Capt Wolf

Although Lady Cantoni was speaking to Aaron Van Der Meede, representative of the Sea of Storms, after his stated consideration of the tax proposal, Willem Guilder, as Admius Legistrad and leader of the council, addressed her argument: "I understand your concern about the particulars of this tax proposal, but for now the proposal before us includes all Eslandian accounts, both citizens and trade companies. You are welcome to propose your alternative after voting on this one has concluded, and vote as you see fit on the current proposal."

OOC: The idea was that while the TCs would cover the costs, it leaves the defense of the citizens officially in the hands of the nations, not the TCs, so that we don't simply become a confederation of TCs. It was a way of making the TCs pay without abdicating authority to them. -------------- IC: "The proposal for a 1% flat tax on all Eslandian accounts, levied every turn has been proposed and seconded. Members may now vote on this proposal." Guilder turned briefly to the ETWC delegation. "My apologies for having to fine you a second time. I waited as long as I felt I could. If only I had known you were lingering in the foyer ..."

Aaron Van Der Meede stood and looked over at the Independents delegation. "Lady Cantoni, I agree that trade company dividends can be inconsistent, but I believe the TCs can well afford to pitch in, but their philanthropy is often circumspect. I'm surprised that, as representatives of the independent traders, you did not second my proposal for the TCs to be taxed an amount equal to their settlement's fort upkeep costs. You still have the opportunity to do so." He then looked back at the gallery before turning toward Mr. Esterhazy in the MCTC delegation. "I am warming to the idea of a universal 1% tax. While I am not yet ready to second your proposal, I am considering it." From his desk at the front of the hall, Admius Legistrad Guilder weighed in. "I generally am opposed to taxes, but we need to do something. And there were a couple of suggestions from the gallery that I liked. So, even though it will not generate nearly enough revenue in these modern times, I will propose a building program, wherein each citizen contributes his construction efforts toward a royal property, to be completed within three months. Will anybody second this proposal?" Guilder then looked at the desks of sleeping and absent councilmembers, none of whom had been heard from in more than a week. "While a royal property will only generate 100 DBs per month, and requires much effort, I can do better than that right now. Someone out there mentioned fines. Well, 50 DB fines for each member of the ETWC, MAESTRO, Sea of Thieves, and Prio Seas delegations for dereliction of your council duties!" WHAP! went Guilder's gavel. "That's 150 DBs total per delegation, so a quick 600 DBs for Eslandian defense! Har-har!" Guilder sat down with a smile. OOC: @Garmadon, @Faladrin, @Legostone, @Umbra-Manis, please transfer 150 DBs each to the Eslandola account.

The council appears to be at a standstill on ideas for how to pay for forts after the EGS revisions, other than to let the national account cover them until the nation is broke. If any ESL citizens want to write their council representatives, please do.

With the lack of suggestions from sitting council members, if any other Eslandola citizens want to write to the council prompting their representatives to advance particular proposals, please do.

We're waiting on the adventure MRCAs to be up before we can set a new deadline. I would hope we know when the next deadline will be within the next week or so.

Fyi, I think the account only shows ownership, not placement. So if it has 120 for quinnsville, those would be troops owned by quinsville, not necessarily troops stationed there.

Yep, whether or not the current proposal is acted upon, so far all we have done is affirm the status quo. I'd love to hear thoughts from the council members on any course of action.

Sorry I didn't get to this sooner. I really like this MOC. Fantastic shutters, and good job with the awnings and roofline details. Nice level of minifig activity, and an interior!

Thanks. And yes, it is. Thanks. I was limited by the brick choices in the medium green color and decided to see what I could do with it. Thanks. It is a great shade of green! @Elostirion and @Kai NRG had been using some cool colors in their Salida Este builds, so I wanted to try something similar. (And thanks to them for their feedback during the build process!) Thanks. I think the balcony and the garden were the keys to getting that feel.

Salida Este has a new boardinghouse, and Kai's tea shop raised the settlement to Large Town status.

A boardinghouse (medium artisan) for Salida Este.

