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[GreatWyrmGold]

Okay then, don't worry too much about training--just make sure they don't slip up.

[Gervassen]

Let's oversee a bit of the men's training and reaffirm that these guys are properly drilled in rapid deployment by horse, cutting of stakes and pit traps, etc. Even if they're regular, they still need specific training in our deployment strategy.

[kahn1234]

we need our halbardiers trained up to regular.

[Gervassen]

Find a tumbler and have him instruct us in tumbling tricks, flips, handstands, cartwheels, etc. Learn them, then put on our cuirass and try to do them, then add pauldron, then add rerebrace, then couters, vambrace, etc. I'm starting with upper body pieces, since I imagine they're easier.

Start this only if there is extra time this month. The ultimate goal is tricks like tumbling and vaulting into our saddle in full armour.

[Mlamlah]

While that was not unusual i think we should learn the basics of armored combat first.

[Gervassen]

Yeah, I view it as a long-term project.

[Maldevious]

Year 5, July

Early in the month, with your ribs still smarting, you search for a local healer or herbalist. Alan points you in the direction of a local woman he has seen before who mixes simple poultices and knows how to bandage wounds. You arrive at her house, and are quickly brought inside. The woman pokes and prods at you a bit, causing you to wince slightly when poked, and asked to take a few deep breaths, which you do, uncomfortably. She declares that the ribs are merely badly bruised, not broken, and that you'll be fine in a few weeks.

You spend much of the month with Marna, hawking, reading, and generally enjoying yourselves as a married couple is wont to do. She recommends a few history books from the library, and you begin to delve into them.

Visits to the barracks are also common in July. You ask after your horses, and find that the groom sent by the Duke is skilled in war training horses, and has been doing so for the men's mounts and your hunter. Your destrier is already well trained. You also check the progress of your men on the basic tactics you explained to them, and are pleased that the archers all carry small shovels and a pack of sharpened stakes for deployment. They also are demonstrating some basic skill at riding, in order to rapidly redeploy.

While there, you spend the majority of your time in your plate armor. You do practically everything in it this month. You ride about, you tour the sites of the new walls (which aren't yet under construction), you visit the mines... you ask about for a tumbler to teach you some tricks, but are told that none currently reside in Feroshire. Perhaps you can check again during the festival. Nevertheless, you feel more comfortable in your armor now.

In passing one day, you ask Irlof a bit more about the merchants and how they work. He tells you that, in the largest cities, merchants operate guilds as a way to consolidate their power and resist excessive taxation. However, in a smaller town like yours with reasonable tax rates, most merchants prefer to work independently and avoid fees related with a guild.

Irlof also passes you a worrying rumor, as well. Apparently, a number merchants are reporting that several thowns and thorps much further downstream than you have been razed when they went to stop at them. There is no sign of the cause, but he warns you that caution may be wise.

Dredging work continues, and the architect presents acceptable plans for the wall and tower. You should be able to start construction in September, based on your stores and supplies. Workers continue to trickle in, swelling the population of your town to nearly 200.

Spoiler: "Sir Samuel Stone" (click to show/hide)

Age: 23 (February birthday)
Spouse: Lady Marna Stone
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
Average Armor User
Poor Legal Mind
Poor Rhetoric
Poor History

Spoiler: "Equipment and Possessions" (click to show/hide)

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

Spoiler: "Feroshire (Capital Town)" (click to show/hide)

Treasury - Low
194 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 and graded area for tower
Cleared and graded area for walls

Trade and Travel
Brick Roads
Medium Brick Paved Market
Medium Dockyard
Two-way Ferry
River Parlon (being dredged)

Industry
Large Clayworks
Smokehouse
Watermill (Lumber Mill and Grindstone)
Growing Shipyard
Brewery
Stables - Large herd of horses
Small Furniture Workshop

Spoiler: "Your Land" (click to show/hide)

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

Spoiler: "Your Forces" (click to show/hide)

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

Spoiler: "Your people" (click to show/hide)

Skilled Potters
Above Average Jewelers
Above Average Trappers
Above Average Miners
Journeymen Metalworkers
Journeymen Masons
Journeymen Furniture Builders
Journeymen Wine Makers
Novice Horse Breeders
Novice Weaponsmiths
Novice Armorers

Spoiler: "Nearby" (click to show/hide)

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

Spoiler: "Known Lords by Rank and Relationship" (click to show/hide)

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 - Loving
Lady Iris - Lady Marna's mother, Duke Erran's younger sister - Cordial

Spoiler: "Important Citizens by Occupation" (click to show/hide)

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
Healer

[Talvara]

hmm... towns and thorps being razed is troublesome news, We should ride out to Lord Denton and Percivalt to confer with them. when we know more we should probably also send a message to Count Foles, and Duke Erran.

