[X][Construction] Improve the palisade with packed earth to strengthen it and provide a top surface for guards to observe from. (2 seasons)
Strengthening the wall proceeds more quickly than predicted, with the entire camp contributing to get it done quickly. The hunters if anything are the most motivated in doing so, wanting more defenses between them and the forest. Earth is dug up from in front of the wall and packed behind it. This simultaneously makes a ditch in front of the wall and creates an earthen slope against the palisade from behind strengthening it against impacts. Charging animals won't have nearly so easy a time simply smashing through it anymore.
(Earthwork reinforcement completes early)
[X][Personal] Produce a fireplace exclusion enchant to try in the forest. (50 Denier in needed materials)
You wanted to see how well you could counter the fire protection of the forest this season, but you simply weren't able to get the needed supply of magical reagents. It was hard enough getting them out in the middle of nowhere at the best of times, and with the merchants spooked it simply didn't work out.
(Failed, but no cost)
[X][Personal] Look into building a sawmill for exporting lumber. See what it would cost to build, how much the lumberjacks would need to be paid, and what merchants could be persuaded to pay for the lumber.
You started with the obvious consulting with the carpenters amongst the construction crew. They turned out to be fairly knowledgeable about what goes into building and running a sawmill. Making a water powered sawmill should be fairly doable with the amount of rainfall the forest gets contributing to a lot of water flowing out of it towards the sea. You'll need to purchase some bits of ironwork, and hire more workers, but overall costs won't be too bad.
They direct you to a few sawmills they've used as suppliers as possible sources of more information and skilled laborers. A few messengers to them and you have some options for workers and a bit more detail on the wages and maintenance involved. The owners might have been hesitant about helping competition, but that's why your messengers went to friends of the carpenters rather than the mill owners.
Next you met with several of the merchants that service your little outpost about the price they would be willing to pay for lumber you provide. Currently they're leaving your outpost with empty carts, and no merchant likes a leg of a route that doesn't make money. You were able to leverage that into what you think is a fairly decent price.
(New Sawmill option, 200 Denier startup cost, 100 Denier ongoing cost, 200 Denier expected profit.)
[X][Levy] Patrol, reduce chance of enemies slipping by.
Your soldiers seemed to be doing well patrolling the Overgrowth for most of the season. There was no sign of whatever had happened to your hunters despite their initial trepidation about entering a forest that had wrecked two previous units. They had encountered a few wolves, but they seemed unwilling to attack a group of spearmen able to stand up to them as a unit.
Late in the season though one of the patrols stumbled straight into an orc ambush. While the orcs encountered were inferior fighters, much of the patrol was wounded in the first surprise attack, and the chaos that followed did those still standing no favors. While reinforcements were able to arrive in time and drive the orcs off, the patrol suffered significant casualties.
Worse than those that died on the field were the few more that lived through the battle, but then suffered slow lingering deaths later of infection.
(Levy at 90% strength)
[X][Captain] Train Olivia
Olivia had returned from sessions with Leo sweaty and a bundle of nerves many times this season, throwing herself into her normal duties as a maid with more energy than they deserve as if to make up for what she's done.
She had taken to sneaking in after her afternoon training with Leo and trying to clean up before you saw her. You found it rather silly, and told her as much.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of you know, I know that you're just training and it's natural to get sweaty doing it," you tell her as she tries to slink by your position at the table doing some paperwork.
She freezes, perhaps thinking she had been unnoticed before. "I… a maid just shouldn't be seen as anything less than perfect… but if it's for a maid's master…"
"Don't worry, if any other maid hears about this you can just blame it on me."
She blushes heavily at that and scurries off to change, and you wonder why. Ah well, not really your problem.
Interested in a progress report you invite Leo that evening to talk about it. Olivia manages to clean herself and change in time before he comes by.
"I had her do a few things without those magic gloves of yours to get an idea of her strength. Worse comes to worse she can throw a rock awfully hard or punch out an average tree," Leo laughs a bit. "Just don't expect the rock to end up where you want it to, and she's more than a little skittish hitting a face on a tree, let alone something alive."
You glance towards Olivia to see her trying to hide her reddened face behind her hands. "Well I'm sure she'll get better," you say comfortingly.
"Well after seeing her punch out a tree, I decided I don't have a death wish, so all the training in form and sparring I do with her is with the gloves on. It's not really ideal because there's a big difference in how you fight depending on you strength, and even how she walks really with the gloves on," Leo explains.
You hadn't ever noticed a difference in her walking with them on or off. Then again you hadn't seen her with them off all that much really. You look at Olivia curiously, and she can only shy away more.
