[X][Hunters] Scout, learn more about the forest, reduce chance of enemies slipping by.
Your hunters begin patrolling the narrowest section of the forest, the part you're supposed to block off. They all seem to be competent woodsmen, and that proves necessary as it is very easy to get lost.
Attempts to mark the trees for navigation fail. In normal forests they'd carve markers into the trees, but the trees here heal overnight without even a scar. They have tried to pile stones on the ground as well, but even finding enough stones is difficult with the forest floor so thickly covered. Even when they find stones and arrange them, they find they're often moved within hours, and completely scattered by the next day. Sticks in the ground are often pushed over by the movement of tree roots, or occasionally sprout into saplings.
There are even more confusing areas where the trees are all the same kind and it's easy to get turned around. On top of that though they've yet to encounter any of the more dangerous monsters the forest is known to possess, though they have run into some of the enlarged wildlife. The larger insects are merely annoying, but being forced to flee up a tree from a boar the size of a bear has left them rattled. You'd think it hyperbole if not for having encountered it yourself.
[X][Levy] Train with the captain (crit fail)
"I'm not sure where you came up with these scum, but they're the worst lot I've ever encountered. I'm not sure how they survived since they're not even fit enough to be farmers. Were I still in the army I'd have just had them hung and recruited new ones," Leo informs you one evening in private.
"Surely they can't be that bad," you say calmly sipping your tea, one of the few comforts left to you out here.
"One of them tried to pickpocket me, I can barely get them to train at all, and I feel a tad concerned that they're going to try to murder me in my sleep, since they keep trying to stab me in training. Not too concerned mind you since they're so bad at it, but I like my sleep."
"Well what should we do about it then?"
"I'd consider getting rid of them all and getting a new unit, but I know you aren't made of money. I suppose I can try and make something of them, but I'm not sure how well it's going to go."
Levy is undisciplined, quality poor.
[X][Construction] Try to put up a barracks near the narrowest part of the Overgrowth so as to make patrols easier. (100 Denier in needed materials) (Major failure, even before mods)
[X][Personal] It's obvious to anyone that the Overgrowth is magical, but no magic still exists that could do something on this scale. Maybe you could learn something by studying it a bit. At the very least you might learn more about its effects. (Major success)
Well you hadn't really expected building in the Overgrowth to go off without a hitch. In fact part of the reason you had ordered them to try building in the forest was just to see how it reacted to a deforestation attempt for your own study. On that point at least your plan had succeeded, since you gathered some valuable data.
With the minimal scouting done so far, and based off what you've heard, there aren't really any true clearings in the Overgrowth. Any permanent construction there would require dealing with the rampant vegetation. You'd personally gone into the forest with the construction crew because you wanted to observe. The murky light speckling the ground through the thick canopy, the rustling of the plants, and the many animal cries sent prickles up your spine from the start. Bugs big enough to hit with a club swung through the air were disturbing to a degree, but none of them seemed to be particularly carnivorous. This was to be your domain, and you couldn't be scared off that easily.
The ground alternated between gnarled roots obscured by leaves trying to trip you and thick bushes of various sorts. The animal life initially kept its distance.
After a few days you determined the best place to establish your fort. Well centered in the area you'd need to patrol and quite flat. You had the workers begin trying to clear the area at that point, try being the operative word.
While they could cut down a tree simply enough, keeping it cut down was a serious problem. In the time it took them to slice the branches off a felled tree the stump would already be showing new twigs and leaves. Leave a log alone for a day and it would grow new roots and start to grow again. Through supreme effort they could clear away a couple trees a day, but within a week that spot would have new young trees large enough to impair further efforts. They couldn't possibly clear a useful space.
They'd been frustrated enough to attempt to clear it with fire. You didn't know much about using fire in a forest, and you'd thought it might be a bad idea, but you were pretty certain that if the Overgrowth was vulnerable to fire someone would have burned it out long ago.
You were right on that count but it was quite an interesting effect to watch. Flint and steel sparks simply went out too quickly to strike a fire. That didn't initially seem too unusual as it can be hard to start a fire that way in the damp, though with the air so still in the forest it should have been easier.
