1408

## **Supply trains start moving north, both by ship and over land**

### **The** **1408****North Point Migration**

A one-year coordination, a sudden new use of the long land route to the north, and a pioneering spirit were all key parts of the new Stonehearth migration. The bulk would travel by wagon – a trip that took more than three weeks to arrive – and they’d be reaching a place that had no defenses, no supplies, nothing.

They’d be building from less than scratch – the ruins of Lathtarl’s Lantern was just off-site.

Even before the first shovel of dirt was dug, three separate shanty towns had sprung up in support of the overall effort. One was a fishing village, one was a smithing village and the other supported a quarry. A fourth village was founded on the outskirts of where the city was planned – and that one had the first permanent Stonehearth presence.

### ***The Arms of Stonehearth***

#### Touchstone: the state of the Arms…

**Soldiers:** the heart and soul of the Stonehearth Arms

For 111 years, the Stonehearth Arms had relied upon building an extremely disciplined, extraordinarily trained, well-paid, well-cared-for multi-function *chartered* military force.
Originally based on the battle-tested, combat-proven Purple Dragons of Cormyr, their efficiency and ferocity evolved under scientific guidance. Regular, continuous training and conditioning honed the soldiers into deadly fighters.
Beyond the average mercenaries of Baldur’s Gate who simply enforced the peace, the Stonehearth soldiers were trained in police functions, and were the authorities in and around  the Stonehearth facilities.
This included casting cantrip-level truth spells, knowing when they worked, and being able to follow subjective truth to find evidence that revealed objective truth. This was a process adapted and improved upon from Halruaa’s guards.
They also specialized in non-lethal intervention when and where possible (and still do).
After the 1305 advent of the compound repeating crossbows, every soldier became a marksman – and as much a ranged threat as a melee threat.
The 1338 development of alchemical propellant turned every soldier into rifleman. It was a potent enough tool that it became the primary weapon – *and it was feared*.
In Baldur’s Gate, the Arms had built a battalion of soldiers in five companies, including one command company and four combat companies.
All four combat companies were part of a rotation through The Gate. The manor in the Upper City required one company, while two more companies were split between four Stonehearth campuses in the Lower City. The fourth company had sub rotations through training, deployment or recuperation.
The deployment rotations made Stonehearth Arms a regional legend – the company patrolled the areas outside the city and often deployed to meet infestations or invasions. There, the superior tactics, training and equipment built a reputation for precision, professionalism and lethality.
**The Marines**

An extension of the House Guard, a liberty afforded the patriars of Baldur’s Gate, was the Ship’s Guard. For most, these were simply swords on a boat. For Stonehearth, whose high-value shipments were a frequent target from pirates and everybody else, they were highly-paid, highly-trained, highly deadly maritime soldiers.
They studied, developed and fought as marines, were legally empowered masters-at-arms aboard ships, and retained law enforcement authority when ashore, often acting in defense of port facilities.
Prospective candidates needed to serve two years in the main Arms before they were eligible to test into the Marines.
Stonehearth would have a port in North Point, for which the Marines would be in charge, as well as increased maritime presence based out of the new city.
Additionally, given the coastline and river banks around North Point, it was a natural extension to increase the role of the Marines to be over-the-beach raiders.
**The Sergeants-at-Arms**

The Sergeants-at-Arms, or “SA” for short, had been the core of the house guard, the visible bodyguards and highly-trained retainers of the house lords. By that token, where many lords’ guards also acted as their henchman, the Stonehearth iteration had evolved into an extraordinarily capable special operations unit.
The SA performed certain discreet, highly sensitive missions and operations on behalf of the house, functioning as both spies and attachés.
Given the heavy maritime factor of Stonehearth business, prospective SA candidates were required to serve two years in the main Arms and two more years as a Marine before they eligible to test and begin training into this specialization.
#### In the last two years, the Arms had grown…

##### North Point Plans and Staffing

Stonehearth wasn’t abandoning anything in Baldur’s Gate, so North Point required an expansion of the Arms. Based on the scouting, they planned rotational duty stations that tallied up to a battalion in defense of the combined Keep, City and claimed highland territory.
This broke down to three heavy companies of noble arms, rotating through three watch territories, plus one command company headquartered at NPK but fully (and occasionally) mobile. *Each assignment lasts three months and there would be careful staging and mobilization procedure when they rotate into a new station*.
The forward operating base would be along the river, if not across – where there would be guaranteed weekly (likely daily) action against regenerating chaotic evil giants or any number of a legion of undead. This was the crucible, where recruits, gear, methods and developments were battle-tested and combat-proven.
In relative decompression afterward, units rotate up to patrol the vast highlands territory. In this case, the individual platoons of the Company split to cover the upper, thin portion of the “peninsula,” about 400 square miles of territory – and only about half of it was flat-ish. *The soldiers recruited and trained were at “mountain troop” standards*.
Finally, units would be rebuilt and replenished when rotated back to North Point Keep. In both the highlands jurisdiction and in NPK/lowlands, they serve as gendarmeries.
The Command Company had executive staff and combat service support.
##### Company Structure

The company configuration utilized 3 platoons of infantry, all of whom are transported on steam-powered horseless war wagons (about two-thirds of whom would dismount and fight as dragoons). Accompanying was 1 platoon of cavalry, and one platoon of Logistics. *Each company also maintained a command platoon*.
Each company bore a fire motif, displayed on morale patches that augmented the House escutcheon. The fire themes played directly on troll perceptions – and it worked.
* **Firestorm Company**
* **Blaze Company**
* **Flamestrike Company**

##### A new unit: *The Rangers*

In addition to the soldiers, the marines and the Sergeants-at-Arms, Stonehearth was going to need stealthy long-range, patrols. The soldiers of the Arms were either on horseless carriage or horseback – *they could move*. Heavy patrols and a show of strength was perfect but running clandestine scouting missions wasn’t the infantry’s forte.
This was something the SA could, and often did, do – but the need for North Point tactical intelligence was so large would deplete the SA for any operational or strategic intelligence. Given the proximity of the Trollbark forest, the Troll Hills… and even as far as Trollclaw Ford, it was absolutely necessary to take that load off the SA.
They needed a light infantry specializing in surveillance and reconnaissance missions. In a word, they needed ***Rangers***.
The rangers would start with the soldiers’ skill set, but would be trained in survival, tracking, hunting and camouflage techniques to comfortably move deep in hostile territory.
If necessary, those rangers had to have the ability to engage and destroy minor targets of opportunity, but on the whole, they needed to be clandestine: able to get in and get out without everyone knowing anyone was ever there.