The request went out to the Adventurer's Guild just in time for the harvest season. Information on the small city of Vikform was readily available, and realistically, they were willing to accept any level of help for the job, but it was labeled "urgent." Jin wondered silently if that meant the work came with a higher price tag, but when he went to be briefed on the situation, he found himself disappointed.
"Regrettably, they sent the payment along and it's... meager at best, but they were willing to pay up front for anyone who would take the work." The Bloodsworn sighed. It would be easy enough to accept the job, take the money, and never show; but realistically, that would reflect poorly on his name and get him blacklisted within the Guild. "Since it is a uniquely important task, though, helping with the harvest, it may be possible to get incentives from Stokbon, contingent on your willingness to cooperate. Every crop counts going into the harshness of winter, you see..."
Farmhands. Harvest workers. That was, realistically, the job. When he arrived, the explanation from the town elders made everything make sense.
"The younger folk of town didn't care much for sticking around," the chief told Jin when he approached. "We have a limited number of able bodies, and while we do have a few farmers who can explain the job and make sure it gets done right, we don't have the manpower to get it all done before the first frost on hand. We're hopeful that enough Adventurers will take on the job, but..."
Jin understood well enough. Hope was a dangerous thing. Oft times, it didn't play out that way. He took a sickle and slung it over his shoulder as he headed out to the fields, quietly looking over the vast cropland and the hovel of a town that was destined to work in it. Realistically, Winter came quickly. And even more concerning, the raids that he heard about from the Guild came even quicker than that. Rape, pillage, and burn were the name of the game, and for the ne'er do wells that plagued this village every year at the same time, they excelled at exactly those things.
It was no small wonder the youth made a grand exodus.
He swung the scythe in a clean sweep, and the grain fell to the ground in a pile in front of him as he ruminated on the best course of action. "They're holding out for a miracle," he spoke quietly to the other Adventurer who took this job out of the kindness of his heart- at least, that's what Jin figured, because no one else would have taken on the request just to ascertain the situation and act accordingly. "But I'm going to level with you," he told @Zelrius , "they're better off cutting their losses. This city won't survive a winter, let alone the attacks that come every harvest season. With all the younger people having left, they'll get wiped out entirely."
Jin took another swathe of grain to the dirt.
"If they stick around long enough to take a large harvest, the majority of the people in this city will die, but the food will make it to Stokbon and they'll have enough for a Winter tithe. What do you think about all this?"
@Yugam
"Regrettably, they sent the payment along and it's... meager at best, but they were willing to pay up front for anyone who would take the work." The Bloodsworn sighed. It would be easy enough to accept the job, take the money, and never show; but realistically, that would reflect poorly on his name and get him blacklisted within the Guild. "Since it is a uniquely important task, though, helping with the harvest, it may be possible to get incentives from Stokbon, contingent on your willingness to cooperate. Every crop counts going into the harshness of winter, you see..."
Farmhands. Harvest workers. That was, realistically, the job. When he arrived, the explanation from the town elders made everything make sense.
"The younger folk of town didn't care much for sticking around," the chief told Jin when he approached. "We have a limited number of able bodies, and while we do have a few farmers who can explain the job and make sure it gets done right, we don't have the manpower to get it all done before the first frost on hand. We're hopeful that enough Adventurers will take on the job, but..."
Jin understood well enough. Hope was a dangerous thing. Oft times, it didn't play out that way. He took a sickle and slung it over his shoulder as he headed out to the fields, quietly looking over the vast cropland and the hovel of a town that was destined to work in it. Realistically, Winter came quickly. And even more concerning, the raids that he heard about from the Guild came even quicker than that. Rape, pillage, and burn were the name of the game, and for the ne'er do wells that plagued this village every year at the same time, they excelled at exactly those things.
It was no small wonder the youth made a grand exodus.
He swung the scythe in a clean sweep, and the grain fell to the ground in a pile in front of him as he ruminated on the best course of action. "They're holding out for a miracle," he spoke quietly to the other Adventurer who took this job out of the kindness of his heart- at least, that's what Jin figured, because no one else would have taken on the request just to ascertain the situation and act accordingly. "But I'm going to level with you," he told @Zelrius , "they're better off cutting their losses. This city won't survive a winter, let alone the attacks that come every harvest season. With all the younger people having left, they'll get wiped out entirely."
Jin took another swathe of grain to the dirt.
"If they stick around long enough to take a large harvest, the majority of the people in this city will die, but the food will make it to Stokbon and they'll have enough for a Winter tithe. What do you think about all this?"
@Yugam
