I really question their decision to go back for the Desert and Girich... With 19 nobles for 10 regions, they've now returned under the 2:1 ratio, which is likely to paint them back as a target for the next round of Monster Mash. Those regions are pretty worthless, too. Had they taken Paisly instead, they'd have over 2:1, and they could have used this peace time to build up fortifications to better protect the ports from any future onslaught. Same point applies to Sallowwild, though I don't remember if D'Hara actually lost that one.
Seems to me, looking at D'Hara, Arnor, Avernus, etc., a lot of people didn't take a cue from the last onslaught. Density matters, and it's gonna bit people back in the ass soon enough.
It really doesn't make much sense, as you say, Paisly would be a far more sensible choice. However, I imagine the logic was as follows:
- We already have Sallowtown
Expanding to the west would distract us from defending Sallowtown and its hinterland
Since our troops are already busy defending the Sallow hinterland, why not expand it?
Still, maybe they'll get lucky and recruit some more nobles before the next round of monster armageddon arrives.