Wow, nobody's been using this for awhile (myself included)! Boardinghouse | Capt Wolf | Eslandola

Some of the natives of Ferro Azure have developed a very entrepreneurial spirit, in keeping with their Eslandolan friends. Here in the New Town sector of Salida Este is a boardinghouse owned and operated by a native family. Hasan is the family patriarch. He spends much of his day sitting on his bench, greeting passersby and providing a low-key pitch for his boardinghouse. His daughter Natalena makes sure everything is in order in the boardinghouse, including cleaning of common areas and cooking meals. Here she has taken a break from her chores to say hello to a passing town guardsman. We also see one of the boarders heading out for the day. Hasan’s son, Budi, is helping his sister with the garden, and is picking vegetables for dinner. Hasan hopes his son will find a paying job with the Eslandolans to provide more income for the family. Here’s another look at the boardinghouse. To be licensed as a medium artisan. All C&C welcome.

Guilder looked out over the council hall. Some members chatting away, some reading the paper, some sleeping, and some had stepped away. Nobody paying attention to the business at hand. He contemplated more fines ... OOC: Anybody there? @Garmadon @gedren_y @Kai NRG @Legostone @Faladrin @Umbra-Manis

It can be just an interior. No problem.

Guilder set aside the latest issue of the KPA. "Well, at least Nova Terreli's port taxes have generated more than 200 DBs this month for the defense fund. But I still don't hear any solid suggestions on how to provide additional funding." Aaron Van Der Meede arose from his seat. "I have a proposal to make. As I said earlier, now that the forts are clearly defined as belonging to the national account, I have no issue with asking the trade companies to contribute financially to protecting their investments. Thus, I propose that the trade companies be taxed an amount equal to the upkeep costs of fortifications in their settlements. This would include all fortifications in Bardo, Weelond, and Salida Este for the MCTC, Elysabethtown and Trador for MAESTRO, and Pontelli and Port Wilks for the ETWC, and any future settlements established or transferred to a trade company." "An interesting proposal, Mr. Van Der Meede," replied Guilder, "and one I think worthy of consideration. Will any other delegation second this proposal?"

Every time I see this it gets better. You do an incredible job of bringing life to the scene. The limited interiors are a great concept, expertly executed (I love the tan interior wall in particular). Rich in details. Inspirational! And thank you for the links to the build log! Even though I got to see a lot of the WIP pics of this build, I always learn alot from more behind-the-scenes info.

That would do it.

Cool. FYI, I minor item about the "raid". If it had been a real raid, you would have needed to list a final destination other than Quinnsville. As it is, if you had been successful, you've just sat in the port with your loot until they arrested you! I think that was just a one-turn deal.

Good catch. That would be the normal trade calculation. We probably should have zeroed that out. We can still do that if you want.

Results sorted by flagship: Results sorted by ship name:

Results sorted by faction: Results sorted by destination:

