Traveling through The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

The military service system in Skyrim is chaotic, but broadly speaking, lords have three sources of soldiers:

One type was the standing army, composed of professional soldiers employed by nobles of all ranks. Barons and knights lived off the lands or properties granted by their lords and were always ready to fight alongside them. Besides providing their own weapons, they also had to supply a certain number of soldiers. Ignoring their lord's summons was considered treason and could result in punishment, even the loss of their noble status.

Therefore, the commander of the standing army could be the lord himself, or it could be a minor nobleman. The exact number of soldiers varied depending on the wealth of the territory; generally, a weak territory like Falkriss might have only about a hundred soldiers, while a wealthy territory like Hafingar might have nearly a thousand. Typically, the standing army was highly trained, equipped with excellent standard gear, and formed the core of the territory's defenses.

Sam and Stein, the squires assigned to me by Danger, came from families with generations of military service. They all began receiving military training in their childhood and joined their fathers' regiments as adults.

While the standing army was elite, its numbers were ultimately limited. The vast majority of the lord's soldiers were civilians temporarily assembled, that is, conscripts. Whether farmers or townspeople, civilians between the ages of sixteen and fifty were required to serve their masters for at least one month each year. The tasks of conscripts were mostly patrolling the cities or guarding rural properties, but they could also serve as cannon fodder in large-scale battles.

Of course, to maintain the vitality of their territories, lords generally wouldn't conscript large numbers of farmers for war during the busy farming season from late spring to early autumn, nor would they allow valuable artisans to die carelessly on the battlefield. In practice, wealthy families could pay a fee to avoid conscription. However, there are always some madmen who don't play by the rules; for example, Lord Scudder of the Cangyuan Territory once conscripted every able-bodied man he could find.

The third type of recruit is mercenaries. Although the Companions, the largest mercenary organization in Skyrim, publicly declares that they do not interfere in any political affairs, groups like the Silver Hands, as well as smaller mercenary groups and even independent fighters, are still keen to accept employment from nobles. However, their loyalty is highly questionable, and they are often only assigned unimportant tasks.

The main difference between mercenaries and standing soldiers lies in the length of their contracts; their relationship is roughly similar to that of short-term and long-term laborers. If the employer offers a sufficiently attractive price, mercenaries can demonstrate considerable combat prowess. According to Argis's report, the Silverblood family's private armies have caused them far more trouble than the regular army of the Lord of Markars.

Regardless of the type of recruits, two major drawbacks are unavoidable.

First, there was chaos in command. The relationships among feudal nobles were extremely complex. Theoretically, a vassal was only loyal to his direct lord, that is, "the lord of a lord is not my lord." For example, from the moment Lydia swore an oath to me, her obligations to Lord Balgruf were automatically terminated. Even though Balgruf was my lord, he had no right to directly command Lydia.

In reality, Balgruuf's control over me is extremely weak, even far less than that of Danger, who is nominally a baron alongside me. It's easy to imagine whether I could faithfully carry out the commander's orders if I led troops to join the Whiterun army.

The lack of coordinated combat capabilities led the armies of the various lords in Skyrim to prioritize individual martial prowess over discipline. The Nords deeply revered heroes who were highly skilled in combat and led from the front. Whenever battles became stalemates, people would unanimously expect an unparalleled warrior to single-handedly break through the enemy lines.

This rendered pre-battle planning essentially useless. No one knew which unit would suddenly go berserk, leaving its original defensive zone and charging into densely packed enemy positions. As a result, surprise attacks and ambushes became the most common tactics. The battlefield was filled with chaos and unpredictability; the beheading of high-ranking commanders was commonplace.

I know of quite a few classic examples. For instance, Ulfric was captured at the Crossroads of Blackwater, Lord Scudder was killed by friendly forces, and not long ago, Helge shot down Tonar Silverblood.

Having spent years in the Whiterun army, how could Lydia not know these intricacies? When she heard that I wanted to train troops, she thought I just wanted to build a standing army of a dozen or so men to deal with the lord's possible summons, but she soon realized something was wrong.

It's partly my fault, really. Although Leigh and I both avoided talking about our past disagreements, a rift had definitely formed. I try to minimize contact with her now, and I rarely explain details when assigning tasks. So, when Leigh heard me ask to recruit soldiers from among the farmers, she was completely bewildered. What kind of fighting power could conscripted soldiers possibly have?

Soon after, Lund handed over the relevant matters to her, mentioning that the recruitment target was one hundred men by the end of next year, which shocked Leigh again. The other three barons of Falkriss only had a total of one hundred and fifty men in their standing army, and that was based in a medium-sized city like Falkriss.

These are the figures Lund and I calculated. What I need to do is establish a system that integrates farming and military service, so that for the next three years, the residents of Granite Village will only do two things: farm and fight. Lund's task is to reclaim most of the land by the end of next year and increase the population to over three thousand, using that as a basis to support one hundred soldiers.

While a 1/30 quota might seem harsh, it's merely a temporary measure. Once I control Loristard, I can replicate the Granite Village system across the western plains of Whiterun. The civilian-to-soldier ratio will then gradually decrease to a reasonable level. Only when I control a large amount of unclaimed land will it be possible to implement the core policy of this system: land grants based on military merit.

Most of the cultivated land in Skyrim belongs to nobles, while farmers are reduced to tenants. The act of redistributing land is a transgression against the world, and I estimate that someone of noble birth like Lydia would find it unacceptable, so the relevant system was only vaguely stated and not explicitly announced.

Lydia knew nothing of this; all she knew was that I had tasked her with training a group of farmers into warriors. Especially since I had publicized it at a large-scale trial, it was no joke. It was an impossible task, but one she had to complete.

She could sense that my attitude had become very distant since returning from Whiterun. She had originally thought the raid on the Flying Bear tribe would be a chance to show off, but those bears were utterly useless, collapsing at the first touch, failing to demonstrate her abilities at all. If she didn't handle the training properly, and I ended up kicking her out, aside from the embarrassment, she'd be forced to marry someone back home!

Fortunately, there are still many good people in the world, and Lund is widely recognized as a good man in Granite Village. He told Leigh that he had trained troops in Helgen and quickly built a very capable army. However, the training logs from that time were classified files, and borrowing them required Mrs. Rigel's permission.

Leigh was extremely reluctant to deal with Rigel. This lady of the house had absolutely no manners and loved to tell crude jokes in front of her, always making Leigh feel incredibly awkward. Moreover, she could sense that Rigel didn't like her either. However, circumstances forced her to comply, and no matter how unwilling she was, she had to bite the bullet and ask for Rigel's help.

Surprisingly, Rigel was very enthusiastic about this matter. He not only allowed her to access the archives, but also sent someone to contact Baron Horrick, asking his father to arrange for his daughter to observe the training of the Third Legion and the Rijksmian Guard.

The Third Legion is stationed in the town of Helgen, where they still maintain the tradition of formation drills, though Father has made many improvements. The training grounds for the Ryja Guard are located in a secluded valley outside the city; Ryja is the first outsider to arrive there. Ryja's private army is very secretive; their training emphasizes small-group cooperation, infiltration raids, and decapitation strikes.

Lydia spent her days observing soldier training, asking instructors for details during meals, and reviewing files and organizing notes at night. Nearly a week passed in this way. Combining her experience at Sunny Gardens Fortress with what she learned in Helgen, she developed new tactics. On the way back, she mentally rehearsed her presentation, but I almost made her spit out a mouthful of tea and break her composure.

"I think it's great. Let's practice like this from now on. Once we have a certain foundation, we can organize competitions to simulate battlefield scenarios. In addition, we should encourage everyone to summarize their experiences and lessons learned. Regardless of status, everyone can offer their opinions. Three heads are better than one... uh... one great mage, right?"

Leslie Cheung looked doubtful.

"This can't possibly be enough, can it? To become a sorcerer, one not only needs exceptional talent but also a wealthy family background. A leatherworker's income is probably..."

"I was referring to the idea that came from three people."

"That can't compare; mages are all very knowledgeable and experienced..."

"Sigh, let's not talk about that anymore. Let's get back to training. You and Froki are fine with the instructors for the shield bearers and archers. As for the pikemen, should I contact Eric?"

Leslie Cheung refused decisively.

"No need. I have borrowed two gunnery instructors from Lord Horrick for a year, but we will pay their salaries. Besides, you are also an expert with a gun, so you can give me some pointers when it is convenient."

