บท 16: The next coming of the Roman Legion and first steps to build an Empire
DURRANDON'S POV
Introducing, or at least reinforcing, concepts into the fantasy equivalent of the Middle Ages would prove to be somewhat challenging.
Yet, with how society seemed to respect the words and ideas of those in power, it wasn't completely impossible for a Crown Prince to do it.
Especially since I had Tywin to make sure that none would make light of my authority.
When discussing the technological progress of his world, George R. R. Martin stated that "…the unpredictable nature of the seasonal changes and the harshness of the winters must play a role. I do think that magic perhaps makes development of the scientific method less likely. If men can fly by means of a spell, do you ever get the Wright Brothers (Santos-Dumont)? Or even DaVinci? An interesting question, and I'm not sure I know the answer."
Well, the seasons have changed since my arrival and magic hasn't been a thing for centuries.
The Maesters, an order of scholars, healers, messengers, and scientists, educate new students at their "seat", the Citadel, which was located in Oldtown, a city in the Reach.
Sometimes called "the knights of the mind", boys and young men from all over Westeros approached them to study, learn, and forge their chains at the Citadel.
Novices (students who have yet to earn their first link) and acolytes (students who have earned at least one link of their chain) are educated together in similar fashion to the apprentices and acolytes of the Alchemist guild.
Archmaesters gave open lectures, which the students could attend at will, since they had the freedom to pursue whatever field they wanted to.
Once a student believes he has sufficient knowledge on a particular subject, he can go before an archmaester to demonstrate his knowledge. And If the Archmaester judges the student's knowledge to be proficient, he awards him with a link of a metal reflecting the topic.
The likes of Qyburn comments that it was merely a reproduction of knowledge, nothing new was being discovered.
Once a student has earned sufficient links, he could forge his chain and take his maester's vow, after which the Citadel might relocate him, serving at a castle advising lords on the operation of their households and lands.
Some lords trust their maesters to open and read letters and to convey their contents to them, while other lords preferred to do so for themselves. Maesters could also be tasked with writing letters for their lords as well, and might be trusted to read and write the letters of those lords who were illiterate.
They were in charge of the ravens used as messengers.
Which made me paranoid of sending letters with sensitive information, even if Pycelle was more loyal to House Lannister than to the order of the Maesters.
Maesters in general assisted in childbirth, treatment of illnesses, and taught children arithmetic, language and history.
They were basically everywhere worthy of their services.
Sadly, I don't believe it would be wise to trust them to serve me even after I present myself capable of performing magic.
I am a strong believer that the Maesters, perhaps alongside other factions like the Faceless Men, had been seeking to get rid of magic and rule the world through logic alone.
I didn't blame them, but neither did I count on the possibility of convincing them to change their mind.
For that instance, I intended to shape my Alchemists as the next coming of the Maesters, regardless if they came before.
But currently, my Wisdoms weren't capable of competing, much less replacing the order of Maesters, so I would have another faction aiding them on this mission.
And that will be the Faith of the Seven.
Just hear me out first…
The Great Sept of Baelor, the large sept of the Faith of the Seven atop Visenya's Hill in King's Landing, was a preeminent center of religious education in the realm.
Even in my previous world, faith has had an historical contribution to the spread of knowledge, even if it was used as a bargaining chip to secure more devotees.
Regardless of that, everyone that read the books or watched the TV series knows that most religions in Planetos seemed to actually carry some real supernatural powers.
The Old Gods had wargs and greenseers, R'hllor had fortune telling priests and deadly shadow babies, the Drowned God seems to be all about the dead coming back to life and creatures of the sea rising from their deep abyss.
But what about the Seven?
So far, these New Gods have yet to show to their followers that they have any real power at all.
The Warrior's Sons were said to have been holy men, ascetics, sorcerers, dragon slayers and demon hunters.
But folk nowadays assume it was merely stuff of legends.
Through being anointed a Knight and Cleric I've acquired titles that gave me the opportunity to meet said pantheon.
This made me wonder incessantly if anyone anointed by me would have a similar experience.
In any case, I just needed to subtly introduce the idea of magic being a gift and a blessing from the Gods, or at least come to accept and worship the sort of magic I was capable of performing.
This should prevent people from labeling me as a cursed individual wielding blasphemous powers, instead I would be the next coming of Baelor the Blessed, performing miracles and supporting the faith.
If nothing else, walk barefoot in the smoldering sands of Dorne during the Summer, bare-chested in the harsh winters of the North and swim in the storming waters of Shipbreaker's bay.
Now, for the actual improvement I was considering bringing to this world.
Already known concepts like metal and glass working or agricultural techniques could be improved to become more effective with simple alterations.
This would imply achieving better quality in less time and with lower costs.
Not to mention, the Westerlands were no stranger to metallurgy and its southern portion had the fertile soil of the Reach.
Windmills and waterwheels weren't that much of an oddity in the most populous and wealthy areas like the Reach or the Riverlands, so I could use and abuse them.
Dyes, perfumes, soaps, oil lanterns, mirrors and glasses could be more commonly found in the Free Cities of Essos. Which thankfully had its noticeable presence in Lannisport's docks and market as well.
Masonry allowed space for bridge building at the level of the Twins, road making that was more primitive than the one made by the Valyrians dragonlords and mining/tunnelling that deployed an extensive tunnel and drain system deep underground, seen in both King's Landing and Casterly Rock.
That would be key to achieve the same level of ingenuity the Romans had employed through roads, aqueducts, arches to build structures, development of concrete, hypocaust system, plumbing and sanitary management.
In Westeros, medical treatments were most frequently given by the maesters of the Citadel, which were actually more advanced than real-life medieval medical knowledge.
And even local healers, midwives, hedge wizards or wood witches served the purpose of treating the smallfolk.
Through my studies, I've come to learn that the healing arts included potions capable of dulling the pain (like milk of the poppy or dreamwine) and potions that either prevented pregnancy or induced abortions (like moon tea).
Though there wasn't any medicine that didn't have some sort of side effects like propensity to addiction or long term health issues, I was still interested in making it work.
Wounds were often cleaned with boiling wine or treated with Myrish fire or firemilk, while maggots might be used to eat out rotten parts. Maesters had also learned to stitch wounds close and how to use poultices to prevent infection.
To that I have my alchemists working with a batch of my Experimental Elixirs. Last I checked on them, they were near cracking down the most reliable way of replenishing their ingredients storage to mass produce it.
Even if my Alchemists succeeded in mass producing my minor healing potions, I would definitely call it an astounding progress.
Interestingly enough, Shade of the evening (also called "the wine of warlocks") was a noticeable catalyst to make the brewing process faster.
Which I had already deducted would be the case for the Mana restoring potion I had in mind after gaining the Potion of ultimate mana from my second Dungeon delving's loot.
Same thing could be said about the Weirwood paste Bloodraven had the Children of the Forest prepare for him, in order to use during Bran's training as a greenseer.
Since getting my hands on such magical ingredients and recipes would be easier said than done, I still had my eyes set on securing the Mana-refueling infusion first.
Back to scientific and technological matters, even Astronomy wasn't such a far fetched topic for me to explore.
Given that my basic understanding of Divination Magic had already made me aware of their correlation, as well as my allegiance to both the New and Old gods.
Myrish eyes mounted on tripods were already used to observe the stars. At some locations, dedicated observatories could be found (at Winterfell).
The Maesters of the Citadel must've compiled several maps of the starry sky for their research and studies, especially since their knowledge would be useful in navigation at the open sea.
The names of constellations could differ between cultural groups. For example, the constellation known by the people of the Seven Kingdoms as the King's Crown was called the Cradle by the free folk living north of the Wall, while they called the Stallion the Horned Lord.
I personally had reservations about adventuring the seas and the skies with my Game System constantly mentioning extraplanar creatures.
But being prepared to face danger was always preferable than remaining safely ignorant.
Overall, Westeros had a deep mythic and historic legacy recounted in songs, stories and literature.
Not only did these tales recount the epics of legendary heroes and romances, but they also retell romanticised history and fables of fantastic creatures.
And to my surprise, books, scrolls, parchment and paper were of common use in this society of mostly illiterate people. Though not anywhere near the level modern society used to in my previous life.
In this world, no recorded society had ever made mention of printing presses or even woodblock printing, which opened up space for an opportunity to be explored.
Bard, one of my aliases, had already made a good impression as a storyteller and artist, so through him I would be safe to spread some of my previous life's successful hits without major repercussions to my image.
On the other hand, several numerous units of measurement have been recorded. The Westerosi measurement units were mostly non-metric, growing out of customary use and not abstract principles.
The Seven Kingdoms seemed to have a uniform system of weights and measures though.
There were several basic units of measurement that were in usage: length, weight, area, volume and time.
Additionally, some units of measurements commonly used were admittedly more archaic in their usage, e.g. the term "stone" to indicate weight and the term "league" to indicate distance.
If I was allowed to have my way, I would certainly attempt to introduce the metric system while also labeling it with an awesome name such as Imperial unit.
For currency, coins were the manner used most frequently, especially by merchants, owners of establishments, and the noble classes. Smallfolk mostly made use of copper coins or simply barter.
Thus far, no society in Westeros or Essos has been recorded as using paper currency, which also gave space to opportunity.
