Much is spoken of the First Vitelian Empire’s most famous leader, the radiant and great Augustus Superbus. Most of it is praise by traditionalists, mournful pleas for his reimaging to come forth and divest Vitelia of its woes, especially by those who would consider him a Saint who enacted the Will of God. Yet those who called themselves Futurists considered a different aspect of him besides grandiose glory attributed to his reign and his Empire. Emperor Augustus was trained in the classical way by his father, Titianus Superbus, founder of the First Empire, and Augustus authored his chronicle on philosophy and rulership a long while into his famous reign, but that chronicle was also not what Futurists considered. Instead, they examined an apocryphal writing by Augustus, one made in his youth, said to have been written just before he was selected as heir to an empire. Structured as a poetic epic might be, Augustus was far from a talented poet at the time, were said writing indicative of his skill, but the words were those of a sort that led to any claims of authorship being denied and refuted by those who venerated his name most over the centuries. The poem was part of a collection, an entire story, though it had been long lost or never completed. The individual nature of the poem even lends credence to the widespread thought that it was a forgery merely attributed to a famous name, as it was discovered over two hundred years after Augustus’s death. It described an adventure of a man called Helgo, who was a compatriot of Sversk the Conqueror, though in braving the maelstrom alongside him, he was blown south while Sversk was blown north, Helgo eventually making landfall in ancient Vitelia, where he would form his kingdom. Helgo was, of course, fictional, as no records whatsoever record him, his voyage, or even being one of Sversk’s companions, but there is also little to imply that Augustus claimed him to be real either. All of that beside the point, interpreted from the remnants of the singular piece of the epic, the poem called Turris Somniorum described Helgo and his followers, numbering over one thousand then, coming upon a great and mysterious tower with a shining beacon at its head, which had been followed out of the Maelstrom. At the tower’s foot was a strange inscription, claiming that one who claimed the light at the top of the tower, would have their wishes granted, if only they could reach so high. All that was mentioned next, in the poem’s incomplete form, was how Helgo returned from the tower’s peak completely alone, and how the tower’s visage was a grim one indeed, but he needed no longer look upon its terrifying height.Such is the story wrote by a young Emperor to be, and the fascination of Futurists. They wonder themselves; is this Tower of Dreams, the Torre dei Sogni, something that the young Emperor knew one must conquer, no matter the time and place, if they are to forge a path into a greater era?-----
Modofumare, Vitelia. January 7, 1929It was in the dark of night, chilly enough that one might have thought there would be snow, but it was a dead, dry sort of cold, and no beauty of winter would be coming down from the heavens to anoint this city. So much the better. Di Avolo hated snow. Its tranquility offended his sensibilities. Velekam was a creature of chaos, and nature’s wintry machinations conspired to paint its portrait as a lie. Freezing rain better suited his idea of the world, even this place, which thought itself to be an experiment of socialist utopia. It was clean enough. Quiet enough. The order imposed on this city was one of force nevertheless, regardless of aspirations towards it being controlled by the collective of the proletariat.If any of the few he passed in the streets knew he was a noble of high standing, they might have spat upon him, but Di Avolo simply smiled at them and wished them a pleasant night politely, and none could help but smile back. Even the women who walked the streets at night with confidence they were safe, returned expressions that spoke of wondering if they should speak further, perhaps find dinner, so bewitching was that well practiced bow of his lip and twinkling of eyes, but Di Avolo was already covering an appointment for his evening.It was at an empty café. Closed, to those who followed the commands of signage, but those who looked further would have found a lonely man with a hot mug of memories, and Di Avolo already knew what he would find when he went through that portal as much as that man might have said that he already knew he was coming to visit him.Di Avolo entered, and bells jingled behind him as the door swung open and closed. The man at the counter did not turn around, and Di Avolo waited until the last chime of bell before he asked cheerily, “Are you the proprietor? You’d have more clients if you turned the sign about. The lights being on give a certain impression, you know.”The sound of a new voice got the blonde man to turn his head, then return it looking forward. “So,” he said with a sip of his coffee substitute, “You must be the much unspoken of Di Avolo.”
