This settlement is no longer planned

I have since moved to a new biome and redeveloped my ideas. I am leaving it up for the potential to give others ideas, and also because I plain like looking back at my roots. If you are interested in my current settlement plans, check out this thread.

Greetings Elyrians, my name is Themata, and here I would like to share with you my vision for my settlement of Bladelock. The name Bladelock is inspired by the situation in a duel when two opponents lock swords and come to a stalemate. Two opposing forces meet equally, and each seeks to gain advantage over the other. Bladelock will be the physical representation of the age old stalemate between civilization and the wilderness.

Settling Bladelock

Upon settlement selection, I will be selecting an area that sits far out in the wilds, away from high walls. Ideally I would like to settle at the foot of a mountain, at the edge of a great forest, or somewhere with access to a similar interesting geographical feature.

The aim of Bladelock is to be a conduit between the walled cities and the far reaches beyond. City dwellers may visit to get a taste of the wilds and to pick up quality mounts or furs. Rangers may briefly venture in to have a bow restrung or to purchase a sharp new axe.

My initial efforts will be focused on making sure we have all the buildings and land we need close to home to cater to the basics, but I will also be setting up a number of small outposts in the wilderness.

Features and Functions

The town’s primary point of interest will be the Circle of Perseverance, a school focusing on wilderness skills. The teachings of the Circle will range from tracking and cartography, to animal husbandry and taming. The Circle, and therefore the settlement of Bladelock, will be a good entry point to the wild and dangerous far reaches of Elyria.

Primary roles of inhabitants

The majority of the permanent residents of Bladelock will share their experience in the Circle of Perseverance, but this will not be their primary role until their later years (unless they desire it to be).

Bestial Scholars

Bestial Scholars will have the responsibility of creating an extensive bestiary of all the creatures found in Elyria. On top of that, they will keep a record of the last known location and number of herds and individual creatures. Individual Bestial Scholars might choose to specialise in taming, breeding, cartography or hunting.

Scout Rangers

Being pledged to the County of Nine Knives, Bladelock will play a vital role in monitoring the local area. The Scout Rangers of Bladelock will be our primary military unit. They will be experts in guerilla warfare, utilising the knowledge of the local area and light combat techniques. Bladelock’s Scout Rangers will patrol our lands and borders to ensure the safety of our citizens in the wilderness and to engage any enemies of our town and County. Individual Rangers may choose to specialise in archery, stealth or mounted combat.

Artisans and Workers

Being on the edge of civilization will give Bladelock access to a variety of resources that dot the wilderness. Gatherers will be able to make use of Bladelock as a hub, storing their loads for mass transport into larger cities. Crafters such as smiths and carpenters will have easy access to this flow of resources also, making it a good place to set up a workshop.

Recruitment

I am by no means someone who is looking to have a dictatorship governing a town. I would ideally like to have at least 2 others join me to form a leadership council, effectively giving them the same power as myself – short of making drastic decisions like changing the purpose of the town. I would also like leaders for the Scout Rangers and the Bestial Scholars. On top of those, anyone who has a dream of including a governing role in their gameplay is welcome to approach me and offer their services, whether it be a treasurer or a local religious leader. As long as it doesn’t stray too far from my vision of the town (ie. bandit leader or golf teacher) I will likely be more than happy to oblige.

In summary, Bladelock will be a settlement that caters to the independent or adventurous player. If you want to venture out to scale the tops of mountains and face the fiercest of monsters, Bladelock can be where you pack your bags. When you come back with frostbite or missing an arm, Bladelock can be where you get patched up. If you want to get a taste of the wilderness before deciding on any particular path, this may be a good place for you to start. If you want to be part of a resilient and dedicated group of players, Bladelock may be your new home.