(I would probably come up with some more useful roles to nominate if there were more people playing, so if you have an idea for a government position, feel free to discuss it.)

So phase end will be while I'm in work again but reverse this time. So phase will end when I get home between 12am and 1am EST. To make these last 12 hours a bit more interesting I am adding a mid card now:

*Reward Card*
A colonists returns with a small box. The locking mechanism seems advanced but the box itself seems decorated with native markings. After inspection Councilor Bo is able to understand that the box is somehow magical and can only be opened by specific means. Together you must decide how to go about opening the box inside could be a reward worth its weight in gold.
Your clues:
The 4 rotator combination lock seems to have on it local fauna. Each rotator has: Big cat, bear, owl, eagle, mouse, deer, and rabbit.

The box has intricate carvings of spears, nets, and claw marks.

Below each rotator is a image, the first rotator has an image of a rabbit, the second rotator has an image of a mouse, the third rotator has an image of a deer , and the final rotator has an image but it appears to be scratched off.

By phase end I need a single consensus; example: Bear, Big cat, Rabbit, mouse.

Good luck.

Wow. This sounds worth getting, but I don't quite know where to start. Anyone feel like they've heard something like this before?

I don't really have any ideas that come to mind when I'm looking at the puzzle

Ooooh!! Thought. I reckon the missing picture is an owl, because

Rabbit is 6 letters
Mouse is 5 letters
Deer is 4 letters
Owl is 3 letters

Thoughts?

I don't know if that's enough, so if anyone has any other thoughts we should share them also.

Any relevance to the spears, nets and claws do you think?

Lieutenant- I could just bash it open.
Dr.Haliburton- Apparently its magic, in not sure bashing it open will guarantee anything.
Killian- you believe that hocus pocus? I say we bash it open.

Captain Rick- I'm a man of superstition, I've seen the sea swallow a ship whole because the captain didn't run jos ivory 3 times before setting sail. I don't mess with magic.

Here's a key question, are we just trying to work out the scratched out symbol? So the rotators match the symbol below them? Or do we think the rotators going to be different?

Dr.Haliburton- maybe the animal choices are deliberate. I can't quite figure it out but it seems like they are.

Well I got nothing else, and I'm headed to bed. If Rabbit, Mouse, Deer, Owl is wrong, then I don't know what's right...

Also, so that it's in:

<<<CHARTER OF NEW WEBDIPIA>>>

For the attention of the King’s most humble servant, Captain “Pickles” Rick

As we begin to learn more about our surroundings, sending out scouts further round our immediate camp and up river to assess any threats, we have also taken steps to ensure their protection, having them accompanied by soldiers and covering them with our cannons.

Meanwhile, our Councillors and specialists will get hard to work, overseeing the necessary building projects and ensuring that we obtain the resources necessary to undertake them. The Governor has also been vested with the necessary judicial powers to ensure that order is maintained.

Regarding the claims of a witch in our midst, Cllr Cosmo has been assigned the task of overseeing an investigation to root out the source of the rumours. No one will be above investigation, including our own Councillors. Cosmo will then relay any appropriate findings to the Council who will agree how to share the information with the colony.

The resources and research we intend to use going forward are laid out below. Annexed you will find a full report of proposals made and votes cast.

Building:
We shall endeavor to build 3 Farms, a Village, a Barracks, and a Silo this year (in that order of priority)

Research Queue:
Combat 1
Engineering 1
Literacy 1
Astronomy 1

Tech Queue:
Canning
Iron Foundry
Food Storage 2
Planks
Printing Press

Signed,
The Councillors of New WebDipia


**Annex 1 - Full voting list**

Prop 4.1 Exploration party heads west (10/430) (Proposed: Ike, Seconded: Kench)

Yea: Ike, Kench, Bo, Cosmo

PASSED (4/4, 100%)


Prop 4.2 Build 1 Silo (30/430) (300w 100i) (Proposed: Ike)

NOT SECONDED


Prop 4.3 Build 1 Village (100/430) (500w 100i) (Proposed: Ike)

NOT SECONDED


Prop 4.4 Build 3 farms in the quadrant to the North (160/430) (800w 100i 150st) (Proposed: Ike)

