Planning

[thirdkingdom]

Fine with me. Can we put the word out and interview? any prospects we find?

Sure! That's one of the things Madam Fleur is there to help you with. She can start searching for people while you guys are doing other things.

[sulldawga]

Not trying to jump the gun before the other guys chime in on henchmen, but I'm interested in seeing what's out there for Fighter-types.

[sulldawga]

For mercs, I propose two squads of mounted archers. I don't want to leave town with fewer mercs than that, and we can dial it up if we find out the other side of the river is crawling with orcs or what have you.

Two squads of mounted archers is 15x20=300 gp a month. Two lieutenants to lead them is another 40 gp a month.

340/5=68 gp per month per PC.

[Gerrin]

My thought is to hire a bunch and leave some in a fortified camp rather than take all of them. That way we can have a solid amount of manpower if needed.
I was thinking offer them as extra sentries / guards to the baron for like 1gp apiece so they are making some money rather than just being a money sink.
Thoughts from you guys ?

[shaidar]

As a scout, I'd rather not have us go blunder around attracting attention from the creatures in the area, but rather have a chance to reconnoitre more quietly and then call on backup as and when needed, so I like the idea of having some stay back in a camp.

[sulldawga]

I don't want to spend money up front on mercs that we're paying to sit around, just so we can avoid the acquisition cost right now.

Let's figure out how many we're taking with us and then if anyone else wants to spend their own money on extras that are waiting around in Junction, go for it.

[thirdkingdom]

My thought is to hire a bunch and leave some in a fortified camp rather than take all of them. That way we can have a solid amount of manpower if needed.
I was thinking offer them as extra sentries / guards to the baron for like 1gp apiece so they are making some money rather than just being a money sink.
Thoughts from you guys ?

Just FWIW, "starting our own mercenary company" is a totally valid plan of action. I'm not sure the Baron would take you up on this right away, but it's a route you could certainly take.

[shaidar]

The players should all come to an agreement about henchmen before we begin recruitment. They are very, very useful but they're also an XP and gold sink.

I propose, at least at the beginning of the game, we limit each PC to one henchman. What do you guys think?

happy with this too

[thirdkingdom]

Okay, so it sounds like the consensus is the following:

*Explore and clear the two hexes on the other side of the river.
*You've hired a couple different groups of mercenaries. It sounds like sully wants to take the cavalry with but then leave the foot soldiers behind.
*You're going to put the word out for henchmen and have Madam Fleur find potential candidates, but start exploring sooner.
*There was talk about trying to track down some fishermen. Do you want to do that?
*You also have the option of finding a place to store your footsoldiers for the time being; a farmer's field or barn or something. If this is the case go ahead and post IC.

Is this about it?

[shaidar]

Sounds good. I think it's worth at least having Newton talk to the fisherman to get their stories first hand. As he has the creature knowledge he may be able to ask some pertinent questions on hearing what they saw. Any info that might point towards what is over there is useful.

[VonAlric]

Looking ahead after this initial foray, if we get these mercs and clear off the land, might be best to run up to the mining operation and be able to work three different angles from one spot (kill off bunch of badies for gold by miners, look for lost mine to the southwest of that, tomb that is northeast of miners)

[sulldawga]

Okay, so it sounds like the consensus is the following:

*Explore and clear the two hexes on the other side of the river.
*You've hired a couple different groups of mercenaries. It sounds like sully wants to take the cavalry with but then leave the foot soldiers behind.
*You're going to put the word out for henchmen and have Madam Fleur find potential candidates, but start exploring sooner.
*There was talk about trying to track down some fishermen. Do you want to do that?
*You also have the option of finding a place to store your footsoldiers for the time being; a farmer's field or barn or something. If this is the case go ahead and post IC.

Is this about it?

We can take the foot soldiers with us if people want. I thought the plan was to quarter them nearby and have them "on demand" if we need them. There was some concern that we'd be easy to spot with a bunch of foot marching around with us. Hopefully, the mounted horse will at least be fast, if not stealthy.

