There are, of course, various others who take oath - Kawaler Nikita Alexeyevich, Captain of the Guard, and Kawaler Theseus Pendrake, Captain of Horse, both created Viscount; Oskar Vorwilde, Seneschal, created Baron; Lady Leilatha Edasseril of the Silver Star, Julius Nighthammer of the Nighthammers, and a handful of other notables, all created Count Electors. Azaneth Nymaah of the Cenobitic Order of the Silver River, swears a somewhat more complicated oath - not to the King and People, but to the Nation and People, binding the council of masters of this chapterhouse of her Order; for her pains, she is told that the chapterhouse is in perpetuity to provide a confessor-sage for the monarch of Krádira. This causes a few eyebrows to lift amongst those representatives of various gods - Zámoždom Duchovný in particular looks both intrigued and amused - but nobody makes any sort of comment or outcry. Azaneth herself doesn't seem surprised, so it's clearly something that's been at least discussed beforehand.
After the last of these (Julius Nighthammer, for what it's worth), there is nobody in the chairs on the dueling table who hasn't sworn, and of those groups in the 'accepted' list, only the mercenary Black Company and the International Businessmen carters remain.
"Captain Jonathon Croaker; Lady Dorotea Senjak," calls Janus in her duty as herald after the now-traditional three strikes of the mithril-made war-spear. The two seperate themselves from the small cluster of Company black uniforms on the back benches, and come up a side aisle together, moving with the sort of ease that suggests they've fought back-to-back many times before. When they arrive, both come to a off-breed sort of attention, perhaps as much parade-ground discipline as the Company uses, before easing into a sort of parade-rest, their hands clasped behind their backs.
The king regards them both for a moment, then nods. "While it is not usual to do this sort of thing publically, I want it to be known; the Crown of Krádira has hired the Black Company for forty months, starting upon the first day of Calistril, in the four thousand seven hundred and tenth year of Absalom Reckoning, said contract to expire at the end of the thirty-first day of Desnus, in the four thousand seven hundred and thirteenth year of Absalom Reckoning." He pauses for a moment as if trying to remember a speech, then continues. "This contract may be extended by negotiation, the earliest date of such negotiation to be the first day of Abadius, in the four thousand seven hundred and thirteenth year of Absalom Reckoning; the earliest date of the terms of such negotiations to become active being the first day of Sarenith, in the four thousand seven hundred and thirteenth year of Absalom Reckoning. Is this to your understanding and agreement?"
"Your Majesty, it is," drawls Captain Croaker.
"Excellent. I look forward to working with you." Chalm nods to them, and Croaker and Senjak return to that odd 'attention' pose before heading back to their Company cohorts. He regards the crowd thoughtfully for a long moment, then finally speaks. "Finally, I require public oath from the one who handled security tonight." The king glances around again before nodding at Alysandra, who'd also been scanning the crowd. She in turn gives a slight shake of her head, then bangs the mithril war-spear three times on the stone square.
"Coalhouse Porter!!"
For a moment there's only the movement of people glancing around, then by the wall near the doors one of the bow-carrying guards (a human female) reaches up to pull off her helmet. Her form vanishes to reveal the well-dressed green-skinned half-orc, who removes his quiver of arrows and hands bow and quiver off to one of the spearmen he'd been standing next to; while he doesn't look surprised, the one on the other side does. The half-orc approaches, then gives a swordsman's bow to the king. "Sire."
He then steps forward and goes to one knee, taking up the cushion upon which everyone else who'd sworn fealty had knelt. "Your Highness," he says, returning the cushion to young Prince Tobias, who takes it despite looking confused. That done, however, Coalhouse goes to both knees on the bare stone of the floor, and clasps Chalm's hand with the oath breaker's brand between them. The king murmurs something to him, to which Coalhouse nods. With Alysandra prompting, he declares, "I, Coalhouse Porter, son of Baron Marek Lachowicz and Bula the Whore," - this, of course, causes any number of nobles in the audience to gasp with offense - "being of sound mind and without reservation, swear fealty of mind, body, and soul to the Nation and People of Krádira. I swear to bear loyal and true service to the Nation and People of Krádira, and to honor, preserve, protect, and uphold the laws, justice, and mercy of and for the People of Krádira against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegience to the Nation and People of Krádira. I swear to faithfully execute the charges given to me, to protect and guide the people of whom I am a representative, guarding them in times of peril, nurturing them in times of peace, leading them in times of war, and counseling them always with justice tempered by mercy, as the gods give me the wisdom to so do. This I swear to do until my final death, the world's end, or the people release me."
King Chalm nods. "For the People of Krádira, and with the gods and these as witness, I accept your oath, Coalhouse Porter. As overlord of the People of Krádira, and with the gods' help, I swear and shall answer fealty with fealty, protection with protection, justice with justice, and oathbreaking with vengeance, until my final death, the world's end, or your rightful release. By my authority as king, I name you People's Elector, which position you shall hold for five years, or until the People see fit to appoint another in your stead."
Coalhouse murmurs something which makes the king give a brief snort of amusement, but the now-revealed-head-of-security finally rises, then steps around to mirror his half-sister's position on the right of the royal family, standing easily with his hands hooked into the back of his belt.
"Thus, the oaths," says the king. "I am led to understand that our gracious host, the Lord Mayor of the Free City of Restov," and here Chalm half-turns to nod courteously at the mayor behind him, "has directed to be prepared quite the sumptuous banquet. I encourage everyone to partake, but request a moment of time alone with those newly sworn to me, and their personal lieutenants." As the crowd begins to stir, he adds in a voice trained to project clarity across a battlefield, "Black Company Captain and first officer as well."
========================================================================
After the host and the rest of his guests file back into the Great Hall, and wonderful smells filter through to taunt those who haven't gone ahead, Chalm gestures for those remaining to rise and approach. Though he remains seated on the stool (and that on the dais), this puts his eyes only a little above most everyone else's, in a position to see each of you, leaders and cohorts alike; smallfolk, of course, are generally encouraged to be in front, not lost in the forest. "Well. Glad that's out of the way." he starts, looking a little grim - or perhaps a little relieved, a twitch of the corner of his mouth his version of a smile. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have our work cut out for us. For all my words, I know Krádira won't be built in a day, a month, a year, even a decade. We have a lifetime's worth of work ahead of us - yes," he adds, nodding to the long-lived elves, dwarves, and others, "even your lives. Don't think you can give us forty or fifty years and be done with us; you swore not only to me, but to the people. Your oath is up -- until your final death, the world's end, I or those who come after me release you, or Krádira is no more. Because the people of Krádira will always need you.
