Welcome back to Our Brave Boys, a quest that is more about worldbuilding (or loredumping) but also a somewhat light RP setting. You are all young men of 20 years of age and are part of the Nation's Apprenticeship Required for Male Youths, otherwise known as ARMY. The Nation is one of many countries of the Empire, but after decades of suppressing Republican Revolutions, the Nation emerged as the leading faction championing the Monarchy, placing the late Princess of your Nation on the throne as Eternal Empress.The quest essentially runs as a world event where you are all common soldiers who have little control over the progression of the war, but are nonetheless free to write bits of your characters' thoughts and even subtle actions to bring life to your characters.The Nation has a mandatory conscription policy for all young men, who must serve for 5 years after conscription at 20 years of age. Nearly a year and a half has passed since the quest started, although new boys are welcome. You might want to skim through the archive to understand the lore.To get conscripted, please take a look at the instructions in the first thread: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6220569/OOB2: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6258776/OOB3: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6309125/SummaryYou are the junior brothers of Lexion XXI, 41st Artillery Cohort, Battery Green, Section 1.The Empire has been ever watchful over Republican Revolutions in neighboring states. When the Southern Principality erupted into revolution, Legion XXI was commanded to establish a foothold to prepare the rest of the Imperial Army to land for invasion. You and your brothers had successfully assault and captured a small port town just outside the Ancient Capital, holding it for a few weeks. Just then, the rest of the Imperial Army arrived...
Terminology>The NationYour semi-tribal ethnic identity. You are descended from a stock of piebald pygmies with large round ears. Despite this, the Nation is primarily identified with a cultural history rather than blood lineage, leaving it to be multi-ethnic.>The CountryThe physical homeland of the Nation, also known as the End of All Rivers, or even the Endwaters. Its core region is a vast swamp, but in its small pocket contains a variety of biomes that gives it a picturesque landscape.>The World AboveThe poetic name given to the outside world, as nearly all of it is located upriver at a higher elevation. The Nation has always remembered it as a chaotic world needing the Emperor to instill order and prosperity. The inhabitants of the World Above are all considered foreigners by the Nation.>The EmpireFor two millennia, the Nation was under the protection of the Empire, the supreme and benevolent force that brought order to the chaotic World Above so that the Nation could remain in peace. It is comprised of several states, including the Nation. Several generations ago, the Empire fell to ambitious, evil republicans who sought to destroy the foundation of civilization. It lost its Emperor, and with no protection, the foreigners entered the Country to take it away from the Nation. As the Empire had always protected the Nation, it was time for the Nation to protect the Empire, and installed the Eternal Empress to maintain security.>The Eternal EmpressThe Nation is still considered a subject of the Empire, once having an Idol rule it as a member of the Empire's Lords and Peers. Unfortunately, during an era of chaos when the evil republicans sought to destroy the foundation of civilization, they executed your Idol. When the Nation rallied to preserve the Empire, it installed your Idol, once barred from the line of succession, as the Eternal Empress, a symbol of unity across the World Above and the Country.
>Apprenticeship Required for Male YouthsAlso known as the ARMY. All able-bodied men of the nation are required to complete a five-year apprenticeship to prepare them as functional members of society. Part of this includes serving in a military capacity. This mandatory service only exempts those too ill, enabling the Nation to field half of all standing Imperial Legions stationed across the Empire.>Matchmaking Assistant Initiative for DamselsThe Nation has a deep-seated fear of extinction ever since the Grand Republic attempted to eliminate the whole Nation via conscription of child soldiers. It was always considered proper for one to marry and have children by 25, but as all young men must serve in the ARMY, it leaves little time for young men and women to court each other. Thus, the babas and aunties of the Nation have banded together to help young women back in the Country connect with young men serving abroad so that they would be ready to immediately produce the next generation of soldiers once they return.
Our Story>WE first remembered OUR stay with the Great Host, who taught US how to be guests. The earth and waters did not belong to US but to the Great Host, so WE must be respectful. WE said goodbye to the Great Host when they felt WE learned how to learn. So WE said goodbye as the Great Host left US at OUR new host; the Land Where All Waters End.>WE lived among the Endwaters as guests, making sure to not overstay OUR welcome. Then the Interlopers came, terrible guests who overstayed their welcome and denying US as guests to their lands. Thus WE hid in the trees, crying and shaking for the Interlopers were mighty and WE were only polite. That was until the Emperor came, soaring in from the World Above, with His righteous Angels, and delivered justice upon the rude Interlopers. He told US: "Let YOU be the caretakers of the from here to where the waters run and to where the mountains peak, for all the land underneath the Blue Sky belongs to I." All underneath the Blue Sky were His guests, but HE was OUR guests in the land HE charged US. The Emperor then gave US a Prince to listen to US and watch over US in stead of the Emperor.
