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RoE Archive => The Imperial City => Courts of Anuire => RoE2 Archives => Sword & Crown 1535HC => : X-Endier & KoH/GdN (Joe) January 06, 2009, 02:02:13 PM
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The Count of Endier, who is also the Grand-Maester of the Knights of Haelyn is overheard speaking to another regent.
Well, we've begun a new full-time training program in Endier. You see, first we greatly expanded our court and filled it with retired officers and veteran soldiers. Then we mustered new units. And now we are going to be training a force full-time for the next several years. The enlarged court and existing Knights of Haelyn infrastructure provides a resource whereby we can reliably train even elite units. Yes, even elite units will be guarenteed to improve their craft under our training program.
Now, the handful of units in Anuire with more experience then elite units will benefit somewhat less, as they probably know as much as our trainers, but they should still learn, just at a slower rate, perhaps 1/4th of that of regular troops
(OOC: I can take 10 and train elite troops, Crack needs a 15+ on die roll)
Well, some of our neighbors are...busy is the right word, yes? Training troops takes time and quite frankly, expertise that many of them don't have. We're willing to train your troops for you. Someday soon, armies trained by the Knights will stand ready to crush armies not trained by the Knights. Its my hope the latter armies turn out to be those of the Spider and the Elf, but one never knows.
Well, we aren't trying to get rich training other peoples soldiers, but we see many benefits in providing Anuire with the quality armies it deserves, rather then the rabble that has been the norm as of late.
All that is required for you to have your troops trained is to sign this agreement.
The other regent looks at the document, nodding
Agreeement for Training Services
The Knights of Haelyn and (Insert Your Name and Title(s) here)[hereafter referred to as Lord] hereby form this binding contract for the training of soldiers.
Services
The Knights agree to provide training services to units sent to them by the Lord. The Lord agrees to muster, move, and pay active upkeep for these soldiers. The Knights cannot guarentee safe transportation to Endier.
The Knights will train these soldiers, and the soldiers will see a seasonal gain of experience. The Knights will not use these soldiers for any military purpose, other then self-defense if someone attacks Endier province. In the event that these troops are killed defending Endier, the Knights will pay to the Lord the cost of mustering the soldiers, and any upkeep paid from the moment the soldiers entered Endier.
The soldiers will not leave Endier, except by the command of their Lord or upon the termination of this agreement.
Termination
Either party may terminate this agreement at any time. It is the responsability of the Lord to see to his soldiers safe departure from Endier. The knights will only guarentee safety to the Endier broder.
Fee
For these valuable training services, the Knights are to be paid 1GB per season by the Lord. This fee is waived for Lords who swear loyalty to Haelyn above all other Gods.
(OOC: Feel free to use this thread IC to discuss this matter. Guy de Nichalier is present at the Sword and Crown, and seems to be eager to "sell" the idea of the KoH training services)
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OOC:
Endier & KoH is making this offer; through a diplomatic treaty, arrange for the transfer of one or more military until to their control (auxiliaries). Those units must be kept active (you continue to pay their upkeep) for a number of turns. The KoH will then use Improve Unit (possibly gaining some bonuses to the action because of their experience with such matters) to train those units. When the training is complete, the units go back to their owner.
This would be a new way of doing things - vassals might spend time with their liege and such, but nothing like this.
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Duchess Laera Flaertes finds this offer to be very appealing.
“Count, Grand-Maester, In Our efforts to rebuild and clean the dark taint from Our northern lands We would wish for a close alliance with the Knights of Haelyn. We welcome both this opportunity for Our vigilant defenders to learn from the finest, and also a stronger presence of such champions of good as the Grand-Maesters Knights of Haelyn.”
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OOC: Since the question came up, I will use this as an example:
The player has, IC, agreed to the terms of the treaty set forth by the KoH.
Ideally he should also say OOC something like; 'I agree to the terms' - possibly with some sore of counter-proposal or clarification.
The action still needs to be entered into the DO (as one of the free diplomacy actions allowed by the use of one regent diplomacy action to participate in the S&C).
A DDC will be set. The complexity and/or overall ramifications of the deal will set the base DDC. Modified heavily of IC agreement/disagreement, relations between the two domains etc.
The dice will be rolled and influence/modifiers applied.
If successful, the treaty is in effect from turn 63.
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Nodding at Flaertas, Sir Guy De Nichalier explains
If you've got green soldiers, chances are your trainers will function just as well. But for more experienced soldiers, it can be a real boon to have us train them, as we have access to resources most domains just don't in terms of our skilled and experienced officers and veteran soldiers.
