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[Roboson]

The many lords gather together at the first meeting of the Counsel of Lords. They sit at a round stone table composed of a single slab of grey stone. At the table sits King Luwald Griswine of the Western Mountainholme, Steward Varrith Canvell of the Locksmith's Confederacy, Quinn Learner Archivist of The Hands of Silver and Steel, Captain Ornal Agrick of the Blacksteel Mercenary Company, Dever Hezn Regional Delegate of the Freeholders' Association, Archfane Radulus of the Ashbough Concordat, and Ajvanāzis Ērsšraikār of Earthstrike. Once all were gathered, Luwald rose to speak.

It has been several weeks since the Dark Moon first shown its horrid face in the sky. Since then, each and everyone of us has struggled much and lost many. Yet, through our many struggles and our tenacity, we have arrived in the most ancient stronghold of my people. Here, far beneath the stone, we can finally take shelter against the horrid light of that unholy celestial nightmare.

From this point forward, all who sit at this table is now a Lord of the Lost Barbican. It is our tenacity that brought us this far, let that strength hold true until that evil rock falls from the dreaded sky. Until that fateful day, our hand shall guide these lands. But do not think for a moment we are safe. The barbican we passed through was erased from dwarven history for good reason. Monsterous things lurk in this dark underworld. All we have done is trade one insurmountable enemy for another. Do not forget, dear lords, we are not the only things hiding here this day.

The gristled dwarf looked grim, his bright red beard had developed streaks of white over the last few weeks. Yet, deep within his sunken eyes, the ruby glimmer of a western dwarf still sparkled like a fresh cut jewel. He beckoned to one of his dwarves and they approached, giving him a scroll and departing with military efficiency.

As lords, you must know our stores and understand our situation so that we can make the most informed decision. The old king dons a pair of spectacles and stares down his nose as he reads aloud. Meanwhile each of you are handed a similar scroll, as well as one related to your faction.

Spoiler: Central Stockpile (click to show/hide)

Resources:
Food: 1000
Iron: 400
Wood: 200

Gold: 400

Now, as you can see, our main issue is food. We have collectively, 6500 mouths to feed. The central stockpile and all of your various resources combined, that is still far to little. So I will add two issues to the docket.

Counsel of Lords Docket

1. How to collect enough Food
2. Scouting and Defenses

Now, let us discuss the issues at hand. If any lord has another issue to bring to the table, please add it to the docket and we will address it. Furthermore, we must learn if we are to adapt to our surroundings. If you have a research project, feel free to declare it at any time.

Spoiler: King Luwald Griswine (NPC) (click to show/hide)

Resources:
Food: 200

Citizens:
500 Western Dwarves

Units:
1 Bureaucramancer (Can be used to set up an administration)
1 Army of Royal Guard

Upkeep:
1000 Food
50 Gold

Gold: 200

Spoiler: Quinn Learner Archivist of The Hands of Silver and Steel (Glass) (click to show/hide)

Resources:
Food: 200

Citizens:
300 Humans
200 Elves
200 Dwarves
100 Orcs
100 Dragonborn
50 Gnomes
50 Halflings

Units:
1 Mage's Guild (Can either be used to set up a Mage Hall or can be formed into a Mage Army)
1 Artificer Guild (Can be used to set up an Artificery)

Upkeep:
1000 Food
0 Gold

Gold: 200

Spoiler: Steward Varrith Canvell of the Locksmith's Confederacy (Crazyabe) (click to show/hide)

Resources:
Food: 200

Citizens:
250 Humans
250 Gnomes
250 Halflings
250 Dwarves

Units:
Spy (needs a name)
Tavernmaster (Can set up a tavern)

Upkeep:
1000 Food
50 Gold

Gold: 200

Spoiler: Captain Ornal Agrick of the Blacksteel Mercenary Company (Ninur Torir) (click to show/hide)

Resources:
Food: 200

Citizens:
450 Humans
450 Dwarves
100 Kobolds (Need a color for these)

Units:
One Blacksmith Guild (Can set up a blacksmith forge)
One Army of Axemen

Upkeep:
1000 Food
50 Gold

Gold: 200

Spoiler: Dever Hezn Regional Delegate of the Freeholders' Association (Draxis) (click to show/hide)

Resources:
Food: 200

Citizens:
500 Humans
500 Orcs

Units:
One Army of Hunters
One Farmers Guild (Can set up a farm)


Upkeep:
1000 Food
50 Gold

Gold: 200

Spoiler: Archfane Radulus of the Ashbough Concordat (IronyOwl) (click to show/hide)

Resources:
Food: 200

Citizens:
1000 Grey Elves

Units:
Farmers Guild (Can set up a farm)
1 Mage's Guild (Can either be used to set up a Mage Hall or can be formed into a Mage Army)