So he did know names without being told. “And you,” Di Avolo said back with a smile as he moved to seat himself besides, “Are Signore Cesare Fabius.” He sat himself fearlessly, intimately next to the man. “You are a difficult man to find.”A tired face aged beyond its years glanced back at Di Avolo’s smile. “You know very well why that is.”“The Autarch is looking for you. Not that he’s told anybody why, but I have my suspicions.”“Go on, then.”Di Avolo raised an eyebrow. “I would have thought you’d do or say something rash. I’m somewhat disappointed.”Cesare scoffed. “You came alone and dressed plainly. You aren’t here to act on anything. I don’t need to be a seer to predict that.”“Almost nineteen years ago. You remember back then? The final year of our last war against the Grossreich, and a bloody year it was. I recall you were captured in an Imperial offensive. You practically vanished, though. Fealinn was uninterested in making exchanges, and gave little information on who was held captive. You may as well have been dead.” “This is a history lesson, then.”“Eight years ago, some months on that, you and a number of other prisoners of war were plucked from a Fealinnese mining camp. The men who would become Revolutionary Premiers over Vitelia’s east and west both took a band of fighters out to attack this camp, and freed you in the process. Ten years in captivity…it changes any man, doesn’t it, let alone one slaved to break stone. You were mentally handicapped for years. Only a couple of years back, I think, did you enter the stage again. You’ve a significant place in this commune, yes? Though it seems to not be one publicly boasted of…”“Do you need to talk if you’re going to speak of what we both already know?” Cesare wondered out loud without looking at Di Avolo.Di Avolo chuckled. “Please, Signore Fabius. I know that you recognize rhetoric, even if you were not the most famed speaker of the Young Futurists. I am laying out my points so you do not demand evidence for what I’m about to say. This curious thing that I cannot help but notice. Everything in your shared history with Signore Leon and Signore Bonaventura, they indicate you are all precious to one another, yes? Would you not be family, practically? They are godfathers to each other’s children, recognized by the Cathedra the world over…Where are you, in this relation? There’s even a spare woman to neatly tie all of you together. Yet you never married, never sought an affair…Are you a homosexual?”Cesare smiled incredulously. “Did you come out all this way to ask that? Are you trying to solicit me, signore? I would have never taken the likes of you to be a secret admirer.”
“I would not be so evasive about it. I merely test you.” The real noticing had been for something else. “For all your camaraderie, all your closeness, all that you all sacrificed for each other, why, if you had walked in instead of me, you’d carry a limp. You were trusted enough of Signore Bonaventura that he placed in in charge of his security. Surely more. Yet you did not move to assume his place when the attempt was made on his life. Now, after he has woken back up, you are a particularly desirable person to seek out again amongst those who trusted you most…curious, isn’t it?”Cesare sipped at his barley coffee, eyes half closed in their glance to Di Avolo. “I’ve lost any appetite for games of power. Perhaps they want me to join them again. If you don’t say what you think you’ve noticed, then I’ve no comment to make save for blind speculation.”That brought the teeth out in Di Avolo’s smile. “You said yourself that I need not speak of what we both already know.” Silence and stillness. “I investigated your mental asylum records. The attendants there said you had delusions of foresight. A few were forthcoming enough to say they noticed, though, that what you could coherently predict was disturbingly accurate…for a very brief period of time.” He leaned in close as though to whisper, even though nobody was around. “I’d like to propose an arrangement to you. I could fulfill whatever material desire you have, no matter what it is.”Cesare turned his face fully to the nobleman. “I want for nothing, as should be in Utopia.”“As it should be? Oh, but we do not live in your future yet, Signore Fabius.” Di Avolo said, “Utopia itself may want for nothing, but to gain it, now, that requires much more, doesn’t it? You know that what I’m saying is true. You want for much indeed…and that price must be completely justifiable, for what you have already paid to try and bring about your Future…”-----
