Grand Strategy System and Player Thinking Test - TURN 3
The Borderlands, End of Spring/Beginning of Summer, First YearMAP OF THE WEST (Spoilered, for your own good.)
SeriousConcentrate"All right boys, let's go home. We have families to get back to and a celebration to attend!" Pasha leads his troops home. Once there, he puts 2500 of the captured loot away for the future and spends the remaining 500 to throw a party in the Outpost courtyard. His men deserve to feel appreciated, he felt, and it would give the newly-freed slaves a chance to acclimate to the townspeople.
The journey back to Ashfire Outpost goes quickly. If any Mountain Men stragglers survived, they do not make themselves known. Summer approaches, and the snows of the long winter are melting fast. Soon the great fields of white will recede into the north, only to spill forth again in the winter months.
The Master of the Outpost gives generously from his loot, having a grand feast held in the outpost courtyard. Performers and passing travellers are hired by the dozens to provide entertainment, and people flock from all over the region to enjoy the celebration, cementing Pasha's reputation in the land. For one night, the people can forget the threat of the Mountain Men.
Pasha's men are more than grateful as well. Who would ever abandon a man who treats his men so well?
His guests bring worrying news as well. More and more Mountain Men patrols have been sighted around Scuvne. The town is far away and defended only by a handful of Lord Bareom's men who, while a brave man, cannot stand against a larger force forever.
Pasha Dolgorouki, Master of Ashfire Outpost (SeriousConcentrate)
In Ashfire OutpostLands: 1 hex
+ Keep (Ashfire Outpost) - +1000¤ every season
*One Yearly Recruitment Slot (unused)
Forces: 5600 men (
in Ashfire Outpost)
+ 2000 Mailed Knights (
1-6p lethal, 1-10p morale)
+ 2800 Ashfire Skirmishers (
1-2p lethal, 1-5p morale)
+ 800 Peasant Levies (
1-2p lethal, 1-4p morale)
Travel Speed: 4 hexes per turn
*MORALE: 200/200
*UPKEEP: -5600 Supplies per season
Current Funds: 6500¤
*Vassal Fees: -500¤ per season
*Liege Upkeep: +2000¤ per season
Current Supplies: 4400s
PROJECTED AUTUMN FUNDS: 9000¤
PROJECTED AUTUMN SUPPLIES: 0s
Special Trait:
TacticianKEEP ACTIONSRaise Troops (Mailed Knights [5000¤], Ashfire Skirmishers [1000¤], Peasant Levies [500¤])
Buy Supplies (1000s for 300¤)
Construct Improvement (
Recruiting Centre [3000¤], Expanded Stables [6000¤])
Reinforce Troops (
Reinforce all units for 300¤ or individual units)
---
DraigneanSend in scouts, keep the main force under cover.
[5] The Margrave isn't in a rush. He carefully scouts every inch of the enemy camp for weeks, stopping only when their woodland patrols get too thick. This will give him an immense advantage in battle.
Draignean will receive a +2 to Positioning and +1 to Battle Rolls when he attacks the camp.
[3] The Margrave receives a surprise visitor in the form of one of his best spies but not good enough, as his men find him skewered by Mountain Men patrols. While he's passed on already, they retrieve the message he was carrying. It is encrypted, meant for the Margrave's eyes only.
It seems a multitude of things have happened since he was last in civilized lands. Many of the lords of the land have followed his example and led armies into the wilds to combat the Mountain Men threat, to varying results. Lord Darvi, the old man of the North Tower, was defeated and taken captive by these barbarians, who now demand a ransom. The Duke himself seems to intend to march north any day now but the reason changes with whoever's telling the tale.
In more worrying news, Lord Bareom of Scuvne has been defeated and driven into the thick forests beneath his lands almost directly north of here. This was the last pigeon from the informant in Scuvne - there's no telling if the town still stands.
Margrave Draignean, Lord of Two KingsIn the wilderness west of Two KingsLands: 1 hex
+ Town (Two Kings) - +4000¤ every season
*One Yearly Recruitment Slot (unused)
Forces: 1000 men (
in Two Kings)
+ 1000 Peasant Levies (
1-2p lethal, 1-4p morale)
Travel Speed: 6 hexes per turn
*MORALE: 80/80
5400 men (
With Draignean, in the wilderness west of Two Kings)
+ 2900 Mailed Knights (
1-6p lethal, 1-10p morale)
+ 2500 Peasant Levies (
1-2p lethal, 1-4p morale)
Travel Speed: 4 hexes per turn
*MORALE: 140/140
*UPKEEP: -6400 Supplies per season
Current Funds: 8500¤
*Vassal Fees: -500¤ per season
Current Supplies: 4600s
PROJECTED AUTUMN FUNDS: 12 000¤
PROJECTED AUTUMN SUPPLIES: 0s
Special Trait:
Spy NetworkWILDERNESS ACTIONS (
West of Two Kings, near the Mountain Men camp)
Make Camp (
Restore 50 Morale by staying and resting here for a turn.)
