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[GreatWyrmGold]

Out of curiosity, what will the final results of the plague be?

[10ebbor10]

Spoiler: Argument (click to show/hide)

As said before, that might not work.

Refugees will flock towards our land when the word spreads it's safe, and the town will soon be overpopulated. Powder ketch, with plague being the inevitable spark.
Also, how do you get people to move to the Quarantaine town, rather than to the safe central town without making contact.

Besides, it's not relevant as the GM is speeding a few months forward, past the end of the plague, probably.

Out of curiosity, what will the final results of the plague be?

Death, disfigurement and socioeconomic/ political crisis. I'm afraid the GM is going to apply the Scythe to the Important peope tab. 

[Maldevious]

Out of curiosity, what will the final results of the plague be?

Feroshire will be mostly in tact. Other places will not. Troubling times in the kingdom.

[GreatWyrmGold]

And, looking at things pragmatically as promised, an excellent opportunity for Stone. Oh, it's a tragedy all the same, but that won't change if we take advantage of it.

[Gervassen]

Iaman:

Lordship was about a peasant that becomes a knight. First he gets a small sleepy fief to manage, he starts building and exploring, discovers gold and silver, the place becomes rich.

His boss Count Foles tries to assassinate him to regain the now valuable land, but he marries the niece of his boss' boss Duke Erran, and Count Foles backs off killing him then tries legal options like resurveying the land in secrecy to rewrite the borders. We get evidence and act too slowly, but scare him into quiet. We start building a massive wall that still is not quite finished by end of play.

The kingdom is invaded by Vikingish people, we do a bang-up job of banging heads together, get three boats without many losses, lead the reconaissance of the main force, the king comes with all the armies of the kingdom and rewards us for our info by giving us a place next to him in battle, we fight well, but our squire dies while saving us. Great glory, etc.

We go hunting in the woods but a bear ambushes us. Instead of leaving our old comrades Finn and Oswald to sacrifice themselves for us, we help them and take the brunt of damage. We almost die and can't do physical stuff for many months. We hold a large fair during recovery and gain the services a genius scholar and a giant muscular squire.

The old boss Count Foles dies, but his daughter is married to a knight that thrashed us and called us peasant scum. He becomes the de facto Count. We immediately hear that he resumes plans to invade and sieze our mines. We find a bastard son of the old Count and convince him to press his own claim. We find important lords snubbed by the court of the new Count and use them to negotiate the entrance of a small force into the capital city of the County. We storm the Keep by a secret tunnel while distracting them with an assault on the walls. We win. The "fake" count is tried and executed. We also execute his wife, because she carries the rightful claim.

Plague breaks out and ruins preparations for our annual arts fair. We stop it by weeks of strict quarantine on pain of death, no movement outside the home. We threaten to kill refugees bringing the plague and chase them away. We hear rumours that the Count is dead and debate going to his city to restore order. Then fires from heaven engulf the entire world in purifying flame.

Finis.

[IamanElfCollaborator]

.....on Bay12, this is our breakfast time cartoons, yes?

Ahem.

And we're picking up after said purge of the sinful. How pleasant.

[10ebbor10]

The purge might have been metaphorical.

[GreatWyrmGold]

The purge might have been metaphorical.

Or based on the real-world belief that plagues were divine retribution/punishment for the sinful.

[Iituem]

I would quite like to see this return, myself. 

[10ebbor10]

The purge might have been metaphorical.

Or based on the real-world belief that plagues were divine retribution/punishment for the sinful.

Still a metaphor.

[Gervassen]

Good point. Whatever it was that happened, it was both metaphorical and not a good thing.

But that was just a slapdash summary of what I recall. There were also some gangs of robbers on our lands, a town that rebelled against our boss and we helped crush them in a battle, a tournament that we failed bravely but utterly in, the whole Rat thing that GWG mentioned. Much can happen in six months of updates. Not all was dark news, though: ice cream was invented.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Oh yeah! That was nice.

[Gervassen]

Lordship Condensed

You can still remember the sounds of battle clanging in your ears. The smell of blood hanging in the early morning mist. You still aren't quite sure what brought you to the small hill, what spurred you to charge recklessly forward. All you know is that, when the day was done, people were telling you that you had saved the King's life.

Your life was so simple before this. You farmed a small plot your father left you, drilled with your lord's local militia, and mooned after the marriageable local women. A plain, but dignified existence: a young man's life. Now you weren't so sure what will come ahead.

All you are sure of is that the boring steward who is sitting at a small desk surrounded by courtiers has droned on for most of the morning, as you sit uncomfortably on an oak bench in the Royal Audience Room. You are quite bored, and your "nice" tunic looks woefully out of place amongst all of the finery. One of the other fellows, dressed much nicer than you, indicated that the King would not be in attendance. So you sit, and wait, and wonder what you were called here for. The letter, read to you by a local friar, didn't give any indications beyond "a reward for valiant service to the realm."

Suddenly, out of the din of conversation, you hear your name ring. What is it?

GM NOTE: So this game is basically a medieval setting, analogous to Earth but distinct (i.e. no countries we know but otherwise the same). You will be a newly minted lord pulling yourself up from the bootstraps. Next turn you'll pick the land, and then the game will most likely move at a season a turn. If you've seen or played any of my other games before, know that I'm not super into stats and complicated systems. I like to have fun, keep the story going, and not worry too much about details. Hope you'll all enjoy playing!


"Samuel Stone!" The steward yells again. You stand off the bench, and amble to the front of the room. You feel the eyes of the courtiers on you, gazing at your rough outfit and farmer's gait. You put them out of your mind for the moment.

The steward eyes you up and down. "Stone?" You nod your head. "Very well. The King, his Royal Majesty Edward Geronos IV, Lord of the Falls, Keeper of the Flame, Seer of the Dawn, has called you here today to thank you for your actions on the morning of September the 15th. Do you remember that morning?" You nod again.

He eyes your clothes for a moment, then goes on. "Very well. Kneel down." You hesitate, then do so. A grizzled looking older man, wearing resplendent plate armor, approaches you with a sword, touching your shoulders with it as the steward speaks. "I hereby knight you, Sir Samuel Stone." The knight backs away, and assumes a gaze towards the middle distance. You think you recognize him from the battle, but are not quite sure. It has been several months, after all.

As you stand, the steward goes on. "Our King has also seen fit to grant you a small parcel of land to establish a new village for his glory. You will be a vassal to your current lord, Count Aaron Foles. You may choose on of three available plots. One is heavily forested, with several rocky outcroppings. The second is at the intersection of a hilly region and a large plain of grass. The final is on the banks of a tributary to the great river that runs through our land." He pauses for a moment, a hint of interest peaking into his bored eyes. "So, Sir Samuel Stone, what shall it be?"


GM NOTE: Debate is fine and encouraged. However, please keep it civil.

You grow perplexed for a moment. You had no idea this was coming. Clearing your throat to buy some time, you think hard about the options. You get the feeling much of your future may depend on this decision.

Your initial gut feeling is to go with the forest, but then you remember a traveling merchant who came through your village singing the praises of the river life. You blurt out, "I'll take the river land," surprising yourself. The steward twitches an eyebrow, then makes some sort of scratch on a piece of fine vellum paper. He rolls it up, hands it to you, and then continues.

"The King has, in his graciousness, provided you with a sword for defense of your land." His eyes dart to the cudgel worn on your hip, a slight sneer on his lips as a young man walks forward and presents you with the first sword you've ever owned. You grab it clumsily. "There will also be a horse supplied for touring your new lands, whose dimensions are marked out in the document you hold." You clear your throat, cheeks reddening; you cannot read. "Perhaps it would be advisable to find a Steward amongst your people, Sir Stone."

He nods to the back of the room. "That will be all for now, Sir Stone. I look forward to hearing of your exploits." He says the last sentence with a bit of venom, and you feel the desire rising to prove him wrong. You may be just a simple farmer, but you will succeed at this.


Year 1, Spring

Your butt really hurts. You've never ridden a horse before this trip to your lands, by the River Parlon, and the old brown mare, well, she ain't what she used to be. You bounced and flipped and flopped all the way from the capital, but you are finally here. The main road ended long ago, and you had to ride through a few fields and meadows to reach the river.

You stand on the south bank, where the ground is rich and loamy and free of trees. Glancing across the river, which is no more than 100 paces wide, you see the other bank is similarly verdant, and actually dotted by several trees. Not enough to sustain an industry, but plenty for your building purposes.

A few lazy fishing boats ply the river, and you rode by several run-down looking farms on the way in. A few village boys followed your ride in, laughing and smirking at the way that you bounced roughly on the saddle. As you swing your legs down and your boots hit the ground, you suddenly realize that you have no place to stay here. There is no manor house waiting for you.

As you consider your situation, a fisherman walks up to you. "Who," he glances at your sword, "might you be, good sir knight?"

You explain who you are. He seems a bit non-plussed. "Another lord then? Very well, Sir Stone. Best of luck to you. I'll be just attending to my fishing, then."

With that, he cuts a crude bow, turns and leaves. You stand alone, no village to speak of on your land, sore butt, unable to read the deed you hold, and without a roof to sleep under. What, Sir Stone, shall you do?

GM Note: I will read all of your suggestions, but only implement a reasonable number of the most popular ones. You can't build Rome in a day. Think natural progression and realistic goals for three month periods. If you want to build a castle, you will not succeed now.

GM NOTE: The river is relatively slow flowing but deep. You can swim across, or build a raft ferry. A bridge is probably beyond your means at the moment. And, to clear things up, the farmhouses and forest on the other bank are both on your land (you believe).


Year 1, April

Your first month is spent getting your bearings. With no manor house to stay in, and wishing to avoid sleeping in the elements, you back track and set up your residence in the least worn-down of the abandoned buildings you rode in past. It is drafty and spartan, but you have lived your whole life in a similar state, so it is not so bad.

You come to understand that this area has had no lord living in it for generations. The lands fall under the jurisdiction of Count Foles, as you were told by the King's steward, but his presence is barely felt. You realize that perhaps your presence here is partially intended to rectify that situation.

The people on your land are widely spread out. There is no town or village to speak of that falls under your jurisdiction, just various scattered hovels, huts, and homesteads. You have a nagging feeling that, if you want to get anything of note accomplished, it would be easier with some sort of village on your land. You also learn that the nearest market town, Carshire, is back on the main road, about a day's ride away.

After a few days by the river, watching the occasional barge roll by, you decide that it would be advantageous to build a dock for your new lands. You pitch this idea to a few of the layabouts that you encounter, and manage to convince a few to help you chop down lumber for it and help put it together. As you are not a trained carpenter, and you rather lack the funds to hire one if you knew of one, your efforts at constructing a workable dock are mixed. Still, you get the job done.

As you spend the end of the month relaxing by the river, you do notice a few of the merchants on passing barges now eye your docks, before continuing downstream after noting the distinct lack of a town at the other end of the dock.

Still, you now have a roof over your head, and your lands have a dock. Not so bad for your first month of leadership!


Year 1, May

With a roof over your head, and food provided by local spinsters and fisherman, you feel quite confident going into your second month. You mobilize your people, dividing them into three groups.

The first group works on rehabilitating some of the abandoned farms that dot your land to the south of the river. Rocks are torn out of the fields, weeds are pulled, and dirt is tilled. Some of the more heinous buildings are torn down, and a messenger is sent to Carshire to tell people of the opportunities presented by these newly renovated farms. A few people do wander by, but are mostly unimpressed and none commit to farming in the still poor plots.