Student, officer, soldier, rebel. Adventurer, Revolutionary Premier, father, warlord. You, Palmiro Bonaventura, have been many things and have gone many places in your quest to bring about the Dawn of the New Era, of Utopia. At this moment, you act as Legato of the Aurora Legion. Patron, commander, and ideological leader all in one. Such was seen as a necessary title for an armed force which sought to bring about the world of the future, fighting against obstacles to it. For now it was a mercenary force, though most of the Legion’s members reinvested their gains into the Legion or accepted rather little pay, having faith that you would not abuse the fruits of their labor.Of course, you had and would never. For that would be to go against your own dream. Nevertheless, times were still admittedly those of preparation, of building up, for the Legion’s current battle was not for a Revolutionary cause save for in abstract. You had gone across the sea to find employ in Caelus, the Caelussian Federation offering much pay and chance to prove yourselves for having to cross an ocean to reach it, leaving the homes of all those in the Legion behind for the time being.Also left on the old continent were your firstborn daughter Vittoria and eldest son Lorenzo, both engaged in higher education. Vittoria attending the Azure Halls of Lapizlazuli in learning humanities and principles of the Revolution and the World, just like her father, while Lorenzo was in far off from anywhere Naukland learning engineering. The rest of your family had come along with you to Caelus, including the son of your friend Elena, Benito Giarno…since he was your child by her, even if you had done nothing to knowingly conceive him. She had remained behind, for her own reasons.As for your Legion, it was divided between two parts of Caelus. The northernmost country of Domensgrepp hosted your 3rd Battalion, made up of neophyte Vitelians, though two of its companies had gone south in exchange for two companies from your expedition before to the secretive underground. In Petrekora to the south were your other two battalions, the 1st and 2nd, though the other had been dubbed the Mobile Battalion for its motorized and mechanized makeup, both in different operations.Word had come of the supposedly ordinary and easy campaign 1st Battalion was meant to embark on having some exceptional circumstances. For reasons of security, you’d heard naught of what said circumstances were, though it had now been some days since their operations concluded. Merely the mundane had passed vaguely along. The same was the case for the Mobile Battalion- you hoped to hear from both soon. Not the least because they engaged in war of greater scale than any they’d fought before, a risky but necessary step in the Legion’s place in history.
An encouraging tone was present with 1st Battalion’s surreptitious comms. You had to wonder how the Mobile Battalion was doing, but your present active business was with 3rd Battalion. If only you could get some correspondence with your older children, you’d feel less uneasy about this fog of ignorance that had been spread over your life and its works- especially since Vittoria remained in Vitelia- but it would surely clear up soon…right?Back to 3rd Battalion and your business with it, though. Your present role was to help keep the peace in the northern Federation nation of Domensgrepp, where there was no shortage of unrest from decades if not centuries of bad blood, both between Domensgrepp and the Federation as well as between its own rival clans, each of whom had gripes with another from having failed to defeat the ascendant leader of the Federation when they might have stopped it. Now they were a conquered people, and understandably did not want such an identity no matter the benefits of the Federation. Why would the mighty Federation hire mercenaries to keep peace in its own lands? Well, for one, Petrekora was taking up more attention than they would want to admit publicly and there wasn’t much in the way of spare troops, and the Domensgrepp Nauk themselves, while possessed of a strong military and reserve forces used for territorial duties, was averse to policing its own people. That was where you came in. Help to keep tensions down and violence from escalating…through clever use of appropriate force in the right place. While being an asset that was easy to clean up if you failed, considering how easily your cause could be divorced from the motives of the Federation. One way or another, you would serve their grand purpose. Acceptable; as long as they also served yours. It was the beginning of the year of 1929, a new year, and in the midst of the bitterest winter you’d ever felt…even if the locals considered it relatively mild. Many things right now could command your attention, but nothing demanded it. 3rd Battalion had been called upon to help quell expected rioting and protests in the regional capital of Eigansbrand- a supposedly simple task, but many of 3rd Battalion were untested in the field, so a lot could go wrong even with something relatively simple. Especially considering that few knew much of local culture and language besides the most basic things. You could go along to lend your considerable experience and help prevent the worst from happening in case of a disaster- but the worst would still likely not be devastating.
