ForestDay 16 of the Grainworks Initiative
Mark woke up excited to be doing something different rather than just trying to work on his class and organizing everyone else. Today was for him, and the first thing he wanted to do was visit his garden.
When he got there, he could see that some of the plants had grown a lot while others had barely grown at all. One of them even looked like it was dying. As he puzzled over his garden, Hazel walked over, looked at the plants, and then at his face.
"What's got you making that funny face, Mark?" Hazel said.
Mark said, “Some of my plants are doing great; others, well, not so much. Look at that one.” Mark pointed at the plant that looked like it was dying.
Hazel said, “What do you think the problem is?"
Mark said, “That’s the thing; I have no clue.”
Hazel said, “When planting a garden, or herbs, or even weeds, different plants require different things. Some need more nutrients, some better sun, or even less sun. Some plants just don't do well near other plants or plants of a specific type.”
Hazel then pointed at one specific plant. “That one there is not happy being next to that one to the side of it. I bet if you moved it somewhere else, both plants would be happier. You will slowly learn all the tricks, or rules, whatever you want to call them. The key is to pay attention. If you just toss random plants in with no plan, some won't live and others will just take over.”
Mark spent the next half hour moving and repositioning a few of his plants. He watered the ones that looked like they needed it and added some fertilizer to others. When he finally had them how he liked them, he had the impression his plants were happier, and so was he. Then he received a System message.
[Skill Acquired]Gardening Level 1
Recognize suitable growing conditions for common plants.Better judge when plants require water or care.Improve success when establishing newly planted herbs and crops.
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Satisfied, Mark took one more look around his garden plot, then started walking toward the inn. On his way, he opened up the school interface and started looking through the other tasks. He finally found one he liked and selected it.
[Lesson Generated]Herb Identification Level 1
RequirementsCorrectly identify fifteen useful herbs without assistance. (0/15)Distinguish five similar-looking herbs from one another. (0/5)Correctly identify one uncommon herb to a certified teacher.
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He looked over the lesson requirements for that and smiled. He could work on that, but he had another task to do first. He went in and ordered breakfast and sat down to eat. While he was eating, he looked over the list of other tasks and requirements he still had on three lessons currently assigned to him. Herbalism only had the task of talking to a teacher left, so after he finished breakfast, he went to find Emily.
Mark found her out near the drying racks talking to two people about drying plants. When she finally noticed Mark, she turned to him.
Emily said, “How is it going? Are you making any progress on your skills, and are there any requirements you need my help with?"
Mark said, "Yes, I got Gardening just a few minutes ago and picked up Herb Identification. For my Herbalism, I need to answer some questions from a teacher.”
Emily said, “That is so exciting that you're making progress, and I like the choice you picked for the next skill to work on.”
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Mark and Emily spent the next half hour going through the herbs he had collected yesterday. Mark explained the uses for the ones he knew and learned from Emily about a few he did not. Emily spent a lot of time doing follow-up questions and making sure that he had learned enough to qualify for the skill.
Emily said, "Mark, I have to say I think you're qualified, and I give my permission for the completion of the teacher portion of your task."
[Skill Acquired]Herbalism Level 1
Recognize common useful herbs in the wild.Better identify basic medicinal and practical plant uses.Improve harvesting techniques to preserve healthy plants.
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Mark was pleased to get another skill and then went back into the menu and picked his next skill.
[Lesson Generated]Forestry Level 1
RequirementsCorrectly identify ten common tree species. (0/10)Explain one practical use for five different trees. (0/5)Harvest one renewable forest resource without harming the tree.
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With his two skills earned and two more to work on, Mark decided he was going to go for a walk through the forest. As he walked across the road leading into Wayrest and past the first trees, he realized he missed this. Since outposts, villages, and people came to the forest, he had mostly followed the roads. It had been too long since he just went for a walk through the woods.
Mark did not follow any trails; in fact, he purposely avoided them. He looked at the signs of animals that he used to look for back when he was creating traps and hunting for his daily food. But this time instead of looking for food, he was looking for the things he had missed way back then. One of the first things he noticed is that the trees were not all the same type. In the past, he had thought a tree was a tree, but this time he was noticing the differences.
One of his tasks was to harvest one renewable forest resource from the trees without doing harm. As he looked around, he noticed the different types of leaves and saw one sitting on the ground and picked it up. Turning it over, he looked at the underside. The texture was different, and as he held the leaf and looked around, he noticed that different types of trees had different kinds of leaves. He then looked at the bark on the tree and even found some cones on the ground and picked one up.
As he went, he started picking up some of the items that the trees had shed and stored them in his inventory. He also saw some bark that had been ripped off one tree by an animal and stored that too. Looking at the wound in the tree, he could see some sap leaking out and gathered that for good measure, also storing it away.
Mark then turned to the vegetation around the trees. He realized even those items he had just glanced over before. He could now see differences between the types of plants and started gathering samples. Some he knew; others he wanted to learn about and would find someone to teach him. As he wandered around, he eventually found the clearing where the Adventurers Guild was cutting the forest to make space for its new location.
This time Mark looked at those trees that were cut and stacked and the stumps in a new light. He realized that because they were cutting out trees, the vegetation would change or die and, in some cases, be replaced by completely different species of plants. He went over to a trailer that was being loaded with logs using some kind of winch pulley system and watched as they were loading. He could see a man giving directions, telling them which trees to load and which to skip.
Mark walked over and had a conversation with him, and the man explained he was sorting them by the different species of trees there were. He explained to Mark which trees he wanted that were good for furniture, others that would be good for specialty crafts, and others that he basically said were junk and should simply be turned into firewood. Mark explained to him the skill he was working on and its requirements.
Mark shared with him the names of the different skills available from the school at Wayrest. The man already had the Forestry skill but not Tree Identification and was interested in getting it. Among the locked skills, he really wanted to gain Sustainable Harvesting and Forest Management. Mark taught him about the school and how it worked and let him know that five people needed to earn each skill that was open to unlock the next ones.
The man promised Mark when he got back to Silvermere that he would make sure to send a group out to earn the open skills and unlock the higher ones within the week, as it would help them work on the forestry project they had. In exchange for teaching him about the school, the man spent the next three hours showing Mark trees in the forest, explaining their uses and identifying their species.
By the time they finished, Mark had checked off two of his requirements and was partway through the third. In their travels, they could only find seven types of trees in the forest, so Mark would need to go elsewhere to finish that part. But he was pleased with what he had accomplished.
It was late afternoon when he finally returned to Wayrest. He tended his garden until dinnertime, ate at the inn, and went to bed early, tired from walking all day. Maybe he had gone soft riding around the whole time on his horse.
Tomorrow, he should probably go home, check in, and find out what needed his attention, but he promised himself that Wayrest would become a regular stop. Going home would also let him figure out how large a garden he could put in at his cabin.