The McGraw Expedition Harbor (Glacial Wastes Week 1)

#21

But Aelsian seems fascinated by the crown, "This is an impressive crown. The symbol on it is of the Twin Falcon tribes. Once they ruled even high than the WarCouncil of S’vana but that was before Lord Falos sacrificed himself for us all.

I had heard myths that the Aegelis taught the mythic Zaodonai Hec’ath and Zaodonai Lar’ath how to build airships, but the techniques used by them involved enslaving Air, Fire and Water spirits to provide propulsion and flight. Very different than the artifact airships designed by the Northern Kingdoms.

I think the closest Northern Kingdom that has airships and airship technology is owned by Lord Boriel I’tash."

#22

Eli used all his backdoor dealings and know how to get a meeting with Rebbelde, the handle of an OtO clone known to have some extensive contacts.

Eli found himself in an igloo barely large enough to fit him, and the massive Olgog blackmarketeer.

Rebbelde, of course looked like an OtO, but he had tattooed himself head to toe in Bruskti sigils. His eyes had been replaced with cybernetic attachments, and one hand had been replaced by a massive mechanical claw (it looked like it had been ripped off a Gammy Mek).

In the corner of Rebbelde’ igloo, a Lurtor clone and a Tilde clone were sitting glassy eyed around a hookah. The smell from the hookah told Eli it wasn’t something safe like Urya, instead it had to be filled with dangerous Morpheus Cubes.

Eli made sure not to inhale deeply. A Cube additiction was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.

#23

“I got long term plan to keep this place warm and feed. It involves some Gracious Seeds (already have), Pigs or Cows or something better, Building Materials to make this work, an Airship and opportunity for profit!”

Rebbelde stopped and his cybenetic eyes seemed to zoom on on Eli as if checking him out and making sure he wasn’t joking. When it was obvious to the massive olgog immutable that Eli was not screwing with him, Rebbelde said, "I don’t know anything about Gracious Seeds or Airships.

But Livestock…livestock I know enough about to be able to help you. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know item one about raising livestock, but I do know where to source them.

Cows and Pigs are Earth livestock, so the only way you are getting some is buying some from Saragosa or cloning your own. Now I don’t have access to any cloning gear, but I do have access to the Genetic files and Memory Backups for you to produce cows, bulls, pigs and sows. Its original Colonial Computer cloning material so you know it doesn’t have any weird GMO stuff added to it.

That is option one, and its costly. Technically the files are priceless but I’d be willing to part with them either for 10,000 ghaz cash, or for the deed to forty acres of land connected to the coastline on the south end of McGraw Harbor.

Option two is less costly but more time consuming. I got contacts back in Port Unen who can buy Mak Hoblok. Like cows and pigs, you got to figure out food for Mak Hoblok, but they are a native Refugian species, so they don’t need complex antibiotics or anything else to keep them alive and functioning. I could probably source about 100 Mak Hobloks for you and get them sent over by Bruskti contacts.

So that is option two and it costs less. I’d be willing get them here either for 1,500 ghaz cash, or for the deed to five acres of land connected to the coastline on the north end of McGraw Harbor."

#24

Eli nod his head and wiped his nose. “Bruskti huh? Well, less invasive fauna - I mean native animals would be better. I got food and transportation figured out. How much poop does the Mak Hobloks produce compared to cows or pigs?”

#25

To Aelsian: “Well, you didn’t tell me anything I didn’t know about airship and Merchant House Borvis. But the history associated with this crown is fascinating and leads on where else I could find trading partner is appreciated.”

Eli sighed and clarified his request. “Really just need materials to build an Airship Depot, please. It’s for a project I’m rolling on. Also, I figured this will help me warm up to the rest of Refuge.”

#26

Rebbelde replied, “They poop a lot. But some Olgog tribes in Karov use Mak Hoblok poo as a building material. It can be mixed in with wild grasses to make a pretty strong clay for building structures.”

#27

Aelsian said, "Hmmm, Im not sure what one would build an Airship Depot out of? The last one I saw in Borvis seemed to be made of wood with metal nails in it. The one is S’vana was shaped from living trees using Earth Leyas. But it doesn’t look like you have trees anywhere nearby.

