Caravan of Courage: OOC

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:lol:

Sorry, that means that Úlf should not post after drinking.



Bobtheheros said:
Here you go, took a ridiculous amount of time

Name: Thedran Haus

Gender: Male

Age: 43

Faction of Birth: Swadia

Allegiance: Mercenary looking for work

Experience: Veteran

Feudal Rank: Commoner

Appearance: A wrinkly fourty something years old man with a long brown beard and long hair, his skin is the typical color of a Swadian who spent time at war. Thedran's a 5'10" tall man and he weights about 160 pounds, his shape isn't as good due to the few years he spent away from the battlefield or a blacksmith.

Personality: Most of his illusion weere shattered by the wars he took part of, this also lead him to act with more care than he used to, avoiding combat when possible, but certainely not shying away from it when necessary. He has started to develop mild alcoholism, and wasted more than one pay on it.

Talents: Well trained swordsman, not a match for a knight but about as good as you can be as a mercenary, he's also quite capable as a blacksmith, and his and his companion gear is kept in fighting shape for a long time. Able to hunt animals with a crossbow, but not really proficient at it to the point where he'd reliably fight with one. Can read with some difficulties.

Biography: Thedran grew up in Suno, as the son of one of the many blacksmiths in the city. At about fourteen years old his father decided he's be old enough to start working at the family workshop, and so Thedran started to learn the crafts of blacksmithing. This what he would do for the next twelve years, in the meanwhile hatching plans of his own to begin his life as a mercenary. The forge was not all that busy or profitable, and Thedran used his spare time to craft his own sword, based on the same many knights used in battle. Having many brothers and sisters, his decisions wasn't all that badly received by his father, who gave him his blessing and good pair of mail mittens for his troubles. Thedran spent the next fifteen years of his life under the service of count Klargus, honing his skills. His first battle was agaisnt the Sarranids, and he was quickly knocked out by a Mamluke charging towards his line. Luckily for Thedran, peace was quickly settled and he wouldn't have to go and fight before a while, giving him plenty of time to train under the Count more experienced mercenaries and soldiers. The next battle went far better for Thedran, once again battling the Sarranids, he would walk out of this one on his feet, even killing his first man. Thedran would carry on fighting for his count for another fifteen years, using his meagre pay to eventually afford better equipement. He fought all sorts of enemies, from bandits plagueing the countryside to Nords, Rhodoks, Vaegirs and Khergits. As an infantryman, the mounted archers were one of the worst challenge he had to deal with, this has left him with a strong dislike of the Khergits. In 1255, Thedran ended his years of services to the Count and began his life as a wandering mercenary, a life away from massive battles, but certainly not as lucrative as the employ of a nobleman. His travels led him to the Lucky Dog.

Equipment:

Worn (clothing/armor): A simple green tunic and reinforced leather boots when not travelling/fighting //////// A flat topped helmet, haubergeon, leather boots and mail mittens otherwise.

Weapons (melee weapons, shields and ranged weapons): A long arming sword, a dagger and a reinforced heater shield

Horse: a donkey to carry whatever doesn't fit in his pack

Miscellaneous (anything else): whetstone, basic blacksmith tools (hammer, pincers, 15 pounds anvil), a small supply of ale and salted fish, a hatchet, flint and stone, furs, plates and metal bowl to cook food, waterskin.

Pics!

In the field
8uwrc.jpg

Expanded inventory, missing a few things, the horse is representing a donkey
CU5jq.jpg

Stats pictures, not really anything, but that's about the stats I'd give him if we were all playing the game, his 1h WPF is kinda low, but that's just because its a cheated character, they'd be higher on a normally leveled up character
6ZGv-.jpg

wjj1hy.png


Herr House is accepted, even if he isn't a medical doctor.  :razz:

Nice to have a blacksmith, fixing stuff is pretty important after all.

 
What I've got so far (need to write up the appearance part as it's just notes, a proper sounding surname, and the gear might change to suit a more hit and run type of character...but #yolo):

Name: Orso
Gender: Male
Age: 30
Faction of Birth: Rhodok
Allegiance: Mercenary for Hire
Experience: Elite
FeudalRank: Minor Noble

Appearance: Stands above average height (tall), athletic build (despite his poor drinking habits he is a career soldier), keeps his hair short and his beard is medium length (although often unkempt when traveling), black hair, gray eyes,

Personality: Orso is a capable soldier, an iron-willed individual and a skilled leader of men. He has the ability to keep those serving under him going even in the darkest of times and far longer than they would under other circumstances. Unfortunately for all of his strengths, Orso is prone to bouts of excess drinking and on occasion can display a poor temper. He disdains needless ceremony and the rules of polite society, however, he is friendly and agreeable in most situations. He has little patience for braggarts and fools, is quick to deal with either.

