Military unit
Overview
A military unit represents a small band of approximately 20 skilled soldiers. The military unit could be as few as a dozen elite warriors or it could be as many as a hundred regular soldiers.
Military Strength
In military terms, a starting military unit is the equivalent of 100 soldiers - it has a military strength of 100. By comparison, a normal Imperial army has an effective military strength of 5000 and a normal fortification has an effective military strength of 3000.
This means that when the skills and experience of a starting military unit are assigned to an action then they add a military strength of 100 to the action. The combined military strength of all participants is crucial for the success of most military actions. If the action is paid work - then the wealth received by the unit is dependent on its military strength.
Each military unit upgrade increases the military strength of the unit by 20 with enchantments providing similar bonuses to the military strength of the unit.
Downtime Options
Each downtime, the player can choose one of four different types of action which are described in general terms below.
The production the military unit gains is based on the option the player selects each downtime. If the option provides any benefits, then they will usually be dependent on the military strength of the unit. Depending on the actions taken, the military unit may receive the Imperial guerdon.
If a player does not select a downtime option for their military unit, then the unit defaults to paid work. A new player who starts with a military unit always receives this random result; it is not possible to choose an action for your unit before you attend your first event.
Any military unit can always choose to engage in paid work. This happens automatically if the owner does not select any other option. The unit has an equal chance of gaining herbs, ingots or measures, money, or mana crystals as a result of this action - the amounts are indicated in the table below.
The most common form of paid work is guard duty (protecting a business, safeguarding a caravan, or working as hired muscle, for example), but it might also represent raiding barbarian strongholds, or adventuring in the wild places of the Empire. You are free to roleplay the details of this paid work as you wish within reason, as it does not have an impact on the ongoing campaign. Despite the name, you do not need to roleplay that the materials your military unit produces are actual payment - they can just as easily represent loot claimed from defeated opponents.Take Independent Action
A military unit can choose to take independent action. They will always be able to choose to take paid work; other options may be available depending on the campaign.
Paid work provides a standard return based on the rank of the military unit, but other independent actions do not provide any returns by default. Make sure to check what production is shown when you select the action from the drop down menu if that it is important.
Support Army
A military unit can choose to take part in a military campaign by supporting an army or similar. They will always be able to support any Imperial army; other military engagements may be available depending on the campaign.
Any military units assigned to support an army are automatically assumed to help carry out the orders issued to the army by the general, whatever they may be. You can see what order you will be supporting when you select an army to support. The strength a unit adds to an army is never increased by any army orders or an enchantment on the army - but the unit strength is reduced if the army order or enchantment reduces the strength of the army.
Defend Fortification
A military unit can choose to defend a territory or region. They will always be able to assist the garrison of any Imperial fortification; other options to defend an area may be available depending on the campaign.
Any military units assigned to defend a fortification are automatically assumed to patrol the area, seeking out enemy forces and other threats. The units will also help to prevent barbarian raids, bandit attacks and similar threats where these are taking place.
Scout an Area
A military unit can choose to perform reconnaissance in a territory or region. They will always be able to spy on an area using any Imperial spy network; other options to scout an area may be available depending on the campaign, including actions to carry our stealthy raids or similar.
In most cases, the degree of success depends on the total strength of the military units assigned to support the project - a single military unit is not normally sufficient.
Imperial Guerdon
Military units do not automatically earn wealth unless they take paid work, a type of independent action. Other options may provide income for the unit, but they do not do so by default.
The Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies has control of the Imperial guerdon, a purse drawn from the Imperial treasury to recompense commanders who act in the interests of the Empire. It is shared between military units whose actions the Quartermaster deems eligible. The Quartermaster makes an announcement to the Imperial Senate each season to indicate which military options will benefit - they may choose any of the options available - they could even give the guerdon to those units taking paid work if they cared to.
