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"Ay Moebe! This is no way to conduct a proper office! No no no nonononono. That goes there, and that there. Why do you have that there? Why do you have that there? What is that?"
The Lord Hantre pulled on what little hair he had left, which was below his tonsure and above his ears. He was in quite a state.
"You'll never serve the king efficiently like that! AND WHY DO YOU HAVE THOSE TULIPS IN THE SHADE! Those need water and sunlight. Chop chop now, go and do those things. While you do that, I'm going to go and tend to my flowers."
Orders:
1. Organise the offices (as Lord Hantre travels Southern Meddeland) of the various tax collectors, censusmen, and recordkeepers.
2. Start the "Blóstmbóc", an organised collection of all the plants within Meddeland. Lord Hantre is a gardener, though by his lack of traits he is more along the scholarly aspect of gardening xD. But yeah, do this as he travels doing Order 1 (see above).
For a Realm to prosper it must be inhabit a fertile land, nurtured by a healthy body and protected with a strong hand. We have ended the famine that weakened our body and We regained the land lost to fire and barbarism so it can be healed over time. Now all that remains is the hand. In times past We commanded one of the most formidable forces Makria have ever known.
But my predecessors become lazy, fat and complacent during all those years of peace. And so Our realm became weak and confident and the vultures gathered around. Thus the great calamity of the North fell upon us all. Never again I say.
To this purpose and to protect the future, from this moment We declare the following changes to take place inmediately:
1.The army of Hendal will be structured and regimented into several units named 'Cohorts' 2.Each Cohort will act as a single body and will follow orders as such. 3.Each Cohort will be up to 6,000 men strong, divided into smaller units named 'Flags'
3.1.One Flag of 600 mounted soldiers. 3.2.Two Flags of 600 crossbowmen. 3.3.Six Flags of infantrymen. 3.4.One Flag of sappers.
4.Each Cohort will be commanded by an individual directly named by the Crown and as such, they will inherit some of the responsabilities of the Crown. Because of this, they will be named 'Legates' 5.Some Legates may be appointed commanders of more than one Cohort at the same time if the Crown deems it necessary. 6.It is the responsability of each Legate to ensure that the Cohorts under their command are always self-sufficient and combat-ready without resorting to violence or abusing the subjects of our realm. 7.It is the responsability of every loyal subject of the realm to aid in the needs of any Cohort to the extent of their capabilities without resorting to tithes or any other demands imposed illegally by the Legates. 8.When in times of peace, having come from the very people that toils and tinkers across the lands of our realm, every soldier of the Cohorts must always be trained and ready to work the land in order to ensure the self-sufficency of its Cohort. 9.Each member of the Cohorts will be subjected to an uniformity code and they will always wear the proud colours of the realm and the armor provided by the Crown. 10.To ensure a steady supply of materials for the Cohorts, all blacksmiths and ironworkers of every city, castle, garrison and major settlement must ensure their tools and foundries are able to produce and replicate the same designs for weapons and armor. 11.To ensure a steady supply of materials for the Cohorts, all producers of flax and dyes of every city, castle, garrison and major settlement must ensure their tools and lands are able to produce and replicate the same designs for uniforms and clothes. 12.Should any of these members of the realm fail to ensure a steady supply of their material to the Cohorts, the Crown will study the possibility of dispossess them of their properties and take control over them for a proper management. 13.The purple will be from now on, the colour and symbol of our martial pride, so that all members of the Crown and the Cohorts are recognized inmediately by all. 14.The average soldier of the Cohorts must be issued the following items:
14.1.One short-sword. 14.2.One spear. 14.3.One tower shield. 14.4.One heavy helm. 14.5.One set of segmented plate armor. 14.6.One set of boots. 14.7.Two sets of sandals. 14.8.One set of blankets and fur coat. 14.9.One backpack with a water bottle. 14.10.One set of two uniforms.
New Appearance:
(From left to right) Sapper, crossbowmen, infantrymen and knight-officer.
15.Every subject of the realm no older than thirty-five years, can volunteer for military service, no matter his social status. 16.Every subject of the realm between sixteen and twenty eight years old, can be drafted into military service at any moment, no matter his obligations or social status. 17.Each member of the Cohorts must endure a mandatory service for a period of six years. After that he can leave the military service or continue his career as a soldier. 18.Each member of the Cohorts can see his mandatory time of service reduced by half for every year of active service in a military campaign. 19.Each member of the Cohorts with up to fifteen years of honourable service in his record, will be rewarded with one acre of land and one final payment of twelve argens should they decide to leave the military service.
