Theren's Agriculture Presentation

Theren's Proposal

At dinner one evening, while the party is all together for a meal, Theren clears his throat rather loudly and conspicuously before addressing the table as a whole.

"Excuse me, if I could have a moment please?"

This is pretty odd behavior for Theren. He is certainly cordial at meeting times (he especially enjoys his conversations with other scholarly types of the group), but he rarely raises his voice or address many people at once. After gaining the attention of the group, he begins:

"Well, I've been thinking a bit about our situation... and the... state of our party’s affairs, I suppose one could say, and I have a proposition for everyone. Well... sort of directed to Regianna... but also to everyone. Umm... If you will just give me a moment."

As he utters the last sentence, Theren dives behind his chair and into his bag. It wasn't uncommon for him to bring trinkets to the table. Especially if he was working on something he found particularly interesting. However, this time he pulls out some rolls of parchment and an odd metal easel. As he sets up the stand, papers ruffle, roll and slide about both on and around his table area. Whoever was unlucky enough to sit by him tonight probably would have to dodge a quill or protect their food from strewn paper. With more than a few clinks, clanks, and metallic squeaks, Theren sets up the easel and briskly clips a map to the top.

"Right. Sorry for the delay, but I felt a visual would help everyone... sort of... understand what I'm thinking about. Uh. Anyways, this is a map”.

He pauses briefly to ensure everyone has seen his visual aid before continuing:

“Of course everybody already probably recognized that... we’re all pretty smart individuals here... This is, in fact, a map of the island we now call home. It’s not a very.... detailed map, but it does get the point across. What I’ve been thinking about for the past few nights is how we can get this island to work for us. As I understand it, Regianna’s family is in possession of the land, and I believe that she is in prime position to develop it for the sake of her house.”

He stops again, hoping to see some nods of agreement, since he is a bit unfamiliar with how lords and ladies conduct their affairs and, whether he garners a following or not, he slides back into his presentation.

“I haven’t seen anyone else make preparations for such a development... nor heard of any plans to start one... So, I took the liberty to put together a quick proposal for the development of this island. As you have no doubt noticed, the land here, while not overly fertile, is most assuredly arable. I was hoping we could begin farming the land as a means to generate some income for our party. This is why I direct this presentation more toward Regianna. Everything would have to be approved by her, and profits gained would be technically for house Kier. It could also involve some of the displaced vassals in Apophia”

He makes eye contact with the Baronetess, but, with his mind at full-throttle, not much could stop him now.

“After doing some quick calculations and making observations walking to and from the docks, I figure that we have around 1000 acres of land that is readily available for agriculture. I believe it would be wise to have Gheshtal or I do a more thorough survey of the island to produce a more detailed map. This way we could know exactly what we have to work with. I’m hoping Gheshtal is ok helping with this, because I think he has much more experience in these matters. I also think it’s pertinent to reach out to the miner’s guild. They can survey the rocks, cliffs, and outcrops for any potential mining ventures. This might also yield some income, but is, again, not an area of expertise for me. One aspect I am familiar with, however, is agriculture. I uh... may not have mentioned it before... I don’t really remember, but I grew up on an orchard. I was originally a veterinary apprentice before going to school.... Anyways, I’ve created a plan for how we can start farming the land on the island. The biggest hurdle for the plan is, of course, money, but I believe that if we start out small and grow steadily we can eventually sustain some lucrative industries. Based on the map I’ve shown y’all and some trade estimates, it would take approximately 265,000 gold to turn all of the currently cleared land into farmland, and the surplus generated from this land would amount roughly 4,600 gold per year. This a rough estimate of max profit depending on what we grow, how much is processed, how Regianna decides her tax rates, and if we can employ the assistance of the druids in our party. Additionally, the harvest would feed us and any villagers that come to the island with no difficulty. The initial investment seems huge, but year to year upkeep of farmland is very cheap. Also, the profit estimate does not include any other economic aspects. There's the matter of what we grow and how it’s purposed. Also, any profits gained from livestock are not included in this estimate. Additionally, starting farmland means starting a village. Which means craftsmen, merchants, and commerce will increase drastically. Anyways, obviously no one has 265,000 gold lying around right now,”

The eladrin chuckles, hoping his attempt at humor would soften the blows of such large numbers. It does not.

“...So we can start building in small increments...umm... and work our way up to... more... eventually. I think that starting with about 60 acres of farmland would cost us about 16,000 gold and puts us in a good position to start slowly generating income in ways other than adventuring. We can also spend about 13,000 gold to start a small town with lodging for skilled craftsmen. This could eventually grow into a bigger town that would attract commerce. Uh. Anyways, that brings the total Thanks for listening...”

Theren sits down awkwardly. Silence hangs in the air for a moment before the clanking of silverware begins anew, and people finish their meals.