HOME | DD

Description

When news that the second supply fleet to Fidelium had returned without incident reached the ears of Talnara ti'Valcas, the first thing she did was organize a Dinner Party. Not a huge feast in the great hall, but a respectable meal for figures of four of Valnothron's great houses and the heads of twenty one middling ones, none of which were her vassals. A fortnight latter all the figures had attended and took advantage of exquisite food and fine wines while a little light business was conducted. For the most part the Lady was a graceful if unobtrusive hostess who monitored the gathering for incidents and was pleased to find none. Most of the figures were at the household level on positive terms with each other, but individual rivalries were a harder thing to keep track of. Regardless the meal went down well and as as the gathering was on desert the hostess came to her feet wine goblet in hand.

"Honored Lords, thank you for attending." She opened, as she got to her feet a number of servants quietly assembled an easel under a velvet curtain. "I hope that my kitchens were up to task to satisfying your refined palates as much as they did mine." There was some some assent from the assembled lords. "Never the less, I would like a few minutes of your time for a proposal. In particular one involving Fidelium..."

The velvet cover was removed revealing a series of large sheets, the first of which had Fidelium's flag printed on it. "As you have heard recently, the Raptors have elected to officially ignore our experimental settlement in the Southwestern Continent and have not interfered with our efforts to expand the settlement while Infrastructure is unwilling to jeopardize the peace treaty by launching an attack. The project has passed through it's greatest threats and has emerged unscathed while it is meeting more mundane challenges in a commendable manner. Their first harvest is being brought in and they've repelled numerous native raids. Noble Lords, the seed that has been sown has sprouted and with it we have have a foothold into said land." She waved her hand and the sheets shuffled, revealing a map of the area. "The area in which we've sited the settlement is lightly wooded grassland, slightly hilly and warm year round." She had the sheets shuffled again, revealing a print of the landscape based off a sketch made by one of the dispatched slaves. "It's situated at the mouth of a navigable river providing easy access to the interior and the soil is well suited to agriculture, including wheat and barley..." She went on for several minutes outlining the natural resources of the area with similar prints providing visual reference to her talking points.

"While we are denied direct access to the region, a firmly established and cooperative human settlement in the region would allow us to reap it's bounty by proxy. Our government has spearheaded the venture, while House Valcas has provided out of our own pocket additional resources to aid and accelerate it's development. Our reasons for this are multiple, but two reasons eclipse all others. First of all as a counterbalance to the Infrastructural Incursion, an asset in the next war and as a solid signal of my feelings to the Central Committee." There was some laughter among the assembled guests. "The second part is the potential for profit for the reasons outlined. Either way, the quicker that it moves beyond it's current nascence the sooner it will be of use. But there is no reason why House Valcas alone should profit from this venture. For this reason, I am proud to announce the creation of Fidelium Fund." A set of slaves moved past the guests, giving a pamphlet to each. It included information on the goals of the Fund as well as the Charter.

"In short, the Fidelium Funds' purpose is to accelerate the development of this enclave. It accepts donations from concerned individuals and sends them to the emergent nation to accelerate it's development."

"It pains me to make a statement which might be misconstrued my lady," A snide voice said from the dinner table "but this venture you propose sounds to me like a Charity." There was a few murmurs which followed the accusation. In Drow society it was not considered a virtue. At best it was seen as a crass display of excessive wealth akin to lighting a cigar with a banknote. At worst it was seen as a social evil born of kindness run rampant, in which soft hearted fools encouraging dependency and indolence among the lower orders while letting the unfit scrape by.

"Not at all. Charity implies payments gratis with no benefit to the donator beyond whatever self satisfaction overindulged empathy might bring. Donation to the Fidelium Fund is more akin to the buying of futures or the financing of trade missions. When Fidelian farms have grown past subsistence to surplus, we can procure it for a pittance, then reclaim the gold with with the sale of our wares. The sooner that our pet colony passes the post, the sooner we can profit from it. Similarly the larger Fidelium is, the less the Committee can ignore it. In the past fifteen years we've lost both the Black Ports and Avesia to Infrastructure, it's time we make a replacement."

"I trust that this Trust would not be a Valcas animal." Another voice said.

