Opening post by Lady Alys Karstark · #1
1. Secure the walls before you chase glory. I lost my first keep because I marched out with half its defenders and trusted a promise of relief. Keep your best troops inside, repair the gate, and store food for 7 days before answering any banner’s summons.
2. Watch the approach, not the throne room. I place scouts on every road that reaches the Seat and check them at dawn and dusk. When a host is seen, send word at once, shut the gates, and pull vulnerable workers behind the inner wall. A warning bought early is worth more than a brave sortie.
3. Spend power where the enemy must touch it. Reinforce the gatehouse first, then the weakest wall, and keep a reserve for the breach. I have watched too many lords empty their stores on proud towers while the main gate burned. Hold the Seat, and let ambition wait outside.