Warhammer Fantasy: A Princess of the Borderlands

2250 IC, First Half

Your hawkship might've been small, but to a human, it still should've been impressive. Tales of your people's sea-faring prowess were legend across the Old World and beyond. The starwood hull glittered in the early-morning light, the alabaster-white wood edged with gold. The single sail was emblazoned like a grand banner, an eagle rising above a mountain.

"This... this is the vessel you have chosen for me to return home on?" asks the Bretonnian noblewoman. Her face, assuming your knowledge of human expressions is accurate, looks like she is trying ot pretend she hasn't just been insulted.

"Yes, this is my personal ship. One of the finest ships, and perhaps more importantly, fastest on any of the world's oceans," you say. Internally, you itch to simply throw the woman off the pier and let her swim home... but that would sour relations with her no-doubt very influential husband, and would not be very honourable besides.

"But what about the other one? That grand ship, with the eagle figurehead?" she asks.

"I'm afraid it has already left and was besides the ship of His Majesty, Finubar the Seafarer. I could no more offer you passage on it than you could offer me passage on one of your king's ships," you say, a very reasonable explanation.

"But he is your father, is he not? Surely they would've taken me aboard at your word?" she asks and you try not to groan. That particular misunderstanding had dogged you from one side of the world to the other.

"Please, do not think that I claim any but distant blood relation to His Majesty. If you were to spread such a falsehood, I would be forced to... clarify matters," you say.

The woman, thankfully, stops speaking.

Despite the temporary absence of your hawkship, it was worth it to avoid spending even a moment more in that awful barbarian's company.

---

The freed prisoners were assembled just past the outer wall the morning after your victory, as your troops began to clear the settlement. Much of it would be retained, but the lighthouse would have to have the offensive human furniture cleaned out. Still, the existing buildings were not enough to house even your forces and so a sea of tents would spring up outside the settlement for now.

A meal had been served to soldier and prisoner alike, and all in all the two groups of humans seemed to be getting along well. A few had left, including a few fishermen who'd requested their boat back. You had returned it on the condition that they offer a group from a village near to their own a ride home, and given them enough supplies.

Now they looked at you, their eyes wide. Fear and wonder in equal measure danced across the faces of the crowd.

"There is much work to do, so I shall be brief. We have won a great victory here, but it is only the first step on a long road. This place was once a beacon in the night, and I intend to make it so again. Those of you who wish to stay will be welcomed among us, given land and shelter. There is a future for you here, and a future for your children. Give me your fealty, and I shall give you a home," you say. Your voice reaches further than is natural thanks to a minor cantrip.


The crowd's answer is a hearty cheer, as the humans raise their mugs of watered-down beer towards you.

---

Now we come to the first proper turn of A Princess of the Borderlands. Each turn represents 6 months, where you will take a number of actions per category which cost resources, etc.

The major resources are, as follows: Food, Gold, Morale, Manpower, Favour. Others may be tracked (ships, specific building resources, etc) but these resources will show up in every category. The number of actions you gain in a given category is determined by your stat (Stat/10, to be specific) excerpt for Naval, which is determined by your available fleet.

Personal action count is determined by your highest of the three personal attributes (Magic, Prowess, and Peity).

You will begin the game with a significant food defecit and only so large a stockpile. If you want Tor Sar'than (the Elvish name for the old lighthouse) to be successful, then you'll need to provide enough food to feed your population.

Most of the resources are fairly self-explanatory, but Favour may need an explanation. It represents your good graces with Ulthuan generally and Finubar more specifically. If you want more support, you'll need to spend Favour. To get something like two companies of Sea-Guard and an Eagleship, you'd need quite a bit of favour.

You aren't unsupported in terms of ruling - each category of actions has an Advisor that assists you and often acts as a deputy or go-between for you. Their scores are added to your roll

Your current Settlement Sheet (like a character sheet for your settlement) looks like this:

Settlement: Tor Sar'Than

Ruler: Princess Osydin

Advisors:


Further Advisors may be available as your settlement grows.

Settlement Stats:

Population: 991. Consists of 193 Soldiers, 2 Human Notables, 5 Elves + 25 Elf Sailors, 100 Sailors, 300 Farmers, 200 Labourers, 66 Craftspeople, and 100 Children.


Population growth since last turn: N/A

Food: 1200

Food production: 100

Food Consumption: 991

Gold: 1000gc

Income: 50gc + 500gc/turn from the Phoenix King.

Gold Consumption: 400/turn from mercenary wages.

Morale: 200 (Very Good)

Favour: 100

Favour Income: 10/turn

Buildings:

Lighthouse: This ancient Elvish structure remains in good repair. Contains 25 Noble Quarters, 1 Aviary, 1 Armoury, 1 Stable, 1 Sturdy Wall, and 1 Lighthouse. Provides shelter for 25 people and their attendants.

100 Shabby Dwellings: These ramshackle wooden buildings will keep their occupants out of the rain, but not much else. Provides Shelter for 200 People, 400 if overcrowded.

25 Decent Dwellings: These well-made wooden homes are not fancy, but most commoners across the Old World would be grateful for such a home. Provides Shelter for 100 People, 200 if overcrowded.

