>>1019399
>>We've kept the body waiting long enough, might want to get a raincoat though.

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Rolled 7 (1d20)

"Body's sitting out on the ranch, might want to get a raincoat." You say, heading back towards the main cavern.

You and Keel head back through the cavern to your own gateway tunnel and wait at the mouth for Vanderbuilt. You don't have to wait long before he arrives, clad in an duster, carpet bag, and oversized galoshes. All of which are bright white. Shaking your head, you open up the gateway home. McCain's got the carriage waiting for you, and while Keel opts to take his own horse, Vanderbuilt tosses the bag onto the roof of the cabin and climbs in as you set off.

Trundling back through the way, you regard your new associate. "Interesting attire."

He laughs "Easier to see where it got singed or stained. Never know with the stuff I handle, don't want cross contamination. Mistakes tend to be terminal if you're not careful."

You note that the guy seems rather at ease for being called away so abruptly, "Glad to be out from the other guy's sight I take it?"

"Huh? Oh, Val? He's harmless. Guy joined the Schola to try and get an ambassador's position. Turned out to be rather adept with solving magical problems, that and his natural affinity for magic fast tracked him up to be the Magi. He worked so hard to get a cushy job, and ended up working himself into a demanding one. A fact I take great pleasure in reminding him."

Eventually the carriage trundles to a stop and you let the artificer step out before following. Ahead you see Keel talking with his men. The captain turns to you, "Thing hasn't moved since we left, apparently. So I'm hoping its nothing, nevertheless..."

you turn, and see Vanderbuilt moving towards the body, heedless of the rain. He kneels and opens up his massive carpet bag.


>Need any help?
>Let the man work.
>other

>>1020868
>>Let the man work.

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You opt to hang back and see just how a schola artificer does things. You retreat to the relative cover of the wagon as the man in white begins pulling out various tools items from the bag. The man affixes what looks to be a spyglass with a harness, you watch as it telescopes out as he puts it on. He carefully studies the body before producing another device, something that looks to be a smaller version of that ley line thing. You think he called it an illuminator. Giving the device a few cranks, he sets it down near the body before looking over it again. Nodding, he stands up and puts away the items.

"There's something here. No doubt about it, Though from what I can tell whatever this fella was gonna do didn't happen. Probably a curse, the residuals are too faint to tell."

McCain nods, "Well, he had First Wood pact marks. If I had to guess he tried to pull a revenant."

You look at him quizzically, "A what?"

He looks over to the Nitor, who are also listening with interest. "First Wood partisans. The pact markings like the ones I had, they weren't just a binding to whatever oath we took, they also would ensure you completed your mission, among other things. If you found yourself dying, you could use them, and they'd consume you, but you'd be little more than a shell with simple directions to complete a goal. Didn't have much time on them, burnt out quickly. Bugger prolly felt himself slipping and tried something like that. Either they didn't teach him it well or he was too far gone."

"So you are able to do this sort of stuff too?"

He shakes his head, "Not in twenty years, never bothered to try. Rather not risk it after surviving breaking the oath anyway. Either way, I don't like it."

"Don't like what?"

"Sword he had on him was my old blade. It worked in tandem with the brands. Figured the tattoos were a cheap replica. Sell his image as me. If the pact marks were real, then he'd have to be in contact with the partisans. That means they've taken my likeness as their own damnable Robin Goodfellow. Also means he was working with the phoenix probably on the partisans orders."

Keel interjects, "You able to swear that to a statement?"

Your foreman frowns, "I know you said you'd handle any reprisal, but with the fake dead, and folks still clamoring for justice for shit I didn't do, I'd rather not be too visible."

"Even still, if there are agent provocateurs working with the Kingfisher, we need people to be aware, and for them to be aware through the proper channels."

McCain looks at you for help.

>?

(Pausing here, will continue tomorrow.)

>>1021681
I say dont swear to anything too publicly. You can give your opinion, and if the powers that be want your oath on it they can come to you and hear it from your own lips. better then a signature anyway.

