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Lordling (du Artois)

Lorsh

Lorsh

Varlot
Roleplay Availability
Roleplay Type(s)
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  • You are Lord Lothair du Artois, first son of your passed father. You preside over the ancient house of du Artois, which is now a shadow of its former glory from the days when this land was still known as Carboldica. No longer peers of the realm, your lordship is sworn to a mere baron, rather than an emperor or king as it had been centuries before. Still, your household is in possession of traditions and relics that many other lordlings do not, such as many fine banners and a quality longsword.

    You preside over du Artois Castle, and have three villages mastered by your vassals, Lastrahn, Avendar, and Pelleck. The knights serving as masters of these villages are Sir Kelias du Artois (a cousin), Sir Marolyn (a cousin-in-law), and Sir Horne (a new knight), respectively. These men have bailiffs doing most of the management of these villages, while they are engaged in knightly pursuits such as hunting, training, and attending your court.

    The villages under your domain mostly provide crops, wood, fish, and fruit. The carpenters of Lastrahn are capable of turning wood from Pelleck into weapons like spears and simple shields. There is also an apothecary in Lastrahn that professes alchemical skills, usually making herbal teas and simple remedies for the rural folk.

    You are mostly directly responsible for the administration of Castle Du Artois, a riverside motte and bailey fortress with most of its buildings protected by a series of wooden palisades. Most of the male servants double as your personal soldiers; your retinue is comprised of 53 men, including all its commanders. Many lordlings in Midduch have few retained men under their command, but since it has been less than a year after Guy Edban's peasant rebellion in Serbeck Barony, many lords still have a decent amount of men on hand. Your 28 footmen (10 wearing mail) carry shields and more-or-less proper swords. They generally wear woolen gambesons or boiled leather derived from the Stromwood pasturelands, though your best troops wear mail over top. You also have 20 trained archers with light armor and weapons. Though you have less mail among your common men, there is a high proportion of knights and squires serving your household, for a total of 6 knights (including yourself) and 5 mounted and armed squires.


    The latest days have been dreary, with blackening skies and few songs from the birds (aside from the ravens). You've heard that your liege lord, Baron Caleyston of Clayhold, has sent some of his men to Crowsby due to some kind of trouble, but he has not had any contact with you in about a week. The road leading to your domains from Clayhold is quite treacherous due to forest bandits operating in the area, and Clay Bailey being unequipped to deal with them. It's often a precarious situation for messengers, who outlaws enjoy holding for ransom.

    You are approached in the manor hall by one of your retainers, an archer who lives in your bailey with his young wife. "My lord," he says, bowing in greeting. He is wearing a simple tunic with the du Artois insignia. "Me and some of the lads were fishing by the riverside... and... well, I'm not sure how to say it. The fish don't stop flopping. One has been out of the water for many an hour- we even gutted it, and it still flops as if it lives. We don't really know what it means, my lord."



 
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Lothair was holding council in the manor hall with his advisers. Due to the distance to his liege lord and other major towns and cities, Lothair knew that self sufficiency was crucial for the du Artois holdings and people. Travel was perilous around the forests due to the gangs of bandits, and perturbed trade in the region as well. Still, these challenges were blessings as well as it bestowed the du Artois holdings with some de facto autonomy from his de jure liege, the infrequent messages being one such example. Thus, Lothair pondered the idea of establishing a small market town outside of the palisades to facilitate trade in the area by providing a centralized location for merchants to gather and bring their goods and services. The Castle was the central location of the three surrounding villages and easier to reach than to travel to each of the individual villages. However, he looked to his advisers to see what their opinions and input on the matter was. "Sir Paryn, what would it take to establish a market outside of the palisade walls? Are our supplies and coffers sufficient? Sir Homwic, would policing the market and ensuring the safety of the traders from potential bandits be easy? Master Silas, what would the legal ramification be? Could we implement a tax or a fee for those who come to this proposed market to sell their goods and services?" Lothair sought their input to see how feasible his idea was and continued to discuss with them.