>WE cultivated the earth and trees, not just because it belonged to the Emperor but because it was what the Great Host taught US. Foreigners came first as polite guests but then devolved into Trespassers, behaving impolite and without respect to Us and the Endwaters. Despite OUR loyalty, the Emperor's power waned, the Trespassers became Squatters, lying that they belonged and had right to the Endwaters without permission from the Emperor. WE prospered and suffered over the centuries, until WE found OURSELVES considered Trespassers to the Squatters who forgot it was the Emperor who charged US the Endwaters. Alas, Squatters from across the World Above denied the Emperor, and as it was the Emperor who charged US with the Endwaters, that charge was no longer valid.>OUR Prince tried to contain the Squatters but WE found OURSELVES without a Prince when he died, for Our Prince had only a daughter, Miri. Miri was as much an Emperor's daughter as She was OUR daughter, for Her mother was US, and even when the Squatters disrespected OUR Idol, WE remained loving and devoted to Her. Miri taught US to be patient to the Squatters, and for the Squatters to be patient with US, that all can learn to be good guests and hosts when given time. But the Squatters were impatient, they did not want to learn to be good guests but to make US their Trespassers. So they murdered OUR Idol Miri.>No Emperor, no Miri, no charge to the Endwaters. The Squatters undid all the respects WE paid to the land. They made enemies across the World Above and they charged US with murdering for them. So they took OUR sons to turn them evil like themselves.
>WE learned how to do evil, yet WE never forgot how to be good guests. When the Squatters' own evil consumed itself, WE remembered the Emperor and how all below the Blue Sky were His guests. Thus WE discovered OUR destiny; to teach the World Above how to be good guests even without an Emperor. And to help the Squatters remember, We shall remind them of the Most Glorious Heavenly Empire they denied, with a permanent Emperor whom cried for US when the Squatters did not listen; Our Most Merciful Eternal Empress Miri!Today...>As Gorkau was pouring ale for the brothers of his section, Lieutenant Shino Nozo announced the arrival of the Sovereign Marshal Zogen Hawa and six legions, with more to come."The situation in the Ancient Capital is ironically getting settled. The Republicans are winning and are consolidating. We didn't want to commence the invasion without adequate support and supplies lest we got surrounded and eliminated, but now that we are sure of that, Sovereign Marshal has commanded us to enter as the rest of the army is landing. We must strike now while the Republicans are still consolidating. Thankfully, the Sovereign Marshal has delivered us our guns and some dynamite to help take down the walls. Does anybody have any experience with dynamite?">Lieutenant Shino Nozo looks directly at Naro, knowing exactly where Naro comes from but also allowing him to make the choice to conduct a potentially risky operation.Also I really enjoyed the apple art, really appreciated it. It was really cute.
>Crom wonders what will happen to the camel's when they move out. He has grown somewhat attached to them. However he hopes they will be let free as to sheild the inocent animals from the battles to come. He also hopes they won't be butchered to feed the army.
>>6351592>Naro sips at some of Gorkau's ale. The local alcohol at home was never very good and he's not gotten any since joining the Army.>It's actually quite good, but he thinks it might have an aftertaste of potato peelings>.....explosives?>Explosives were largely forbidden in the mine, the coal being soft enough to dig by hand and the constant danger of gas and dust explosions>That said, they were used to blast new adits and on the surface and he managed to sit on on the blasting of roads and foundations on the mountainside>While not formally trained, he's picked up enough to know how to cut a stick of dynamite, measure and connect fuses, space, drill and pack a drillhole and general explosive safety>Seeing nobody else, he apprehensively raises his hand, hoping he won't have to do this in a hurry under combat conditions
>>6351592Nezu has heard of dynamite, but knows almost nothing of its practical capabilities, and so stays quite. When Naro raises his hand,he feels a pang of fear for him, as he recognizes one thing: if it wasn't dangerous, they wouldn't be asking. It's been some time now since they've been able to share comics and art, but Naro remains one of the boys Nezu is closest with, in his quiet way...
>>6351592>Ale? Decent enough. Tastes a bit of potato peelings, but with the ingredients used the greater surprise was that it wasn't more Potatoey.>Dynamite? Gorkau has heard a few iron-miners mentioning the stuff between their drinks after work, but even there he wasn't certain how much they talked of the real stuff>so he doesn't so much as venture a thing