Talents: Orso is a trained soldier and skilled with most manners of arms. Unlike a great many nobles of Rhodok origin he is an able and accomplished horseman.

Biography: Orso ____ was born in the first months of 1227, in the small Rhodok village of Buvran to ____ ____ and  _____ ______. His father was a retired mercenary captain of company that had served the Rhodok kingdom for the better part of a century and his mother was the daughter of a prominent local farmer.

The oldest son in a long line of professional soldiers and mercenaries, Orso grew up learning the ways of war. Following in the footsteps of his father, when he came of age Orso became a professional soldier and entered into the employ of Count Rimusk. A capable leader and gifted tactician Orso rose through the ranks in the following years, securing a position commanding a sizable number of men, and leading a detachment of the soldiers in 1245 during a brief military campaign conducted against the Kingdom of Swadia.

However, after a bitter falling out with Count Rimusk, Orso chose to became a mercenary captain and formed a company of his own. However, the Rhodoks were loathe to lose a skilled commander and Orso was quickly retained by Count Talbar. Mounted on light horses and specializing in fast but devastating skirmishing tactics and ambushes the small company of Rhodoks managed to win a number of unexpected victories. The success of his unorthodox tactics garnered Orso much acclaim and he earned a reputation as one of the most promising military commanders of his age.

In 1249, he was tasked with resolving the so-called “Rebellion of the Seven” and defeated the gathered rebel barons that threatened the Rhodok city of Yalen. This great feat earned him many accolades and uncommonly for a commoner, Orso was subsequently elevated to the ranks of the nobility by King Graveth himself, becoming the Baron of Buvran.

The following year King Graveth allied with tribesmen opposed to Sultan Hakim of the Sarranid Sultanate to regain territory lost to the Sultanate in 1245. Orso was called in under the command of Count Talbar, defeating the Sarranids at the bloody battle of Caraf Castle in November. Despite a string of early Rhodok victories, the war quickly deteriorated into a bloody stalemate.

In a last desperate attempt to win the war, Orso and his company were sent far into the heart of the Sultanate with the hope that they would cause enough chaos to weaken the resolve of the Sarranids and at the very least to secure better terms for the Rhodoks in the imminent peace treaty that was sure to follow.

Surrounded by Sarranid hosts on all sides and assailed by the merciless desert Sun the company of mercenaries fought a desperate series of running battles. Eventually, succumbing to the oppressive heat and lack of supplies, the company was routed and scattered into the wind. In the weeks that followed, precious few of the mercenaries managed to escape the pursuing Sarranids, Orso among them.

Orso returned to the Rhodok Kingdom a changed man, full of bitterness and sorrow he turned to alcohol and began to nurse a growing hatred towards the liege he felt had left him to die in the endless sea of sand. Unwilling to return to the service of Count Talbar or the Rhodok Kingdom, Orso has instead embarked upon a succession of hopeless mercenary expeditions and minor jobs, earning just enough to continue to drown his sorrows in a bottle.

Equipment:

Worn (Clothing/Armor): When dressed for battle Orso wears a black surcoat over mail. To further guard against the the impact of any blows he also wears a thick, brown gambeson beneath his armor. His hands are protected by mail mittens, his feet rest inside a pair of splinted greaves and over a padded coif he wears a full helm of a distinctly Rhodok design.

However, even when combat seems far at hand Orso is known to dress pragmatically and without the gaudy taste of other nobles. If free to choose, he wears a a pale brown tunic fringed with silk, simple hose over his lower limbs, and a pair of well-made turnshoes. He prefers a thick, hooded cloak of Swadian wool, dyed a dark shade of red for riding and in winter he dons a close-fitting Vaegirian coat lined with fur.

Weapons (melee weapons, shields and ranged weapons): As a knight and experienced soldier, Orso is rarely is found far from his long arming sword, a parting gift from Count Talbar for his loyal years of service. He favors a heater shield of solid construction and a double sided lance for mounted combat, holding quick lighting strikes against his foes in high esteem. When meeting the enemy in close quarters Orso is quick to employ his military hammer to deadly effect, having found that more often than not an armored foe is more easily dispatched with a brutal instrument of war than with an expensive blade. Like most knights Orso also carries a cruel misericorde with him in order to dispatch a wounded or heavily armored enemy.

Horse: Orso has been generously loaned a courser by Bertram, a dapple gray stallion named Nalst, a prize won following a series of successful wagers on the part of the elderly merchant.

Miscellaneous: While Orso has ensured that supplies enough to last the journey to Dhirim are kept safely secured on his horse, he has also managed to convince one of the caravan drivers to ferry a sizable amount of alcohol from his personal stock.
 
Good choice.  :razz:

Created a TitanPad for the RP as well (pretty much a light version of google docs that doesn't require registration and allows you to save anything you write), check your inbox for a PM. You don't have to use it, but TitanPad is fairly useful if you want to collaborate on a post or even if you just want some feedback or help.
 