This is still a thing?

>>1021681
Going to have to second >>1021944
here. Less a royal pardon, and finding of fact, too dangerous to swear in that way.

>>1022150
Yes, this is still a thing.

>>1021681
Agreeing with >>1021944

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"I'd rather he didn't swear to anything publicly." You say, as all heads turn to you. "The powers that be can have his opinion on the matter if they want it, and hell can speak to him directly if so chosing, but anything that may give rise to complications for one of mine is best avoided. Especially if an ambitious sort seeking to make a name for themselves gets wind." You say, thinking of that reservist leader you ran across.

Keel sighs, "Makes juggling the issue more complicated, but I'm not gonna force you. That said, Colonel Braum will probably take you up on the questioning. He's a good sort, but is very keen on seeing the McCain matter sorted."

"Good, probably be a chance to talk to him about the cove as well."

Leaving it at that, you get back into the carriage and see Vanderbuilt, still sporting that telescopic monocular, supervises the nitor soldiers loading the body onto their wagon. Without ceremony, McCain urges the horses onward and you head towards home.

It's nearing dusk when you get back at the ranch, and once the carriage is parked, you send McCain off to take care of his own business as see to the horses. Heading into the barn to get horse feed, you run into Marie who's doing likewise for poultry.

"What was all the commotion about?" the harpy asks.

"Found the fake McCain. Dead. Apparently he he tried to do some curse nonsense before dying, failed though."

"Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy." She says, "So I take it the McCain issue is settled then?"

>?

>>1023488
"Yep, the last we will have to deal with it, more than likely. Any happenings here on the homefront?"

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"Yep, the last we will have to deal with it, more than likely. Any happenings here on the homefront?"

"Tai's got the little ones helping him in the kitchen, so with McCain helping you I've been teaching Zhou's people the finer points of ranching. Well, I say teaching, but more just supervising, they've got it mostly down pat already. Tatiana and Artyom had another row. Caff and Liz are on patrol, Eli and Jack are on relief along with their boss."

"Hold on, hold on." You say, choosing not to bring up her not addressing Liama by name, "What's this about Tatiana and Artyom?"

Marie starts to babble. "Couldn't tell rightly what it was about, they were whispering angrily at each other. In the bunkhouse so might have to do with the prisoner. Either way, Artyom left in a huff, said was going out with the patrol."

You massage your temples as you motion for her to slow down. "Probably something to do with the prisoner. Again."

"Maybe, they were talking too quiet for me to translate." She says, "Tatiana didn't seem too disturbed, just went back to fiddling with her herbs and stuff. I think she's still in the bunkhouse."

You thank Marie for the info and let the both of you get back to your respective chores. You're pulled from yours by the call to dinner. From the barn, you can see a pair of Zhou's people running a covered dish to the bunkhouse. Likely food for the two beastfolk guarding your prisoner, though given the amount, Tatiana's probably elected not to join the rest for dinner either. Given the shadow patrol Artyom left with isn't due back for some time. You're own stomach's protest about the food situation distracts you, and judging by the smell emanating from the house, Tai's put those three younger beastfolk to work.

>Action?

>>1024627
Let's go check on Tatiana. We should try to keep abreast of changes with the captive.

>>1024627
>Eat, then go ask Tatiana what was going on with Artyom.

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You opt to sate your hunger before dealing with whatever latest drama your captive has caused between your two casimiran guests. With the rain mercifully lightening, you make a break from the barn toward where Tai is feeding the help. Last in line, you see Tai waving you over. Approaching, the phoenix man passes you a covered plate and whispers, "Remember, to Zhou's people, the first portion always goes to the leader. Choicest bits are here, fried potatoes, sausage, pepper and onion, there'll be leftovers later if this isn't enough."

Turning, you see the beastfolk staring at you once more. Plate in hand, and at a loss for what to do, you simply nod to the group, who, after a time, return the nod. Ignoring McCain's barely suppressed laughing, you slither out into the cold and towards the bunkhouse proper. Inside you see Tatiana, idly toying with her food. She only looks up towards you once you start tearing into your own plate. [Something happen between you and Artyom?] You ask between mouthfuls of sausage.

