They had iron. Maxim watched as the mine slowly grew into existence, tents puffing up and the clang of pick on rock echoing out. The few soldiers they had were watching out, horns in their hands, ready to sound the cry should orcs come for them. The call had gone out- if any miner wished to eat better food and earn more, they should join the guard. The more guards the better, especially with the sustained losses.

But now was not the time. Mannerlicher had hurried to start work on the mechanisms for firing a ballista- they had to construct them from the start, as if they were discovering them for the first time. Iron was not all they needed however. Wood. They needed lots of wood, and how. It was true that homes were not made from the stuff, but handles for tools, fuel... All relied on wood.

The order was sent out to establish a lumber mill. With iron, they could produce proper hand-cranked saws for bisecting logs and making planks. When they had enough wood, then they could take the fight once more to the orcs. And this time, eradicate them.