The second group works on putting together a semblance of a town to attract merchants by the dock. Surprisingly, they put together a rather unique, large building, that serves as an inn and communal gather place. The side facing the river is entirely open to the elements in the spring and summer, and the ceiling is high and sloping, allowing smoke to rise out from the two cook fires. Plans are made for a removable wall that will be erected in the late fall and winter. For being built by a bunch of peasants with no real training, it is actually quite nice.

A final, smaller group, works together to rough out some crude paths between your nameless village and the main road. Smaller paths are also beaten towards the farmsteads, as well.

All in all, it was a good month. You are starting to feel more confident in your position, although you still haven't quite broached the subject of taxation with your citizens. Right now, they seem to be feeding you out of charity, and you get the feeling that this relationship should probably be clarified before they start seeing you as something other than their lord...

Spoiler: Town (click to show/hide)

Basic Inn
5 Citizens
Rickety Dock

GM NOTE: You get the feeling that this area hasn't been very well managed recently. As in, the tax collector rarely if ever visits. These people live in a quite, forgotten part of the kingdom (at the moment).

GM NOTE: The tax system works so that you would be paying Count Foles, who would pay his lord (a Duke), and then he would pay the King. Food as taxes is acceptable, given that not everyone is going to have coins lying around (especially farmers)


Year 1, June

At the start of the month, you begin asking around about the settlements and lands upstream and downstream of you. One of the older men explains that downstream at the intersection of the Parlon and the main river, lies lands owned by the Count. It is known as Folesden. Upstream of you lies a parcel of land ruled by an old knight, Sir Blake Denton. Even further upstream, where the Parlon is barely a creek, lies a large abbey called Hemswood known for its dark beers.

You also issue your first proclamation this month. After much thinking, you decide that there will be a communal farm where citizens must contribute time each week. The food will be used to feed you, as well as for trade and use for paying your liege lord. In times of need, the food will also protect from famine. Citizens may also serve on various building projects in lieu of farm work, if they are so inclined, or simply contribute a small portion of their own food to a central store. The people grumble slightly at the idea, but you don't hear of any outright disagreement, so for now you feel confident.

To that end, a small warehouse is built to house the food, and a communal farm is designated. Work goes smoothly, and you notice that one young man has been integral in all of your successful construction projects. His name is Ian Wood, and he explains that he used to be an apprentice carpenter before his master was killed in a war. You decide that he would make a good foreman for your building projects in the future.

You also decree that every Saturday, there shall be a market held in your nascent town (which still doesn't have a proper name). Unfortunately, no one seems to have much to trade, and only a few farmers show up by the end of the month. Still, you'll keep at it, and hope that it gets larger in the future. You build a few stalls, which you will rent out to anyone who pays for them, but all of the farmers are too poor at the moment to do so. They simply set out their produce in the dirt.


Year 1, July

The heat of the summer is oppressive this year, and you feel rather hands-off. You simply instruct young Master Wood to start up an organized group of woodcutters and carpenters. You instruct him to spend this month honing techniques and stockpiling supplies. He agrees happily, and sets to work.

Meanwhile, you decide it would be a wise idea to visit Count Foles downstream, in order to pay your respects and get a feel for the man. You set off with your old brown mare, sword strapped rakishly to your hip. You feel as though you cut an imposing figure, compared to the rabble that makes up your people.

The journey itself takes several days before you reach a small town, although it is much larger than your own. You ride in and find out that this is in fact one of the Count's minor villages, and are instructed to continue riding for another day or so. They explain that he has a small palisade outside the county seat, which goes by the name of Curbiston.

After staying with a generous innkeeper for free, you ride the next day, and find yourself awed by the size of Curbiston. You have never seen a village this size. Children run through the streets, a busy market is bustling. You ride through the center of the village, and make your way towards a small hill overlooking a turn in the now much wider River Parlon. Perched on that hill is a stout wooden palisade.

You make your way to the gates, and after a brief explanation of who you are, you are brought inside and led to a small stone building. Inside, you are brought into a cozy chamber, with a high window that lets in the breeze from the river. You sit for a few minutes, which stretches out into many minutes. An hour passes, and you stand to leave, when an oaf of a man barges in from another door.

You smell the drink on him immediately. He is fat and disheveled, with a wild look in his eyes. You begin to question whether this is in fact the Count, but a closer examination reveals that his stained clothes are of a fine material, and his hands are covered in silver rings with bold gems inset.

He staggers towards a stout oak chair and flops down. Eyeing you up and down, he practically vomits the words out. "Who in the bloodly hell are you, and why should I care?"

This, my fine players, is a role playing segment. Feel free to jump in.


But proper greetings are in order. I am Sir Stone, my lord, Lord of Feroshire, as I said before, the modest village upstream. I felt it necessary to meet my count before setting up shop anymore than I already have.

He glares at you for a moment. "Upjumped shit-farmer by the looks of you... Ain't never heard of a Feroshire, either... Last I checked, there wasn't anything worth a fart upstream of my lands, and you don't have the look of someone who can change that."

He shifts slightly in his seat, snorting slightly. "Well, then, I guess that means you'll be paying me some taxes, then?"

"Perhaps. That's one of the issues I came to discuss."

He seems slightly surprised. "Good, good. I have to pay the bastard Duke every autumn harvest, so... you have to pay me every autumn harvest. I'll be sending my tax collector out your way in a few months, then. Better make it worth my while."

He turns away from you and shouts incoherently. A few moments later, a servant arrives with a single mug of ale. The Count sips it and eyes you warily. You aren't sure about the propriety of it, but you feel as though it is a slight that he is drinking without offering you refreshment.

"You'll also need to provide troops, should I so need them. You don't look like much of a fighter, boy. I would have snapped you in half back in my day..." He trails off, leaving an awkward silence hanging in the tiny room.

Possibly, but normally a cudgel is my weapon of choice and I can did get "up- jumped for exhibiting valor on the field of battle... At the moment, able bodies are the only resource I seem to have in excess. The armor and weapons to clothe them may be problematic, especially at this time... My liege, you must know how development can make or break a small project. This project requires a specialist or two if it is to be lucrative to you or I.

 As far as taxes go, if crops are an acceptable substitute, you can expect them as soon as your tax collecter makes rounds.

He eyes you, blinking twice. "Specialist? Well... I've got me a Steward's apprentice who I caught eyeing my daughter the other day. Be good to get him out of my damn hair..." He runs his hand through his greasy, long hair. "He'll be accompanying you back to... Fer... Fire... your damn town."

"Crops... will do for now. Your neck of the county has never been worth taxing much anyway, no wealth... but extra crops are always welcome." He pats his belly appreciatively. "However, I do prefer coin. Make sure that you have some by next year."

"As for the soldiers... just make sure they're ready when I need them. I am an infantryman by training. Make of that what you will..." His biting tongue is wearing out a bit, and he seems to be growing disinterested in you.

"Is that all, Sir Rock? I have business to attend to." You highly doubt that.

Yes. Thank you for the audience my leige. Where may I find your steward? Promptly stand and bow.

As you stand and bow, Count Foles screams, and a servant appears. He mumbles something to the haggard looking man. "I've sent word for the damn Steward boy to meet you at the gates."

You quickly exit the room, refreshed by the absence of stale beer in the air. Walking out, you wait a few minutes, and then see a sharp looking young man with intelligent eyes walk towards you from a group of tents, leading a horse. "Sir Stone? My name is William Dent. I understand that I am to be your Steward? Shall we ride?" He lowers his voice. "I also understand that Count Foles is none too pleased with me at the moment, so I apologize for any haste."

With that, he mounts his horse, which you note is a much healthier specimen than your own, and starts it walking towards the gates.

You have a pleasant journey back to Feroshire with William, with little of note on the ride home. Work has progressed, and there is now a stockpile of adequate looking lumber for use as you command. What shall you do in August?


Year 1, August

You spend the month of August devoting time to learning more about your people. Amazingly, there are some very talented individuals living on your land, despite its relative poverty.

You meet Ian Hermage, who used to be an assistant cook in an Archbishop's palace. You immediately offer him the position of your personal cook, with a roof over his head and a constant source of food. For the time being, you ask him to work in the inn and cook meals for the townspeople. As he had previously been struggling to survive as a fisherman, he gladly accepts.

Another person of interest is Marge Kannity, who you learn is the daughter of a well-known brewer. She left her father's household when she became pregnant outside of marriage, and is now struggling to raise her son on her own. She is very knowledgeable about the brewing process, and seems eager to attempt to set up her own brewery. You would have to find a way to support her at the start, though.

You also find that there are a few skilled potters in the area, who have dabbled in creating urns and vases from a thick red clay that lines the river. Their work is quality, although they lack the facilities to produce work worthy for sale at the moment.

Your stewards is also taking this month to familiarize himself with your lands, and the legal decrees which granted them to you. He has nothing to report yet, but will most likely by the next month. He also says to expect the tax collector in two month (October). At the moment, you have a meager supply of food in your communal warehouse.


Year 1, September

Another month passes, and your young town continues to grow. You consult the potters, and set up a community kiln down by the river banks. First, crude ovens are set up to fire bricks for the structure, which is then designed to the potters' specifications. The resulting building, placed near the banks, has two permanent small kilns and a moderately sized storage area.

The farms are also completely overhauled. With the help of your trusty steward, irrigation trenches are dug, and several abandoned plots are consolidated and added on to the communal farm. Additionally, several plots much too large for inexperienced farmers are divided up into more manageable chunks of land. These changes attract a few new farmers, and boost your communal production. You now have a mediocre supply of food in the warehouse.

Back in the town, a small addition to the inn is built, enclosing a small kitchen. Mr. Hermage seems pleased, and the quality of meals increases noticeably. There are usually a few people hanging around the inn most evenings now, bartering for food, discussing their days, and even throwing dice.

You also notice that there are now a few huts in Feroshire, mostly populated by the potters and the workers of the inn. It is still rather meager, but you feel proud having built it in a few short months from effectively nothing.

Rumors reach your ears this month of some rough characters who have set up shop further up the river, but still on your lands. Your steward reports that he saw their camp from afar while surveying earlier in the month, and stayed clear of them. He is unsure what you can do about them, given that there are no trained soldiers on your land.


Year 1, October

A crisp air blows throughout your lands, as the harvest season rolls around. While your changes to the communal farm last month are too late to have much of an effect on the harvest this year, you feel confident that next year will be much more plentiful. As it is, the harvest is rather mediocre.

As you work on overseeing the harvest, a tax collector arrives from the Count. He is a sneering man, and he eyes your stores lustily. He loads up two carts worth of goods, probably about 25% of your stores. Your steward was out surveying for minerals when the collector arrived, so you were unsure whether this was an appropriate amount. By the time your steward returned that evening, the collector was already gone.

Upon asking Dent, he seems a bit miffed. "Perhaps that was a bit too large a tax, but I am sure the collector was instructed to push us around a bit. I doubt the Count looks kindly upon us." On the plus side, Dent excitedly explains that he has found what he believes to be a promising outcropping of rocks on your land, north of the river, that may hold valuable minerals.

This new lifts your spirits as you ride towards Carshire, seeking out unemployed archers to serve as trainers for your militia. You search for a week, and are mostly fruitless until your final day. You step into an inn and flop down on a stool, and are about to order an ale when a sinewy older man sits down next to you. You begin talking, and learn that he is a former bowman in the King's army, but currently working as a fletcher.

Hearing this, you propose that he come work as a trainer for your militia, in return for a plot of land and a home. He seems agreeable, and offers to bring several men in similar situations with him as well. You agree to this, and he states that he will show up next month after getting his affairs in order.


Year 1, November

A cold snap tells you that winter is on the way. You consider a trip to see Sir Denton, but decide that with the unseemly fellows lazing about on your land, your time would be better spent arranging for militia training to begin. Five archers arrive from the town and set up shop on the parcel of land you designated for them. After a short discussion, they also decide to set up a small bowyer's shop operating out of the house on the land.  In effect, the house has become a bare bones barracks and armory.

You go to your people looking for volunteers for a militia, and with the harvest in for the year, you find ten volunteers. They begin training with the archers on bows and staffs. They have a long way to go, but they are working at it. Of course, they will most likely return to the fields in the spring (unless you find a way to compensate them somehow), but they will train over the winter nonetheless.

After putting her off for this long, you attempt to devote some resources to building a brewery for Marge Kannity. The wooden building itself is built, but your realize that you lack the capital to purchase a still for her, or the resources to build her one. She is quite upset that she cannot start brewing, although she appreciates the shelter for the upcoming winter.

With the ground hardening, you decide that it would be too difficult to get to work on any permanent defenses at the moment. You feel that this winter will be a cold one.


Year 1, December

Your intuition was correct. December is harsh and cold, with driving snow for most of the month. You find yourself huddling in blankets at night, fretting that this is no way for a lord to live. However, your people are not much better off, and they seem to appreciate the way you struggle with them.

They see you traveling from house to house, checking on firewood supplies, and they smile and nod. When you catch word of a few families that were sheltering in the woods, you offer them run-down farmhouses that were sitting abandoned. Similarly, a few new huts are put up in the main town, and the population nearly doubles, reaching 15 souls as the dead of winter sets in.

As you go about these tasks, you notice that people are smiling at you more and dropping their head slightly in respect on seeing you. You feel as if you are beginning to win the people over. They begin to talk with you about their wants and needs more freely. At the moment, many are pleased with the development in the area and simply wish for it to continue safely and surely.

During one dark night, you bring up your inability to read to your steward, Mr. Dent. He agrees to start working with you on your reading an writing during the dark winter months, when not much else can be done. Using a ragged copy of some long-forgotten decree of the Duke that your steward has on him, you begin the difficult work of learning these important skills.

The work is grueling, but by the end of the month, you have begun to recognize simple, common words like "and," "the," "of" and "for." You also have managed to learn how to sign your name by rote memorization. This will be a long task, but you are pleased at the progress you've made.


Year 2, January

January rolls around, and you continue to check up on your people. Winter continues to be very harsh. You continue your lessons, making continued progress. Mr. Dent is impressed by the speed of your progress. You master your alphabet this month, although your writing is still crude.

You consult with some of the locals, and decide to set up some basic snares around the outskirts of town to catch game. To your surprise, you manage to snag many rabbits, squirrels, and even a young deer. This food greatly helps out your somewhat flagging stores, and you don't hear of anyone starving this month. With this success, several men devote much of their time to this pursuit, becoming novice trappers.

You also decide it would be appropriate to check up on the bowyer and the potters. The bowyer has been having difficulty producing good bows, as none of the wood chopped prior to his arrival was selected with bows in mind. They are fine enough to train your militia with, but they are shameful quality and would not pass muster for real battle. The potters are faring much better, and there are several pieces that catch your eye as possible gifts for visiting your neighbors.

One night, however, you awake to hear a banging on your front door. It is not a knocking. It sounds like someone is trying to kick it down. What do you do?

Roleplaying section, go!


Startled, you grab your sword from where it is hanging, near a post on your bed. You stalk towards the front door and wait a moment to catch the patterns of the blows. When you have it, you reach over and pull the door open right before one of the blows would have landed, sending a dark mass of a man stumbling through the now open portal.

You rush towards him, miraculously controlling your blade and placing it right against his neck. The man flinches, then drops a club that he was carrying. He stares into your eyes, and you see desperation in them. "Please sir, mercy... mercy..." He practically whimpers.

He stutters when you question him. "M'lord, times have been tough. I was once... a great man. But that bastard Count ruined me! HE RUINED ME!" A glaze of anger flashes over his eyes, which quickly subsides when you give him a rough reminder that you hold a sword to his throat. He calms slightly, but still simmers.

"I was a great merchant captain. The bastard count seized my stores and burned my ships on some trumped up charge. Truth was, I had too much power, and he couldn't deal with it."

"I've been on my own for the last two months. Living in the woods. I saw this house, and the smoke coming from the chimney... I just snapped." A tear comes to his eye. "Please forgive me, my lord. I swear that you won't regret it."

He starts sobbing as you remove the sword from his neck. You give him a moment to compose himself, explain that this night did not happen, then tell him that there is a market in the town that might be useful for a man of his talents. You ask his name.

"Irlof, my lord. Victor Irlof." He thanks you profusely before heading back out into the cold night. You have trouble getting back to sleep that night, but you see him the next morning in the market, talking quietly with a few of the potters. He catches your eyes and nods to you, a half smile on his face.

End roleplaying segment. Proceed with suggestions for February (notable for being your birthday).


Year 2, February

The cold from January extends further into the year than you expect, and you find yourself once again riding from household to household, making sure that everyone has what they need to get by. Thankfully, everyone is fine, with the occasional house needing some support from the food stores, which are starting to run low again. On the plus side, staying atop your horse in deep drifts of snow has actually improved your riding skills somewhat.

Although you had plans to do construction on the dock this month, the weather is simply too ghastly to fathom it. Likewise, you still lack the materials or coins to purchase a still for the brewery, and the market is likewise not able to be improved with the ground frozen solid.

Your reading progress has hit a bit of a wall, and you feel as if you've hardly learned anything at all this month. Mr. Dent suggests perhaps you could purchase a book designed to teach reading in the spring, as he feels that the subject material certainly isn't helping you along.

You go to the barracks, to attempt to set up a watch, but you find that without proper winter furs, it would be murderous to station men outside all night. You manage to get your men to agree to send out two patrols every night to loop through the town, but there will be no men on permanent watch until the weather breaks.

You make contact again with Mr. Irlof, and inquire into his housing. You find that he has bunked together with several of the potters, and he has some grand ideas for the market in the spring. He will be riding to nearby towns to attempt to secure business, and he hopes that he can use some of the town's pottery for trading. You mention your desire to acquire a still for the brewery, and he nods his head in agreement. You feel that this man will be very useful to you in the coming year.

You also turn twenty. There is little fanfare, as you are far too busy to celebrate.


Year 2, March

The weather breaks abruptly, and spring is in the air. You decide to take a journey to your neighbor to the north, leaving the archers to watch the town (your militia men return to their fields for planting, leaving you with just the five). You also instruct Mr. Wood and Mr. Irlof to work on the market and the dock, with your steward overseeing the work. They seem enthusiastic, and you feel confident leaving them be for the moment.

You leave with a selection of pottery and Ms. Kannity, as well as a few potters. You head up to Hemswood Abbey without any issue, riding through Sir Denton's land. A few militiamen stop and question you, but not too closely. You ask them to set up a meeting with their lord for your return trip, and they agree.

At the abbey, however, the monks are not as receptive. They refuse to allow you into the brewery, citing "trade secrets." Marge gets into a shouting match with one of them, and they refuse to even consider selling you a still. You are unable to even secure a meeting with the Abbot to discuss trade, as he is on a pilgrimage and the presiding monk lacks the authority to allow trading. Altogether, it was a poor day.

You return to Sir Denton's land, and ride into the main village there. The potters break off, along with Ms. Kannity, and work on setting up some trade with the villagers. You also instruct them to keep a look out for a surveyor or a shipwright. Sir Denton lives in a nice manor house, and you are welcomed there warmly. When you enter his chambers, you see two men, both wearing padded leather jerkins. The older man introduces himself as Sir Denton, while the younger is Sir Percival, who rules a small patch of land across the river from Sir Denton. They receive you politely, and accept gifts of your finest pottery. What would you like to discuss with them?

Roleplaying section, go!

Spoiler: Sir Stone (click to show/hide)

Age: 20
Somewhat literate
Untrained Swordswman
Very Poor Rider

Spoiler: Town (click to show/hide)

17 Citizens
Modest Inn with kitchen
Bare bones Market
Modest Communal Kiln
Rickety Dock
Brewery (Unfinished)
Two nightly patrols

Discuss why our area was so poor, and the suspicious people dwelling around our village, as well as the aspiring military we've cooked up, and if they know any capable people in need of work.

Sir Denton listens to your questions, seemingly taking your measure. "Your lands were simply unsupervised for too long. The Count... has his interests, and they mostly fall within his capital. Without a lord to marshal them, your people simply lived their lives, never aspiring to much beyond sustenance."

"As to the brigands, I don't have much of an answer for you there besides the obvious. They respect strength. There was no strength in your lands until recently, it appears. Show them who is in control."

Sir Percival takes an interest when you describe your militia. "Yes. That sounds like a good start. But, you seem to lack any foot troops. Your archers could be dangerously exposed in a skirmish." He gives you a long look. "I see from the way you carry your sword that perhaps you are not too familiar with it..." He pauses, weighing you for a moment. "If you'd like, I could send you a squire to... assist you in learning to fight as a knight. Would that be agreeable?"

When you ask about people in need of work, they exchange glances for a moment before turning back to you. "Yes. We've been shunting a disgruntled miner back and forth between us for the last few months. Perhaps you could take him off our hands?"

"You both have been too kind good sirs. A squire would be of great benefit, i want to be able to defend and protect those under my care, and my skills are sadly lacking, as you describe. There is potential on my land for mining, so a miner would also be most welcome. If you could indulge me further, what is it that this miner takes issue with? Perhaps he could be soothed."

"The miner is an industrious man, when he has a task, but he can take to the drink fiercely. As neither of us have much in the way of minerals on our lands, he has been... disruptive. If he can stay busy, that will be for the best."

The meeting goes on for a while longer, and you talk a bit of the area. Nothing much new comes up; there is little conflict at the moment, and people are optimistic. Do you have anything else to ask them before you take your leave and return to your lands?

"That should be all. Thank you for indulging me, i hope that we will all remain amicable neighbors. One last thing; why is the count so taken to the drink? What is his story?"

Sir Denton fields your final question. "The Count is... well... not the ideal of courtly virtue. His father was a great man. But the apple has fallen far from the tree. Sometimes growing up in privilege can spoil a child. The Count is one example thereof. His skill in battle means the Duke doesn't bother with him much, though."

You nod, and soon take your leave. The miner and squire will be joining you next month. Your potters set up a few trade agreements with some local clothiers, but didn't find a surveyor or shipbuilder. Your return journey is quite interesting; on the side of the road, you notice a perfectly good oaken shield, which you pick up for yourself.

When you return, you are startled to find the dock has been completely rebuilt, and is now much nicer. You could safely anchor up to four boats there now, and there is even a small wooden winch built for unloading purposes. The market, likewise, now has several permanent stalls built, all of fine quality. What would you like to do for the month of April?

[Gervassen]

Year 2, April

You spend April mostly concentrating on yourself. When the squire, Alan Alanson, arrives, you begin working on a program of fitness in order to prepare yourself for swordsmanship lessons. This goes well, and you feel yourself growing stronger by the day.

