Hearthwarden's Directives: Early Summer, Year 1 (Month 4)

I. Fulfilling the Measure House Restitution Accord (Pia)

Pia will oversee the immediate fulfillment and formal closing of the Measure House agreement ratified at the Month 3 assembly.

1. Delivery of the Thirty Settlement Jars:
   • Transport thirty certified, standardized ceramic grain jars—thoroughly inspected for flawlessness, uniform wall thickness, and precise lid fit—to Measure House.
   • Deliver these into the joint custody of Convenor Belen, Junior Keeper Sella, and Keeper Oren.
   • Oversee the formal transfer of Barleybank’s priority allocation so their carters can transport their share west without delay.
2. Ledger Discharge & Documentation:
   • Pia will witness the formal striking of the winter relief balance from the central Measure House ledgers.
   • Obtain written and witnessed receipts signed by Belen and Sella confirming that Hearthmere's account is completely square and unencumbered by any past relief claims.
   • Maintain warm, dignified relations with Keeper Oren. Affirm Hearthmere's appreciation for his past compassion while respecting the new joint-oversight protocols established with Belen and Sella.

II. River Logistics & Reedhaven Coordination (Pia & Lorn)

With the settlement delivered, Hearthmere will activate the regional trade accord struck with Reedhaven. Water transport is essential to scale our pottery export without breaking our haulers and draft teams on upland roads.

1. Wicker Sleeves and Fitting:
   • Meet with Reedhaven’s trade representatives at the river landing.
   • Receive the first consignment of shock-absorbing wicker sleeves woven by Reedhaven specifically to fit Lorn’s standardized jar dimensions.
   • Lorn and his team will inspect the fit, ensuring the woven casings protect jar rims, bases, and bellies against collision during transit. Provide Reedhaven’s weavers with standard wooden sizing templates if minor adjustments in weave dimensions are needed.
2. Downriver Freight & Material Exchange:
   • Contract Reedhaven’s barge crews to establish a regular summer shipping schedule. Reedhaven will transport crated, wicker-sleeved jars downriver to designated depots near Barleybank.
   • In return for storage jars, receive shipments of river timber, driftwood rafts, and bundled reeds from Reedhaven. Reeds will be allocated immediately for kiln insulation, packing straw, and supplementary thatch; river timber will be hauled to Noll’s yard for splitting and drying.

III. Kiln Operations & Summer Production Ramp (Kira & Lorn)

The dry, warm summer weather is ideal for pottery forming, sun-drying greenware, and firing at high temperatures.

1. Continuous Firing Schedule:
   • Kira will organize the communal kilns into a continuous production cycle: loading, firing with seasoned fuel, slow cooling, and unloading in steady succession.
   • Prioritize production as follows:
     • 70% Standardized Grain Jars & Lids: Dedicated to fulfilling our forward contract with Barleybank ahead of their late-summer and early-autumn threshing.
     • 15% Water & Liquid Storage Vessels: Deep, narrow-necked burnished jars for clean household water storage and brewing.
     • 15% Architectural Ware: Interlocking roof and ridge tiles to complete any remaining domestic outbuildings and supply small trade requests from neighboring settlements.
2. Quality Control and Capacity Stamping (Lorn):
   • Every trade vessel will bear Hearthmere’s official stamp and volume mark, guaranteeing standardized internal volume and tight lid tolerances.
   • Prepare ample batches of sealing compound (beeswax blended with pine pitch and fine slip) packed into small transport cakes, accompanying each jar shipment so recipients can seal lids airtight after filling.

IV. Forward Harvest Contract with Barleybank

Building on the pact made at Measure House, Hearthmere will work closely with Barleybank’s elders to ensure our communities' mutual prosperity.

1. Pre-Harvest Jar Staging:
   • Rather than waiting for the threshing floor to fill, Hearthmere will begin staging shipments of finished, sleeved grain jars at Barleybank’s central storehouses throughout early and mid-summer.
   • Staging the jars early allows Barleybank’s farmers to inspect, wash, and prepare the vessels ahead of the harvest rush, preventing bottlenecks.
2. Harvest Grain Accounting:
   • Pia will liaise with Barleybank’s tally keeper to confirm the agreed exchange ratio of delivered sound threshing grain per certified storage jar.
   • Ensure the grain delivery schedule is fixed for the immediate post-harvest period, guaranteeing Hearthmere’s grain stores are filled well before the first autumn frosts.

V. Fuel Management, Labor Protection, and Household Care (Noll & Mela)

Summer heat brings productivity, but also the danger of heat stroke, dehydration, and exhaustion around the kilns.

1. Fuel Stockpiling & Summer Seasoning (Noll):
   • Take full advantage of early summer sunshine. Noll’s crews will split green wood and river timber, stacking them in open crib patterns on elevated drying racks. The dry summer air will season this timber rapidly, guaranteeing a deep, reliable fuel reserve for autumn firings and winter heating.
   • Clear brush and flammable tinder around the kiln yard and fuel shelters to prevent accidental fire during dry spells.
2. Labor Shifts and Heat Safety:
   • Adjust working hours for kiln crews, clay diggers, and fuel haulers: begin work at dawn, rest in shaded shelters during peak midday heat, and resume in the cooler late afternoon.
   • Maintain constant supplies of cool drinking water and salted barley broth near the communal ovens and pottery sheds.
3. Dignity and Inclusion of the Eighteen Households (Mela):
   • With all past winter debts officially cleared at Measure House, Mela will reinforce that every household in Hearthmere stands on equal, honorable footing.
   • Members of these households continue to lead vital, skilled roles in the production line: fitting Reedhaven’s wicker casings, blending sealing waxes, refining clay slip, and tallying outgoing consignments. Their labor is recognized as foundational to Hearthmere's trade success.
   • Ensure rations and hearth-baked bread are distributed abundantly to all families from communal baking runs.

Summary of Intent

In Month 4, Hearthmere moves from resolving the past to constructing our future. We deliver our thirty settlement jars to close the old deficit with honor, link our kilns to Reedhaven’s boats and Barleybank’s fields, and build a lasting shield of food security for our 150 people through the excellence of our craft.