Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan: Power of the Horde
In Victory's Shadow - A Barbarian Warlord Quest
- Thread starter Azel
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
I was a bit shocked when I read the map. Dallwitz is the old name of my home village. I never thought that I would see such an obscure name in a quest, it makes me quite a bit nostalgic. The -itz ending is relatively popular in my region for historical reasons, so I imagine it was generated that way because of that. If I were to play this quest alone, my decision would be clear: make Dallwitz the capital and expand it into the largest city in the world. That's how I've played all games that let you name your capital so far. 😅
I'm a little nervous about going east but I hope the voters will be kind to my village (I wonder if I will regret this):
[X] The First Steps for our Hermit Kingdom of the East
I'm a little nervous about going east but I hope the voters will be kind to my village (I wonder if I will regret this):
[X] The First Steps for our Hermit Kingdom of the East
- Location
- The Usual Room
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan: Power of the Horde
- Location
- Germany
I pilfered a good chunk of the names from medieval maps, so there's good odds your home village came up because it's on one of them.
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"But it was never their lands your people coveted and Khan Doru knew as much. While his other followers dreamed of ruling the south, you just craved its riches. You dreamed of a great city rising in the north. Sturdy walls of stone and iron rising from the wilderness. A gleaming light to push back the darkness of your homelands"
We chose a "very" unsuitable character to create a kingdom in the south. Neither the southerners nor our people want this.
The early Mongol tactic of: We take your valuable craftsmen and property and then leave - is quite justified.
- Location
- Germany
Yeah.
Get loot, glory and maybe some enslaved craftsmen for our own home, then use that to build up a northern kingdom.
Get loot, glory and maybe some enslaved craftsmen for our own home, then use that to build up a northern kingdom.
I am personally aiming for a Major Occupation goal because Hermit Kingdom made up of Nomads is cool.
Major Occupation
Glory gain: major
Tasks:
- occupy at least 4 major villages (0 / 4)
- occupy at least 1 major city (0 / 1)
- remain in the Mark Niemitsch for at least 1 year (0 / 1)
We kinda need to stick around for a little bit and occupy. I suppose we can leave after the occupation. Or we can aim towards the Raze and Blaze objectives. As long as we stick to a plan we will be good, just need to agree on what we want to work towards. Too early to say we are locked into anything, maybe we are risking not being able to achieve the breakthrough goal by heading east instead of west and not linking up with the other Khan forces.
I suppose stat wises yeah just ruining everything in our path and leaving is what we are good at. Not particularly much administration or trade or diplomacy to form much of a Kingdom in a peaceful way. But to be fair we can just smash heads and break cities and force the skilled and talented to bend the knee and make them manage our new Kingdom. William the Conqueror for example was a "hunter and soldier, fierce and despotic but uneducated" according to his Biography on Britannica. We don't need to run the Kingdom ourselves
But as long as we all come together and form a plan than things will be great, the worst thing we can do in a game where you must work towards an objective is defocus.
Major Occupation
Glory gain: major
Tasks:
- occupy at least 4 major villages (0 / 4)
- occupy at least 1 major city (0 / 1)
- remain in the Mark Niemitsch for at least 1 year (0 / 1)
We kinda need to stick around for a little bit and occupy. I suppose we can leave after the occupation. Or we can aim towards the Raze and Blaze objectives. As long as we stick to a plan we will be good, just need to agree on what we want to work towards. Too early to say we are locked into anything, maybe we are risking not being able to achieve the breakthrough goal by heading east instead of west and not linking up with the other Khan forces.
I suppose stat wises yeah just ruining everything in our path and leaving is what we are good at. Not particularly much administration or trade or diplomacy to form much of a Kingdom in a peaceful way. But to be fair we can just smash heads and break cities and force the skilled and talented to bend the knee and make them manage our new Kingdom. William the Conqueror for example was a "hunter and soldier, fierce and despotic but uneducated" according to his Biography on Britannica. We don't need to run the Kingdom ourselves
But as long as we all come together and form a plan than things will be great, the worst thing we can do in a game where you must work towards an objective is defocus.
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I think we shouldn't forget what options we had in character creation.
With the goal of increasing the values of Trade, Diplomacy and Administration, we would have inceased trade by 2 levels, diplomacy by 3 levels and had no increase for administration. Nevertheless, occupation is a possible goal so we shouldn't overvalue these skills, we couldn't influence them that much anyway and at least we didn't choose that we are bad with money.
I don't know if you've all played the Crusader Kings computer game before. I always saw warfare as the most important skill at the beginning, because you have to fight a lot of wars in the beginning to establish yourself. This is especially true if you want to migrate as a tribal society at the beginning, because the yield from conquered land is so low that it is more important that you can raid the land that you have not yet conquered and get the most out of the few troops you have at the beginning.
