Sir_Loin

Island of Salathai Stats: https://goo.gl/zgisg9 “I don’t like it, Your Excellency. He didn’t even give you his name! Just a letter on your desk. How can you trust this man to train spies loyal to you?” Gaius turns to his scribe, looking grave. “The man is a spy. Trusting him with no evidence of his loyalty would be the height of foolishness. However, just because I cannot trust him, does not mean that I do not need him. My knowledge of espionage is extremely limited, and I need better sources of information than I have.” Julio shakes his head. “But--” “Enough, Julio. This conversation is over. I allow you a significant amount of leeway in questioning me, out of respect for the length of our acquaintance, but in this matter, I will not change my mind. Trustworthy or not, this man is necessary. Still, if it makes you feel any better, I will be increasing security in the Manse, to help prevent him or other spies from gaining access to things they shouldn’t be able to.” “I… see. I am glad to know that you are not blindly trusting him, but I still feel that--” “What did I just say, Julio?” “I-- yes, Your Excellency.” Julio quiets, still looking disgruntled. “Now then. I believe there are some men for me to interview. Have them sent in, will you?” Actions (Turn 5): 0 AP into interviewing veterans. Those that Gaius deems suitable to teach are offered positions as instructors. All others are offered positions on ships in Salathai’s navy, determined based off of their experience and previous positions, with the caveat that they also go through the three month retraining course, to ensure that they are adequately prepared for their re-entry into the navy. Nameless infiltrator is hired, and tasked with taking over the training of spies, with regular reports to the governor on their progress, tasks, and education. (0 AP) Four galleys are sent to track down the pirates making their way down the coast. They are accompanied by three triremes and a lateen-rigged bireme. (0 AP) Five galleys, four biremes, and two triremes are sent out to patrol the waters around Salathai. Every four months, the ships on patrol return to the port of Salath, and the ships still in port go on patrol. (0 AP) 23 AP into completing the new mercantile district. [25/25 AP] 4 AP into funding an expedition to explore the white stone ruins on the Island. Looking to indulge his interest in history, Gaius personally accompanies the explorers, along with, remembering what happened the last time he sent an expedition to explore the island, twenty soldiers. Gaius attends the wedding of the governor of the Plains of Farlus. (0 AP) Security in the Governor’s Manse is increased, especially around valuable objects and sensitive documents. (0 AP)

Island of Salathai Stats: https://goo.gl/zgisg9 Actions (Turn 4): 0 AP: 1 unit of iron shipped to Riviera, to be split between business partners there and in Annor’s Crossroads. 1 AP sent to Blackwoods for lumber 2 AP: A donation is sent to the missionaries from Tamaraad, with Gaius’ blessing to spread the faith. [20/20 AP]: A section of Farmlands on the island is restored, to help feed the growing population. (5 AP → 20 AP, investment of 15 this turn) [2/25 AP]: Construction begins on a new mercantile district in Salath. (0 AP → 2 AP, investment of 2 this turn) 3 AP: Word is quietly put out in the capital and provinces that an anonymous party is seeking to hire people skilled in espionage. In the meantime, begin training the veteran galley crew in the basics of espionage: intelligence collection, analysis, deception, interpersonal skills, problem-solving, and additional combat training, both clandestine and open. 0 AP: Six galleys are dispatched north, to scout out the island of Oarsbrekk. Four of them are to make landfall, without drawing attention to themselves, and gather as much information on the lay of the land as they can. Each of these crews shall be assigned a portion of the island to reconnoiter. The other two galleys will verify the location of the pirate port, get a rough estimate of the forces present when they do (as well as the date of the confirmation), and make a note of any other coastal settlements they can find. All six crews are to return to Salathai and report to Gaius either by the end of the year or once they have completed their tasks, whichever comes first. 0 AP: Former Commander Decimus Cradus is put on trial under, inquisitorial procedure and in secret, for sedition. He is found guilty, and swiftly, but quietly, executed, for working to undermine the interests of the Empire for his own personal gain. The body is taken to the eastern side of the island and burnt in a pyre. 0 AP: A letter is sent to the emperor, informing him that Decimus has been found guilty of sedition, and that the situation has been resolved. The letter also includes a recommendation that the other fleets, or at least their commanders, be evaluated to ensure their loyalty as well. 0 AP spent to send letters to the Governor of Aulus’ March, inquiring as to whether the Marshal might be able to spare an officer or two from the First Fleet to transfer into the Fourth Fleet for a period of three years, to help oversee the retraining of the men of the Fourth. Given their previous commander’s seditious tendencies, who knows what damage he may have done to the fleet. 