Homestead Survival

<09 August 2024, UNKNOWN , ???>
[UNKNOWN]

> Local Area Message:
> ADVISORY: UNIVERSAL TRANSLATION IN EFFECT

"This meeting of the elders will come to order." A woman with hair covering most of her body said, "We need to discuss the new planets that are being inducted this cycle."

"How many are there this time?" Asked a creature that looked more like a spider than anything else, but had a beaver's tail.

"Seventeen," A Dwarvish man said, his deep voice causing a wine glass in his hand to resonate. "Though I can already tell that some will be more interesting and useful than others."

"Do any oppose beginning?" The woman asked, and no one spoke. "Good, let us begin with Planet I-97FC7-A, colloquially known as Varstia. Primary inhabitants, the Ilvesh. The System has allotted no special considerations. Ten families will be granted. So far, there are eight potential candidates. No slots reserved."

A woman who looked as if her mother was an elf and her father was a swamp fungus raised her hand, "We would reserve a slot."

The woman leading the meeting nodded, "Approved, one slot reserved for the Jergix. Now, regarding the eight candidates, current family possibilities are Ho'Xin, Kishnar, Jall, Ut'Na'Ru, Ig'Har, Yin'Daal, Kit, and Tarn'Urg. Any recommendations for a purge?"

A moment of silence. "And any recommended for commendation?"

Another moment of silence. "Acceptable. Does anyone wish to place a wager?"

The Dwarf raised his hand. "I wager."

"What is your wager?" The woman in charge asked.

"Ten years of service of one hundred souls." The Dwarf said, "The Jall will succeed in creating a family, but it will not last more than a decade."

The woman in charge nodded, "Very well, any other bets?"

The spider creature raised a leg, "I would wager Eg'Valla."

Eg'Valla, the woman running the meeting, nodded, "What is your wager?"

"One Fateweaver for one year." The spider woman said, "I wager that Gurndin the Darksmasher is wrong."

The Dwarf raised his wine glass to the spider creature. "Oh, Aye, I can accept that. If they fail to form a family or if it lasts longer than ten years, you win Strigthix."

The spider creature, Strigthix, nodded. Eg'Valla nodded as well, "Very well, the wager was accepted. Are there any other wagers?"

A moment of silence followed. "On to the next. Planet Z-99D1F-7, known locally as Jartoon..."

This went on for several hours, some planets eliciting fierce haggling for things that many of lower power levels would not even know were valuable, other worlds having very lucrative bets placed for or against a potential Family.

"And number fifteen of our seventeen planets today, Y-7F63C-3, the locals call it Earth." Eg'Valla was about to continue when a message appeared.

> Local Area Message:
> ADVISORY: System Representative to arrive momentarily. Please hold.

A portal formed, and three beings stepped through.

Eg'Valla nodded her head in a slight bow. "Mintmaster Argo, Nar'Och Pkss'HH-Gurop-Lignip, and a new young Nar'Och be welcome among this assembly."

Nar'Och Pkss'HH-Gurop-Lignip stepped forward, "We appreciate the attempt at Our name, but as always, We request that you all address us with something you can actually say; please call Us 'Starfall,' and this young one is 'Oreburn.'"

"I still don't know how the Universal Translation can't translate their names," Gurndin muttered.

Oreburn's thready head turned to the Dwarf. "We hold the summation of The Many in Us. To address Us is to address all of Us. So, Our names encompass all of Us at once. So if you can, please call Us -"

The sound that came out of Oreburn was unlike anything a normal entity could produce; frequencies usually only lesser creatures or specialized magic could produce rattled bones and shattered Gurndin's wine glass. Gurndin slapped his hands over his ears, as did most others, and cried out. "Aye! I get it! Enough, please!"

Oreburn fell silent, and Eg'Valla spoke quickly to curtail any potential issues. "What might we do for the representatives of the System?"

"We are here, on the behest of the System." Oreburn said, ''We have been instructed to facilitate the betting on Y-7F63C-3 as many of you have groups of your people already on the planet."

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Several people shifted uncomfortably. Oreburn spoke, "We have been instructed that this is not an issue. We will control the betting for this planet with the guidance of The System. The System requires you all to agree or be banished until the betting is completed."

Quickly, everyone in the room accepted the yes or no prompt that the System presented. Eg'Valla looked at the other two. "And what of you, Lord Argo, Lady Starfall?"

"I am here to bet," Argo said, eliciting murmurs of surprise.

"And We," Starfall said, "Are here as proxies. We are not permitted to disclose who We are acting as proxy for."

"Very well." Eg'Valla said, nodding to Oreburn, "I shall continue, and then when it comes to betting, you may take over. Is that fair, Lord Oreburn?"

"We accept this gratefully." Oreburn intoned.

Eg'Valla nodded and continued. "Primary inhabitants, Humans. The System has allotted no special considerations. Ten families will be granted. So far, there are ten potential candidates. No slots reserved."

Suddenly, every hand shot into the air. Eg'Valla sighed, "I take it you would all like to reserve a slot?"

Grumbling agreeance was heard. Oreburn stepped forward, his power being reinforced by the System as he spoke for the System. "The System will allot special consideration. Fifteen families will be granted. Five shall be reserved for the natural inhabitants of the planet. No negotiations will be permitted."