Most societies used currency in the form of coins made from precious metals such as gold, silver, or copper (with a few notable exceptions, such as the iron coins used in Braavos).
Contracts written on parchment or paper could also be accepted, though these were not "currency" as such: for example, when the Brotherhood without Banners during the War of the Five Kings gave commoners notes promising to pay them for supplies they took after the war ended.
An idea I certainly could make use of for my Legion during times of unrest, which would be a better incentive to have the small folk not collaborate with rebels and criminals.
Similarly, in the books, Tyrion drew up contracts promising to pay the Second Sons with gold from Casterly Rock in return for their aid in restoring him to his lordship.
Which was much more effective if the one signing contracts had a long and respectable reputation of paying their debts.
Which was something Bronn didn't understand at all.
I will never understand why the hell did the Tv show writers think that making him master of coin and ruling lord of Highgarden was a reasonable idea.
Dumb and dumber indeed.
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Besides the Lannisters of Lannisport, other distant kin living in the city were the Lannys, Lannetts, and Lantells, many of whom had the characteristic blond hair of Lann the Clever.
Though none were anything more than small merchant families.
As for the ancient branch of House Lannister of Casterly Rock, I've met another inconsistency with the main source material.
For the most part, House Lannister of Lannisport had barely been differentiated other than their speculated origin, but what was stranger to me was that a segment of House Lannister was now ruling Lannisport.
Ser Stafford Lannister should be a knight of House Lannister, good-brother to the Warden of the West as his sister, Lady Joanna, married their cousin, Lord Tywin Lannister.
But somehow, he was now the ruling Lord of Lannisport.
Don't get me wrong, between Jon Arryn having a daughter before his engagement with Lyssa Tully and Jaime Lannister rescuing Rhaenys Targaryan, this could easily be mistaken as an unimportant footnote.
Or Jaime and Cersei lineage.
Hell, even Bronn's background was more significant than changing who ruled Lannisport.
In any way, since Winter had finally come once again, I had my plans currently restricted to visiting Lannisport.
So having someone like Lord Stafford openly welcoming me to his city was a good start.
With Winters being harsher than they had ever been before my birth, most Lords were too busy to properly do my bidding.
The same could be said for Lord Stafford, but the man at least had the courtesy of assigning his son to guide me around town.
"My prince…" The young man bowed to me and acknowledged my companions as I entered his residence, having Tyrion and Sandor following me as my undead Knight pretended to be my Knight persona, equipped with a better set of armor. "It's an honor to have you here."
As Sandor rolled his eyes in annoyance and Tyrion gave out a smirk, I thanked the young noble's hospitality. "I'm thankful for the welcoming, and please, call me Durrandon."
"Aye, will do." Daven rose up, his height around two heads higher than mine.
He was sixteen years old, with lively hazel eyes, a pug nose, yellow hair and a big chin.
"So, you've come to get a tour out of my father's city?" He spoke casually, almost making an one-eighty, without sounding disrespectful.
"Indeed. If it's not a bother, I would very much appreciate a proper tour of it. Besides, I've been wondering about how different the market here would be to the one at King's Landing." I replied, thinking about what could actually be done in such a casual visit as the temperature continued to drop.
"Sure thing, Durrandon." The son of Lord Stafford replied. "My father has reserved a carriage to help us out with that endeavor. I'm sure we aren't as big as the capital city, but I can guarantee you that we compensate with quality."
"Oh, then you also have a Blacksmith capable of reworking Valyrian Steel, excellent." I remarked jokingly, testing Daven's personality as Tyrion gave out an amused look.
"Well… heh, ok, I don't think we have one, last time I checked at least." Daven chuckled before leading us outside. "This way please."
As Sandor, Tyrion and my Undead Zombie followed me, I continued to interact with Daven.
The young man was blunt and outspoken, but also very jovial. Making small talk as if we were long-term friends. And, if my memory wasn't betraying me, he was also actually competent enough in combat.
While he presented to me most of the noteworthy places around Lannisport that I hadn't properly spotted during my arrival, we shared a few stories of our backgrounds.
Daven already knew I've come to become Lord Tywin's ward, but was actually surprised to hear that I've personally requested for that to be the case.
"With all due respect, why didn't you choose the Kingdom your own father hailed from?" He was intrigued.
"Because I've got just as much appreciation for my mother's kingdom of origin." Since Daven was a Lion of pride instead of pragmatism, I opted for telling him about my respect for the Westerland culture while making subtle references of recruiting a small group of warriors to serve under my name as well as pointing out that I've begun my martial training since my fourth nameday.
"The legendary Barristan of the Kingsguard had taught you how to fight?!" Daven almost shouted in shock. "That's really unbelievable… not that I'm doubting you."
"Don't worry, sometimes, even I don't believe in the amount of luck I've had." I told him with a friendly smile.
"Care to show me if luck was all that was involved with it?" Daven asked, clearly challenging someone less than half his age for a spar.
Before Sandor could grunt and attempt to intimidate the young man, I preemptively raised my hand to stop him while Tyrion remained too amused to say anything.
"I- I meant no disrespect, of course." Daven appologized, recalling that my height and size hid really well my age.
"Don't worry. There's no harm with a friendly spar from time to time. Besides, training with only one partner embeds my errors and makes me unfit to adapt." I replied to the young noble of Lannisport. "I've been meaning to ask how capable you were in combat. Guess I will be getting my answer first hand."
"Aye, you certainly will, dear nephew." Tyrion chuckled, surprised to not be busy thinking about whores and wine since his arrival. "Just when I was thinking you and I were so much alike, you had to act like your uncle Jaime would."
Sandor remained silent, still not comfortable speaking his mind, though for some reason he became curious about the silent winner of both archery and melee that has remained just as silent as him.
Had to keep the undead around in order to keep it in check from time to time, otherwise risk its disguise to be somehow compromised.
My Zombie Knight was not as tall as the Hound, but I would wager that he could match, if not surpass, Sandor's strength since his monster stats didn't translate equally to regular people.
Interestingly enough, the two of them had in common a weakness to fire.
It's not like I was required to be shielded by these two to fend for myself, being capable of killing them before they could even react, but it helped sell the illusion of me being a mere talented and smart young prince who still required plenty of time to begin playing the Game of Thrones.
Having gotten a better understanding of the city's layout from our brief tour, I requested that we return to his family's residence and begin that sparring we've decided previously.
And so he complied.
To the surprise of none, I was capable of matching Daven's skill with a dulled weapon, as I respected the recommendation of the master-at-arms of his house.
Limiting myself to simply evading his strikes, while eventually delivering some casual parries followed by precise ripostes.
Who would've guessed, after several battles in underground dungeons against hordes of undeads, sparring with someone ten years older than me would be considered as a social interaction.
Make no mistake, I could still be killed by regular foes, it would just take a little longer with my health bar being twice as large as when I began killing criminals during my Night Raids.
Not to mention skills like Health regeneration and Damage resistance, or the armor I had bought from my Nexus' market alongside my Abjuration spells.
Proof that I wasn't neglecting my safety was that I had finally taken the time to practice with a proper shield.
Sure, it was the iconic Buckler shield since my size currently didn't favor larger ones, but I was just beginning to grind that skill.
Back to the sparring match on the training yard.
I didn't want to freak Daven out, so I kept leveraging my mobility anticipating his moves in order to dominate the duel without Raging or Action Surging.
It was in moments like these that my passive skills and Rogue's features shined the most.
Props to Daven for actually taking me seriously as an opponent from start to finish instead of pretending to be going easy on me because of my age and royal title.
"You seem a little tired." I teased him while dodging one of his best strikes before circling around him and touching his nape with the tip of my blunt sword. "And dead. Even if you had armor."
Daven chuckled and raised his arms in defeat. "Aye, my prince. I surrender."
"Well done, nephew." Tyrion congratulated me with a supportive smile while Sandor had an expression of surprise. "The Bravossi clearly wasn't lying about what a great apprentice you've been to his teachings."
"Thanks, uncle." I replied before turning to my opponent. "Don't worry too much about it. Seldomly will you find an agile opponent with a small frame like mine. Take solace that since I wasn't allowed to practice beyond this, I've made sure to master the basics."
"You speak the truth." Daven acknowledged, removing his training gear before clearing the sweat out of his forehead. "Though in all honesty, I was planning to hold back so as not to hurt you, but you forced me to get serious from the start as you kept avoiding all of my attacks and finding openings in my guard."
Noticing his self doubts I persuaded him. "Keep your head high. You are a pretty skilled fighter, if I wasn't focusing on avoiding your strikes, you might've gotten me before I got you to tire yourself out. But let's not fool ourselves, the situation would've been much different if I wasn't royalty."
"I'm thankful for your words." Daven nodded truthfully with a genuine smile.
As he noticed his sisters staring at us from a nearby window, he waved at them with a teasing expression.
I've noticed them stalking us since we've returned from our tour around the port city, but as I move to look at them, the two run away.
"Are you alright?" I asked Daven, faking ignorance.
"Yeah, just my sisters." He told me before heading somewhere else.
Cerenna and Myrielle.
Normally, teenage girls wouldn't be blushing over some kid under any circumstance, regardless if he appeared to be a few years older.
But being born as the Crown Prince has granted me a boost in relationship with basically every girl that valued social status.
Which would've been a major problem if I actually cared about genuine love.
The brief peak I had at Daven's sisters allowed me to Observe them.
Honestly, I was not at all surprised that my mother had sent them a letter explaining that if one of them were to grow close to me, she would give her full support for a future match.
Honestly, I'm surprised Cersei never attempted to pull such things during canon with Joffrey, especially since she much rather he didn't marry Margaery.
Sure, Robert desired to have his house bound by blood with the Starks, but regardless of how much I managed to impress him, my Valyrian features were still too much for him to handle.
So I wasn't expecting him to arrange a marriage between me and Sansa.
Stupid I know, but it's the demon of the trident we are talking about.
Having him completely ignore Rhaenys' existence was all but a miracle to me.
Though from the gossip I got from skulking around on Varys' territory, I heard that Alysse was the candidate all the servants were betting on.
Even Jon Arryn wasn't as subtle as he believed himself to be.
In any case, I'll still be spending plenty of time in the Westerlands, so I was in no hurry to rush those kinds of things.
For now, establishing a friendship bond with Cerenna and Myrielle's brother in order to make him a follower would suffice for now.
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Arriving back at Casterly Rock after spending the day roaming Lannisport and bonding with Daven, I met with Tywin to inform him of what I needed him to do for me.
Tyrion followed me until we reached his father's solar, as Sandor and my disguised Zombie Knight stood guard on the door.
I noticed the unhealthy relationship between the Lannisters while the dwarf informed me he had something to do, almost running away from his father's gaze.
Tywin clearly didn't seem to care much about his son's fear of him, but I did.
"You will stop that." I commanded him as soon as the doors were closed.
The old Lion raised an eyebrow in confusion, but before he could ask anything, I interrupted him.
"This petty vendetta and childish antagonism towards Tyrion." I remarked. "For a man so consumed by the idea of his family, you clearly have no idea how to keep them united. You were lucky that Kevan has proven himself loyal and competent enough to fully support you despite you never acknowledging his efforts. But Tygett and Gerion, I would give them less than a couple of years before they are either dead or leaving Westeros to never come back."
"You know noth…Did you… have more visions?" Tywin stopped mid answer before questioning me, immediately remembering that I had claimed to have foreseen the approaching rebellion of House Greyjoy.
"As a matter of fact, I did…several of them." I told him a half-truth. "Not that I needed a glimpse into the future to tell how unstable your actual family really is."
The old Lannister remained silent, having grown used to not imposing or demanding things from me.
After telling him slightly altered versions of Tygett and Gerion's fates, I returned to the topic of Tyrion. "If you continue to mistreat uncle Tyrion like that, he will either make a move against you or be explored as a weakness by any other rivaling house."
"You expect me to simply forget and forgive everything he has done to my family?" Tywin argued back, holding back his tongue just enough to not outright insult me.
"Like what? Being born?" I retorted. "I believe you are intelligent enough to recognize that stillborns and miscarriages aren't that much of a rare occurrence. Half of those cases pretty much result in the death of the mother as well."
"Even so…" He tried to argue, but I stopped him by summoning Shadow over his desk, her intense gaze seemed to perfectly translate my warning.
"What's the matter then? Do you feel too ashamed that he's a dwarf? Does it seem he had a choice on it?" I remarked. "Do you believe your wife would be happy with the way you've been treating the son she had given her life for?"
I allowed him this time to speak, wanting to have him reflect on my words while also telling me what was stopping him from behaving like an actual father.
"And what has he done with that life she had sacrificed?" Tywin finally showed signs of anger. "Wasting his time laughing, whoring and marrying peasants."
"Interesting you brought those topics up. You do remember I know more than I have any right to, don't you?" I smirked at him. "I know about the incident where you all but have ordered the rape of your daughter-in-law. I know about a hidden tunnel leading to a brothel built by a certain Hand of the King on King's Landing. And I know about your differences with your own father."
I made a small pause to let the information I just gave him sink in, and by his shocked expression it seems I've hit the bullseye on each answer.
My plan was to make it so obvious that he and Tyrion had so much in common, that any suspicion of him being a bastard son of Aerys, which my system confirmed to me he wasn't, would simply be dismissed as too improbable.
"Look, I'm not expecting you to become the most considerate and caring father all of a sudden. I've already told you that I will release Jaime from his Kingsguard vows, so you won't have to worry about Tyrion claiming Casterly Rock as rightfully his. Just make up your mind." I finally said, with a cold stare. "Send him to the Citadel and have him study to become a Maester or immediately start to shape him to become the man he was always meant to be. And with luck, he might serve Jaime just as well as Kevan is serving you."
As the old Lion remained silent, overwhelmed by his thoughts, I called Shadow back and made a move to leave earlier than I had planned.
Deciding it was better to give him all the time to properly digest everything I had just dropped on top of him.
"If you are simply not capable of making this sacrifice for your own family and nourishing such a valuable asset, just get rid of him and make it appear to be an accident." I said placing a hand on the doors. "Or better yet, hand him to me."
Leaving the chamber, I wasn't sure if Tywin would swallow his pride and make the right choice, but either way, I would have one less thing to worry about.
Though I've got to stop having these sort of intense meetings with him.
Watching him obediently hear what I gotta say is slowly chipping away the image I had of him in my head.
That wasn't good.
My respect was basically the only thing preventing me from having him punished for his crimes instead of going out of my way to have him on my side.
But that's a problem for another time.
As Sandor and my Zombie Knight followed me in silence, I met the Lannisters I've been looking for.
…
"You want me to do what?" Tygett questioned my previous invitation to aid me with building my Royal Legion.
"You heard me, granduncle Tygett, I've been meaning to recruit a small group of capable men that would serve as my personal guard. Perhaps one day, if the idea is successful enough, I might turn it into the Royal Army."
"Heh, gotta give the boy credit, Ty. He's ambitious and pragmatic. No wonder Tywin accepted to foster him. I mean, other than him being the Crown Prince and all." Gerion smiled amicably while patting on Tygett's back, to his annoyance. "Besides, this might be the chance you've been so desperately seeking."
While the older brother made an irked expression towards the youngest, I spoke out again. "I would also appreciate your aid on this endeavor, granduncle Gerion."
"Wait, me? What can I help you with?" Gerion questioned, despite his surprise the smile never left his face. "I'm not really a soldier, you see."
"Honestly, since wars aren't that common, fighting would be the least of my priorities for now." I remarked before turning my head to face Tygett. "Though not to the point of neglecting it." Facing Gerion again, I continued. "I've heard you are a pretty good sailor. Perhaps you might help me with the principles of building an effective fleet. Though you are entirely free to decline my invitation."
"Heh, it's a neat little trick you do. You move your lips and your grandfather's voice comes out." Gerion chuckled, though this time his smile faltered ever so slightly. "Well, sure. I don't mind helping you out with this idea of yours. It's not like I have anything more important to do anyway."
"Excellent!"
As the two of us turned to face Tygett, he grunted before clearing his throat. "I don't mind it either. I can get you some capable men, but they won't be of much use without proper equipment and supplies. Especially during this bloody winter."
"Don't worry, I've already got uncle Tyrion to help me think about the logistics. And as for the winter, I've heard we have some massive enclosed space under the Rock that's not being used at all."
"It's more like a cavern used to house a small army during times of war in order to garrison the Rock." Tygett informed while scratching his beard. "Though it hasn't been used in centuries for anything other than storage."
"For simple training drills, I believe it will do nicely." I replied back before turning to Gerion. "As for the ship, I have already bought a simple galley during my visit to the city. Would you be so kind as to show me the way of recruiting and commanding a crew?"
"You have but to ask." Gerion nodded with a friendly smile.
"Splendid." Turning to Tygett, still expecting his answer, I got his response.
"I accept." The prideful Lannister Knight relented.
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~Letter to all citizens of the Seven Kingdoms and beyond.~
'I shall see to the establishment of a private legion of soldiers. This legion will not be founded on any bias. Rivalries and prejudices of all types will be set aside for the well-being of Westeros. …
…Its units will fight alongside each other to rid Westeros of its afflictions. This company will be known as the Royal Legion. …
…Whether you are from the North, the Vale, the Iron Islands, the Stormlands, Dorne, the Westerlands, the Reach, the Crownlands, or the Riverlands, you have the option to join the Legion. …
…It will be akin to the Night's Watch in that respect. But whereas the Night's Watch guards the realms of men, this army shall protect those realms more directly. …
…Furthermore, any person who joins the Legion will not be expected to serve for life; only as long as they wish to. Any person who desires to join the Legion needs only to approach its main base and enlist. …
…It matters not whether you are highborn or lowborn; whether you are a bastard or legitimate; whether you are green or hardened. So long as you can prove your usefulness somehow, you are welcome here. …
…Anyone who has committed a crime or intends to, do not think of the Legion as an alternative to taking the black. The whole purpose of its existence is to hunt down and capture people like you. …
…Unless you have been pardoned by the King or the individual you have wronged, no criminals will be granted quarter or entry. …
…For the ambitious ones who require more of an incentive, there is more to be gained in the Legion than the fulfillment of one's sense of duty. …
…Those of you in pursuit of money have the ability to become rich. Those of you who desire glory have the option to become famous. Those of you who yearn for adventure have the chance to become great. …
…Whatever your case, once you join the Legion, your first and only true responsibility is to serve the realm. …
…So I appeal to your love for your homeland and your obligation to do what is right. Fight together so that future generations will be spared further conflict.'
