Tryker Citizens, your time is near!

Although you effectively stopped the convoy, I was still able to get an adequate amount of materials to the Cynics of Liberty. These fierce fighters, supported by my brave warriors, are ready! The sap will flow… Prepare yourselves for confrontation! I will be your executioner and this will be my trial run!

Akilia Ash Storm

Cynics first attacked Avendale, and so swift was their movement that we could only witness the mayhem when we teleported in. All of Avendale had been hit; no officer, trainer, trader or passerby was left standing. They were repelled eventually, but another host was soon reported to have hit Windermeer.

Homins on the lookout first spotted a large number of Cynics swimming fast towards Fairhaven from the North of Greenvale, Akilia Ash Storm leading them. Many homins from all of Atys converged to Fairhaven, and started to throw elemental spells from the docks of Windy Head as the Cynics passed by. To everymin’s amazement, these Marauders were able to counter-attack from the water itself, and did so even while moving! A fair number were taken down, but still a good host remained that landed on the beach just North of the main capital entrance. Citizens and homins were ready for them this time, though, and repelled the Cynics and Akilia their leader at the gates of Fairhaven.

Although the Karavan guards are present at the very gate of Fairhaven next to the Teleport, it is to be noted that they did not intervene, and that they were left unscathed. Clearly, they consider the increased Marauder activity to be be a concern only to hominity, and not to them.

In the aftermath of battle, it was noted that, curiously, E’Cauty Eoppie also seems to have been left unscathed in spite of battle raging all around him. He is being questioned by Lakeland authorities for possible charges of illicit dealings with the Cynics.

Other investigations are underway to identify those who killed Yubos in Avendale; Cynics themselves do not seem to attack fauna at all.

Fount Porch Trade Post
Saturday, November 14th, 2:00 AM GMT.

“So?” Hekla smiled.  “He took you to Burger King and Dairy Queen?”

We know the Fyros for their tempers, quick and fiery, but the commotions I have been observing recently have left me even more cautious than when I first arrived in this vineless land. The native friends that I have made have been complaining of a lack of voice in the actions of the empire. They say the Akenak make claims and excuses, but do not move in the directions the people desire.

A more detailed explanation was then given by Fyrosian Pythus Aedon some time later, who indicated “increased tension” was being felt, most notably at Cheapside market, where slogans against the ruling power were heard, and turned into a demonstration through the streets of Pyr, to Highmarket:

The crowd pushed their way into Highmarket and raucously accosted the vendors and patrons with their claims against the Akenak. To my surprise, several of the vendors cheered the group on. Fearing a riot was being incited, I made my way to Merchant’s Walk to contain the group with the help of other patrols approaching from the west and north. Thankfully the citizens quickly calmed when they noticed us approaching and peacefully dispersed.

And more recently, Be’rory Thogen of the Trykerfolk was surprised to find a note on the post he tied his packers on, a stern warning in Trykertongue to avoid the Burning Desert:

A warning to all traders! Beware the trade routes of the Burning Desert. Their maintenance has fallen to ill and bandits can be found roaming freely.
Many traders have not been properly compensated for their water deliveries.
If you trade these routes, it will be at your peril. Travel with guard if you must.

Curiously, the news seem not to have travelled to the lands of the Matis as of yet. We should keep a watchful eye on developments in the Fyros lands.

04:00 GMT on Sat, August 22nd
Midnight on Friday night the 21st)
(That’s 05:00 on Sat the 22nd for you, Ripset )

Notes:
This seems to have the support of the KCA so we’ll need as many people as possible to be there to defend!

As you are no doubt aware, Kreios, Dennycrane and others have been making an effort to provide lower-level equipment on the shops, for the benefit of hominlings fresh off Silan. This is a much-needed effort, as it can be hard for the younger of us, sometimes, to find what they need.

Additionally, several of us have been thinking that it would be a nice social activity to stage regular marketplace events. There are multiple benefits to that:

• Make customers free of guild pressure, as many newcomers feel indebted to guilds for crafting them equipment for free.
• Provide the stage for a social event, with the possibility for other activities/events to take place on the side.
• Be an opportunity to create a new caste of pure crafters, who’d spend Atys weeks collecting mats to have them ready for orders on market day.
• Let intermediate crafters have an opportunity to craft for lower rates, and meet professional crafters.
• Provide an opportunity for harvesters to be present and provide materials, creating a professional relationship between crafters and harvesters.
• Due to the presence of many crafters, provide customers with greater choice and the possibility for customized equipment (choice of armor types and color, etc.).
• Let homins bring their own materials to crafters if they want to (or purchase them from harvesters).
• In the end, foster the development of a thriving economy.

Obviously, the buy/sell rates will have to be determined according to workable standards, but that should develop of its own, over time. For information, the “breakeven” point for NPC mats are currently set at 300%.

Some rules should be established as well, to make the marketplace lively and fair:

• Chat locally as much as possible, especially when establishing crafting needs and prices (be that Dappers or materials). Create chatter.
• Be respectful of all others at all times. Let competition between crafters be real, but not disdainful.
• Crafters may shout to advertise their services, within reasonable limits so everymin still has time to follow what’s going on.
• Crafters must wear their crafting titles at all times. Rotate titles if necessary.
• Crafters of all levels above 50 are welcome. Diggers of all levels above 50 are welcome.
• To prevent wasting materials, higher-level crafters should leave orders too low for them to lower-level crafters (when applicable).
• Crafters and harvesters are encouraged to bring full Packer(s) along, so no porting around or running back to apartment is necessary. If a crafter is low on one material, harvesters should be able to provide it for Dappers or mutually beneficial exchanges.
• No exchange should be made without a counterpart, so the recipient does not feel in any way bound to the crafter or harvester.
• Crafters are invited to stand within a reasonably short distance of one another, in a clear and visible area.
• The market event will be open for business for a little less than two Atysian days (~2 RL hours). Crafters are invited to stay during the full duration of the market activity, if possible.

Yours, Hekla
(invaluable input from Inifuss, Dennycrane, Gilgameesh, Lexsi, Amian and a few others)

[ The first market event will take place in Fairhaven, south of the Stables, on Saturday, August 8, 2009, between 20:00GMT and 22:00GMT. It will become a weekly event. We should discuss whether it would be useful to stage marketplaces in other capital cities eventually, either simultaneously, or as a rotation. ]

[ Cross-posted on the roleplay forums and main forums. ]