''Great and powerful he was, tempered in the ways of war from a young age, full of vigour and ideas. But in comparison with his father, he was overbearing and autocratic, though clever enough to hide it. His time in Mithras had given him a taste for absolute rule, and he would do his best to replicate it."

-Brother Dietpold of Marlhof monastery, Gesta Adlershorstenorum.

It was the summer of 1260 Anno Curia. After the initial setbacks suffered by the Duke of Greifswald, his eldest son and heir had brought back home new successes. Albrecht von Adlershorst had, with some success, reversed the gains made by the order since the unfortunate battle of Kleist, which saw his father crippled. Now, he had brought upon the Order of the Argent Star a new blow which erased the previous disgrace from the minds of the Greifswalder nobility.

Now, with the initiative once more on the side of the Greifswalders, the energetic heir of the duchy has resolved to use the gap in the enemy as best as possible. If he were to succeed and trample all the Vollinger Mark and Prauthia beneath the hooves of his steed. While Duke Dietrich recuperates in Rittersbach, his son Albrecht may very well claim for him a new crown….

General links of varying importance.

Pastebin: https://pastebin.com/u/Adlershorst

DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/adlershorst

Archive: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Settler%20Lord%20Quest

>>6259847 (OP)
The trembling of the hooves came ever closer to your vantage point. It was past six in the afternoon; you had been fighting the enemy since before midday. After it was done, most of the army returned to camp for their rations while the knights went off in pursuit of the enemy.

They had been most successful in that endeavour, the fields lay littered with the dead, mostly on their side, while some high-ranking nobles would be held for ransom. The order wasn't beaten; they could still field an army or another if they wished to leave their yet-unsieged castles, though you had the premonition they would remain on the defensive for a good while.

What was presented to you by the returning knights was a welcome piece of loot, though its actual material value was lacking. A black banner with on it the silver star of the order, with ten points, behind which are two crossed swords in silver as well. Signifying that your men had been able to capture the banner of the marshal of the order, a great personal victory. You would have the responsible knight rewarded in one way or the other.

The loss of such an object, while of little practical gain in comparison to gains in land and fortresses, would severely hamper the prestige of the order. Thus, it was decided to be used to taunt and mock the enemy, you had your horse trample it first to formally disgrace it in accordance with custom.

That night, you held council with the rest of the lords. With the latest army cleared from the field, you had once more found the need to consolidate and expand your gains within this territory; the forests out south along the Mozolavian border weren't a priority; they were difficult to fight in and held little in terms of castles and cities; such regions could be gained and lost with but one battle and weren't worth the fight; instead, two options were brewed up.

The grandmaster was holed up in the headquarters of the order. A formidable castle by the name of Urlichsburg, said to be nigh impregnable. But if you manage to break in, you could have the entire leadership at your mercy.

On the other hand, you could keep marching back along the coast to subjugate the cities there, which would go a great way to depriving the enemy of much-needed income and manpower. It's less risky but would take longer.

>March upon Ulrichsburg to cut off the head.
>Keep to the coast, and secure the cities there

>>6259849

Good to see you back QM. I assume the Space Marcher quest wasn't to your liking?

>>March upon Ulrichsburg to cut off the head.

Personally, I actually want to keep to the coast, but Albrecht would go for the kill. We also have those siege weapon plans, so might as well put them to good use.

>>6259907
> the Space Marcher quest wasn't to your liking?
Well, I began running out of ideas, and my university wanted me to write an essay, so I had to cut back on certain things.

>>6259849
>Keep to the coast, and secure the cities there

Siege upon a mighty fortress, with occasional supply and reinforcement by the order will ruin our army. Deprive them first, then finish them.

>>6259849
>Keep to the coast, and secure the cities there

>>6259908
Know the pain. Thesis is being a bitch.

>>6259849
>>Keep to the coast, and secure the cities there

A siege can be costly, better that we avoid it if we can.

>>6259847 (OP)
Im glad this is back. I miss Simple Space Empire and Renovatio Imperii and this kind of scratches that same itch.

>>6259849
>Keep to the coast, and secure the cities there
Make them lose hope so we don't have to waste time with a siege or lives with an assault.

Strategically speaking, marching along the coast to secure the rich cities is to secure the wealth and tax base of the order. You could use the navy to blockade the ports for the coastal cities, while the ones further inland will come to be besieged and starved in the traditional manner. The first order of business is obviously to muck out a plan of action.

''Obviously, the main objective would be the city of Tanzig.'' You pointed at the small shield drawn close to the mouths of the river Wichsel, grown fat on Mozalavian trade exports and imports. The proverbial jewel of the southern Armentic was and is a prize coveted by many. The Orders' grip on the town has been loosened thanks to the wealth of its merchants; the Mozolavian kings desire the city to control the entire Wichsel, while the merchants themselves are suspected to desire an independent city-state from where they can conduct business as they see fit.

Likewise, in terms of defences, the city has walls capable of resisting lighter assaults, with an additional citadel near the harbour separated from the main walls. In an ideal situation you would have the city taken as intact as possible, but if that is possible remains to be seen.

''We will do thuswise,'' you declared.

''The lords Nordenwalde and Bekersburg will besiege the smaller cities, while the independent armies of the lesser lords will do the same with the castles. We shall march upon Tanzig itself; once there, we shall either compel them to surrender or besiege it. Mohlendorf, send a rider up north to notify the ships; tell them to ignore regular ships while concentrating on making it to the harbour. We shall march upon the first crowing of the rooster, which has been so graciously provided by our billet.''

Logistically speaking, you could live off the land for some time; it was summer, and you were moving through unspoiled country, though Father was yet to send another coffer of silver coins for the salaries and purchasing supplies. While on paper, the money reserved for this campaign hadn't been fully spent, in practice you could only take a fraction of it with you, while the rest remains in either Libau or Rittersbach. There is enough to pay for the expenditures, but by the end of the year you may need to postpone payment if the next shipment of coins doesn't come in.

Nevertheless, the advance was done in good order; the warm and dry weather had dried up the dirt roads, which made them much more manoeuvrable. The sea kept men and mount calm as the breezes gave much-needed reprieve from the sun's tyranny. The flatlands and sparse birch woodland proved to be a welcome change from the dense forests further out east and north.

>>6260529
And lo! Once more the simmering sea came to the front, while on its edge stood that city so dearly built from red bricks. Behind the walls stood the plastered houses of the rich and the poor, while the great church towered over its secular neighbours. The fleet hadn't arrived yet, though horsemen had spotted it a day's sailing away.

>Request a meeting with the city commander and the mayor.
>Begin the investment of the city.

>>6260530
>Request a meeting with the city commander and the mayor.
I've sieged stronger fortfications before
Open the door.

>>6260530
>>Request a meeting with the city commander and the mayor.

The city surely does not want an interruption in trade, nor do we, we merely want the taxes and tariffs to fill a different coffer.

>>6260530
>>Request a meeting with the city commander and the mayor.

First things first, you would see if you could negotiate a favourable settlement with the regional authorities. Snatching Tanzig from under the order's nose would effectively deprive them of their access to the sea and reduce them to the area around Ulrichsburg.

You rode with a small entourage, one banner bearer and herald, to indicate your willingness to engage in diplomacy. You rode along slowly to the moat and the closed drawbridge. From the tower of the gatehouse, you were bid to halt.

''Hold, who goes there?'' [/i ]a generic greeting in times of war.

''Albrecht von Adlershorst, heir to the duchy of Greifswald, and Despot of the Mithradian Empire.''

Despot was your honorary title from your time in Mithras, and you had decided to make it a part of your style.

''State your business then or be gone.''

''I wish to speak to the mayor and the city commander. It does not matter if you send both or one; they have my lead to come hither.''

You received no reply; after a quarter, the drawbridge came down, and an old man on a palfrey came out to greet you. Judging from his clothing, his head, and the chain around his neck, this was the mayor of the city. You nudged your own horse forward to greet him formally.

''I have heard you wished to speak to me, thus I have come. I suppose you have come to deliver your terms?''

>Indeed I have, I shall require you to open the gates and strike the colours on the citadel
>My good man, I have come to liberate and regenerate this country from the arbitrary rule of the order, thus I ask of you to make Tanzig a part of that struggle.
>I can only ask of you to surrender, if you shan't, the consequences could be dire.
>Write-in

>>6260743
>>My good man, I have come to liberate and regenerate this country from the arbitrary rule of the order, thus I ask of you to make Tanzig a part of that struggle.

It is the truth, afterall.

>>6260743
>My good man, I have come to liberate and regenerate this country from the arbitrary rule of the order, thus I ask of you to make Tanzig a part of that struggle.
>Point at how much autonomy cities get in Greifswald.

>>6260743
Support >>6260769

>>6260743
>My good man, I have come to liberate and regenerate this country from the arbitrary rule of the order, thus I ask of you to make Tanzig a part of that struggle.
The alternative is to compromise the safety of his city for the sake of the doomed order.

>>6260743
>>My good man, I have come to liberate and regenerate this country from the arbitrary rule of the order, thus I ask of you to make Tanzig a part of that struggle.

''My good man, I have come to liberate and regenerate this country from the arbitrary rule of the order; thus, I ask of you to make Tanzig a part of that struggle. We have been known to grant liberties to our cities, unheard of elsewhere here. I implore you to make common cause with us thuswise.'' You fell silent and awaited the mayor's response.

''Those were good words; I may have believed them once, but your father once made similar promises. And he failed to upend his end of the bargain.''

About twenty years ago, your father broke off his holdings from the grip of the order. In the south, there had been rebellions as well. Though they were made to stand down after the intervention of Mozolavian King. You had hoped that whatever bad blood there had been would have been forgotten by the time you invaded, but it would seem that the older men haven't forgotten.

''The fault was not with my father, sir; the Mozolavians had…''

You were cut off.

''I don't care about what the Mozolavians had done. I wouldn't care if the Mozolavians had teleported your father to the moon. The point of the matter is that we had a breach of promise, and that still stings.'' The mayor talked with a vigour you had thought was beyond him.

He paused and then changed his tone.

''We are but humble merchants. When we entreat with powers like your father or the grandmaster, we expect to be treated with a consistent and fair policy. We can see in what way the wind is blowing, but the breaking of our contracts and oaths to our original liege lord is no small matter.''

''Then what is there that I can do? Is there anything you wish for? Is there nothing you truly want? '' You asked

''Oh, there is plenty we want; the only question is whether you are willing to give it to us. What we want is the following: First, an acknowledgement of Tanzig as a free city, answerable only to its direct liege, with autonomy in matters concerning justice and trade. Second, a lowered tax burden. And finally, a ten-year exemption from any and all tariffs.''

>Very well then, if that is what it takes.
>You ask to much, mayor. Render your city unto me, or suffer my siege engines.
>That's too much, I am willing to capitulate on some parts, but not on everything.

>>6261275
>>Very well then, if that is what it takes.
10 years can pass in a breeze, we need the coast secured and end the war.

remember that the Mozolovian succession is soon and we made agreements with their king for provide them help in case of war...

>>6261275
>>That's too much, I am willing to capitulate on some parts, but not on everything.

They are merchants after all, haggling would be natural.

>>6261275

>That's too much, I am willing to capitulate on some parts, but not on everything.

>with autonomy in matters concerning justice and trade

Fuck no. Everything else is fine, when we first started, one of the things we did was establish an ideal of justice. One set of laws to govern our nation. Plus, I do not want to end up in a situation where this "free" city shall commence trade with out enemies and rivals by stating that we granted them the right to do so.

Being answerable only to us is fine, it is preferred in fact as it will further centralize our power. Lowered taxation is acceptable, in fact I would recommend we extend this to the entirety of the conquered south for a period of 20 years. One generation of time given for wounds to heal and for the money to be instead put by the locals towards rebuilding. With a clear cut off date, this shouldn't cause issues. And the tariffs is fine. I would prefer we had no export tariffs at all, to further encourage trade.

>>6261275
>That's too much, I am willing to capitulate on some parts, but not on everything.
That's just a tributary not a subject.

Tanzig must become a proper member of the wider patrimony; to give it such unwarranted privileges is to invite disunity and distrust. No, on the matters of justice and trade, Tanzig must play by the same rules as the likes of Libau and Eisenhaben.

''That's too much. I am willing to capitulate on some parts, but not on everything.'' You stated in a blunt and determined tone. You may not be a jurist by profession, but you are not about to be swindled by some cheat who probably bought the election to mayor.

''And pray tell then, what do you consider to be your unalterable demands, and where is there room for negotiation?''

''On the concerns of justice and trade, I do not wish for you to be separate from the Greifswalder court system; my father spent some effort in creating and training the courts responsible for settling disputes with the gavel rather than the sword.''

The mayor's face hardened. ''I am willing to negotiate, but not right now. Let's meet again when I can convene the complete council.''

For success in the negotiations, roll a 1d100 [DC 40] the lower, the better. While best of three aplies, more than one success will give a better outcome than the bare minimum.

Rolled 93 (1d100)

>>6261394

>>6261426

Furthermore, I believe that Tanzig must be destroyed. - Albrecht von Adlershorst in a meeting with the Tanzig council.

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>6261394

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>>6261394
Carrot and the stick

It was a hard night of negotiating, within a barn close to city limits. An endless back and forth about juristicion, interpretations of laws and other claptrap that would make the average peasant fall asleep of boredom. Unfortunately, you were well-bred enough that you could understand and argue about these matters, though there were times you wish you were in ignorant bliss.

In the end, Tanzig would integrate and submit to the higher courts, but wished for it to stipulate that it would be first to be considered if a regional court was to be established. In other words: While Tanzig would submit to the supreme court: The Reichskammergericht. It would be made the seat of a Landgericht, or regional court, in the new organisation. Furthermore, aside from the previously mentioned tax reliefs and tariff exception. With a sweetener of an indemnity paid by your father to cover the damage Tanziger shipping has suffered due to your naval operations.

You,
>Accepted the deal.
>Reject the deal.

>>6261475
Hmmm, these guys just think themselves invulnerable too much for my tastes. Negotiating like they're in a position of strength, accepting will lead to more people demanding priviliges. Not conducive to the absolutist paradigm Albrecht is trying to build.

>Reject the deal.
Time for some innovative siege tactics, Im betting their defences aren't as strong as the order's fortress.

>>6261475
>>Accepted the deal.

It is not a bad deal

>>6261475
>Accepted the deal.

The prize of a swift conclusion to this affair, an intact city, and a united court system are good enough. Do not let pride blind us!

>>6261475
>>Accepted the deal.

It wasn't as much as you had hoped for, nor was it worth the trouble in your opinion. But, in the end, you decided to settle matters then and there; Tanzig would be a pest in the future, but not for now, and you would need to settle matters elsewhere first.

The following afternoon, you were presented with the key to the city, handed a few token hostages, and given a festive entry through the city before the council and some guildmasters swore their allegiance to the Duke of Greifswald and his heirs, thus sealing the deal.

You stayed in Tanzig for about a week, weeding out the last pro-order people within the city limits and ingratiating yourself with the local bishop and burghers; the last service before you left called for a prayer of good health for the Duke.

You then left; Ulrichsburg, the last proper obstacle, awaited you. It is said to be among the largest castles on the continent, raised from lime and brick. With deep stores, great barracks, and reportedly, the reserves of the last Teufelsfeuer. A dread fortress, if ever you had heard of one.

But the most ingenious part of it was its location; built upon a great mound, it is surrounded by low plains which could be flooded by opening two heavily fortified sluices. Which would divert water from the nearby river if opened. It would be the greatest test of your military mind, but it would also be expensive, long and gruelling. And what with it being summer now, there would be mosquitos and diseases about if you stayed close to an artificial lake of largely stagnant water. But perhaps winter could freeze it over; it remained to be seen.

For the time being, you concerned yourself with the controlling and occupation of the countryside and lesser cities, which meekly submitted in the face of your advance.

It was early one fine summer's morning when you were out washing Wittekind in the river when you were told that a letter had been sent. Upon returning to your tent, you read that you were required to make your way to the capital for an important meeting, to your surprise, it was signed by your mother, who normally kept aside from the affairs of state.

You left Ehrenfried in charge of the army, and you returned home to see what the ruckus was about.

It's always a strange feeling, walking through a castle that bore your name, even if it wasn't named after you directly. You made your way up the stairs and through the corridors to your father's study. Your mother awaited there; by now she had taken to wearing a veil and wimple all the time, you suspected, to hide her fading red hair, though you never voiced such suspicions.

>>6261896
''Your father has received a letter from the new pontiff. And he has been terribly indecisive about it; I can't make such decisions alone. Go in there, read the letter for yourself, and try not to startle your father. He has never been himself since that accident.''

Upon entering the study, you found your father snoring in his chair by the fire; upon the floor lay a book that must have fallen from his lap when he fell asleep. You disregarded him for the time being and picked up the letter from the desk.

To the Duke Dietrich of Greifswald,

We, the holy pontiff, by the sortition of the gods and selection of the college of cardinals, do hereby greet you and extend upon you our most holy greetings.

We have been watching your progress in the war against one of our military orders with a passing interest. The Argent Stars have been disoriented in the past, but we by no means wish to be rid of them. The grandmaster of the order has petitioned us for mediation, and we mean to bring peace to the land once more.

That you are on the winning side is, of course, to be acknowledged. And while we do acknowledge your claims to both the Vollinger Mark and Prauthia, it is our wish to end this war with honour intact for both sides.

We wish for the olive leaves of peace to be extended once more and for the two of you to make a truce while we arrange for negotiations of peace. Collaborate on this matter, and you shall be awarded the crown of Greifswald, for we shall, by holy decree, acknowledge such an elevation should you proclaim yourself as such. Defy us, and we shall have you placed under interdict. Let us come together in good faith and work towards a resolution that benefits all parties involved. Let us thus be advocates for peace, forge swords into ploughshares, and make war no more.

Pontiff Eduardus II.

By the time you had finished reading the letter, Father had awoken.

''And, what do you make of it?''

>A horrible little scheme; I shall take no part in it, nor shall I acknowledge it.
>It is obvious that this new pontiff is trying the waters, seeing how far his influence reaches.
>Well, we must agree then; if the Pontiff intervenes, we pious folk should obey.

>>6261898

>It is obvious that this new pontiff is trying the waters, seeing how far his influence reaches.

Then.

>A horrible little scheme; I shall take no part in it, nor shall I acknowledge it.

If I recall correctly, the faith recently had its shit kicked in due to bickering, a King's crown is meaningless especially compared to actually gaining the entirety of the coastline and out pending intervention into Mozolavians would mean that we would have nothing that could threaten us in the immediate future. If the Pontiff wants his order back, he is more than welcome to take them back, while we keep the land.

>>6261898
>Well, we must agree then; if the Pontiff intervenes, we pious folk should obey.

Okay big man. I see how it is. No problem, the order will always screw up with some revanchist delusion that we can exploit in the future anyways. Let us claim our legitimacy, from duke to king, with a royal wife of old Mithras.

>>6261898
>>It is obvious that this new pontiff is trying the waters, seeing how far his influence reaches.

>It is obvious that this new pontiff is trying the waters, seeing how far his influence reaches.

It is pretty obvious he's dangling this 'good deal' in front of us since the order is close to a (unconditional) surrender.

>>6261898
>>It is obvious that this new pontiff is trying the waters, seeing how far his influence reaches.

Perhaps if the order would be bound to both us and the church it could work, allow them to retain Ulrichsburg as their headquarters, and we would sponsor them in return for vassalage. As an accomplished crusader ourselves it stands to reason that the pontiff may take such an offer serious. Perhaps we could even gain support from the pontiff to expand into pagan lands.

''It is obvious that this new pontiff is trying the waters, seeing how far his influence reaches. ''

The proverbial stone in the pond, the pontiffs have been weak figures in the past, dependent on their cardinals, council and bishops to get anything done. This is a power play, or rather, the testing of a power play. If the pontiff can assert his mediation over both a secular ruler like your father and the order. He can do it elsewhere.

''Yes, that is what your mother thought as well. Eduardus wants to properly claim the primacy formally assigned to him, so she said. I am not really certain what to do; if I were younger, I would have defied them, but now…'' He trailed off as he turned to watch the fire.

''You fear for your soul.'' You blurted out. He looked back at you.

''I suppose you could say that. Matters with the church haven't been the same since my great-uncle passed away. ''No, son, I am not willing to gamble with my soul as I am to gamble with my life.''

There then fell a silence across the room; neither of you really knew what to do next. Eternal salvation is no small matter, and you wouldn't defy your father. But something must be done; the order can't slip away a second time.

''When do peace negotiations start if we agree to this?'' You asked.

''When the pontifical legate has arrived, until then, no man may be struck down by blow, slash, stab or shot.''

Your mind started racing; there had to be ways to circumvent it, to outwit canon law.

>We may not kill, but that doesn't mean we can't march. I will invest Ulrichsburg, and play dumb if questioned.
>I have a high-ranking contact among the clergy, one who can bypass the legate and appeal directly to the pontiff: Cardinal di Cremolora; he still owes me a small favour, I believe.
>Then we shall do the honourable thing and await their legate.

>>6262038
Here's an idea, use the exact words: The letter commands Dietrich to be under truce but not his son. Yes it's a bad faith interpretation but so is this intervention.

>>6262041
That could work, though the finger will be wagged.

>Ulrichsburg, the last proper obstacle, awaited you. It is said to be among the largest castles on the continent, raised from lime and brick. With deep stores, great barracks, and reportedly, the reserves of the last Teufelsfeuer

>Teufelsfeuer

Gentlemen, I have a proposal. We shall not blow, slash, stab or shoot any man, not a drop of blood will be spilt in acordance to the pontiff's will (I still say we send him the Grandmaster's head and a lovely poem to go with it, but it seems my opinion is in the minority.).

We shall, instead, burn them, all of them. We had undertaken infiltration missions successfully before, and that was in a land where we were foreigners, and here, we have the home advantage.

Besides, oh that nasty fire, accidents to tend to happen around it. No way can the blame be laid on us.

>>6262038
>>We may not kill, but that doesn't mean we can't march. I will invest Ulrichsburg, and play dumb if questioned.

Let us negotiate, we will follow the letter of the terms, and then commence negotiations once the legate arrives.

I say we attempt my plan here, >>6261965

We allow the pontiff his victory in exchange for our own gain, partner with him to expand our own realm and the faith afterwards.

>>6262038
>I have a high-ranking contact among the clergy, one who can bypass the legate and appeal directly to the pontiff: Cardinal di Cremolora; he still owes me a small favour, I believe.

I was tempted to also choose "We may not kill, but that doesn't mean we can't march." Why not throw everything at the wall and see what sticks? I decided against it, since if they sally out, we could end up breaking the peace conditions. Even if they are the aggressor, they could point to our deceptive words that led them to believe we didn't care or hear of the pontiff's attempt at peace. It is also why I don't think >>6262041 will prevent backlash. Though it is a suitable excuse if we just want to take the remaining order lands regardless of the consequences.

Otherwise, I think >>6261965 could work, combined with some diplomatic pressure via the cardinal.

>>6262284
Combining political pressure from the cardinal could well help alongside our reputation as the crusader who took the reigns of the crusade and kept it legitimate.

I would think the new pontiff could use an ally on the fringes of the faiths reach.

>>6262284
>Though it is a suitable excuse if we just want to take the remaining order lands regardless of the consequences.
Which is exactly what I want. The pontiff is reaching anon and we all know it.

>>6262288
>I would think the new pontiff could use an ally on the fringes of the faiths reach.
Acceding to this is a show of submission I would not want to set precedent for.

>>6262038
>Deploy the firewater siege weapons

blow, slash, stab or shot

Nothing about fire

>>6262314
>submission

Playing politics for gain isn't submission.

Forget not that we went on crusade, it is reasonably in character to pay at least some heed to the head of our religion, all the better if we can advantage ourselves and our dynasty from it. By helping the pontiff we can very likely gain his favor and support in taking more lands. Being "excommunicated" probably won't do us any favors.

We can save autistic protestant sperging for later, perhaps.

>>6262328
>Playing politics for gain isn't submission.
Literally asking us to submit to his authority. Yeah we won't be his subject but it's still a power grab.

> it is reasonably in character to pay at least some heed to the head of our religion
If he didn't get in our way with this nonsense then sure.

>By helping the pontiff we can very likely gain his favor and support in taking more lands.
Nah he'll ask for more concessions and control for every piece of land. Like he's doing right now.

>Being "excommunicated" probably won't do us any favors.
We're not worth being excommunicated over just this.

>We can save autistic protestant sperging for later, perhaps.
More like orthodox caesaropapism and symphonia.

>>6262341
Just because we go to the table and talk does not mean that we have to accept the results. I'm just saying, he is in a weak position, it is entirely possible that we can both come away from this with benefits.

It wouldn't hurt to keep in mind the ramifications of our decision(s) with the common people and our nobles, and other realms for that matter.

Let's see if we can gain an advantage before we make a decision. Investing Ulrichsburg until the legate arrives is a decent compromise, I think.

>>6262038
>I have a high-ranking contact among the clergy, one who can bypass the legate and appeal directly to the pontiff: Cardinal di Cremolora; he still owes me a small favour, I believe.

''I have a high-ranking contact among the clergy, one who can bypass the legate and appeal directly to the pontiff: Cardinal di Cremolora; he still owes me a small favour, I believe.''

From what you remember about Cremolora, you found him to be a bit cold. With an incline of his head, authoritarian, elitist, and grasping. From under the bushy eyebrows, his two eyes would quietly judge whoever came close. And though you never confirmed it, you suspect him of colluding with the Tauten Emperor; he did give you a letter to be sent to Cremolora after all.

Without a bishop in the family, he would be the closest thing to an inside man you got. Thus, you wrote to him, asking him politely to divulge about the processes that were happening within the curia. Though he won't reveal the secret within the church, the least you could hope for was some insider information.

In the meantime, you took some time to spend with your wife and three daughters. Though you had long hoped for a son, the prospect had been elusive to you. Perhaps you should prepare for the eventuality that Sophia might inherit, but there was still time to try again. They played and chased each other about in the gardens of your palace. While you awaited the response from the cardinal. Anastasia didn't seem to understand the problem; in Mithras, the emperor has a grip over church matters unheard of in the West.

It was late in the summer, when the great summer storms had passed, when you received your reply.

>>6262529
To Albrecht von Adlershorst, heir to the Duchy of Greifswald,

Greetings,

I regret not having written sooner, but there were matters within the church that required my attention. Indeed, Eduardus has tried to appease me by appointing me as Grand Chancellor of the Holy Church, but I am not one to forget a favour done to me, and our meeting remains unknown to the rest of my colleagues.

Eduardus has, indeed, chosen this dispute to assert, or rather, reassert pontifical control over the politics of our world; indeed, he is preparing a new golden bull for such an occasion, proclaiming the right of the pontiff to act as the supreme arbitrator when it comes to the sovereign heads of the world.

You should not worry too much; Eduardus is the son of an Angenlander wool merchant; he doesn't have the full understanding of the conflict with which you are embroiled.

He will thus send one Klaus von Trichtenburg as legate. Now, Trichtenburg has served as a messenger between the church and eastern Tauten estates in the past. I can't divulge in full, but from what Eduardus has made me draw up. Trichtenburg has two main missions: first, to dangle the king's crown in front of your father, which should ideally happen on his terms; second, he is to salvage whatever assets he can from the order. The Ignis Diabolica, (Teufelsfuer) is to be stored by the Church, while your father is to give up any claims to the estates of the order outside his realm. Aside from those two minimum demands, he has free rein to broker as he sees fit.

Trichtenburg will probably attempt to let the order have as much of the hook as he can, but where the military situation is unsalvageable, he will most likely try to make you pay in coin for compensation. If you don't want to, I suggest you stall. Correspondence from elsewhere has been rather interesting as of late.

I remain,

Octavio di Cremolora.

P.S. Burn this letter upon receiving it.

Now, then, you had information upon which you could form a plan. Now that you knew who would be coming to negotiate, you could study and plan ahead.
>Start to formulate some peace proposals of your own, and test the waters with them.
>Follow the cardinals advice, and start to stall, delay and postpone.

>>6262530

>Follow the cardinals advice, and start to stall, delay and postpone.

Oh my dear legate, I assure you, the matter of what colour cloth will be used for the curtains of the meeting room is of the utmost import, you must discuss this with the grandmaster, my father, and appropriate dignitaries whom are far more entuned with such important traditions. The envelopment ? What envelopment ? We are merely combating smugglers and ne'er do wells trying to enter and leave Ulrichsburg. I must say, many of them are also of pagan descent, while out lands have fully embraced the true faith, it seems that many of these sinners had come from former territories of the order, which why we are dealing with these issues right now !

>>6262530
>Follow the cardinals advice, and start to stall, delay and postpone.

Though I'm open to changing my vote if someone comes up with a specific peace proposal. It might not even be incompatible with delaying. We could test the waters and draw things out, go either way depending on how favourable the negotiations start to look.

>>6262530
>>Follow the cardinals advice, and start to stall, delay and postpone.

The more we delay, the stronger our position will be, i would think.

Trichtenburg came early in the autumn. Though it was still warm enough to be considered summer. He had a self-assured attitude about him, and he warmly shook everybody's hands, made a few lively jokes, and, in general, did his best to ingratiate himself. While he at first was willing to indulge in your invitations of hunting, feasting and other distractions, you would soon need to come up with more creative solutions.

You managed to draw out the hunts by taking him on very long week trips through rough country that would leave him exhausted; you took him to see the sights. Hell, you even managed to go on a three-hour tangent about the beauty of the autumn leaves.

Whenever the subject of negotiations came up, either you or Father would fly into dramatic bouts of despair and rage. When he tried to broach the fact your men had blocked the roads going in and out of Ulrichsburg, you told him some vague spiel about the sighting of marauding halfling bands stealing the crops and food; he didn't believe it, but he couldn't disprove it either. In truth, he found you difficult to work with, and by winter, he had decided to whittle down the settlement he was offering.

While he hadn't budged on the ownership of the Teubelsfeur, he had been able to persuade the grandmaster to ask for less compensation. From about 6,800 Greifs down to 4,000 Greifs, a small victory considering there were about 11,820 Greifs in the treasury. He also insisted upon letting the order recruit within the borders of the realm, but he had been willing to loosen the exact terms upon which the crown would be conferred, from a fiefdom of the pontiff to a free sovereign kingdom, which would acknowledge the primacy of the church in all matters of investiture and other spiritual matters.

>Accept the deal.
>Stall even more. (This will lead to a diceroll.)

>>6262766
>Stall even more. (This will lead to a diceroll.)
Those terms make me feel vindicated in saying that submission was a mistake. Guess we gotta stall more.

>>6262766

>Stall even more. (This will lead to a diceroll.)

lol. lmao even.

Roll 1d100 [DC 65] to see if your stalling is successful, failure to reach the DC will result in Trichtenburg calling in the Pontiff.

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>6262811

>>6262811
its under right...?

>>6262832
yes

>>6262832
>>6262840
Start rolling then anon, it's stil Bo3 is it not?

Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>6262811

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>6262811

Delay, delay, delay – that was what you would be doing all winter long. When Trichtenburg was moving back to Ulrichsburg to confer with the grandmaster, the entire family was moved away to a castle further east as a sort of holiday. When he returned, he hadn't been able to find you on account of a good few blizzards and unbearable roads.

By the spring of 1261, you felt it was time for you to see if he had moderated his proposals even more. By now, he had stopped grooming his beard; you swore his hairline had receded, and his eyes had sunk deep into their sockets. You were both sitting around a table while you were trying to get on his nerves even more.

''Did I ever tell you about the time I found a great treasure far off in the Mithradian mountains? You see, it all started – '' You began another long-winded windbag tangent.

''No, no, enough with the damn stories, dammit! You evade me, you waste my time, and you make me go back and forth like a patsy! Is your entire family composed of nothing but obstructionists?! I am a pontifical legate; there is no reason to treat me like this.'' He Screamed.

There was a knock on the door. When bade in, a messenger came through.

''I have a letter for one Cardinal Klaus von Trichtenburg; is he, ah yes, the one in the red robes? Here you go; have a good day.''

Trichtenburg ripped the seal off. When he read the letter, he immediately fell back into his chair. Head hung low.

''Tauten armies have crossed the Grenzbirge. The Kaiser is preparing to crown himself King of Castana in Verscaletta. This also means that the pontiff now wants me to gather as many knights as possible to defend him. You win, Adlershorst. I shall ask of you only that you give the knights free passage and that you promise not to pursue the obtainment or research of Teubelsfeuer. And a small sum so the grandmaster can pay for supplies on the way to Castana.''

If he had been in a state of bewilderment before, he was now nearly melancholic. If the Kaiser really was marching through Castana, then the Pontiff would naturally need whatever soldiers he had on hand with him

>Accept the deal. (-1200 Greifs)
>Reject the deal. (This may incur the wrath of the pontiff.)

>>6263339

Just to clarify QM, does this mean that we take over the scant few remaining territories of the Order ?

>>6263347
Yes

>>6263339
>>6263348

In that case:

>Accept the deal. (-1200 Greifs)

I think we had just strongly assisted Kaiser in his attempts to exert authority over new lands.

>>6263354

Oh, I would also like to add that we should send out thanks to the good cardinal informing him how the knights will be marching for the pontiff soon. Undoubtedly, this is why he wanted for us to delay, so we might as well give him a heads up and continue this most fruitful relationship.

>>6263339
>>Accept the deal. (-1200 Greifs)

And now we need to focus on having a SON!

>>6263368

Agreed, that would be preferable. That or figuring out a potential matrilineal marriage for our daughters to ensure that the dynasty continues on, should the worse case scenario come to pass.

>>6263339
>Accept the deal. (-1200 Greifs)

Tauten Kaiser invades to crown himself king of [Blank] Absolute (not HRE) classic next to inbreeding and internal chaos.

Huh. Now that I think about it, don't we have family still holding lands within the Empire ? If our male line does die out, they would inherit. We would literally be a the not!prussia of this setting. Perhaps our descendants would have the title of King in Greifswald.

>>6263339
>Accept the deal. (-1200 Greifs)

>>6263368
I would make a Henry VIII joke, but I think I'll save it for if we somehow end up with six daughters.
>>6263378
There are still Tauten Adlershorsts, scattered across the empire, after the old ancestral castle had been abandoned, because it was built in swamp, do mind that Greifswalder succession law does allow for women to inherit.

>>6263483

>There are still Tauten Adlershorsts, scattered across the empire, after the old ancestral castle had been abandoned, because it was built in swamp, do mind that Greifswalder succession law does allow for women to inherit.

Oh, I am well aware. I suppose it depends how much of history you draw from, because even if the succession law allows for it, that does not mean that there will not be those that would contest such a succession. It really depends on the traditions of the locals and our own that the transition from father to daughter remains a smooth one, and I for one am a little bit concerned, which is why I say we need to start building up our daughter's position up, just in case.

>>6263483

>There are still Tauten Adlershorsts, scattered across the empire, after the old ancestral castle had been abandoned, because it was built in swamp, do mind that Greifswalder succession law does allow for women to inherit.

Oh, I am well aware. I suppose it depends how much of history you draw from, because even if the succession law allows for it, that does not mean that there will not be those that would contest such a succession. It really depends on the traditions of the locals and our own that the transition from father to daughter remains a smooth one, and I for one am a little bit concerned, which is why I say we need to start building up our daughter's position up, just in case.

Victory, It's easy enough to say the word, but it's something you haven't felt this triumphant since you briefly sat on the Imperial throne of Mithras; soon enough, the terms of the treaty, paid for in both blood and gold, will be made public, and with the stroke of ink and a seal of wax, great swathes of land shall soon fall under a new crown. A crown that is yet to be made.

All kings have crown jewels, the most important of which is obviously the crown. With Tauten troops over the mountains, you suspect that the prices for gold and jewels are about to increase tenfold, with the home of the best gem cutters under siege. Therefore, it is best to contract someone now so the Smiths can't jack up the prices. A good start would be to select a style.

The classic is one owned by most Kings, a golden hoop set in with jewels and with leaves and pearls on top, not that unique, but a classic for a reason.

The Tauten Ermine is based upon the ermine hats worn by the Tauten princes, though with golden elements to distinguish itself from its lesser counterparts.

The Mithradian Crown is one design straight from the court of Elisnikon. Different from its western counterparts but still the same, it also comes with weird hanging bits on the sides, like the mitre of a bishop.

An Elven-Starcrown is derived from the headwear worn by the Elven sovereigns, made of silver and beset with great gems, cut in such a way as to make it seem there are stars in the crown.

Choose a crown.

>The classic.
>The ermine.
>The Mithradian.
>The Starcrown.

Note that these are still rough drafts

>>6263566
>The Mithradian.
But there needs to be something else to it, something to make it unique and not just a copy. Im thinking something in between a byzantine diadem and the iron crown of lombardy, maybe have amber as the centerpiece gem?

>>6263566

>The ermine.
>The Mithradian.

A mixture of the two, the golden ring in the style of Mithradians and the ermine of the Teutens. A symbol of the royal, and most importantly - ancient - blood that will flow through the veins of our descendants, and a cultural symbol of us having settled and subjugated these lands as a separate, but still culturally tied nation to the Empire.

>>6263573
>>6263589

Supporting

>>6263566
Sure, this >>6263589

>>6263589
Cool idea, got my support

The man had been holding the measuring tape around Dietrich's head for a while now before moving on to measure that of Albrecht.

''Is all of this really necessary? Why not make it perfectly round and use a padcoif to fill up the difference like they do with the reichskrone?''

''Because that is unfashionable, my lord. And because we know how to make and modify crowns that fit around the head these days. Now if you would just sit still.''

The exact span of the band upon which the crown would be based would need to be tight enough for it to rest upon your head, low enough that it doesn't fall off, and high enough that it doesn't come in front of your eyes.

It has been about two months since the heralds formally announced the creation of the Kingdom of Greifswald; the first recognition of it was by the church, then by the Mozolavians, and then by a set of Dwarven, Elven and other non-human states which typically don't deal with human politics. Safe to say, the reaction to the news has been treated as a fait accompli. Albrecht had taken control of Ulrichsburg, and with it came some set of armour the order couldn't take with them as they left, but the greatest weapon of them all had been removed, in particular by a set of white- and black-clad inquisitors, monks, and mages who had made certain the stuff would be taken somewhere safe.

The proclamation of Father as Dietrich I, König von Greifswald, Prauthen, und der Vollingsche Mark, was one thing; the other one is to have him formally coroneted in a church or cathedral of one's own choosing because it is a new kingdom, and no laws have been laid for how or when a coronation should be conducted. It is, of course, possible to crown him today, but that would mean there would be no place for celebration or decorations whatsoever. Mother had already sent out the servant to buy up every pig, cow and chicken for the celebration, as well as commissioning a set of pennants in two variants: red and white for Greifswald and blue and white for the house of Adlershorst.

There is still much to be done: invitations have to be sent, pastries and other treats ordered, and musicians and other entertainment to be hired. But above all, you must choose a place to be coroneted. Unfortunately, Rittersbach Cathedral isn't ready, nor is it consecrated for use. That leaves you with some other options.

>The Alte Kirche in Rittersbach
>The Dom zu Libau
>The chapel of the Albrechtsburg
>The St. Ulrich's in Ulrichburg

>>6264002
>The Alte Kirche in Rittersbach

>>6264002
>>The Dom zu Libau

It would be fitting

>>6264002

>The Dom zu Libau

It is only fitting that we get crowned where it all began. I wonder if Dietrich ever thought about it when it all first began, that the town he had first arrived in to meet his great-uncle, to receive a small fief, he would one day return to be crowned as King.

The iconic Dom zu Libau, close to which it had all once begun. With its iconic union-shaped spires, it lorded over the Libauer skyline of gabled houses and lesser churches. It had once been the seat of Archbishop Albrecht von Aldershorst, who now rests in the catacombs together with his predecessors and successors. The city was the beginning of the Aldershorsts of Greifswald; it should be fitting that it should be home to its ascension to kingship.

When the day itself thus came, you had been staying in Libau for about three days to make certain that the crown and mantle all fit. Aside from the crown, a new sceptre, a new royal orb and obviously the royal ermine mantle, it was decided that Silberkralle would receive the additional honour of becoming the king's sword, being the only piece of crown jewels with a practical use.

The archbishop of Libau, Johannes von Pritzen, who was by now also promoted to primate of Greifswald, would be the officiant of the ceremony. Besides the foreign guests, the nobility, clergy and the great burghers would also be attending.

At nine in the morning, the circus began. Father was mounted on a white horse clad in white robes; Mother, Anastasia and your children had been relegated to riding in a carriage, which would be followed by carriages filled with your in-laws. While you would ride on Wittekind, you yourself would need to put on the robes in the vestry before everything was complete.

The escort of horsemen had all been given white-red or blue-white pennons for on their lances as they brought you from your residence to the cathedral. From the moment the caravan had left on the open road, you were met with loud cheering; the streets had been dressed up in banners and flowers in your honour. The sound of trumpets and church bells filled the air; the festive atmosphere was palpable as you made your way to the cathedral for the coronation.

By the time you had entered the cathedral, the square was packed, packed with nobles, with commoners, with people from every race and all walks of life. Sons on the backs of their fathers, people looking from out the windows. If there were one day remembered in history, it would be this.

Within the cathedral, the throne had been prepared, and the bishop awaited your father. On cushions lay the crown jewels, and the choirs loudly sang their lungs out.

Slowly, he moved down the nave. He had to walk the distance alone, which was quite a feat for someone nearly crippled for life. He ascended up to the altar, where the archbishop awaited him.

>>6264129
Two pages first clad him in the ermine mantle of the king before turning to the altar to receive the anointment.

The two pages came over with Silberkralle in the scabbard and belt. ''I invest thee, with the king's sword; may it defend thee and thy realm for as long as thou reigns.''

He then turned to sit upon the throne. While the same two pages made certain the mantle wasn't in the way. They also made certain the sword didn't get in the way.

''I invest thee with this royal orb, a symbol of your sovereignty and dominion over the land and its people.'' The archbishop then turned to receive the sceptre.

''I invest thee with this sceptre, a sign of your authority and power to rule justly and wisely.'' With that, he arose from the throne again, gave the orb, sword and sceptre back to the pages, and prepared to receive the final investment before the altar. But first, the anointment.

''By the powers invested in me, I anoint thee with this holy oil as a symbol of your divine right to rule,'' the archbishop declared solemnly.

Slowly, but surely, the priest made his way over to the altar; he picked up the crown and turned to place it upon Dietrich's head. ''In the name of our most holy gods, who reign over the heavens as mortal kings reign over the earth, I do hereby crown thee as king of Greifswald, of Prauthia, and of the Vollinger Mark.'' It was dead silent as the crown was placed upon his head. It was now your turn.

''Hoch lebe der König!'' You shouted.

''Hoch lebe König Dietrich!''

''Hoch lebe König Dietrich!''

''Hoch lebe König Dietrich!''

''Hurrah!''

''Hurrah!''

''Hurrah!''

The fanfares went off, and the crowds outside cheered. You were given the sword to carry outside, while Father would carry the orb and sceptre. Anastasia would walk beside to greet the crowds outside.

''Are we to do this as well?'' she asked.

''Yes, though I hope it shan't be so soon.'' You answered.

Outside, the sun shone, and the crowds eagerly awaited their new king, queen, prince, and princess.

>This is a marvellous one for the chronicles.
>And so we shall reign over this land for a thousand years!
>I do wonder how I should top this when I am to be crowned.

>>6264130
>>And so we shall reign over this land for a thousand years!

>>6264130
>I do wonder how I should top this when I am to be crowned.
A thousand year anything is an uncertainty.
Flexing is eternal though.

Nice Drawings as always Adle.

>>6264130
>This is a marvellous one for the chronicles.
Literally living through history.

>>6264130
>I do wonder how I should top this when I am to be crowned.

>>6264130
>This is a marvellous one for the chronicles.

Yes, we should have history be written.

>>6264130

>This is a marvellous one for the chronicles.

This would indeed be a marvellous day, one for the chronicles to remember. Perhaps, at some point in the future, this day could be seen as the birthday of the Kingdom. Greifswald itself is born anew, with its father of the nation already chosen.

But as the royal procession made its way onto Ritterschach, it became clear to the both of you that there was yet much to be done in regard to the vast swathes of land now under the sceptre.

Indeed, with the conquest of the south came the entirety of the great forest. Great and tall were the many trees within, though much of it remains unexplored on account of the dangers lurking deep within the woods. In Greifswald, these forests were overseen by its wardens, the rangers, who made certain nothing could come out of these forests that could harm the villages, cities and farms, be it animal or human, or neither of the two. These types of operations would be extended to the entirety of these forests.

While there are many similarities between north and south, there are also many great differences. In the south, Tautens form a majority, not only of the nobility but also of the common populace, and are thus also present within the serf system alongside their native colleagues. Another great difference is the size and power of the nobles. While great, the estates of the southern nobles have been split among sons for a few generations; in Greifswald, this process was reversed thanks to the seizure of land and the introduction of primogeniture.

There are thus fewer, but wealthier and more influential northern lords, who are in balance with the lesser, but more numerous southern lords. Most of the orders direct castles and estates came into the hands of the crown, which was thus incorporated into the royal demese.

With its eternal, irrevocable, and imprescriptible inalienability codified into law, the crown land would serve as the powerbase of the Greifswalder monarchy in the years to come. The only exception would be that in times of crisis the king could lease, sell, or auction it off for money.

The first thing to do was to choose how you will go about integrating your new lands.

>With fire and sword: pass a treason act, double the patrols, and slight the castles of suspected traitors.
>Reconciliatory: take a light hand and extend the olive branch to the locals, reaffirm their rights and temporarily lower their taxes.
>The slow boil: over the course of about two decades, you shall slowly increase your grip over the south, start with little to no taxes, and then slowly rack it up all the while weaking the local power base.

>>6264540
>>Reconciliatory: take a light hand and extend the olive branch to the locals, reaffirm their rights and temporarily lower their taxes.

>>6264540

>The slow boil: over the course of about two decades, you shall slowly increase your grip over the south, start with little to no taxes, and then slowly rack it up all the while weaking the local power base.

>>6264540
>>Reconciliatory: take a light hand and extend the olive branch to the locals, reaffirm their rights and temporarily lower their taxes.

>>6264540
>The slow boil: over the course of about two decades, you shall slowly increase your grip over the south, start with little to no taxes, and then slowly rack it up all the while weaking the local power base.

There must be a united system.

>>6264540
>Reconciliatory: take a light hand and extend the olive branch to the locals, reaffirm their rights and temporarily lower their taxes.
If we're gonna weaken anybody then it should be the powerful northern lords. Be on the lookout for good excuses to make power grabs though, if one of these petty nobles or anyone else give us a reason then we should take it.

Taking a soft, reconciliatory approach to uniting a nation that has just been founded will probably pan out well. While the lightened tax burden might turn eyes up north, it is the belief of the King and his council that such measures are necessary to integrate the south into the fold of the kingdom. In many ways the relief is the right option; with many farms and other buildings still in ruin, men need the extra coin to rebuild that which the fighting had destroyed.

However, with a full treasury, it might be time, once more, to invest in some infrastructure.

With about 10,620 in the chests, you could afford to build on a larger scale, which was necessary too, considering what just got added to your kingdom.

The road networks, a favourite project of the King since he took power as the Count of Grunwald, are still in good condition but now stretch along for many vast kilometres. On occasion through the wilderness where no one lives, to solve this problem it has been proposed to build inns that double as waystations to make certain that travellers and royal couriers have a place to sleep.

Bridges, on the other hand, are rather lacking over the rivers of Greifswald; most make do with local ferries. Or by taking the long way around, but for a growing kingdom, a new set of bridges might be a great opportunity for even greater growth, not to mention cutting down on travel time and potential tolls.

Land clearance can be another great opportunity. While the deep woods are far too dangerous to actually settle in, there is still plenty of untilled heath, downs, and moorland left out. Swamps and marshes as well.

Forest security is no small matter. While the forest rangers are usually enough to keep what lives there within set boundaries, there have been a few incidents every once in a while. Thus, some believe that the kingdom might benefit from a system of watchtowers, both to keep track of the beasts and to watch for foreign invaders should the need arise.

With 10.620 Greifs in the treasury, you decided upon:

>The road taverns. (-4500 Greifs)
>The bridges (-6000 Greifs)
>Land clearance (-5600 Greifs)
>The Watchtowers (-4800 Greifs
>None of these

>>6265126
>>The bridges (-6000 Greifs)
We built bridges in the past. Plenty of them. We were about to make 3 of them just in Ritterschach.

More bridges.

>>6265126
>The bridges (-6000 Greifs)

Logistics is everything

>>6265126
>The Watchtowers (-4800 Greifs

Security first, we are ignorant of the 'new' lands.

>>6265126
>The road taverns. (-4500 Greifs)
>>6265231
security first, indeed. without comms and intel armies can't move at all

Rolled 2 (1d2)

While the purpose of a bridge is relatively simple, the construction of one is a whole other matter. A location has to be found; you need to make certain that ships can pass through in one way or the other, while also making certain that the structure can stand up to the weather and flow of the river.

While Rittersbach itself boasts a variety of bridges of varying sizes and shapes, out on the roads such infrastructure has been rather lacking. In some places, folks can make do with smaller wooden drawbridges, but those can be built by the locals themselves. What you will actually be focusing on are larger stone bridges.

As the summer of 1261 came to an end, the two of you (Dietrich & Albrecht) were overlooking the spot where, by now, a few hundred craftsmen and labourers were busy with boats, scaffolding, excavating, and building the new bridge.

''So this will be one of the new bridges; I suppose that it will be complete within a few years,'' said King Dietrich.

''Like the cathedral?'' Albrecht asked in jest.

''Bridges require less complex plans and fewer decorations. Besides that, it's cheaper to build here. No guilds, remember.'' The king had pointed out.

''Who did you say you hired to do the work again?'' asked the crown prince.

''For the general design, I hired Master Isembard of Neltwit, you know, the one who designed the new church in Rittersbach; for the arches in particular, I hired Krolfar Lällulung.''

''The dwarf you hired to build a vault under the castle?''

''The very same.''

With the kingdom of the kingdom, there was now a need for a place to house and secure the crown jewels, as well as any other artefacts belonging to the house of Adlershorst. Thus, a new underground vault was excavated for that purpose. Being a dwarf, Krolfar naturally was good at building underground, with him providing arches and vaulting strong enough to support at least part of the weight of the castle resting above it.

The two of you then gave your steeds a tug, and you slowly began riding to the construction site.

''I heard my daughter-in-law is about to give birth,'' Dietrich said.

''Indeed, we should probably return home after this. I do hope it's a boy this time,'' Albrecht said.

''Oh?''

''What do you mean, oh?''

''You shouldn't worry too much about such matters. If Greifswald can survive you on the throne, it can survive a queen.''

''Hey!''

The king let out a snort. ''Still got it, but you have a point; we should return to Rittersbach after this.''

''You have a horrible sense of wit, Father.''

''So do you.''

And indeed, a few days later, the Princess Anastasia gave birth to a beautiful

1: Boy

2: Girl

>>6265621
Another Girl, it would seem that whatever hope for a continuation for the male line would grow slimmer and slimmer with each birth.
But anyhow, she would need a name
>Hildegard
>Eugenia
>Theophanu
>Constance
>Write-in

>>6265624
>Theophanu

No rest for Anastasia

>>6265621
Lame

>>6265624
>Constance

For indeed she represents a consistent pattern.

>>6265126
Regarding the Taverns, could we attempt to create them without drawing directly on the Royal treasury? Find some supporters of ours who have dedicated their service, have some business /financial understanding and deserve reward, then grant them land on the sites we hope the inn-waystations to be built together with Knighthood, and charge them with construction and maintenance of these installations as their Feudal Duty and service to us.

>>6266116
But think! If we build a centralized system of roadside taverns, we would get the incomes from their use more directly. And since there doesn't seem to be many competitors or alternatives, and these are our main roads, we would generate a lot of income from the traffic. Even from the 'roads to nowhere', since eventually settlers will move into those areas when we drain the swamps and clear the forests.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>6266116
You could, but though luck finding people who would willingly build deep inside the forests, those places require specialised fortified taverns with courtyards. Being an innkeeper in a sparsely populated area isn't an attractive job prospect for most.


Rolling for the name
1: Theophanu

2: Constance

And thus, with the coming of a fourth daughter. The chance that Greifswald might see its first queen regnant in a generation or so has become an ever more probable future. Young Sophia, or Sophie, to close family, is but five years old. While she would be raised in the traditional manner of a Greifswalder lady, it might be beneficial to start teaching her some of the basics of rulership in the coming years. Though you don't expect her to lead armies or fight battles, some basic knowledge about administration, accounting and networking wouldn't do harm.

While by tradition and law women are not expected to take a leading role in the matters of state, there have always been exceptions; reigning queens aren't without precedent. And should the crown pass to Sophia, the realm shall be her inheritance, not her dowry. Any husband who thinks he could gain control of the realm by asking for her hand would be mistaken.

Aside from that, due to being gifted with the rare gifts of the arcane, she might have an easier enthronement than most other queens, but that is neither here nor there. For now, she is simply the heir apparent, until such a day that a son might be born. If it ever comes.

For now, the 61-year-old King Dietrich has been able to settle into an easier life befitting his age. Alarmingly though, where he had once gained weight, he was now losing it. And physical exercise hasn't been his thing since the accident. But with the realm stable, the line at least partially secure, and various estates quiet, things couldn't be better.

On the ground too, there was little discontent. The harvest of the autumn was successful, and the granaries were full. In general, the ostsiedlung's continued success still brings in many immigrants from out of Tautenland, mostly from the densely populated western parts of said country, while small groups of Norse and Mozolavian settlers have also made their home here. But as the first snow settled on the roofs of Rittersbach, a most peculiar group came petitioning for settlement.

Their leader gave away their identity with his short stature, bare feet even in the cold, and rural way of speaking. A group of halflings, or hobbits as they like to call themselves. Have come to petition. Their leader, one Leuther Flaschvloes, said that he and his fellows had made their way out of Tautenland in search of work and opportunity, which was lacking in their home estates.

While they are with many, they could perhaps be put to good use, they are known to be rather good at farming, though they tend to not make for good soldiers. Still, dump them in a piece of moorland or marsh, and they might have the place turned into a garden before you know it. On the other hand, the cities always have need for cheap labour….

>>6266163
>Refuse them permission and send them away.
>Accept and disperse them across the cities.
>Settle them in some moorland out north.
>Order them to settle in the marshland to the southwest of Tanzig.
>Just let them settle wherever
>Write-in

>>6266164
>Settle them in some moorland out north.

>>6266164

>Accept and disperse them across the cities.

We need to break previous cultural traditions and ways of life, best way to do so is disperse these halflings until a generation or two pass and they start to speak our language, follow our customs, respect our laws. Once they can be termed as Greifswalder Halflings, that is when we allow for settlements made up of halflings, because we would then be safe in the knowledge that they would be as patriotic to Greifswald as any other.

>>6266164
>>Settle them in some moorland out north.

>>6266164
>Settle them in some moorland out north.

>>6266164
>Order them to settle in the marshland to the southwest of Tanzig

Contact with Tanzig gets them acclimatised to our language and culture, and settlement in the marshes turns malarial swamps into productive farmland. We win on both fronts.

>>6266164
I'll switch my vote to having them settle in the marshland instead.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

Righty-ho, since the vote is now split between the moorland and the marshland it is time to roll

1: Moorland

2: Marshland

>>6266672
Oh yes, before I forget, you shouldn't worry too much about them not speaking the language, as these halflings come from Tautenland, and speak a Tauten dialect.

About an eight-hour ride north of Rittersbach lies the sparsely populated Schafskopf Moor. A desolate landscape of rolling hills and grasslands, the moor is mostly used by passing shepards on their way from the stock markets. You yourself once hunted for hare in the vicinity, but in terms of actual habitation, it was lacking. Not that it was a dangerous place to be, far from it. But the hills and low valleys were devoid of any signs of human life, save for the occasional abandoned shepherd's hut.

Thus, it was the perfect place to settle these halflings; they can till the fields for you, and the hills can offer them the opportunity to build their traditional homes.

For in a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Or at least that is how the old tales began.

''I can't thank you enough, kind sir. We hobbits will work this land, with our small but strong hands, and make it thrive,'' Leuther Flaschvloes graciously said.

''Now before you leave, there are things that must be settled,'' the thin, ready voice of the chancellor interrupted the handshake you had been shaking. He had brought paper and parcel.

While it was obvious that this new community wouldn't answer to anybody but you, there were still some things that would need to be ironed out, while the new halflings agreed to be subject to the court system, as well as your sovereignty over them. There was still the matter of how to tax them. While you wouldn't tax them right away to give them the coin needed to invest and improve their new lands, the matter would come someday.

Normally, tax could come in forms of military service, money, or in kind. But halflings aren't a typically martial people. Being a very leisurely sort of folk, they prefer paying extra tax in return for being exempted from any service.

>Impose the normal tax burden.
>Expemt them from military service in exchange for extra money.
>Expemt them from normal service, but make them the designated camp cooks.

>>6266677
>Exempt them from military service in exchange for extra money.
Also I'll drop this very interesting writeup on the hobbit social structures: https://nathangoldwag.wordpress.com/2024/05/31/the-moral-economy-of-the-shire/

>>6266677
>Expemt them from military service in exchange for extra money.

>>6266680
I've already read this, since it was linked from another blog.

>>6266677

>Expemt them from military service in exchange for extra money.

Economy ho ! Hopefully this will be enough to fund the extra infrastructure projects of the future. As for camp cooks, I am sure those patriotic enough, or bribed by picky enough nobles will naturally pop up sooner or later.

>>6266677
>>Expemt them from military service in exchange for extra money.

Surely in time hobbit chefs and cooks will make their way into society.

We should detail a company of rangers to to keep the borders of the land we have granted them safe...

Into the royal grant granting the halflings the land was written the exemption from standard military service in exchange for a heavier tax burden. Though volunteers could still report for the muster if they want. As a parting gift, the halfling leadership gave you four barrels of beer, brewed by the halfling Stolzfuss & Sohne brewing company.

With the winter settling in over the land, life comes to a slower pace. The snow on the fields keeps the farmers at home, the animals in the stables, and the roads empty. Whenever Father does travel, he does so in a horse-drawn sleigh, though he prefers to huddle close to the hearthfire.

You, however, are not to be so discomforted; your palace hosts a warmed bath, the steam of which is used to heat the rest of the building. It had been a favourite thing of yours; while most nobles made do with tubs and slowly heated water over the fireplace, you could bathe in comfort and depth. It was also helpful to practise swimming, which you had been doing with your children. With a river close by, they should at least be able to get themselves out without drowning.

What with it being winter and all, they were also some of the warmest rooms in town. And you had been walking along the gallery with Father for a while, passing by two of your trophies from your time in the Crusades, two marble busts of Isidorian emperors. Their colourless eyes stared blankly out of the windows, where the river Seldau had frozen shut. The city guard had banned people from going to the middle, out of fear the ice was still too thin.

''At any rate, your baths seem to be a little frivolous to me and a waste of firewood.'' The king began.

''The warmed baths are smaller than the cold baths, so you shouldn't worry too much; besides, firewood is cheap around these parts. There are more trees in Greifswald than people, it is said.'' You told him.

''Not for lack of trying; what lives in those forests is beyond the powers of most. Did I ever tell you about…''

You interrupted him.

''Yes, I know about the forest spirit you encountered. I also know about the wild elves you drove deeper into the woodlands; save it for the grandkids.''

''You're no fun; when you were little, you would listen to every little detail.''

''Yes, and now I am an adult, with my own tales to tell.''

The two of you fell silent when you ascended some stairs.

''Speaking of grandchildren, it's nearly Sophia's birthday, isn't it?''

''Her fifth birthday, yes. Have you thought of anything yet?'' You asked.

''Sort of, but not really. Perhaps you could tell me what she is like?''

>>6266965
>She is the authoritative sort; she already holds an impressive level of sway over the rest of her siblings.
>She is a closed-off, bookish type of girl; just get her a book; it doesn't matter what kind.
>Charmingly sweet, perhaps a bit too much so; at any rate, I would recommend something pretty.
>Curious, having an interest in nearly all things, constantly asking questions.

>>6266966

>She is the authoritative sort; she already holds an impressive level of sway over the rest of her siblings.

Future heir. Hopefully this does not backfire and cause a civil war when we miraculously have a son.

>>6266966
>She is a closed-off, bookish type of girl; just get her a book; it doesn't matter what kind.

>>6266966
>Curious, having an interest in nearly all things, constantly asking questions.
What could go wrong with a curious magic having monarch?

>>6266966
>Curious, having an interest in nearly all things, constantly asking questions.

I could see adventures, research, and loreseeking being a big part of playing as her.

>>6266997
Probably not as much as choosing authoritative and then having a son later.

>>6266966
>>She is the authoritative sort; she already holds an impressive level of sway over the rest of her siblings.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

With an impasse, it is time to roll.

1: Curious

2: Authoritative

''Curious, having an interest in nearly all things, constantly asking questions. ''

''Oh, you mean like my daughter-in-law?'' Father said.

''Kind of, but broader, last week she found out about a creature called a monkey. From a drawing in a book, and was upset I couldn't get her one.''

''So I should get her a monkey?'' Dietrich asked.

''Heaven no, those beasts only live in the south, where it's warm; in winter they'll probably die of the cold. Better just buy something that can actually satisfy her,'' you said.

''Like what?''

''Well, Anastasia has sent for a gameboard from Mithras to play something called tabula. So I will get her a chessboard with pieces, which can double as one for checkers. As for you, I don't know; nothing with magic – that glorified nanny the church sent – will probably take it away.''

''That's a good idea; I'll get her something like that,'' Dietrich replied. ''Maybe some plant seeds or a pet. Something to teach her about the world, if she is so interested in it.''

''No pets; she already has taken one of the mouser's kittens. Because she wanted to see how the cat's paws are quiet when they walk.''

''And you didn't tell her she couldn't keep it?''

"She could keep it, but she has to feed it herself."

Dietrich chuckled, "That's fair. It'll be a good lesson for her in responsibility."

When the birthday did come, it was a rather small affair; most of her younger siblings were still too young to actually celebrate, and while the children of the nobility made for good playmates, the whole thing was kept a tad bit modest. A little white-and-red cat had curled up beside the fire. The new feline companion watched with all the disdain-filled eyes that are typical of a cat, as if already unimpressed with the festivities.

''Grandpa, grandpa.'' The young Black-haired girl upon the knee of the king tugged at his sleeve, her eyes wide with excitement. ''What did you get me?''

''I, I, uh, think Grandma has your present with her, so go ask her.'' The old man was nearly asleep; though he had indeed bought a present, he had given it to Mother, who by now was busy giving the present to the birthday girl.

It was

>A set of seeds consisting of fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
>A hobbyhorse
>A book telling about various fairy tales
>A wooden sword
>A set of puzzles and riddles

>>6267301
>A set of puzzles and riddles

>>6267301
>A set of puzzles and riddles

>>6267301
>>A set of puzzles and riddles

In other news, I have penned up a Pastebin article about magic.

https://pastebin.com/SVy3dhxX

Sophia's grandmother, the queen, that is, had given her the puzzles. If she truly was as curious as your son had made her out to be, you would see if she was clever enough to solve them.

A runner you had sent bought them from a travelling peddler, and thus you had given her two dwarven puzzle-cubes, an elven puzzle in the form of an armillary sphere, and a set of intricate riddles to test her wit.

She wouldn't solve them all in one day, of course, not while there were so many guests and other children to play with. And so the gifts were all placed together in a corner while the children played, and you could go back to your nap.

__________________________

With the coming of the new year and the thawing of the ice, life began picking up its pace once more. Winter had been harsh the previous year, which had been a good thing, as the frozen rivers could support the heavy stones to be used in the building of the bridges. Their basic support structure was mostly complete, and work could begin on the rest of the bridge.

You had been riding along the old forest roads for a while now, seeing if the bridges would be complete on schedule; your father, the king, had been ill with a minor cold. And had asked you if you could check on the progress of the bridges thus far. While you had begun in the north, upstream from the city of Eisenhaben, you were now making your way down south, along the great forest.

You had already made visits to the bridges in the north and ones in the vicinity of Rittersbach; your next stop of importance would be the bridges to be built close to Tanzig and another one right on the doorstep of Ulrichsburg.

Spring had already brought back the green of the forests, but a cold wind carried from the coast made the journey unpleasant. That, and the fact that the roads that lead onto the plains were still muddy from the day before yesterday, made you and your retinue take a road deeper into the forest.

The lot of you went along your way; the wooded area made it so you couldn't pick up speed, but you made do. The trees shielded you from the wind for now; all in all, it was a peaceful journey.

Until

Hold!

A great, booming voice ruptured through the trees and shrubs. It brought all animals to a halt, though the men on them seemed to have no idea what was going on. It would seem only you could hear whoever said it.

Quickly looking around for anything – bandits, assassins, pranksters, anything – that could potentially mean you and your men harm, you didn't find anything, not anything human for that matter.

With a magnificence only heard of in legends, its snow-white fur, ivory antlers, and deep black eyes were a beast few had ever seen: The white stag appeared from behind a shrub. It looked most intently at you and then made a motion with its head, as if to say: come along and come alone. Disoriented, you blinked, and the beast was gone.

>>6267815
What shall you do?

>Go after it alone.
>Take some men, and take after it.
>Ignore the strange deer
>Write-in

>>6267816
>Go after it alone.
second time Albrecht met the magical/godly.

>>6267815
>Go after it alone.

>>6267816
>>Go after it alone.

>>6267816
>>Go after it alone.

>>6267815
>Go after it alone.

''I'm going after that stag; you lot stay on the road,'' you yelled back at your men.

''But, sir,'' But you had already given Wittekind the spurs. Immediately needing to dodge branches and twigs as your white horse brought you off the path. You were undeterred; you saw a trace of that snow-white fur, and you were going to chase it.

The white stag was a creature of legend; while at first you thought it could simply be an albino, you quickly erased that thought. No ordinary stag could have spoken in a human tongue, no matter its fur. No, this thing could speak and clearly wished to speak with you.

You rode further still, passing through clearances and dense thickets, determined to catch a glimpse of the elusive creature.

As you pressed on, the forest grew darker and more ominous; sunlight became rarer, as did wind. The trees seemed bigger as well. Yet at the same time, it had a nearly ethereal beauty to it; trees of this size and magnificence weren't often seen. Roots reached deep into the ground, the leaves nearly blocked out all sunlight, and above all, the tree trunks stood tall and proud; if these were men, they would be among the oldest and wisest men.

But the stag still wasn't within your reach, in spite of the great speed at which your horse was carrying you, though even Wittekind, with his great vigour, couldn't catch up with the elusive creature. Which took a turn to the left, which you then followed.

It was through your relentless pursuit that you came upon a great clearing. Nestled neatly around a small lake, this was as peaceful a place as you could ever find around here, but the stag was nowhere to be seen. Defeated, you brought Wittekind, who was by now coughing from exhaustion, to the lake. He could drink here before you would continue the search. You dismounted to ease his burdens; perhaps you should take some of the water as well; it seemed clean enough and.

''Thou hast great trust in thou friend, though perhaps you see him as your pet.''

You froze in silence; the deep, warm voice once more spoke, and the White Stag proudly stood upon a small cliff overlooking the lake. You didn't have a bow or other weapons with you except Silberkralle, so hunting him seemed pointless for now.

>Who, or what, are you?
>A stag that speaks – what sort of sorcery is this?
>Shall I proceed with the introductions, or do you wish to do so first?
>Write-in

>>6267980
>Shall I proceed with the introductions, or do you wish to do so first?

>>6267980
>The world is truly full of mysteries, from dead emperors to talking stags. Are you some sort of ancient forest spirit?

>>6267980
>Who, or what, are you?

>>6267980
>>Shall I proceed with the introductions, or do you wish to do so first?

>>6267980
>>Shall I proceed with the introductions, or do you wish to do so first?

>>6267980
>Shall I proceed with the introductions, or do you wish to do so first?

Stag party joke here.

''Shall I proceed with the introductions, or do you wish to do so first?''

[Green] ''I already know who you are, and I know of your family as well. I have watched from over the hill and under the trees. I have seen you pass through here many a time, though you never went as deep into the great woodland realm as you did now. I have many names; though once upon a time the elves named me Aran-Arasso, now men call me the White Stag. This forest is my charge and domain and long has been my watch.'' [/green]

Part of you felt the deers dark eyes gaze at you intently, awaiting a response.

You decided to ask, ''But you're not really a stag, are you, O great spirit?''

''Nay, I am not, but as the lord of these woods, the stag was the form in which I came into being, though later, when first I saw the likes of you, the furless bipeds who on occasion traverse here, I knew I would need a disguise if ever I had to deal with your kind; behold!''

And before your eyes the stag dissolved into light before reforming as an old man, with a snow-white beard, an ivory crown, and two deer eyes where there should be human ones. He indeed looked like a great wizard, or perhaps druid was more accurate.

''To the woodsmen I am known as the white wizard of the woods. A mistaken assumption I have no intent to correct; I help the lost back on their way and keep men from fae, as you keep fae from men.

''What do you mean?'' You asked.

''Those green-and-brown-clad men who on occasion patrol on the edge of my mandate, they don't want anything to get out, and I do not want them to get in.''

So he has been making certain the rangers do not go in too deep by misleading them about it. You weren't certain whether you should be pleased or displeased.

>And why have you brought me here?
>If this is your mandate, why is it so dangerous?
>And what do you do, to mislead them?
>Write-in.

>>6268275
>And why have you brought me here?
>If this is your mandate, why is it so dangerous?

>>6268275
>>And what do you do, to mislead them?

>>6268275
>And why have you brought me here?
>If this is your mandate, why is it so dangerous?
Does Albrecht know about the crown and the oak spirit?

>>6268275
>>And why have you brought me here?

>>6268275
>And why have you brought me here?
>If this is your mandate, why is it so dangerous?

>>6268360
Albrecht was told about the oak spirit, and he has seen the crown, though the crown itself has been placed deep within the vaults of the castle.

''And why have you brought me here?''

''To treat with thee, for I have foreseen that for the woodland realm to continue to persist into the foreseeable future, I must treat with one of thee, as I have done in the past.''

''What do you mean, in the past?'' You asked.

The old man took a step closer. ''For as long as I have remembered, there have been those who would wish us harm or see our homes as cheap resources. First came the Elves, who named me thus and who stayed within their boundaries. But they were fickle, and hatred for the brother is often stronger than hatred for the stranger. They killed and brutalised us and each other before they left for elsewhere.''

Then came the men and their grubby little kin. The bearded ones rended forest and earth in their pursuit of minerals; we fought back, and we drove them back, though men remained, and took to treating with us. There also came the green ones; they were stupid and brutish but malleable.

We made do with it. I never desired their worship, nor did I want their sacrifices, and thus I took to bringing back that which they had sent. And thus we remained for another thousand and more cycles before the black-cloaked men came.

''The Argent Stars'' You blurted out like a schoolboy.

''They hadn't come for us, but their willingness to brutalise and burn the villages with that accursed fire they used made us wary of men. They burnt down large parts of the woods as well, during which we lost many a good friend.'' In a bout of sadness, the man transformed back into a stag.

''You have my condolences, but if this is your mandate, why is it so dangerous?''

The Deepwoods was a notoriously dangerous and nigh uninhabitable piece of forest in the middle of Greifswald; there were tales of villages disappearing and fae tricking and pranking. The order had always maintained that the use of Teufelfeuer was to tame the woods, though it would seem they have failed in that matter.

''What is dangerous to you isn't dangerous to me. I am lord and master within these woods, and there are but few among the fae who would deny me my lordship. But the same isn't true of those who wander in here; I can't be everywhere, and the other fae can be less tolerant of lost wanderers than I am. But I often take a peek out of my realm. When there were two realms, we could hide among both, but now that we are once more surrounded by one state, I decided upon this course; pray don't displace my trust in you and your family, young Adlershorst.''

>You want me to conclude a pact with you?
>What do you know about my family, and why would you trust us?
>I want to know, Aran-Arasso, are we really alone, or did you bring someone else?.
>write-in

>>6268431
>You want me to conclude a pact with you?

Though, if we were to confirm that we were really alone, we could hypothetically cut off the head of the snake. Secure the woods for ourselves. Just a thought.