[The stubborn fool does not see the value of our prisoner beyond satisfying his own quest for vengeance.] She says, quietly. From the other room you can hear the two beastfolk chatting in their tongue as they eat their own meals well within smelling distance of the blindfolded prisoner, a cruel bit of torture McCain suggested after you brought the centaur in. He still gets fed, but cold leftovers pale in comparison to what Tai makes right out of the kitchen.

Seeing her not want to say more without prompting, you swallow and say, [He's eager to get rid of our guest then?]

[I imagine he'd rather put a lance in Dijkstra's hand and run him down face to face, even if he couldn't hold it up would likely not matter.] She says, clearly upset.

[Well, with how we found the poor bastard, I'd imagine this is the first thing he's had to vent his frustrations on, well, apart from the phoenix attacker that he ran down with the tree branch a while back.]

[Would that he find another outlet for such feelings.]

[How about your feelings on the matter?] You say, [Guy's working with people that in all likelyhood killed your family.]

She tenses, [I am aware. However, unless there is proof he took a blade to my family, I do not feel it is prudent to act rashly.]

She's dancing around something, you're not sure what, but there's clearly something more to the issue.

>?

>>1024953
If something's bothering you, you can tell me. I can't force you to, but I'll try to help as best I can with whatever it is if you do.

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[If something's bothering you, you can tell me. I can't force you to, but I'll try to help as best I can with whatever it is if you do.]

She stares at you, narrowing her eyes before sighing as if resigning herself to something. [I... I have no desire to rule.]

[What?] You ask, taken aback.

[The lands of the Casimiran. If my family is truly gone, ruling would be a truly hollow thing for me. Whoever I were to marry, for diplomatic reasons, would be their house would be the new ruling family. I could take consorts, but while my heir would be of my house, they would have to overcome the whispers of their birth their whole life, which would be unfair to them.]

[Well, you said yourself that Krasick wasn't telling the full truth.] You say, only to be interrupted.

[That may well be, if my house is extinguished in the male line, it may well be over already, especially if Krasick solidfies their power base.]

[Do women not have the same standing over there?]

[The firstborn son inherits, if a son is lacking, a daughter can inherit, then further distant relatives. We have had female rulers before, most of the time they would marry inside the dynasty. A distant cousin usually, lacking that they would find a consort, even then the queen carried the full authority that a male heir would. The whole system is designed to give those prone to plotting and scheming means to gain power that was difficult, but legitimate, which would dissuade them from easier but illegitimate methods. If the line of sigismund is extinguished.] She trails off, making her point clear.

You give her an appraising glance. She's probably younger than you are, and she's thinking far ahead politically. You don't know what the szlachta system is like, but it obviously weighs a great deal on her. [Why not wash your hands of it then?]

[Then they would have won, and I'll not have that.] She says, fire returning to her eyes, [A victory that tastes of ash is better than nothing at all. And furthermore I have a duty to my people. They provide for our family, and in turn we rule justly. Krasick has foregone that, for whatever reason, and even if I am the last, and even if I have no desire or care to rule, the expectation was placed upon me at birth, and I will not fail to meet it. No matter my feelings on it.]

>?

>>1024953
"Tatiana, please come out with it. We have been through a lot, you and I, and you know that I will do my best to help you.

>>1025331
Can you not appoint someone else to rule for you, or, barring that, set up a system where you don't REALLY have to rule? For example: create a council of representatives from all of the houses to decide by vote what needs to be done. This would mostly render the monarch's position as ceremonial. You could also leave in the ability to overturn decisions by the council to allow the king or queen at the time to stop them from doing something stupid.

>>1025331
"Alright, how had we ought to confirm the intel our captive has given us? How would you see moving forward with asserting your claim?"

