The Red Deer

The gloom of the diminutive chamber is dissipated by a dozen stout tapers and infrequent flashes of lightning, whose reflections are clearly discernible in the windows. The tempest has descended upon the Stormy Lands once again. The climate here is more inclement than in Moscow, at least in terms of its unpredictability. Yet, what could be more commonplace than a tempest in the Stormy Lands, one might ask? Indeed, it is ordinary. Nowadays, I would describe it as a natural aberration, but I must confess that the initial tempest here quite startled me, for I had never encountered anything like it, despite my familiarity with the local weather patterns. However, after the third day, both the tempest and my fear grew somewhat tiresome, and I even developed a certain degree of habituation to the former, while the latter remained a constant companion. Sometimes, in the absence of such inclement weather, sleep proves elusive.

Thus, I am compelled to sit in darkness, with a goblet of steaming wine, immersed in the study of parchments and tomes. The collection is vast, encompassing Talmudic treatises, ranging from treatises on household assets and fiscal matters to tales of fantasy and maps of renowned lands. What purpose does this serve? It is a means of organizing knowledge, for the state of "remembering here, but not there" has begun to weigh on me, potentially leading to minor inconveniences. The paper itself leaves much to be desired, resembling either parchment or a shredded linen cloth. No mention of book printing has yet been made, although the presence of engraving tools is evident.

Regarding the language, the dialect of Westeros is known as Andal, commonly referred to as "common," but for my part, it is akin to English, specifically Old English. Other languages exist here, but Renly's knowledge is limited to this one, with a few additional phrases in Valyrian that appear as gibberish to him.

Initially, I focused on three key aspects, which were driven by a more or less thorough understanding of history and mere logic. The foundation of everything was the economy, followed by military strength and neighbouring territories. While the economic situation of my own domain was relatively clear, the situation in the lands under my vassalage was not so straightforward.

Let us begin with the population. Rough estimates suggest that there are somewhere between thirty and forty million people inhabiting Westeros, although no precise count has been conducted. Nonetheless, let us conservatively estimate the population at thirty-five million. These figures are based on tax records and revenue calculations.

The Stormy Lands host approximately five to six million inhabitants, with a rather uneven population distribution. Most of the population resides away from the coast, which is not surprising, in the Dornish Marches and on the western peripheries, where they can engage in agriculture with relative ease.. The economic landscape of the Stormlands, with its agricultural west and predominantly artisanal and fishing eastern regions, reflects this complex dynamic. Among my vassal Houses, there are a total of thirty-four, ranging in size from small to sizable. Of these, twenty were direct vassals to me, while the remaining twenty were vassals of other vassals.

Among these, the Seaworth House stands out, having been founded by the renowned knight Davos Seaworth. Davos was once a smuggler, and it was during a time of siege that he saved Storm's End from famine. After the siege ended, Stannis, in his role as High Lord, granted Davos with a gift befitting his status. However, despite this act of generosity, there remains a twofold situation: while the Seaworth lands lie within my domain and should be regarded as my vassals, Davos and his descendants remain loyal to Stannis. Stannis and his brother Renly, in their gratitude for this young House's service, turn a blind eye to this situation.

The vassals remit taxes to my treasury in monetary form or in kind. For example, Selmi frequently pays part of their taxes in grain, while the lords of the Rainy Forest contribute furs. Unlike the budget of the kingdom, the budget of the Stormy Lands is significantly in surplus.

It also happens that Robert or Stannis may send me a gift in cash. As a result, a considerable amount of funds has accumulated in the storerooms of Stormwind — approximately seven hundred thousand dragons. A third of this sum is in gold, with the rest in silver. There is also a substantial quantity of copper, although it is not really taken into account.

Furthermore, it is worth considering the jewellery stored in the castle, as well as the ceremonial and tournament armour, and expensive dishes. All these items can prove to be highly valuable and even provide a lifeline in times of need, acting as an inviolable reserve.

My net conditional income amounts to approximately twenty-five thousand dragons per month, most of which is derived from the taxes levied on the lords. Naturally, this figure will undergo a drastic reduction during times of war.

