. Last but surely not least, we are weaving. It's funny, actually, that four women operate the machines while more than 10 people are constantly carrying around fibres and cloth to keep the machines running. Storage racks are important. Because believe it or not, not everything we produce is transported away immediately. This does not only go for white or coloured fibres, but also for fine cloth. We always try to be ahead of ourselves, here at the MCTC. This is why we installed a small wagon to ease our work. Because we care about logistics. And we care about our workers. Take a break and eat some of that tasty "chocolate" thing we have imported from Cocovia. Anyone still want some carrots? Noone? Really? And look outside. Isn't she a beauty, our factory? It's quite funny that the backdoor is the place where we do most of our business. Having a river nearby always helps. Look at those two, bringing in some new cotton for us to make cloth from. Will it be green or purple, what do you think? Yellow you say? I'm not so sure, I think we have produced enough yellow cloth for today. But who am I to tell? Did you know August? That's how we call that small pig. Noone has a clue how August got here, or how he has any right to be here. But we all think he's quite cute, doing what he does, so we let him do his thing. Now imagine you were an eagle, my little friend. Just think about how much good we are doing to the world, running this factory. Noone has to freeze in cold winters once there is enough cloth in the world. Yeah, just look around a bit more and memorize what you see here. Because what you see here, young lad, is the future of the world. It's not ships, nor gold nor treasures, it's factories, it's industry. The real revolutions of the next years won't be against kings. The real revolutions will be against our untechnologised past and for the machinery of the future. I'm a weirdo, you say? Well, just look around and embrace the future, my dear. Believe it or not, accept it or don't - you won't change it. Neither will I. But I will be part of it. Why won't you? see a full album on Flickr for more pictures This is by far the hugest build I have done till now, and by far the best (in my personal opinion). Thank you BoBS for inspiring me to go for something like this. And thank you also to all those people who gave me inspiration with all their wonderful builds here at BoBS. And of course a great thank you to my fellow MCTC members for sticking with me for the Royal Textile Factory, from the initial idea (let's rather call it a vision), through financing and the realisation, and for providing feedback and suggestions during the building phase. You are great. Alright. Time to clean up my Lego over the... next few weeks I am afraid.

After setting up a mine on Ferro Azure the geologists of the Fontonajo family quickly realised that they had found what they were looking for: Iron!. Román Esteban Fontonajo then decided to immediately send Patrica da Mierda. Patrica was born as the third daughter of a nobleman in Namere, but decided at the age of 15 that her fortune should be in the new world. She got into the mining industry quite quickly, and due to her origin she was a talented leader. When Román got to know her he knew that she was the best person to help him get his mining ventures running. In Ferro Azure she took command of the first Fontonajo Iron Mine on the island, and leads with rigid regiment. She also hired some MCTC mercenaries to guard the mines and protect the workers. The mine is located in the hinterland of Salida Este! I liked the idea of just expanding my prospecting scene, so that's what I did. I really like the result, and think I will go that way for some of my prospecting and mining MOCs in the future as well.