At the same time, you continue your literacy training with the Steward, and also begin working on your etiquette. Progress is still somewhat stilted, but you feel you are making progress. You can now read most of the words on the page, albeit extremely slowly.  You really do need another piece of literature to expand this knowledge.

You reward Mr. Wood and Mr. Irlof with new titles, Overseer of Construction and Master of the Market, which please them greatly. You speak with Mr. Irlof, and he explains that the local area is flush with pottery, cloth, beer, and food. There is a hole in the market for leathergoods and metal goods, however.

Feroshire continues to grow, and nearly 20 citizens live in the confines of the small village now. You cast about looking for people to join a militia, but find no one. Your lack of ability to pay well mean that you can't attract those without a trade, and the recent boom of construction and farming have left few itinerants on your land.

The miner also arrives, a man by the name of Curtis Stumpf. He is sent to inspect the rocky outcroppings, and his initial findings indicate the presence of iron, as well as traces of silver. There is also a good likelihood of granite.


Year 2, May

Planting is mostly finished for the spring crop, and now the farms are mostly doing the daily drudge of watering, weeding, and pest control. You spend much of your time on the communal farm, which seems to be running fairly well. Most people spend a bit of time there if they are not working on one of the construction projects taking place.

The communal farm is upgraded with small rock walls to denote plots, and the soil is enriched with a compost. The parcel farms continue to improve as well, as your tenants begin investing in their land.

You are interested in setting up a small mining operation, but you lack the manpower to devote many resources to it at the moment. You send the miner to start exploring on his own, with one or two assistants as you can spare them. He comes back at the end of the month even more convinced that the rocky outcropping indicates a strong likelihood of iron, granite, and silver.

Trade starts to pick up, with clothiers arriving from Sir Denton's land for your Saturday markets. Your town is growing as well, with a few more people joining the village from the countryside.

You continue your literacy lessons, and are surprised when Mr. Dent surprises you with a small bound book. It is your first possession, a copy of the New Testament transcribed at the local Abbey. You ask him how he could afford such a thing, and he simply demurs, mentioning an old friend that had no need of it any longer. With the new material, your lessons progress well this month, and you feel more confident by the day.

Your fitness lessons continue as well, although you have little time to devote to them between your other endeavors. You begin some simple swordplay exercises, but you are still far below even your squire in skill. Your fitness seems to be at a plateua, as well. Still, you feel confident that you are making some progress.


Year 2, June

June is mild and beautiful. You spend your days lounging on the docks, waving down passing merchant barges and holding long, thoughtful discussions with the captains that land here. They have been taking notice of Feroshire for the last few months, and many of them are impressed. They sample your pottery, and come away impressed. You ask them what you could do to attract more trade, and they mention two things. More goods, and more stability.

Several mention those brigands that are encamped north of you, and that they are generally skeptical of putting ashore so near such unsavory characters. Otherwise, it is simply the paucity of goods you have available for trade at the moment that seems to be holding you back. However, many of the merchants do seem to enjoy your quirky little inn and its well cooked food, which is a plus. As is, several mention that they plan on stopping here in the future, which is encouraging.

You work hard on the communal farm, improving the irrigation canals and further demarcating the plots. It is now very acceptable, and seems to be attracting attention from the parcel farmers, who come to you for ideas and techniques. The fields are flourishing.

On a whim, you decide to cast about your land for some grapes, with the notion of making wine. You've only seen grapes a few times in your life, but you are shocked and pleased to find a few bushes growing naturally across the river in your land. With care and effort, you could easily set up a winery. If you knew someone who knew how to do it.

You ask Irlof about his ship, hoping to get a lead on a shipwright. Unfortunately, he didn't build his ship, but inherited it from his father. However, he tells of a great shipbuilding industry in the Duke's capital (your lord's lord, who you have not yet met). He indicates that would be a good place to look. When you ask him about a still, he notes that you already know the Abbey has them, you just don't have enough money to make them want to sell you one. He also suggests possibly looking in the towns for enough tin, brass, or copper, and someone who could work the metals.

With your increasing literacy, you realize that your lands have a definite boundary, and it may not be wise to have your trappers wandering off your land. You give them a small seal, painstakingly written in your own hand, that indicates they are allowed to take game on your land, and have your steward explain where your land ends. An intelligent move to ward off future ills.

The miner states that setting up the mine would take a good portion of the village's population at the moment, unless you hired a crew. He will continue to survey, and await further orders.

Just thought I'd clarify: this year, you'll start gaining your own personal wealth in October, when you collect taxes. Then you can start buying some stuff, if you'd like... or saving. Your call.


Year 2, July

Summer is on your lands. It is very hot this month. Work in the fields is mostly watering and weeding, leaving you basically free to do as you will. You instruct Irlof to work in the market, but trade is slow in the heat, and he doesn't expect much besides local trading. You also tell Wood that he is to construct an obstacle course out at the barracks, and he gets to work.

Armed with the knowledge that the brigands are infringing on your growing town, you set yourself about the task of clearing them out. After some discussions with your squire, you decide to start by finding a veteran to be the captain of your militia and train up some infantry to go along with your bowmen.

You ride to Sir Percival's land to begin your search, asking people you pass what they know of the rugged bandits. The general story seems to be that they keep to themselves, confining their banditry to passing barges and merchants and leaving the people alone outside of the occasional shakedown. Their size seems uncertain. You hear as few as ten, and as many as thirty. The top number would be most troublesome.

As you arrive, you begin riding from town to town, seeking out a skilled warrior. Much to your delight, you almost immediately stumble upon a man with the hard look of a soldier about him working at a local mill. You find out that he was once a soldier, and he is delighted by the opportunity to work under you as your Captain. His name is Tor Bismith, and he is a skilled spear user. After consulting with your squire, you decide that the spear will be an easy weapon to produce and train in given your relative poverty, and decide to take him on. He only asks for a homestead, food, and a small portion of pottery each year. This seems reasonable, so you agree.

The ride back is uneventful, and you spend the rest of the month trying to drum up new recruits for your militia. You tell the people that, if they join the military, their land will be worked by a neighbor, and the neighbor will receive a percent of the profit. The militia and their family will be fed off of the communal plot from now on, you decree. People seem skeptical of this new arrangement, but five new recruits show up to train as spearmen, and five of the archers you had been training decide to come on full-time.

Still, it is a start, and the training begins. You work with the men during the day, playing at the sword and riding with your squire while the new men work with wooden spears and the archers shoot and spar. The obstacle course is run. You feel as if you are getting better with the blade, and you feel well. After a few more weeks, you are much more confident than when you began, and in better shape to boot. The heat of the summer has forged you into a stronger warrior, although you still have far to go to be considered competent.


Year 2, August

As August drags on, you keep knocking around an idea in your head for a harvest tournament for the common man. You imagine that October would be the best month to implement it, after the harvest and taxes are collected, but before winter sets in. You put the idea on hold as you tend to more pressing matters.

You set your bowyer and Captain Tor to work on creating effective spears without any metal, with limited results. They tell you that they will continue working on it, but for now, the  men train with what are effectively just staffs. The bows the bowyer has made are improving in quality, and would now be feasible for use against lightly armored opponents.

With a lull in the field work before the harvest, you send some mine to the miner for labor. The results are encouraging. The miner oversees some clearing away of dirt, and maps out a large area that he believes contains primarily granite. With a small investment from you for picks, he could have a supply of the rock available for use. He is still convinced that deeper down, there would be veins of iron and silver as well.

You work hard on your swordsmanship this month with your squire, making impressive progress. You feel that you now know enough not to harm yourself, but you are by no means an expert. Diligence will be required.

Irlof explains to the merchants that the bandits will be dealt with, but they still appear to be mostly skeptical. The town continues to grow, however, with people drawn towards the stability you have created. Some of the new arrivals, thankful for your rule, have volunteered to repair your house, bringing it up to the standard of a normal farmhouse. You will be grateful when the wind no longer whips through it in the winter.

You instruct the trappers to set aside some furs for militia uniforms, and by the end of the month you have enough fur to cloth your tiny force, as well as yourself. You finally have your first set of armor; you feel more like a knight than ever before.

Unfortunately, you come down with what seems to be a nasty cold at the end of the month. You spend a few days vomiting up anything you try to eat, and are left weak as a result. You feel that this may affect your fitness for at least another month as you recover.


Year 2, September

Harvesting begins this month, with most of your resources devoted to the fields. The harvest goes well, with most of the fields producing as well as you expected. Your promise of a tournament next month to celebrate seems to have inspired hard work.

With your health still recovering, you decide to focus mainly on your reading this month. You progress slowly, but feel as if you are still improving. Practice makes perfect, after all.

As you are unable to train yourself this month, you send your squire to work with the militiamen. As this is the first year that you have had a standing militia during harvest time, they seem mostly distracted, and some even sneak away to ensure that their families have all the help they need with the harvest. You decide to go easy on them, but make sure that they return to their duties when you find them.

You continue to send guardsmen through town on watch. All seems well, until you are awoken one night a bit after the guards change over. Apparently, the men on patrol didn't return to the barracks on time. When they were searched for, they were found in a scuffle with some of the brigands. Amazingly, they had managed to drive off several men and capture one, without any casualties of their own.

The night is brisk as you walk to the barracks, where the brigand is held prisoner. What would you like to do?

Roleplaying, go!


"So... May I know the name of those who would attack my people?"

You enter the room dramatically, asking the name of the captured brigand with a flair.

He is bound hand and foot, and has a large bump on his forehead. He stammers at you.

"Curtis Stevenson." He mumbles. Tor glares at him, then thumps him in the stomach with swift punch. "You address Sir Stone as, M'lord, son, or there's more where that came from."

You ask him about the attack, and he mentions that the brigands are low on food. Tor interrupts, explaining that he has already gotten the man to tell him that there are 18 bandits total.

Pause as if in thought for a moment. "Who is leading your band, Curtis? I wish to hold a meeting between us. If I were to send a messenger, would he come back to me alive? Keep in mind, your future depends on the answer."

Curtis frowns. "M'lord Stone, our leader is a hard man by the name of Ox. And these are hard times. I can't promise your messenger would live, although..." He thinks for a moment. "If I were to accompany him and vouch for him... I believe you could get your message to him safely."

He looks up to you, a flicker of hope in his dull eyes.

"If I were to let you go, with a message, accompanied by guards, would that be satisfactory? Tell me, can... Ox, can he read the written word?" Turning to speak to a guard. "Come, get me some clean cloth and alcohol, let's patch these wounds and ready him for his journey home." Turning once again to Curtis. "If I gave you a message could you remember it word for word and repeat it?"

You brush off Curtis' offer, but decide it would be wise to send him along with some militia for guards. Curtis stares at you as you ask him if Ox can read the written word. "I don't rightly know, m'Lord. It never came up in our line of work."

As you have the guards clean him up, you tell him about your offer: join the community or be driven off or killed. His ears perk up when you mention working in the mines. "That's decent work, it is. A few of the lads have mined in their pasts, so I've heard..."

When you ask him if he could remember a message, Curtis rubs his head. "To be honest, m'Lord, my head is a bit fuzzy right now. Took a right solid thump from one of your boys, I did."

"No matter, I will have a guard of mine deliver the message." Write out a short contract of white peace, offering citizenship, equality, and employment for Ox's band if they will drop their arms and offer their loyalty to yourself, Sir Stone. Explain the letter and it's contents to the guard and tell him to, if they do not understand the letter to explain it to them.

