Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Kashyyk]

Ok, first thing is to name our liege lord's castle. Personally I feel it should be his lordship who names it, but if I were him I'd name it "Skyhold".

Next, Tax. Every free man must offer up goods, services or coin equal to 40% of their income as tax. This is payable per quarter year. Any man may elects to to join the military reserves, which will require to spend at least one day a week performing any duties the military requires of them (including but not exclusive to training, keeping the peace and standing watch). Joining the reserves means they instead must only pay 20% of their income as tax. Finally, any man who joins the active military, spending every waking moment performing any duties the military requires of him, is exempt from tax.

This should have the effect of most really rich people paying a load of money, most common people joining the militia and the poor and destitute (who are merely a burden on society anyway) attempting to join the army. Of course, if they are not fit for service they would be refused.

Finally, I'd suggest building a fortress on the hill road between the mountains.

[Everchosen]

I don't think Skyhold is such a good name. If we were on top of a hill, maybe. I'm not sure about a name, though, so I'll have to think about it.

The whole taxes thing seems ok. I also think that we should make that all free men (and women) that are healthy should be made to train one week each year with the military. This should provide most of our population with some training, so if we ever have to make massive recruitment, our recruits will have some training.

And yes, we need to build some sort of fortification on that hill ASAP.

[kilakan]

Just adding an additional suggestion to the tax thing here:The 40% of your income thing does mean that people who do basically nothing don't have to pay anything either, I think to allieviate that problem:Anyone who does not make a certain amount to contribute to taxes in 4 quarters in a row (to account for bad harvests, hunting and such) shall be required to enter into unpaid labor at the behest of the local liege lord.  After you have served a year to pay for your burden on society you are let go to return to your own work, at which point you are expected to be able to work hard enough to pay the minimum tax.

The minimum should be low enough that it's only really impacted on the lazy, and would apply in half or less to those who's work capabilities are limited.  For example, if you have no legs you should still be able to make baskets to pay the minimum, no arms and you can still carry things on your back for a daily wage, ect.

[Elfeater]

Year 1 Season One: Spring

During the spring season most farmers at at home working mainly planting crops, so not many men flock to your banners, however you men do report that many of the farmers sons report in for training each week when they aren't working. Those who do sign up for permanent service are mainly peasants and vagabonds from your main city, and a few men looking for adventure. While many of the beggars aren't fit for duty, you managed to salvage about 50 of them to be semi combat worthy. You send them off with one of your lesser relatives, still a Ladron however, to begin to fortify the hills between the mountains. Upon arrival the force begins to train every day that they don't work on building the fortress. Their equipment however, is still lacking, they are mostly armored in some basic clothes. About half of the men are armed with tools, hoes, pitchforks, axes, etc... the rest mostly being given what spears you had left in your armory. Three of the "adventures" brought low power hunting bows. The work on the walls coupled with the training increased their discipline a surprising amount.

Troops

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

+22  Basic training, Roughly disciplined, Untested, clothes armor, tool weaponry
+23  Basic training, Roughly disciplined, Untested, clothes armor, spear
+3   Basic training, Roughly disciplined, Untested, clothes armor, low power hunting bows

At the hills the forces begin to build the beginnings of the fortress, rather than just starting with a stone base begin with a palisade, logs from the south stream to the north and before the end of spring a wooden fort sits between the mountains, it is nothing impressive, but would contest the crossing of any significant force, however a force with proper siege equipment could take it quickly, if not contested from defenders within it. With in the walls you being to build up a supply of stone from the mines to begin work on the fortress proper.

Holdings

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Castles: Their ancestral seat of power, yet unnamed.
Towns: The castle town at the foot of their hold.
Villages: Two farming Villages
Mines: One high quality stone mine, produces some ore in addition to the stone.
Logging camp: High quality logging camp.
Fort: Wooden Palisade fort between the mountains. Stone stockpile- Garrisoned

Over the first few months the border is mostly quiet, however the leader of the outpost sends back a note stating that three men were killed while on a patrol by the river, the survivors report that a few hunters from the other side of the river shot at their patrol and they were unable to fight back. (The number is already in the troop count.)

The Ladron who commands the palisade fort is open to a player, they will report, and take orders from the leader of the house, they will however operate somewhat independently, in command of their force and the fort.

Map

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Year One Season Two: Summer

[Urist Mc Dwarf]

I'll take control of the fort

[Everchosen]

We need bows and arrows it seems. Also some iron to make weapons... We better start. Any suggestions?

Also, for the castle, I'm still thinking on a name, something in the line of "High Bastion" or something like that.

[Kashyyk]

Well, we have a logging camp. So manufacturing excessive numbers of bows/arrows, spears and shields will be easy. Getting the peasants into a solid shield wall will help them hold the line. For armour, manufacture gambesons and steel helmets for them. They shouldn't look too terrible once they are all kitted up and trained.

On a side note, do we have any vassal lords/knights/etc?

[Elfeater]

The closest you would have to knights are the retainers in your employ, defending your castle, and the two nobles that rrun your villages, they are old however, but do have sons, but their lack of wealth leaves them ill equipped, with horses, but not war horses.

[Urist Mc Dwarf]

Have the men begin making a trench in front if the palisade. Divide the troops into 3 rotations, each should last for a week. One rotation makes arrows, javelins, shields, and stakes. One trains. The third should quarry stone and begin building a wall.

Maybe I should gave the men make slings?

[Elfeater]

After Everchosen gives final orders for what he wants to do, ill start a turn up.

[Everchosen]

Well, we have a logging camp. So manufacturing excessive numbers of bows/arrows, spears and shields will be easy. Getting the peasants into a solid shield wall will help them hold the line. For armour, manufacture gambesons and steel helmets for them. They shouldn't look too terrible once they are all kitted up and trained.

This will be done. Also, we will start looking for a fertile place to build more farms. Extra food is always a good incentive for more people to join the military, and we could use some surplus food to store it in case famine strikes.

[Elfeater]

Year One Season Two: Summer

With the spring planting done, interest in the military side of things shoots up, while almost none of the farmers themselves sign up for permanent service, a few of there sons do, as well as more of the lower class. Despite this the farmers and the people of the country side come out for weekly training, and you build up a back stock of trained reservists if you need to levy your forces for defense of the realm. With only some wood being diverted to the fort, you have no trouble equipping your troops with spears and shields, including getting the men at the fort standardized weapons. In addition to the spears, six bows are made and shipped to the fort, with an ample supply of arrows.
Gambesons however, are more expensive than anticipated, due to no real industry being able to support the quantity you need for your men. With a few made on sight, the rest or imported, and you managed to get enough for the troops deployed in the fort, and ship them there.
The expenses of this season have nearly run your treasury dry, as no taxes have come in yet as most pay during harvest season, in autumn.
When you seek out more fertile lands you end up finding that in general, all the lands tend to be about as fertile as each other, but not as fertile as your original farms. Land in the north could be made more fertile due to the proximity of the silt sold by the swamp people, but such a trade could be costly. Land in the south would see farms constructed more quickly due to the proximity with the logging camp.
Troops

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

+42 Trained (Some skill engineering), Disciplined, Untested, Gambeson Steel Helmet Armor, Spear/shield makeshift javelins. > Fort
+6 Trained (Poor archers) (Some skill engineering), Disciplined, Untested, Gambeson Steel Helmet Armor, Bow and spear. > Fort
+27 Basic Training, Limited Discipline, Untested, Clothes Armor, Spear/ Shield > High Bastion

(Going higher than Trained will take more than just basic drilling)
At the fort the new equipment makes a warm welcome and with the second season underway, they begin to act more as a cohesive unit, but a unit needs a name.

The troops begin to train with their new bows, but none master it, they are poor shots as many have never used a bow before, and it takes them a while to pull back the arrow to loose, but when all six fire they can usually hit an area at decent range with a sort of volley fire.

The commander orders his men to take three shifts, one training, one building the new fortification, and the other he had originally planned to supplement their supply of equipment, but with ample stores of arrows they only make a few javelins. To fill their time they engage in sprucing up the fort. A trench appears around it, giving it a quasi moat, and within they sharpen stakes to impale those who fall in, or are foolish enough to try and climb the opposite side. Inside the fort they build barracks to house themselves, simple with thatched roofs, but an improvement to the few tents they had. Besides the gate they build up two watch towers, and improve the walk way along the front of the wall for their archers to use, giving vision over the plains before them.

The castle itself comes along slowly, as it is being built by hand, however by the end of summer, despite the heat and some set backs, they have the beginnings of a foundation for their upcoming castle.

Holdings

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Castles: Their ancestral seat of power High Bastion.
Wealth: Strained Treasury
Towns: The castle town at the foot of their hold.
Villages: Two farming Villages
Mines: One high quality stone mine, produces some ore in addition to the stone.
Logging camp: High quality logging camp.
Fort: Wooden Palisade fort between the mountains. Garrisoned +Watch Towers +Barracks + Moat +Stakes + Foundation of a castle.

Due to earlier loses your patrols stray away from the river, however they do not fail to spot the rather quick construction of a barricade across the bridge, while no where near as impressive as your fort, it still has a gate, and commands the bridge, as it sits across it. Enemy activity increases as you see around 5, possibly more spearmen join the archers there, as well as another group of archers taking up the post. Their discipline is much more lax than your sides though, and they seem to often stray away from their post, although someone is always on guard.

Map

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Year One: Season Three Autumn

[Kashyyk]

Is the bridge literally the only way across the river or is it possible to fjord across at other locations?  If it is possible,  I think we should send a couple of small raiding parties out,  say 10 spear men and 2 archers, each led by 1 of those Noble sons. Their objectives are to sneak to the enemy villages and torch their fields before it is harvested. If they run into enemy patrols,  then that is when they shall prove themselves.

Simultaneously, make some armour and weapons for these new captains,  identical to the levy troops but with the addition of a maille shirt and sword.

EDIT: If this works, this will cripple the enemy, as they are almost certainly waiting on the harvest for their income just as we are doing. They'll be cash-starved, food-starved and take a massive morale hit for letting us get so close to them.

At the same time, I feel we should send our retainers out to patrol the river-side up and down the map to keep an eye out for the enemy attempting to do the same to us. If they do discover any raiders, they should ride for the nearest village/town, raise the levy and deal with them.

Meanwhile, the Economy. Any spare resources from the mine or logging camp should go towards developing our town and villages. More prosperity means more taxes after all.

[Urist Mc Dwarf]

The archers are to exclusively practice archery. The trained men should begin sparring. Make more javelins, and large shields

[Elfeater]

On the topic of shields, what sort of shields did you make Everchosen? Kite? Round? Large Pavise?

EDIT: Also for the bridge, there are other ways to cross, but no fords.