When did Lydia learn to flatter so much? But you know what, hearing her use the word "expert" really pleased me. I was so sorry to have suspected her of slacking off.

At the end of the first month of the fourth era, 203, Granite Village became completely bustling with activity.

The sowing of various vegetables and ash yams has been completed, and Lund is organizing manpower to reclaim as much wasteland as possible to create conditions for the planting of flax and soybeans in Rain Hand Moon. Herata made a trip to Lakeview Farm and brought back four oxen, a boatload of bricks and timber, and the last batch of supplies that the South Yatsen General had promised to provide.

After arranging the construction of the houses, Talford went to inspect the granite mountains and concluded that no exploitable mineral deposits had been found nearby, but the stone was of excellent quality. He was designing a renovation plan for the government building, which would transform the current drafty shack into a palace once the quarry was operational.

Talford's wife, Karan, is studying the details of the Locker Law with Irina.

Traditionally, the Rijchi people live in tribal communities, while the Nords live in family units. Regarding inheritance, the Nords generally prioritize males, while the Rijchi prioritize females. Another interesting difference is that the Nords practice primogeniture, with the eldest son of a nobleman often possessing his father's most important title and at least half of the property; whereas the Rijchi prioritize merit, with the most capable person in the tribe frequently sacrificing their rivals to the gods.

This makes it impossible to write legal provisions related to property distribution and inheritance.

However, I must specify this part in great detail because it relates to household registration and land, affecting military service and taxation. If villagers are allowed to decide according to their customs, there will be no way to collect statistics and manage them. Forcibly implementing the Nord people's rules may provoke resentment among the Ruichi people, which would be detrimental to unity.

Karan revised it twice, but it was still unsatisfactory. However, Irina had a solution. It is said that she was studying the mythology of the Ricci people and planned to mix the laws with those supernatural matters to create the illusion for the villagers that "things should be this way."

Argis changed his reconnaissance strategy, no longer seeking to penetrate deep into the hills, but instead taking a detour to explore the entire area between the Gukar Monument and the Sleeping Tree. My troops are not yet fully trained, and the bandits have taken the initiative to show weakness. It would be better to ease tensions first, lure them into complacency, and then proceed slowly.

Besides, scouting enemy positions doesn't necessarily require seeing the enemy. Food is scarce in the mountains, so if the little cat finds the bandits' supply lines and observes the frequency and quantity of their supplies, she can roughly estimate their numbers. A large bandit gang would be ideal; with so many people, they'd have nowhere to hide, and I'd find them sooner or later. But a small group of roving bandits would be more troublesome; they could easily find a cave to hide in, and move on after every shot.

As the search radius expanded, Argis's absences became longer, and I found myself with more freedom, sparring daily with the spear instructors that Lai had hired. One of them, named Bauer, was a pikeman I had trained when I was training troops in Helgen; he was now able to mentor his own students. Reuniting with old friends naturally involved a round of reminiscing.

At Lydia's request, the soldiers' drills are taking place in the central square of the village to instill a sense of security in the villagers. Group training has not yet officially begun; instead, unified commands and drill exercises are being conducted. Everyone must complete basic combat and shooting training, and their roles within the team will be determined based on their performance.

That day, I had just finished a match against Lydia and was covered in sweat when Lund rushed over.

“Lochle, you need to go home. Esmeralda is here. She specifically wants to see you, and I can’t just brush her off.”

"That old witch from Orphan Rock? She cornered Irina?"

Lund shook his head.

"No. Madam is at the government office, so I brought Esmeralda to your house. She seems to be in a bad mood, so be careful."

I've never met Esmeralda. Although Aunt Annis made those unrealistic promises on her own initiative, I never agreed to those terms. In fact, I deliberately avoided contact with her the last time I went to Sun Gardens Fortress. This was partly to reassure Moira, and partly because I hadn't yet figured out how to deal with Esmeralda's demands.

Ignoring them is definitely not an option. The two crow witches' constant infighting is severely impacting the tribe's fighting strength and could even hinder each other when action is needed. Therefore, the best solution is to appease her and get her to return to Orphan Rock as the mountain queen. However, this will likely cost me a considerable sum of money.

It's true what they say: it's easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away.