Construct Outpost (
[-5000¤])
***
MAP OF THE EASTTaricusDuke Taricus recruits a unit of Ducal guard, and orders the construction of a grand market. Then, he marches north with the guards, knights and mounted sergeants, leaving behind the house armsmen and the pikemen at Kardrun.
Duke Taricus of Kardrun has had enough. His lords are running around in pursuit of some dirty, half-naked barbarians, and even worse, losing to and getting captured by such mobs. It is time to ride out, to put an end to this menace and bring his vassals back in line.
He did not become Duke only for the title. Kardrun has housed the barracks of the Ducal Guard for hundreds of years, and he does not wish to put the space to waste. Taricus orders the recruitment of a thousand Ducal Guard, to be hand-picked from his bravest armsmen and troops, to be clad in the finest armor available, to be be given the best warhorses in this cold and bleak land. To bring peace and prosperity in his abscence, Taricus charges the merchants of the city with the creation of a Grand Market, funding them generously.
Finally, at the end of Spring, the Duke is ready, and rides out with a host of seven thousand veteran knights and guards. Whoever wishes to oppose them will soon regret that decision.
Only a few days out of the city, an exhausted peasant on a horse approaches the camp with a message from Sir Aaron, his cousin. The fool has done what so many of these idiots have gone out to the wilds to battle against the Mountain Men. He asks for support in the western mountains.
[4] The situation in the south remains relatively peaceful, for better or worse.
Taricus, Duke of Kardrun (Taricus)
In KardrunLands: 9 hexes (3 personal)
+ City (Kardrun) - +12 000¤ every season
*Three Yearly Recruitment Slots (1 used up, 2 unused)
*Castle
*Grand Market - +1000¤ every season
+ Village (Malkun) - +1000¤ every season
*One Yearly Recruitment Slot (unused)
Forces: 5000 men (
in Kardrun)
+ 4000 House Armsmen (
1-3p lethal, 1-6p morale)
+ 1000 Northerner Pikemen (
1-4p lethal, 1-4p morale) Travel Speed: 6 hexes per turn
*MORALE: 100/100
7000 men (i]with Lord Taricus in the wilderness west of Salan's Crossing[/i])
+ 3000 Light Cavalry (
1-3p lethal, 1-8p morale) + 2000 Mailed Knights (
1-6p lethal, 1-10p morale)
+ 1000 Honour Guard (
1-5p lethal, 1-12p morale)
+ 1000 Ducal Guard (
1-7p lethal, 1-20p morale)
Travel Speed: 6 hexes per turn (cavalry bonus)
*MORALE: 180/180
*UPKEEP: -12 000 Supplies per season
Current Funds: 11 500¤
*Vassal Fees: +4500¤ per season
*Vassal Upkeep: -6000¤ per season
Current Supplies: 16 000s
PROJECTED AUTUMN FUNDS: 24 000¤
PROJECTED AUTUMN SUPPLIES: 4000s
Special Trait:
Ducal Title,
Honour Guard
WILDERNESS ACTIONS
Make Camp (Restore 50 Morale by staying and resting here for a turn.)
Construct Outpost ([-5000¤])
---
dermonsterSend off a messenger and warn South tower. Gather a medium sized force and march to the northeast. Keep a scout ahead at all times so as to know when we draw near.
Sir Derm sends a messenger for South Tower, warning him of the danger in the mountains. [?] There's no telling if he received it or not, but he decides to march out regardless. The troops under his command seem to be glad to be heading out, and he senses a general change in morale.
They march for several long weeks, the snows retreating before them, travelling to the hills bordering the mountain just north of South Tower. There is no sight of Count Amman's men but his scouts report a Mountain Men has left here just a week earlier and is headed somewhere into the mountains.
