Khione's POV

The players that joined daily vary rarely didn't join one or more of my funded projects, as such they were counted as citizens of my country with all of the current benefits that it comes with, but more importantly they were taxed, now under normal circumstances players would do their best to get out of taxes. The taxes here however pay for their benefits and security to do as they please with in the law of course. Another key feature I added in my country was the lawful additions of all magic being unbanned. This was hinted at in a few of my previous edicts, but I now have had it fully addressed.

Of course with some magics their have to be rules... such as blood, necromancy, conjuration and other extreme magics... ect. First of these rules the subject/ victim can not be a citizen of my country or of an allies, if in necromancy you wish to summon or revive ( in a undead way ) the dead's family or guardian must concede permission,third all such summonings must happen in safe zones ( areas under extreme military supervision) and fourth it is the right of the ruler/ me to conscript any necro/ summoner into the military. Now the benefits of this is one you have a guild sized funding for your magic research, two you can actually legally reside and practice In the country and town of your choice. Third any killed enemy units are yours to play with, Loot not included. ( unless they are specifically killed by you/ your units)

Now magic has been addressed, the roads as my first project for the construction guilds was coming along nicely and I received many good reports about the progress of it. So far we are moving past the first set of villages and working towards the next set.

My basic country status had improved in certain areas as well.

Owned lands- 12,978 Square miles

Subjects- 94,237

insurgents- 175,000 Goblin, unknown

income- 447,156 gold

Territory under your control- Frozen Palace (Keep) , City of Ice, ( from surrounding the keep to outer walls) territory up-to and surrounding villages Eflin,Guggenheim, Fridonton, Bone shelter, Hearth, Dovika, Travanstan, Dark Mist, Hallow Shell Village, Stone Cast, Mavid, Dokiva, Rakstrid, Eldwist, Cantorwist, Shadowfell, Nights End, and Drafilwedic.

Military -15,142

Pl Troops-6,336 (players)

Knights-170 (counts Terror)

Nobles-13

Thanes-156

budgeting

Crafting Guild funding-75,000G

Alchemists Guild funding-100,000G

Military funding-30,000G

Merchants guild-50,000G

Magic Guild-45,000G

Troop pay-3,785.5G

Knights pay-3,400G

Pl troop pay-316.8G

total cost-307,502.3G

total gain-139,653.7G

Empire Treasury- 261,633.35G

My Empire was making less money, but my military was growing tremendously.

Life in general was great, as the guilds began to take control/ govern their aspects of the city it started freeing more time up, at first I was happy about this, free time do stuff, then I started brooding surrounded by bigger nations infested with a slippery foe and looking like breakfast for the next power hungry King. So I focused on how to solve the issue of being a weak empire, and the answer was simple immortal troops, the players are a solution that requires a light guiding hand to direct and aid them.

The training of my the Pls was my main focus now, the Regulars (AI troops) had their training set. The Pls however are harder to get to do what you want, but I can never beg, begging would imply that I need them more than they need me, which I do,but I pay them and support them as well as give them quests, so money, land, loot and quest EXP, which they get for completing missions I give them. That is what insures their loyalty to me, besides all that of course is the benefits of my nation and the power and chance of having your own military command. ( she doesn’t set the difficulty or EXP reward amounts that is governed by Versailles AI)

Of my six thousand Pls troops only about one thousand are around level one hundred, three thousand are levels 70-50 and the rest are under level 30, of course there are the in-between players.

They are all given raid missions according to level, and the highest levels are partied with my regulars for their fights with the goblin raiding parties.

It was late in the night when the messenger knocked on my door, slipping my nightgown on and sliding into my slippers I padded over to the door and opened it. Seeing me the troll bowed and raised the message up so that I could take it.

Looking at it I noticed Terrors signet of a Glacier surrounded in flames, braking the seal I read quickly.

“Goblin raiding party has been eliminated and I have received information to a tribes whereabouts, they are camped west of Dokiva, a number of my troops were wounded and I need reinforcements, camp size based on raiding party would be about four to five thousand strong.”

Khione-

Rouse the keep

we have work to do, and send out summons for the Nobles and Thanes to gather here with their Huskarls, after that is taken care of, you are to rest.

Messenger-

Yes my Queen it will be done.

With a fist to heart he bowed once more, and ran to carry out my orders.

Closing the door I dressed in my Battle Regalia and descended to the throne room to meet with my people.

It took nigh onto two hours before all had gathered,

Each noble has on avg. one hundred troops (on their payroll not Khione's) and each thane has twenty to thirty. At the end of it all four thousand five hundred and eighty nine Huskarls and knights gathered at the Frozen Keep.

Now the difference between a Huskarl and a regular is this, Huskarls are higher leveled and trained by their Thane or Noble daily they are equipped by the keep and are the personal guards of my Knights and their family their loyalty is second to none, but the knights themselves. They are out fitted in White Iron armor and weapons, (white iron is a material added by me, to fill that gap left between steel and Mithril, I consider it an alloy that uses steel to weaken Mithril to allow its use by lower levels by mixing the pure ores to suitable ratios) the next feature of these troops is that they are mounted and they are the only mounted units in the empire. ( mounts are rare) now their mounts are also dressed out in White iron chain and leather armor. Making these troops the heaviest, fastest, and deadliest in the North, and finally instead of the standard morning star that the Regulars use they have two-hour handed Swords. (troll version of a bastard sword)

during preparations for the expedition I received a second message from Terror.

“I am grievously mistaken about the size of the Goblin camp, Khione, I think not of myself, for I am but ice, no I fear for the men whom will die at my command for there are more than fifteen thousand of the enemy, I will stay and harass the enemy but without reinforcements we will all surly parish, but I will not let them roam freely they must be contained so that the roads can be finished.

Khione-

Send for the Pls I want four thousand of the best, bring in five thousand of the Regulars ( 500 reside in each village and take care of patrols their, not their own people they are stationed in different villages to avoid issues, the rest live in the capital) they are to bring a weeks supply of food each, and will be self sufficient. ( about two days travel from capital to Dokiva by foot ) We will cart the Infantry to Guggenheim from their we will march through Dovika to Dokiva and from there we travel west.

We will march at double time and will employ the walking drums to keep Cadence.

Four hours later we left the main gates of the City of Ice 13,587 in number, 4,586 heavy cavalry and 9,000 infantry. We rode hard to Guggenheim making in their in under six hours from their it took us twelve hours to reach Dokiva their we rested for an hour, not for the men but the animals.

We commenced our march west after the rest, it was not more than an hour before I saw the smoke and

began hearing the cries of battle. Thirty minutes later and we were but three fourths of a mile from the battle.

Khione-

BATTLE FORMATON

CAVALRY TO THE FRONT FOUR ROWS

INFANTRY SHIELD WALLS FIVE HUNDRED COLUMNS THREE ROWS

DRUMS BEAT DOUBLE TIME

MOVE

in just a couple minutes the orders were carried out, the sun glinted off the radiant armor of my troops, the drums beat a steady rhythm, the Cav. Ready and six walls had been formed, I positioned the walls into rows and columns two rows three columns then I rode to the front of the Cav. With my knights fanned out behind me. Dismounting I knelt in the ice, willing it to form around me forming a suit of armor complete with a helmet, and finished by forming a blade of ice I remounted. Raising my blade I gave the command.

Khione-

CAVALRY

CHARGE!