Season 9: Spring
[X][Hunters] Scout, learn more about the forest, reduce chance of enemies slipping by.
[X][Levy] Patrol, reduce chance of enemies slipping by.
The forest has come alive with a vengeance with the coming of spring. The animal population seems significantly higher than in previous years and bolder than before, but through luck and numbers your troops manage to avoid or deter the predators of the forest.
There's some degree of catharsis amongst the men when one of your scouting parties comes across the remains of the orc raiding party that had been harrying the merchant convoys. The remains were rather scant really: scattered bits of bone and viscera, a few bits of leather, axes and arrows. It seems you are not the only ones that occasionally run afoul of the forest.
More interesting is the report from the scouts of a female voice beckoning them from within the forest. The voice carried eerily amongst the rustling of the leaves, beseeching them to come closer. Having plenty of far safer women available in camp, they did no such thing, and instead they ran the opposite direction. They've marked out the rough area on the map where they heard it, although given how difficult navigation is within the Overgrowth it is not exact.
[X][Construction] Construct a sawmill. (100 Denier ongoing cost, 200 Denier expected profit.) Completed
The sawmill is completed only because the supplies were ordered, the workers sent for, and the foundation work done during the winter. Difficulties continue to slow work, with the muddy ground hampering all travel and the forest writhing with activity. Gathering wood from the Overgrowth is only done when the patrols are close by, for the predators of the forest are ever on the prowl now. Your builders warn that it is likely any effort to harvest wood for sale will need to be closely guarded.
[X][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)
-[X] Hunters
[X][Personal] Produce a fireplace exclusion enchant to try in the forest. (50 Denier in needed materials)
You do some simple improvements to the padded jackets the hunters wear as armor. They can't really wear anything more substantial without diminishing their stealth or mobility. Enhancing their blades wouldn't have helped too much since they mostly use their bows, and enchanting individual arrows would have been far too time consuming considering how often arrows are lost in the field.
Trying to counter the fire dampening effects in the Overgrowth is a more interesting task. You'd studied the necessary enchants in your family's fireplaces before out of curiosity, though you'd never had cause to make one yourself. It takes you a few tries to remember just how they worked, tweaking strands of magic here and there each time. Eventually you have a set of four wardstones meant to designate an area for a fire ward not to affect. Taking a few soldiers to guard you you set up just within the forest and tried them out.
It's said that there being so little magic left has made enchanters more sensitive to it than true casters of the past were, though you've often thought it's just that when you could disintegrate someone with a look you didn't need to bother being perceptive. It comes in handy sometimes though as you feel the magic of the Overgrowth interfacing with the warding. It's strange, very strange.
You've studied a lot of enchantments and wards made by others, and there's something strange about the magic here you didn't notice before. The bits of magic you've studied in the past have always been...not stationary, but static, set in an obvious pattern. Higher quality ones could transfer energy from one function to another to improve performance, but even that was energy flowing down pre-existing channels. The magic of the Overgrowth swirls around your wardstones in a much more active way. You're tempted to think that it's considering them, but that would apply an intelligence behind it you're very hesitant to.
Finally after some indeterminable moment it settles, the pattern as complex and difficult to understand as ever. You strike a flint into some tinder you brought and it sparks and burns merrily, as though it were anywhere else. There's still a heaviness in the air though.
[X][Captain] Pick up? (Can do multiple things, assuming he's competent to buy them. Non-military at a penalty.)
-[X] Hunters
Leo returns at the head of a unit of footmen marching in good formation. Their equipment is somewhat lacking, being limited to simply pot helms, swords, and gambesons, but they certainly appear far more competent than any of your previous soldiers. Another unit of hunters walks more loosely behind them, but they have a casual ease with their bows which at least seems good.
"They look good," you open with as they come to a halt in front of you, maintaining their formation.
"I wasn't able to get much equipment for them with the money we had. Just can't afford chainmail at these prices, but I cashed some favors and was able to get a real quality group of men," Leo explains. "I commanded a lot of them during the recent war even. Unfortunately this is the last group we're likely to get so cheaply. The men dumped out of the military after they finished cleaning up the last orc invasion have all found places to live and work again, so we'll have a much harder time recruiting them in the future."
"Eh, nothing to be done for it now. We'll make it up where we can."
"Anyways I was given a letter from the Duke to deliver to you," Leo says pulling a slightly crumpled bit of a parchment from within his chainmail. You frown but take it.
"I better go read this."
"Yeah. You know if you sent missives to him more maybe he wouldn't use me as a messenger boy."
You wave him off dismissively and head back to your cabin to read it as the troops fall out and begin settling into the camp. Olivia quietly sets a cup before you as you sit down, but backs off just as quickly. Breaking the wax seal you swiftly read it.
To Tristan Revaria,
I took away your favored servant because it was a weakness. Discovering you had already taken steps to alleviate that weakness was a surprise.
Conversely your current efforts have been less than expected of you. There have been complaints that raiders have passed through your position. I expect improvement or there will be consequences.
