Fall 159A lot of stuff happened this season, but as we’ll see very fast, we are now bumping head on onto self-imposed limitations we have to do away with starting next season.
Military movements and troop generationToday more than ever, the lack of manpower severely slowed down the Army of Pearls’ advance. It simply ran short of people to hold the captured villages and therefore couldn’t allow itself to seize more territories.
More occupational half-squad would have to be trained and fitted, and this would take a significant amount of time.
However, the military brass decided that it was no reason to cede the initiative to the enemy. Osmite’s positions should be degraded as much as possible for two reasons: to prevent them from forming armies large enough to resume their attacks on Kimaeslo Ori, and to shape the oncoming battle for Stustonako.
Over the course of the season, the army of Pearls launched three attacks over the frontline.
The 20th of September, an assault was launched against the suburb of Dambaxu. The army of Pearls clashed with the local militia and was victorious. The militia, composed primarily of beakdogs and trolls, was completely wiped out. 71 deaths.
The 16th of October, an attack was launched on the village of Ngomgob, north of the salt lake. Once again, the defense force was completely wiped out. The army of Pearls lost one attack dog in the exchange. 66 casualties for Osme, one casualty for Kima.
The 6th of November, a last attack was launched on the suburb of Lozstosbub, once again, the victory was total and the defenders were crushed. 61 casualties for Osmites.
In total, the shaping attacks of this season caused 198 casualties in Osmite territorial defense forces. If only we had the manpower to exploit the breach, we could have seized a lot of territory, but alas…
Speaking of manpower then, two half-squads were formed this season, were fitted and started their training. It might however take a couple months before they are ready to hold territory.
Kashi Idoduslud (left) was recruited alongside his friends directly from a migrant caravan. Together, they formed a half-squad. Kashi himself is a competent crossbowman, but his team will have to learn from scratch.
Daseb Lucogpimra (right) has been recruited from the city itself with four other militia-men. His training is a bit more advanced and his team already is equipped, but will require more experience before it can be safely used.
In total, ten men are getting prepared. This is not enough. We will need to find way to recruit more people in the army in short order.
Construction and industrializationOn the development side, the quick production of cheap gear made out of Osmite bronze quickly depleted our reserves of metal. If Kimaeslo Ori still has access to tons over tons of used Osmite gear, it still has to be processed before it can be repurposed into equipment for the militias, and to this end, our single smelter was definitely not cutting it.
Hence it was decided to install more two more smelters into the abandoned galleries, to speed up the process. Those smelters do not have vocation to be permanent, and will likely be moved to the smith guild building once it is completed. The temperature and toxic gasses, on the underground, cannot be healthy for the workers – but the war effort dictates that we push through.
In the other hand, the construction of “armor sets” for light infantry, made out of gauntlets, helm, boots, greaves and copper mail is going fast, and allows the army of pearls to not be limited by the availability of gear to open new offices in the army. It is, of course, not quality gear, but we realized (too late) during the first fall of Kimaeslo Ori how important metal armors were for the fighting force.
For his relentless work, Kaos has now the rang of
Grand Master in armor-making. This underlines how long and costly is the formation of redsmiths, and how important their safety is to us.
Commerce with dwarves have also brought to us a lot of iron and dwarven iron, which was quickly processed into more wonder-weapons. Lady Desli, fascinated by the metal, asked our smiths to craft one table made out of pure dwarven iron for her study room…
This is likely to slow us down, but then again, she is our lady after all. We will make her table – when we come to it.
On the topic of constructions, the roof of the barracks is mostly complete. The barracks are now fully functionnal. Everyone can now train with their weapons of choice, including range weapons like bows and crossbows. This (alongside, of course, monthly attacks on the enemy border) allowed the Tactic Squad to reach a very honest level of archery.
Compared to the difficulties we had with fielding a ranged squad in the past, it’s a clear improvement. Now, training ranged troops is an option.
In the future, we want to make a roof over the granary to allow for one more functional floor, then we can focus on the last building of the bridge – a little museum for the great achievements of the country. We have not decided yet what we will put there, but we have still time.