Gold, silver, and bronze are the currencies of the realm. The gold coin bears the name «dragon», the silver one — «deer», and the bronze one — simply «penny». The right to mint coins is the sole prerogative of the king, and there are three mints in King's Landing that are closely monitored by the master of coin.

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For instance, if there is a shortage of silver or bronze coins in a particular region, with the temporary approval of the master of coins, the local lord can authorize the minting of scarce coins. Such measures are frequently applied to silver and bronze, but the approach towards gold is more cautious and meticulous, as minting gold coins represents a highly lucrative endeavor.. It is somewhat analogous to this: after extracting gold, one must decide between two options — either providing it as raw material to a certain individual or entity, which is, of course, a relative, or taking it to the mint in the capital, where they would produce the desired coins. However, a tenth of these coins would go to the mint workers themselves.These regulations were implemented for a reason. The only house engaged in the "industrial" extraction of gold is the Lannisters. These measures serve as an effective deterrent against such activities.

At one point in time, Tytos Lannister, enthralled by the allure of gold, allowed his lands to descend into an economic abyss. Why indeed cultivate crops, construct ships, extract ore, and forge armor, swords, and tools when all these could be acquired with ease? This precipitated a catastrophic inflation, bringing about the demise of countless farms.

Tywin, however, intervened to rectify the situation by curtailing the influx of gold into the economy. He instead began investing in productive endeavors using tax revenues and, in a surprising move, increased tax collection. These measures not only stabilized the economy but also fostered a surge in gold processing. The abundant gold was transformed into opulent goods such as jewelry, tablewares, and ornate armor and weapons adorned with gold.

This shift in focus significantly increased the value of these items, leading to a novel development — the emergence of an entire class of Tywin-sponsored jewelers in Lannisport. This, in turn, exerted substantial control over the pricing of jewelry across the region.

Gold is a double-edged sword. The people prefer to settle their debts with copper and silver, leaving gold for international trade.

The economy is inevitably projected onto the military sphere in one way or another. As the High Lord of the Stormy Lands, I am able to assemble an army ranging from thirty-five to forty thousand individuals without significant effort.

Seven thousand mounted men-at-arms constitute the core of my military might, rivaled only by the Expanse, the West, and perhaps the Valley. Approximately eight thousand archers and light cavalry are also mounted, while five to six thousand infantrymen, including crossbowmen and archers, complete the picture. The remaining numbers are rounded out by militia, primarily composed of peasants due to the absence of significant urban centers in the Stormy Lands. These militiamen lack training but serve a crucial role in protecting camps, wagon trains, and providing support for cooking duties.

While these figures represent a significant force, it is worth noting that they rarely engage in direct combat, with the exception of sieges. One-third of this force originates from my own domain, underscoring the importance of maintaining a superior position compared to my vassals. This unspoken rule dictates that the supreme lord must surpass the strength of two or three vassal lords.. There is also a naval fleet comprising forty vessels: two dozen diverse galleys, five karakkas, and the rest are all cogs. A third of them belong to me, and their captains are my liegemen, some of whom bear the spurs of knighthood.

It is possible to amass an even larger force, but it would be futile — anyone who has experienced the ordeal of organizing such an endeavor would attest to this. Maintaining such a horde would not be a paltry pursuit, even by the most "parsimonious" standards, and as one collects more troops, the costs escalate exponentially. Moreover, has anyone ever seen a militia of forty thousand men? Or fifteen thousand horsemen?

And yet, each warrior may have, rather must have, multiple mounts, and a warhorse cannot subsist solely on grass; provisions must be carried. Can anyone envision the length of this army's supply train? It would stretch for at least a dozen kilometres. It is a daunting and intimidating sight, one that would turn even the most seasoned supply officer's hair grey. For this entire host must still be fed, watered, and relieved.. Thus, while there is a «theoretical possibility», there is no necessity, and indeed, there should be no requirement to raise forty thousand. Half of that number would suffice to terrify our neighbours.