_________________________________________________ THE SOLDIER´S COIN
Earning mastery over the battlefield requires earning first enough coin to sustain that mastery. It is precisely the objective that We yearn to achieve, so the people of our realm can live and prosper in peace.
To this purpose and in order to ensure our reforms are correctly enacted wih no damage to the realm, We declare the following changes to take place inmediately:
1.That we subject the following members of the realm to a new toll of ONE centime per active member.
-Freehold Farmers.
-Tenant Farmers.
-Laborers.
-Servants.
-Bureaucrats. 2.That we subject the following members of the realm to a new toll of ONE argen per member.
-Burghers.
-Clergymen.
-Noblemen.
Payment of this tax will be delivered to the Crown each season, so we all can ensure our brave soldiers lack nothing and our walls remain well-preserved. One person, one coin, one army, one realm.
ORDERS:
Orders:
1. Enact the Marie´s Military Reforms.
[see above]
2. Enact the new "Soldier´s Coin" Tax.
[see above]
Thomas William Vasterlan, 5th Baron of Vasterlan
Born: 479 (24)
Nationality: Hendalese
Traits: Noble Blood, Compulsive Liar
Thomas William Vasterlan was born in the spring of 479 AL at his family's expansive estate on the Stenia Strait (several miles west of Burnhem) to Baron Victor Vasterlan and his wife, Judith. The Vasterlans were one of the few Hendalese noble families who sided with the Kings of Hendal during the bloody civil wars of the early third century following the abolition of feudalism, with the legendary Baron Darron Vasterlan earning a reputation as the finest military mind in the realm. In return for their loyalty and service to the crown, the victorious king of Hendal allowed the Vasterlan family to retain both its lands and much of privileges it had enjoyed before the wars, and they even were awarded the lands of neighboring nobles who had proved treacherous. As a result, the Vasterlan Barons grew to wield considerable political and economic influence within the kingdom which they still hold today.
Thomas, however, was the third son of the Baron of Vasterlan and thus had little to no chance of ever becoming Baron, enjoying the priveleges of the name but none of the responsibility - a state of affairs Thomas quite enjoyed. As a child Thomas was greedy and petulant, quick to anger and jealousy. As an adolescent, he used his considerable monthly allowance to set himself up comfortably in the capital, where he spent his days gambling, drinking, and whoring among Burnhem's elite and lowborn alike. A compulsive liar and born manipulator, he delighted turning those he knew against each other, spreading rumors, and plotting mischief at the highest level of court. Eventually he amassed such a reputation for corrupt debauchery and deceit that his father was pressured by those in the aristocracy to halt his son's allowance and forbid him from returning to Vasterlan unless he cured himself of his habits. Initially, his father resisted - however, following an incident in a gambling den when Thomas killed a man for cheating him in cards, Victor Vasterlan's hand was forced.
Effectively disowned, Thomas disguised himself as a common man and joined one of the many mercenary companies operating the country, the Iron Hands (led by "The Crow"). Thomas planned on taking up a comfortable and inactive post along the Treaty Line while using the pay to support himself. Fate had different plans for him, however. In the spring of 500 AL, the Tavan Morin invaded from the north and began a destructive campaign of looting, burning, and enslaving in Northern Hendal. When the Iron Hands were contracted to fight the invasion Thomas suddenly found himself very far from home, fighting bloodthirsty barbarian horseman instead of kicking back and drinking the hours away. In the remote fields and burnt villages that would be his home for three years, there was scarce a whore, tavern, or gambling den to be found. Gradually, Thomas was cured of the worst of habits, and by the time the Tavan Morin had decided to abandon their war in Hendal he had become a proficient swordsman and commander. However, he never lost his talent and passion for intrigue and deceit, endeavoring to discover every secret about his fellow mercenaries that existed, and became adept at arranging company politics in his favor. If a man wished to earn a higher rank, Thomas would arrange it. If you wished to get out of that night's guard duty, Thomas could arrange it. If you wanted your commander to suffer a tragic accident while on patrol and break his neck, that could be arranged as well. Murder, Thomas repeatedly told his customers, costs double.