The value of the Imperial guerdon is divided between each captain whose military unit supports an army in proportion to the military strength of their unit. The Senate may vote to increase or decrease the size of this fund.
| Production | Resources | Money | Mana | Herbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 random resources | 10 ingots or measures | 180 rings | 7 mana | 6 True Vervain, 2 Cerulean Mazzarine, 2 Bladeroot, 2 Imperial Roseweald, 2 Marrowort |
| 12 random resources | 12 ingots or measures | 200 rings | 8 mana | 6 True Vervain, 2 Cerulean Mazzarine, 2 Bladeroot, 2 Imperial Roseweald, 2 Marrowort, 2 random herbs |
| 14 random resources | 14 ingots or measures | 220 rings | 10 mana | 6 True Vervain, 2 Cerulean Mazzarine, 2 Bladeroot, 2 Imperial Roseweald, 2 Marrowort, 4 random herbs |
| 16 random resources | 16 ingots or measures | 240 rings | 11 mana | 6 True Vervain, 2 Cerulean Mazzarine, 2 Bladeroot, 2 Imperial Roseweald, 2 Marrowort, 6 random herbs |
| 18 random resources | 18 ingots or measures | 260 rings | 12 mana | 6 True Vervain, 2 Cerulean Mazzarine, 2 Bladeroot, 2 Imperial Roseweald, 8 random herbs |
Production
If you select paid work or a similar action from your downtime options then the system will state the production as "10 random resources". Any time you see this it means you have a 25% chance to receive either herbs, mana, money, or resources. How many of each you get will depend on how many random resources you are due to receive as a mana crystal is worth substantially more than a herb. The table opposite shows what you can expect to receive.
Upgrades
A military unit can be upgraded using mithril obtained from the Imperial Bourse. Each time a military unit is upgraded, the military strength of the unit is increased by 20. This means two extra random resources from paid work, and a similar proportional increase in the share of the guerdon if appropriate.
To upgrade a military unit requires Imperial wains of mithril equal to the level the military unit is being upgraded to. So the first upgrade of a starting level 1 military unit costs 2 Imperial wains of mithril, from 2 to 3 costs 3 Imperial wains, etc.
Diversification
A military unit cannot be diversified.
Adventures
In addition to the normal actions a military unit can take, there are also adventures. These are downtime actions that have arisen through player action, often as the result of a wind of fortune. Most are accessible through the independent action dropdown, and count as such for purposes of rituals. Instead of providing random rewards, however, they provide specific benefits. Each adventure lists the rewards a standard military unit will receive, and an upgraded or enchanted military unit will gain proportionately more.
Some adventures are temporary; they are usually listed on the interlude page for as long as they are available. Others are permanent - or will last until a certain condition is met. For example Adventure in the Sarangrave is available as long as the Feverwater Docks are in Imperial hands, and the Sarangrave is hostile territory.
Not every adventure is available to every character equally - some are much less productive for some nations, or may be available only to characters that meet a specific criteria. In each case, you're encouraged to make up stories about your downtime actions in keeping with the details here. Profound Decisions won't provide any additional information to someone whose military unit engages in one of these adventures - in that they're just like the paid work action.
Explore the Sarangrave
This adventure is only available to Navarr characters. The Feverwater docks in Therunin serve as a staging point for adventurers prepared to push into the Sarangrave. The river that feeds into the Sarangrave is wide, running through the vallorn heart of Bendol, and then up through Nesustak Forest and Turan Flats. Given their familiarity with the vallorn, Navarr thorns can take advantage of this opportunity to battle Druj orcs and vallornspawn, explore the woods and marshes of Sarangrave, and perhaps even venture further afield into the deadly depths of the Mallum.
Rather than receiving random production a standard military unit will receive 8 random herbs and 6 random forest resources from their adventure.
Explore the Depths
This adventure is available to characters from Dawn, Wintermark, Navarr, the League, and the Marches. After the Summer Solstice 384YE, the Master of the Koboldi arranged an expedition to the depths to secure the magical Red Iron Door in the monster-haunted depths below Lorenzo's Deep Pockets (a great sinkhole with many names located in the north-west of the Empire). They contained the worst of the subterranean horrors, but the winding passages and galleries extend for miles and miles and there are still all kinds of threats both mundane and magical to be found deep beneath the earth. The sinkhole's depths have been explored but they still represent an ideal place for the adventurous to seek personal glory and treasure.
Rather than receiving random production a standard military unit will receive 3 ingots of weltsilver, 3 ingots of tempest jade, and 2 crystal mana from their adventures.
