Mason:

After small school, construct guardhouse at docks. Also, how much will more help speed up your building?

Magistrate, how many buildings does the palisade cover?

Mason: The Palisade surrounds the the town hall, barrack, and granary.

Mason: With 10 additional workers, I can build both a school house and a guardhouse this month.


Tasks:
Have the Mason build a small school
Have the Mason build a Guardhouse at the docks.

Policies
Allow Loyal Elders to handle punishments including prison of up to 1 year (ENACTED)
Make it illegal for colonists not loyal to the King to approach buildings marked with a banner (ENACTED)
Lower the age of the workforce to 12 (ENACTED)

Oh, certainly. I am happy to engage in open dialogue, but I just don't see what a letter will do. It might be received well, but it is unlikely to quell anger so extreme that they are willing to attack our settlements. What I can imagine working and working effectively is a strategy of heightened restrictions, continued cutting of rations, cutting access to our buildings, and seizure of personal property. I can see power plays, shows of force, and public displays, particularly those where we publicly condone the separatists and publicly praise the loyalists, working effectively. It won't work immediately, but, as the last time we tried power plays, it will work.

As of right now, I am proposing that we fortify all of our settlements - that's your area, KC - and ensure that separatists are not allowed entrance. I propose that some members of our guard be sent into the villages for property seizures. Anything dangerous, from a sword to a rock, should be confiscated, and, obviously, decent weapons should be added to our own stockpile. We should drop off small rations for each family, stamped with our royal seal, and inside a document that I'll write myself, essentially saying that there is more where this came from on the other side of things. I would also like to propose an official ceremony where the head of each loyal family is presented with their royal seal, which grants entrance to our settlements and access to everything we have to offer.

Given the uprising, I don't find it terribly efficient to continue using our resources on sustaining them. They should be instructed to either become self sustaining or help us, which obviously serves them better. I don't think we should be overly concerned if they make the choice to starve themselves. All they have to do is promise fealty and they'll immediately be fed again. The fact of the matter is that, yes, we are encroaching on their lifestyle, but they attacked us and their actions resulted in the death of four of our own and we should not take that lightly.

I am going to engage in a personal dialogue with the separatists' elders, but I am not expecting a whole lot to come out of it. Personally, my belief at this point is that, given that the separatists rose against us and that many of them were killed in the skirmish, they won't be particularly happy to talk. That said, I will approach it with an open mind.

KC, keep in mind that we have more weaponry available on the trade ship.

Tr, keep in mind that we receive a significant gold bonus if we meet the 1000 point quota.

I say we postpone the building of the school until we have secured the rest of the town. At the very least, the docks need to be secured. Ideally, I would like to see guard posts at the docks, the wood cutting locations, and the wheat fields. Eventually, I would like the entire town to be walled off. We will need more workers for this. We will also likely need some sort of militia. We have swords, and we can buy guns now.

If war is what we want to do, let's go for it.

Bo, I also like the idea of sending a relief package with promise of more to the separatists.

Let's just put the school at the bottom of the list, not necessarily postpone it.

Agreed.

I'll address the uprising a little later. For now, my concern lies in certain numbers on the scroll. Based on how it changed, it looks like the Magistrate added 7 people FROM wheat TO pearls, but the opposite was what the Council had set forth. Can the Magistrate explain this?

The Magistrate apologizes for the error; the Scroll has been corrected.

*cough* I am still here til this ship sets sail so let me chime in here seriously before I take my leave of absence.

I propose that focus be put on starving the separatists. As grotesque as my suggestion will sound, the reality is waiting on a war of attrition in which the separatists have access to food stores and natural resources will only extend this conflict and further destabilize the colony. It is my suggestion that the Guard be instructed to burn or seize any buildings, and food resources in separatist control (Burn things that can't be taken immediately, and seize the rest.). This would leave the separatists without shelter or food and quicken the outcome of the war. Also the guard must be instructed to refrain from rape, or violence against women or children. The guards R.O.E (Rules of engagement) should be to defend themselves and property of the crown, and to engage in offensive action against the military fit males, and property of the separatists. It is simple military doctrine, tried and true: Fight with viscous precaution.