January 619. Vol 4, Issue 1 Storms Deal Blows to Shipping A severe storm front passed over Terraversa and proceeded southeast into the Sea of Thieves, causing problems for several ships making the crossing. Our national trade fleet suffered the loss of our largest trade ship, the terraman Tyche, while its escort, the man-o-war Typhoon, was forced to make port in Pontelli to avoid a similar fate. A squadron of tiny Oleonder gunboats en route for Astrapi struggled mightily with the storm, surprisingly only losing one of its number, as Blue Glare went to the bottom near Dragonstone when it couldn’t make port. The Carnian large sloop Cheetah was forced back to Port Raleigh after seas proved too rough to make it to Poorvintia. The Eslandolan independent trader Consort’s Duty reached its intended port of call in Nova Terreli, but it took on so much water during the storm that its cargo was ruined. And from Freeport we hear that the Garveyian trade squadron sailing out of Nova Terreli had a third of its cargo ruined by the storm. Meanwhile, we hear from Eltina that sudden squalls in the Sea of Storms caught several ships by surprise. Eslandian sloop Lady of Madrice II was forced to divert to Eltina when it couldn’t make it to Weelond. Oleon trader The Argo, an older brig simply trying to sail from Breshaun to Eltina, was nearly dashed on rocks off the LeBellan coast before making port, and took on so much water that its cargo was ruined. Corrington and Sea Rats Conduct Joint Military Exercise In this time of heightened security concerns, strange bedfellows abound. To wit: the city of Quinnsville arranged for the Sea Rats to conduct a simulated raid on the settlement! The Sea Rats came with the barque Narwal and man-o-war Myth Chaser and carrying a full battalion of 90 troops between them in addition to the ship crews. The city is defended by one large fort and two small forts, with a platoon of city militia and four companies of Corrish regulars supplementing the forts’ standard garrisons. Our man in Quinnsville watched the exercise from shore, and reports that after a fierce duel at range, where shot from the Quinnsville batteries fell close around the Narwal and Myth Chaser, the officers appointed as referees decided that the forts had lost with a narrow margin and the ships could proceed. However, as the ships closed to prepare for the landing, the close range engagement showed that the oaken hulls of the Sea Rat vessels stood little chance against the sturdy fortress walls. Had it been a real battle, it is likely that both ships would have been sunk or blown up. Proceeding with the maneuver, crews and troops from the ships landed for an exercise ashore against the regulars, militia, and fort garrisons of Quinnsville. Heavily outmatched, combat referees estimated that the spoils of a real battle would have been no more than 90 DBs if the raiders could make it away in safety (not to mention survived to land in the first place). Our reporter was able to get a copy of the official ”After Action” report, which reads as follows: “While the vessels involved were outgunned slightly by the forts (G15 vs G19), they proved able to overcome that weakness by luck and skill. Without this, they would have been repelled before even closing on the settlement. Going to close range (H4 vs H30), however, the disparity between the weak hulls and the strong forts would have been almost a tactical impossibility to overcome. After landing, the numbers speak for themselves: 125 attackers against 410 defenders (C25 vs C82). Nothing bar significant reinforcements would have allowed the attackers to make more than a minuscule dent in the valuables of Quinnsville.” Quinnsville officials are said to be pleased with the results. Encounters at Sea Sea Rats’ Yellow Skull Feet Devastates Eslandolan Trade Squadron From Terreli, Eslandian crews are telling the tale of a massive sea battle east of Prinport. Commodore Gerrit Dekker, in charge of the merchant fleet, was forced to transfer his flag during the battle, narrowly avoiding capture at the hands of the Yellow Skull pirate fleet under the command of Captain Katrin DeKruger. The Sea Rat fleet was six-ships strong and included Hand of Fate, Apollo’s Mirth, Hotspur, and Red Dragon, among others. Commodore Dekker was last seen entering the Trade Ministry building here in Terreli, and he has a lot of explaining to do. Captured in the battle were his flagship, Stormbringer II, the man-o-war Hammerhead, and the MCTC carrack Eslandita. Man-o-war Sleeping Siren II was the only warship to survive the encounter for the greenies, along with the merchant vessels Jon El Flurry and Santiago. The crew of the Sleeping Siren II claim to have damaged the Jilted Maiden and Driftwood Heart, but it is of little solace to the Eslandian crews