===

  Jevrick’s Main Quest: Restore Maplebrook

  

  
• Deal with Nightfire weeds before they destroy the town.


  

  

  
• Win Election.


  
• Earn Maplebrook’s trust.


  
• Bring back the town’s dead.


  
• Rebuild houses.


  
• Restore population.


  
• Stop the town from killing each other.


  

  Side Quests:

  

  
• Find out who burned down the chapel.


  
• Fulfill obligation to Atan.


  

  ===

  Maplebrook’s Population: 382

  

  
• Jevrick Support: 71


  
• Ronald Support: 286


  
• Uncertain: 25


  

  ===

  Allies: Master Vrak and his guildmates, Apothecary Fern, Apothecary Lysa, Goodwife Jane, 3 Hunters, 3 Woodsmen, King Nak-Kan and his horde.

  

  
• Von Jakoby?


  
• Hunter Molly?


  
• Atan?


  
• Nora Jakoby?


  

  Opposition: Watcher Ronald, 5 Guardsmen, Blacksmith Jules

  ===

  Undead Servants: 10 Greenfolk Thralls (Timmins, George, Lana), 9 Intact Townsfolk Corpses

  ===

  Time Until Election: 2 Days, 5 Hours, 50 Minutes

  ===

  Time Until Nightfire Arrival: 2 Days, 1-15 Hours

  ===

  I gathered what supporters I could in the town hall office to discuss a plan for how to win this election. There was only so much time, and right now I watched it tick down. Out from one of the many office windows, across the hilly country and brook, was the infected forest. Tendrils of that terrible Nightfire glowed within like a million fireflies, but I knew that that glow was a coming wave bent on consuming everything and everyone in Maplebrook. Fern had told me that the weeds would certainly reach Maplebrook within the next two days, though the exact hour was difficult to predict as the plant was growing at a far greater rate than he had seen before. The one saving grace was that Nightfire did not grow as fast in direct sunlight as it did at night, and thus would slow down once it passed the treeline.

  The election would also be in two days and a few hours, as that was the most time we could negotiate before the weeds arrived. It did not matter the threat that Fern and I had promised, Ronald and his closest supporters would have started the election that very hour if I had not convinced them to allow for some preparation time.

  How did I convince him to give us that time? Well, I made it clear that the kobolds were only here to deal with me. . . I realized now that that had been a threat. I had made a political threat. That was not who I wanted to be. So, if Ronald forced the issue again, I would not resist and would be willing to vacate the kobolds from Maplebrook as expediently as possible.

  So, I had to use the time I had to gather as much support as I could before Ronald’s thin patience wore out.

  I turned to my campaign team that were sat around the office: Master Vrak and Xanya, Apothecaries Fern and Lysa, Goodwife Jane, Oon and his other two hunters, Bee and her fellow two woodsmen, and King Nak-Kan. I of course had my thralls, Nak-Kan had his kobolds, and Master Vrak had his merchant guilders—but these assets were dispersed throughout the town.

  Unfortunately, I could not count my thralls or the kobolds toward the voting polls, as they were quite simply not citizens of Maplebrook. So, looking at the numbers based on what we’d seen of Ronald’s militia. . . I was severely behind on potential votes.

  There were also those who I had thought were potential supporters to my election, but were not present or of the right condition to contribute: Atan, Nora, Von, and Molly. I needed all the support I could muster, and this certainly hurt.

  I strolled to my desk and addressed my allies. “Ladies and gentlemen, good people of Maplebrook and Clan Nak-Kan, I wanted to thank you for your support of my campaign. I will not lie. Things are quite stacked against us. But I am willing to do what we can to make sure that this town is protected, and I seek nothing more. Ronald has built his campaign on a single issue: removing me from Maplebrook. However, I do not believe that he will see Maplebrook prosper. He has watched over this town for many a year, and yet he was all too comfortable to take advantage of peaceful living, not striving to improve the home he took for granted. I, however, see Maplebrook’s worth for what it is and can be. For some of us, it is the key to prosperity in the region. For others, it is a strategic ally with neighboring factions. For many, it is a place to call home. For all of us, we must secure this election for the good of Maplebrook and its future.”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  My constituents nodded in agreement.

  “So,” I leaned over my desk. “We must close the gap. There are a few details we can sort through to make this happen. Firstly, those few dead whom I seek to resurrect. Once I bring back those nine souls, that should win over a goodly amount of people. King Nak-Kan, Guild Master Vrak, what is the condition of our transaction?”

  Vrak puffed on his pipe, and Nak-Kan toyed with his many colorful rings.

