WHOO!!

I have to read the last thread, but I'll be here soon!

rolled 4 = 4

rollan

What are we rolling here, QL?

>>10359290
nothing right away, was gonna let the FUCK YEAH's go by as people realise I'm back, and then get shit moving again. But it'll be R3 combat, d20. Might as well go now though.

>>10359261
I'm so happy you're back

Tis duelling time

Oh cool, it's back. I thought you gone for today, QL

>>10359323
Nope, I'm here. Technical issues. By which I mean, UQ Connect hates us QUT folk at colleges, and making us pay extra for the same service isn't enough, they gotta cut my internet off at odd hours just to enrage me.

rolled 15 = 15

FUCK YEA

lets roll for combat!

rolled 14 = 14

>>10359306
I guess I'm rolling if the 4 rolled prior to this post doesn't count.

uq connect?

Couldn't pay me enough to risk my already accrued hecs debt on 4chan

>>10359261
QL, did we get around to giving those spices/seeds to our plant expert to find out if there were any spices we could grow?

Just about how many Virmen do we have around us anyway?

rolled 4 = 4

Guess I'll try this...

>>10359365
The momentum continues to swing your way as Cohen comes to your aid. With a single swing of his oversized claymore he forces them all to leap back form his unblockable attack. This gives you the opening you need and you jump over Cohen's blade, smashing one of the lacky's back with a solid blow of your shield, and decapitate the leader. Stark follows you lunging at the other lacky as he turns and tries to escape, gripping onto the virman by his tail as it screeches in pain.

Around the battle the virmen see their leader has died, and take flight, with a small disciplined group making a fighting retreat. Pursue the fleeing virmen, to cut down as many as possible, or focus on the retreating group of veterans, who are dragging some of their dead back with them?

>>10359368
UQ connect is the internet where I live for college. I attend University elsewhere, which means UQ decides my internet is lowest priority. Risk my hecs debt? Unlikely.

>>10359377
No, I'd forgotten about them and so did you. They're sitting safely in your castle awaiting your attention.

>>10359429
It's hard to tell exactly in the melee, but at least a score. Less now, since most have began to flee. The disciplined group is about a dozen strong, maybe a couple less.

>>10359471

>small disciplined group making a fighting retreat

really? that seems kind of odd, for virmen at least. mabey we should have a few follow, just to see what the virmen do.

Let the runners go. Those who are wounded and trying to escape at a slower speed, kill them before they get away.

Tend to our wounded.

LOOT SHIT.

>>10359471
Get the veteran forces, we want to wreck any chance this little band of Virmen will form up again.

>>10359499
Hrmm, you keep saying how disciplined they are.

Anything about this group odder than the average Virmen we've seen?

I can't wait to be useless piece of shit and manage fantasy kingdom all day!


Yay! Lord Quest...

>>10359522
The disciplined group seem to be better armed then most of the virmen, with short blades and crude wooden shields. And it looks like they've scavenged patch-quilt armour with gleams of bits of metal that has been strapped to their leather armours.

They're getting away and time is of the essence. Do you engage this group, or let them back off? Or do you pursue the wildly fleeing virmen as they run for the hills.

rolled 15 = 15

rollin for VETERANS

>>10359565
Get the vets of course, leave a couple alive to interrogate. There might be a story behind why they're so well equipped.

>>10359565

veterans are the most likely to regroup and attack, finish them

>>10359565
give them a chance to surrender, we could use some more troops. they woulld be useful for any swamp missions

>>10359612
had this discussion before,
not trustworthy enough and demoralizing to the rest of the people

>>10359569
You move in, engaging the veterans, as Doobs and Aegon run into supporting positions. One of the filthy rats seems to see this, and screetches something in their high pitched tounge, and the retreat slows, as the virmen form up prepared for your assuault. They weren't prepared enough however and you and doobs hit their crude formation like an angry giant. Covering doob's flank with your shield you break past the front of the formation, and then go back to back as your soldiers engage. You net yourself three kills, and you hear the screams of others behind you as doobs does his dirty work. Stark watches your right flank, snapping and biting like a beast possessed. This assault is too much for them, and they break into a full retreat, dropping their dead and scattering.

Lootan tiem.
Getten back our injured time.

>>10359662

Consolidate there. Don't bother chasing them, as we're liable to get lost or stranded. See to any wounds and loot the dead.

>>10359662
follow them, find out why they are unusaly disaplined

>>10359592
>>10359612
There are a few injured virmen still at your disposal. One of the better equipped and less cowardly virmen, and two more of the others. What do you do with them?

>>10359662
Sick Stark on one of them to immobilize it for interrogation. Have the men try and capture any stragglers.

I have a suggestion. It sounds stupid, but whatever.

The next time we find a warband of Virmen, we should utterly beat them. But try to leave a lot alive and captures/encircled. Offer them their lives. Arrange a deal where they live in a village inside the swamp. A small burrow/village of their own, living like they regularly do, except they answer to us. We use them in the swamp for gathering shit/fighting shit. We give them some food.

>>10359687
talk to them, find out why they fought so well.

What is the overall climate and soil type again? I seem to remember average wetness, acidic rocky soil to the north, slightly chilly but not overly with indirect sunlight for much of the day? Sort of like northern England?

>>10359687
Tie them up if we have any spare rope. Have Cohen and Stark with us for extra intimidation factor and try and get some information from the armored virmen.

>>10359680
>>10359682
You have two yeomen with head wounds from the launched shrapnel, and a further one with a nasty cut on his arm. One of your manhunters has had his face pulverised by a piece of shale, he's still alive, but will need treatment sooner rather then later.

>>10359703
good idea, we gould combine it with the swamp watchtower/trading post that was mentioned a few threads ago.

>>10359740

Being a manhunter in our village is a real deathtrap.

Bandage the wounds as best we can.

>>10359740
sigh, abort mission go back to the village, we didn't go that deep anyway

>>10359740
Bandage them up a bit, preferably not with anything that's touched the swamp water. We'll need to head back to Teajay after this so Zeek can fix these guys up.

>>10359740
First aid and then bring them back to the castle for further treatments.

>>10359703
I agree with this. We should try to bring the Virmen and Outlaws under our rule and start reclaiming the swamps. They will make for AMAZING farmland. I think the trolls are probably too wild to be tamed and would have to be mostly put down.

>>10359703
I like it.

We use the Virmen as a frontline. Using them to clear the swamp, and then offering the Outlaws the cleared land to start a small village, which we initially supply/send immigrants to. Slowly, we reclaim the swamp.

I LIKE IT!

Really guys, we can't turn back every time we have something bad happen. Otherwise we would literally NEVER get anywhere in the swamp due to how hideously frequent the encounters are. It's an average of 5 encounters each way, with > half being bad from what I've seen.

>>10359778

if we do get a virmen nest under our control we will need to make sure the virchildern? are taught loyalty

>>10359723
Something like that. Damper here in the peat bogs of course.

>>10359693
The virmen are gone, with the exception of the ones here. Scattered across the swamp, down their holes, in their muck.

>>10359710
>>10359693
>>10359730
As for the ones you have at your disposal, you interrogate them with Doobs, Cohen and Stark. Roll a d20 for interrogation, you have some serious bonuses here though.

>>10359759
>>10359770
>>10359771
>>10359777
You order Aegon and some of the men to first aid as best they can and get the wounded ready to head back to the castle at a moments notice. Just as soon as you deal with these virmen. . .

we should interragate the virmen before we go anywhare.

>>10359801

We're not going anywhere though. The only reason we came out here was to go troll hunting.

>>10359778
We have already started communicating with the outlaws,
but virmen are out of the question, it was proven time and again that they would turn on us at the first opportunity.

>>10359801
But you weren't really here to go anywhere, except practice some fighting.

I have to wonder why our neighbors haven't annexed our little holding. We have, what? 300-500 peasants and two tiny villages? Seekay has a real city plus who knows how many villages, and I imagine the others are not as big but still many times larger than us. We are so completely fucked here. There is no way we can hold our own without several thousand inmigrant serfs every few months at this point.

>>10359830
they have attacked us and acted cowardly (unlike the ones we just fought) but i cant recall them betraying us.

could you tell me when this happened?

>>10359840
I thought we were going in to find the artifact that we died for?

rolled 3 = 3

>>10359824
Interrogation roll. Please watch me fail miserably.

>>10359848
no, just training

>>10359851
You motherfucker.

>>10359851
You know I think I deserved that for trying to play reverse psychology with the dice.

>>10359851

>>10359830
They have actually been fairly trustworthy so far. When we met them in the depths and when we encountered them in the shrine it worked out fine, and we know that they have traded with humans before.

I say we swing it. We DESPERATELY need more workforce if we are going to have any hope at more than just surviving and marrying the third daughter of a minor noble house.

>>10359842
Seakay is friendly, and not particularly warlike, Westcoast (Lynald Lyann) is occupied with Arkem and his lot. The baronets to the south-east of you are mostly small time as well, and don't have the armies to walk though Seakay, and don't trusk Arkem and Lynald enough to go past there. And if they did, they *can't* deal with your ally to the south, who is a local power, with all the strengths of being a boarder lord, and more power then anyone except Lynald and Arkem.