0 AP: Gaius begins drawing up plans for a new training program for the Fourth Fleet: Men in training will be put through: 17 hours per week of physical training 9 of these hours will be focused on combat training, both on land and sea. The other 8 will be focused on calisthenics, obstacle courses, and team sports. 10 hours per week of individual skills training Includes problem-solving, financial management, and communication. 20 hours per week of military skills training Includes seamanship, military fundamentals, security procedures, damage control, leadership, shipboard duties, military justice (cases go to the overall commanding officer of the fleet - the Governor of Salathai), military courtesy, obligations as members of the military, discipline, and expectations for the conditions of their ships and quarters, which are to be inspected twice per month when in port, at random times. 15 hours per week for on large, constructive work projects. 34 hours per week for individual time, to work on areas of individual concern The remaining 72 hours per week is allocated to sleeping and other nighttime activities. Instructors will be pulled from members of the Empire’s naval forces who accept the offer to teach on Salathai. If need be, instructors for some subjects may be pulled from the civilian populace. Men in retraining will undergo this program in a period of three months. Men in their initial training period will go through the program in a period of one year. Once instructors are found, the men of the Fourth Fleet will be rotated through this program six crews at a time, until all men in the fleet have done so. 3 AP: Gaius sends word to distinguished veterans of the Empire’s fleets, offering to hire them as instructors in the training program.

Island of Salathai 942 NE (Probably no RP this time, cuz I’m moving, but I’ll try to get something up if I can find the time.) Island of Salathai Stats Actions (Turn 3): 5 AP Invested into mine (T1) 15 AP invested into mine (T2, foreign investments) 5 AP invested into mine (T2, finished) 1 AP sent to Blackwoods for lumber 5 AP into Galley w/ veteran marines (galley built to look rather shabby) 0 AP into replenishing men lost fighting pirates (first cohort 485 men —> 500 men). 0 AP into quietly executing the pirate prisoners. 0 AP into commanding commanders of infantry to ensure that the mine gets patrolled on a regular basis. Those skeletons seem like a bad sign. 0 AP on sending message to commander of Fourth Fleet, asking for him to come to the Governor’s Manse. Sober. (Assault on Oarsbrekk in 2-3 years, Gaius has the beginnings of a plan, but wants to discuss it with the commander before finalizing it). 0 AP spent to send letters to all coastal provinces asking for them to allow civilian trade with Salathai

The Island of Salathai: Year 942 Gaius sighed as he considered the outcome of his troops' first real battle. On the bright side, his men had performed admirably, capturing one galley, recovered some stolen goods, and chased the pirates off of the island, capturing sixteen and killing eighty. Unfortunately, they had found no sign of the survey crew, lost fifteen men themselves, and the majority of the pirates escaped. Further, Gaius suspected that the commander of the Fourth Fleet may take issue with his men attacking before the ships of the Fleet were close enough to intercept the fleeing pirates, which would not be a pleasant discussion. Still, at least something had come of the whole operation. He would have to find an interrogator to extract information on piracy in the Azure Sea from the prisoners, but Gaius felt confident that they would be able to give him a better idea of the state of the waters of the Sea. It was information he sorely needed, if he was to eradicate the scum from the Empire's territory. He would have the supplies sold, and use the proceeds to search for and hire an interrogation specialist to serve on his staff. Albinius Valerius and his men had, of course, at least partially completed their mission, as the mine was now cleared. The men had even brought back a few chunks of iron ore. Hopefully, the new survey crew would find a usable vein, so Salathai's new foundry, once further expanded, could begin to produce new iron equipment. Still, finding 250 pirates using his island for their own operations had both surprised and angered Gaius. It was clear that he needed to have a fleet capable of patrolling the waters and destroying the pirates before they grew too strong. While his navy was being built, however, his men would need to patrol the island on a regular basis. He returned to his desk, and began to devise a suitable system. Island of Salathai Stats: Population: 540,000 Engineering: Tier 2 Resources: Imperial Funding: 10 AP Base AP: 10 AP Mercantile District (25 AP invested = 1 stack): 4 AP Farmlands (25 AP invested = 1 stack): 2 AP Port (50 AP invested = 1 stack, 3 (5?) trading partners): 1 (2?)AP Abandoned Mine (INACTIVE): 0 AP Recovered supplies from pirates: 2AP Foundry (T1, INCOMPLETE) [12/20 AP invested]: 0 AP TOTAL AP: 29 AP Current units: Naval: 1 Galley Land: Two Cohorts T3 Light Axemen: 1st Cohort: 485 men, Primus Pilus: Albinius Valerius 2nd Cohort: 500 men, Primus Pilus: [REDACTED] (haven't come up with a name yet) Trading partners: Aulus’ March Blightswamp Riviera? Actions (Turn 2): 8 AP invested in foundry (T1) [20/20] 1 AP spent on lumber (Sent to Blightswamp, wood to arrive in 942 - Turn 3) 15 AP spent on ships 1 Trireme (T0 weapons, standard experience. 