"Now, you all may be wondering why we're doing this in the beginning of bloody Calistril. Politics, of course - my cousin Noleski is a right nasty-minded backstabbing bastard, trying to cut my throat along with the hamstrings of all the liberty-minded Rostlanders who want to break the country back into Issia and Rostland and get out from under his weasely thumb. I'm getting too well-known, too respected, so he wants me out; Rostland is starting to get restless, so he wants to steal their thunder. He suggested in passing on Ascension Day back in Kuthona that he might bankroll a colonization if I led it; not wanting to be assassinated some night in the very near future, I agreed that might be possible. We negotiated brass tacks starting on the Winter Solstice, which led to the Proclamation you all saw.
"What this means is that while he is bankrolling us, that bankroll is contingent on us getting moving in two days, and the primary settling core - that's all of us here, us and the groups you represent - being out of the country in no fewer than seven days. It's Calistril second; we have to be well into the Greenbelt south of the South Rostland Road by Calistril ninth. Were it mid- or late summer, that wouldn't be a problem; now, fifty-plus miles to make in the middle of winter, maybe a bit of a problem." He pauses, letting those who can appreciate his black irony with their laughter.
"So. I'd like us to set off in three waves - tomorrow, early as possible, those rangers and druids," he nods to Acaciano, Lyda, and Kaellin, "and others who can travel swiftly and alone, to begin scouting ahead - road conditions, dangers, that sort of thing. Starday, those primarily mounted head out; we'll ride off the road if we make it mucky, but we'll mostly be out there to break apart drifts covering the road, so we move only as fast as the wagons can, which means any dangers the scouts uncover, we take care of. Sunday, the wagons and the walkers move out; that's going to be the bulk of us, including the farmers and families who have to go with us now. Those are the people to whom you've all sworn your loyalty; those are the ones who'll do the real grunt-work of turning Krádira from words spoken before nobles into something to be proud of."
Chalm looks across the entire group for a long moment. "Without them, we're nothing. We protect them with our lives. Questions or suggestions?"
All right. The question will be, 'who's here'? The answer is all of the PCs and cohorts, the king and his children, as well two dozen others - the NPC leaders and their seconds.
I've decided to forego the very limited potential for RP during the dinner in order to let you know the 'background' of why Chalm agreed to do this in the middle of winter, and to let y'all ask questions and propose solutions.
I intend to shoot out answers very quickly, and shoo everyone off to dinner on Saturday - which will mean a post about how great dinner is, and Chalm getting cajoled into getting dressed (and then stating that if he's gotta get into the iron monkey suit, all of YOU have to get into your iron monkey suits, i.e. all the main PCs getting fully equipped). Let you all post (if you want) until Sunday or Monday, and then the screaming and running begins.
With the grand show made of the oathtaking finally over with, Theodric is visibly happy--in his general bearing, at any rate, if not his hidden expression--to turn his thoughts to the concerns raised by his new liege. And almost immediately, several points come to mind, which he brings to Chalm's attention by raising a hand and stepping forward just a bit. "I have a few questions, sire. In light of your blunt character assessment of your cousin and his strong desire to see the last of you, by one way or another, are we going to have to keep watch for more than just bandits and monsters as we travel? Because there are bandits, and then there are bandits, if you understand my meaning. Also, your mention of a hard time limit to be out and gone implies a penalty for not meeting that condition. Is that an accurate assumption then, and what would the penalty be if it is?"
Somewhat nervous now, as he gets sudden and unwelcome mental image of indistinct eyes focused on him, the swordsman has to pause a moment and take a few calming breaths before continuing. "Finally, are there any plans in place for how the caravan is to conduct itself under varied circumstances? Camp discipline, what to do about stragglers, what to do during an attack, and such things? I imagine that most of us here are at least familiar in passing with such things, but the folk we're to be escorting likely won't be, and I'd hate to try wrangling them during a crisis when they all decide that their own course is the best one to follow." Unseen behind him, Darvan nods his heartfelt agreement with his leader's words; both have a small measure of personal experience with that very issue, and neither wants to really repeat it any time soon.
Aramil moved forward simply to stand in the group, but Porablum drug him over to the end of the group furthest from Nymaah. The elf shook his head - understanding the Bleaching wasn't catching was different from asking Porablum to stand near the other gnome - but he said nothing as the King explained the situation to them. Pleased what he'd heard about the new King was accurate, he agrees with King Chalm's assessment of his cousin, and the plan for leaving.
Thinking about the obstacles they would face on the road based on their deadline to be out of the country, Aramil nods in agreement with Theodric's questions before posing one of his own. "As to the riders needing to break up the snow drifts, would it be beneficial to have some fire elementalists from the Frozen Flame accompany the riders to melt them? That might allow the wagons to travel more quickly."
Nimue, already standing up front, tenses up slightly.
Mordred, standing behind her, puts his hand on her shoulder, as if to suggest to her to refrain from speaking up.
Gently touching his hand with her own, she steps forward, easily gliding out from under his grasp:"Sire, if there are people who mean you ill, people in power and from your family, no less, could the princess and prince be in danger? Securing your heiress as a ward would doubtlessly be in your cousins interest, if he were to try and maintain a significant influence on the direction our combined efforts in your name will take. After you made them prince and princess official, and in the chaos of a hasty departure in the middle of winter they could be vulnerable and valuable. If there is a need for extra security, I would like to volunteer for that task - I swore to follow the princess as well, when the time comes - it would be a dishonor if I failed to keep her safe until that day, may the date be far off when she needs to follow in your footsteps."
"Well said Theodric. I've spent some time a merchant, and some time guarding merchants, and the one thing I am certain of is that once word of this little expedition into the middle of nowhere in winter gets out, every half starved bandit from here to the border of Galt is going to come looking for us. If we were on boats, we'd outrun rumor, but wagons in winter? Not a chance. Our best hope, therefore, is going to be a policy of zero runaways. We can't stop the word of today getting out, but we can stop the people we come into contact with on our journey from bearing tales of our location, and until we have a fortified position from which to begin the business of taming the wilderness, we're vulnerable. That means we need to find and control the existing traders. Someone buys the goods the bandits steals, and they bring them out to sell to the rest of us. That someone will happily sell the bandits or the bandits news of our travels. Those men will need to be convinced to join our merry band, or at least kept from running off to bear tales."