Another crucial aspect is the issue of sergeant uniforms. It transpires that the proportion of sergeants within the Stormland army is greater than elsewhere, which serves as a means of enhancing the quality of that very army. The reality is that the Baratheons never claimed the role of kings, arriving in these lands as victors alongside the Targaryens. Ultimately, these lands were granted to the Baratheon family.

As a consequence of their conquest of the Stormlands, the local tradition of chivalry faded, along with many noble houses. This resulted in a vast expanse of vacant land, which needed to be occupied, and the Baratheons devised a solution in the form of the establishment of a sizable class of freemen. This decision proved to be highly advantageous on numerous occasions.

This is what concerns the Stormlands. And what of the neighbors?

To the south lies Dorne, a kingdom that is, in fact, the weakest. Most of Dorne's territory is covered in sands, with the exception of a few river basins near oases and the northern foothills of the Red Mountains. In these areas, Dornians cultivate dates, olives, and various fruits and citrus fruits, the juice of which is used as a ship's preservative.

In the river basins, sheep and horse breeding are well-developed, as are textiles. There are also several iron ore deposits in Dorne. The Dornish army is small, numbering approximately fifteen thousand. It consists primarily of light cavalry armed with javelins — the weapons are shorter than conventional ones.

Almost every child in Dorne learns to throw darts from an early age, which makes them unparalleled in this skill. However, they are vulnerable outside their borders, as the Baratheons and Starks demonstrated during the Battle of the Ruby Ford.. Certainly, the more affluent lords possess armored cavalry, albeit in modest numbers. However, it is worth noting that the Martells boast a larger fleet than my own. 

The Tyrells and the Reach are a colossus of local importance, with clay feet firmly planted in the ground. This is the wealthiest of all the great lordships, and in the long term, it may even surpass the Lannisters in terms of wealth, for the gold mines of the Reach are not bottomless pits.

In the Reach, agriculture has been developed to a high standard, with most products exported to other regions. This is augmented by a robust fleet, ensuring stable trade. Here, one can also find the largest knightly estates and some of the most oppressed peasants. However, the peasants do not voice complaints, as hunger has long been a thing of the past in these lands. Should there be a crop failure, the Tyrells draw upon their own reserves to alleviate the situation.

This is why both the common folk and the nobles hold the Tyrell house in high regard. What sort of army could the Reach muster? It would be easier to list those armies the Reach cannot muster. However, on occasion, they can field ten thousand mounted knights.

In the northern regions, the Storm Lands adjoin the Realm of the Crown. The dominion of the eldest brother is not inferior to the Expansive and Riverlands in terms of fertility, but its primary asset lies in the Royal Port. A vast flow of commodities and thousands of vessels traverse this seaport city, depositing millions of gold and silver within the city through a multitude of customs duties, fees, taxes, and indirect revenues.

The royal territories, as an autonomous domain, will assemble an army comprising a few thousand knights and approximately ten thousand other combatants. Additionally, it is worth noting Stannis' patrimony, which is the Dragonstone. My sibling also commands a formidable contingent, numbering three to four thousand loyal retainers. Dragonstone, like other Houses of the Narrow Seas, thrives through maritime commerce and associated levies, boasting a substantial naval force.

As for the rest of the great houses, my information here is fragmentary. The Lannisters... are the richest House at the moment, and it feels like it. They are able to field an army of fifty to sixty thousand, of which nine to ten thousand will be mounted men-at-arms. The river lands are two times smaller, despite the fact that they are rich, and the reason for everything is disunity and eternal squabbling with each other. The Arryn Valley is able to field an army of twenty to twenty—five thousand, with a large number of knights, squires and just men-at-arms. In the Valley of the knights, that the dogs are uncut. But such an army requires gold, and a lot, so the peasants in the Valley are tight, and there is nowhere to escape, there are only mountains around. The Iron Islands... there is generally nothing clear and "everything is clear" at the same time — several rocky islets and a fleet of two hundred troughs.

