An RP in the World of Avernum
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Saturday, January 17 2004 15:01
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They were from the East; Karadas was moving east from Hugoist territory, not west. 700,000 isn't entirely a logistical impossibility; it'll just leave the land it goes through in a bad way for a long time. Attrition is likely to be harsh, but not really all that harmful in the long run. The average person from the areas Karadas passed through didn't have much future at home, 'home' having been ravaged by all sorts of fighting, and probably felt the only way they could get anything done was with the snowballing army. Of course, all of this starts becoming relevant only if Omelette elects to try and harm Karadas's army. [ Saturday, January 17, 2004 15:04: Message edited by: General Secretary Custer ] -------------------- ¡Viva Chile! ¡Viva el Pueblo! ¡Vivan los Trabajadores! Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 3377
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written Saturday, January 17 2004 18:07
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The AIA compound resembled an anthill stirred into activity by some child with a stick. Soldiers hurried to their posts, support crew worked frantically to complete their assigned tasks on time. Hugo's imminent arrival had done that. It made things a lot easier for the Sailor who walked briskly through the compound, the same air of harried authority hanging about him as the other nonsoldiers maintained. His uniform, pilfered from the stores, made him near invisible to any watching eyes. The Sailor's orders were exact. Find him. Kill him. Make sure they don't trace it back to SAFT, and make damn sure Vida doesn't find out. The Sailor's stride was purposeful; he would follow his orders to the letter. Doing otherwise would invoke the wrath of Collinegan, a Pirate he did not want breathing down his neck. Collinegan had explained it quite clearly, his eyes cold as they always went when he planned a move. SAFT would tie itself to the next Emperor, whoever that might be. Ironclad seemed the best for their purposes; SAFT was sure he would agree to almost anything. But his soldier advisor could become a problem, now or later, and Collinegan had decided quite independently that it was best to remove him quickly. Kellen, alone for a moment while his Emperor strove to gain an audience with Warderson, had only his reflexes to save him when he saw the flicker of a rising knife in the corner of his vision. [ooc] Drakey: proportion has been edited down to about 40%. Posts: 356 | Registered: Saturday, August 23 2003 07:00 |
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Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Member # 919
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written Saturday, January 17 2004 19:26
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"Hugo is at your gates, my army must be rallied, I must go!" "It's not safe, Emperor Ironclad," Warderson responded. "You would be killed before you could even get onto that ship." "Why didn't you let me out before, then?" "It wasn't safe then, either. I apologize for the inconvenience." "'Apologize.' I am the Emperor, and I want to leave! I need to -" "What the hell is the meaning of this?" Both leaders jumped; they had not seen Kellen come in. "What do you know about this?" Kellen shouted, holding a bloody knife. Warderson half-drew his sword, then slowly resheathed it, noticing the cut on the soldier's face. "How the hell did that man get in, was he allowed past your guards?" "Kellen, I'm terribly sorry - Emperor - I didn't -" Warderson was shocked. He had thought he was perfectly safe, here in his office. But if an assassin could find his way past so many well-trained guards without a word of alarm being sounded, to attack one of his guests, for this is what must have happened, then he could be killed at any moment. "I swear to every god imaginable that this is not my doing, nor the doing of any man loyal to the Aizoan Invasion Army. I will discover all I can about this breach in security, and do anything in my power to fix it. Thank God you are alive, Kellen. What happened?" Slightly calmer by this point, Kellen described the attack to both men sitting before him. "I was right where you left me, in your quarters, my liege," he began, "keeping myself busy, when I heard a footstep behind me. I was too late to avoid the knife, as you can see," he said, putting a shaking hand to his cheek, "but that bastard missed his target. He was not a large man, and was dressed in the sort of cloak one could find anywhere in this city, or on Pralgrad, for that matter. He held a knife in each hand; I knocked him backwards, and he rushed at me. I drew my sword, but he knocked me into the wall before I could use it. Whoever sent him," Kellen continued, the rage in his eyes reigniting, "made a grave mistake, sending that particular man to kill me. I overpowered him quickly, and got a grip on his neck; he wriggled out of my hands, that filthy little weasel, and took off. I grabbed his wrist, and he dropped this knife, then hit my face with his other hand, and escaped through the door. By God, if I could get my hands on him, or whoever sent him -" "Wait a minute," Warderson interrupted. "How do you know he was sent?" "He muttered something about 'dealing with him later', when he hit me, and it sounded pretty subserviant. Although - come to think of it, how did he know that I was there, and not you, my liege? My back was turned when he came in, he could easily have mistaken me for you... and maybe he meant he would deal with you later, not whoever sent him... Warderson, if you tell the truth, you had better double your guard, and make damn sure they're alert. If anyone touches the Emperor..." he broke off, his voice almost shaking in rage. "You have an idea of who it is," Warderson stated. "The person who sent him. Who?" "Well... I hope you will forgive me for making such assumptions based on so little evidence," Kellen began slowly, "but the timing of this attempt and the arrival of Hugo's army may not be such a coincidence. Now that I think of it, I am almost sure that that upstart bastard sent the weasel in here to kill the Emperor. He may not be able to defeat your army," Kellen said, his voice rising again, "but he can at least strike at your figurehead. Your Emperor," he amended hastily. "Warderson, you cannot stand for this. That rebel is outside your gates as we speak - crush him. He is surrounded. Our men are surely regrouping by now - if you send the Invasion army at him from three sides while the White Peak army covers the fourth, he will be trapped. Kill him while you have the chance." ***** The sailor walked quickly, wrapped in his cloak, rubbing his neck. He avoided the glances of those around him - Collinegan had other supporters than himself, and it would not be wise for him to meet any of them after such a failure. Thinking of his master's wrath when he found out that his assassin had failed, the sailor eyed the small boats tied to the docks - boat-thievery suddenly didn't look so bad. -------------------- And though the musicians would die, the music would live on in the imaginations of all who heard it. -The Last Pendragon TEH CONSPIRACY IZ ALL Les forum de la chance. In case of emergency, break glass. Posts: 3351 | Registered: Saturday, April 6 2002 08:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Saturday, January 17 2004 22:08
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The Aizoan Imperial Army was exactly what you'd expect: spit-and-polish organization, but nothing like impervious to wandering tongues. Karadas heard that Warderson had almost been killed. He thought on it, and decided that any further attempt at audience would result in failure. "That godforsaken dog," Karadas muttered. "Trying to prevent us from joining righteously or meeting righteously on the field of battle with an assassin's knife? I hope he drown--" Karadas stops and thinks of his choice of words for a second. Drowning is considered by many the most horrific death someone can suffer, mostly because you can always see it coming from a mile away. But it held a deeper meaning: Who would try and kill the Emperor and then manage to escape? No random officer; no one he'd expect, really. A professional. Someone with official backing. For all the Solarans knew or could see, Karadas was still with Hugo preparing to launch a fatal attack on their territory. Who did that leave? He was more in control of the Hugoist faction than anyone except Hugo; he wouldn't expect the old general of being devious enough to act over his head. Would the Ironcladians kill a harmless, positively-held figurehead? Who did that leave? A chill ran down his spine. "Those bastards." He chose stronger words a second later. "If it's the last thing I do, I'll scatter those scheming bastards to the seven winds..." -------------------- ¡Viva Chile! ¡Viva el Pueblo! ¡Vivan los Trabajadores! Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 01:17