9 AP) 1 Lateen-Rigged Bireme (T0 weapons, standard experience. 6 AP) 2 AP into sending another survey team to the mine 3 AP into finding an interrogator to add to Gaius' staff, and interrogating the pirates for information on piracy in the Azure Sea 0 AP into setting the cohorts to patrol the island At any given time, there will be three centuries from each cohort patrolling the island. They will be split into squads of 10, with orders to send a runner back to Salath before any engagement, to report their location and the estimated strength of their foe. If the squad believes, with a high level of confidence, that they can defeat said foe, even without their runner, they may engage. Otherwise, they are to observe the enemy, without being seen, until reinforcements from their cohort arrive. If engaging is essential for the protection of civilians, they may engage without reinforcements, but only after the runner has been sent to report. The remaining two centuries from each cohort will remain as reserve in Salath. Each week, one century from each cohort will rotate into the field for three weeks on patrol, and another century from the same cohort will rotate back into the reserves for two weeks. (For example: Century A has been in the field for 3 weeks, B for 2, C for 1. Century D has been in the reserves for 2 weeks, and Century E has been in the reserves for one week. Next week, A will go into the reserves, and D will take their place in the field. The week after that, B will go into the reserves, and E will go on patrols. The next week after that, C will go into the reserves, and A will return to the field. After that, D will return to Salath, and be replaced by B, and in the next week of the rotation, E will return to the reserves, and C will go back to patrolling. This continues.)

The Island of Salathai https://imgur.com/fm0SBJw (file too big to embed, sorry) Governor Gaius Aurenian Lucinius Roleplay: Gaius Aurenian Lucinius gazed out of the window of his office, across the bay in which the port city of Salath lay, his expression a mix of frustration and exasperation. Sighing, he turned back to the man sitting in front of his desk. “You’re telling me that there are no resources of value to the rest of the Empire on this entire island, Julio?” “Not . . . quite, My Lord,” Gaius’ slave and scribe, Julio, replied. “There is an old mine in the mountains. It’s abandoned, and, of course, not exactly untouched, but if we’re lucky, there may be some veins of whatever it was they were mining for still there.” “I see. Well, best to find out if there’s anything there sooner rather than later, I think. Find some qualified men from the city who may be interested in some work, and bring them to me. If I think they can be trusted, I’ll be sending them up into the mountains to find and survey the mine. They’ll have a budget of 2,000 aurei.” “It shall be done, My Lord,” Julio scribbles something on a scroll in front of him. “Good. Now, as for these requests from the Grand Marshal,” Gaius stood, strode to the shelf built into the wall, and pulled two scrolls from their spaces. “Let us begin with the more urgent of the two. Lord Tielson has requested that each send to him a cohort of men. They will be trained and equipped by his own men, and sent out to ,clear the roads. We will, of course, be doing so.” “Is that wise, My Lord? Sending the islanders to fight for the mainlanders?” “With our abundance of resources, we don’t have much choice, Julio.We need a consistent flow of goods if we don’t want to run this island into the ground. So, we’ll be raising a cohort of men, and sending them to Aulus’ March. We will also be sending a messenger with them, to accept Lord Tielson’s offer of a trade partnership. “Further, while raising the cohorts for the Grand Marshal, I think it would be wise to begin training some soldiers of our own. I don’t trust the Fourth Fleet to get anything done. See to it that the men are recruited, and I shall attempt to procure equipment for them from the Crossroads.” More scribbling. “As you say, My Lord. Anything else?” “Find some workers. I want to start building a foundry in the island. We need the production capabilities.” “Of course.” “You’re dismissed, Julio.” As Julio left the office, scroll in hand, Gaius spread out two lengths of parchment before him, and began to write. On the first scroll, he composed a letter to the commander of the Fourth Fleet, laying out his terms for the disciplining of the marines who burnt down a local tavern. The second length was to become a missive to the governor of Blightswamp, an