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[Urist McDwarfFortress]

They were with us the whole time.

Nope. They were moved to our new hunting lodge when the plague broke out.

[Gervassen]

I already said I wanted them to do what Stone deemed the bare minimum. You know, that one guy who was a farmer but is a baron now? Also, for some reason I thought the farmers had fled into town.

Let's quarantine all discussions about last month to the confines of last month. The reasons have been said there already. Also, people don't flee to towns during epidemics. Even in the old days. The principle that you get sick if others nearby are sick has been understood for most illnesses such as the common cold since time immemorial.

the deceased are in Heaven/Valhalla*/Whatever

Heaven. We've established that christianity, with actual christian symbols and themes, is the only religion here. This is how it must be in order to have verisimilitude with the real middle ages. Mal doesn't want to emphasize the religious aspect, but it is still there in the background. Personally, though, I think a crusade or two might be just the thing... especially after we've finished sinning our way to the top, and at last discover an urgent desire for salvation.

---

I agree with retaining this monk, if possible. We need an upgrade to our  public health system, as it were. I also never say no to initiatives to create more artwork, either, so we can put these statues on the agenda.

Let's hold off on receiving merchants and visitors from outside, but ease back into normality within our own community over the next month. At the very end of the month, send letters to all of our acquaintances inquiring of their health and the extent of the plague in their localities. I want to see how big this event was. It certainly was not The Real Deal on the scale of the Black Death, but we lost a good 20% of population anyway. Based on replies from elsewhere, we may wish to continue the external quarantine, and to quarantine the messenger, too, if really bad.

Btw, a fun novel during the Black Death is Ken Follet's "World Without End" which apparently has spawned a miniseries now. Can't vouch for that particular adaption but I'm seeing it on the torrent sites.

Let's teach Luther how to ride horse like a knight. A big horse. I assume we have that horse-breeding scheme started?

Lastly, let's do some life-affirming activities with Marna. There's normal marital duties that can tacitly go unspoken in good taste, sure, but then there's we-survived-the-plague levels of debauchery. Let's go there, shall we!?

[Gamerlord]

Lastly, let's do some life-affirming activities with Marna. There's normal marital duties that can tacitly go unspoken in good taste, sure, but then there's we-survived-the-plague levels of debauchery. Let's go there, shall we!?

+1

[GreatWyrmGold]

I already said I wanted them to do what Stone deemed the bare minimum. You know, that one guy who was a farmer but is a baron now? Also, for some reason I thought the farmers had fled into town.

Let's quarantine all discussions about last month to the confines of last month. The reasons have been said there already.

Problem is, by completely ignoring my reasons which had been stated, you made me look like a fool. I had to point out what I actually meant to avert that.

Also, people don't flee to towns during epidemics. Even in the old days. The principle that you get sick if others nearby are sick has been understood for most illnesses such as the common cold since time immemorial.

I didn't say I understood why I thought that.

the deceased are in Heaven/Valhalla*/Whatever

Heaven. We've established that christianity, with actual christian symbols and themes, is the only religion here. This is how it must be in order to have verisimilitude with the real middle ages. Mal doesn't want to emphasize the religious aspect, but it is still there in the background. Personally, though, I think a crusade or two might be just the thing... especially after we've finished sinning our way to the top, and at last discover an urgent desire for salvation.

Just because it's an expy of Christianity doesn't mean they call it Heaven.

Let's hold off on receiving merchants and visitors from outside, but ease back into normality within our own community over the next month. At the very end of the month, send letters to all of our acquaintances inquiring of their health and the extent of the plague in their localities. I want to see how big this event was. It certainly was not The Real Deal on the scale of the Black Death, but we lost a good 20% of population anyway. Based on replies from elsewhere, we may wish to continue the external quarantine, and to quarantine the messenger, too, if really bad.

Sounds good.

[Gervassen]

Problem is, by completely ignoring my reasons which had been stated, you made me look like a fool. I had to point out what I actually meant to avert that.

We were and we continue to be talking about different things entirely. If I don't clarify the difference, it is simply because most people would not be interested in the details, especially after the turn is finished.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Let try it this way. You say Stone knows what they need to do, call it task X. I say that task X can't be done in their homes, so they have to go from point A to point B to accomplish task X. There's a single value of X, which Stone knows for certain, but that is supremely unimportant.

