The first rays of morning light illuminated the torch tracks on the snow when the door of my Mayor's residence was knocked on loudly. When I opened the door, the four new guards and the construction worker we had hired yesterday were standing before me. Their faces held an expression that was both bashful and full of hope.
The sturdiest guard among them removed his helmet and began to speak. "Mayor..." he said, his voice trembling slightly. "We are grateful for these warm houses and the 20 silver salary you've provided. These were just dreams for us. But we have a request. We left our wives in those freezing camps outside. If you allow it, we want to bring them here. We want Essence Haven to be our true home, not just our barracks."
Eliz stood beside me, smiling at this proposal. I didn't hesitate for a second; it was essential for the settlement to grow. "Bring them," I said. "This is their home now, too."
However, a reality we hadn't accounted for emerged as the families stepped into the settlement. It wasn't just wives who had arrived; small children with cheeks flushed red from the cold were slipping through the gate one by one, holding their fathers' hands. Suddenly, our population wasn't just filled with adults, but with children running through the snow. But there was a major problem: This was a construction site and a military zone, and we had built nothing for children.
Koram approached us and furrowed his brow. "Mayor, these children cannot play among spears and hot water pits. If we don't create a safe area for them, this joy will soon turn to blood," he said sternly.
He was right. I locked eyes with the construction worker immediately. "Halt all other work," I said. "With a massive budget of 50 gold, we aren't going to leave our children out in the snow. Our first priority: Essence Park."
Barun immediately brought smooth pine logs from the forest. Along with the construction worker, we set aside a special area where the underfloor hot water pipes passed—meaning the snow melted instantly and the ground stayed warm. While Koram designed swings and slides from soft deer hides, Barun built safe climbing areas from massive wooden blocks.
By evening, the sound of children's laughter echoed in the heart of Essence Haven, right in the middle of a freezing winter. We were no longer just a shelter; we were a true civilization where children could play.
ESSENCE HAVEN
CITY STATUS: TRANSITION TO FAMILY SETTLEMENT
POPULATION: 23 PEOPLE (5 CORE, 5 GUARDS, 3 WORKERS, 5 SPOUSES, 5 CHILDREN)
NEW STRUCTURE: HEATED CHILDREN'S PARK (ESSENCE PARK)