Everyone shivered at the amount of power coursing through the air. Eg'Valla nodded in thanks. "Very well. The System has allotted special considerations for five families. Fifteen families will be granted, with five reserved for the natural inhabitants of the planet. So far, there are ten potential candidates. To make this fair, Lord Argo, since I noticed you and Lady Starfall did not wish to reserve slots, would you mind coordinating the negotiations of the ten slots?"

Argo stepped forward. Happiness radiates from the metal man. "Nothing would bring me more pleasure."

All of the attendees, other than Starfall and Argo, found themselves cordoned off from the others with a copy of Argo in front of them. The clones of Argo spoke in unison. "Make one offer, make it your best and last offer. The best ten offers will get the spots."

All seventy-two of the attendees made their offers, and the darkness separating them all vanished, revealing only one Lord Argo who spoke. "The ten slots will go to the following. Lord Gurndin the Darksmasher, Lady Eg'Valla Dreamscaper, Strigthix the Ravenous, Lady Elarna the Sumptuous, Lord Ka the Mournful, Har'Tu'Ra'Gu the Innocent, Lady Xandur, and Lord Fellgrim of the Dark."

No one was surprised by these eight; they were heavy hitters who regularly tossed around money and goods as a show of force. Argo continued, "Lords Jixtarn, Voltarn, and Agstarn will share one slot as per agreement."

Three lords, who all looked incredibly similar but with a drastic variety in skin color and ear shape, nodded in thanks. Argo looked at a dragon coiled in the back of the room, who nodded. "And Patriarch Karzun has purchased the last slot on behalf of Durn the Unwanted."

That sent a ripple through the crowd. Durn was a creature that many in this room wanted dead. They did not know what he had offered to Patriarch Karzun, but it must have been good. Eg'Valla nodded, "Thank you, lord Argo; now then, all slot reservations are complete. Remember that this only grants your people the right to try and earn a Family recognition on the aforementioned planet."

Nods were issued by everyone present. Eg'Valla continued, "Now, regarding the ten candidates, current family possibilities are Marwood, Tribe Krax, Tanaka/Marshal, Clan Fardrun, Okonkwo, Petrescu, Al-Mansur/Smith, Kuznetsov, Clan Molbrak, and Sorrenson/Brahmin. Do any of you wish to vote to purge?"

A hand with gnarled fingers, flaking scales, and sickly green skin shot into the air. Eg'Valla wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Durn the Unwanted, you have a vote?"

A rasping voice that grated against all who heard it called out, "I call for the Purge of Sorrenson/Brahmin, as well as the Tribe Krax."

Eg'Valla noticed a slight twitch in the bodies of Argo, Patriarch Karzun, and Oreburn, which shocked her more than anything. But she did not let it show. "How do you vote to Purge?"

"I vote for instant incineration." Rasped out Durn.

"All in favor?" Eg'Valla asked, and not a single hand rose. "The vote to have the System Purge these potential Families does not pass. You know your options, Durn."

"I shall purge them with those I control," Durn said, a sick note of delight in his voice.

A moment of silence passed. "And any recommended for commendation?"

Patriarch Karzun's tail rose to hover over most of those assembled, and the hand of Gurndin the Darksmasher also rose. Eg'Valla looked at the head of the dragon. "You're recommendation, Patriarch Karzun?"

"I recommend Sorrenson/Brahmin for commendation." Patriarch Karzun said, giving a glare to Durn the Unwanted.

Before anyone could say anything else, Gurndin chuckled, "That's who I was going to recommend."

"Two votes for Sorrenson/Brahmin," Eg'Valla said, waiting for any other votes. "Very well, in the event that Sorrenson/Brahmin form a Family, they shall receive two commendations. Now, Lord Oreburn, the floor is yours."

"We thank you, Lady Eg'Valla; we will now hear bets," Oreburn said.

Over the next three hours, a total of four hundred seventy-seven bets were made. Many were on resources found on the planet. At least two hundred were made on whether Durn would succeed. It left thirty that were of any consequence.

When all was said and done, many people simply vanished; Patriarch Karzun approached Argo. "Lord Argo, I hear that you are familiar with some recent acquaintances."

"Yes, I heard that they managed to get to that Dungeon of yours," Argo said, not saying names but giving a pointed look to Durn, who was still in the corner he had been in. "How did they fare in a dungeon tuned for Dragons?"

"They killed both of the first-floor bosses." Patriarch Karzun said, "And they were polite to top it off."

Argo smiled, "They are that, aren't they? Though to hear that they can punch above their weight class is good. Though I must ask why you gave a slot to him?"

The look of distaste directed at Durn was not hidden at all. Patriarch Karzun sighed. "He ended up with a Soul Prison Crystal that contained the souls of at least five of my Family. This was what he demanded."

"Understandable then," Argo said, "I must go, but you should really talk with Oreburn and Starfall; they will probably have things to tell you."

With that, Argo vanished; Oreburn looked at the dragon, "Are you talking about..."

He was cut off by Starfall, placing a skill over him that rendered him silent. "Apologies, Patriarch Karzun. We apologize for this one. They would do well to remain silent."

That last line was directed at Oreburn, who nodded. Patriarch Karzun chuckled, "It is fine. Can I offer you both Hospitality?"

Oreburn nodded, and Starfall spoke. "We would be honored. As would that one. We only have a little time until our tasks demand that We leave."

Patriarch Karzun waved his massive tail, and a rip in reality opened; he walked through, accompanied by Oreburn and Starfall.

Durn finally rose from his seat, moving to leave from one of the permanent portals established on the far end of the titanic room. "I wonder who they were all talking about."