There are different values for point A_i and point B_i for the i-th person from i = 1 to i = 300. Okay, there's a single value for X that Stone knows, granted, but he can't possibly know how the i-th and j-th person go from A_i to B_i and from A_j to B_j in order to accomplish X which is the same for both I and J, nor whether those different paths intersect, nor for how long, nor whether I is dizzy from incipient disease and stumbles into J and infects him.

It doesn't actually matter whether Stone knows precisely what needs to be done. The point is that unpredictable complexities arise in the process of doing that well-defined task over 300 iterations. And this even assumes that everyone does exactly task X as we requested, nothing more; but when there are valid reasons to be going about authorised business, you may safely bet a few scofflaws will opportunely try to blend into the traffic in order to see mistresses, or get a meal different from the humble fare that we have been doling out, or stretch their legs a bit from the sheer tedium of it all. On the other hand, everyone staying inside unless they have wagons of grain or corpses is a strict curfew that the inevitable village idiot cannot spoil without getting an arrow in his gut from 100 paces.

Just because it's an expy of Christianity doesn't mean they call it Heaven.

My understanding of Middle English is not what it used to be--in fact, it never was quite as good as it used to be--yet the Old English word was heofon so it is trivial to point out that people here arent really calling it heaven. However, they also probably don't call a bear properly a bear in this language. Yet it was a bear that we fought, rather than besting a wild snargleflob. Mal speaks their language fluently and helpfully translates everything into culturally similar English words. In our character's possessions, we have a copy of the New Testament, for example.

[10ebbor10]

Yup, whatever happens, we're calling the smeerp a rabit. Or in this case, rabhit.

Meaning our death go to Heavhen en Helhl respectively?

[kaian-a-coel]

Wow, I took my attention off this for, like, a month at most, and we replaced the count and survived a plague! Great job!
And maldevious is going to be a daddy? Congratulations and happy, happy mother's day to your beloved!

That said, I think we should indeed gradually and cautiously unlock the town, check neighbours, get Marna and Isaac back, and all that things. Supporting the sibling idea, too.

[Origami_Psycho]

I'm telling ya, they're gonna be gone, with our elites killed.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Let try it this way. You say Stone knows what they need to do, call it task X. I say that task X can't be done in their homes, so they have to go from point A to point B to accomplish task X. There's a single value of X, which Stone knows for certain, but that is supremely unimportant.

There are different values for point A_i and point B_i for the i-th person from i = 1 to i = 300. Okay, there's a single value for X that Stone knows, granted, but he can't possibly know how the i-th and j-th person go from A_i to B_i and from A_j to B_j in order to accomplish X which is the same for both I and J, nor whether those different paths intersect, nor for how long, nor whether I is dizzy from incipient disease and stumbles into J and infects him.

It doesn't actually matter whether Stone knows precisely what needs to be done. The point is that unpredictable complexities arise in the process of doing that well-defined task over 300 iterations. And this even assumes that everyone does exactly task X as we requested, nothing more; but when there are valid reasons to be going about authorised business, you may safely bet a few scofflaws will opportunely try to blend into the traffic in order to see mistresses, or get a meal different from the humble fare that we have been doling out, or stretch their legs a bit from the sheer tedium of it all. On the other hand, everyone staying inside unless they have wagons of grain or corpses is a strict curfew that the inevitable village idiot cannot spoil without getting an arrow in his gut from 100 paces.

Would you mind explaining how any of this is different in non-plague conditions? Complexity theory always applies.
Also, I like to think that farming and such will be roughly the same from farm to farm and person to person, and that the people are pretty similar and supportive of Stone. And that I know what you're saying the difficulty is, but I've a feeling that this is false...

Just because it's an expy of Christianity doesn't mean they call it Heaven.

My understanding of Middle English is not what it used to be--in fact, it never was quite as good as it used to be--yet the Old English word was heofon so it is trivial to point out that people here arent really calling it heaven. However, they also probably don't call a bear properly a bear in this language. Yet it was a bear that we fought, rather than besting a wild snargleflob. Mal speaks their language fluently and helpfully translates everything into culturally similar English words. In our character's possessions, we have a copy of the New Testament, for example.

True.

Wow, I took my attention off this for, like, a month at most, and we replaced the count and survived a plague! Great job!
And maldevious is going to be a daddy? Congratulations and happy, happy mother's day to your beloved!

Wait, that was all less than a month ago?

I'm telling ya, they're gonna be gone, with our elites killed.

Sh! Don't give him ideas!

[Origami_Psycho]

I'm telling ya, they're gonna be gone, with our elites killed.

Sh! Don't give him ideas!

Don't ya know?  All GM's are evil, it's a natural law.

[kaian-a-coel]

Wow, I took my attention off this for, like, a month at most, and we replaced the count and survived a plague! Great job!
And maldevious is going to be a daddy? Congratulations and happy, happy mother's day to your beloved!

Wait, that was all less than a month ago?

My last message in this thread date back to April 18, and it was in the very early planning stages of the coup so yes. And the whole thread started on January 1st... That makes it a good 2 pages a day, for 4 months and a half...

[GreatWyrmGold]

I'm telling ya, they're gonna be gone, with our elites killed.

Sh! Don't give him ideas!

Don't ya know?  All GM's are evil, it's a natural law.

And his name is Mal (Latin? for "bad" or "evil") devious...

[Origami_Psycho]

I'm telling ya, they're gonna be gone, with our elites killed.

Sh! Don't give him ideas!

Don't ya know?  All GM's are evil, it's a natural law.

And his name is Mal (Latin? for "bad" or "evil") devious...

It's a trap!

[Maldevious]

Year 6, July

Very pleased with the longevity of this game. My best by far. Quite fun. And the username was the result of me trying to think up a name for a bumbling, evil wizard in... Dungeon Siege 2, I think. The implication being that he was bad at being devious. I always enjoy the Ackbar clip, too, so +1 to that. Without further ado...

You move cautiously forward with life this month, eager to avoid a return of the plague. You divide the city up into four quarters, based on the cardinal directions, and remove the quarantine from each quarter when there are no remaining signs of the plague. By the end of the month, half of the city is plague-free and tentatively back to normal, while the other half only has a few cases of the plague remaining.

Work starts back up slowly, and some progress is made on the walls and tower. The tower should be finished next month, you imagine, barring any horrible setbacks, while the walls are maybe two or three months off, depending on the pace.

You send out letters to your neighbors, inquiring about the state of the plague in their localities. Sir Percival and Denton both report some rather severe cases still ongoing, while the riders sent to Curbiston and Carshire inform you that they did not enter the town or city, because both were flying black flags, indicating pestilence and warning off visitors.

Slightly disturbed, you nevertheless recall Marna, Isaac, and your elite troops. Your wife and son had a bit of a rough month, being quartered with your slightly gruff elite troops, but are unscathed from the encounter. You have a warm reunion, and reacquaint yourself with Marna, before going about the rest of your business.

With the spectre of the plague still looming large, you ask the monk if he will remain in residence at your town, to work with the healer on diseases. He agrees to stay for a trial period, boarding in a simple room at the school. You hope that he will be able to impart some of his wisdom on the town healer.

Finally, you turn your attention to Luther. You want to get the man a horse, and are pleased to find that the breeding program you implemented is starting to produce more hearty steeds that could be used by an armored knight. These foals are still young, but will be of much use in the near future.

For the time being, you put him on the largest steed you can find, and work on his horsemanship. Simply put, the man is a wreck on a horse. His natural ability as a combatant does not transfer to this area, and this will be a long process. However, you make his continued sparring contingent on horsemanship lessons, and hope that he shows some improvement going forward.

What of August?

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

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
Poor Medical Mind

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

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
Small Hunting Lodge in Northern Forest

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"

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

Treasury - Medium
270 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 (95% complete)
Stone Walls (86% 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

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)

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
Communal Grazing Land
Muddy holes in ground (fish ponds without enough water or fish)

Animals
Grand Flock of Sheep
Medium Flock of Cattle
Average Flock of Good Horses

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

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

Ranged - Longbows, iron short swords, fur armor, mounts
Two elite Archers
One elite Ranger
Six veteran Rangers
One regular Rangers
Nine veteran Archers
Four regular Archers

Melee - Iron halberds, iron brigandine armor, iron short swords, mounts
Two elite Halberdiers
Eleven veteran Halberdiers
Six 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

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

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

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
   * Torchester - Duke Erran's Capital - Damaged 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 - Known

Duke Erran - Fond

Count Arthur Foles - Your Liege Lord - Friendly
Count Gorgan - A fine fighter - Introduced
Count Zanders - Dislike

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 - Toddler

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

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
Monk Healer
Wool Merchant

Spoiler: "In Fond Remembrance" (click to show/hide)

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"

[Gamerlord]

Oh thank god. Alright, let's get busy. We need to crank up food production something fierce. Maybe send out shipments to the still plague-afflicted towns...