I think we need to sort out these myriad wars we all keep mentioning.

Take me for example. I mentioned being levied at 16 (in 1244) into the Swadian army against an unspecified enemy, but which could match with Ulf's "in 1245 during a brief military campaign conducted against the Kingdom of Swadia" that Orso was involved in.
And then Eadmund earnt the right to command a vintaine at 21 (in 1249) during the same war that being in a seige against Khergits (in 1250) occured (being a mercenary at that time means Eadmund could have been serving any faction, however).
I mentioned being in Jelkala some 9 years ago (in 124:cool: just prior to the “Rebellion of the Seven” around Yalen in 1249. That could be taken as being some R&R before going into the steppes. In 1250, the Rhodoks went to war against the Sarranids to regain ground lost in a previous conflict that happened during 1245.
Thedran, Bobtheheroes character, was also in a war (his first) against the Sarranids but this time it was from the Swadian prospective and happened sometime between 1240 and 1255. He has had an experience (manifested in a dislike) of Khergits, and over those 15 years serving Count Klargus "fought all sorts of enemies, from bandits plagueing the countryside to Nords, Rhodoks, Vaegirs and Khergits."

So as far as I can make out, the previous 17 years might have played out like this;
[list type=decimal]
[*]There was a war between the Swadians and Sarranids sometime between 1240 and 1244. This involved Thedran's first experience of battle.
[*]Between 1240 and 1255, either acting on his own volition or as part of a general Swadian effort, Count Klargus would have fought against both the Vaegirs and Nords, possibly in small border conflicts or a large war. This explains Thedran's experiences of fighting those factions. And fighting bandits doesn't need explaining.
[*]In 1244, both Eadmund and Thedran where involved in a Swadian war as Eadmund was levied and they would have had the same liege i.e. Count Klargus. It would likely be in the same war as below, but it could also relate to the above and have been against the Nords or the Vaegirs.
[*]In 1245, the Rhodoks started a brief campaign against the Swadians. Orso was definitely involved. Can have been a result of or have been called off due to the below.
[*]During 1245, the Rhodoks, whilst fighting the Swadians, lost some territory to the Sarranids. None of the characters seem to have been involved in this.
[*]The Rhodoks had a little rebellion in 1249 that Orso played a key part in suppressing.
[*]The Swadians could have been at war against the Khergits in 1249/50. Eadmund in a mercenary company (explaining how he was "promoted" and involved in a siege), and Thedran serving Count Klargus (explaining his dislike for Khergits).
[*]The Rhodoks, allied with tribesmen, went to war against the Sarranids in 1250, to regain territory lost in the war mentioned in number 5 above. The Rhodoks got bogged down and a massacre that Orso survived occured during this war.
[/list]
The other characters were involved in endemic warfare which probably wouldn't effect the main wars that much. I'm also taking what has been written how I read it, which may be different from what the writer wanted.

Do you all think this makes sense?
 
That actually looks really good to me, nice work.  :razz:

Although, I can't speak for what anyone else had in mind, but it fits what I imagined for the Italians...Rhodoks.

One easy fix to any potential conflicts about the timeline of conflict is as you suggested to recognize certain conflicts as the result of the choices of certain lords and/or being things like brief campaigns, raids, quick battles, and recon by force.
 
Yeah, I do think Count Klargus doing or defending against some of these smaller recon-by-force, raids or whatever by the Nords and Vaegirs seems more likely than the entire Kingdom of Swadia getting involved. Especially if the Kingdom was involved in the wars I assume happened against the Sarranids, Rhodoks and then Khergits during the same 1240-55 period. But obviously, it's up to Bob to decide if these would be acceptable, it's his character that would be involved in them. I didn't specify the enemy Eadmund fought under Klargus in 1244, so it could be the Rhodok-Swadian war or just some smaller conflict that the Count got himself into (I don't mind).
 
Yeah I was thinking about MnB terms, but I forgot how short these war can be. I can chalk it up to minor skirmishes, save for the Khergits, I think, it would need to more than a small skirmish to develop a lasting dislike of them. I was thinking of writing about Thedran time during the siege of Jelkala, but you made me realise that was a little too many large scale battles to be part of.
 
I'm probably applying my conception of how a "real-life" war would occur too pedantically onto what a war that our characters would experience.
 
Question to anyone more down with the currency of Calradia, what seems like a reasonable sum of coin to fund a modest guard for a trade caravan?



Edit: Will also be mulling about the Titan Pad today, so swing on by if you have something to show, talk about, etc.
 
Prices in Warband are a little wonky, though. Item cost is inflated for the player to help keep a proper progressional scale. I think about 1,000 would be more reasonable depending on the composition of the company and the distance.
 
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