Normally the clearing of forest into farmland takes many years, sometimes even generations. However, some rulers may see it neccessary to clear land quickly so that new farms may be opened up. These rulers resort to the slash and burn technique of farming.
When farmers use this technique to farm they slash the bark off of the trees in a selected area and allow them to die and dry out. After this they return and set fire to the dead trees and so clear the land.
Using this technique it is possible to convert a forest province into a plain in up to four domain turns. At that rate the blazes are well
controlled and the inhabitants of the province are not put at risk. However, it is possible for the blazes to become uncontrolled, which is very deadly.
The effective control exercised upon the blaze depends upon the number rolled in the action check.
If the roll is that of 15 or more than the blaze is under perfect control. One fourth of the province's forest have been cleared at negligible
loss of life. If the roll is of 10 or more, but less that 15 then there is some loss of control. Half of the province is cleared, but at great cost of life. The level of the province is reduced by one third. If the roll is of 5 or more but less than 10 then the entire province is cleared, both of trees and of people. The province becomes an uninhabited wasteland. Not only that, if it is summer or autumn then all neighboring provinces must make a similar roll, even if they are not forests, which cannot be modified by regency or gold. If any of these provinces suffers the same result then the fire could spread even further. Any devastated land can be considered a desert until the next spring, when it becomes a plain.

By Bearcat

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