"Of course, the fund is not a Valcas Holding, though we are it's initial financiers. The charter calls for a board of twenty one trustees charged with the managing of it's affairs. Each seat comes with a monthly salary of five scimitars and I have put aside 2,000 scimitars into an expense fund for such a purposes. Thirteen of those seats are available and we'd be glad to accept applicants from esteemed houses such as your own." That got some people interested. If nothing else, the Fidelium Fund would be a decent place for a house to dump one of their unremarkable junior member for a year or so. "And if nothing else the matter of it's finances would be transparent and open to review.

"Let us assume that all of this is true, why should we donate to this fund instead of buying up a load of slaves, farm tools and provisions and shipping them off ourselves?"

Lady Valcas grinned a little brighter at this development. "In all honestly for some Great Houses this could be the most productive use of their resources in facilitating Fidelium's growth and if for those to whom this is the case I have only encouragement. But such a venture would have risks and costs. The ship might founder at sea or be destroyed by the Eternal Foe. But even if all goes smoothly there are costs, including that of a ship taken out of normal mercantile ventures for several months to make the delivery. With the Fidelium Fund the risks are spread out and more parties can effectively contribute to the process. Moreover the fund will be able to deal in bulk, train slaves for their new lives ahead of time and have better information as to what Fidelium needs to grow."

"Are you interested in donations of cash or kind?" Another lord said.

"Cash is preferred, but donations of compliant slaves and useful supplies would not be amiss." The next few minutes followed the same general pattern before she left them to their desert. Afterwards, she managed to get seventeen attendants to sign up and make at leas a token initial payment to the fund which added up to 797 scimitars, fifty two wagon wheels and two fieldslaves. A modest sum given the scope that the project and the canvased donators but respectable for a first venture and their names would be useful for getting additional support. She had four more parties planned with other prominent Valnothron, Janilonas and Galithirith figures with a similar aim, as well as several of her children and grandchildren doing similar canvasing among the middling to minor houses. It would take several months to dredge up the requisite funds and viable resources, but by the end of the year the Fidelium Fund would launch it's first supply ship, bringing an additional hundred and nine slaves, a hundred tonnes of barley and beans, twelve draft horses and an eclectic but never the less useful selection of tools and second hand gear. The second was launched not long afterwards.

From the Beginning

Previous: Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Five

Next: Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Seven

Description

When news that the second supply fleet to Fidelium had returned without incident reached the ears of Talnara ti'Valcas, the first thing she did was organize a Dinner Party. Not a huge feast in the great hall, but a respectable meal for figures of four of Valnothron's great houses and the heads of twenty one middling ones, none of which were her vassals. A fortnight latter all the figures had attended and took advantage of exquisite food and fine wines while a little light business was conducted. For the most part the Lady was a graceful if unobtrusive hostess who monitored the gathering for incidents and was pleased to find none. Most of the figures were at the household level on positive terms with each other, but individual rivalries were a harder thing to keep track of. Regardless the meal went down well and as as the gathering was on desert the hostess came to her feet wine goblet in hand.

"Honored Lords, thank you for attending." She opened, as she got to her feet a number of servants quietly assembled an easel under a velvet curtain. "I hope that my kitchens were up to task to satisfying your refined palates as much as they did mine." There was some some assent from the assembled lords. "Never the less, I would like a few minutes of your time for a proposal. In particular one involving Fidelium..."

The velvet cover was removed revealing a series of large sheets, the first of which had Fidelium's flag printed on it. "As you have heard recently, the Raptors have elected to officially ignore our experimental settlement in the Southwestern Continent and have not interfered with our efforts to expand the settlement while Infrastructure is unwilling to jeopardize the peace treaty by launching an attack. The project has passed through it's greatest threats and has emerged unscathed while it is meeting more mundane challenges in a commendable manner. Their first harvest is being brought in and they've repelled numerous native raids. Noble Lords, the seed that has been sown has sprouted and with it we have have a foothold into said land." She waved her hand and the sheets shuffled, revealing a map of the area. "The area in which we've sited the settlement is lightly wooded grassland, slightly hilly and warm year round." She had the sheets shuffled again, revealing a print of the landscape based off a sketch made by one of the dispatched slaves. "It's situated at the mouth of a navigable river providing easy access to the interior and the soil is well suited to agriculture, including wheat and barley..." She went on for several minutes outlining the natural resources of the area with similar prints providing visual reference to her talking points.