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So this is what history looks like from the losers' point of view. Taron and Linda were fleeing East with a few of the Populist contingents. Linda did not speak, and refused to see anyone. History had indeed taken a bitter turn for the Populists. Countries have to be ready for democracy, and Pralgrad was not. Pressed from two sides, they had had no choice but to escape East to try to ally with the one emperor that looked like he might be reasonably negotiated with: Gideon Ironclad. Jehan Sol had too much of an advantage over them, and Ilai Hugo would only use them. __________________________________________________ It is amazing what chance can get you if you're not looking for it. In this case, it got Taron and Linda an ally. They were passing through a small port city along the Gulf of Jazen; an insignificant little town named Turin. The mayor, who introduced himself as Flagstaff, was ready to give them what support they needed, having himself been a Populist sympatizer. He also gave them some news, which had not been able to reach them on their journey. He told them about the great disaster that had struck the Solaran navy. He told them about the mysterious loss of the last battleship of the Alliance. He told them about the recent moves of certain factions. And he told them about the mage. His name, as a local alchemist had recently discovered, was Ayin Yuvak, and he had been sighted several times riding past the city. This was no surprise to Taron; he had suspected that the mage had used this place to cross between West and East Pralgrad without passing through the heavily guarded passes. What surprised him was the fact that Yuvak had last been seen transporting a heavy, bulky object in a cart. Had Linda not received intelligence before their flight that the Doomguard had successfully been destroyed, Taron could have sworn it was this. But what else? __________________________________________________ In a dark corner of the little town, something moved. It was not easily visible, black against black, but it might have been discerned by a keen-sighted person as a man in black robes. __________________________________________________ Later that night, when the Populists were about to withdraw to the quarters the mayor had provided for them in the little inn, the mage visited them. Taron was not surprised. He had that icy, lead-like feeling that you get when you're certain you're about to die horribly. He was, however, surprised when Ayin Yuvak drew off his hood, raven-black hair framing a pale, but handsome face, and began to speak. 'Oh, do not be afraid, master Merallion. At the moment you seem to think I am inclined to tear your head off for what you did with the Doomguard. Yet it was exactly what I wanted.' 'What.... you... wanted...?' Taron got out after the initial shock of staying alive had passed. 'Yes, but I could not let you know that, you see. You knowing me only as an enemy, the only way I could incite you to do this deed was to command the contrary. You certainly did not think I gave away the Phoenix Egg for my own amusement, did you? As a matter of fact, the black crystal was nothing else than a linked object that showed me your location, which makes it far easier for me to trace the two of you. As for the little package, it would have destroyed the Doomguard as soon as you opened it with the construct in your possession. This monstrosity had to be stopped.' 'So. What about your true intentions, then, Sir Yuvak?' Linda had recovered enough to get an irritated tone into her voice again. 'You know my name already, it seems. Or one of my names. "Accidentally" leaving a rune-covered cloth is so effective... 'My true intentions? You have no need to know them. I did not specify them before, and I certainly shall not now. Suffice it to say that we currently follow the same objective, and that places you under my protection. And grants you my help. 'The passes over the central mountains are currently all held by either Sol or Hugo, neither of which will be inclined to permitting you passage. Therefore I supply you with a small boat with which you can cross the Jazen Gulf to bypass the blockade.' 'What were you carrying here a few days ago?' Taron wanted to know as the mage prepared to leave. 'That, too, is a thing you need not know. It has no bearing on your current situation, though you may eventually find out.' The mage's tone was final. 'I must be going now. Fare ye well.' He drew his hood over his head, turned around and was suddenly gone. ... [ Sunday, January 18, 2004 03:09: Message edited by: Arancaytar ] -------------------- Nasty trickster stalking the web! 406 victims! " "It is as if everyone had lost their sense Consigned themselves to downfall and decadence And a wisp it is they have chosen as their beacon." Reinhard Mey. The Encyclopædia Ermariana is growing. ;) Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 3022
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 03:36
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"To be a traitor is a glorious thing. It is to be free of the bounds of false loyalty, to expose the truth that lay in your character. But an Emperor can never be a traitor. There lies a hypocrisy of Imperialism." The Republican Codex But Linda was not interested. The time was past, for her to be making deals with petty wizards. She could see the desperation too in the mage's eyes. Endgame was near. She knew well enough that conquest was a one-shot deal, flunk it and the people will never trust you. You will be a loser in their eyes. And so her gaze swung over the Ironclads and the AIA. If their alliance holds true, they may yet rebuild this wounded land. He heard other news too. Of the traitor general Karadras, and his massive army. Fool. By his actions, he dooms the entirity of Praglad. Even if AIA could defeat them in battle, they would be too weak to take on the Solaran despots. And an alliance would be improbable. But as he read more, she saw the lie that lay at the heart of the Alliance army, the enfolding intangibility that held their ranks. She saw at last their weakness, and how they could be undone. So Linda, traitor to Sol, demagogue, moralist, will have one more betrayal. She will aid the AIA and Ironclad, for they offer the last glimmer of hope in the storm. And at the end, she would betray herself. Linda purchased a horse, and prepared for the journey to the encampment of the main Hugoist Alliance army. "So, Taron. Do you want to be a hero?" [ Sunday, January 18, 2004 04:06: Message edited by: FZ ] Posts: 269 | Registered: Saturday, May 24 2003 07:00 |
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Triad Mage
Member # 7
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 05:00
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A new map. Hopefully it's satisfactory to everyone. Brown/orange = Corim Warderson and his army.  -------------------- "At times discretion should be thrown aside, and with the foolish we should play the fool." - Menander ==== Drakefyre's Demesne - Vahnatai Did Do It desperance.net - We're Everywhere The Arena - God Will Sort The Dead ==== You can take my Mac when you pry my cold, dead fingers off the mouse! Posts: 9436 | Registered: Wednesday, September 19 2001 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 517
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 09:16
