Thoughts:
[ ] Zombie scouting. You're no tactician or leader, and the village's real militia who actively train to fight together are all off fighting for king and country, but there are still hunters, homesteaders, and woodsmen. You could try to get them to scout the north where there are supposedly more and more zombies. They even have an interest in knowing if trouble is coming or not. Plus, maybe you can convince Cornet Renns to help? Undead are a threat to the roads and trade, after all.
Cost: 0. Difficulty: 40. Convince hunters and woodsmen to go scout the north for undead.
This is by far the better martial action this turn. We might have Zombie issues, might not, but the other option is Training Field and that is a more long term action.
[ ] The Watermill, Part 1. You've decided on an ambitious course of action, inspired by a quirk of geography that makes for a perfect water-drop, the ideal location for a waterwheel, to turn the power of nature into man's use. You have to lay a foundation and prepare the ground by building up and cutting away part of the hill, then start on the building's frame. This is going to be a big project, but it's not very complex or difficult, just a lot of work.
Cost: 8 Profit Burned. Difficulty: 25 - 15 (Census Bonus). First stage of Large Watermill construction.
Gotta do this one. That leaves us with 8 Profit at the end of turn.
[ ] Smithy Construction. Timothy Greens is ready to graduate to journeyman, according to the grumpy Master Smith. He just needs a smithy. If you help fund the construction, he will pay you back for the trouble out of what he earns after establishing himself. It will be a bit of a delay but there's a lot of reasons to want this - not least of which is so that you can organize the production of a lot of cast iron plows for sale!
Cost: 4 Profit Invested for 1 year. Difficulty: 40 - 15 (Census Bonus). Timothy Greens becomes a Journeyman Smith!
I want to do this one, but can we actually do it and still have the money we need for the Governor?
[ ] Forgework. Devote a significant fraction of your time to managing the smithy, organizing the stock, and making good sales, and so on... You've done it before, you can keep doing it. Eventually this won't be worth your time, but for now you need every copper penny you can get!
Cost: 0. Difficulty: 40 - 5 (Census Bonus) per success. Earn 1 Profit per success, up to 5.
Not sure this is worth it anymore. Expected income is only 2. On the other hand, it is a zero cost way to bring in income, so...
[ ] River Trade. The rivers leading up to Nesiwald are smaller than the great veins of water coursing across the flatter terrain down south, but they are still perfectly navigable by small boats. Occasionally someone will take a boat up or down the river carrying things or fishing. It's just that there are sections of rapids or small waterfalls between here and the great rivers in the south, necessitating procedures called 'portage' where the whole boat, contents and all, is carried over land past the river obstacle and then put back in the water. If you invest in a few river trading trips you could earn some money and encourage future trade.
Cost: 3 Profit invested for six months. Difficulty: 35. Risk some money to gain more and encourage Nesiwald trade. Cannot take this action during Winter.
This might be possible to do... as this basically means 2 turns, and we need to pay at the end of next turn (or in other words, two turns, this money will be returned in time to pay the governor).
[ ] All Mine, part 1. The book on mining you purchased in Ganz describes ways to follow an ore vein as it abandons the surface and dips back into the ground. Tunneling is tricky and occasionally deadly business, but it seems that most mines worth the name have to use it. There's only so much iron right on the surface. Organize a dig of a short experimental shaft with these support structures and follow the iron into the hills.
Cost: 2 Profit invested for 3 months. Difficulty: 50. Unlock All Mine, part 2 (Stewardship).
Since we get the profit back this might be a good one to pick.
[ ] Carpentry Studies. There seems to be a sort of cottage industry of carpentry in Nesiwald. A few folk are talking about giving up their farms completely and working with wood for a living, which is an exciting idea, a sign of the village turning into a town. You know that lumber can be a profitable industry - good furniture and solid oak timbers cost quite a pretty penny. You should poke around and investigate the possibilities here.
Cost: 0. Difficulty: 40. Investigate lumber/carpentry industry possibilities.
Probably safer to pick this one than the mine.
[ ] Can I borrow a gilder? You need money to do things. The more money you have access to, the faster you'll be able to do things. And you still have that severe penalty payment looming over your head... Maybe spending so much back in Ganz was a bit unwise? Well, you can ask both the people of Nesiwald and some creditors from the south for loans. You think the cast-iron plow is a pretty good piece of evidence that you'll be able to pay them back so you should get some decent offers!
