Year 5, JuneWith summer in the air, your eyes widen and you turn your attention to several large projects that have been turning over in your mind for several months now.
June begins with a bustle, as you send off several riders searching for builders and surveyorsto start your new construction. Your workers begin rough clearing and grading work for a wall to encompass what you can imagine your town growing to in the next period of several years, well outside your current palisade. You also begin similar work for a tower, to be built riverside, where the planned wall intersects the Parlon downstream of Feroshire. The town's architect is starting plans for the fortifications.
Turning your attention to the river itself, you commission barges and other equipment for dredging the river. You have your grooms pick out some likely draft horses from your herd, and you set the council to oversee the implementation of the project. You also ask them to consider building sites for a bridge slightly upstream of the town.
In your spare time, you ride your lands with Marna, admiring her hawking, laughing together on shady paths, swimming in the Parlon, and enjoying one another as man and wife. You ask her to oversee the town while you are away on knightly business later in the month, and request that she pay particular attention to the scribe and his nascent library. She agrees, and sets herself to the task.
Subtly, you approach Irlof, and tell him to pay The Rat, and pay him well. You are quite sure that his work saved your life at least once, and you want a man like that to be around in the near future.
In the middle of the month, with your plans set into motion, you, Alan, and a small compliment of Rangers ride out in force, seeking out a well-traveled crossing. You find your location several days ride away from your land on a bridge astride a main road, which you then stake out, in order to challenge noble travelers to a passage of arms, lest they be proven less brave and virtuous then you.
The first few days, most of the passersby are merchants, but on the fourth day, you see a figure riding towards you, resplendent in full plate armor and trailed by a small retinue. He flips up his visor upon approach, and introduces himself to you as Sir Owen, a household Knight of Count Zanders. He tells you that he heard tell of your rise from the ranks of the peasantry, and he explains that many noble families find your story disagreeable. He comes to challenge you and put you in your place on behalf of the nobility of the land.
You ribaldly accept his challenge, remarking rudely on his bulbous nose and walrus mustache. Your men chuckle as he declares that given the nature of the challenge, you shall fight to satisfaction, as opposed to a set number of blows. You agree, and the weapon is chosen as the sword. He wears a greatsword across his back, and the two of you take up positions on the wooden bridge as a small crowd of travelers and merchants gathers to watch.
You pace back and forth, your fine longsword swinging easily in your hands. Sir Owen stalks out his space, moving slowly and deliberately, greatsword swaying gently side to side. After a moment, you charge forward, surprising him and causing his footing to slip. He stumbles backwards as your reign down several strong blows, many of which he fails to turn away...
Now, given the nature of the passage of arms, these strikes are firm, but still restrained so as to not cause injury. Nevertheless, Sir Owen is beaten back, slamming against a rail on the bridge and spinning off to the side as your longsword slashes down, splintering wood where he recently stood. You draw your air heavily through your visor. It is quite hot to be fighting in full armor, and you are still not used to the feel of the plate armor.
The second exchange goes less well for you, with both you and Sir Owen striking a more cautious cadence. He parries several strikes, and you absorb a few ringing blows onto your shield.
The third, and what proves to be final, exchange, begins poorly for you. Sir Owen charges boldly, knocking you back with a fierce volley of strikes. You parry wildly, but he lands a solid blow with the butt of his greatsword onto the top of your helmet. Your eyes flash stars, as you crash to the ground, stunned. You attempt to regain control and roll onto your side, but his foot slams down hard on your arm, pinning you to the ground. With the flat of his blade, he raps you hard twice across the chest, and you wince as the force of the blows resonates through your plate. You have no choice at this point but to drop your sword and yield.
Sir Owen accepts your surrender, and returns your sword. "Take that as a lesson, boy. Only a fool chooses a battle he is not prepared to fight." He rides off then, and after a few hours of discussion, you decide to do the same, your ribs aching from the final assault. You feel you may have cracked one, even. You feel as if you learned a bit about fighting in your armor, but you still have room for improvement as a warrior.
You return home at the end of the month. All seems to be progressing well: stones and mortar are being gathered, the levelling is under way, and itinerant workers are starting to show up, following news of new construction.
With your plans under way, but your pride and ribs bruised, what will you do in July?