In the spring of 503, a ship the Baron of Vasterlan and his two eldest sons were aboard suffered a fire on deck and capsized in the Kitrine Sea - all three were presumed dead, their bodies never found. Upon discovering he was now the heir to barony, Thomas ended his contract with the Iron Hands (whose members had been incorporated into the regular army anyway) and traveled south to claim the title. Several days later, he was officially confirmed as Baron of Vasterlan by the appropriate royal authorities. Now, Thomas had more than a mercenary company within which to conduct his schemes.
Let it be known:
Having learned of many of the troubles of Our realm, we demand Our loyal subjects to carry on their duties in the following manner.
*Crown Prince Henry shall deal with the unruling bands of pirates that are cause of concern for all inhabitants of the Kitrine Sea, so they stop to pose any threat to the realm. Having dealt with such a similar menace before, we deem him Our best champion for this cause.
*Lord Gregory Riddlemen is thereby temporarily appointed Legate of the 6th and 8th Cohorts. He will set up camp at the foot of the mountains known as Destus Gorges. With such force at his disposal, We demand that a wall is constructed in time before next winter arrives. Such fortifications must make wise use of the mountains both north and south of the region in order to ensure the safety of our lands. To such task he is also granted permission to conscript up to 2,000 men to ensure the 8th Cohort remains at full strenght.
If Lord Riddlemen succeed on this particular task, We may reward him with a permanent appointment on his new office.
*Thomas William Vasterlan, Baron of Vasterlan is thereby ordered to restore the roads and commerce on the northern lands, so Our subjects lack nothing and freely travel to the southern lands whenever they wish to do so. Although We do not see the need of giving him any military authority, We grant him the rights to demand any help he deems neccesary from all forces of the law across the northern lands. Those same rights can be used for the temporary conscription of citizens and to appoint any of them as acting members of the Way Watch.
*Baldwin Montague is thereby appointed Inspector Tribune and charged with all the authority and responsability of overseeing Our armies lack nothing in terms of men, food and materials. He will travel across the realm, inspecting all places and producers of war materials, ensuring the production and modernization of Our wise reforms are carried in good manner by Our subjects.
Finally, let all our loyal citizens known the extent of Hendal´s Might, so we all rejoice and cast away any fears of outside dangers.
Hendal Cohorts:
*1st Cohort - Burnhem - 6,000 men
*2nd Cohort - Treaty Line - 6,000 men
*3rd Cohort - Treaty Line - 6,000 men
*4th Cohort - Burnhem - 6,000 men
*5th Cohort - Etela - 6,000 men
*6th Cohort - Sanapiro - 6,000 men
*7th Cohort - Destus Gorges - 6,000 men
*8th Cohort - Destus Gorges - 4,000 men
Bolingbrook stared at the mountain of paperwork over his desk. There was so... so much people. Hungry in the outskirts of the capital. Fanatics shouting in the streets, desperate folk everywhere, and his little project was being of very little help.
He had dreams by night in which he had the money to fix everything. Weird dreams. The peace had been a disaster too. After signing peace with the Dalmirans, it should'd been muech easier to find a favourable deal with the Meddish... And now the Marcher was out of order for ever. What a... what a...
… he run into another document about a family who couldn't pay even the low rental the society offered. Damnit a million times! It was impossible to lower that rental below it's current fee. There were propietors involved. Most of whom needed the money not to starve themshelves! Those people needed a way of survival too....
Morgan covered his face in disgrunt. Then he visibly stopped every single muscle in his body.
Prior to Clerel, the Vanits were a lowly family of shop-keepers, only two generations removed from the field. The elder Vanit was illiterate; his son was educated by the Church. During the War of Liberation, he served in the militia. It was this service that brought him to the attention of Javert Dupont, who employed him as a quartermaster. Vanit's commercial connections proved useful to obtaining strategic materials for the militia. When the war ended, Dupont was made Oligarch of Leganum, and Vanit was appointed Master of the Rolls and Principal Secretary. With the oligarch often away fighting the Marcher's wars, Vanit gradually accumulated a pyramid of patronage in Leganum, binding himself financially to the great families and employing an army of spies and thugs to enforce his writ. With the mysterious vanishing of Dupont in 501, civil administration fell entirely into Vanit's hands. He was subsequently legitimised as oligarch by the Marcher dan Vant. Now, with the risk of civil war looming to destroy his city, he seeks to preserve the peace by all means necessary.