"While we are denied direct access to the region, a firmly established and cooperative human settlement in the region would allow us to reap it's bounty by proxy. Our government has spearheaded the venture, while House Valcas has provided out of our own pocket additional resources to aid and accelerate it's development. Our reasons for this are multiple, but two reasons eclipse all others. First of all as a counterbalance to the Infrastructural Incursion, an asset in the next war and as a solid signal of my feelings to the Central Committee." There was some laughter among the assembled guests. "The second part is the potential for profit for the reasons outlined. Either way, the quicker that it moves beyond it's current nascence the sooner it will be of use. But there is no reason why House Valcas alone should profit from this venture. For this reason, I am proud to announce the creation of Fidelium Fund." A set of slaves moved past the guests, giving a pamphlet to each. It included information on the goals of the Fund as well as the Charter.

"In short, the Fidelium Funds' purpose is to accelerate the development of this enclave. It accepts donations from concerned individuals and sends them to the emergent nation to accelerate it's development."

"It pains me to make a statement which might be misconstrued my lady," A snide voice said from the dinner table "but this venture you propose sounds to me like a Charity." There was a few murmurs which followed the accusation. In Drow society it was not considered a virtue. At best it was seen as a crass display of excessive wealth akin to lighting a cigar with a banknote. At worst it was seen as a social evil born of kindness run rampant, in which soft hearted fools encouraging dependency and indolence among the lower orders while letting the unfit scrape by.

"Not at all. Charity implies payments gratis with no benefit to the donator beyond whatever self satisfaction overindulged empathy might bring. Donation to the Fidelium Fund is more akin to the buying of futures or the financing of trade missions. When Fidelian farms have grown past subsistence to surplus, we can procure it for a pittance, then reclaim the gold with with the sale of our wares. The sooner that our pet colony passes the post, the sooner we can profit from it. Similarly the larger Fidelium is, the less the Committee can ignore it. In the past fifteen years we've lost both the Black Ports and Avesia to Infrastructure, it's time we make a replacement."

"I trust that this Trust would not be a Valcas animal." Another voice said.

"Of course, the fund is not a Valcas Holding, though we are it's initial financiers. The charter calls for a board of twenty one trustees charged with the managing of it's affairs. Each seat comes with a monthly salary of five scimitars and I have put aside 2,000 scimitars into an expense fund for such a purposes. Thirteen of those seats are available and we'd be glad to accept applicants from esteemed houses such as your own." That got some people interested. If nothing else, the Fidelium Fund would be a decent place for a house to dump one of their unremarkable junior member for a year or so. "And if nothing else the matter of it's finances would be transparent and open to review.

"Let us assume that all of this is true, why should we donate to this fund instead of buying up a load of slaves, farm tools and provisions and shipping them off ourselves?"

Lady Valcas grinned a little brighter at this development. "In all honestly for some Great Houses this could be the most productive use of their resources in facilitating Fidelium's growth and if for those to whom this is the case I have only encouragement. But such a venture would have risks and costs. The ship might founder at sea or be destroyed by the Eternal Foe. But even if all goes smoothly there are costs, including that of a ship taken out of normal mercantile ventures for several months to make the delivery. With the Fidelium Fund the risks are spread out and more parties can effectively contribute to the process. Moreover the fund will be able to deal in bulk, train slaves for their new lives ahead of time and have better information as to what Fidelium needs to grow."

"Are you interested in donations of cash or kind?" Another lord said.

"Cash is preferred, but donations of compliant slaves and useful supplies would not be amiss." The next few minutes followed the same general pattern before she left them to their desert. Afterwards, she managed to get seventeen attendants to sign up and make at leas a token initial payment to the fund which added up to 797 scimitars, fifty two wagon wheels and two fieldslaves. A modest sum given the scope that the project and the canvased donators but respectable for a first venture and their names would be useful for getting additional support. She had four more parties planned with other prominent Valnothron, Janilonas and Galithirith figures with a similar aim, as well as several of her children and grandchildren doing similar canvasing among the middling to minor houses. It would take several months to dredge up the requisite funds and viable resources, but by the end of the year the Fidelium Fund would launch it's first supply ship, bringing an additional hundred and nine slaves, a hundred tonnes of barley and beans, twelve draft horses and an eclectic but never the less useful selection of tools and second hand gear. The second was launched not long afterwards.

From the Beginning

Previous: Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Five

Next: Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Seven