Baron Karandar Ellenvord,
We trust this finds you well in your journey abroad of the Holdings, however duty calls, and an attention must be brought to your attention to find measure of your vote. Within you will find the standard information packet mailed to all lords in the field or unable to attend today’s council meeting, within is contained all of the information provided to fellow sitting members before it is brought to debate upon the floor.
Azulan Fort Line
[[File:Nestorian_Fortline.PNG ]]
A number of members of the Lord Council have raised issues of the vulnerability of our primary freight and trade channels, and wish to bring it to further debate among the council.
Nestorian trade has long been delivered to other nations by mainly land routes, in part due to tradition, national alliances, and the danger of the lands to the west. As the western lands have been pacified and continue to the be settled, along with the continued development of the Delagore docks, large scale ocean trade has become a reality for the city of Nestor.
The Lord Council is concerned that if river trade along the Azule continues to accelerate in popularity, the city may find itself with a vulnerable and exposed trade artery passing through hostile territory. The Lord Council are proposing the construction of twenty two (22) river, sea and lake forts between Port Pardue and Delagore.
The forts would be manned by the Nestorian Guard, or barring that the mariners of the 3rd Legion. The fort would be designed to be resupplied by river craft via a dock, the river craft to be manned by the same organisation who operates the forts (The Lord Council would advise a “River Guard” to be trained as river trade expands anyway, to protect our interests).
The fortline is expected to cost approximately 36,000gp in total, over a period of 5 years (7,200 / year). These costs would be partially (10%) subsidised by an agreement between the Lord Council and Baron Delagore to use their personal wealth. The remainder would be financed by a reshuffling of budgetary finances, along with a 5,000gp loan from the Stone Bank. The Lord Council agrees that these costs seem excessive for a fix to a potential future problem, however they have been discussing the issue for almost a year without reaching a consensus, and such wish the Barons and counts to weigh in.
While there is a current conflict that has forced trade to divert and use the Azula river, this will only continue for the current campaign season at most, and is not the basis of this dicussion. The forts discussed within will take up to 3 years to complete fully, and will have zero impact upon the outcome of the conflict.
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Argument For
Nestor lives and breathes on the back of it’s trade. If the trade stops, so does the city, and then so do the holdings. None of us are immune to this. We cannot find ourselves in a situation where the pirates of the lattice or simpleton orc marauders can bring our mighty city and the glorious holdings to their knees with simple raiding! We cannot allow this to happen, we need to make Nestor great again!
These forts would allow for river patrols, safe bulk shipping, and increased wealth for every resident of the holdings! With the new fleet setting sail to protect our ocean tread, the horizon is the literal limit for how far we can now ship Nestorian goods!
Voting For
- Duke Silvaro, Duke of Nestor<br>
- Duke Pirtarvan, Duke of the Eastern Marches<br>
- Duke Vocten, Duke of the West<br>
- Morrowdorn, Lord Mage of Nestor <br>
- Graffhand, Lord Cleric of Nestor<br>
- Tankov Silverfist, Lord Admiral of the Nestorian Fleet
Argument Against
Nestor already stands at a crossroads for her future, accused of warmongering and deception on a national scale. Building a series of military forts is only going to antagonise an already delicate situation on the global stage! Morrowdorn and his cronies won’t stop starting wars with everyone, and now we want to build bigger walls? Really? Are you that un-selfware?!
The costs are prohibitive as well, 36,000gp would be better spent on schools, development and settlement opportunities, instead we’re supposed to waste it building a series of towers along a river that we ”might” colonize, at ”some” point? Okay, sure thing Duke Silvaro!
The river traders can hire guards if it’s so dangerous! Why should we, as lords and citizens of Nestor, be paying for the traders convenience? Let them cover their own costs! If the river was truly ””’that””’ dangerous, the Lord Council should sue for peace and send the Legions to clear out the area, but I doubt you’ll see that happen!
Voting Against
- Duke Crayz Hodun, Duke of Hodun Marches
- Duchess Tirian, Duchess of the Plains
- Coril Sevenswords, Marshall of Nestor
- Tefflum Solidstack, Publicly Voted Representative