entreaty for supplies of lumber. Island of Salathai Stats: Population: 500,000 Resources: Expansion Funding: 5 AP Base AP: 10 AP Mercantile District (25 AP invested = 1 stack): 4 AP Farmlands (25 AP invested = 1 stack): 2 AP Port (50 AP invested = 1 stack, 3 trading partners): 1 AP Abandoned Mine (INACTIVE): 0 AP TOTAL AP: 22 AP Trading partners: Aulus’ March Blightswamp Annor's Crossroads Actions: 2 AP invested into funding an investigation of the abandoned mine on Salathai 8 AP invested into raising two cohorts of T3 Light Axemen Letter sent to Annor's Crossroads requesting that they produce the required equipment (boiled leather and steel axes) 2 AP invested into raising a cohort for the Grand Marshal (1 cohort, medium, to be trained and equipped by the Marshal) Messenger sent to commander of Fourth Fleet re: burnt-down tavern/improper discipline of troops. (0 AP) Reply to letter requesting trade from Lord Sarboth (0 AP) 12/20 AP invested into T1 Foundry Letter sent to Marcus Scipius, asking to set up a contract for a regular delivery of lumber, with suitable compensation (1 AP)

Skype: [redacted, can PM if needed] Province of choice: The Island of Salathai Governor (Their name, and a little personal history): Gaius Aurenian Lucinius is a devout Neaist and adopted grandson of Gaius Aurenius Maximus, a soldier of high rank and much distinction. Aurenian’s adoptive father, Appius Aurenius, was a man notable mainly in his mediocrity and the wealth he inherited from his own father. Though he was born on the island of Salathai, Aurenian was raised in Altaire, after his adoption and removal from the island at an early age by his father, on one of his many pleasure cruises. Aurenian, by contrast, has something of an eye for military matters, though he is still an amateur, especially in comparison to his grandfather. Most of his study of such is born more from a desire to live up to his grandfather’s legacy than of any true interest in the subject. No, Aurenian’s true passions are politicking and history, a combination that, along with a lust for power born of an urge to prove himself more capable than his adopted father, led to his attempts to gain a governorship. When an old family friend rose to power on the Imperial Council, Aurenian saw his chance, and immediately set about currying favor with the man. Months of calculated obsequiousness and several cashed favors later, Aurenian had ensured that his name would be put forth as a possible replacement when it came time for a new governor to be chosen. Upon the death of the old governor of the island of Salathai, there were surprisingly few candidates for his replacement. His perceived familiarity with the island due to his ancestry and his shameless politicking gave him a leg up on his competition, and thus, Aurenian set out to the west. Your Provincial Culture: Prior to their conquest by the Altairean Empire, the people of Salathai were mainly fishermen, though the island did produce the occasional merchant, with many of their technological achievements naval. Today, the Salathai are fairly active as merchants. While not as prosperous as Riviera, the Salathai merchants were well-placed for success, especially when the Altairean Empire was unified and at (relative) peace. However, the loss of their industrial capabilities has significantly hampered their ability to produce goods and ships in the volumes they could prior to the Nightmare Era. Furthermore, the combination of their near-bloodless conquest by the Empire, an independent streak among the people that was not stamped out in said conquest, and intermingling with foreign cultures via trade has made Salathai more sympathetic to rebellious thought than other, less independently-minded provinces. While uprisings do occur on the island itself, the Salathai tend to back rebels in other provinces, funding their efforts while biding their own time. The most common expression of rebelliousness among the Salathai is in their religious practices. When asked, they will, of course, swear up and down that they are devout Neaists, and in public, many act the part. However, in private, most stick closer to the traditional animistic practices of the pre-conquest Salathai, with less reverence for their ancestors than Neaists have. Rumor has it that pirates occasionally form small settlements in otherwise uninhabited parts of the island. While this has been done in the past, at this time, the veracity of these rumors is uncertain. A Unique Military Unit for your Province (You should read the mechanics before you decide): Lateen-rigged galley: Originally developed by the natives of Salathai, these ships are usually based off of the smaller biremes and uniremes, using their lighter hulls and triangular sails for increased maneuverability and speed against the wind. Their speed when sailing at higher on the wind comes at the cost of swiftness at a run, where more traditional galleys have the advantage. Though usable in battle as one would any other galley, the lateen rugged galley’s true value can be found in scouting and long voyages, where it’s maneuverability grants it a distinct advantage.