She grimaces before resuming talking.
"I assume everyone involved has their wagons of supplies, and we've just sworn to protect our share of farmers and milliners and the like. Those are honest men, women, and they have their children to look after. A brave people, our Krádirans, but to a longbow they look like so many victims, and those men I just mentioned would happily slit their throats if they thought to escape. No, we need to keep the entrepreneurial murderers of the wilderness far far away from them. Neither our supplies nor our charges will be any use at all if they end up dead or scattered in a bandit ambush, much less bandit escapes. Taking slaves is an abomination, prisoners endangers the people of Krádira so we need to put those men to work, and we're not going to be able to trust them. Any ideas?"[b]
"So that's the first problem, but even if that goes swimmingly we'd be foolish to count on it. Plan for the worst and you can only be pleasantly surprised. It's always served me well in matters of magic and trade, I imagine it will serve us well in matters of politics and logistics. I think the worst that can happen is something Political, but we'll have to talk about that later. What's the second worst then? My guess is that the second worst that can happen is our Krádirans end up scattered by a bandit attack on the wagon train. We'll need to have a plan in that case. First if we do end up scattered, we'll want a place for the train to regroup. Second, we'll want a place for the members of this room to regroup. Any ideas?"
"I have one for the farmers at least. The best I know of the roads is that there's spring wagon trains from Restov to New Stetsvan. If we were in the west I could draw you a map of the river with timings by vessel all the way down to Mivon, but the east is just wagons, oxen, and more wagons. I hired a local driver team, names Kit and Company, and I suggest that we do our best to strip the city of drivers if we have the funds for it. Not only do we assure ourselves we have the only men and women with knowledge of the road, we also keep them from talking to their friends in the wilderness, of either sort. Once we're on the road, I'll be sure to ask Kit if he knows more, but he said 'I'm not lofty like the rest of you, and the animals need me'. I believe him."
Her impersonation of the old driver comes with a grin before she continues.
"Plans and Politics seem as bad as Plans and the River and now I sound like my aunt. Longwinded. My apologies, Sire. Anyways, the south road is a wagon road, which means there's going to be some kind of wagon posts along it. I couldn't tell you their names if you paid me, but the names don't matter for this. Just that there are some buildings out there. The posts might even be abandoned for the winter for all I know. They might be little more than shacks. Still, it's a building with a roof and enough of a wall to keep the tack and tools dry, and that's more than those farmers will have if they get separated from us. Any chance we could re-purpose one of them as an entry point to our kingdom of the wild without upsetting your cousin too much? Or creatively paint it? Finding our missing sheep in the wilderness will be a great deal easier if they have somewhere they know to go."
She sighs, then looks around the room, and her bearing shifts a moment as she peers up into the corners. The sigh is louder this time and she nods once to herself.
"Finally I hate to be a bearer of ill tidings, but everything we're saying now can be overheard if someone with talent or the coin to hire it felt so inclined. It's just too big a room and too many people passed through it to be certain it's us alone. I'm a modestly talented diviner, and my apprentices wouldn't have any trouble listening in. I'm sure that's true of plenty of other mages both present and absent. That means whatever we decide for our own security, we should wait till we're on the road to discuss in detail. Nethys knows I hate having to try and keep secrets, but we're going to need them in the days ahead."
She nods at the elf's comment.
"As for melting snow? That's trivial enough that my apprentices could handle it near the wagons, and we could easily task someone to go with the outrider group for large drifts. It's the beasts on two legs and four I'm concerned about, not the water. And there's another thing I never would have said a year ago."
She grins once more and waves Samantha over, noting the comment about apprentice assignments to her second.
:Aramil:
"Earth or wind would be preferable to fire. Mud makes for slow if not impossible travel," Lyda says stepping a little further forward and looking at Aramil. Deneb was actually standing in front of her out of necessity. He was looking a little pale from Chalm's announcement. That was a lot of political muck to sift through.
:Chalm:
She turns back to the king. "Who and what is the preferred lines of communication for road conditions, dangers, and general updates?"
:Selene:
Deneb shakes the bad thoughts from his head and steps up on the table so he can be seen and heard. "Bandits? Sounds like someone is doubting the scouts. If there are bandits anywhere on this road we will be sure to dissuade them. In my experience, their resolve does not last long against lightning and thunder or arrows from the trees." He looks over at Acaciano for the last part.
:All:
"Thoedric's bandits will be the real threat. For that I think we need to be in communication with one of you fine mercenary groups, preferably your outriders. Any volunteers?"
:All:
Lyda nods at Deneb's idea and tacks on. "Support from one of the mage groups will be helpful. Long lasting spells for defense from attacks and the weather. A ready response group." She also looks around for someone to step to agree for either job.
:Chalm:
"You know this time frame sucks," Deneb says to the king very aware that that is the purpose of it. Planning was going to have to be minimal. Several groups of very ambition people were going to have to work together to make this happen safely. Choas was going to be a close friend for a while.
Turning, as best as he can judge, toward Deneb's voice, Theodric is quick to offer a counter to his argument regarding the prospect of actual banditry against the caravan. "Anyone willing to turn to such a life, with all of its attendant risks and scant rewards, is either desperate or insane. Don't underestimate what either of those states will drive folk to do. Just one well-stocked farmer's or merchant's wagon, to say nothing of our own with their generous road supplies, will likely keep a small group in modest comfort for the rest of the season if they can take it." He grimaces behind his mask as he remembers a few--thankfully rare--encounters of particular note. "And that's not even taking into account those groups that may be driven into action by someone or something that they fear more than us. I'm not saying we should plan for every last little possibility, but ignoring something as unlikely is a damn fine way to get ambushed by it later on."
Theodric then nods in the direction of Selene as he addresses a point she's raised. "The matter of prisoners is definitely relevant, and I have a possible solution for it." Turning his concealed face toward the king once more, he offers his idea. "That stone you had swear our oaths on, could that be used to hold any prisoners to acceptable oaths as well? Say, an offer of royal pardon in return for their service to the crown and agreeing to forsake the commission or knowing support of such activities in the future?" With a shrug and slight adjustment of his mask to allow a waft of cooler air to pass underneath it, he concludes his suggestion. "Such folk, or those who survive more than a season or two, often have some useful skills to offer. Turning them away from crime to a life of usefulness might encourage others to come in of their own accord, it could give you a nice reputation for mercy, and an equal reputation for unflinching justice when you hang those who refuse the clemency or violate it."