tonight. Eslandola Wins Minor Victory Meanwhile, from Puerto Desafio there is some good news for the greenies. The crews of the frigate Tritao and galleon Triunfo II sailed into port with the Sea Rat man-o-war Diablo Salado in tow! The crews also report sinking the large sloop Palmetto. Perhaps that will make up for the poor profits the crews realized for their trip from the Sea of Thieves. Sea Rats Attack Pirate LeColeon? Our man in Prinport is hearing interesting rumors, but can’t get any news first-hand. The word from the rough-and-tumble quarter of port is that the Sea Rats’ infamous Komodo Dragon fleet, under the command of the notorious pirate Sinbad, attacked the fleet of the nefarious pirate LeColeon somewhere north of Bastion. It sounds like the Sea Rats gave better than they got, damaging several of LeColeon’s ships and capturing one of his vessels, but may have lost one of their own in the process. Beyond that, details are sketchy, as we have no confirmed reports of either fleet from any of our correspondents. Captain Nordau on Rampage! From Jameston the crew of the Lady Belson reports a harrowing encounter with the infamous Eslandian pirate Captain Nordau. The free-booter, sailing in the frigate Cardinal’s Shadow, stalked the Lady Belson east across the Cocovia Sea. While some crewmembers say they outran the pirate, others say Nordau simply gave up the pursuit in the South Prio Sea and turned north. But our man in Hojaroja tells us that was not all Captain Nordau was up to this month. The sleepy hamlet was attacked by the Eslandian turncoat! The pirate managed to make it through the bombardment from the fort unscathed, and as he closed, the small fort found itself overmatched and had most of its guns unseated. The raiders then proceeded with their landing temporarily undisturbed and managed to loot several properties before the superior numbers of the garrison made it out of the fort and forced the free-booters back aboard their ship. Reports from local citizens estimate that the total value of stolen goods amassed to no more than 25 DBs, the settlement being so relatively undeveloped. Pirate Round-Up While Corrie officials in King’s Harbor were focused on trials for the several members of Bluebeard’s crew, our man in Calisto reports that the pirate Montroy, captured last month, has escaped custody in the Mardierian colony. While the pirate was officially in the hands of the redcoats, there appears to be some squabbling about whether Corrie or Mardierian officials are responsible for mishandling the pirate’s confinement. Regardless, Montroy is on the loose again. A Corrish patrol out of King’s Harbour encountered the fleet of Zublius Von Wreck north of Hussar’s Isle. The patrol returned to port with ZvW’s flagship Reaper in tow, as well as the merchant sloop Amethyst, which the notorious pirate had taken from the Corries late last summer. Crew from the patrol also report damaging the other three ships in the pirate’s fleet before ZvW escaped in the brig Ferryman. The notorious pirate Bloody Bill has struck again. After a quiet couple of months, from Hojaroja we hear that the crew of the Dozy Dragon, a junk crewed by foreigners from the south but flying Corrie colors, were set upon by the bloody pirate in the South Prio Sea. She arrived in port damaged but intact, with the crew ready for a stiff drink at the hamlet’s little inn. However, we hear from Mesabi Landing that one of Bloody Bill’s ships, the sloop Dirty Harry, subsequently sprang a leak, was separated from the rest of the pirate fleet, and made port in the tsunami-ravaged city. This is either bad news for the crew, or a match made in heaven! We’ll continue to monitor our WTC sources for any news of the crew’s fate in the coming weeks. Attempting to use the local weather for cover, pirate Jan Van Sud attacked a small WTC squadron east of Tiberia, and although the WTC Teamwork and WTC Seriously were eventually forced to escape from the infamous pirate, they hung around long enough to send ZvW’s Devil’s Sea-Horse to the bottom, forcing the pirate to give up the pursuit to rescue his crew. From Stormhaven we hear that a pair of local patrol sloops encountered the pirate Bluebeard near Calisto in the Azure Sea. Although Artillery Sloop No. 1 was damaged, her crew and the crew of Gun Sloop No. 2 were celebrating sinking the Bluebird II. The bearded one escaped in the HMS “Barracuda”, reportedly now his only ship remaining from a once mighty and feared flotilla. The Corrish war galley HMS Carnage, patrolling out of Arlinsport, pursued a brig believed to belong to the pirate Captain Gore. But in the rough seas in the area this month, the pirate easily outsailed the galley and escaped unscathed. Mercantile Report Merchant crews were somewhat subdued in their celebrations this