“I think we should set a certain goal.  A level of development that, when we reach it, we can all begin to focus more on personal gains.  Whether that is a certain population level, a certain defense level, whatever it is.   Until we reach it, we continue as we are.  All the crafting items we loot from kills or forage go into the pot for our crafters to use.  In return, they give the fruits of that labor to others who can use them.   It makes sense for now as we’re all trying to gain and increase our skills.”

“Once we reach that point, I propose a percentage of what we loot and forage still goes into the community pot.  Say, twenty-five percent?  The rest you can all use as you like.  Whether that means gifting, trading, selling, or hoarding.  There will be no price gouging amongst ourselves.  Anything you sell to one of us has to be priced fairly, if not discounted.  You can milk the bastards on the open market for every klax you can get.” His devilish grin brought some laughter.  “Anybody disagree so far?”

Everybody shook their heads no.  Sam added, “I think that’s more than fair.  I myself have no plans to branch out.  I’m in this for the long haul.  We build a community here, add to it as we can, and defend it with everything we have.  A year will pass by quickly, and I hope we control the entire county by then.  If not the whole state!”   Meg thumped a hand on the table, over and over again.  One by one, the others joined in a show of solidarity.

A few more minutes’ discussion and they had agreed on the metrics for their economic structure, at least for the balance of the year.    Everyone finished lunch and spent some time looking at the market for useful scrolls and giving their list to Allistor.

When they all went back to what they were doing, he began going through the list and searching the market.   He’d been given a total of ten requests for scrolls.  Nobody was being greedy, as they were aware of the costs.

He purchased Michael’s Power Infusion scroll for six hundred klax.  And two Alchemy recipes for Nancy at a thousand each.  One was a Common Healing Potion, the other called Regeneration that was supposed to speed health, mana, and stamina regeneration to ten times the normal rate for thirty seconds. He found and purchased a druid spell called “Nature’s Boon” that said it could heal for three hundred health points.  It cost a thousand klax, but if it were for real, that could save lives.  He’d get Ramon to learn and copy it for everyone.