>>6268431
>What do you know about my family, and why would you trust us?

>>6268431
>>What do you know about my family, and why would you trust us?

In truth, it would be neato to forge some manner of alliance or cooperation with them.

>>6268431
>What do you know about my family, and why would you trust us?

''What do you know about my family, and why would you trust us?''

The deer made a glance at your sword.

''Draw that sword, if you please.''

You had a look at Silberkralle, which until now had been resting on your belt, before slowly unsheathing it.

The stag's eyes widened in recognition as the blade caught the sunlight, revealing the intricate carvings etched into its surface.

The stag took a few steps closer to read the runes etched into the blade of the sword. He read them closely.

''Long it has been since I have lain eyes upon this weapon; it was a gift. For one who helped us in our time of need, forged by the last of those among us who could forge metal.'' The White Stag said.

''Elves?'' You asked.

'' Not quite; the script is in an Elven alphabet, but the one who created it is no longer among us. On the behest of someone else, gifted to someone else. I was there when it was made, though not when it was given.''

''And what does that have to do with my family? I know only that this sword belonged to my father, who inherited it from his great-uncle, but where he got the sword I do not know.''

Where exactly he got the sword, you do not know. Perhaps he took it; perhaps he was the recipient; perhaps he simply found it.

>And is the giver still around?
>I am sorry, but my great-granduncle was an arschbihsop, if he was gifted it, it doenst make sense.
>Write-in

>>6268897
>And is the giver still around?

>>6268897
>>And is the giver still around?

And the crown, what about the crown?

>>6268897
>>And is the giver still around?

''And is the giver still around?'' You asked.

''Yes, though the last I had seen her, she was most reclusive. A sad fate; she was a kind and gracious attendee of our gatherings in the grove.'' The White Stag explained.

''You mean like a nymph? Or a fairy?'' Nymphs you had read about during your time in Mithras seemed to fill a similar role there as those they called fairies here.

''Unfortunately, young one. We do not often fit into the categories you or the other outlanders have created. She is unique; we all are unique. We were formless when we were born, but we assume a shape as we grow up. Some of us look like animals, others look like humans, elves or like how you imagine fairies, and some can shift in between.''

The White Stag continued. ''But in this case, she does have a vague resemblance to an elf or a human, though I don't remember. But enough about the past; the giver has long made clear she doesn't want to be disturbed, and when she doesn't want to be found, she cannot be found.''

The White Stag took a few more steps away from you, before turning his head to speak with you once more.

''I thus wish to extend to thee these terms, O heir of Greifswald. So that there can be peace and understanding between us. I wish for you to ensure this forest is never cleared and that those that travel through here are to be kept away from use, as we keep away from them. In exchange, I shall grant thou, and all thy heirs, my permission and protection if thou wishes to pass through here and call upon our aid in times of need. I shall also grant thee the right to attend and speak at the gathering of the fae, if thou wishest to do so. Are these terms thus acceptable to thee?''

The White Stag looked at you with intent purpose.

>And what of invading armies? Will you stop them?
>You seem to be giving me a lot for seemingly little.
>Not clearing the forests could hamper our development.
>I shall agree to this pact.
>I am sorry, but I cannot agree to this.
>Write-in

>>6269315
>I shall agree to this pact.
>Write-in: Would you be willing to meet me again with more witnesses so we can put that pact in writing?

''I shall agree to this pact.'' There was much to be gained from such a pact, or at least to be secured. A pact with the fae shall keep the deepwoods tame, the ranger safer and you in a better position.

The White Stag, Aran-Arasso, let out a cry of jubilation.

''Then we are in agreement, and for that I am glad. In the past, our worlds have lived together peacefully, and so it shall be for the new era.'' For the first time since you met him, the Whit Stag seems to be in a state of proper happiness.

''Would you be willing to meet me again with more witnesses so we can put that pact in writing?'' you asked.

The Stag laughed. ''Put it in writing. I had forgotten you do that, but yes, I shall do that. If it seals the deal, I shall do it with utmost gladness. But we of the Sylvan Glades have our own customs concerning the sealing of the deal. As I am the one to come bargaining with you, it is only right that I shall be the one to gift you.''

He turned back into his druid form, reached into his pocket, and produced from it an amulet. Though it lacked a chain from which to hang it, you were impressed with the workmanship of the silver casing and the green gems laid upon it; placed in the middle was a pure white tree.

''This amulet is a mark of my favour; you and your horse may travel freely across my domains, and those who would still oppose shall face my wrath.''

The druid transformed into his stag form once more as he prepared to depart. But not before walking over to Wittekind, who greeted his fellow whitecoat with a derisive snort.

''I suppose I should give thee something as well, steadfast mount, so that thou mayst serve thy master with even greater efficiency.''

The stag bowed his head before the horse, and his antlers lit up. For a moment you saw small lights of energy before they dissipated.

''Well, I am in no need of your gift, you oversized elk. The water here might be good, but your fodder is some of the worst I have ever tasted.'' A voice, boastful and proud, replied. For a moment, you thought someone else had joined in on the conversation, and someone had. It would seem you are now the proud owner of a talking horse!

>You made my horse talk?
>I can't go into Rittersbach with a talking horse.
>I really am done with the supernatural.
>Write-in

>>6269376
>>You made my horse talk?

>>6269376
>You made my horse talk?
Your drinks are good, but your food is unsatisfactory. I'll give you 1/5 on (not Google) reviews.

>>6269376
>Uhhhhhhhh. UHHHHHH. Thank you.

>>6269376
>>You made my horse talk?

>>6269393
Kek

>>6269376
>I really am done with the supernatural.

''You made my horse talk?'' You said in exasperation.

''Indeed I did; not to worry, though; he can still talk horse or pretend not to understand you if you think it's embarrassing. Anyway, it is about time I am off. Isaduilinda has invited me for the dance in the meadows, and I hate to be late. Goodbye and safe travels!'' The White Stag took off and melted into the forest as if he dissolved.

''Now hang on! Wait! What if neither of us – oh, never mind. Whelp, I hope he imparted the routes into your head as well.'' You looked at Wittekind.

''You wouldn't believe it, but I have. Come along now, blondie; those sluggards who ride upon my brothers and sisters might start to miss you.'' You suddenly didn't like your horse as much now that he could talk.

''Were you always such a snide stallion, or did you learn that from elsewhere? And don't call me blondie; not even my wife calls me that.'' You impatiently said.

Wittekind neighed mockingly. ''I can call you however I want, blondie, especially out here, or do you want to walk?''

You rolled your eyes and resigned yourself to your fate for now. The journey out of the Deepwood was a peaceful one, annoyingly; with the amulet now in your possession, the denizens of the woods came out to greet and meet with you. Ents and dryads waved their branches, fairies of various sizes flew over to greet you, and a collection of talking animals also came to look at you.

Eventually, you were out and back in the regular forest.

''You were always a prickly animal; I still don't understand why you bit the hand of that stable hand or why you kicked old Jürgen back when he was giving you new hooves.''

''Because they annoyed me, that dim witted stable hand tried to give me oats when I wanted carrots, so I took those pale carrots with which he was holding the oats.''

''You bit off his fingers?'' You asked.

''Worst meal I ever had. As for that blacksmith, he insulted me while shoeing me, so I gave a little treat.''

>Hearing you talk has been one of the worst moments in my life.
>Are you even capable of compassion, or are you just wrathful by nature?
>Shut up, or I wont have you buried, but sold to the butcher.
>Write-in

>>6269480
>>Are you even capable of compassion, or are you just wrathful by nature?
hahaha

>>6269480
>>Are you even capable of compassion, or are you just wrathful by nature?

>>6269480
>"Oh so you are just impertinant now that you can speak? There's a word that might might make you reconsid>>6269480
er you attitude." Wait for him to as what. Reply, "Gelding."

>>6269480 #
>"Oh so you are just impertinant now that you can speak? There's a word that might might make you reconsider you attitude." Wait for him to ask what. Reply, "Gelding."

>>6269480
>"Destriers can't feed themselves on grass and require special care in general. Just reminding"

This was getting a bit too disturbing for your tastes. Was your steadfast and faithful steed really this much of a prick? Never mind that; he never once tried to kick or bite you. So obviously there must be some affection.

"Are you even capable of compassion, or are you just wrathful by nature?"

''Oh, I am plenty compassionate; why, once I didn't kick that dog your father had when he licked my ankle, and I never once tried to throw you off or bite or kick you. In spite of the fact that you weigh a lodestone, especially when you wear your armour.''

Wittekind stayed quiet after that, when you rejoined with the rest of the group. You still had some bridges to inspect and oversee.

The bridge near Tanzig was built to be a drawbridge, to allow some larger ships to pass through, as the land around was too low to make the arches big enough for them.

At Ulrichsburg, there was a more impressive construction. With its closeness to the castle, by now a bulwark of royal power in a still integrating land. The old sluice system with which defenders could flood the surroundings was still intact, though the moss was growing on it. Due to the fact, the bridge was built on a dike or levee. You didn't need to put in a drawbridge at all.

This was your second visit to the castle, and it would seem that not much has changed; most of the barracks in the castle stand empty, as it was decided that it would cost too much to maintain a full garrison. Still, the castle was big, bigger than its former rival in the north, the Albrechtsburg. Where the Ulrichsburg was low and wide, with long, short walls with a few towers behind which stood the main buildings, the Albrechtsburg was a tad bit narrow, though only in comparison to this massive castle. The Albrechtsburg had taller towers and a more intricate design.

But that does beg the question, doesn't it? Should you be keeping such a large and downright unusable piece of the castle around when you can use the material elsewhere? While the bridges already have their budgets to account for future materials, in the future, any new building project could benefit from cheap bricks.

>Yes, we should; those barracks are empty and only waste money. (A discount to any future building projects.)
>No, who know whether these barracks and castle might be neccesarty in the future.

>>6269706
>>No, who know whether these barracks and castle might be neccesarty in the future.

>>6269706
>No, who know whether these barracks and castle might be neccesarty in the future.

>>6269706
>Yes, we should; those barracks are empty and only waste money. (A discount to any future building projects.)

>>6269706
>>No, who know whether these barracks and castle might be neccesarty in the future.

No, you wouldn't destroy part of this historic and grand building just for some cheap materials. Ulrichsburg will remain as it is, even if those barracks will remain empty for an indefinite amount of time. But at any rate, you could return to Rittersbach with a full report on the progress; the bridges would cut down on travel time and put overcharging ferry services out of business, and with some, you could charge a small fee, both from travellers on land and on the rivers.

Later on, as the leaves began to fall and brown. You took Father out to the edge of the deep wood. Where Aran-Arasso, the White Stag, had agreed to meet with you to put the agreement into writing.

The alliance, known henceforth as the Amberheart Pact, would ensure peace between the world of men and the world of fae, at least in Greifswald. Father signed with the seal of Greifswald, in wax. The White Stag did the same, though he first poured resin on the parchment before placing his hoof into the rapidly drying resin. With the two seals placed, the treaty was now in place. At court, the news was somewhat well received; the usual grumblers made noises concerning the historical grievances with the fay here and there, but for most, it would mean that at least they could travel through the woods on the established roads without fear of the supernatural. As for the mundane, there were enough rangers about to keep bandits and other such criminals like poachers out.

The rest of the year went along without much of a hassle; the harvest came in—not too much, not too little. It would prove to be a mild, though not particularly dry, winter. With more rain than snow, some of the streets were flooded, and the cellars of some houses and other buildings had been flooded. The first two months of the new year would be spent helping those both inside Rittersbach and in the wider region recover. By the spring of 1263, things were looking much better when a letter arrived.

It would seem that King Casimir of Mozolavia has passed away of the white death: tuberculosis. With his eldest son dead before him, it would be young Władysław who would be coronated as the new king there. With his brother Jan wed to your sister Charlotte, the Greifswalder Kingdom was thus intertwined with the Kingdom of Mozolavia. Władysław was still a young man but in his majority, so his uncles would have to find other ways to control the state from under the nose of their king. Civil war, or at least a rebellion, would not come immediately, at least not before Casimir was buried.

>>6270084
That would come over the course of the next two years, by the summer of 1265. Two years into his reign, two of his three remaining uncles suddenly renounced their allegiance to him, announcing their intention to depose the king who had denied them their counsel and ancient liberties, taking a good chunk of the western and southern nobility with them as well.

This, obviously, would not stand, and King Władysław IV has invoked the alliance with Greifswald to help him in securing the throne.

At present, the treasury contains: 17,020 Greifs (Money)

>Send a large expeditionary army to help (-4,250)
>Make it medium one (-3,200)
>Send a token force (-1,230)
>Give them enough to prevent defeat, but not victory, to drag it out. (-2,850)

>>6270085
>Send a large expeditionary army to help (-4,250)
>But be slow in raising it, so that Wladyslaw suffers at least one big defeat.
He must come out of this in our debt

>>6270085
>>Send a large expeditionary army to help (-4,250)

>>6270085
>Send a large expeditionary army to help (-4,250)

We are going to burn a path across this kingdom and cripple it for generations

>>6270085
>>Send a large expeditionary army to help (-4,250)

>>6270094
>+1 to this strategy

>>6270094
>>6270270
I don't think we need to even deliberately slow it down since it's the largest choice. Chances are good that he'll be facing imminent doom when the expeditionary force arrives.

You would have the marshal raise a large army to aid in Mozolavia; while obviously you wouldn't send everybody down there, you would still send out a large army. The call for a muster had been given, and you would need some time to properly enlist and gather men from across the realm. It was now summer, and with how long it would take for you to properly raise this army, it would take until the next year.

While obviously, this meant that you couldn't help King Władysław and your son-in-law immediately, it was made clear to both of them that help was on its way. And while Albrecht would obviously lead this army, it was clear from the onset that it would take a while.

Indeed, most of the rest of 1265 was spent by both sides recruiting and organising their armies. While, the only real change was that Władysław moved his court away from the south to a more defensible position further out east.

But with the dawning of the new year, the army, which had been marshalled at Ulrichsburg, where the barracks could house a good chunk of these men in the winter. Now crossed over the new bridge to swing south, into Mozolavia.

A general strategy was decided upon, namely.

>to link up with Władysław and defeat them in the open
>To use the army to defeat the uncles in detail before they could link up.
>To raid and plunder the estates and fiefs of the rebels, both to devastate them and to keep them on their toes.

>>6270504

>To use the army to defeat the uncles in detail before they could link up.

Napoleon approves. With what we invested, we certainly have the bigger army compared to any one of our foes. Hopefully, this will put us in a better position, and raise questions that the current King is only power due to Teuten interference, which is just great for us, as that will keep his rule unstable enough for them not to interfere with our matters.

We should be cautious however, to make sure that the new King does not feel it a necessity to attack us in order to disprove those claims.

>>6270504
>To use the army to defeat the uncles in detail before they could link up.

>>6270504
>>To use the army to defeat the uncles in detail before they could link up.

>>6270504
>To raid and plunder the estates and fiefs of the rebels, both to devastate them and to keep them on their toes.

>>6270583
>>6270509
>>6270508

Bah stop being so helpful, all we should be considering ourselves with is filling our coffers and pretending to be helpful. If we start raiding their lands the uncles will or their servants will come find us.

>>6270678

Issue with that is that we need to spread out to raid, and our discipline and cohesion would collapse due to that. Plus, this will cause the aforementioned casus belli for the Mazlovians to move in on us. We've yet to integrate the south and I fear that if pressed, they will revolt against us for their independence or to join the enemy.

>>6270678

Another point of note. There are knights and nobles in those armies and ransoming them will recoup a good amount of the cash we've spent.

With you now over the border and into Mozolavia proper, it would seem that your intervention has for now gone unnoticed. You managed to cross the first few rivers without a hitch, and the scouts reported back that there seemed to be few enemies in this part of the country.

You managed to set up contact with King Wladislaw, and while you had crossed into Mozolavia, you were straddling along the border of the fief of his uncle, Konrad, who he described as his more cautious uncle in comparison to his other rebellious uncle, Leszek.

Konrad would not simply give battle, not while the odds weren't stacked in his favour; he wasn't aware you were in his fief, but if he caught wind, he would either hole himself up or withdraw his army to a more favourable position.

Within the camp, things were going along their merry way, while you had the scouts and rangers on the lookout.

The banging of the calfskin drum made a good chunk of the army stand at attention, as it was time for the public flogging of one would-be deserter and two men who had become drunk during their night watch.

''Völker of the village of Pritwitz, for your attempted desertion, you shall be flogged seventy times; furthermore, you shall receive no pay for the rest of the year. Ulrich of Thers and Markwert of Pfoltz, for your public drunkenness during service hours and severe neglect of duty, you shall be flogged fifty times, and you two are banned from being served drinks for the rest of the month.''

You did not come to watch, no, not when they tied them up to the rack, and not when their painful shrieks cried out over the camp; such punishments might be painful, but they are necessary.

If it were not for the ever-looming threat of the lash, would not any army devolve into a rabble? No, control over men must be something unquestioned during combat. Does the farmer not whip his draught animals if they refuse to work? If it had worked for the legions of old, it should work here. Harsh though it might seem, it most certainly has its effects.

With the noon, there would come a rider giving you the news you had been waiting for: Konrad had gathered his forces and was leaving to meet up with the rest of his brothers. It would be up to you to stop him from doing so.

But first, you would need to intercept them.

Roll a 1d100 [DC 55] to intercept Konrad's army, the lower, the better. Best of three, but more succeses will yield better results.

Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>6270710

Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>6270710

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>6270710
Please be good.

Shit, we looked for the wrong army!

Twas nearing the height of summer; you had already lost some animals to the heat and drought, though a thunderstorm had lightened the burden significantly, though it made the attempts at catching Konrad ever more burdensome.

It was upon a fair summer's evening, when the waning sun gave way to a pleasant evening breeze, that you spotted a group of riders in the crimson of Greifswald coming over the heath, their helms reflecting the last of the sunlight. Dust and sweat had stained their clothes, and they rode into camp with grim expressions on their faces.

"And?" you asked. ''Has Konrad made his move yet? Shall he be within grasp soon?''

The captain of the scouts winched before giving his report.

''Nay, sir, Konrad and his men have flown before the wind and have been able to meet up with his brother to the south. Alas, we were too slow with our marching. He now outnumbers us, for he has joined in common cause with his brother and compatriots.''

Too slow indeed; that most certainly was a disappointment most bitter. It had been a good plan, though the execution had left much to be desired. It was with great sombreness that you would withdraw to your tent, where you sleep away the night, pondering on how to regroup and come up with a new strategy to outmanoeuvre Konrad and his allies.

It had been a defeat without even fighting a battle, and fate, ever treacherous as it is to those bold enough to dare tangle with it, had another most unfortunate thing in store.

Come the following morrow, early when the sun was yet to reach its crescent, from far away they had come. A great host, more numerous than the locusts over a grainfield, arms and helms simmering in the morning light. Bearing high the arms of your erstwhile enemy, a black wolf upon a crimson field, in contrast to the normal Mozolavian white wolf. The situation had been turned upon its head; now you were the one outnumbered and presumably on the run.

''By the holy thirty martyrs, how did they come so quickly? What manner of trick has been concocted?'' Someone cried it out.

''It matters not; break camp. We still have time, either to make our stand or to withdraw,'' you said back.

But that was to be a dilemma; if Konrad was as cautious as the letter provided to you had made him out to be, then he wouldn't attack unless he could seriously outnumber you. And if he had already arrived with a sizeable force, it was likely that he indeed possessed such a large force.

>We have no other choice; withdraw.
>Wether by sword or by arrow, we shall make our stand!

>>6271112
>We have no other choice; withdraw.
We can only make a stand on prepared ground.
The man might be bluffing, but nope a cautious man going all in is likely not a bluff.

>>6271112
>>We have no other choice; withdraw.

>>6271112
>We have no other choice; withdraw.

You cannot stay here, no. As of right now, your position is untenable; you must get yourself away from this host as soon as possible.

With remarkable speed the camp was packed up, and before long you were on the road again. Konrad's army was marching at the speed of a snail, so your escape was a foregone conclusion.

Your superior speed and manoeuvrability gave you the edge where it mattered, and before too long you were out of his clutches.

You were relieved and glad; while there would be those who would prefer to engage and risk, chivalry and honour dictated that you didn't need to engage with challenging opponents. Running away was only dishonourable if you did it while engaged with the enemy, not while there was still distance between you.

Now, with a comfortable distance between you and Konrad, it was time to plan your next move.

Obviously, joining up with Wladislaw would combine your army into a large and capable army, capable of taking on Konrad on equal terms. Though it would mean surrendering some independence of command in cooperating with the king, who obviously wouldn't be subordinate to you.

There were, of course, alternatives to be had; for Konrad to march to join with his brother, he would need to pass through a large chunk of birch forest, mostly along long, narrow roads that wind on. Greifswald being what it is, it by nature is very able in woodland fighting and ambushes, which could negate the numerical and organisational superiority of Konrad. Though plotting an ambush in the forest is hardly honourable or glorious, it is still fair play in the rules of war. Though, it would require you to blend into the forest and could be risky.

You could also simply swing back into Greifswald, regroup, hire some extra men, and conduct a series of raids around and behind his army, using the size of his army against him by depriving him of food and other supplies, perhaps the most unchivalrous of your options, though it could prove effective.

>Join up with Wladislaw.
>Plan an ambush
>March back into Greifswald, and begin raiding.

>>6271275
>Plan an ambush

>>6271275
>>Plan an ambush

>>6271275
>Join up with Wladislaw.

An Ambush requires that an Ambush goes right, and locals likely know the land better then we do.

To confront such a large army in the open would be foolhardy and reckless. But there are always ways to stack the deck in your favour if one knows what he is doing.

The forest will offer such an opportunity; to join up with his brother, Konrad needs to march his army through a very long and, at some places, very narrow piece of woodland trail. It would be trivial for one such as you to swerve ahead, set up a trap, and spring it.

Like a huntsman setting up a snare for his prey. You would first blend into the forest and send out scouts and rangers to stalk and reconnoitre the exact movements and positions of Konrad's army before cutting them off. There were thankfully enough opportunities to be had; at a particular narrow and unsavoury part of the road, you could cut them off for a while with some tree trunks before moving to do as much damage as possible.

If things were to get too hot, you could simply melt into the forest to regroup. Their cavalry couldn't hope to pursue as effectively as per usual. Not in comparison to an open field.

For the purposes of this operation, you had changed your cloak from bright blue for a dark drab green one. Watching as your man hacked away at the trees intended to be used as blockers. Ideally you would attack during the twilight hours, though this being summer, that would be later than ideal.

There were two main points of contention. The first one was whether you should spring the trap right away or wait until Konrad can be cut off. Waiting could be risky, though doing it right away could expose you to the entire army.

The other main dilemma was whether the cavalry should remain mounted; obviously, riding a horse through thick foliage is asking for trouble. Enough people have died while galloping through the woods, including your mother's father. Besides that, the horses could break their legs if one wasn't careful.

>We should wait until Konrad is in sight.
>We should spring the trap right away.

On the horsemen.

>have the horsemen dismount.
>Keep them mounted.

>>6271789
>We should wait until Konrad is in sight.
Armies move in a long thin column as wide as the road, so if we concentrate even a little bit we're going to have local numerical superiority
>have the horsemen dismount.
You do NOT ride at any speed through a forest

>>6271789

>We should wait until Konrad is in sight.

Lives will be spent, not wasted.

On the horsemen.

>have the horsemen dismount.

No pursuit.

Rolled 23, 6 = 29 (2d100)

Rolling for weather and time

Weather
1-20: Heavy rain: bonus
20-50: Rain: small bonus
50-100: Clear weather: No bonus.

Time
1-20: Dusk bonus
20-60 early evening: might get a bonus if fighting continues
40-100: The afternoon: No bonus

''Right, obviously, we need not err with the entire enemy army, that would be a mistake, those logs should only come down when we are certain we can catch or kill Konrad.''

You explained to your commanders, who had assembled around some stumps, upon which some of them sat. They all nodded in agreement.

''Ideally we would wait until it is nearly dark before we attack, but if that isn't the case, we must act first. As for your horses, dismount and bring them somewhere we can retrieve them later. If anything goes wrong, or we are somehow routed, it is up to you to keep cohesion in the woods. Now then, to your positions.''

The day was thus spent chopping down logs, tying them to ropes, and making certain that when one cut the rope, the log would come crashing down. Footmen practised lying down before standing up and charging, though this ended when the first rain started to fall.

The rain was pattering down upon your helmet as you awaited the coming of the enemy. Anytime, now…

As the rain continued to pour, you grew more and more bored. They should be here by now, or at least, they should be here before the sun sets. In the meantime, you sat under a small tent Ehrenfried had built out of foliage while eating your evening meal, hare stew.

"Do you think he'll show up?" you asked.

"He doesn't have much of a choice, or at least, I assume that he wishes to be out of here before the sun sets." Ehrenfried said.

''What if we were wrong, and instead of going through here, he goes around the forest? Then he has sidestepped us.''

''That I doubt. No, this wood is too big. If Konrad went around, he would waste too much time; either he has set up camp within the woods, or he'll pass by soon enough.''

You took another bite of the stew, the hare going well with the local vegetables.

''You're getting up there with age, aren't you? I mean, you're younger than my father. But you're about his age rather than mine.''

''Do you expect me to settle down? While I appreciate the idea, I can't. Your father has been good to me, and marshalship pays well enough, as do the estates I have been granted. But I am not one to retire, nor do I have children to pass my estates on to. I will give half of them back to the crown in my will; the other half I will leave to my brothers and cousins.''

>>6272419
That was always something you wondered about; Ehrenfried had never married, and though he had shown attraction to women before, he never seemed to act on it.

"Are you thinking about death again?" you deadpanned.

''No, just reminiscing, besides. If I were to die, I would at least be buried in my home country, not like that Phillipe your father had on retainer. He had to be buried about as far away from Aurélie as possible.''

"Oh, him," you drew your lips.

''That man was looking for a way to die from the day he killed his brother; he practically invited death to his door when he caught consumption. A sad story, but I am glad I never had to deal that much with him.'' You said.

You talked some more about hunting, the woes of the realm, the state of the war, and more miscellaneous subjects. But by now it had begun to get dark. And the rain hadn't ceased. While it had been hard on the sergeants to keep the men about, labour would soon bear fruit.

The slow, lumbering marching with which the rebel troops were now making their way on the road hadn't escaped anybody. And soon everybody was stung into position, as if electrocuted. They looked nothing like the resplendent foes you had withdrawn from; their weapons no longer gleamed, their boots and tabards had mud upon them, and though the rain made it difficult to see, their faces were grim and bitter.

But it was easy enough to pinpoint where exactly Konrad was in the column, and before too long, you shouted both the signal and the battle cry.

"FÜR GLORIE UND VATERLAND!!! Angreifen!" As you heard the noise of wood falling.

This would be it; now you would cut the giant's jugular. If you were quick about it, you could decapitate the entire army.

Roll a 1d100 [DC: (70= Base 50,+15 from dusk,+5 from rain.)] Best of three.

Rolled 30 (1d100)

>>6272421

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>6272421

Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>6272421

So, I think we Teutoburged them by this point. Now we have to decide who gets the helms, the standards, and whom gets the scalps.

Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>6272403
Rolling for continued rain.
>Weather
>1-50: Rain: small bonus
>50-100: The weather clears up.

It all happened in a blur, for in a moment, you and the rest of your army came charging out of the forest. As the enemy was only now attempting to react to them being cut off.

The rebel Mozolavians had been tired out from the days of marching in the summer heat, and in combination with the rainfall, it made them react most sluggishly to your ambush.

Even their leader, upon his horse and surrounded by his own retainers and knights, reacted with surprise. Though, the poor sods didn't get the chance to use their animal's speed or power before your men were at their side.

Elsewhere, enemy officers were shot down by your archers, to disorganise them further, while the nobles and knights were pulled from their horses.

Whatever resistance was theirs to offer was overcome quite easily. Exhaustion soon gave way to a general panic. And while their fellows on the other side from the logs tried to reach them back, it was in vain.

It was not that the Mozolavians were all slaughtered to a man; some of them managed to disperse. However, the core of their troops, the personal retainers of Prince Konrad, managed to at least partially regroup around their banner; your own men had managed to completely surround them.

And so now, as the rain continued to pour on the both of you. In the middle stood they, hounded, nearly broken, but still defiant. Their arms and armour were dirtied and muddied, and as they started to close themselves in ever closer and closer ranks, what remained of their mounted troops had dismounted as well. Even from far away, you caught a glimpse of narrowed, determined eyes.

Surrounding them, like hungry wolves closing ever and ever in. You men had been given a taste of success, of driving your enemies before you like a cruel master does to his animals. They were wet as well, but much, much fresher.

That was, of course, until your archer began firing in volleys; with them so close together, some of them began to fall over, more and more and more. But eventually, you had enough.

"Close that damn circle; either they start laying down their arms, or we will kill them all.'' You shouted to your men.

Trudging through the mud, you slowly made your way over to their lines; closer and closer you came. And the fighting became fiercer and fiercer.

A giant man on the enemy side was of particular note. He desperately smashed and smashed with his mace, but with each swing, he hit slower and slower until a Greifswalder soldier bored his spear through his thigh, collapsing the man into the mud.

By now, more and more men were beginning to lay down their weapons, as you finally reached the banner of Konrad, by now only held by a dead squire. You found Konrad himself with his legs stuck under his dead soldiers, he seemed to be alive, though he was losing blood from the looks of it.

>Try to save him
>Let him bleed out.

>>6272534
>>Try to save him

>>6272534
>Try to save him
Having a rebel leader captured gives us a lot of leverage we wouldn't otherwise have

Right, roll a 1d100 to see if he makes it through the night [DC 40]

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>6272554

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>6272554

''Pull him out now, and get a surgeon. I do not want this man to die.'' You told two squires, who were busy looking for living among the dead.

With your objectives complete and the enemy in no way capable of pursuit, you quickly melted back into the forest, taking the heavily wounded Konrad with you.

''Can he make it? The life of this man could change the course of the war,'' you said to the surgeon as he began examining the wounded man.

"He might, if I can stop his bleeding, hand me that bottle with ethanol and some clean cloth." The surgeons began to take off Konrad's armour and then used scissors to cut through his clothes. Before looking back at you.

''Well, my lord, I think he can make it, but it will be a hard night for us. And some of us need to tend to our own wounded as well. But, for hygiene's sake, I ask that you leave us to our work if you please.''

While the persistent rains put a damper on any and all after-battle celebrations, most of the army could take a bit of rest for now with its leadership. The army gathered by Konrad would fall apart now that the ones responsible for feeding and paying them could no longer do that; it was a victory, one that you could be particularly proud of.

For about a week, Konrad was too weak to respond to anything except eating light meals and the changing of his bandages. Those bandages cover most of his lower chest and a portion of his neck, though the wound had been drying well, and the bandages could be removed soon.

As for ransom, for now he was too weak to properly travel alone, so you kept him in the infirmary for the time being. You marched your army out of the forest, scattering what few stragglers there had once been from Konrad's army. Ending up close to a tavern, where you decided to billet him for the time being.

He wasn't very handsome; with his sideburns, sunken eyes, and narrow mouth, he reminded you of a starved wolf. But on a more base level, you recognised that this man could be dangerous if he wasn't so terribly weakened.

''You have done well, young Adlershorst. I had erred when I decided to go to the forest; I suppose it was incautious, but I wanted to be quick.'' He winced at the last line.

"I defeated you in an ambush; some would say that would be dishonourable," you said.

''No, it was clever, is what it is. I would have done the same; my father would have done the same." He said.

''And your brothers?'' You wryly asked.

>>6272590
He grimaced. ''My beloved brothers, one dead, the other with that boy, which leaves me with Leszek. No, sir, Leszek would gladly meet you in open combat. And if you want a rant about honour over ambushes, you should have gone after him.''

''Oh, only two of the three remain brothers, you know; they say that good things come in threes," you sheepishly said.

''Siemowit was always a man for whom loyalty was the highest virtue; of course he remained at my nephew's side."

You leaned in closer. ''I take you're someone for whom loyalty is something to be bought.''

He gritted his teeth. ''That boy refused to heed my counsel; he suppressed my right to speak into matters of the realm, as is my birthright. And it is for my right I shall fight.''

You left soon thereafter; soon enough he would be capable of longer travels without rest, but to who will you ransom him, or perhaps you would like to keep him around?

>Give him to your brother-in-law, Prince Jan, and his royal brother.
>Ransom him to King Wladislaw.
>Ransom him on his own
>Ransom him to his brother, Prince Leszek.
>Write-in

>>6272591
>Keep him for the duration of the war, perhaps we could even use him as leverage eventually

I like him honestly, he can hang out and be our advisor

>>6272591

>Keep him for the duration of the war, perhaps we could even use him as leverage eventually

Lets treat him well but keep him out of play.

>>6272591
>>Ransom him to his brother, Prince Leszek.

>>6272591
>Keep him for the duration of the war, perhaps we could even use him as leverage eventually
The sensible option.

>>6272591
>Keep him for the duration of the war, perhaps we could even use him as leverage eventually

Konrad, it was decided, would remain with you for the duration of the war, or at least until you had some idea of what to do with him.

Leverage, hostage, a semi-ambassador—when the war was over, it was to be thought about.

The summer rains kept on falling for about a week more. And for the rest of the summer and autumn, you dispersed and rounded up the remains of Konrad's former army.

It very much was a cleanup situation; if you didn't make certain they were flushed out, certain men would most certainly take up the opportunity to harass the locals for food and money. And besides that, the more knights, nobles, and other lords that managed to escape but were captured now, the more ransom you might get later.

News from the rest of the country was good as well. Wladislaw had successfully secured his position and had defeated some rebel lords in the field. Now, only Leszek remained. And it had been barely two years.

For now, you could take it easy for a bit. While you could have gone into the heart of Konrad's estates to seize his castles and other holdings, you decided to march a tad bit to the east. To be a bit closer to Wladislaw and his army.

Obviously, you couldn't keep the fact that you had captured Konrad secret, or else his servants might think him dead. You did manage to cow the rest of his fiefs and estates into cooperation that way, which certainly helped. Konrad's treatment did help a good chunk of the castles and cities to surrender to you.

It was nearing the end of the year, and while you were preparing to march further east to be in position against Leszak, you received a visit from none other than King Wladislaw IV, who had ridden upon a great black-coated destrier.

>>6273027
With a charming smile, a ridiculously large jaw, and the same black hair as his uncle. He was much like him in some aspects, though he was a tad bit more comely. Though he did not exude the same wolfishness, at least not in behaviour, he was more like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Friendly, jovial even, but pompous and with an ever-present hunger in his eyes.

"My good friend!" he exclaimed, while giving you a tight brotherly hug.

"When I asked for aid from your father, I hadn't expected such results, never mind the fact that you managed to capture my erring uncle in short order, bravo!" He talked with a warm burr, but there was machination behind it.

"Thank you, your majesty; it does me good to see you. How is your brother?" You responded with the usual courteous flattery.

''Leading a very happy life, in no small part thanks to that sister of yours! Hahahaha. Now then, might I discuss something about my beloved uncle, in private, that is? ''

''Come along with me." You responded.

Soon enough, you were in your tent, with some alcohol to warm the inside of the body. Before too long, Wladislaw produced a set of scissors.

''Do you want me to give you a haircut?" You asked.

''Not quite; I want to give my uncle a haircut, a tonsure to be exact." He looked at you with boyish delight while you gritted your teeth behind a closed mouth.

"You want to cloister him, and I assume declare his estates forfeit?"

''He doesn't have any children, and I intend to make certain that he won't have any. And I am not Mithradian, so that solution doesn't work. Nor can I simply kill him; that would be kinslaying.''

You felt something within you boil, low for now, but it was clear to you that this royal brat might not be a very pleasant person, and it would seem he would like to be rid of his uncle one way or the other.

>Oh, very well then, if it pleases your majesty.
>He is still my prisoner, not yours; that entitles him to my protection.
>Get out.
>It would seem you still have a lot to learn.
>Now you listen to me very carefully, because I am only going to say this once.
>It is a pity your father died so young, or he might have thaught you some matters.
>Write-in

>>6273029
>He is still my prisoner, not yours; that entitles him to my protection.

King or not, Konrad was your prisoner, not his. Wladislaw was not to mistreat him while you had him in custody. You were not a subject of the Mozolavian monarchy, and you were under no obligation to let this boy mistreat his uncles.

''He is still my prisoner, not yours; that entitles him to my protection.'' You flatly stated. Narrowing your eyes.

Wladislaw, by contrast, looked like you had just slapped him in the face. Had he not expected you to push back? Were you about to watch him throw a tantrum?

''Perhaps you haven't been made aware, but my uncle is still my subject. I have every right to punish him, especially when he is on the soil of my country. I want him out of politics.''

''You may be his king, but you are not his captor. He is not yours to punish, at least not yet.'' You declared firmly, crossing your arms. Wladislaw's expression darkened, a storm brewing in his eyes as he realised you were not going to back down.

''Now you listen to me, Adlershorst. I will have my uncle in a monastery or out of the country.'' He snarled.

''Fine, banish him then; I will take him to Greifswald if you don't want him. But you shall not have access to him.''

He leaned back, thinking about your offer. Before jumping up and declaring, "Fine, we'll do that; you can have him, not that he will have any estates to return to."

He stayed around for some time before eventually leaving. You thought him a blowhard and privately thanked the gods for the fact that your sister was wed to his brother and not him.

You had already sequestered Konrad in a safe location at any pace, in case you needed to bring him somewhere safe. He could travel once more, but he was still a tad bit weakened, and you didn't want to risk him dying of the cold.

In the new year, with winter now at a close. Things were about to come to a head. You had unfortunately received news that your father had caught an illness but was apparently recovering well. It was a relieving bit of news, as you can confront the last of the rebels.

You had come across them at the joining of the roads somewhere in the southeast, and the Mozolavians had joined you in fighting to your right flank. With the king riding in the fore. Something you found quaint. Opposite you stood a colourful group of various quality who would make for the enemy today. It was just before noon, and soon enough the clash would come, with the enemy cavalry preparing already.

>Keep on the defence; let them come to us.
>They will push on our right, so we should relieve pressure on the left.
>Let Wladislaw take the hit for now.
>Write-in

>Keep on the defence; let them come to us.

>>6273328
>Keep on the defence; let them come to us.

>>6273328
>>Keep on the defence; let them come to us.

''Close ranks, let not a single one through. If what Konrad said is true, Leszek shall act rashly and aggressively.'' You told your officers as much.

With that knowledge in hand, you, officer, set off. Soon they were hard-pressed against the mass of men Leszek had been able to obtain. Though they would come up against the shields, arms, and armour of your men. Forged in the times of your father, tempered by your experience crusading, and proving itself in countless battles since then. It was no small boast to say that your core of veterans were themselves made from steel at this point.

They came down upon your soldiers like the waves upon the shore, only to be broken by the bulwarks that were your line. For now, they could hold, and with your archers providing support from the rear, you could hopefully avoid a slugging match. Though you did keep your horsemen in reserve for a hammer and anvil, in case that would prove necessary.

Far off to your right flank, near where the Mozolavians were positioned. You could see just what Leszek was trying to do. A mass of enemy cavalry trampled and kicked up dust in the distance, most likely trying to pull off a hammer and anvil of his own.

"Do you think he is leading from the front?" You said, peering into the dust cloud.

''I think he is; you can make out a banner lined with silver thread. If he is as big on courage as he made himself out to be, he will be.'' Ehrenfried said.

''Indeed, and it looks like our royal friend is about to counteract him.'' Someone else said as the Mozolavian cavalry massed opposite Leszek's.

"Do you think he'll lead from the front?" you openly pondered.

''If he's smart, he won't

''Agreed.''

While to your right, a great cavalry melee was about to unfold. You decided to focus back on keeping your lines intact first and foremost.

To see who will succeed in damaging or breaking the other's line, roll a 1d100 [DC: 60] Best of three

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>6273466

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>6273466
Wouldn't we want bad rolls since dickhead would die and his brother married to our family would take over?
Of course not too bad, don't want to lose the battle or our men.

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>6273466
No escape!

>>6273467
>>6273480
>>6273486
Literally 1 in a 1.000.000 chance. I don't think I've ever seen this before.

>>6273467
>>6273480
>>6273486

What in the shit

>One in a million chance
>Coincidentally on the number 13
This calls for something special, both for the battle, and for something in the future....

It clearly hadn't rained for some time, or the massive clouds of dust that had been kicked up wouldn't have obscured most of what was going on on the right. Cries of horse and man and the clashing of swords and lances were all that would come from that section of the front.

As the footmen on both sides began slugging it out, it had become clearer that your infantry was cut from quite the different cloth than your enemies. You had also brought more archers, who whittled away at the numbers where the melee troop couldn't reach them.

It went on and on, and though they had come in numbers, the enemy clearly couldn't put a chink into the armour of your own footmen, who were hacking away against what by now appeared more and more a poorly armoured mob.

The impossible then happened: from somewhere in the enemy ranks, someone was shouting and shouting; more shouting came and came; they seemed to be more and more disorganised as your own infantry pressed hard. And what had begun as a mere shout turned into a panic, and then finally a rout.

"Now is the time; send in the cavalry!" You enthusiastically ordered.

"If we chase them now, they'll run blindly into their own; let's be off!" And you prodded Wittekind into moving.

What followed was a great, glorious mess as the rebels began to crash into each other en masse. A good chunk got trampled to death by their own. So much so that you had to order a general halt to prevent your own men from going in between that place of hooves and lances.

By the time the melee was over, whatever remained of a fighting force had been broken. You found Wladislaw, bloodied and with a black eye, looking both triumphant and deranged. He yelled something in Mozolavian, though you didn't know what. Though he made it clear just what he was looking for.

''Ah...Ah...Ahdlershorst, have you seen my uncle? It would do me great pleasure to find Uncle Leszek. Or if you can, bring me his corpse.'' His speech was slurred and mangled, and soon devolved into Mozolavian as he began to pay more attention to his own men.

You went over the battlefield alone for a while, overlooking all the dead that were strewn across the fields here and there. Prisoners and regular men were already being piled up to be burnt so that no necromancer could turn them; ordinarily there would have been a burial, but not here.

Leszek was eventually found, under his horse, a broken lance in his hand and a smile upon his face. With multiple slashes in his neck, several punctures in his abdomen, and a variety of other injuries,
it was clear that he was dead.
This news put Wladislaw into a jubilant and jovial mood, in spite of his own injuries. The rebellion had been crushed. He now had an excuse to confiscate their estates and fiefs. You had wished he had got a concussion; then he might have got some common sense into his head.

>>6273731
Nevertheless, you found his celebration at a feast in the closest castle to be a boring affair, you found your host boorish, and you couldn't even see your sister or brother-in-law, for they were still at the capital. Afterwards, Wladislaw formally released most of you from your obligations, for you had fulfilled them; the clean-up could be done by the Mozolavians themselves.

You returned home once more, crossing the new bridges, which cut travel time significantly. All in all, you found this Mozolavian adventure a waste of your time; your opinion of the new king was now soured, though you did keep hope that he might mature one day.

With the war over, you quietly resumed your domestic life as it was. In spite of trying, the prospect of a son remained as elusive as ever. Though that concern suddenly started to be small compared to what would come next, a great heatwave fell over Greifswald; most stayed indoors, on occasion horses and mules collapsed from the heat, and there were several outbreaks of disease.

But worst of all, King Dietrich had fallen ill as well. Unlike the illness from last winter, this one is far, far more serious. The physicians had thought it was pneumonia. And he coughed violently, struggling to catch his breath as his condition continued to deteriorate rapidly.

For Dietrich to make a full recovery, you shall need at least three successes with the 1d100 dice [DC 30] No success means he will succumb to the disease, while one success will mean he will struggle on for a bit more, while two successes will raise the DC slightly for the next time it's tested.

Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>6273733
Sick

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>6273733

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>6273733
Pneumonia in the summer, during a heatwave?
I think it's something like pneumonic plague and we're all fucked.

Being among the elderly, it was perhaps to be expected that Father would get ill from such a disease, though the fact that it was pneumonia during a warm season made you suspicious, especially after other prominent elders like the bishop, mayor, and various guild masters began falling ill as well.

The plague was upon Rittersbach, even if it hadn't yet properly reared its ugly, ugly head as yet. Perhaps it was something that should have been obvious; from the moment of its founding, Rittersbach had been a virtual boomtown on the river Seldau, with a great influx from all around the country. Now numbering about 30,000 souls where once there had been only 1,500. Your father had sown most diligently, but now the reaper would have his due.

For the moment, you would be relatively safe, or at least you hope you would be; your palace is on the other bank of the river, but you had already decided that it would be in the interest of everyone involved that you would be out of the vicinity of this city for the time being.

The physicians had all recommended a variety of different measures and treatments, both for your father and for the inhabitants of the city. Some had recommended a leeching, and an elf offered a special type of herbal medicine he could prepare, and others said that you should at the very least remove your father from the centre of the epidemic, whether it was through miasma or not. You decided to give your father a place where he could properly recover without risking being surrounded by other infected individuals.

One idea was to move to the coast for the time being, close to where the shipyards were located. Though the old fortress that overlooked it wasn't suited for habitation, there is a relatively well-maintained manor home close by, from where the fresh sea might purify his lungs.

Another idea was to go to the so-called Jadgschloss or hunting castle. More or less a very large hunting lodge overlooking a lake down south. Because of their pleasant smell, the trees could also help relieve some of your father's suffering.

Lastly, and more practically, you could use the Ulrichsburg to temporarily house the court; it was big enough, though without the same comfort, and the lack of any surrounding cities could help with the fresh air.

But in the end you decided upon.

>The manor by the coast
>The jagdschloss
>The Ulrichsburg

>>6273775
>>The jagdschloss

Nothing like a little nature for recovery.

Jagdschloss Goldenbaum was originally a private hunting lodge overlooking the lake of Goldenbaum. It was built as a private retreat for the grandmaster of the Order of the Argent Stars. Now it would serve the same purpose for your family. It featured a high, open design, with many watchtowers and residences for the purpose of sighting game.

The plastered halls were already full of the antlers, tusks, and skulls of stags, boars, bears, and other creatures. The surrounding forest provided ample opportunities for hunting and exploring nature. Additionally, the grandmaster's private library contained a good set of tomes and maps detailing what you could find where.

The forest itself wasn't like the rough forest of Greifswald elsewhere or like the unnatural majesty of the deepwood but neatly trimmed, with the prey being kept in manageable numbers by game wardens and flushing gangs. You could safely hike or walk along most of the main roads without being attacked by the animals. If you wanted to find those, you should wander off into the game trails. The lake also boasted a small boathouse, so one could row out for recreation or to fish.

"This is a very lush forest, I must say." Your wife, the princess Anastasia said.

''Indeed, though I was under the impression that Mithras had forests as well; at least they were there last I visited it,'' you coquettishly said.

She smiled. "Oh yes, but nothing of this vegetation, and we usually don't build our retreats in the middle of the forest."

If anything, the fact that so many nobles and everyone else who could afford it had fled to the country made it so you could spend more time with your family and on personal leisure. You had already planned out a new hunting expedition with your cousin, the count of Füchsbau, related to you by your mother's brother, in about a week or so.

Still, as you rode around the lake to get a lay of the land, you were left alone with Wittekind, who decided to speak his mind about many a thing: the degradation of the Greifswaldian carrot, the disrespect young ponies showed to their elders, and much more.

>>6273938
''So you are hoping for a son this time around? You already tried four times; perhaps you should try a different mare.'' Your steed said while you overlooked the lake.

"Have you ever heard of something called monogamy?" you asked.

''Sounds like biped claptrap, like that marriage thing you told me about. We horses, we're much simpler; the stallions fight, and whoever wins—''

''I know how horses reproduce; I don't need to be reminded, thank you very much. You're my horse, not my drinking buddy who boasts about his love life.'' You cut him off.

"I can be both."

"You don't drink booze, you nag."

At any rate, you were settling in most dandy in this new holiday home. Were it not for the somewhat unfortunate circumstances that had brought you here, you would ideally stay longer.

But for now, you suppose, you must find something to amuse yourself with.

>Read a book from the library.
>Teach your daughters how to ride.
>Teach your daughters the basics of archery.
>Spend more time with Wittekind.
>Go out for a hike with Anastasia.

