HRE NES

[Cyclotron]

Originally posted by bipolarbear
And according to the rule of 50 I don't really have any room for them in my budget this turn, thus they will have to wait.

Well, you do have an enormous treasury of 8,200d to dip into, but running a balanced budget is also respectable. You don't always have to listen to your barons, after all.

[bipolarbear]

You will not tell the Komissar who he does not have to listen to!

1000 denarii allocated to the effort to fortify our glorious borders!

1050 Denarii to emphasize defensive tactics in Systema, one of which will be the "Flying Arrow Recoilation Tactics" henceforth F.A.R.T.

[appleciders]

And apparently I have mixed up which turn I sent that order for. My mistake.

[appleciders]

Bavarian Orders: (Complete)

450 denarii from iron should be used to produce 180 sets of heavy armor. 100 denarii from leather to produce 100 sets of light armor. 180 denarii to produce 180 polearms. 50 denarii to produce extra arrows and quivers so that my archers can have lots of extra arrows on hand, so as to have the advantage in long stand-offs.

Of the 200 fresh recruits, equip 180 of them with the above heavy armor and polearms, plus axes from my armory, and added to the First Regiment and called "Bavarian Chargebreakers." The other 20 should be equipped with light armor, swords, and shields and added to the Fourth Regiment as Medium Swordsmen. Also, equip 700 of my archers in the Second Regiment with Magyar bows in addition to their standard bows, allowing them extra range and power in good weather while maintaining their firepower in poor weather. Finally, equip all 300 Angonmen in my Third Regiment with light armor from my armory.

Move 300 archers (150 regular, 150 with Magyar bows and their regular bows) into the Fourth Regiment. Move all Thuringian Woodsmen into the Third Regiment.

Wildgraf Waldhar von Brenner should be placed in charge of the Chivalry of Bavaria.

120 denarii to continue settling displaced Slavs in Bavaria and the nearest areas of Carinthia.

75 denarii from stone to begin repairing and fortifying Eppenstein. Eppenstein sure could use the repairing and fortifying, plus fortifications are supposed to reduce corruption.

150 denarii to expand and improve my iron mining operations in Carinthia. Expand the diggings, improve the roads in the area to ensure efficient transport to and from the mines, and hire more miners to improve the yield. Also make sure that the most modern methods of iron mining are being used.

Trade Saxony 300 swords for 300 axes. Trade Dalmatia 1,000 bows and 500 swords for 500 d. each of cash, timber, and stone. Trade Venice 800 d. of salt for 300 d. of leather, 300 d. of silks and spices, 200 d. of wine, and 150 d. of glassware. Trade Swabia 200 d. of cloth for 100 d. of butter and 100 d. of fish. Instead of 300 d. of salt, trade Franconia 200 d. of leather and 150 d. of silks and spices.

Call up 500 men to be trained in the army.

Since Wildgraf Waldhar von Brenner has already been assigned to an army, call up two new generals. If possible, one of them should be my brother Eberhard. Retain Wildgraf Ansehelm von Leitbach on my "potentials" list.

[Micha]

Originally posted by Cyclotron
Siemovit, Lord of the Polans to Duke Heinrich of Saxony
We do have some silver that could be traded, though it is not our most plentiful good. We do have large supplies of hides and pelts, as well as salt, copper, and amber that we are willing to trade. We would certainly be interested in iron weaponry from your smiths.

Our land includes both banks of the River Oder, as far as Pomerania to the north and Silesia to the south, west until the environs of Budyšin and east into the deep forests.

Duke Heinrich of Saxony to Lord Siemovit of the Polans

Lord Siemovit, hear that Duke Heinrich, ruler of the mighty Saxons by the grace of God, has the following offer for you:

We will send 30 swords and 20 axes from the forges of our skilled blacksmiths to you, while in return we get 150d worth of hides, pelts, silver and amber from your traders. This can be done one time or annually, whichever you prefer.

Will you accept?

[appleciders]

Duke Arnulf of Bavaria to Duke Tomislav of Dalmatia

I have noted your recent preparations for war. Surely an experienced general such as yourself knows the problems inherent in keeping an army fed, and recognizes the value of salt as a preservative. I have recently acquired a salt mine that produces more salt than I can easily use- might you be interested in purchasing some of this salt? I would consider any product you might offer, though significant quantities of stone or potash would be especially useful to me.

Duke Arnulf of Bavaria to Doge Orso II Participazio of Venice

I have recently come into ownership of a productive salt mine within my domains that outproduces my needs. Would you be interested in purchasing salt from me that you might resell it at profit at one of your overseas markets? I am most interested in iron in return, but would consider any offer you make.

[Cyclotron]

Siemovit, Lord of the Polans, to Duke Heinrich of Saxony
This trade is acceptable to us as an annual trade, at least in the short term. We will provide you with 150d of of hides, amber, and silver, effective immediately.