"Will that be enough, my prince?" Asked Tywin, a little unsure of the path I was about to take.
"I am." Was my final answer.
None of that was thought up on the spot.
Not wanting to make any revisions, I had decided what I was going to say to everyone in Westeros well in advance. All the same, it took Tyrion over five minutes to write that letter.
Once the little Lannister was finished, I took up the letter and examined it. Trying to imagine how it would appear to the Lords, Knights and Smallfolk of the Seven Kingdoms.
It was meant as a summon, albeit an optional one. I could actually see myself answering this summon of my own free will hadn't I been born as the Crown Prince.
Given how many houses there were in the Seven Kingdoms, it would take days to compose a letter to all of them.
So I had Tywin order every one of his retainers who could write to assist us.
The process went by much faster. By midday, all the five hundred letters had been written. And immediately after, the ravens were dispatched to begin sending them.
There was nothing more to do at that point but wait for all of the letters to be delivered and the responses to come up.
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Explaining once again to both Tygett and Gerion my plans for the military group I wanted to be raised as mine, I started explaining that to me there were two main types of soldiers.
My full-fledged Legionnaires will be Westerosi citizens, while the Auxiliaries will be mostly composed of foreign sellswords and the like.
Though each type will still be supplied with their own equipment after swearing an oath of loyalty to me.
A formality for now, but still a necessary one, and an excellent excuse to punish treason accordingly.
My Legionnaires will be arranged in an infantry unit as part of a group of eight men, a Contubernium, who all will share sleeping quarters.
And since I was going with the theme of the seven, I would frame it as a rotational leader commanding seven men.
New soldiers with less combat training would be stuck with dirty jobs (like stone breaking, furnace stoking and latrine cleaning), until they secure a specialist post (like surveyor, trumpeter, mason, clerk and huntsman) or join the regular troops.
Ten Contubernium together formed a Century (eighty men each) with its own standard-bearer, commander-of-the-watch, second-in-command and a Centurion to lead them all.
Six Centuries together make up a Cohort (four hundred and eighty men each), and ten cohorts plus a small cavalry unit (of around a hundred and twenty riders), which wouldn't be composed of actual Knights yet, made up the biggest army unit of them all, the Legion.
Which would be less than a fifth of what the Westerlands was capable of mustering (fifty-five thousand men) whenever Tywin called his banners.
Each Cohort in a Legion would be numbered from one to ten, technically seven if I come up with another clever yet simple excuse.
Cohort One will be extra large, with five double centuries (eight hundred instead of four hundred and eighty). Its Centurions will be the senior ranking, First Orders, and the most senior of all will be First Lancer.
The First Lancers could be promoted to become Camp Prefect, in charge of the daily running of the Legion.
Outranking them, will be Seven men (preferably all tremendously skilled Knights), while two of them would be the candidate to become a Senator (member of my governing and advisory council of generals) and the commander of the entire Legion.
Overall, the Commander of the Legion will command six thousand troops, which might seem ludicrously high, but is in actuality very low compared to what each Kingdom was capable of mustering.
15,000 for the Crownlands;
35,000-40,000 for the North;
35,000-40,000 for the Riverlands;
35,000-40,000 for the Vale;
50,000-55,000 for the Westerlands;
15,000 for the Iron Islands;
20,000-25,000 for the Stormlands;
20,000-30,000 for Dorne;
And 120,000 for the Reach.
This totals around 380,000 troops.
Given unknown variables, like Dorne's unknown true strength and the extra potential forces available on Skagos or sellswords, this could be raised for 400,000 for the entirety of the Seven Kingdoms.
And that's only speaking about the military.
The overall population would be somewhat like this…
1.5 million for the Crownlands;
4 million for the North;
4 million for the Riverlands;
4 million for the Vale;
5.5 million for the Westerlands;
1.5 million for the Iron Islands;
2.5 million for the Stormlands;
3 million for Dorne;
And 12 million for the Reach.
**If the population of the Reach seems disproportionately huge, it's worth remembering that in 1300, the population of France was approximately 17 million compared to 3 million for England. Which makes it kind of incredible that England was able to maintain any possession at all on the continent given the overwhelming French numerical superiority.
Obviously, this whole quality over quantity matter will only work if I make sure that my Royal army only accepts the best of the best while not wasting time or resources on the mediocre ones.
Alongside a thorough understanding of tactics and strategy.
My Army main symbol will be the banner of a Black Lion on a stormy field with well worked ornaments of silver and gold that would symbolize both the New and Old Gods.
Though in the future, as the number of men serving me would continue to grow, I planned to have one specific for each Kingdom's Legion.
Still working on them, but preferably it would not be limited to the symbols from each of the great houses of Westeros.
And yes, I was considering having at least a standing Legion armed with the best of the best from each Kingdom. Mostly to not compromise the overall structure of my army if a few of the Kingdoms rebelled.
Sure, it would be a bitch to face a few disbanded segments of my own creation on a battlefield, but I would take those odds instead of having the entirety of my war machine broken into chaos.
To prepare for the worst case scenario, I've considered that a soldier who has dutifully served my Royal army for 30 years and survived, should receive appropriate rewards, like a small plot of land for him and his heirs, as well as a pension while he remains alive.
Nothing larger than the salary of what they would receive during their time as an active soldier, but much more than a veteran old man could hope to get anywhere else.
These rewards would ensure some semblance of loyalty, while also motivating others to seek acceptance into my forces.
Or to not throw their lives away with stupidity disguised as pointless bravery.
I don't want all the work put into raising legendary elite soldiers to be wasted like that.
I want them to curse and fight until their hearts are done pumping.
And even after that, depending on how well I managed to master the secrets of Necromancy.
Because my soldiers will not buckle or yield when faced with the cruelty of this world.
My soldiers will push forward!
My soldiers will scream out!
My soldiers will Action Surge and Rage!
But enough rambling about the future, I not only had the band of men that followed me to Casterly Rock, but also some of the Lannisters to help me achieve my goals for this project.
With luck, by the time the Greyjoys openly revolt, I will have a very well trained Legion ready to gain actual experience in war.
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Since I had yet to come up with a proper idea for an effective naval warfare system and had only a single galley that I could truly call mine, I relied on others to make do for me.
During times of peace, trade had the advantage of being a less risky investment than it would be amidst war, but the availability of competition made it just as challenging to achieve revenue and profit.
Yet, because money was not a problem to me, even more than others could imagine, I could simply kill two birds with one stone.
By using it as a way of acquiring new skills and experience while also explaining a little of where the money I'll be spending has come from.
Sure, I was Crown Prince and most wouldn't dare to question me about it, but both my parents and the members of the small council, like Varys and Baelish, could find it weird that I've been making use of a seemingly infinite amount of money without a justifiable origin.
That was another reason for why I chose to become Tywin's ward and reveal to him my secrets.
He knows that I have a massive fortune at my disposal and understands that I will require a valid excuse to not draw too much attention.
The old Lion could be more actively trying to outsmart me, but I wasn't planning on giving him breathing space.
When we first met, I hit him with startling revelations.
Now, I have him working nonstop in order to prepare for the Greyjoy Rebellion.
But once again, I digress.
The galley I had requested Gerion to aid me with, which had yet to receive a proper name and crew, will be busy circling around Westeros' shores trading goods and even acting like some sort of floating pawnshop.
Getting loans in exchange for collateral, which could be anything of value traded for cash.
Though the Crownlands were one of the smallest
territories in the kingdom, my birthplace the capital city, King's Landing, was the largest port city and trade hub in the continent, with merchants and traders from all over the world gathering to buy and sell.
This way I had a more secure way of receiving and sending anything with Tobho, Hallyne and Chataya, be it letters or actual new inventions.
The Crownlands therefore had great wealth
and a great variety of artisans and skilled laborers, despite how outside the capital, the towns and villages of the realm were more agriculturally dependent.
Although I wasn't ready to sell the Dragonbone I brought with me from the Red Keep, I'm sure Uncle Stannis would be willing to trade his reserves of Dragonglass for supplies I will be sending him.
Especially since he found it to be worthless, not to mention how harsh winters were to the island father gave him to rule.
Located at the center of the continent, the Riverlands had also become a profitable trade hub for the realms of Westeros.
In times of peace, the many rivers and waterways of the territory were used to transport goods between the many neighbouring realms, which would certainly help reduce time to reach the Narrow Sea.
And through my proximity to the Freys, I will have some way of influencing the constructions of new bridges as well.
The Riverlands themselves were able to produce a fair amount of grain from their fertile fields and were also known to produce wine.
As the port city of Saltpans often traded with the Free Cities, though it was one of the least populous ports in the continent.
I know I've already mentioned countless times, but the richest realm of the Seven Kingdoms was without doubt the Westerlands.
