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| Action Id: 3790 | Crisis: | Participants: Teagan, Margot(RIP), Gaston, Tesha, Flora, Teela, Fianna, Estelle and Jozef | |
| Status: Resolved | Submitted: Feb. 3, 2020, 2:29 p.m. | Public: True | GM: Fabulist |
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Silver: 80000 Economic Resources: 1000 Military Resources: 8250 Social Resources: 1000 Action Points: 50 |
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Action by Teagan
The Cloudspine is known for its goats. Specifically, recently, it is known for fainting goats. However, for a people so attuned to battle (in various ways), *fainting goats* shouldn't be the end-all-be-all of their lands. And with an eye to the building of their armies in the wake of the incidents at Highhill, Teagan has tasked those who breed goats with a mission.
She wants war goats. She wants goats capable of going into battle alongside the pikemen. In a perfect world, these goats will be bred large enough to be mounts for the cavalry as well, but her initial focus / important consideration is that these goats be able to wear armor, have stronger-than-normal horns, and be able to be trained to handle a combat environment (noise, taking direction, etc.).
She will make visits to regional breeders and farms, help oversee any necessary funds and resources, and act as a liaison between the generals and the breeders to see this mission made a success. Within Arx, she has done fundraising -- notably with the assistance of the likes of Jules Fabron -- and raised interest in the project.
Action by Gaston
Gaston will use his natural charisma and his special affinity with animals to impart these goats with the best training possible, especially in the ways of war.
Action by Teela
Being of a military mind, Teela will go out with groups of hunters to help catch the large kind of wild goats that Teegan needs for her breeding program. These wild sorts will be the kinds that have the necessary survival traits that will help create a hardy stock and might have the aggressiveness that are not available in domesticated goats from breeders.
Action by Estelle
Estelle does love animals, and has at least the usual Blackram understanding of goats as well as how they work. Aiming to lean more into her particular strengths, the Mercy shall use her understanding of medicine to monitor and maintain the gathered herds' collective health. After all, maladies are more likely to strike with so many beasts gathered together. Best to drive away such dangers, though Estelle relies more on rites dedicated to Petrichor and Lagoma than a goatherd's more mundane means.
Action by Jozef
Jozef uses his familiarity with horses to assist the lead trainer, especially in suiting up these creatures with armor and training them to accept it.
Action by Flora
"You have all been brought here for a very specific reason," Flora says while walking through the goat fields as if it were a military commander inspecting soldiers. Her shoulders are square, her hands clasped behind her back. "You are the lateast recruits in an age-old tradition dating back centuries. A tradition of honor, nobility, of defending those around you. And today, my fine furred friends, you bring yourself and your herd honor by joining us."
-Excerpt: Dame Flora's Meeting of the Goats vol I
Flora will absolutely talk to the goats as if they are knights. She'll drill and instill in them the sense of Gloria's principles! But mostly that's first thing in the morning or late at night and nothing anyone is counting on.
With Preston providing letters of intro, Flora's part is to coordinate leatherworkers and armorers known to the Templars and represented with resources to help get these animals prepared to take a hit.
Flora's main skills for this will be to become the target the goats can use. She'll armor up, wrap her weapons in cushions, and develop Goat Sparring. It'll be a national sport in no time.
Action by Margot(RIP)
Margot's intrigued by the prospect of having animals that may be able to navigate the cold and rocky islands of the north better than horses and dogs can. As such she offers up resorces from the Tydelands as well as sends out some men to capture some of the goats from the Islands to introduce their own genes to the program.
Action by Fianna
Fianna has an affinity for animals and her expertise ranges from all species great and small. She completed her breeding project for Stormwall's war horses a handful of years ago, and when she heard of Marquessa Teagan's call for aide for a similar project involving goats, she responded right away. Having master level experience with animal husbandry, Fianna will provide hands-on assistance during the birthing season and will be readily available to answer any questions the Marquessa may have during the process. And should any of the rams get testy with their group of handlers, Fianna has a way of calming and training them to be less temperamental to that they are manageable and focused. She will also provide silver for the project.
Action by Tesha
Tesha has heard about the endeavor by Blackram about the War Rams and given she has a love for the different animals from their vassals she's going to be helping with this. She'll be using her propaganda to promote them and to make sure the word is spread about how awesome these animals are.
Result
With the overwhelming success of the Golden Fainter, Blackram once more turns its sights on creating another breed of goat to capture the more militaristic side of the Cloudspine. Once more, Lady Teela treks out into the wilds in search of the perfect sires and dams to found the breed. It takes doing, climbing up to steep ledges and high vales, but she happens upon a herd of hearty, muscular stock, in addition to the goats donated by Duchess Margot Tyde from the Isles.
Between Lord Gaston and Duchess Fianna Crovane’s wiles with the animals, they are not only able to lure the beasts down to the barns, but are able to devise a program to train the creatures.
Dame Flora’s attempts to train them in military tactics results in one undeniable fact: These goats are definitely dangerous. So long as Flora is feeding them or leaving them be, things are fine. But when she prods them and encourages them to spar with her, they do so with a savage gusto, leaving the poor woman quite battered.
Jozef’s efforts result in a goaty barding, though given their unwillingness to stay still, the fit is not exact, but it is adequate to the task of protecting their spines and flanks.
While examining the goats physiology, Sister Estelle and Duchess Fianna both agree that the goat skeleton, as a species, is unsuited as a mount. Even the largest bucks, weighing in at over 300 pounds simply do not have the support structure to bear the weight of an armored soldier riding them. The risk of injury, if not death, is too great. And, given their overall temperament, their propensity to headbutt anything that annoys them, friend or foe, makes the risk to human life simply unacceptable.
At the culmination of the project, Blackram has a herd of large, heavy, armored and *extremely* dangerous goats that more or less follow basic commands. The best tactic for their use is a ‘point, release and get out of the way’ one, but they are deadly, efficient and cause a deep, existential terror in the hearts of the enemy. Meet the Direhorns of Cloudspine.