Then they had lit torches outside the forest and brought them in. On the boundary line of the forest the torches, previous bright and hot, began to dim and sputter. They didn't quite go out, but they were a fraction as strong. Attempts to set fire to the trees themselves, even those closer to the boundary didn't seem to take. The wood would scorch, but they couldn't get it to burn. The ground cover was more vulnerable, but failed to sustain a fire, burning a small area and smoldering out. With an idea what to look for you found something you can recognize by its similarities to the fire resistance enchantments still in use. But normally those would be applied to just a house. This one encompasses the entire forest.
You do a quick test with one of your magelights and show that magical heatless light functions quite normally in the forest, but any attempts to use fire are stymied. It might be similar enough for you to use the enchants that exclude fireplaces from such effects to shield an area, but probably not a very large one.
The effect causing things to grow so rapidly is far beyond you though. You can tell it seems to propagate through the earth and into the plants. From animals in the Overgrowth being stronger and larger than elsewhere you suspect it may transfer in the plants they consume, but you'd have to capture an animal alive to check that.
While you weren't exactly having much luck with the construction efforts you still hadn't given up when they were brought to an abrupt end. You were trying to observe the regrowth of a tree stump when it came upon the construction site. There was a tearing noise approaching through the underbrush that attracted everyone's attention. Then as the crew and you turned in the direction of the sound, a boar smashed into the clearing. A very very large boar with tusks like scimitars and fur like armored needles.
Needless to say with no fighters around you did the only sensible thing and ran screaming, followed by the carpenters. Fortunately the hog had seemed uninterested in pursuit, and you all escaped unharmed. Unfortunately it has taken up residence at the former worksite and has prevented attempts to return. The workmen's tools left there will need to be replaced.
-100 Denier to replace lost tools
Plan for Summer:
[][Hunters] Hunt for food, reduce upkeep by 50
[][Hunters] Scout, learn more about the forest, reduce chance of enemies slipping by.
[][Hunters] Capture one of the animals alive for study.
[][Levy] Patrol, reduce chance of enemies slipping by.
[][Levy] Train with the captain
[][Levy] Fire them and recruit new ones reusing the equipment (discount, 100 denier price)
[][Construction] Try to put up a couple wooden watchtowers in the Overgrowth. (50 Denier in needed materials)
[][Construction] Try to put up a barracks near the narrowest part of the Overgrowth so as to make patrols easier. (100 Denier in needed materials) [Locked: No one's up for trying this right now.]
[][Construction] Put up a barracks near the shore on the western edge of the forest. It's close enough to the patrol zone. Technically you don't have the authority to build there, but no one's around to call you on it. (100 Denier in needed materials)
[][Construction] Build a house… er workshop, for yourself. Totally useful to your work and not so you have better conditions for yourself. (100 Denier in needed materials)
[][Construction] Write in
[][Personal] You could produce some basic enchanted gear for one of your units. Sharper blades and harder armor are staples for a reason. Though it doesn't seem worthwhile to bother with them currently being a bunch of incompetent peasants. (100 Denier in needed materials)
-[] Specify a unit. Carpenters are a valid target for this.
[][Personal] Spend time with your men. It might be useful.
[][Personal] Have Leo give you a bit of training. However much you hate the idea, it might be worthwhile to be able to swing a weapon if you get ambushed.
[][Personal] This roughing it thing is already wearing on you. You could probably make an enchanted self filling and heating bathtub. Admittedly those are some rather expensive metal bits involved though. (100 Denier in needed materials)
-[] You suppose you could let the men use it when you're not. You're magnanimous like that.
[][Personal] Study one of the animals of the forest. [Locked: Requires captured animal]
[][Personal] Produce a fireplace exclusion enchant to try in the forest. (50 Denier in needed materials)
Note that you can at any time you have the funds send the captain to recruit units from the original list. This takes his time that turn so isn't compatible with him training a unit.
Current balance
0 starting -175 upkeep this turn (from pre-purchased supplies) -100 barracks materials -100 replacing tools +500 season payment = 125 Denier
Expecting 500 Denier income next season
Predicted Upkeep 300 Denier