Though their lands were quite fertile producing many crops, they were nowhere near as lush as
the Reach or the Vale, it is therefore from the mines of the Westerlands spread throughout their many hills that the realm finds its true wealth.
Gold and silver mines abound in the territory,
with gold mines found at the Golden Tooth, Casterly Rock, Castamere, Nunn's deep and
the Pendrick hills.
Lannisport and Fair Isle also engaged heavily in sea trade and fisheries, with Lannisport as one of
the most active and prosperous harbors in the continent.
Now, on to the Kingdoms I've yet to visit.
The Iron Islands, small rocky lands, devoid of fertile fields and pastures have largely based their economies around fisheries and sea trade,
as well as trading iron ore, which was found in abundance in the mines beneath the islands.
Aside from iron, they also produced tin and lead, yet the work was dangerous and difficult, often left to the lowest levels of society.
Due to that, most have turned to raiding to make up for their lack of resources.
Historians claim it was a lack of timber that originally drove the Ironborn from their homes to
pillage their neighbours and plunder their goods.
The Ironborn found this way of life so profitable that they centered all their culture and traditions around raiding.
With their leaders, House Greyjoy, even taking the words 'we do not sow' and preference for the iron price over the golden one as a testament to their raiding ways.
Out of everyone, House Harlaw and House Goodbrother were less attached to the Old Way.
I would really appreciate getting my hands on the blueprints of their longships and some detailed understanding of how they built them so quickly with so little resources.
A stark contrast from the isles of the Ironborn, The Reach was the most fertile territory of Westeros, growing many of the finest fruits and grains in the continent.
They were known for their cultivation of melons, fireplums, peaches, apples, grapes and pumpkins. And were also known for making dry fruity red wines, sweet wines and rich golden vintages such as arbor gold.
Home to the market towns of Ashford and Tumbleton, which did a great deal of inland trading as well, without mentioning Old Town, a large port city home of house Hightower and the maesters of the Citadel, known as the oldest city in Westeros.
For this reason, the Tyrell of Highgarden have made their words 'growing strong' to symbolize their territory's wealth of resources.
Suggesting that while others concerned themselves with war, the Reach was concerned with the prosperity of their people.
I'm sure they will be very intrigued once the lands on the Westerlands begin rivaling their productivity, but since their massive population also required a massive quantity of food, they will have no choice other than to strike a deal.
Now, onto my father's kingdom.
Being one of the poorer realms of Westeros, the Stormlands, with their constant rains and storms
had relatively fertile fields, but their strong martial traditions have allowed for no major cities to develop.
Instead Storm lords build great fortresses such as Storm's end and supply these forts with the labor and harvests of surrounding villages.
Which was almost its downfall when Stannis almost died of hunger while facing siege during Robert's Rebellion.
Though the seas along the territory, especially
around Shipbreaker's bay, were difficult to
navigate thanks to their storms, the port city of Weeping town was able to prosper greatly through the sea of Dorne, trading with many of the Free Cities.
This led me to the biggest reservatory of sand on the continent.
One of the richer territories in the continent, Dorne was home to a number of exotic and highly prized goods sought-after by many in Westeros and the Free Cities.
They were known for their production of lemons,
olives, pomegranates and wine. Producing
Strong wine and Dornish sour Reds.
The southern lands were also known for their
breeding of specialized horses, called Sand Steeds, who were swift and little. And it was said that they could run for nearly two days straight without tiring.
Not the best material for Warhorses, but excellent for scouts and couriers.
The port city of Planky Town had done very well serving as a trade hub for volantis and many of
the other Free Cities, even seeing trade from the Summer Isles and far east, providing a passage into Westerosi markets.
The territory of the Vale at first glance did not seem like a rich and profitable territory with its vast mountainous ranges and dangerous roving mountain clans, yet upon closer examination the Vale was one of the most fertile territories in Westeros.
Possibly even matching the fertility of most territories in the Reach.
It was said wheat, corn, barley, pumpkins and other fruit grew in the Vale in great quantities and of top-quality.
House Waxley of Wickenden was even known to produce exotic scented candles, sometimes scented with nutmeg and other expensive spices.
The port city of Gulltown had grown rich from its strategic location as a trade harbour between the
North, Braavos, the Vale and King's Landing.
And with this great wealth it was no wonder the Vale Lords of years past were able to construct the great fortress of the Eyrie, though the houses
of the Vale and smallfolk benefited greatly from their resources and wealth.
The mountain clans described as descendants from the First Men who refused to bow to Andal Kings suffered greatly refusing to participate in the local economy and thereby surviving off petty theft and raiding.
To me they served only as a way to earn the respect from the Lords of the Vale by having my army one day get rid of them.
Though the North was home to great warriors and honorable Lords, it was undoubtedly one of the poorest territories of Westeros with the snows and cold weather making agricultural production quite difficult.
Yet, they were not completely without resources.
The North was a great provider of timber to the realms of Westeros and beyond, even producing Ironwood, famed for its strength and durability.
Which was a better alternative than incentivizing the cut down of Weirwood trees to supply my troops and risking losing my title as a Druid.
The houses of the North were also known as producers of wool as well as furs and hides.
And the port city of White Harbor was said to sit atop a great number of Silver Mines, as a result the city itself was home to master silversmiths whose work was famed throughout Westeros.
Because of the great wealth of white Harbor House Manderly has become one of the richest families of the North, possibly second only to the
Starks.
Perhaps the only Andal house to prosper in the North would be another interesting partner for my cause.
And it would also help that it wasn't that far away from the Dreadfort.
If Joffrey was capable of convincing an assassin to attack Bran Stark inside Winterfell, I believe I could get someone to get rid of a bastard for me.
Regardless, the lack of roads and vast distances between towns made inland trade difficult, meaning the smallfolk of these lands often lived in extreme poverty.
Which was a considerable untapped demand waiting to be satisfied by my growing supplies.
Only sad thing was that I couldn't simply sail around Westeros and sneak into each of the Great Houses' castles for their dungeons.
I mean, of course I could, but without Harrenhal being officially mine, it wasn't that much of a priority.
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As I lived through my sixth winter, watching the slow and steady phase of recruitment and training of my forces, I got very impressed by how much was actually achieved.
I wasn't worried about their skills, that could be easily raised through my Teach skill, but stats were a different matter.
Differently from those I added to my party (Rhaenys and Alyssa), regular people not only had a much slower pace of growth, but their stats weren't vulnerable to decreasing without diligent training.
Soon enough, after spending massive amounts of gold, my forces had gotten larger in that brief time of cold and harsh weather.
My Royal Legion was up to two hundred recruits.
A handful of people from the Westerlands, the Riverlands, Vale and the Stormlands had enlisted. Thanks to my heritage and the notable figures I had managed to get to serve me.
Thoros of Myr had yet to earn his fame of being the first to breach Pyke's defenses, but he knew a thing or two about medical training and how to manage the morale around the troops.
Jalabhar Xho was still the exiled prince, but to most he was just a random Summer Islander far from home. Thankfully, he was an excellent teacher of marksmanship, knowing beyond the simple uses of bows and crossbows. With luck, I could have every legionnaire trained on how to properly throw a Javelin and a sling.
Lothor Brune had some tips of horse riding for my scouts, and alongside Jalabhar, were my best hope of getting mounted archers.
Hosteen and Walder were more interested with representing their families and serving Cleos Frey, the one they viewed as the next heir to the twins, so I at least had a strong brute and a cunning strider to rely on if the occasion called.
Not to mention that Genna's son had proved himself competent enough to aid Tyrion on the work I had assigned to him.
Syrio's title as the previous sword of Braavos helped less than what I had anticipated, but he could at least teach the new recruits about the true sight that any competent water dancer ought to have.
In similar fashion Bronn served me, who looked all the new recruits over, questioning them, to learn where they've fought and how well they lie. And then gave them a chance to kill him, while he did the same for them.
When I asked if he had killed any, he answered: "No one we could have used."
I just reminded him to be careful of not antagonizing anyone that could become a problem to us, as I personally selected the ones he had approved through my Observation skill while disguised as my Knight persona.
It served as an excellent alternative to a background check and psychological evaluation.
But the actual name that would certainly boost my Legion's reputation, would be Bryden Tully, well known as Blackfish.
The way I see it, he was old enough to offer great advice in leading and training the men, but young enough to venture himself into action from time to time.
All in all, it was no surprise that more volunteers came from the Reach than any other region by far, mostly due to their overabundance of manpower.
The Crowlands and Dorne had a slightly larger turnout. Targaryen loyalists were still a problem in both places, not to mention the bad blood that resulted after my father's rebellion.
So far, no one from the Iron Islands had signed up. Probably still preparing for the oncoming rebellion.
As the winter came to its end, my Legion had reached around five hundred men and was finally ready to move out of the training camp underneath Casterly Rock.
The best Centuries (80 men troops) were sent to patrol the surrounding borders of the Westerlands while the majority of peasants received extra training to make up for their shortcomings.
In time, all of them would be able to protect the realm and fulfill their thirst for adventure simultaneously.
Which led me to a silly realization.
Reading and hearing about Westeros was one thing. It was entirely another to see it firsthand.
In the span of its 3,000-plus kilometers, there were glaciers, mountains, swamps, grasslands, forests, and deserts.