Plus, none of the State armies are allowed to conquer you, you already answer to Erondia in theory, you're just far enough out that making you pay taxes is more bother then it's worth.

>>10359884
Exactly! We need to be proactive. This swamp is covered in ancient buildings. Who knows what we'll uncover.

>>10359872

>>10359851
You called it. The 'diciplined' one doesn't break down, but his two compatriots do at the first chance. "Themlots be the elitebest fighterstabbers in the whole broodnest. They earnwin best weaponstabbers, and get firstbest pickchoose of fightingweapons and armourbits."

rolled 1 = 1

>>10359922
Get more proactive. Stick our sword tip into the more disciplined one's shoulder, then ask him again.

>>10359893
Well, we're surrounded by the three largest reigonal powers and have < 500 peasants.

Sounds like we need to get creative. Tea was planted here before so this area must be pretty warm. And since there is acidic soil up north we should be able to grow spices. Judging from how expensive those few we bought were, I would say we will need to heavily invest in becoming a trading power. Perhaps we can then extend into rare dwarven goods thanks to Urist and a direct shot to the northern dwarven clans.

Hell, if nothing else we can try claiming land as far as we can up that way and building a road to further trade. We could become a major trading nation if we can get tea, spices, dwarven goods, and perhaps eventually conquer or negotiate a strip of land that gets us a port. We would have the kingsroad, our northern road, the main bridge in the area, AND a port. Trade heaven.

>>10359935
You trip and stick your sword through his neck. TOO BAD.

>>10359947
Speaking of Urist

WHAT THE FUCK DID HE GET FOR US? We were supposed to see him during the festival but never got around to it. Now it's months later.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX!?

>>10359964
A severed elf head.

>>10359862
Doncha know, if you're doing something one of the gods would approve of, roll in their name (Byron also seems to answer to BRIAN BLESSED! but only in ALLCAPS.) If it's life and death or for romance, roll in Sarahs name. If doobs is involved call out "MOTHERFUCKING DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBS!" (any roll with this in it is my cue to let DOOOOBS shine if it's good btw).

>>10359935
You stab him and demand that he answer. Instead he just shrieks in pain and starts coughing up blood. You can't get him to answer straight, he just thrashes about in pain, as best as his bonds allow him.

>>10359947
Tea was planted here a long time ago. It's kind of cold these days.

>>10359974
Oh, man, this is another possible good thing if we want to go into trade. We are already practically metropolitan with a dwarf and an elf in our employ. We could use that to attract merchants who wouldn't usually deal with humans.

And if we get Virmen too... Hmmm. Progress! Science!

>>10359947
already working on most of that.
hell, we have bee her for 2 years, we are doing REALLY well, but we can't speak of trading empires until we hit 10 at the earliest, we are human not gods.

>>10359964
An architect.

>>10359974
The elf is still alive, and is actually your blacksmith.

>>10359986
Well, cold just right fucks us. Virtually nothing expensive grows in the cold. We're a minor power forever unless something amazing happens with the Duchy title, which it won't.

>>10359999
That's all? Seriously? Come on! We asked him to pick up chickens and shit. Pigs. More animals. More vegetable and fruit seeds.

>>10359999
Man, if that's it we need to fire Urist. He's supposed to be making us money and getting more traders interested.

Ask him if the dwarven clans to the north would be adverse to jointly building a traderoad. We claim the land, they get to build a fine dwarven road across it. Everyone benefits.

>>10359999
I know it's a movie reference.

If we are pulling in these retarded amounts of gold with such a small estate imagine just how much money Seekay is making.

I shudder to think.

>>10360015
we still have a bounty on tea plants, we will find a way

Can we stop talking about the future maybes and focus on getting our wounded back, so we can progress this shit?

>>10360076
HEAR HEAR

>>10360020
He's doing a little trading for you, and has put a couple of middlish one off payments into your bank account. And he's working for you for free, taking a cut of the profits to feed himself when he's out and about, and that's it.

>>10360039
You note to remember to ask Urist about the possibility of a trade road to the north.

>>10360076
Sort of waiting on shit to happen. Currently there's not much to do. I've already said we should push on, get the artifact, and stop by the outlaws on the way back. Others have said different things. Now we're just waiting and discussing things we can do in the future.

so, we want some virmen to work for us.(die in the swamp adventures instead of our villagers) and we also want a swamp outpost for tradeing.

first we will need to gather virmen to do the work on the outpost(and build a road to it)

if we tried this with our peasents many would die from swamp diseases andattacks by trolls/other virmen.

so we use virmen to do it instead. they will need food, tools, guards and and a few of our skilled workers to instruct them on what to do.

i would suggest something like the pic, with our milita/guards in the fort and the virmen outside in village like area with a pallisade built around it.

the virmen seem to be short on food so we can easily pay them with some of our surplus food for all this work

>>10360076
>>10360081
Bringing yourself back to the present, you still have 2 virmen to deal with. Let them go, kill them, take them back to the castle with you? What do?

rolled 15 = 15

>>10360111
Right rolling for intimidation on the stabbed half dead elite Virmen. Hopefully we can at least learn who led him before he dies.

>>10360116
This is a good plan. I suggest telling the Virmen that we want to meet with their leaders for trade, and to spread it around to as many Virman clans as they can.

>>10360127
Let them go. Tell them that we wish to meet the LeaderHead of the clan in a month's time.

>>10360116
we have too many other projects on the table, we haven't even put our main village in order and you people are talking swamp outposts and supplying hostiles.

>>10360133
He's obviously intimidated, but is past the point of making much sense at this stage. "Clanfighter. Listenobey Bosscheif, hevirman goodbest fighterstabber in broodnest, gatherbring the clanfighters witharound him." That's all you can get out of him, and he's fading fast.

>>10360167
only some of them are hostile and >>10360116
plan has the virmen doing most of the work

>>10360167
What order are we supposed to put it in? Short of a crash breeding program that won't "bear" fruit for decades there is not much we can do.

>>10360169
Okay so the Virmen are massing under a leader. Try to save him and keep him as a prisoner. Send the two Virmen back to this clanboss and tell him to meet us for trade and talks in a month or two.

Then see if we can meet the outcasts?

We need to challenge this Virmen leader in front of all the clan leaders. Declare ourself as the leader of them all. Get them to work clearing the swamp.

>>10360169
Find out where is burrow is in relation to where we are now.

rolled 6 = 6

search the area for loot, return with prisoners and stories to tell.

why am i rolling? because i'm the boss.

>>10360226
You can't get any more information from this one, he's barely conscious any more. The other two however. . .

>>10360268
You get some of the spare soldiers to search the area for valuables and loot, but they find little of any value at all, and nothing worth your attention.

So, what are we doing with the last two? First idea to be seconded gets it, you're in a hurry to get back with the wounded, remember?

FORCE THE OTHER TWO TO TELL US WHERE THIS GATHERING AND THE "GREAT LEADER" IS.

We need to find out where it is. Then we return to camp, drop off our wounded, and go challenge this big leader.

PROVE HOW BADASS WE ARE, ALONE, IN ONE ON ONE COMBAT. USE CAUSTING POWDER. MURDER THAT MOTHERFUCKER.

SHOW THE VERMEN THAT WE ARE BADASS MOTHERFUCKERS.

SET UP TRADE. WE GIVE THEM FOOD, THEY START CLEARING OUT A PORTION OF THE SWAMPLAND AND CONSTRUCTING A FORT WITH THE AID OF OUR ARCHITECT. THEN AN ACTUAL ROAD. THEN WE OFFER THE OUTLAWS TO LIVE THERE AND WE SET IT UP AS A COOL NEW VILLAGE.

KEEP THE TRADE WITH THE VERMEN, BECAUSE WE DONT WANT THEM SWARMING OVER US IN REVENGE.

CLEAR OUT FROM THAT FORT, EXPAND. ADD NEW ROADS. FIND RUINS. BUILD.

RECLAIM THE MOTHERFUCKING SWAMP!

>>10360288
Well try and get something from the other two. The first one to tell us gets to go free and they can take the armored guy with them.

>>10360326
Promise the other two that we won't hurt them. Give them food. Get them to lead us to their gathering.

>>10360326
seconded

>>10360326
All in due time man. We'll probably be done for this session after we return home to heal our people though. By the way, will there be another session on Wensday QL?

>>10360326
You ask them to tell you were their 'broodnest' is and they laugh. "Entranceins all around, one hereclose, some fardong, but not all go strightlong, somemany are twisttunnel. Is all tightclose, tallmen like yousword are not allowed in and won't fitgo anyhow. You tallmen fightslash goodmuch winlots here, in twisttunnel you losemuch alwaysbig."

>>10360408
Fuck. It's all underground, huh?

>>10360454
Bingo, I've said this before. LAst time you lost two still alive to them, they escaped into their holes and there was nothing you could do.

>>10360466
Well shit.

What does everyone think of going along with this plan, but sending one of our captured vermen in to find this big chief to issue our challenge?

>>10360474
we have to get the wounded back home, there is no tme

For the love of god just have them set up a meeting and let's get on with it.

>>10360474
send one of the virmen to challenge the cheif. if we beat him were the new boss if he beats us they get all the surplus food from our farms for a few months and a bunch of tools

>>10360521
>if we beat him were the new boss

I'd like to know where you got that idea.

>>10360521
More like if we beat him the Virmen hate us forever. Jesus christ just set up a meeting and we will figure this all out when we have a handy source of information on the state of the Virmen.

>>10360521
>>10360474
You send them on their way, with orders to try and set up a meeting. Next month? Month after? And get on your way with your wounded.

>>10360583
A month should do.

>>10360587
As you leave, you hear them beginning to loot the surroundings, and chatting to themselves in what you think are relieved tones of voice for their species...

>>10360617
Well I guess that turned out better than expected. I mean we didn't kill any trolls, but we're on our way to gaining a foothold into our swamp territory.

>>10360617
. . . And when you return, Zeek rushes out to deal with the wounded. The two concussed yeomen have come too, and they are ordered to take it easy for a fortnight, but should be fine. The small cut on the third he puts some salve on, and then rebandages. marksman with the shattered face however is another issue. Roll a d20 for his condition.

rolled 12 = 12

>>10360663
Since we haven't used it this month, equipping luck ring for this roll.

rolled 6 = 6

>>10360663

>>10360678
"I'll need to take this man to the barracks immediately. I can tend to him there, I leave my supplies in there mostly anyhow. He should recover, but it will be slow, and he will never be a handsome man again, if he was before."

Ok, anything else to do before I advance the month. There was that letter to Sarah, I don't think anyone ever decided what we wanted to say in that. Also, something and something.

>>10360730
undying love + last alchimical expiriment

>>10360730
Witty flirting. Not too dirty. A few dirty bits here and there, but very subtle ones.

Also just general stuff about alchemy. And how we think she's a super lady.

>>10360730
Profess undying love, be witty and charming, use Leold's joke somewhere and give her some wildflowers with it. Someone also mentioned asking the horticulturist about spices we could plant.

>>10360730
Something romantic, something about alchemy, and something about how perhaps she would like to visit, maybe chaperoned by James?

Our keep is in decent repair right?

>>10360730
talk to the horticulturist

>>10360761
This. See if we can grow anything that might turn our fortunes around at all.

Also speak to Urist about trade with the mountainhomes.

>>10360756
>Our keep is in decent repair right?

No, we must talk to the architect.

>>10360774
Okay, get with him first then. No inviting our lady love until she will be suitably impressed (or at least not dismayed)

>>10360756
Architect needs a year to make our keep presentable. It's been like two months so far.

>>10360789
hmm, missed that.

>>10360744
>>10360752
>>10360754
>>10360756
You talk of romance and alchemy, with some flirtation, but nothing too dirty, unless one wants to read a lot into it.

>>10360774
It's a mixed bag. You have a number of Very Good rooms, and your living space has been enhanced by the simple yet decent furniture (looks a little rustic, but it's part of the charm). There are no leaks, and the insides aren't anything to be embarrassed of, even if you wouldn't show them off. However, the castle itself has sections which are more open air, and less intact then they oculd be - although all the dangerous rubble has been cleared away. It's not luxury by any means, but it's no longer shameful.

>>10360813
We should go for a mountain/woody cabin kind of feel.

Like a ski lodge. Get Cohen or Aegon, whoever it was from up North, to aid the architect in design.

What directions can we claim land in, and who do we border? Is there some kind of world map? I know we can claim northwards as far as we care to, but it's pretty desolate up there.

>>10360834
I think we should try for something formal and dignified. We have a quarry after all, we should make it look imposing and badass.

We need to expand our two villages inwards, combining them into one city.

>>10360854
We need people to fill it first. We have no people.

>>10360834
Aegon was from up north. He might not be too great at this though, since they make homes from BONE and LEATHER where he comes from. He can knock up a great tent, but when it comes to housing for nobility, the best he can do is try and find a mammoth to kill and work with that.

>>10360863
Yeah, that's the biggest hold-back to our economy. We needs people! Can't we integrate outlaws ?

>>10360871
We could if we ever reached the outlaw camp in the swamps.

We could dispatch a messenger to them I guess.

>>10360871
Not forcibly.

Send an emissary to the outlaw camp. Tell them we intend to expand our two villages into one city, offering them a place to live and work. A real sense of community.

>>10360871
>>10360879

That would be the best option; don't try to do things too quickly or forcefully and most of the outlaws should easily be brought under our aegis; that and we should look into building pumps to drain the swamp once our water wheels are completed; that should drive out the Virmen and most of the Trolls.

>>10360854
We have one village on each side of our keep, we can't expand them inwards. We can expand them around the keep and connect them together though. We just need to expand near the swamp, kind of dangerous but if we initiate our plan to reclaim it we should be fine.

>>10360871
we could go the rome way and offer asile to any criminal, outcast and outlaw, but that could bring quite a dangerous population.

following the rome way, we could also find outlaw villages and force them to move to our's.

>>10360839
to the NORTH is desolate and ROCKY LAND free for the claiming.
to the WEST is the SWAMP
to the SOUTH is SEAKAY your southern ally and neighbour
to the EAST is ERONDIA, the nation which you owe allegiance to, and you were born in. More particularly, directly west of you is land that isn't owned by any lord, as it's mostly empty. It comes under the jurisdiction of the Arch-duke of the Westerlands, an old and sour fellow known as Gorm Newcome, a surprisingly old family. Expanding into that land would best to be avoided, as it would mean you are taxed like all the other lords in Erondia. Your tax free status occours because you are techncally beyond the borders of the Westerlands, and it's too much hastle to make you pay tax. So they get you to pay fealty to the crown in name, and let you do your own thing.

>>10360937
Something I have been wondering: What is the scale on that thing? Is it even to scale?

Because we have a miserably tiny parcel of land if it is.

>>10360938
Outlaws as OP said are not criminals per se. They just live outside the law, they could have numerous reasons for that including shitty life in the state...

>>10360909
>>10360871
Note, many of your immigrants are indeed outlaws, or peasants from other villages who have left for one reason or another.

>>10360966
It's not to scale. It's just to give you an idea of where everything is.

>>10360982

Exactly, if we bring order to the outlaws without being overly oppressive (I don't think we could get away with ordering them around directly like our peasants) I think we could win them over.

Can we roll for Alchemy now and advance the month?

>>10361019
Sure we could. If we claim the land then they either follow our orders or are criminals who can be strung up.

>>10361085
...
...
...
I like how today was a big continuous repeating of old ideas by people who don't bother to read archives.

>>10360982
Bingo. Traditionally peasant has no obligation to his lord beyond obediance in return for protection and food. If there is a lack of either, or if the peasant wills it, they can leave, but they forgo the protection and the food while they are gone. In reality it doesn't always work this way, but that is the traditional rights of a peasant in Erondia.

>>10361030
2nd for Timeskip to new month?

>>10361106
Send the letter and a dude to the outlaws and time skip.

>>10361094
Well today we seemed to have an influx of new players. Hopefully by the next installment they've read the archives.

>>10361085

We don't even know how many outlaws there are; if we go in guns blazing (so to speak) then we could piss off a great many people who are used to living off the land and are our best bet for expansion into the swamplands.

>>10361116
The outlaws are in the swamp, you're not going to find any volunteers to go in after them, particularly not alone.

rolled 8 = 8

>>10361106
alchemy roll? :o

>>10361135
Then just send the letter and we'll go ourselves to see the outlaws.

>>10361136
Not yet, but I'll let you keep that roll if you spend the month alchemising as opposed to training.

>>10361094
Man, there has been a whole lot of NOTHING GETTING DONE so we are trying to find something to discuss. I've been trying to hammer out our nebulous future plans into a somewhat solid course of action in the lull, but we just keep sitting here with nothing going on. Months have not ended, people argue for ages about if we should suicidally venture into dark caverns underneath the swamp, we walk into the swamp and then turn around immediately the first time we encounter something. We haven't even told the mason/architect to get to work. It's been a clusterfuck.

>>10361167
Architect's been going since he got here. He brought his own team of masons to fix the place up over the 12 months.

I'm working on the new month now. . . I now konw how my compy feels when I want to play a huge DF map and it's crawling along.

>>10361136
>1d12

god damn it use the d16 -_-

>>10361201
my vote is still for alchemy for the month, anyone wanna vote training?

>>10361224
second the alchemy vote because hunting trolls for training practice is just a bad idea.

alchemy please

yeah alchemy

>>10361224

Maybe we could just do some regular one-on-one training with Cohen this month; or would that interfere with alchemy?

>>10361264
it would

We can train next month, this month looks like alchemy.

>>10361264
QL said its eitehr this or that you can t have both.

>>10361214
different numbers for different difficulties actually. Harder rolls give more back, but are less likely to succeed, and less likely to to critical success. less likely to critically fail as well though, as getting any reaction is harder with these ones.

