It takes an hour to drag the heavy body to the barracks, where you surprise the nightshift guards. They lock him in an empty room and bar the doors, letting you get some shut-eye.
Dawn comes sooner than you would like, heralding [color=teal]1st Calistril[/color]. You each have management duties to attend to, but there is also the prisoner in the barracks.
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Marc assists with the binding of the victim and helps move him to the barracks. He spends the rest of the night researching his disease at local library/book collection. He must know more about this: how it's contracted. The affects of the disease and how it's cured.
He will then come back that next morning to ask the man some questions: How did he get bit? when did this happen? are there more folks like him in town?
Lycanthropy is a rare affliction, and Solasgaard's small library offers little on the subject beyond what you already know. Powerful healing magic offers a route to a cure in certain circumstances; a rare and potent poison called wolfsbane offers another, riskier route.
A Marc visits the barracks in the morning. His men gingerly remove the bar on the isolated room and leave Marc to push open the door.
Inside is a Kellid man, dirty, disheveled, and sporting several untreated wounds. He looks up at his visitor and squints against the light. "Where am I?" he asks, in heavily accented Taldane. He seems to flinch at his own words.
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Marc smiles at the man in front of him. "You have been separated from the rest of the population and are in our barracks. You have been affected by lycanthropy and you are a danger to the town." Marc places a plate of bread, cheese and meat on the cot next to them.
"I need to know some information from you so we can help you further, but let's start at the beginning: when and how were you bitten by and infected wolf?"
On the morning of 1 Calistrial, Taranis awakens just before dawn. He moves to the window and casts a spell of Animal Messenger. He beseeches the bird to travel to the large blocky rock building in the human nest in that direction, known as Restov, and to deliver the attached note.
To the August Abadarans of Restov,
The curse of Lycanthropy has touched my lands. Know that the baron of the Marchlands, Taranis I, will pay a fair wage for one of your number to come remove the curse of our singular victim.
Sincerely,
Baron Tanaris Redleaf I, The Marchlands
"I no bit from wolf, no wolf match me. Whaddin Gorum's nam is ly-can-tro-pee?" the Kellid asks, bewildered. He stares at the plate of food and clutches his forehead. "Feel sick. Got beer?"
Marc does not sense any deceit.
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"I think beer might be a good idea..." Marc has a quick discussion with the guard and a few minutes later two tankards and a pitcher of ale are brought to the cell. Marc pours the beer into both mugs and hands to the Kellish man.
"Have you ever gone to sleep in your bed and woken up in an odd place? Stains on your cloth that you can't remember how they got there?" Marc gestures to the man's injuries, "injuries you can't account for?"
The Kellie downs both tankards, each in one go, and drops each vessel to clatter against the stones. He wipes his lips on a tattered sleeve and belches. "What, lik now?" he asks picking at an open wound and wincing. "Yah. I bin half-in... dreams. Bad dreams. More beer?"
'More beer can come later possibly new hairy friend Kellid. For now we need information. Like your name to start."
"Kundal." He belches the name.
"Excellent. Well met possibly new friend Kundal. Now, we need to assess if you've been cured of this affliction or if more work is needed and what that work looks like."
"Does anyone know how this works? If we do not have access to the magic, is there enough wolfsbane to do this? What are the risks? How do we know that the wolfsbane we've used already didn't work?"
The Kellid is clutching his head again. "Beer?" he asks plaintively.
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"One last beer. you will need this to hear what I have to say." Marc fills the mug to the top and lets the man bolt it down.
"when the full move rises, you turn into a wolf-beast and attack your neighbors. You are not responsible for these actions, but we cannot allow them to continue. We will hold you here, under lock and eye, until we can cure you of this aliment"
Unrak rumbles before the man can reply Yeah...we’d prefer that to killing you
Kundal struggles to understand Marc's complex Taldan words. "Me? Attack nay-burrs? No. Dreams! Bad dreams." He chugs the third beer and groans. You leave him to grapple with his current predicament.
Back at the Witch Hex, where the baron's make-shift attendance hall is arranged, petitioners are already lining up. Your barony calls!
Upkeep Phase
Declare Baron's modifier (Economy, Loyalty, or Stability).
Roll Stability Check.
Consumption has been deducted from the treasury.
Unrest modification to be determined.
Edict Phase
Declare Spymaster's modifier (Economy, Loyalty, or Stability).
Assign new leadership or fill vacancies, if desired.
Claim up to one new hex of territory, if desired. This hex must be fully explored to be claimed.
Abandon any number of hexes of existing territory, if desired.
Pay for up to two terrain improvements to existing territory, if desired.
Pay for construction of up to one new building in your existing settlements. The construction of a single house, tenement, noble villa, or mansion does not count against this limit, but must still be paid for.