All those landscapes could be found in my previous world, too, of course, but not all in such a small distance.
I was aware that the terrain of the Seven Kingdoms was supposed to be modeled after that of England, the terrain of the Free Cities was modeled after France and Italy, and the terrain of Slaver's Bay was modeled after the Middle East.
But since I don't recall having been to all of those countries in my previous life, I couldn't verify first hand if the sizes and shapes were the only things they really had in common with Westeros and Essos.
But the concept still served as a good comparison.
I knew my Legion would be composed of men from all the kingdoms, but I hadn't really considered the difference in strategy that each terrain would demand.
Sure, I had planned to make a Legion (of around 5,000 men) for each one of them, but the thing was that I hadn't experienced those places by myself.
To me, this was even more of an incentive to clear more Magical dungeons, especially the Major ones.
Who knows, one day the Royal Legion might even make use of Fast Travel once I unlocked it.
Now, changing subjects…
All that speaking about topography and agriculture reminded me of an important aspect of my Royal Legion.
When discussing the Roman army, one almost exclusively does so from a military perspective.
All too often the armchair generals concern themselves simply with strategy and tactics, where thousands of human lives were reduced to blocks on a map.
To some, the soldier was nothing more than a faceless clone whose sole purpose was to do battle.
This was History without the Humanity aspect of it.
I will throw off such myopic conventions and work on my Legionnaires not only in combat, but at their dinner as well.
The need to feed, as Napoleon famously said: "An army marches on its stomach."
This was even more true prior to the adoption of gunpowder, when men and beasts powered the weapons.
In this era it was estimated that approximately 90% of the weight of the supplies required by an ancient army revolved around eating.
In terms of the average Roman soldier, it was estimated that they had a recommended daily allowance of around 3,000 calories.
The minimum daily requirement was far lower, as fat reserves could help provide energy when consumption was low.
However, prolonged malnutrition over several days would substantially reduce a Legionnaire's physical and mental abilities.
A well performing army was therefore a well-fed army.
Overall, this was the way I planned to feed my Royal Legion.
It broadly falls into the categories of ration and non-rational sources.
Rations whether food supplies were issued to soldiers on a regular basis according to their rank and status.
While conveniently procured for the individual, these were not entirely free, since the cost of most items was deducted from the soldier's pay.
Keep in mind, for this project of mine to work, it had to reach a point of being self-sustainable, if not profitable.
Evidence suggested that the rations themselves were regularized back with the real Romans.
This was militarily advantageous because it allowed for the development of a highly organized and efficient logistical system.
It also ensured that there was sufficient food while limiting the risks of over eating and drinking.
Back during the Imperial period, a soldier's rations were made up of around 75% grain and 25% non-grain of foodstuffs by weight.
The latter consisted of meat, vegetables, cheese, olive, oil, wine and salt.
The grain ration provided the carbohydrates and calories of one's diet.
It was typically distributed as wheat, though barley might also be issued as punishment or if supplies were low.
The rest of the rations made sure that protein, vitamins and other vital nutrients were included.
The type of meat depended on local availability, but generally consisted of pork, beef and mutton.
Vegetables also varied by region, in many cases there were references to beans, lentils and peas, alongside herbs such as garlic.
Cheese could be made from cow, sheep or goats milk. It was both light and easy to transport.
Olive oil was also important both as a condiment and a cooking supply.
Other liquids such as wine could help provide not only nutrition but also water content. It was distributed as both vintage wine and sour wine for consumption.
Lastly, salt was included to preserve food, season dishes and serve medical purposes.
It was considered one of the absolute necessities when provisioning an army.
While rations provided a baseline for nutrition, the army also relied on other sources to meet its daily needs.
These needs ranged from absolute necessities to luxuries.
On campaign the original Legion obtained these supplies using three means of collection: foraging, requisition and pillaging.
Foraging involved sending out soldiers to retrieve specific items, of utmost importance would be sending Aquatires to nearby springs, rivers, lakes and wells, from which they would return to camp with full leather bags, water skins, barrels or vessels of water.
Lignatores were sent to gather firewood for cooking, heating and lighting, while Pabulatores collected fodder for the animals.
These activities were daily tasks and took many foraging parties.
The expeditions of the Frumentatores on the other hand, were carried out infrequently, they ventured out in large numbers to collect a wide range of foodstuffs, such as wheat, barley, olive oil, wine and fruit.
Roman soldiers were eventually tasked with reaping grain in the fields or picking things from orchards.
Requisition involved obtaining supplies from ostensibly friendly forces.
These goods were generally brought into the army through seizure, forced purchase or private markets.
A commander might issue orders for inhabitants to supply an army passing through the region.
This was often done on a large scale, with villages and towns being given specific locations for deposits.
Compensation could range from nothing to near market value.
More often than not, such requisition was a heavy burden on the local population.
By contrast, special merchants, known as Sutlers, were far more eager to address the Army's needs.
In fact, they traveled with the Legions and made a living selling them goods.
It was through these Sutlers that soldiers would get their gourmet items, garum fish sauce, honey and spices were always in high demand to improve the taste of rations.
While items such as fruit, eggs and fish were great additions to break up the monotony of military rations.
So it comes without saying that I also planned on having a close equivalent to these Sutlers spread around the realm.
Finally, Pillaging involved the seizing of supplies alongside the destruction of property.
Such acts typically took place after a battle or siege, but might be ordered across enemy territory to punish them or goad them into battle.
The Roman military strictly controlled these activities in order to impose discipline and better control the gathering and storage of provisions.
In times of lack, discipline or civil war however, an organized force might quickly become a roving band of robbers.
Which I will not tolerate.
It was said that once a thing got lost under a
Legionnaires cloak, there was no power on earth that could snatch it away.
Honestly, I've heard similar things about the Gold Cloaks at King's Landing.
But once supplies were collected, they should be distributed to the soldiers.
Some evidence suggested that rations were received on the first of the month, while non rations were obtained on a more irregular schedule, based on demand and availability.
In contrast with modern armies, which rely on central facilities, the Legions at war generally prepared food at the squad level of the Contubernium, the eight-man group that shared
a tent.
I intended to explain that for Westerossi people by mentioning that seven men would follow a minor leader elected by them.
They do, after all, love having the number seven everywhere.
Seven gods, seven gates, seven kingdoms (not counting the other three), and seven Kingsguards.
As for the grain, which made up the majority of the soldiers caloric intake, it could be eaten in two basic ways.
The first was known as pools and was easier to prepare. It was made by taking wheat and adding water, salt, fat and oil or milk. For extra flavor, spices, vegetables or fresh meat could be thrown into a brass pot alongside it, and boiled to resemble modern polenta.
However, this method of preparation was less common, as it would be difficult to store and transport.
Generally, soldiers ate their grain in the form of bread. This took several steps. First the grain had to be thrashed, to remove the inedible husks. Threshing occurred prior to being sent to the Legions in order to reduce its total weight.
If troops collected their own grain in the fields, it would be brought back into camp to be thrashed within the security of the fortifications.
Next, the grain would be ground into flour, using a stone hand mill carried by each Contubernium's pack animal.
Milling could be repeated several times to improve the quality of the flour, the coarser flour produces a black bread consumed by the rank-and-file, while the more refined flour produces a white bread for the officers.
Next, extra ingredients were mixed into the flour, such as salt, lard, leaven and most importantly water.
Finally, the mixture had to be kneaded and baked in a campfire or hearth.
For a contubernium it would take about an hour to mill their daily grain rations into flour, and another 1 to 2 hours to make the bread.
To save time, several days worth of material was often prepared at once.
According to military regulations, meats of various kinds were to be baked in a campfire or boiled in a cooking pot. Alongside them would be prepared fruits and vegetables, which might be roasted on a spit or eaten raw.
Evidence suggested that cheese was also manufactured by the troops.
Olive oil and wine on the other hand were obtained pre-made, though soldiers might still choose to alter them prior to consumption.
Sour wine for instance would be watered down into Posca, a popular drink among the lower classes.
Along the way, soldiers would introduce special ingredients acquired from the Sutlers or collected in the field to improve their meals.
However, preparing gourmet dishes was considered unsoldierly, well-disciplined forces would in fact regulate such time wasting activities.
Exceptions of course existed for the officers and commanders, who enjoyed both better diets and more elaborate meals.
In certain instances, soldiers ate pre-made meals on campaign.
Or the ancient version of fast food.
This was often done for strategic reasons, when the army had to move quickly.
A commander might order local populations to place a prepared food along the road, as was done by Claudius and Nero on his march to repulse enemy forces in 207 BC.
Alternatively, the soldiers themselves might be ordered to prepare their own meals ahead of time.
This generally involved making longer-lasting foods, such as a jerky and biscuits, by removing water content.
The meats would be dried and salted while the bread would be rebaked into hard tack.
It should also be noted that when Legions remained in place for long periods of time, their food preparation became more centralized.
In these conditions soldiers could more readily access pre-made meals from camp kitchens, local taverns and markets.
The Roman army ate two meals a day, breakfast or Prandium, in the morning or at noon, and dinner or Cena in the evening.
The exact timing was at the discretion of the commanders and depended on how they planned to use the army.
Eating might be scheduled right before battle as a reward for strenuous activity or in the off shifts while constructing siege works.
