You find yourself sailing upon a sea of molten red; an odor strong and metallic that burns your nose and lungs, a brightness that blinds the eye and hurts the mind. It sears brands upon your face and chains upon your body; a steel-gray shell, an iron ship, is all that stands between you and the burning lake. You have not come here by choice, but there is also no way back; you must continue forth, and see the river clear, yet the journey is so long, and the path there so unclear.

Worst of all, you do not pass here alone.

These mighty colossi, formless and bare, they wade through the fires, they march there upon you, like moving mountains of brick and stone. Their faces, if they be faces, remain hidden from your gaze; their eyes, if they be eyes, remain far beyond your sight. They hold hammers upon their arms, and raise them. They seek to sink you? Has death grasped your soul at last? You feel an impact that shakes the teeth, so hard your vision blurs. Their hammers had fallen upon your ship, side by side in perfect symmetry. Your sight dims again, and you feel another shake. Their soundless blows rain upon your vessel, deforming it, caving it ever more so; what had brought you to these fates? Yet they hammering holds no malice. Their touch, though rough, bears no malice; their hands, though heavy, seek to destroy not, but to shape it to greater heights, like a smith upon his forge.. They wish to forge it, then? To mold your raft into a vessel, a galleon standing proud? You know not, care not, think not of such grand designs! You know only of your fate, your current fate, your roiling fate. You grasp your arms around the mast, hoping you will not be thrown off and burnt into an withered ember! For now, you must hold, hold to your life, hold on tightly!

You hold on tightly.

You hold on tightly..

You hold on tightly...

...

"Sir?"

"Y-yes." you sputter, slowly rubbing your eyes. Joan stands before you, her owlish ears flickering as she holds a tray with a plate. It would seem you had fallen asleep while waiting for your meal to be brought to you, though she does not comment on it, placing the tray before you in silence and bowing, hands crossed on her waist as she waits for you to eat. Venison, well cooked and covered in olive oil, with a side of well-boiled rice, seems to be the meal for this morning. Spoon and knife in hand, you begin to eat.

You are Alessandro Galliota, Don Alessandro Galliota. You are a nobleman, a Grandée of the Mirevalian Empire, that mightiest of nations upon the world. Yours is the Viscounty of Portblanc, an island whose location at the mouth of a major river and its encounter with the sea has granted your family great wealth. Several months ago, you were summoned by the Prince of the Imperial Appanage of Segoma, the one you owe your loyalty to: Don Carles IV Brascarams. You, together with three other nobles of Segoma, were called to lead an expeditionary force to the exotic land of Straccia where you would intervene in the civil war of the Republic of Nera and reinstate the allied family of Spisa to the position of Doge of the Republic.

Sent forward from the expedition to act as a diversionary force, your regiment had managed to make its way to the city of Segoma, taking it without a fight. However, you soon found out that the main arrmy, along with your liege and allies, had managed to land, and taken to siege the regional capital of Montechio. Now, you were left alone, with a good distance between you and the army you were to join up with, hostile territory inbetwixt.

You finish you plate, and get up. Joan was there the whole time, waiting in the manner that befitted a personal servant such as herself.

"Hugues and his men must be well awake by now. Call them for a meeting; we have no time to waste."

Bowing in agreement, she leaves to carry out her duty, while you begin to leisurely make your way to the 'meeting room' of the mayoral castle. Your current situation was not an enviable one, but you cannot say it was impossible either. You had suffered almost no casualties in your first taste of battle, and if your liege's army had landed, then they must not have met any great opposition either. To make a naval landing in contested territory is all but suicide. Still, there is a long distance between you, and some foes still may yet reside in this stretch of land. Your independent command, it seems, has been extended considerably.

By the time you arrive in the room, you can see the officers you had called for; perhaps they had already been there? As you enter the room, they all bow in greetings. Hugues, your Sargento Mayor and Advisor in all matters of war, is the first to speak.

"Sire, we have received a communication from a messenger of the Third Fleet this morning."

"Truly? I had not known of this. What did the courier say?"

"What we had expected, sire. Don Carles and his army have managed to land; according to the messenger, the Fleet was able to fight off an attack from the Neran Armada while his troops landed. He has begun sieging the city of Montechio."

You begin to rub the growing stubble on your chin. You had known the fleets of Mirevale to be mightier than that of Nera, but it is good to hear they were able to defeat them. If your side holds 'naval superiority', then you may be able to acquire supplies from them in coastal regions, as well as to more easily receive or send messages, though both would require your army to be stationed near a port.

"Hath the courier held any orders for us?" you ask.

"Yes, sire." confirms Hugues. "Don Carles has ordered that we are to join him in his siege of Montechia. He has advised that we also attempt to 'lessen' any pockets of resistance in the region."

Though none could bear the title of a true urban city, according to the maps you had been provided for the campaign, there are still yet many notable towns in the region of Tilano, where you currently stand. Namely, the towns of Anaggia, Isedia, Largo and Sonero stand out as being mentioned by name, though you've no doubt many villages unrecorded by the map exist between these valleys. With how close they are to the very roads you must take to reach Montechia, you will have no choice but to deal with at least some of them if you wish to advance without fear of attacks at your back.

"Is there a chance at least some of these territories could be friendly to the Spisa cause?" you question, hopeful.

"I am not sure, sire. The locals have been of little help in this matter, and our prisoners apparently claim they only knew of the loyalty of Panergo, having departed almost as soon as they heard of the growing war. We will most likely learn of such things as we go."

You let out a puff of air. "Are there any matters we must deal with, before we depart?"

At that question, your Quartermaster, the tall and fastidious Provençal de Marguina clears his throat, and begins to speak.

"But a single one, Don Alessandro, and it pertains to the matter of supply. Although they were able to make off with the valuables and the treasury, the storehouses of Panergo remain full with grain freshly harvested. It would be of no challenge to supply ourselves with it; but it is up to your lordship how much. As our capacity stands, concerning wagons and oxen, we are capable of holding at best five weeks worth of supply at a time. However, to do so would certainly push the animals, slowing them down. The more supply we hold in our baggage train, the slower our movement shall be."

"Must we rely so heavily on foraging, then?"

"It is the reality of warfare, seynor. To our advantage, however, is the great agricultural wealth of Nera. Given it is currently Spring, we should have no issues finding villages with freshly stocked warehouses full of grain to be taken."

It is a trade-off, then. Although the land may be wealthy, it still isn't an assurance that you would find enough. You have read plenty of stories about peasants and generals burning their fields before the advance of an army, starving it even when it should have been well fed. To hold some assurance, to put a greater distance between yourself and the starvation of your soldiers, would be certainly useful; at the same time, every wagon adds to the size of your train and makes it all the more slow in a conflict where swiftness is greatly desired. You can only be thankful that a coastal region such as this holds no lack of water for your men. The question remains, however...how many weeks worth of supply shall you carry from Panergo?


CHOOSE ONE OPTION
>5 Weeks; The opportunity to fill out your supplies entirely is not an easily found one. This will considerably slow you down.
>4 Weeks; You'll not risk your army running on an empty stomach, but you won't let yourself slow to a crawl either. This will somewhat slow your speed.
>3 Weeks; It is an even and reasonable amount, neither too full nor too empty. This will not affect your marching speed.
>2 Weeks; It is better to be swift than to be safe, but you still wish some assuarance. This wil slightly increase your speed.
>1 Week; This is a land of plenty, and your army will feed from it with ease. This will give a considerable increase in your speed.

Thread I - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6153604/

Thread I (Conclusion) - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6189036/

Sorry for taking so long to make a second thread, lol

>>6231473
>2 Weeks; It is better to be swift than to be safe, but you still wish some assuarance. This wil slightly increase your speed.


Good to see you back, as someone who was in the tutorial victory.

Anyways I think this is fair. Unless the enemy goes full scorched earth Barbarossa on us(which I think unlikely at this stage), the minor trade off for some extra speed should be worth it.

>>6231473
>3 Weeks; It is an even and reasonable amount, neither too full nor too empty. This will not affect your marching speed.

>>6231473
>1 Week; This is a land of plenty, and your army will feed from it with ease. This will give a considerable increase in your speed.

>>6231473
Question about this OP. I'd like enough grain to supply us until at least Annagia. How many day's march, approximately, are we from Annagia? How many from Montechia?

>>6231473
>2 Weeks; It is better to be swift than to be safe, but you still wish some assuarance. This wil slightly increase your speed.
We've already taken the city without a fight, we must seize the momentum. Who dares, wins.

>>6231473
>2 Weeks; It is better to be swift than to be safe, but you still wish some assuarance. This wil slightly increase your speed.

Even a little quicker could make the difference

Nice to see this back QM

>>6231586
In your base marching speed, if absolutely nothing were to happen (which it very well could) and you remained at a constant speed every day, it would take you about one week to reach Anaggia.

It should be worth remembering, however, that not only could something happen on the road there, Anaggia itself could also not be reachable for you; if they were hostile and forced you to siege them out, that could take some time too.

As for Montechia; that depends on which route you wish to take, but at your standard marching speed of eleven kilometers per day, it's going to be over two months regardless on land, which would have you arrive during early summer.

>>6231754
Thank you OP, much appreciated

>3 Weeks; It is an even and reasonable amount, neither too full nor too empty. This will not affect your marching speed.

>>6231513
>>6231605
>>6231618
Two Weeks

>>6231528
>>6231803
Three Weeks

>>6231564
One Week

Two weeks wins; locked in.

"We'll go with two weeks", you state. "Although I do not wish to surrender our sustenance entirely to the enemy, is this not the wealthiest of lands in Mauva? I see no reason why we should not make use of the great bounty that the Splendour has offered to the people who live here."

Your officers nod in agreement. It shall be done.

In the following day, your army, having received its orders, readies to leave. You seize the two weeks worth of supply from the granaries of Panergo, and leave whatever else to be collected by the Third Fleet whanever they arrive. You had asked Hugues if it was necessary to burn it and deny the spoils to the foe, but he reasoned that the supplies would be better used by the navy, or perhaps ferried to the sieging soldiers in Montechia. In the end, you leave the city well-fed, well-rested, and ready to take on the cruelties of the field of war.

Your regiment sets off early, following the dirt road east. As you trot upon your horse, ill-fitting armor slapping ever-so-slightly against your skin, your mind wanders back home. It has been nearly two months since your departure. Your brother, who had been made regent in your stead, must have his hands full, dealing with merchants and other noblemen. You feel pity for him, of course; though he takes it well, it must not be easy to go through life with a body as frail as his. You had wished to write him, back at Panergo, but you did not find the time between your preparations. If you wish to write to your brother, you'll have to wait until you have stationed your regiment another port.

Your musings are interrupted when the army finally stops its march for the day, already some distance from Panergo. While your servants begin to set up your tent, you go on ahead to meet with your officers in order to plan your division of tasks for the week. As you enter the tent, Hugues and Provençal call you over, ever the dutiful ones. Hunched over a table, they motion to you several maps and tables filled with writing.

"We are no longer in friendly territory, sire." says Hugues. "From here on out, we shall have to truly act as an army. Although we defeated the Condottieri of Panergo, I would be surprise if we did not find other forces loyal to the Fortelli scattered about the countryside."

"I understand, Hugues. What are we do decide for the week?"

"Well..."

RULES

Welcome to the 'Strategical' Theater of the conflict. From this moment onward, the events of this conflict will be shown in a format of weeks. As the Colonel of the Galliota Regiment, It shall be your duty to steer your army as you move towards your ultimate goal of reaching the city of Montechio. Although there is 'timer' for this mission, the time it takes for you to arrive there shall greatly influence the future of this conflict as a whole.

Events
During each week, a number of events may occur. These range from positive to negative and anywhere inbetween. Your foraging parties may be attacked, or your scouts may find an enemy force marching on its way to attack you. Keep in mind, however, that not every event will have an immediately obviously outcome...

Units
They are your army; your soldiers. Your units are the smallest formation you can effectively use at an independent level during this time and age. Outside of battles, they shall be responsible for accomplishing tasks. You should keep it well in mind, however, that these are independent men, with goals and wills that could very well conflict with yours...do not expect them to be follow you mindlessly

Supplies
It has been said that an army marches on its stomach, and this is no less true here. Your supplies are what determines whether your army shall be fed, and starvation can be a far more fearsome foe than bullets or spears. Keep in mind these terms...
Local Availability represents the physical wealth of the region. It can range from Very Poor, Poor and Average to Rich and Very Rich. This value determines the ease with which your soldiers may forage and sack supplies from the countryside, and is heavily dependant on both your location and season of the year.
Supply represents the quantity of supplies your companies are currently foraging from the countryside. Depending on how well your companies do and how many of them there are, your 'supply' will determine whether you maintain, decrease or even increase your level of storage.
Status represents how well your army is doing at the moment; a well-supplied army is not only happier, but more capable as well. It is in your best interest to maintain this value as high as possible.
Stored represents how many weeks of supply you hold in your baggage train; It is what ensures you will continue to eat even if your foraging parties fail. Lose it, or let your supplies run dry, and your army will begin to starve. It should be kept in mind, however, that losing your stored supplies does not spell instant death; as long as your troops are capable of foraging from the land, you may continue to remain afloat.

Finances
The general who does not pay his soldiers will not remain a general for much longer. In this age of warfare, no soldiers holds loyalty greater than to that of cold, hard cash. It is what motivates them, and it is what keeps you in charge.
Warchest represents the wealth you have stored. It can increase or decrease as a result of events or purchases, but its main usage is to pay the wages of your soldiers at the start of each month.
Upkeep represents the total sum of the wages demanded by your army; this includes not only your recruited soldiers, but your mercenary companies and specialists as well. Failing to pay them in time will have grave consequences...
Months Until Bankruptcy reprents how many months worth of wages your warchest is capable of paying.

Tasks
In this period of early modern warfare, the 'Little War' is more important than ever. You may, at the start of a week, assign any number of your companies to carry out any 'task' you deem necessary. Although the choice remains in your hands, some are particularly important.

Scouting
Companies assigned to this task will dedicate their time to studying the land ahead of your army, looking out for villages, hostiles, or indeed anything of note. The only units capable of scouting are 'Mounted or 'Light Foot'

Foraging
Companies assigned to this will dedicate their time to pillaging and harvesting the land, sacking villages and farm fields for supplies. It is a bloody, but ultimately necessary effort. Although any unit is capable of foraging, mounted and light foot units will have a far easier time of it.

"...Quite a few things to decide, aren't they, Hugues?" you say, almost complaining

"Such is war, sire." he replies.

WILL YOU ASSIGN UNITS TO SCOUTING? CHOOSE YOUR OPTION.
>Yes. (If so, which?)
>No.

WILL YOU ASSIGN UNITS TO FORAGING? CHOOSE YOUR OPTION.
>Yes (If so, which?)
>No.

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER TASKS YOU WISH TO ASSIGN COMPANIES TO?
>Yes. (If so, which task, and which companies?)
>No.

>>6231979
First or Third Cavalry Troop for scouting.
Third Skirmisher Troop for foraging.

>>6232003
Second. Maybe put the knights on diplomacy duty?

I found this cheat sheet helpful from the prologue, so I'm posting it again: https://pastebin.com/65Cvw9Hf

WILL YOU ASSIGN UNITS TO SCOUTING? CHOOSE YOUR OPTION.
>Yes.
>2 troops of Skirmishers
I feel like sending only a single troop would leave them more vulnerable to an attack

WILL YOU ASSIGN UNITS TO FORAGING? CHOOSE YOUR OPTION.
>No.
I thought one of the main benefits of bring food with us was not angering the local population and slowing ourselves down by foraging

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER TASKS YOU WISH TO ASSIGN COMPANIES TO?
>Yes
>Assign the Knights to guard the treasure pay chest

>>6232082
>>6231981

I shall support this for now

>>6231981
Will foraging anger the local population? How necessary is it? If we can avoid inciting anyone against us I would support it, but if it eats too much into our supplies or otherwise then we should be foraging.

Anyway

>>6232082
Supporting this for now.

>>6232082
I'll throw my support behind this, until we figure out how foraging or pillaging works in this setting. Could always just buy supplies if possible.

>>6232082
I support this

>>6232082
+1
YAY YOU'RE BACK! I thought you might've flaked for good honestly

>>6232147
>Will foraging anger the local population?
Well, you're going to be barging into their villages, stealing everything they own, and murdering anyone who tries to stop you.
>How necessary is it?
Necessary one way or the other, but of course, if you were to hop from town to town and only supply yourself there, like you did in Panergo, that would also be possible. If you can get there in time.

Il'l leave another hour if anyone wants to vote, and then i'll be locking in.

>>6232082
Alright then, this plan will win. Which means it's time to roll for events.

>Roll 5X 1d100 for possible events and successes during the week.

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>6232464
Rolling.
>>6232082
Glaives are good at attacking cavalry, but are poor at defending against cavalry charges.

Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>6232464

Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>6232464
Rollin cause nobody is

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>6231978
Did we leave a garrison in Panergo?

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>6232464
Ere we go.

>>6232492
>>6232503
>>6232514
>>6232540
>>6232549
>61,17,14,7,67
Results! I'm gonna be honest, since this took a while, I'm not sure I'll be able to finish the update before work (I work at night), so update might be pushed to tomorrow, but I'll try to do what I can today, at least.

==== CAPITÁN NÉSTOR =====

You are Néstor Canavella, mercenary by trade and a leader of men of the horse. You had come to the region of Segoma seeking work after learning of the Prince's gathering of a host when your old comrade, Hugues Regnard, had contacted you, offering a position as a captain in the regiment of the Viscount of Portblanc. Knowing him to be a good one, and well interested in the pay that came with the position of Captain, you had accepted the offer. It is in days such as these, however, that you begin to regret it.

It is hot, almost unbearably so. Though your homeland of Mirevale is certainly no snowland, the damp heat in this land of 'Straccia' makes the extensive dress of the cavalryman turn into some manner of furnace, sticking to your skin. It pains you to think that it is but the season of spring. That your 'commander' is some courtly whelp without a smattering of experience makes it no better! Had it not been for your old friend, Hugues, wrangling him all the time you reckon you would have been all dead already.

Nevertheless, your 'colonel' was at the very least wise enough to send you and your skirmishers on scouting detail. With how hilly these lands are, compared to the flat plains of central Mirevale, the foe could be hiding at any step. It is for that reason that you and your men currently stand on a hill, overlooking the road below you as Dessany's troop continues along the road, not too far besides a rather large grove. You don't expect much in the ways of resistance, but your experience as a soldier tells you to stand on watch noneth-

In the corner of your eye, you catch it, almost imperceptably. In a space too small to be called a clearing - more like a 'gap' between the trees a shining glimmer between the sun. The manner of glimmer far too bright to be produced by anything but well-polished metal.

"Sound the horns! Now! We've got men in the grove!

Your soldiers do not hesitate, pulling out the clarion horns so often used for communication or orders between different troops. They blow with all their breath, sound reverberating across the land below - enough that the foe, too, could hear it well. You can recognize them almost immediately as they begin to pour out of the forest, banners high as they attempt to rescue their almost-failed ambush. You had almost forgot about them. You should not have. In that battle, in those hills a week ago - your regiment had failed to route the Condottieri's cavalry! They had escaped when the fighting turned against their favor, and it would seem they've not given up yet on this war!

They're on the road now, picking up speed, charging towards your fellows! If you had not been here to warn them, they would have most certainly been caught at their sides, charged as they were passing through. But you're not clear of danger yet! You must decide what to do, and to do so quickly! You'll just have to hope that damnable Montcherian Dessany will be smart enough to go along...

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Charge down the hill towards the foe and hope the seconds are able to hold out until you do
>Gallop to the base of the hill and form up in a firing line and hope the seconds gather up with you
>Retreat entirely to avoid the fight and hope that the seconds get the message to follow you
>Write-in

NOTE - SKIRMISHES
Having 'changed viewpoints' from the Colonel of the Regiment to a Captain without an organized communications code, you are momentarily unable to control any units besides your own

Sorry for the late post. I've been trying to find a way to make these 'battle' maps easier to make, but not much luck so far.

>>6233097
>Gallop to the base of the hill and form up in a firing line and hope the seconds gather up with you
If we see that Dessany isn't forming up, we can still charge.

>>6233097
>>Gallop to the base of the hill and form up in a firing line and hope the seconds gather up with you

Hold the line, buy time.

>>6233097
>Gallop to the base of the hill and form up in a firing line and hope the seconds gather up with you

>>6233107
I'll support this, but I also wanted to check: our main army is alerted to the incoming attack, right? That was what the horns were for?

>>6233157
We'll likely have to send a messenger. It was common for the scouts to be a day ahead of the main body

>>6233097
>Gallop to the base of the hill and form up in a firing line and hope the seconds gather up with you

>>6233097
>>Gallop to the base of the hill and form up in a firing line and hope the seconds gather up with you
Send out a messenger as soon as we have the chance, too.

>>6233189
Shoot, well if that's the case, I think we should
>Retreat entirely to avoid the fight and hope that the seconds get the message to follow you

No reason to engage a superior foe

>>6233107
>>6233132
>>6233155
>>6233314
>>6233400
Galloping wins by a very wide margin.

>Roll 1d100, average of three

Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>6233720

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>6233720

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>6233720

Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>6233720

>>6233737
>>6233739
>>6233790
It would appear we've got an average of around 80, which is pretty damn good. Post will be coming later today, along with an extra that I think you guys will find helpful.

You know better than to just charge them off alone like that, but you're not throwing another troop the wolves, even if it is led by some Lily-eating bastard!

"Down the hill! Down!" you yell, whipping your horse into a gallop as your company takes off! You rush down the hill, and hope that Dessany will not get his entire unit killed. And for your sake, the man takes seems to take the clue! Rather than charging in suicidally like some Vidrellian savage, the Seconds turn about and begin to run towards you, the Condottieri cavalry at their heels! Had you not given them the head start, they woulda been put down like hogs by now!

Dessany's men quickly gain the gap, lighter than lancers as they are, soon reaching the hill. You've got an advantage on the bastards, but you've got to act quickly. At this distance, you're close enough to shout the orders at Dessany, so you've no fear of acting apart now. Yet you've the need to think of something first.

You could keep your stand, long enough, and treat them as you would a wall of pikemen: fire and retreat! With the two of you, they'd not be able to corner you with ease. If they managed to catch up, however, you'd be as good as dead - far too out of place to fight properly. You could, then, seize the advantage: raise your sabres, your pistols and your callivers, and take the fight forward! Firing a volley at close range would soften them up good, good enough that they might break upon your swords and retreat. Yet nonetheless, you'd be charging towards a foe that outnumbers and outskills you in close quarters.

Finally, you could merely flee! You've the faster horses on you, lacking the weight of their armor and lances. It's not shame to escape from a superior force, and no punishment would be sent your way. Your men would end the day with all their lives. Yet so would the foe. It was a matter of luck that you spotted them this once, and there's no doubt they'll not let up on their attacks with this one failure. It could be you next, in Dessany's place, being ambushed.

You'll have to take your choice quick.

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Harass the enemy while fleeing them
>Counter-charge the enemy
>Retreat entirely
>Write-in

I also said i would have an extra for you guys, so here it is: a 'Handbook' for the quest that should make things a lot easier!

https://rentry.org/TercioQuest

There were quite a few people asking for a sort of 'index' refreshing what you had, and you even went out so as to make a cheat sheet as in >>6232082 (Nice effort, by the way)

Updates will happen hopefully whanever anything changes.

>>6233966
>Retreat entirely
Our cavalry isn't occupied with foraging, so we can task them with reinforcing the skirmishers and hunting down these guys later

>>6233966
>Harass the enemy while fleeing them

>>6233966
>Retreat entirely

And thank you for the glossary, OP, that is very useful and miles better than my cheatsheet

>>6233966
>Harass the enemy while fleeing them
We have the speed and the range over our opponent. Let's not squander this opportunity.

>>6233966
>Harass the enemy while fleeing them
We're faster than them, so we have a fighting chance. Thanks for the handbook btw QM, very useful.

>>6233966
>Harass the enemy while fleeing them

Awesome handbook qm

>>6233966
>Harass the enemy while fleeing them
Worst comes to the worst we cut and run while inflicting casualties on them.

>>6233972
>>6233996
Retreat

>>6233976
>>6234018
>>6234078
>>6234119
Harass

Locked in, writing...though it might take a while.

You're no coward,and neither are your men! They know what they signed up for. Still so, you're smart enough to not charge the lancers, so you'll do what your skirmishers do best: to fire and run! You order your men to get into position, pulling out their callivers and pistols, short weapons that they can wield with but one hand, and fire a volley into the approaching mass of enemy horsemen!

Immediately, the troop of the middle begins to fall in mess, horses collapsing into the ground and tripping the ones before them, men being shot off their horses and crushed underneath the stampeding hooves of their colleagues. With a single volley from your skirmishers, the charge of the middle troop is entirely destroyed! Your men turn around and swiftly begin to run, retreating further into the hill, drawing the enemy in. You are not entirely done with them.

At the right flank, Dessany's company surges into action, turning about and moving towards the rightmost troop! They, too, fire their weapons, unleashing a cascade of fire into the enemy not unlike yours. And perhaps it is the angle from above from which they fire, or the closeness of their guns, or merely luck; but the effect is utterly devastating. Nearly every shot must have made its mark, for before your eyes, you see the troop completely collapsed, as if hit by some manner of killing curse. The few stragglers that survive are far too few in number to be called a unit.

The sight of this death makes a great effect on the foe, horsemen scrambling to turn as they begin to rout in retreat. Though you think about chasing them, you reckon they're far too few in number by now to matter much more. Mercenaries such as these have not the guts for a losing fight! They'll just scatter into the wind in search of better employ.

As your men cheer in victory, you ready up your horse for the return to the force! You'll have to tell the colonel of what's happened, and hopefully get yourself some resting time as a reward...

>No vote today, update will continue tomorrow

Sorry for the late and yet still short update, I was busy today, and I didn't want to have this little skirmish go on for too long. You guys were lucky, though. Your accuracy roll was pretty good.

>>6234695
WOOOO

>>6234695
Our skirmishers are the best!

>>6234695
brilliant.

==== ALESSANDRO GALLIOTA =====

You are Alessandro Galliota, and you have received quite the bright news! Though a notice of an ambush upon your scouts is no good matter, to learn that they had scattered the foe with nary a single casualty on their side to know of is very great news indeed - you'd do well to keep in mind the talent of this Néstor Canavella for the future. You had underestimated the bravery of these Condottieri if they were willing to return to the attack so soon after the defeat of their army. Nevertheless, with them defeated, your way to Anaggia is well open, though you make sure to assign your lancers to your scouting efforts for the rest of the week in case more men still remain shrouded between these hills.

As your army continues its march, however, two things continue to trouble you; the first being that of the presence of these men. If they had been waiting in ambush, and not merely been encountered by your scouts, then they must have chosen to do so in this region, expecting you to follow the road; and if such is the case, they must have a headquarters of sort, a source from which they may get their sustenance and feed for their horses. Though this could have been a village, the far more likely answer is Anaggia itself, which would tell you where their loyalties lie in this conflict...

The second is a more theoretical matter, and it pertains to how your captain had told you he warned the other captain of his efforts - that is, through the use of a horn. Although communication between units is certainly no new matter, in your nation of Mirevale, or at least in your own regiment, are rather rudimentary; there are commands to move forward, to charge, to retreat and whatnot. You cannot help but think, however, of what more could be used if you were to create a more 'complete' assembly of commands. Although making the tones is no challenge, to do so in a way that is both distinguishable in sound for different commands, yet short enough to be made in battle with ease, is far harder.

Perhaps something could be changed in the instrument itself? Perhaps you should return to this subject when you have more free time, and access to a library or theater.

For now, you concentrate on the road, on the ever approaching town of Anaggia, of the loyalties they do hold, and of what battle may soon come...

Your first sight of the city seems unclear; you see it besides the sea, much like Panergo, the chirping of birds and insects ringing loudly in these wet forest lands. The area close to the village has been stripped bare of its trees, no doubt to build the houses that dwell within. Such things are all normal, standard indeed for most towns. Yet as you approach, the sight of the walls befuddle you. Though you can see the stone parapets peeking from within, and the heavy bricks of the entrance bastion, its gate laid shut, it is a ramp of dirt that you find standing in the front of the walls, stacked so high that man could very well simply hop into the walls.

Regardless of the reason behind such things, their state of readiness tells you of their friendliness well enough! Yet still, you must be certain; you send forth a messenger, to ascertain their loyalties, and if be the case, their terms of surrender.

If they refuse, however...

"Drag the weapon to the frontline, ready it in case we need to fire!" you shout

"Sire, I'm afraid it is not so easy!" is your answer, and coming from none other than Vettorio himself!

Your artillery master approaches with an uneasy look on his face

"When I had finally seen the walls, I had come to warn you as swiftly as I could. These walls will not fall so easily as those of Panergo could have."

"And why is that?" you ask

"It is those earthworks, Don Alessandro. They are ramparts made to soften the impact of a cannonball. Instead of shattering upon the stone and breaking it, the projectiles are instead redirected and lose their impact, muuch like a coned helmet warding off the blow of a blade. As far as makeshift defenses go, it is a good one."

"Damnation. They must have an war architect of their own, then."

"And a well learned one, Don Alessandro. To pummel the walls down with my Culverin would take weeks, at the least, and go through a very good portion of our munitions. Of course, we could bring down the gatehouse, or the bastions by the sea - but to do so would allow the enemy to put their entire attention and firepower on them...

"Sir?" interjects Hugues, who had been by your side "Those ramparts are tall enough that my men could charge with little issue. But it would be costly. I'd not reccomend it unless there was no other solution."

As you ponder your situation, your messenger comes back at last, confirming what you had suspected: the City of Anaggia has sided with the Fortelli, and stands defiant to your force! They demand you to move on, and leave them unharmed...

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Batter down their gatehouse or seatowers (specify which) and attack the city through there
>Have your men charge the ramparts
>Move on and allow the city to stand
>Write-in

It should be reminded that, as part of your goal, all cities on the region of Tilano will surrender once Montechia falls.

>>6235422
Uh oh. I feel like we should either batter something down or move on? (OP is there a particular reason why we need to destroy/capture this city, if it'll surrender when we take Montechia? Is it that it'll house troops or cause further trouble if we let it be?) I'll wait for greater tactical minds to stop by.

>>6235424
I'll leave any strategical consequences for you to figure out, but I *should* warn you that the next city - Isedia - is another week of travel by foot away, and there are two rivers on the way there...

>>6235422
>Write-in
(If possible) Batter down the main gate AND one of the sea towers, forcing the defenders to split their forces

>>6235422
>Move on and allow the city to stand
I fail to see the rewards outweighing the risks on this one.

>>6235463
While this plan is indeed certainly creative, it would be a bit hard to pull off with just one gun - by the time you were done pulling the gun all the way from a position where it can fire on the gate to one where it can fire on a tower, the enemy would have already made makeshift defences on the previous one, which would invalidate your attempt.

>>6235422
>Move on and allow the city to stand

While it sucks to have an enemy fortification behind us we lack the guns to really deal with it a manner that doesn't cripple our force

>>6235422
>Start the siege preparation, deploy the cannon in front of the western bastion
>But it is just a distraction!
>Because the actual plan is to send our cavalry around out of view to attack from the east. The surrounding forest will serve as cover.
>Once the enemy concentrates in the west, the cavalry can use their horses to quickly cross the distance from their hideout to the walls before the remaining defenders can shoot them up, then they dismount and storm the walls on foot.
>The signal to attack can be given with a spare signal rocket

>>6235470
I should probably have said this before, but...

When making a written-in tactic, please specify the units you want by name and amount, when you say cavalry I am not sure you mean all your mounted units or merely some.

>>6235472
Every mounted unit, including the knights

>>6235422
Are we supposed to use our troops to garrison the city if we capture it? I'm not sure if we have enough men for both it and the journey ahead.

>>6235477
We didn't garrison Panergo at least.

>>6235474
And once they're in the city, their orders are to set things on fire to cause panic, then fight through to the gatehouse

>>6231981
>>6232003
+1
>First or Third Cavalry Troop for scouting.
>Third Skirmisher Troop for foraging.

>>6232082
>I thought one of the main benefits of bring food with us was not angering the local population and slowing ourselves down by foraging
IIRC we didn't want to anger the local population between where we disembarked and Panegro. Now we are in hostile territory we can pillage all we want.
I assume since QM said "mounted and light foot" are best at scouting and foraging, they can do that without slowing us down.

@QM which of our troops count as light foot?

@QM is the warchest from our liege? IIRC we were paying out of pocket the initial recruitment cost and then the rest is funded by the Prince? So we have 3 months money to travel 2 months distance and then the Prince will refill our coffers? Is that right?

>>6232147
We were told to remove pockets of resistance. Better to pillage and find out who the resistance are (and eliminate them)

>>6232225
Now is exactly the time to find out how foraging and pillaging works (the stakes are low right now, lets test it out and then we'll understand better when the local hostility increases)

>>6235422
Here is my battle plan

> we can't leave 2500 enemies at our rear, we'll get sandwiched between this town and our next town (probably while crossing a river...)
> cannon attacks the west sea tower/gate. that is better than the road gate because the ocean secures the flank and we only have to deal with shooters on the wall on one side of the gate
> our ranged troops can put suppressing fire on the wall troops between the west gate and south gate (once the gate is opened we can re-assess and move them into the city)
> send in infantry initially through the breach, as it looks like the enemy has their own pikes which would be bad for cavalry
> once infantry can clear the breach, the cavalry will enter and can push further into the city

since that is the initial plan, afterwards we can assess new targets, but I'd suggest that the ranged units climb up the ramparts (after the infantry has cleared the walls from inside) and the cavalry will just murder based on opportunity

>>6235615
whoops, days late to the party.

>>6235622
This guy sounds confident. I trust him. +1

>>6235622

I don't see any glaring issues, I'll give it my support as well, +1.

>>6235467
Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification OP.

I would like to switch my vote to
>>Move on and allow the city to stand

>>6235622
You put effort into this so it has my support.

>>6235622
This is basically just option 1 from the vote, i.e. frontal attack at the largest concentration of the enemy. I can't support this.

>>6235422
>>6235427
>Move on and allow the city to stand
Take hostages to ensure they dont surprise us when fording a river

Anons we only have a limited amount of food and we haven't foraged. PLEASE don't lead the army into a crisis like this. We need to take the city or else we risk starvation and enemy forces at our back.

>>6235422
>Batter down their gatehouse

>>6235739
This is me phone posting, but yes you are correct that my long post was essentially:
>Batter down their gatehouse or seatowers (specify which) and attack the city through there

We can look at splitting up the force a little bit, and send the skirmishers, and eighth company of shot and ninth of pike (eg the mercs) who can attack from the east, or at least pretend to. That way the enemy has to leave some troops on the east wall and can’t concentrate on the west sea gate. They don’t have to seriously storm the east wall but their presence will tie up half of the enemy maybe? If there is a gap then sure, take advantage and move into the city (in which case the western offensive can stall and we can figure out what to do).

But I think your concern about the concentration bearing down on the west gate can be mitigated (they only have two halberd and one pike and I think our shot can suppress their shot on the wall, so they aren’t firing at the infantry marching through the breach. Cannon can also suppress the enemy shot on the wall; it might not damage them but might give them a morale penalty so they surrender when we breach). That means it is all of our infantry and knights and Calvary against a small number of infantry. I’d probably leave someone as a reserve to guard the cannons though

First step though is to start firing on the west gate, and see how the enemy repositions. Then we can vote to commit or just move on.

I really don’t mind what gets chosen though, it’ll be narratively interesting regardless.

INB4 the next city gets worried that we just took two cities so they try to get us with those river crossings…

>>6235839
We have one week of food left and one week's journey. It's not ideal, but we have destroyed the main cavalry unit harassing us so I feel fairly confident about making that journey. Or at least more confident than I do about attacking a fortified defensive position

>>6235889
Anon, it's one week until we GET there. What happens if the next city is also hostile? Not to mention there are two river crossings, which might make it take longer.

>>6235891
Then we batter down that city and hope it is easier than this city, which is very difficult. At any rate, the next city is unlikely to be harder

>>6235901
That's a big if when the other result is starving. What makes you sure it's even easier?

>>6235860
Anon, they have more shot than us and are in cover. How do you expect us to suppress them?
I've proposed an alternative plan a bit higher above, to basically pretend to attack from the west but actually attack from the east using mounted troops to quickly sping out of concealment. What do you think of it?

>>6235903
This one seems really hard and I can't think of a situation in which the next city is much harder to attack than this one

Well, there seems to be quite a lot of discussion, still. Since this is an important vote, I'll let you anons keep talking about it instead of locking in.

>>6235901
Realistically, any city won't be easier than this (unless they didn't get an influx of refugees that warned them to throw up earth works lol). The only thing that would make a city easier is being able to blow down walls, but what if QM just increases the quantity of defending troops? Its all ifs, buts and maybes (and fun to guess at, pic rel)

>>6235914
Maybe suppress was the wrong word. I was just thinking that if the defending troops are trading shots with our ranged troops, then they are not concentrating fire on units that go through the breach. Meaning it becomes more viable

I do like the idea of a two pronged attack, it probably comes down to:

1. use cannon and infantry to attack westgate
for main assault, and make the eastern force visible so it thins defenses and makes the western assault more viable
1. hide the eastern force so the enemy concentrates on the western side (and then the eastern force can surprise attack and enter the city essentially unimpeded). Western side doesn't fully commit until sneak attack is successful
3. determine that this city has no value and continue travelling


Regarding the option to skip this city and move on, I've put some thoughts on the overall campaign map. I personally think we should take this city and the next city and then run as fast as we can to the finish line. It should just be field battles and foraging (with fast movement bonus) towards the end

>>6235622
Okay, so...It would seem to me that this is the option with the most votes, right? Please correct me if i'm wrong.

>just catching up now

Guys, guys, I hate to throw a new idea in the mix, but if the battle environment is unfavorable, we should change the battle environment. Good generals find the right battlefield to win, and this is not the right one.

The enemy has had time to dig in, and we don’t have the time, numbers or cannons needed to crack this nut without excessive casualties. I don’t love the idea of simply charging all of our troops into a choke point.

How do we therefore negate the defenses of the enemy? There are only three possibilities - diplomacy, a night attack using the ramparts to assault the walls, or a reverse ambush. I don’t believe we have naval vessels for a sea assault even if we were crazy enough to try to take the city that way.

Diplomacy is unlikely to succeed, given the enemy’s disposition and forces.

Ambush/night assault is very risky and we don’t have the special forces on hand for this.

Therefore, the only reasonable option is to simply move on and attempt to draw the enemy out of the city behind us onto more favorable ground, preferably before we reach one of those rivers. There’s obviously risk that we might get sandwiched by another enemy force, but we DO have scouting capable troops to avoid this. If the enemy sends pursuers, they won’t leave the city defenseless - we can split their forces this way

>move on and allow the city to stand (for now…)

>>6236568
I'll change my vote to "move on" because I think this assault is a folly.

>>6236588
>>6236589
Okay, with these two changes, I believe 'move on' wins. Unless I counted wrong.

In the time following the arrival of your news, you do your best to think of what to do. You think about sending your cavalry to perform a flanking maneuver, to attack after they dedicate most of their forces to an attack! But of course, the rampart is not so close so as to allow the horses to jump in, and even if it was, they could not go down the other side; they could dismount, but given the difference in numbers between a troop of horse and a proper regiment of foot, it would be all but suicide.

You think, then, about breaking in through the seaside while your arquebusiers rained down fire to suppress the foe. But still so, that would risk your troops of being caught in a chokepoint, where they would be nothing but target practice for the enemy's missilemen - and if they had grenades, it would be even worse, though you admit that to be exceedingly unlikely.

You would wish to believe your plans would have worked, and indeed, they had no great flaws you can think of, but all of them would have cost a hefty portion of the few men your army possesses. In the end, after all consideration, you decide it is simply not worth it to attack Anaggia, and decide to leave them to themselves. As your army continues its march to the road east, you can hear some grumbling from the soldiers who had without a doubt been looking forward to sacking a town for all it was worth, but you reckon they'll shut up once their next salaries come.

It is the day after your 'standoff' and 'pass' at Anaggia, and you are on the road once more, planning your upcoming week. Because you chose to only carry two weeks worth of supply, did not forage, and avoided Anaggia, you are running low on supplies. With two rivers between you and the town of Isedia, even a single day of lateness could spell mean your army going hungry, something you certainly wish to avoid.

"There is no other way to put it, Don Alessandro, but we must begin foraging operations." says Provençal, your Quartermaster. "Though I myself wished to keep the soldiery from the insidious honey of pillaged riches, to see them starve would simply drive the men to rash action. I suggest you assign at least two units to foraging efforts to maintain our supplies."

In other matters, it was finally november, and that meant payday. All across camp, soldiers lined up as your captains and sargeants distibuted them their money, taken from your warchest. Most men were paid in Regnes, a silver coin which was vastly for matters too expensive for the humble copper Comtat yet too cheap for the Imperii. Though your regiment was bereft of them, you have heard of lare armies having entire moneylending circles, civilians who accompanied these men with the purpose of exchanging their more expensive denominations for cheaper ones they could use to buy all manner of foods and services with.

You had avoided battle for now, but it was a long path to Montechia, and you had only begun.

WEEKLY ARMY TASKS

Field Handbook - https://rentry.org/TercioQuest

SCOUTING DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to scouting efforts (If so, which?)
>Remove an unit from scouting efforts (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

FORAGING DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to foraging efforts (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to another effort (If so, which task, and which units?)
>Keep things as they are

>>6236654
>Keep scouts as they are
>Dedicate the cavalry and the third skirmisher troop to foraging
>Send the knights to guard the rear

>>6236656

Support.

I know we were ordered to preserve the country, but I’m sure some light pillaging will be forgiven by our superiors in the service of a speedy march through the Nerian coastline. Traveling light will hopefully maximize our chances of getting away from Anaggia without getting pincered.

Also possible that the Anaggians might decide to simply sit tight, and if the rest of the campaign goes well, they, and any other holdout cities, might simply surrender without a shot, although this is probably too much to hope for…

>>6236588

I am this anon if anyone cares, not sure why my ID changed

>>6236654
>Keep scouts as is (1st and 2nd troop)

>Foraging party
One company of shot
One company pike
One cavalry troop

My logic here is that these are the soldiers recruited from the free citizens of Mirevalle and, one would hope, therefore less likely to go overboard on foraging than mercs or the dregs of society

>Other details
Keep the knights guarding the treasure chest and the artillery

>>6236656
+1

>>6236654
>>6236656
+1


re: guarding the warchest and cannon, I'd suggest Halberdiers instead of Knights (since Halberdiers are very slow, and so is the cannon). Halberdiers have good offense and mediocre defense


I'd put both first and second knights on rear guard duty (to act as rear scouts or a type to ensure that we get warning if troops march up our rear), I'd like to be cautious about any troops leaving the city and following us to the river.

>>6236656

I'll second. I do think we should have our men under orders to try paying for things first, and even if they have to take by force leave some form of payment to remain true to the spirit of our orders.

>>6236787

I mean, this is a nice idea, but it would be better to pay for damages once the conflict is over. Our invading troops are not going to be able to haggle effectively or quickly for supplies in a foreign nation, so better to just remind everyone to keep the violence to an absolute minimum and tell the Nerians we rob that Anaggia still stands - head that way if you don’t want to starve. We need to keep up our pace here if we want to avoid getting caught from behind anyways, we don’t want our pillagers slowing us down

>>6236656
>>6236665
>>6236672
>>6236743
Alright, this vote wins.

>Roll four sets of 1d100 for possible events and successes during the week.

>>6237096
Did you want that as 4d100s or as four anones rolling 1d100s?

>>6237120
I need four anons rolling a 1d100

Rolled 92 (1d100)

>>6237096
>>6237121
Thank you for the clarification

Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>6237096

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>6237096

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>6237121

Ere we go.

>>6237122
>>6237131
>>6237162
>>6237166
>92,97,67,67
Damn good rolls. Writing.

In the end, you acquiesce to Provençal's advise, and assign your lancers and the third skirmishers to the matter of foraging; in the following days, they would depart from the army in all directions, searching for villages and fields where they could find their bounty. They would find some abandoned, bereft of goods and the villagers who had taken them when they fled to avoid the war, but perhaps rich with the produce that was too heavy to be taken still laying in the storehouses.

Some others would be occupied - your men, heavily armed and in great number, would stroll in without issue, demanding the villagers to hand over all that they owned. To refuse would have certainly seen them slaughtered, and so, most complied. Thankfully, your captains have the sense to not burn the village afterwards or to slaughter the populace anyway, holding their men from being taken by their more savage sensibilities and visiting horrors upon the people of the land as is so often common in war.

All such gains, however, paled to your greatest discovery.

In the coastal region of Tilano, the weather was humid and wet, rains becoming more common by the week as summer approached. Inded, that was one thing that worried you, should you take long enough for spring to become summer. During the seasons of rain, roads become awash and turn to mud, sinking wagons and slowing men, making transport a hellish endeavour. Even worse, that cannon which has helped you so during your previous battle would be amidst find the greatest of all hardships. Hugues had warned you with tales of armies losing their entire component of artillery to deep pits of mud and bog, forced to leave them behind for the land to reclaim.

It was in one of these storms that your foraging parties, had veered into a path southwards, deeper into the land and closer to the rivers which your army would later cross on their path. Inbetween the forests, tucked behind a valley, was a large villa, surrounded by miles upon miles of orchards and and plantations, where fruits of all manner grew - Strawberries and blackberries, oranges and watermelons. Some were still early in their growing periods, though still big enough to eat, while others still were ripe for harvest.

To have brought these fruits to the regiment by itself would have been a boon indeed, but something else ocurred instead. The owner of these lands, surely desperate to save his wealth, offered instead a 'better deal'. If his lands were to be left alone by this force, he would sign a monetary note, a document, which would give the bearer access to a considerable sum to be extracted from the bank when he sold the produce in a few months for far more than they could ever taken from the village.

It was to the man's great luck, then, that hailing from the Grand Duchy of Bagra, where the nobility had taken to financial matters so greatly it was dubbed by many a "Trade Kingdom", the captain of the troop of lancers that had found the villa in question, Petro Agarias, was able to ascertain the validity of the document, and convince his men, independent mercenaries as they all were, to burn down the land and take the goods for themselves.

"Meu seynor coronel," he begins, having finished telling you of the story, "There is a greater reason for why I had told you of this occurrence", he continues.

"What is it, captain?" you respond.

"To convince my troop to steer free of that village, I had no choice but to promise them some recompense in the form of money. Two monthly wage's worth, to be exact: 1,080 Imperii. I have thus come for a proposal to your lordship."

You motion for him to continue.

"If your lordship were to pay these men from the regiment warchest, I would divide a good portion of the money from this note of debt. There is no doubt as to whether it shall clear - this note is from a trustworthy bank indeed, whose business extends even to the shores of Bagra. Your lordship's portion would be about twenty two hundred Spadas, or 2,062 Imperii. What doth your lordship say?"

"Well.." you begin, thinking.

It is a rather generous amount, and you know enough of banking to know that real notes of debt are no laughing matter in the world of finance - to reject one, especially to a man of higher standing such as yourself, would without a doubt sully the name of the bank, giving doubt as to the value of their notes. In the other hand, it is no small amount he asks for. Though you would still have the funds required for two more months of fighting for your army, you are not sure of what other costs may come to you in this campaign.

Still, it is a good profit.

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Accept his offer, and give him the money
>Refuse his offer, leave him to deal with the situation himself
>Write-in

>>6237260

>Accept his offer, and give him the money

We have the funds presently, we’ll probably want more money later, but most importantly, we want the Nerians to know that we are a reasonable businessman, not a butcher. Presumably sparing this estate will be local news!

>>6237260
>Accept his offer, and give him the money

>convince his men, independent mercenaries as they all were, to burn down the land
I assume you meant "convince them not to"

>>6237260
>Accept his offer, and give him the money

>>6237260
>Accept his offer, and give him the money

>>6237260

>Accept his offer, and give him the money

The money is nice, but as others noted this establishes us as willing and able to negotiate and accept surrender instead of just burning everything down. People will be far more willing to lay down their arms if they know they won't lose everything.

>>6237260
>Accept his offer, and give him the money

>>6237272
>I assume you meant "convince them not to"
Kek I read this and was a little confused.

>>6237260
>Accept his offer, and give him the money

>>6237547
I think it'd be funnier if our captain just took the document and burned down the lands anyway. If the guy's dead he can't complain about his treatment and we get a free debt paper.

Accepting the Offer wins, writing.

Though it is somewhat of a risk, you believe it to be a worthwhile one. It is no small quantity of money he speaks of, and with Prince Carles bankrolling this campaign, you should not run into issues of payment as long as you do not take too long to arrive to Montechia. Of course, there are other ways to pay your men, should you truly run out of money; but it is not one you wish to rely on. Pillaging rights are often seen as an alternative to payment, but a horde of soldiers unleashed upon a city is a grim sight.

"Alright, Captain. I shall give you the funds, and hold you to your word. Speak to Provençal - he'll give you the coin."

Petro bows in gratitude. "You will not regret it, Don Alessandro."

And so, your army continues on its way, with a warchest now reduced to 19,620 Imperii and a note of debt in your pocket. It will be a few months until you are able to cash it in, and even more if you are unable to take Montechia in a timely manner, given that landowner most certainly intended to sell it there. Still, it is yet another promise of wealth in your future...

+ RESERVE MAINTAINED
+ RESERVE INCREASED

Your regiment, continuing on it's way, soon finds itself faced with a river, the first of two you would have to cross - the Richa, the far smaller of the two. Though still dangerous for your men, your scouts are able to find a small, but sturdy bridge going over one of the 'thinner' part of the Richa. The wait does take a bit longer than you'd like - out of fear of weighing upon it too heavily, your forces marched upon it unit by unit, with your heavier wagons (as well as the cannon) going entirely alone.

As you return to marching, however, you do not expect the next one to be as easy - for Isedia, your next target, stood beside it. If they are of hostile allegiance, they will have most certainly raised defences upon the bridgeheads, or even destroyed it to deny you movement entirely. You would like to avoid such a scenario. You can only hope they are friendly.

When you finally arrive within sight of the town, it is with a bit of suspicion - your scouts had not reported the bridge to be defended, and indeed, it was not. What awaited you, instead, was some manner of force - a host, you can see it, waiting besides the river. If these men expected you, why did they not raise barricades and stakes on the bridge, or even sink it? You prepare to send your men forward to investigate, but soon see they have sent one of their own.

Standing at the head of your army, as you usually do, you see as the man stops a healthy distance from you amidst the pointed arms of your knights and bodyguards. As you he pulls out a gold-blue flag, however, you mind is at ease. It is the banner of House Spisa!

"Men of the army!" he declares in shout, "We of Isedia have declared our allegiance to the Family of Spisa, the Rightful Elects of Nera! What say you of your loyalty?"

Already, your men begin to cheer, happy to see for once a friendly face in this hostile land! Even your mercenaries, ever the greedy ones, are certainly happy to see they will not have to suffer the pain of a contested river crossing. Your army is quick to answer with the banners of Mirevale and Portblanc, waving it in answer. Satisfied by this crossing, you send forth a messenger to serve as your mouth and discuss with these new men.

In the new hour, there is discussion aplenty. Your men are allowed to cross the bridge, and begin making camp outside of the town walls despite the grumbling of those who had hoped you would stay there for lodging. Despite the friendliness, you still yet had a target to reach. Nonetheless, you yourself were invited by the Podestà of Isedia to a meeting.

"It is my great honor to meet your lordship, Don Alessandro." he says, having just heard your introduction

"As it is mine, signore Angelo. It is good to see a town dedicated to the Spisa in this region of Tilano."

"It is a sad matter to say, but Tilano has been somewhat ignored in the Signoria. I am certain many have been swayed by the false lies of the Fortelli and hoped installing them would bring them prosperity! Isedia knows that it is the Spisa who have brought is to where we are..."

"I assume men from the west had brought you news of our coming arrival, and of the loyalties of Panergo and Anaggia then?" you ask.

"Yes..and from the east too. From what I have learned, Largo and Sonero too have taken opposite sides of the war, and as I had expected, they are opposite. Those fools do nothing but fight amidst each other...!"" he mutters under his breath. Those two towns have been feuding ever since they were formed! Always fighting over grazing lands. And since the Podestá of Largo married to a daughter of the Fortelli, their allegiance is clear. Largo stands with the Fortelli."

"I assume, then, that Sonero is with the Spisa?"

"That they are, though I doubt they've but a care to who rules the Signoria as long as it is not who the Largo stand for. Their men have already begun clashing, though I've no knowledge of how their fighting goes."

That is certainly a good bit of information...though it is good to hear that there is but one more hostile town between you and Montechia, you can only hope that these men of 'Sonero' have not lost and put another obstacle in your way. For now, however, there is one matter you must bring up.

"It is all good to know this, Signore. I am certain the Spisa will not forget your loyalty...and your aid to their armies." you say, narrowing your eyes. You are certain the man understand what you mean - What can you give me?

"Ah! Yes, I was to speak to you about that, Don Alessandro. There are many of our men who had volunteered to fight in the name of the rightful Doge, but of course, we had little means to send an expedition of our own. Though Isedia is no military stronghold, all men in the region of Tilano are expected to arm themselves should the Giganti or the Santulans to march down here. I can offer you to call up those men who are willing to join you in your effort. They may not be professional soldiers, but they'll not demand any payment from you either.

Of course, you immediately realize, you'll still have to supply these men. And you don't hold much trust in the discipline of volunteers...


CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Accept the Isedian Volunteers
>Reject his offer
>Write-in

>>6237773
>Accept the Isedian Volunteers
How much more food and drink would be necessary?

>>6237773
>Ask for supplies and ships instead
If we can transport supplies by sea, our marching speed should increase significantly

>Accept
>ask about provisions by sea

More men is a “good problem”, so I do think we should take the offer. Extra provisions by sea would be very helpful, although even if they can do this, I don’t think we should rely on this alone - better to supplement rather replace, in case the ships are interdicted.

Excellent news regarding the rest of the coastline - we should make all speed to Largo and hopefully pincer them with the Sonerans.

Imagine if we meet the prince before schedule and with more men in than when we started! It’s seeming increasingly possible…

>>6237773

>Accept
>ask about provisions by sea

Now THIS is the good shit, not only did we get valuable information about the lay of the land, we have local allies willing to help out.

>>6237773
>Reject his offer

I simply do not trust these men to not switch sides in battle or get up to some other treachery or nonesense

>>6237773
>Ask for supplies and ships instead

If not possible:

>Accept the Isedian Volunteers

>>6237781
>>6237800
>>6237810
>>6238042
I should probably have said this before, but you already have supplies by ship. As mentioned before, thanks to the Third Fleet, as long as you station in a friendly port, you can get the navy to resupply you (Though it takes a week)

I'll give another hour if anyone wants to change their votes, but it should be said that you're pretty well supplied thanks to your foraging efforts.

>>6238207
Can we obtain boats that can supply us when we're not in a port?

>>6238221
I do not believe that would be feasible

Nonetheless, I have waited an hour, so I'll be locking it in. Accepting the Volunteers wins.

>ROLL 2D500, RESULT WILL BE AVERAGE OF FIRST THREE POSTS

>>6238237
I forgot to add, I do not believe that would be feasible, WITH The current technology of the period and the level of organization of your army. In order to do that, you'd probably need dedicated supply ships that can go out to shallow waters and land an extreme amount of supplies - we're talking hundreds of tonnes here.

Rolled 500, 59 = 559 (2d500)

>>6238237

>>6238243
God, I hope the first and second roll are separate variables.

Rolled 262, 193 = 455 (2d500)

>>6238237

Rolled 317, 332 = 649 (2d500)

>>6238207


Ere we go!

Not bad.

>>6238243
>>6238258
>>6238304
>559,455,649

Congratulations, with an average of 554, you have almost enough for two entire companies.

Update is tomorrow.

>>6238307

Can’t speak for our battlefield skills but we are becoming a truly fearsome accountant

>>6238315
“We can’t fight them! That’s Alessandro Galliota!”

“What’s wrong with him? Does he not take prisoners? Can he wield magic?”

“No! He’s good at budgeting!”

>>6238315
Honestly in this era of combat paying your men on time makes you a dangerous opponent

>>6238426
That is a lot more true than most people would expect.

Anyways, writing.

"I shall certainly accept your offer, signore." you say, the man smiling as you both shake hands.

In truth, you had some reservations about takin these volunteers. Not only would they increase your burden of supply, you have no supply that these men are, in terms of discipline, barely above rabble. Spirited as they may be, they are not tested by fire, nor is have they been drilled to a sufficient level of efficiency as your own citizens were. You do not believe in their ability to sustain formation when under heavy attack.

On the other hand, they are volunteers, men willing to fight for your side and to do so without pay. Given that they are also men of this country, you doubt they would visit many horrors upon the civilian populace when handling in occupation, or at the very least, certainly not to the degree your mercenaries or even your own countrymen would do so. And thus, you believe that the cost they represent is lesser than the benefits which they may bring.

It is in the next day that the men that the Podestá had promised are delivered to you. They are...a ragtag sight, if you have ever seen one. Barely able to keep a proper formation, the two companies which had taken form outside your army camp were composed almost entirely of arquebus-wielding men, their clothes in the usual colorful Straccian style betraying their origins from the middle class of the city. There were, you had been told, about 554 men, a full company and three quarters almost to the number.

Immediately, the issues they have become a bit clear. These men do not speak the language of your people, Mirevalian. Although your academic proclivities have led you to being well capable of making conversation with them, the same could not be said for most of your men. You'll most likely have to assign their side of the camp close by to those of the men of the Banda Grisa, experienced as they are in fighting alongsides men of all stripes and nations.

You are relieved to learn that they, at the very least, were already wise enough to elect the captains of their companies and divide themselves into smaller groups, but if you want to turn these men into a fighting force, you will have to put in the effort.

For now, however, you must carry on. And so, amidst cheerful goodbyes, your men set off from Isedia and onwards to Largo, where your foe awaits...

WEEKLY ARMY TASKS

Field Handbook - https://rentry.org/TercioQuest

SCOUTING DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to scouting efforts (If so, which?)
>Remove an unit from scouting efforts (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

FORAGING DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to foraging efforts (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to another effort (If so, which task, and which units?)
>Keep things as they are

I would also like to take this opportunity to say a note - as we are nearing the end of my college semester, things are beginning to pile up. I don't want to keep rushing updates and I've been, so I'll sadly have to move the update schedule to once every two days in order to take some of the pressure off.

Hopefully I will be able to go back to a one-per-day schedule once things become less busy.

>>6238867
As i've been*

I just noticed that I forgot to update the date on the report...well, this is what I meant by rushing.

>>6238867

No worries, QM.

As a QM myself, keeping a sustainable schedule is much more important than risking burnout!

—

In terms of our troop actions, I have no recommendations other than assigning the Fifth and Sixth Companies to their Volunteer 12/13th counterparts for what training drills we can do on the march. If nothing else, we need to make sure they understand our orders, even if we can’t build them up into a proper company

>>6238864
No worries about the change in schedule. Don't burn yourself out on this

I think we should keep scouting and the formation as is with one change

FORAGING DETAILS
>End foraging parties

>>6238864
So, once we passed Isedia, we can no longer worry about pursuers. Now we have to worry about Largo's forces instead.

>Move 1st Lancers from foraging to scouting
>Suspend foraging until we enter Largo's territory
>Move the knights to the vanguard to be ready to meet an enemy or reinforce the scouts
>Find some time to drill the volunteers in proper shooting (has countermarch been invented yet?) and tactics
>Find good guides among the volunteers and attach them to the scouts and the vanguard (but not the foragers, to keep morale up)

>>6238864
>Keep things as they are
>Suspend foraging until we enter Largo's territory
>Assign the Banda Grisa to train the new recruits.

Rolled 2 (1d3)

Okay...I guess we'll need to roll for the plan, then.

>>6238899
1
>>6238976
2
>>6239108
3

>>6238976
Alright, this plan it is.

>Roll four sets of 1d100 for possible events and successes during the week.

Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>6240043

Let's go.

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>6240043

Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>6240043

May the gods favor us!

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>6240043

>>6240054
>>6240073
>>6240085
>>6240091
>80, 84, 53, 22
Pretty good, I'll say.

Writing.

In the end, you make several changes to your weekly routines, knowing the roads you leave behind you to be safekept by the men of Isedia and the roads in front of you endangered by the supporters of the Fortelli from Largo. It is very good, you decide, to have information about the enemy rather than marching blindly without knowledge of whether you risk meeting friend or foe.

With all matters of the week finished at last, you are able to return to your tent. Though certainly inferior to even a common peasant's lodging in a tavern or village house, its size, bright colors, and posted guards do make it very noticeable from the rest of the lot. Though, with how much likely that would be to lead any attackers on your camp to your location were you ambushed during the night, you wonder if it is a lodging you should maintain...

"Ah, greetings sir." says Joan as you walk into your tent, dutifully helping you remove your field armor. It is a lengthy and bothersome process you greatly wished was removed from your daily routine.

As you finally strip your neck coverings, however, your maid seems to stop for a moment, staring at you. She cranes her neck, long beastly eas flickering against each other, moving ever so slightly as she stares in what appears to be confusion.

"Sir...would you wish for me to prepare you the water and shaving oils?" she says, clearly looking at your growing beard. In truth, you had kept yourself well-shaven ever since you had first been graced with facial hair, as was the style in the courts of Mirevale. To be a young man such as yourself yet sporting a beard would have been seen as slovenly and improper. However, on the beginning of your campaign, you had made a 'promise' of sorts to yourself to not shave yourself until victory was achieved, like the generals of old.

If telling her this has had an effect on her, you know not. Joan, after all, has always had a face utterly unreadable did she will it to be so. You had originally thought this to be an mark of her race, but her father seemingly held no such skill himself. She stares at you for a moment, before suddenly grabbing your chin with her hand, clawed ends running at your beard in a display of intimacy that would have her whipped by other lords. You, however, can do nothing but freeze up.

"Hm...I think you look better when shaved, sir."

Without another word, she leaves you, excusing herself to the servants' tents. Not particularly sure of how to respond, you lay yourself to sleep, cheeks still burning brightly...In the next morning, Joan greets you as she always has, acting as though nothing had happened. You think of doing something, but decide it better left for when you are not on the path of war.

The week continues, and so does your march - quickly abandonings the lands surrounding Isedia, you soon cross another river, and similarly cross it without issue after your scouts find a shallow crossing, though it still takes a day to get your wagons across.

With this, too, past you, you have crossed the final river standing between you and the city of Montechia. All that remains is a long, long march, and whatever foes may reside in you. Indeed, before even reaching the cities of Largo and Sonero, you shall have another week of lone marching - if the enemy has not sent a force out west in hopes. You are now in unfriendly territory once again, and though this means you are able to send your men out to forage, you also can no longer count on the safety of your marches.

In the meanwhile, however, you are not free - there is the matter of your voluunteers. Though they have luckily not caused trouble for now - perhaps out of fear of the rather frightful sight of the Grey Band Mercenaries - they are still awfully underprepared for combat, and you'd rather not fight with dead weight. Thus, you resolve to dril them as you go, using what little free time there is each day where you are not on the move to instill some manner of discipline on them.

However, this effort leaves you with a choice - what you should train them as?

Now of course, you could simply maintain them as a company of shot. You would drill them as arquebusiers of the line, teaching them to maintain formation even when under fire and to respond to orders more efficiently. This would, without a doubt, be the simpler of your options. However...there is also the chance to split them into groups of light infantry, foot skirmishers carrying the lightest of equipments and organized into small companies of 150 men. Although unable to sustain protracted combat, they would be considerably more maneuverable than a common company of shot. Of course, it goes without saying that turning these civilian men - these volunteers - into a capable, specialized force will be a harder challenge.

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Train them as Companies of Shot
>Train them as Companies of Light Shot
>Write-in

>>6240181
>Train them as Companies of Shot
We are traveling to deliver a siege, where skirmishers won't enjoy many advantages anyway. Also, all that investment will be lost once we leave this country. If we train anyone as light shot, it should be our own soldiers

>>6240181
>Train them as Companies of Shot

>>6240181
>Train them as Companies of Shot
We should consider training Light Shot infantry after the siege. Screening and skirmishing are invaluable in hostile territory.

>>6240181
>Train them as Companies of Shot

Not only is this easier, but if we are at the point were companies of shot are taking sustained damage, we're already in a bad position

Also, thank you for more tender Alessandro x Joan moments

>>6240278
I still don't quite get how Joan is supposed to look. Are we talking, like...kemomimi stuff? You know, anime girl with animal ears? Or is it supposed to be more of an "anthro" woman like a Khajit?

>>6240301
Talking pitbull in a dress.

>>6240181
>Train them as Companies of Light Shot

I reckon Light Shot will pay off in the long run.

>>6240181
>>Train them as Companies of Shot

We need this more for a siege.

>>6240301

I've just been seeing her as a Kikimora from MGE.

>>6240428
>I've just been seeing her as a Kikimora from MGE.
That's not a bad one, but Joan has like...owl eyes and claws, no? The update mentions claws, and it mentions earlier how her eyes are pitch black. Makes me think it leans more towards anthro woman.

>>6240301
I've been thinking more like anthro, like a khajit but owl instead of cat. Haven't thought much about it, though, the romance is nicely written regardless

>>6240181
>Train them as Companies of Shot

>>6240181

>Train them as Companies of Shot

Let’s not get fancy here, we need them to be functional ASAP. In the future, we might consider developing some light shot units if we have time, but to experiment while on the march seems like a tricky thing to pull off successfully

>>6240181
>Train them as Companies of Shot
Don't need them to be specialized, just need them to be disciplined enough to not book it in the middle of a battle.
Also, just caught up on this and I love it, it's a fantastic era. I'm also liking the little hint of us inventing something that could be incredibly useful in the field of battle, Nerdmaxxing for the win! Who knows, maybe we can build some of our guys into proto Rifles, I've heard Jezzails aren't actually that hard to make even with early gunpowder gear or we could try making Minnie balls.

>>6240189
>>6240232
>>6240263
>>6240278
>>6240428
>>6240529
>>6240667
>>6240824
By a wide margin, training them as companies of shot wins.

Writing!

>>6240301
I can't say I had an particular piece of art in mind when i designed Joan. In my mind, she (and by extension all 'Meios' - 'Halfbeast Folk', that is, are supposed to be somewhere between your average monster girl and a full on anthropomorphic human.

Sadly, although I have been able to find a way to draw some admittedly crappy battlemaps, my skillset does not extend to drawing people, so I can't much draw her myself.

>>6241366

You’re building a nice following so not impossible that a drawfag appears to donate a Joan sketch, QM

Knowing it to be far too bothersome and impractical a challenge to train these men into companies of foot skirmish, especially more so when you have no veterans or officers with such experience to drill them properly, you ultimately decide it to be better to simply train them in the fashion of line infantry.

Borrowing the most capable - or at least, whom you are told are the most capable - of men from the Tenth of Shot, hailing from the Banda Grisa (and thus, holding at least some matter of knowledge in the language of the Straccians) you quickly put them to good work shaping the volunteers into fighting shape. You teach them in how to properly load and fire a firelock; how to, with expediency, place down a fork rest, aim the arquebus, and fire it at once in a volley.

You also ensure their organization is one proper for battle. You meet with their self elected captains, one Bonino de Gusta and one Ruggiero Paranni. Though the former seems to be a dilligent enough commoner that he might obey your orders (more of duty than any real discipline), the latter man carries himself with the air of a merchant. He is an outspoken ideologue, to be sure, being quick to accuse the Fortelli to be nothing but snakes and traitors and the Spisa to be righteous and competent guides for the Republic. Regardless of your opinion on the both of them, you quickly work out a system to ensure their men are properly split into squadrons, and that they are able to understand the simplest of terms in Mirevalian that they may not be confused during battle.

Having done all you could, all that rests is to continue to drill them as you can, wait until the next battle and see if your efforts will have paid off by then.

It is yet at the end of another week, and together with your top officers, recollect how your weekly duties have gone these past seven days.

In scouting matters, you are glad to see that the way, so far, is clear. It would seem for now that the roads towards Isedia are clear; whether this means they are still locked in a fight with the loyalists of Sonero you are not sure or that they have eliminated them entirely and found no need to move west, you are not sure.

In foraging matters, it is yet another good week; your men face no considerable resistance, and are able to ensure your wagon trains are filled with the foods and supplies necessary to keep your marching forwards. It would seem that there are many benefits to fighting in such a wealthy region - not that the commoners you've plundered would see it that way...

+ RESERVE MAINTAINED
+ RESERVE INCREASED

It is another week, and your march shall continue for a bit longer! However, there is something yet you must decide. Soon enough, you shall find yourself presented with a fork in the road; one towards Largo, a town loyal to the Fortelli, and one towards Sonero, a town loyal to the Spisa. Though one might consider it easy to simply bypass the foe, if Sonero has been captured by the enemy, you could very well find yourself locked between two hostile forces.

What shall you do?

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>March Northwards, towards Largo
>March Southwards, towards Sonero
>Write-in

>>6241433
>March Southwards, towards Sonero

>>6241433
>March Northwards, towards Largo

If we intend to take Largo at all, approching it directly seems the best course. We can always send scouts to contact the Spisa loyalists in Sonero once we have Largo under siege

>>6241433
>March Northwards, towards Largo
We didn't siege the last guys, so we should probably siege these guys.

Also OP could you point me towards description(s) of Joan

>>6241433
>March Northwards, towards Largo
>Send scouts to find out what's happening to Sonero

>>6241433
>March Northwards, towards Largo
Finding Not!Alatriste when?
And/or properly figuring out something like Tercicos or the system the Swedes used to kick ass in the 17th century.

>>6241433

>March Northwards, towards Largo

I really can’t think of a likely downside - if the Largans have just conquered Sonero, their forces are now split and weakened, if they’re fighting with Sonero, the city is probably lightly defended and easy to take, and if the Largans have already lost to the Sonerans, even better!

>>6241433
>March Northwards, towards Largo
Worst case scenario they're holed up there and we have to take the city, in which case we'll do so then tell the Sonero to come and take over.

>>6241366
>admittedly crappy battlemaps
your maps are amazing

>>6241433
>March Northwards, towards Largo

It is yet another afternoon in your army camp. Having decided to march northwards, towards the city of Largo, your regiment was currently setting down their tents for the night after yet another day of walking - you were still over two days of travel before you were able to reach your target. You hoped that the fighting between these two rival cities had either defeated, or at the very least weakened, the forces of Largo. For all you knew, you would arrive at the town to find it under siege, or even already taken.

So you find yourself rather surprised when, rather late in the afternoon, you are called by Hugues to an emergency meeting. You find him in the war tent, as he often is, besides Captain Nestor, the one who had fended off an ambush not too long ago.

"You've a proposition?"

"Of sorts, sire." says Hugues. "Captain Nestor here says that his men were able to go as far as to spot Largo in their latest scouting run, and have some rather interesting things to say. Tell him, soldier."

Nestor clears his throat.

"Your lordship, my troop was clearing the way north when we were able to spot the city. Though we weren't so bold as to approach, we were able to tell that it was pretty vulnerable. They've no wall of stone, only a large palisade of wood. Wall wasn't even big enough to have men on them."

That is certainly good to hear - if worst comes to be, you'll have no challenge sieging them. However, the man does not seem to be done. "What proposition did you speak of, then, Captain?"

"To send a detachment to attack them, sire. If we go by it the normal way, they'll see our campfire smoke when we reach a day of distance. That might give some time for their men to prepare, flee the city, or warn their army, if they've got one in the field. If we were to send some cavalry ahead, we could use a quarter-barrel filled with gunpowder to blow open their gate. Would let us ride right in, take the city without challenge."

You turn to Hugues. "Is what this man says feasible?"

He nods his head. "I've seen more unlikely plans work, sire. If they've got pikemen guarding the city, it could turn ugly...but with our skirmishers, it could be dealt with. Of course, there's always the risk of them being more well-defended than expected...or of being attacked while we wait."

As always, risks and gains exist on both sides. You have come to be rather familiar with that...

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>We'll go forward with the plan, and I will lead it myself (If so, which units?)
>We'll go forward with the plan, but I'll let Hugues lead it. (If so, which units?)
>No, we're better off approaching them normally.
>Write-in

>>6242696
>We'll go forward with the plan, but I'll let Hugues lead it. (If so, which units?)
All mounted units except our bodyguard. And we'll lead the main body after them, at sufficient distance, to help if things don't go to plan.

>>6242706
+1

>>6242696
>No, we're better off approaching them normally.

>>6242696
Supporting >>6242706
I'm worried that the army of Largo manages to capture Sonero. If alerted, they'd have ample time to fortify their position and make the retake of Sonero that much harder.

>>6242696
>>6242706
I support this

>>6242706
Support.

>>6242706
+1

>>6242706

Support. 4chan ate my post but I wrote a long discourse about speed and decisiveness being excellent qualities in command

>>6242706
>>6242764
>>6242788
>>6242802
>>6242825
>>6242982
Hugues leading it wins, writing.

"You'll lead the lot, Hugues. I shall remain to assure our path is clear, and lead the rest of the regiment once some time has passed."

And so, with orders given, Hugues set off on his duty, to take the town of Largo.

==== SARGENTO MAYOR HUGUES =====

You are Hugues Regnard, a former mercenary who, after having retired from his business to the service of the old Viscount of Portblanc, was now called to war by his son as the staff officer of his armies. Tasked by him to lead a vanguard force of cavalry to take the city of Largo, you attached yourself to the 1st Troop of Knights, that you may better lead the battle.

You set off northwards along the road, the storming of hooves at your back as hundreds of horsemen continued their gallop, just fast enough that their mounts would not be exhausted by the time they arrived there.

Although you had hoped to reach them in a single day, however, the weather was not at your side. Heavy rains borne from the sea fell down upon you on your first day, muddying the roads ahead. Even worse, your knights, whom your liege had elected to take, could easily sink in these flooded roads. You had no choice but to gallop among sturdied ground, closer to trees that might have soaked up the water before it turned the ground soft, costing you precious time and forcing you to camp but a dozen kilometers south of your target.

Forced to spend the night in a poor joke of an encampment, you lamented the weather of this region. The odious rains of the coasts along the Meringian Sea were well known to the well-traveled. You only felt thankful that such pours paled in comparison to those in the eastern side of the peninsula. Come next day, you continued on your journey, ready to finally reach the city and accomplish your task, that you may perhaps spend the next night on a proper cot instead of a wet clearing.

When you arrived the city early in the morning, however, things did not seem to be as easy as you hoped. The gates of Largo stood closed, and even from a distance, you could see the men filling the wooden gatehouse, no doubt armed to the teeth. You can only surmirse they were able to spot the fires from your camp, or that perhaps a peasant or scout had spotted your incoming vanguard, and warned them beforehand. Nonetheless, you had lost the element of surprise, and this battle would be all the harder for it.

Still, yours is not a bad position. If the men have not even bothered to dig up trenches and set up outside, they've either not the numbers for it, or their leader is one of little competence. You choose to presume the former.

"Major?" says the captain of the unit you had attached yourself to, Hidalgo Bartolomé.

"Aye, Captain. We've got a breach to make."

In order to breach the gates of Largo, your men had brought a quarter-barrel, filled to the brim with gunpowder, as a manner of sapping charge. As you looked upon the palisades before you, however, you could tell they were no thicker than a single trunk. Certainly, if you were to place it on the wall, you could blast a hole through it, and perhaps avoid fire from their gatehouse guards entirely. On the other hand, such a breach would be considerably smaller - you'd be able to fit far less men at once.

You had to be quick. If the rain returned, your bomb would be no more than a barrel of soggy powder.

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Better to open a wide way - target the gate and blast it open.
>Avoid that gatehouse entirely, target a section in the wall
>Write-in

WHAT UNIT WILL CARRY THE CHARGE?
>I'll do it myself!
>It will be...(specify which unit will carry the charge)

>>6243928
>Avoid that gatehouse entirely, target a section in the wall
The gatehouse has clear lines of fire to it, we'll get shot up

>I'll do it myself!

>>6243928
>Avoid that gatehouse entirely, target a section in the wall
>I'll do it myself!

>>6243928
>Avoid that gatehouse entirely, target a section in the wall
>It will be... 1st Troop of Knights

Knights love glory and shit

>>6243928
>Avoid that gatehouse entirely, target a section in the wall.
>Split into two groups and move opposite directions of the wall, then regroup once the wall is breached.
It'd be immediately obvious what we're going to do if we all approach one section of the wall. This way the enemy won't know where to concentrate their (albeit meager) forces and we can avoid a pile up in front of the breach.
>I'll do it myself!
Frankly I'm surprised they even bothered to stay.

>>6243928
>Write-in
If the element of surprise is lost, we could call for a parley under a white flag demanding surrender, highlighting the much larger army and cannon soon to come. Resistance is futile, but at least, the lives of the city may be spared. We can promise to highlight the cooperative behavior to our lord as well.

>>6243928
>Avoid that gatehouse entirely, target a section in the wall.
>Split into two groups and move opposite directions of the wall, then regroup once the wall is breached.
>I'll do it myself!

Shell game, lead by example.

>>6244073
Support. We're outnumbered, so we need to split them up to even the odds a little.

So...when are we banging the owlgirl?

>>6243941
>>6243991
>>6244010
Avoid the gatehouse and do it yourself

>>6244073
>>6244747
>>6244889
The same, but splitting into two as you do it.

I think the winner is clear; writing.

You do not like the idea of fighting thorugh a narrow passage, but whatever force you send to plant the charge below that gatehouse will be half dead before it even reaches the gate. Though you can't be sure how well-armed their guards are, the usage of guns even by the volunteers your army had been offered tells you plenty about the dissemination of firelocks in this region.

No, you've a far better plan.

"Troops! At Gallop!"

At your words, your forces set off, splitting into two as you veer right, far away from the gatehouse and into the long stretch of flat wall. Had they placed another guardsman's tower within that expanse, you might have had to deal with marksmen, but as it is, you are free. Your knights rush towards the wall, the sun rising upon your heads as the thundering of hundreds of horses fills your ears. Yet the enemy does not fire, far out of their firing arcs as you are. Indeed, this must certainly be a new town if their defenses are so shoddy and badly planned.

Arriving near the wall unhurt, you waste no time in ordering one of your men, whom you had trusted the powder charge with, to set it down near the wall. Hopping from his horse, the man hurriedly sprints to the palisade, your men retreating a bit so as to not be hit by the splinters and jagged pieces of wood that will fly when the keg goes off.

The man sets off the long fuse, and immediately begins running away, quickly mounting his horse and galloping towards your group. It is almost done; you look away from the wall!

The following moment, your world is shaken. The sound, right besides you, is as loud as several cannons, and the light, if constant, would have certainly been enough to bling a man. The sound of crushed, twisted wood flying does not escape you - if any man had been close to that wall, he would have been as dead as one subject to a fusilade.

The smoke created by the explosion, continues to grow as a cloud, and it'll be a few moments still until it is clear enough for you to even be able to march throuh without impaling yourself by accident. And so, you must think of what to do now; already, your split force begins to ride towards you, but they are yet some distance away; if you wait for them to arrive, you give the enemy time to form up behind your opening, to leave their positions in the gatehouse and meet you arms in hand.

And of course, there is also the matter of who shall go first...

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>We must not give them any breath; assault forth! (Choose which unit shall go through first)
>Better to wait until our fellows arrive before attacking in full.
>Write-in

>>6245310
>We must not give them any breath; assault forth!
Knights, followed by pistoleros then cavalry.

>>6245331
+1

>>6245331

I second, ATTAAAAAAAAACK!

>>6245310
>>6245331
+1

>>6244895
never

>>6245331
Support.

TEMPO TEMPO TEMPO

>>6245310
>>6245331
+1
>>6245687
TEMPO TEMPO TEMPO

>>6245331
>>6245365
>>6245387
>>6245631
>>6245687
>>6246153
Tempo Time, Writing.

To wait for your others is to give them time to prepare; and more than that, with how narrow that passage is, it would also be pointless. No, you must brave past the smoke and advance. You're no fan of charges into the unknown, but with your liege lord gone, these noblemen will not have the spirit to carry on through gunfire unless you are seen leading them yourself. You unsheathe your straight sword, pointing at the breach with its narrow end.

"Knights! At Gallop! Assault!"

With a spirited yell, you lead them upon the breach, acryd gunpowder smoke dissipating flying up into the air as youu gallop through the breach and enter the city proper...

Only to be met with a wall of guns.

The volley of fire that follows is not as nearly as loud as that of the barrel's explosion, but you can feel it all the more. Across your left shoulder, a sharp, yet blunt pain smashes into you as a bullet is luckily repelled by your thick plate. Your steed does not stop, charging even still as you and your men close the distance, but you can already hear the pained whines and panicked screams of men whose horses were hit; if they did not die from the fall, you can only hope they are able to get out f the way before they are crushed underneath the hooves of their fellows.

As for you, retribution arrives no later; you crash into the line of arquebusiers like a blacksmith's hammer upon metal, men being thrown backwards by the very impact of your horse. You waste no time to attack, sword flashing as you tear in half the face of a poor fellow, then run another one through to follow. The knights, slowly trickling into the gap, crash into them with their lances; even if they did not have the running start for a charge at full gallop, their effect is plenty enough to send the men into disarray.

In less than a minute, their men are running, routing as they flee deeper into the city! Their line is breaking apart; but that does not mean they might not gain a burst of resolve and decide to hole themselves up in some home or fortified position, or even fire at your backs while you dealt with the rest of them; it is not a risk you wish to take.

Before you resolve to chase them down, however, you hear the marching of hundreds of feet; to the left, a company of pikemen begin to rush down the field, and the reason is soon shown why; from the southgate, more arquebusiers pour out, no doubt intent on forming up and firing on your men as they pass through the narrow gap.

Only now have your skirmishers begun passing through; certainly, if they were to be caught, they would suffer heavy losses, but if the enemy pikemen were to catch up while you cut down the skirmishers, it would be you that would meet a grim fate. You must act quickly.

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Give chase to the routing arquebusiers, hope the skirmishers pass throuugh before the enemy
>Charge the enemy arquebusiers before they form up, risk being caught by the pikemen
>Write-in

>>6246328
>Give chase to the routing arquebusiers, hope the skirmishers pass throuugh before the enemy

One unit of guns will not rout three of pistoleers.

>>6246328
>Give chase to the routing arquebusiers, hope the skirmishers pass throuugh before the enemy

>>6246328
>Give chase to the routing arquebusiers, hope the skirmishers pass throuugh before the enemy

>>6246328
>Give chase to the routing arquebusiers, hope the skirmishers pass throuugh before the enemy
Don't let them reform

>>6246328
>Give chase to the routing arquebusiers, hope the skirmishers pass throuugh before the enemy

>>6246328
>Give chase to the routing arquebusiers, hope the skirmishers pass throuugh before the enemy

>>6246328
>>Give chase to the routing arquebusiers, hope the skirmishers pass through before the enemy
Voting what everybody else is also voting has never served me wrong!

>>6246328

>Give chase to the routing arquebusiers, hope the skirmishers pass throuugh before the enemy

Well, this is all going wrong, but our best shot is to eliminate the arqies, about face, reform, and then charge the pikemen from behind once they start hacking at our boys

Giving chase wins, writing.

Risky or not, you cannot allow these men to flee! You order your men to chase the routing foes, and without mercy, they do so, running down the fleeing men with their swords and lances, trampling them beneath their hooves. Whatever cohesion still remained in their unit is entirely lost as their men are either killed, run of into the depths of the maze of houses where your heavily armored knights cannot follow, or throw down their arms in surrender.

Before you think about turning arouund, however, you hear the distinctive stacatto of a fire volley, and the screaming of wounded horses. It doesn't take you time to see that what you had feared transpired; the horsemen, having to slow down as they passed, were caught by the enemy who had fully left the gatehouse and formed up. With the small distance, and the sheer difference in volume of firepower, it's no wonder that you could see a good portion of the first skirmishers dead.

The men who remain, however, seem to have remained in position, firing back with what little firepower they can muster as more and more horsemen flood into the city walls.

However, it's not enough; though these city militia are certainly no elite marksmen, they'll soon fire another volley, and your skirmishers may not survive by then. Your other units are slowly flooding onto the city; it will take some time still until they are able to move and fight. Even worse, by now the foe's pikemen have already reached their fellows - a direct attack at them would simply have the arquebusiers retreating and your horsemen charging into the long end of a wooden pike.

The situation is turning for the worse, but it is far from being lost; you must take action now and take the advantage before your liege's most valuable troops are slaughtered!

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Wheel around the city and charge the enemy at their back while leaving your skirmishers to fend for themselves
>Turn around and charge the enemy's arquebusiers despite the risks
>Write-in

>>6247552
>Wheel around the city and charge the enemy at their back while leaving your skirmishers to fend for themselves

>>6247552
>Wheel around the city and charge the enemy at their back while leaving your skirmishers to fend for themselves

The effective option, even if it delays the gratification of swift action and the anxiety of losses.

>>6247552
>Charge the arquebusiers just to force them to retreat behind the pikemen. Don't charge into the pikes, of course
We don't need to crush them, just get them to stop firing for long enough to get more of our forces in.

>>6247552
>Turn around and charge the enemy's arquebusiers despite the risks
We've got enough troops to mount a charge. We need to relieve some pressure off the skirmishers. Otherwise they might panic and try to retreat through the breached wall.

>>6247552
>Wheel around the city and charge the enemy at their back while leaving your skirmishers to fend for themselves

>>6247552
>Turn around and charge the enemy's arquebusiers despite the risks

Fortune favours the bold.

>>6247552
>Write-in
What if, we ordered the skirmishers to pull back and our me outside to stop going in? We could then use our superior mobility to kite them into a position where they either leave the breach or expose our backs. If they try to guard the breach, then either their backs will be exposed to the men outside, or to the men inside.

>>6247552
>Write-in
>Wheel around the city and charge THE PIKEMEN at their back while leaving your skirmishers to fend for themselves

I don't think the arquibusiers will be able to fire through the pikemen, so we should deal with the pikemen first.

If we can communicate with our men, I think this anon >>6247730 has the right idea

>>6247844
Anon, that's dumb. The skirmishers are firing at the arquebusiers to kill them. If we charge the arquebusiers we kill them and the skirmishers don't have to shoot at them anymore. Why the hell would we charge the pikemen and leave the arquebusiers free to shoot at the skirmishers?

>>6247937
Because the pikemen are closing in on the skirmishers and, whereas the skirmishers can exchange fire with the arquibusier, if the pikemen close that gap they are screwed. I also want to avoid a scenario where we attack the arquibusiers and get attacked in turn by the pikemen

>>6247961
If the pikemen close the gap the skirmishers can just ride away. Kiting is their specialty

>>6247552

>Wheel around the city and charge the enemy at their back while leaving your skirmishers to fend for themselves

I really don’t want to get caught against the pikemen as we try to hit the other unit of arqies. We’re going to have to take the punishment on the chin, unfortunately.

All told, I think we are winning, but at sadly greater cost than we had hoped.

>>6247580
>>6247583
>>6247610
>>6247844
>>6248164
Wheel around the city

>>6247585
>>6247600
>>6247641
Turn around and charge

Wheeling arouund the city wins.

>ROLL 1D10, WORST OF THREE

Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>6248665
It's so over

Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>6248665
Get ready for a world of hurt.

Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>6248665

>>6248667
>>6248677
>>6248698
>3
Ah, shame. You were so close. That changes some things. Update will be tomorrow.

>>6248706

:(

>>6248706
I believe that's QM code for ""You dun fucked up son"

>>6248706
:(

With those pikemen around, there's little your horses can do. To charge the arquebusiers outright would just lead to your death. With your horsemen still flowing through the hole in the palisade, however, they stand distracted. You know what to do.

"Onwards! Follow me!" you yell, your men accompanying you as you pick up the pace; you had seen a dirt road further left; you shall simply march around the city and take that road before the enemy is able to do any further damage. Your troops gallops along the road, the houses beside you sealed shut and the citizens no doubt cowering within. It is not long until you run into a wide circle, no doubt the city's main square where merchants made their trade. Now it is empty, a few lonely stands abandoned by those who were not able to take them down fast enough once they had heard of your force's arrival.

Had your men been of lesser discipline, they might have scattered into the merchant houses of the coast, seeking to plunder their wealth for themselves before the battle had even finished. These, however, are Knights, men whose livelihoods are already assured regardless of what they gain in this war. And so, your troop continues leftwards and then finally down. In the distance, you continue to hear the firing of shots and the screaming of men; you doubt many of them belong to your enemies.

Your horses begin to pick up speed, the enemy soon coming into sight. Hundreds of long pike, pointed towards your forces, yet with their backs presented. To charge a formation of pike from the front is suicide; but from the side? The deadliness of their long arms becomes a weakness, too long to be easily turned upon a foe that is already upon them.

Your previous charge had been a half formed one, done with but a small lead up to pick your speed. Now? Your men are at full gallop, lances lowering as the enemy realizes too late that you are upon them. You crash upon them just as you had before, men flying, your sword repeating its motion as you cut the pikemen down. As your men continue to push forth into the formation, you look further, to the field where your men passed through.

Already, more and more cavalry men push into the city. The knights of the second, having finally entered, are moving towards the arquebusiers, who, seeing their protection caught by the rear, scramble over themselves to run back into the gatehouse. You cannot help but notice the field littered with dead horses. Left bloodsoaked in the ground, the former battle banner of your skirmishers tell you what you need to know: the first have been wiped out to a man. With the expert medics of the Santo Cor left behind with your army, it is unlikely many of the wounded will live either.

Your conflict, however, is already over. It does not take long until the remaining men, seeing themselves utterly surrounded and with their advantageous position broken, surrender, throwing their arms down and raising their hands. Without wasting time, you order your men to treat the wounded and cordon off your new prisoners into somewhere they can be easily watched, and though none yet dare disobey you, their mind is clearly somewhere else: sacking. It is the reward which drives many men to war, and it would be a lie to say you did not look forward to it as well, even if you doubted the pickings in this small town to be anything compared to the wealth you had gained in your time as a mercenary.

Still, best to ensure whatever looting is done is accomplished so in an orderly manner. After losing an entire troop, it'll do you good to have some loot to smooth things over with your young colonel.

>ROLL 1D20 TO SAVE SOME OF THE WOUNDED, BEST OF THREE

By the way, I'll just say it again - I do apologize for updates being shorter and taking longer than usual. Hopefully I'll be free soon enough.

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>6249194
Working my way to catching up, here’s my roll nonetheless!

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>6249194

Rolling

A shame we mostly lost our unit, but ultimately, it’s a good price for an entire city to sack… with luck, Gallioti will forgive us.

>2, 4, 6
Horrendous luck.

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>6249194

Rolled 4535, 171, 712 = 5418 (3d5000)

>>6249198
>>6249199
>>6249212
>11
Alrighty, writing - but first!

The sack of a town is never a fair sight.

Though you yourself have never been in a great siege, you've seen enough of the smaller ones to know it is a grisly, if profitable business, and knowing Viscount Alessandro's intent to keep the "good will" of the populace, you'd do well to avoid such a deed.

Wasting no time, you immediately have your men dispatch a rider south and begin planting camp to "watch out for hostile forces". In truth, you've simply need to keep them busy. Calling for captain Gautier, the leader of your second skirmish troop and a Montcherian - the Lilean people from whom your family descends. Knowing him to be a well-disciplined man, you tell him to lead on half of your forces to descend upon Largo and take their riches.

Under his command, Gautier rode upon the town. His first targets, of course, is the Podestá's manor - bursting through the doors, his men catch what little guards had been there attempting to sneak the valuables outside and easily cut them down - though the Podestá himself is nowhere to be seen.

Though they had perhaps hoped their forces would be able to hold you out, the defeat of the garrison had thrown the town into disarray. Civilians, hanging on to whatever could, fled in panic as your horsemen rode on, bursting into the homes of the folk to take anything of value. Those who resisted were killed without mercy, and only the tight fist of the captain did stop the sack from turning into a bloody festival of rape and burning. Many more of the folk of Largo, in an attempt to escape, jump into the sea, swimming around the area where the guardtowers met the end of the beach.

Nevertheless, the sack is a quick as it is efficient - though not without losses. At least four further skimishers were lost to desperate attacks from the odd villager with a gun or spear attacking an unsuspecting soldier rummaging through their house. In the end, however, your men only take a little over two hours to go over the town, small as it was.

Riches laid out on the ground, your officers congregate in the town square, and prepare for the duty of dividing the plunder.

When the time finally came to count the bounty you had received, it pleased you well to hear that you had acquired just over 4500 Spadas - or just over 4200 Imperii, if your memory served you right, were left to distribute amidst your high officers. It was not all in money, of course - indeed, most of the wealth was found in products such as rolls of fabric, barrels of fine wine, jewelries and other trade goods - but you had little doubt they would fetch such a price.

Still, there was some sharing yet to do. In the Mirevalien tradition, a fifth (20%) of all proceeds from plunder was to be the property of his Imperial Majesty, or in the case of your men, the Imperial Prince of Segoma. Three tenths (15%) still belonged to your colonel - Viscount Alessandro. This left you still with 3150 Imperii to share - but some things were unclear.

As your men had been going through the remainders of the First Skirmishers, you learned that their captain, Néstor Canavella, had been amidst the dead. They say it was a quick one - a round from one of the arquebusiers had gone straight through his visor. There was no saving that. Indeed, only 11 of the skirmishers had been able to survive the attack. Your colonel would have to decide what to do with them later on.

For now - there was the matter of his share. A captain such as he was, normally, entitled to a tenth of the plunder, but dead men have no need of money. You could, of course, send the money to one of his family members, but no law required you of it. Denying such honors, however, might displease some of the other captains. If you did, however, perhaps you could give this share to your colonel, to 'soothe' the news of the loss. And, of course, there's also the soldiery; left to claim only whatever is left, giving them this share would certainly raise their morale. And finally - you could take it for yourself. As a Sargento Mayor, your 'share' is only slightly bigger than that of a captain - two tenths. In this battle, however, you had led as a captain yourself, commanding the First Knights. Though you knew better than to attempt to steal Hidalgo Bartolomé's share, you could claim yourself to have led as a captain, and thus be entitled to a captain's share, and none could challenge you for it - leading from the front, you had without a doubt surpassed the duties of your rank.

At least, you certainly could use the money.

NOTE - CHOICES
Another limitation of playing as a 'different character' is that you are not entirely able to control their desires. Whanever you are placed in a position where their personal opinions might conflict with those of the player, you must roll a check of 10 to overcome such urges.

>ROLL 1D20, BEST OF 3

ALSO, CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Give the money to his Family
>Give the money to the soldiers
>Give the money to the Colonel
>Write-in

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>6250083
>Give the money to the Colonel
We did kinda lose a whole skirmisher troop

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>6250083
Finally caught up!

Supporting giving the money to the colonel because we lost an entire unit of skirmishers, also as a sort of bribe. Feels like this isn’t too meta

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>6250083
>Give the money to the Colonel
You know what’s better than one d20? Two.

>>6250083
>Give the money to his Family
Alessandro isn't going to miss a few hundred coins. The man's family will.

>>6250115
Cool, anon, what have you been thinking so far?

>>6250083
>Give the money to the soldiers
Good for morale after losing an entire unit.

>>6250083
>Give the money to his Family
He did his duty, it's only right that the money goes to his next of kin.

>>6250083
>Give the money to his Family

>>6250083
>Give the money to his Family
its too early in the campaign to ruffle feathers with the captains. keep it fair and set a standard. colonel doesn't need more than his share

>>6250170
It’s a great quest! Iirc heavily inspired by Sabres of Infinity series which is fantastic and always left me wanting a sort of quasi-early Napoleonic era game. Tercio is a very good writer and the maps are fantastic.

>>6250083

>Give the money to his Family

Important to maintain good relations with the captains at large

>>6250083
>Give the money to his Family

>>6250083
>Give the money to his Family

Yeah, this would be the right thing to do

>>6250083
>Give the money to his Family

Bloody, but something tells me taking the city in a straight up fight would have been even worse. This is still a significance victory, we can take pride in that.

>6250102
>6250115
>6250169
Give it to the colonel

>6250170
>6250199
>6250201
>6250378
>6250504
>6250536
>6250556
>6250595
Giving it to the family wins, and with a wide margin too. Too bad you didn't get that great roll before, though, or Nestor might have survived.

Anyway, writing.

You shake your head - it would be unseemly to be taken by greed, and unworthy of a faithful of the splendour such as yourself. What's more, if the Viscount is angered by the loss of a troop, you doubt that a few hundred coins will sway the mind of one such as him - you know Portblanc to be a city that brings great wealth with it, and his ability to field and pay an entire regiment from his pockets is proof enough.

No, you'll send the money to the man's family, and hope his lordship is reasonable enough.


==== ALESSANDRO GALLIOTA =====

Your head held high, you enter through the city gates as a conqueror, your own guards alongside the still bloodstained road as you ride into Largo. In the past two days, you had held your position, waiting for the answer from your advance party. That you had yet to hear of any incoming army filled you with some apprehension - had the hostile forces happened upon Hugues' force? You did not wish to think of what had happened if they did.

It was in the third day that you finally received word; Largo had fallen! You led the rest of the regiment north, and though your heavier wagons and culverin had almost sunk in the muddy roads, you were able to get there in just two days of marching. When you finally arrived at the coast where the town stood, you were quick to recognize the signs of battle: a giant tear in the wooden palisade, roughly patched over with some wooden planks.

Easily recognizing your banners as their own, your vanguard wasted no time in welcoming you into the city, where you were led to the mayoral office that Hugues had taken as a headquarters, much like in Panergo. As you went, you could not help but notice the mounds of earth which showed you the mass graves where the casualties of the battle were kept - and besides them, the more dignified solitary ones, where your own dead would be. The number is a bit bigger than you had hoped.

Entering the home of the Podestá, you meet Hugues, who was hunched over a pile of papers as you entered. In your sight, he bows as is customary.

"Greetings, meu seynor. As you can see, Largo was taken succesfully."

"How many losses?" you ask, cutting to the point.

"61, sire. More specifically, eight Knights, fourty-nine skirmishers of the First and two of the Second. Néstor, the captain of the First, has also been killed in combat. The town proved to be...more well-defended than expected."

The loss of almost an entire troop is does not please you, but you know better than to question a man whose wisdom you have depended upon such as heavily as you have Hugues'. Still, you must decide what to do with the first now that they are almost all wiped out.

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Promote one of the survivors, keep the remainders of the unit
>Dismiss the unit and send the survivors to the Second and Third, bringing them to 100% strength
>Write-in

"There is also, of course, the matter of the plunder, sire. After dividing the other shares, including that of His Highness, Don Carles, your part amounts to 675 Spadas...in current exchange rates, that is about 630 Imperii."

Certainly a welcome amount; though in a grim irony, you will have saved more from the dead men whose wages you will not have to pay at the end of the month.

"Very well, then. What else is left before we continue eastwards?" you question

"About that, Don Alessandro...it may not be wise to go immediately. After interrogating some of the prisoners, I learned that the forces left here were a mere garrison, and that the Podestá had led the majority of the forces out in an attack against Sonero. It is all but assured they have learnt of the fall of their city, and may be on their way towards us as we stand."

"Would they not have met with my forces if they did?"

"Perhaps, but they could have been slowed down by the rains or some other matter as well, sire. Nonetheless, I would advise sending forth some scouts to ascertain the situation, or perhaps even to investigate Sonero itself in case the city has fallen to them. In the meanwhile, we could ask for supplies from the Third Fleet to aid us in our way forward. If the Prince's army has truly set up outside Montechia, the stretch of land between Sonero and the siege may have been swept clean by his foragers."

He certainly speaks with confidence; though at the same time, you cannot help but dislike the idea of waiting. As summer approaches, so shall the rains worsen, making the roads ever harder to travel upon.

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Stay in the city and send scouts to check the situation (If so, which unit or units?)
>Leave the city and continue your marching
>Write-in

>>6251099
>Dismiss the unit and send the survivors to the Second and Third, bringing them to 100% strength
>>6251100
>Stay in the city and send scouts to check the situation (If so, which unit or units?)
The smallest skirmisher unit.

>>6251099
>Dismiss the unit and send the survivors to the Second and Third, bringing them to 100% strength
>>6251100
>Stay in the city and send scouts to check the situation (If so, which unit or units?)
Two skrimishers (pistoliers) and two cavalry (lancers) for support.

>>6251118
Iirc the skirmishes are the ones on horseback right? I say we send a unit and that’s it, leaves us with one other. They can operate in squadrons and if the army is incoming, it’ll have to be from a road.

What I want to remind anons is that we cannot get stuck in a siege here. The prince needs us to help in his own siege so getting locked in would be partially difficult for that goal

>>6251100
>Dismiss the unit and send the survivors to the Second and Third, bringing them to 100% strength

>Leave the city and continue your marching
Especially with the rains only intensifying, it seems important to move quickly. If we're fast and lucky, might be able to intercept the enemy army outside of Sonero.
Plus, we can do this and still send a scouting part out ahead of the main army

>>6251099
>Dismiss the unit and send the survivors to the Second and Third, bringing them to 100% strength

>Leave the city and continue your marching
If Podesta's army is marching towards us, we'll want to meet it in the field anyway. As for supplies, we can wait for them in Sonero

>>6251100
>Dismiss the unit and send the survivors to the Second and Third, bringing them to 100% strength

>Leave the city and continue your marching

>>6251099
>Dismiss the unit and send the survivors to the Second and Third, bringing them to 100% strength
if the enemy army does come back then they can hamper us just by sitting in our way. We'll have to go through them anyway. Also if they've attacked the next town then (who are friendly) then it would be good to relieve them.

Can we fill up our wagons with food from the town? Or did we get money instead of food? (I don't think it is worth trying to get food from the fleet)
>Leave the city and continue your marching

>>6251100
>Leave the city and continue your marching
>Send a unit of skirmishers to bring word to Sonero and coordinate with us

>>6251118
>>6251145
>>6251332
>>6251175
>Stay in the city

>>6251276
>>6251291
>>6251303
>>6251327
>Leave the city

Well, we have a tie. It's a bit early, but I'll just be asking for a tiebreaker when possible.

>>6251876
I’ll vote for leave the city. Kinda what I wanted anyway so this works out though I imagine we’ll be deploying a scouting unit ahead of time?

Also what do we do with the taken city? Hand it over to the navy? Seems weird to just leave it with no garrison

"Dimiss the first and reassign their soldiers - with such little men, they'll do no good in the field." you say, Hugues nodding.

"As for what we do next? We shall march."

With your goal set, your army goes about preparing itself, plundering the town's grainhouses to fill your supply train once again. The citizens will certainly be displeased, but their opinion is, as always, irrelevant, and with a land as bountiful as this one, you doubt they've much danger of starvation.

+ RESERVE MAINTAINED

Your supplies filled and your men all the happier from the plunder - the ones that participated in the attack, that is - your army leaves Largo, and marches onwards towards your goal. With their garrison defeated and their hopes of reinforcements from the west dashed, their threat has been all but extinguished, leaving you safe enough to leave them without having to call for the Third Fleet to garrison. Of course, as a precaution, you also order your men to demolish the gatehouse with a gunpowder charge as you are leaving.

You are once again on the road, marching always towards your final goal.

WEEKLY ARMY TASKS

Field Handbook - https://rentry.org/TercioQuest (To be updated soon, hopefully)

SCOUTING DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to scouting efforts (If so, which?)
>Remove an unit from scouting efforts (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

FORAGING DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to foraging efforts (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to another effort (If so, which task, and which units?)
>Keep things as they are

Apologies for the really short update, but my 'business' is nearing the end; a little longer, and i'll be able to return to normal schedule.

>>6251985
>Switch all foragers to scouting
We have fresh supplies and Sonero is a stone's throw away. Suddenly meeting an enemy force is our priority threat right now. If we have enough people scouting they might even be able to enact a surprise raid

>>6251985
>Remove all units from forging and reattach them to the main force

>Reassign one troop of knights the honor of guarding the treasury

>>6251985
>Switch all foragers to scouting

>>6251991
Support. Tempo Tempo Tempo.

>>6252035
>>6251991
This. We’re going fast and hard. we have the town to our back so even if we have to somehow retreat we can always pull back to the walls and it’s stores.

>>6251991
+1
TEMPOOO

With the next city so close by, you see no reason to bother with foraging for the moment - not when the threat of the forces of Largo attacking you yet still continue to loom over your head.

Your troops tasked with scouting instead, you continue along the path south. To your luck, there is no rain in the week that follows, and the roads, though not exactly dry, are far less of a bother for your forces to march on. Despite this, the effort you had put on your way to Largo makes you worry for how you shall travel during the downpours of summer that Straccia is known to be afflicted by.

Still, your army carries on, and to your surprise, there is no sign of the army. Some of the villagers you men run by in their scouting seem to confirm that they had marched towards Sonero, but nothing of their return. Had they managed to take the town? Were they still yet in siege, utterly ignorant of the fate of their home?

Your answer arrives only in the last day of the month.

The scouts spot them first, as they usually do: large columns of black smoke, rising into the sky, far thicker than a campfire could be, and with a much fouler smell. They are grave fires, meant to burn bodies of the deceased. It is sign of a battle that has already ended.

Your horsemen, which had happened upon the sight near the outskirts of Sonero itself, approached it, seeking to find out more - but quickly beat a retreat when a large force of footmen that had been seemingly patrolling the area began to move towards them. As they were unable to identify any flags or seals or colors that might have betrayed their allegiance, the men were most likely mercenaries hired: but on whose side?

Nevertheless, they know you are here, friendly or foe, and if it be the latter, they shall certainly prepare for a siege. With the losses you had sustained in the previous one, you certainly do not wish to have to undergo another.

There is, as always, the possibility of bypassing the city, as you so had done before in Largo. If theirs was a force capable of great mobility, or if they had known about your greater regiment, they would have surely moved against you by now, and attacked using the territory they without a doubt know much better than you or your men. You can conclude that they are either friendly, or of a size smaller than yours, and lacking in mounted men as well. You have no need to fear an attack from your rear, should you choose to bypass them.

If they are friendly, however, avoiding them would rob you of the opportunity to gather allies or resupply...

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Advance towards the city, friend or foe!
>Bypass them, better not risk it
>Write-in

>>6252889
>Advance towards the city, friend or foe!
If the army of Largo did succeed to capture Sonero, then attacking after they've been softened by the siege is our best bet. And besides, abandoning an allied city would leave a sour taste in everyone's mouth, especially the volunteers'.

>>6252889
>Advance towards the city, friend or foe!

>>6252889
>Advance towards the city, friend or foe!

I agree with this anon's reasoning >>6252907

>>6252889
>Advance towards the city, friend or foe!

>>6252889
>Advance towards the city, friend or foe!
we can re-assess if we don't want to engage the city, but lets at least take a look

but if the city was recently sacked, personally I think it would be worth liberating the city so that the citizens know they made the right choice

>>6252889
>Advance towards the city, friend or foe!

>>6252907
>>6252919
>>6252923
>>6252990
>>6253148
>>6253345
Advance towards the city wins; writing

Though you would like to simply bypass this town and save yourself the trouble of having to undergo a costly siege before you have even reached the rest of your army, you cannot allow a hostile force when you are so close to Montechio; whereas the Fortellites of Anaggia have had any chance of an advance, unlikely as it may have been, halted by the presence of Isedia, the same cannot be said for these men here.

More than that, if they truly have taken the city, then their defenses must be battered and broken - their forces, too, must have taken casualties. No better opportunity to take this town shall you have. You belt out the orders - you must enter battle formations and advance!

Your regiment, quickening their march, moves towards the new town, ready for an engagement. Your vanguard at the forefront, it doesn't take long until you are able to spot the town, sitting behind the sea. That corpse fire that had been reported now lays dormant, snuffed out. What surprises you, however, is not the graves - but the town whose gates remain entirely open, as if inviting you to march in.

If your officers are confused, they do not show it, but Hugues is the first to suggest sending forth a small party to ascertain the situation. You stare off as they run towards the city, and in moments, Joan informs you that another group has ridden out to meet them. That the encounter ends without bloodshed gives you an idea of what had truly ocurred, but you hold your tongue until they are back.

"Milorde," begins the horseman, as he retells the meeting, "The men of the city tell me that they are indeed the folk of Sonero, and that the forces of Largo were destroyed by them entirely after they had attempted to hold them to a siege."

The news brings you some relief; yet again, you have escaped the burden of partaking in an assault on a fully defended city.

"There's more, Don Alessandro." they continue. "They tell me that the Potestate of Sonero has welcomed not only your lordship to meet him for supper, but also to house any nobleman in the city for the night."

That, of course, is even better; though your own field tent is far better and bigger than those more commonly used by your men, it is nothing compared to a proper bed. You would certainly enjoy the invite, and the noblemen of your army would appreciate it as well. You see no reason to deny this invitation.

"Very well, then. I shall accept the mayor's invite. Hugues!" you say, turning to your assistant: "Have the men set down for the night as usual. I shall require you to manage the camp while I am gone."

"Yes, sire."

>No vote today, update will continue in the usual time

>>6253814
>You see no reason to deny this invitation.

Famous last worda before being betrayed by Italians

Oh goody. This surely isn't a Trojan horse. We should mention first thing that we destroyed the other town for them and see how they react.

>>6253814
>They tell me that the Potestate of Sonero has welcomed not only your lordship to meet him for supper, but also to house any nobleman in the city for the night

Suspiciously generous. If we don't bring bodyguards we are fools.

>>6253814
>Besieging force destroyed so completely we haven't encountered any remnants
I can excuse our noob MC, but if none of his captains says it's a trap we need to kick them out and replace them all with camp followers, for even they would do a better job

Seeing off your men as they begin to set up their tents, you begin the trek towards the city, accompanied by your bodyguards, a fair quantity of the noblemen. Though you might have wished to take Joan, you found it better to leave her in the camp to ensure no ill deeds were done towards your property while you were away.

As you travel towards the gate, you can already see a steady flow of civilians and their wagons making their way where your camp was made: sutlers, of course, and many other merchants and tradesmen who sought to offer their services to the following army, and with the spoils from the sack, as well as the salaries they'll soon be receiving, your soldiers will certainly have their fill.

Sonero, when you enter it, is all too similar to the cities you have seen in this campaign of yours - houses of wood, as well as well of brick and stone, lay out in winding streets, the mayoral house standing proudly atop the hill that a portion of the town is built upon. As you enter, you are greeted by a bald man in fine garbs, who quickly introducues himself as the Potestate of the Town. Though he speaks some manner of Mirevalian - as nearly all men in Mauva do, of course - your knowledge of Straccian allows you to steer the conversation into his language.

"It is my honour to see you, Messer...?

"Don Alessandro Galliota, Viscount of Portblanc." you proudly answer.

"Yes, of course. I am pleased to see you have found success in the campaign against those detestable Largesi. Indeed, it was your victory that had allowed us to gain ours in turn...! But allow me to explain more over supper."

Following the man into his house, you take your place at his table, curious to see what events had transpired.

The dinner is, although perhaps not as grand as some of the banquets you've attended, certainly not small. There were meats, of course, such as pheasant and venison, roasted and sprinkled with fruit juices - fried artichokes, and fine white bread, was present as well, and wine mixed with licorice was served all around. Through the courses, the man, who you came to know as Vitelezzo Ganieri

Apparently, your attack upon Largo came to be learned quite quickly by the armies locked in the town - the burning of the city, and of your approaching army, could be easily seen from the coast. The sight of this attack, of course, drove the Largesi to break off the siege - at which point, you are told, the men of the town led a sally upon the fleeing force that broke them utterly.

You cannot help but feel some manner of doubt towards this. It is clear, of course, that a battle has happened, and that the victors were those of Sonero - had the town fallen, you would have certainly met upon fleeing citizens, or seen the evidences of looting. From what you have learned, the bitter rivalry between these two cities would have most certainly ended with a great burning, had they been the one to take it.

Whether the man speaks truthfully about this 'total victory', however, you are not sure.

Still, the supper continues - soon, you are served a variety of honeyed cakes and grape fritters, covered with sugar. With the meal concluded, you finally cut to business.

"Messer Ganieri", you begin: "My forces are continuing on their path to join the Siege of Montechia, where the bulk of our army stands. What manner of support can you lend us?"

"About that, yes..." the man begins, with a somewhat awkward tone. "The siege had taken a certain toll on our town; it is not quite yet time for harvest, around here, and our grainhouses lay low - even my personal storehouses are beginning to run low. We've no men to give, and very few supplies of our own."

Though you try to hide your displeasure, it is clear the man sees through it.

"Ah, but of course, there is something we could do, Don Alessandro. It would not be of great issue to begin harvesting some of the more ready fields to restock the storehouses; but of course, such an act would bring some loss to the farmers. They would certainly ask for some restitutions. If your lordship were to, say, grant us some 1000 Spadas, or their worth in your coin, I could see to it that your men were well stocked for the stretch to Montechia."

A thousand Spada? That is around 930 Imperii. It is no small amount. At the same time, your choice to send all your foragers on scouting detail had left you with but a week worth of supply left in your wagons, and this path to Montechia may itself be far less rich than the countryside you had travelled through previously; the Prince's army has already been here for over a month, and has more certainly sent out foragers far and wide to take as much as possible while they still could.

Then again, you could attempt to put this pitiful merchant in his place and remind him of your position.

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Accept the man's offer
>Attempt to haggle down the price diplomatically
>Threaten the Potestate into aiding you
>Refuse any supplies, you'll forage out in the field regardless.
>Write-in

>>6255190
>Attempt to haggle down the price diplomatically
Always try the diplomatic option before making threats.

>>6255190
>Through the courses, the man, who you came to know as Vitelezzo Ganieri
Was there supposed to be more here QM?

>Attempt to haggle down the price diplomatically

>>6255272
Huh? You're right, it cut off for some reason. The full line is

>Through the courses, the man, who you came to know as Vitelezzo Ganieri regales you with the story of how his city had defeated the sieging force from Largo

>>6255190
>Attempt to haggle down the price diplomatically

It would be silly not to

>>6255190
>Attempt to haggle down the price diplomatically
>Suggest we buy the supplies on a credit.
I don't mind paying the guy, even if we had to pay the full sum. But we need this money, in cash, to pay our men. Fortunately, we're from the wealthy Viscounty of Portblac so there should be little doubt of our ability to pay them.

>>6255190
>Accept the man's offer
Yeah, sure

>>6255190
>>Attempt to haggle down the price diplomatically
I like the credit idea, but I would save that in case the haggling isn't looking so good.

>>Attempt to haggle down the price diplomatically

Alright, another city we don't have to take through force. If I had to make an argument, I'd point out that if we defeat the enemy armies people still have time to harvest and trade for food.

>>6255190
>Attempt to haggle down the price diplomatically
Consider it a contribution for freeing your country from malicious overlords

>>6255190
Don't we have resupply by sea in any friendly port? We don't need his supplies

Haggling wins - I'm not sure whether i'll be able to post today, but I'll try, and if not today, then definitely tomorrow early.

>>6255690
You can, however doing so woudl take about a week.

In your position, many other men of your station would have acted differently. Some could have been indignated at the demand of this man - this lowly merchant - to ask compensation of one fighting a war on their very behalf, and especially to do so in regards to a noble of finer blood. Though you are no Duke or King, the Galliota line is one of respectable prestige indeed, holding even the honor of being a Grandée of the realm - a "cousin" of the Emperor himself, an honor that dates back all the way to the times when the holders of this honor were often related to the Brascarams House.

Of course, men of such high stature will often also sign away on such prices without a care. You know very well that many amidst the nobility of Mirevale find 'Haggling' to be an dishonorable act, lowering oneself of the noble blood to a position of a mere merchant.

You, however, are the Viscount of Portblanc - a Trade City. Your family has dealt with merchants for however long as they have ruled. You would not call yourself a merchant, but when it comes to their art, your experience cannot be questioned.

"I understand it well that I burden thee, Potestate." you begin, intent on driving him into a corner. "This siege has without a doubt weakened your city's warehouses. Yet...It was my victory over your bitter foes, the Largesi, that had led to your astounding victory, is it not?"

"Of course, your lordship. I would not deny it such." he responds curtly.

"However, Messer Ganieri, in defeating them, and in breaking bread with one such as myself, your town's allegiances are clear for all to see. It is in the very best interest of Sonero that the Spisa Family should see a swift victory, of which my forces are deeply required to achieve. Is it not to your favor that I should acquire supplies as swiftly and efficiently as possible, and not waste the coin which I require to pay the men on whose arms your lives depend?"

The man stays silent for a moment, as if thinking about your points. After a minute, he begins to rub his head, and relents. "Your words are those of truth, Don Alessandro. In the interest of your success, I would be willing to take costs of mine own, and lower my price to a measly 500 Spadas instead. Are we in acceptance?"

Certainly, a reduction of half is good - but is it good enough?

>Accept the deal and pay the price
>Reject the deal; Remain in the town for a week and acquire supplies by sea instead
>Reject the deal; You'll just forage on the way
>Write-in

I'm also going to add - I do realize that the 'pacing' right now may feel a little slow, but be assured we'll be back to 'action' once I've got more free time, which hopefully will be soon. Hold on for now.

>>6256313
>Accept the deal and pay the price
Half off is extremely reasonable. Also no problem OP, I'm having a good time.

>>6256313
>>Accept the deal and pay the price
And thusly, he respects us a little bit more and we get supplies for half the price. Time is out greatest asset, so best not waste it on sea supplying.

>>6256313
>Accept the deal and pay the price

>>6256313
>Accept the deal and pay the price
we're not going to get it for free without hurting feelings, and we are all friends. tell him we will be sure to let the Spisa faction know how valiant this town has been, and the Potestate in particular etc

>>6256313
>Accept the deal and pay the price

Good deal for us

>>6256313
>Accept the deal and pay the price

>>6256313
>Accept the deal and pay the price

>>6256313
>Accept the deal and pay the price

No problem with pacing, we need some time between battles anyway. And yeah, half off is as good as we can hope for without alienating him. Take the W, grab our supplies, break some more heads.

>>6256324
>>6256330
>>6256334
>>6256361
>>6256428
>>6256444
>>6256485
>>6256512
"Accept the deal" wins - might take a while longer to update due to traffic, but it'll get out today.

"Your offer is fair, and I would be happy to take it. I'll have my quartermaster hand over the coin when I return to the encampment." you say, to the man's relief.

"Of course, Don Alessandro. I shall see to it that you are given the supplies by tomorrow. As a token of good will, I have yet one more 'course' to offer before your lordship retires to your quarters - which I, of course, have already prepared for a man of your high esteem."

Though you were quite full, and already prepared to finish this event, it would have been rude to deny such a request - and of course, you were no stranger to being offered odd foods and drinks from distant lands. In this age where sailing has taken men to far flung corners of the globe, providing exotic items had become all but necessary to display your welath. Amidst the chatter of the other men in the table, you wait for the 'last course'

What soon arrives before you, however, is not a 'course', but a pot - an ornate brass drinking pot, with a curious long and curved beak.

"What I offer to you, your lordship, is an exquisite drink from the far west - Koffie, the sacred drink of the Fasian Emir." speaks your host, as his servants pour you and your other noblemen a cup of the thick black liquid. If you remember correctly, the Fasians were a people belonging to the far in the west, beyond even the borders of Mauva, where the vast stretch of the Mirevalian Empire ended, a hot and arid land filled with inhuman beings with armored skin. His Imperial Majesty, Teodor XI, was currently fighting against these men.

You ignore the Potestate as he brags of the many 'benefits' of the drink - you've heard this manner of speech about countless products from merchants and other noblemen who wished to impress you with whatever good they had got their hands on. The drink, you find, is not particularly to your taste either, being bitter and leathery, as though someone had made a syrup out of a boiled shoe and added only the barest hint of sweetness.

Your face, of course, shows nothing.

In the next day, your wagons are filled with the supplies you had bought, and after another 'parting meal' from Messer Ganieri, you and your regiment return to your march (though you cannot help but notice the increase in the number of sutlers and civilian wagons following your force from a distance)

+ RESERVE INCREASED

With a new month, the time to pay the soldiery arrives yet again, leaving you with a worrying 11,084 Imperii. Though you will be safe for this next month, the same cannot be said of the one after that. You have but one month left worth of wages on your warchest.

In a more positive note, you have finally arrived at the final stretch of marching before you arrive in Montechia - two, perhaps three weeks more, and you shall finally be joined with your liege's army yet again. No more cities stand in your way - there is only the road left! Despite this, you cannot help but feel you are not entirely safe. The odd tale told by the men of Sonero when it came to their destruction of their enemies makes you wonder if they were truly wiped out to the last - or if their forces march yet still.

Nevertheless, a new week requires new orders, and it is your duty to give them!

WEEKLY ARMY TASKS

Field Handbook - https://rentry.org/TercioQuest (Outdated)

SCOUTING DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to scouting efforts (If so, which?)
>Remove an unit from scouting efforts (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

FORAGING DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to foraging efforts (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to another effort (If so, which task, and which units?)
>Keep things as they are

In a more positive note, you have finally arrived at the final stretch of marching before you arrive in Montechia - two, perhaps three weeks more, and you shall finally be joined with your liege's army yet again. No more cities stand in your way - there is only the road left! Despite this, you cannot help but feel you are not entirely safe. The odd tale told by the men of Sonero when it came to their destruction of their enemies makes you wonder if they were truly wiped out to the last - or if their forces march yet still.

Nevertheless, a new week requires new orders, and it is your duty to give them!

WEEKLY ARMY TASKS

Field Handbook - https://rentry.org/TercioQuest (Outdated)

SCOUTING DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to scouting efforts (If so, which?)
>Remove an unit from scouting efforts (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

FORAGING DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to foraging efforts (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to another effort (If so, which task, and which units?)
>Keep things as they are

>>6257425
I think our current situation is that we moved all foragers to scouts so we could arrive fast, right?


SCOUTING DETAILS
> both skirmish units to scouting
reason: we don't know if there are enemies up ahead

FORAGING DETAILS
> both cavalry units for foraging
reason: we only have 2 weeks of food for a 2-3 week journey

OTHER:
> have the knights as a rear guard in the marching order, banda grisa as the vanguard
reason: narrative fluff (I don't expect an army to come from behind but seems sensible)

>>6257425
>Remove an unit from scouting efforts
1st Lancers and 2nd Lancers. I think our main force should have more cavalry screening than it currently does

FORAGING
>Keep things as they are

>>6257425
>We weren't poisoned
>We weren't ambushed
>We weren't locked in a banquet hall that's lit on fire
WTF

Supporting >>6257463

I’m going to argue for no foragers. It’s not fun but we can forage when we get to the siege. We have a month before we just can’t pay our army anymore and who’s to say how long the siege will be or how much we will gain from it. Worst case, we can link up with the siege and then go forage in strength while the Prince sieges the city. Not carrying that damn cannon and footmen will massively increase our speed

>>6257677
The cannon and footmen ain't foraging anyway, so I'm not sure what you mean

>>6257425
SCOUTING DETAILS
>Keep as it is
Maximum coverage. They'll look out for enemies and find foraging opportunities.

FORAGING DETAILS:
>Add unit(s) to foraging efforts
8th-13th companies

>>6257743
Meant more so the traveling army doesn’t have to worry about not having cavalry cover as it moves while we try to forage. In my mind, the quicker we get to the siege the quicker we can resolve it. I’m worried about running out of money lmao

>>6257463
Support.

>>6257677
Is there any benefit to not foraging though? We'll have more scouts, but unless there's an entire army waiting to ambush us I don't think there's anything to worry about. Worst case scenario the army that laid siege to Sonero regrouped, but they'll have awful morale and will not be at full strength.

>>6257463
>>6257649
>>6257839
This plan wins.

>ROLL FOUR SETS OF 1D100 FOR POSSIBLE EVENTS AND SUCCESSES DURING THE WEEK

Rolled 1 (1d100)

>>6258203

Rolled 82 (1d100)

>>6258203
Off to a flying start.

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>6258204
Not good

Rolled 93 (1d100)

>>6258203

>>6258204
>>6258205
>>6258206
>>6258221
Well, I'm not gonna lie, I was hoping you'd get a roll like this.

It's gonna be pretty interesting, but it'll take a while - writing.

>>6258223
Surely if the QM wants an outcome... it's good for us... right..........? ;__;

Alright, my editing software seems to be on the fritz, so sadly,I'll have to delay the update to tomorrow.

Hopefully, it'll be worth the wait.

>>6258348
;_____;

>>6258263
It didn't even cross my mind that the outcome might be good for us

>>6258204
Oh.

You continue to trot upon your horse as your regiment continues to march through the sea of hills, making its way towards your ever approaching goal. Already two months have passed since you had begun this journey, this small 'campaign' of yours. Soon, you would join your noblemen in the siege of this city, and Splendour willing, you would see it through without too great a loss.

As your mind wanders to the matter of the foraging parties that had gone out, your forces begin the turn amidst another small valley, a thick grove not too far ahead. With summer approaching, you hope to arrive in the siege before you are faced with the awful downpours of the season - though at the same time, your supplies were few enough that you had no choice but to acquire more if you wished to finish this journey on a full belly.

Nevertheless, the worst part had surely passed...you could only hope that the Siege of Montechia had greatly progre-

You hear a horn.

It is a terrible, horrible horn, a horn you had never heard, but knew nonetheless. A clarion call that echoed through the valley with a strenght that shook your very bones. Your horse, though tested from war, suddenly began to whine, moving erratically as if in great fear. The source could not be mistaken, not with how loud it was, with the birds that flew away in panic, taking to the skies.

They emerged from the forest.

Trees parting and bendings, branches snapping as though they were twigs by the masses that rose, standing up from the growth that to them must have looked like bushes. Tar-black cloaks, so dark it was though the sun itself refused to reach them, and all big enough to serve as a barge's sail, began to appear, one by one. You had barely noticed these things, however, for looking back were hundreds of eyes, and three of them each. You could not bear to move. You had hoped they were but exaggerations. Abominations. Legends.

"GIGANTES"![/B]

The man besides you yelled, and for a moment, you wished to yell too - for you knew what these were. They were Himmerians, Giants, Sbravani - however they were to be called, they were not men, yet compared to them, the beastly features of the Meios or the kite-shaped ears of the Straccians made such difference look small. Triclopic Goliaths, five meters tall when fully grown, hailing from the cold wastes of the depths of Himmeria, in the heart of the Mauvan Continent.

You continue to trot upon your horse as your regiment continues to march through the sea of hills, making its way towards your ever approaching goal. Already two months have passed since you had begun this journey, this small 'campaign' of yours. Soon, you would join your noblemen in the siege of this city, and Splendour willing, you would see it through without too great a loss.

As your mind wanders to the matter of the foraging parties that had gone out, your forces begin the turn amidst another small valley, a thick grove not too far ahead. With summer approaching, you hope to arrive in the siege before you are faced with the awful downpours of the season - though at the same time, your supplies were few enough that you had no choice but to acquire more if you wished to finish this journey on a full belly.

Nevertheless, the worst part had surely passed...you could only hope that the Siege of Montechia had greatly progre-

You hear a horn.

It is a terrible, horrible horn, a horn you had never heard, but knew nonetheless. A clarion call that echoed through the valley with a strenght that shook your very bones. Your horse, though tested from war, suddenly began to whine, moving erratically as if in great fear. The source could not be mistaken, not with how loud it was, with the birds that flew away in panic, taking to the skies.

They emerged from the forest.

Trees parting and bendings, branches snapping as though they were twigs by the masses that rose, standing up from the growth that to them must have looked like bushes. Tar-black cloaks, so dark it was though the sun itself refused to reach them, and all big enough to serve as a barge's sail, began to appear, one by one. You had barely noticed these things, however, for looking back were hundreds of eyes, and three of them each. You could not bear to move. You had hoped they were but exaggerations. Abominations. Legends.

"GIGANTES"!

The man besides you screamed, and for a moment, you wished to scream too - for you knew what these were. They were Himmerians, Giants, Sbravani - however they were to be called, they were not men, yet compared to them, the beastly features of the Meios or the kite-shaped ears of the Straccians made such difference look small. Triclopic Goliaths, five meters tall when fully grown, hailing from the cold wastes of the depths of Himmeria, in the heart of the Mauvan Continent.

Millenia past, their ancestors had ruled most of the continent, reigning with such terror that even now, children in Mirevale were frightened with tales of man-eating giants coming from beyond the mountains. The Sbravani - their descendants, and claimants to their legacy, stood amidst one of the few states that could yet challenge the might of the Empire; Only the League of Bach, and their vast and wealthy territories, could stand aside them in claiming such a feat. Such was their strength that a single company of their kind could fetch a monthly price as high as most regiments in their entirety.

And now, one such company had emerged from the treeline, with intent no less clearly murderous.

Before you could even give the first order, these giants, some long tool in their hands, began to spin it. Slings. You scrambled to tell your men to move, to pull back with your retinue, sprinting out of the road the fastest you could. A sharp whistling sound from above told you that you were too late.

Loud thundering, explosions, a barrage of cannonballs exploding right besides you as men were turned into a thin mist. The screaming of the wounded now joined those of the panicking. You knew not what to do.

Suddenly, you were shaked out of your stupor by the captain of your retinue, Hidalgo Bartolomé.

"Sire!" he yelled, almost dragging you and your horse further away from the road. "These are Grenade Slingers! They're no less deadly than a cannon, each of them! The men need orders fast, or they'll break!

He is right - you must not let yourself be taken by panic, not now when so much yet can be done! But what can you do?

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Charge them at all costs, with all units!
>Run for the hills! They'll not be able to hit you there!
>Call up your knights, have them charge while your arquebusiers approach them!
>Write-in

>>6258828
>>Call up your knights, have them charge while your arquebusiers approach them!


The best way to beat an ambush is to counter attack, but we can't lose our head.

>>6258828
>Run for the hills! They'll not be able to hit you there!
How terrifying. Thankfully they were a little too impatient with their ambush and only attacked the units in front. Let's retreat, regroup, and set up a counter-attack.

>>6258828
>Call up your knights, have them charge while your arquebusiers approach them!
If we run now it can easily turn into a rout

>>6258828
>Call up your knights, have them charge while your arquebusiers approach them!

>>6258828
>Charge them at all costs, with all units!

>>6258854
Normally, I'd agree with this suggestion but I don't think the terrain favors running, some troops can reach the woods but most would have to run uphill and be exposed that whole time

>>6258828
>Charge them at all costs, with all units!
Oh man. I kinda don't want to send our knights because we're likely to lose them, but we need to kill these things.

>>6259001
That was my thought, that if we send in the knights, they might get eaten and morale will plummet and no one else will go near the gigantes

An all out charge is just as panicked and will likely make things worse. We have to keep things in order, our knight can handle them while our guns get in position. As well, we have to take into account that there might be more enemies we can't see getting position.

>>6258828
>Call up your knights, have them charge while your arquebusiers approach them!

Time to slay some giants!

>>6258828
>Call up your knights, have them charge while your arquebusiers approach them!

hopefully the knights can spread out with their charge (as if charging a cannon).

>>6258828
>Call up your knights, have them charge while your arquebusiers approach them!
:(

>>6258850
>>6258856
>>6258868
>>6259117
>>6259175
>>6259183
Call Up Your Knights wins - writing.

You'd like to run for the hills and flee from such a danger, but you know your men have no chance of outrunning a giant - with legs as long as theirs, they must surely be as swift as a horse even on foot. You must stand and fight! If not for your life, then for those of your men, for the civilians you follow, for your dear Joan, who even now must be far behind you, accompanying your property in the wagon trains!

"Have the arquebusiers assault! Where are my knights? We must harass those giants while the firelocks get in range!" you demand.

"In the rear, sire! They were assigned to the rear!" replies Bartolomé. Indeed, because you assigned your knights to the rear, they are yet a ways to arrive, though even now, you can see their forms galloping down the valley.

As they gallop, however, your men already advance; the soldiers of the Banda Grisa, whom you had assigned to the vanguard, take the field, close enough that within moments, their men were within firing range. Though before they could fire, you heard it again: the whistling off the approaching balls, flying through the air.

When their barrage of explosion begins again, you are far enough to look at the horrid sight. Many of them explode too early, blowing up mid-flight as though in a fireworks show; many more, you imagine, don't explode at all. Yet the ones who do, they do so with impressive power, exploding in a cloud of scattered dust and debris. Though by some great luck, none of the grenades hit a unit dead-on, the screaming that follows tells you that the shrapnel sent these explosions is no less deadly.

You'd like to run for the hills and flee from such a danger, but you know your men have no chance of outrunning a giant - with legs as long as theirs, they must surely be as swift as a horse even on foot. You must stand and fight! If not for your life, then for those of your men, for the civilians you follow, for your dear Joan, who even now must be far behind you, accompanying your property in the wagon trains!

"Have the arquebusiers assault! Where are my knights?" you yell. "We need them now! We must harass those giants while the firelocks get in range!"

"In the rear, sire! They were assigned to the rear!" replies Bartolomé. Indeed, because you assigned your knights to the rear, they are yet a ways to arrive, though even now, you can see their forms galloping down the valley.

As they gallop, however, your men already advance; the soldiers of the Banda Grisa, whom you had assigned to the vanguard, take the field, close enough that within moments, their men were within firing range. Though before they could fire, you heard it again: the whistling off the approaching balls, flying through the air.

When their barrage of explosion begins again, you are far enough to look at the horrid sight. Many of them explode too early, blowing up mid-flight as though in a fireworks show; many more, you imagine, don't explode at all. Yet the ones who do, they do so with impressive power, exploding in a cloud of scattered dust and debris. Though by some great luck, none of the grenades hit a unit dead-on, the screaming that follows tells you that the shrapnel sent these explosions is no less deadly.

You'd like to run for the hills and flee from such a danger, but you know your men have no chance of outrunning a giant - with legs as long as theirs, they must surely be as swift as a horse even on foot. You must stand and fight! If not for your life, then for those of your men, for the civilians you follow, for your dear Joan, who even now must be far behind you, accompanying your property in the wagon trains!

"Have the arquebusiers assault! Where are my knights?" you yell. We need them now! must harass those giants while the firelocks get in range!"

"In the rear, sire! They were assigned to the rear!" replies Bartolomé. Indeed, because you assigned your knights to the rear, they are yet a ways to arrive, though even now, you can see their forms galloping down the valley.

As they gallop, however, your men already advance; the soldiers of the Banda Grisa, whom you had assigned to the vanguard, take the field, close enough that within moments, their men were within firing range. Though before they could fire, you heard it again: the whistling off the approaching balls, flying through the air.

When their barrage of explosion begins again, you are far enough to look at the horrid sight. Many of them explode too early, blowing up mid-flight as though in a fireworks show; many more, you imagine, don't explode at all. Yet the ones who do, they do so with impressive power, exploding in a cloud of scattered dust and debris. Though by some great luck, none of the grenades hit a unit dead-on, the screaming that follows tells you that the shrapnel sent these explosions is no less deadly.

Still so, the arquebusiers of the Banda Grisa maintain their morale, and fire off a wounded yet still firm barrage. In the distance, a few of the triclopes at the front of their troop seem to fall over, their bodies immediately dragged by their fellows in the back of the line. Whether they are dead or wounded you do not know, but the fall in their numbers leaves you with hope: these behemoths can be felled, these giants are no less mortal than you are!

As your arquebusiers rush down the road to join their fellows, your pikemen opening the way, you hear too the battle calls of your knights, their horns blaring as they gallop down the valley, still distant yet finally in play. If your supply train had been longer, how much more they would have taken? It does not matter, however, for your foes prepare to launch another barrage, and you have doubts you will be as luck as you were this time!

You could yet continue this charge, and perhaps even join them as you run down the giants like ancient warriors of old...but how shall you fell such great foes? You would be like newborns mounted on rats to these Himmerian monsters. The death toll would be great. Yet at the same time, to hold back, to retreat out of their range and simply wait for your men to win a firing duel, would that too not be a condemnation of hundreds of your own to an untimely death? Are your men even capable of holding off as they are bombarded by a company's worth of cannons, or will they merely break, leaving you for dead?

They have begun lighting the fuses; you've not much more time!

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Lead the charge of the Knights yourself; Today you become a Giantslayer!
>Have the knights charge, but do not go yourself, spare your life the risk!
>Move out of the range of these slingers and have your arquebusiers exchange fire with them!
>Write-in

>>6260131
>Have the knights charge, but do not go yourself, spare your life the risk!

I think an artillery duel with the giants is a really bad idea. Hopefully meeting them in close combat will force them to stop slnging grenades at us.

>>6260131
>Lead the charge of the Knights yourself; Today you become a Giantslayer!

>>6260131
>Have the knights charge, but do not go yourself, spare your life the risk!
Frankly we'd just be in their way otherwise.

>>6260131
>Lead the charge of the Knights yourself; Today you become a Giantslayer!

LETS KILL A GIANT!

>>6260131
>>Lead the charge of the Knights yourself; Today you become a Giantslayer!
I'M BALLSY, I'M A STUD, I DON'T HAVE TO COMMAND OTHERS WHAT I CANNOT DO, LIKE YOU

Guys, think for a second, our guy is a bookworm. He's gonna get crushed to death like a chump. I have a way better idea.

>>6260131
>Write-in
>Tell our Arquebusiers to wait to fire until the exact moment the giants light their grenades
If we manage to hit even a few while they're loading, the grenade will end up falling down and blowing up on their own faces. They'll blow themselves up.

>>6260216
Supporting this. I want to be a giantslayer but if we do we're gonna end the quest early lmao

>>6260216
>Write-in
+1
Which I think combines with this
>Have the knights charge, but do not go yourself, spare your life the risk!

So have the knights charge (which should distract some of the giants away from our Arquebusiers) and have the Arquebusiers try to time their shots to interrupt the firing. Any new Arquebusiers units should be spread out from the others

We can stay and continue to direct the battle.

>>6260281
I wouldn't have the Knights charge, they might get blown up by the grenades too. If the explosion ends up catching whatever place they're pulling those nades from it'll be a big kaboom

>>6260171
>>6260180
>>6260207
Anons, if we die fighting giants, we'll never get to have 12 kids with Joan

>>6260287
hmm I thought that the giants are about to 'fire' and our arquebusiers are about to 'fire' as well, and that the knights are still too far away to reach

maybe QM can clarify, but I didn't think the knights would get close enough. If it is likely they would become collateral damage then sure, just have them ride around to the flank but not engage just yet.

>>6260281
>>6260216
>>6260207
Changing my vote to support the write-in and keeping ourselves back. As much as it is really a Big Pussy Manoeuvre (BPM), unfortunately our guy is not strong enough yet.

>>6260299
This is a risk I am willing to take.

>>6260299
NO GUTS NO GLORY!

>>6260131
Support >>6260281

>>6260281

I support this as well.

>>6260281
I’ll support this. I want to be a ballsy stud but we’re a dork and we definitely don’t have the forces to mount a great charge

>>6260281
+1

>>6260299
>12 kids
Anon, unless you intend on having those kids be bastards, I'm not sure that's a great choice as a Nobleman. Ain't you ever played CK2?

>>6260781
TBF I doubt "meios"/beastfolk can inherit fiefs in this setting. Plus, generally a child's legal status is inherited from their mother, at least irl afaik

>>6260216
>>6260281
These two write-ins win - writing.

>>6261341
Although a theoretical child between you and Joan would indeed be unable to inherit Portblanc (If only because she is a serf and thus inelligible for marriage for a noble) it is technically not impossible for a Meio to inherit - in the right place. While the Mainland Imperial Territory of Mirevale would indeed never allow such an event, in the Imperial colonies in the continent of Samica, there is a considerable amount of Half-Beastfolk who were elevated to a "Regional" nobility in exchange for the surrender of their kingdoms and tribes into the Empire.

Few are the titles more impressive than that of Giantslayer. In the olden days, before the advent of crossbows or gunpowder, it was one reserved for the mightiest. Indeed, one of the very highest nobles of Segoma, Don Salazar, hailed from a family who bore such a grace: the Matagigantes.

You, however - you're not Giantslayer. You're no great warrior. These giants would trample you underfoot as though you were a child. But you are a commander still, and a commander must not despair in the face of a great foe. You have an idea.

"Order the Arquebusiers to hold! Have them hold until they're about to launch the weapons! They must wait until the greandes are lit!" you bellow, quickly ordering a man to tranmsit the orders. All around the valleyside, your men continue to advance, knights galloping through the flank, your arquebusiers marching as swiftly as they can to join the Gray Band in their firing line.

You almost forget to notice the whistling.

A loud crack that almost deafens you, a cloud of smoke and light in the very front of your eyes, a sharp yet luckily light pain as you feel a jagged piece of metal bounce off your plate armor. By a few meters alone, a few seconds of movement, you were saved from an early grave. Many more of your men, you see, were not so luckily. Yet you cannot spare a thought for them when the time for your stratagem glows closer. You stare, rapt, as your arquebusiers hold their guns aloft, waiting for the go. If the enemy notices their wait, it does not stop them.

From this distance, a man would have had a hard time seeing one light a fuse; even one as well eyed as your Joan might find it difficult. With these giants, however? Not so much. Readying another volley of grenades, the mercenaries light the fuses of their grenades, and that is when you men fire!

It works! Perhaps a bullet strikes a grenade, or perhaps the fuse had been lit too short, but mere moments after the barrage, a grand explosion rings out across the giant's formation, like a ship whose blackpowder magazine was hit! If they were not hurt before, they certainly are now! You've no doubt that explosion must have killed more than a few of the giants. Even before the smoke dissipates, the ones who had not been caught seem to hesitate in their throwing. Had this truly never happened before to them?

Nevertheless, you have just achieved an edge, broken their attack and struck a blow to their morale! You must not let this advantage be lost! You must follow up: but how?

CHOOSE YOUR OPTIONS
>Keep firing! Now that you know how to stop them from throwing, you can grind them down with the firelocks
>Have your knights charge while they're still confused
>Order an all-around charge from your army
>Write-in

Apologies for the long pause, I got distracted.

>>6261525
>Order an all-around charge from your army
One good thing about fighting giants is that our shot can fire at them over the heads of the infantry

>>6261525
>Keep firing! Now that you know how to stop them from throwing, you can grind them down with the firelocks
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

>>6261525
>Have your knights charge while they're still confused

>>6261525
>Have your knights charge while they're still confused

Now, while they are reeling!

>>6261525
>Keep firing! Now that you know how to stop them from throwing, you can grind them down with the firelocks

It is such great luck that they have stopped firing, let's keep doing this and not get close enough to find out if they really eat people

>>6261525
>Have your knights charge while they're still confused
They're confused, when they start being brought down by puny humans they should start running.

>>6261525
>Keep firing! Now that you know how to stop them from throwing, you can grind them down with the firelocks

>While the riflemen have them stuck, begin harassing with the horsemen

>>6261547
Total Charge

>>6261567
>>6261888
>>6261942
Keep Firing

>>6261593
>>6261858
>>6261937
Have your Knights charge

Well, we've got a tie - any changes? I'll wait a while before tossing a coin.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>6262757
Well, it's been one hour.

Time for coin.

>>6262790
Knights charge it is, writing.

"We cannot afford to let up pressure! Run them down!"

Your aides comply, and without missing a beat, blare out their horns in message. It is simple, and your knights understand it well enough, their gallop raising in speed as they cross the valley. Though trading fires with them might have worked, there was no certainty that such an explosion would have worked.

Instead, you watched your knights, rapt, looking as they lowered their lances and crashed into the ranks of the giants, lances pointeed upwards, just barely able to reach their upper torsos. Those who had been wounded are the easiest of targets, unable to fight back against your horsemen who, outnumbering them two to one, spear them as though they were boars in a hunt.

Yet not all are wounded, and the ones who fight back do so with the strength of legends - unsheathing sidearms longer than the very spears your knights have, they charge into their attackers. You watch several men get cleaved by a single swipe of one such blade, plate armor crushed and cut as though it were butter. Worst of all, tough as they are, your knights are all but forced to abandon their lances in the bodies of those they have struck. In the face of such power, they quickly back off, breaking their assault to leave th reach of their perilous foe.

And yet, the enemy does not follow. The giants, whom you had heard could sprint as quickly as a horse gallops, stay behind - and then, retreat into the forest, dragging those amidst their wounded who were still able to move. Your knights, cowed by their strength and unable to follow them into the thick forest ahead, are unable to do anything but watch.

As quickly as it had begun, this ambush of yours had already ended. You consider chasing the giants, but knowing the forests around this region must have been far better known to these mercenaries than you, such a thought falls by the wayside. All that is left is to tend to your wounded: you tell your men to fetch the brothers of the Santo Cor

"Don Alessandro?" says Bartolomé, interrupting your thinking. "We should send some doctors to check on the giants. One of the lot may still yet be alive."

"Do you mean we should attempt to take one as prisoner?{/i]" you say, incredulous. You knew giants to be the most dangerous of prisoners, for reasons all too obvious. The chains necessary to keep one of the Triclopeans bound are of the kind one would use to chain a small boat!

"None but the richest could afford a troop of mercenary gigantes, meu seynor. These men must have been hired by the Fortelli themselves; they must know plenty. I can assure your lordship that no ill event would occur."

The man does raise a good point: but is it a risk you are willing to take?

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Attempt to save one of the giants
>No, let them all die
>Write-in

"We cannot afford to let up pressure! Run them down!"

Your aides comply, and without missing a beat, blare out their horns in message. It is simple, and your knights understand it well enough, their gallop raising in speed as they cross the valley. Though trading fires with them might have worked, there was no certainty that such an explosion would have worked.

Instead, you watched your knights, rapt, looking as they lowered their lances and crashed into the ranks of the giants, lances pointeed upwards, just barely able to reach their upper torsos. Those who had been wounded are the easiest of targets, unable to fight back against your horsemen who, outnumbering them two to one, spear them as though they were boars in a hunt.

Yet not all are wounded, and the ones who fight back do so with the strength of legends - unsheathing sidearms longer than the very spears your knights have, they charge into their attackers. You watch several men get cleaved by a single swipe of one such blade, plate armor crushed and cut as though it were butter. Worst of all, tough as they are, your knights are all but forced to abandon their lances in the bodies of those they have struck. In the face of such power, they quickly back off, breaking their assault to leave th reach of their perilous foe.

And yet, the enemy does not follow. The giants, whom you had heard could sprint as quickly as a horse gallops, stay behind - and then, retreat into the forest, dragging those amidst their wounded who were still able to move. Your knights, cowed by their strength and unable to follow them into the thick forest ahead, are unable to do anything but watch.