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[Can you not appoint someone else to rule for you, or, barring that, set up a system where you don't REALLY have to rule? For example: create a council of representatives from all of the houses to decide by vote what needs to be done. This would mostly render the monarch's position as ceremonial. You could also leave in the ability to overturn decisions by the council to allow the king or queen at the time to stop them from doing something stupid.]

She smiles sadly, [As an attractive a prospect as that is, my rule would have to be secured for some time to impliment a change such as that which leaves the dilemma of the heir and my dynasties continued existance. Or I'd have to be an usurper who overthrew the rightful ruling family, as such House Krasick is in a far better position to do something like that.]

[Okay, so that rules that out. How had we ought to confirm the intel our captive has given us? How would you see moving forward with asserting your claim?]

[By uniting the houses that refuse Krasicks rule and pushing the usurpers out.] Comes the voice of Artyom, stepping in out from the night air.

[And leading to a war of bloodshed and making my reign one of greater emnity between the great families. Which still leaves the same problem as before.] Tatiana says coldly, watching the burned hussar setting his weapons and armor aside.

[You have any other idea?] He asks, not with hostility you note.

[Find my uncle, or what remains of the Kozaks. He would have likely fled into the wastes, lived like the bandyta did. His first goal would be to seek out if my family did survive.]

[You'd be placing a great deal of hope on the kozaks.] Artyom says dubiously.

Rallying, she counters, [Even if he is not of my house, Veron is still my uncle, and still my father's brother in law. Kozaks place more value on close family than that of dynastic ties. He would help.]

[And if the ataman is dead?]

[Then I do as my father did and renew our contract with the Kozaks. Whoever it is would be a consort, but it'd be more acceptable in the eyes of the houses, and support would be strong. I spent as much time with the Kozaks as I did in the capital.]

Artyom seems to want to protest, but drops it for now as you sit in silence, watching the hussar dig in to the Tai's leftovers.

>Action?

>>1025632
It would not be such a bloody war for our side if we could get enough rifles. . . But I digress. If that is what you say the first thing we need do is, then that is what we need to do. The next time we go over, we'll go to the wastes to see if we can't find your uncle.
Though, as a backup, are there any particular Szlachta houses that you particularly want to get into contact with?

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[If that is what you say the first thing we need do is, then that is what we need to do. The next time we go over, we'll go to the wastes to see if we can't find your uncle.]

[One does not make a trek to the wastes lightly.] Artyom says, [Bandyta and worse roam there. The fallen infest it. How the outlaws survive there is a wonder.]

You frown, [Nonetheless, we have to do it. Though, as a backup, are there any particular Szlachta houses that you particularly want to get into contact with?]

It's Tatiana's turn to frown. [None particularly come to mind. The merchants of Thaler might, they have no love of the Krasicks. They are well in the southwest though, far from the wastes. The houses of my father's crownlands would readily help, but they are likely scattered, and gathering them may prove a challenge. Other than that, I think the houses that haven't declared for Krasick are waiting to see how things play out.]

[Well, we'll see about getting people over there as soon as we can. Did you want to come along when we do go?] You say, collecting the dinner plates.

[As much as I wish to be a part of it, I cannot. All your effort would be for naught if I were to come to an untimely end.] She says, clearly conflicted.

Figuring that's as much as you'll get out of your centaur contingent, you bid the two farewell and head inside. You note that now that you have agreed to a plan, Artyom seems driven. It may be the inaction that was causing him to grate against people, at least you hope it is. You inside and go straight to bed, leaving the pile of plates in the capable hands of Tai and the little beastfolk helping him. The next day finds you waking up to the smell of the early morning coffee Tai brews, and you hurry downstairs to find McCain partaking in his usual brew, pouring over the yesterdays edition of the newspaper, the gazette based out of Snake's Landing.

>Plan of action?

(Pausing once more. Since we're running a more relaxed thread courtesy of how slow the board is, I might just do a regular thing from 5:00-Midnight until the thread falls off the board. What do folks think about that?)