Shortly after, one of his retainers entered the manor hall and bowed. "Me and some of the lads were fishing by the riverside... and... well, I'm not sure how to say it. The fish don't stop flopping. One has been out of the water for many an hour- we even gutted it, and it still flops as if it lives. We don't really know what it means, my lord." Lothair stared at the archer for a second, caught a bit off guard by the statement. "A fish? That will not die? What kind of dark, unholy Witchmarch sorcery is this?" Lothair said as he rose from his seat. "Summon Brother Holan and bring us to this undying fish." Lothair silently thought to himself that recent times were a bit odd... a bit too gloomy and quiet. Perhaps there was foul magic at play and that a witch hunt was due. Still, he didn't want to jump to conclusions until he had a better understanding of the situation as he started to walk and follow the retainer to see this immortal fish.
 
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Sir Paryn takes some moments to ponder himself. "I think we gather enough wood, and call for the help of the carpenters in Lastrahn, we can fashion some market stalls, as well as animal pens for traders to rent. I say we are in a reasonable area for a market, between . We shouldn't need many other supplies if we plan on merely hosting it. Though... offering merchants small enticements, such as temporary food and lodging, would help encourage travelers to come."

Sir Homwic nods when you ask him your question of security. "Yes, my lord. There would be little chance for raids if it was established close to our castle, and our merry men are garrisoned nearby, always in a position to enforce any decrees you place upon this market."

Master Silas nods. "Yes, we could levy a tax for those wishing to use our safe and convenient location for the purposes of trade. Of course, our liege lord may in turn want to exact his own tax for the right to hold this market. I doubt he would outright disallow such an enterprise, but it would be our duty to report this intention to him. Otherwise, we keep our profits and risk slighting the man when he figures it out later." The clerk rubs his chin... "Keeping the logs of the market shouldn't be too much extra work, but if it grew large enough, we may want to consider hiring-..."

Your council turns to see the servant enter with some troubling news. Many brows are furrowed, and eyes widen with surprise and superstition as he tells of the strange fish. When you issue your orders, your man quickly runs off to fetch Brother Holan, your castle chaplain.


Though most castles have an ordained cleric as their religious representative, Brother Holan is a monk, though also a sworn deacon under the Priest of Pelleck. He is sinewy, thin man with a short robe and tall, boiled leather boots. New to your service after the passing of your last chaplain (a proper cleric), Brother Holan had fought as a soldier under the Abbot of Trimount during Guy Edban's rebellion last year. Still, despite being more martial and less well-read than most holy men, he considers himself very close with the holy creator Paragon.

Brother Holan greets you with a bow as you and your advisors are brought to the riverside, just outside the bailey. "My lord, sirs," he nods to each of your advisors. He gestures at the squirming, gutted fish that is still hanging by the hook in its mouth. "This is a case of undeath." The hierodeacon quickly makes a holy gesture to form the Emmortal 'E' with four of his fingers, as if to ward off its aura. "And why has a fish gotten to be like this? I am not so sure. Evil men like to raise more stout things from the dead, unless we have ourselves a mere novice for a necromancer."
 
Lothair frowned as he heard the Brother's reasoning and thoughts. "Undead... in our lands." He muttered. He had heard stories in the past of how the undead used to terrorize the lands. This sign bode ill for the lands. "This dark magic must be dealt with... the water may be cursed too. Send word to the men. Any and all fish caught are to be gutted and watched for 30 minutes. Those that are undying are to be burned into ashes in a fire. All are to also take caution with the river and the water. Draw water from the wells instead of the river. Paragon protect us if someone were to eat an undead fish... or drink cursed water. All animals as well, after being gutted, are to be watched for 10 minutes as well and burned if they do not die. The curse could be affecting dead animals too in the area... we must take caution. The curse of undeath, I have heard in stories, spreads rapidly. We must contain this curse and send word to the church to see if they know of a way to cleanse the region of this malady. For now, we must gather the men of the cloth in the region. As for that undead fish. Carefully place it in a pot and keep it sealed so that we can show the priests once they arrive."

Lothair looked to Brother Holan and said "Please pray for and bless the area... or spray some holy water. Whatever it is that you can think of that may help with the situation." then turned and returned to the manor as he began to call out for his retainers. He needed to send word, and quickly to his vassals and to his liege lord while the situation was still relatively contained, or else it could spread like wild fire.

---

Summary:
1. Lothair orders for all caught fish and butchered animals to under go a monitoring period of 30 minutes for they are eatan. Those that do not die are to be burned as they are clearly under the influence of the dark magic. He also orders all to be cautious around the river and to rely on wells.

2. Lothair also dispatches runners to his villages to send word of the undead fish and Lothair's orders to his bannermen with haste. The runners are to also request the local priests / chaplains to come back with them and escort them back to see if they can work together to find a way to combat the curse of undeath and get their insight on the situation. The apothecary of Lastrahn is also requested to come as well.

Runners:
Lastrahn: 2 Heavy Infantry, 2 Riding Horses
Avendar: 1 Squire, 2 Heavy Infantry, 3 Riding Horses
Pelleck: 1 Squire, 1 Heavy Infantry, 2 Riding Horses

3. Lothair asks Brother Holan to bless the area, spray holy water, or whatever it is that he thinks can help clear the area of this foul magic.
 
The undead fish is placed in a pot for safe keeping.

Several horseback-mounted teams are formed, with the two knightly aspirants being given command of an ordinary soldier or two. Sir Homwic says it is a good leadership exercise for the young men. They immediately ride out towards the villages, expected to return in several hours.

Brother Holan spreads crushed yellowbloom around the keep's grounds, uttering prayers and holy incantations. He bestows blessings upon the riverside, and excuses himself. "If the effect of these blessings end up being rather weak, my apologies. I am not an ordained man."

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Shortly after your decree that all fish must be carefully watched before they are eaten, there is a slight uproar as several of your staff notice that every caught fish seems to be having this reaction shortly after death. One fish had a cleaver taken to its head shortly after being caught, and seemed to remain killed for good, however. Only its eyes seemed to remain 'alive' after this was done. "Is the rest of him supposed to be clean?" one of your servants. Another one remarks that she prays the ale made from the river's waters isn't contaminated.
 
Lothair looked to Brother Holan and said "Your best is all I ask. Thank you Brother Holan for helping me keep my people safe." Still, not too long after Lothair's orders, further word came. The rest of the fish seem to be cursed as well. Lothair frowned as he looked at the fish who all seemed to refuse to die. "This dark magic is spread further than I feared. It appears that eating them is not prudent for now. I dare not have my people EAT the product of dark magic. It is simply too dangerous and we know too little for now. Let us leave the fish alone until the priests arrive... though I suspect they might encourage us to burn the witch magic. Still, these undying fish are to be left untouched until further notice."

Lothair looked at the insightful female servant who commented about the ale. "You. You are very wise. What is your name? Can I entrust you to test the ale? Get a chicken or some small animal strung up or in a cage and then have it drink some ale. Then watch the chicken to see if there's anything odd. After an hour or so, you may gut the chicken and see if it will die. I pray that the water itself is not cursed... if it is...Paragon help us..." Lothar said as he muttered the last few words to himself. "I pray that the brewing process, at the very least, would purify the water, but it is better to err on the side of caution like you suggest."
 
"My name is Geina, my lord. I will do as you wish, and we will see if it is true that this curse is spread that way..." the woman replied. She is younger, possibly the daughter of one of your older retainers.

One of the cocks wandering by the hovels outside the bailey is fetched by your servants and eventually made to drink ale from a bowl. After an hour passes, one of your servants deprives the chicken of its head with their knife. Afterwards, it acts as a chicken normally does, staggering around for a few moments before falling over. It is decided that this does not count as undeath, of course. After about a half hour, the body seems to be dormant, but the beak and eyes seem to become animated. Many of your staff are very perturbed.

"Oh no, Emmortal God! Are we going to have that happen to us?" one of your other maidservants asks. Most of your people have already drank ale or water sourced from that river. There is a sense of panic beginning to set in.

"My lord!" a new voice suddenly exclaims. One of the soldiers you sent to Lastrahn rides up with his partner, after having returned from down the road. The settlement wasn't far, of course. "We informed the village of Lastrahn of these happenings. A man visiting there from Squire Top had informed them that several beasts have returned from the dead up there as well."

"This is bittersweet news," Brother Holan says. "Though it doesn't seem to be spreading from the river, it is still spreading quickly."
 
Lothair nodded "It appears that we may all already be cursed and that it is not just the water. Perhaps, it only works when the cursed being is dead for a bit of time. The Chicken stirred after half an hour. There is not much that we can do other than seek a way to break the curse if that is the case." he replied to Brother Holan. He loudly spoke up to those nearby "Faith! My people. Faith. Have faith in your teachings and in the Paragon. Everything is not lost as we still have our lives and faith. We will find a way to break this curse. For now, corpses should be handled with urgency. The curse takes about thirty minutes to take effect for small creatures like chickens. Any corpses that have returned to life are to be burned, immediately with care."

Lothair looked to Geina and said "I wish you to attempt one more thing. Get a freshly caught fish that has not been gutted and is still alive. Then have it cooked, not burned. I wonder if the curse only works if the body is left alone for a period of time, and that eating them will not cause additional problems if the corpse is cooked quickly."
 
Brother Holan nods in agreement. "Show no fear, brothers and sisters. Paragon keeps us under His watchful eye, and there is no more sure way to become worthy of the Hallowed Realm than to pledge ourselves to the uprooting of evil. This dark day will pass, after which we shall all be smiled upon by Him."

Geina nods quickly. "Yes, my lord," says. She and several men with nets head back over to the riverside to test this theory.


A stocky man riding atop of a small pony arrives at the keep, wearing a furred robe that might belong to a wealthy peasant or poor knight. He is followed behind by a man of the cloth, wearing a simple brown robe stitched with Paragon's holy 'E', and the plain leather skullcap that clerics often wear. You recognize them as the local apothecary owner and the Priest of Lastrahn, respectively. Trotting along close behind atop a large destrier, you see your cousin, Sir Kelias duo Artois. He is accompanied by his squire, the teenage son of Sir Horne. "Hail, my lord," the knight says. "What terrible evil have we been stricken with in these damnable days?" he asks. "Your servants sent word requesting a few men from Lastrahn, I hope you don't mind if I accompanied them."
 
Lothair welcomes the new arrivals "You are always welcome, Sir Kelias. I wish we could meet under more auspicious circumstances, but these are dark times." Lothair said as he nodded to the cleric and the apothecary. "Thank you all for coming with urgency." as he led the group to the manor hall to speak privately. The group sat around the grand table in the hall with a pot sitting in the middle. The frantic thudding of the undead fish could be heard as Lothair let the silence sink for a moment. "As you are all aware, we have discovered an undead fish. It sits in the pot before you. However, in the last few moments, we have also discovered that ALL the fish are turning undead after 30 minutes of being gutted. Cutting off the head renders the body still, but keeps the head still active. We also killed a chicken, which also came back to life after 30 minutes. This has all made me conclude that we may ALL already be cursed by this dark magic and that it is too late to prevent it. Rather, all our attention should go towards finding a way to break the curse for the undead only arise AFTER a period of death. The curse needs some time to work."

Lothar then looked to the holy men and the apothecary and said "I have summoned you all here to discuss the matter and see if you have any ideas or insights as learned and spiritual men."
 
Later on, your vassals and clerics from Pelleck and Avendar arrive, allowing you to hold the meeting in full.


As you relay the news to the assembled men, it shocks those who have not already heard it. Your steward has to order a cease to the chatter to allow you to continue to speak. When you ask for input, there is a brief discussion period. A few of them have to break their long stares towards the cursed fishpot.

"My lord, the peasants love more than their black bread and watered ale. Do we forbade them from eating the beasts?" Sir Horne asks.

"I'd wager that a man could still eat the part that was butchered right quick," Sir Marolyn says. The gray-haired knight has been joined by his wife, one of your kin, Lady Pallema. "Either way," your cousin-in-law continues, "if dead men are truly arisen, we need living men to be ready. We are closer to the Stromwood Barony than we are to our liege. I doubt that Lord in Clay Bailey is going to be marching up here to help us. Let us ask Lord Stromwood's men at Squire Top."

"Lord Caleyston may require our men here. If we do not remain prepared to commit to him, then we would be shirking our obligations," your uncle and steward, Sir Paryn points out.
 
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Lothair hailed the men and their retinues as they arrived.

"If my theory is correct, then our focus should be on making sure that the bodies do not have enough time to rise. For this reason, I think it would be best for all men who die in these times to be cremated with all haste. At the very least the head should be severed and destroyed. At this point, there seems little reason to try and stop the people from eating and drinking. They'll simply starve and turn into undead even quicker. Though, we could test this theory if we had some prisoners... a bandit or two whose lives are already forfeit.

Regardless, we must make preparations, undead men could stumble upon our villages and cause chaos. Sir Homwic, what do you think would be the best course of action? Getting spears mass produced and posting militia watchmen to watch for any undead? Fortifying key homes to use as emergency keeps?" Lothair asked.

He then turned to Sir Paryn and replied "Surely, sending a few men to Squire Top to, at the very least, warn them of the curse, would allow us to still meet our obligations if Lord Caleyston calls for us. It is not like I will raise an entire levy and send a warband to Squire Top. I seek to be neighborly with the men of Squire Top and Lord Stromwood, and have the decency to warn them with some runners even if they are unable to assist us."
 
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Brother Holan agrees. "Yes, my lord. We will have to erect funeral pyres if the dead are to be treated with any dignity... of course, this is still not as dignified a sendoff as a proper burial, but almighty Paragon will surely understand our corporal plights," the hierodeacon says.

Homwic nods. "We have fifty good men in our retinue, and we could raise a levy on freemen if we needed more proper, albeit temporary footmen. Simple serfs are not martial folk, but even then, they can be given drills with basic gear. We could commission the carpenters in Lastrahn to produce spears and shields, though we'll have to speak to them closely to determine the prices they ask for this labor, as well as how fast we'd like them to work. As these are not normal times, we could simply force them to do it, but regardless, this would not reflect on us well," he warns. "Either way, we may be able to raise over two hundred men from the serfs. It is your lordly right to institute a draft even without providing equipment, though they will be little more than unorganized rabble."

Sir Paryn replies, "I believe that would be a good idea, to at least remind Lord Stromwood of our presence. Our warnings of the danger to his lands would be a sign of goodwill." He continues, however. "Either way, we are in an awkward position to deploy in the name of Lord Caleyston," he says. "The rest of the barony is quite some distance from ours, aside from perhaps Clay Bailey. If our own domains were threatened, it would take days for us to march back, due to the position of the river."
 
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Lothar nodded and replied "Very well, please see to it that funeral pyres are used to deal with the deceased until the curse has been broken. This is to apply to all villages and holdings. As for preparations, Sir Kelias and Sir Marolyn, when you return to your abodes, determine how much it would cost to purchase and hire the material and labor needed to produce 100 spears and 100 bows and send word to me. My coffers will be open to prepare us in the event that this situation deteriorates and we find ourselves forced to fight the undead. Since we are not marching to war, there is no urgency yet. Still, I wish to be informed of what expenses may look like and budget accordingly. For now, Sir Homic, will you organize patrols and sentries accordingly? I do not want anyone to be caught with their pants down if an undead man ever stumbles into one of our villages. Now, my sirs and misters, if there is nothing else that anyone else wishes to say or ask, then I believe we all have much work to do. I must begin to draft a letter to send to our northern neighbors."

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Orders/Decrees:

1. Due to the presence of black magic, all bodies are to be dealt with promptly. The bodies of the dead are to now be cremated via funeral pyres and given their rites to cleanse the bodies and souls of the dead of the black magic.

2. The masters of Lastrahn and Pelleck are to send word of how much it would to cost to get the material and or labor to make 100 spears and 100 bows once they return to their homes.

3. Patrols and guards are to be sent to the villages to keep an eye out for potential undead and trouble.

For Each Village:
1 Heavy Infantry (Veteran)
2 Infantry
3 Archers

4. Runners are sent to Square Top or Stromwood Castle (which ever is quicker to get to) to send word of the undead and seek any advice or information on how to combat the curse.

1 Squire w/ Riding Horse
2 Heavy Infantry w/ Riding Horse
 
"My lord, to raise archers from the lower peasantry, I believe we will be limited to the men around the village of Pelleck. The non-woodlands villages would be at a lack of knowledge on how to use the short bow," Sir Kelias says.

Sir Horne nods. "Aye, even the utmost underlings in my village know how to use those things. Some may feign not knowing how... I know some of them are poachers, for sure."

Sir Kelias thinks of something else. "Though we have carpenters for simpler equipment like shields and spears, do we have many bowyers?" he asks.

Sir Horne hums. "As for fletchers of bows, there is only one such man in my vill. He won't be able to outfit a small army anytime soon... though, perhaps I can offer him some tax exemptions for his services, regardless. I believe that jolly old oaf owes my manor of his hogs for his daughter's marriage. Maybe I'll let him keep the beast."


The envoys are prepared with their horses, deciding to ride for Stromwood Castle via the old clay paths, as it would take longer to reach Squire Top due to the terrain. Likewise, some of your senior retainers begin to organize their own bands of guardsmen to keep an eye on the villages.
 
Lothair listens to the men's advice. "Very well, forget the idea of bows. A single bowyer will not be able to make 100 bows in a reasonable amount of time. For now, let us focus on getting those spears and shields as mentioned." He then paused for a second and continued "Sir Paryn, Master Silas, pray tell. Do you recall the current legal boundaries of the holdings du Artois family? You see, since we are far from Clay Bailey and bandits plague the road between us and the Baron, I figure that establishing fortified towers to keep an eye on the road would do us much good in securing the road for travel and make communications easier. If the legal claims support it, then I seek to potentially establish a garrison at the intersection to our east. Perhaps, even establish a toll to support our efforts to keep the roads clear of plant growth and banditry."
 
Arrangements are made to speak with the free carpenters in Lastrahn to work out a contract.

"It is very close to the border with Darroworth [MAP UPDATED], though we would not technically be encroaching upon the lands of Lord Stromwood. The master of Darroworth may object to our presence if we appear to be menacing the border with our soldiers, though we may have to communicate and make them understand that is not our intention," your uncle tells you. Of one of the servants, he requests that the local maps be brought upon the great table, and he points out the boundaries of your lordly house's territory.

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Sir Marolyn continues. "However, milord, as you can see, the domains of Stromwood and Clay Bailey are marked above the clay road. Still, as long as we do not attempt to exact the toll on the lords themselves, we should be able to charge the commoners and other passersby for this protection. If the other lords object, I still say we would deserve some kind of reward for keeping those roads safe. We could bring it up to the shire court," he says.

"In either case," Sir Homwic says, "it would clear up the road, and we could talk to the Lord of Clay Bailey."

 
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Lothair nodded and thanked the lords for their counsel. "It appears to be something we should consider, but would require quite a bit of manpower, which we are not privy to at this moment. For now, let us wait for our messengers to return before taking further steps. I would hate for us to be spread even thinner if an emergency or situation were to arise suddenly. Our main priority should be attempting to find a solution to this abominable curse. One outpost and toll by the intersection will not help with that goal. Yet, if a solution remains elusive... well... we must also look into the future and work towards further expanding our influence and security in the region. At the end of the day, there is no major problem with the undead if we keep our subjects healthy and safe. Even if we cannot cure the malaise... we can treat the symptoms and continue to live a more or less normal life."
 
"Well, as normally as these times permit," murmurs Sir Kelias. I fear that things will get very much worse... what if other places are overrun with the undead? Word travels slowly around these parts..."

"Take heart. When our envoys return, we will be made aware of the situation... I am sure the defenses of the outlying settlements are holding fine," Sir Marolyn tells his younger brother-in-law. "After all, my humble manor in Avendar is not threatened at the moment. Squire Top and Clay Bailey have great palisades, I am sure they still stand."

"Still, I don't think I can rest with such a curse having such a hold on this land... Are we going to mobilize the host right now, or wait?" he asks you.
 
Lothair replied "I hear your concerns, but as of yet there is no imminent threat of hordes of undead. We must look towards the future and consider the economic and logistical issues of raising a host too quickly and for too long. Will we be constantly on guard, watching for a horde that will come perhaps a month or perhaps a year later while leaving the fields to rot and pests? My Sirs, starvation will be what kills us and turn into those foul beings rather than the dead if we allow such a thing to happen. That said, perhaps, we can begin drilling of the people? Once every week's end for a few hours, we could have our veterans and retainers attempt to train the rabble so that when an emergency happens, we will have a trained militia to call upon, and given the situation... I imagine most would be eager to learn how to protect themselves and their families. In addition, perhaps we can seek volunteers to undergo more rigorous training. Once we have a store of spears, we can expand the training to the serfs. Then with the carpenters freed up... proceed to build a fortified tower or outpost at the intersection and other locations to serve as a lookout. What are your thoughts on the matter?"
 
Your advisors and vassals continue discussing the matter.

"Aye," Captain Homwic says. "If we mobilize the host, we won't have anywhere to send it. The freemen don't like being held at arms for extended periods of time."

"Not to mention that the men held on retainment would have to be paid marching wages as well," Sir Paryn points out. He is is charge of the servants' payroll, after all.

"That's right. Now, production of peasants' arms, giving training, and keeping the able-bodied lads on standby would be more feasible," the captain agrees. "Building a watchtower will take time, but it will give us advance warning of any threats."

Your cousin, Sir Kelias, brings up another concern. "The life of a serf is very busy. They are already expected to provide two days of labor on my demesne per week. The rest of the time, they're working on their own fields and other little enterprises, to provide for themselves... I'm sure many would attend on their own time, but others would be absent unless we offered some kind of incentive. Coppers, perhaps."

"Or ale," Sir Marolyn suggests. "That is always a good way to draw them in. As for the freemen, well, they have more free time, as well as their own equipment. Still, their drill may be rusty..."
 
Lothair considered the circumstances and replied "Knowledge of the curse and drilling with weapons are our best tools against this dark magic. Even if it means opening our coffers to draw them to these drills and lessons. For that reason, I will contribute 90 gold to be used as incentive for people to come to these drills. They should at least know how to handle a spear and to learn that the undead seemingly can only be dealt with by destroying the head of the cursed being... more importantly that all dead things will come back within a short period of time, during which the body MUST be dealt with quickly via decapitation and/or incineration. If further funds are needed to draw the people in for future drills and lessons, then we may discuss such things later, but let us at least give the serfs the bare knowledge to deal with the curse and undead."

Now all there was to do for now was to wait for word to come back from the messengers and to learn how long it would take to make the spears.

---

Summary: Lothair allocates 90 gold to begin the drill/training program
 
(I have a bit of lore on currency here! The generic 'coin' resource is treated as silver pretty much.)

