PaxLair (R5), Valemark, New Britannia (PaxLair Times) – April 27, 2014 – by Winfield – Several citizens of PaxLair found a place to build some houses in Valemark town, just north of Braemar. Winfield, NANOC, Ashlynn, Sean Silverfoot, Grimlar Mithrax and Winmere found a meadow with a few open areas for homes.
Release 5 – Valemark Upper Meadow – A few PaxLair leaders in search of a place to call home!
Four lots were in an upper meadow and one in a middle meadow. These meadows were circles of lots with an open area in the center. Clearly people had not lived in these meadows for very long as they had not yet cooperated enough to cut down the tall grass and weeds in the center.
To get to the upper meadow, enter Valemark. Walk past the town crier and veer left. Go across the lower meadow keeping a little to the right through a path that leads to a big rock with a lantern near it. Take the path right of the lantern rock and go up the trail. It veers to the right again into a rocky area. Go up the rocky path and enter the upper meadow. (of course, this meadow area will most likely exist post-Release 5 (R5), but the housing will not be there as described in this article. We will build again!)
Release 5 – Valemark Upper Meadow – Entering the Meadow.
NANOC built a Knight’s Benefactor Tower, Winmere a Mage Tower, Se’an Silverfoot a Rustic three story house, Grimlar a Knight’s Benefactor Tower (in the middle meadow down below) and Winfield … well … an open air gathering spot (go figure, he does like the outdoors).
Release 5 – Valemark Upper Meadow – Winfield’s Open Air village lot looking in.
Winfield’s outdoor lot represents the ideas of when a town is new, just being settled. Here, the crafters must go to work creating items for the houses being built and provide a gathering place with food and drink. And, not only is there an information desk to help people streaming into the new town, but also a place for the leaders to talk to groups and monks to preach to their parishioners.
Release 5 – Valemark Upper Meadow – Winfield’s Open Air village lot looking out.
Building a new town is not an easy task. It takes dedication, cooperation, and perseverance. It takes people with vision and people with ideas. It takes enthusiasm. Most of all, it takes patience.
Release 5 – Valemark Upper Meadow – Circle area.
A meadow like this could become a hot-bed of activity, a market with the best quality and priced items in the land, a place for inter-town festivals with great tournaments, a place of great importance for diplomacy among many peoples and cities, a wonderfully relaxing meadow with a great library and theater, and even a town constantly under attack and needing continual defenses, resources, and troops. The possibilities are endless.
Release 5 – Valemark Upper Meadow – Open air village lot looking out on meadow circle.
In years to come, people will look back at the humble beginnings of any town or city. Some towns will become ruins and remembered in history books and legends, while others will go on to stand the test of time.
In Old Britannia (Ultima Online) we of PaxLair are already a continuing city, in fact several cities in a statehood with a very large alliance. Here in New Britannia, things are … well … new .. once again. We know our history, our successes and failures, and how we endured and continue to endure for 16+ years in the old realm. What our future will be in New Britannia is uncertain, yet we know it will be a great adventure!
Some reference articles on building a player town: