conversations: human
conversations:  You wake to the gentle sounds of the surf meeting the rain. A brief moment of reflection reminds you that you're probably in the most verdant land in all of the confederacy.
  I can't seem to find your provincial allotment, so I've assigned you one. You can pick between Mountain or Coast (Mountain: -1 pop, +1 Prod. Coast: -1 War, +1 Econ)
  
  your base array is as follows. You may modify it as you see fit in your first post. Please pick a speciality for Mawar to add to.
  
  Population: 2
  Economy: 2
  Production: 2
  Warfare: 1
  Technology: 1
  
  with this array, your income for turn 1 is 1500 GP. You have one unit of Bards, numbering 100.
  Your scoutmaster reports that you have a single, hostile nation to the North, and a single, friendly nation to the West. To your East is ocean, including an unclaimed peninsula, and to your South is unclaimed land, mostly mountainous.
  
  No troop movements for either side.
  
  I need a stronghold from you at some point. The game is now active. A month lapses on Monday.
  Event: Technological discovery!
  Your people have uncovered an ancient automatic forge. You're not entirely sure how it works, yet, but with some work, it could increase your production... permanently.
  
  For bookkeeping,  here  is your sheet.
conversations: Acanous:
conversations: human
conversations:  Spoiler: Province Mechanics 
  The reason you couldn't find my array is because, as I mentioned in PM, real life smacked me in the face. Thus I lacked time to make one. Apologies, and here's one now.
  
   
   Spoiler: Provincial Array 
   Population:  2
   Economy:  3
   Warfare:  0
   Production:  2
   Technology:  2
  
  Mawar's specialty is Population (she seeks the overall welfare of her people more than anything else, although let the record show that she's also into economic expansion; just not enough for it to be her specialty.) The terrain is Coast (albeit a very  mountainous  coast; it could honestly have gone either way.) These modifiers have been taken into account.
   
  
   Cohort sheet. 
  
  Follower sheets and stronghold details to follow as soon as I've got the info I requested in PM.
   
  
   Actions: 
   Research  - ancient automatic forge.
   Items  - magical ways to improve quality of life. Focusing on food and water supply and public healing - everful basins and larders, for instance, provided and paid for by the Guild Council. (I'm thinking that, if successful, this would result in a Population increase.)
   Scouting  - unclaimed peninsula to the east. Focusing on finding native peoples to trade with and arable land to settle.
  
   
   Spoiler: Rolls 
   Knowledge (nobility):   (1d20+7)[ 24 ] 
   Knowledge (nobility):   (1d20+7)[ 18 ] 
   Hide:   (1d20+3)[ 16 ] 
  The Knowledge is to identify both nations, the hostile and the friendly (in that order). The Hide is for my scouts. Anything else I should be doing?
   
conversations: DontEvenAsk:
conversations: human
conversations:  The Hostile nation is held by Yandahar, a Druid who focuses on military means over statecraft. Your friendly territory is held by DrK, who hasn't got a character done yet.
  
  How would you like to go about researching the forge? Sending an expedition, cordoning it off with your military, contracting to adventurers?
  
  You send a scouting ship.
conversations: Acanous:
conversations: human
conversations:  If I choose to send my military to claim the forge, can I still send non-military experts to study it later? (Admittedly, my military may well be too small to make much of a difference, but dagnabbit I intend to try and keep that thing.)
  
  If so, military exploration, and if not, non-military research expedition.
conversations: DontEvenAsk:
conversations: human
conversations:  You can do both of those things!
  
  You send your military to claim the forge. It goes poorly. Your military is devastated by the traps and constructs in the forge, and you lose 40 people.
  
  The survivors have gained experience from the trauma, and reach level 2.
  
  Taxation nets you 2500 gold this month.
  
  Your clerics have been researching a new method of curatives. Progress has been slow. It is expected you'll have a working prototype in 2 more months.
  
  Your scout ship has been dispatched and you have heard nothing from the eastern isle yet.
  
  Your production and trade nets you an additional 842 GP.
conversations: Acanous:
conversations: human
conversations:  The loss at the forge sparks controversy in the guild council as liberals rally around the fallen soldiers as symbols of the need for a stronger Karuti military. To assuage their concerns, Mawar  hires mercenary scouts to fill out the damaged unit , but reserves judgement for now on more military funding.
  
  She  sends out a civilian research force  from the Blacksmiths' and Engineers' Guilds, along with some guards,  to study the forge  now that its dangers have been more or less eliminated. Upon receiving word of their arrival there (but not before, in case of non-guild investigation into the area and possibly civilian casualties,) she appoints a committee from the Wordsmiths' Guild to draw up a document, issued throughout the province, announcing the forge's discovery and calling for the populace to honor the sacrifice of the forty lost explorers by supporting the guilds. With luck, the researchers will find something useful to do with the forge, and the public writ and the sentiment it'll stir up will prompt citizens to sign up for labor contracts working at it. Jobs for everyone! Yay!
  
   
   Spoiler: Actions per Array 
  Consolidating Technology points towards the forge and putting the medical research on the back burner. Mawar won't be happy about that, but the council is expecting some reward out of this investment into the forge (committing that all-too-common fallacy of assuming that if you've put some effort into something, you have to keep putting effort in until you've gotten something of value out of it so you didn't waste that initial effort) and if the forge isn't dealt with who knows what'll happen to it. It is also a big opportunity, which helps Mawar excuse it to herself.
   
  
   
   Spoiler: Monthly Finances 
  81gp 6sp 8cp
   +2500gp tax revenue
  +842gp trade profit 
  
   
  3423gp 6sp 8cp
   -174gp monthly staff wages
  -476gp 5sp stronghold upkeep
  -1200 to hire 40 Scouts 
  
   
    1573gp 1sp 8cp  
  
  This is using the 30gp monthly wage given in the SBG for hiring any 1st-level PC class NPC. If that's not how gaining more troops works, I apologize. Karu's military, such as it is, is almost certainly pretty much just mercenaries anyway... being, as Karu is, a perpetually militarily unaligned merchant state. 😁
   
  
   
   Spoiler: Stronghold 
  Apologies for extreme messiness. I haven't got the time at the moment to devote to drawing a map (and I'm not at all sure tools like Dave's Mapper will be quite sufficient,) so it's this so far at present; if there's any particular way you'd like me to format this monstrosity, I'll be glad to wade through it. Follower sheets still pending but should be in very shortly - they're nearly done.
  
  14 Everburning Torches
  	1260gp
  Weapons &amp; Armor for Guards
  	1506gp 8sp 4cp
  2 Warponies
  	200gp
  2 Light Warhorses
  	300gp
  2 Military Saddles
  	40gp
  2 Pack Saddles
  	10gp
  2 Riding Saddles
  	20gp
  2 sets Saddlebags
  	8gp
  Padded Barding (Warpony)
  	10gp
  Padded Barding (Light Warhorse)
  	20gp
  10 bottles Fine Wine
  	100gp
  Carriage
  	100gp
  Guard Dog
  	25gp
  Month's Feed for Animals
  	7gp 5sp
  Month's Meals for People
  	465gp
  8lbs Soap (1 month's worth for inhabitants)
  	4gp
  
  1000 sheets of Paper
  	400gp
  3 vials Black Ink
  	24gp
  4 Hourglasses
  	100gp
  Merchant's Scales
  	2gp
  Masterwork Hammer
  	50gp
  
  TOTAL: 67225gp
  Warm (-5% cost)
  Hill (-5% cost)
  Less than 1 mile from metropolis (100,000 gp limit,
  	+10% cost)
  15 stronghold spaces
  Luxury Library (2ss)
  	15000gp
  	Contains 6 Book Lots (18000)
  		Arcana
  		Geography
  		History
  		Local
  		Nobility and Royalty
  		Religion
  	with Strong Wooden Door (40gp)
  	with Good Lock (80gp)
  	Room of Reading (750gp)
  Kitchen, Basic (1ss)
  	Feeds 15
  	2000gp
  	Pantry of Preservation (3000gp)
  Dock, Basic (1ss)
  	500gp
  	with Strong Wooden Door (40gp)
  	with Good Lock (80gp)
  Common Area, Fancy (1ss)
  	3000gp
  	with Fancy Stained Glass Window (600gp)
  	with 2 Strong Wooden Doors (80gp)
  	Chamber of Comfort (7500gp)
  Dining Hall, Basic (2ss)
  	Seats 30
  	2000gp
  	Table of Freshness (3000gp)
  Bedrooms, Fancy (1ss)
  	4000gp
  	with 3 Strong Wooden Doors (120gp)
  	with 2 Glass Windows (20gp)
  	with 2 Good Locks (160gp)
  Bath, Basic - 2 (1ss)
  	800gp
  Study/Office, Fancy (1ss)
  	2500gp
  	with Glass Window (10gp)
  Storage, Basic (1ss)
  	250gp
  	with Strong Wooden Door (40gp)
  	with Good Lock (80gp)
  Stable, Basic (1ss)
  	1000gp
  	with Strong Wooden Door (40gp)
  	with Good Lock (80gp)
  Servants' Quarters - 3 (3ss)
  	Sleeps 18
  	1200gp
  	with 3 Good Locks (240gp)
  	with 3 Glass Windows (30gp)
  Interior Walls (Wood)
  	6000gp
  Exterior Walls (Wood)
  	9000gp
  Lyre of Building
  	13000gp
  
  TOTAL: 54841gp 7sp 8cp
  Cold (+5% cost, -50% to cost of ice walls)
  Mountains (-5% to cost of hewn stone walls)
  112 miles from metropolis (100,000 gp limit)
  Mountains make it difficult to move normally (+2%)
  13.5 stronghold spaces
  Armory, Basic (1ss)
  	500gp
  	with Strong Wooden Door (40gp)
  	with Good Lock (80gp)
  Barracks (1ss)
  	400gp
  	sleeps 10
  	with 2 Strong Wooden Doors (80gp)
  	with 2 Good Locks (160gp)
  Chapel, Basic (1ss)
  	1000gp
  	with Strong Wooden Door (40gp)
  	with Good Lock (80gp)
  	Chamber of Guidance (750gp)
  	Sanctum Sanctorum (1500gp)
  Servants' Quarters (1ss)
  	400gp
  	sleeps 6
  	with Strong Wooden Door (40gp)
  Kitchen, Basic (1ss)
  	2000gp
  	requires Cook
  	with 2 Strong Wooden Doors (80gp)
  	with Good Lock (80gp)
  	Table of Freshness (3000gp)
  	Murlynd's Spoon (5500gp)
  	Everful Larder (15000gp)
  Smithy, Basic (1ss)
  	500gp
  	requires Smith
  	with Strong Wooden Door (40gp)
  	with Good Lock (80gp)
  Stable, Basic (1ss)
  	1000gp
  	requires Groom
  	with Strong Wooden Door (40gp)
  Training Area, Combat (1ss)
  	1000gp
  	with 2 Strong Wooden Doors (80gp)
  Common Area, Fancy (1ss)
  	3000gp
  	with Strong Wooden Door (40gp)
  	Hall of Speech (4000gp)
  	Hall of Truth (3000gp)
  Bath, Basic - 2 (1ss)
  	800gp
  Bedrooms, Basic (1ss)
  	700gp
  	sleeps 2
  	with 3 Strong Wooden Doors (120gp)
  	with 2 Good Locks (160gp)
  Gatehouse (0.5ss)
  	1000gp
  	with Iron Portcullis (750gp)
  	with Amazing Lock (150gp)
  Guard Post (0.5ss)
  	300gp
  	requires 3 guards
  	with Strong Wooden Door (40gp)
  	with 2 Arrow Slits (60gp)
  	with Good Lock (80gp)
  Study/Office, Basic (0.5ss)
  	200gp
  	with Strong Wooden Door (40gp)
  Courtyard, Basic (1ss)
  	500gp
  	with 4 Strong Wooden Doors (160gp)
  Interior Walls (Wood)
  	5400gp
  Exterior Walls (Masonry)
  	20250gp
  
  STAFF:
  Mansion Staff:
  2 Laborers (3gp/month each)
  Librarian (12gp/month)
  Groom (4gp 5sp/month)
  Cook (3gp/month)
  Butler (15gp/month)
  2 Maids (3gp/month each)
  Clerk (12gp/month)
  4 Guards (6gp/month each)
  Performer (12gp/month)
  
  Total: 94gp 5sp/month
  
  Castle Staff:
  Cook (3gp/month)
  Smith (12gp/month)
  Groom (4gp 5sp/month)
  Clerk (12gp/month)
  Military Officer (18gp/month)
  5 Guards (6gp/month each)
  
  Total: 79gp 5sp/month
  
  8 Guards: chainmail, guisarme, heavy pick, whetstone,
  	signal whistle
  1 Officer: breastplate, large steel shield,
  	longsword, dagger, whetstone, signal whistle
  3 Skirmishers: studded leather armor, buckler,
  	shortbow, 20 arrows, scimitar, whetstone,
  	signal whistle
   
conversations: DontEvenAsk: