[IC]Master Stone-Cutter Journal Entry: Bamboo City

[Kubrickb]

Kiwike, Day 3 of Arbiter Duty. The Wilds.

The letter came while I set about my daily tasks deep with-in The Quarry. I had just come across a large deposit of the Black Stone that will become the foundation for the roads of New Kiwike. The Master Arbiters have all been dispatched to the New Lands. There are very few of us left here. In a few weeks we will abandon these mines and begin our work.

As I am the senior ranking Roadbuilder, the only Master remaining, the letter found its way to me.

*A piece of letter is folded and tucked inside the journal*

Dearest Roadbuilders,

We seek a judgment in the case of a pig thief. The parties involved both have close ties to the community and we seek your neutral decision on the grounds of fairness. We kindly request a Master Arbiter to oversee the hearings. Constable Ratcliff shall meet whomever you send in Bamboo City, as escort to .....

*the letter has been damaged and the remainder of letter cannot be made out*

I have not traveled outside these mines and The Quarry in years. The Law of the Twelve Tables must be followed.

"If called upon a for a judgement, a Roadbuilder shall always make the journey. "

It is our duty! Even though I am only a Fellow Craft Arbiter, I must go when called.

I have been traveling for 3 days with little trouble. The path to Bamboo is well traveled.


Kiwike, Day 5 of Arbiter Duty. Sakura Village.

Tomorrow I shall venture into Bamboo City. I have heard rumors of an infection and quarantine. The village of Sakura seems abandoned. I have found shelter in a ruined home. I patched the walls and have built a small fire. I will find Constable Ratcliff tomorrow.

[Cerce]

Cerce walked about the ruins of Bamboo. What has happened here...? he thought. As he managed his way across the rubble, he stumbled upon an rather new-looking tower. He remembered that he had arranged for a room to be set asside for him, in exchange for building materials provided to the owner. Cerce then walked up the staircase of the complex. Recalling his discussion with the builder, TheMimi, he had given copious ammounts of sand and coal to reserve this spot. Entering his room, he found it quite empty. Thankfully, the infection that had engulfed the city had not penetrated into the walls of this hotel.

He remembered the tale of how the infection began. He had been walking among the ruins the day before last, trying to piece together what happened. He had been traveling with friends, as a half-elf called Andy and a forester and hunter called Sted Reaper had chanced upon Blackrock and asked for his help in travelling to blackrock. He met Gecko there, once they had arrived, and he had re-told his story.

'I had woken up to asdf's screams. He was telling me to kill them. Kill who, I asked? "The two guys, in the tower!" It turned out, the wood that my tower was made out of, contained some contaminent. The two men in the tower had long-since left, destroying much of the wood. Some of that contaminated wood landed in the city water supply, and the virus quickly spread. It turned all of the newcomers who had not built up an immunity into griefers. The whole town was decimated...'

A strange series of events had led Cerce, Gecko, Sted, and Andy on a long journey to the wellsprings of Fertillity and Purity, located in the settlement of Everflame. All but Cerce had died, and he succesfully resurected his comrades there and delivered the water to the Bamboo water supply, hopefully curing the infeciton.

But events had turned against him. It seemed as if no effect had taken place, and the griefing was getting worse. He had fortified his small room, making it self sufficient and providing of a loaf of bread each day. Hopefully, he could wait this out.

And so he did.

He patted a small letter he had found in his pocket a few days back. He was pleased. Hopefully, his new job would begin shortly. Who knows, he thought, maybe someone from this organization would contact him here in Bamboo?