[thirdkingdom]

Okay, so it sounds like the consensus is the following:

*Explore and clear the two hexes on the other side of the river.
*You've hired a couple different groups of mercenaries. It sounds like sully wants to take the cavalry with but then leave the foot soldiers behind.
*You're going to put the word out for henchmen and have Madam Fleur find potential candidates, but start exploring sooner.
*There was talk about trying to track down some fishermen. Do you want to do that?
*You also have the option of finding a place to store your footsoldiers for the time being; a farmer's field or barn or something. If this is the case go ahead and post IC.

Is this about it?

We can take the foot soldiers with us if people want. I thought the plan was to quarter them nearby and have them "on demand" if we need them. There was some concern that we'd be easy to spot with a bunch of foot marching around with us. Hopefully, the mounted horse will at least be fast, if not stealthy.

The foot soldiers won't slow you down for exploration purposes, but if you're traveling through hexes they will. One advantage to rolling around with that many troops is it makes camping in the wilderness more attractive that returning to Junction each night, which will speed up the process somewhat.

[thirdkingdom]

This thread is for the players to discuss long term strategery and goals. These are the assets the players will be starting with, in addition to their personal wealth:

*A warehouse of 1000 sq. ft. of general storage space plus a vault with 25 sq. ft. for valuables. This space includes a pair of armed guards on duty day and night and office space for the adventurers' factor. I will not mess with the space unless the PCs do anything in Junction to warrant it (i.e. it is off grounds unless they pick a fight with the local thieve's guild, for instance). Consider this a safe place to bank money.
*A factor, Madam Fleur, who lives in Junction and can handle the adventurers' affairs remotely. This includes purchasing or commissioning goods, find mercenaries or henchmen to recruit, selling trade goods, etc.
*A magic silver mirror that allows the adventurers to contact Madam Fleur once every seven days.

Don't forget you guys have these assets, including the mirror that will allow you to contact Fleur weekly as needed.

[sulldawga]

I'm going to post some rumors here, since we don't seem to be using it for Planning anymore.

Fifthmonth, Fifthday - Rumors about a dragon's lair and the burial Fane of a King.

[beniliusbob]

Quest and Rumour Log

There is a lot, especially politically, missing from here, so please note anything below and I'll add it to this list. Ideally provide a link as well.

Dungeons & Lairs
--There is a pride of manticores terrorizing the road leading to the town of Rocky Mount
--The bandit leader Gajo controls the approach into a valley, and there's at least one hundred and fifty, maybe even two hundred of his men there.
--A great evil has been released in the ruins of Isendan driving refugees and beastmen ahead of it
--A green dragon named Burnnkenkrayn, "Death on the Wind," is allied with a group of orcs, the Shattered Tusk clan, warring against Draea viewtopic.php?f=783&t=8786&start=1040
--The tomb of Alcaezar the Rotund who was buried with many coins near "Maknor, Jewel of the North."
viewtopic.php?f=783&t=8786&start=1180
--The Hidden Treasure of the Bandit Queen Datziznaid viewtopic.php?f=783&t=8786&start=880
--The Fane of Laingal is the burial place of an ancient king, west of Draea. https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 70#p456870

Commercial Opportunities
--There is a lost gold mine somewhere near 70.44
--The Red Sky Mining Company is offering a bounty on the heads of beastmen
--Rhea's Ford, as a major city, is hungry for raw goods in all forms. Ore is the most valuable, but rare woods, furs, and other luxury goods are sought after, as are rare materials used in alchemical and magical compounds. The woods to the north of Alice are said to be a source of throan, an insect secretion that can be dried and purified and used in various potions.
--Gardo possesses a deed to a century mine in hex 217.11

Geo-Political
--There is a city to the west called Pesh past Rocky Peak
--The prince has some desire to expand to the fertile lands west of Junction and south of Rocky Peak
--A rival band of adventurers has claimed a keep on the River Sarn and is repairing it. They have also set out to claim some star-metal in the environs of Junction, following a meteor shower.
--The Scarlet Prince and Jade Princess have always been enemies, and the Scarlet Prince is rumored to be considering an attack across the sea - though overland is more likely.
viewtopic.php?f=783&t=8786&start=1140
--The Coral Principality is fractured into countless warring nobles.
viewtopic.php?f=783&t=8786&start=1140