As quickly as it had begun, this ambush of yours had already ended. You consider chasing the giants, but knowing the forests around this region must have been far better known to these mercenaries than you, such a thought falls by the wayside. All that is left is to tend to your wounded: you tell your men to fetch the brothers of the Santo Cor

"Don Alessandro?" says Bartolomé, interrupting your thinking. "We should send some doctors to check on the giants. One of the lot may still yet be alive."

"Do you mean we should attempt to take one as prisoner?" you say, incredulous. You knew giants to be the most dangerous of prisoners, for reasons all too obvious. The chains necessary to keep one of the Triclopeans bound are of the kind one would use to chain a small boat!

"None but the richest could afford a troop of mercenary gigantes, meu seynor. These men must have been hired by the Fortelli themselves; they must know plenty. I can assure your lordship that no ill event would occur."

The man does raise a good point: but is it a risk you are willing to take?

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>Attempt to save one of the giants
>No, let them all die
>Write-in

>>6262895
The fact that these giants are here ambushing us instead of lifting the siege worries me.
>No, let them all die
How the hell do we transport a five meter tall prisoner? And if we let him walk, he can escape or kick someone to death

>>6262895
>Attempt to save one of the giants
No man becomes legend by playing it safe.

>>6262895
>No, let them all die
Bartolomé is right about the opportunity and everything, but it just doesn't seem like something we can feasibly do

>>6262895
>Attempt to save one of the giants

Fortune favours the bold friends!
Lets save one!

>>6262895
>Attempt to save one of the giants

Not a complete wipe, but we hurt them badly. Might as well get as much intel as we can.

>>6262895
>Attempt to save one of the giants
His buddies have run off without him and if he tries to escape we'll kill him. I see no way this could possibly go wrong.

>>6262895
>Attempt to save one of the giants

>>6262895
>Attempt to save one of the giants

>>6262895
>Write-in
Not super interested in taking the giants but can we take any of their grenades? We may not have launchers but I can think of plenty of uses for em

>>6263356
Aren't they like cannonball-sized? No way they'd be able to throw them. And it's probably not the same caliber as our cannon either.

>>6263358
Could use them for anti-siege works, or even traps. Light em and roll them down a hill.

>>6263360
Suppose I don’t mean anti-siege but actual siege efforts themselves.

Already at page ten? That's no good.

Anyway, thread has been already archived, but we've still got a few updates to go. If i have free time, I might do one today, but no promises.

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6231466/

>>6262895
>>Attempt to save one of the giants

Attempting to save one of the giants wins, writing.

"Alright. See to it that one of the giants is taken as prisoners."

Bartolomé nods, and soon, the process of post-battle care begins. Your dead are counted and identified, then laid to rest in graves. The wounded are cared for where they can, and it is once again that you are reminded of the considerable abilities of the Santo Cor medics. You know very well that not half of the men who lived thanks to their care would have done so without them. You can only surmount that it is their fanatical devotion to the maintenance of the body - of the Splendour that resides in the 'human form' - that has given them the divine guidance with which they can achieve such feats.

You are also told that they, indeed, managed to save one of the giants, who had been brought down by the explosions from your little stratagem. The explosion of the grenades had covered the goliath in shards, soot, and burns of the most painful manner all across his face and upper chest. You are assured that 'he' has been put well strongly to sleep with medicine, and been bound by thick ropes and chains nonetheless. Yet so large is he, you are told the men have had no choice but to pick out an entire wagon to carry him in.

You reckon it'll probably be a while until the giant is in a good enough position to speak.

With such matters finished, your regiment continues on its road, though certainly a lot more wary of the trees. When your scouting details return, they are very much surprised to hear of the attack; it seems that the Himmerian mercenaries had somehow evaded their sights. Luckily, none other troop seems to have done so; for the rest of the week you manage to march without any other issues.

In foraging matters, however, things are a bit more grim. Though your foragers are capable of finding a decent some villages not yet emptied, plenty have been either already sacked clean, or entirely abandoned or burnt to the ground. You are not sure whether these latter are the handiwork of your own army's parties, of bandits and free companies who had taken the opportunity to play the role of brigand, or of villagers themselves who abandoned their dwellings out of fear of military attacks. Nonetheless, your resources are decreasing, and you're not quite sure you'll be able to reach Montechia before they run out.

- RESERVE DECREASED

Still, you are yet on the march, and the final stretch grows ever closer.

WEEKLY ARMY TASKS

Field Handbook - https://rentry.org/TercioQuest (Outdated)

SCOUTING DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to scouting efforts (If so, which?)

>Remove an unit from scouting efforts (If so, which?)
Keep things as they are

FORAGING DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to foraging efforts (If so, which?)
>Remove an unit from foraging efforts (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to another effort (If so, which task, and which units?)
>Remove an unit from another effort (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

In foraging matters, however, things are a bit more grim. Though your foragers are capable of finding a decent some villages not yet emptied, plenty have been either already sacked clean, or entirely abandoned or burnt to the ground. You are not sure whether these latter are the handiwork of your own army's parties, of bandits and free companies who had taken the opportunity to play the role of brigand, or of villagers themselves who abandoned their dwellings out of fear of military attacks. Nonetheless, your resources are decreasing, and you're not quite sure you'll be able to reach Montechia before they run out.

- RESERVE DECREASED

Still, you are yet on the march, and the final stretch grows ever closer. You must not yet lose hope.

WEEKLY ARMY TASKS

Field Handbook - https://rentry.org/TercioQuest (Outdated)

SCOUTING DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to scouting efforts (If so, which?)
>Remove an unit from scouting efforts (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

FORAGING DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to foraging efforts (If so, which?)
>Remove an unit from foraging efforts (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
>Add unit(s) to another effort (If so, which task, and which units?)
>Remove an unit from another effort (If so, which?)
>Keep things as they are

>>6264096
>Our scouts missed an entire company of 5-meters-tall giants
It seems like all of the competent scouts died in that assault

>Switch all lancers to foraging
>Put the Tenth company of shot to guarding the giant. Half of them are to march with lit matches at all times

>>6264134
Support

>>6264099
SCOUTING DETAILS
>2nd Skirmish
>1st Lancers
>EVERYONE ELSE: return to main army
To me this battle demonstrated how important the calvary is, it would have been really great to have the light horse fighting the giants.There can be way fewer scouts, all they have to do is run back to the main army

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
>Put the Tenth company of shot to guarding the giant. Half of them are to march with lit matches at all times

>>6264099
>Switch all lancers to foraging

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
>Kill and eat the giant with the entire army, and make a morale-boosting speech on how we are all Giant-slayers today.

Running out of supplies before we even make it to a siege is a very bad idea. We could even ruin the siege for the main army because they'll have to supply us.

>>6264169
You want to...cannibalize the giant? You realize he's still just a dude, right?

>>6264169
That doesn't seem very proper, nor palatable. I don't think the men would be very encouraged by it.

>>6264134
Support.

>>6264169
I think the giant-slaying thing doesn't count unless you actually killed it in battle.

>>6264134
support

>>6264134
+1

And -1 to eating the giants, we'd look like a psycho.

I'm not going to lock in the votes yet, since there's still time (even though it's near unanimous), but just for the sake of getting things going, I'll go ahead and say

>ROLL FOUR SETS OF 1D100 FOR POSSIBLE EVENTS AND SUCCESSES DURING THE WEEK

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>6264775
What could possibly go wrong?

>>6264777
NOTHING!!!

Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>6264775
>>6264777
>mfw the DC is 100

Rolled 100 (1d100)

>>6264775

>>6264783
At your service, seynor

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>6264797

Rollin'

>>6264797

>>6264797
Holy shit.

>>6264777
>>6264783
>>6264797
>>6264813
Well, now that's some mighty good rolls, anons. I'll be writing. This should be the penultimate update of the thread.

You have yet to get accustomed to the weather of this region, this Tilano. It is warm and sunny, yet also humid, damp. The greenery of this land puts the forests of your own homeland to shame. You have read once, that some lands to the distant northwest of Mirevale, above even the drylands of Fasia, hold vast 'jungles' within them, forests so thick with growth that roads are reclaimed by the wilderness the very next week they are made. You've no surety of the truth of this statement, but after the ever increasing stream of rain and mud you've had to face these latest weeks, you'd do well to never set a foot in such a hellhole.

It is very surprising, then, when you hear that your scouts have found an entirely new road that had not been included in your maps, not too distant from the shoreline. It must have been made after this map of yours was drawn! You're not sure of where exactly it shall end, but close as it is to the coast, you've not much worry.

In foraging matters, your fortune is even greater; nestled in the valleys that coastal path, your men find yet another villa surrounded by wide and bountiful fields. Whether it had been left unfound by the rest of your army, or perhaps even ignored such that the produce may flourish, you are not sure, but by the time your men had found it, they were already mid harvest. Though the villagers were unwilling to part with their produce, a few volleys from your skirmishers soon broke any fighting will, and you were left to reap the rewards.

+ RESERVE MAINTAINED
+ RESERVE INCREASED

Yes, so rich were these fields that you would have been able to feed your army for twice the time of your filled reserves, were you to take it, taking the wagons and oxen they too had left for your own usage. And with this shortcut you had found, you'd be able to reach Montechia in but one week all the same. It would certainly be of good help should the siege take longer; but then again, it is not strictly necessary, given the fleet that is there to aid and supply them.

>Increase your reserve to four weeks and fill it
>Increase your reserve to three weeks and fill it
>Keep things as they are

Regardless of what you chose, for tonight, your men would still yet celebrate: to those who had found the village, your skirmishers, it was the valuables that they had taken from the villagers homes. To the rest of your army, it was the fruits and wines, jams and meats they had found, and had been granted as repast for morale. That night, amidst a light drizzle and burning campfires, your men drank and ate with joy.

You, of course, were in your tent, going over papers and maps, reading the reports from Provençal and whatever else Hugues had sent your way. Joan, whose presence kept you company in such nights, had taken an early leave that she may sleep earlier today. You saw no reason to deny her. In the calm and quiet of your Lordly Tent, the cheering and drinking of men out in the distance, you could almost feel as though you were in Portblanc again.

Portblanc...

It had been, by now, around two months since your departure from your homeland. Your hair, which you had elected not to cut until victory was met, had already grown into a proper beard, your light brown hair locks nearly touching your shoulders. It would be untruthful to say you had not been away from your home for greater periods: you had spend more than a year in the Universitat Impériale, the Imperial University of Mascaloma, the Crown City of Mirevale.

But of course, that was different, was it not? In there, you had been but a few weeks of travel from your home, capable of sending and receiving letters all the while. You had hoped to do the same in this campaign, but having not spent any meaningful time waiting in the port towns of Tilano, you had never had the chance to do so. You were cut off from your old birthright, the estate which had been passed down to you by your forefathers, and all for the sake of this war in which you've no personal stake on.

Yet how can you complain, blessed with a fortunate origin as you are? Is this not the duty required of those of the blood for which such power and wealth is granted to them? In the end, you are not sure what to think of it. Indeed, you are not even sure of what you wished to achieve, once you had paid your debts in this conflict. What manner of greater goal could one such as you even achieve?

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION
>I want greater titles, greater power!
>I wish to increase my wealth tenfold, a hundredfold even.
>I wish to secure the future and safety of House Galliota
>I've no greater ambition, truly.
>Write-in

>>6265174
>Increase your reserve to four weeks and fill it
What if the fleet is waylaid by the enemy or inclement weather?

>>6265175
>I want greater titles, greater power!
Enough power to raise Joan to nobility so that she can me marriageable

>>6265174
>Increase your reserve to four weeks and fill it
>>6265175
>I wish to secure the future and safety of House Galliota
As Dom Toretto once said, “family.”

>>6265174
>Increase your reserve to four weeks and fill it
Is there any reason not to? Angering the peasants / making it more difficult to transport / ?


>>6265175
>I wish to secure the future and safety of House Galliota

>>6265174
>>Increase your reserve to four weeks and fill it

Since we don't know the supply situation at the siege, it wouldn't hurt to bring everything we can. Fleets can be delayed or interrupted, afterall.

>>6265175
>>I want greater titles, greater power!

>>6265179
Anon, we may need to consider a strategic marriage one day. I'm sure having a mistress is not out of the ordinary.

>>6265213
That's why we need enough power to not need a strategic marriage

>>6265175
>Increase your reserve to three weeks and fill it

>I've no greater ambition, truly.
To rule and to be a good stewart of our people, nothing more (and to marry our maid)

>>6265213
>Mistress
As much as I don't like to admit it, you have a point. Joan IS great, but she's also a
- Peasant
- Serf
- Different Race (species?)

There's no way in hell that an feudal empire is going to accept her as a valid wife. We need someone who can actually bear us a heir.

>>6265215
Anon, even Kings and Emperors needed strategic marriages. Plus, see above.

>>6265220
You give up so easily. Fie on you, sir!

>>6265222
He speaks the truth, anon.

>>6265222
Well, do (you) have a plan on how to get all the fancy medieval nobles to accept the quarter-furry son of a scullery maid as a "Cousin of the Emperor", i don't see any other way.

>>6265225
Simple; we garner fame and favor, ennoble Joan's father for some merit or other, Joan becomes a noblewoman, we wait for a couple of years to let people get used to it then marry her.

>>6265226
Pretty sure that as by >>6261362 Meios aren't allowed to be noblemen on the mainland, which would include Joan's father.

>>6265174
>Increase your reserve to four weeks and fill it
>>6265175
>I want greater titles, greater power!

>>6265227
Then we can move to Samica, make our fortune in the new lands, get money and power and ennoble Joan in one fell swoop. It's all coming together!

>>6265234
You wanna go live in furry africa?

Unless it's furry america. Not sure.

>>6265238
Yes, and have our son marry a catgirl too.

>>6265240
>25% human
>25% owl
>50% cat
Dios mio...el abominacion de la Samica....

>>6265226
Ok, so, they are literal beast people used as servants. This isn't realistic.

>>6265247
I can't help but feel like the fact that our protagonist basically owns slaves and our main love interest is one such slave is kinda overlooked.

>>6265250
It was a vote akin to voting to charge headlong into a wall of pikes.

>>6265174
>Increase your reserve to four weeks and fill it
Might as well.

>I wish to secure the future and safety of House Galliota

>>6265175
>Increase your reserve to three weeks and fill it
>I want greater titles, greater power!

What baffles me is that there were five people voting to have a crush on Joan in the first thread. Where are all of you motherfuckers? I voted against this crush, why do I have to do your job now?

>>6265491
I think the crush is cute, but it doesn't mean we actually have to follow through on it.

>>6265491
I'm still here. I'm not concerned about having a child that inherits the throne, I'm sure we have a halfway competent cousin or sonething, I'm interested in our cute star-crossed lovers romance with Joan

>>6265175
>I wish to secure the future and safety of House Galliota
... through titles, power and wealth? lol

>>6265491
you can find someone attractive but still not want to marry them.

>>6265174
>Increase your reserve to four weeks and fill it
>>6265175
QM, since this option has coalesced around joan I think maybe you should address how we envision our future (or the lack of it) with her next thread?
and TBC, the joan romance choice was made in the first thread
>http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6153604/#p6167950
>>6265250
TBF I feel it's accurate for a sheltered well-off guy to gloss over this kind of thing but I get the point

>>6265179
>>6265213
>>6265228
>>6265446
Greater Titles

>>6265190
>>6265194
>>6265558
Secure the Safety

I'm not locking it yet since there's still people to vote, but I might do an update today since I've actually got the time and because I don't want the thread to slide off before hte last update


>>6265250
It might not be much of a difference, but Joan is not a slave, but a serf. In Mirevale, the legal definition for slavery is of a person that is owned as property by an legal individual. Slavery was outlawed by Emperor Teodor XI by virtue of allowing the merchant class to compete with the free labor that the nobility is traditionally alotted.

Serfdom on the other hand does not consider the person as property, but as a bound servant. You can still buy their "Bond of Servitude", or sell it, but only the nobility are allowed to do it. It also has some very minimal protections to the serf in question, such as the right to be 'protected' by their liege. That is to say, you cannot kill or otherwise severely maim a serf unless they have been judged to be guilty of a crime.

>>6265630
>QM, since this option has coalesced around joan I think maybe you should address how we envision our future (or the lack of it) with her next thread?
I've been holding back so far on putting lock-ins on romance due to the fact that there might be more girl options, depending on whichever route you choose. I've been in a quest before where people locked in to their interest just to see another one they really liked later on be unavailable.

Do not worry, though, for the rest of the girls will not take too long to appear - depending on the options you choose.

>TBF I feel it's accurate for a sheltered well-off guy to gloss over this kind of thing but I get the point
It's a big peeve of mine of how period settings nearly always have the protagonist be some progressive forward thinker who despises all the bad stuff that was seen as perfectly normal during the time. Alessandro was born in a society that sees slavery and serfdom as perfectly normal things, and has no real reason to believe otherwise.

Of course, I'd also like to state that, as far as their treatment goes, Joan and her father were treated perfectly well by the Galliota Household due to being "Luxury" Servants rather than field workers or laborers. August was the chamberlain to the castle, while Joan was, and still is, Alessandro's personal maid.

>>6265630
I almost forgot too, you still need to pick an option for the ambition, anon.

>>6265174
>Increase your reserve to three weeks and fill it
>I want greater titles, greater power!

>>6265639
>>6265175
>I wish to secure the future and safety of House Galliota

>>6265638
>childhood friend brown monster girl slave
This is some isekai level shit

To the human form, one's maladies can be not only physical, but spiritual, as well. It is repeated well, in every sermon, of the taint and corruption that vile behavior may bring to the soul - and none, they repeat, are more insidious than that of rootless ambition: of the man who will turn to banditry, that he may gain wealth. Of the son that will kill his father, that he may gain his inheritance. As the church so speaks, it is worldly greed that brings ruin to man, that drives him to all acts of villainy out of thirst for more.

Yet, despite all this...

Despite all such knowledge, you cannot help but believe yourself to be deserving of more. Are you not a just liege? Have you not ruled wisely, even young, that territory which had been passed down to you? You had learned, during your time in university, of the modern theories of rulership, read the treatises both ancient and new of the ideal character of a lord. You knew of rulership, of commerce, of diplomacy, and in these past months, had learned as well the art of war. Were you not a noble of the modern age? What else could you do to be more worthy of greater powers?

If you had greater power, greater titles, greater lands, you could do so much more. Portblanc, wealthy as it is, is but a mere island, lacking the ability for projects of great size. You could sponsor the construction of canals, of roads, of modern ports of trade, of irrigation systems. You could construct libraries, pay men of wisdom to write books, and so much more else. You could even see to it that you could marry...!

...

The Blood of Galliota is not a widespread one. Your line, drawn from your father, is but the only one that bears its name. You've no branches, no cadet houses, no close relatives which could take the burden of leading it. Your brother, love him as you may, has ill chances of finding a wife, not with an infermity that renders him an outcast from noble circles. You, then, are the sole hope that your line may continue, the one who must ensure that this lineage that has for centuries worn the robe will not be ended as so many have.

To secure the future of the Galliota, you must bear a son; many sons, even. And yet...you have not.

You've already known, of course, the reason why: your affections for your dear Joan, who even now sleeps. You could wish nothing better than to hold her in your arms as one does a lady; not a mere mistress, not a mere tramp to fool around with, but a woman. Yet it is not to be, not with the stature of her birth. And thus, the reality remains, that you must yet find a wife, another woman to bear your children, if you are to ensure the continuation of your house.

It is ironic, is it not? That one who wished for power, who wished to raise his stature, who wished to elevate himself amidst the ranks of the nobility, would hesitate to use one's hand in marriage, that greatest of tools of politics. You know it would not be hard to find a woman with whose marriage would aid you greatly in your desires both in ambition and in family.

You know not the answer. You are not yet certain of what you might do. Putting down your pen and parchment, you ready yourself for sleep. Better off to avoid such irritant thoughts when there is war yet to be waged, and battles yet to be fought.

You sleep that night amidst the faint partying of the camp...

The final days of your march are none too different like any other on the field. Your wagons loaded plentifully with supplies for entire month, you continue on your found path, following it until you merge again with that known road, but a few days of travels away from your ever so sought goal. It is not long, after that, until you are met with a patrol - a friendly patrol, a foraging party, Castalla's men. Having recognized your banners, they approached you with great happiness, telling you that they had been told to expect friends coming from the west. With their guidance, you continued east, double timing your march at that final stretch.

It was early in the morning, the sky dark with clouds that talked of heavy rains to come. The grass was of a color of most verdant growth, of the manner that demands endless water. Upon your horse, you continued upon a rising hill, hooves beating upon the road.

You reached the summit.

>END OF ACT I - SONATA IN NERA
>FOG OF WAR WILL RETURN IN ACT I - THE SECOND MOVEMENT

I doubt there'll be any time for answers, given how I almost missed being able to post the end, but as usual, some questions and answers.

>Will you finally go back to your normal schedule?
Hopefully, yes.

>When will this quest return?
Luckily, it will be a lot sooner than the last time. If all goes right, I should have a new thread up sometime in the next two weeks.

>Should I expect more art like this?
Not really.

And some questions of your own, which you could also post in /qtg/ if you're still feeling like it

>What did you think of this thread?
>What were the strong points, and the weak ones?
>Did you enjoy the campaign mechanics?
>What would you like to see in future threads?