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As Karadras' army approached the borders of the lands Warderson had liberated from the eastern Populists, Warderson made a decision. Gideon Ironclad was allowed aboard one of the Imperial Navy's fastest frigates and sent to the command centre of the White Peak army with two other frigates as guardians-the mages on board those frigates made them more than a match for any ships they might encounter, unless SAFT had allied with Hugo... === Jehan Sol recieved a message from his plant in the Aizoan Imperial Army (OOC: please note name, kthxbye), now turned emissary. It was short and to the point: Sol: Ilyai Hugo has, in my estimation, proven himself unworthy of the position of Emperor and nothing more than a petty warmonger. Gideon Ironclad and myself march on his eastern army, and will not stop until we have crushed him entirely. If you join us in our advance, we promise you a truce and an end to fighting, a chance to heal our war-torn Pralgad. If you sit back, trying to play both ends against the middle and gain the best advantage, you will only manage to needlessly prolong this war and, when we come for you, there will be no clemency. The choice is yours. Warderson. === Linda was trying to find a way around the Alliance lines when she felt a slight mental tug. Pausing for a moment, she tried to ascertain its source. Ah, yes... She pulled out the artifact the Imperial mage had left her with. In the previously empty glass, a face was now visible. Before she could speak, it did: 'You are the Populist leader Linda?' 'I am.' 'I am General Corim Warderson of the Aizoan Imperial Army. As you probably know, we are faced with an attack from that upstart Hugo. We intend to crush him utterly. However, we need your help. Is there any way in which you can weaken his army, or rally any local populists to your cause?' 'There might be, but I hardly see...' 'I realise that you don't want to support an Imperialist, but I'm afraid you've little choice. As you've no doubt realised, those who want to rid Pralgad of Emperors are too thin on the ground. Your best option as I see it is to try and influence the succession, choose an Emperor who'll be open to your ideas. At the moment, none of the candidates will. However, Gideon Ironclad is a pliable character if anyone is, and he's marching on Karadas with us. Aid us now, and who knows where populism will find itself once the war is over?' 'Thank you, general. And now I think of it, there are one or two ways in which Karadas' army is...might one say, unprepared?' === Among the men drafted into Karadas' army was a small group of eastern populists under the command of a man named Londar. When the recruiters had found them, Londar had ordered his men to go quietly, looking for opportunities. And he had found one. Almost half of Karadas' recruits had belonged to the various cells of the eastern populists. Scattered and then pressed by the recruiters, they had had no chance of resistance. Now, however, they were grouped together, and the discontent was rising. Arriving near Southport, Londar had made a report to Major Tarem, and been unsurprised at his new instructions: Incite an uprising. And any of Karadas' origional army that doesn't have to be left alive in the process...well, there's no need for waste, is there? -E- -------------------- Let them eat cake! Polaris Boards: The misc board's thriving, and there're plenty good RPs. Join now! H00rj! Posts: 2314 | Registered: Tuesday, January 15 2002 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 22
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 09:37
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Londar clenched his teeth. He hated missions which required charisma. He was good with many things - bows, fighting, reasoning, thinking, but one thing he was not was charismatic. He had little clue of how he was going to win over these populists with the meagre cell he had managed to arise. He didn't even know how to begin. So he had summoned the man who seemed to be the "leader" of the populists he had under his control. "Creydal, I'll be straight with you," said Londar. "I have no idea how to even begin starting a popular revolution with your people. I need your help. I'm a man of action, not a man of persuasive words." "Our people are not a particularly brave people, it has to be said," replied Creydal. "We will fight with whoever it seems is in the winning position - if you can make it seem that you are the way the wind is turning, then they will follow you." "What do you recommend?" "One large gesture, that both cripples Karadas' army and sends a message out to all the populists that you are the one who will win this war. I suggest blowing up the guard towers of this encampment. While you are doing this, I will spread word throughout this rag-tag army that you will take all those who do not wish to be a part of Karadas' war." "Excellent. Get me a body of your finest men, and we'll go ahead with your plan." --------------- As Londar placed the final explosives on the final tower, he marveled at how well the plan had gone. Nobody had questionned them, nobody had stopped them. Maybe it was because this conscripted army didn't really believe in what they were doing, or maybe they were just stupid. He got himself and his team clear of the towers, and watched them go up in flames. It was all up to Creydal now. -------------- Creydal had spread the word throughout the encampment with the assurance that once the towers went up in flames, they would be safe. Sure enough, the towers exploded, and the populists rushed out of the encampment. The loyalist guards did not know what had hit them. Within twenty minutes, they were free of the army. -------------------- KazeArctica: "Imagine...wangs everywhere...and tentacles. Nothing but wangs and tentacles! And no pants!" Posts: 2862 | Registered: Tuesday, October 2 2001 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 517
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 09:48
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As nearly 25,000 men left Karadas' army at a run, he was debriefing the leader of a small scouting party. One that had some disturbing news...the White Peak army, with Gideon Ironclad at the fore, had arrived at the opening of Southport Peninsula. With the recent deserters, Karadas' army was no bigger than Ironclad's, and a good deal less trained. As Karadas began to throw things and shout orders, another party of scouts returned. Warderson had finally left Southport, and was advancing on Karadas' position with an army of 60,000. Transport ships of the Imperial Navy had been seen leaving Southport, no doubt attempting a flanking manouver. Karadas was surrounded, outnumbered, and commanding a vastly inferior army. And there was nowhere to run. Little surprise that, as Warderson's army began to come into sight, more of Karadas' snowball recruits began to melt away. By the time the four approaching armies had drawn up, Warderson's force to the east, Tarem to the north, Pilek to the south, and Ironclad to the west of Karadas, the Alliance army was down to half of its initial size. Things did not look too good. -E- -------------------- Let them eat cake! Polaris Boards: The misc board's thriving, and there're plenty good RPs. Join now! H00rj! Posts: 2314 | Registered: Tuesday, January 15 2002 08:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 10:20
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"Sir, many of our Populist constituents have chosen now to rebel." "No matter. The shipment is here, isn't it?" "Yes, sir. The whole shipment. We will make our stand here, sure enough. Does this place even have a name?" "It is called Coutharan, General Santhias. The battle ahead of us will take weeks, and at its end, it is most probable we will all be dead." "Sir?" The thought clearly horrifies General Santhias. "I mean it. I will most definitely not survive this battle, and I'll be damned if I intend to allow Warderson or Tarem or any of the damn traitors in the Aizoan Imperial Army live through it, either. What is important is whether he survives." "Sir?" A brief pause. "Sir!" Santhias might be somewhat naive, but he's not stupid. He realizes the weight Karadas puts on he. "Emperor Ilai Hugo fighting alongside the Pralgad Imperial Army to defeat Emperor Gideon Ironclad and the Aizo Imperial Army. Fate is cruel, isn't it?" "Yes, sir. I've got a question: who's going to rule the Empire?" "The Populists." Santhias stares at Karadas in blank horror. "What, sir?" "The Populists. Emperor Hugo, having no remotely legitimate or entirely trusted successors, has decided to will his estate to the Western Populists. As of now, you and I are the only people who know this, and I'm trying to decide what to make of it." "Sir, from what I can see, the Populists are closer to human beings than Sol's bastards or Warderson's vultures. I think, if we had to choose from anyone, we might as well pick the people who've been straightforward in hating us the whole time." Kardas smiles. "Said like a true pragmatist. What time is it?" "Uh..." He looks over at the camp courtyard. "Looks to be around nine and a half, sir." "Send out the first order." ... Day 0: 07:00 The Shipment, a massive group of covered carriages and several thousand Hugoist troops, are sighted by the Pralgad Imperial Army. The troops are the still-unrenamed Kylen's Legion, a group of men honor-bound to fight to the death, and are among some of the fiercest fighters in the Empire. The carriages are an unknown factor. ... Ten thousand Pralgad Imperial troops crossed the Populist lines at midnight; by 7:00, they were swift approaching the nearly defenseless SAFT headquarters, driving straight for it with seeming disregard for anything but their chosen target. Day 0: 08:00 Routine scouting operations start losing horsemen, and those that succeed speak in confused tones of something tremendous going