LORD QUEST NEW MONTH
TRESURY
Last month's gold 18.5
Gold Incoming 7.362964286
Gold Outgoing 5.1
Gold Profits 2.262964286
Total Gold 20.76296429
Debt 0
To brother 0
One Time Costs 0

STOCKPILES
LUMBER
Last months lumber 200
Lumber Cut 90
Lumber Used 63.4
Lumber Created 26.6
Lumber Stockpile 200
Max Stockpile 200
Stockpile Spare 0

FOOD
Last months food 155.7
Food Grown 42
Food Hunted 20.8
Food Milked 1.4
Food Eaten 33
Food Brewed 3
Excess Food 28.2
Percentage Sold 50
Excess Stored 14.1
Food Sold 14.1
Excess Sold 0
Food Stockpile 169.8
Max Food 200
Stockpile Spare 30.2
Food Sold 1410
Food Prices (Average) 0.001696429
Profit Made 2.391964286

SKINS
Last month's skins 6.6
Skins Gathered 20.8
Skins Used 20
Skins Created 0.8
Skins Stockpile 7.4
Max Skin Stockpile 300
Stockpile Spare 292.6

LEATHER
Last month's Leather 159
Leather Created 20
Leather Used 8.4
New Leather 11.6
Leather Stockpile 179
Max Leather Stock 200
Stockpile Spare 21

ALE
Last month 24
Ale Brewed 3
Ale Drunk 0
Ale Created 3
Ale Stockpile 27
Max Stockpile 200
Stockpile Spare 173

STOCKPILES CONT.
PEAT
Last Month's peat 0
Peat incoming 16.9
Peat used 10
Peat Stored 0
Surplus (sold) 6.9
Peat Stockpile 0
Max Stockpile 0
Sold (%) 100
Peat sold 6.9
Peat Price (gold) 0.09
Profit made 0.621

BOG IRON
Last Month 20
Bog Iron incoming 13
Bog Iron used 5.5
Amount Stored 0
Surplus (Sold) 7.5
Stockpile 20
Max Stockpile 20
Sold (%) 0
Sold 7.5
Price (gold) 0.1
Profit made 0.75

STONE
Last month 76.7
Stone Quarried 3
Stone Used 0
Stone Gained 3
Stone Stockpile 79.7
Max Stone 1000
Stockpile Spare 920.3

SILVER
Last month 0
Silver panned 36
Silver used
Silver gained 0
Silver stockpike 0
Max Silver stockpile 5000
Stockpile Spare 5000
Sold (%) 100
Sold (amount) 36
Silver Price 0.1
Profit made 3.6

>>10361309
so, about those spices and seeds? show them to our plant expert.

WEAPON/ARMOUR STOCKPILES
SHORT SWORDS (Iron)
Last month's supply 15
The Stockpile 17
Incoming 2
In use 4
Spare 13
Shortage 0

GOBLIN SKULL HELMS (bone)
Last month's supply 8
The Stockpile 8
Incoming 0
In use 0
Spare 8
Shortage 0

STUDDED LEATHER (Iron)
Last month's supply 9
The Stockpile 13
Incoming 4
In use 9
Spare 4
Shortage 0

BOILED LEATHER (leather)
Last month's supply 3
The Stockpile 4.5
Incoming 1.5
In use 0
Spare 4.5
Shortage 0

SPEARS (Steel)
Last month's supply 25
The Stockpile 25
Incoming 0
In use 12
Spare 13
Shortage 0

SPEARS (Iron)
Last month's supply 0
The Stockpile 0
Incoming 0
In use 0
Spare 0
Shortage 0

BOWS (crude)
Last month's supply 9
The Stockpile 9
Incoming 0
In use
Spare 9
Shortage 0

GOBLIN SWORDS (??)
Last month's supply 12
The Stockpile 12
Incoming 0
In use 0
Spare 12
Shortage 0

>>10361264
>>10361284
On the other hand we could spend a few months training sword fighting. As I recall a teacher can' t teach you beyond his own skill level.
Spend a few months training with Cohen and with a couple of god rolls we should be able to continue with alchemy in the spring.

TOOL STOCKPILES
FARMING TOOLS
Last month's supply 40
The Stockpile 40
Incoming 0
In use 40
Spare 0
Shortage 0

BUILDING TOOLS
Last month's supply 40
The Stockpile 80
Incoming 40.00
In use 40
Spare 40
Shortage 0

RIVER PANS
Last month's supply 0
The Stockpile 0
Incoming -
In use
Spare 0
Shortage 0

LIVESTOCK 18
Cattle 10
Calves 2
Goats 5
Kids 1
Horses 3
Riding 3

MISC SUPPLIES
Carts 5
Building 2
Ropes 5
Small Ropes (1d5) 5
Medium Ropes (1d15) 0
Fuses 3
Temple Scroll 1
Hunting Scroll 1
Crude bows 3
Crude knives 11
Carrot Seeds 0
Potato Seeds 0
Lyre 1
Dragon Blood (waterskins) 12
Scroll of Dukedom 1
Dragon bits (misc) 1

FARMING
Turnip Patches 30
Rice Plots 10
Potato Plots 5
Carrot Plots 5

POPULACE 165
Workers 117


Milita on duty 4
Soldiers 8
Craftsmen 24


Indentured Criminals 0

Advisors 11

NET GROWTH 16
Growth 18
Local Growth 2
Migrants 16

Deaths 2
Elderly Deaths 2
Bandits/Raiders 0
Mishaps 0
Starvation 0
Other 0

rolled 2 = 2

Event roll

distribute the new tools to the workers.

>>10361348
2nd

WORK
PEASANTS 99
UNASSIGNED 17
HERDING 3
Goat Herding 2
Cattle Heading 1
FARMING 50
Turnip Farming 30
Rice Farming 20
Potato Farming 5
Carrot Farming 5
GATHERING 24
Gathering Wood 9
Quarrying Stone 15

PRODUCING 3
Brewing 3
MILITIA 0
Basic Peasant Militia 0
OTHER 2
Renovating Town 2

BUILDERS 65
Building 65
Total Done Last month 170.2
Total 800

HUNTERS 12
Unassigned Hunters 0
Hunting 8
Searching Forest 0
Manhunters 4

CARPENTERS 6
Unassigned Carpenters 0
Decent Furniture 0
Helping Build 0
Renovating Village 3
Renovating Keep 3

MINERS 18
Unassigned Miners 0
Panning River (Silver) 18

Digging Mine 0
Total Done Last month 0
Total 100


PEAT BOG GATHERERS 10
Gathering Peat 10

Gathering Bog Iron 10


TANNERS 4
Tanning for storage 4
Creating Leather Armour 3

SMITHY
Total 3
Smiths 1
Jr Apprentices 1
Sr Apprentices 1
PRODUCTION %
Total 100%
Swords (short) (iron) 25%
Armour (stedded leather) (iron) 25%
Farm Tools (iron) 0%
Building tools (Iron) 50%
River Pans (Iron) 0%

>>10361379
>NET GROWTH 16

Oh damn. We have some assigning to do people. I'm thinking we should stick half of them on building at least.

Is housing sufficient?

>>10361410
half to building and half to yeomen

also see if we can grow any of the spices we bought.

>>10361384
I've just set it to do that automatically. Basically, the Last Month is what you can allocate and the Stockpile is what will become your new last month at the next new month. I can't automate that part, because XL hates loops, but it cuts down on how much I have to do by a good amount.

>>10361332
Yeah, I forgot what you bought, I'm looking though the old thread now to find it.

>>10361348
>>10361385
Someone want to roll for this if this is what you've decided? It'll be a d9 to train under DOOBS or a d8 under Cohen for warfare. If you want to learn Beastslaying, that'll also be a d8, but a more different one.

>>10361452
what was the alchemy result?

HOW ABOUT WE SPEND A MONTH RECRUITING NEW IMMIGRANTS INSTEAD OF ALCHEMY OR WEAPON TRAINING OR ANYTHING?

>>10361477
thats.... a damn good idea. why the fuck didnt i think of that?

>>10361477
HOW ABOUT YOU STUFU AND GTFO.
IMMIGRANTS RE AUTOMATIC AND REFLECT THE REST OF OUR ACTIONS.

>>10361421
Yeah, you have 201 people you can fit in, and only 165 people.

>>10361495
WHY DONT YOU LET QL DECIDE MOTHERFUCKER!?

>>10361499
had like 5 votes for alchemy before you posted the month =w=

>>10361474
The one rolled prematurely, that I'll let you take was an 8 on a d12, so a +0.2 to alchemy.

>>10361511
Go for the alchemy.

>>10361503
>>10361477
>>10361495
There's not much you can do for immigration from here, apart from as a reflection of your actions in general. Immagration just stepped up, because I modified the combat things, which has to do with how safe your people feel, and all of a sudden your people were safer and happier, because suddenly weapons counted for something.

>>10361543
>>10361510
>>10361474
Ok, alchemy it is this month. Done.

DM, what's our food stores look like?

Let's clear out a bit of the forest to the East and make an outpost there.

>>10361554
FOOD
Last months food 155.7
Food Grown 42
Food Hunted 20.8
Food Milked 1.4
Food Eaten 33.6
Food Brewed 3
Excess Food 27.6
Percentage Sold 50
Excess Stored 13.8
Food Sold 13.8
Excess Sold 0
Food Stockpile 169.5
Max Food 200
Stockpile Spare 30.5
Food Sold 1380
Food Prices (Average) 0.001696429
Profit Made 2.341071429

It's still a couple months until RICE BONANZA month which tends to make everything awesome again though.

>>10361554
almost full

>>10361562
No, the forest is our crown jewel. It's pretty much one of our best assets, it's where we get our wild game and where we take visiting noble dignitaries for a spot of sport.

>>10361562
You want to clear out our hunting grounds?
The one bit of pride we have as the lord of this land.
...
No

>>10361594
>>10361593
I was talking about a second watch tower in the center of the forest.

Looks like we can support a lot more people on what we produce now. Good.

It occurs to me that neccessities are sitting in good stead right about now. Perhaps we should concentrate our new peasants on endeavors that prodce a plot of gold?

if we want more land we drain the swamp, we can expand almost without limit into the swamp. we just have to drain it first.

>>10361612

We need the waterwheel pump to properly do that, though. So not just yet.

Perhaps an expansion into the rocky area?

>>10361611
food could be used to hire virmen to do swamp work.

>>10361612
That is what the waterwheel is for (among other things).

Also, the spices, finally found it. Them archives be growing.

"You manage to find a spice shop. Saffaron isn't among the ingredients available. *Nor are any seeds*. You can buy some other herbs though."

What you bought for yourself was 1 unit of each of the below:
Rosmary, Thyme, Coriander, leeks, Mint, Eschallots, lemon grass, ground black peppers, yellow bell peppers, cinnamon, red and green peppers, vanilla, blue bell peppers.

That's what you bought at the start of the merchant's festival, anyhow. If there's some other spices I forgot, then there's that. You can show her the spices anyhow, she'll be able to tell you if they could grow here, but she'll need seeds to start growing them.

>>10361625

They tend to only wanting meats, taht we know of. Which is something that we do not have in particular excess.

That gives me an idea, though - given that the rocky area is basically Scotland, perhaps we can graze sheep there. It gives us both wool and meats to work with, which we can handle with the increase in population intake.

>>10361638
Well, we might as well get a feel for what we can grow at least.

Did we get reply from Sarah? :D

Also, you have the Virmen meeting this month, so you might want to decide what/who you bring to that.

>>10361650
Not yet, you sent the letter last month, so it's not crazy weird it's not here yet. It should be here early next month though.

>>10361644
We already do that.
Herds take time to grow.

>>10361644

The scots in the High Middle Ages (Which we emulate, roughly) were pretty much entirely pastoral. Fucktons of cows.

So we could probably do a good job with expanding our cattle herd.

>>10361653
some food to trade i guess

>>10361644

True, we should get Urist to acquire some more breeding stock for this.

>>10361673
Goats actually, not sheep. But yes. And some cattle too.

>>10361698

I'm aware. I meant it in the context of artificial expansion (Buying new stock) instead of just sitting back waiting for them to breed.

It's not like we can use the land for much else anyways.

>>10361653
If we're going to see the Virmen I'd take Cohen, Doobs, and Shorty.

>>10361698
we should go explore rocky land of the north, we could find some inhabitant willing to join us, or some sauvage goats or sheep we could add to our herd

>>10361698
have we heard anything about those peasent boys who went off to try being traveling bards?

>>10361780
Yeah, any news of that?

>>10361724
I'll keep it in mind.

>>10361763
Anyone else? Can I get a 2nd on this party?

>>10361767
It's entirely a desolate land, foggy and stony, and no real herds or such to find, although there are some stone geese (so called not only for their grey colour, and drab appearance, but for the toughness of their meat) and some more palatable animals which are harder to catch, such as foxes and badgers. Nothing that is farmed commonly however.

>>10361780
>>10361794
No recent news, however, some time back they were in a small village called Sundowner, and they were well received there.

i would say take all of our fighters, we dont want to risk them trying to ambush us for killing off their elite troops

>>10361821
Second, also on a completely unrelated note I have a question. A long time ago when we were creating the quarry you mentioned that we would have gotten something special had we rolled a natural twenty instead of the high number we got. What would we have found?

>>10361821
>It's entirely a desolate land, foggy and stony, and no real herds or such to find, although there are some stone geese (so called not only for their grey colour, and drab appearance, but for the toughness of their meat) and some more palatable animals which are harder to catch, such as foxes and badgers. Nothing that is farmed commonly however.

ok. do we know what there beyond these desolates lands?

>>10361874
The land of the ice and snow, of the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.

Preperations for Virmen Meeting:

Party: Yourself, Doobs, Cohen, and Shorty.
Soldiers: All available (4 men at arms, 12 yeomen, 3 manhunters)

Supplies: Basic supplies, plus extra food to trade.

Is this ok? Any alterations?

>>10361860
2nd?

>>10361867
I don't remember to be honest. It'd be back when all my random event tables were on paper, not saved to disc.

>>10361638
I think the bell peppers and vanilla were whole, so we might be able to harvest the seeds from those.

>>10361918
Let us take Baldric this time maybe he can understand the vimen better considering he also has a close relationship with dirt.

>>10361918
bring a few tools as well

>>10361942
no

>>10361918
Oh alright, I was just fiddling with the map trying to make a nicer version of it and I remembered that while I looking at the quarry.

>>10361942
funny, but no.

>>10361900
If you keep going north, you'll eventually reach the mountain ranges. If you travel some distance into these, you can find some dwarven mountain-homes, and further north is the summer sea, and the lands of the Norse. Who range from viking types (in southern Norsca) to the more tribal sorts in the north and inland (where Aegon originated from). It's all a long way away though.

>>10361930
Eh, I'll give you those. I guess it makes sense.

>>10361953
Building tools or farming tools? You'd need to take them from your workers to bring them, if you want economic quantities of them. If you just want a couple to show off, then that's another issue, and that's cool.

>>10361971
so we could theorically:

1) establish a trade road between erondia and the dorf going trough ou little domain?

2) prospect the mountain (not the dorf one, mind) for some mining?

Just our main fighter group. Leave the majority there.

Take the extra food, and a few tools to show/gift to the people.

>>10362027
Digging tools. Aw yeah.

TAKE SOMETHING FROM THE DRAGON.

The head/skull if possible. Show those Vermen we're badass motherfuckers.

>>10362032
The mountains are a long way away though. We'll need more human resources to do anything more. We need to focus on getting people.

Perhaps we should write to our brother, ask him if there are any disenfranchised peasants looking for a new lord. Maybe send some of our advisors to a city and round up a bunch of people who need a kind lord to serve due to being less than lucky.

No tools, virmen have no use for farming and we don't have building tools to spare.

>>10362027
tools to show off, and a few of the dragons teeth or claws

>>10362072
I think we already tried that.

>>10362032
too far away i think

>>10362074
Those are just examples of what we can trade. We are not taking whole haul.

>>10362072
yeah, I know it's long term planning, but you got to admit, with a chain of outpost protecting the road, a good trade would make us rich, wich is a good way to attract a lot of people.

but perhaps we could start small, just make a caravan and go to a trade expedition to the dorf mount (not sure what we could trade, trought). the benefice could be invested in cattle, wich would improve our global richess and by that our mean to attract people.

>>10362032
The mountains are some distance to the north. A long distance. And there is no need for a road, seeing as to your east there is the King's Border Road, an old highway which now serves at the border for the edge of Erondia. Follow this north, and you won't be lead directly to a mountainhome, but to the closest human settlements.

>>10362042
Sure, I'm sure there's some tools good for digging though dirt in the farming tools.

>>10362057
>>10362092
Some dragonfangs? Scary thing to bring. Done.

>>10362104
This.

Preperations for Virmen Meeting:

Party: Yourself, Doobs, Cohen, and Shorty.
Soldiers: All available (4 men at arms, 12 yeomen, 3 manhunters)

Supplies: Basic supplies, plus extra food to trade, some tools to show off, dragon fangs to show off.

Is this ok? Any alterations?

>>10361544
I think it's official Lord Quest is the most sophisticated quest ever made.

>>10362206
Iz good

>>10362206
agreed

>>10362213
Well Frost giantess quest comes pretty close.

I suggest we implement a breeding program among our peasants. Inform them that every month for every child under the age of majority we will provide them with a one copper subsidy.

We'll be up to our ears in peasant whelps before you know it.

>>10362237
whelps wont be any good for 16 years

>>10362185
>The mountains are some distance to the north. A long distance. And there is no need for a road, seeing as to your east there is the King's Border Road, an old highway which now serves at the border for the edge of Erondia. Follow this north, and you won't be lead directly to a mountainhome, but to the closest human settlements.

damm. still, if we add something of interest to trade, we could mount an lucrative expedition, I think (seeing how some half assed runic ring cost). perhaps Urist could counsel us in that matter.

>>10362260
Would you prefer we have no plan in place at all and just hope peasants fall out of the sky? I say it's better than nothing.

>>10362271
we already have a steady supply of peasents from immagration

Let's get this train going, so it can wreck and put the matter to rest.

>>10362260

hmmm... Alchemy comes to mind. Invent a product that makes kids mature in 3 years instead 16 :D

>Im joking, Im jocking

>>10362213
Next quest, you're playing as trolls. At least that way it'll stay small for a little while before you figure out some way to make me go into waaay too much detail. When this quest is done, remind me to screenshot up my spreadsheet.