Sir Derm, Lord of Thore CastleIn the wilderness north of the South TowerLands: 2 hexes
+ Fortress (Thore Castle) - +2000¤ every season
*One Yearly Recruitment Slot (unused)
+ Farmlands - +500¤ every season
*One Yearly Recruitment Slot (unused)
Forces: 3000 men (
in Thore Castle)
+ 1000 Northerner Pikemen (
1-4p lethal, 1-4p morale)
+ 2000 Peasant Levies (
1-2p lethal, 1-4p morale)
Travel Speed: 6 hexes per turn
*MORALE: 80/80
5000 men (
with Sir Derm in the wilderness north of South Tower)
+ 3000 Mailed Knights (
1-6p lethal, 1-10p morale)
+ 2000 Peasant Levies (
1-2p lethal, 1-4p morale)
Travel Speed: 6 hexes per turn
*MORALE: 120/120
*UPKEEP: -8000 Supplies per season
Current Funds: 14 000¤
*Vassal Fees: -500¤ per season
Current Supplies: 16 000s
PROJECTED AUTUMN FUNDS: 16 000¤
PROJECTED AUTUMN SUPPLIES: 8000s
Special Trait:
Royal MarriageWILDERNESS ACTIONS
Make Camp (
Restore 50 Morale by staying and resting here for a turn.)
Construct Outpost (
[-5000¤])
---
adwarfContinue the march along the river. Once he arrived near the enemy encampment he would send 700 Peasant Levies to the east of it, and 700 to the west of the Camp.There they would prepare fire traps, spike pits, and numerous other traps to aid in the camps destruction.
His men would work on building rows of trenches, and dirt walls all across the landscape along with rows of sharpened spike logs, and there he would set up camp
A messenger is sent for Kardrun, to ask for the Duke's assistance.
Sir Aaron continues marching along the river, though he makes little progress the mountains are steep and the path narrow, and the forest makes it hard to make out where they're supposed to be going.
Sir Aaron, Lord of Salan's Crossing (adwarf)
In the wilderness east of Salan's CrossingLands: 1 hex
+ Town (Salan's Crossing) - +4000¤ every season
*One Yearly Recruitment Slot (used up)
*River Toll - +500¤ every season
Forces: 1800 men (in Salan's Crossing)
+ 300 House Armsmen (
1-3p lethal, 1-6p morale)
+ 1500 Peasant Levies (
1-2p lethal, 1-4p morale)
Travel Speed: 6 hexes per turn
*MORALE: 100/100
2200 men (with Sir Aaron east of Salan's Crossing)
+1500 Peasant Levies (
1-2p lethal, 1-4p morale)
+700 House Armsmen (
1-3p lethal, 1-6p morale)
Travel Speed: 6 hexes per turn
*MORALE: 120/120
*UPKEEP: -4000 Supplies per season
Current Funds: 4900¤
*Vassal Fees: -500¤ every season
Current Supplies: 3000s
PROJECTED AUTUMN FUNDS: 8900¤
PROJECTED AUTUMN SUPPLIES: 0s
Special Trait:
Royal MarriageWILDERNESS ACTIONS
Make Camp (
Restore 50 Morale by staying and resting here for a turn.)
Construct Outpost (
[-5000¤])
---
DarviLike no way I'm going to be held ransom. Seduce some girl and make her help me escape. wait what no that's not my style.
[2] Lord Darvi begins to think of a plan to escape, after rejecting an offer of help from a beautiful peasant girl. Like he'd need any help!
Of course, he could really use the girl's offer of cutting his ropes. The barbarians keep him under heavy guard all day and tie him up again each night. He wakes with every part of his body sore, and his skin bruised and cut from the stones the younger warriors throw at him to pass the time.
[3] The knights of the North Tower are ready to come save him, but the Lord's useless wimp of a brother advocates caution if they could best the best pikemen in the North, they stand no chance. Of course, Lord Darvi has no idea of this, and waits for someone to come rescue him.
Lord Darvi, Master of the North Tower (Darvi)
Captive in Mountain Men campLands: 1 hex
+ Keep (North Tower) - +1000¤ every season
*One Yearly Recruitment Slot (unused)
Forces: 1000 men (
in the North Tower)
+ 1000 Mailed Knights (
1-6p lethal, 1-10p morale)
Travel Speed: 6 hexes per turn
*MORALE: 60/60
*UPKEEP: -1000 Supplies per season
Current Funds: 6500¤
*Vassal Fees: -500¤ per season
*Liege Upkeep: +2000¤ per season
Current Supplies: 7000s
PROJECTED AUTUMN FUNDS: 9500¤
PROJECTED AUTUMN SUPPLIES: 6000s
Special Trait:
Urban FighterCAPTIVE ACTIONS
Try to Escape ---
I'm currently rethinking Merchant Guilds, so they're of no use atm, I'm afraid.
Adwarf, I figured you didn't want to do those things yet as you're not that close to the camp yet. Moving through mountains is bad enough, but when those mountains are also forested...
It is now Summer. Your funds and supplies have been adjusted accordingly.