Age: 23 (February birthday)
Spouse: Lady Marna Stone
Below Average Health
Elite Fitness
Literate
Natural Archer
Fine Man of the People
Above Average Swordswman
Above Average Rider
Above Average Woodsman
Average Etiquette
Average Lancer
Average Shield User
Novice Armor User
Poor Legal Mind
Poor Rhetoric
Weapons
Militia-grade Short Sword
Fine Longsword
Iron Lance
Armor
Steel Plate Armor
Mail Shirt
Brigandine Armor
Fur cloak and leggings
Iron Shield
Steel Barding for Destrier
Transport
Felucca
Mottled Grey Hunter
White Destrier
Housing
Brick and Lumber Manor
Fine Furniture
Stag Skull
Falconry Mews
Misc.
Average Clothing
Silver Sun Necklace with Gold Pendant
Bound New Testament
Book of Laws
Cask of Beer
Stone Weights
Treasury - Medium
186 Citizens
Services and Housing
Nice Communal Housing
Mix of Wood and Brick Housing
Nice Inn
Rowdy Inn
Small Courthouse
Small School and Scribe
Defense
Wooden Palisade
Cleared area for tower
Cleared area for walls
Trade and Travel
Brick Roads
Medium Brick Paved Market
Medium Dockyard
Two-way Ferry
Industry
Large Clayworks
Smokehouse
Watermill (Lumber Mill and Grindstone)
Growing Shipyard
Brewery
Stables - Large herd of horses
Small Furniture Workshop
Medium (5x city size) population (Loyal)
River Parlon (fertile banks on both sides, light forest to the north)
Farming
Nice parcel farms south of the river (four field crop rotation)
Fine Communal Farm (four field crop rotation)
Medium Vineyard
Large Flock of Sheep
Communal Grazing Land
Defense
Fortified Average Barracks, Armory, and Obstacle Course with Furnaces and Forges
Jousting practice field
Trade and Travel
Gravel Roads
Medium Warehouse
Industry
Medium Fishing Fleet
Fortified Mines north of river (silver, copper, gold, iron, gems)
* Small community of miners in communal houses
Misc.
Trash Pit
Graveyard
Ranged - Longbows, iron short swords, fur armor, mounts
Five veteran Archers
Ten regular Rangers
Ten regular Archers
Melee - Iron halberds, iron brigandine armor, iron short swords, mounts
Twenty regular Halberdiers
Reserve - Iron short swords, fur armor, wooden shields
Ten regular Watchmen
Mandatory Bow or Halberd Training for Able-bodied Men
Skilled Potters
Above Average Jewelers
Above Average Trappers
Journeymen Miners
Journeymen Metalworkers
Journeymen Masons
Journeymen Furniture Builders
Novice Horse Breeders
Novice Weaponsmiths
Novice Armorers
Novice Wine Makers
Market Town of Carshire - Gravel Road
Folesden - Land of Count Foles - Downstream
* Curbiston - County Seat of Folesden
Land of Sir Denton - Upstream
Land of Sir Percival - Adjacent to Sir Denton's land, across the river
Hemswood Abbey - Far Upstream - Known for dark beer
Lands of Duke Erran - Across the river to the north - Used for hunting
Duke Erran's Capital - Sprawling metropolis with a bustling port located on a wide estuary
King Edward Geronos IV, Lord of the Falls, Keeper of the Flame, Seer of the Dawn - Vaguely remembered
Duke Erran - Pleasant
Count Aaron Foles - Your Liege Lord - An angry drunkard - Antagonistic
Count Gorgan - A fine fighter - Introduced
Count Zanders - Introduced
Sir Blake Denton - Friendly
Sir Alan Percival - Friendly
Sir Uriel Lope - Count's Marshall - Unsure
Sir Melvin - Lady Marna's brother, Duke Erran's nephew - Friendly
Sir Ivanson - A renowned jouster - Introduced
Sir Owen - A household Knight of Count Zanders - Rival
Lady Marna - Wife - Infatuated
Lady Iris - Lady Marna's mother, Duke Erran's younger sister - Cordial
Alan Alanson - Squire, Captain of the Watch
Fin - Captain of the Militia
William Dent - Steward, Mayor
Victor Irlof - Master of the Market, Treasurer
Curtis Stumpf - Miner, Councilman
Ian Wood - Carpenter, Councilman
Marge Kannity - Brewer
Shipwright
Architect
Armorer
Weaponsmith
Horse Breeder
Scribe
Author
Topic: Lordship: A Suggestion Game (Read 328625 times)