down on the other side of the Coutharan Downs. Warderson assembles the army to prepare to meet the PIA threat. Day 0: 09:30 In the western sea, two battleships and six sturdy galleons set out under Hugo's banner from the Hugoist port of Thoren. They make sail straight for the bulk of the SAFT fleet, in spite of being horrifically outnumbered, and all rights, a boarding swarm waiting to happen. Activity in the Pralgad Imperial Army seems to cease entirely. Day 0: 09:45 "Fire!" The order came as a shock to many of the SAFT boarding party. What kind of idiots would affix missile weapons to self-respecting battleships? They quickly received their answer, even though most of them didn't like it for beans, and none of them had much chance to like or dislike anything afterwards. Idiots with lots and lots of napalm. The SAFT tried to board the ships; they failed. They tried to sink them with magic; they only succeeded in slightly injuring the Imperius. Most captains would have taken the victory they received for what it was worth, retreating after having slain twice their number. The captain of the Ilai Hugo II was under orders to remain at sea until one fleet or the other had been bottomed. Sure enough, the Hugoists had finally begun trying to take their enemies out or die trying. ... The Aizoan Imperial Army had set up a majestic pike line, stretching miles and reinforced by thousands of bowmen. They would be ready for the Pralgad Imperial Army's advance. Then, in the distance, they saw things crank into life. They looked like catapults, or at least like they owed some kind of distant relation to them, but they were like no catapults anyone had ever seen before. They seemed packed to the core with deadly energy. But the pikemen were unafraid. Catapults were siege weapons; they were no good in pitched battles, even in sieges. Then, in unison, the entire Imperial Ballistic Army opened up on the pike line. And the world caught fire. ... Day 0: 10:00 The blaze continued unabated after fifteen minutes, with no sign of stopping. The pike line was broken by the first volley, fleeing in utter terror, cursing the names of Warderson, Karadas, Hugo, and Ironclad, but mostly just cursing. Many of the survivors were enough to demoralize the rest of the men: they looked like vaguely humanoid skeletons, with bits of charred flesh attached to what must have been bone. More still left the pike line as wailing, burning lost souls, trailing fire for dozens of yards before the chemical fire finally consumed them too thoroughly to allow them to run any further. Then more of the fiery missiles struck the Aizoan Imperial Army, scattering burning death among the grassy plains and setting spreading fires. Those catapults had ungodly range, by all indication. And at the worst possible time, Karadas attacked; riding near the core of the massive, advancing army was, in resplendently-shined armor and riding a huge black horse, Emperor Ilai Hugo. The battle of the Coutharan Downs began in earnest, and would last for a long, long time. ((OOC: I'm still using the 500,000-700,000 numbers, and assuming that about 100,000 Populists spontaneously deserted, and more reinforcements arrived at the Aizoan Imperial Army position, leaving the proportion around 500,000-600,000 in Warderson's favor. The initial attack killed around 1,500 people and took countless casualties, along with demoralizing the Aizoan Imperial Army. This battle is going to last quite a while; I'd appreciate it if no one spontaneously declared half of the Pralgad Imperial Army dead or killed all of its leaders on the spot or any such silliness. Also, 6,000 casualties without taking any damage is about a miracle; don't expect to kill anyone in the melee without taking quite a few losses yourself. Medieval combat was very much about disposition, not about hitting the other guy until he died.)) )) [ Sunday, January 18, 2004 10:32: Message edited by: General Secretary Custer ] -------------------- ¡Viva Chile! ¡Viva el Pueblo! ¡Vivan los Trabajadores! Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 22
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 10:45
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For his success in making Karadas' army rebel, Londar had been promoted to the rank of Captain. Not that this meant much - every man had been called to the front line. He had a good chance of survival of this epic battle, however. As an archer, he'd be situated on a hill somewhere, situated fairly far away from the actual battle. The pikemen would protect him, for a while at least. He eyed up the battlegrounds. All factions had amassed giant forces and the battle would soon be upon them. Only one thing was certain - many were sure to die this day. No-one could predict the sure fire winner. Now all that could be done was wait. -------------------- KazeArctica: "Imagine...wangs everywhere...and tentacles. Nothing but wangs and tentacles! And no pants!" Posts: 2862 | Registered: Tuesday, October 2 2001 07:00 |
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Triad Mage
Member # 7
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 11:26
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The message reached the hands of Jehan Sol an hour after noon. He read it thoroughly, crumpled it up, and tossed it into a nearby wastebasket. "Marshal the troops," he called out to Colonel Witkin. "We're going to end this war right now." ____________________ Captain Bethel received word of his liege's response several hours later. He ran to inform General Warderson of the new developments. Warderson listened to the news quietly and began to draw up a new plan of attack to incorporate the Solaran body coming through in the next week. After leaving Warderson, Bethel rushed out to meet the Ironclad liaison. Together they relayed the information to Ironcladians along the eastern coast of the Gulf of Jazen, down to where Warderson was currently stationed. Hopefully, the Ironclads would recognize the Solarans as friends and let them pass through unhindered. ____________________ General Frederic and his newly assembled troops began to march south, 175,000 strong and ready to end the war for Jehan Sol. Along with these troops were 25,000 guards and infantrymen that were not going to make it to the battles. They were there to secure the path for the army and hold any towns or fortresses that were encountered along the way. Two hundred thousand men left Hidar at noon of the second day, marching south through lands that were formerly Populist and Kylenian, now firmly Solaran. Little did they know that most of them would not even cross through the mountains, and those that did would not go for weeks. ____________________ In Easton, the Solaran Imperial Navy began preparing for the largest troop transport and amphibious assault that Ermarian had ever seen. Over 100,000 new workers poured into Easton to begin and oversee the production of battlements, battleships, and only the fourth real city of Pralgrad (behind Imperius, Solaria, and Blackstone, of course). -------------------- "At times discretion should be thrown aside, and with the foolish we should play the fool." - Menander ==== Drakefyre's Demesne - Vahnatai Did Do It desperance.net - We're Everywhere The Arena - God Will Sort The Dead ==== You can take my Mac when you pry my cold, dead fingers off the mouse! Posts: 9436 | Registered: Wednesday, September 19 2001 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 3022
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 11:50
