Moving Forward

To Lancer I, Queen of the Republic of Cloudsdale,

Before beginning in earnest, I have to congratulate you on the fight. My dearest apologies that I could not sooner! News travels slow here.

It suprised me when I heard you restrained from killing her; the greys go passionately wild at these sorts of events. The other mare... her name is lost on me, but she couldn’t stand close to your name. I raise a glass to your future years of reign, my Grace.

I know you are a busy mare, so I will move to the crux of this letter quickly. Your colony of Everfree has been under threat of late, and expansion has dwindled to a halt. Without further assistance, I may be forced to dissolve it; the bits we spend may become too much for my treasury to bear if action isn't taken. The threats, of course, come from the natural location of Everfree and the monsters within, halting our progress at every turn, as I’m sure you’ve heard from the reports of monsters raiding, food dwindling, and the silver we mine only dribbling in.

I apologise for dampening the mood, but this does not mean that colonisation here is impossible; I can assure you it is very possible indeed, and as long as all of our best efforts remain in building the colony, you will find a mountain of silver from the mines. This could make your continuing rule a great age to be sung of.

If I may be permitted to act on these best efforts, we ought to focus on three prime categories, so as to construct Pegasopolis as successfully as possible. The first effort is predictable, since we have only started late last year. We are bordering on a population count of three hundred from my records, about half of which are miners. This is hardly the number for a full-fledged mining operation. In order to make our country rich from a silver mine, we need more miners. ‘Anypony that wants to be well paid and housed can find work,’ should be the new motto, and this could be popularised by artists, craftmasons, and so on, through beautification of the colony's cultural image.

The second issue are the other inhabitants. Sod the unicorn queen, it’s the monsters that truly dwell there, the real owners that need dealing with. Those who locals spin horror stories of, the manticores, hydra and the like. While I would be the first to proclaim any pegasus with a sabre can hold hoof to claw with devils, the issue stays that we are severely outarmed, and we may not have a sabre to spare before long. While we hold them off with palisade and fire for the moment, I fear a lack of lasting power, and would greatly appreciate fort experts to help us build on some defence stratagem and tech, something cheaper and less hungry than a standing army. You don’t have to remind me how the war affected our military, and from my understanding, it’s stretched enough as it is.

Our last, and surely largest problem, is sustainability. The horn-heads were smart negotiators, I'll give them that. They brokered us a small piece of land, such that the farms inside the palisade reap barely enough to feed fifty. While food from Cloudsdale supports us currently, it is simply too far for a long-term possibility. Unicorns have no taste for trading with us, and neither we should with them, and if they did, it would be nothing short of extortion on their behalf.

Even if we had the chance for an army, it would not stay fed for long. Even if we had more colonists, they could not be supported on thinly spread Cloudsdale rations. If we want to expand the colony to the point where we can provide a profit, rather than economic loss for the Queendom, we need an answer to the question of how we can sustain a locally and cheaply supplied food stockpile.

None of my subjects came up with an answer, and so I sent through letter to nobles and merchants alike a proposal, asking them to provide an answer for us in exchange for a large monetary reward. You can trust that the bits will come from my own coffers. The war was harsh to Cloudsdale, as I well know, but any and all aid you can muster will surely help to protect us. The food aid delivered to us weekly, and our survival because of it, is proof enough, and we all dearly appreciate it.

Of the proposals sent, we so far have had one reply in the span of two months, a cloth merchant from Windsley, South Hibernia.

The mare is trained, surely, and I have few doubts in her ability to satisfy the country. If I were to describe her, I would say she is 'promisingly ecstatic' to fill the role. To me, though, it was surprising that no other pony has yet responded. Putting my hopes in a single mare seems to be a great risk for the colony, but one we may be forced with.

If you decide to send aid in this field through one of your own merchants, I would highly appreciate it. The matter is, of course, rather important.

I will be open to any reply. If you have a question, I shall answer it. A decree? I shall follow loyally. The worst loss in a dire moment is communication, and I have made sure to stock Pegasopolis with chariots and messengers, ready to send message at a moment’s notice. If there are ponies you can trust with this colony, I will make sure to be one of them.

                                                    -Ignitus, advisor to the mayor of Pegasopolis, colony under the rule of the Republic of Cloudsdale