>>1025977
>Talk to McCain about our new plan
>Read the paper once he's done with it.
>We're not going into the wastes until we talk to Colonel Braum
>We should get our men better rifles before we go as well.
>We need to hold a strategy meeting after we talk to the Colonel

(That sounds fine, but I'll not be able to join until after 8:00 Mon-Fri due to me having a job now.)

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You opt to wait for McCain to finish whatever he's reading before speaking, "Talked with Tatiana yesterday. We're probably going to have to head across the mountain soon."

He raises an eyebrow, "The thaw cattle run is coming up."

"I know, but she's confident that the Kozaks are somewhere in the wastes, and she needs them to help. Not sure what the wastes are exactly, but Artyom seemed to think it was fairly dangerous."

"How dangerous?"

"Enough that I'm gonna wait until I can talk to Colonel Braum in a day or two."

"Asking him to authorize a contingent to go with?"

"Would rather he let us outfit Zhou's people with proper arms, and gonna see about getting a hold of that cave. Future prospects." You say to combat his dubious look.

He finishes his paper, shrugging before putting it on the table and saying, "Not gonna stop you, but we've got matters of our own to attend to here as well. Manpower might be at a premium."

You grab the paper as your foreman leaves to do is early morning rounds and peruse the headlines. Most of it is your standard fare, a cautionary warning against known machinations of phoenix operatives. Another story on the raid of the Phoenix cavern, something that has you a bit miffed as you are only accredited as 'independent assistants' and doesn't go into more detail. That said, probably best they didn't go into too much detail, the pass through the mountains barely rated a footnote in the paper when it was revealed, and the silence from that trader that came back probably didn't help. Him saying there was a war on probably would have been worse, so light bless small favors.

In any case, folks are gearing up for the spring cattle run, which may cause some issues with the defensive cordon around Riverport. That said, you'll cross that bridge when you get there. You finish your coffee and leave the paper on the table, returning to your office to sort through more paperwork until breakfast is ready.

>Action?

>>1027068
See to preparations for the cattle drive. Will we have much for the drive this year?

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Given how essential the cattle are to remaining solvent, you opt to look over the herd and see what all needs to be done. In the last year, the five hundred you bought after your father died has swollen to nearly seven hundred by Marie's last count. McCain's been handling the details, but to keep the breed free of deformity, you've been working with some of the other ranch owners to stud out bulls. Part of the reason McCain looked for quality steers when you went to Riverport the last time. Studding out some of your bulls ended up paying for quite a few bills.

The attack by the Phoenix Empire caused beef prices to spike, which, had it not been winter and you been unable to move the herd, you could have made a tidy profit. The lull has caused the price to drop a bit, corresponding with the time right after you hit the Phoenix cove. Even still, the worry has buyers digging deep into their pockets, and you wager you could probably remain afloat by selling only fifty to eighty members of the herd depending on the buyer. It's a pale shadow to the three to four thousand head cattle drives your father used to do, but you've got time on your side, and the new calves are well on their way to being prime specimens. That said, if you ever want to return to the cattle baron glory days, you've got to make sure the herd keeps growing. Balancing a growing herd against paying all your employees, your new ventures, and profit you can reinvest into ranching is part of what makes the industry the complicated mess people often don't account for.

Organizing the drive itself is another matter. Tai's chuck wagon saves you the trouble of taking on a cook, yet coordinating everything is an art in of itself. Food spoils, shortfalls eat into the drives profits.

Thinking about it, you could eat the loss this year and not do a drive at all so your herd would grow that much faster. It'd be a reckless move, but it might pay out depending on how well this years calving goes.

>How many do you plan to drive this year? (Profit depends on the deal you make once you actually get the cattle to market.)
Also give me a 1d20+4 ranching role toward organizing the drive itself.

Rolled 3 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>1027602
Take 200 head so that we stay even on 500 even if something fucks up and we lose the ones we drive. We'll want to sell at least enough to pay for everything we need to pay for, but we should try to sell as much of what we bring as possible. We'll also want to leave as soon as is reasonable.