>>10362220
>>10362222
Ok then. You meet at the place you said you would, a place on the edge of the swamp, where charred stumps still remain from the fire many years ago. The swamp has yet to grow back here, but it's marshier then most of your land. You've brought a few example tools, your basic adventuring kit (rope, first aid, water and food supplies for yourself, and some empty bags/jars) and some food to trade.
>How much food have you brought?

You wait on the edge of the swamp, and regret there wasn't a chance to set a more precise meeting time.

>>10362233
Really? I'm doubting it, although lately lord quest has become much more complex, and it's only growing. . .

>>10362320
About eight units of food, I don't know how much that equates to in poundage.

>>10362320
Be weary of ambushes.

I'd say we brought 4 units of food.
Enough to trade/symbol of good will, but not enough to tempt them to attack us over it.

>>10362271
we are stuck up in a bad circle. we need peasant to exploit ressource, we need to exploit ressource to have money, we need money to attract peasant.

we could ether go out of that circle by
1) adventuring and finding tremendous treasure and gaining insine popularity.
2) hope for a war and accept refugee (as we are NG we can't start a war just for that)
3) finding some invaluable ressource like a diamond mine, but that seem impossible.

so we should adventure the fuck out.

>>10362357
A unit feeds a family of 5 for a month. . . No idea what that is in poundage either.

>>10362381
>>10362357
4 or 8? Can I get a second on one of these?

>>10362320
a sack of each of out farmed crops and some dried meat from the hunted animals

>>10362383
I keep saying we must recover the artefact from the temple.

>>10362410
go with this

>>10362410
virmen are meat eaters

>>10362398
8

2 units rice, 2 units cabbage, 2 units potatoes.

Plus a few skins worth of ale.

>>10362414
a vaild point, lets have another try after we recruit some cannonfoder virmen

>>10362384
Alright well according to the US Dept. Of Agriculture the average person eats 4.7 pounds of food a day. Do all the math and you 705 pounds per month.

Did some back of the envelope calculations for the breeding program.

Assuming +100 migrants over the course of 16 years with a normal distribution rate of migration. Also assuming that there is no downtime between giving birth and becoming pregnant again, and that every woman is pregnant 100% of the time, and that exactly half the population consists of women.

The total costs for this program would be 23 gold and 1 silver, distributed over 16 years in a linear growth pattern.

>>10362461
By do the math I mean multiply by five to get the full family and then multiply by thirty to get the month. Just to be clear it's 705 pounds per unit.

>>10362461
>US
Fat American dues not equal skinny medieval peasant.

this isnt an actual trade meeting. its more to set up trade than actualy doing it. so we just need to show them many thinges thay may want. we want variaty not quantity

>>10362489
yep

>>10362487
Don't start that shit, but you're right it's a medieval setting so half that number. And it stands at about 350 pounds per unit of food.

>>10362427
>>10362410
I was hoping for game units if you wanted to trade. I'll have to research into it some more at some stage, but for now, 1 unit is 5 people's food for a month, and that's what we measure in.

>>10362433
Eight it is. Mostly in meats, some cheese and some turnips have been brought along too.

You hear hissing and the high pitched yowling sound that you've come to associate with Rathounds. Also, a small formation of Virmen walk into sight, weapons at their side, but within easy reach. Several other virmen have come as well, they are out of formation, and content to let the armed virmen take the lead. They wear the shrouding rags you know will be hiding knives and any other belongings they own.

You can see the rat-hounds also, their tamers with 3 or four each on a number of leashes. If things turn nasty, it will be a bloody battle.

I like how last time we swore to kill all the little bastards.

>>10362475
Whoops, migrants aren't a normal distribution curve. I meant to say that they are fixed, and I was assuming a regular amount of migrants every month. 100 in-migrants averaged over the 16 years. Probably a bit low now that I think of it. Still, it's a ridiculously small amount of money for us and it could really explode our peasantbase.

>>10362536
We brought caustic pouches, right?

>>10362550
Oh yeah. I've assumed they're part of your adventuring kit these days.

>>10362543
also food consumption and space requirements

QL, we can offer land to newcomers (and I think we already do, don't we?) but can we offer knighthood and lands (for self supporting)? I mean there probably a lot more of people who would be attract that way (and by a lot more of people, I mean a lot more of leader who want to enter nobility and who can bring people and wealth with them). or is it dishonorable to give away title?

>>10362587
Currently children take up no food or space from what I can tell. So it's not a concern.

>>10362590
We don't offer land to anybody. We own this land. We give them land to work sure, but this is a feudal system here. It's our land, they just use it by our leave in return for protection and being fed.

>>10362536
They approach to the edge of the swamp, and stop, standing a short distance from you - within arrowshot, but in this marshy terrain it will take some time to charge across the distance. That said, it's not so far that you have difficulty hearing a voice. "Youtallman callwant meetjoin after killbeating virmen. Whatwhy?"

Step forward a few feet alone. The rest of the men stand ready to fight if needed.

"I'm Thomas Green, Lord of the lands East of here. I've come with gifts of food and wishes to speak to your leader."

>>10362611
in a feudal system, a lord can give land to a knigth so he earn enought to keep him well armored. the knigth is still under the order of the lord and the lord still technically posses the land, but that generally a cool way to delegate control of some territory

>>10362617
We want to work out deals. Trades and maybe more. Food, protection, tools, peace and prosperity. We hear you have a bigchief now. Are you he?

>>10362617
so, we want virmen to work/fight for us, trade and easier access to the swamp.

am i forgetting anything?

>>10362670
Well yeah, but we don't have enough shit to delegate right now. We have a mere 170 peasants for crying out loud.

When we start getting lots of peasants then we can delegate and QL can start doing spreadsheets of our vassals rather than micomanaging each peasant.

>>10362680
Well they would become part of our state, but I don't think that would be a good thing to shout across a swamp quite yet. Build up trust and all.

>>10362719
I think the plan is just to quiet them down and use them to clear the swamp for us. I don't think anyone's planning for them to officially join our land as citizens.

>>10362745
Why not? Eventually we will have to do something about them when we drain the swamps.

For now I suppose just improved relations and trade is fine though. We can assimilate them later.

>>10362766
Once the swampland is gentrified, and they lose land, they'll starve and die off.

>>10362680
>>10362673

Peace. "Youthere vermen workhard get toofew foodmeats. Wehere haveget manylots foodthings, killhurt many vermen when you comesneak takesteal. Makes no thinksense"

>>10362673
>>10362644
A note of suspicion can be heard in his voice, although you tend to think they always sound suspicious somewhat. "Tradeswap foodeats for whatwhy? Bigcheif? I am Bossleader of somelots fighterwarriors, but your tallmen fighterstabbers are mightyslash, they killhunt beatfight Virmen. Manylots virmen know of youngnew lordcheif of tallmen."

>>10362696
well yeah but it was more a kind of way to attract people you know? I mean, imagine you're a big farmer, you making well, a big family, lot of guy working for you. but now there this place were you can have huge part of land without having to pay for and becoming a fucking noble. isn't that tempting?

>>10362802
"We get attacked and we defend ourselves. We've never instigated violence. We're here to ensure peace. And perhaps a partnership of sorts. Friendship, even."

>>10362802
Play off of them. "We are big!" Shorty lifts his arms and roars, cause he's a big motherfucker. "We are mighty! We kill dragons!" Show off the dragon claws and shit. "We are fearsome!" Let it die down a bit. "But we want peace."

>>10362802
If the Virmen have peace with we tallmen then there will be no more killfights. Trade will give you manylot foodmeats. Tools will make your life easier.

In return we want peace, your help clearing the swamps close to our lands, and whatever tradegoods you can provide. Tallmen and Virmen do not need to killfight each other.

>>10362850
this?
>>10362836
or this?

we want to build an outpost/watch tower like in >>10360116


we want to rule the swamp as we rule our land, for befor the great fire the swamp was our land

>>10362836

Playing our cards too early, chum. Leave off the last bit. We live in peace, we help them with the tools to let them live better (point out a few particularly scrawny vermen), we help kill off the trolls that plague us both.

Talk friendship now, and they'll be REALLY pist when we pump the swamp dry.

>>10362832
Yeah, I'm sure that the other nobles would have no problem with us suddenly giving away titles to fucking peasants. That will make us some good friends right there.

And that's disregarding the fact that if we give them the land then it will be theirs, not ours. And it is ours. Not a productive line of thought, we need to find another way.

>>10362869

Play this: >>10362850 angle if our original statement of intent of peace and trade is scoffed at, shouted down, or disbelieved.

>>10362850
this I guess, better keep them a bit affraid that doing too much for a friendships we cant follow trougth

Tension is high, don't provoke them. We don't need a battle here.

Offer trade, peace, and enlist them to help clear out the dangerous parts of the swamp near our territory for now.

Is this about how they look?

>>10362928
Seconding this, do not provoke them if we get into a fight here all of our previous gambits will be a waste. Even if we win the fight with nminimal losses ultimately it would mean a failure.