Also, some domains may not want to spend the time, each and every season, organizing a training effort. Those domains too would benefit strongly from this agreement.
How many units of yours need training, and does the "Haelyn First" fee waiver apply to you?
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"Your Excellency, His Imperial Grace, Archduke Osoer, is perhaps interested in this arrangement. Perhaps it can be discussed in the immediate future."
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So We are ready to sign into this Military Training Program during the Sword & Crown. But as with all good things One do understand there is hard work, and there will be a cost. Could there maybe be some information on cost, and requirements when training large numbers of soldiers as We would want? Would this arrangement involve manufacture and or imports of weapons also?
(OOC : edited. ctrl-c and ctrl-v blunder. Somehow parts of the draft and discarded sentences got copied into the post rather than the actual text. Sorry I did not see this before now.)
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Lady Anasatiae stands and addresses Lord Guy in a silky voice:
"Your Lordship, I hope that you will hear to a kind word of advise, when I am telling you that Endier and the Knights of Haelyn might be considered taking sides in the internal issues of my land of adoption, fair Alamie."
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Your Grace,
The Knights of Haelyn are most definately not taking sides in the Alam-Tuor war. We are confident that the rift between those two halves of Alamie will one day be healed, hopefully by diplomacy, but potentially by other means.
The good people of Western Alamie, or Tuoren as it is sometimes called, deserve protection from the Elf and the undead scourge of the North. They have asked for our help in dealing with the many evils they are threatened by, and we'd be rather cowardly Knights of Haelyn if we didn't agree to their request.
I hope you do not see our presence there as anything akin to taking sides, although I can see how some might think that.
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Permit me to note that in princip CoT agrees to the Grand-Maesters words regarding protection but if a major crusade is begun smaller contigents such as this may not be at hand.
A CoT session is taking place here at the S&C now
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Lady Anasatiae replies, her face serious:
"Lord Guy, House Alam would be disgraceful in denying the protection of the Knights to some of our subjects oppressed under the iron heel of tyrany. I understood that beside garrisoning and protecting the lands of Western Alamie from humanoids threats, the Knights would impart their skills with the Usurper's host. If my understanding was, indeed wrong, then Lord Guy I cannot but withdraw my previous words."
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Archduchess,
Allow me to explain more completely what we are doing in Tuoren.
Since both Avanil and Alamie have declined to grant military access to the Knights of Haelyn, we are unable to garrison "Western Alamie". The forces in "Western Alamie", however, are beset by humanoid raiders and Ghaellie Sidhe marauders. The Knights will provide assistance to any realm facing these sorts of threats. In this case, the assistance will be training.
Some realms, such as Boeruine or Avanil are unlikely to want, or even need, our assistance. Other realms would benefit from our assistance, and what "Western Alamie" has asked for and been agreed to by the Knights is no different then what has been offered to all Anuire. A few other realms have expressed interest, but all except Lady Flaertas chose to do so "very" privately.
Indeed, I spent many weeks corresponding with your husband last season trying to arrange for Alamie to receive a far greater degree of assistance from the Knights of Haelyn, as you well know. The need to protect Anuirean citizens from our most dire foes is my primary concern at the moment, not the succession of various realms.
Allow me to say this, The Knights of Haelyn will not be drawn into the Alam-Tuor Civil war on either side. We hope for a peaceful resolution, in order to spare unneeded suffering among the peasants, but recognize that warfare is the flowering of Manhood and Nobility, and we would never begrudge the rights of one House to wage lawful war upon another to resolve a bone fide dispute, such as the succession in Greater Alamie.
You do not need to withdraw your words, Archduchess.
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Lady Anasatiae, smiles sadly.
"Lord Guy, if so-called House Flaertes were really keen to protect its people from outsiders, then House Alam stands ready to receive their oath of fealty. We are indeed concerned with the survival of our kinsmen and oppressed subjects, and pardon for past misdeeds could be contemplated providing that the Lady of Haerien bends her knee, beg for mercy from Lord Carilon and delivers to the Archducal court of justice the traitor and regicide Braedonnal Tuare. Then, the House Alam's host would need very short notice to pour into our beyond-the-river provinces and help to bring up the defences there.
I am afraid, Lord Guy, that the Order's willingness to help defend the Empire will be misused and will help eventually be used to maintain a protracted state of war by supplying de facto an usurper with the finest troops of Anuire."