"It's how she steps. There's a sort of deliberateness when she doesn't have them on," Leo answers your unspoken question.
"It's not just my arms that are stronger… my legs are too, but I don't weigh any more, so it's hard to stay on the ground," Olivia explains nervously. "It's not good with a skirt."
"You could wear trousers," you offer, admittedly with a bit of hesitancy owing to your own tastes.
"I-I couldn't possibly," she replies with a stutter as if the thought is too terrible to contemplate. "D-does Master not like how I look now?" she asks with her hands nervously smoothing her skirt.
Leo doesn't even try to suppress his laughter, such a terrible subordinate. You send him a glare, but it only seems to encourage him.
"No, you look great just as you are," you say over him. Olivia brightens and smiles, which just makes your Captain's laughter pick up again. It takes him a few moments before he's able to continue.
"Anyways... I have her beating up some trees without her gloves, just to get more used to the feeling. I'd say they were 'defenseless' trees, but this is the Overgrowth so that's not really true," Leo explains, with a sort of spite towards the trees in his voice. "I'm not too sure on weapon training since it seems more reliant on what we can get that won't break, never had that as a consideration before so not sure. Might need to consult a blacksmith. I can say at least her strength would lend her to wielding a larger weapon more easily. Might be able to manage a two handed weapon in one hand and a shield in the other. For now just having her swing a stick and try to protect herself… it's a work in progress."
You raise an eyebrow at him while Olivia's head hits the table.
"For the strongest person I've ever met she's easily frightened, sometimes even of herself."
Olivia is now hiding her head under her arms rather unsuccessfully, but it is cute.
"I'm sure she'll get better," you say confident in her.
"I've worked with worse, and the payoff is certainly there to make it worthwhile, but it's going to take a while. In the meantime I really need more troops. We're getting ground down too fast with the forces we have. We need more scouts to ensure we aren't ambushed again at the very least, and if you're going to build a sawmill we'll also need more regulars to guard it," he says bluntly and to the point. Leo never has cared much about you being his boss.
Plans for Winter: (Base costs shown, increase 10% for merchants issue)
[][Construction] Try to put up a couple wooden watchtowers in the Overgrowth. (50 Denier in needed materials) [More difficult in winter]
-[] Treehouses
[][Construction] Improve the wall with guard towers offering some protection from ranged weapons and a higher vantage point. (50 Denier) [More difficult in winter]
[][Construction] Expand a palisade to cover a larger area. (50 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)
[][Construction] Construct a sawmill. (200 Denier startup cost, 100 Denier ongoing cost, 200 Denier expected profit.) [More difficult in winter]
[][Construction] Write in
Thanks to Olivia handling many of the mundane tasks of life for you now that she has her gloves, you have more time free for other things. You could squeeze in two actions now, but they would be on d85 rather than d100. You can also assign her to assist in any other task, though some jobs she'll obviously be of more use in.
[][Personal] You could produce some basic enchanted gear for one of your units. Sharper blades and harder armor are staples for a reason. (100 Denier in needed materials)
-[] Specify a unit.
[][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] Produce a fireplace exclusion enchant to try in the forest. (50 Denier in needed materials)
[][Personal] Try to convince your father to increase your funding. That seems like squeezing blood from a stone, an angry stone, but might be worth trying.
[][Personal] Recruit new units. Specify what kind. Will only return in spring due to winter travel being too difficult. (Will allow you to set orders in advance, but what happens more variable)
-[] Replenish losses (50 denier hunters, 10 denier levies)
-[] What units?
Unit Assignments
[][Hunters] Hunt for food, reduce upkeep by 25 [More difficult in winter]
[][Hunters] Scout, learn more about the forest, reduce chance of enemies slipping by.
[][Levy] Patrol, reduce chance of enemies slipping by.
[][Levy] Train with the captain (must be taken with captain action, is not advised at this time)
[][Levy] Guard
-[] The construction crew
-[] The merchants that bring your supplies (eliminate 10% modifier)
[][Captain] Command troops, raising morale and effectiveness
-[] Which unit?
[][Captain] Train Olivia
[][Captain] Recruit new units. Specify what kind. Will only return in spring due to winter travel being too difficult.
-[] Replenish losses (50 denier hunters, 10 denier levies)
-[] What units?
[][Captain] Train levy (must be taken with levy action)
610 starting -410 upkeep this turn +600 season payment = 800 Denier
Upkeep next turn: 370 +10%
Assign Olivia to an action with a subvote.