month, but there are plenty of DBs to go around for many. On the continent, from Terreli we hear that the crews of Santiago and Jon El Flurry were celebrating much more than just escaping from the Yellow Skull pirate fleet, and in Granoleon the crews of The Divination Revival, The Resurrection, and Mr. Twistie were popular with the ladies. From Weelond we hear that the crew of the massive trade ship Gotheborg was spending freely in the local taverns, and the captain of the sloop Mysterious Lady was buying drinks for total strangers! Our man in Nova Terreli tells us that there were many happy little green men there, particularly from the crew of Piece of Eight II, even after the port taxes were paid. From Rassilon we receive word that the captain of Frisking Dart was in a very good mood after delivering his cargo. Our man in Prinport tells us that the crew of the Corrie traders Turaco and Puffin were spending more than usual, and from Mooreton Bay we're told that the crews of Blazer and Western Wind II were partying late into the night. And from Lavalette we hear that the captain of the Sea Rat trader The Eagle was packing a large coin purse after receiving payment. Notable Events Corrie Diplomat Nearly Missing Again! From Port Woodhouse there is concern for a local naval supply runner known only as “Small Sloop”. She reportedly set sail from Jameston with none other than the recently found Corrish diplomat Don Isaac Montoya on board, and is now nowhere to be found! Our man in Fuerte Unido sends word that the crew of the Sally tell of seeing a small group of sloops heading west that included a small vessel in tow fitting the description of the missing boat, but that it could have easily been a group of coastal fishermen. There are no other clues to the whereabouts of “Small Sloop”. That said, Corrish officials tell the editors of the KPA that Montoya wasn’t on the boat at all, and set sail for his destination on another vessel entirely. It sounds like another close call for the Corrish diplomat. Mesabi Landing Devastation Reaches Foreign Shores Signs of the Tsunami that hit Mesabi Landing could be found at locations across the East Prio Sea this month. We have received reports from several settlements of explosives and casks of horse meat washing ashore. One report even claimed that remnants of the house Count Mesabi was rumored to have stolen from Nova Malto have been found. We at the KPA advise all our readers to be careful around any debris marked “WTC” for the time being. Merrynight across the Brick Seas Merrynight celebrations were observed this past month as far east Jameston, as far west as continental Oleon, and somewhere in-between on a small islet in the Sea of Storms. Voting for the best is still going on for a few more days, so be sure to vote. Adventures, Missions, and Explorations We received wonderful reviews on the debut of this section last month. Unfortunately, news is slower to come in on these far-flung items, so we will be issuing a special edition when we finally have those reports gathered. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ships Lost to Davy Jones’ Locker: Bluebird II Blue Glare Cyclops Devil’s Sea-Horse Killer Frog Monju Palmetto Tyche Ships Captured (all MOC’d except Hammerhead, Nightingale, and Reaper): Amethyst (class 3) taken from Zublius Von Wreck by Bregir/King’s Harbour Diablo Salado (class 5) taken from Roadmonkeytj by Legostone Eslandita (class 4) taken from MCTC by Kwatchi/Roadmonkeytk/professor thaum Hammerhead (class 5) taken from Eslandola by Kwatchi/Roadmonkeytk/professor thaum Nightingale (class 4) taken from LeColeon by MKJoshA/Rassilon Reaper (class 6) taken from Zublius Von Wreck by Bregir/King’s Harbour Small Sloop (class 1) taken from Bregir by Roadmonkeytj/TomSkippy Stormbringer II (class 6) taken from Eslandola by Kwatchi/Roadmonkeytk/professor thaum Inquire by PM for ship stats. Ships Damaged at Sea: Artillery Sloop No. 1 Black Star’s Revenge Castaway Dozy Dragon Driftwood Heart Ferryman Golden Trident Hotspur Jilted Maiden Reventazon Silent Shadow The Argo Known Black Flag Ships Still At Large (all of their crews scoundrels and wanted for piracy!): Apollo’s Mirth Black Rat Cardinal’s Shadow Clearance Driftwood Heart Hand of Fate Hotspur Jilted Maiden Jolly Rogers Komodo Dragon II LaPetunia Red Dragon Rover The Drunken Monkey Villain’s Boat Viper Warped Wood WTC Judgement Note that Black Flag Sea Rat ship locations are now hidden when docked in Sea Rat ports, Garveyian ports, or pirate hideouts. Result tables to be posted shortly. Results sorted by owner: More results to come.

I'm glad it was taken in the spirit it was intended! And I'm thinking, at least while we're still trying to pay for these forts, it should be each delegate. Maybe that'll solve the funding crisis!