Set up house in some adbandoned merchant's home, (Or whichever house I can find that's nicest) trying to make it as comfortable and luxurious as possible.
[3] Sadly the looting doesn't leave much in terms of furnishings and one or two morons start the usual fires, limiting your choice of accommodations. You find a house in the port with an intact roof that seems to be clean and billet yourself there, keeping your troops in the neighbouring houses. At least you will be comfortable if it comes to a siege.
“This war will take longer than anticipated.” His tone became ominously grim as he addressed the other Lords, “Prepare to loot the city. We'll take anything of value. Then we'll see how their soldiers like to fight when they have no money to pay them. Perhaps in their haste, that will draw them out into a trap. And if that doesn't work we'll burn the whole thing down.”
Looting the city proper puts you rather awkwardly within range of the catapults, who take pot shots from the fort's ramparts at bands of looters. The port itself is undefended however, so you easily and automatically loot
6 Ducats from the shops and warehouses there (deducted from next year's taxes in the region). You cannot effectively loot the town whilst the keep still stands and is defended, as defenders can disrupt the scattered formations required to loot with shortbow fire or catapult bombardment.
The good news is that by holding the port you will be able to cut off any resources they relied on trade to obtain. Depending on how much they have laid in store, they may be able to hold the siege for some time.
It takes a few days to pull off the looting successfully (there is a fair amount to loot, and you have to shake down the commanders within reasonable limits to ensure you get at least some of the spoils). By the time you are finished, scouts report a new Prestoner army arriving from the south, some four regiments in strength. Another band of men, not flying Prestoner colours, is following them.
Manning and his crew head north, following the Prestonian army to the main conflict. Utilizing the scouting nature of the crew, if the Prestonians attack the main forces of Elbreth, the crew can perform the perfect flank.
You head north with the Prestoner army, bringing the two engineers Terenos recruited. They arrive on the crest of the low foothills leading toward the currently smoking city of Preston. It looks like the army ahead have settled into looting and siege for the moment. Their commanders appear to be deciding what to do.
((Excuse me, But taunting the dice to either swing in his favor, or spectacularly wrong is the wheelhouse of my character. A small amount of messaging led to this action. I did want to consult with ol Manning after all.))
Terenos travels with his personal guard regiment south, To meet up with the commander of the approaching Elbreth Army.
You take your personal guard regiment, but send the engineers on ahead with Manning. You don't have to march long before meeting five regiments under the command of Sir Taric of Stonewood. Accompanying them is a Suulian physician they picked up during the journey, claiming to be answering the call of Lady Drua. He is rather insistent he see her and tend to her injuries.
Keep on trucking to Suul I guess.
You have visited Suul before and know the way, but this time things appear a little different. There is heavy construction going on in the city, and as you pass through the formerly symbolic city gates you notice that they are being reinforced and a pair of encircling stone walls are being constructed around the port and city proper. Brigandined longbowmen pace along the new battlements, surveying the construction and the countryside.
[6] It is very easy to find the man you are looking for. Or rather it is very easy to find his estate because it is in the process of being dismantled and sold off. The merchant collector recently died from a canker of the bowels, leaving everything to his rather less cultured (but very gambling-prone) son, who has opted to sell off the menagerie and several of the family's works of art to cover his debts. The monkey is presently still unsold, but according to the auctioneer will go on the block in three days' time.
[6] Your two assistants appear to be getting bored, and you've noticed them put their tents closer to each other during your travel stops. They are in good spirits, but becoming somewhat distracted from the task at hand.
((shite. My guys are idiots ))
Well at least he didn't tell them... Locanil decided to keep them for now...But he also decided he would also teach Berte and the two (names please) the basics of engineering.
Action- Continue teaching class in writing but also teach the three about engineering.
[5] The class at large excel in your efforts to improve their writing skills. In fact, you believe many of them are ready for helpful and valuable lives as scribes, note-takers, shopkeepers and whatever other professions are available to someone who can read and write but lacks much other knowledge. [1-1] Your efforts to teach Berte and the other two 'prime' students about engineering fail miserably, mostly because of your own near total inexperience in the subject. You're a scholar, not an engineer, and they are swiftly realising this and losing confidence in your ability there. You won't be able to retrain them as engineers without a real engineer to do the teaching.
tell sentries too look out for any people traveling nearby
if someone is spotted go and get the raider guards to apprehend them [carefully] and bring them before the Nahk to talk
attempt to move the big rocks so that they camoflage the cave entrance and keep out the snow that will come in winter
be careful with the rocks
rotate some of the sentries every now and then off duty sentries should help collect food or tend to the goats
[4 vs 1] Your sentries spot a lone, armed archer in lamellar armour crossing through your territory. They send for a handful of raider guards, who confront the man and demand he surrender his weapons and come with them to speak before the Nahk.
Kytuzian: You are peacefully travelling through an unexplored pass when a group of unwashed barbarians hold you up with shortbows and demand you surrender so they can take you to their leader.
[6-2] Despite your insistence that the men be careful with the large rocks, they move a little too freely and end up almost completely sealing the cave off. It is possible to get in and out through a narrow gap between the heavy rocks, but you will not be able to withdraw large numbers (e.g. regiments) into the cave in a hurry. Once they are in there, though, they will at least be well protected.
The cave's fortification bonus has increased to +2! Unfortunately you cannot retreat into it during a battle - troops must be placed in there ahead of time to defend it.Lands:
Elspine +2 defense [Elspine regions have +1 defense against troops coming from Suul due to rock-slide traps][copper]
Elspine x1 [cave +1 defense][not improved][+3 defense total]
Zimtar Village - +1 d/year
- Elspine x1 [Zimtar Village]
Suul x1 [hunting lodge]
Troops:
Steppe raiders x1 [personal][infantry][Raider][Elspine]
Steppe raiders x1 [infantry][Raider][unusable till winter][Suul]
Tools available:
(Mining tools unusable, 1 ducat worth - repaired in new year)
Treasury:
0 ducat
Important people:
The Nahk
Commander Zacmar (NPC)