[The_Wanderer]

Updated with everything I had

Dungeons & Lairs
--There is a pride of manticores terrorizing the road leading to the town of Rocky Mount
--The bandit leader Gajo controls the approach into a valley, and there's at least one hundred and fifty, maybe even two hundred of his men there.
------Gajo: a dark, heavily scarred man in chain and a reddish cape floats into his mind, flanked by two women that look identical. To the side of one is a short man with long grey hair, and to the side of the other is an enormously tall, and enormously fat, bear of a man.
--A great evil has been released in the ruins of Isendan driving refugees and beastmen ahead of it
--A green dragon named Burnnkenkrayn, "Death on the Wind," is allied with a group of orcs, the Shattered Tusk clan, warring against Draea http://www.unseenservant.us/forum/viewt ... start=1040
--The tomb of Alcaezar the Rotund who was buried with many coins near "Maknor, Jewel of the North."
http://www.unseenservant.us/forum/viewt ... start=1180
--The Hidden Treasure of the Bandit Queen Datziznaid http://www.unseenservant.us/forum/viewt ... &start=880
--The Fane of Laingal is the burial place of an ancient king, west of Draea. viewtopic.php?p=456870#p456870
--A dragon has been spotted flying over the Ironshard range, just to the west of the pass the adventurers will be taking north to Alice. As of yet it has not molested any Men.
--The Ironshard range is something of anomaly. Rising steeply from the plains to the south, it's surrounded by lowlands and forest. The terrain is almost impossibly steep, and the land itself difficult to settle. It is nominally claimed by the Scarlet Prince, but outside of the two passes -- the one on the road west towards Junction, and the one of the road north, to Alice -- it is largely unexplored and any resources within unexploited. The bulk of the range has been granted to Lady Arcaphia, the Cerise Baroness, who dwells in a castle along the northern road, although Lady Annemond, the Cochineal Baroness, has been granted the northwest portion. There is rumored to be some tension between the two.
--The woods to the north of Alice are a dangerous place, a primeval forest of ancient, toweing trees that hide numerous threats, among the most fearsome being ogres, giants, and strange, moss-covered trolls. The great dragon Valraphgon is supposed to control a great swathe of forest, although he has not been seen since the end of the Fifteenth Cycle.
--There is an old village called Mimark near hex 241.125, north of which is an abandoned temple rumoured to be full of gems:
viewtopic.php?f=783&t=8786&start=1600
--Treasure Map: In Common, an inscription upon it reads "We rode two days east of Maknor, to where a river flowed north. Following the river north we came to the upturned rock we had been told of, and there we buried Prince Damar in the royal crypts we found beneath, along with his scepter of rulership. Thus the remains of the last of the blood of the royal line of Maknor was interred." viewtopic.php?p=500092#p500092

Commercial Opportunities
--There is a lost gold mine somewhere near 70.44
--The Red Sky Mining Company is offering a bounty on the heads of beastmen
--Rhea's Ford, as a major city, is hungry for raw goods in all forms. Ore is the most valuable, but rare woods, furs, and other luxury goods are sought after, as are rare materials used in alchemical and magical compounds. The woods to the north of Alice are said to be a source of throan, an insect secretion that can be dried and purified and used in various potions.
--Gardo possesses a deed to a century mine in hex 217.11
--there's a bounty of 5,000 gold alcedes the Baron has placed on the head of Icen Viahere, the Scourge of the North, and bounties of one thousand alcedes each for his four lieutenants, that call themselves the Grey Riders."
--the Prince seeks a route eastward, to mage-factories of Umber, that could potentially bypass the other domains. This is," he reminds the adventurers, "but a representational map of the political boundaries of the Kingdom, and, in addition, dates back to the end of the previous Apex, before darkness fell during the last Nadir. We don't actually know what these boundaries look like any more. The Prince is willing to handsomely reward anyone that can blaze such a trail; money, no doubt, and likely a title and land, as well." (From Deputy Seneschal Pord)
http://www.unseenservant.us/forum/viewt ... 08#p468008


