The action to rebuild Vizinian roads is suspended.
---++ Action 1: Mobilize the Reserve
Weight: Single
Description: Following the receipt of Legate Martros' reports of the
loss of a third of his force at sea, and of the defensive campaign
against the Ice Demons in the waning months of 1453, the Regency Council
votes to mobilize Sedonia's reserves. The five reserve Legions, VI
through X and their supporting cavalry formations are activated, a total
of 37,240 men. A detatchmen of 1,800 men is assembled from all the
Reserve Legions and is immediately dispatched to Aseria(see Action 2);
the Legions and cavalry will require training time, and will not be
available for deployment until 1455.
Difficulty: Normal. Sedonia, as part of its military reorganization
during the 1440s, established the infrastructure for this type of situation.
Subparts:
* Sending out the call-up notice
* Response to call-up by reservists
* Rearming of reservists
* Refresher training for reservists
Fudge Points: 2
---++ Action 2: Marching Through Tanimbar
Weight: Single
Description: In Lussuth of 1454, the Regency Council sends movement
orders to I and IV Legions, their supporting cavalry units, directing
them to prepare to march to Aseria via Tanimbar and Burcancy.
Additional reinforcements for II Legion, a detachment of 1,800
reservists, will follow as soon as possible.
However, reaching Aseria will be difficult. With the seas closed by
monsters, the Legions will have to march overland through Tanimbat and
Burcancy, and Sedonia' relations with Tanimbar are poor. While this is
in part due to Empress Yzara's abortive invasion of Tanimbar just before
the Sinari War, the roots of the animosity go back to the last Ice Demon
invasion: the Tanimbari have always felt that the Sedonians abandoned
them to the Ice Demons then. In addition, there are communities of Ice
Demons still living in Tanimbar's interior.
Countering this animosity is the fact that Tanimbar is obligated by the
the Treaty of the MidSea Federation to let the Sedonians pass through,
as per the mutual-defence clause. That does not mean that they have to
be happy about it, however.
The Sedonians are ordered to march through Tanimbar as quickly as
possible, to avoid Tanimbari cities and towns, and to avoid contact with
the native Ice Demons. The Legions are to send most of the cavalry ahead
with multiple remounts, retaining only a minimal scouting force. If all
goes well, the cavalry will arrive in Aseria two weeks after leaving,
with the last of the infantry arriving 57 days later.
Difficulty: Hard (-1). The Miserable Relations between Tanimbar and
Sedonia are partially offset by treaty obligations and the changes in
Sedonia's government over the last 30 years. The Sedonians are going to
be pushing their pace to spend as little time as possible in Tanimbar.
Subparts:
* Legions Marching to Aseria
* Cavalry Riding to Aseria
* II Legion's reinforcements Marching to Aseria
* Preventing Straggling & Looting
Fudge Points: 4
---++ Action 3: Building the Spy Network
Weight: Single, strategic
Description: This is a continuation of the work of previous years--no
radical changes in course.
Difficulty: Hard
Sub-parts:
* Insert 'deep cover' agents
* Hire analysts
* Develop counter-espionage
* "Special Projects"
---++ Action 4: Making an Imprint
Weight: Single, strategic
Description:
"So, how many pages can you get on a single sheet of paper or
parchment?" Minister Ghere asked Davor and Lecon as Raden and some
apprentices worked the press.
"Well, sir," said Davor, "it depends. But, printing front and back, as
few as 4 pages to as many as 32."
"32 pages on a single sheet?" said Ghere skeptically. "How do you manage
that?"
"We have a chart we use when typesetting," replied Lecon. "It shows us
the orientation of the type and the order in which to set. Here, take a
look." He handed a printed chart to the Minister:
Front Side: Back Side:
+-+----+----+----+----+-+ +-+----+----+----+----+-+
|v| 08 | 25 | 32 | 01 |v| |v| 02 | 31 | 26 | 07 |v|
+-+----+----+----+----+-+ +-+----+----+----+----+-+
|^| 09 | 24 | 17 | 16 |^| |^| 15 | 18 | 23 | 10 |^|
+-+----+----+----+----+-+ +-+----+----+----+----+-+
|v| 12 | 21 | 20 | 13 |v| |v| 14 | 19 | 22 | 11 |v|
+-+----+----+----+----+-+ +-+----+----+----+----+-+
|^| 05 | 28 | 29 | 04 |^| |^| 03 | 30 | 27 | 06 |^|
+-+----+----+----+----+-+ +-+----+----+----+----+-+
"The little arrows at the ends of each row indicate the top of the page
for that row, and the numbers indicate the order in which each page of
the signature should be typeset when you're printing 32 pages to a
sheet," Davor explained.
"Fascinating," said Ghere. "And you have similar charts for the other
sizes of book?"
"Yes, that's right," said Lecon. "Ah, I see that Raden's finished printing."
Raden Tomasros came up to the other three men, and with a flourish, he
presented the sheets of paper he carried to Minister Ghere. "Here you
go, Minister, as you requested, 500 copies of the pending reserve
mobilization bill, ready to be delivered to the Councilors."
Raden Ghere, Minister of Special Projects, smiled. "Very good, my boys,
very good indeed."
* * * * *
The three university students, Davor, Raden, and Lecon, are well on
their way to a successful press. The only technical hurdle left is
finding a better ink recipe. As far as funding goes, they are being
backed by the Ministry of Special Projects. If they can print enough
copies of pending bills for all the Councilors, plus copies of the final
acts as passed, Minister Ghere will pay them to publish all
government-related material, and provide enough funding to build
multiple presses and hire apprentices to operate them.
Difficulty: Normal
Sub-parts:
* Finding a better ink
* Tweaking the press design for efficiency
* Government printing jobs
* Securing other printing jobs
Fudge Points: 3
Andrew
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