Year 7, MarchMarch is spent gathering information. You mobilize your levies, as you worry about sending troops out of your lands in small numbers with the reports of roving bandits. You send patrols in force to Curbiston, Hemswood Abbey, and Torchester. You consider sending men to the national capital of Fallsburg, but the capital lies on the other side of the Sea Raider's new claims, and you doubt you could safely get your men there and back. For now, that will have to wait.
The patrol to Curbiston departs first, and arrives back in a few days, accompanied by a run-down but familiar face. The situation in Curbiston is dire, as expected. The streets are empty of life, save for a few stray dogs picking through the remains of a once-bustling metropolis. There is no sign of the young Count... in fact, there looks to have been a bloody clash in the keep of some sort.
Your men check the stores, and the armory, but they have already been well picked over. The city is marred by the scars of fires from the past few months, and several of the external gates have been broken down as well. A few scavengers are spotted by your men, but they disappear into the ruins before any questions can be asked of them. They check the status of the river chain, as well, and find that it has been fouled, its mechanisms busted beyond immediate repair.
On their way out of the city, however, they come upon a disheveled husk of a man rooting about in a ditch. He sees your men, and immediately yells "Stone! Take me to Sir Samuel Stone! I am... a friend of his."
The Ranger Captain Oswald, leading this patrol, recognizes the man despite his gaunt figure as The Rat, and returns with him as quickly as possible. When you meet with him after he is bathed and fed, the man tells a tale of plague run rampant, which claimed the life of the young Count. Order soon collapsed, and riots soon racked the city. Your man, Gunther Agnacious, was killed in said riots. The Rat barely escaped with his life. You offer him once again the opportunity to take residence in Feroshire, which he now graciously accepts.
You take this in stride, aware of the power vacuum in the County now. Word returns later from Hemswood Abbey, which survived the plague nearly unaffected. Torchester, it seems, still stands, having been mildly damaged by the plague. It is now the subject of rather constant harassment by Sea Raiders, though. The Duke asks you to write to him of the state of the County as soon as you are able. He passes on word that he believes the King still rules from Fallsburg, although he has heard reports that the city may be under siege by Sea Raiders. As you previously learned, Denton and Percival's lands are recovering slowly as well.
The rest of the month is spent sending troops out to forage for loose supplies, livestock, equipment, and food in the plague-ravaged countryside. You are quite lucky in this, as your men stumble upon several herds of goats, sheep, and cattle, which are added to your flocks, as well as a few large groups of refugees who are incorporated into your city after a period of quarantine.
March is coming to a close, and you now know your situation much more clearly. What shall you do in April?
Age: 26 - February birthday
Spouse: Lady Marna Stone - Age 22 - April Birthday (Four months pregnant)
Children: Sir Isaac Stone - Two Years 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
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
Fine Quarters in Tower
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"
Treasury - Medium
350 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
Interior Wooden Palisade with watchtowers
Stone Tower
Stone Walls
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
Medium Furniture Workshop
Small (3x 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
Large Flock of Sheep
Medium Herd of Cattle
Small Herd of Goats
Small Herd 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
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
Skilled Potters
Above Average Jewelers
Above Average Trappers
Above Average Miners
Above Average Horse Breeders
Average Metalworkers
Average Wine Makers
Average Masons
Journeymen Furniture Builders
Journeymen Weaponsmiths
Journeymen Armorers
Novice Siege Engineers
Market Town of Carshire - Gravel Road
Folesden - Land of Count Foles - Downstream
* Curbiston - County Seat of Folesden - Abandoned
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
Sea Raider Lands - Adjacent to Duke Erran's lands on the coast
Lands of the King - Beyond the Sea Raider's lands
* Fallsburg - National Capital - Grand metropolis by a massive waterfall
King Edward Geronos IV, Lord of the Falls, Keeper of the Flame, Seer of the Dawn - Known
Duke Erran - Fond
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
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
Ian Wood - Carpenter, Councilman
Marge Kannity - Brewer
The Rat - Man of Intrigue
Shipwright
Architect
Armorer
Weaponsmith
Horse Breeder
Scribe
Healer
Monk Healer
Wool Merchant
Tor - Your first Captain - Killed by the brigand "Ox" in a forest skirmish
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
Count Aaron Foles - Your first Liege Lord - Fell drunkenly to his death from the balcony of a whorehouse
"Count" Owen - Rival and claimant to the County - Executed for "murder"
"Countess" Foles - Daughter of Aaron Foles - Executed for "murder"
Curtis Stumpf - Miner, Councilman - Killed in the Sixth Year Plague
Count Arthur Foles - Your second Liege Lord - Killed in the Sixth Year Plague
Gunther Agnacious - Philosopher - Killed in a riot resulting from the Sixth Year Plague