Cost: 0. Difficulty: 20. Get loan offers from both locals and distant creditors/merchants.
[ ] I'm trying to help you! The locals in Nesiwald itself seem to more-or-less approve of you after you've 'proved yourself' and they've gotten to know you. However, the wider Rostwald region still mostly sees you as a military failure sent off here to cause trouble for someone the capital doesn't really care about. You can do your best to change that by visiting the various villages and homesteaders with cheap tools for sale and chatting about your plans for the future. The tough folk of this region are pretty insular and may be hard to convince, though.
Cost: 0. Difficulty: 75. Reward: +1 Rostwald region approval. Difficulty will go down as projects complete.
One of these, I'd probably pick the borrow option, as I'm more comfortable with it now that we have an actual plow to demonstrate what they are investing in.
[ ] Pricing Knowledge. Having a good idea of what is cheap and what is expensive, when movements in the markets of the country are happening, and the general state of the economy will surely be useful. The movement of money and flow of goods is something you are keenly interested in, and liable to kick over or at least somewhat disrupt eventually if things go well. You can ask Maisah about economic rumors and even send probing questions to other merchant outfits to try and assemble such a picture.
Cost: 0. Difficulty: 40. Unlock Economy rumor mill.
[ ] Groundwork for Election. The village charter of Nesiwald says that "the place known as Nesiwald be governed by the chosen Headman, who is to be elected from a Vote of all adult men." While it doesn't define any time period for the vote, it will obviously have to happen if old Ludwig dies. Morbid, but he will eventually. You can try to prepare to make yourself replacement for him as Headman, either upon his death or by calling for an election some time in the future. The position of Headman would certainly be a useful one.
Cost: 0. Difficulty: 40. Investigate how people would vote for a new Headman and how you can make yourself seem like a good candidates.
I'd pick the Pricing Knowledge, as I think the other is not urgent.
[ ] Anti-Undead Education. If there are truly more and more undead in the mountains to the north, it might be a good idea to educate people on ways of warding them off. Sincere faith, salt or ash lines and a few strange chants, and solemnly intoning burial rites. These things can stop a zombie in its tracks, sometimes, according to Bertram. Make sure as many people in Nesiwald as possible know these things and don't have wrong ideas about this subject.
Cost: 0. Difficulty: 30. Educate locals on how to deal with the undead.
Defeinately should pick this for the piety action.
[ ] State of the Realm. You should write a series of letters to Heileen. She's the oldest child of your family, and might be feeling lonely. Your father said she was helping manage the accounts - at age thirteen no less! You can ask after the state of your family's lands and manor, and perhaps serve as a sounding board and give advice to her. It would be nice to be able to help your family in some way. While Captain Varn lightly warned you not to associate with your family, but can he really enforce that or use it against you? It's not like you disobeyed orders, you were just an awful commander. You think you have enough leeway for this, at least.
Cost: 0.
[ ] Learn to smith. You're not going to make a living doing it, of course, but you've absorbed a reasonable amount of knowledge about smithing and metalworking over the last year... Having something to do with your hands that doesn't involve books and writing could be a nice change of pace, a part-time hobby to distract and decompress you from everything else you have to do. This would be more for fun than any practical purpose, admittedly.
Cost: 0.
The first one is likely to be more beneficial, but risks annoying Captain Varn.
[][Codex] Choose the next topic = pick from below.
[][Codex] Change the current topic to something else = pick from below.
[][Codex] No change.
Note: Progress on a topic you are no longer actively looking at will eventually begin to decay.
Niter Chemistry outline. Apparently you could possibly mine this white stuff, or extract it from... Bat poop? Well it's not any more disgusting than spreading cow dung into the fields. The Codex implies that it is very, very good for the growth of certain plants, and also good at burning, that could possibly make a nice weapon of some kind? And maybe for putting on meat to make it last longer? You're not sure about that bit, but perhaps it will clear up if you study it. Bonus applies due to having Niter on hand.
Cost: 0. Progress: 0/[??500-800??]