>>10362893
I agree that other noble wouldn't apreciate, but you don't seem to understand how knighthood work. anyway, let find another solution.

>>10362928
>>10362918
>>10362907
>>10362884
>>10362857
>>10362850
>>10362836
"We have fought when we were attacked. There doesn't need to be violence. However if there is, you know that we are supremely good at it. You might not know how good. Let me explain. We are big. (Shorty.)" *Shorty steps fowards, enough to let his size sink in.* "We have slain dragons." *You hold up the dragon fangs, and some of the virmen lean in, as if to see what you are showing.* We will win at violence. So why not try peace?"

There is some muttering in the Virmen ranks, some of the random hangers on have devolved into interested chatter in their own skittish tongue. "You Tallmen alwaysforever want peacetrade and nevernot warfight. Nevernot before has Tallmen of openplace ever asked of tradepeace and safeland. Always placeopen tallmen fightwin. Fighterwarriors withalong mevirman would peacetrade with tallmen, but we figherwarriors, not sneaktraders. We only can sellswap our fightkill, for foodeats and weaponslashers. We notdon't dighunt or sneaktrade."

>>10362996
Similar. They started as skaven in my head, though they've develeoped some since then.

>>10363105
...wut

Tell them we will give them food if they don't attack us, and instead attack trolls near our borders, bringing us their bodies. We also won't attack Virmen. We can also trade other things if they desire.

>>10363105

Direct trade, dead trolls for good meat? And we'll definitely have some good work for 'em once a pump goes online; they are expert diggers, yes?

I finished the alternate map I was working on and it didn't turn out as good as I hoped it would.

>>10363131
they said they are fighters not traders, and offered to fight for us if we feed them .

>>10363131
they aren't trader, they are mercenary basicaly. we could engage them to kill troll (isn't there a reward for dead troll? we could make money out of that)

we could also engage them as scout or as intermediaire between us and their trader

I think they said that they are mercs. They don't have anything to trade with us and they won't be laborers.

I say that's perfect. Tell them that they can sellswap their fightskill for meatfoods. We want them to clear out all the rat dens and trolls near us in the swamp, and have them contact other Virmen tribes.

>>10363131
>>10363143
"Killhunt whichwhat trollfist? Or tradetalk trolldead for foodeats and weaponslashers?"

I haven't read the previous thread yet but I haven't posted in an active LQ thread so I just had to say. Lord Quest FUCK YEAH!

They can also provide us with guides and/or escorts when we want to travel through their swamps, since the virmen are pretty much the uncontested masters of swamp navigation, so far as I can tell. Getting rid of our random traveling problems when moving through the swamp would help a lot.

>>10363188
Tell them that we just want everything close to our part of the swamp dead except other Virmen. Clear the rathounds and the trolls. When they bring us troll scalps and rathound skulls we will trade them foodmeat.

Also ask them about contacting other Virmen packs.

>>10363188
Uh.

Kill hostile beings in the swamp near our territory in exchange for meat and possibly weapons. NO GUARANTEE on weapons though.

Kill a troll, bring us the troll.

offer them food for troll scalps, and when we try to reach the swamp temple again have them come along as extra troops and scouts.

try to get a message to the trader virmen, for a trade meeting

>>10363188

Okay, that bent my brain, and I speak skaven.

>>10363237

There ya go. That's another skill they can sell us: swamp guides.

Never got an answer to just how well they burrow, and how willing they would be to sell that service.

>>10363265
I think they said they wouldn't be laborers, their pack is mercs exclusively.

>>10363248
everything dead except human, we don't want to find outlaw head at the next trade.

wich make me think we could use them to force outlaw to seek refuge in our land

>>10363299
Oh my this is an amazing idea.

Tell them not to kill humans for now. We will have to think on manipulating the Virmen into harassing the outlaws later after we have talked to them.

>>10363278

Maybe over time they could be brought around to the concept. SOMEBODY digs those fuckhuge warrens, and we have need of that skill. Besides, digdirt muchlots easysafer than fightkill trollbeasts.

>>10363168
It's better then mine, I quite like it. Less crowded then mine, I'll start adding new things to that one methinks. If you feel like updating it from time to time, it'd be handy.

>>10363248
>>10363251
>>10363237
Uswe can guardprotect youtallmen and fightkill for foodeats and weaponstabbers. Youtallmen want me-us to killhunt closenear to landopen, for trollfists and rathoundnests? Rathounds nevernone go openland, and trollfists avoidfear openlands like normalswampland tallmen. Whywhat hunt themlots only nearclose to landopens?"

Do we really want to tell the virmen to hunt all trolls? We've had relatively peaceful interaction with some of them, and it's not like they're raiding us.

>>10363347
We could probably get them to find other virmen who are more inclined towards digging and construction, and extend our offer of food for labor to them.

>>10363359
Tell them it is because we have been going into the shrine in the swamp a lot. They don't need to know more than that, and they have alrady heard about it so it makes sense.

>>10363359
Within like, a 10 miles radius into the swamp from our land. Once it's been cleared some, we'll send some woodsmen into the area to start clearing a road, and then a larger space for an outpost. Don't tell them that though. But around that kind of an area.

>>10363363
of course we do, the main reason we didn't put the swamp on a good old fire is because the troll would comme and kill us because of starvation.

if we get rid of them we can reclaim the land.

>>10363380
"Newyoung talllord come praygive at templeholy wildplace. Usmine know this. Minevirmen notknow whywhat killhunt nearclose to openplace. Nervousmuch placeopen is. Hardtricky huntkill closenear placeopen. "

>>10363359

Will do.

>>10363380

This is a good cover story.

>>10363399

And this is a good distance, keep them busy for a while. Will they be able to grok 10 miles, or should we phrase it differently?

And to everyone, we're not going to put a lot of brute force into clearing the swamp. There's no need. Build a few wheel-powered pumps that empty into the Tam, dig some drainage channels to feed the pumps, and the swamp will drain itself. Vegetation that thrives in the shallows will die, the animals that thrive in swamp will move to deeper swampland, and we've gained rich farmland for next to nothing.

>>10363496
Then clear a few trees. Build an outpost to grow into a village. Clear a road connecting it to our main village.

TA DA!

>>10363451
"The fewer trolls and rathounds there are near my domain the safer my people are. There are other reasons too, but we are tallmen and do things differently from Virmen. We are pickypicky with food, live above ground, and want the swamps near us cleared of trolls and rathounds even though they don't come out. Tallmen are strange.

But tallmen will trade Virmen to do these strange things for them for now."

>>10363484
Cheers.

>>10363589
This? Or try another tact?

>>10363639
sounds fine to me

>>10363639
yeah good, establishing regular contact is the more important rigth now. also only agreed for trading food, no weapon.

Draining the swamps and everything is all well and good but we have plenty of farmland already.

We desperately need people to work it.

>>10363726
This is all good for the future. Prepare now. Grow later.

LETS DO THIS!

Finish up the trade. Leave them the food now as payment for the first month. Get back home.

ADVANCE TIME, RECEIVE LETTER FROM SARAH!

>>10363676
>>10363589
"Virmen want manylots stabswords and slashweapons for huntkill nearclose placeopen. Sellswap skullhead for threefour swordslash. "

>>10363713
also, tell them to leave trolls heading for the temple alone, we don't want to mess with that

gods get angry

>>10363745
Woah. That's a ton of weapons.

Check out the weapons they have, what quality are they?

Secondly, what are the troll population estimates currently?

>>10363745
how valuable are troll scalps?

>>10363726
we gonna use the virmen to harass outlaw and force them to join us.

>>10363773
You can't see from here, but if the swords used previously by the elite are any indicator, still not great. Equal quality to the goblin swords, although there's a lot of variance in design. They have been scavenged from many sources.

Troll population is unknown, however they tend to stick to the deeper parts of the swamp for the most part.

>>10363827
I suggest we give them the goblin swords and helmets we have at home since we have little use for them and they are probably matching in size for them.

>>10363775
the bounty is a 2 silver pieces each, unless I have previously said otherwise.

>>10363853
not at the rate they're asking for though

one for about 5 trolls is the rate i see us aiming for, start negotiations at 1 for 10

all depending of course on when QL answers on how valuable troll scalps are

>>10363853
I will agree with this. We will still be arming them but at least it won't be good steel.

We also need to negotiate them down. Three to four swords per troll? Motherfucker is smoking swampgrass. One weapon and two weapons worth of food per troll.

How many rathounds in a nest?

>>10363885
how fast can the smith turn out swords of similar quality to that of the virmen?

and how valuable would they be?

>>10363899
The ones you have encountered could have had has many as a score and a half rat-hounds, although somewhere between a dozen and a score seems to be a more likely estimate.

>>10363885
How much are goblin quality swords worth?

We can also purposefully ask the smith to make the steel so that it will work fine for unarmored foes but be ineffective against high quality steel. If he is a master smith he should be able to do that.

I vote we politely postpone any further negotiations until we find out what was in Urist's mystery box.

Bear in mind that with the chronic lack of weapons getting to the Virmen that whatever the swords sell for on the open market will be much less than what they are actually valued in the swamp.