The North is perhaps a separate topic. There are no knights or serfdom in the North. It just doesn't exist as an institution. Of course, the same Manderlies have a bunch of knights in their squad, and the fields are cultivated by serfs, but the bulk of the northerners are free. Chivalric traditions also penetrate the lands of the Starks and Boltons, but only sporadically. Northerners live in communities and clans, half of the northern lords and not lords at all, but selected clan leaders. The North lives by crafts, furs, ship timber, hemp and potatoes. Cereals don't get along well in the North, but potatoes are special there, northern. I once ate potatoes grown in the Arctic circle, in Pechora, very tasty. They breed unpretentious, frost-resistant and hardy horses, the size of steers (as you might guess, they are fine with heavy cavalry). The Starks once seized the most fertile lands of the North, which made them the strongest House in the region. The local lords sit quietly and do not brawl. They know that although the wolf is quiet, it is even more dangerous because of this. Eddard Stark is respected by many in the North, but only everyone is afraid to cross his path. He has more than once ended squabbles between his vassals and speeches against the Starks... radically. This is the North, baby, so remember, "who's Stark is right."

The North is able to put up about twenty-five thousand. There are no knights, but there are their substitutes — horsemen. Yes, it's not very original, but it's effective. The local northern military class. In fact, these are the same sergeants, but with nuances. They are kept by their community or clan. They choose men by lot, throw off and equip them with armor, weapons and a horse. Such a thousand-year-old practice brought this class out, turning horsemen into a remote copy of the local cavalry. The Northerners also have special infantry. She is recruited in the mountain clans, and the people there are too fond of swinging two-handed swords and axes. Anyway, Northerners are dangerous people. Everyone is trained in military business. Even the women. There is no other way to survive there. And they will pass everywhere, no matter the mountains are waiting there, the forest, the swamp or even the dog's cold to the heap. Therefore, the Northerners are a formidable opponent and it is not at all surprising that Robb Stark drove the Lannisters in the tail and mane, with the numerical advantage of the latter. But commanding the northern army is still a hassle. So some northerner wanted to rape that milkmaid over there in the Riverlands. So I wanted to and did it. And if you don't dodge, risking causing discontent, then what the fuck are you going to do to him. And if you execute, then others may not "understand" at all.

***

I leaned back wearily in my chair, my hand hurt from writing for a long time. Writing with a quill pen on local paper with local ink... it's not the easiest thing to do, I'll tell you. Those ubiquitous blots, brittle feathers... eh. The candles are almost burned out, and the storm is dragging on and on. Despite all this, I was pleased with myself — the plan for conquering the world was ready... just an outline.

 Unfortunately or fortunately, I have no idea how to make gunpowder, airships, open-hearth furnaces and rolling mills, and the locals will teach anyone how to make weapons and armor themselves. But still, I know something. For example, a couple of recipes for making the necessary product for any army. In particular, stew is so close to those who served in the valiant Red or Russian army. Canned food is known here: corned beef, stroganina, smoking, drying, drying. What can I say, the Dornians, or rather the Roynars, thought of marinating individual products in citrus juice, which on the one hand increased the range of the ship, and on the other nullified outbreaks of scurvy.

 So, stew and more. The creation of a whole cereal complex in order to reduce the costs of military life, such as epidemics and overgrown supply trains. First, it is a stew, minced pork, beef and any other meat, well cooked and salted, and then packed in a clay pot with a wax-sealed lid. A decent shelf life and good transportability. And in the future, it is possible to "invent" iron banks. You can also add soup mixes here... although like the Mongols. I boiled a sheep, dried it, ground the meat and bones into powder, poured boiling water on a halt — here's a broth for you. Another novelty may be the field kitchen, that's really an innovation that will be difficult to overestimate. All these seemingly inconspicuous measures will significantly increase the mobility and combat capability of the army. At the same time, in order to reduce sanitary losses, I decided to attract more maesters so that they accompany the army on a campaign and treat whom they need, giving them the necessary number of free hands. To implement all this, you will have to experiment a lot, but we will manage.

