Porchdrinker
Member
Hello. I've decided to try to roleplay a farmer for my latest "Eldert Strolls"-inspired Dead Is Dead character, and I figured out a rule set of sorts to plan my activities and figure out how i'm going to earn a regular wage. The goal is to make gold hard to come by and to try to make the farm simulation as realistic and immersive as possible with no mods (i"m on PS3). It's actually part of a larger project of mine relating to a future mod when I get a new PC.
As opposed to trying to explain it myself, I've decided to let Whiterun's own Severio Pelagia explain it in his own words, as I came up with these ideas by imagining how he would explain it to me if it was my first day on the job.
Pelagia on Farming:
"Here's how the farming business in Skyrim works. We grow new crops of vegetables every month. In peak season, it's twice a month. Now, all of us have our own specialties. I specialize in cabbage and potatoes, but I also grow leeks in the field across from the Whiterun stables. I'll pay you to pick the cabbage and potatoes every month, but I won't pay you for the leeks. I trade the leeks to BattleBorn Farm, and you will be paid by the farmer there for delivering them. When you're done picking my crops, I may send you to another farm to pick crops that I've already purchased during my dealings in Whiterun. For example, later this week I will be sending you down to Laurius Farm to harvest their cabbage and bring it to me, as I've already paid them 100 septims for a season's worth of cabbage crops. You will get your pay when you bring them back to me. When I'm out of work for you, I will loan you out to other farmers and also ask you to fill the supply barrels in preparation for the next harvest. I have a good reputation amongst the farmers throughout Skyrim, and they asked me to send up good help when I find it. So after doing what I ask you to do, I may send you up to Katla's Farm outside Solitude or Sarethi Farm near Ivarstead to help them with their farms, but you will always come back to me when you're done."
Pelagia on The Barrel Management System
"You see those barrels, friend? There are three sets of three around the farm, a total of nine altogether. The three barrels by the haystack on the west side of the farm, are crop barrels, where we store our harvested vegetables. At the end of the harvest, I will pay you two septims per cabbage head and one septim per potato. The barrels next to the farmhouse are the supply barrels. This is where you will store firewood, meat, leather, pelts, and ingots. When the harvest is over, I'll let you keep any excess supplies as a form of payment. Lastly, in the cow pen are three more barrels. This is where we store fruits and salt piles."
Pelagia on the Process of Farming:
"To harvest crops, you need a dagger and a flames spell. For the cabbages, bend down into sneak mode and strike it with your dagger once or twice. Then you can pull the cabbage head out of the leaf. You can use your flames spell to thaw the frozen soil, which will allow you to extract the crop in as few as one or two strikes with your dagger. Potato plants are similar, but you don't have to use your flames spell as they pull out rather easily. You also don't have to bend down, as you will be pulling from the top of the plant. Strike twice with your dagger and pull. Leeks use a similar process as potatoes, and gourds use a process similar to cabbages. I don't grow wheat, but I used to work at a wheat mill when I was younger. Wheat is the toughest crop to harvest. You have to slice repeatedly with your dagger until you're out of stamina before you can collect it. Wheat farmers typically prefer you to run the wheat through the grain mill and store it in a barrel before you can sell it to the farmer."
Pelagia on Carrying Capacity
"In my experience, the most vegetables a man can carry without dropping them is three heads of cabbage or five potatoes. Any more than that and you're gonna need a wheel cart. When you harvest, keep the cart close by. Each time you pick a crop, drop it in the cart. When your cart is full, wheel it over to the barrels and unload, usually two pieces at a time. Keep the vegetables in the barrels until it's time for trading. As far as weapons and armor go, I wouldn't carry more than a third of your own body weight."
Pelagia on Paydays
"Since most of my gold is tied up in trading, we use firewood and supplies for barter around here. Some days I will send you into town with some wood and some pelts to trade for specific supplies. Other days the wood and pelts will be your form of payment for a hard day's work. When I have you make deliveries, I've usually already been partially paid for the material, but you will get your cut directly from the customer."
Pelagia on "Free" Food in Town Barrels
"I'm buying back unused fruit and vegetables from some of the guards and merchants. They're going to place them in the barrels near their shops and houses. Go into town and collect all the fruit and vegetables from the exchange barrels, and bring any cabbage and potatoes you find back to me. Store the fruits and other vegetables in one of the crop barrels next to the grain mill."
