>>991992
>[Militiary/1d10] "Surround the enemy camp completely."

Chance for crit, why not

>>991992
>[Militiary/1d10] "Surround the enemy camp completely."
>[Military/1d8] "Send some rangers to harass the enemy's caravans."

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>>991992
You mull over the possibilities. Doing nothing isn't something that sits well with you, so that's out. Sending rangers out could prove beneficial, but it would also deprive you of some of your troops and make it more difficult for you to react if something goes wrong. You don't want to send resources away like that at the moment.

That leaves surrounding the enemy.

"Get the officers together," you say. "We're going to surround the enemy camp as tightly as we can. Make sure to reinforce the back so the supply caravans can't get through."

"Yes, your highness," Sir Connor says. "Will we continue the attacks?"

"In pairs, I think," you say. "Assuming we can coordinate."

"It'll be much more difficult for them to react if we attack their camp from two different angles at once," Delyth says. "As for coordination, you can leave that to me. I'll come up with a system of banners and signals to let the officers know when to proceed. Olstren shouldn't be able to see through it."

With the order given, you wait for it to be carried out.

>Roll 1d10, best of three.

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>992103

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>992103
Pray for nice rolls

>>992114
>>992115
ONE MORE 10 HOLY SHIT
Someone roll pls, we can't fail now

Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>992103

>>992137
Aww. Oh well

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>>992103
The soldiers spread out to completely surround the camp, and two small fortifications are built on the north side to prevent flanking attacks. Olstren's officers try to launch a few attacks to disrupt the formation before it's set, but their soldiers are too tried to put up a serious fight. Everything proceeds just as planned.

Delyth, of course, takes care of her own part and continues to organize attacks against the enemy camp thanks to a web of messenger, banners and pre-arranged signals. You won't stop harassing the enemy until they're completely crushed.

You get more good news when a messenger arrives to inform you that Olwen will be arriving shortly. The rear guard will send her your way, but you could ride out to meet her yourself.

>Wait for Olwen.
>Meet up with Olwen.

>>992160
>>Meet up with Olwen.

>>992160
>>Meet up with Olwen.

>>992160
>Meet up with Olwen.

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>>992160
"Delyth, I'm leaving you in charge," you say. "I'll go meet Olwen at the camp."

The situation here is well in hand, and you'd like to get her report as soon as possible. Besides, if you meet her there, you might be able to arrange some sort of surprise attack before Olstren notices her arrival, as unlikely as that might be.

"Thank you, your highness," Delyth says. "I'll send a messenger if anything happens."

You climb onto your horse and ride back to your supply camp. As soon as it's in sight, you notice the rest of the army has arrived already. The soldiers look tired and more than a little roughed up, but casualties so far seem to be light. You go to the command tent and enter just as Eleri is serving tea to Olwen and her father.

"Welcome back," you say. "How were things?"

"Not as thorough as I would have liked," Olwen says, "but we don't have to worry about an organized army hitting us from the like."

"I'm fairly certain we were able to push them north," Duke Heath says. "If the remnants do turn to banditry, they'll be Olstren's problem."

"That's good enough for me," you say. "We have their main force encircled and mostly cut off from their supply lines, but I'd like to get this over with as soon as possible."

"My soldiers have had a rough march," Olwen says, "so they're not very fresh. I can get some fight out of them, but I'd rather wait unless it's urgent."

>[Military/Autosuccess] "If you think it's best, we can wait."
>[Military/1d10] "We don't have time to waste. We need to attack immediately."

>You have an active crit on this roll, already included.

>>992284
>>[Military/Autosuccess] "If you think it's best, we can wait."

>>992284
>[Military/Autosuccess] "If you think it's best, we can wait."
Even if we may get better combat results by pushing the soldiers, I highly doubt that anything good can come after the fact when we disband them besides if we get a crit. Nothing serious, but benevolence goes a long way when you do it right.

>>992284
>[Military/Autosuccess] "If you think it's best, we can wait."

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>>992284
"If you think it's best, we can wait." You sit down and Eleri pours you some tea as well before sitting next to Olwen.

"The violence will be equally bloody tomorrow, your highness," Olwen says. "How have things been on your end?"

"I've been keeping the soldiers awake, mostly," you say. "I don't think they've had a full night's sleep in over a week."

"A crude method, perhaps," Duke Heath says, "but still quite effective, especially in the current circumstances."

"If you can't kill the enemy, kill their morale." You shrug. "Best would be better, but I work with what I have."

"We can get to that tomorrow morning," Olwen says. "My soldiers will be rested by then. They might grumble about waking up early, but if it means they can go home faster, they won't mind."

"I'll have a look at the enemy camp myself," Duke Heath says. "It might give me a few ideas."

"Certainly, Duke Heath," you say. "They're under constant attack, but I'm always glad to hear suggestions."

"Will you be staying here until tomorrow, your highness?" Eleri asks. "Or will you be returning to the battle line?"