"Tor, may I speak to you for a moment in private?" Slip out for a bit, speaking under your breath. "I need you to describe a location to me so you can set up a choice ambush, incase this meeting between him and I goes awry. Please inform the messenger guardsman of this location and a time when the sun is in your favor. That is when the meeting will be held. Thank you, friend."

Stepping back in. "Ready yourself, boys. We move on the morrow. Curtis, I can assure you, you will be returned unmolested." Offer a hand for a shake.

You go about your business, writing up the short contract. Your writing is cramped and unnatural, and you wisely instruct a guardsman in the contents of the message. Your squire wanders off to ready a cart of food for the brigands.

You speak with Tor, who nods as you explain your plan to have a safe fallback. He describes a copse of trees rolling over two hills, with a game path running between them. You agree that it will make a fine fallback spot, and decide that early afternoon would give you an advantageous position of the sun.

Stepping back in, you tell Curtis that he will be returned along with the guardsman tomorrow. He shakes your proffered hand, seeming to mull over what has gone on. A bit of hope lingers in his eyes.

With your plans in hand, you retire for the night.

--------

The sun is a bit past noon overhead. You have already sent two spearmen along with Curtis and your contract for Ox and his men.  You, Tor, Alan, ten archers and the other three spearmen wait, unmounted, half your forces on each hill. You figure that your man had probably arrived by now. Time seems to crawl.

After what seems to be forever, you hear the crashing of a chase through the bush. You glance forward, and see one of your spearmen, stumbling and wounded, running in your direction. There is no sign of the other. Behind him hulks the largest man you've ever seen, carrying a spiked club. He leads a misfit band of brigands, at least a dozen of which stream out behind him. You see Curtis among them, glaring angrily at your spearman.

You have a choice... you think that your man will be run down before the mob reaches your ambush spot. You can charge out and try and save your man, or you can wait, hoping he reaches the ambush spot. What will you do?

Time seems to slow as the mob of men rush towards your spearman. You realize that you can't leave him strung out there alone to die, and give out a yell. Your archers, having turned towards the brigands, are ready, and they let loose a quick volley. It is brutally effective on the relatively unarmored brigands, felling six men and wounding the large one, whom you can only assume is Ox, in the arm. A few pause and duck behind trees, but there are still about eight coming your way, including Ox.

As you lack a horse at the moment, you instruct your infantrymen to rush forward and form a line. The three spearmen plus Tor make the center, with you on one flank and Alan on the other. You reach your stumbling man, who rushes past you. Before your archers can get another volley off, the lead brigands crash into your lines.

The fighting is quick and fierce. Three brigands go down in the initial charge, but they follow up and engage you up close before your men can get another spear thrust in. Two of the spearmen go down to clubs and wicked, short axes, and you are clubbed hard in the shield. The blow glances off and catches your hip, stinging you badly. You stumble back, and find Ox has bowled over Tor and is standing over him.

You desire to engage the brute, but the man in front of you has your attention. You swing clumsily, and he strikes down on your sword with his club, sending the weapon flying out of your hand. You almost panic, but you slam into him with your shield and buy a moment as he stumbles back to recover your weapon.

As the man swings wildly at you, you stay low on one knee and cut out his stomach, guts spilling crudely onto the forest floor. You turn your attention back to the melee. Alan has sunk his sword into the shoulder of Ox, but you see that Tor's head has been smashed in to a pulp by the massive man's club. Alan is also bloodied and lying on the ground.

Roaring in anger, you charge the wounded giant, stabbing at him frantically. He smacks at your sword with his club, but you manage to hang on. He rears back to strike at you, but an arrow takes him in the thigh. He doubles over reflexively in pain, and you dispatch him with a swift chop to the neck.

Seeing their leader fall, the few remaining brigands break. The archers on the hills take care of a few more, but you are certain that several, maybe five, have escaped.

You take stock of the damage. Tor is dead. Alan merely had his wind knocked out, plus a few minor cuts. Out of your original five spearmen, only two remain alive. The archers are uninjured. Your hip stings fiercely. You sit for a moment, catching your breath. What now?

A few moments pass, as you assess the situation. You have Alan head back to the town to gather a cart for the dead. You also instruct him to have a runner sent to the nearest cathedral, most likely the one in Folesden, to fetch a priest. You also have him pass word to the potters to make up some markers for your fallen.

Alan heads off, and you prepare the bodies. You linger on Tor, trying to make him look presentable, but eventually give up. The forest is quiet now, save for a few birds. You grab some of the axes that fell in the conflict, and a few loose coins that you find laying about.

Soon the cart arrives, and you somberly make your way home. You will hold the funeral when the priest arrives, probably in October.


Year 2, October

October 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?


Year 2, November

November is mild this year, which suits you well, as you have a good deal of travelling planned. You bring Marge Kannity along, in order to pick out a still, as well as Irlof, who has become your de facto adviser in all things money and trade. Alan also accompanies you, wary of leaving you alone without a guard.

You head to the abbey first, where you find the monks much more amenable to selling you a still this time. They seem to have bought one too many last year, expecting more turnover in their stock than they had, and now have an extra one lying around. Irlof is able to negotiate an unbelievable price for it, and you purchase it without any issue. You send Marge back to Feroshire with it to start setting up shop.

You continue your journey towards Sir Denton's land, and you attempt to put in for a visit, but he is apparently off visiting his wife's family. You poke around in his town looking for a saw for a mill, but are unable to locate one. While you are in the area, you head to Sir Percival's land to check there. You almost immediately stumble across a logging camp, which incidentally has a few extra blades for sale. Irlof once again negotiates a stunningly good price, and you send him back to Feroshire with the blades and instructions for Wood to start drawing up plans.

While in the area, you decide to visit Sir Percival. Alan goes ahead, and when you arrive, the two men are sitting in the drawing room of his small estate. What would you like to talk about?

Roleplaying, go!


*bow*
"Good day, sir. I was passing by, so I thought it would be polite to meet you. How are you doing?"

"Ah, Sir Stone. I have been well since our last meeting. I have heard tell of your growing town and flourishing land. How have you been?"

"Mixed but over all well. I make this trip on accounts of business. I had intended to seek out a saw for my planned mill and a still to finish my meager brewery... My land has suffered it's first loss recently and the people still mourn, despite not speaking of it. I mention this because among the dead was my military advisor. Tell me sir, how did you come to meet your military advisor?

Sir Percival looks concerned as you mention the loss your people suffered. "Yes, Alan was speaking with me of your clash with those brigands just before you arrived. I can see how that would shake your people. I understand that it didn't exactly go to plan, but that your side prevailed."

"As far as my military advisor, I met him while campaigning with the King during the last war. I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your man."

"He died bravely, if those ruffians ever return i will be sure to deny them quarter. I would like to offer thanks for both your condolences and all of the help and advice you have offered. I suppose that many men at arms have found themselves short of work now that the war is over. Would it be precocious of me to try and fill my ranks from those now turned vagabond in your land?"

Sir Percival sits back, fingers steepled in thought. "Hmm... I know of a good man, a soldier who fought under me, who may be looking for work. But I haven't seen him around recently. I will put out feelers around town and send him your way if I can find him."

"You are very kind, and your help is appreciated, is there any service you in turn would ask of me?"

He thinks for a moment. "If I had done you any real service, perhaps I would ask a favor in return. Perhaps your favor can be to continue growing your land, so that my people may trade with yours and together we may grow prosperous."

"I want to ask you for one more advice Sir Percival. I am tired of a lonely life. I desire to have a spouse, to have sons that will continue my work. But I don't know where should I look for my second half"

"Ah, well that I can help with. I am hosting a feast in January that will have many eligible ladies in attendance. You are most welcome to attend. I have heard of men meeting their wives in many places, though... tournaments, dances, festivals. Just keep your eyes open."

He pauses, considering his next words. "And if what Alan says is true, perhaps you should improve personal house. I understand that a desirable home can be important for noble ladies..."

"Thank you very much."

You take your leave, and return home. The rest of the month passes without incident.

Suggestions for December, go!


Year 2, December

December is unusually mild this year, with no snow on the ground. The people are well-fed and sheltered given the mild weather, and the trappers continue to pull in game even in the winter.

Marge sets up her brewery, and even manages to start up her first batch of beer, even though it won't be ready for a couple of months.

You spend most of your time working on etiquette and rhetoric with your squire and steward. The progress is slow, but you started from nothing, so that is to be expected. You imagine that you would still offend most high-born people at a fancy dinner, and your rhetorical skills are less than eloquent.

With the river still unfrozen, you manage to entice some more merchants in for future trading. Word is that your land is growing in reputation as a spot for trading, and you expect that next year's markets will be even busier.

You continue to work on your house, but you have more or less done all the minor repairs that you can on it. The next step would be to spend your remaining money on furnishings, or to start saving up for a new house.


Year 3, January

At the start of the month, you head to Carshire and use the rest of your personal coin stash to purchase some sturdy yet reasonably fashionable clothing for the feast. While in town, you cast about looking for soldiers, but you can't find any during your short trip.

However, when you return home, you find a grizzled looking man waiting at your "manor." He goes by the name of Fin, and he explains that Sir Percival sent him your way. He is trained in most types of close combat, and he would be glad to serve as your Captain. After a brief conversation, he has impressed you enough that you offer him Tor's old house and tell him to get to work.

Along those lines, you once again put out the word that your are looking for militiamen. A handful answer your calls, but it is still quite sparse. The men begin training with spears under Fin's direction.

You also tell Wood to start researching plans for a sawmill running off the power of the river. He says that this may be a bit beyond his current skills, but he will work with Irlof to try and figure it out during the cold winter.

When the feast approaches, you set off to Sir Percival's land. You arrive without incident, and soon find yourself in a room with a number of other landed gentry from the area. You note Sir Percival, as well as Sir Denton. The women, simply put, are quite a sight. Growing up on the farm, you are used to women who work the fields, and these noblewomen are a different breed altogether.

However, three in particular stand out. A blonde with piercing green eyes sits by the fireplace, sipping a glass of red wine... a sultry brunette seems to hold court with a group of young men... and a fiery redhead seems to be trying to learn how to juggle from one of the bards.

As you have around an hour before the food is served, who would you like to talk to before the feast begins?

Roleplaying, go!

Spoiler: Town (click to show/hide)

Treasury - Empty
50 Citizens
Palisade (foundations only)
New Arrival Barracks
Modest Inn with kitchen
Growing Small Market
Growing Small Trade
Modest Communal Kiln
Modest dock
Brewery
Two nightly patrols

REDHEAD ALL THE WAY.

You take a few moments and observe the redhead, who seems to have caught your eye. She is quite miserable at juggling, but she seems to be enjoying herself. You walk up to her to compliment her on her "progress," and she smiles at you. A good start.

You spend a few minutes introducing yourself, and finding a bit out about her. Her name is Lady Marna, and she is the niece of the Duke, whom you haven't met yet. She is 17 years old, and she seems to be interested in your life story. She asks about your town and how you are taking to landed life, and generally seems interested in what you have to say.

You mention that you are still not quite comfortable in these types of social situations, and she nods her head. "Yes, I understand completely. I'd much rather be out hunting with my falcon."

As you get past the small talk of introductions, she nods towards the brunette holding court. "I'm surprised you didn't want to join the pack of wolves around the Count's daughter." She rolls her eyes. "She is seen as quite the catch amongst the courtiers, I'm told."

You chat amicably for a few more minutes, and you have a bit of time to ask her anything specific before you sit down. Would you like to do so?