Letters are conveyed to Reynald Haaken, Oligarch of Desrois; Michel Szabolcsi, the Acting Marcher and Regent of Ardans; and Ailxander, the National Marshal:
To my esteemed colleagues and co-servants of the realm,
The State of Ardans is shaken with disorder. Our Marcher, in whom we had invested all our faith and confidence, has reneged on his obligations to the State and delivered an unfavourable peace upon it. He has paid for his tergiversation, but the State is scarred nonetheless. Now, the margraviate is vacant and without authority, the armies obey no single man, and the realm is torn asunder. My lord Szabolcsi claims to act as Marcher and Regent, while my lord Ailxander discards the entire State in favour of a new entity of which he is the supreme head. And as we bicker and broil, our enemies abroad regard this country with cruel and envious eyes.
Gentlemen, let us be agreed that we all desire the glory and prosperity of Ardans above all other matters. Therefore, we must not struggle against one another. We should be united in purpose against the avaricious raiders who have beset and despoiled the State and deprived it of its rightful territories. We must have unity. As such, it is imperative that we gather in conference to resolve our disputes peaceable and with haste. Only then shall order be restored to the realm and its predators fended off.
Given that the capital is currently in crisis and far from impartial ground, I humbly beseech my colleagues to gather in my city of Leganum, where I shall host them at personal expense. There, we may find common cause and settle our grievances and disputation.
Begin construction on a very large library building. It should be able to hold a very sizeable number of books.
Begin to collect local books in the Sanapiro area.
((Alright, for those of you who wanted to become Ardans oligarchs:
Sleater, you expressed interest in playing for the Ardans. You can become oligarch of Cirtirus if you want the position.
LatinKaiser, when a new Marcher is elected, I believe the Ardans will make him Oligarch of Moraille and his previous position will be left vacant. You can fill the vacancy.))
Letters are conveyed to Reynald Haaken, Oligarch of Desrois; Michel Szabolcsi, the Acting Marcher and Regent of Ardans; and Ailxander, the National Marshal:
To my esteemed colleagues and co-servants of the realm,
The Oligarch of Leganum's messenger returns with a small piece of paper, upon which the words are written:
Our Oligarch, Governor-General Reynald dan Haaken is unfortunately not in contact with us at this time. We do not know where he resides at this point in time. However, if you so wish the City of Desrois will send a representative to these meetings.
((Regarding the issue of the military reforms and the River Watch I want to clarify that I did not included the River Watch in any of my edicts and they have not been mentioned at all for any purposes. They are as their own background told us "an independent military order, answering only to the Crown, with their own lands and resources, tasked with the vigilance of the lands surrounding the river that give them its name". Unlike, for example, the Iron Hands, they have not been even included in my calculations and general disposition of the future Cohorts precisely because of that. They do not form part whatsoever of the regular army and it is to my understanding and my intention that my reforms do not affect them at all))
OOC: I'm ready & willing. Should I switch character to do so? Or just assume I've been promoted to head of my family and taken over the city politically?
OOC: I'm ready & willing. Should I switch character to do so? Or just assume I've been promoted to head of my family and taken over the city politically?
The I'll take it with my current Character. There's no time for anything else.
1.- Become Family head and assume the role of Oligarch of Cirtirus
2.- With the connivence of Clerel Vanit and the resources from my society, hire refugees to build neighbourhoods of wooden shelters in Leganum and Cirtirus. They'll have the materials at reduced fees (even lended) and be able to inhabit the shelters they build themshelves.
The last time Henry had visited Sanapiro it was a small, prosperous, coastal city. The cool, northern breeze would waft into the city, clearing the foul airs. The city's smaller population and lower shipping density meant it was a much cleaner, albeit less wealthy city than Burnhem. However, the staggering gap between the merchant (and royal) elite and urban poor of Burnhem did not exist in Sanapiro.