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From her vantage position, Linda saw the battle begin. It was as she feared. Bloody, and utterly fruitless. It was time to end it. Cowardice was of no more use to her now. Bravery may be. And the advancing men of the PIA saw in their way two lone figures, a man and a woman. They checked their charge a little in confusion. She was lucky. Their momentum were not yet built up, and they were advancing cautiously in fear of friendly fire. And Linda pointed straight into the middle of their ranks, and screamed at the top of her voice. "Traitors!" Karadas' bodyguard regiment, at the core of the army slowed, and halted. The other regiments on either side, looking for support from the elite core, also halted. It was a majestic sight, an entire army halted in front of two people. Linda knew that her time had come, and she addressed each group of the PIA seperately. First, the Ironcladists. "Followers of Ironclad, your emperor lives! Hugo has lied to you. He is coming to you now, with an army of glory, his horse is white! Why betray him now, when his victory is near? Why waste your lives to send yourself into Hell?" Then, the Populists. "To the people of Praglad, what have you done? Why do you follow this madman, against whom hundreds of your fellows have died to defeat? You have betrayed your future, your farms are in ruin from this scourge. This is not the time for death - this is the time for rebirth!" Finally the Kylenians. "And what have you done, followers of Dorian? You had a dream once, have you not forgotten? Your dream was that of an empire of gold, swept clean of corruption and injustice. That dream still lives, and not in the lies of your commanders! See them for what they are cowards, greedy cowards to even their own principles!" And then she pointed at again, at the heart of her hatred, at the figure in shining armour and the old, frail man on the black horse. "Yes, cowards they are. Let them face me, me an untrained woman. Let they no longer hide behind a shield of loyal and honourable men! I challenge them to a duel of swords alone, let this decide the battle instead of needless slaughter! I win, and you withdraw. I lose, and you carry the battle." It was a risky plan, and perhaps an idiotic one. She had after all, no right to set such terms. Any minute now, Karadas would decide that he has had enough of this follly, and resume the charge. But the lines were silent now, as the men began to turn from the reforming AIA shield wall, to look upon their leaders. Linda could feel their shame, the pressure of so many eyes. She weighed up mentally the generals' inbred ideal of chivalric honour. Would they swallow their pride and let their men cut her and Taron down. And before her, the lines parted. Amid minor disarray, Karadas came forth in his armour, wielding a greatsword of iron. Traitor faced traitor. She grinned. "You ask me once, to send men for you, or after you, and I have kept my promise." And as she mumbled something, a prayer perhaps, he drew his sword and swung at her. She had barely had time to parry him, but his blow was clumsy, misdirected by rage. She had calculated well, ill-trained as she was, Karadas has not fought personally either for a long time. She slashed in turn, and he parried her, adding a swift riposte that turn away some of her chainmail. Sword clanged against sword again, sparks flew. A battle awaited another, a smaller one. But he was the larger, the stronger, the faster each time, as time wore on, she grew tired, her movements slowed. And he had her. His sword found a hole in her torn mail, and plunged in. She doubled over in pain, began to fall forward, her blade clattering in the ground. The world seemed to stay silent. Karadas raised his sword in triumph. His men were silent, there was little glory in killing a woman. Taron rushed forward. And Linda got up, dropping the remains of a scroll of Arcane Shield. She picked up her sword again, felt the heat of the weapon her hands. And she hacked it across Karadas' arm, slicing away his sword hand. And in the next moment, her sword was on his throat. Her head swam, but she held in it there, ignoring the blood that ran free from the wound in her chest. She could see confusion among the troops now. Does that count as a victory or a defeat? Some began to desert there and then. Some captains began to fire on their fleeing soldiers. But most wavered, uncertain. Hugo, it was clear, had no intention to live up to the deal. She saw the order to fire passed to the archers, to kill them there and then. And then they saw something else, what her distraction had hid. Out of the glaring sun that hurt their eyes, they saw the cold light of massed blades, of armor glinting in the sun. While the PIA's leadership stood paralysed and useless, they recognised the flags of the AIA, they saw the armored men, more machines than soldiers, level their pikes to charge. They saw their undefended flanks, their unwary rear. They saw their doom. [ Sunday, January 18, 2004 11:56: Message edited by: FZ ] Posts: 269 | Registered: Saturday, May 24 2003 07:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 12:40
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"They... won't remember... either of us..." "What the hell... do you mean?" "...Hugo... the damn fool... didn't see this coming... can't say I did either... and now... now we've handed... Pralgad... to the Solarans..." "What?" "The priests are good... but not this good... I have lost a hand... and you have lost your liver... the two of us are as good... as dead, and you... know... as well as I do..." "I... I can still..." The sword fell loose. By the way Karadas was bleeding, she wouldn't need it anyway. "What... do you mean?" "Hugo has given... the army... to the Western... Populists... thinking that you... would lead them..." He gives a tired smile. "And without you... they are doomed." The smile somehow gets wider. "I was the only... person who could have... lead us against Sol... I trust my seconds... I trust my liege... but I am the best survivor we have... ironic I should be the first officer... to die." Linda stared through blurring vision at her rival. Had he really said what she thought he said? Was he lying? Was he telling the truth? She thought on it with rapidly diminishing mental faculties -- how would he profit from lying? They were both very, very dead. "I've had a good run..." She tried to respond, but she found that she couldn't. She didn't realize why until she felt the iron taste of blood. The sky was getting dark. That can't be right -- it's not even noo ... Karadas was bleeding from the left arm, which ended in a rough stump. He cast a last look at his sovereign -- older than his years, his hair iron-gray and balding in patches, and he saw the Empire. He gave some thought to what he could do. He could go and have his wrist cauterized, and live for a few more years as an invalid on the run from Warderson's sorry excuse for justice. Or... he had always been ambidextrous. What was he if not a soldier of the Emperor? A corpse, the answer struck him. He hefted his sword and charged into the fray at the head of the Pralgad Imperial Army, shrieking like a madman. His men followed him, with the same bellowing cry. Soon he could no longer continue the cry; everything he did was infinitely tiring, and the world was going into a dim haze. He hit a man with his sword; the blow shocked him, and opened up his skull. It was then that he felt so tired that he fell down involuntarily, as if to rest. He tried to get up, but the strength had long since left him. The world seemed hotter for the briefest moment, and then shot into nothingness. If he were Emperor, he would have had the catapultman's head for hitting a friendly commander. He wasn't Emperor, and at this rate, he never would be. ... "Did we get her, General Jole?" "By all indications, yes. But we lost Karadas." "Oh." A year ago, he would have pitched a fit. Now, on the field of battle, every drop of energy had to be reserved for fighting the enemy. "How are our positions looking?" "Dismal, sir. We've been flanked something awful, and the catapult attack didn't do much except keep one flank at bay for a little bit." "We can't withdraw. We will die here before we withdraw. Get the mages and prepare them for a spearhead attack on Ironclad's lines. One good push should convince them that their generals don't know a damn thing they're doing." -------------------- ¡Viva Chile! ¡Viva el Pueblo! ¡Vivan los Trabajadores! Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 3022
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 12:56
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And so passed from the world Linda the Traitor. But she did not cry, she did not close her eyes. No, she realised at the end how she was different from Karadas. And she realised that she had taken the right choice. Where Karadas considered men, the innocent men to be just tools, used to satisfy his needless whims, she knew them as men. She knew that in the end, humanity was greater than power, greater than her life, perhaps greater than freedom itself. While the populist rebellion had failed today, one day it would rise up again, spared the worst fate of corruption Karadas would have brought to it. She had bought Warderson and Gideon the time, the men, to beat Sol. By her sacrifice, some may escape this hell. Some will have a chance to surrender. Some already did - she could hear the army falling into disorder, men joining their enemy. Commanders bawling orders and soldiers refusing. She had saved countless lives, countless families. The lie of the Alliance had been sundered, the men captured cut free. Whatever orders they yell out, whatever storm they try to raise would be stained by it. Warderson would have a greater triumph, one that would dismay Sol himself. She wondered whether Taron would get away, would make sure it was worth it. And as it all grew dark, it seemed to her that she could see a glimmer of the future. There would be a dark time, she knew somehow. But beyond, she saw a castle in a cave, a humanity reunited, an Empress of golden light, an age of freedom and peace. And then she saw nothing at all. [ Sunday, January 18, 2004 13:24: Message edited by: FZ ] Posts: 269 | Registered: Saturday, May 24 2003 07:00 |