"Hm. Yes. She does have quiet a few suitors. I have met the Count. I don't mean to speak ill, but if she is anything like her father... Well, lets just say I have seen the garden from which the flower has grown."

Comment on her sport saying that you have no women who hunt in your land. "Training a bird to hunt sounds remarkable. Tell me about your last hunt, M'lady."

Intrigued by falconry, you ask her how she started the practice. She gets a slightly forlorn look in her eyes as she speaks. "My fiance... my former fiance gave me my first falcon several years ago."

You can't help but give her a questioning look, as you are not exactly a master of tact yet. She continues on somberly. "Yes, I was engaged to wed Count Fursten. He... he was killed in the recent fighting... two years and three months back, to be precise."

Recovering quickly, you offer your condolences and smoothly move onto another subject. As dinner is called for, she gives you a warm smile and says she hopes to see you on the dance floor. You flush slightly, as you don't know any courtly dances, but nod and smile in return.

At the dinner, you are seated next to Sir Denton. As you eat, the talk turns to your conversational companion of a few moments ago. "Yes, a sad story about that one. Her mother is the youngest sister of Duke Erran. Her fiance was killed in the same battle as her father, and her mother has been in shock ever since. Lives on her brother's estates, now. Hasn't spent a lick of time finding a suitable match for the lass. Quite a shame that such a beauty is unwed. If I were a younger man..." He glances momentarily at his wife across the room, and trails off.

Would you like to ask Sir Denton anything at dinner?

Let's be amicable, ask him how he's fared as of late. Ask about current events. If there is a lull ask him about people worth knowing (at the party and) in general.

Ask to sir Denton if there is any way to learn how to dance within the next hour.

You speak with Sir Denton for a few minutes over dinner, inquiring into his affairs. "Oh, my boy, I've been quite well. I managed to bag a beast of a boar this past autumn, and my son is nearly old enough to become a page. The lands basically run themselves, I find."

After a few more minutes, you find yourself asking about important people at the party. "Well, there are a few other knights here, but they live in the next County over, so I doubt you'll have much interaction with them. I see you've already met the Duke's niece. The brunette is the Count's daughter, and the blonde girl over there is the daughter of a wealthy merchant from Folesden."

When you ask if the Duke or Count is present, he shakes his head. "Not at a function of this level. They certainly were invited, but graciously declined, lest they overshadow their host. It is quite standard, really."

You jokingly (but not really jokingly) ask him if he could teach you how to dance in an hour. He laughs quite heartily. "My boy, I was never much of a dancer. I imagine it will be some sort of group dance, so just try and follow along and do what the other men are doing, I suppose."

With that, you finish the dinner. The musicians return, and the tables are moved to the side of the room. Several young men line up on one side of the dance floor, and the young women do so on the other side. You manage to catch the Duke's niece glancing at you, but she quickly looks away and starts a conversation with her neighbor. Would you like to join them?

Well, risk dancing with her. Our own humiliation can't hurt the growing sympathy as much as "ignoring" her, right?

You walk up to the line of young men, and find a spot among them. You stand there, fidgeting slightly, when the music suddenly begins. The men bow, and you manage to catch on and blend in. The women curtsy back, and then the sides begin to trade off moves back and forth. First the men, then the women, one side and then the other.

You manage to catch on as the dance goes on, as the series of moves repeat after a few repetitions. The first dance goes on for a while, and then it switches speed to a quicker pace. The lines then come together, men and women swinging arm and arm in time, switching from partner to partner. Remarkably, you don't trip, fall, or blunder about at all. You might not have the particulars down, and you miss a move here or there, but your performance was passable if unremarkable. You even got to hook arms with Marna a few times, scoring a sweet smile from her as you swing past towards your next partner.

The evening progresses, with a few more dances which you perform as best as you can. When you make a mistake, there is a bit of laughter from some of the women, but you manage to project a confidence that belies your lack of skill. The evening is growing late, now, and the dancing has started to peter out. Marna is sitting by the side of the dance floor, chatting amicably with a young man who you haven't noticed before. Would you like to do anything else before retiring to you room for the evening?

Wander about and see if there are any conversations we might contribute anything meaningfully to.

You wander around a bit, jumping into a few conversations here and there. You manage to talk up the market in Feroshire to a few merchants that you meet, who promise to stop by in the spring.

In one of the conversations, you manage to ascertain that the man talking to Marna is in fact her younger brother, Ernst.

The night then winds down quite uneventfully. When morning arrives, the guests graciously thank their hosts. Per your steward's instruction, you brought a fine pot for Sir Percival, which you present him as a gift. You realize that, at some point, you'll have to find other gifts for your close friends.

The ride home is uneventful, and you have time to start planning for the next month. What will you do?

End roleplaying section. Hope that was fun.

[Gervassen]

Year 3, February

You return from the feast in good spirits, intrigued by your night chatting and dancing with Lady Marna. As the weather is still too cold for any serious construction, you spend the month of your birthday working on yourself.

First and foremost, you spend a good deal of time on your fitness and swordsmanship. You feel as if your real-life battle experience has given you new insights, and your swordsmanship seems to progress quite a bit. Alan says that you are about as skilled as the average swordsman, now. Your daily sparring gives you a good deal of fitness, as well, and you feel in better shape than ever.

Your second focus this month is on etiquette, and you spend many nights going over courtly interactions, styles, dances, and other such things with your steward. You feel more accomplished already, and your natural fitness means you remember the dances quite easily. You now know about as much as a young knight is expected to.

With this personal progress, you stop by to check in on Marge Kannity at the brewery. She is set up, and waiting for the first market of the year to start purchasing supplies with some of the seed money you lent her.

You think of asking your steward about Marna's family land and inheritance structure, but are still not certain if that is what you want to do. The month passes uneventfully otherwise.

I couldn't detect a clear preference one way or another for the scheming. So try and clarify that for me next turn. Also, yes, your parents died of some sickness before the war, which prompted you to join up. Nicely suggested, players.


Year 3, March

To get deep mines (i.e. minerals), you'll need seed money, which you'll slowly gain as the market grows, or when you collect taxes. You used the bulk of your cash from last year on clothes, mill blades, and a still. I will advise you if your money situation changes. As far as succession goes, default would be Agnatic-Cognatic Primogeniture in CK2 terms (oldest male son, then to female if no males), unless I specify otherwise.

With March comes the start of spring, and the planting season. You attack the problems facing the town with renewed energy. This year, you plan on getting two large crops out of the ground, one in early summer, and one for the traditional harvest. This requires intense work, but it seems to be working so far.

You instruct Wood to work on the palisade, and to start framing out the mill. He still doesn't have the technical skills to put the machinery together, but he can build the building. The palisade is about half done now, even if it is quite flimsy still.

Ten new citizens arrive in your town, and you get the feeling that the population on your land is growing. You have some of the new arrivals start working at the mines, and some of them are instructed to work as masons, fitting together loose stone from the mines for a paving project you are trying out at the market. It goes reasonably well, and the central market area is paved out by the end of the month. You will wait to see how it holds up before paving roads, although that is definitely on your mind.

Along those lines, you put up some picture signs by the main road, indicating your inn, market, and port. These seem to draw in new merchants, and your market continues to expand. You take a very small portion of each merchant's profits on each Saturday market as a fee for their participation. At this point in time, it is quite meager, but you imagine it will grow in the future.

Your personal time is spent working with Fin. You want your men to be tough and fit, even if you lack advanced weaponry. Your spearmen and archers are now regulars, of average skill. Your veterans, however, will need much nicer facilities or more combat to progress further. Five new militiamen have joined, as well, and they are waiting for your instruction as to what weapon they should take up. The reserve archers, excited by your newfound focus on the military, join up full time as well.

How shall you tackle April?


Year 3, April

As April rolls around, you spend some time gathering some grape vines for use in the communal plot. You instruct your farmers to take special care of them, as you imagine they could become very valuable some day in the future. They seem to transport well for the most part, although the farmers worry about what a cool winter may do to their growth.

You search the newcomers for a mechanic, and are surprised to find a man who has some familiarity with mills among the new tenants on your lands. You immediately invite him to start drawing up plans for the watermill, which he believes can be completed in a month or two if you work hard on it. While you have the blades already, he wants to know what you will be primarily using the mill for. Cutting lumber, processing grains, or another task?

You spend your remaining time with the militia, training your shield skills. You have the new recruits take up the axes culled from the dead brigands, and you have Mr. Wood build some crude shields for your infantry. You spend most of your time working on your blocking, and it goes surprisingly well. By the end of the month, you have some small amount of skill with it.

The palisade is also completed this month, providing your growing town a sense of security. Several more families move into the town this month, an the population is nearing 70.

How would you like to proceed next month?


Year 3, May

Early in May, you set some plans into motion, as you wish to travel in search of a shipwright. You have a hilly parcel of land near the communal farm designated as a vineyard, and instruct your farmers to begin cultivating grapes there. You also instruct Mr. Wood and the mechanic to start work on the lumber mill.

You also check in with Marge Kannity, who has a few small casks of beer on hand now. Her son, who is now nearly a year old, toddles around as you sample the beer. It is quite tasty, actually, and she offers you a cask for your personal use. You thank her, and have it sent to your house.

With those plans set in motion, you set out with Alan and begin searching nearby towns for an unattached shipwright. Your travels take you by the river, stopping in most villages. After a few stops, you happen upon a small shipyard, and strike up a covert conversation with the most senior apprentice, a man by the name of Morgan. He seems to know his stuff, and he is trapped under an overbearing master who refuses to promote him.

While you lack the money to set up a shipyard now, you tell him that you plan on putting one together in the near future. He tells you that he would love to work as your shipwright, and you strike an agreement. You will feed and house him, and build a shipyard by the end of the year. In turn, he will work to build ships for you, in addition to private work that will benefit him (which he will pay a small tax to you on). He tells his master of the arrangement, and the master reluctantly gives his blessing. You get the feeling that it was your intervention that motivated his decision.

You keep an eye out for books on your travels, but you don't find any in the small river towns you pass. When you return to your lands, you are met by Fin and Mr. Dent, who inform you that your liege lord has called up your levy. You are to march in strength to the Count's lands, where he is mustering forces to deal with rebels. What shall you do?


You marshal your forces, leaving the newest archer recruits to defend your town in your absence. You leave orders to Wood to finish the mill and start lumber harvesting, Irlof to work the market, and your steward to watch over anything else that comes up, including the new summer harvest and second planting.

You mount up, as does Alan, while your captain leads the troops. You have ten archers, ten spearmen, and five axmen, all of varying abilities. You travel to the Count's land, and when you arrive, you find about two hundred men camped around Folesden. You instruct your men to set up camp, and head for the command tent.

Inside, you find Count Foles deep in the drink. He wears a stained red and gold tabbard, and is dandling a buxom serving woman on his knee.  You also see Sir Denton, wearing a chainmail shirt, and Sir Percival, in studded leather armor. The two knights are deep in conversation with two other men, who you have not met yet. One wears a padded leather jerkin and has hard features, while the second is an older man with wise eyes.

Foles bellows when you enter. "About damn time you arrived, Sir Rock. These wastrels are in the process of forming a plan to crush the bastard rebels." He gestures to the group with his cup. "Go on, then."