There were other things that you could rightfully attend to, after all. You could continue collecting information and administering from the Legion’s post in Andersenshaven, its new base freshly built and garrisoned with a token force able to prevent troublemakers from interfering. Here, you could spend time with family, as well as potentially investigate happenings from the homelands, though you’d be taking a rather passive role.Alternatively, you might look south to the rest of the Legion. An important communique implied a surprise was sailing north, after the conclusion of western operations in Petrekora. Meeting the 1st Battalion mission in the middle was advised- apparently, something had happened that had caused that campaign to wrap up quite quickly indeed. It was undoubtedly a matter of resources and money- and thus presented the opportunity for investment and reorganization.Yet, there were further horizons to look to. The Aurora Legion’s Mobile Battalion, by far the highest investment of new technologies and assets, was taking part in battle still. You could take a flight down south and investigate its fortunes directly, perhaps even take field command once more- but an active front was dangerous, and your wife wouldn’t like you doing that.>Sending your newest Battalion off without oversight was a poor idea for a leader- go there and ensure that they succeed- and that they know you are a leader who watches out for his men. (Command 3rd Battalion’s Eigansbrand Operation)>The Legion knew how to handle itself. You were Legato, not General- and that meant you had other things to handle away from the domain of the soldier. (Remain at Andersenshaven and take care of personal matters)>What surprise might 1st Battalion have journeying up to you? What surprise might it be that it had to be kept so under wraps when it came to telegrams? Curiosity compelled you to investigate… (Handle 1st Battalion’s new developments and acquisitions)>The Legion’s Best had been thrown into the teeth of Petrekora, and you’d not yet heard anything good or bad- that would have to change. It was time to place yourself near another war, perhaps even within one again… (Check up on the Mobile Battalion)>Other?
Hey all, just about on expected time, but I don't necessarily have everything ready for every route, so it'll be a couple days before I call voting and get started proper. In the meantime I'll be glad to review or answer anything people need cleared up since it has been a while.
>>6461043>The Legion knew how to handle itself. You were Legato, not General- and that meant you had other things to handle away from the domain of the soldier. (Remain at Andersenshaven and take care of personal matters)Got to use the first vote to make sure the wife and kids are alright.The eternal anti-deadbeat rhythm hammers away, even now.
>>6461043>The Legion’s Best had been thrown into the teeth of Petrekora, and you’d not yet heard anything good or bad- that would have to change. It was time to place yourself near another war, perhaps even within one again… (Check up on the Mobile Battalion)So we're doing ten threads of epilogue now? Five threads of interlogue then another skirmish?
>>6461055+1 Your kids will never remember your work, only whether you were there or not.
>>6461043>What surprise might 1st Battalion have journeying up to you? What surprise might it be that it had to be kept so under wraps when it came to telegrams? Curiosity compelled you to investigate… (Handle 1st Battalion’s new developments and acquisitions)Settle it whilst it's fresh in people's minds
>>6461043>What surprise might 1st Battalion have journeying up to you? What surprise might it be that it had to be kept so under wraps when it came to telegrams? Curiosity compelled you to investigate… (Handle 1st Battalion’s new developments and acquisitions)
>>6461043>What surprise might 1st Battalion have journeying up to you? What surprise might it be that it had to be kept so under wraps when it came to telegrams? Curiosity compelled you to investigate… (Handle 1st Battalion’s new developments and acquisitions)Old Blackhand isn't prone to overexaggerations, what mysteries has he brought with him from Petrekora?Yes, I'm a little biased towards our boys in the 1st, sue me.
>>6461043>>6461043>The Legion knew how to handle itself. You were Legato, not General- and that meant you had other things to handle away from the domain of the soldier. (Remain at Andersenshaven and take care of personal matters)The new boys can handle themselves and I want Palmiro to actually spend some time with his family. Besides, collecting information and resources seems the best use of our skills right now. Altough, the skirmish does make me want to pick the meeting with 1st Battalion...
>>6461043>What surprise might 1st Battalion have journeying up to you? What surprise might it be that it had to be kept so under wraps when it came to telegrams? Curiosity compelled you to investigate… (Handle 1st Battalion’s new developments and acquisitions)>>6461045>In the meantime I'll be glad to review or answer anything people need cleared up since it has been a while.Where do we know Di Avolo from? Who is he?
