Year 2, OctoberOctober starts on a somber note, with the funeral of the three dead spearmen and Tor. A local priest arrives, and you deliver a nice eulogy for the men. People are still shaken by the first conflict the area has seen in a while, but they are proud of their men. You talk up the battle, trying to make the fallen sound heroic, but are not sure if you have succeeded. You are still not a master of words yet.
Most of the month is spent finishing up the harvest. You send Irlof and Dent to town several times, exchanging pottery, furs, and a portion of the food given as taxes for hard coins. You finally have a small town treasury, which for now you simply keep in your house. As your Steward helps you understand, the money is technically all yours, but customarily the majority of it should be spent on helping the land grow stronger.
The harvest finishes, and the haul was about average. Between the communal farms, the taxes in food people pay, and the trappers, you have a medium supply of food for the winter.
Towards the middle of the month, the tax collector from the Count arrives. This time, your Steward and Irlof are around, and make sure that the tax collector is less severe in his reaping. Still, he takes a good chunk of your coins, probably about 10%, in addition to some pottery and grains.
All month, you notice more and more people streaming into your land. You are not sure whether it is because word of your banishing the brigands has spread, or what, but it is definite. Many of them settle in the city, probably due to the now expanding market, but also because there are several barrack-style buildings for new arrivals that Wood had constructed on his own initiative.
At the end of the month, you gather the people for a common-man's tournament. You set up brackets for weightlifting, throwing, wrestling, archery, and riding. The women of the land, independently, set up their own contest for the fairest maiden to be held simultaneously. It is, simply put, a smashing success. The people laugh and enjoy themselves. Many merchants stop and set up shop for the days the tournament is held. At the end, you throw a feast, and buy a keg of beer to share with the winners. All in all, it seems to have repaired any uncertainty about your leadership caused by the deaths of some of the men.
During this time, Wood begins work on a palisade, as well. He gives the town plenty of room to grow. The project will likely take a few months to complete. He spends this month digging foundations, knowing that the ground will freeze soon.
What would you like to do next month?
Age: 20
Below Average Health
Good Fitness
Moderately literate
Poor Swordswman
Poor Rider
Unskilled Shield User
Militia-grade Short Sword
Fur Armor
Oak Shield
Old Brown Mare
Average Farmhouse
Bound New Testament
Treasury - Small
50 Citizens
Palisade (foundations only)
New Arrival Barracks
Modest Inn with kitchen
Growing Small Market
Small Trade
Modest Communal Kiln
Modest dock
Brewery (Unfinished)
Two nightly patrols
Low population (Loyal)
River Parlon (fertile banks on both sides, light forest to the north)
Modest parcel farms south of the river
Crude Roads
Small Warehouse (medium supply of food)
Adequate Communal Farm
Bare bones Barracks, Armory, and Obstacle Course
Rocky outcropping north of the river
Five veteran archers
Five green archers
Two green spearmen
Five green archers (reserve)
Skilled Potters
Novice Trappers
Market Town of Carshire - One day's ride on main 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
Hemswood Abbey - Far Upstream - Known for dark beer
King Edward Geronos IV, Lord of the Falls, Keeper of the Flame, Seer of the Dawn - Vaguely remembered
Count Aaron Foles - Your Liege Lord - An angry drunkard - Suspicious
Sir Blake Denton - Polite
Sir Alan Percival - Polite
Alan Alanson - Squire - Companionable
William Dent - Steward - Companionable
Ian Wood - Overseer of Construction- Devoted
Marge Kannity - Daughter of a brewer - Mildly Upset
Victor Irlof - Master of the Market - Devoted
Curtis Stumpf - Miner - Happy