Maybe we've got vikings or something? The threat needs to be contained before they make it up to our lands.

[LordSlowpoke]

They razed the THOWNS !!

MOBILIZE THE ARMY, WE'RE GOING TO HUNT THESE HEARTLESS BASTARDS DOWN

[kaian-a-coel]

They razed the THOWNS !!

MOBILIZE THE ARMY, WE'RE GOING TO HUNT THESE HEARTLESS BASTARDS DOWN

I'll assume that's a joke. Unless the count or the duke call the levies, we shouldnt -and probably cant- move. But I do agree that this is worrying.

Also for september: prepare the annual harvest festival for october. Let and help peasants to prepare whatever they want, do another tournament with a small medal or whatever (like last year). Try to find a couple jugglers or fire-breathers, that kind of profession. Tell them they'll be housed and fed for the duration of the festival, plus any tip they get (from us included). Tell merchants and friends when it happen. Stockpile food and beer/wine. Maybe also discuss with Marna if she wants to organize something particular. We have our own "personnal" event (the archery competition), where we reward the winner, so maybe she'll want to do the same (in a more lady-like field, like poetry, jugglery or whatever she wants). I think it would be approriate to see a couple people (or group of people) competing to distract her and being rewarded with a bauble and/or a purse.

[Gotdamnmiracle]

Could we possibly send a strike team of rangers in to commando (with the help of the rat) into the ranks of the counts army so we can get info and also fuck shit up if problems do arise, plus status raises. If not I suggest sending them out on and adventure into enemy country to snag us some riches (and them that veteran/elite rank). Ask for permission from the count to do either. Risk for reward, gents.

[Gervassen]

Doesn't add up. Vikings and anything else travelling upriver that's not Count Foles would be met by Count Foles. I also doubt a local bandit gang suddenly pops up out of nowhere large enough to destroy thowns, either. That leaves Count Foles or someone acting with his complicity. I can't think of a good reason for Foles to do such things to his own lands, other than to lure us out into an ambush.

We have workers trickling in, so ask if they saw anything amiss on the roads. Send Marna and her lady-in-waiting, along with Irlof and Stumpf, upstream on our felucca to relay this news to our neighbor knights. Mobilize the countryside militia to defend the town. Keep Alan back to lead the militia.

We take our regulars out of town on the eastern roads that evening, double back to the southward Carside road at night, pass by Carside and take its road toward the Count's lands. This is to avoid running into ambushes on the predictable path downriver. We come at these razed villages from the south. Try to find refugees en route, have outriders screening our advance, be careful of areas where ambushes can be set and have them thoroughly flushed by the outriders, on foot if necessary, before passing.

These are unusual circumstances, so I believe paranoia is called for. Let me know if you guys disagree.

[Gotdamnmiracle]

Yeah. I agree. Let's get some recon on these guys.

[Urist McDwarfFortress]

Irof did say it was far downstream. It might not even be close to Count Foles' lands.

Maybe we should send the Count a letter, asking him about the attacks. Just because we're political enemies doesn't mean we can't work together against a common foe, assuming it is a common foe.

[Truean]

Contact the Rat, see what he knows of these razings.

Ask for a volunteer to do recon on the razings if the rat does not know anything.

Thank Irlof for the information on merchants. Ask him how we can draw more trade to this place. Ask him what troubles the merchants and what he thinks can be done to improve their lot and our own. Inquire about the idea of setting up a chamber of commerce and/or guild to help the merchants and producers of goods pool resources and lower costs, while safely storing things. Consider things like pooled caravans to cut transportation costs and consolidate security forces. Consider making arrangements with the merchants to figure out when they are expected to enter your land and provide escort services with your soldiers so as to add to the impression that your lands are safe.

Train more troops
These are your primary means of accomplishing things in an unsafe world. Providing your citizens with basic armament training is good idea (and I believe we do this already by having them practice about an hour or two a week as I recall).

Check in with your various industries. See how they are doing.

As I recall, we've got a brewer/vinter running around on our lands making things ferment. How's she doing? What does she need? Where does she find she is selling her product? Any problems. What can we do for her?
Same deal with the other industries including the brick, wool, wood, mineral (mining) and other industries.

Pay specific interest to how the farmers are doing.

An army marches on its stomach and I have a terrible addiction called "food." The withdrawal symptoms include hunger and eventually death. Make sure we are food secure. Moreover, how are we in terms of food we can store in the event of a siege and or famine? Do we have sufficient stores and storage facilities? Do we have kinds of food that will not easily rot?