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Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Member # 919
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 14:44
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"What are they doing?" "You ask too many questions. You're trained to fight, not to think." "Right." The White Peak army had already seen the catapults in action. They had lost very few men, and were able to retreat very quickly; they were now just out of range, and could easily back up again. But this new movement in the PIA ranks made them nervous - what new devilry were they going to unleash? ***** "A bit further... further... left... back to the right a bit... fire!" The arrow flew threw the air, blindingly bright between the sun above and the fire consuming its wood. It struck. The catapultmen were not prepared for this - they had seen the grove of trees, but thought nothing of it until a flaming arrow came out of it. Two catapults launched stones at the grove - the two archers within were crushed. Laughing, the catapultman reached for a bucket of water to douse his catapult. He opened the container absent-mindedly, watching to see if anything came from the destroyed grove. Turning to his catapult, he threw the liquid onto the fire. He did not have time to notice his mistake. The "bucket" of chemicals hit the wood and burst into flames - before long, the catapult was on fire, as were many of the soldiers nearby. They had nowhere to run, nowhere but forward or to the side - those who ran forward were shot by the White Peak archers, and those who ran to the side spread the Greek fire with them. Nobody heard the crack above the tortured screams, but that did not matter - the catapult's supply of fire hit the ground and cracked, spreading the flames further. Within minutes, the PIA flank was on fire - the remaining catapults were being carried towards the White Peak army, the frantic PIA spearhead behind them. At that moment, a horn blew, followed by an earth-shaking soldiers' roar. Some of the strongest horses on the continent leaped forth; the catapults were stopped and reconstructed, the PIA army lining up in front of them. But by the time they were ready, it was too late - a wave of straining muscle and well-forged iron washed over them. The cavalry barely paused as they hit the line of pikes. The flank had fallen. ***** Gideon Ironclad was giddy with a childish excitement: he was going to battle. Battle. not sitting in a dark, dusty room, pretending to order imaginary soldiers into non-existant battles, which a bunch of rich men were out, doing great deeds in his name. This time he was the one doing the great deeds, and he was sitting in anything but a dark, dusty room. "My liege," Kellen said. "You should put this on." Ironclad looked, and his face lit up with joy. A widely smiling Kellen was standing by his side, holding a pile of gloriously shining steel, gold, and silver. "Where did you get that?" "It's yours, my liege. It was given to Warderson when he left for Aizo, years ago; now that he's back, and allied to his rightful Emperor, he feels that you should have it. Here, I'll help you put it on." Gideon Ironclad stood up as if in a dream - he had never liked armor, but then, he had never seen this particular suit of it before. With Kellen's help me managed to get it on - when it was done, he looked in a mirror. He was astonished at the change. He had always been vaguely handsome, in a boyish sort of way, but this armor made him look like a god. "Amazing, my liege," Kellen said. "You could defeat that traitorous bastard's army alone, with that." "What?" Ironclad said, distracted. Something about Kellen's tone made this seem immediate. "Oh, right, I haven't told you yet, my liege. The battle has started - the mages received word of this, not too long ago. It is too far to the flank, and your army from White Peak - you will be leading Tarem's men, the reserves from the north. See, there is the coast, can you see the men? They are waiting for you." Not long after, Gideon Ironclad stepped off the ship in a daze. A glorious white horse was waiting for him, with a skillfully-designed saddle; there would be no clutching desperately at the mane this time. Kellen was in full armor, himself, and mounted a large brown horse. The Emperor rode to Major Tarem, Kellen trailing slightly behind. "My liege," Tarem said, bowing. "Major," Ironclad replied, smiling. "The men are ready?" "Let's ask them." The three rode, with their escort, back the army. Tarem directed his horse to the front of the army, with the two other man behind him. "Loyal soldiers of the Empire! These traitorous dogs arrayed against us have rejected the mandate of the gods, and have rebelled against the righteous Emperor! Their blood shall water the soil this day - in the end, all resistance will be crushed entirely! Are you ready to destroy these traitors for your Emperor here, before you?" The PIA, still a distance off, could hear the roaring response. The more optimistic of the soldiers brightened up, thinking that their fellow soldiers had won some glorious victory against the evil Solarans, or the oppurtunistic Aizoan Imperial Army. But for most, this roar struck fear into the hearts; few dared desert at this point, with the corpses lying in front of them with arrows in their backs. But this was all that stopped them. And so it was that the northern AIA marched on Hugo's forces, with Emperor Gideon Ironclad at their head, shining brilliantly in the noonday sun. -------------------- And though the musicians would die, the music would live on in the imaginations of all who heard it. -The Last Pendragon TEH CONSPIRACY IZ ALL Les forum de la chance. In case of emergency, break glass. Posts: 3351 | Registered: Saturday, April 6 2002 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 15:29
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All was going blurry. Taron numbly realized that he was standing in the middle of a battle field, but he made no attempt to move. A captain of the Populists was approaching through the carnage with a stretcher, aided by two other soldiers. He was saying something to Taron, but Taron did not understand it. He repeated it, shouting almost, directly into Taron's ears. Sounds. Then he understood. He was asking Taron to help carry Linda off the field. Taron stumbled clumsily alongside the stretcher, unseeing eyes fixed on the distance. He could not look at her face now, at those proud features, the irritable expression, and her eyes. He had seen her walk into certain death for her ideal. The scene replayed before his eyes over and over again, burning into his mind. He was vaguely aware that they had moved clear of the battle. The Populists who had accompanied Linda and Taron were fixing the stretcher onto a horse. Taron realized he was himself sitting on one now, though he had no memory of mounting it. The world receded to flickering bits of mist, and then darkness. Taron slumped forwards, held on the horse only by his stirrups. -------------------- Nasty trickster stalking the web! 406 victims! " "It is as if everyone had lost their sense Consigned themselves to downfall and decadence And a wisp it is they have chosen as their beacon." Reinhard Mey. The Encyclopædia Ermariana is growing. ;) Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 17:58