Upkeep:
1000 Food
0 Gold

Gold: 200

Spoiler: Ajvanāzis Ērsšraikār of Earthstrike (a1s) (click to show/hide)

Resources:
Food: 200

Citizens:
1000 Mols

Units:
2 Miner's Guilds (Can be used to set up a mine)

Upkeep:
1000 Food
0 Gold

Gold: 200

Spoiler: OOC (click to show/hide)

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=172878.msg7906008#msg7906008

[Rockeater]

Ptw

[Nirur Torir]

Captain Ornal grunted as he looked at the reports. "The food situation is grim, but not dire. We'll have to cut rations -- I suggest full rations for the fighters, farmers, and hunters. My lads can do without, but they'll need their strength in the days ahead.

If the Royal Guard can stay to protect the town and enforce order, we'll scout the immediate tunnels in force. We're too wide open here, and need to know what's around us. If we have to fight a defensive battle here in the open, against unknown threats, among all these civilians?"

He pauses for emphasis, then gives a cough. "If we're lucky, we'll only find a den of benign beasties, and can add a bit of food.

I'll have my smiths make something for the farmers. Blacksteel hasn't had much call for bows though, and we'll need some time studying them to make more. If you want more hunters, you'll have to try scavenging for more bows among the refugee belongings. This many of them together, there's bound to be a few."

[Draxis]

Dever Hezn glances around the room, and seeing no others stands to speak.

"You can rest assured that the Freeholders will work hard to cultivate the land, and will fully contribute it to however we distribute the produce. Those who can are already consulting with those more skill in underground farming, and surveying this cavern. Between our farmers and hunters, and the elves who have said they can farm, there should be enough to avoid starvation."

Gesturing at Captain Ornal - "Thank you for the consideration. The more tools we can get the more land we can open up, and we should commit whatever other resources from the stockpiles are needed to make use of those. I also agree with your suggestion on the exploration of the tunnels - and the hunters will go along as well, maybe in front, and see what they can catch."

"Another thing we should consider is building materials. I know that there are plants down here which can be used for wood, but if our smiths spend the next months making farm tools we have no way to chop very many of them. So, I would propose that some of our skilled miners find a good place for a stone quarry."

"Finally, nobody here who knows farming knows the underground. I'd suggest that we set some of the smarter types to figure out what the soils are like, what grows well and how, and what the risks are. My people can plant whatever we're told is good to eat, but it's best to know more than that."

[Glass]

As Hezn sat down, Learner rose. My men were able to predict some of this in the days ahead of the Dark Moon’s rise, and we did what preparation we could. The Silver Hands will be able to provide arcane assistance with growing food to feed everyone, and the Steel Hands can make drills to help our miners. We may not have to reduce rations after all.

(Of mechanical note, the Mage’s Guild will set up a Mage Hall and the Artificer Guild will make an Artificery.)

[IronyOwl]

When Archfane Radulus speaks, it's in a dry, bureaucratic tone. "I concur with the decision for half rations until such time as sufficient food stocks may be guaranteed rather than projected. I further support a focus on agricultural infrastructure insofar as industrial concerns deem it feasible. The Ashbough Elves will begin cultivation efforts immediately and begin mundane and magical research into improving agricultural output immediately."


Once he's done speaking, a functionary of some kind leans in to whisper in his ear.

"Addendum: Ashbough magical capacity allows for doubling a single farming enterprise's output. This will still place us under guaranteed capacity and so does not affect my assessment of necessary procedures, excepting that Ashbough research will be limited to mundane enterprises while Ashbough magical talents will be directed towards improved crop yield."

[King Zultan]

PTW

[Roboson]

Sensing a lull in the conversation Luwald stood to speak. He was a big for a dwarf, as western dwarves tend to be, despite his age. So then, it seems as if we have a plan. Half rations for non-military personnel, farmers will build their fields using the fertile soil from the waterfall, and the mages will assist them with their magic. If there are no objections, we may skip the formality of a vote, as time constrains us.

We'll return to the issue of food if anyone has more to say on it, but in the mean time, let us discuss defenses and scouting.

We choose this location for its defensibly, as well as the easy access to water. That coupled with the size of this cavern made it the only real choice for constructing a large city. Now, that leaves us four points of entry and exit for us to explore, and defend in the case of attack. At this time, there is a barbican located at each one, but beyond those crumbling towers, there is nothing in the way of defenses. Our advance scouts have reported duergar to the west, and some meandering cave creatures to the south. Since south is the direction of the Lost Barbican, it is likely these creatures caught our scent sometime after we entered the caverns and has been tracking us since. Unfortunately we haven't had enough men to scout the west and north, so it is currently unknown what lurks beyond.

