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Published: 2012-12-04 08:59:03 +0000 UTC; Views: 2535; Favourites: 2; Downloads: 1
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Description
The five years since Malnov Yorigsov left Infrastructure had been fairly eventful. Once he left the Coldlands behind him, he went through lands. Some having some scars of war, others peaceful. The caravan passed through a few towns and cities, some of them were quite impressive and lovely despite the fact that they usually smelled worse than Dalatyr. Eventually he reached his destination, the capital city the Empire of Allergon. The largest human state, there he managed to eventually managed to get employment from the Emperor.The advent of fast loading rifles, flintlocks and reports from ambassadors and spies had made the emperor interested in Infrastructural Machinery and how it could be used to better his position, both internationally and internally as his empire was fairly loosely organized. The first thing was told to do was improve the Imperial Foundaries. He did that by building and setting up a Tilt converter to produce steel cheaply from low quality ore. After that he was given a substantial workshop, the title of high engineer, the service of several dozen smiths, clockmakers, lens grinders, alchemists, carpenters and similar artisans, a few of them were Dwarves and most of them had apprentices. More importantly in his mind, he got a house that far exceeded those of even the best in Dalatyr, a wage of twenty marks a month plus a cut of profits, four household servants including a skilled cook and a position which made it easy to get the attention of young women. Even if he was tightly guarded and 'handled'.
Never the less, the job was quite pressing especially since he had to do basically everything from scratch. Assembling basic manufacturing equipment took up much of his time and was required for most things. There was also the language barrier, the fact that they measured things in inches and feet and pounds and barrels instead of meters, grams and liters and other such complications of his arrangement, even if he was working around them. Things had smoothed out over the past five years, but things were still complex. He did his best, he adopted local dress, tried to grow a mustachio, made attempts to understand the local codes of conduct and did not make too much of a fuss, but most of the toffs of Allergon society viewed him as an amusing and useful novelty at best and an overblown gussied up foreign peasant at worst.
On a winter night (or a January night in what passed for winter in his opinion, not that he disapproved) he was completing a last inspection before going home. Then he was confronted with Vorst, one of the king's officials, an old well read man from a lesser noble family who's duties included acting as a liaison between his operation and the throne.
"To what do i owe the pleasure of this visit?"
"Several things. To start, the Marshal of the Southeast offers his congratulations on the new Revolving pistols and there service against orcish raiders from the mountains and the shipbuilder's guild of Norgensburg have placed a request for a steam engine and a mechanized saw."
"Another request for the list. I already have seven major projects lined up, tell them that I'm willing to help them out but they will have to wait. If the Emperor wants me to proceed any faster I will need some more men."
"I will put a word in with the Emperor. Gods willing he will listen"
"Very well" Vorst was a helpful soul "Anything else?"
"Yes, We have received word that several Dark Elven warships were destroyed by their steam movitated craft. The Emperor once again asks when he can have such craft of his own."
"Once again tell him that these things can't just be built by country smithies. There are a whole bunch of intermediate stages, many of them have yet to be reached. Anything else?"
"There has been more conflict in the Gunsmith's guild."
"Oh great." Few things had the ability to get Malnov worked up like the bloody gunsmith's guild. A few set in there ways old artisans was bad enough, having the bastards band together into a body which could give many noble houses a run for there money as far as political influence went was another thing coming. They fought tooth and nail against interchangeable parts and the only thing that made them quiet down even a little was the fact that they were now selling four times the rifles they used to be able to make. "What is it now?"
"A dispute over the wages of a machinist."
"Oh joy, regail me with this tale of fussy complaining!"
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