If you are just looking for a way to gather wood for building, I could open an Energy Bridge to the dimension of Do’krice. It is a very dangerous place with Krato and Giant Beasts, but you could probably cut down trees there. That would give you access to wood."

#28

And so it was that Aelsian and his K’iorn Protectors kept Eli and his workers safe while they secured the materials they needed. In fact, Eli returned with the trunks of two beautiful and hearty trees that allowed the workers to build a beautiful wooden structure topped by extendable wooden docks with mooring lines. Iron from the Ikuz Mine was melted down to make chains and supports for the airship depot.

The Airship depot was now a centerpiece of the McGraw Harbor skyline. Its ten dock halo created a shadow that now moved gently across McGraw Harbor during the day, acting like a giant sundial.

As the K’iorn finished woodshaping the last of the embellishments, Eli was impressed to see it showed images of the many folk who now lived in the Harbor.

With the ability to moor both sea ships and airships, McGraw Harbor now stood a chance to become the real hub of trade on the Glacial Coast.

#29

Eli nod, thanked the Aelsian and his kin for a job well done.

Rebbelde replied, “They poop a lot. But some Olgog tribes in Karov use Mak Hoblok poo as a building material. It can be mixed in with wild grasses to make a pretty strong clay for building structures.”

He turned his attention to Rebbelde. “Does 1,500 ghaz include transportation? If it does, got a shipper in mind I want to make the delivery,” Eli smiled plainly.

#30

Rebbelde smiled, “Then we have a deal, Mr. McGraw.”

One month later, a shipment of Mak Hoblok were imported from the Goblin Lands. One hundred strong, its long voyage hopefully bought enough time for Eli McGraw to figure out where to store them. Because even twenty minutes under the open sky on the Glacial Wastes would kill Mak Hoblok (or cows or pigs, or just about any livestock)

Now the only question was WHERE IS ELI GOING TO KEEP THE ANIMALS?

#31

With an influx of funds from Merc slush funds abroad, Mayor McGraw personally earned the buildings, heating equipment, solar and steam generators, and enough Mak Hoblok to keep both McGraw Harbor and its suburbs heated and fully powered at the city’s expense. Morale soares as even the poorest immigrants have warm homes and energy for appliances and experiments. This has increased the desire and number of purchases of Lost Colonies tech appliances.

#32

Mayor Eli McGraw was happy. “Yes! Balance budget! I’m the man!”

So he decided to take a well deserved good night’s sleep. The next day though…

"Well I stuff food in the child’s mouth, paid the red breaded gog bodyguard, and boring Aunt Maud (not an Uth) and pacifist Lilth…

Eli shudder.

“…Egh, pacifist… that’s not right… are taken care of. This day going to be relaxing and perfect! I know it!”

Eli step outside to the morning aftermath from the Night of the Descended.

“Yeah, this is what I get for being positive and sober. Ugh.”

#33

Eli appoints A.I. Jellia Jamb as judge of McGraw Harbor. If she’s up for it and she wants to do it. Can get some law programs install and find a solid robot body for her. Eli searches for two more people who are mostly impartial, not ideologist nut jobs but law savvy. He’ll start in the McGraw Harbor area and work his way out into the Colonies for the search.

#34

A.I. Jellia Jamb is excited especially after a local Immutable modified a Gammy Mek body for her to stay in while doing her official work as Judge of McGraw Harbor.

Finding non-idiological folk have been tough. The elections in the colonies has really really polarized people. The closet he can find are Belinda Frost, who really is as impartial as it gets except for dealing with Warmonger Culists, and her assistant Snowy Touch.

#35

Ms. Frost? Belinda Frost is too much of a public figure. You know that whole almost freezing the world thing is kinda a big deal. What? It’s true. Plus already running the risk on too much nepotism. Snowy Touch on the other hand…

… could go for some tacos …

… Eli cleared his mind. There wasn’t much to it. He was good like that.

Eli make a note to asks if Snowy Touch wants the job. The third judge… work on that later.

Next on Eli’s list today was that brick. The one that was still laying on his floor in his mayor office. Kinda rude calling McGraw Harbor a Police State. And wrong. It’s not big enough to be a state. It’s more of an ancho-corporate free for all with some socialism thrown in to keep people warm.

“What’s the Descended of Pelos?” he asked to himself. What’s Pelos? Huh.

