Enlisting: Growing The Army's Numbers

In order to grow an army, legionnaires must be enlisted into its ranks. To do this requires either aideship to the Field Marshall (for city troops) or Captain status in your guild (for guild forces). "Enlistables" are the young, untrained individuals wandering about the land - they can be identified by their names, e.g. "a Parrian man" or "a bard".

Syntax: INTRO PASS/LETTER and INTRO CITY/GUILD

Enlisting troops requires either passes (for cities) or letters (for guilds). These can be obtained by visiting your city-monarch and typing INTRO PASS or from your guild-tutor by typing INTRO LETTER. At most ten passes or letters can be held concurrently. When you have found suitable youngsters for enlisment, present the pass to them via either INTRO CITY or INTRO GUILD; the potential legionnaire(s) will accept the pass or letter and may then be beckoned across the land into a barracks to join your burgeoning army.

2002h, 2002m aex ---intro pass
Lady Augustine of Parrius hands you an enlisting pass on behalf of Parrius, commanding you to use it well and see it reaches the grateful hands of some future hero of the city's legions.

2002h, 2002m aex 
A young man stands here, tugging his fledgling moustache. His eyes sparkle with wanderlust; an enthusiasm shared by Parrians the world over.
2002h, 2002m aex ---intro city
You show a pass with the Parrius seal to a Parrian man ("man167543"). He begins to look it over for authenticity.
You are carrying out one introduction here, waiting patiently for the neophyte to complete his scrutiny.
2002h, 2002m aex ---
A Parrian man has finished perusing your pass and accepts your credentials, eagerly awaiting enlistment.

Syntax: BECKON CITY or BECKON GUILD

Within a barracks, use these commands to summon all enlistables holding passes or letters to your location. The potentials will begin making their way quickly across the land to your position and, once within the barracks, may then be enlisted into your army by typing ENLIST ALL.

2002h, 2002m aex ---beckon city
A Parrian man begins towards you. 
"man167543" beckoning OK (1 for Parrius).
2002h, 2002m aex 
From the west enters a Parrian man.
A Parrian man delights in the Parrius surroundings.
2002h, 2002m aex ---enlist all
You enlist one man into the Parrius city barracks.

Syntax: BRIBE < man > WITH < amount > GOLD/GEMS FOR < city/guild >

Foreign enlistables may be converted to your city or guild army through sufficient bribery. Use the above command to make an offer to the potential convert and -if successful - they will become loyal to either your city or guild and may be enlisted in the same way as detailed above. Bribery is a risky act and it may take a higher offer to convert particularly loyal youngsters; this can be reduced in various ways and junior Avalonians are known to be particularly effective in their persuasions...

2002h, 2002m aex ---bribe man with 1000 gold for Parrius
You proffer up a bribe of 1000 gold coins on behalf of Parrius. You offer it to a Thakrian man.
A Thakrian man receives the bribe and gives you a conspiratorial wink. It would appear your bribe has been successful. The man aspires now to join Parrius.

Fortification Waxing: Protecting The Homeland Defences

Fortifications are the primary defences of cities or guilds; protective barriers that are most commonly erected at gatehouses or guild entrances to prevent invasion by foreign or hostile forces. There are many ways these fortifications can be assaulted and thus protecting against them is of crucial importance.

All citizens save the Prince or the Princess are able to utilise the wax commodity to "polish" fortifications with a protective coating; this "sheen" is able to repel ethereal and globestave-sourced attacks and can be made to last up to two hundred and fifty Avalon days (around 250 hours or 10 real days).

Syntax: FORTS HERE

Lists any fortifications present in your current location, their potency, and whether they have any wax-covering on them already.

2002h, 2002m aex ---forts here
Northwest     No fortifications.
North         40800 FORTS FACING SOUTHWEST (RAISED).
North         40800 FORTS FACING WEST (RAISED).
              81600 total forts at the north (no wax).
Northeast     No fortifications.
West          No fortifications.
Centre        32584 FORTS FACING SOUTHWEST (RAISED).
Centre        32584 FORTS FACING WEST (RAISED).
Centre        32584 FORTS FACING NORTHWEST (RAISED).
              97752 total forts at the centre (no wax).
East          No fortifications.
Southwest     No fortifications.
South         10632 FORTS FACING WEST (RAISED).
South         10278 FORTS FACING NORTHWEST (RAISED).
              20910 total forts at the south (no wax).
Southeast     No fortifications.

Syntax: WAX ON, WAX OFF [DIRECTION]

Scoops up some wax from your inventory and smears it into the fortifications. Each WAX ON followed by a WAX OFF adds around a dozen Avalon days to the length of protection time and will cycle through each set of fortifications on FORTS HERE. Including a direction enables you to wax only one specific set of fortifications.

2002h, 2002m aex ---wax on north
You engage in the wax on endeavour, scooping out wax and polishing it into the fortifications north in an outward curve.
2002h, 2002m aex --- 
Right side ready.
2002h, 2002m aex ---wax off north
You carry out the wax off action, gathering some wax and rubbing it into the fortifications north in a controlled inward curve.
You judge these fortifications to have wax and polish sufficient for thirty-six Avalon days protection.
The north fortifications shine, waxed against the rigours of the day.

Scouting Borders: Inspecting The Territory

Each city has a sphere of influence that defines the extent of its territorial borders. These locations are denoted by the presence of a flag of the city (with its emblem) in the location as seen on LOOK and can be expanded through warfare endeavour as described in HELP INFLUENCE.

Scouting refers to the practice of inspecting one's city borders for encroaching legions and reporting them to high command. This is a task doable by all citizens; communication and reconnaissance forming the backbone of any successful war campaign.

Marching & Legion Interplay: Directing The Armies

Beyond enlistment, fortification waxing and scouting lies the more in depth military activity; taking command of troops and putting them to purpose in the field. To do so requires at least "Colonel" rank in your city army or "Captain" status in your guild.

The full, comprehensive guide to marching legions can be found here and encompasses all syntaxes and concepts relevant to the manouevring of troops. The warfare manual is a splendid starting point for academic learning, however it is advised to seek guidance from your Field Marshall or Guildmaster in the first instance alongside the manual.

The Battleisle: Experimental Warfare Landscape

The Battleisle is an isolated landscape of around a hundred and fifty locations used for the purpose of testing and practising warfare. It is an island cut off from mainland Avalon and designed to encompass the "world in microcosm"; boasting various terrain types, battlefield obstacles and four different villages to enable numerous test scenarios.

Its use is strongly encouraged by the gods to all who wish to learn the nuances and intricacies of field-command and can be entered by typing BF IN followed by the name of the village whose armies you wish to command (from a choice of Westrons, Celts, Vikings or Visigoths). Once arrived, you will find you are able to command the troops of the village you chose and free to wreak as much havoc and devastation as you like; there are no consequences to activity on the Battleisle. Once finished, BF OUT returns you to mainland Avalon.

Become a paid soldier, military tactitian or masterminding general. Recruit your soldiers, train your troops and lead your army in breathtaking battle and devastating conquest. Enlist today!