Geo-Political
--There is a city to the west called Pesh past Rocky Peak
--The prince has some desire to expand to the fertile lands west of Junction and south of Rocky Peak
--A rival band of adventurers has claimed a keep on the River Sarn and is repairing it. They have also set out to claim some star-metal in the environs of Junction, following a meteor shower.
--The Scarlet Prince and Jade Princess have always been enemies, and the Scarlet Prince is rumored to be considering an attack across the sea - though overland is more likely.
http://www.unseenservant.us/forum/viewt ... start=1140
--The Coral Principality is fractured into countless warring nobles.
http://www.unseenservant.us/forum/viewt ... start=1140[/quote]
--The Scarlet Principality is edging towards war with the Azure Principality. Rumblings are heard that talks have broken down over disputed border territory. As it stands now, the best way to reach the Silver Sea has been through the Azure Principalities, but there are hopes that once the river route south down the Sarn has been opened up the Scarlet Prince will be less dependent on the eastern trade routes. Tolniel opines that if war breaks out the Principalities hunger for ore will increase dramatically, increasing the importance of the mining camps to the north of Junction and the passability of the road west, to Rocky Peak.

Errands
--We have engaged Madame Helmmarma to research Green Dragons and Death on the Wind / Burnnkenkrayn. 500 gp downpayment, 1500 gp owed. Should be complete around Fifthmonth, Fifteenthday
--We have engaged Reker Nus to research Green Dragons and Burnnkekrayn. We have his resource for 8 months until Twelfthmonth, Fifteenthday.
--We have engaged Jadas in Alice to produce two potions "that help resist the effect of its poisonous breath". 150gp down payment, 1350 gp owed. Should be complete around Fifthmonth, Twentysixthday
--Newton commissioned a masterwork ax from Odos in Draea...it will be done around Sixthmonth, Sixthday
--Zellar commissioned a masterwork scimitar from Odos in Draea...it will be done around Sixthmonth, Sixthday
--Feargus commissioned a masterwork mace from Odos in Draea...it will be done around Sixthmonth, Twentiethday

[VonAlric]

Very well put together. Color me impressed.

I think one thing that kept us from using this space for planning could be that many of us don't have a long term plan yet. We are still maybe one or two adventures in our thinking but haven't said what, or maybe even thought, what the character's long term goals are, beside domain building at some point. So, with no idea of a goal, no real planning.

So, looking at the list up there, I can see a few things. The biggest opportunities for treasure and fame seem to lie up here north of the Scarlet Principality. Let's clear them out and maximize our chances for a good score. Beyond that, Gardo is thinking about that mine but knows he will need a large amount of help. Also, that mine is a bit close to Isendan and to claim it, we may have to go and deal with something real nasty. To assist with that task, Gardo is all about making friends with anyone, especially those with power, who he may be able to call upon to help. Doing things for the Scarlet Prince? If it gets him in good so he can get large squads of men to help clear things out, sure. The Baron? The priests at the town north of here that I cannot remember? Whoever he can have indebted to him for a future favor.

So, to summarize: Clear out the dragon, find the Bandit Queen treasure, find the burial place of the Fane of Laingal, and maybe explore some of the area for the commercial aspects and see where that leaves us. The previous list is not in a particular order.

[shaidar]

Agree, kudos to The Wanderer for his great post.

I also agree with VonAlric that it looks like the North is the place to be. That century mine will be worth the effort.

[The_Wanderer]

Gee thanks...I was just jumping on what BeniuliusBob started.

1. Agree about "the North"...unless we wanted to align ourselves more fully with the Scarlet Principality, maybe with an eye on a title or something. That feels like it comes later though.
2. I'm drawn inexorably toward Isendan...kind of like a gaper on the highway waiting to see the bad accident.
3. I'd love to take on something like -The Hidden Treasure of the Bandit Queen Datziznaid