Tasks:
Have the Mason build a Guardhouse at the docks
Have the Mason build a Guardhouse by the woods
Have the Mason build a small school


Policies
Allow Loyal Elders to handle punishments including prison of up to 1 year (ENACTED)
Make it illegal for colonists not loyal to the King to approach buildings marked with a banner (ENACTED)
Lower the age of the workforce to 12 (ENACTED)

Welcome to Councilor Maher. Though, I must admit, you didn't walk in on one of our more stable times.
Magistrate, my first concern is that it looks like you just moved the numbers of wheat and pearls to their original state, so I must again question the validity. Second, is that fruit harvest for real this time? Because it's making me hella excited.
Regarding the uprising, we're up against half an island of malnourished and underarmed natives, whereas we have the majority of a well-fed and well-armed Royal Guard that could have taken on the self-sufficient full island when we got here if that were so necessary. I'm sure we can handle this. And, for the dead loyalists and Guards, requiescant in pace.

Greetings, all. I'll be doing some reading to catch up ASAP. Any primers on the situation would be supremely helpful.

Ah, yes. We should make full funeral arrangements for the dead loyalists according to their native customs. Maybe the missionary could arrange this.

Maher, basically, our basic point is to produce pearls, aka points, for our King. Right now, we are having a small crisis, as the colonists have separated into two factions, that are currently in a state of hostility.

Yes on funerals. It would be great if we could integrate the local customs with our own. We should see if this would be acceptable. The missionary should weigh in as well.

Another thing about the scroll, Magistrate. I was under the assumption that "prison wheat" was what we were feeding prisoners. Considering that we now only have one, shouldn't the monthly consumption of prison wheat only be 60? Otherwise we are definitely over feeding our only prisoner.

**Sorry, this is starting to be a lot to keep track of. Pearls/Wheat are fixed. You have tomatoes but no apples yet.**

Missionary: I can coordinate with the Loyal Elders to provide a suitable funeral.

Tasks:
Have the Mason build a Guardhouse at the docks
Have the Mason build a Guardhouse by the woods
Have the Mason build a small school
Have the Missionary/Loyal Elders coordinate at funeral for fallen Loyalists


Policies
Allow Loyal Elders to handle punishments including prison of up to 1 year (ENACTED)
Make it illegal for colonists not loyal to the King to approach buildings marked with a banner (ENACTED)
Lower the age of the workforce to 12 (ENACTED)

**Fixed consumption as well. None of the values had been updated properly**

For this month, I would like to give 5 tomatoes to every loyalist for staying with the King through this hardship. Also, looks like you have the monthly harvest right, but the worker count for those two still show up as what they were last month. Sorry to be so bothersome about it.

The harvest amount was right; just forgot to change the number of workers : )

Can we have the missionary use his funeral sermon as an opportunity to extol the virtues of loyalty to the state and to discuss the potentially eternal ramifications of sins like disloyalty to one's government?

I know I just stepped in, but I think disloyalty needs to be dealt with harshly. I agree with outgoing Councillor Byron. I would also like to see show trials for any who are disloyal and are captured.

Maher, unfortunately, the separatists are about 50% of the population. We need to have somewhat of a majority before we start something we can't finish.

Also, just so you know, Byron is going away on this ship and coming back soon. He has RL conflicts.

I know most of my comments have been directed to the Magistrate, but I just want to make sure of something. When it says 10 gold for every point and then a 2500 point bonus for meeting the quota, does that mean we'll get a total of 12500 gold for just 1000 this shipment?

Magistrate: No. The reward of 2500 gold is for delivering 1000 to the King. The going rate for Points is currently 10 gold each, should you choose to sell Pearls on the open market.

Alright then. Just had to be sure.
Maher, the policy I've personally been striving toward, which is a big part of why I have recently been named Secretary of Labor, has been to get a surplus going. I understand the sentiment to punish separatists, but from my personal view it is better to make them loyal to us so that we can have them work for us, double our workforce, and then aid us in bringing about our surplus. As it stands currently, we are dipping into a number of reserve resources. There are key points to keep in mind as you begin your stay on the island.