Breakfast was light and generally consisted of cold meats and cheese, which were readily available.
The dinner on the other hand was more hearty but included many of the more time-consuming steps I have described.
When the troops ate, they did so together, the soldiers took food with members of their Contubernium and were expected to eat standing or sitting.
Officers dined with one another and the aristocratic higher-ups would often recline, as was befitting their class.
Food and drink was consumed using a Legionnaire's equipment, a bronze Patera served as an all-purpose cooking pot, cup and food bowl.
Solids were picked up back then using fingers, since the fork was unknown to the Romans.
Daggers could cut bread and meat while spoons were used to consume soups and porridge.
Additional earthenware cups might also be present alongside a range of wooden utensils.
Given time the soldiers would tend to hoard additional gear.
As always, it was in the interest of a disciplined force to curb such activities.
In fact, the entire highly organised process of food supply preparation and consumption was a key feature of Rome's military that is all too often overlooked.
Without this engine driving the Legions, they would never have achieved the levels of success that made them so famous.
And I will not overlook it.
During campaigns, one of the generals greatest concerns was the need to feed, and this was especially true of the Roman army which relied on robust supplies to wage highly aggressive warfare at all times a year.
Allow me to give you a sense of the scales involved here.
At the lowest levels would be the individual soldiers, each carrying much of their own gear, which is estimated to have weighed around 40 kilograms.
Which was important to point out since they wouldn't have access to any sort of magical Inventory, like me and my Party members.
Additionally, each Contubernium of eight soldiers had a mule or two and a pair of military slaves to help them carry supplies.
Since unlike Rome, slavery was outlawed in Westeros, servants and the lowest rank of soldiers will have to make do.
Some sort of Squire equivalent for the Legionnaires I believe would be best.
But this also meant that each Legion (between 4,000 and 6,000) was accompanied by around six hundred to a thousand of mules and 1,200 servants or lowest rank soldiers.
The entire Army's baggage train was therefore made up of thousands of pack animals and servants as well as hundreds of wagons and even more multitudes of non-combatants.
Such a large force had significant supply needs
to sustain itself, risking disbandment or worse if they weren't met.
Just for context, it's suggested that on a daily basis a Legion required 18,000 pounds of grain, 12,000 gallons of water and 40,000 pounds of fodder for its animals.
That's unquestionably a lot of food, water and supplies.
Knowing their needs was one thing.
But how did they get all of this?
Well, I think it's best to break down the sources of supply into several different levels.
The first level was going to be the supplies carried with the army, the second one was going to be supplies gathered by the army and then the third one was going to be supplies sent to the army.
The first one, at the lowest level, each soldier was expected to have some supplies on hand.
This amounted to approximately one week worth of food to allow for some flexibility whilst on campaign.
In case of desperate need, the soldiers could even boil some of the leather on their shields or shoes to eat, but that was really stretching it.
Next you'd have the Army's baggage-train, which had significantly more supplies, they carried a ton of goods along with herds of animals for consumption, and this overall might be enough to last a month or more.
Though it should be noted that things like water and fodder were actually impractical to carry in large quantities, and that these would be in constant need of resupply.
So now, moving on to the second level.
As I previously mentioned, these were gathered in approximately three main ways through, foraging, requisition and pillaging.
Foraging involved essentially living off the land and it was done relatively routinely, especially when searching out water, fodder and firewood.
The yield of such activities would depend on the season, so obviously, when the crops were ripe and they were in the field and there were lots of fruits they would get a high yield, whereas in the winter these activities would obviously have a much lower yield.
And then the amount of supplies that they could gather did very much depend on the size of their foraging expeditions and how far away they sent them.
Suffice to say that these would vary over time.
The other major weight that one could gather supplies would be through requisition, and this would involve the purchase or seizure of goods.
And in the last way would be pillaging, which involved gathering supplies alongside the destruction of property.
So using these three general principles of how an army gathers supplies we can imagine sort of what activities look like as it advances at a pace of around 30 kilometers a day.
Yet the army could not always count on gathering all of its own supplies, and this is where this third level comes in, where the Roman army logistics systems get involved.
The most important fundamental feature here is going to be the supply line, the connection between the army and a supply source.
This line was going to have a couple fixed points that are going to be important to elaborate, and these are roughly broken up into different tiers and types of bases.
So these are going to be the Strategic base of supply, the Operational base and then the Tactical base.
The Strategic base was the most broad and was going to be their source, although not necessarily a single point but a broad source of provisions from outside an area of operations.
Generally we would be talking about provinces which were assigned specific armies or campaigns to support, and these supplies were gathered using various financial means including forest and market purchases, contracting, taxation and contributions from allies.
That would be outside of the theater of operations across the Empire, or several provinces, one would be gathering and collecting all this food.
Then these would be carried over and collected at the Operational base, it would be essentially the supply lines anchor, meant to supply the Roman army in its particular area of operations.
Fundamentally, it linked the water board and supply lines coming from those strategic bases and connected them to the land-based supply lines going to the next level, which was going to be the Tactical base.
These operational bases were usually located at fortified ocean or river ports, though the location might be updated over the course of a campaign for strategic or tactical reasons, as for instance of an approaching army threatening it or perhaps another port was taken control at a more advantageous location.
So Operational bases could, and would, move.
These bases also traditionally contained infrastructure to hold enough food and
equipment for the campaigning season and
in particular included sophisticated greeneries which were key and minimizing food spoilage.
If this particular infrastructure wasn't necessarily there or didn't have the maximum amount needed for the campaign, the soldiers would get involved in building these prior to launch of the campaign.
Keep in mind, fighting wasn't the only thing these soldiers were expected to do.
Not by a long shot.
Now, the next and final level was going to be the Tactical base.
Essentially the other endpoint.
It's the far end of the supply line and this is where the supply collection point is closest to the Roman force.
It would traditionally be a short distance behind the Army or within its own marching camp.
This is where they would store supplies arriving from the operational base through that supply line and also where they gathered the supplies that the Legion got locally from living off the land.
So this all would be dumped into the Tactical base.
It might also contain some of the Roman Army's slower-moving elements, such as siege equipment.
And as the army moved forward again, about 30 kilometers a day, this tactical base would be picked up and moved alongside the army, trailing it and advancing with or alongside it.
Now in its wake, as it moves along and redeploys, they would have a series of abandoned tactical bases.
These were traditionally converted into supply depots which would go on to become the backbone of the supply line.
Troops were generally left behind to garrison these.
Good thing I planned to become the next coming of Bran the Builder, so building small fortifications all around Westeros wasn't that far away from my initial goals.
But when we think of supply lines, it's not a long line of wagons that goes continuously from one end to the other.
Instead, it's gonna be smaller convoys that
arrived from controlled territory and moved between these chains of depots that finally lead up to that Tactical base.
Which was key because it allowed men and animals to get the necessary rest and fodder that they need along the way, instead of making a single long stretch that would be very vulnerable to attack.
Another important thing was that between these different key hard points (depots), as these convoys made their way, what the Roman army would do was build up roads, bridges and canals to improve the efficiency of these supply routes.
This was why you always hear so much about roads and infrastructure in the Roman world, because a lot of the time these were built up for military purposes to make these supply lines going to the army that was more efficient and strong.
Not only just the Roman soldiers moving, but
also their equipment and supplies coming
up after them.
I wonder if I could make the Freys agree to replicate their castle alongside the rivers of the Riverlands or somewhere else.
Perhaps one day they might succeed in matching, or even surpassing, the Long Bridge of Volantis.
Now, about the economic aspect that I've been so dreadfully avoiding up until now.
In medieval RPGs, we're quite used to leveling up our characters from penniless peasants draped in rags to baller knights decked in the finest regalia.
Common gameplay loops involved slaying foes, completing quests, searching for treasure and spending hard-earned cash at a merchant shop.
With enough grinding you could eventually kit out yourself and your party for war.
At least that's how it worked for me in principle.
But how did this process work in real life for regular people?
In order to better contextualize this discussion, let's first look at the sort of gear which was required for war in the first place.
As one would imagine, a major part of this kit would have been weapons and armor, in addition, a soldier would have also required tools for the maintenance of these arms and a whole host of other items for basic activities like eating, drinking, sleeping, marching and camping.
All of this would obviously cost money.
Suffice to say that, for most soldiers and warriors, their biggest personal expense would have been their armor.
For example, a lower cost Chainmail shirt could be purchased for around 16 Silver stags, which was the equivalent of a little over an entire month's wage for a soldier guarding a prominent city.
A higher quality Chainmail shirt and other defensive gear would be even more expensive.
Buying a cuirass with pauldrons or a shield might run you 25 Silver Stags, while proper Lance armor would be closer to 80 Silver Stags.
By contrast, weapons were generally less expensive than armor, but still made up a significant portion of a soldier's expenses.
For example, lances and swords could be bought for around 2 Silver Stags, or about 4 days wages for a high stand soldier.
People who could not afford high quality gear would have turned to cheaper alternatives.
For example, rather than sporting full suits of metal armor, a poor man would usually have worn a helmet padded or quilted textile garments and carried a shield.
Offensively they would have turned to lower tier maces or spears, which were overall much cheaper to produce since they required less metal and blacksmith work.