>Stay with Eleri and Olwen for the moment.
>Return to Delyth and Sir Connor along with Duke Heath.

>>992436
>>Stay with Eleri and Olwen for the moment.

>>992436
>Return to Delyth and Sir Connor along with Duke Heath.

>>992436
>>Stay with Eleri and Olwen for the moment.

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>>992436
"I'll stay here for a bit." You ignore the way Duke Heath's eyebrow is twitching. "I still want to catch up on a few things. Just let me send a message to Delyth to let her know."

You quickly draft a note and hand it over to Duke Heath so he can deliver it once he reaches the battle line. Olwen watches her father's back as he leaves until she's certain he's out of earshot.

"Just so you know," she says, "I'm not in the mood for sex at the moment."

"That's certainly a first." You snort.

"Hmm…" Eleri looks at her thoughtfully. "In that case, it would be improper of me to steal the prince away, wouldn't it?"

"I can spend one night sleeping, thank you," you assure them. "Besides, we have more than enough work to do to keep us busy."

You need to update your ledgers to account for your supplies, make sure your soldiers are still where they're supposed to be, and go explain the current state of things to Olwen in careful detail. Plenty to do, and even if Eleri doesn't want to steal you away, her presence is still comforting.

"It sounds fairly straightforward," Olwen says. "Tighten the encirclement, stab everything in the way, kill everything, win."

"I'm sure your father and the others will have their own opinions," you say. "We can make the final decision tomorrow."

Olwen shrugs. "There's no point in making things complicated," she says. "The simplest approach is often the best."

>"I still need to listen to my subordinates."
>"I'm just glad you're finally here."
>"I'll keep that in mind. How were things on your end?"

>>992610
>>"I'll keep that in mind. How were things on your end?"

>>992610
>"I still need to listen to my subordinates."

When command gets distant from the troops shit goes south usually.

>>992610
>"I'll keep that in mind. How were things on your end?"

>>992620
Supporting

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>>992610
"I'll keep that in mind," you say. "How were things on your end."

"Just a little tricky and underhanded," Olwen says. "You would have loved it."

You grin slightly and wait for Olwen to continue.

"We let them move into Gwyrddarfordir as far as we could," Olwen continued. "There weren't any villages along the way, so we only had to tell a few hunters and travelers to move back for a while. Once Olstren overextended its lines, I ordered quick lightning raids on their supply caravans and had their hunters killed. They quickly began to falter, at which point I reorganized my troops into a proper army and pushed them out of the kingdom so I could get here faster."

"It sounds like you had a difficult time of it," Eleri says.

"No, everything went about as we expected," Olwen says. "There will be more bandits in the area for a while, but disorganized bands are easier to deal with than a proper army."

At most, you'll just need to tell your vassals to keep a closer eye on things, if Myrddin hasn't already done that for you by the time you get back.

"You've performed admirably," you say. "Now, we just need to end this."

With that settled, the three of you go to sleep. Despite her claims that she's not in the mood for intimacy, Olwen is more than happy to cuddle, sandwiched between you and Eleri.

It's a short-lived comfort though.

You're up first the next morning, and you give the army the order to assemble and start moving. Your reinforcements will be at the battle line before Olstren's army has realized what's happening.

Delyth and Olwen work together to replace your tired soldiers with fresh troops in anticipation for the coming battle, and you call your advisors to a meeting.

"I still say we should close in and slaughter them," Olwen says. "It's the simplest way to deal with the problem."

"But it would be extremely difficult," Duke Haul says. "Olwen, you know how men get when they're desperate. It's better if we push them from the front and simply drive them out of the country."

"They are my countrymen," Sir Connor says, "and I would rather not see them butchered. At this point, the officers might be willing to surrender entirely."

You look to Delyth.

"I believe all options have merit, your highness," she says. "Slaughtering the soldiers would significantly weaken Duke Ferrid's position, as would forcing them to surrender, although we would then have to decide what to do with the hostages. Driving them away would accomplish our immediate goals, which is certainly good enough, but it wouldn't give us any significant long-term advantages."

>[Military/1d10] Get ready to slaughter Olstren's soldiers.
>[Military/1d10] Get ready to force Olstren's army back.
>[Sovereign/1d8] Secure a meeting with Olstren's commander.

>>992763
>>[Sovereign/1d8] Secure a meeting with Olstren's commander.

>>992763
>[Sovereign/1d8] Secure a meeting with Olstren's commander.

Our goal should be to secure reparations from the leader of the Olstren forces

>>992763
>>[Sovereign/1d8] Secure a meeting with Olstren's commander.

>>992763
>>[Sovereign/1d8] Secure a meeting with Olstren's commander.

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>>992763
"Sir Connor, please let the commander know that I'm willing to negotiate their surrender," you say. "But don't get your hopes up."

"It's not my problem if he wants to die in glorious battle," Sir Connor says. "I'll deliver the message, your highness."