:Theodric:
Mordred turns towards Theodric as the other Human suggests using the oathband:"Or those prisoners will swear any oath you ask of them, then run back to their bandit friends under cover of the night, and wear their brand as a mark of honor. As you said yourself, those willing to risk their lifes would be desperate or insane. In either case, I would not trust them to stay true to their oaths."
:All/Selena:
Turning to the others, he continues: "But I doubt we will have much to worry about from waylayers and regular bandits. They will learn of our journey...if not from people we meet, then from other travellers, or because it plays into the interests of people opposed to what we are trying to do here. Holding people we meet on the road hostage to try and keep our travels secret will not work, and only cause the riverfolk to hate us. We have swordlords, mages, rangers, warriors aplenty. Even a well-organized bandit group would struggle to discomfort us. I believe it's intrigue, backstabbing and well-funded and organized opposition we will need to be worried about. There's plenty of people who would not want this operation to succeed. A small paramilitary group funded from beyond the borders would be a lot more troublesome than the whole lot of bandits trying to make a living in these lands together - moving fast and sudden would be in our best interest, then."
:Theodric:
Deneb nods in agreement. "I have met both but there is a third group that is just as large. Cowards. People to whom banditry came easy because they are big and strong that prey on the weak. Show a strong front and most, will turn tail. The desperate can be bargained with if a show of force is not enough. Food, warm clothes, general survival knowledge. Might even agree to join with us."
Lyda chimes in as the voice for her group. "We're fairly equipped to handle that but we may need some extra resources."
:Chalm:
"I don't think we want this to feel like an invasion do we?" He turns to Chalm for verification.
At Lyda's comment she looks thoughtful, then begins ticking off names as she goes.
"That's true. Light and Wind is more my specialty than Almaya's, Selene. I'll see if Nicholas can ride with the wagons themselves to clear them. I'll volunteer for an outrider, that leaves Selene and the other high arcanists free to provide a heavy response if needed? Most of our magic users have a fair control over the wind, although snow is heavy. Our one water expert likes to joke that it's easier to make things with iron than snow. As I'm sure our druid friends will attest, magic is probably best saved for blockages. For long distances and small drifts, shovels will be best."
Selene waves her apprentice off as Samantha continues to think about which magi might be useful for weather related tasks.
"I think the logistics will sort itself out, assuming our companions can collaborate. They all seem competent, and steady. I do agree that we need some chain of command - I'm perfectly willing to take orders or give them, but arguing in the snow, a storm, or battle is a great way to get killed. We have some able field commanders in our company, do we not?"
She nods, then continues.
"They're the reasonable choice during this journey to interface with the scouts and the train, and dispatch the trouble clearing companies as required. As for staying in touch, sending a voice over the miles is possible but unreliable. Better is the simple pen and ink, and perhaps some waterproof bags. We can agree how to mark buried reports easily enough."
::King Chalm's initial request::
"It would be our honor, my King," Acaciano replies, "to scout at the vanguard."
Tai chips in, "Indeed it would, King Chalm. The snows and their drifts will have Krádira's best interests at heart."
=============================
::Transportation/Messages::
Acaciano offers his opinions, including one very bad pun:
"Let's not count any options out just yet. If we've magic that works and it can be spared, so be it. If it's better to melt a path, we melt a path. For what it's worth, I can move through the snows faster than most can walk a summertime road. Though I expect the easiest solution of all might be Deneb, the fledgling postmaster of Krádira."
Darivan and Sylvia, after a brief but incomprehensible meeting after the oath-taking was finished, join the fairly large group with Chalm. Sylvia stays incredibly quiet, but Darivan feels quite at home in the crowd.
"For clearing the path, perhaps if we had some clerics conjuring water? It would ice over fairly quickly once it was created, but it would help lower the snowbanks, I would think. And it is far easier to adapt wagon wheels to drive on ice, rather than snow. However, fire mages would be much more efficient and practical, assuming they can sustain such magic for so long. I'm not aware of any minor magics that conjure a decent flame, but that could simply indicate I have more to learn.
"I'm not terribly worried about bandits, however. Provided we adequately guard the caravans at night, have the riders stay close to the wagons, and leave a few skilled combatants riding on them, I doubt bandits would bother us much. They don't want to be out in the snow more than we do, after all. In my experience, the bandit is a notoriously lazy creature, second perhaps only to the mage."
He takes a deep breath, then continues,
"Sylvia and I would be best suited to be among the riders, in my experience. Her bird can help keep an eye out for marauders from the skies, but neither of us have any particular skill in the wilds, beyond basic survival tactics.
"That being said, I must ask, what is our current destination? What is our plan to survive the winter? We'll need someplace where all of our followers can stay and begin building accommodations, while we drive off the bandits and monsters that already live there."
So, this is when the earlier conversation would have happened, at least in part.
Acaciano- Don't worry, you won't have the worst pun in this game.
Selene/Samantha- Do we want Darivan and Samantha to know each other? Also, careful with the dice rolls. Not spoilering that kind of a thing is a good way to make the Wyrm mad.
Sylvia, speaks up shortly after Darivan finishes,
"With all due respect, my lord, how much will it cost, to run an entire caravan through the snows of Cocytus-bound Calistril? It must be a small fortune. Might it not be cheaper to simply pay for a skilled spellcaster to spend a day or two mass-teleporting many of us to our destination?
"A powerful enough one might be able to get any amount of people through in a matter of hours, rerouting us through a demiplane. Granted, it would cost a small fortune, though still affordable for a new kingdom, and it would be a nightmare finding such a powerful wizard… but the Technic League would have at least a few capable of such legendary magic, and that's not counting the possibilities of sending a message to an arcane school in Absalom, or even Nex.
"What might take us months would instead take hours, and we need not fear banditry, foul weather, or sabotage. I suppose a high priest might also be capable of the epic spell-power required, and the church of Abadar might prove sympathetic to our cause."
She gives a brief smirk, and Darivan's face plummets,
"Unless of course, you want us to slog through the snow for weeks on end? Great way to build loyalty for your new subjects."
(To the side, Darivan breathes a sigh of relief. Sylvia ignores him.)