Retrospective on the life of Mudung NulceemIn year 31, in the kingdom of Xakedgil, in the city of Spishabtor, Mudung Nulceem was born as a child of incest – the father was the nephew of the mother – in an extremely cursed lineage.
Out of his grandparents, one was a werebeast, two were necromancers. Without exaggerating, we can say little Mudung did not start with the best chances in life.
Thankfully for him, his last grandparent was, on the contrary, the King of Xakedgil at the time, and despite his very cursed upbringing, he could have an educated childhood and promises of an excellent office in the kingdom.
Things that would mess up a kid’s head are the same things that would make him as a creature of the night as an adultThe 8th of April 57 – Mudung was 26 – he was named Sacred Guard, a highly honored title of the Cathedral of Bravery, the locale religion.
In the beginning, he accomplished his religious office with zeal. But soon enough, he felt trapped into his function. He missed secular life, he wanted to see outdoor and very quickly, started to resent Galka, the god of dreams he was serving.
September 67, he committed the irreparable, and conducted an occult ritual in the cathedral – using the holiness of the place to acquire arcane powers. At the end of the ritual, Mudung was changed; he was now an immortal vampire, cursed to survive on human blood.
In 71, he met Stran by chance, as she was visiting Spishabtor. The two connected immediately – Stran was already a vampire herself. They married soon after.
The thirst was still manageable at the time, and the couple would hunt people at night together when the cravings were too strong. Stran was more experienced and shown to Mudung what she knew. Together, in eight years, they killed four people.
In 79, Mudung was suspected after a murder he committed – to avoid capture, he fled to the hamlet of Imisimin. It is where, in 81, that he met a woman by the name of Kisho.
Kisho was a famous musician, and Mudung, although not initially interested by music, thought becoming a bard would allow him to avoid detection and give him opportunity to flee without arising suspiscion – and so he became her apprentice. Master and student then moved to the nearby village of Dopodnimu.
It is there, in this seaside village that Mudung would spend most of his existence. He wrote musical compositions and essays, and of course, hunted humans at night.
Every couple of years, he would participate to foot races in festivals held in Ishacondo, the capital city of Xakedgil – and even won some.
In 110, his apprenticeship was over, and his master very old. Mudung, of course, was still physically 30 years old and started to take students of his own.
15th of March 122, Mudung was conscripted alongside people from the nearby village for an assault on Zuspzebolngo, the keep of the local demon lord. The battle went in favor of Xakedgil, but was otherwise inconclusive and the victorious humans renounced to press on their advantage.
However, during the mobilization, Mudung was spotted by people from Spishabtor who knew him, and witnessing his agelessness, started spreading rumors. Mudung’s peaceful life (for him) was definitely drawing to a close.
In 123, King Devsem himself came to Dopodnimu with a group of soldiers to arrest him – Mudung fought them off and managed to flee. He went as far as he could, eventually relocating to the village of Itkeeve, on the north-western shore of Tadtodka, where he worked as a ranger. His murders soon resumed.
It was only in year 157 that he decided to live Itkeeve. Why he did was unknown. At this point in time, Stran has already been caught and killed by the knights of Thomocemir, and because she talked, Mudung was known by the troops of Mong Kima.
He was arrested soon after his arrival in Kimaeslo Ori.
And today, 25th of September 159, he was finally put to death – like his wife, by impalement.
Do not shed tears for Mudung Nulceem. The vampire was the culprit of almost 150 murders in Xakedgil, and was a danger for humanity.
There is nothing we could have said or done to him that would make him into a safe, productive subject of the kingdom. Mudung was a predator, and he shall hunt humans no more.
His body was destroyed, his blood was cleaned, and a small memorial was carved to him in the abandoned mine.
Appeal to migrantsUntil now, we limited the number of souls in Kimaeslo Ori to a soft limit of 200 and a hard limit of 220. Obviously, this is not enough and we are now bumping very hard against that limit. We shall therefore, starting next season, raise it to 300/350 and hopefully attract more migration onto our little bridgetown.
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Topic: Mong Kima - The Nation of Pearls (DF 0.47.05) (Read 253849 times)