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[GreatWyrmGold]

Wait would gold and Jewels survive you know a village burning down? and besides it look like in this kingdom slavery is rare or frowned on so why take prisoners?

1. Hard to get them from under the rubble and ashes, assuming the heat didn't make the gold deform. Which it probably would.
2. Who said anything about slavery? We take them to a place where they can't harm anyone, have them become valuable citizens of the kingdom, and maybe get a little information out of them. Things like, "Where is your homeland?" and "Could you teach me your language?"

[kaian-a-coel]

as well as "Is there a particular reason for which you came here?" (besides simple colonisation that is) or "do you have any idea of how many of your people got here?"

[Gervassen]

This is a society with serfs that, for example, worked on many of our projects for no pay in the beginning before we even had revenue. Let's be realistic: there's a kind of slavery at work in this society, and I see no reason not to put these people in that system.

That's getting ahead of ourselves. First things first, this is not an "Aw mom, these barbaric foreigners are so adorable, can we keep them?" "Only if you feed and water them yourselves, dear" situation. We are not playing tamagotchi with barbarians that in other places are committing genocide on our people. First, we use them for intel, then we try to use them for hostages, then maybe we put them in our mines or fields. Call that what you will.

And yeah, let's burn the village after we detain these people and their supplies. Barbaric foreigners are cute and cuddly, I know, I know, but also very dangerous to keep as pets.

[GreatWyrmGold]

This is a society with serfs that, for example, worked on many of our projects for no pay in the beginning before we even had revenue. Let's be realistic: there's a kind of slavery at work in this society, and I see no reason not to put these people in that system.

Hm. This does bring up the question of what stabby meant by "slavery".

That's getting ahead of ourselves. First things first, this is not an "Aw mom, these barbaric foreigners are so adorable, can we keep them?" "Only if you feed and water them yourselves, dear" situation. We are not playing tamagotchi with barbarians that in other places are committing genocide on our people. First, we use them for intel, then we try to use them for hostages, then maybe we put them in our mines or fields. Call that what you will.

I'm imagining the latter, with decent working conditions and the hope that they become acclimated enough to our culture that they or their children can become full citizens.

[Maldevious]

Life is crazy. No ETA on post.

[Gervassen]

I'm imagining the latter, with decent working conditions and the hope that they become acclimated enough to our culture that they or their children can become full citizens.

It's worth noting that the Normans became "more French than the French" within a few generations; and one thousand years ago, that even used to be understood as a compliment. 

I could envision absorbing the Baabar scum into our kingdom if we can but give them a few hard lessons in humility on the battlefield, and if they accept the salvation of their immortal souls in Christ the Redeemer. But allowing heathens to settle our land with their uncouth ways unchastised is simply impossible to contemplate.

Life is crazy. No ETA on post.

I know that feel. Right now, I get maybe two passes a day through places on the internet that I like reading. This thread is one of the first stops, though.

[GreatWyrmGold]

I'm imagining the latter, with decent working conditions and the hope that they become acclimated enough to our culture that they or their children can become full citizens.

It's worth noting that the Normans became "more French than the French" within a few generations; and one thousand years ago, that even used to be understood as a compliment. 
I could envision absorbing the Baabar scum into our kingdom if we can but give them a few hard lessons in humility on the battlefield, and if they accept the salvation of their immortal souls in Christ the Redeemer. But allowing heathens to settle our land with their uncouth ways unchastised is simply impossible to contemplate.

Agreed. Still, I can have hope for the future...
And I'd rather wait to find out if they actually look goat-like before calling them baabars.

[Maldevious]

Your quickly form a plan and dispatch your men post-haste, although you are weary of the ease with which you seem to be progressing. Halberdiers take up positions around the perimeter of the village, led into place by your Rangers, and are able to do so without notice. The Archers find a nice hillock to station themselves on, slightly overlooking the settlement, while you remain cloaked in the treeline slightly down the beach with the Heavy Horse.

Giving your men half an hour to get into position, you signal Luther, who blows a horn, sending your men on warning. You spur your horse forward, leading a charge that sends sand spraying across the beach. You hear screams of confusion from the town, and are within its confines in under a minute. Your men range about, past huts and shanties, in pairs and small groups, scattering terrified women and sobbing children before them.

A few men step out of sheds and alleys, but few seem to have the courage to face fully armored Knights. The majority are sent packing towards the forest, as well, where you hear a commotion brewing, indicating that your men are taking prisoners. A few make breaks for the beach, and some make it and begin swimming out towards circling fishing boats, which you eye angrily from the shore. You hear the sounds of some minor skirmishing, but are not privy to any combat yourself, having to content yourself with riding about dashingly and herding people towards the trees.

