Age of Strife 2: Episode 15

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==Recap==
3 wounded men arrive back in Waadsworth from the front in the West Duchy of the Kingdom of Kalia. One man is missing an eye, one is missing a hand, one is missing their leg below the knee. They tell stories about their battle in the forest at night. They heard drums. The grasses and trees moved to the beat of the drums and picks up the troops and tore them limb-to-limb. There are tales of orcs the size of giants swinging axes the size of tables. Orcs moving in complete silence except for the drum. Most of the wounded didn't escape the forest and were left to die.
The party hear the news from Aunt Sera Thorne and Luther's wife, Clara Thorne. The two have been visiting with the Greendall Family to find out more like the late Stefan Thorne had asked.
Clara was visiting with Cosi Greendall in Darbloom and saw Lord Kel Rugspin Greendall's personal assistant going into a building in the village. The personal assistant is the servant who tried to trick them into attacking Zara Genhal's Carriage. Clara tells Luther when they are alone that she likes Cosi and hopes he won't harm her.
Sera finds out the Greendalls are conserving resources and not hiring on any new servants. Kel Rugspin has been complaing loudly to the rest of his family about the increases in Taxes.
Ginger Thorne & Luther want to buy some horses, but the only ones in Waadsworth are owned by other noble families. The Thresher Family has a horse breeding program, the Thornes inquire, and there is only one horse up for sale at the moment. The Wyatt Family have more horses on hard, but don't train them themselves.
Arthur has the ability to pick up which horses are the best. He inspects the Thresher Horse for sale and finds is a good quality spirited horse with 17 HP named Blackberry. Luther ends up purchasing the horse. Luther then asks Kel Reginald how to use a Lance from Horseback.
Luther also orders 3 tabards with the Thorne red rose sigil on it for Arthur, Ginger & Luther. He also orders 10 common tabards for their milita with the family crest on it.
Cousin Maximilian Thorne's plans for the town wall & Ballista are finished. The stone from Nixon still needs to be gathered.
===Sunday, 12th February, 56 AoS===
The Caravan comes into town. With the Caravan is a Stonemason and his family (wife & 2 children). Also arriving with the caravan is the mithril dagger and silver arming for Luther. Leather Armor for the Thorne Militia also arrive.
The party order some Plate Armor. The Caravan also have 3 horses they are willing to sell for 115 gold each, cheaper than the 150 gold the other nobles in Waadsworth would cost. Caboose, a black horse with a white triangle on chest, 9 HP. The other is Simba, a Tawny colored horse and white mane, 15 HP. Luther renames Caboose to Vinny. Ginger renames Simba to Roy. It'll take six months to train up the riding horse into a warhorse. 
Later Ginger arranges to host the returning veterans from the Black Guard, Luke, Red, & Thordin, to a Dinner. Red tells the story of a 9 to 10 foot orc with a giant axe that attacked. Thordin talks about how the Rear Guard were attacked by the forest itself when the Orc drums got close. Thordin says humanity should team up with the elfs to take out the orcs. The Orcs don't have a cavalry so in open fields the humans have the advantage.
The party talk with Cousin Maximilian Thorne about the mount of stones he needs. He says he'll have the exact numbers in a week. Kel Reginald says he'll train up the milita to help hold the safter west part of Nixon. 
Rumors from Ditchwater is that some Dwarves travelled form the mountains and to the Blackthorn Forest.
===Monday, 13th February, 56 AoS===
Luther asks Cousin Maximilian about draining the Stinking Marsh. Cousin Maximilian points out how hard it would be, find out what is stopping it draining into the Ocean. The swamp is at least 30 by 7 miles, with an unknown amount under the trees of the Thornwood Forest. 
The party head east to the coast where the swamp meets the coast.
During the day they spot a pack of mounted goblins on frogs. The 6 goblins attack the party and the party move to fight back and start killing the goblins. When there are only 2 Goblins left, they retreat. Arthur kills one with an arrow shot. 
Arthur tames a riderless giant frog with his Ranger abilities. 
The party reach the coast by the end of the day and inspect the ground. It is a series of 25 foot high Sand Dunes. It seems possible they can build the channel to rain the swamp, but it will need some labor to dig it out.
===Tuesday, 14th February, 56 AoS===
The party return to Waadsworth before the end of the day without incident.
Cousin Maximilian Thorne give the party the calculations of what trench is required to drain the swamp and the labor required. A 4 feet wide channel 3000 feet long. 300,000 cubic feet of sand needs to be excavated. 5,500,000 shovel fulls of sand, which Max calculates at 55,000 man-hours of work. For 100 people could dig it out in 55 days. Cousin Maximilian says the time could be cut in half by making the sand wet before digging.
===Wednesday, 15th February, 56 AoS===
The party with Maximilian head to Thornwatch Keep to talk with Countess Lorwind about their plans to drain the swamp.
When they have their appointment the party go into the throne room. Luther explains their plan, and shows Maximilian's plans. Maximilian explains the exact manpower required. 750 gold the project could cost including labor costs, supply lines & security. Countess Lorwind says she will speak to her advisers to see if there will be any bad side effects.
The party are dismissed from the room as her council talk over the matter. An hour later the party return to the room. The Countress doesn't want to divert manpower from the wall project at the moment, but thinks after the wall is done, draining the swamp is a good next project. If the Thornes however finance the project, they have Countress Lorwind's support. Luther agrees the wall is of higher priority, and says they'll work on the swamp afterwards. Luther gives the Countress the status of the wall project.
The party return to Waadsworth.
==Experience==
700 exp
*Arthur levels to level 3
**Max HP goes from 11 to 15
**+1 To Hit
**1 Weapon Proficiency & 1 Non-Weapon Proficiency
Category:Age of Strife 2 Episodes