Adventure in Varushka
This adventure is only available to Varushkan and Dawnish characters. The beasts of Varushka stir, and the boyars need schlacta, warden fellowships, and sell-swords to help protect their vales, or travellers traversing the dark hills and darker woods. Those who undertake this adventure will likely face the Wolves of Varushka in battle - ambulatory cadavers, pale hungry ghouls, insidious mora, unnatural dubik, vicious rusalka, and maybe even lesser plaguewulfs. They can also expect to be reasonably well paid by the boyars, merchant-boyars, and wise ones for their services.
Rather than receiving random production a standard military unit will receive 90 rings, and five random resources (a combination of forest resources and metals from their adventure.
Quest against the Vallorn
This adventure is only available to Dawnish characters. The Manor of the Greenwood at Elvette in Semmerholm serves as a sanctuary for Dawnish knights and yeofolk to seek glory in the depths of vallorn-infested Brocéliande, facing vallornspawn, orcs, and perhaps even stranger things (such as monsters from the Spring realm), as well as exploring ancient Terunael ruins. They may even find themselves following the call of glorious adventures into the western Barrens.
This adventure requires both the Knight of the Greenwood and the Reeve of Greenforest Fayre to both be in good standing (with a noble and a yeofolk holding them), and could be ended by the Dawn National Assembly with an appropriately worded statement of principle that received a greater majority.
Rather than receiving random production a standard military unit will receive 48 rings (representing treasure and rare finds), 6 random herbs, and 4 measures of random forest resources from their adventure.
War of Whispers
This adventure is available to any character. It can be found in the scout an area dropdown in downtime. Any military unit that takes part in this adventure is considered to be either guarding scholars - both those with the Department of Historical Research, and those at centres of learning threatened by the Whisper Gallery across the Empire - or else actively working to uncover and stymie the schemes of the eternals' mortal allies and twisted heralds. The ritual enchantments that help a military unit support a spy network apply to this adventure because it relies on stealth and cunning as much as bodyguarding acumen. In place of their normal production, a standard military unit that undertakes this adventure recieves 120 rings and 2 crystal mana, with an enchanted or upgraded military unit receiving commensurately more.
As detailed in the A long December Wind of Fortune, all this assumes that the Imperial conclave continues to uphold their stance that the Whisper Gallery are enemies of the Empire. If that changed, the situation would quickly escalate and this adventure would no longer be enough to protect people by itself.
Rituals
The table below shows a list of the rituals in both Imperial lore and Urizen lore which can affect the production of a military unit.
| Ritual | Effect | Realm | Magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merciless Wrath of the Reaver | Increases strength by an additional 3 ranks over the next season if engaging in independent action | Spring | 8 |
| Raise the Standard of War | Increases strength by an additional 5 ranks over the next season if supporting an army | Summer | 20 |
| Clarion Call of Ivory and Dust | Increases strength by an additional 5 ranks over the next season if supporting an army | Winter | 20 |
| Shroud of Mist and Shadow | Increases strength by an additional 2 ranks over the next season if supporting an army or engaging in independent action | Night | 10 |
| Clad in Golden Raiment | Increases strength by an additional 1 rank over the next season if supporting an army | Summer | 5 |
| Sharp Eyes of the Corsair | Increases strength by an additional 2 ranks over the next season if supporting a spy network | Day | 10 |
| Aspect of the Mountain(1) | Increases strength by an additional 5 ranks over the next season if defending a fortification | Summer | 20 |
| Peregrine and Ichimos(1) | Increases strength by an additional 2 ranks over the next season if supporting an army or defending a fortification | Day | 10 |
| Unleash the Beasts Within(1)(3) | Increases strength by an additional 3 ranks over the next season if supporting an army | Winter | 13 |
| Accoutrements of War(2) | Increases strength by an additional 5 ranks over the next season if supporting an army or receives an additional 12 random ingots if they take paid work | Autumn | 20 |
| Like Water Through Your Fingers | Reduces production by three quarters for a year | Autumn | 30 |
- This ritual is in Urizen lore
- This ritual is a mystic scroll of Estavus
- This ritual is interdicted