Duke Tomislav of Dalmatia to Duke Arnulf of Bavaria
I thank you for your offer, but I currently have more than enough salt for my needs from domestic sources. I do, however, have a surplus of stone, so if you have another potential offer we could come to a suitable agreement.

Doge Orso II Participazio of Venice to Duke Arnulf of Bavaria
Your offer comes at an opportune time. King Berengar has recently been favoring Genoa, our rivals in the Mediterranean salt trade, and discouraging Italian salt producers from dealing with us. We will take whatever quantity you can produce. As far as recompense, we are prepared to offer you a variety of goods, including leather, wheat, timber, sugar, glassware, and even Greek silks and spices from the lands of the Saracen.

Our offer, however, is conditional on one stipulation: you will not trade your salt supplies to other parties unless the transaction is deemed appropriate by us. This stipulation is merely meant to protect our interests, and is certainly beneficial to you, as we will most certainly not leave you with any quantity of untraded supply.

Your trade of salt to your King is acceptable to us, though the more you can provide us with the better terms we will be able to give you.

We have also noted your trade of silver to King Berengar. I personally am greatly disturbed by the economic leverage his newly minted currency is giving him, and I must strongly suggest that you find a way to exit this deal. I am sure that our merchants could procure a much more... favorable deal if you could be dissuaded from trading such a strategically valuable commodity to Berengar.

[appleciders]

Duke Arnulf of Bavaria to Doge Orso II Participazio of Venice
If you can take as much salt off my hands as I can offer, I shouldn't need to trade my salt elsewhere. How does 500 denarii of salt in exchange for 200 denarii of leather, 100 denarii of timber, and 300 denarii of silks and spices? I will inquire to my King whether an equal value of other goods might be acceptable to him

As to the silver trade with Berengar... While I disagree with his heavy-handed interference in matters outside his borders, I am loath to risk his wrath. Still, like yourselves, I am not insensible to profit, and will keep my eyes open for any opportunity to decrease or scale down my trades with Berengar in favor of yourselves, if you can improve my profits.

Duke Arnulf of Bavaria to Duke Tomislav of Dalmatia
Well, if you're preparing for a war, you might be interested in purchasing some of the excess weapons I have in my stores from my recent battles with the Magyars. I could offer you 500 swords and 1,000 bows for 1,500 denarii, either in cash or trade goods.

[Cyclotron]

Doge Orso II Participazio of Venice to Duke Arnulf of Bavaria
That trade is acceptable to us. If you can redirect the amount you are currently trading to Franconia to us, we will increase your margin by 50d.

I can unfortunately not offer you a better margin with regard to silver, but I guarantee that trade with us would produce more profit. Trade with us also secures you an additional benefit; it is not at all unlikely that, as a result of your ongoing trade with Berengar, you will someday face an Italian army and thousands of mercenaries raised with your own silver coin.

Duke Tomislav of Dalmatia to Duke Arnulf of Bavaria
That is a fair trade, as a one-time deal. Would you prefer your payment in denarii, or another good, such as timber or stone?

[appleciders]

Duke Arnulf of Bavaria to Duke Tomislav of Dalmatia
Make it 500 cash, 500 leather, and 500 stone, if you have enough of those products to make the trade viable.

Duke Arnulf of Bavaria to King Conrad of Franconia
My lord, does my trade of salt to you matter in substance or only in quantity? Might I replace the salt with another product, that I might trade the salt to the Venetians at greater profit?

[Cyclotron]

Duke Tomislav of Dalmatia to Duke Arnulf of Bavaria
Done. I do not expect any Magyar interference, but I will provide an escort just in case. The Croatian people thank you for your assisstance in a time of need.

[foolish_icarus]

how much of an effect on my troops will losing the Bavarian salt supply have?

[appleciders]

Duke Arnulf of Bavaria to King Conrad of Franconia
My liege, the Venetians have offered me an increase of 50 d. to my margin of profit if I can transfer that salt to them. I would be willing to pass this profit on to you; i.e. increase your trade margin with me to 50 d. if you will release me from this this requirement that the trade goods I trade you must be salt. I do not believe salt has any major effect on military ventures, although I could be wrong.

[Cyclotron]

Originally posted by foolish_icarus
how much of an effect on my troops will losing the Bavarian salt supply have?

Your army is too small and too close to civilization to require any significant amount of "special resources." Local supplies of food, water, salt, and so on are sufficient. If you were to field a larger army - say, 10,000 or so - and field it in enemy territory for some time, you might have to make trade arrangements for salt, grain, and so on, but as it stands this isn't necessary.

[foolish_icarus]

Conrad to Arnulf:

Go ahead, that sounds fine.