Basically, Sylvia is suggesting they hire a wizard (though a cleric would also work) to cast greater create demiplane a couple times, opening up a pair of permanent gates from Restov to the middle of the Stolen Lands. Granted, it would cost a pretty penny, but going off of the spellcasting costs in the CRB and assuming a 17th-level caster, it would be about 1,530 gp three times (once to create it, twice more for the gates), plus 50 for the 500 gp forked rod focus, for a total of 4,640 gp or 4,740. A cleric of Abadar might grant a sizeable discount, as well, given the goal of the expedition (to bring order to a lawless land and spread civilization) Another solution would be casting teleportation circle. It would cost 2,530 with the material cost, but wouldn't be able to transport the caravans (assuming 20 feet wide at the most, when they could fit in through a gate, but not through the 5-foot radius teleportation circle. Even a simple gate, cast twice (once to get people to a friendly plane, such as Axis, once to get them back to Golarion). Granted, it would only be open for 17 rounds at most, but with a 20-foot wide entrance, a lot of people could make it through. A summoner could also manage it.
I realize this kind of defeats the spirit of the journey, but… It's a realistic question. It would cost 4,000 gp, or 1-2 BP. That's less than the cost to build a house. Considering the benefits, it's almost cheap.
William being mostly quite while the more knowledgeable folk ask questions on the trip they are to take, pipes up at the mention of using magic to make the journey.
"I've plans to make rough maps of the areas we trek through while finding a spot to settle, not to mention we want to make sure we aren't going to a place caught right in the middle of hostiles. Teleportation magic may be good for traveling, but when you're trying to find a good spot to stay in a place where little is known? Its better to go by foot."
Stroking his beard for a moment, William continues "And on the bandit issue... I will slay any criminal whom threatens this expedition." William says, pointing at the ground in a stern manner."I hope you would all do the same. Brigands deserve no quarter amongst those of honor and I will not make amends with those who once made a living out of waylaying the innocent, if none are willing to end a bandits crime the only way you can with no civilization." William ceases stroking his beard as the grizzly topic of executions are insinuated "Then... I will do what must to be done... I'll ride along the caravan and guard everyone. I loath the idea of being miles away from my children in such a dangerous place."
William doesn't like the idea of taking dangerous men prisoner when there's no way to get rid of them, its a sad truth, but if it comes down to it He will carry the executioners burden as he feels He has the most to lose should they stay alive and betray any trust we give them.
"Coalhouse Porter" speaks Tomas to his own self. "I must remember that name, he seems to be quite a resourceful person."
Then the King has some words with them, and explains why the enterprise has been planned in the middle of bloody winter. "It seems this country is full of bloody backstabbers and opportunists" he thinks with disdain. "Though technically, I'm an opportunist myself. Only thing is I found the opportunity somewhere else."
After that, everybody seems to discuss what are they going to do and what are their skills, while Tomas has the terrible feeling that he is good... at nothing.
"Your Majesty, I am here to do whatever task you entrust me with."
:: Fake bandits and the time frame ::
"I am not concerned about my cousin sending bandits to attack us; yes, if we fail he wins, but if we succeed, he also wins - and the latter is a more significant political boon to him, so he wants us off and working. The main penalty for us is loss of certain starting funds; the letters of credit are valid only after certain dates, and under minimal conditions - to encourage hard work on our part, instead of being lazy. The first letter requires our mob to be at least three miles south of the South Rostland Road by Calistril tenth." He gives Deneb a grim look of agreement.
:: Lines of communication ::
"Communication, particularly between the scout force and the mounted, mmm, 'problem solvers', shall we say, has been my primary concern; my hope has been that between you people, you would come up with a way to solve it. In my admittedly limited experience with them, druids and rangers typically can convince animals to act as couriers of messages, so I'm hoping that that ... will be a non-problem."
:: Security of the children ::
"While I am somewhat more concerned about my childrens' security, that has been handled." He nods at Coalhouse, who looks away in mock innocence. "Additional assistance," adds the king while nodding at Nimue, "would undoubtedly come in handy, but I'd prefer that most of you were on the active front instead of the defensive."
:: Real bandits, prisoners, and an invasion ::
"I agree with the thought that there will be few real bandits on our course; few merchants are able to move during the winter, so only the most desperate bandits are out seeking them. I doubt we'll have the chance to take prisoners, but if we do, then prisoners they will be; we have a few dozen sets of manacles. Once we get to where we're going, they'll have the chance to work off their offence and become an upstanding member of our society. It isn't as though we're marching ten thousand soldiers into Mivon or Sevenarches, a month or six to the south; we're moving two thousand people into the sparsely-settled Stolen Lands." Muttering, he adds under his breath, "Which is an invasion by any stretch of the imagination ..."
:: Camp Discipline and Rallying Points ::
"I will be taking command of the lead cavalry force; Sarra will be the final authority of the civilian caravan and camp, with Sir Pendrake as commander of her cavalry screen and Captain Croaker of the Black Company, which will serve as infantry protection and camp security. Oskar will be assisting her in this - showing her how it's done, mostly, but she'll have the final decision when it comes to options, including any actual discipline issues. Considering we're moving - what, over a thousand people - in the middle of winter, with people to find the problems, then people to make them problems no longer, it'll take some serious, bold, competent, and desperate people to manage to attack the caravan itself. Still, that's why there's a cavalry screen and infantry. The civilians," he adds grimly, "will undoubtedly be civilians if the fight comes to them. If they panic, run away, and get lost, the likelihood of them surviving long enough to rejoin us a day or three later is for all practical terms nonexistent. We will be the most significant thing anywhere near the road, a moving city; we are our own rallying point."
:: Melting Snow, Spell-Cast Transport ::
"I'd rather not melt the snow; trampling it down will work fine, so let's keep the magic to a minimum. That includes spending thousands of gold on something that we really don't need," and here he gives Sylvia a long warning look, "when we'll sooner need that gold for something we really, really will need."
Achieving the long-range transport is like making rabbit stew: "First, catch a rabbit." The world is not rife with 17th-level spellcasters; Elena Comăneci as a 13th-level sorcerer is the highest-level spellcaster within a hundred miles, and that includes the priests. (FYI: The 67 year-old Rytier Kanamir Khavortorov, The Aldori, is at 16th level pretty much the highest level character in the entire south of Brevoy, and possibly in all of Brevoy.)
That having been said, spending 4,000gp to get a thousand people any particular distance - even, or perhaps especially, one that's functionally within a week's normal travel - is a prime example of The Adventurer Disease, wherein you lose perspective on the actual value of goods due to a relatively overwhelming amount of cash. You can buy a decent-sized farm - land, critters, buildings, and all - for the price of your +1 weapon; you can buy a good-sized manor house for the price of your +2 weapon. If you had a full-blown +5 Holy Avenger, you could exchange that gp value for four warships, and have enough pocket change left over to crew and provision them all of them for a year. While later on in the campaign I have no doubt you will be using exactly this sort of short-cut, at this stage it's considerably beyond overkill.
