Year 6, AprilApril arrives, and with it your beloved's birthday. You have had a small ring fashioned into the likeness of a falcon, which you give to her. She is quite pleased with it, and you spend the day of her birth lounging by the side of the newly dredged River Parlon, watching the growing fleet of fishing boats idly ply their trade, while little Isaac toddles about. It is a good day, especially after all of the craziness of the early spring.
You throw yourself back into your training regimen: weights, swordsmanship, and a lot of eating. This seems to have the desired effect, improving your fitness a great deal, although you are still noticeably off your pre-injury peak. However, you find that your time away from the sword has actually been positive, as you have had more time to consider the tactics and strategy of a swordfight. You feel confident, and tell Luther to prepare for a sparring match at the end of the month. The ox of a man smiles happily in anticipation.
Investigating the mines, you prepare to call for their expansion, but you realize that you are really out of your depths on this issue, and wisely hold your tongue after Curtis Stumpf gives you an incredibly detailed tour of the already bustling facility. You also note that Silverhills has grown from a hamlet to a village in your time away from it, and its wooden palisade is now complete.
Turning your attention to next month's fair, you set workers to enlarge the stage and theatre. This work goes smoothly, and you post an announcement for the addition of a category of best historical to the play awards. You also do as you did last year, reaching out to influential citizens and nearby nobles to judge the contests.
Through a discrete payment, you ensure that there will be a play and ballad entry lauding young Count Foles. You inquire to Irlof, asking him about the size of the expected market, and he is ambivalent. He tells you that there has been word of a plague of some sort rearing its head in the hinterlands, and that has spooked many merchants. This fair may be the smallest in a few years, he believes.
You also set your ask your cook to try to create something refreshing for the fair, using the ice from the cellars that was stored up. Your cook has a brilliant insight, and shaves the ice thinly, while mixing in some milk and fruits, to create a surprisingly delicious treat. He calls it Fruited Ice with Milk.
As work continues on the tower and walls, you set some men to upgrading the docks to handle larger boats from downriver, while ensuring that there is a winch to lift up large cargo.
At the end of the month, you face off against Luther in the sparring ring. The men gather around, whooping and hollering. You are both wearing padded jerkins and helms. You wield a practice blade and a shield, while Luther wields a padded mace and practice blade. You take your stance, and nod your head to begin the fight.
Luther is truly a force of nature, rushing you madly without thought for stance or style. His weapons sing down in crushing blow after crushing blow, driving you back and off to the side in a flurry. Your shoulders ache with each impact, though you manage to block most of them. Your footing slips at one point, and he looms over you, his blade and mace arcing down for crushing blows.
You quickly get yourself set, and roll off to the side, barely escaping the weapons which thud hard into the dirt. You set your feet under you to stand, but are immediately bowled into, as Luther throws his massive weight against you, sending you sprawling as you lose your grip on your sword. As you slam into the dirt, Luther looms over you, and you have no choice but to concede.
The men hoot and holler, and you look at your squire with a newfound respect. You would hate to be the man to face him in a true life-or-death contest.
May approaches, as does the fair. Plans?
Age: 25 - February birthday
Spouse: Lady Marna Stone - Age 22 - April Birthday
Children: Sir Isaac Stone - One Year Old - March Birthday
Good Health
Excellent Fitness
Literate
Natural Archer
Good Swordswman
Fine Man of the People
Above Average Rider
Above Average Woodsman
Above Average Heroic Combatant (fighting against the odds)
Average Etiquette
Average Lancer
Average Shield User
Average Armor User
Average History
Poor Legal Mind
Poor Rhetoric
Weapons
Militia-grade Short Sword
Fine Longsword
Iron-tipped Lances
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
Bear Skull
Bear Pelt Rug
Falconry Mews
Muddy holes in ground (fish ponds without enough water or fish)
Misc.
Bear Claws
Average Clothing
Silver Sun Necklace with Gold Pendant
Bound New Testament
Book of Laws
Cask of Beer
Stone Weights
Draft of "The Incursion of the Sea Raiders and the Battle of Torchester"
Treasury - Medium
310 Citizens
Services and Housing
Nice Communal Housing
Mix of Wood and Brick Housing
Nice Inn
Rowdy Inn
Medium Theatre
Small Courthouse
Small School and Scribe
Communal Cellars
Defense
Wooden Palisade with watchtowers
Stone Tower (85% complete)
Stone Walls (77% complete)
Three longboats
Fake Town for river defense
Trade and Travel
Brick Roads
Large Dockyard
Medium Brick Paved Market
Two-way Ferry
River Parlon (dredged to allow deep draft vessels)
Gravel Road to Carshire
Gravel Road to Silverhills
Industry
Large Clayworks
Smokehouse
Watermill (Lumber Mill and Grindstone)
Growing Medium Shipyard
Brewery
Stables - Large herd of horses
Medium Furniture Workshop
Medium (5x city size) population (Loyal)
River Parlon (fertile banks on both sides, light forest to the north)
Settlements
Feroshire - Your capital
Silverhills - Small village by the mines - Palisade
Farming
Nice parcel farms south of the river (four field crop rotation)
Fair parcel farms north of the river (four field crop rotation)
Fine Communal Farm (four field crop rotation)
Medium Vineyard - Ice wine experiment
Grand Flock of Sheep
Medium Flock of Cattle
Communal Grazing Land
Defense
Fortified Average Barracks, Armory, and Obstacle Course with Furnaces and Forges
Jousting practice field
Trade and Travel
Gravel Roads
Large Warehouse
Industry
Large Fishing Fleet
Fortified Mines near Silverhills (silver, copper, gold, iron, gems)
Metalworks in Silverhills
Misc.
Trash Pit
Graveyard
Ranged - Longbows, iron short swords, fur armor, mounts
Two elite Archers
One elite Ranger
Six veteran Rangers
Two regular Rangers
Nine veteran Archers
Six regular Archers
Melee - Iron halberds, iron brigandine armor, iron short swords, mounts
Two elite Halberdiers
Eleven veteran Halberdiers
Seven regular Halberdiers
City Guard - Short bows / Iron short swords, fur armor, wooden shields
Seven regular Wall Archers
Ten regular Watchmen
Reserve
Mandatory Bow or Halberd Training for Able-bodied Men
Skilled Potters
Above Average Jewelers
Above Average Trappers
Above Average Miners
Average Metalworkers
Average Wine Makers
Journeymen Masons
Journeymen Furniture Builders
Journeymen Horse Breeders
Journeymen Weaponsmiths
Journeymen Armorers
Novice Siege Engineers
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
* Torchester - Duke Erran's Capital - Damaged 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 - Known
Duke Erran - Fond
Count Arthur Foles - Your Liege Lord - Friendly
Count Gorgan - A fine fighter - Introduced
Count Zanders - Introduced
Sir Derrick Denton - Slightly warm but distant
Sir Alan Percival - Close Friend
Sir Uriel Lope - Count's Marshall - Formal but respectful
Sir Melvin - Lady Marna's brother, Duke Erran's nephew - Close friend
Sir Ivanson - A renowned jouster - Acquaintance
Lady Marna - Wife - Loving
Lady Iris - Lady Marna's mother, Duke Erran's younger sister - Cordial
Isaac Stone - Your First Son - Todler
Luther Logan - Sword and Mace - Squire
Fin - Captain of the Militia
Oswald - Ranger Captain
William Dent - Steward, Mayor
Victor Irlof - Master of the Market, Treasurer
Curtis Stumpf - Miner, Councilman
Ian Wood - Carpenter, Councilman
Marge Kannity - Brewer
Gunther Agnacious - Philosopher - Tutoring Arthur Foles
Shipwright
Architect
Armorer
Weaponsmith
Horse Breeder
Scribe
Healer
Wool Merchant
Sir Alan - Your first squire - Killed in the Battle of Torchester
Sir Blake Denton - Your good friend and confidant - Killed in the Battle of Torchester
Tor - Your first Captain - Killed by the brigand "Ox" in a forest skirmish
Count Aaron Foles - Fell drunkenly to his death from the balcony of a whorehouse
"Count" Owen - Executed for "murder"
"Countess" Foles - Executed for "murder"