NOT SECONDED


Prop 4.5 Add Iron Foundry and Combat 1 to tech queue (Proposed: Ike, Seconded: Kench)

Yea: Ike, Kench, Cosmo

PASSED (3/3, 100%)


Prop 4.6 Assign Ike to oversee the wood gathering, assign Killian to oversee as much building as possible (Proposed: Ike, Seconded: Kench)

Yea: Ike, Kench, Bo, Cosmo

PASSED, (4/4, 100%)


Prop 4.7 Assign 20 people to the mines, 80 to farms, 40 to hunt and 119 to gather wood (419/429) (Proposed: Ike)

NOT SECONDED


Prop 4.8 Assign 10 people to take the row boat up river 3 quadrants (Proposed: Ike, Seconded: Kench)

Yea: Ike, Kench, Bo, Cosmo

PASSED (4/4, 100%)


Prop 4.9 Assign 31 Slaves to Gather Wood (Proposed: Ike)

NOT SECONDED


Prop 4.10 Have the Soldiers rotate shifts to keep a constant eye on the edges of the colony (Proposed: Ike, Seconded: Cosmo)

Yea: Ike, Cosmo
Nay: Bo, Kench

NOT PASSED (2/4, 50%)


Prop 4.11 official name Kench as scribe if it hasn’t been done already (Proposed: Ike, Seconded: Cosmo)

REDUNDANT FOLLOWING GOVERNOR’S NOMINATION


Prop 4.12 Give the Governor reasonable authority to execute punishment for crimes against other colonists. The Governor must follow all mandated laws but has some jurisdiction as to the necessity of larger or lesser penalty for a crime. This is efficient and means that victims can testify directly to the Governor. (Proposed: Ike, Seconded: Cosmo)

Yea: Ike, Cosmo, Bo, Kench

PASSED (4/4, 100%)


Prop 4.13 Choose option D on the crisis, which will be option B, but councilors will investigate and decide if/when/how to share the findings. (Proposed: Ike, Seconded: Cosmo)

Yea: Ike, Cosmo, Bo, Kench

PASSED (4/4, 100%)


Prop 4.14 - Construction Priority
- We shall endeavor to build 3 Farms, a Village, a Barracks, and a Silo this year.
- In the event that we are unable to finance all construction projects, they shall be built in accordance with the list presented, i.e. 3 Farms are the highest priority, the Silo is lowest.
(Proposed: Cosmo, Seconded: Bo)

Yea: Cosmo, Bo, Kench

PASSED (3/3, 100%)


Prop 4.15 - Worker Allocation
- We shall continue to man the mine with 30 miners and 60 farmers shall tend to the already formed farms
- 30 Slaves shall be set to the task of building the 3 Farms
- 50 Villagers shall be assigned to the construction of the Village
- 30 Villagers shall be assigned to the construction of a Barracks
- 20 Villagers shall be assigned to construction of a Silo
- 175 Villagers shall be set to gather wood in order to complete all construction projects (average wood collection 612.5 estimated).
(Proposed: Cosmo, Seconded: Bo)

Yea: Cosmo, Bo, Kench

PASSED (3/3, 100%)


Prop 4.16
- Add Engineering 1 - Literacy 1 - Astronomy 1 to the research queue
- Add Food Storage 2 - Planks - Printing Press to the tech queue
(Proposed: Kench, Seconded: Bo)

Yea: Kench, Bo, Cosmo

PASSED (3/3, 100%)

I frankly have no clue what to make of that box.

OH!

Note that the combo contains 4 Predators (Big Cat, Bear, Owl, Eagle) and 3 Prey (Rabbit, Mouse, Deer). Presumably there's a 4th prey that was scratched off, and I'm betting it was a fish given the net an my next guess: Match the Predator to Prey.

Prop 4.17 - Combination
- I propose the following combination: Eagle, Owl, Big Cat, Bear.

I realize I didn't really explain myself well in the last post. So here's my attempt using a combination of in game and mega game knowledge:

The dials have 7 animals, 3 of which show up as pictures below the three of the four dials. My first thought was to try and find a pattern with those three so I could figure out which of the remaining 4 filled in the final position.

I then realized what the three in the picture have in common: they're all traditional prey creatures, while the 4 unused ones are all predators. This theme also matches the decoration on the box with a spear, net, and claws, all tools used for hunting.