I also disagree - strongly - with the idea of 'it takes thousands upon thousands of GP to build a simple house' translation of BP to GP and the rest, especially since you can buy that manor house for 4000gp. In any case. That's a topic for a bit later on.
William is taken aback by chalms willingness to take the bandits on their journey should they capture any. "Well, I suppose that's even greater reason to hope against bandits then." He clearly dislikes the idea of bandits being towed along with his friends and family but will not question Chalms decision.
Hope those manicals are strong.
Receiving answers to his questions, among others, Theodric nods in understanding and takes a few moments to think things over, occasionally leaning to the side to consult softly with Darvan. His new peers are a sharp bunch, and between them cover most everything of concern that Theodric and Darvan can think of (and a number of points that hadn't occured to them as well).
Aramil nods at King Chalm's decision on melting snow. His main concern had been snow drifts they couldn't trample over, but hopefully they wouldn't encounter any.
He also agrees with King Chalm's stance on if they take bandits captive. After all, they likely knew at least a bit about the local area, and could provide them with direction to possible water sources or point out hidden dangers. Executing them out of hand was needlessly short-sighted.
"A good plan for the bandits. I've found that while some are irredeemable criminals, there are those who have simply been forced into the life and never had the opportunity to try something different, or turned to banditry with no other choices. As long as they do not return to banditry after serving a sentence for their crimes, executing them is merely a waste of life. I actually have a reformed bandit accompanying us into the Stolen Lands to help protect my wagon. He's a good man, and skilled with his blade."
:Acaciano:
"Acorn-y joke if I ever heard one," Deneb counters. "Leave the comedy re-leaf to me okay. You..."
"Deneb." Lyda cuts off any more.
"Right. Why don't we sit together at dinner with the any other scouting groups. We can work out the details then or meet later tonight at one of the fine establishment nearby."
"What's the caravan's defense going to look like? From the sounds of it, we will be highly spread out and vulnerable to attack." Darivan inquires.
Agreed. It's highly infeasible, but it needed to be suggested. Darivan and Sylvia both have a highly... practical view of magic. The idea of the demiplane also has a few extra bonuses (such as easy access to supplies and easy to defend), so I mentioned it. This is a brainstorming session, no?
That said, there are spells to contact someone on the other side of the world, and spells to get you there as well.
And, I totally agree with you that houses are seriously overpriced. You'd have to sell 12,000 gp worth of magic items to build one, but it's technically RAW...
:: King Chalm ::
Kaellin is privately impressed by Chalm's blunt assessment of his own cousin's motives. He finds such honesty refreshing in someone in a noble position. His respect of his new king increases, and is a bit of a relief if this is the type of person he'll be serving.
The half-elf nods to Chalm. "It'll be an honor and pleasure to take part in the scouting, Your Highness. My companion, Greyfang, is reliable for both her senses, and her ability to travel far and fast. She should be able to help wih maintaining the lines of communication."
:: EVeryone ::
"I'm not opposed to sending bandits to their deaths, but like Aramil says, not every bandit is a cold-blooded villain. If given the chance, it would be good to add their strength to our own. It would take time and a lot of work, for sure, but I'm willing to take that up if need be. Plus, it should give us a good reputation. We might have an easier time if people think it's better to join us than try to attack us."
"Still, we should prepare our defenses for the worse, just in case."
"For clearing the road, it might be best to try mundane means as much as possible. Save our magical resources for a last resort, and in reserve in case of emergencies."
In the Kingdom Building rules, one "house" is actually a small collection of buildings and not just one physical building ("A number of mid-sized houses for citizens."). It's easier to rationalize the higher prices in BP for buildings as if you are building not just one physical building. An "Inn" is actually an inn plus some housing for the employer's family and their employees. For better idea of what an actual building would cost, we should look to the Downtime rules (where a house is minimum 1,290 gp).
Speaking of which, GM, any thoughts on integrating DT rules alongside KM? Start our own businesses and build our own personally buildings (and possibly integrating them into the kingdom's stats), assuming we have long stretches of time not doing adventurer-type activities.
After Darivan speaks, Sylvia is quiet for a while, seeming to be thinking deeply on a topic, not so much listening to the others, "Something we could do for prisoners, assuming we have a strong enough priest, is give them a conditional curse of some sort. Something that would trigger if they broke any regulations or rules, and leave them disabled if they tried to run away."
As you may have noticed, Sylvia thinks more on the magical side, whereas Darivan is the spokesperson for more mundane issues. She's currently advocating for marks of justice on captured bandits, which isn't doable at the moment, as it's a 5th-level spell. However, she doesn't know how powerful some of the other spellcasters are that are coming along, and she only has a rough idea of spell levels, in any case.
Something to keep in mind for in a few levels, at least. Might make a good rehab program.
I like the idea of using downtime. It gives us something productive to do for those of us who don't want to invest all of our time into making magical items.
:Chalm:
Nimue bows to Chalm once more when she receives her answer:"I will serve as you wish in whatever way I can be most useful, sire."
Nodding to Coalhouse and bowing to the Princess, she continues:"If your chief of security desires my help, I'll be ready."
:Darivan/Everyone:
Mordred turned to the others discussing strategy - a topic he felt quite comfortable with: "As I understood, we have scouts, rangers, druids up ahead, making sure our planned path is feasable. A mounted group ahead moving to fix obstacles, and the bulk of the troops will be with the caravan itself. If the infantry remains with the wagons, those should be save. But our cavalry screen will be lacking, if we need mounted problem solvers up ahead. The scouts will be the ones most vulnerable. They will be in small groups, far ahead...if anybody would run into trouble, with bandits or otherwise, it's probably them - maybe we could outright split our cavalry, keeping one part right with the caravan for additional security and as our eyes, and the other part following almost inmediately behind the scouts...working together with them on solving any problems on the road, be they hazards posed by nature, or by other people."
:Chalm:
Turning to the king, he added a question to his suggestion:"Sire, will it be left to us to decide which of the groups to add our strenght to? Or is there a plan in place?"
"I presume that you would also need at least one diplomatic advisor close at hand when scouting" Amavin mentions carefully, thinking ahead. "The greenbelt isn't entirely abandoned, and a 'moving city' is going to be intimidating to anyone existing in the area. Having someone with a silver tongue - I'm sure Coalhouse has a good candidate - would help smooth over any tensions that an initial scouting party might come across."