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Lady Anastasia, it is true that I am but a man, with failings. I will, however, rely upon my oaths to Haelyn, my copy of the Book of Laws, and the leadership of the Conclave of Temples to remind me if I cross a line I should not cross. I can't comment on whether House Flaertas should or should not swear fealty, however, I will agree that a united Alamie would be less in danger from these sorts of incursions. A united Alamie would not need the protection of the Knights of Haelyn nearly so much as a divided one.
I will hope and pray for a unification, Your Grace, but the Knights will always do their duty to Anuire. I welcome your opinions, and value them, and I will take extra care to prevent our mission from being subverted. Additionally, you, or your emnissary, are always welcome in Endier to remind me of my promise, if you find I am not adhering as closely as you'd like. I have the utmost respect for you, and your husband, and do not want to do anything that might upset our relationship, but I know that you can understand the need to increase protection against the Elf and the Undead of the north.
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"Perhaps delay those matters of strive untill such a time that Alamie have been secured. As it is all cooperation benefit the people, prosperity and security of the north."
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Lady Anasatiae nods slowly at Lord Guy, then listens intently at the Pontiff betore replying:
"Lord Guy, I am talking here to a friend, merely offering advices to retain or not, hence my freedom of speech. The Knights will, as they always did, reply to the decisions of their Grand Master. The point, Lord Guy, is that by claiming your generously offered help, the rebels will feel emboldened by having a burden lifted from their weak shoulders. Such a relief will certainly help the so-called Tuors to divert resources to the mustering of a greater oppresive force of brigands led by a tyrant, I mean the Elf, the Tuare, not one of his kinsmen, the Manslayer.
The Knights will valiantly rose to any challenge, their blood will be shed in the name of an honourable cause, the defence of Great Alamie, and their swords will hack our enemies. In the meantime, nestled under their benevolent and innocent protection, the serpent of treason and regicide will feed itself and someday will attempt to finish tearing down House Alam, the House of my very son. Such a day, Lord Guy, I am afraid that the Knights might be blamed for having, unwillingly, rekindled the flames of a raging war, and their reputation forever tarnished."
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"The knights will remain untarnished. You want desperately to make it appear as a civil war is raging and your opponent are the rebels. That is not the important part of what is at stake."
Worse enemies are at hand. From a religious point of view I implore you both to please address the treat from the undead before playing out the warmongering.
Peace may be the only real option as survival of the livings are at stake. A river of blood will flow from the south. Haelyn has given warnings. Warnings that all are adviced to take heed of. Worse enemies than the undead and the strife of nobels may be comming to you."
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The Chamberlain takes the floor.
"Lady Daulton. The rebellion you are speaking of seems to lay so far into the past that it no longer bears recognition as such. Tuornen was created a century ago and has since been accepted many times over by her neighbours.
Here I especially think the choices of Prince Avan to be of note. He has seen fit to support both Tuornen and Alamie with forces militaire - and has thus recognized Duchess Flaertes as a peer of Anuire.
Would you question the Prince's choices in this? Call him a rebel-rouser?
Great Alamie could one day exist again, but that would be on the basis of war. Not some punitive expedition. So while you are here, at my court, and speaking of Tuornen, Duchess Flaertes and those that serve her, you will do so honorably or not at all."
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Lady Anasatiae looks sternly at the Pontiff:
"Your Holiness, I am not desperate of anything but giving advice to the Knights. That being said, the head of the Conclave has spoken and Alamie will certainly consider your words. The Empire is a body of honour and traditions, we do not seek mere survival for the sake of being living bodies, as other might do. We are guided by principles and values, that said, is at least true for Alamie."
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Turning then to the Lord Chamberlain, the Duchess bows very slightly and replies:
"Your Grace, we are but your guests in these very Halls, and we will strictly abide by the rules of etiquette as highlighted by our host.
I would kindly remind to this very Halls, that de facto situations, and oustiders opinions whilst carefully weighed by Lofton are only matters of those who adopt them. We would, however, take the freedom to remind that Alamie is not a vassal of Avanil, and, whilst on good terms, do not have to see eye to eye every issue with House Avan."
Edit: Typoes, typoes!
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The Chamberlain smiles and bows back.
"Indeed you are not my Lady, but whilst you are within my halls, I expect you to conduct yourself according to the rules of the Imperial Court. If once a title has been recognized by the peerage, then forever more will it be treated with due respect.
That respect is due the Duchess of Tuornen. As it is due to your Grace.
However, the days have grown dark and the Sword and Crown has reached it's end. We thank you all for attending and wish you safe journeys home. It is our great hope that peace and prosperity will continue to grace Our fair Anuire due to your Graces' diplomacy!