>>6461043>>What surprise might 1st Battalion have journeying up to you? What surprise might it be that it had to be kept so under wraps when it came to telegrams? Curiosity compelled you to investigate… (Handle 1st Battalion’s new developments and acquisitions)
I forgot to do my usual spiel of my xitter (@scheissfunker) where I post pictures and announcements and stuff and also the Rentry where you can find past threads, which is https://rentry.co/PanzerCommanderQuestAt some point I will have the quick reference in some state of readiness.>>6461056>So we're doing ten threads of epilogue now? Five threads of interlogue then another skirmish?Something like that. Though I think we can crunch it down to two and then have the skirmish be me forcing you to make your children fight each other.>>6461455>Where do we know Di Avolo from? Who is he?He's popped up in the intros to Revolutionary Man threads. You in character do not know him- as for who he is, who knows? Perhaps somebody important, but to what degree isn't a certainty.>>6461055>6461071>6461326You have these things called a wife and a children, as well as an army. Well, your wife seems intent on making an army anyways.>>6461056Some sort of Panzer Commander Quest.>>6461106>6461160>6461227>6461294>6461455>6461619>6461640What's a skirmish anyways?Funny that the thing I did the most preparation for and wasn't sure how to work out turned out to be on the chopping block. Updating.
Of everything that could claim your attention, you wouldn’t have anticipated it would be 1st Battalion when you had sent them off. Their assignment, after all, was meant to be of little difficulty or consequence. The best guess you had was it being a sideshow or distraction for the other two offensives occurring at the same time, meant more to sooth Roxolani pride (the member of the Federation whose pride was most bruised thus far by the upstart Petrekoran rebellion) than to achieve a strategic objective.Yet. The claim of exceptional events and consequences had piqued your curiosity. What could possibly be waiting, when you journeyed south to meet 1st Battalion’s special delivery in the middle, at sea, where a meeting might be as secret as possible?You hired a flying boat pilot to make the special trip. Finding the small convoy that Lieutenant Colonel Schwarzehand had told of heading north would be little trouble with their exact heading and a frequency of communications given, though it would be a few days of effort, even with assistance from staff personnel. Yena and the children had been hoping you might stick around what had become the new home away from home- but your business was pressing. Even staying back, you wouldn’t be sure how much of a holiday it’d really be.On the tenth of January of 1929, you directed the Nauk flying boat pilot to make a water landing near enough to a pair of vessels, one flying the distinctive Red and Yellow of the dawn, for them to send a launch to pick you up. He was only happy to oblige- you’d paid handsomely for fast and personal service.Said vessel flying the red and gold seemed like a large transport ship- the cranes on it one of an auxiliary, a resupply or maintenance ship, or a tender of some sort. Though for such a ship, it was very heavily armed, what was surely a cruiser sized main gun affixed to its bow, anti-aircraft guns bristling wherever they could be mounted. For a cargo ship it was very fearsome, and only made you wonder more what such weaponry might be defending.It was certainly big enough, you noted as it got closer and a motor launch was lowered over the side to pick you up. It came to the flying boat, and you saw the familiar large bodied form of your 1st Battalion’s long time commander at its head.Lieutenant Colonel Schwarzehand had been around you for a long time, though you couldn’t be sure of exactly when he first might have come under your command. In Gilicia at some point, the former Black Coat imperial terror trooper had become one of your soldiers. Then he had come seeking either adventure, compensation, or perhaps fulfillment of some debt you knew naught about in helping to free Vitelian prisoners from the clutches of the Fealinnese. Then he was there upon formation of the Legion. His men joked that he was chasing after your nubile eldest daughter, adult that she was now, but you highly doubted such slander.
The reports coming from him in particular had been another curiosity. Jeno Schwarzehand was a dour, curmudgeonly scowler of a man, and never one to tell tall tales or seek attention in any way save for how he might apply the baton more firmly to motivate troops to exceed themselves. Something remarkable, described by him, would have to truly be brow raising.“Signore Legato, Bonaventura.” he called to you with stiff posture and a firm salute, one mirrored by a trio of what you recognized as 1st Company troopers behind him, clanking in their imposing heavy armor, freshly cleaned and polished as though they’d spent every minute before you arrived making themselves look even more without peer. “Didn’t think you’d meet us in the middle, boss.”“I had time,” you said as you took his heavy hand and let yourself be pulled over to the launch. “Domani will be properly tested without me watching over his shoulder, just as you proved yourself in higher command at Stonebreaker.”“Let’s hope he doesn’t face a Stonebreaker.” Schwarzehand said with tight lips. “Boy’s green as your wife’s head. Be surprised if he’s even seen blood.”“He came recommended from a fellow veteran of the worst war we have ever been a part of,” you reassured the man. “Mere peacekeeping doesn’t match what the Mobile Battalion has been doing. Or 1st Battalion, for that matter. Which brings us to whatever you have to say that can’t be said over telegram..?” “Yeah.” Schwarzehand nodded to one of the launch crew, plainly clothed 6th Company if you had to guess. “Take us back over. Best tell amongst our own.”“What is this?” You had to ask as the auxiliary transport loomed over. “On loan?”“Nah.” Schwarzehand said. “It’s ours. Crew too. The men called it L’Alba Prospera. Bit starchy for my liking, but hell, they were the ones who earned it.”“Is this the surprise, then?” It was quite impressive. Not a prize you expected.“Only the first of many.” The Lieutenant Colonel jerked his head to the small ship to the transport’s two o’clock, a frigate by the size of it. “That too. Though that’s not as firmly ours. The Feddies want to negotiate over it or something, though the men took it fair and square. For now, it’s our escort.”He really did have a lot to tell, then.
So he did, when you were finally aboard the L’Alba Prospera, a huge proportion of the crew and guards flatteringly waiting to see you before you went to the bridge with Schwarzehand. The seemingly uneventful Roxorient Campaign had turned into something else entirely for the Aurora Legion. Whilst the Federation was tight lipped about what they had your men do, the pay that was now clearly seen spoke to the importance of it. While the Federation Army did not recognize what was done, no such obligation was extended to the Legion in spite of any vague warning of it being Federation business. A full report was ready for your hands- though not for general release.You read through the thick sheaf of papers quietly. Personnel logs, combat records, extremely detailed accounts of movement and actions. “I recognize some of the names here,” you told Schwarzehand. “They’ve been around some time, haven’t they?”“Yes, Legato.” Schwarzehand said. “It being a special mission for volunteers drew out people with the most to prove.”The number of volunteers had been quite substantial, too. Enough to rather drain First Battalion- and limit its operations, much to the consternation of the captains of the companies. Though their contributions were never meant to be critical, it turned out the Federation had still not quite accounted for the resilience of even a tertiary front. The reports detailed a risky airlanding operation to seize an unknown important objective, and a mysterious enemy that turned out to be one you could hardly have predicted. Sky Pirates- a potential foe you’d expected on the seas, not Petrekora. Why they had come around and what they were even doing even now remained a mystery, besides that they had come to retrieve something that the Federation wanted.After that, the Federation not having gained what they expected from the Legion’s intervention (which did not go to plan, yet still went very well), the next mission that was given to what was now referred to in operations logs as the Special Task Force was to land behind enemy lines and capture a harbor being used for evacuation- to cut off these Sky Pirate interlopers from their route of escape.“Could Sky Pirates not simply fly away? Perhaps with flying boats? I’m sure they have them.”“Not that simple, boss, they were in deep outside their usual territory,” Schwarzehand said. “Besides, they were getting around with…something else. That and the Federation had too much flying around all over for them to risk a big slow flying boat.”The Sky Pirates were not encountered in the night assault on the harbor- this battle being where this very ship, as well as its escort, were captured. Field testing of a Federation combat drug had taken place in this battle as well- to devastating effect.“How effective was it?” You asked warily, thinking little of chemical augmentations.
“Extremely,” Schwarzehand said, “The side effects are pretty bad, though. Turned our rookies into monsters, but people come down off it hard. Easy to overexert yourself and hurt yourself bad. Easy to fight through injuries without realizing they’re doing you in. I’d criticize it but I don’t know if we’d have won some parts of these battles without it. Things were close. Maybe we’d have pulled through without.”The Federation was likely to charge a high price for its secret drug if they knew how good it was. Best not to become reliant. The night assault won, however, the Sky Pirates had come again…with a deal. One that you had to frown at the implications of.“So.” You said, setting the papers down a moment, “We’re seeking to trick the Federation, then. Is there any chance that this has been discovered?”“Maybe.” Schwarzehand admitted. “But even they didn’t seem to know what they were looking for. They thought to the very end that the Aeropirates had turned around and gone somewhere else. They had no reason to think we ever met with them. I don’t think they really knew what they were geared up with either. They call themselves Free Folk, and they’re awful sneaky. Even their tanks.”Yes. Their tank, that was mentioned. You did have to make a point to see that, since equipment had been part of the deal for working with them. The oddity of your own Subterranean Armors might somehow be exceeded…Then came the last operation for the Special Task Force. A raid using the captured ships from the port assault to storm the headquarters base for the whole of the Petrekoran Roxorient front. A critical point that, if it was taken and held, would prove an irrecoverable disaster for the Rebellion’s attempts to delay in the west, as they had little strategic choice but to do.The risk had been enormous. If any of the operations had encountered catastrophe, then First Battalion, the core of your experienced line infantry and a capability built up painstakingly over years, could have been utterly eviscerated. Yet the payoff for the risk had been a lucrative one. Not even a month past, any budgetary expansion was an unthinkable extravagance. Now, the Legion had obtained an actual boatload, boat included, of wealth and war-making materiel. All that you lacked was a source of manpower to utilize it with…so your potential for proper expansion of numbers and business was still static. Perhaps it was not such a bad thing to have sums at the ready for a future endeavor that would offer more opportunity than anything short term, but considering the scale of what had happened, it couldn’t be helped that you wanted to hurry.
Moreover, the event was making waves where it was permitted to be discussed. The Federation at large would definitely hear of the Aurora Legion now if it hadn’t before- and Petrekora would know them well too as an enemy to be accounted for, if the Mobile Battalion somehow hadn’t already placed you as such with whatever they were up to. “Since then, 1st Battalion’s been taking it easy.” Schwarzehand said as you finished reviewing operations. “Don’t know if it was the brightest idea. Ended up working out anyways. I left Captain Ponte in command to come up here. In case of an emergency he has my staff.”“The casualties over the course of all this?” you had to ask, not counting them up in total as you were reading, feeling a need to know before you turned the page to read it.“Very few, all things considered.” Schwarzehand let a little pride into his mean tone. “From the operations, and what the rest of the battalion was up to, the crap in between and the little stuff since…some of the guys might say they didn’t lose anybody at all. Don’t be quick to believe them, if only we were so lucky, but they did do real, real good. Our casualties of wounded and killed barely broke three digits for the whole battalion, not just the STF. One hundred and twenty-four, only a third of those fatalities. Not counting minor wounds that you walk off in a week.” One hundred and twenty-four was no small number, but for a battalion of over thirteen hundred, it was indeed light casualties for an involved field operation, especially considering that two companies were new to combat, and oftentimes blooding a freshly trained unit against a capable foe was a huge gamble.“So the battalion is still combat ready,” you concluded.“Perfectly able, Legato, but we’ve been sitting on our butts for now. We’ve got a base and a bunch of loot. Sitting on top of it like chickens and eggs.”Said loot was the next thing to review and catalogue, starting with the mundane.
Over the course of what the Federation called Operation Osennyayaanoch (Autumn Night or something like that- it had been called November First in pre-planning) the Legion’s 1st Battalion had been steadily reequipping itself. Much of the Special Task Force’s members had been using their share of the large sums of pay to outfit themselves with advanced federation equipment, and with the logistical pains that the limited amounts of western ammunition carried in supplying repeated battles, practically all of 1st Battalion had reequipped itself with either Federation equipment or Petrekoran captured weaponry, which both used local plentiful sources of munitions. It wouldn’t have surprised you if the Mobile Battalion had done the same in their own endeavor, though their ammunition was even more exotic and specialized than mere rifle bullets.One of the main items of interest when it came to captured enemy equipment was the large amount of T-8 and armored cars that had been seized by the Legion in their special operations. Twelve T-8s (two platoons and change) and sixteen armored cars. Whilst it would have been very exciting a year past, these days, when the Stijder had been proving their worth and were so immensely superior in almost every way, it was not so much a windfall to have these tanks that the Stijder company could obliterate with little effort. Or, for that matter, any other part of the Legion with anti-tank capabilities, for the T-8 was a machine made to equip forces that relied on mass of metal and men, a perfect design for what it was made to do, which was to be built quickly and cheaply and to not be demanding of maintenance nor large numbers of expert crew. Armed with a four-centimeter gun and a machine gun mounted to the weapon (not even an initial allowance in the design, such was a Petrekoran modification), it was certainly capable of dishing out punishment at least. The armored cars were of a general type called a B-L2, and armed with but a single heavy 12.7-millimeter heavy machine gun in its turret, though its six wheels made it decent at off-road travel. Both sorts of vehicle were merely bulletproof, and far from brawlers.