  “We were able to secure the iron chains as requested,” Vrak said. “The phoenix feathers however, we would need to consult the dwarves in Stone Summit for. Either way, we are ready to pay Clan Nak-Kan the gold promised in exchange for the diamonds they brought.”

  The king smiled. A wicked turn of his lips. “Yes-yes. We can trade-trade. But. . .”

  I chattered my teeth nervously. What snag was about to be laid out?

  The kobold scratched his layers of chins. “This deal is small-small. We want the gold-gold, yes. But, we do not like the half-men. No-no. They attack and kill-kill us. It will not do.”

  I looked to Vrak for rebuttal, as I knew little of the politics involved here.

  The Guild Master chewed on his pipe. “Eh. There’s no way to go around it. A rider to Stone Summit is the only way to get the phoenix feathers in time before the election. Unless you have another idea, King kobold?”

  Nak-Kan waffled his head. “Color birds we know little of. True-true, half-men are best for feathers. But, we will need-need more for this trade to work.”

  Vrak scowled. “We are already paying a hefty price for these diamonds, one of which we will be selling to the dwarves. There is no more gold we could pay without the deal becoming unprofitable."

  I sighed. “Is the value of nine souls so little?”

  Vrak puffed a cloud of smoke into the air. “Master wizard, the guild is in the business of commerce and trade, not humans. Their revival may help your campaign, sure. But they will not—”

  “I have already signed your charter!” I snapped.

  The room grew silent.

  I had rarely lashed out in my anger amongst these folks. I feared that I might burn away their desire to assist me should I not keep such outbursts under control. I took off my hat and lay it on the desk and placed a hand over my chest. “Apologies, Master Vrak. Please, what is the deal that must be struck so that we three are satisfied?”

  The Guild Master squinted at me for the briefest of moments. He most definitely did not appreciate my outburst. Still, he answered my question. “Here is my proposal.” He reached a hand out, and Xanya placed a scroll within it.

  So, he came prepared to deal. . .

  He came over to my desk and laid the scroll down upon it, then returned to his seat.

  I unrolled the parchment and read the details carefully. It was an addendum to the previous guild charter. Clan Nak-Kan would provide Maplebrook with a steady supply of gems mined from Stone Summit, of which Maplebrook would pay for in gold. All this dealing just to propose a simple trade partnership with the kobolds? Was there some other angle or possible consequence to this I was not seeing?

  The dwarves. . .

  I looked up from the charter. “King Nak-Kan, tell me of your struggle with the dwarves.”

  The King snarled in disgust, as if the mere thought of the dwarves sickened him. “Half-men mine through mountains. Mountains were our home first. They find-find our dens and steal our treasure. We try to defend it. They send-send many warriors to attack us. We were pushed to the edge of our home. Half-men are greedy. They think we are bad-bad. We are just us-us.”

  I thought upon this. Should we finalize this agreement between Maplebrook and the kobolds, there was little doubt that the dwarves might take issue. But I needed these diamonds, and I needed those phoenix feathers. There was little chance otherwise I was sure I could win over the hearts of enough people to rival Ronald’s supporters. The consequences of tomorrow could wait. I had first to deal with the problems of today.

  I straightened myself, took an inkquill, and signed my name along the bottom of the addendum. I then turned it around to face Nak-King. “Your grace, we of Maplebrook would like to offer you a deal. Should you agree to transfer us the diamonds and conduct continued trade of gems and rare ore with us, we will supply you with ample gold for the foreseeable future. What do you say to these terms?”

  Nak-Kan tapped a talon against his cheek. I feared he might try to negotiate even more, of which I saw little else that I could offer in trade. But by the grace of the Celestials, Nak-Kan hopped off his chair, waddled over to my desk, and signed the document. It was settled, Maplebrook was to be an ongoing trade partner with Clan Nak-Kan, and I would receive the last of my ingredients necessary for the resurrections—quite swiftly should Vrak’s plan of a rider work.

  I placed my top hat back on my head. “Well, friends. Now that we have secured a plan for the future of Maplebrook’s supply trade, we must now look to begin our canvassing initiative. Vrak, Oon, Bee, it would be a great boon to have your men go forth to each door of our beloved town and inform them of the coming election and my plans for the town to prosper.”

  The three of them accepted my task with various words of approval.

  I continued. “Now, Apothecary Fern, and Apothecary Lysa. I will need your assistance in dealing with another matter while we wait for the phoenix feathers to arrive.”

  So, with that, my team set out to carry out our good work.

  Then soon the sun set, and death’s clock ticked forward.