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>>1028034
Someone, please save us from my shit luck.

Rolled 14 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>1027602
Rollin'

>>1028195
Thanks for that.

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>18

You figure that its probably best to keep cattle growth stagnant this year, with all the other things that need isens to get off the ground, keeping a steady stream of profit is ideal. With that decided, you turn to planning the drive itself.Tai's obviously a must have, both for his ability to stretch a meal, and being able to communicate easily in the Phoenix tongue, which is still fairly dominant in riverport. As for the others, you're not all that sure.

The member of Zhou's tribe, or pack, or whatever the term is, come to mind. Tai and them can communicate easily and they've proven themselves both able herdsmen and competent fighters. The majority of them are currently ranging beyond the mountains, keeping an eye out for further movements by the centaurs, but the ones at home would be more than able to handle the herd, even with their limited armament.

Marie can keep a good eye on the herd, and she's been more eager to help with things off the ranch as of late, whether that has to do with Liama and the shadows or not, remains to be seen. Artyom would definitely provide some muscle to the operation, and the burned hussar, like your harpy farmhand, is chomping at the bit to do something more than help around on the ranch, but centaurs being an unknown to the wider world until very recently could make first contact with the big city difficult, and a more diplomatic individual might be a better choice.

As for the head of the drive, you've got two optionss. You could go yourself, leaving the care of the ranch to McCain for the week or two you've got to move the herd. He's done so before when your father decided to be hands on, and with the fake him gone, a chance of something going wrong dropped sharply. Or you could give him control of the drive and sales. He favors quality over quantity though, and he might be just as apt to drive the herd straight back to the ranch if he feels he's getting an unfair deal, which might happen with such a large portion of the herd being sold.

Looking at the almanac, you note that the weather is going to stay rainy, which means the trail is going to be a slog, and precludes you from using the faster riverbank route, especially if there is a flood. A more experienced cattle driver might manage it, but you feel the risk isn't worth the few extra days you might save. With that, you make plans for everything you think you'll need, looking up your father's old expenditure reciepts to give you a refresher on what you might need. With that in order, you just gotta pick who's going.

>Select group compisition.
>Next action?

>>1028216
I would say Tai, Artyom, and Marie. How many hands did we have during the last drive.

>>1028216
>such a large portion of the herd being sold.
Remember: We sell at LEAST as much as needed to stay afloat. Selling everything that goes is a secondary to making sure that we have something in pocket.

>Group composition
- Tai
- Zhou and some of his men (Do have a semi acceptable understanding of what they're saying by now, or can they understand us?)
- Mari
- Us. We need more experience being a Merchant. (We'll double check the average prices and what we NEED to get before we go.)

If we're leaving now, then ask if McCain has any advice before we go. If we have a day or more, ask McCain to help us improve our Merchant-ing.
(I don't remember how much one -shekel- Isan is worth)

>>1028257
While it would be nice to let Artyom do something, I don't think now is the time to bring the Casimir our to the general public, and definitely not Artyom. He's great, but I think we should wait and take Tatiana with us when we talk to the Colonel.

>>1028266
Artyom also would be invaluable to have at home in case something bad happens.

>>1028272
That's a good point. Perhaps have him go out on patrols with Zhou's tribe.

>>1028277
It seems that kek agrees with this sentiment. . . Two dubs.
But, yes. We won't be taking all of Zhou's tribe with us, so he should be working with them when possible.

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>>1028257
Tai, Marie, McCain and yourself managed to drive the herd of 500 from riverport back to your ranch.
>>1028260
Time before leaving is your decision, leaving earlier will give you more choice in a buyer, but you'll be partaking in the rush. Later means a smaller market. Either way you've got weather to contend with as well. As for isens, the 975 you've got freed up is a fairly respectable sum. Could probably get 2-3 GOOD rifles with that amount. Provided you can find a seller. As for the beastfolk, they can understand simple commands, though without Tai or Mari at home there still would be a fairly significant language barrier between them, the casimiran, and those that speak your language.

