[X][Hunters] Capture one of the animals alive for study. [Major Success]
Even as your levy proves staggeringly incompetent your hunters continue to outdo themselves. You had been a bit worried that trapping one of the animals found in the Overgrowth would be a dangerous and difficult job. As it turns out you need not have worried. They manage to bring back a couple of live and even healthy rabbits in hardly any time at all.
Granted rabbits seem to be one of the staple bottom links in the food chain here as in other forests. They're unusually large and fast, but no threat to humans. Capturing them simply involved scaling up their traps a little, and a little luck not to get their prey stolen before they could retrieve it.
They finished quickly enough that they decided they might as well get some fresh meat added into the camp stores while they were at it. (40 off upkeep this turn)
[X][Construction] Put up a basic wooden palisade around the camp, offering at least some protection if something tries to get in. Though you have a feeling the bigger wildlife could smash through something like that. (50 Denier in needed materials) [Success]
Over the season a simple palisade made from some of the smaller trees from the edge of the forest is constructed around the barracks. It might be the simplest of protection, but it does make you sleep a bit easier to have even such a flimsy wall surrounding the camp. It also has lent the area a greater feeling of permanence, despite being at the doorstep of the embodiment of the untamed wilds. You'd still hesitate to call it a true settlement, let alone a castle, but it at least feels like you're staying there a while.
They throw up a makeshift rabbit hutch while they were at it, though the rabbits seem to manage to escape all the time and wander around the bailey, which is a thing you have now, kind of.
[X][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. [Success]
You hate training. You determined that as you lie collapsed in the ring of dirt, able but unwilling to get up.
You muster the energy to stare balefully at Leo. The captain leans casually against the straight stick he just beat you with. Sadly the ability to make people burst into flames with your mind has been lost to the decline of magic, and so he's unaffected by your glare.
"You're not actually doing as badly as I expected. Given your inclination to hide out from the sun I expected far worse. I doubt you'll be much of a fighter anytime soon, but you're making good progress. You're a refreshing change from those peasants I had to deal with."
"I fail to see how beating me half to death even counts as training." You're not actually sure how many of the words were recognizable given you muttered them into the ground. Leo must be a master of mutter linguistics though as he replies smoothly.
"Well you weren't interested in something that you'd have to keep up forever, which means training your strength and stamina isn't that good an idea. So I need to up your skill and reactions instead. You're getting much better at blocking and dodging. Plus part of fighting is learning to take a blow and keep going despite the pain. Though you need to remember to parry not block, you just don't have the muscle to block a blow by a real warrior." His argument sounds reasonable, but that isn't really satisfying.
"You enjoyed beating me." You make the effort to push off the ground and try to stand.
"A bit yes," he admits with no guilt whatsoever.
"You do realize I'm your boss," you assert while you sway on your feet a little.
"That made it more enjoyable when you asked for it yes."
Damn his use of the cheating rhetorical tactic known as logic. At least he had the courtesy not to laugh.
"If it's any comfort, you're seeming much more fit for this job than I initially expected. I kind of thought I'd spend half my time trying to work around you," he offers honestly.
You're not sure how that's supposed to be comforting, but you'll take it.
"But if you want to fight on someone else closer to your skill level, I can arrange that."
That's how you found yourself facing one of the levy members. This was an improvement of sorts. The other guy seemed to be taking a lot of the lumps instead of you. The downside is you really think he would hurt you if he had the chance. There's frenetic crazed look in his eyes that unnerves you.
This wasn't how this usually went you think. A peasant was supposed to try and lose believably to the noble. As it was, the weight this guy was putting behind his strikes made you think he really wanted to hurt you. Thankfully he wasn't landing many hits, though not for lack of effort. He seemed incapable of not attacking you whenever he could, but he had a habit of overcommitting to his strikes which left him-
You sidestep his spear, the momentum behind the attack still carrying him forward, and bash him with your weapon. He moans piteously and drops his spear clutching his arm.
You'd like to believe it was your triumph of martial skill against his but from the way Leo is covering his face and shaking his head you think he's just of embarrassed at the whole display.
The mocking and jeering from the other members of the levy doesn't exactly lend the affair a solemn air, nor does the venomous look your opponent sends you.
He does know you have the ability to make someone like him disappear right? I mean you already were planning to, but now you felt even less remorse over it. Not that you exactly missed any sleep over it.
(Training successful, you're no warrior, but you're less incompetent.)
[X][Levy] Arrange for them to be annihilated. (50 denier discount on next levy unit, chance to convince Duke to give some extra funds to restore the garrison strength) [Bare success getting them to go, major failure at them accomplishing anything, moderate result in gaining extra funds]
Over the course of the season Leo manages to cajole, bribe, lie, and outright threaten the levy into heading into the forest. He is quite clear it can't be referred to as a march as that would imply some degree of formation or at least discipline.
He'd pointed them at the boar, with a very underestimated impression of its strength and the idea they'd get to eat it afterwards. While it was highly unlikely they'd succeed, any injury they dealt it might have been useful. Had they succeeded they might even have redeemed themselves. In the more likely case where they fled, their numbers would have been significantly thinned out, and they could have been dealt with more easily.
That's not quite how it ended up though.
"The only thing predictable about that cursed levy," the captain remarked reading a scout's report. "Is their ability to surprise me by how they'll fail."
You merely respond with a look, silently requesting he continue.
"Following their trail, the scouts say these these idiots managed to stumble across a pack of wolves on their way to the giant boar. Oversized as usual from their tracks, though for small favors not as much as the boar. Rather than staying together and defending each other, they broke and fled, and of course got picked off individually. Many by the wolves, but others by various other dangers of the forest."
"So they didn't even make it to the boar?" you ask somewhat incredulously.
He sighs. "On the plus side the forest animals seem to be settling down again, possibly because they're well fed, or maybe just because we're heading into winter."
On the positive side though, after you reported the levies "death in combat", which was only a moderate distortion of the truth really, you were provided with a little bit of extra funding to help recover your losses.
Plan for Winter:
[][Hunters] Hunt for food, reduce upkeep by 50 [More difficult in winter]
[][Hunters] Scout, learn more about the forest, reduce chance of enemies slipping by.
[][Captain] Recruit new units. Specify what kind. Will only return in spring due to winter travel being too difficult. Will take funds with him.
[][Captain] Stay until spring.
[][Construction] Try to put up a couple wooden watchtowers in the Overgrowth. (50 Denier in needed materials)
[][Construction] Improve the palisade with packed earth to strengthen it and provide a top surface for guards to observe from. (2 seasons) [More difficult in winter]
[][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) [More difficult in winter]
[][Construction] Improve the barracks with more furniture, bedding, separated rooms with sturdy doors for the officers. (100 Denier in needed materials) [More difficult in winter]
[][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] Study one of the animals of the forest.
[][Personal] Produce a fireplace exclusion enchant to try in the forest. (50 Denier in needed materials)
Current balance
125 starting -260 upkeep this turn -50 palisade materials +500 season payment +75 bonus funding = 390 Denier
Upkeep next turn: 250 Denier