Raise new military units, or upgrade existing ones, if desired. Pay any recruitment costs.
Issue any new edicts as desired.
Declare Baron's modifier: Economy
Stability check (Warden Akiros):
Edict Phase
Declare Spymaster's modifier: Economy
Assign new leadership: None
Claim up to one new hex of territory: Not this month
Abandon any number of hexes of existing territory: No.
Pay for up to two terrain improvements to existing territory Not this month
Pay for construction of up to one new building in your existing settlements. Smithy. MW corner of Western district.
Raise new military units: We've ignored this... and I'm starting to worry.
Issue any new edicts: None.
Raise new military units: We've ignored this... and I'm starting to worry.
I'll refresh my memory on how this works over the next couple days.
Income Phase
Withdraw resources from the treasury for personal use, if desired.
Deposit personal resources into the barony's treasury.
Roll an Economy check for tax collection.
Income Phase
Withdraw resources from the treasury for personal use: None from Taranis (and I don't recommend anyone do this now.)
Deposit personal resources: None from Taranis (and I don't recommend anyone do this now.)
Roll an Economy check: Zed!
Unrak's brow creases in thought. We're going to need to deal with this werewolf problem. If one person can contract lycanthropy, others can too. We need to find a cure, and determine how it happened!
Event Phase
Event!
Solasgaard event!
As though Kundal's affliction were a harbinger of things to come, a sickness begins to wend its way through Solasgaard's residents. Jhod comes to you, begging for assistance at his overflowing makeshift healer's clinic. A plague has come!
Everyone in town knows someone who is sick, and many yearning for their loved ones sneak into Jhod's quarantine for clandestine visits in the dead of night. Of course, many of those soon fall ill.
You struggle to contain the plague, and every day is a fresh worry that some traveling merchant might carry it to the rest of your kingdom. Commerce slows to a trickle. The people worry. Some die. And still the plague continues.
[ooc]Stability declines by 4, you spend BP from the Treasury to cover costs of medicine and additional guards, and Unrest increases by .
Dealing with the ongoing crisis leaves you no time to explore the areas around your barony. When Pharast comes, you remark that the name is apt for your present troubles...
Upkeep Phase
Declare Baron's modifier (Economy, Loyalty, or Stability).
Roll Stability Check.
Consumption has been deducted from the treasury.
Unrest modification to be determined.
Edict Phase
Declare Spymaster's modifier (Economy, Loyalty, or Stability).
Assign new leadership or fill vacancies, if desired.
Claim up to one new hex of territory, if desired. This hex must be fully explored to be claimed.
Abandon any number of hexes of existing territory, if desired.
Pay for up to two terrain improvements to existing territory, if desired.
Pay for construction of up to one new building in your existing settlements. The construction of a single house, tenement, noble villa, or mansion does not count against this limit, but must still be paid for.
Raise new military units, or upgrade existing ones, if desired. Pay any recruitment costs.
Issue any new edicts as desired.
Zed can change... should he?
Per slack... stability check.
Edict Phase: The Baron is going to focus on the plague, and switches to stability.
Upkeep Phase
Roll Loyalty check to reduce Unrest, if desired.
Edict Phase
Declare Spymaster's modifier (Economy, Loyalty, or Stability).
Assign new leadership or fill vacancies, if desired.
Claim up to one new hex of territory, if desired. This hex must be fully explored to be claimed.
Abandon any number of hexes of existing territory, if desired.
Pay for up to two terrain improvements to existing territory, if desired.
Pay for construction of up to one new building in your existing settlements. The construction of a single house, tenement, noble villa, or mansion does not count against this limit, but must still be paid for.
Raise new military units, or upgrade existing ones, if desired. Pay any recruitment costs.
Issue any new edicts as desired.
The odds are against us for the loyalty check. I leave it to our Justicar....
Declare Spymaster's modifier is stability.(This leaves us at failing only on a 1.)
Assign new leadership or fill vacancies, if desired. Nope.
Claim up to one new hex of territory, if desired. Soon
Abandon any number of hexes of existing territory No!
Pay for up to two terrain improvements to existing territory I would, but we're maxed up.
Pay for construction of up to one new building. If my math (after half a bottle of wine and two manhattens) is correct, if we don't build anything, we'll have a castle next month and then reduce Unrest by 4 with a lot of advantages....
Raise new military units Still need to figure out.
Issue any new edicts as desired Nope.
The baron calls a council to pick a path forward:
"We have two paths forward through this plague. One riskier with a greater reward. The other is steady, but sets us back for some time."
Option 1: Build a shrine. This option means we can't roll below 3 on this month's stability checks. It's going to cost us 8 Bp, but the shrine can be upgraded into a temple eventually, which is a huge boon.
Option 2: Build an herbalist. This option means we cannot fail the check, but sets us back half of all our Bp (13). It also blocks off valuable real estate.
The Baron, still reeling from the massive set back, goes with what he knows. He orders the building of a shrine to Gozreh in Solasgaard. "It will bring the people a modicum of peace for now as we fight this sickness."
Here we go:
Zed activates his network of informants, ne'er-do-wells, and nerf herders to spread misinformation about competing business ventures from outside the Barony. He simultaneously bolsters domestic sales with a campaign of advertisements spread by word of mouth through all the scuzzy channels he can tap into.
Income Phase
Thankfully spared from the plague, Oleg does his best to set up a trading post outside of Solasgaard, allowing healthy townsfolk to do business with traveling merchants without the risk of spreading the plague. The taxes collected on this mercantile exchange are a welcome addition to your coffers.
Event Phase
The newly erected Shrine of Gozreh helps shepherd the people through this difficult time, and in time the citizens learn to mourn their loved ones away from the quarantine sites. The plague leaves deep scars on the community, but it passes.
At the end of the month, after many nigh-sleepless nights, you find a comfortable and disease-free bed on which to rest your head. Gozran comes with the sun.
Upkeep Phase
Declare Baron's modifier (Economy, Loyalty, or Stability).
Roll Stability Check.
Consumption has been deducted from the treasury.
Unrest modification to be determined.
Edict Phase
Declare Spymaster's modifier (Economy, Loyalty, or Stability).
Assign new leadership or fill vacancies, if desired.
Claim up to one new hex of territory, if desired. This hex must be fully explored to be claimed.
Abandon any number of hexes of existing territory, if desired.
Pay for up to two terrain improvements to existing territory, if desired.
Pay for construction of up to one new building in your existing settlements. The construction of a single house, tenement, noble villa, or mansion does not count against this limit, but must still be paid for.
Raise new military units, or upgrade existing ones, if desired. Pay any recruitment costs.
Issue any new edicts as desired.
Scroll!
3rd level!
Uncommon arcane!
Scroll of Deep Slumber!
At the council for the month, The Baron opts to continue his focus. The plague might be gone, but the damage is severe. "Zed, I feel confident that I can lead the Marchlands away from Urgathoa's kiss.
By all means return to focus on growth."
He turns to the others, "I think we can do it. I think we can build ourselves a castle. It'll take most of our funds, but I think it's time.
The next foe may be men and steel. Either way, the people will feel safer with a castle. What say you?"
Yes, we need a focal point, a symbol of the land. And I'll start working on recruitment--the walls are good and all, but best to meet steel with steel!
Declare Spymaster's modifier: Economy
Assign new leadership: None
Claim up to one new hex of territory: Soon
Abandon any number of hexes: no
Pay for up to two terrain improvements: I think we're maxed out until we claim something new
Pay for construction of up to one new building: Commence Castle Redleaf!
Raise new military units: Unrak?
Issue any new edicts as desired: Promotion set to "Standard"
Deciding that the time is ripe for adapting the Stag Lord's broken Fort to a nobler purpose, and to give the people a symbol of what they work towards, the Huntsmen lead the construction of Castle Redleaf. The town's craftsmen, masons, and architects bend to the work with a fervor, eager to put memory of the plague behind them. With the base of a castle already in place, it is not long before the Barony's banner flutters from fresh walls.
A banquet heralds Castle Redleaf's completion, and citizens of the Marchlands come from far and wide to celebrate. Much merry is had by all, along with a good deal of drink and roast boar.
Income Phase
Withdraw resources from the treasury for personal use, if desired.
Deposit personal resources into the barony's treasury.
Roll an Economy check for tax collection.
Event Phase
Thankfully, this feast is the only event that the Marchlands need be concerned with this month.
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Marc spends the months of "Town time" taking small patrols out into the forests that have been claimed. He makes sure to check in on the small logging company to make sure they are respecting the land while the harvest. He spends his afternoons in town checking on the small homesteads and getting a sense of how things are going. He spreads the blessing of Erastil where ever he goes.
His through slowly start focusing onto where we explore next and he spends his time looking at the maps he has of the area. We know nothing of what is directly east of the town. This should be our first focus on our expedition. The gold mine north of the town is tempting to bring under our influence, but rumors of a Swamp Witch and a Hermit south and west of town are too interesting to pass up and much closer.
The werewolf was the plague I think... so we done solves that one.
no, the plague was a separate event. Lycanthropy still looms.
Unrak makes his own rounds, beginning to talk up the building of an army to protect their home and sowing the seeds of "all the cool kids are going to sign up--are YOU??"