1 Inn: Although the innkeeper was trampled beneath the hooves of an Estalian destrier, his inn has been taken over by his former slaves. Negates 25 points of morale loss per turn and generates 50 GC. Employs 5 Labourers.

2 Armouries: These buildings safely house and maintain weapons and armour. Supports up to 100 troops per armoury. Employs 10 craftspeople, 20 Labourers.

Small Peirs: These can act as a home port for 25 boats and 3 ships.

Palisade: This wooden palisade provides a moderate defence to the settlement.

25 Small Farms: These farms are worked by one family, and generally produce only limited excess food. Each employs 2 farmers and produces 4 units of food.

Ships:

1 x Elvish hawkship: Your personal vessel, it is equipped with a starwood hull and two forward-firing batteries of bolt-throwers. Requires 25 Elf Sailors. +1 Naval Action.

10 x Small Fishing Boats: These are various small fishing boats, each of slightly different construction. Requires 5 Sailors, produces 25 Food per boat per turn.

2 x Small Captured Merchant Ships: These were once human merchant vessels, but the pirates seemed to have taken them into battle. Only lightly armed, they are reasonably quick. +1 Naval Action per each pair.

---

Choose the listed number of actions from each category. Unless stated otherwise, you may choose the same option twice to add another 1d100 to the roll.

Choose 2 Martial Actions:

[x] Send scouts to look for any sources of the ingredients in gunpowder: Being able to locally produce some would cut the cost of your gunpowder-heavy mercenaries. Part of an action chain to enable a new building.

[x] Train some Labourers as militia: With some discipline, basic equipment, and time you could expand your force. While they would only be lightly armoured spearmen, your mercenaries could train decent troops out of the civilian population without preventing them from holding gainful employment. Converts 50 Labourers to Militia, who act as both Soldiers and Labourers. Will require 25gc/turn for wages and upkeep.

[x] Join your Eagle Knights and hunt some monsters: As wild and untamed as these lands are, it is sure there are monsters of some kind lurking nearby. Slaying them would be welcomed by your farmers especially. Add your Prowess to this roll, as you have Battle-Scale Prowess.

[x] Send some scouts to look for any local ruins: There may be other ruins, Elvish or otherwise, if this lighthouse was built here so long ago.


Choose 2 Naval Actions, 1 locked in:

[x] Protect your fishing boats: If you want to get those fishing boats bringing in fish, they'll need protection in these pirate-ridden waters. Enables you to begin fishing, employing 50 sailors and bringing in 250 Food, but will require an action a turn until the local waters are somewhat safer.

[x] Take the Bretonnian noblewoman home: Whilst very annoying, this woman is married to someone of real power. Return her, and you may be rewarded. LOCKED IN.

[x] Begin basic anti-piracy patrols: Lurk in the nearby waters and hunt down pirates. Requires 50 Soldiers and enough sailors or Elf Sailors to crew the ships used. Will enable you to fish without an action spent protecting your boats.

Choose 2 Diplomatic Actions

[x] Investigate to the North: You've heard rumours that a Bretonnian Exile rules in this direction.

[x] Investigate to the South: You've heard rumours that a sorcerer of some kind has a tower in that direction.

[x] Investigate to the West: You've heard rumours that there's a settlement of Norscans in this direction.

[x] Investigate to the East: You've heard that the island a day's sailing to the east is inhabited - if you could ally or suborn whoever lives there, your anti-piracy efforts would be greatly bolstered.


Choose 1 Stewardship Action. For this first turn, construction options are guided. Later turns will have a list of available buildings, prices, and other stewardship actions.

[x] Begin construction of 50 Decent Dwellings for 100GC.

[x] Begin construction of 50 Shabby Dwellings for 50 GC.

[x] Begin expanding your farms by establishing 100 Small Farms for 200 GC.

[x] Begin expanding your farms by establishing 25 Medium Farms for 500 GC. Each employs 5 farmers but produces 25 Food.

Choose 1 Intrigue Action:

[x] Search the humans for magical potential: Whilst some humans might burn mages, other humans employ them. Whilst Eydis doesn't think they're useful for much, with extended training they might manage some of the more useful cantrips and simple spells - or you could simply keep an eye on them for signs of mutation.

[x] Search the humans for Chaos Cultists: The Ruinious powers present an ever-present danger, and humans are all the more vulnerable to them.

[x] Keep an eye out for scouts, spies, and others: With your dramatic arrival, other Border Princes might begin to investigate you. Always something to keep an eye on.

Choose 3 Personal Actions

[x] Study Magic: Your mastery of magic is but mastery of the beginning. There is always more to learn. Luckily, Eydis is always happy to help.

[x] Study the Blade: It is always wise to keep one's skills sharp.

[x] Search for a Diplomat: Surely, there must be someone among these humans who could act as an emissary for you?

[x] Use Magic to Aid Your Farmers: Both you and Eydis are capable of using Life magic to greatly enhance the yield of farms, though obviously, it would take you especially from other duties. Doubles Farm Output.

[x] Spend time with a notable NPC: Write-in an NPC to spend time with, and possibly gain a skill or trait bonus if a roll is met.