| Back to actions |
| Action Id: 2477 | Crisis: | Participants: Orvyn, Sunniva(RIP), Liliana, Ouida and Emmelline | |
| Status: Resolved | Submitted: Sept. 21, 2018, 1:06 p.m. | Public: True | GM: Apostate |
|
Economic Resources: 1000 Action Points: 650 |
|||
Action by Orvyn
Reclamation of the lands surrounding Fair Harbour
With an influx of serfs and with the holdings of Fair Harbour growing, Orvyn intends to implement the next phase of his plans. Growth can only be sustained through expansion and so it is that Orvyn, through the aid of others more gifted in their various areas of expertise, will press forward into the lands surrounding Fair Harbour with an intention to draw those whom would bend the knee to the compact to join and bring with them their villages and skills under the banner of Harthall for protections and offerings of expanded trade goods from far away lands. Orvyn will utilize most of his economic expertise to ensure that those villages that wish to bow the knee will be financed and afordably taken care of, while encouraging trade routes to extend to the villages and back through Fair Harbour.
However, not all will likely bow, even with the best intentions in place, and some will likely respond with force and so it is that Orvyn will enlist the Harthall forces as well as hiring the Crimson Blades through their Commandant, Violet Sandreef-Marjawn and her Captains to offer a display of force where necessary, and to engage with the intention to conquer when such bargaining motions fail. In the end, those whom are militant and wish to bow the knee will be offered service in whichever force they choose. This should hopefully replace those lost within the various armies and units, and perhaps even give stability to the families of those whom choose to enlist as the pay for their services should trickle back.
It is the intention of Orvyn and Harthall to establish a much stronger and larger foothold upon the Island, branching out from Fair Harbour. Roads will be established, skilled tradesmen will be interspersed among the villages, new markets established, and the laws and regulations of the Crown, Valardin, and Harthall shall be made common among the populace. Faithful disciples of Gild shall make prayers and offerings throughout.
Action by Emmelline
Emmelline's skills lay in the making of small gifts and with the knowledge that children will be effected she reaches out to her peers and begins to craft dozens upon dozens of children toys to offer to those affected in hope that it will show the benevolent side of Harthall amidst the expansion.
Action by Liliana
Lili spends her time by speaking with those who have already decided to side with Harthall. She'll talk of the tragedy that has befallen her immediate family and how welcoming Harthall has been both in restoring her lands and providing a safe home for the refugees. She'll talk of the protection afforded to them through Harthall and its allies. She'll ask some of them to travel ahead of the scouting parties to bring word of their own first hand experiences to farmsteads and villages with wares imported from Arx. These are not bribes for those that make decisions, but gifts and samples of wares available, intended for the general populace to help them see the benefits of siding with Harthall instead of against.
Action by Sunniva(RIP)
The Marquessa will speak of Fair Harbour with those that are being asked to bend the knee. She will express its wealth and holdings, how its people are fair and welcoming and that many opportunities await those who wish to find a new home and start fresh. She will speak to their fears and soothe them and paint for them a home which awaits them with its white beaches and many merchant ships looking for men.
Action by Ouida
While Ouida will be ready to help put down any physical trouble that happens, her true strength lies in her not insignificant charm. Nothing like filling the heads of parents and impressionable young people with ideas for their offspring/themselves to become part of something greater! So she will make an effort to be her most chivalrous and charming self, speaking highly and respectfully of those who are/would be great warriors, her own jovial tales of camraderie she's found in the company of knights (especially those without noble blood) and soldiers, being sure to be free with the buying/sharing of brew and flirtation, offering to sponsor further training for those craftspeople and promising prospects she sees, regardless of status. Sparring with anyone who would enjoy it, asking a young girl or boy's favor to wear on her sword before a match, putting a child sized practice sword in a young one's hand (assuming parental permission, ect). Ouida is charismatic, she has a different and quite jovial demeanor than many knights, and she'll hope to win some hearts with a /courtly/ display of non-merchant prowess for those good folk of less cerebral pursuits!
Result
Even for holders of an island domain like House Harthall, there's quite a bit of unclaimed land about. Often it's because it's just seemed like too much trouble to really claim it, whether it's inhospitable, or a village keeps seeming to be raided over and over again by seaborn shavs. But there are still groups that can be brought under control of Fair Harbour, and that leads to one great success and one potential success, thanks to their efforts.
A relatively small forest of about ten square miles had persistently had attempts at villages come to misfortune, and the Crimson Blade scouts are able to discover why- a rather small band of shavs had been raiding out of the forest for years, no more than a couple dozen of them, but Harthall is finally able to make contact with them. The tiny Red Tree tribe distrust the Comapact a great deal, but thanks to the stories spread by Liliana, they are able to overcome their policy of avoiding any contact and decide they should at least look into what the stuffy, harsh and unyielding Oathlanders have to say.
At least that was their old impression of the Oathlands, but when Ouida shows up, their demeanor changes quickly. Most of their opinions of the Oathlands had come from interactions with unyieldingly hostile Oathlands knights hunting down shavs, and Lady Ouida is -nothing- like what they expected from anyone in the Compact. She's fun, charming, and absolutely nothing like the humorless avengers they've met before. Thanks to Ouida, they are willing to hear out Harthall's proposal.
With Emmeline's gifts to back up Marquessa Sunniva's diplomacy, the Red Tree are moved, and willing to give it a try rather than flee into the night only to return to raid later. So that modest sized forest is pacified, on Fair Harbour's main island.
The second island of Brightwave, known for the hostile Clan Brightwave, is an entirely different question. After the diplomatic overtures, they are willing to bend the knee rather than go to violence... if their religion is respected and they are allowed to keep it. Clan Brightwave are descendents of House Brightwave, a former Thrax Barony who was attainted during the Crownbreaker wars, and their lands seized, so they sailed to oathlands lands and claimed one of the minor islands a day sailing from Fair Harbour. The issue is that the reason they were attainted is they were very heretical, and are hardline Mangata monotheists, believing that all the other gods are just 'waves' of Mangata, as the One True Goddess, and their family was all excommunicated after House Brightwave executed their local seraph for preaching against them and murdered the local templars back in Thrax lands. They've been seaborn raiders ever since, and Brightwave Island keeps being taken back by them every few years after attempts are made to settle it. So they'll bend the knee, several hundred shavs strong, but they expect to still keep their highly heretical religion if the Marquis agrees.
((OOC: Significantly increased Harthall's land holdings, though House Brightwave will require more for a second action for another increase))