Eli makes a point give Moose of the DRRT a call and ask him if he knows anything cause he seems to be all of the place.

#36

Moose picked up the encrypted radio transmission from McGraw Harbor. He recognized Eli’s voice immediately and listened until Eli started talking about Descended.

"Now that is a deep concern. The Descended who have been showing up are pretty dangerous in their own right.

Pelos however…we have a huge file on him. Pelos was a true believer in the Warmonger cult for a bit.

BUT He started off as a Baribur according to our sources among the Children of the Falosini.

Pelos rose the ranks of Skyknights pretty quick. He was there at Sovereign Azrael’s side leading the Baribur when the Uthvelor and Pelebor were created. In fact according to some sources, the Pelebor are literally “The Wings of Pelos”. The term Bor rougly translates as Wings or Squadrons if you used a more human idea of it.

So Pelos was Archwing over all these squadrons and when they got cursed, he was right there getting cursed with them.

Seems as though he didn’t like his Boss Azrael getting him cursed, so Pelos started working with bad guys. Became a really hardcore slaver, and founded the Poison Claw clan to force other baribur who didn’t have the Pelebor curse to become his slaves as well.

He was hardcore Warmonger Cultist for a time, working with General Tharr and the Mind Spike tribe at various points.

#37

"It seems he disappeared from the Public Record, but was witnessed two years ago or so that Pelos was leading an assault on Azrael’s keep.

He was defeated by VLAD agents and EEF spec ops along with allied Uthvelor and Pelebor.

Since then, not much has been heard about him. He was testing the defenses of the Transit point that PeaceLord Grim and Spymaster Lurtor found under the Cavern of the Icewyrms for a while, but seemed to lose interest once Grim discovered the Nightmare Lord ritual that annihilated Warmonger and Banished the other Ancient Evils.

It was almost like Pelos was trying to beat them to it.

Pelos is massive, he was mutated aeons ago, and looks more monster than man.

As for the Descended of Pelos. If this entire time Pelos was hiding his nature as a primal evil I wouldn’t be shocked. And it makes sense with Warmonger gone, and his generals disbanded that Pelos would see an opportunity to consolodate the Warmonger Cult forces still remaining…maybe he is trying to draw Primal Descended to his side as well?"

Moose seemed a little worried, "Definitely keep me in the loop,Eli. This is a deeply concerning situation.

Any other info I can provide on Pelos?"

#38

“Don’t think so. Thanks, I’ll keep on eye out for him Moose. Eli out,” the McGraw finished.

Getting up from his seat, he took a look at the brick and had a idea.

“Man this brick is an eye sore. Should throw it out but won’t. Instead, I think I’ll return it.”

He picked it up and went outside. Who could this brick belong to? Not sure but he figured Lester Colt who’s out on bail might know.

Eli “I’m a Dirty Profiler” McGraw looks for Lester Colt and sees what he knows.

#39

He found Lester Colt in a fascinating situation. Lester was on a makeshift boat, out near the harbor. It was made from the recovered hull of one of the Sea Kings vessels that had attacked earlier in the year.

Lester was obviously not an accomplished sailor, and had already beached it on some rocks at the edge of the Harbor.

#40

Lester Colt looked up at Eli and Eli could see the tell tale marking of a Primal Descended. But Colt looked more worried than menacing.

He said, "Mayor McGraw, Its not what it looks like. I’m not jumping bail, and I didn’t commit any crime here…
Back in the colonies before the expedition, Ive done some shit. Horrible shit. But I had hoped coming on the expedition would help with that. It did at first…but then the Night of the Descended happened. And then the Descended of Pelos gangers showed up at my door in the middle of the night.

They told me if I supported them I would be protected. If I didn’t the law would come for me soon enough. Then I was tossed in jail and accused the crime I didn’t commit.

I know if I don’t get outta town now Mayor, they are going to come for me. In fact a few OtO clones were harassing my neighbor trying to find me this morning.

If i can just get out to open sea I should be fine…"

Eli doubted these Descended of Pelos would stop if Lester Colt just fled. They would probably keep hunting him. But it did occur to Eli that Lester Colt might be a perfect bit of bait if Eli could just set up a good enough trap with Lester as the cheese.