::Amavin/Mordred::
"Sir. Madam," Deneb says, calling for their attention.He looks back and forth between them until he has their attention. "Where's the trust? You don't think we can handle a few bandits entrenched for the winter?" he says looking at Mordred. "Or assuage their fears and convince them this is a good thing?" switching to Amavin.
"Scouts will be in pairs. Threats will be avoided or observed. They'll wait for support before taking any action. They will not engage unless absolutely necessary," Lyda chimes in with further specifics on her plans. At least for her group that is.
"I think it would be a mistake to assume the only threats the Stolen Lands offer are a bunch of desperate bandits - and to ignore the rightful concerns of a colleague" Amavin counters in a mild tone, giving Deneb a disinterested look.
"That said, to answer your question, no, I don't trust you to handle such a diplomatic situation, anymore than you would trust someone like me to be a superior scout to you, or to be better with a blade than a well trained warrior. We all have our strengths, and I recommend we play to them."
Darivan nods, "I agree with.... the lady Zephyra, that was it. While not every scouting pair needs a diplomat, it would be best to have one on hand,"
Sylvia chimes in, "Ideally, if anyone can teleport, they could serve to bring the diplomat wherever they are needed."
Darivan gives his friend a quick glare, "And ensure that all scouts know common courtesies, to avoid causing needless offense."
:Deneb:
"Oh, I think you can handle a few bandits. I'm just saying they could present trouble if they get the jump on a group they outnumber. My concern is not with those alone, though. There's all manner of creatures in these lands. Not all of them sleep through the winter, and prey is scarce. I dare say there's things out there capable of outrunning and tracking you that you do not want to stir up with a single companion...yet confront them we may have to, lest a hungry beast tries to prey on the caravan...our guards could handle that, but it would not be good for the morale of the settlers."
Lyda steps between Amavin and Deneb. She crosses her arms as she assumes her full height, plus heels, and stares the sorceress down. "We have made no such mistakes. We don't assume, we observe. And from what I have observed recently, the only thing you are superior in is being arrogant and aggravating."
"Woah. Okay ladies. Let's take a step back and breath." Deneb moves around the side and a little further down the dueling table to at least be seen by both women. I raises his hands in a placating gesture, looking a little fearful between the two. "We're going to be working together from now on so let's not start off, stepping on each others toes." He puts on a winning smile and looks back and forth between them. "Lady Zephyra. With all due respect, you don't know me and it was rather judgmental to say you wouldn't trust me with 'handling' the situation. I do have experience with this and there is a very big difference between handling and being superior. I also do not know you so could very well be better. But you haven't done good job of proving your point." He then looks around as if trying to find someone. "I wonder if the food is ready. I am certainly starving and that always makes me grumpy." He was hoping a distraction and bit of humor might smooth things over.
Lyda just continues to stare, waiting for an answer and certainly not helping.
Acaciano fiddles with the Magethorn Manacle on his arm at the continued talk of spellcasting, and nods along with the group. It seemed his concerns were all being discussed, and the right ideas mentioned.
He'd leave it to the king to decide important matters of course, and for smaller things, if he felt like the conversation was moving too far away from the right choice, he'd speak up. For now though, he was content to watch.
:Mordred:
Lyda fields this response as it also involved her. "Every hunter that steps into the wilderness knows it might be their last. Its an inherent risk we all accept. But large groups are likely to be spotted by such beasts and men. And it is not as if help will not be available. I think we can manage a large screen and still keep people less than a half mile apart. If some of your people would like to leave tomorrow we can certainly reduce that distance."
"I believe Amavin suggested that Coalhouse might have a candidate in mind to handle the negotiations, not that she herself was volunteering for the job, Countess Lyda. And, while you may have no experience dealing with her abilities, I do have that advantage, and though I'm sure you are quite skilled, Deneb, I can guarantee she is better. As to not trusting you to handle the situation, you'll forgive me, but the reputation of the Voice of the Mountains is that of being a group of wilderness explorers, not one with a history of negotiation or diplomacy. Based on that reputation alone, can you blame her for thinking you have little experience in convincing others to your way of thinking? It is only the natural conclusion to be reached." Aramil steps into the situation, clearly seeking to smooth the bumps over in this initial interaction between the two groups. Fixing Lyda with a direct but not unkind look, the elf says, "Furthermore, it is best not to assume anything about someone else based on a less than five-minute long conversation, regardless of what you think you observed. I suggest you take some time to get to know your fellow Count-electors before making any snap judgements of them - as a friend of mine once said, such a position comes with certain expectations, both in action and in behavior."
Aolis had often talked about the responsibilities inherent in being a member of the nobility, even an adopted one such as he had been. Though Aramil hadn't quite understood some of it, he was grateful for the lessons now. This certainly wasn't a course he had seen his life being set upon when he first took up the sword and spell, but it was where he found himself, and he would see it through.
Porablum, meanwhile, felt her curiosity getting the better of her. She began studying the gnome who had brought up further security , and looking for a way to find out a bit more about her once the discussion group broke up. She hadn't met her yet, and wondered where she was from. What sort of fun adventures had she had, and how she came to be here. Porablum was very eager to learn more about another gnome.
:Lyda:
"With all due respect, stepping into the wilderness alone out of a false sense of pride is reckless and not helpful in the least. We are scouts for a moving city. Not woodsman playing hide and seek with playful fey. When you are not on a road, out in the woods, marshes and hills, half a mile is a huge distance. We will not see one another, we may not hear one another, if the weather turns bad, we may not even find one another. Magics of all kinds can help, but even so, making your way across wilderness terrain for even half a mile may take too long to give assistance to anybody in dire need of help."
:Lyda, Aramil:
When Aramil spoke up, Mordred felt that the Elf was right:"My concern for your, or others safety may be ill-placed and unnecessary, but I assure you my intentions and motives are both honorable and pure. I did not mean to criticize, only to point out that we indeed have a variety of skills and abilities, and we should make use of them all. For more and better synergy, I suggested larger groups, not because I found any of those present lacking in any way."
That said, if you insist on going alone, I'm definitely not stopping you. Just questioning if it should be the standard mode of operation for everybody, just because you prefer to do it this way.
William shuffles his feet unconfortably next to Winnie, who is visiably enjoying the Caty scene. William does, however nod at Deneb's proposal of dinner. "It's probably the right way to go about it. Haven't eaten much since a little after mid day, would be nice to have a goodly meal before discussing things as important as this."
:Mordred:
"It's neither pride nor recklessness. It's practical," Lyda says starting to become cross. But she didn't need another enemy here so she takes a deep breath and tries a different route. Seriously, why couldn't they trust here to do her part? Was it her heritage? Was it a mistake to reveal herself yet? "I could explain it all now but we'd miss dinner. If you want to meet later I can tell you the whole thing if that would make you more comfortable. I have done this before through even more dangerous territory."
If someone with actual knowledge or experience could weigh in,
that would be nice.
Nimue left Mordred to speak for himself. He did speak in her name, and he knew it, there was no call for her to interject on his behalf, in whatever discussion he had decided to get involved in.
With the Count-Electors and their second-in-commands all assembled, she used the chance to try and memorize names and faces. With some joy, she realized that among the leutnants, there were other smallfolk...halflings and gnomes.
:Porablum:
One of the gnomes seemed to look over at her, too, probably studying the crowd. Feeling the natural connection that comes naturally with seeing another of the same race, Nimue's gaze lingers on Porablum for a moment, before she smiles and gives a little wave with her hand in her direction as if to say hi.
The official part is over. Some informality will be fine...
:Aramil:
"Fair enough on most points. I was really referring to myself in terms of diplomacy. The rest of our group, not so much. It'd be a fair judgement. But she was not talking about us. She was referring to me. So yes, I can and will blame her for that," he says looking at Amavin as he says this. "If she is so amazing at diplomacy she is making a very poor showing."
"And yet, you bicker just as well as she does, and I admittedly do as well. But Aramil and Amavin got the right of it. We are all good at what we do, or we would not be here. And nobody should feel hurt about the fact that others are better than them in something they take pride in. I am used to the wilderness, take pride in my connection with nature...yet I would never assume to be more skillful than Lord Acaciano. All the same, Amavin is certainly aware that I would cut her down in a duel with weapons, if it came to that. If you feel insulted by what was said, I would suggest to look within. No insult can emotionally hurt you if there is no truth to it. If she is wrong, simple prove your skill when the chance comes, and the joke is on her.", Mordred also attempts to stop the disgraceful display he became a part of in front of the king. It would not do for this to reflect badly on Nimue.
I fully expect followers to die. Plenty of them, over the campaign. @Wildshape: I was referring to the higher-level Druids. But even the lower-level ones could take turns: The idea being that with clear sight and a decent fly speed, they could cover a large area quickly, then direct people towards areas that could be problematic. Basically an AWACS for the forward group.
Bartek remains more or less at attention during the conversation, though he does let out a sigh of dismay at the bickering that has begun
I can see that our ability to work together will be thoroughly tested by the creation of this kingdom, instead of banding together at the time of our entities creation we let pride and wanting to be correct split us apart
Bartek awaits the king's reply to Mordred about where each member of the group would be stationed, hoping to be placed with Kliment in the cavalry screen to act as the cavalry's crowd control. Getting to know everyone better could wait until the real work started so their true character would show as far as he was concerned.
:Mordred:
Deneb raised a finder and opened his mouth but shut down the words quickly. He then closed his mouth and began rubbing his temple. Even his patience had limits. He was still bickering now that others were getting involved but he had in no way meant to insinuate that he was better than anyone, just that he was good enough to handle it. When Mordred is finished, he puts on a strained smile and says "I'll do just that." He then walks over to Lyda and begins pushing on her legs to move her away from the group. "On behalf of me and my associate I apologize for an offense given. Maybe we an reconcile later. Have a lovely evening." Lyda resists at first but is allowed to be moved though she still stares daggers, partially ruining his attempted apology. They resort to angry whispers as they leave.
@Wildshape. You need a leadership of 17 for a single level 4. We are level 7, minimum cha 12 and +3 from the DM. That's only an 11. Gotta have some real focus in cha or leadership to get 17 this early. And as I count, only four high level druids (Deneb, Acaciano, an NPC leader in Voice of the Mounties, and another in Voice of the Trees) and one can't wildshape yet.
I originally thought they'd spread out behind the front line so as to be available as support for anything ahead but they could be the lead and have the lower level people fan out behind. It depends on how much we terrain we want to cover. Speaking of, the terrain will be almost exclusively plains. I've seen the maps. Should have good field of vision, even a half mile away.
Then again, this might all be moot depending on how the DM runs it.
Mordred watches as the two move away, and looks over at Chalm...the meeting had not yet been concluded, but then, it was simply a gathering, not a council...which is why all of them were here in the first place.
Still, it would set an interesting precedent wether such was acceptable without being dismissed, or not...
@Good enough to handle: May be. May not be. But with the many players we have, it's probably the friendly thing to do to give those people the spotlight who excel at a job, rather than gamble by letting the forward scouts handle EVERYTHING. *shrug*
Regarding field of vision and how spread-out and all those details: I assume we'll learn more when we depart...I seem to remember quite a few wooden and hilly areas, but my memory may be spotty. Then again, in a Blizzard, I'd rather be in the woods than in an open plain, so I guess no matter what, things can take a turn for the worse ;) We'll learn more when we get this show on the road.
Aramil watches as Deneb and Lyda move away, Lyda still staring daggers before shaking his head. They seemed to take what we said as an insult towards their skills in general, as opposed to their ability to negotiate. Aramil will turn back to the King with a sigh, before sending a shrug in Amavin's direction as though to say, Well, I tried.
Actually, Lyda's plan is exactly what I would do for a scouting set up - although I wouldn't say having been a boy scout is a way of saying I have more experience with this than their player does. Wildshape is definitely not a viable solution for the full scouting abilities at this time - Chalm is also, I suspect, intending to have non-Wildshape capable people in the scouting groups. I don't believe Hunters get Wildshape, either.
However, we could use those three who are capable of what amounts to an all-day Wildshape in an oversight capacity, keeping an eye on the scouting groups. If a scouting group gets into trouble they won't be able to handle, one of those three can alert either the nearest scouting group for aid or the cavalry if the problem is big enough, then guide whoever to the location. If the Druid in each group prepared speak with animals, they wouldn't even have to wild shape out to alert a scouting group that a nearby group was in trouble.
On an unrelated note, Aramil really wasn't trying to imply he didn't trust either of you, just that, based on your reputation, he doesn't know any of you are actually good at Diplomacy. After all, as Deneb said, social skills and Charisma aren't high on a Druid/Ranger/Hunter's list of priorities.