Within the half hour, the settlement is yours, although the fishing boats have long disappeared to the east. Your men performed ably, killing the few who resisted and taking more than one hundred prisoners, mostly women and children. Most seem to have surrendered without resisting, although a few sport broken noses and other injuries indicative of a scrap. Your men took no casualties, although there were a few minor injuries.

As you regroup after the raid to consider what to do with the ghost town, one of your men approaches and tells you that one of the prisoners is speaking in your tongue, albeit with a broken, foreign clip. This could prove to be interesting. What now, Count Stone?

[GreatWyrmGold]

Thank the man for informing us and commend him for his insight. Have the prisoner brought to us.

[Urist McDwarfFortress]

I say we loot the town and then burn it. Interrogate the prisoner about why they settled here on our land. See if he has any idea of the size of the army laying siege to the capitol. Also see if they have any other forces lurking about.

I'm not really sure what to do with the prisoners. I guess we'll just have to take them with us.

[tryrar]

I was thinking we can set them up in a fortified section of Curbiston, and keep them there until at such time as we have the time to deal with them in a more permanent fashion. Also, +1 to speaking with this prisoner who speaks our language

[Gotdamnmiracle]

I say we loot the town and then burn it. Interrogate the prisoner about why they settled here on our land. See if he has any idea of the size of the army laying siege to the capitol. Also see if they have any other forces lurking about.

I'm not really sure what to do with the prisoners. I guess we'll just have to take them with us.

Not worth looting. I say we let it stand and post a small party to make sure we don't lose it and then begin scouting for surrounding resources to see if it is worth any trouble when it is convenient (ie. after this whole skirmish thing. Who knows? may be the next feroshire, just a different area with coastal access. If it isn't worth it, loot, burn, pave our fields with the ashes.) We could use it as a make shift forward operating base for this whole thing in the meantime, we did capture it after all. Just make sure there are some pretty consistent sentries of the area.

TL;DR: 2 options: keep town, leave small guard group, or keep town and move forward into it, using it as a forward operating base to define the logistics on our enemies and allys situation, (whether a hard hit would be worth it, where their supply lines are located, estimates of how long our lord can last without aide, the possibility of smuggling aide into the city either through catapult or subterfuge, and also what knowledge we can gain of the enemy from our newfound roseta-stone prisoner.)

If we are under such time constraints then it may be worth just overlooking for now and marching through to the objective, but there has to be a smarter way of doing this than seeing if our fist is harder than heir face (or possibly vice-versa.)

[Urist McDwarfFortress]

I believe the settlement is, by right, on the King's lands. So the idea of us seizing it for ourselves is out of the question. We could seize it in the King's name, and then hope he grants it to us out of gratitude, but that might be a long shot. Besides, the Duke ordered us to destroy it.

I was thinking we can set them up in a fortified section of Curbiston, and keep them there until at such time as we have the time to deal with them in a more permanent fashion.

Who's going to take them there? There are only 200 guys with us, and over 100 prisoners. Curbiston is somewhere around a week's march away. And, if I understand the plan correctly, the Duke is expecting us to meet back up with the main force, which is marching on the capitol.

[Gervassen]

We're in the opposite direction, so we pass Curbiston on the way to meet the Duke and cross the river. This settlement has no value as a base, since it is not near where we plan to campaign.

March the prisoners away from the buildings, then say to the bilingual one: "You will be safe if you come with us; but if you run, you will be killed and someone near you will be killed. Tell your people that."

Gather whatever food stocks they have, set fire to the houses, and let's put distance between here and our encampment before nightfall. Let the watch be observant tonight, particularly if we remain near the coast.

As we ride, the halberdiers cover the prisoner band to landward, ready to cut in half anyone bolting into the undergrowth; the archers march to seaward, their eyes looking for ships; the heavy horse behind, and the rangers ranging in front. We will ride with the bilingual one in the next horse, perhaps riding double with Luther. We can ask questions on the march.

"Help us and your people will not be hurt."
"What is your name"
"Are there more men near the village?" (Observe body language.)
"What are your people doing in this land?"
"Who is your biggest chief?"
"How many Baabar have crossed the sea?"
"What false gods do you worship?"

Etc. I'm sure I've left some good ones out.

[GreatWyrmGold]

I'd rather be polite to the bilingual one first. Show that we aren't a heartless foreigner that it's entirely righteous to kill and take the land of.