The matching of the only 3 prey options with the 3 clues appears to be a metagame attempt to get us to try and line those up and guess a 4th. Now it became a process of trying to match up the Predator to the Prey creature.

The first connection I made was the Owl and the Mouse. Bear's don't typically go after big game so that left the Big Cat for the Deer (as an Eagle is too small). Similarly Bear's aren't typically Rabbit eaters, but the eagle made sense for that, leaving the Bear with the mystery option. Tying that together with the net, not only would I guess the combination presented, but I'd bet the missing icon is a fish.

Logic seems very sound, I'll ## Second prop 4.17

I'll ##VOTE YEA to 4.17. Seems reasonable enough.

Please Hold for phase end

Phase 5 "The Merchant"

Your colonists are thrilled to live in a village. Last phase you found a mysterious box; you enter the combination: Eagle, Owl, Big Cat, Bear .........

The box springs open to reveal a golden amulet of native make. The amulet is engraved with a big cats paw and seems to emit a strange glow.
Among yourselves decide who should wear it first.

*Buildings*
-3 farms in U18 complete
-village in U19 complete
-barracks in U19 complete
-silo in U19 complete

*Tech*
Chemistry Lab complete (see build guide for details)
Drying complete (any food can be dried, drying requires 10 workers per 500 food and 50% yield is lost to drying)

*research*
Farming Tools 2 complete (reflected in building guide)

*Reward*
A ship approaches; it moors off the coast and a small vessel lands. Aboard the vessel a merchant steps off;
Hello, my name is Sir Isaac, I have offers of wares;

Sir isaac offers:
-20 Congolese slaves for 100 Gold.
-200 silver in exchange for your wool.

An elderly man steps off the boat; he is Elder brainbomb, he joins the colony as a councilor. (don't question it, he wanted to join back i allowed and i needed the least clunky way to add him)

*Exploration*
Land party discovers T18
River party discovers T18, S17, and S16 (S16 would make for an excellent mine; all mines on S16 produce 15% more ore)

NOTES:
Next phase a resupply will arrive the king must be informed what you need your SoC is still 8 so 8 items will be added. Further the king will be collecting taxes on your 400 colonists (no tax on slaves or soldiers).

Stay tuned for developments on your witch issue; cosmo sounder is your chosen investigator and as such will be informed first and he can then investigate further or announce his findings or both.

(very impressed by you guys figuring out the box)

## prop 5.1 give councillor cosmo a colony certificate of excellence

Please check out the resource guide, building guide and tech tree for this phase. (also i haven't forgotten to add the things king gave you last phase doing it now.)

Yeah, credit Cosmo, not you guys.

Welcome back, brainbomb.

Feel free to lob questions at me, i may fall asleep in the mean time but yolo. Also clearly this phase should end 9/26 @ 1am EST

Kench, do you mind keeping your map updated? It's a useful tool.

Greetings friends. Lovely colony, I cant wait to settle down and retire in this place. Curious about this thief, that man you put into slavery. Also curious about how long someone lives in slavery before being freed.

##Isaac how bout 600 Silver for the wool

Sir Isaac- Hmph, let the old man ride for free and he's already working against me. I respect it. How about 400 silver and this canon for all your wool and 5 of your women.

Domestic Ideas I have
##Prop 5.2 give councilllor cosmo the medallion as reward.
##Prop 5.3 slaves are made free normal citizens within 4 phases of aquisition. Or in the case of pre-existing slaves by (phase 9)
##Prop 5.4 criminals sentenced to slavery will be freed in 8 phases of sentencing upon good behavior.
##Prop 5.5 Name the Barracks after the King: "Byrons Field House".

##Isaac No no. No women were building a colony here my friend, cannot be giving away our future. I am old and will surely die here, but I cant imagine being a human being bound to people. Where did you get Congolese slaves?

Also:
300 Silver for all the wool and a cannon. Thats a decent offer you must admit good sir.

Er rather we give you the wool for 300 silver and the cannon

My men are bored and we have a looooong trip to Playdipia for a contract. If you wish to haggle than I wish to have at least 1 woman who my men can share her affections. 350 Silver and a Cannon for 1 woman and all your wool.