You walk over to the group, and are quickly introduced to the two other men. The tough looking one is mayor of Curbiston, John Jefferson, and the older man is the Count's marshall, Sir Uriel Lope. They quickly get you up to speed. The rebels overthrew and slew their master, a knight by the name of Sir Joffin. They are estimated to have between one and two hundred men at arms, likely of dubious training and equipment. They are several days travel from here. Now that you have arrived, the planning begins.

How do you suggest the situation is handled?


"Good morning, gentlemen. Do we know their armaments? How many will be rabble, do you estimate? And what are their fortifications, that we know of?"

Sir Lope speaks up. "The rebellion is being led by Sir Joffin's militia. We estimate that roughly fifty of them will be well-armed and drilled, with the remainder being no more than farmers hastily drafted and pressed into service. The militia was mostly pikemen and spearmen, if I recall correctly."

"Mm. I see. What do we currently know about their fortifications? I have ten archers, some quite good and others closer to the moderate side, do you suggest a mass archer rank providing covering fire as we rush? Do they have any cavalry?

"Sir Joffin's land is mostly flat farmland, but he did maintain a small fort on a hill. However, I understand that it was burned to the ground during the initial rebellion. So they may use the hill for archers, but I doubt they have anything more than makeshift fortifications on the hill at this point. We will most likely end up using your archers for a few volleys before we crash in with our horse.

"As far as I know, they are unlikely to have any mounted troop. Count Foles has traditionally supplied the cavalry contingent in our forces, so none of the rest of the Knights underneath him ever developed much beyond light horse."

"So what is the current plan?"


"Well, as of now, given that we don't know their exact disposition, we will march in force to their land. We will ask for their surrender. If they fail to provide it, we will deploy for battle. Archers will loose a few volleys, light cavalry will keep them penned in, then heavy cavalry will charge. Spears will protect the archers, while our other foot will advance behind the heavy cavalry charge to mop them up."

Why was the rebellion started?

"The rebellion, I believe, was started in response to..." His voice drops. "Sir Joffin was not a very effective steward of the land, and he was a cruel man. I imagine most of his subjects were glad to see him go, and are now working with the militia simply out of self preservation."


With the tentative plans decided, the war council convenes. The host mills about for a day or two, as Count Foles isn't quite prepared to march, but gets on the road by the third day. The going is slow. Heavy rains begin, and continues intermittently. What should have been a two day journey stretches out to three, and then four.

The host itself is quite impressive. Count Foles rides at the head of around 35 heavy cavalrymen, all awash in red and gold. About twice that number of light cavalry scout around the force. Archers make up about a quarter of the force, and the remainder is split between spearmen and other infantry.

You arrive late in the morning on the fourth day at the foot of a plain, hemmed in on one side by a river and the other by swampland. You see, off in the distance, a hill rising. Men mill about on the hill, clutching bows, peeking in between stakes driven into the ground. Behind the hill is a city, similar in size to Curbiston. Two large blocks of pikemen are drawn up to either side of the hill, and several horsemen mill about the flanks, along with what looks to be farmers with crude weaponry.

What would you like to do?


They are fortified, so drawing them out is a good idea. Standard tactic is having a soft center and harder flanks, so the enemy charge straight to pierce your ranks, and then you retreat and circle them.


Seeing the situation, you approach the Sir Lope with a plan. "Sir Lope. Perhaps we can modify our original plan... I would suggest placing the strength of our forces on the flanks. We could send archers forward to entice them away from the hill, and then crash in from the sides as they leave their fortifications."

Sir Lope considers it for a moment. "I'll run it by the Count, but I like it."

A few minutes pass, and then Sir Lope returns. "The Count is amenable to your plan, but... he insisted that, since it was your plan, you lead your archers out."

Negotiations commence that day, and last only a few hours. They are unfruitful. In the early afternoon, your forces are called up to battle. You are told to lead your troops out front, loose several volleys, and then retreat back when the trap is sprung.

Any final plans or strategies before you step out?


With the die cast, you lead your men out front. A few other squads of archers have been placed under your command, as well as a few dozen more spearmen for screening. The other elements of the army form up on your wings, in curved lines towards the hills.

You hoist your shield and began advancing. You quite cleverly thought to assign each archer a spearman, who straps his spear to his back and uses his shield to protect the archer as best he can. The men seem a bit nervous, but the veterans among them steel their nerves. The rebels seem anxious. You spot a man in chainmail atop the hill, shouting orders at archers who are pulling out their bows.

You reach the correct range, and give orders to begin firing in squads. The arrows fly true, raking into the archers on the hills and the pikemen squares arranged in front of you. Return fire is sporadic, and mostly inaccurate. You see a few of the conscripted farmers melting away from the battle, back towards the town.

After a few minutes, it is clear that your forces are superior archers, and the man in mail shouts out an advance. The pikemen begin a brisk march towards your force. You yell to pull back, firing intermittently as you do so. The pikemen are closing in on you, and nearly there, when a massive cavalry charge slams into both their flanks simultaneously.

Their formations fall into disarray. Your other men have moved up to join you, while the archers continue to fire on the enemy's rear ranks. You can either charge back in, hold off, or choose another course of action. What will you do?


Rally our men and attack from another angle if possible. Perhaps if we are lucky we can capture the leader.


You gather your men around you, and, seeing a hole in the enemy lines, you pull back slightly then loop around the melee. You find yourself at the bottom of the hill, which is still occupied by a few archers, a few swordsmen, as well as the mail-wearing man. Your archers begin loosing, taking out most of the remaining enemy archers. Your spearmen form up in a two-deep line, shields up to deflect arrows, while your axmen range about near you and Alan.

With a few arrows raining down, you advance as quickly as you can towards the hill. When you reach the bottom, you scramble up the sides, easily ducking between the stakes. Your men engage with the forces arrayed against them, and the battle is swift. Your overwhelming numbers mean you have little trouble taking down the opposition. You get in a few hacks with your sword, but are generally unchallenged.

"YIELD! I YIELD!" The man in the mail is screaming now, as he is on his knees, a spear at his chest and an ax poised over him. What shall you do?


Hold position, provide ranged support. It's up to the cavalery now, I suppose.


With the battle effectively won, you command your troops to hold the high ground. The melee rages for a few more minutes, with your archers picking off a few stragglers, but the day is yours.

Your men slump down, exhausted, and you are presented with the mail shirt. It fits you well, remarkably. You deliver the prisoner to the Count, who gives you a grunt of thanks. The Count speaks with him for a few moments before summarily cutting off his head. He barks out a hearty laugh, and then retires towards the army's camp. You only suspect he will be heavy into the drink this evening.

Sir Lope informs you that your troops will march back on the morrow. It appears, unfortunately, that the mayor of Curbiston was slain in the fighting. Sir Denton and Sir Percival came through unscathed. Your men, remarkably, sustained no major injuries in the fighting. Would you like to do anything before departing for Folesden?


Praise the men. praise them hard. 'cause we effectively curbstomped the ennemy there.
Also speaking with the others commander (except the count), to get acquainted with the two new ones and get Denton and Percival's feelings on what happened and what's going to happen.


You spend a few hours after the battle talking with the men, sharing in the drinking and feasting and lauding them for their exemplary performance on the field today. Several soldiers wander by your tents, and praise your men for the work they did on the battlefield.

Your men are growing in reputation, and it makes you proud to be their lord. They likewise look fondly on you, their leader and liege. You ask around to see if anyone recovered a banner or sigil to remember the fight by, but these rebels were without sign or creed... just men fighting for their land.

After dinner, you retire, leaving the men to be merry without having to worry about your presence. You head to the command tent, where Sirs Lope, Percival and Denton are speaking. They congratulate you on a battle well fought. You ask what will happen to the lands, and you are told that the Count will most likely hold them for the time being.

The people of the town... it seems likely that the Count will punish them, although the severity of that punishment is anyone's guess. This seems to sit uneasily with the other two landed Knights, while Sir Lope sees it as their just due for rising up against his master.

You spend the rest of the evening drinking wine and talking of the battle. The other knights admire your new mail shirt. The Count does not make an appearance, although you hear retching sounds coming from the direction of his tent at one point in the evening. You rise early the next morning, a dull headache combining with sore muscles from the day before.

Anything left to do but pack up and head home?


So before heading out, head to the counts tent, steel yourself before entering, and go inside. Try to convince him that the populace can be better used in your mines as punishment, making your land rich for taxing, breaking their spirit for rebellion, and allowing the count to populate this settlement with his own peoples, as well as punishing the farmer scum.


Since I'm up anyway with this cold... why not a turn?

In the morning light, something still sits poorly about the situation with the townsfolk. You check amongst your men, having Fin and Alan work to ready them for the day's march. The men are hungover, but no worse for the wear. With that situation in hand, you head to the Count's tent, steeling yourself for an argument.

Two guards wave you in, reluctantly. As you enter, you are hit by the stench of booze and vomit. You see the Count lolling back on a pile of pillows, head swinging from side to side. You clear your throat, and the corpulent man jerks upright, fumbling for a dagger at his side that is, in reality, on a belt on the other side of the room.

"Eh? What? What do you want?"

You explain that you have been considering how to punish the rebels from this settlement, and have decided that you have an excellent place in mind for them. He listens with narrowed eyes as you describe the mines you are setting up, and how more labor would mean more tax money.

He rubs one of his chins in thought, glaring at you for a long minute.

"Yes. Yes. That will do. When I have Sir Lope investigate who participated in this foolish rebellion, I shall instruct him that the perpetrators shall have two choices: death or hard labor in your mines. Now get out of my sight."

You bow low, turning to walk out before a smile can creep across your face. You are pleased the whole ride home, and your men sing songs and tell jokes, their spirits high. This was a good day for you.

By the time you return home, the month of May is more than halfway done. The journeyman shipwright, Morgan, has arrived, and Mr. Dent set him up with a hut hut by the river. The vineyard has been set up, and it appears to be nicely done. The second crop is already in the ground, as well, and the market is in full swing the day you return. You peruse it, but there is nothing of note for a noblemen on sale yet; while bustling, the market still caters to the populace, which is still relatively poor.

June is just around the corner. You expect the former rebels to start arriving any day. What shall you do this month?

Nice roleplaying section, there, folks. Fun way to mix it up.



Year 3, June

With June's arrival, most of your farmers are concerning themselves with finishing the first harvest, making sure the second one has taken, and weeding their land.

You instruct Wood to draw up plans for the shipyard, along with Morgan. They take to it with a gusto, and by the end of the month have some detailed plans, that look to cost you a pretty penny. There are also plans to gradually build up the facility's capabilities, which would be cheaper.

With the rebel serfs starting to slowly trickle in, you instruct a few small community houses to be built north of the river, by the mines. You instruct the newcomers that they will be treated fairly, but that they must cooperate with your representative at the mines, Curtis Stumpf. Most seem appreciative of the opportunity to work off their transgression, rather than face the headsman's ax.

When reviewing what transpired during your several week absence with your Steward, he tells you that the potters have upgraded their kiln to a proper pottery complex, to support their growing trade. As this was done completely of their own initiative and with their own wealth, you merely smile at your good fortune.

You spend some time on your literacy and courtly manners, failing to make much progress in either. These pursuits are hard to throw oneself into so close after a life or death battle, it seems.

Your men begin training again, but you instruct Fin to go easy on the men, given their recent exertions. They ease back into training, and it is clear that an experience on the fields has improved their skills.

What would you like to do next month?


Year 3, July

In July, you set some plans into motion at the start of the month. You instruct Wood, who has finished work on the mill, to start work on a basic shipyard. You empty your treasury, and tell Morgan to purchase whatever he needs to get things going. With the money you've given him, he believes that capabilities will be limited at first.