 Another innovation will go hand in hand with the first, and it will be the organization of permanent professional military units, like… Who am I kidding? Identical to the ordinance companies of the French kings. The effectiveness of feudal militias leaves much to be desired. Low controllability and discipline, heterogeneity in weapons, competition, falometry, and sometimes the obvious enmity of the lords — that's the feudal army for you.

 The point of the ordinance companies is precisely to create a regularly operating professional military unit that serves directly to the sovereign, without any intermediaries, and operates on the battlefield as a single tactical unit. The French ordinance company, according to the staff, consisted of six hundred horsemen, divided into one hundred spears, which in turn were divided into dozens. The spear consists of six people: a mounted man-at-arms, who does not necessarily have to be a knight, a squire, three mounted archers, the sixth was a cutillier squire, whose main task is to take care of horses, cook and guard the camp. The company also had a headquarters consisting of a captain, a lieutenant (deputy captain), two flag bearers and a quartermaster. In peacetime, the company was stationed on the territory of the sovereign, while receiving a salary, and was constantly trained in military affairs.

Of course, I wanted to create something like this, and as soon as possible. France has created fifteen such companies in one sitting, but for me... one is enough for now, because an ordinance company is not a cheap thing.

 In addition to kava, you should not pass by other branches of the armed forces. By analogy with the ordinance companies, I decided to organize a similar one from shooters and infantry, namely: to create a company of crossbowmen with paveses and an infantry company. As for the infantry and crossbowmen, there is drill, drill and more drill, so that they become a single unit. And, most likely, if everything works out, the number of infantry companies can be increased. These companies will be recruited from sergeants and landless knights. The infantry would like to be armed with heavier weapons: halberds, two-handed swords, polacks, heavy infantry spears and pikes, but here it is necessary to consult with experts. Of course, you can experiment with the militia, but I doubt that something will work out with them, a completely different psychology. Sergeants and knights are taught to kill from childhood, and peasants are taught to plow. For me, the main thing now is to create a backbone, which can then be used to build meat. Another idea in support of the infantry is Wagenburgs, or "gulyai—gorod", a mobile field fortification made of wagons, the locals have not yet thought of this, which is not surprising, Westeros did not know what the neighborhood with the steppe was. The Hussites at one time famously broke into the Germans thanks to these things. Ordinary wagons will not work here, you will need to order special forged wagons with hooks for local craftsmen in order to quickly and reliably connect the wagons with each other, high sides and loopholes.

 Also, such an important craft as intelligence and espionage did not escape my attention. Without field reconnaissance, it will be very difficult in the war, so it's worth hiring a hundred or two hunters and training them in this direction. But with political intelligence, everything is not so simple, specific personnel and skills are needed here. This needs to be handled more carefully, and I have no idea where to start.

***

Getting up from the table, I stretched with pleasure. I've been sitting too long. The candles had almost burned out, and the inkwell began to show the bottom. The storm began to decline, and a formidable and beautiful picture unfolded outside the window: towering colossal waves, beating against rocks with blind fury, gusts of wind, lightning flashes and belated thunder... and it was necessary for someone to settle here. But the most important thing is that soon the whole of Westeros will look like this sea.…

We can't put it off any longer. In the future, I will either be dragged into this storm in one way or another, or they will find a way to remove or replace me — neutrality will be an unacceptable luxury for everyone. It is necessary to determine now which side to take in the future war. Declaring yourself king is... tempting. Stupid, but tempting. It seems that my "I" still dominates the established duo, but I definitely got more than just memories from Renly. And yet... no. No. Not a good idea. Only the storm Lords will be on my side. Yes, I may be able to enlist the support of the Expanse, but this is my maximum. My political positions are too weak for such an enterprise — two great houses will not be enough here. And even if we assume that I will be able to seize the throne... it's not a fact that I will be able to keep it. Join any of the forces? This is already more realistic. In the future war, I see two, and in the future, three groups that clearly have set political goals: the Lannisters, Stannis and Daenerys. All the others are fighting either for personal goals (North), or for separatist intentions (Greyjoy, and then the North after Robb became king). Of course, there is an option to create your own power center together with the Tyrells, but it will be difficult. And with whom? With Dorn? The one who harbors a creepy seventeen-year-old revenge plan against the Lannisters? Pf... it feels like the point of the Martels' plan is to wait until their abusers die of old age. With the Valley? Lisa wouldn't fly out of the Nest for the world. Yes, in general, that's all, the neutral political players in Westeros have ended. Free cities? Ha. Ha. Ha. Not funny.

