Yeah sorry about the pace and lack of direction, this is my first time in 'advanced role play' so I purposely left plenty of space for character development before everything kicked off. Maybe I should've blitzkrieged it, but hey 'ho.
Independence is the designated mustering point of the Federation army, and you've got troops heading there to assemble into a single combat unit. We've got the biggest contribution from Fartown, numbering 4,000, a half-arsed force from Anthastiln numbering 2,000, a crack force of 400 from Outpost 29 and a few hundred of the Independence militia. So in total, let's say we've got around 6,800-7,000 troops gathering in what is a relatively small town (population around 1,000).
There will be fields of tents outside the town bounds to accommodate the influx of fighting men and women, probably divided into separate camps for each Federation town's militia.
The Federation's army, despite its size, is ill-equipped to fight the ten thousand or so Wildmen who are about to descend on Rockhelm. The Wildmen are seasoned warriors, living a brutal life of rape and pillage. Up until now they've been warring with themselves, and Rockhelm has coped with those tribes who have attacked, but with every one of their fearsome warriors united under a single command, the town stands no chance without help. Each Wildman, whether male or female, is a dangerous adversary and not prone to retreating despite the odds against them. Octavian's brief mention of one was there to underline their deadliness.
The militias will vary in quality, with Anthastiln's being composed mostly of bully boys and henchmen of the River Admiral, Independence a bunch of farm hands and blacksmiths, Fartown's will be more mercenary based with some veterans in its ranks and then we have the well disciplined and highly organized soldiers of Outpost 29.
Cavalry forces exist within all militias, but Fartown's contribution far outweighs them. However, Fartown's army, much like Anthastiln's and Independence's, is highly unreliable. Too much of a battering will send them running unless the respective Generals can instill a sense of hope and chance of victory in them.
So to summarize:
Muster point looks like a simple thatched, medieval style town surrounded by fields of tents that have been clumped into groups. There will be plenty of chaos amongst the militias, as panic and anxiety take their toll on the citizen-soldiery. The soldiers of Outpost 29, will as expected, be calm and busy preparing for the coming battle.
The Federation armies have not arrived yet, however the townspeople will be busy making preparations for their arrival. I plan to have the forces united in the next couple of posts, and then it's off to war and all that shiz.