>>6273940
>Go out for a hike with Anastasia.

>>6273940

Can we do more than one ?

In that case:

>Teach your daughters how to ride.
>Teach your daughters the basics of archery.
>Go out for a hike with Anastasia.

Horse archers beat everything on open ground. And we can ride aroudn with our wife while teaching the girls how to shoot.

If not, then:

>Go out for a hike with Anastasia.

>>6273960
I'll allow you to select two activities.

>>6273940
>Read a book from the library.
>Teach your daughters how to ride.

>>6273940
>>Go out for a hike with Anastasia.
>>Teach your daughters how to ride.

>>6273961

In that case:

>Teach your daughters how to ride.
>Go out for a hike with Anastasia.

It'd be good bonding experience, and knowing how to ride a horse will be useful in general.

>>6273940
>Go out for a hike with Anastasia.
>Teach your daughters how to ride

Before your little hunting expedition, and with the affairs of state in order for now. You hoped that for now, not too many people within the infantile bureaucracy of Greifswald would keel over and die, not for now at least. Communiqués with Rittersbach informed you that at least the bishop, the master of the woodcarver's guild, and some lesser men had already succumbed to the plague.

Father, for his part, had at least partially recovered and now sat solemnly in the courtyard, reading books his servants would bring him, while Mother busied herself with teaching the grandchildren the basics of embroidery.

With there being no more distractions, you and Anastasia set out for a very long and very peaceful hike.

"It is unfortunate that we are here because of such circumstances; I would have hoped we may have gone here in happier times." You said.

''I have prayed for your father's wellbeing; I can only hope it will come back to him soon, dear. But we cannot simply heal him if we so wished,'' said Anastasia.

"Indeed, let us be off then, and try to put this worrisome thing behind us for the time being." You answered back.

The two of you walked off, arm in arm, on foot, taking all the time in the world to simply appreciate it. The forest itself was good to you, and you spotted two fawns with each other, as well as some songbirds.

Ah, the relief of being left alone with each other. It was like Mithras all over again: no children to watch after, no state or army to manage, just a happy couple, for whom the outside world briefly didn't exist.

"Do you wish we were more like them?" Anastasia asked. While you were nearing the edge of the forests, you came to see an old farm, where the peasants were busy toiling and working. The simple life, but one with its own hardships and challenges.

''Do you know how to sow seeds or how to milk a cow? Neither do I, though I understand the appeal.'' She chuckled at your remark.

And on you went once more, past the great oak that made the road uneven, by the time-worn stone bridge that crossed a bubbling brook. All under the great green canopy that was this wood. Butterflies flew past over the bridge, while in the brook you could see the fish and frogs.

Further still, you came upon a small grove. Tranquil and littered with wildflowers of every form and scent. The two of you paused here for some time, sitting on the grass.

>>6274168
"Perhaps," you said. "We should try to do it again." You leaned a bit closer to her. "After all, perhaps the fifth time will be the charm."

She smiled affectionately and said. "Albrecht, I have already borne you four daughters; what makes you believe you'll get a son this time around?"

You smiled back. ''I would not know, but I would like to try again. We have already been blessed with this many children; I can only hope that the gods will at least try to balance it with one son.''

It then fell silent, and you embraced and kissed as though it was the first time you had ever done so, and you took it a step further still and lay with one another under the leaves. When you returned to Castle Goldenbaum, it was two hours after you said you would return.

The following morn, you decided it was time for some family time; more specifically, you decided it was time for the girls to learn how to ride. To that end, you had a set of ponies brought to the courtyard. And after breakfast, you had your daughters lined up in accordance with their height and specific pony.

''Now, then, I want you all to familiarise yourselves with the ponies I have assigned you. I will give each of you some oats; try to feed them to your pony. Do not try to get bitten.''

While it is only the first step, you will hopefully have them ride their ponies before too long

How will you regiment their training regime?

>Carefully guided and managed
>Bring in Wittekind to partially take it over.
>Play it loose, with some trail and error, if they fall of the first time, so be it.

>>6274169

>Bring in Wittekind to partially take it over.

>Play it loose, with some trail and error, if they fall of the first time, so be it.

Have Wittekind there to keep an eye on the ponies and interfere if things go wrong. The kids will learn best through trial and error, while still having a safety net.

>>6274169
>Carefully guided and managed
We are potentially training our heiress

>>6274169
>Play it loose, with some trail and error, if they fall of the first time, so be it.

Self-relience is instilled early.

The best way to teach young people how to ride a horse is obvious: you simply place them upon the pony, and then you give the pony a firm smack on the buttock; the pony shall start moving, and it will be up to the rider to control it or bring it to a stop.

While your elder daughters were capable of mounting on their own, they were used to having their ponies guided along.

Your daughters numbered four: Sophia, Alexandra, Zoe, and Konstanze. Sophia and Zoe had the black hair of their mother; Konstanze was as golden in hair as you, and Alexandra had inherited the red hair of her grandmother. In terms of skin, they ranged between you and Alexandra.

You started with the eldest. Who obviously sat upon the largest pony.

"Now remember, to bring her to a halt, simply rein in the bridle. Now go off and make Papa proud, won't you?" You soothfully said.

"But Papa, I—" You quickly smacked the pony into motion. ''Off you go! Best of luck!''

You repeated this three more times, and to your surprise, nobody fell off, so you did it again, while the young girls screamed out their lungs on occasion. But you would do it again and again.

"Dearest, are you certain that is the best way to teach them?" After the first hour, Anastasia had come out to watch as well.

"I mean, you weren't this rough with me when you taught me how to ride."

''Oh yes, but you were already a grown woman; this builds character, you see. It worked for me when I was a wee lad.''

And you would keep at it; you ran this riding school like it was an army camp. They would get bruises, sure; perhaps they might even bleed or cry or even declare they hate horses and all that had to do with it, but it mattered naught. You would teach all week long. Something Wittekind found very amusing.

To finish it all off, you would conduct a ride around the lake, with them riding as well. Sophia up front, the rest behind, and you would ride behind them on Wittekind.

As you were preparing to go, one of your daughters, Zoe, threw a tantrum. "But I don't want to go riding!" she cried. You knew it would be a long day. That was, of course, until Wittekind managed to grab her by her clothes with his teeth before forcibly placing her upon her pony.

"That'll teach you, you little miss," he said with a snort before trotting off. The rest of your daughters fell in line without speaking a word.

>>6274356
Before too long, the troop was off to an admittedly slow start. But as the day went on, your daughters finally managed to get the hang of it. About bloody time, you thought to yourself as you neared the halfway point of the lake, from where you could see the castle quite nicely.

"Papa, what will become of us when we're grown up? Aside from Sophia, that is?" Alexandra asked, which pulled you out of your inner ruminations most roughly.

>You shall marry a prince and live happily ever after after.
>What will be, will
>I cannot earnestly say, the future is too unclear for me
>Write-in

PS: I tried to draw something, but as it turns out childern are beyond my drawing skills

>>6274357
>"You will become the most beautiful and powerful woman in the north. Like Sophia."

>>6274357
>>You shall marry a prince and live happily ever after after.

>>6274357
>You shall marry a prince and live happily ever after after.

"You shall marry a prince and live happily ever after." They took your words at face value; were they older, they might not have been as satisfied with your answer. But that was of little concern for now. Some of them might not want to later or will have desires of their own, but for now, you can rest easy.

With the arrival of some other nobles with whom you could get along, including your cousin, the present Count of Füchsbau, it was decided that there would be hunting with crossbows, and the game would be whatever was encountered that day.

A good thing, too, you didn't have enough hounds for a scent hunt. The two of you set off with each other, taking up position to await the blowing of the horn.

Cousin Markwart was a slender man with red hair, a pointed face, and dark green eyes. He was your only cousin who lived close enough for you to regularly meet, and that made him your favourite. The various Adlershorsts who lived in Tautenland were always too far away for you to regularly meet them, and you didn't bond with them all that much.

At any rate, the two of you slowly began to walk through the forest.

"I have not heard much from you in a while, cousin. How are you at any rate?" you asked.

"Oh, I am well and good, you know how it is; my estates have been keeping me busy," he replied with a smile.

''You estates, eh? I hope you have had no trouble with those new officials we introduced a while back.''

"Come, Albrecht, you know how it is; I can understand wanting to order the justice system and the taxation system, but sometimes it feels like they are making things more complicated than they need to be," he replied with a hint of mild frustration.

"Those reforms are for the good of the realm; by centralising power and streamlining processes, we can ensure a more efficient and effective government." You responded with a reassuring tone.

''I understand the reasoning. But there have been those among the nobility who have been grumbling.''

''Of course they are grumbling; they're like children whose toys have been taken away. Too focused on hoarding their own wealth and power rather than the greater good of the kingdom.'' You responded.

''It is not my place to say this, but I suppose it is natural for those who have held power for so long to resist change; there are those who fear you will shut them out from the affairs of the realm. They would prefer it if your father consults with them in a general assembly first if there are to be changes.''

>Thanks for the warning.
>And might I know who exactly these lords are?
>Perhaps they have something of a point.
>I see, thank you.

>>6274635

>I see, thank you.

>>6274635
>And might I know who exactly these lords are?

>>6274635
>>Perhaps they have something of a point.

They are cogs in the machine that is our realm, after all.

Many of them or their fathers and grandfathers have raised their banners and ridden alongside us in wars.

''I see, thank you. And might I know who exactly these lords are?'' you asked.

"I cannot say, really; it's mostly rumours and background talks, the type of thing that gets discussed at small gatherings, and whenever the drink makes lips loose."

You humphed at this as you cleared away a branch and a bush, clearing your sight to a hare nibbling on the grass. You shot it without a thought, and the creature died within an instant.

''First Kill'' Was Cousin Markwart's remark as you went over to retrieve the hare. The crossbow bolt had dislodged itself in the throat of the hare; you would have the servants slaughter it in full later on.

The two of you went on; there were a lot of hares out today, and fowl as well. There would be duck liver at dinner. But the real catch was a large herd of boars; there would be a lot of meat to bring back to the castle.

As per tradition, you returned around midday to partake of the hunting soup that was specially prepared. A thick broth simmered with chunks of hare, fowl, and boar meat, creating a hearty and satisfying meal for all. The hunt itself was already most successful; the tableau was rife with at least twenty boars, thirty hares, sixteen stags, and a variety of fowl. The hunters were pleased with their haul, knowing that the castle would be well-stocked with fresh game for weeks to come.

You were busy talking with some of the nobles afterwards.

"Really?" You asked.

"Yes, the damn thing nearly bored its tusks into my legs before Ortelstein managed to put a bolt in its skull." Baron von Wurzhof replied, a proud grin on his face. Poking the dead boar with a stick. ''If you don't mind, I would like to have its skull, for on the hearth.''

''Certainly, I shall have the servants put it apart.'' You already had enough skulls of dead animals in the hall of Goldenbaum anyway; they might not have been shot by you, but you found that of little matter. The only one that really stood out was the taxidermied head of a bear over the hearth of the great hall.

You were about to go and have a conversation with some of the other guests when a servant approached you. ''Your Highness, it's your father. His disease has taken a turn for the worse. He is asking to see you immediately.'' Your heart sank as you rushed to your father's side, leaving the gathering behind and rushing back to the castle.

For Dietrich to make a full recovery, you shall need at least three successes with the 1d100 dice [DC 25]. No success means he will succumb to the disease, while one success will mean he will struggle on for a bit more, though the DC will lower and lower as his health declines, while two successes will raise the DC slightly for the next time it's tested.

Rolled 89 (1d100)

>>6274949

Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>6274949

Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>6274949
RIP Dietrich, taken from us by fantasy Covid

He convulsed violently while hyperventilating. While physicians scurried hither to provide assistance, his body continued to shake uncontrollably.

One of them began to apply a special herbal paste on his chest, while another cooled his head with a wet blanket.

The entire scene was one of physicians, family members, and priests. A maid had opened the windows to allow fresh air to flow in, though it was of little matter.

"Can he make it?" You desperately asked.

The head physician wiped the sweat off his drenched face. "I am sorry, Your Highness, but the way things are going, I am not certain."

"What do you mean?"

He looked glumly at you. ''We have been able to stabilise his health temporarily, but it is a losing battle. In the short term, he will live, but if this draws out without any improvements, he will eventually succumb. ''

"But will he survive?" you asked again.

''In a best-case scenario, but his health has already been permanently damaged. In a worst-case scenario, we are only prolonging his suffering upon this imperfect earth.''

This made you glower. Whatever should you do? Whatever could you do? This was not an enemy that could be defeated in the field, nor by the sword, nor by the pen. Not through wit or tricks. No, this was a battle against time and the limitations of the human body.

''Is there then nothing that can heal him? No magic herbs or potions, or healing magics, or an ancient artefact I could track down.''

''If those were options, sire, we would have explored them already. Healing magic only works on wounds and broken bones. And we have no knowledge about anything that could heal him in time.''

Then we should'' Just as you were about to speak, another voice made itself heard; it was a voice thin and ready, once powerful, but now weakened. It was the voice of your father, the king. He had temporarily returned to lucidity and made his will known.

>Give me something for the pain and let me die.
>I shall cling on to the bitter end if need be.

>>6275110
At least he might get to say goodbye.

>>6275139
>>I shall cling on to the bitter end if need be.

Perhaps we might call on the white stag, they may be able to render some aid.

>>6275139
>I shall cling on to the bitter end if need be.

Fight to the last.

>>6275139
>>I shall cling on to the bitter end if need be.

''I shall cling on to the bitter end if need be. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and I intend to do so until the grave.'' It then went silent once more.

Damn it all, you thought. Was there then no one able to aid you in this? Unless, of course, you went to him, but would he be able to heal him? That you didn't know. The fae could be capricious in their dealings, but you were on friendly terms with their lord.

You did not return for the hunt in the afternoon, nor at any other time. The heatwave had been broken by a good week's worth of thunderstorms, and rivers that had once stood low now burst from their banks. The pneumonic plague, which had thoroughly ravaged Rittersbach, had died down as well. And with the current predicament, the council had unilaterally decided to invest you with the regency powers. Now, formally invested as the Statthalter of Greifswald, you automatically vacated the post of Reichsadmiral .

De facto, Greifswald was yours already, with your father more or less unable to limit or veto you. Not that you had wished for it, but with things safer in Rittersbach, you should return there to attend to the matters of state. Painful, yes, cruel even, but the realm came first. And though he was too weak to travel now, he could be transported somewhere close to Rittersbach soon enough.

But for now, as soon as you had the time, you rode back deep into the woods, to the enchanted parts, where the fae lived. An ent, shaped from oak, greeted you.

"Hail, honoured guest, dost thou seek the lord of this wood?" The noise was like the creaking and groaning of ancient trees in a storm, yet somehow soothing.

"That I indeed do, for it is a matter of grave importance to me."

"Then ride forth; he shall find you, and you shall find him."

Another half an hour of riding brought you before him once more. Just as he was mediating between two pixies. He then turned to you, with his great black stag eyes.

"You come for my aid, that I know, but for what?"

"My father, he is gravely ill. I am willing to pay or give whatever it takes."

He nodded solemnly, his antlers towering above you. "I shall accompany you, for your father's sake. But be warned, I cannot guarantee that whatever cures I can provide are effective, nor that they are without side effects. Make certain that there are none in his room besides us.''

It took a few days, but he arrived at the Albrechtsburg near the forest, the moonlight giving the pale fur a silvery gleam. He soon enough transformed into his druid-like form, and you silently led him to your father's chamber. Where he was sleeping semi-peacefully, as one could in his condition, though the doctors had given him an alcoholic beverage to help as well.

>>6275580
"May I examine him?" Aran-Arasso asked. You nodded, and the old man that was the white stag silently approached the bed, his glowing eyes filled with wisdom and concern. Holding his hand over your father's body to sense what couldn't be sensed ordinarily.

You had made sure that there was no one there while he examined your father, you had accounted for it, and the nightly patrols had been temporarily suspended. But there was one thing you hadn't accounted for, not as the door creaked open, and a nine-year-old girl walked in. Sophia, your eldest daughter now stood in the room as well.

"I sensed you. What are you?'' she asked of the fae lord. You were aware that magic users could sense each other to some extent, but not to what extent. Her eyes seemed to shimmer. And the room's temperature began to drop.

''I'm here to help, or at least that is what your father asked me to do. I cannot explain what I am, not here, but you can be assured that I mean no harm.'' This seemed to calm her down, and the temperature in the room came back up. Though, she remained here, in spite of the fact that she had broken curfew and bedtime.

Unfazed, the White Stag concluded his examination. Though, he turned to you with an expression most sad.

''I am sorry, but this is no disease that can be easily cured, for it has taken root in every part of his body. Only the risky cures can completely cure him now. And I am not certain you will like them.''

"What are they?" You asked.

''There are two options; I can place him in an eternal slumber, take him with me to be slowly healed over the years, and afterward I can wake him once more, though it may take many a year or decade, even a century or more.''

"The other option," He produced a small vial filled with golden liquid from his sleeve. ''Is to drink this, the ichor of the golden oak. It shall heal him, but be warned, it comes at a grave cost.''

>Very well, you may place him in an eternal slumber to heal him.
>I shall risk it with the vial of gold; if that is what it takes, so be it.
>No, I am not willing to risk it, nor to give him a fate worse than death.
>Can I drink that ichor myself?
>Write-in

>>6275581
>>Very well, you may place him in an eternal slumber to heal him.

Perhaps he will return during an hour of great need?

>>6275581
>No, I am not willing to risk it, nor to give him a fate worse than death.

If he goes to sleep near-eternally, our crown will never have true legitimacy for the true King still lives, and he is determinedly unwilling to pass the crown on before he dies.

>But... perhaps you can ensure his spirit will know love and kindness. To move on to what lies ahead, to linger as a protector of the realm; or to be reborn in life anew.

>>6275581
>No, I am not willing to risk it, nor to give him a fate worse than death

>>6275654
>+1 supporting this

''No, I am not willing to risk it, nor to give him a fate worse than death. But... perhaps you can ensure his spirit will know love and kindness. To move on to what lies ahead, to linger as a protector of the realm, or to be reborn in life anew.''

''Alas'' The White Stag said. "That is beyond my power; the primordial one shall claim him before I could finish."

"What primordial one?" you asked.

"The one as old as life: death. Farewell for now; I am sorry I couldn't be of more assistance." The White Stag stepped away from the bed, walked up to the window, opened it, and transformed into a great white swan, and so he flew off.

Your father seemed to be none the wiser to your bargaining with the White Stag, merely grunting and coughing before turning in his bed. It would seem that you would need to heal him by conventional means, no matter how slim the chance that he would recover would become. It would be a losing battle, but one he would fight tooth and nail.

Nevertheless, you brought Sophia back to bed first and foremost; whatever it was that brought her here, it disturbed you ever so slightly. As you tucked her in, you couldn't shake the feeling that she could either bring about great things or bring about dangers not seen since the days of old.

In those ancient days it was said that every king or emperor was a sorcerer. The Isidorian Emperors used their arcane powers in many ways; it was said that they could cut open mountain paths, reroute rivers, and raise and lower land on the sea. You did not know what the future could hold, not for her and not for you.

For now, things would return to being as normal as they could be, with you taking over everything your father once did. You had expected to be king one day, but to sit upon the throne as the regent was something you would not have preferred. King in all but name, you knew that the responsibilities and expectations placed upon you would be heavy. More so than previously, you now had the power to do that which you had been wanting to for a long time, with Father not being there to moderate away or veto your decisions.

You had great plans for Greifswald, ones that would involve redirecting it away from its feudal lords and into a state of your own creation. There should come a new bureaucracy, a central tax system, the money of which could go to a standing army of salaried soldiers, instead of relying on your own private men-at-arms and those of your vassals. But for now, you should make certain things are to be run smoothly and securely.

One of your new duties involved holding court audiences where all people of the realm could come and petition you for redress of grievances or seek justice. The halflings who live in the moorlands, the peasant representatives, the nobles seeking justice against each other—the list went on and on. Some monks came to collect donations for a hospice to be built along their monastery. To which you gave some.

You found the experience to be one of outright boredom; if this is what you would have to deal with as king, you would have striven to reform something much earlier.

Late in the morning, just before midday, you were petitioned by a group of canons, priests, and other clergy members who were seeking to ensure that an "agreeable" candidate was installed in the now vacant diocese of Rittersbach. In exchange for "campaign funds," they would grease the gears in such a way that a bishop subservient to your interest would be elected.

>Refuse them
>Agree to their proposal. (-900 Greifs)
>Hint that they might need to do better than that.

>>6276039
>Hint that they might need to do better than that.

>>6276039
>Hint that they might need to do better than that.

>>6276039
>Agree to their proposal. (-900 Greifs)

''I thank you for approaching me, my good fellows. However, I am not inclined to donate such a sum to such a risky undertaking without at least some more…concrete capitulations on your part. What do you have to offer to me? The bishop of Rittersbach is still subservient to the archbishop of Libau. A cooperative bishop would be welcome, but not needed.'' You said in an authoritative and sceptical tone.

The clergymen began scuffling around at hearing this, murmuring to themselves about the what and how of their proposal, clearly taken aback by your demand for more tangible assurances. It was evident that they would need to regroup and come back with a more compelling offer if they hoped to secure your support.

Rats, rats in white robes. The church has always had a problem when it came to their more undisciplined members. Every so now and then there would be excesses or scandals. A bastard here, the sale of offices there, a monastery dissolved on account of sodomy. It didn't happen often, but if it somehow broke out into the public eye, all hell would usually break loose. This wasn't your first time dealing with the more dubious elements within the church, but it was the first time such dealings were close to home. Part of you had always hoped that the church within Greifswald would always remain incorruptible and pure, but it would seem that the influence and wealth that would come with the frock attracted the power-hungry as well.

Still, you did wonder with what exactly these fellows would come back to you, if they actually would come back at all, that is. But they would come; about three days later they approached you again with the same offer, though to sweeten the deal they had also thrown in the deeds to a large set of estates and properties that the bishopric had once inherited, bought, or had donated to them.

If you were to pile it all together, the church would most likely be the largest landowner behind the crown itself, closely followed by the nobility and then, with a very large margin, the free commoners. Chipping away at that position in favour of yourself and the crown could prove useful.

>Accept the deal.
>Send them away; you shall not sully your hands with such skulduggery.

>>6276476
>Accept the deal.

>>6276476
>>Accept the deal.

You quietly expected the deal, exchanging a pouch of coin for the intended deeds and land grants that were once part of the bishopric's lands.

It was a first step, a step towards gaining increased control over what was still a realm with strong, independent local lords, who were in no position to challenge you for now, but who might do so if you weren't careful.

As the summer of 1265 drew to a close, you decided to review your tenure as prince-regent after your installation. All in all, the realm had at least not been torn apart or been bankrupted on your watch. All the lords had been accepting of you for now, though their background grumbling had been noted thanks to cousin Markwart's gossiping.

The gentry, those lower men of lesser noble birth, known colloquially as junkers, had slowly started to warm to the presence of the kingdom; too poor to live off their estates, they had begun working for your infant bureaucracy as clerks, administrators, and tax collectors. While ordinarily you had relied on the local lords to collect taxes, with them taking a cut as their share of the taxes, within your demesne you had begun to bypass such practices in favour of paying such collectors a salary.

Relations with the church, by contrast, have been noticeably cool since the times of Archbishop Albrecht; the pontiff's meddling has soured opinions on the church within circles at court. However, you hope that this new bishop of Rittersbach might give you the opportunity to warm things once more, especially if he is as malleable as the canons who approached you would select him.

Where it came to the burghers, the estate had already enjoyed a most beneficial relationship with the crown dating back to the early days of your father's reign as a mere count. The kingdom had been free in its dealing and trade policy, and the merchants and craftsmen could conduct their business freely and safely. The bank of Rittersbach had, furthermore, given many an upstart merchant or tradesman the capital he needed to start his business, thanks to a model of long-term loans that the bank had set up to help promote commerce and industry. The guilds and city councils, likewise, had benefited from a relatively light hand in the rule of your father and, thanks to decades of wise stewardship, had been more than willing to accede to the reforms concerning the courts of justice.

All in all, Greifswald might not be the richest kingdom, nor the largest or most populous. But it has potential; migrants from Tautenland still come over to populate those lands left sparsely populated. The amber mines attract dwarves from the north and west; the halflings in the moorland have tilled the previously desolate land into a productive farmland. There had even been a few elves who had settled near the forest.

>>6276647
But the realm was not without its problems; there was a lack of deliberative assemblies. Or, in other words, there was no parliament or estates-general. The order once had regional landtags, but those had fallen out of use. It allowed Father to rule semi-autocratically, but now that Greifswald had doubled in size, there had been more clamour for a return of such an assembly.

Greifswald also lacks subdivisions, mostly divided by the various fiefs and estates held by various lords or clergymen. In Angenland, the country was divided into shires, so you were told, and in Aurilie, the royal demesne had its administrative subdivisions in the bailiwick.

The matter of education was another thing you had been pondering about; to build the state you desired, you would need literate, educated men to serve as your bureaucrats. While a proper university would be too expensive to set up. The smaller schools were usually reserved for children of the nobility and the rich, which probably deprived you of potential talent.

But in the end, you could only focus on one thing only, and you decided.

>To create a new landtag, to advise you like the Mithradian senate or the Angenlander parliament
>To draw up and organise Greifswald into several provinces, bailiwicks, or gaue (counties).
>To attempt to create a general education system that can include the poor.

>>6276648
>To draw up and organise Greifswald into several provinces, bailiwicks, or gaue (counties).

>>6276648
>>To draw up and organise Greifswald into several provinces, bailiwicks, or gaue (counties).

>>6276648
>To draw up and organise Greifswald into several provinces, bailiwicks, or gaue (counties).

>>6276648
>>To draw up and organise Greifswald into several provinces, bailiwicks, or gaue (counties).

If there was one thing Greifswald lacked in terms of administration, it was subdivisions. Until recently, the kingdom had been a duchy and was thus small enough to oversee the various feudal fiefdoms that were scattered in between the then ducal domains.

The old castelancies, or Burgvogteien , dating back all the way to the times of the County of Grünwald, were too small, the various feudal fiefs were too many, and the royal demesne was too large.

In Mithras, the Empire had been divided into several Themes, which were responsible for the local administration. It could be a good example of how to build your new model; within Angenland, the land was subdivided into several shires. With an attached shire reeve, or sheriff and constable. In Tautenland, the land still was divided along the lines of the old Stammesherzogtumen that once constituted the five great Tauten tribes. In Aurilie, the kings had been experimenting with the use of provinces for a while now. Even further back still, during the early times of the Lothringian Empire, the realm was divided into several Gaue, or counties.

The order, of course, had divided the land as well along entities known as Vogteien or Baliwicks with a vogt at the head. And into commanderies known as Komtureien which were governed by a commander appointed by the order's master.

There was a lot to gain in terms of administrative improvements; the court system was slowly being clamped down with claims of overlapping jurisdictions, resulting in confusion and inefficiency. Similar problems were had with the collection of taxes and the levying of troops. Setting and clarifying boundaries thus became your new objective.

With the weather worsening as the year nearly drew to a close, you found yourself drawing along with a set of maps while simultaneously having hired some men to place boundary markers along the new borders, which you had drawn up in such a way that they roughly corresponded to the natural borders like rivers, mountains, and the forests, as well as the fiefs of the lords. By the time you were done with making the initial draft, you had created nineteen new subdivisions, though to round it off more neatly, you made it into twenty subdivisions. Each one of them had at least one town of note within them, where the local courts of justice had already been established. They were, of course, not made equal; the largest of them were usually also the ones that were the most sparsely populated.

Anastasia had at one point mentioned something about a period of Mithradian history where the tasks of the military and civilian administration had been divided among the two, to make it more clear what one's task was and to make it harder for them to rebel.

>>6276963
An interesting idea, but you could see problems arise if the military governor and the civilian governor butted heads with each other, and the fact that you would have to pay them both a salary made you doubt if it could work; still, it might be worth the extra costs.

Please select a name:

>Provinzen (Provinces)
>Gaue (Shires/Counties)
>Rentamts (Stewardships)
>Komturen (Commanderies)
>Write-in

Should there be a split in the distribution of military and civilian responsibilities?

>Yes, the tax collector should not levy troops and vice versa.
>No, such measures will only lead to confusion.
>Write-in

>>6276964
>Rentamts (Stewardships)

>Yes, the tax collector should not levy troops and vice versa.
We want to create a standing army in the future, so having a separate army office in place beforehand will be convenient

>>6276964
>Rentamts (Stewardships)
>Yes, the tax collector should not levy troops and vice versa.

>>6276964
>>Komturen (Commanderies)
>Yes, the tax collector should not levy troops and vice versa.

>>6276964
>Rentamts (Stewardships)
>Yes, the tax collector should not levy troops and vice versa.
>...apart from in specific sections of the border that we might want to designate as Marches.
Are there any areas of our border where there's more likely to be threats across it that prompt a perpetually ready force? That ochre 'point' in the east seems a prime candidate.

>>6277602
>Supporting this. I like the Marches idea.

The rentamts, or stewardships, would be governed by a Rentmeister (Steward). He would be responsible for the collection of taxes and the general management of his jurisdiction. Justice is already headed by the court system. His military counterpart would be the Hauptmann (Headman, or Captain.) He would be entrusted with overseeing the standards of the militias and levies in times of peace and the mustering of the troops within his general area during times of war. Most of the first office bearers would be men from within the area. To ascertain that these new offices wouldn't become hereditary, you promulgated a statute detailing the limitations of these offices.

In the case of the frontier stewardships, you would pull out an old term from the Tauten times; a march or Mark is the traditional borderland designation Tautenland used, and you would bring it back as well. In ordinary amter, the Rentmeister would be a senior official; here you would turn it around, and you wouldn't include or make any Margraves, not here. Instead, you would make the Markhauptmann the more important of the two, with a permanent force to patrol and ward the borders like how the rangers do in the forests.

Those being that you couldn't hold more than one, it was explicitly non-hereditary, it was to be given via a letter of appointment, and it came up for renewal every ten years. Though, the king and his council could decide to vacate the office in case the holder performed poorly or acted corruptly.

The nobility, as per usual, were not too thrilled to see another layer of royal oversight to be introduced, but there was little they could do to oppose your decision. You were not high-handed in your dealings with them, nor had you tried to pry away their jealously guarded privileges. And what they couldn't do in the open, they would do in private, away from court, in the shadows and comfort of their own.

You were beginning to distrust them, and you thought they were of the same opinion as you. Perhaps you should try to spy on them; they might have done the same to you. Intrigue was something you were familiar with; you had navigated the court of daggers that had become the crusader faction in Mithras before, but you had never put your hand to building a network of informants before, and with the office of Hofspitzel (Court Spymaster) still vacant, you weren't certain.

>>6277870
In other news, the last days of the autumn saw the coming of the new bishop of Rittersbach, a plump, indolent merchant's son by the name of Luitpold Glotz. True to his weight, he is a very warm and jovial man, lively in his sermons when you attended him, but fonder of beaker and buckhorn than of book and bell. Despite his jovial nature, Bishop Luitpold Glotz was not well-received by the more conservative members of the clergy, those outside of the chapter of Rittersbach, that is. As a matter of fact, he already has received two nicknames: Der lustige Bischof (the jolly bishop) to his supporters and Das Schwein mit der Mitra (the swine with a mitre) to his detractors.
He was from Greifswald. But he had attended the seminary in the southwest of Tautenland and spoke several languages. With him, he brought another figure, a tall but plump monk from Aurilie, who seemed to be able to step in and out of the shadows and always had a smug smirk on him, though he seemingly disappeared after a few weeks.

Indeed, with winter approaching and the harvest collected, there was once more an abundance of free hands for use in labour. You had several ideas in your head already.

Present treasury: 22,370 Greifs.

>Construct new watchtowers of stone and wood; if we are to do this marcher thing, let us do it well. (-8000 Greifs)
>Start setting up the basics of an informant network to keep tabs on your vassals. (-6500 Greifs)
>Expand the Ambermines of Greifswald, our most prestigious export. (-10.000 Greifs)
>Build new inns and waystations along the roads and bridges for ease of travel. (-7000 Greifs)
>Expand the shipyards of the Greifswalder navy (-9000 Greifs)
>Keep the money in the coffers this year.

There was, of course, also the matter of your father's continued ill health you needed to pay attention to.

For Dietrich to make a full recovery, you shall need at least three successes with the 1d100 dice [DC 20]. No success means he will succumb to the disease, while one success will mean he will struggle on for a bit more, though the DC will lower and lower as his health declines, while two successes will raise the DC slightly for the next time it's tested.

Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>6277872

Memento Mori

Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>6277872

>>6277872
>Expand the shipyards of the Greifswalder navy (-9000 Greifs)

We have started the fundamentals of our great naval expansion and I believe our new reign can be one cemented through naval domination of the Armentic Sea. My question is how Sparland has been fairing? Last time we checked they were getting pounded in a civil war.

Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>6277872
>Expand the shipyards of the Greifswalder navy (-9000 Greifs)
sleep

>>6277872
>Build new inns and waystations along the roads and bridges for ease of travel. (-7000 Greifs)

>>6277872
>Construct new watchtowers of stone and wood; if we are to do this marcher thing, let us do it well. (-8000 Greifs)
>Start setting up the basics of an informant network to keep tabs on your vassals. (-6500 Greifs)
>Build new inns and waystations along the roads and bridges for ease of travel. (-7000 Greifs)

Its a time of peace and victory was gained in war too recently, so is time we spend all those money !!!! Doing these would leave us with 870 Griefs which is more than enough for emergency. More importantly we need these 3 things.


In regard to our vassals we are still fairly young. If we do not push them too far and ease them in with our reforms, a rebellion will not be imminent during these years. There might be one sooner or later, change always demands a reaction to it.

>>6277872
>Build new inns and waystations along the roads and bridges for ease of travel. (-7000 Greifs)
>Construct new watchtowers of stone and wood; if we are to do this marcher thing, let us do it well. (-8000 Greifs)

Stability and safety to induce calm.

Meanwhile, in the bedchamber of the King

You felt yourself breathing in and out as the fever got hotter and hotter. There was no one in the room, nobody. Eleanora had sent away the doctors after you had received treatment; the medicine tasted terrible.

You had begun losing track of time more and more; you slipped in and out of sleep without you knowing what was what. Albrecht has already taken the reins of the kingdom from you, and you cared less and less and less.

Yet somehow, you felt a bit clearer, and your weary eyes spotted a black robe near your bed. Funny, because you hadn't seen or heard anyone opening or closing the door. The figure in the black robe approached you slowly, their face obscured by shadows.

''Ah, hello, Father, are you here to grant absolution?'' You faintly asked.

''In a sense, I am.'' The black-robed figure neared ever closer and closer. Scythe in skeletal hand. An eerie dread fell over you as you suddenly regained the strength to crawl in your bed. His voice was dark, slow, and heavy. His other hand kept his hood for his face still. But you knew damn well who was coming now.

The hood revealed him, a pale skull shielded by a black hood. ''Dietrich von Aldershorst, your time has come. Now I have come to collect my due.'' He threw an hourglass in your hands, and as you turned it upside down, the sand did not fall. Instead, it remained sticking to the upside. And you felt yourself grow weak once more.

''Please, don't. I have yet so much to do, so much to live for.'' You said.

''Those things matter not, not now. You know well who I am, don't you?'' From the eye sockets of the skull, two lights lit up.

''Freund Hain, the Sensenmann, Magere Hain, Death. So you have come for me. Do pray tell, then, what fate awaits me beyond the veil of life?'' You asked, your voice barely a whisper as you felt Death's cold presence enveloping you.
''That is not for me to decide. Your time has come, and you shall be led before your gods for placement in the afterlife.'' Death replied.

''But I don't want to go.'' You said you felt the years fall off you, and you regained strength and vigour you had thought lost to your days of youth. Finally, you stepped out of bed, and, looking at your hands, saw that they were young and healthy once more.

The skeleton in black chuckled. ''You were dead from the moment I entered the room. Why do you think you have lost all that you had gained in old age? During that fateful battle of yours, I watched you, but die you did not do, nay. But I come for all in the end, whether it be through violence or other means.''

You turned angry with a power in your voice you hadn't had for years. ''Begone! Foul spirit! Bringer of nothing but misery and strife, do you take perverse pleasure from tormenting those who you claim are you, being of evil?!

>>6278231
The reaper looked you directly in the eye. ''I am not evil; I object to such a categorisation. I am necessary in the cycle of life; I do not judge, I guide. And now it is time for me to guide you.''

As you looked around you, it dawned upon you that you had indeed left the corporeal vessel. There was no way out; no, you were through, and you knew it very well. Your own corpse lay motionless in bed, and as you tried to lean against the wall, you nearly passed through it.

''Very well, I shall come along with you,'' you said. ''But I still think you are plenty bad. ''

''Oh, I am bad, bad to the bone. But I am not evil,'' Death said.

And with that horrible joke, you went along with Death. Where you were going you didn't know, nor did it matter much. Finally, you would find all those you had lost over the years, and those who you had left behind would come eventually.

It was thus that the first king of Greifswald died of an illness he had been battling for a good chunk of the year 1265. Though only king for four years, in truth, Dietrich von Adlershorst had been the Duke of Greifswald for more than twenty years and Count of Grünwald for nearly half a century.

Born in the beginning of the 13th century to a noble family ruling over a backwater barony, few had expected this second son to be elevated to the high office of king. Though it would only be obtained during a later period of his life. With his passing, an era of Greifswalder history would come to an end, as those that had lived under the Order slowly began dying off as well. A new generation, those who had been raised under the sceptre of the Adlerhorst, would take it over.

In due time, future historians would acclaim him to be the progenitor of the royal Adlerhorst, in contrast to the senior but lesser Adlerhorsts who lived in and around Tautenland. To him would be build monuments, composed epic poems, and named streets.

In times yet to come or times yet to be, historians would ascribe to him the honorific of Father of the Fatherland. The founder of the Greifswalder kingdom, though how this kingdom would fare in his absence, dear reader, was something that is yet to be seen…

>>6278232
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vty53kgTeU

It had been a gloomy week. Emotionally, you and the rest of the family were devastated. Your father, the king of Greifswald, was discovered to be dead late in the afternoon. Almost immediately he was taken away, to be changed into proper funeral clothes and to be certain the body would rot away in the bed.

Where he would be buried was obvious; he had reserved a spot in the Rittersbacher Dom, there within a special spot in the royal family crypt. The news spread quickly throughout the kingdom, leaving a heavy weight on everyone's shoulders as they mourned the loss of their beloved king.

Crowds clogged the streets as the hearse carriage carrying his body was moving the corpse from the Albrechtsburg to the finished part of the Rittersbacher Dom, where everyone could take time to say their farewells. He would have to be embalmed first. The procession was sombre, with citizens lining the streets to pay their respects to the fallen king. The bells of the cathedral tolled mournfully as the carriage made its way to the final resting place of their beloved ruler.

It was only natural that you would help place the coffin where it was destined to be. And you did so in silence while the choir sang and prayed and prayed. After the embalming was finished, you took the urn containing the heart back with you; you placed it deep under the Albrechtsburg, so at least part of him could remain with the castle he had so lovingly built.

Within the cathedral it thus stood; there upon a pedestal, flanked by four Stoic Knights of the Order of the Argent Swan, the coffin rested peacefully, a cushion with the crown of Greifswald laid atop the coffin. The flickering candlelight cast a sombre glow over the scene.

You had cried, yes, but you were thankfully far away enough from the actual date of death that you could bear it. No matter what, the memories would remain, though by now you still had to plan out his funeral, as well as your own coronation. Coronations had precedent now, but you had no idea what to do in case of the death of a king. Obviously, you would be proclaimed as the sole heir within the next week or so, but the question is what should be done now.

>Declare a month's mourning.
>Half a year of mourning.
>A full year of mourning.

>>6278243
>Declare a month's mourning.
A month is already a long enough time.

>>6278243
>Declare a month's mourning.
Rip Dietrich

A month—a month of official mourning, it would be. The lying-in-state would continue for the duration of said month, both for you to plan out the formal funeral and to prepare for the formal proclamation.

The coffin would thus remain upon the catafalque before you would move it down to the royal tomb within the cathedral crypt.

There would be black all around. Black dresses, black cloaks, and all the mourning clothes in the world would be gathered. In the meantime, you had begun to have the tomb made ready for its first inhabitant.

The proclamation would come before the funeral. The only thing that was required of you was to sign the official proclamation, which would then be read aloud by a herald of some kind or other.

The trumpets thus blared out loud on a cold and windy, but thankfully not rainy day.

''Whereas the gods have thus called our late sovereign lord, his majesty King Dietrich I, of long and blessed memory, to them, the throne shall then hereby pass to the rightful and sole heir of our late sovereign. Prince Albrecht, henceforth to be known as King Albrecht I.

We, the combined lords and bishops, as well as all those free of bonds and subservience, do hereby acclaim with one voice and mind our unending and undying loyalty to our new sovereign lord.''

''The King is dead. Long live the King!''

Such sentiments were reverberated by the citizens of Rittersbach. The streets were filled with both mourning for the late King Dietrich and celebration for the new reign of King Albrecht. Throughout the land, the church bells rang, and memorial services were held.

The funeral itself was a great affair; in spite of the fact that the cathedral it was held in was unfinished, attendance was at its most prestigious. A double-file line of mitres and white robes had come, as had various abbots and abbesses. The Greifswalder nobility had all largely gathered together as well, with many a lord needing to lodge with his relative in the townhouses. But perhaps the largest of all were the foreign dignitaries: A representative from the Tauten Kaiser himself, Prince Jan, and your sister for Mozolavia, a variety of men from the northern realms, all with a variety of rich wools and furs. The head halfling had come as well, as had a lone representative from the Elf-realm from far up north.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>6278368
All in all, you could see that the funeral was, as far as it could be measured, a success. There had been many people from the estates and from the broader world; funerals, it was said, were always a good way to gauge just how popular one was in life. And judging by the amount and the kind of people, you could safely say that your father had made an impression on people far beyond your borders.

And as the lid was closed upon the sarcophagus, the lid was one with a tomb effigy of your father, and with him now fully buried, an era in Greifswalder history was now formally over.

The autumn and winter passed away quietly; while you had informally been the ruler of Greifswald, it felt quite different now. Even when you put aside the emotional and familial loss, there was now no one above you, no one to report to or to justify your actions towards. Now, the ruling of this realm was something you only owed responsibility for to the divine.

And so, come the spring, after the nine months you had been waiting for it, it was a pity Father was no longer here to witness it. For Anastasia gave birth to your fifth child in the spring of 1266.

And it was a
1: Girl

2: Boy

>>6278370
Fifth time's the charm! Finally, after all these years of trying and trying you finally have that which all King search for, A MALE HEIR. It was joyous enough news that it nearly sweetened the dour mood of Father's passing. Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy. The Crown Prince has finally been born!

You should probably give him a name.

Tauten names
>Dietrich
>Albrecht
>Karl
>Ludwig
Mithradian names
>Phillipp
>Konstanin
>Johannes
>Isaak

>Write-in

More daughters, your majesty?

>>6278374
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I WANTED A WITCH QUEEN! DAMN YOU DICE!

>Karl

>>6278374
>Johannes

>>6278374
>>Isaak
damn a male now ?

>>6278374
>>Dietrich

Come now gentleanons, we should name the boy after our father, and in time perhaps he will name his first born after us.

Establish an alternating tradition.

>>6278374
>>Dietrich

Seems appropriate.

It was a piece of solace that when your father died, fate had seen it fit to finally bless you with a son. The line was secure; Greifswald would continue in the male line for now. It would only be natural that you would name your son after your father. In the future, he would be Dietrich II, but for now, he remained the sweet babe in his mother's arms.

Indeed, the announcement of the birth of the prince helped many out of the sorrowful mood that had permeated at court since the king's passing. Life had started anew; the king had slipped out of this world, and the prince had come into it. It would be sad that he would never get to meet either of his grandfathers, but that was something that he couldn't understand or know, not this early.

''And now we finally have that which we have been trying so desperately to secure—an heir to the throne,'' you said to the now Queen Anastasia, who had recovered from the tribulations of childbirth.

''And so we have. I can only hope that our daughters will accept them. I don't think Sophia will like being knocked down on the line of succession.''

''Sophia and the rest of them are still young, and I never put such ideas in their heads. No, I think they will see them as their little and only brother. And men come before women; such is the law of the land.'' you said.

''That may be so. I only ask of you not to play favourites. He might be your only son, but you should not neglect your daughters; they have as much need of their father's attention as they do of their mother.'' Perhaps she had a point, but the boy was only a newborn. By the time he would reach his teens, the first two would probably have reached adulthood. Nevertheless, you had other things to concern yourself with.

>>6278744
You patiently awaited the moment the two pages enmantled you with the royal mantle. Choirs sang, and the crowds praised. It had been a particularly cool summer, and the heavy robes didn't make you sweat in the slightest.

Silberkralle sat in the scabbard on the belt; the archbishop had given you the sceptre and orb before you gave them back for the final part of the ceremony.

You knelt before the altar, and with the heavy gold crown upon your head, you felt that the responsibilities and powers of the crown were now fully in your hands. You then sat upon the throne, where you received the sceptre and orb once more.

Your eyes swept over the cathedral of Libau once more; nearly everyone and everything had come, standing in a row where your four daughters were, but the son was excluded, for he was too young.

Whatever happened next, be it times of peace or war, Greifswald, the inheritance that your father had left behind, was yours now, in full. You were not even thirty, and now you had become king. Unlike your father, you had never needed to act as a vassal, nor did you feel any need to pretend you were some kind of 'first among equals.' You are their lord; they are your subjects. Sovereignty thus lies with you, not with some clique of squabbling nobles.

With a new king would come a new vision; of that much you wanted to make a point. It was time for some new laws, laws to begin working towards your ultimate goal.

>Introduce legislation concerning landownership by making it easier to purchase and sell, thereby lessening the need to have it enfeoffed.
>Promulgate new statutes banning subfeudalization. Preventing the further fragmentation outside your royal demesne and further monopolising who exactly can raise someone to nobility.
>Introduce a more draconian version of the treason act, making it so that not only open rebellion and conspiracy but also any act of disloyalty or disrespect towards the crown can be punishable by death.
>Implement strict regulations on the use of heraldry and titles to maintain the prestige and exclusivity of the nobility. This will help solidify your authority and ensure that only those deserving of such honours are granted them.

>>6278745
>Promulgate new statutes banning subfeudalization. Preventing the further fragmentation outside your royal demesne and further monopolising who exactly can raise someone to nobility.
Stopping the wild growth of 'nobles' is handy. Too many nobles could lead to parasitic and unruly behaviour.

>>6278745
>Implement strict regulations on the use of heraldry and titles to maintain the prestige and exclusivity of the nobility. This will help solidify your authority and ensure that only those deserving of such honours are granted them.
the ultimate goal.......

>>6278745
>Promulgate new statutes banning subfeudalization. Preventing the further fragmentation outside your royal demesne and further monopolising who exactly can raise someone to nobility.

If our vassals want to raise their own vassals, they must now pass through the Royal assent.

>>6278745
>Promulgate new statutes banning subfeudalization. Preventing the further fragmentation outside your royal demesne and further monopolising who exactly can raise someone to nobility.

>>6278745
>>Implement strict regulations on the use of heraldry and titles to maintain the prestige and exclusivity of the nobility. This will help solidify your authority and ensure that only those deserving of such honours are granted them.

Subfeudalization, the process by which lords would subdivide their fiefs among their own vassals, was a practise that was long past its due. In the ancient days of yore, the kings needed to divide large swathes of land among their dukes, who in turn divided it among their counts and barons, who would sometimes divide it among their landed knights and esquires. It was a practice borne out of a time when salaried administrations had been a thing of the past, when, with the collapse of the old empire, education had become something only of use to the church.

But the times had changed; the reemergence of organised higher education for use outside of the church and the mages had given many a kingdom the seedling it needed to begin building up their bureaucracy, and so it was as well in Greifswald. The establishment of universities and academies in various kingdoms provided the opportunity for individuals to gain knowledge and skills necessary for administrative roles.

It was time then to permanently put an end to this primitive and unnecessary custom that was subfeudalization; no longer would lords be able to tear off a part of their fief and grant it to a vassal, creating a chain of subvassals that complicated the feudal system. No, if they wanted to run their holdings now, they should start to ape your own model of Rentamten (Stewardships) and Schlossvogteien (Castellanies). Though it might cost them a lot to do so, which would be even better, as they would have money to plot or organise rebellions. It may even drive some of them to take out loans with the bank of Rittersbach, something they had until now refused to do. It would also help with the centralisation and streamlining of the administration of the realm. Especially if you could make them share their records and accounting with you, but that was something for later.

The initial reception to this new law, known as the statute of Libau, was lukewarm. It didn't revoke or upset already existing subvassals, but it did ban new ones. You knew you should tread carefully around these fellows, for they still held significant power and influence in the realm.

The statute of Libau was a step towards consolidating power and resources within the realm, but it would require delicate handling to navigate the potential backlash from those affected by the new law. But they would not move against you, not for now, no; they, like you, were still reeling from the loss of the previous king, your father. You had been grateful that he had been so genuinely beloved, or else the wolves might have come for you in a moment of weakness.

>>6278922
Enough of domestic affairs for now; you decide to let your royal gaze outward once more, for you decide it would be about time for you to see where you would take your piece upon the international chessboard.

Greifswald was a new power in the region, and one that you considered could be taken to the next level if you went about it cleverly. Though you didn't consider yourself a warmonger, you did want to make certain you were made aware of potential opportunities for expansion. To that end, you went about considering your options.

To your south lay Mozolavia, your ally, at least for now. You didn't like their king, and you were certain that he didn't like you. To go after them would be a betrayal, unless you managed to get Prince Jan to claim the throne, but that might be difficult to accomplish, but if successful, you could extract concessions from Jan. All in all, you considered this plan to be the most risky.

To your east lay the Kingdom of Viskara, the half-faithful, half-pagan bastard kingdom that was the only thing between you and Pelechia, where the Udirgols had the princes under their thumb. Taking Viskara would be easier, but their unpredictable nature and natural affinity for their dense forests would make a direct conquest hard; not even the crusaders were able to go after them.

To the west and north lay the three northern kingdoms and the Elfrealm of the Snowglades, but they were of little concern to you. Svengalia was in the possession of three large islands, islands that were once nearly leased to the order. Svengalia and Toldmark had been squabbling and fighting over dominance over the islands, the peninsula, and the sea for as long as the two have existed. The two of them, along with the third player, the mercantile league based in Tautenland, had often approached your father to have him raise tariffs on this, ban the export of that, and all other things. But with the Greifswalder navy now coming into its own, you could potentially insert yourself as well.

>>6278924
Lastly, to your north, or rather, northeast. Lies the Kingdom of Sparland, still embroiled in a civil war that seemed incapable of ending, with King Johan Knutling against the leader of the indigenous rebels, one Into Pellervo Lajunen. With the Knutlings holding the coastal cities and the cleared land surrounding them, and Lajunen controlling the forests further inland. Inserting yourself here could be rather easy, especially if you came to the aid of King Johan, though you wondered what kind of things you could get from them. On the other hand, cosying up to Lajunen might get you an invitation to displace the Knutlings; you would then give them concessions and add the crown of Sparland to the one of Greifswald, which was an ideal scenario, though you might have to convince Lajunen to accept you in the first place.

Still, you decided upon a policy focused upon.

>A southern Mozolavian policy
>An eastern Viskaran policy
>A westward Nordic policy
>A northern Sparlandic policy

>>6278926
>A westward Nordic policy
Maybe we can play Svengalia and Toldmark against each other and gradually put them both in a dependence on us
Also it's a pathway to maybe having a seaborne empire

>>6278926

>A westward Nordic policy

Gib islands please

>>6278926
>A westward Nordic policy

Perhaps we might tip the scales for one in exchange for concessions, a betrothal or two to seal the deal.

Toldmark would seem to be a better horse to pick, going by the map.

>>6278926
>A northern Sparlandic policy

The bathhouse hungers for firewood.

>>6278926
>>An eastern Viskaran policy
We have been a crusader before. We can be one again. Beside we know someone that knows much about forests....

Our navy is still a bit too small and not done ready for naval war i feel.

The Armentic Isles are a collection of three to four great islands and many lesser ones scattered within the Armentic Sea, which itself is an inland sea of the great Elentic Ocean.

The three islands in the hands of the Svengalians are Alfander, Ölfland, and Rosand. The Toldmarkers have the Island of Vindholm, which is the smallest of the four and isn't counted as such by the Svengalians.

In the very distant past, these islands were used by the Elves in their pilgrimages up north, though they withdrew as their ships got more advanced and they moved further north. After them came the Norse humans and dwarves. The Vikings of the ninth, tenth, and even eleventh centuries used them as bases for their raiding and trading activities, mostly focused on the rivers of Pelechia.

There has, in recent history, been much to do with these islands; the kings of Toldmark, rich from their ability to collect tolls through the straits, see the islands as a strategic advantage in controlling trade routes. Conversely, the Kings of Svengalia see their islands as the springboard to gain hegemony of the sea as well as to regain Sparland, which had been left to Knut, a bastard son of a Svengalian king.

There was something deeper to all of this as well; according to their official lineages, all the northern kings descend from the legendary Alfarin Dwarffriend, the High King of the Northern tribes. Who rescued a Drawen king and united the tribes for a war against the giants before he died in battle, when his three children divided the realm amongst themselves. They would in turn be the beginning of the royal lineage of Norddalr, Svengalia, and Toldmark.

There had been attempts to bring back this High Kingship, of course, but nobody seemed to agree on who exactly should be the High King, so the point was rendered rather moot.

The tribes turned into kingdoms, and currently, there seems to be a lull in the conflict. In Toldmark, there was to be an election with the death of King Waldemar. So for now, the Svengalians could retain their control over the isles.

The mercantile league, likewise, had a vested interest in maintaining the current balance of power. Neither the Toldmarkers nor the Svengalians should be too dominant; that would be bad for business. The league prefers a policy of open seas, preferably with as many nations on the coast as possible. This is to avoid or pressure states into giving up tariffs and tolls by threatening to go elsewhere.

But that does beg the question, how does one insert Greifswald into all of this? At the moment, the Greifswalder navy contained about twenty-four ships, most of which were Mithradian-style dromons, and some cogs. It was the assumption that transport could be hired with regular merchant ships. And all in all, you had suspected that you would most likely fight Svengalian longships and cogs.

>>6279300
Ships were expansive, and the shipyard you had built in the past had earned something on the side by building ships for merchants as well. Around this shipyard had emerged a new village mostly populated by shipwrights, ropers, tarers, and other people involved in the trade. With there also being fishers and sailors, who had in turn given the name Albrechtshaven to their village, for was it not your harbour, built on your initiative?

It would take a few years, you decided; claims would be dug up from the archives, ships would need to be built, and money would be put aside for the campaign. Anything else would be impulsive, and the crusade had taught you that you should always put your logistics at the fore.

Thus, to save up some coin and to make certain that there would be enough warships, you decided to spend as little as possible for the next six years or so.

>>6279302
And so, six years later

There had not been much that had changed on the national stage. The nobility remained standoffish but subservient, the bishop of Rittersbach kept stuffing his face with food, and the rest of the realm remained content as well. Your new fleet had grown as well, though you needed someone to lead; the office of Reichsadmiral had remained vacant in those times, as you wanted to personally oversee the build-up, but perhaps you should find someone to fill the office once more.

Within the family, Sophia was now fifteen years old and would turn sixteen, and thus legally an adult, this winter. You had dithered thus far with arranging a husband. She may not be the heir, but she was the spare, and besides that, she had obtained the diploma for the study of the magical arts. Mages were rare enough as it was, and you knew that she was more than an ordinary daughter to simply be wedded off. She was an advantage, a being who could potentially wipe the floor with entire armies if she were sufficiently powerful.

She was quite self-aware of the fact as well. And she had virtually plundered the old mage's tower of the Albrechtsburg, spending six months of allowance to build a golden armillary sphere and spending the night looking at the stars. Perhaps it was for the best that she wouldn't inherit; she seemed to be far too engrossed with the studies of magic and the mysteries of the universe to be burdened with ruling a kingdom.

She was still a full princess, though, and most certainly looked the part, with pale blue eyes, lovely locks of black hair, and a countenance as white as snow. And her mother and grandmother had instilled all kinds of ladylike qualities in her.

Your other daughters had likewise grown; Alexandra had grown to love the outdoors and the equestrian arts. Zoe could weave and embroider like an adult. And Konstanze had a talent for music that seemed to be unmatched in the kingdom.

As for your only son and heir, young Dietrich, the crown prince, who had turned six this summer.

>He is spirited and curious, always in and about the grounds of whatever castle or palace you currently occupy.
>A wild boy, as wild as you had been, with a wooden sword and hobbyhorse always in his hand.
>Mischievous and charming, with a penchant to get others in trouble through plays on words.
>A brooding, silent boy, reserved and silent in his manner and affairs.

And as for Sophia, who should you want to receive her hand?

>She is too valuable to let go; I will bring over some distant kin, the Adlershorsts from Tautenland.
>I should not show favouritism; I will send out envoys to the neighbouring kingdoms.

>>6279303
This war will be a bloodbath. Man i am getting flashbacks from Renovatio Imperii war upon those south islands. Whatever is our pick of Reichsadmiral, better be done several months before the war starts.

>He is spirited and curious, always in and about the grounds of whatever castle or palace you currently occupy.
A different heir.
>She is too valuable to let go; I will bring over some distant kin, the Adlershorsts from Tautenland.
"Sophia your sixteen birthday gift is going to war with dad :)"

>>6279303
>He is spirited and curious, always in and about the grounds of whatever castle or palace you currently occupy.


>She is too valuable to let go; I will bring over some distant kin, the Adlershorsts from Tautenland. And see if any take her fancy, or none at all.
Her three younger sisters are more suitable 'marriage away' material. She's the heir to the heir AND a Mage. We should allow her to focus on her studies rather then spawning sprogs for a foreign power.

>>6279303
>>A wild boy, as wild as you had been, with a wooden sword and hobbyhorse always in his hand.

>>She is too valuable to let go; I will bring over some distant kin, the Adlershorsts from Tautenland.

>>6279310
It will be good to reinforce our relationship with the Tauten Adlerhorsts in any case.

In regards to the norse kingdoms, I think we might do well to try and arrange a marriage into one of their branches for young Dietrich, in the future having some legitimacy in ruling over those lands might be beneficial. Especially considering how they apparently elect their monarchs.

>>6279303

>Mischievous and charming, with a penchant to get others in trouble through plays on words.

We need at least one diplomat in this dynasty.

>She is too valuable to let go; I will bring over some distant kin, the Adlershorsts from Tautenland.

>>6279303
>A brooding, silent boy, reserved and silent in his manner and affairs.
Girls will love him

>She is too valuable to let go; I will bring over some distant kin, the Adlershorsts from Tautenland.

I'm reading an article on pre-modern demographics right now, and brother we are lucky that we have 5 living children

Spirited and curious, that was your boy Dietrich, by nature as curious as his eldest sister, though his interest was more in the world around him rather than the magical. He in particular had a penchant for castles, which he loved and built with blocks in his room.

He, like Sophie, had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and he had already tried breaking into the royal vault for no other reason than to see what was behind the door.

Wittekind couldn't stand him on account of him constantly asking why he could speak and other horses couldn't. When Wittekind told him about the White Stag, Dietrich declared that if he hadn't seen a faery, they were obviously a myth. Scepticism was perhaps a more negative quality that would come with curiosity, though he relented when you supported Wittekind's explanation.

''But I don't understand, Father. If Sophia can practise magic, why hasn't she taken over yet? Aren't mages inherently better at that sort of thing?'' He asked.

''The ability to practice magic, dear boy, doesn't impart you with a desire to rule over all the land. Sophia likes her studies more than she would like to rule, and she isn't the type of person who would go after her own kin to claim a throne.'' You explained.

''If I were a mage, I would make it rain sweets and have the land engulfed in a never-ending summer!'' He proudly exclaimed, like a genius creating a new formula.

''That is more the domain of the gods, not the domain of wizards and sorcerers. Sophia can do many things, but she isn't all-powerful or all-knowing. You further explained

''Then what is the point of wizardry?'' He said, very disappointed.

The elder line of the house of Adlershorst—how far she has come. Their story was less one of glorious conquest and war and more one of clever politicking and intrigue. The last baron of Adlershorst in Fluddenmark, Erich, your uncle, had moved away from the sinking castle and eventually sold his fief back to the Margrave of Fluddenmark.

He then took up employment for the Tauten Kaiser Ludwig, whom you had met some time in the past; he had then given his approval to have Erich wed one of his wards, the heiress Hedwig von Oschenholz. Which gave him lands in the north of Tautenland. After his death, the inheritance was partitioned amongst his sons. They were removed enough from each other that the church would have no objections, and they were powerless enough that you knew they would much rather stay here than in the measly four castles they can scrape together.

>>6279407
The only question is, whom amongst your distant kin shall you choose?

>Ludwig von Adlershorst, an erudite lad of fifteen, quiet and very fond of chivalric romance and the natural sciences, though he would much rather read about knights than be one.
>Gerhard von Adlershorst, a fun-loving man of seventeen who loves hunting, eating, and drinking, is reportedly stout and tall of body and a formidable fighter.
>Otto von Adlershorst, a charismatic man who acts as a courtier to the Emperor, where he helps in the chancellery with diplomacy and 'the gathering of information.'
>Johann von Adlershorst. a skilled musician and artist at the age of sixteen, known for his gentle nature and talent with a lute.

>>6279375
That we are. Very lucky, our father hired a good doc back then and we survived a plague. Maybe we can invest in a house of healing for Rittersbach after the war.

>>6279407
>Wittekind couldn't stand him
Lmao


>>6279409
Whats the age of Otto ?

>>6279422
Otto is also about eighteen, turning nineteen this autumn, do mind that Albrecht bathes more often than his contemporaries thanks to him seeing an old steam bath in the old imperial palace, and wanting one as well.

In general, there is less infant mortality, because the elves decided to spread knowledge about hygiene and sanitation. And because I didn't want half the children to drop dead of the flu.

>>6279409
>>Gerhard von Adlershorst, a fun-loving man of seventeen who loves hunting, eating, and drinking, is reportedly stout and tall of body and a formidable fighter.

Otto is very tempting, but I think we need someone martial to balance things out for the next generation, and he might make for a good admiral.

>>6279409
>>Otto von Adlershorst, a charismatic man who acts as a courtier to the Emperor, where he helps in the chancellery with diplomacy and 'the gathering of information.'

>>6279409
>Ludwig von Adlershorst, an erudite lad of fifteen, quiet and very fond of chivalric romance and the natural sciences, though he would much rather read about knights than be one.
Dude will be THRILLED to wed an actual sorceress and will provide her with intellectual enrichment

Don't marry Otto, he's a spy and will be more loyal to the Emperor than us

>>6279409
>Ludwig von Adlershorst, an erudite lad of fifteen, quiet and very fond of chivalric romance and the natural sciences, though he would much rather read about knights than be one.

>>6279409
>Ludwig von Adlershorst, an erudite lad of fifteen, quiet and very fond of chivalric romance and the natural sciences, though he would much rather read about knights than be one.

These two both like puzzling things out.

In the end, you settled upon Ludwig von Adlershorst, a distant nephew of yours who lives in a castle in the centre of Tautenland. He has been successfully educated in the classical seven liberal arts. The septem artes liberales , whereas Sophia has completed her studies in the artes incertae , the uncertain arts, a semi-antiquated term for the study of magic.

You had sent for him immediately, and he came to Rittersbach in the summer. At first, you didn't really know what to make of this boy; he wasn't like you or your father. He was of a slight, narrow build, with little muscle from what you could see. His hair was darker than that of yours, as were his eyes, but he was still undoubtedly an Adlershorst.

He, by contrast, seemed to be in awe of you, the second royal Adlershorst. While they didn't immediately take a liking to each other, he did seem to get Sophia to like him by holding an impromptu lecture about the virtues of the ancient Mithradian philosophical schools of stoicism and cynicism, with some modern scholasticism thrown in here and there. Now, you weren't stupid; you had received your own informal education in the classics while in Mithras, but you did feel that whatever he was talking about reached the upper limit of what you were able to understand.

They were thus formally wed in a finished chapel of the great building pit, a nickname the Rittersbachers had given to their cathedral. The couple was thus formally wed, and you moved them into the old apartments of the Albrechtburg, both to give your mother some more company and so you didn't have to waste time and money building a new wizard's tower.

Why do they live in towers anyway?

>>6279693
Moving on, the summer was also the time when the boys in the archives managed to dig up something you had been looking for. The act of lease concerns the most eastern island of Ölfland between the Order of the Argent Stars and the Kingdom of Svengalia. Signed by the second grandmaster of the order and King Erik III, it would give the island over to the order so it might use it as a base for operations in Sparland.

This obviously never came to pass, and the lease, while signed, was never ratified. Instead, the island remained in Svengalian hands; while it is a flimsy pretence, it is all the justification you need.

The campaign was thus nearly a go-go; you would schedule it for the next year, after the winter. While the seas didn't normally freeze over as tightly, you didn't want to risk it. There thus remained a few things to be planned out, first and foremost, what island shall be the first upon the chopping block? Rosand is the closest to Svengalia proper and thus the one most likely to get the most reinforcements. Though if you could thumb them there, they might not be able to help with the other islands at all.

Alfander is the largest island and the northernmost one; it is still home to a substantial population of elves. Getting them on your side might be useful, though you didn't know if that was possible. At any rate, it might be the most difficult invasion if the elves there would help their Svengalian liege lords.

Ölfland is the most easternward island and the most vulnerable; it is the easiest one to take, you guessed, and would open up Sparland if you wished to invade it next, though going there first might give the Svengalians the time to organise.

>1: Rosand
>2: Alfander
>3: Ölfland

>>6279694
Speaking of such operations, you decide it was about time for you to appoint a new Reichsadmiral . Even when you had that post, you considered it unlikely that you would ever command a naval battle. You don't know how to operate ships or how to navigate or coordinate between ships and boats; such things would require a specialist, someone who knows how to lead a fleet. You had several candidates in mind, though none of them could be called proper lords.

Friedrich von Visküste is the fourth son of a minor baron along the coast, nicknamed Fritz the mariner because of his love for the sea. Though a noble, his family is considered second-rate at best, though he has fought multiple pirates upon his own ship, the Seahorse.

Burgrave Moritz von Akreu is a Greifwalder nobleman from the south of Greifswald who has successfully fought river piracy along the river that cuts through his holdings. Though he has no experience commanding a fleet, he is a nobleman of the highest pedigree.

Jürgen Kledderitsch is a merchant captain and mercenary who is based out of Tanzig, and offers his services of escorting ships with his private fleet of six cogs. He is very experienced, capricious, and sly and has a reputation as a true sea dog. Though his lack of status is concerning.

You chose for:

>Visküste
>Akreu
>Kledderitsch

>>6279694
>3: Ölfland
It's the one we have a claim to. If we want international recognition we need to start with it

>>6279695
>Visküste
We need to show that we still value the aristocracy so they don't riot before we curtail their power enough.

>>6279695

>>6279699

+1

>>6279695
>Rosand
A decisive battle

>Visküste
I prefer nobility.

>>6279694
>>1: Rosand

>>Visküste

Though perhaps we should look into hiring Kledderitsch and his ships as well.

Kinda thought we might do some politicking and intrigue before going straight into a campaign.

Right, Visküste will become admiral, I only now need a tiebreaker between Ölfland and Rosand.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>6279807
Right, time to roll

1:Ölfland

2:Rosand

Fritz the Mariner, as he is known, has spent as much time on a ship as your average noble has on a horse; from an early age he was apparently fascinated by the seas.

At first glance he looked more like a sailor than a nobleman, as he had spent a good chunk of his life adventuring abroad his beloved ship, the Seahorse. Which had a horse's head for a figurehead, a nod to his noble heritage and his love for the sea. Despite his rough exterior, Fritz was known to occasionally give the poor barrels of herring and other leftover provisions from his voyages.

When you approached him to be your admiral for the coming campaign, he replied most positively.

At first glance, he seemed more the true rough seaman, with his moustache, chin beard, long salt-coated hair, and scar on his cheek. His bushy eyebrows drooped slightly.

''Aye, as yer like, yar mahesty, is aboot tyme I served ye in a more official capacity. Just let me know when we set sail, and I'll have the Seahorse ready for battle.''

''For someone of noble birth, you talk much like your sailors.'' You noted.

He laughed. ''Aye, I've spent more time on the sea than in any fancy court; it is with whom you spend time that makes you talk in a manner, and me and me lads have been together for a very long time. But yeh should not worry; I will lead your ships to battle.'' And with that, you knew you had found a loyal and capable admiral for your upcoming campaign.

Friedrich von Visküste, as he was actually known, would have gladly taken you for a tour of the Seahorse, though you declined because of a constrained schedule.

You had to return to Rittersbach for something posthaste.

Whenever a mage successfully graduates with a diploma in the artes incertae , the governing body concerning magic, the pannational magisterium for the regulation of the arcane, an association controlled by the church, the universities, and the mages guilds, would send (though in reality, it's more like a conference of local mages) the graduate an official licence, a robe, and a staff.

And so it was with Sophia; you arranged for a special audience so you might receive these illustrious scholars. And receive them you did; most of them held up to the ideals of a mage: old, wise, and, if a man, with a good long grey beard. Sophia felt a sense of pride and accomplishment as she donned her robe and held her staff, officially recognised as a mage by the highest authority.

It was a very long white robe, mostly for ceremonial occasions, and an oakum staff with an onyx sphere in it, a practical badge of office.

You could sleep most satisfied, indeed. Your invasion of Ölfland, scheduled for the spring of next year, could not be coming together more smoothly; Sophia would be of great assistance, of that much you were certain.

>>6279843
Later, on that same evening.

You ran your thin fingers through your long black hair; you had done this since you were little, either out of boredom, fright, or anxiety.

The rain outside bashed against the windows, though it couldn't come in. You slapped shut the leather-bound book you had been reading, accidentally blowing out the candles. Sighing, you snapped your fingers, and at the tip of the index finger there now was a small flame that couldn't burn you.

As you relit the candles, you couldn't help but wonder. Father had explained that your magical abilities had come from the fact that he stayed a very long time in an area contaminated by it.

He wasn't magical, nor was Mother, but you were, you , you said to yourself in the mirror. A woman as pale as snow and with black hair, your ice-blue eyes completed the set; it was once set.

It was once said that all the princes and knights of the world would come before you, and that you, as the aloof beauty, would let them fight for your hand. And perhaps that might have been so, but you didn't grow up to be a cold-hearted ice queen.

No, knowledge had been your childhood love, and you were thankful enough to wed someone who shared that interest.

Blessing or curse. You thought to yourself, your sisters were always somewhat jealous of you, and Dietrich always seemed to doubt whether you had them at all, but they were real, oh so very real. There had been times when you wished you hadn't got them, or at least had the ability to turn them off.

In truth, you were glad you weren't expected to be queen one day; magic alone was a big enough responsibility, and running the realm beside that would be soul-crushing. But you had learnt to live it, magic or not, woman or man, you were still an Adlershorst in name and vein. And it would be unbecoming of you if you didn't step up to meet your challenges.

And so here you were studying the night away; that was what you did best. But you were concerned; Father wanted to invade the islands up to the north and west. Though thankfully he hasn't been so hare-brained as to have you make a magical ice bridge (something far, far beyond your abilities), he still wanted you to accompany him along on the campaign. It was your duty, as much you were certain, but you couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the pit of your stomach.

In the studying of the old tomes, you had hoped to find some kind of artefact, something to help you. The staff was nice, but it was cheap and made to suit accommodations, and you lacked an artefact to store excess energy in, as you had been taught. Such things were as old as the art of creating magical objects. So they should still be around.

>>6279844
Obviously, you didn't have anything with you that could serve that purpose.
>Unless of course, that orb in the vault—Father never uses it, but perhaps it might be of use to me
>Wait, this tome, elven ruins… In between… Tanzing…and…Ulrichsburg… That's it!
>But of course! There's a place where magic is abundant in Greifswald, the deepwood.

>>6279846
>Unless of course, that orb in the vault—Father never uses it, but perhaps it might be of use to me