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| Action Id: 3382 | Crisis: | Participants: Valdemar, Turo, Edward, Faelan and Erik | |
| Status: Resolved | Submitted: May 5, 2019, 9:01 p.m. | Public: True | GM: Pax |
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Economic Resources: 2500 Military Resources: 200 Action Points: 40 |
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Action by Valdemar
Back when Harald was still Duke, Valdemar led an expedition to the island to the south of Grihem's Point on the map. Some shavs bent the knee, and some territory was claimed (action 2315). Now Valdemar wants to return, to build a fortress there as a base for further exploration and conquest of the island. Something modest but sturdy, with a dock for unloading from ships. He also plans on leaving a small garrison (the ground troops assigned to this action) there when construction is completed, though they will be circulated out every three months (officers every six) in order to keep them fresh and alert.
Action by Faelan
Faelan will be commanding the men set to guard the builders and work crews that are building the fort. He'll be organizing patrols and guard duty shifts, as well as taking command of any land engagements that may spring up with the local shavs during the construction process.
Action by Edward
Edward has done this before and so will lend his talents to doing so again. Using his skill at economics and logistics he will make sure that all the materials needed and personnel needed for the construction of the FOB are able to be moved on site in a timely manner with a high efficiency to cost. He will also make use of newly freed thralls to bring to the island to help with the construction, as a public benefit for House Grimhall. He will not only make sure to incorporate the base construction to be what Valdemar sees it as but will also consult with the officers who will be cycling through the island over the first year to make sure that soldier needs are incorporated as well. Above all Edward wants to make sure that these fighting men know that House Grimhall has their concerns in mind for long-term deployment.
Action by Turo
Turo lends his considerable skills and experience in martial matters toward seeting up this forward operating base, helping select the best place for it, what defensive measures should be implemented, and helping Grimhall as their admiral in establishing the appropriate staffing and supply practices.
Action by Erik
Erik will join the expedition to help his family settle properly in the island. Offering some help on the economics side, he will make sure that the supplies that will reach the island will be kept in a proper warehouse, safe from weather and plunder, as well as making sure everything is organized so that the guards can spring into action should the situation call for it.
Result
The expeditionary force that Valdemar and his comrades have assembled sets out for the island south of Grihem's Point, and the bit of territory they'd previously claimed there. They set out with the intention of building a small fortress as a base of operations, and come supplied -- and staffed -- for such.
They arrive to find such a thing is probably not a bad idea; it seems that the shav'arvani who didn't bend the knee last tiem around have taken something of a dislike to those who did choose to become vassals of Grimhall. So far this hasn't progressed past simple skirmishes and encroaching on fishing grounds, but there's definitely some /tensions/ that have grown where there weren't before.
Those who did join Grimhall are generally feeling favorably towards the Grimhall delegation, particularly inasmuch as the Grimhall delegation came with a good force of men. Armed ones, at that. And so they're happy to help point out possible places for a fortress. (They're also happy to help point out which other villages they think should probably be rolled over with all the might of the Compact. Or at least have a few of their fishing boats sunk to make a point.)
In the end, the best place they can find is a place of compromises. Oh, they could pick the site high on the cliffs, with a commanding view of its surroundings, but the nearest convenient place for a dock is a good ten minutes' walk away, and would almost certainly fall outside of any reasonable fortifications that could be built. They could pick the spot in the sheltered little bay perfect for a port, but it's surrounded by cliffs that would give an enemy force a position well above the fortifications from which to launch an assault. Every site that's /perfect/ in one way is deeply flawed in another. In the end, Turo's expertise finds a solid compromise; the fortress will be at the top of a small hill -- no commanding view of the area, but the docks can be built below and enclosed within the fortifications.
The plans are relatively easily adapted to the terrain, and Edward is able to make good use of the funds and materials; Erik even gets a warehouse. In all, the project seems to be going well.
The one hiccup is with Faelan's defense of the location during construction. One of the Abandoned villages launches an attack on the project under cover of night, and unfortunately they come from two directions simultaneously: one group across land, and one quietly on fishing boats. The guards are caught by surprise, and the resulting skirmish isn't as decisively weighted in favor of Grimhall as some feel it should have been. Still, while there's some loss of men -- and some lost materials, too, as the surviving raiders make their escape with what they were able to grab -- it's not enough to hamstring the project. And so, in the end, they have a solid little fortification and a force there to hold the territory -- and, the prodigals hope, a place from which their new liege's forces will defend their villages, too.