You order your soldiers to create a fortified camp around the entrance; sentries will be posted all time, and the passageway into the dark deep narrowed slightly to make future lizardmen escapades hard to get past you. And as extra emergency, messengers at ready to deliver you news of lizards and to warn nearby settlements.
Yes, this should do it for now. You have your Army stay for another couple days near the entrance just to make sure.
959 AD, Late Winter
5to6
No lizardmen were spotted.
You hold a brief council with your officers and decide to conclude the campaign.
Congratulations! Estwalf has successfully completed his campaign to Repel the Lizardman Invasion from the Depths!
Your return to the capital is triumphant one but the peoples of the capital have only small praise for you; after all, no riches were obtained, no lands conquered and only a couple settlements were affected by this war.
But surely, there will be greater military endeavors to reap rewards from in the future.
959 AD, Late Winter
A bit late, but malachite and copper from the mines once again arrive at the Treasury, making the Treasurer a bit happier man.
Few days later you receive a report that Eist Kingdom hath expanded its borders; the zealots now control what was once north-east Luathbas, having captured three city-states and several smaller settlements.
959 AD, End of the Year
The Advisor shows up in your study one afternoon, carrying the Scrolls of Kingdom Status in his hands.
Happiness: 3
Population: 4
Economy: 4
Army:
1(+1)
"As you can see, my liege, our Army is doing rather badly in terms of numbers. We should press some peasants into the service, even if they will dislike it. We can also ask our senior, King Tinwulf, to extend the time his soldiers spend in our Duchy."
"Also, consider a perhaps underhanded but mayhaps a much needed course of actions; release and draft of criminals of lesser note, who are always found in large numbers in the dungeons of the Duchy..."
As for peasants and extended time for Dahnians...
A) "Indeed, we should press the peasants into the service, but we shouldn't keep Dahnian soldiers for too long."
B) "Nay to both - our Duchy shall prevail on sheer willpower of our people and myself!
C) "The peasants will have it easy this year, but let's send a query whether our good King will be willing to station his soldiers in Tven for a year longer."
D) "Let's do both - these hard times require it!"
As for draft of petty criminals...
A) "It's sad but we do need soldiers - let's offer the small fish an exchange of bars for chainmail."
B) "We might be in dire straits but we will never fall as low as to hire criminals to protect our lands!"
//No split votes per usual please.