Duke Revaria
Short and to the point as he always was.
Plans for Summer: (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)
-[] Treehouses
[][Construction] Improve the wall with guard towers offering some protection from ranged weapons and a higher vantage point. (50 Denier)
[][Construction] Expand a palisade to cover a larger area. (50 Denier in needed materials)
[][Construction] Improve the barracks with more furniture, bedding, separated rooms with sturdy doors for the officers. (100 Denier in needed materials)
[][Construction] Expand the barracks to deal with a doubled number of men, taking into account the need for it to be off the ground from the start this time. (150 Denier)
[][Construction] Build a rabbit pen? (25 Denier)
[][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] 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.
-[] What units?
[][Personal] Investigate the voice in the forest. You're probably going to want guards.
[][Personal] Experiment on the effects of materials from the Overgrowth on enchanting.
Unit Assignments (Keep in mind you have 2 units of hunters)
[][Hunters] Hunt for food, reduce upkeep by 50
[][Hunters] Scout, learn more about the forest, reduce chance of enemies slipping by.
[][Hunters] Investigate the voice in the forest. (Requires Personal or Captain, as they don't want to go.)
[][Hunters] Catch a bunch of rabbits for the rabbit pen. (Requires rabbit pen.)
[][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 base and sawmill
-[] The construction crew
-[] The merchants that bring your supplies (eliminate 10% modifier)
[][Footmen] Patrol, reduce chance of enemies slipping by.
[][Footmen] Train with the captain (must be taken with captain action, is not advised at this time)
[][Footmen] Guard
-[] The base and sawmill
-[] The construction crew
-[] The merchants that bring your supplies (eliminate 10% modifier)
[][Captain] Command troops, raising morale and effectiveness
[][Captain] Train Olivia
[][Captain] Recruit new units. Specify what kind.
-[] What units?
[][Captain] Train regulars (must be taken with appropriate action)
[][Captain] Train you (must be taken with appropriate action)
As you gain more units it's increasingly unwieldy to compose votes this way. Would people prefer it I put possible unit assignment options in a consolidated threadmark and then people would assign them with something like this?
[] Unit Assignments Plan Y:
-[] Hunters 1: Hunt
-[] Hunters 2: Scout
-[] Footmen: Patrol Forest
-[] Levy: Guard Sawmill
-[] Captain: Train Olivia
Also keep in mind you can do write ins (though of course doesn't necessarily mean they succeed).
410 starting -375 upkeep this turn -100 recruitment - 165 enchanting +600 season payment = 370 Denier
Upkeep next turn: 650+10% - 200 Sawmill profit
[X][Levy] Patrol, reduce chance of enemies slipping by.
The forest has come alive with a vengeance with the coming of spring. The animal population seems significantly higher than in previous years and bolder than before, but through luck and numbers your troops manage to avoid or deter the predators of the forest.
There's some degree of catharsis amongst the men when one of your scouting parties comes across the remains of the orc raiding party that had been harrying the merchant convoys. The remains were rather scant really: scattered bits of bone and viscera, a few bits of leather, axes and arrows. It seems you are not the only ones that occasionally run afoul of the forest.
More interesting is the report from the scouts of a female voice beckoning them from within the forest. The voice carried eerily amongst the rustling of the leaves, beseeching them to come closer. Having plenty of far safer women available in camp, they did no such thing, and instead they ran the opposite direction. They've marked out the rough area on the map where they heard it, although given how difficult navigation is within the Overgrowth it is not exact.
[X][Construction] Construct a sawmill. (100 Denier ongoing cost, 200 Denier expected profit.) Completed
The sawmill is completed only because the supplies were ordered, the workers sent for, and the foundation work done during the winter. Difficulties continue to slow work, with the muddy ground hampering all travel and the forest writhing with activity. Gathering wood from the Overgrowth is only done when the patrols are close by, for the predators of the forest are ever on the prowl now. Your builders warn that it is likely any effort to harvest wood for sale will need to be closely guarded.
[X][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)
-[X] Hunters
[X][Personal] Produce a fireplace exclusion enchant to try in the forest. (50 Denier in needed materials)
You do some simple improvements to the padded jackets the hunters wear as armor. They can't really wear anything more substantial without diminishing their stealth or mobility. Enhancing their blades wouldn't have helped too much since they mostly use their bows, and enchanting individual arrows would have been far too time consuming considering how often arrows are lost in the field.
Trying to counter the fire dampening effects in the Overgrowth is a more interesting task. You'd studied the necessary enchants in your family's fireplaces before out of curiosity, though you'd never had cause to make one yourself. It takes you a few tries to remember just how they worked, tweaking strands of magic here and there each time. Eventually you have a set of four wardstones meant to designate an area for a fire ward not to affect. Taking a few soldiers to guard you you set up just within the forest and tried them out.
It's said that there being so little magic left has made enchanters more sensitive to it than true casters of the past were, though you've often thought it's just that when you could disintegrate someone with a look you didn't need to bother being perceptive. It comes in handy sometimes though as you feel the magic of the Overgrowth interfacing with the warding. It's strange, very strange.