>>10363914
Swords of that quality would be of almost no value to most people, except outlaws, brigands, etc. You could churn them out at twice the rate of your normal swords.

>>10363899
>>10363896
"Rarefind hunthard to killhunt nearclose edgeswamp placeopen. Trollfists be hardtough bountykill, ambushsneak hardtricky at placeopen. Need treejump and sinkswim. We huntkill trollhead deepswamp for so littlemuch.

>>10363950
Shit all to anyone with the money available to buy them.

>>10364007
He negotiated you an architect for a year.

>>10364007

Urist's mystery present was the architect and crew that are currently doing a refurbish on our house. READ OLD THREADS.

>>10363899

I like this number better. Possibly two swords, two FOOD UNITS. So for every troll they kill, they feed and equip two men.

>>10364020
it's true that they're hard to kill

but you don't get any swords at all from us if you don't killtrade them

>>10364008
We could have our burly elf make crappy swords for them. Or have on of our ever so smart peasants make the swords for them, should be very low quality.

>>10364037
inb4 they start bringing in 50 trolls a month

no, multiple trolls per sword is the way to go, not like they're getting weapons with fighting and dying for them anyways, this way they can do it to trolls, who tend to wander around alone, as opposed to goblins who'd only travel the swamp in decently large bands

>>10364020
My mistake, I though he got the mystery box, and then found the architect at the festival.

>>10364020

An emptied nest gets them one sword and one FOOD UNIT. A troll head gets them two swords, (helmets?) and two FOOD UNITS. Give them five goblin swords and the food we've brought for brokering the deal.

Also, we're going to need some means of summoning vermen when we need some for trail guard duty. Which earns the volunteer guards 1/2 a FOOD UNIT each, plus additional hazard pay if we encounter resistance.

>>10364088
*not like they're getting weapons without fighting

i need more sleep

>>10364020
perhaps we could roll to see the out come of the negociation? (to speed thing a bit?)

Ask them how many trolls they can kill every month.

>>10364044
Foodeats can be hunted manylotsplacego. We swaptrade for swordstabs and cutweapons.

>>10364037
"We can huntfight greenmen downnorth of hereplace. Greenmen have lotsmuch swordsharps and weaponstabs. We wanthunt tallman sharpslashs, but not lotsmuch needmust. "

>>10364115
This is a good point. To get weapons they are going to have to fight anyway. Better to fight stupid trolls alone than lots of tallmen in armor.

>>10364150
They don't need many but they are asking three swords per troll head? We're getting ripped off.

Give them the food we brought for free so that they go away with a good impression, but tell them that they are too expensive. Have them talk to other Virmen and tell them that we want to trade with them, ones that can dig or trade goods.

>>10364127
This. Reposting haggle rules.

Haggle Rules

Roll using haggle skill or ½ charisma. You can use related skills at a -1 penalty for closely related, or -2 for distantly related. Intellect can be used if you have the appraise skill also, or are well versed in the materials relevant.

If your using a value of 8, you roll a d8. You cut 10% of for every number you beat their relevant skill by. Rolling under half of their skill may get them to convince you to buy more, or charge you more, or with a critical failure insult them.

The 10% is using diminishing returns, so that a 10g haggled down by 3 degrees would become 9g, then 8.1g, then 7.3g, not 7g.

>>10364130
Moonmonth? If we huntkill trackfind all month, no placego undersafe, seveneight? Must huntfind fightkills we-us can winkill eatlots.

Dammit QL, you and your weird languages for other species, I can hardly understand anything.

>>10364150

Waaait, are they now offering to take the fight to the goblins?

>>10364239

He's saying that if his hunters (his whole clan?) do nothing all month but track and hunt, he'll bring back 7-8 scalps.

>>10364239
This is pigeon English. Just wait until I finish writing troll as a language.

Also, if we pull this off and get several months of peace and utility out of the vermen, we need to make a present to the chief -- a dragontooth dagger. Much prestige for him, which keeps him in place as chief, and it'll cement our relationship.

We can't provide him with twenty or more swords per month. We don't have the production capacity or money for it, and this is supposed to be a side project, not something which will consume a massive chunk of our resources.

>>10364288
dagger?

sword would be more accurate on that count

>>10364215
so how do we roll for good exchange? we need to appraise the cost of trollscalp (2 sP yes?) of one unit of food and one mediocre sword?

>>10364288

We wouldn't need something that expensive. Just one really well made sword would put him high above the rest

Going to have to go with fuck this. That's way too expensive for such shitty troops. We slaughtered his "elite" mercs and didn't even lose a man. Hell, we took like 5 to 8 trolls at once in a fight and only lost like two people.

Give them some food so they will inform other Virmen we want to talk, but these guys are trying to bleed us dry.

>>10364348

I disagree. If we can get him to 1-2 swords per scalp, we're good. We already generate excess food, and we have goblin swords laying around, plus ONE smith can crank out a few dozen shit swords a month. It's worthwhile, if just to get them used to the concept of trading with us instead of raiding us or ambushing us.

>>10364288
no way we're giving up a precious dragon fang on a virmen leader we gonna have to cast away from our land in mid-long term

>>10364373
plus we can use them to drive the outlaw to our law and increase our population, wich is our main goal at the moment.

>>10364321
Your skill of Lordly Duties (5) is the best bet, which lets you roll a d4. . . Every point you beat his negotiate skill by (He's a 2, just so you know), he'll back down by 10%. 10% is 10% whether it's swords or cash.

>>10364373
Meh. I'll give you that it has potential but the only way it would be worth it is if they can convince the other Virmen to stop fucking our shit up for no fucking reason when we are walking into the swamp.

>>10364281

>Troll language
Yeah, that was worse. The troll shaman for example.

rolled 4 = 4

>>10364420
Rollan to get this over with since he is apparently not coming down in price through talking. I still think we are getting swindled.

>>10364426

And that's why we're working on the escort agreement. If the other vermen jump us while there are vermen escorting us, then they're chancing inciting a war with their neighbors. We're getting a three-fer: cleaning out of random encounters in the swamp, nigh-free passage through the swamp, and the vermen not being cunts.

Lord Quest: Spend twenty minutes fighting a one off encounter of rat-people. Spend 4 hours negotiating trade with them in pidgeon english, while figuring out how your foreign policy applies.

rolled 2 = 2

>>10364420
rolling 1D4 for haggle .

>>10364496
I meant to say luck ring too, but I guess it would have been a waste. Unless we get something for going over?

>>10364496

CRIT SUCCESS. Thank you for playing Are You Smarter Than A Vermen?

>>10364496 I love you so much :-)

Would our smith even be willing to intentionally make bad weapons?

>>10364540
He's our smith. He better be, we just signed him up for it.

>>10364540
it probably not gonna be a problem if we explain that we want to trade them to people that we don't we equiped as good than us

>>10364496
Max sucess.

". . . Onetwo swordslash for every trollheadskull we bringswap? And twothree Rathound headskulls for stabweapon. Swaptrade hereplace monthtimes."

>>10364585
allright, deal

it won't be me coming everymonth though, too busy, i'll send people to meet with you though

>>10364585

Agreed. And spread the word amongst the other vermen that we might have foodtrade for digwork, if there are those that are so inclined.

>And twothree Rathound headskulls for stabweapon.

This one's gonna come back to bite us in the ass. Ah well.

>>10364585
If there are 20 rats in a den that would be 7-10 swords a den. Hell the Virmen have more TAME rats than that.

Threefour ratskulls and you have a deal.

>>10364585
The negotiations went so well that Baldrick finds half a rotten turnip.

>>10364630

That's my worry, that they'll start killing their old, sick, or excess tame rathounds and get free swords every month.

>>10364656
or worse, a breeding program

Why not set a limit on the number of stuff they can get each month; if we start having issues, we can just say "hey, bring in X more and we'll give you Y more swords"

>>10364514
Haha, true dat

addendum, they have to bring at least a few troll heads each month or no trade

also, limit it to no more than 20 swords a month

QL, can we tell the difference between a male and a female rathound? We do this deal for three FEMALE rathound carcasses, we're cutting their breeding down.

We will need to assign some Manhunters to check out the territory for rathound nests. If they come with skulls and the nests aren't getting cleared we butcher the little bastards.

>>10364717
I agree, adult female rathounds are what we want.

>>10364615
>>10364624
>>10364630
"Dealdone. Hereplace be Virmen and Openmen peacetrade. Blackeye Notail Sneekkiller fightprotect peacetrade, wonhas firstbest tradeswap." At this decleration, the tension in the air drops somewhat, and even more when he repeats it in his own tounge.

Some of the lone virmen wonder off again, back into the swamps in twos and threes but the band of fighters lingers for a moment, before turning on the spot and marching back into the marsh.

>>10364717
You're not even sure if you've seen both male and female rathounds. For all you know they're like peacocks and peahens.

>>10364797

Awwwright. NORTH FLANK: nothing. SOUTH FLANK: river. EAST FLANK: kingdom territory. WEST FLANK: secured. We skraight. Now we can pour 100% of our resources into growing.

>>10364847
tell them to do it anyways

as a bonus, let them keep the bodies afterwards so they can eat

not like we really care that much about it

>>10364863
Something other than turnips, hopefully.