But now everything had changed. Henry's retinue had to clear hundreds of ragged refugees out of the way of the carriage as they passed through the heavily fortified city gates. And that was just the entrance to the city. It seemed like every inch of Sanapiro was covered with the huddled, bedraggled masses whose homes were destroyed during the war. The outer-neighborhoods of the city were full of shantytowns and dilapidated buildings that dozens of families crammed into. Henry would have to do something about this miserable situation. The rest of the streets were crowded with soldiers, as Sanapiro now hosted the largest concentration of military force on the continent. The air reeked of manure, sweat, dirt, and death.
But the massive influx of new arrivals to Sanapiro also created new opportunities. As Henry's carriage approached the Center City, where the governor's mansion was housed, he saw hundreds of people in finely laced silks. Previously he had only seen these types of wealthy merchants in Burnhem. But the increase in trade and rise in demand to cater to the refugees and soldier population created booming businesses. Center City now hosted many newly-built mansions. The port was also receiving 5 times as much traffic as it used to and Henry new from the accounting books he received from the naval department that Sanapiro's shipping traffic was almost approaching Burnhem's.
After hours of negotiating the narrow, crowded streets of the city, the prince's retinue finally reached the governor's mansion. Henry poked his head out of the carriage and addressed a heavily armed guard outside the gates of the mansion. He could see that at least fifty knights guarded the mansion's courtyard just inside the gates. In theory, they were there to protect against a surprise Tavin attack but he suspected that they were mostly placed there to control the masses.
"This is Prince Henry," he announced to the guard, trying as hard as he could to sound like his father or sister. Instead, he sounded like a nervous schoolboy. "I am here to see Governor-General Montague."
The guard stuttered before he replied. "Ummm...I apologize, my prince....the general has not been seen in weeks. We had sent word to the capital but it seems that you h-h-had left by then."
Henry couldn't blame the man for being nervous. His sister probably would have executed him for that.
How strange...where could Montague have gone?
"Are you sure he is not in the field?" Henry asked.
"We have checked and rechecked, my prince," the guard replied. "But there seems to be no sign of him. Riddlemen has been leading the army in the meantime."
Henry paused for a moment before he addressed the guard once again. "Will you let my carriage through?" he asked. "We have been travelling for quite some time. I suppose I can complete the task without the governor and take residence in the mansion until he returns."
"Very well, my prince."
The massive gates opened and Henry's carriage and retinue slowly proceeded through the ornate courtyard past the fifty guards.
Henry eventually reached the governor's chambers. The papers on Montague's desk were left in disarrary. Henry fumbled with the papers and accounts, lloking for some clue. But nothing turned up. The governor might have been dead. He might have run away. Perhaps he grew bored of combat and volunteered to fight against the heretics.
Either way, Henry still had much business to attend to. The North must be rebuilt!
Orders:
1. The North Hendal rebuilding project shall continue under Henry's watch. The prince shall continue to encourage (serf-free) settlers and laborers to travel north, the planting of crops, the rebuilding of villages, and shall provide subsidies to those in need.
2. Prince Henry shall encourage the construction of proper homes for refugees in Sanapiro and ensure they are properly fed and clothed. He will offer subsidies to builders and merchants to make sure these tasks are complete.
1)Send a representative to the meeting in Leganum, a similar-minded local scholar, politician or townsmen, while directing himself the revolutionary efforts in Desrois
2)Not to lose the popular fervor, the purgues will continue, athough less severe than in the previous months: rather than death, more and more of the remaining "traitors", "oligarchs" and "aristocrats" are sentenced to evergrowing fines (used to finance both the revolutionary process, Ailxander other projects and other expenses), and community labor, forced to work repairing any damage which the city suffered under the war and the revolution. Ocassionally, nonetheless, one or two are sentenced to death: People like blood
3)Having stablished himself as the ruler of the People´s Republic of Ardans, the "state-building" process will start, and he will start recuiting men as bureaucrats, taxmen or militiamen, both to start organizing the state, and to protect the revolution. Tax are to be stablished, but all old taxes to the previous republic to be abolished, and the new ones will be slightly lower to compensate. Anyway, the confiscated property of traitors will go to the state, as a way to collect extra money without burdening the people in excess
4)A group of republican scholars will be gathered, to write and publish a "Bill of Laws", the main corpus of the new republican law, which wirst article will be that all men are created and born as equals, and any law will be derived from that.