Does anyone have farming roleplay ideas? I know this may sound dull/lame to the nonroleplayers out there, but thus far it's been a refreshing escape from my non-DID level 40 Crime Lord and my level 37 Dragonborn Nord.
As opposed to trying to explain it myself, I've decided to let Whiterun's own Severio Pelagia explain it in his own words, as I came up with these ideas by imagining how he would explain it to me if it was my first day on the job.
Pelagia on Farming:
"Here's how the farming business in Skyrim works. We grow new crops of vegetables every month. In peak season, it's twice a month. Now, all of us have our own specialties. I specialize in cabbage and potatoes, but I also grow leeks in the field across from the Whiterun stables. I'll pay you to pick the cabbage and potatoes every month, but I won't pay you for the leeks. I trade the leeks to BattleBorn Farm, and you will be paid by the farmer there for delivering them. When you're done picking my crops, I may send you to another farm to pick crops that I've already purchased during my dealings in Whiterun. For example, later this week I will be sending you down to Laurius Farm to harvest their cabbage and bring it to me, as I've already paid them 100 septims for a season's worth of cabbage crops. You will get your pay when you bring them back to me. When I'm out of work for you, I will loan you out to other farmers and also ask you to fill the supply barrels in preparation for the next harvest. I have a good reputation amongst the farmers throughout Skyrim, and they asked me to send up good help when I find it. So after doing what I ask you to do, I may send you up to Katla's Farm outside Solitude or Sarethi Farm near Ivarstead to help them with their farms, but you will always come back to me when you're done."
Pelagia on The Barrel Management System
"You see those barrels, friend? There are three sets of three around the farm, a total of nine altogether. The three barrels by the haystack on the west side of the farm, are crop barrels, where we store our harvested vegetables. At the end of the harvest, I will pay you two septims per cabbage head and one septim per potato. The barrels next to the farmhouse are the supply barrels. This is where you will store firewood, meat, leather, pelts, and ingots. When the harvest is over, I'll let you keep any excess supplies as a form of payment. Lastly, in the cow pen are three more barrels. This is where we store fruits and salt piles."
Pelagia on the Process of Farming:
"To harvest crops, you need a dagger and a flames spell. For the cabbages, bend down into sneak mode and strike it with your dagger once or twice. Then you can pull the cabbage head out of the leaf. You can use your flames spell to thaw the frozen soil, which will allow you to extract the crop in as few as one or two strikes with your dagger. Potato plants are similar, but you don't have to use your flames spell as they pull out rather easily. You also don't have to bend down, as you will be pulling from the top of the plant. Strike twice with your dagger and pull. Leeks use a similar process as potatoes, and gourds use a process similar to cabbages. I don't grow wheat, but I used to work at a wheat mill when I was younger. Wheat is the toughest crop to harvest. You have to slice repeatedly with your dagger until you're out of stamina before you can collect it. Wheat farmers typically prefer you to run the wheat through the grain mill and store it in a barrel before you can sell it to the farmer."
Pelagia on Carrying Capacity
"In my experience, the most vegetables a man can carry without dropping them is three heads of cabbage or five potatoes. Any more than that and you're gonna need a wheel cart. When you harvest, keep the cart close by. Each time you pick a crop, drop it in the cart. When your cart is full, wheel it over to the barrels and unload, usually two pieces at a time. Keep the vegetables in the barrels until it's time for trading. As far as weapons and armor go, I wouldn't carry more than a third of your own body weight."
Pelagia on Paydays
"Since most of my gold is tied up in trading, we use firewood and supplies for barter around here. Some days I will send you into town with some wood and some pelts to trade for specific supplies. Other days the wood and pelts will be your form of payment for a hard day's work. When I have you make deliveries, I've usually already been partially paid for the material, but you will get your cut directly from the customer."
Pelagia on "Free" Food in Town Barrels
"I'm buying back unused fruit and vegetables from some of the guards and merchants. They're going to place them in the barrels near their shops and houses. Go into town and collect all the fruit and vegetables from the exchange barrels, and bring any cabbage and potatoes you find back to me. Store the fruits and other vegetables in one of the crop barrels next to the grain mill."
Does anyone have farming roleplay ideas? I know this may sound dull/lame to the nonroleplayers out there, but thus far it's been a refreshing escape from my non-DID level 40 Crime Lord and my level 37 Dragonborn Nord.