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[Tawa]

We need to send troops to the bridge. Station them right on it.

We should also send spies to infiltrate the other baron's household. We need to be able to get news of their plans, so we can plan ahead.

[Elfeater]

Okay, can do, are you just recruiting them just from the peasants with their equipment?
Specifics like this will come into play if there is a fight, and that sort of thing.

[Tawa]

Recruiting the spies or the troops?

[Elfeater]

The troops, there is a wide difference in cost and training levels between professional soldiers, and levied peasants.
Also the equipment you get them will influence how effective they are.

[Tawa]

Well, let's see.

For starters, I don't really want a draft, so we should just have a recruitment campaign instead.

And we should train them first, so... I suppose we should spend approximately a year training the troops first. Yeah. The enemy should probably have the same restrictions, so we'll be safe for the time being.

The training program should include the creation and stocking of arms from our blacksmiths.

[andrea]

do we have  some already deployable forces? a small garrison on the river is something we should get as soon as possible. if there is nobody there, we stand to lose our lumber camps even to a bunch of pitchfork armed peasants. and retaking it might turn out to be rather hard, since it is a decent defensible position.

Perhaps we can get at least some partial protection by incentivating hunting in the forest,  linking the hunting rights with a mandate to defend the forest from intruders. Hunters don't make an army, but in a forest, against a likely untrained enemy which wouldn't be able to hold formation regardless, they could provide a basic defense.

Also, since we have a bonus to agriculture and tactics and since there are no battles in sight, perhaps it would be wise for your highness the baron to take a more direct involvement in the farm management this year?

PS: an updated map on the opening post would be nice, elfeater.

[Elfeater]

You have a small retinue that defends your castle, around 20 trained and well armed men.

Latest map has been added to all the first posts.

[Tawa]

I stand by what I said. We should take a more direct hand in farming next year.

[andrea]

as you wish, my lord.

Due to the lack of a draft, we will have plenty of manpower in the fields.Considering they will also work better due to our enlightened management, perhaps we could seek to reclaim some more land for our farms. This would bring abundance of food and will allow us to support bigger armies and industries in the future.

[Elfeater]

Year 1 Season One: Spring

You start off the year with a call for a volunteer force, however it is not as well received as you would like, mostly the lower class, and people who aren't working answer the call to arms, however in a stroke of good fortune a group of hunters from your wood lands come to your service. While you believe that the majority of your troops need training you send your hunter force into the woods with orders to protect the bridge. Much of money goes towards equipping your troops with better equipment, and as a side effect every one of the troops is armed with a spear. You soon begin to whip your men into fighting shape, however many drop out, or are simply unable to keep up the training regimen. After the first week ends you come out with 37 spearmen, and the 5 hunters. Their training continues throughout the season.

Troops

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

+32 Basic training, Limited discipline, Untested, clothes armor, spears
+5 Self trained (Skilled), undisciplined, untested, hunting clothes, normal hunting bows.

Your holdings remain the same, although you do begin to stockpile a decent amount of wood, and some stone, the ore mostly goes into making the spears, and the rest goes into the blacksmiths other projects, he sends you a potion of his income in return.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Castles: Their ancestral seat of power, yet unnamed.
Wealth: Stockpile of wood and some stone, a little gold.
Towns: The castle town at the foot of their hold.
Villages: Two farming Villages
Mines: Profitable ore mine, slightly supplements stone income.
Logging camp: Average Quality wood, some hunters.

The hunters send a report back from the forest, and the bridge, stating that they have killed three enemy troops, from what they observed the enemies were not uniformly equipped, many of them using tools. The troops operate out of a wooden palisade they established as a fortification between the mountains.

Map

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Year One Season Two: Summer

[andrea]

well, the enemy has shown a willingness to invade our soil. Since they set up fortifications , I imagine they will send more sizeable attacks in the future.

we need to protect the borders. Some hunters are already in our service and proved effective in that terrain. Perhaps we should try to hire more, either giving hunting rights, privileges of some kind or simply gold. We could call them rangers.
Another possibility would be to move our spearmen there, but they still lack training. This should work best coupled with the building of at least a palisade fort, so they have a base to continue their training in while also being close enough to fend off attacks.

If we don't build the palisade fort, perhaps we should improve our mines, as they are a good source of income. Gold will bring us the men which aren't volunteering.

[Tawa]

We should take it a step further soon, but first we need to get wind of their plans. We should prop up spies in the enemy's fortress. Have them disguised as wandering workmen and try to get them to become servants or the like in the enemy's castle.

After that we should support the hunters by sending, oh, 7 of the basic training recruits. We can begin our own fortifications after we find out the enemy's plans.

[Elfeater]

The hunters were meant to be a scouting/spy force, and when confronted by the fortress, wouldn't be able to scout out much past it, a more effective spy would involve hiring a professional, and paying him a decent sum.

[andrea]

well, those 7 spearmen should be a suitable response to the current danger.

Still, for the next season we ought to do some improvements to our economy as well, since there is no big effort in other fields currently going on. Unless your baronal highness wants to focus our efforts elsewhere?
I propose we enlarge our mines in the mountain, since our ore and blacksmiths are a great resource both in terms of economy and in terms of military usefulness.

[Tawa]

Alright, a professional spy was what I had in mind anyway.

I think the economy should be fine right now. If we're not prepared, the enemy could strike at any time.