Restoring Order, Mesabi Landing

[Ayrlego]

Dramatis Personae

Spoiler

Part One

It was just before dawn and the settlement was calm. Jessica Campell stood on the front step of the inn and surveyed what she could see of the settlement. In the pre-dawn light the settlement appeared calm. The smell of stale alcohol mingled in the air with what Jessica swore smelled like roast horse. In her pocket was her report for Governor Allcock. Carefully transcribed into a cipher known only to her and the governor, she went through the contents in her head.

Mesabi Landing, 6 December 617AE

As you instructed I arrived in the settlement of Mesabi Landing a month ago and it is indeed as bad as you feared. Soon after arriving I was able to find work as a bar keep in a small inn run by one of the few honest men I have met in this wretched place. Samuel Morris financed the 'Twin Palms' inn with one of your grants, with the hope that Mesabi Landing's reputation of heavy drinking would turn a neat profit. And indeed it would, were it not for the fact that the settlement is virtually lawless, and the WTC troops here come and take what they want, without the inconvenience of actually paying for anything. Indeed the entire settlement is characterised by drunken behaviour, throughout both day and night.

Count Mesabi, the mayor, is absent - rumour has it that he is leading an expedition to the far south of Halos, his exit from the settlement hastened by rumours of debtors chasing him. His wife Agnes was assuming his duties, although it is said the majority of the actual management was done by a WTC officer named Pete Zanzibar, although both have apparently left for Jameston around the same time I arrived. So no one is appears in charge and the WTC troops have filled the void, their remaining officers either encouraging their behaviour or too weak to prevent it. The WTC troops are almost always drunk, and as mentioned make life impossible for honest citizens by their thievery and extortion. Rumours are that criminals of all kinds, including pirates, are free to use the settlement as long as the WTC is paid off and the WTC troops receive their cut.

You may well at this point ask about the Corlander garrison under Major Mason. I have managed to befriend one of his junior officers, an officer by the name of Lieutenant Billsby. A young and impressionable officer, he paints a picture of a garrison with extremely low morale, frustrated by their apparent powerlessness to act. Major Mason has confined his men to the fort and spends most of his time muttering about blowing the settlement to Hades and beyond. Lieutenant Billsby is allowed out to buy supplies from the WTC, who of course charge exorbitant rates.

I will await your instructions, although I must advise you that I am unable to intervene on my own. To restore Corlander order you will need to send a senior officer to deal with Major Mason, and I would go as far to recommend you back him with regular troops to handle the WTC.

J

 

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A quick build for Mesabi Landing - Governor Allcock has been worried about rumours from the settlement for sometime. I've tried to use the style Mesabi uses in most of his builds in the settlement but merged with my own. It's only a façade with no interior though! Part Two will be added to this thread soon, the build is just about finished and only the story needs writing.

Edited December 6, 2017 by Ayrlego

[Capt Wolf]

I really like this build and story. You've done a great job of combining your building styles, although your style shines through readily. I like the shape of the inn, wide instead of tall, with those long rows of windows on both levels. I'm also a fan of that tree style, and there's just the right amount of unkemptness in the street. And the story is an excellent settlement-centered approach that has me considering stealing doing the same for an ESL settlement in the near future.

[Kwatchi]

That is a lovely facade and the terrain/trees gives a better feel for a Caribbean locale than I usually see (or can manage).  Nice job.

The tale of course has me hooked.  Weaving game events into MOCs & story lines is something I enjoy tremendously.

[Darnok]

Lovel build, as usual. Is that a rat among the palmtrees? Bones by the wayside? A broken bottle on the road? Yeah, must be Mesabi Landing.

 

One minor criticism though: it is not the WTCs fault that the inn does not work profitable. The "Blue Dragon" near the harbour does just fine - offering great drinks for even better prices! So typical off a pompous Corlander to blame somebody else for their own shortcomings...

 

Great story, I am looking forward to the continuation!

[Elostirion]

Just realised I haven't commented yet and told you that it's a really nice MOC!

Only thing I miss are one or two more minifigs.

The cobbles integrated into the mud, with a mix of both plates and tiles for dark tan, looks fantatstic! The bones and olive green sparse flowers add to the general atmosphere and vibe.

Great work.