That said, it's important to conquer land as early as possible because in the long run, you'll make more money if you develop it than if you just raid the whole game. That's why I like the idea of going to the isolated east. I think we could build that up while we raid the land we haven't conquered yet. Occupation gives more prestige so we can conclude that it is harder but I think we are well positioned to be ambitious.
With the goal of increasing the values of Trade, Diplomacy and Administration, we would have inceased trade by 2 levels, diplomacy by 3 levels and had no increase for administration. Nevertheless, occupation is a possible goal so we shouldn't overvalue these skills, we couldn't influence them that much anyway and at least we didn't choose that we are bad with money.
I don't know if you've all played the Crusader Kings computer game before. I always saw warfare as the most important skill at the beginning, because you have to fight a lot of wars in the beginning to establish yourself. This is especially true if you want to migrate as a tribal society at the beginning, because the yield from conquered land is so low that it is more important that you can raid the land that you have not yet conquered and get the most out of the few troops you have at the beginning.
That said, it's important to conquer land as early as possible because in the long run, you'll make more money if you develop it than if you just raid the whole game. That's why I like the idea of going to the isolated east. I think we could build that up while we raid the land we haven't conquered yet. Occupation gives more prestige so we can conclude that it is harder but I think we are well positioned to be ambitious.
We also aren't locked into the Occupation goal! If things start to turn on us and we can't find allies and servants to run a kingdom for us, we can flip the script, burn and loot everything and go home with a not as prestigious but still great pillaging victory.
We can try and be kings first and turn back to warlords if we must, but if we roll in and burn everything down on the spot than there is no chance for our occupation goal.
We can try and be kings first and turn back to warlords if we must, but if we roll in and burn everything down on the spot than there is no chance for our occupation goal.
Turn 1 - Into the Fray
- Location
- Germany
Turn 1 - Into the Fray
On the very next day, you broke camp, laden down with a decent share of the villages larders. The southerners were not at all happy that you took even more from them. The few picked to show you where they hid everything were tense all the while, just barely keeping their tongues quiet, though when they noticed that you only took the easily portable foods, they quieted down. None of them seemed eager to push their luck when they still would be left with enough for themselves.
The ride south was luckily quite uneventful. Moving through hills and deep forests, you rarely even crossed a road, let alone met anyone save a few lone villagers fleeing towards Walden. With the snows intensifying, you could almost forget you were even in the south. Moving through the underbrush as cold and silence were only pierced by the caribou and your fellow riders. By the third day, you were half expecting a Heagga Hagga to accost you, even though it was likely a full moon or two of riding to a pace where the blighted things roamed.
Your first stop, the village of Duxat, brought you back to reality. The local manor lord had holed up in his home with a few arms-men and tried to shoot your scouts when they approached the village. By the time you learned of it though, the problem had already resolved itself. The fool had horses saddled and ordered his men to give chase to your scouts. The vanguard was already done picking over their bodies when the bulk of your host passed them by.
As a result, the reception in Duxat was much more tense, the villagers expecting you to retaliate against them. Ealga halfheartedly suggested as much, though he seemed to do it mostly to have you dismiss the notion in front of his warriors instead of any real desire to see the village razed. Still, you did not linger. After two days, the mansion had been stripped of anything valuable and your packs re-filled from Duxats granary.
Compared to that, Soplitz is an uneventful stop on your journey. The village is barely worth the name, with only three houses still occupied and the rest evidently abandoned years ago. None of the villagers have much worth taking, except for a hunter who is happily sharing some fresh bowstrings and arrows in return for the village being left alone by your host. With daylight to spare, you oblige him and march on towards the wilderness once more.
Supplies gained: 1 month
Minor Villages raided: +1
The weather takes a turn for the worse in the days after, slowing you down as the clouds sap the precious daylight ever earlier, and crossing the river turns into a two day affair as the snow covered ice is too thin to walk over, but makes it hard to find a safe place to cross. There is some grousing from all three tribes under your command, though nothing that some fresh horse meat couldn't quiet down in the evening.
Further south though, you begin to see signs of settlement once more. Your path crosses a minor road once more and unlike the last one, this time there are signs of recent travel. The snow is trampled down and bears markings of feet, hooves and wagons. With the aid of the map he procured, Vuoitveahka determines that you likely arrived somewhere between Batzeck and Lebguin, which is good enough for your purposes. A more permanent camp is made in the deeper forest and the scouts send out to learn more about your surroundings.