Your steward, Sir Paryn, arranges for some of your coffers to go towards incentivizing the peasantry in your domains to give up some of their free time to join you and your men for important drills. A silver penny, or even a few coppers is sometimes enough to entice the serfs to participate in extra activities. At least a few peasant families (mainly the chief servants of the local manor) are actively involved in public service by default, and many will join due to the current climate of fear. Sir Paryn says that adding a money reward could ensure almost total participation.

Less than an hour later, you receive word from one of the messengers sent to speak to the carpenters in Lastrahn. They can produce spears at three pence apiece, and plain kiteshields at six. Your captain, Sir Homwic, says that, according to the data from court scrolls he has from your vassals and bailiffs, you could possibly raise up to 200 men from the serf classes. Between the labors of ten or so carpenters, the humble village guild estimates they could produce just over 40 spears per day, or 20 shields (or 13 shields and 13 spears). Your captain informs you that equipping them with spears only would be fine enough for simply adding extra protection to the villages. "However, if we want to deploy them as useful members of our host, they will need shields. I know the undead won't shoot them with arrows... but a shield makes a man feel safe. Less likely to break and run."

Sir Paryn has something to add. "It will cost over 1,800 silver. We won't go into debt, but this is an expensive venture," he says. "It's only 600 silver for the spears."

"I'd say it's worth it. It's a good investment to have more functional soldiers at your command," Sir Homwic shrugs.
 
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Lothair took a moment to consider the costs. Over half the treasury would be needed to arm 200 serfs with spears AND shields. While shields would make the serfs feel safe and less likely to break, they were at the end of the day not soldiers, but farmers and laborers. At the moment, to Lothair, it made little sense to invest so much into a non-professional group of untrained militia men. Besides, a shield only meant so much in battle. They had to be able to kill the enemy. So, the spears were a necessity while the shields were a nice addition. Considering the circumstances and how they were up against an unknown enemy, Lothair didn't think it would be wise to use up a majority of the coffers to give the serfs shields. Perhaps, later when they were trained and knew how to fight properly would the proposition be attractive and logical. But for now, these strange circumstances made it seem as if spending half of the treasury would be unwise.

"Your insight into the minds of the serfs are appreciated, Sir Homwic. I did not consider that a shield would be a major source of morale for the serfs. Yet, I would be lying if I said that the idea of spending so much on a group of untrained militiamen did not concern me. I believe, for now, having the carpenters focus on producing the spears would be prudent as a shield means naught if one cannot kill their foe. Plus, these uncertain times may call for other situations that require expensive solutions. Due to these concerns, let us purchase the spears first. Then, once the serfs are drilled and actually know how to fight, then the idea of spending so much for shields becomes much more appealing. Perhaps... rather than making large and difficult kite shields, heater shields would be better suited or even the simple round shield? Ask the carpenters how much it would cost to make one of each." Lothair said to the men.

---

Summary:

Lothair requests that the carpenters begin to focus on producing 200 spears for now for the cost of 600 coins. He also requests to know if making heater shields or round shields would be cheaper, easier and quicker.
 
A runner is sent back to Lastrahn. When he returns, the master carpenter has tagged along. He decided to come to see you in the keep for ease of communication, now that he is aware you are willing to secure a contract. The master carpenter is a man with graying hair, a thin mustache, and a slightly hunched back. He wears fur-trimmed clothes and a reasonably fashionable (for a commoner) felt hat. "My lord," he bows, though with his posture it almost looked like he was doing so already. "A round shield would be possible, though it would leave the men of the vills more open to being crippled by the legs..." he warns. "We could make them at four and a half pence apiece."

"So..." Sir Paryn does some calculations in his head. "Around 900 silvers, then," he says once he is finished. "300 less than it was before."

The old man nods. "Yes, sir. Not our finest examples of woodwork compared to the kite shields, but it's something we can happily provide. We will be able to produce them quicker as well."
 
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