>Roll 1d8, best of three.

Rolled 5 (1d8)

>>992827

Rolled 4 (1d8)

>>992827

Rolled 5 (1d8)

>>992827

Rolled 4 (1d8)

>>992827

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>>992827
It doesn't take long for Sir Connor to come back. To your surprise, he's bringing a grizzled old man with him. Judging by his armour and cloak, he must be a noble of some sort. It's a great show of trust for the enemy commander to voluntarily come to your camp alone, although some - or most - of it might be desperation.

You keep your gaze steady and almost disinterested, waiting for the Sir Connor's introduction.

"Your highness, might I present Count Feargus mac Rocht," Sir Connor says. "Duke Ferrid gave him responsibility for this ill-advised venture."

"Your majesty." Feargus bows his head. His cheeks are pale and sagging; he's obviously worn to the bone. "On behalf of my men, I've come to negotiate our surrender."

It's time to dictate terms. That he agreed to meet with you is a good sign, and his weariness will make him easier to convince.

>[Sovereign/1d12] "All I ask is that you leave my kingdom."
>[Sovereign/1d10] "The commoners will be escorted out, but the officers must remain as my hostages until your families pay ransom."
>[Sovereign/1d8] "You and your soldiers will remain as my hostages until Duke Ferrid comes to fetch you personally."

>>992900
>>[Sovereign/1d10] "The commoners will be escorted out, but the officers must remain as my hostages until your families pay ransom."

>>992900
>[Sovereign/1d10] "The commoners will be escorted out, but the officers must remain as my hostages until your families pay ransom."

>>992900
>>[Sovereign/1d10] "The commoners will be escorted out, but the officers must remain as my hostages until your families pay ransom."

>>992900
>>[Sovereign/1d8] "You and your soldiers will remain as my hostages until Duke Ferrid comes to fetch you personally."

>>992900
>[Sovereign/1d10] "The commoners will be escorted out, but the officers must remain as my hostages until your families pay ransom."

Moar moneh means moar army which means moar moneh

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>>992900
You already have more than enough farmers, so there's no point in keeping the farmers around. The officers, however, are certainly of some use to you.

"I assume you know how these things go, Count Feargus," you say. "The soldiers will be escorted out, while the knights and nobles remain in my custody until proper ransom is paid."

>Roll 1d10, best of three.

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>992983

Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>992983

Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>992983
rollan

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>>992983
"That is to be expected, your majesty," Count Feargus says. "My comrades and I were prepared for this when we accepted Sir Connor's invitation."

That just leaves the matter of the ransom itself. Given your status as Reagan's husband, a token ransom offered as a show of submission would be sufficient, but Gwyrddarfordir and Olstren already have a gentlemen's agreement in place for situations like these, or you could gauge them for more than they're worth just to make a point.

>[Merchant/1d12] Give them some leniency. They only need to accept you're in charge.
>[Merchant/1d10] Ask for the standard rates. They won't be in a position to complain.
>[Merchant/1d8] Now isn't the time for mercy. Squeeze the coins out of them.

>>993028
>[Merchant/1d10] Ask for the standard rates. They won't be in a position to complain.

No reason to get greedy.

>>993028
>>[Merchant/1d10] Ask for the standard rates. They won't be in a position to complain.

>>993028
>[Merchant/1d10] Ask for the standard rates. They won't be in a position to complain.

Just in time to make the quest!

>>993028
>>[Merchant/1d10] Ask for the standard rates. They won't be in a position to complain.

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>>993028
"The standard rates will do," you say. "I see no reason to alter our current agreements."

"It's only fair," Duke Heath says. "I'll personally see to it that our guests are treated fairly."

Feargus mulls your offer over…

>>993087
>Roll 1d10, best of three.

Derp.

Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>993087

Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>993120

Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>993120

Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>993120

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>>993087
Feargus sighs and lowers his head in acknowledgement. "As you wish, your majesty," he says. "We will agree to your terms."

"An excellent decision, I assure you," you say. "Sir Connor, Duke Heath, if you'll assist me, we'll gather our guests and escort the soldiers to the border. I'd like to return to Degfford as soon as possible."

Although you're confident Myrddin has taken care of things in your absence, you do want to stay abreast of the city's developments, and you have three pregnant women to look after. It wouldn't do for you to stay away too long.

And once you're done with that, you'll need to decide what to do about Duke Ferrid.

Rolled 5, 6, 1, 10 = 22 (4d10)

>>993160
And that's all for today. Time for the bonus XP.

Rolled 11 (1d12)

>>993166
Enchantment.

Rolled 4 (1d8)

>>993176
Dilettante.

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>993187
And Military.

With that done, Beleaguered Prince Quest will return on Friday January 6th at 7PM EST.

Goodnight and Happy New Year. I just hope Betty White doesn't fucking die tomorrow.

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>>993194
cheers, boss

>>993160
Thanks, QM.

>>993194
Thanks qm. Whats with the dubs today?