The first group reporting back was from the south, where village of Wildern stood. Now it is deserted though and your scouts report fresh graves dug and the manor house burned. Whoever came through here was less kindly than your host when they took what they needed and you have some inkling who might have done it. From further east, the scouts report a large camp in the village of Calaw, guarded by caribou riders. They could not approach close enough to learn more, but the tracks they found in the forest implies that it is not just nomads who are campign there.
Further up the small river, the village of Lebguin was overrun with refugees. Some living in makeshift tents not fit for the winter, others sleeping on wagons or the overcrowded houses. Soldiers wearing two different sets of colors are among them, but they are few and disorganized, your scouts not even having to worry about any patrols from them. From what you had seen in other villages, they would likely soon run out of food and had to either move again or starve.
Lastly, to the west, the village of Batzeck was recently site of a fight. Crows still circle the meadows north of the village and a small number of soldiers guard the roads leading into it from makeshift barricades. From a nearby hill, your scouts could see them gathering wood for pyres on the village commons, but they are not for the bodies. A stake is at the center of each of the five piles, and you are reminded of the stories of the southerners burning people who they think to have offended their gods. Maybe they caught some sorcerers.
While hearing all these reports with you, neither Ealga nor Vuoitveahka offered much of an opinion of their own, except for teasing out a few details from the scouts here and there. Both your allies seemed content enough to let you take the lead for now.
Turn 1 - 12th Moon of Khan Doru - First Winter Moon
You have
Current supplies will last you 2 moons.
Warfare
[] Send out scouts. (Write-In where, Write-In number)
-[] (Optional) Lead them personally (Costs 1 Action)
You need to learn more about your surroundings and what is going on. Send a group of caribou riders to scout out a location.
[] Send a raiding force. (Write-In where, Write-In number)
-[] (Optional) Lead them personally (Costs 1 Action)
You have enough food for a while longer, but more is always better and you found little in valuables so far. Send some riders out to raid a nearby settlement.
[] Set patrols. (Write-In where, Write-In number)
While your camp is already guarded, it might not hurt to set up patrols in your surroundings to watch for movements on the roads.
[] Attack Batzeck (Costs 1 Action, 4 Warriors)
Whoever the southerners intend to burn in Batzeck will likely make for valuable allies. Ones who will owe your life to them at that. From the reports of your scouts, you already prepared a rough plan and while you will need to bring most of your warriors, you are confident that you can take them on.
Diplomacy
[] Send an envoy to Calaw (Costs 1 Warriors)
There are clearly splinters of Khan Dogu's host camping in Calaw and both of your hosts will have an easier time surviving in the south if you make common cause. Send some warriors to serve as your envoy's and see if they are willing to talk.
[] Travel to Calaw (Costs 1 Action, 1 Warriors)
Another war chief will likely respond better if you come in person to talk with them instead of sending an envoy. Ride to Calaw and see for yourself what people these are and what they want.
[] Travel to Lebguin (Costs 1 Action, 1 Warriors)
The people in Lebguin won't survive the winter as it is, but at least a few of them know how to fight. Maybe you can offer them something to fight for you instead. The Khan managed such feats all the time, so how hard can this be?
[] Spend time with Vuoitveahka and the Rukses Gahpir tribe (Costs 1 Action)
While the old chief is affable, you know for certain his people have little interest in further war, following you mostly since they fear to be killed if they traveled alone. Try to get to know him and his people better and perhaps improve your relationship.
[] Spend time with Ealga and the Cappat Sealgi warriors (Costs 1 Action)
The man who is war chief of the small splinter group in all but name remains a mystery to you. Always guarded and tight lipped, you can only guess at his motivations. Maybe if you spend more time with him, you can pry something out of him.
Administration
[] Help to prepare the Solstice Festival (Costs 1 Action)
The winter solstice is not far away and while its a shamans task to prepare for it, you could lend a hand yourself. A bigger celebration might serve to raise spirits in your host and make the gods better inclined to you. (Note: Can be taken this turn or next turn.)
Personal
[] Learn to read and write (Costs 1 Action)
Not being able to read the lettering on the map was a bit embarrassing, even if it is rare for anyone except maybe a shaman to be literate in the tribes. Still. Better spend some time to rectify that.
Only voting by plan please. Warriors not given other tasks will be added to the camp guards for that turn.
AN: Spelling it out here since this aspect of my quests has often stumped people: Not all information you receive is perfectly accurate. Your own scouts are more reliable than hearsay or just a map, so you should always consider how reliable the source of your information is before acting on it.
LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
[X] Plan: Caribou in Shining Armor
-[X] Send out scouts (Batzeck) (1 Warrior)
-[X] Attack Batzeck (Costs 1 Action, 4 Warriors)
-[X] Help to prepare the Solstice Festival (Costs 1 Action)
The refugees have nothing worth taking, and the surrounding villages are barely worth raiding too. I say we go save our people. Having some Sorcerors, or even just more non-magical allies, on our side is going to be helpful.
The defenders have already been attacked and likely suffered losses, but that's no reason to avoid scouting the enemy further. Our troops are confident in our victory, but a cornered rat still bites and I'd rather we be prepared for any potential surprises they may have for us (enemy magicians, traps, etc.) to minimize our losses since we don't have much in the way of replenishment yet. That, and whoever attacked Batzeck may still be around and this place is our only lead to discover some clues as to their identity and where they went.
-[X] Send out scouts (Batzeck) (1 Warrior)
-[X] Attack Batzeck (Costs 1 Action, 4 Warriors)
-[X] Help to prepare the Solstice Festival (Costs 1 Action)
The refugees have nothing worth taking, and the surrounding villages are barely worth raiding too. I say we go save our people. Having some Sorcerors, or even just more non-magical allies, on our side is going to be helpful.
The defenders have already been attacked and likely suffered losses, but that's no reason to avoid scouting the enemy further. Our troops are confident in our victory, but a cornered rat still bites and I'd rather we be prepared for any potential surprises they may have for us (enemy magicians, traps, etc.) to minimize our losses since we don't have much in the way of replenishment yet. That, and whoever attacked Batzeck may still be around and this place is our only lead to discover some clues as to their identity and where they went.
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But what about our camp? We've just built a semi-permanent one. What if the people in Calaw discover us and attack us while all our warriors are in Batzeck? Just because we once belonged to the same horde doesn't mean they're friendly.
Edit: And as far as I understand the system correctly, the plan doesn't use all actions. We have two and scouting doesn't use an action, it only needs one warrior.
Edit: And as far as I understand the system correctly, the plan doesn't use all actions. We have two and scouting doesn't use an action, it only needs one warrior.
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- Location
- Germany
4 or 2 Actions?
- Location
- Germany
Two. Normally you'd get 4 per turn, but you spent a good amount of time travelling here.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Hmm, do not want to launch any sort of attack this turn, we should scout out things and either help prepare the festival or try and learn to read.
- Location
- an unseen void
- Pronouns
- Any
Don't want to spend the entire turn in camp. If people are wary of offensive actions, sure, fine, but we should be gathering allies at least, not just turtling.
LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
We're both nominally on the same side, I doubt the people in Calaw would attack without provocation. Sure, the Khan's dead but we're both stuck in the middle of enemy territory, it's not really the time or place to play tribal games of cattle raiding.
That said, good point regarding the actions. @Azel, to clarify, does scouting cost 1 action if we don't lead it personally?
Chances are, the people in Batzeck would be burned to a crisp if we don't rescue them now. Would rather not take the risk, especially when the enemy in Batzeck theoretically won't be able to offer much resistance. As Potato Anarchy said, we shouldn't turtle. We're nomadic raiders, our advantage lies in our mobility.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
That's a solid point.
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- Location
- Germany
No. You only have to spend an action on military deployments when you are actively leading them. Otherwise, the magic of delegation takes over.
LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
Thank you! I've modified the plan then.
[] Plan: Caribou in Shining Armor
-[] Send out scouts (Batzeck) (1 Warrior)
-[] Attack Batzeck (Costs 1 Action, 4 Warriors)
-[] Help to prepare the Solstice Festival (Costs 1 Action)
Out of all the actions we can spend it on, preparing for the Solstice Festival is a time-limited action. We either do it now while we still have limited objectives and are relatively safe, or do it next turn when we might have more pressing matters to attend to depending on how things develop.
Raising our host's morale is important after the death of the Khan and the fracturing of the horde, especially since we'll likely see a lot of fighting soon. If we're lucky, maybe the gods will answer and give us guidance too.
Why shouldn't they attack? We don't know them and without warriors the camp is undefended, and in the end not much different from a village.
[X] Plan: Friend or foe
-[X] Set patrols. In the west towards Batzeck (1 warrior)
-[X] Send out scouts. Grauwitz and surrounding area (1 warrior)
-[X] Travel to Calaw (Costs 1 Action, 1 Warriors)
-[X] Help to prepare the Solstice Festival (Costs 1 Action)
The camp is defended by 2 warriors and we keep an eye on the west and talk to the people in Calaw. Our current target should be Grauwitz, so it makes sense to scout the area. Then next turn we can hopefully advance south with our new ally. In the worst case scenario, we know there is a threat and can take steps to either avoid danger or fight.