>>1028297
Can Zhou translate? If so, he should also stay at the ranch.

Hmm. So ~325 for a good repeater? I'm assuming that by "good" you mean a custom order with engraving and such from a respectable gun-smith. We seem to be around the 1870s-1880s tech-wise.
If that's the case, then I'd assume ~50-100 for milserp standard-issue rifles or ~100-150 for similar rifles on the civilian market. (This IS after the industrial revolution. Getting plain-looking rifles that work well wouldn't be much more than that based on what I'm reading.)
How much does one head normally go for?
(I would also like to make it a point that we read the paper every day we can get a new issue.)

I say we move out in a day, get a crash-course from McCain on haggling and how to tell if we're being screwed on pricing.
I'll wait for >>1028277 to say what he thinks first.

>>1028335
> move out in a day
*move out AFTER a day
> get a crash-course from McCain on haggling and how to tell if we're being screwed on pricing
*-on pricing in the time between now and then.

As far as I remember, we haven't actually done this before.

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>>1028335
By good, I mean reliable and dependable civilian market single shot rifles rather than fancy engraved ones. Repeaters of the same quality you could probably manage one, two if you're lucky. Making the parts runs a premium, so much so that's why the nitor still use single shot rifles.

Cattle prices can vary wildly but 10-15 per head is the norm, with about 7 of that going into upkeep of the animal.

Given the detail, I'll probably pause the thread here so I can incorporate everything into the update, but I will still be about off and on here provided you have questions or need clarification.

>>1028398
Ah, I see. I'm used to the Dark Heresy quality system, in which "Good" means that it's of superior quality to most others of it's kind (Some engraving, being more reliable and/or damaging or lighter, things like that), with only Best quality being above it (Having gold and ivory inlays, having heavy modifications to fit your person, things like that.). Common is a normal example of whatever the thing is, and poor is a shitty version.

Either way, thanks for running Chem.

>>1028398
Thanks for the thread, friend.

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Looking through who's available, you figure that Tai and Marie have the most experience, having helped you herd the cattle home after your purchase. You figure that you may as well get firsthand experience with the auction for once, and opt to have McCain stay and oversea the ranch in the interim. You might be able to manage two hundred head between the three of you, but another three would make it that much easier. Calling in Tai and Zhou, you ask the chieftan which of the remaining beastfolk would be best for a cattle drive. After explaining what a cattle drive actually is, the beastfolk chieftan recomends two of the younger ones and the wolfish looking one who in all likelyhood speared the fake McCain with a pitchfork. Zhou offers to come as well, but you explain to him that McCain will be running the ranch in the interim, and that Zhou will be needed to handle relations with the eight that are beyond the mountains, and the four not coming on the drive. His understanding of your language isn't the best, but he's come to an understanding with your foreman. He visibly swells with pride when you mention his role, and commits himself to the duty.

With who being taken care of, you seek out McCain and relay the news to him. While a little protective of you going on your own, he understands the necessity of his own role, and sicnce its just a cattle drive he's far more okay with letting you do your own thing than if it were, say, a Casimiran excursion without him. Still, you ask him his advice on selling. You learn that the three major buyers from the continent usually rent out the docks at the edge of the city and then engage in a fierce bidding war for herds. There are smaller buyers too, ranchers looking to get new stock, businesses in town, but the vast majority of the cattle is predominently shipped out on the massive barges that come in for the rush. Depending on demand, the auction prices can dip and spike drasticly, usually it is safer to come to a pre-arranged deal with one of the buyers, but McCain remembers a blight that hit herds back when your father had just started that spiked prices upwards of eighty isens a head.

With the basics covered, you resolve to move the herd out in a day, you'd go sooner, but you've got a meeting with a Colonel to prepare for.

(Net just went out, and I think we've got thundersnow predicted for the rest of the week, so that's it for this thread. Apologies folks, but I hope you enjoyed what we did do. Thanks again for reading.)

>>1029468
Thanks for running. Hopefully the storms will subside before the thread starts getting auto-saged.