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Ilai Hugo heard about Ironclad's attack. He clapped his hands. "Excellent! I'll finally have a chance to do it!" "Sir?" "I'll finally have a chance to take the bastard out!" Hugo was out of the tent before he finished the sentence. His armor gleamed in the sun, and he carried a sword that sang as it clove the air. On his head was an iron crown over a helmet of steel. "It ends today!" ... Gideon Ironclad was astride his horse, marching through the terrified Pralgadians with great enthiusiasm, when he saw the black horse. His men charges Ilai Hugo. They assumed he was weak because of how old he was, and because he was an officer. It was the last delusion they ever had; he crushed cavalry, infantry, and even stopped an arrow with his sword. It was then that Gideon realized, somewhat indignantly, that he had become skilled beyond anything he could hope to match through long, tedious skill. And now the helmet turned to face the Emperor. He paused momentarily. This had been a moment, by all indications, Ilai Hugo had dreamed of for years. Until a few months ago, Gideon Ironclad hadn't even known who the mounted man was. He paused for a second, and spurred his horse on. Better he die fighting than running. This took Hugo aback somewhat, but not enough. The first blow took Gideon Ironclad's arm off at the elbow, the next opened up one of his lungs. He gasped and took a wild swing at Hugo. Hugo knocked it aside, and grasped the mortally wounded Emperor by the head, seizing his golden crown and putting it on his own head under the heavy iron he wore. For a split second, the first Emperor to wear the double crown since Sol I raised his arms in triumph. In that split second, no fewer than a dozen arrows thudded into his immediate location. His horse let out an inhuman shriek of pain; then a burst of pain struck him in the arm, then in the chest, and then a long blast of pressure in the head and not much afterwards. ... "Sir, the Emperors are dead." "Good goddamn riddance. Send out an immediate order to retreat, and execute the transferral of Ilai Hugo's imperial estate." "Are you sure we ought to do that, sir?" "If Sol wants to get in bed with the Populists so damn bad, let him suffer the clap." The general smiles at his own wit, and starts the movement of his army, vanquished, back home. ... [ Sunday, January 18, 2004 18:00: Message edited by: General Secretary Custer ] -------------------- ¡Viva Chile! ¡Viva el Pueblo! ¡Vivan los Trabajadores! Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 2242
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 18:05
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OOC: My character needs new orders. And mabey a promotion? :D Captain Kevin and his unit reached the fort and the Captain was ready to recieve new orders. Things went decent he guessed, he managed to get the Doomguard home, (not knowing that it was destroyed), however he didn't manage to capture the traitors. "Oh well, Kevin thought to himself as he entered the gates with his unit. -------------------- "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster... when you gaze long into the abyss the abyss also gazes back into you." -Friedrich Nietzsche Posts: 469 | Registered: Thursday, November 14 2002 08:00 |
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Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Member # 919
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written Sunday, January 18 2004 20:25
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The world had slipped out from under Kellen's feet. A few moments before, he had been riding over the scattered army of General Hugo, unstoppable, immortal. The glorious, dazzling Emperor riding beside him had seemed unreal, and the day was golden. And then the black horse had come, with its demonic master astride. A stream of running Imperial soldiers had cut him off from his Emperor, and by the time he had reached Ironclad, his Emperor had fallen. As the arrows struck Hugo's body, and then his face, Kellen screamed - not in reckless vengeance, but in fury and anguish. A second later, Hugo's crowned head was on the ground, his blood smeared on Kellen's sword. But it was too late - the Emperor, Gideon Ironclad, was dead. But the day was not lost, not completely - Tarem rallied the troops, quite easily now that the grizzled old general was dead, and ordered another charge. The northern section of the army soon fell to the vengeful wrath of the combined Imperial Army. Those who could escaped to the south, where they were met by the rest of the PIA - together, they broke through to the southwest and retreated, the AIA, the White Peak Army, the Populists, and the Solarans close behind. But no victory could heal Kellen's pain. He knew that Ironclad was less competant than most men on Pralgrad, that only a mistake on nature's part had made him so charismatic. But he had loved his Emperor, nonetheless - a love stronger than that between brothers, or lovers, or any comrades. He would never be able to see this day as a victory, no matter how hard he tried. Major Tarem saw this utter despair in his eyes; before riding off in pursuit of Hugo's army, he had given orders that the Imperial soldier was to be allowed anywhere, to do anything, within reason. Kellen rode straight to Warderson, barely recognizing the world around him or the horse under him. Only his experience kept him from falling off the beast and getting trampled by the soldiers riding hard in the opposite direction. Without realizing how he had gotten there, Kellen found himself standing in front of Warderson. He had no real power; he knew that. He had been in control only through what was now a dead man. Without the Emperor, Kellen was just another soldier, with undying loyalty to the Imperial throne. And therefore Warderson, his shocked mind told him. And back on the battlefield, surrounded by priests, some weeping openly, a man moved. He took a shuddering gasp of breath, then whimpered in pain - the priests did not care about this. All they knew was that he was alive. And, wincing in pain, the man opened his eyes, finding himself on a blood-soaked stretcher, with the stench of magic in the air. A one-armed man, in a glorious suit of armor, not quite so shiny as before. He was barely alive, true. But he still had one lung working; he was alive. Of course, Kellen did not know this. EDIT: Turns out that actually is possible... [ Sunday, January 18, 2004 20:37: Message edited by: Sir David ] -------------------- And though the musicians would die, the music would live on in the imaginations of all who heard it. -The Last Pendragon TEH CONSPIRACY IZ ALL Les forum de la chance. In case of emergency, break glass. Posts: 3351 | Registered: Saturday, April 6 2002 08:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Monday, January 19 2004 01:20
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*grunts indignantly* As soon as what was left of Karadas's grand levee got back to Kylenian territory, the Hugoists attached themselves to the Western Populists. And then came Hugo's last revenge: against his greatest opponents throughout the war -- not the titans that threatened his life, but the flea that sucked his blood constantly. SAFT. The army detachment sent to take SAFT headquarters found it heavily defended, but it soon became clear that SAFT men were awful land fighters. It cost them half the upper organization. And that cost them the sea. With the central control in chaos, the information that needed to go out to defeat the Hugoist holdout navy never went out. Somewhere in Vantanas there exists a native village populated by those who claim to be descendants of one of the many ships thrown to the sea after the Sundering. And after that was one long, brutal chain of assassinations. Even long after SAFT was long gone as an organization, and even long after the war was over. Holdovers seemed to live only to make traitors suffer, tracking them down like bloodhounds over generations, using all natural and unnatural resources at their disposal to bring the ultimate revenge to those who stabbed Dorian Kylen and Ilai Hugo in the back. Some died in grandioise gestures; an old functionary and his entire extended family were butchered by an unnumbered group of machetemen, and in his courtyard was found a simple message, in the blood of one questionably guilty man and many innocent: WE REMEMBER Of course, the majority suffered less flashy deaths. Suspicious hunting accidents that no one bothered to investigate. Muggings in which no money was taken. A sailor bumping the captain off the side of the boat in the dead of winter and waiting just long enough to throw in a liferaft. The most terrified-looking suicides the Pralgad police force had ever seen. And, in the end, no one cared to investigate them. After all, who but the old dogs of SAFT cared for that pack of vultures? The initial vengeance was incomplete, but in the end, the only people having anything to do with SAFT who died natural deaths were common sailors. ... Shortly after the apocalyptic battle that killed Hugo, Linda, Ironclad, and Karadas -- and yet left corpses for none of them -- the last holdouts of the Kyenian army faded into the Populists. Some officers even stuck along for the duration, becoming heroes of the revolution that seemed bound to failure. And somewhere in the army, there was an old man. Nothing unusual; the Populists didn't reject soldiers for age or gender, and were mostly reviled for that. He insisted he was younger than he looked, and certainly fought like it -- in spite of the wound that took one of his eyes, and in spite of the wound that broke one of his lungs and another which left his shield hand permanently weak. He should have been an old invalid, but he fought like a demon. When the time came, and the Emperor to end the war was finally crowned, he was one of the last to hear the news, and chuckled quietly, in an odd mix of schaedenfreude and pride. He always laughed a little -- deep on the inside, where they couldn't hear it -- when his officers spoke of the tyrannies and bloodshed of General Hugo. Ironclad thought the war was a harmless little lark, and Sol fought like a king. When he threw lives out, at least he wasn't throwing them away. He chuckled again, in that same odd mix. May the double crown crush your fool neck, he thought, for the first time in many years devoid of any jealousy. -------------------- ¡Viva Chile! ¡Viva el Pueblo! ¡Vivan los Trabajadores! Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Triad Mage