 All. I leaned my forehead against the thick and cold glass, and my brain said its decisive "I'll take a nap, and you spin around as you want," and refused to work. This in itself is not scary, and more than once I found myself in a situation where I only had enough strength to drag myself to some soft horizontal surface and fall asleep. It was scary, coupled with the fact that fatigue was not accompanied by a desire to sleep, because I was left without my two lifebuoys — sleep and workaholism. It is not difficult to understand what started to come into my head when I returned from the world of Napoleonic plans and huge amounts of information. Longing and doubts, and fear hiding behind the latter. They started to raise their heads again, and they got stronger, bitches, while I tried to ignore them.

 Doubts… They are there. Definitely. What the hell are thrones? The crown? Field kitchens? Army reforms? I just loved history and read a lot, sometimes I participated in a fake way, transforming into a venerable couch expert. Organization and management? I am something bigger than a medium-sized business, a company of like-minded people, and I did not manage a company of fighters. Will I have enough knowledge and understanding of the situation to pull it all off... or will I just fail so that some smart guy in a hundred years will take into account my mistakes? Will there be enough will to push reforms through skepticism, and even so that everything goes well? Will there be enough time? Wouldn't it be better to just grab some gold, go into the shadows and just live out your days in the company of wine and nymphs, or at least anything hot and whores? And ... to retrain from a man who lived by the principle of "live and rejoice yourself and do not fuck another's brain", into a lord who turns the gears of history, in which thousands of people "grind", and willy-nilly leaves behind a trail of not only reforms, improved living conditions and grateful subjects, but also the dead cripples, widows, orphans, bankrupts? It's powerful.

 But this is not even the worst thing, because all these thoughts are muffled to some extent by Renly. His experience, his knowledge, self—confidence and character - they all come out quite often and strongly, which, I think, saved me in the first days and weeks in this world more often than I would like to admit. What Renly can't help with is my "past" life. I'm still me. When I think about my past, I remember first of all not something from Westeros, but my old friends, even ex-wives, children. Especially children. I miss them more than ever. This is even worse than the accident, after which the doctors barely pulled me out and then put me on my feet for another six months, and other cases when a furry animal walked too close. Then it was scary, then I was afraid that I would not see them anymore, but it was somehow balanced by the fact that I had to do something to prevent this (and still allowed it, and even out of stupidity). And now? There is no turning back now. I won't see it. Never. I don't even know what's wrong with them or how they are.

 A creak distracted me from my decadent moods, to put it mildly. The maid, who flew into the hall like a swallow, began to remove the burnt candles and put new ones in their place. While doing her job, she hurried so as not to distract my lord from the most important (well, how else?) matters.

— Wait a minute. — I decided to make a couple of changes to her plans.

 The girl stopped abruptly, turned to me and bent slightly, lowering her gaze to the floor. In front of me stood a wonderful creature of about seventeen or eighteen, with a beautiful face, plump lips, and blond hair escaping from under a cap. I should have been ashamed to study further, but when did this stop our brother? The chest of at least the third size was the first to catch the eye, and there was already a general picture — a beautiful, neat figure, which was rare for this time and place, because almost one in four in a poor family will get over rickets, which is why many people have ... specific figures.

— What's your name?

 I came closer, unceremoniously invading her personal space. Into the furnace of the moral side of the issue and into the same damn despondency. The night, the room, the bottle lying around somewhere, the sweet girl.

— Cindy, my lord. She looked up at me with her eyes, but when she met my gaze, she was scared and stared at the floor again, blushing terribly at the same time.

"Don't light any more candles, Cindy. I've already finished working.

— As you say, my Lord. — again the timid look.

— Cindy, would you like some wine?