Standard Weights and Measures outline. What is the length of a foot? How much does a bushel of grain weigh, exactly, and how much ale is in a barrel, measured to the drop? You need to figure out a system of weights and measures that will allow a layman to measure a variety of physical properties and get the same results, every time. If you can get it to the point that others can follow a standard measure, everything will be so much easier. You could order nails exactly two and one-quarter inches long from five different smiths and know that they will all be the same. It's going to save you so many headaches down the line.
Cost: 0 Progress: 17/[??600-1000??]
Standard Weights and Measures would be my choice.
Alright so I say we definitely start work on the watermill and smithy construction for stewardship actions this turn.
Can we afford it?
Total cost this turn: 10/16 profit. Total profit available at the start of next turn: +4 invested, +4 fall income tick, +~4 Forgework, +~1 Mine = 19. Profit cost next turn: ~10 (+10 specifically at the end of the season, post income)/19. Profit expected by the end of the turn: +~4 Forgework, +~1 Mine, +1 winter tick = 25
Hmm... we should be getting back 8, (I don't think we can count on the Forgework or the mine), so I guess we can afford to spend up to 6 more after the 8 for the watermill?
Priorities for spending? Smithy = 4
All mine = 2
[X] Security and Township
-[X] Zombie scouting.
-[X] Forgework.
-[X] The Watermill, Part 1.
-[X] Carpentry Studies.
-[X] Come live with us!
-[X] Pricing Knowledge.
-[X] Groundwork for Election.
-[X] Anti-Undead Education.
-[X] Learn to smith.
-[X][Codex] Choose the next topic = Standard Weights and Measures Outline
Hmm... forgoes Smithy in favor of Come Live With Us. Uses the free action on doubling Intrigue actions. Seems sub-optimal.
[X] Plan All-In
-[X] Training Grounds.
-[X] Forgework.
-[X] The Watermill, Part 1.
-[X] Smithy Construction.
-[X] All Mine, part 1.
-[X] I'm trying to help you!
-[X] Pricing Knowledge.
-[X] Anti-Undead Education.
-[X] State of the Realm.
-[X][Codex] Choose the next topic: Standard Weights and Measures outline.
Has both the Smithy and the All Mine, and uses free action on Forgework which is probably a best way to arrange Stewardship, but...
Has the sub-optimal Training Grounds instead of Zombie Scouting, and uses Diplomacy on the 75 DC improving opinion instead of the 20 DC to find out our loan options, which we ought to do just in case everything goes sideways.
[X] Plan Forgeworkless
-[X] Zombie scouting.
-[X] The Watermill, Part 1.
-[X] Smithy Construction.
-[X] Learn more about the Codex Crystal.
-[X] All Mine, part 1.
-[X] Can I borrow a gilder?
-[X] Pricing Knowledge.
-[X] Anti-Undead Education.
-[X] State of the Realm.
-[X][Codex] Choose the next topic: Standard Weights and Measures outline.
Has Zombie Scouting, Smithy and All Mine, as well as the borrowing option. Uses Free Action to do a second Learning action. Forgework would be a marginally better Free Action choice by giving us a cushion, but this is a solid plan.
[X] Loan and Learning
-[X] Zombie scouting.
-[X] Forgework.
-[X] The Watermill
-[X] Smithy Construction
-[X] Learn more about the Codex Crystal.
-[X] Can I borrow a gilder?
-[X] Pricing Knowledge.
-[X] Anti-Undead Education.
-[X] Learn to smith.
-[X][Codex] Choose the next topic = pick from below.
--[X] Standard Weights and Measures outline.
Discards All Mine for Forgework, this is a solid plan for those that want to be a bit more cautious. Note that the most aggressive plan that still should leave us with enough money would be to replace Forgework in this plan with River Trade.
[X] Security and Township
-[X] Zombie scouting.
-[X] Forgework.
-[X] The Watermill, Part 1.
-[X] Carpentry Studies.
-[X] Come live with us!
-[X] Pricing Knowledge.
-[X] Groundwork for Election.
-[X] Anti-Undead Education.
-[X] Learn to smith.
-[X][Codex] Choose the next topic = Standard Weights and Measures Outline
Come and Live With us instead of Smithy makes this sub optimal.
[X] Plan Forgeworkless
It's the best plan, and the only improvement I'd make to it isn't worth splitting votes over.
I don't understand why so many are voting for Come live with us, it locks up 3 profit for 4 turns. Smithy is the much better investment if we are going to spend that much on a long term investment.