Member # 7
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written Monday, January 19 2004 04:35
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The soldiers in Ironclad territory did not know of the happenings on the battlefield far to the south of them. All they knew was that they were to facilitate the easy movement of Solaran troops down to the south. When 125,000 Solaran troops disembarked off of their transport ships and landed just south of White Peak island, the soldiers guarding the area made nothing of it. All they thought was that they were finally going to defeat the Alliance, and it was about time. But the soldiers didn't make it all the way down. Leaving troops behind, always more than the Ironclad troops, the remaining 65,000 troops moved into Blackstone and camped there for the night. When morning came, they did not leave. Many excuses were made, and then 35,000 troops left to secure the surrounding area and the rest of the Ironclad territory. It wasn't until the evening that they found out what had happened at the battle. _______________________ The troops moving south faced Populist and Alliance resistance, but they overpowered them and set forth for the mountain passes. But on the way, General Frederic deviated from the plan just a little bit. Imperius was attacked at dusk. By dawn, it was alight with flames, but firmly in Solaran control. Most of the city was receptive to the new regime, but bloody urban fighting ensued for several days, until all of the Populist and Alliance cells were rooted out. Later, 90,000 troops set out to secure the surrounding area and the west coast. Populist resistance was confused and eradicated. The Saxton School of Magic fell into Solaran hands once again, and the guerrilla resistance, while devastating, was subdued eventually. Solaran battalions swept south and east, destroying pockets of determined, but undisciplined resistance. Until, at least, they reached the mountain passes. Lt. Gregan and his men made their way over to the southern passes. The Alliance troops were expecting an assault from the ground, but the attacks from above disoriented them for long enough to allow the ground troops to sweep in and take the passes. And 125,000 disciplined Solaran troops awaited the return of the armies from the east. _______________________ Captain - no, Major now - Daleris was dispatched to find out the happenings in the battle. He came back, haggard and wheezing. He indicated that there were troops behind him. Colonel Witkin looked and saw the columns of Karadas and Hugo and interrogated Major Daleris. He sputtered and told him that Hugo, Karadas, Linda, and Gideon Ironclad were all dead. Bracing for battle, they set up the archers and pikemen, but they were surprised to see the troops crossing the rivers to the south and making for SAFT headquarters. They were also surprised to see it gone soon after. Redirecting their troops, the Solarans met the Populist army just north of their landing and proposed a truce as long as they would recognize Jehan Sol as the rightful ruler of the Empire. Some troops threw down their weapons and walked to the sides, but most of the army was too set in their ways to go down without a fight. And they threw themselves into the battle that they knew they couldn't win. The Solarans were ordered to give quarter and take prisoners whenever possible, but the Populists quickly scotched that strategy. After days of bloody fighting, the Populist core was surrounded, both by dead Solarans and Populists, but also by a large contingent of the Solaran army. They finally gave up, resigned to their deaths. All of western Pralgrad, unified under Jehan Sol - who would have imagined it in the years previous? _______________________ In the east, Commandant Krilon met with Corim Warderson to arrange the terms of their alliance. Two years later, Grand Imperial Duke Warderson departed for Aizo with his army and anyone else who wanted a new life, which enticed many of the Populists. Of course, there were those who remained on Pralgrad, like Major Tarem, now Colonel Tarem and a leader in the Imperial Army. The last visible Populist and Alliance cells in the east were mopped up by Warderson and Solaran troops, and all that remained were the Ironclads. Jehan Sol approached Blackstone three months later, dressed in court finery and accompanied by a train of courtesans, rather than soldiers. He made his way to the Ironclad Palace and made a grand entrance. The Lady Cathera Ironclad received him, and they lunched and got to know each other. Several months later, following a long and extended courtship, Jehan Sol returned, with a ring and a proposal. He was smitten, and she was charmed. They arranged the wedding for the day after the official coronation. _______________________ A day before the coronation, Sol IV (or Ironclad II, as he would come to be known) met with Taron and other leaders of the Populists. He made it known that he would make minor concessions in the name of unity for the good of the Empire. Later that day, he met with the few remaining officials of SAFT. And he announced to them, in no uncertain terms, that while SAFT would be allowed to rebuild, the Empire would be controlling inter-continental trade and all sea trade, although it would be possible that they would hire out the services of sailors in a contractual agreement in the future. When the day of the coronation came, Jehan Sol became Ironclad II and Sol the Benevolent all in one. In attendance were Taron, Solaran officials, Corim Warderson, and all of the people of Imperius. The wedding was much of the same - in fact, it took place in the same venue and with the same people in attendance. _______________________ In the years to come, Pralgrad and Aizo came to appreciate their emperor, and the resistance and attacks gradually tapered off. A Pralgrad unified under a single emperor began developing in the model of Easton. A son and three daughters continued the line, and succession brought about no bloody battles and no lengthy civil wars, the like of which have not been seen since Jehan Sol was crowned Emperor. Ironclad III, a man of Ironclad and Solaran heritage and with the forceful backing of the entire Empire, began the long reign of the Ironclads. _______________________ (OOC) There's still room for people to resolve their own characters' fates. This was fun. David, that's really a no-no. EDIT: Cleared up time frames, etc. [ Monday, January 19, 2004 06:34: Message edited by: Drakefyre ] -------------------- "At times discretion should be thrown aside, and with the foolish we should play the fool." - Menander ==== Drakefyre's Demesne - Vahnatai Did Do It desperance.net - We're Everywhere The Arena - God Will Sort The Dead ==== You can take my Mac when you pry my cold, dead fingers off the mouse! Posts: 9436 | Registered: Wednesday, September 19 2001 07:00 |
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Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Member # 919
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written Monday, January 19 2004 07:01
Profile
OOC: I was going to have him name either Sol or Warderson his heir with his dying breath. I just couldn't decide which one last night. Too late now... doesn't matter, though. It's just that we all know Ironclad II was the victor, and I thought Gideon was the last Ironclad; I didn't realize there was an Ironclad left to marry. Sorry for godmodding. -------------------- And though the musicians would die, the music would live on in the imaginations of all who heard it. -The Last Pendragon TEH CONSPIRACY IZ ALL Les forum de la chance. In case of emergency, break glass. Posts: 3351 | Registered: Saturday, April 6 2002 08:00 |
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Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Member # 919
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written Monday, January 19 2004 07:05
Profile
EDIT: Ugh. [ Monday, January 19, 2004 07:07: Message edited by: Sir David ] -------------------- And though the musicians would die, the music would live on in the imaginations of all who heard it. -The Last Pendragon TEH CONSPIRACY IZ ALL Les forum de la chance. In case of emergency, break glass. Posts: 3351 | Registered: Saturday, April 6 2002 08:00 |