This sort of kit was often mandated by the governing authority in many regions.
Weapons and armors had gradually become
better and cheaper over the course of the centuries, as blacksmiths became more common.
But it was still considerably high for the average guy.
Around the bigger cities, a common foot soldier could actually much more readily afford a weapon and entire armies would have been outfitted in munitions grade armor, which was cheaper adjustable gear made for outfitting large numbers of pikemen.
But weapons and armor were not one-time purchases, they required frequent upkeep.
Thus, a soldier's gear would often include items for the maintenance of these arms.
This might mean something as simple as a
whetstone or spare parts.
More often though, attendants, servants and specialized artisans like armorers accompanied an army to properly maintain war gear that might need repair or replacement in the field.
Besides weapons and armor, equipment such
as clothing, tents, food, drink, alcohol, ammunition and fodder for horses was vital to maintain military forces.
Individually these purchases might be relatively cheap, but would accrue over time to the point that they might even surpass the cost of outfitting a soldier.
Logistics for even small units of warriors involve significant baggage.
Mounted forces in particular required huge amounts of supply for horse and rider.
After all, these troops brought multiple remounts on campaign, with the more expensive steeds being reserved for actual combat.
Even non-mounted forces, like archers, might have a horse to get to and from combat.
An entire wagon was required for every 10 horsemen in the army, and that these wagons were pulled by their own beasts of burden, which in turn would require water and fodder.
The cheapest horse might cost about 21 Silver Stags or around 40 days worth of a soldier's entire wage, while a fine riding horse might cost 10 times that amount and a war horse even more.
Factor all this together and you start to get a sense of how expensive warfare could be on an individual basis, let alone on a grand scale for those attempting to build their own troops.
With this in mind, let's now talk about how soldiers might acquire their gear.
One of the main ways for individuals to get weapons and armor was through inheritance.
This was extremely common amongst the nobility and the practice even extended into non-aristocratic families.
Inheriting gear might be a huge ceremony whereby powerful named artifacts like Valyrian steel weapons were handed down over the generations.
However, we see this process being much more mundane with inheritance being spelled out in the clauses of rather boring legal documents and wills.
After all, while weapons and armor were valuable and often highly decorated, they were also seen as practical tools with most having a finite life span.
It was expected that they would be worn out or even broken in battle, requiring constant upkeep even when left in storage.
Armories for instance would routinely hire craftsmen to evaluate and repair their stockpiles after a campaign or battle.
That being said, there were some particular cases of inheritance which were closer to what gets depicted in fantasy media.
Royal armories and heirlooms often housed objects of legendary status which could
be handed down from Lord to Lord.
These prized possessions might have names, but we should remember that these sorts of occurrences were much less common.
Thus for most warriors inheriting weapons was less like the passing down of artifacts as seen in Valyrian steel weapons and more like receiving a trusty hunting bow or spear from an elderly relative.
Gear might also be handed to a warrior from outside the family, as might be the case with gifts from allies or loans from armories.
Gifts of war gear, for example, sometimes accompanied the signing of a treaty or the celebration of a political marriage.
Most of the time, these gifts were exchanged between powerful figures and the retainers.
After all, it was in the interest of monarchs and aristocrats to ensure that their personal forces were equipped with proper weapons, armor and even horses.
For the most part these were not uniform
in nature, but at least met a common level of quality.
By Westerlands' standards however,
aristocrats were increasingly dressing their soldiers with preset libraries.
For example, elite soldiers recruited in
Lannisport were given coats that were half tinted red and half plated with gold.
The procurement of gear was thus concentrated into the hands of the wealthy who bought and stockpiled large quantities of equipment ahead of major campaigns.
I've heard of a merchant who collected over 4 thousand Chainmail shirts and 6 thousands shields and mountains of other gear for a campaign expecting another Blackfyre rebellion or Ironborn raid.
Given such large volumes, it was now possible for buyers to source their equipment directly from manufacturing centers.
However, rich individuals weren't the only ones who served as consolidators of equipment.
Towns and cities also maintained armories to arm their citizens for local defense.
These stockpiles contained both personal items such as weapons and armor, as well as larger assets like artillery and ammunition, the latter commonly came in the form of large torsion-powered crossbows called springald and several sets of bolts which would be key to the defense of urban settlements.
But let's suppose that war was coming and you had neither inherited nor been given all the gear you needed.
The next option available to you would be to purchase these items, in popular media
this usually gets depicted as a buyer
traveling to a single smith in a small shop, while this certainly did happen, given how capable Tobho Mott was, the arms industry was much larger in scale, consisting of an enormous network of craftsmen workshops and merchants.
These were available to supply anything an
army could need from personal weapons like a sword or bow, to massive orders for thousands of shields, helmets and lances.
Wealthy nobles might have their own workshop set up to equip themselves and their soldiers, but would also travel directly to production centers in order to buy custom sets of gear in bulk.
The cost of weapons and armor depended
on what you're looking for, a used spear for example, could be bought cheaply for less than a day's wages for a regular worker.
But a basic to custom sword, harness with gilding or other forms of decoration would be much more expensive.
As you can imagine, prices varied widely for each product, and one could easily spend a fortune on military gear.
For example Tobho Mott's armorer's workshop at King's Landing employed over 20 people and cost more than 500 Golden Dragons a year to operate.
The craftsmen who made these equipment were valuable and well paid, especially for high-end custom production.
Armorers and weapon makers contracted for royal workshop often had exclusivity classes in their contracts and were frequently subject to royal legislation, aimed at regulating such an important market.
Fraud for example was a constant problem which plagued the major production centers.
What happened was that unscrupulous merchants would purchase cheap armor elsewhere, then bring it to a city famous for its weapons such as King's Landing where the item would be stamped with a false maker's mark and sold for a profit.
Cities and towns tried to protect themselves from such forgeries, but legislation designed to punish counterfeit sellers were difficult to enforce and did not seem to have halted the practice.
This all led to vast amounts of new military gear being produced and dumped onto the market by the major players in the industry.
These might be sold locally or exported to other regions around the world.
Used gear also added to the number of items on the market in the form of a huge second-hand equipment industry, being propped up by smaller scale merchants and individuals.
Soldiers even served as vendors themselves, when they might sell off their gear to buy more practical things like food, drink and transportation.
The battlefield itself was also another important source of war gear, indeed weapons and armor were commonly looted from the battlefield.
In some cases, this might be completely unrestrained free-for-all.
For the most part however looting was an organized process to make sure that
everyone knew that they would get a share of the spoils and would be properly motivated
to keep fighting rather than breaking off to scavenge mid-battle.
Generally speaking, battlefield loot was usually supposed to be divided into shares.
The overall commander of the army would
get a cut followed by the captains and their soldiers.
For some Sellsword companies on Essos, the specific ratio of what shares a captain or
commanders would be entitled to would often be made explicit in a formal contract.
This meant that, even if a mercenary looted a valuable weapon from a dead noble on
the battlefield, they would probably not be able to keep it for themselves.
Instead, the weapon would become part of the overall value of the loot from which the sellsword would receive their share.
Such earnings could be quite significant, however to the dismay of the troops an army wouldn't always be able to loot a battlefield.
For instance Maesters have described numerous mass graves from the battle of the past, where many soldiers were buried with their weapons and armor intact.
This might occur for any number of reasons, but the most common was the fear of a pending attack.
Specific orders about how to handle the process of looting the dead were common, commanding that soldiers should take armor only to supplement their own and to ignore any that could not be carried easily.
This was a necessary decision meant to keep the army mobile in the event of another attack by rallying troops.
Thus, I have elaborated on the ways regular soldiers had to equip themselves for battle.
This would be easy enough to achieve for someone with a lot of money, but proved
significantly harder for those at the other end of the socio-economic spectrum.
However, there was a surprising amount of social mobility to be achieved through warfare.
Soldiers were paid based on their level of equipment, so for example a basic spearman would receive far less than a man-at-arms in full plated harness mounted on a war horse.
If you inherited, got gifted or scavenged enough war gear though, you could theoretically move up the ranks.
Perhaps even enough to impress someone through your feats and be anointed as a Knight.
This sudden increase in wealth and status would have translated into a literal socio-economic class change, which had huge implications for them and their family.
After all, Landed Knights were one step away from becoming Lords themselves.
—————————————————————
(06/11/2021)
(11/11/2021)
(05/05/2022)
*Hope this chapter is of your liking.
Anything you wish to ask, feel free to do so.
Check out my auxiliary chapter if you still haven't.
Thanks as always for your attention and please be safe.
Any problems with my writing, just point them out and I will correct them as soon as possible.
** Sorry for the constant delays, I've been busy taking care of a family member while studying for my college exams.
*** As for the constant info dumps about the logistics of raising and maintaining a personal army, I will stop with them for a while since most of you seem to not enjoy it that much. 😅 My intentions behind it was to make it more believable that a single boy had managed to make an army following the mold of the Roman legion. But I'm aware that my writing skills aren't that high to make it more of a pleasant reading experience. Sorry if it really bothered you.
**** I recommend FanFiction.Net "The Mountain's Range" from The Passionate Admiral. It helped and inspired me a lot to create my story. I really like it! Check it out!
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