You've studied a lot of enchantments and wards made by others, and there's something strange about the magic here you didn't notice before. The bits of magic you've studied in the past have always been...not stationary, but static, set in an obvious pattern. Higher quality ones could transfer energy from one function to another to improve performance, but even that was energy flowing down pre-existing channels. The magic of the Overgrowth swirls around your wardstones in a much more active way. You're tempted to think that it's considering them, but that would apply an intelligence behind it you're very hesitant to.
Finally after some indeterminable moment it settles, the pattern as complex and difficult to understand as ever. You strike a flint into some tinder you brought and it sparks and burns merrily, as though it were anywhere else. There's still a heaviness in the air though.
[X][Captain] Pick up? (Can do multiple things, assuming he's competent to buy them. Non-military at a penalty.)
-[X] Hunters
Leo returns at the head of a unit of footmen marching in good formation. Their equipment is somewhat lacking, being limited to simply pot helms, swords, and gambesons, but they certainly appear far more competent than any of your previous soldiers. Another unit of hunters walks more loosely behind them, but they have a casual ease with their bows which at least seems good.
"They look good," you open with as they come to a halt in front of you, maintaining their formation.
"I wasn't able to get much equipment for them with the money we had. Just can't afford chainmail at these prices, but I cashed some favors and was able to get a real quality group of men," Leo explains. "I commanded a lot of them during the recent war even. Unfortunately this is the last group we're likely to get so cheaply. The men dumped out of the military after they finished cleaning up the last orc invasion have all found places to live and work again, so we'll have a much harder time recruiting them in the future."
"Eh, nothing to be done for it now. We'll make it up where we can."
"Anyways I was given a letter from the Duke to deliver to you," Leo says pulling a slightly crumpled bit of a parchment from within his chainmail. You frown but take it.
"I better go read this."
"Yeah. You know if you sent missives to him more maybe he wouldn't use me as a messenger boy."
You wave him off dismissively and head back to your cabin to read it as the troops fall out and begin settling into the camp. Olivia quietly sets a cup before you as you sit down, but backs off just as quickly. Breaking the wax seal you swiftly read it.
To Tristan Revaria,
I took away your favored servant because it was a weakness. Discovering you had already taken steps to alleviate that weakness was a surprise.
Conversely your current efforts have been less than expected of you. There have been complaints that raiders have passed through your position. I expect improvement or there will be consequences.
Duke Revaria
Short and to the point as he always was.
Plans for Summer: (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)
-[] Treehouses
[][Construction] Improve the wall with guard towers offering some protection from ranged weapons and a higher vantage point. (50 Denier)
[][Construction] Expand a palisade to cover a larger area. (50 Denier in needed materials)
[][Construction] Improve the barracks with more furniture, bedding, separated rooms with sturdy doors for the officers. (100 Denier in needed materials)
[][Construction] Expand the barracks to deal with a doubled number of men, taking into account the need for it to be off the ground from the start this time. (150 Denier)
[][Construction] Build a rabbit pen? (25 Denier)
[][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] 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.
-[] What units?
[][Personal] Investigate the voice in the forest. You're probably going to want guards.
[][Personal] Experiment on the effects of materials from the Overgrowth on enchanting.
Unit Assignments (Keep in mind you have 2 units of hunters)
[][Hunters] Hunt for food, reduce upkeep by 50
[][Hunters] Scout, learn more about the forest, reduce chance of enemies slipping by.
[][Hunters] Investigate the voice in the forest. (Requires Personal or Captain, as they don't want to go.)
[][Hunters] Catch a bunch of rabbits for the rabbit pen. (Requires rabbit pen.)
[][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 base and sawmill
-[] The construction crew
-[] The merchants that bring your supplies (eliminate 10% modifier)
[][Footmen] Patrol, reduce chance of enemies slipping by.
[][Footmen] Train with the captain (must be taken with captain action, is not advised at this time)
[][Footmen] Guard
-[] The base and sawmill
-[] The construction crew
-[] The merchants that bring your supplies (eliminate 10% modifier)
[][Captain] Command troops, raising morale and effectiveness
[][Captain] Train Olivia
[][Captain] Recruit new units. Specify what kind.
-[] What units?
[][Captain] Train regulars (must be taken with appropriate action)
[][Captain] Train you (must be taken with appropriate action)
As you gain more units it's increasingly unwieldy to compose votes this way. Would people prefer it I put possible unit assignment options in a consolidated threadmark and then people would assign them with something like this?
[] Unit Assignments Plan Y:
-[] Hunters 1: Hunt
-[] Hunters 2: Scout
-[] Footmen: Patrol Forest
-[] Levy: Guard Sawmill
-[] Captain: Train Olivia
Also keep in mind you can do write ins (though of course doesn't necessarily mean they succeed).
410 starting -375 upkeep this turn -100 recruitment - 165 enchanting +600 season payment = 370 Denier
Upkeep next turn: 650+10% - 200 Sawmill profit
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