The new workers are hard at work at the mines, and Stumpf tells you that much of the dirt has been cleared away from the area. He believes that they could easily start a functional granite quarry, as well as a deeper mine for minerals, if you were only able to finance an initial purchase of picks, levers, winches, and carts.

A second dock is set out by the first, improving the capacity to handle more ships. Most days see a trader pull up now, which is a definite improvement from the past. You could say that you have a dockyard, not a dock, now.

You have some tentative plans for building a new dwelling, some kind of tower, but you aren't quite sure whether or not you wish to act on them yet. Nonetheless, you instruct the mill to hold aside some of the lumber it cuts in case you wish to build it in the near future.

With events set into motion, you spend the rest of the month exploring the rest of your land north of the river. Your travels don't show up too much unexpected. Besides the mines north of the river, there is a forest where your trappers work and live, as well as a few homesteads. Your lands but up against a holding of the Duke's far to the north of the river, a few days ride through the forest. The forest gets thicker here, and your Steward informs you that these lands are mostly held as a hunting preserve for the Duke and his family.

When you return home, you have a letter waiting for you. You read it, albeit at a slow pace, and are delighted to see it is from Lady Marna. Her younger brother, Sir Melvin, whom you recall is the youthful man she was speaking with at the party, is organizing a hunt on the Duke's land in September. She is writing to inquire if her, her brother, and their party can call upon you at some point in that month for a visit, as your land abuts his.

How shall you respond, and what would you like to do in August?


Year 3, August

You dash off a letter to Lady Marna, welcoming her and asking particulars about when she'll be arriving. You then turn your eyes towards the town, which you decide is in need of a massive upgrade before her visit.

First off, you have Morgan begin work on a ferry (well, two ferries to be particular), post-haste. Then you find the most capable of the raft drivers, build him a hut by the best crossing site, and name him the pilot. You instruct him on how to collect tolls, with nobles obviously crossing for free. A second pilot is set up in a similar position on the other side of the river.

You also set Mr. Wood on upgrading the inn, which has existed in its current state for around three years now. With the new milled wood, the project goes smoothly, and comes off excellently. The new inn has wood floors, ten private rooms, a dedicated kitchen, two fireplaces lined with granite from the quarry, and an attic and second community sleeping room for common travelers. It is quite impressive, and you imagine it will bring much prestige to your town.

On the administrative side, you inquire with Mr. Dent as to the laws of the land. He knows most of them by heart, but he offers to send off a letter to the royal courts for a written copy. You tell Dent that you will most likely set up a system for hearing grievances. He agrees that it is a good idea, but would like some time to go over the laws with you before doing so. You agree to wait until you have the written copy of the laws to study.

During the days, you head to the barracks and pick out a bow, which you decide you should learn for hunting. Taking it out to the range, you find that you have a natural aptitude for the weapon, and are soon able to best even some of the experienced archers. You also note that, with you at the range, the men practice harder, and the green archers are now improved to regulars.

Towards the end of the month, a letter arrives from Marna. She will be arriving near the end of September, with a party of eight to ten. She looks forward to seeing you again, and cannot wait to see your lands.

You also hold a forum on the upcoming festival, which you say will be held during the visit from the hunting party at the end of September. The people seem agreeable, and some tell that word has spread far and wide. You expect the festival will be much larger this year. In addition to the martial contests, suggestions are given for cooking, farming, and craftwork competitions.

How will you prepare for September, the month of the big visit?


GM: About how far inland are we. Are there any major port cities downstream.

In my imagination, the palisade completely covers the main town, with an unexposed dock area nearby. Sorry for the confusion. Also, the next major port downstream would be Folesden, the Count's capital. I haven't specified how far inland you are, yet, but not too far. I'd rather not get too specific yet, lest I paint myself into a corner.


Year 3, September

September arrives, and with it comes the book of laws from the royal court. You instruct wood to construct a small courthouse, with an outdoor hearing area, for when you begin your judiciary. You decide to hold off until you have some time to study it, though, before opening it (lest you render a poor verdict).

You focus on your riding this month, and you make some good progress. Your squire thinks that you have gotten about as good as you can riding an old mare like the one you possess. It can hardly canter anymore, let alone gallop.

You spend some time fretting about the societal implications of hunting with a bow versus a spear, but quickly realize that you were not in fact invited to go hunting with Marna and her brother.

With some time to kill, however, you spend a few days out in the woods, hunting with your bow and working on your woodsmanship. Despite your mediocre woodsmanship, by some incredible stroke of luck, you come upon a massive stag on your first day, and you notch an arrow. Your pull is clean, the release excellent, and the arrow sinks deeply into the majestic creatures neck, felling it immediately.

The creature is so large, that you have to go back to the town for help in bringing it back, and few can remember a stag of this size. You decree that the pelt will be the prize for the best hunter at the festival and the meat shall be cooked for feasting. You will use the antlers for decoration of your manor, but for now you display them in the inn to spur on hunters for the festival.

You also fashion your old fur vest into a majestic cloak, which you can wear in addition to your mail shirt. It makes you look quite awesome, and you are pleased.

Late in the month, the hunting party arrives. You greet them warmly, and host them in the inn. Lady Marna seems happy to see you, and you get along quite well with her brother, Sir Melvin. They goggle at the size of the antlers from the stag you took, and tell you that the hunting was acceptable on the Duke's land.

On the morrow, you start the festival. It is, simply put, a smashing success. The events go off perfectly: eating contests, tournaments for sparring, swimming, races, baking contests... the list goes on. Marge Kannity rolls out keg after keg of her beer. The people are delighted, many merchants set up shop (refilling your coffers a bit), and even the serfs from the mining town seem to be well received. Sir Denton and Sir Percival make an appearance, drawn by the tales of the merchants.

With the festival going on, you have the opportunity to interact with your guests and visitors. Who would you like to speak with, and what will you say?

Roleplaying, go!


Well... I'd like to talk with Lord Melvin and Marna about their family and how they like our town, and also with Sir Percival and Sir Denton about our Liege, Reflect on the events leading up to the rebellion. let our... concerns about the duke shine through a little.

You approach Sir Denton and Sir Percival at one point, and talk of your recent campaign against the rebels. They express some relief at seeing the defeated rebels being accepted in your lands as miners. The Count, it seems, has reacted quite violently towards rebellious vassals in the past, wiping out a whole town at one point.

You also mention that you feel the Captain of the rebels was dealt with quite uncouthly, stating that a battlefield decapitation, with no trial, was perhaps worse than than the man deserved. On this point, they seem to agree that it was a bit cruel, but probably no worse than the leader of a rebellion deserved.

Sir Melvin has some brief bits of conversation with you, complimenting your hunting despite your demurring. He has spoken with the other Knights, and asks about what it was like in battle. He has never been called on by his uncle, the Duke, to fight, as he was still a page during the last major conflict. You speak briefly about their father, whom he adored. They have a small estate on the Duke's lands now, he tells you, but he is incredibly impressed at how you have created a vibrant town seemingly out of nothing. Your stewardship of the land has been supreme, in his estimation.

You approach Lady  Marna at one point, when she is showing off her falcon to a gathered group of townsfolk. You admire her easy way with them, and delight as the bird launches from her gloved arm, takes to the air, and then returns to her on command. She sees you approaching and smiles, and you talk a while of the festival. She loves how kindly you treat your people, and seems impressed with your marketplace. She notes the fine craftsmanship on the mill, as well. It seems that she has an eye for quality, and she deems Feroshire quite nice.

After you finish speaking with her, her brother approaches.

"I see the way you look at Marna. I have to say, I am quite glad to see it after the nastiness with her late fiance. She has spoken highly of you since the feast. I would be quite disappointed if you didn't ask our mother and uncle for permission to court her." He smiles at you rakishly, then claps you on the back.

Anything else you'd like to do at the festival?

Yes. I agree with this. Let's get to know the noble, get to know what they are thinking and learn about our people. How are they doing? What would they like to see? Who wants to do what? That sort of stuff. Listen to concerns, ideas, interests. Get to know our people a bit better. Even the serfs. Especially the serfs. We don't want another revolt.

Having met with all of your guests, you turn your attention back to the festival. You put in an appearance at every event, clapping men on the back, chatting with the women, shaking hands, laughing at the banter between competitors. There is a sense of optimism about the area, people feel as if you are a good steward of the land. The nascent industries are also attractive to merchants, who can foresee a good deal of wealth coming to the region.

In short, people are happy. It is a good time in your lands. They are proud of you, their Lord, and looking to the future with a sense of hope. You hear from Irlof that some of the merchants were overheard sniggering about your poor housing, and general country manner. But in general, the commonfolk love your leadership and the merchants respect the way you have secured the region for trade.

At the end of the festival, Sir Melvin and Lady Marna make their departure, with Lady Marna saying that she hopes to not go so long before speaking with you again. You blush a bit, incredulous that a Duke's niece is talking to you, of all people, in this way. Sir Melvin shakes your hand, and bids you farewell.

With the festivities over, it's time to roll up your sleeves. Tax time is just around the corner, plus the harvest. What will you do in October?


Year 3, October

Silver will be taxed like any other good, with the Count passing on what he owes from it to the Duke, who will pass it on to the King.

With October comes the harvest, which goes smoothly. This was a more or less average crop, and you take in a good amount of taxes from your people. In turn, the Count's steward arrives and takes his portion, which is scrupulously watched by Dent and Irlof. When all is said and done, you have a goodly deal of money...

... which you put to use immediately. First off, you send a good portion of it with Curtis Stumpf to a nearby town to purchase equipment for the mine. He returns later in the month with picks, simple machines, carts, wood for support, and beasts of burden, and strikes the earth! With the manpower you have given him, he quickly sends down an exploratory shaft. The results are incredible! He has struck a rich vein of silver, as well as pockets of gold and copper, and a thick band of iron. This mine will be one of the richest in the land!

You spend the rest of your tax money on other upgrades to the town's infrastructure. You invest heavily in the potters, and instruct them to build a full clayworks for production of bricks. Some of the initial bricks are used to produce a smelting furnace for the ore that will be coming from the mine in the near future, while others are used to lay out some crossroads running through the center of the town to the market, which is also repaved.

You instruct Marge Kannity to start experimenting with wine making using the grapes from the vineyards, which are admittedly few this year given the new plantings. She sets to work, and will try out a few different processes that she is familiar with from her days working in the brewery.

In your few spare moments, you inquire about getting your own heraldic crest. Your Steward informs you that he will make the proper inquiries with the Royal administrators, and he dashes off a letter. You also find a moment to write a coyly worded letter to Marna, thanking her for her visit and looking forward to the next time you see her.

While you have other ideas for this month, you simply run out of time. What will you do in the coming month of November?

Spoiler: Sir Stone (click to show/hide)

Age: 21 (February birthday)
Good Health
Great Fitness
Moderately literate
Average Etiquette
Poor Rhetoric
Average Swordswman
Mediocre Shield User
Natural Archer
Mediocre Woodsman
Average Rider

Spoiler: Town (click to show/hide)

Treasury - Empty
98 Citizens
Wooden Palisade
New Arrival Barracks
Nice Inn
Small Courthouse
Brick Roads
Growing Small Brick Paved Market
Nice Clayworks
Small Smelter
Modest Dockyard
Watermill (Lumber Mill)
Basic Shipyard - Under Construction
Brewery
Two nightly patrols
Two-way Ferry