Now we only have three combat capable armies, the Blacksteel axemen, the Freeholder's hunters, and the royal guard. That leaves us with three points of defense if the hunters remain for defense rather than hunting, which would significantly lowers the food we can collect this month. We could of course form civilian militias, though they would be mostly unarmed. At this point, I'm taking volunteers and propositions for anyone who is willing to defend one of the corridors, or propose battle plans at large.

[Nirur Torir]

Captain Ornal thinks for a moment, his chin resting on a hand, before clapping that hand down on the table. "Blacksteel will guard the west, where the duergar lurk. If there's combat, that's likely to be a more intense front than the south, and the royal guard should never be taking the brunt of the losses.

He drums his fingers on the table for a moment before continuing. "I can get together a unit of militia, and lead them at another entrance, but we can't afford to botch this, and I'd feel more comfortable with a second unit."

[crazyabe]

"As my lord loathes managing his men and meeting with others, I was delegated to be here in his stead."
"Now, as I see it, We are surrounded by dangerous possibilities and lack Precise knowledge of what threats lie to each side, thus I would propose that for the time being, we Press part of the population into service as militia men under the term "Gate watchers" and have them stand guard over the four entrances into our humble hole in the wall, this way we can keep our actual troops from being too spread out in the case of an attack from any direction.

[Nirur Torir]

Ornal gives a dirty look "I can see why your lord is afraid to meet with us, with ideas like that. It might keep us from losing on any one front, but we'd be bleeding the civilian populace dry. They'd see it as sending them out to die while our main soldiers, the ones best suited for fighting, sit by in safety. Better to guard three entrances with professionals and the last with extra militia.

I do have another proposal, actually. If I'm conscripting the refugees under my banner, I'll be hard-pressed to train more smiths and expand my forgeworks, which we sorely need. Does anyone object to me doing that and relying on the main stockpiles to fund what I can't alone?"

[Draxis]

Dever responds first to the mercenary captain's question. "I have no problem with that. We'll also need to set aside food supplies to support those working to build new farms in the future, which means that for as long as we're distributing all the food centrally the Freeholders will need to make special withdrawals as more tools come into use."

"On the defenses, I agree that we should try not to put militias in front of our professional soldiers. Actually, I think there may be a way around the situation in the coming months. Archivist Learner, would it be possible for your artificers to produce bows and ammunition for hunters instead of mining tools? I think food and protection are both more immediate issues than mining, and among the Freeholders are more who could serve if they were given the equipment."

The orc turns to the representative of the Locksmith's Guild. "Sir, if you are able to mobilize a militia to support the soldiers that would be valuable, even if I think a different strategy might be best for where to send them. I have another idea, though - don't you have people who know how to talk and bargain, and who know languages? If you could send them to make contact with the Duergar - with guards of course - it could ward off conflict, get us some information at least on who they are, and maybe even establish trade. Even if we only give them the temporary impression that they can use us, wouldn't that be better than jumping straight to fighting?"

[Glass]

To Dever, Learner replied: The Hands of Steel are not experienced yet as bowyers. What they can build you are guns. They’re not going to be accurate, but if you can fill a chokepoint with hunters wielding them, it shouldn’t be of great concern if any individual bullet goes off to the side. The main concern I have with them is he fact that it’s slow to reload them, but so long as your men stagger their fire, I believe any issues with that should be minimized.

And, while I understand this topic was not directed toward me, I approve of an attempt to establish diplomatic relations with the Duergar. I believe my people may be able to provide a sampling of the goods we made prior to the Moonrise that we brought with us, to help make a good impression.

[IronyOwl]

"I concur that conserving civilians should be an immediate priority, and thus the use of militias is to be avoided where feasible. I will otherwise defer to martial leaders in martial matters, including current expenditures.

I am wary of making contact with outsiders until we are better able to demonstrate military and economic vitality, but will defer to concrete plans on this topic."

Farmer's Guild: Set up farm.
Mage: Use Rampant Growth to double output of farm.
Research: Improved farming of some sort. Ideally boosting raw output, but anything's fine.

[crazyabe]

"I Agree that sending out someone to speak with the Duergar could be profitable."

The Locksmiths Confederacy "organizes" 5 groups of malita.
the first 4 are organized into a rotating watch system, where there are 2 guys at each entrance at all hours, and they shift 2 in once every hour- in the event of them "hearing" or "seeing" things they are expected to run off towards the nearest actual military group and or raise the alarm.
the final one is organized with James Blond, 'Ambassador' to travel out and attempt starting negotiations with the Duergar.
Meanwhilst the tavernmaster Constructs the "Pink Dragon Inn" towards the southwest "wall", it's a quaint building with fine beds, beautiful young waitresses, and passabley edible food.