Granted, they were still armored vehicles and very imposing to any who lacked means of fighting such, and only an idiot would underestimate them, but you wondered if they were the right way forward for the Legion, especially when they were already outdated in terms of fighting ability. One could equip a new armored company anyways, but there was the alternative of forming a training cadre. T-8s were, amongst their other practical but boring qualities, apparently very easy to learn to operate. Compared to the Stijder, whose crew required Subterranean physical augmentations to properly operate their incredibly complex contraptions, a T-8 was so simple to operate and learn on that it was like teaching the operation of a plain utility truck. A useful tool for educating those who would move on to other things…Alternatively, they could simply be sold, washing your hands of any need to support the operations of yet more specialist units and freeing budget for other things.>Waste not want not, lacking or no it was still armor, and the Legion needed to expand. Plan for a new armored company. The metal and guns would be good for a long time to come.>While this looted materiel wasn’t something to be used to fight for the future, it could still be used to prepare. Form a training cadre- any future mechanized forces would have a base of trainees to draw from.>These vehicles might not have been the best or most modern armored fighting vehicles in their current forms, but perhaps they could still find use as something else. Keep them for the parts they are.>This quantity of equipment was valuable to somebody- but not you. The best thing to do was to find a buyer and cash in steel for silver while it was still the sort of equipment in demand.>Other?Before any talk of the more exotic materiel…and people was had, there was apparently a pressing decision waiting to be made. Something of particular excitement amongst First Battalion.Personnel assignment. “As far as I’ve talked it over with the others. You know, First Battalion’s officers, the Special Task Force people themselves,” Schwarzehand itched at his back and stretched with a grit of his teeth, a loud pop coming from his shoulders at his greatest extension. “We’ve got three general options. One. We reform the Special Task Force mostly as it was when it was in its last op, roughly two company strength. An old fashion demi-battalion formation. We have the leadership for it. Emrean War stock. Platoon leaders and assistants. Potential ready to step up for the extra duties. Plenty of the STF guys would be happy about that, but there’s a big problem with the idea.”“Being?” You could already presume, but wanted to hear it from the man who had commanded the lot.
“It’d gut First Battalion,” Schwarzehand said, “The STF is made up of a lot of the most effective soldiers of their companies, especially First Company. Volunteer ops tend to draw out that sort, but while they were away, coordination and execution suffered. Carving out First Battalion’s best and leaving behind the rest, well, First Battalion won’t be happy about that, especially the captains, because you’ll have to replace everybody who got taken out with completely new people. Now, a Demi-Battalion like the STF could probably do just about anything, as they’ve shown, but the rest of the Legion suffers for it. Elite units aren’t the most popular with their own people for a reason. You’d have to ask if we want to make it so clear that we’ve got a favorite, best unit, considering what our ideals are, boss.”“I understand. However, if it is a necessity, I should expect my captains to understand. Elites have their place, and so do linemen. I know that well enough. What is the second alternative? To have a company rather than a demi-battalion?”“Yeah, that exactly.” Scwarzehand hooked his thumbs in his pocket with a singular nod. “We take the STF people and some others who’ve proven themselves elsewhere in other ways, and form a unit with a special designated purpose, not just a group that has the most and best toys. A single company, and it’d hollow out First Battalion a lot less, and since we’d draw from everywhere, no unit would feel left out. We’d have less positions to give out deserved promotions to, but it’d be cleaner. Neater. Less of an imposition on the rest of the Legion. Less demanded of the Captains.”“The third option, then?” Though if one option was a twin company force and the other was a single company, the last choice would be…“No new unit. Everybody stays in their companies. A few people might feel unappreciated. After all, they’d like to advance in importance after pulling this off. But,” Schwarzehand rocked on his feet. “I’m still battalion commander after this. Most people aren’t gonna rise in ranks anyways even with a new formation. Not like the unit won’t expand more sometime. Thing is, keeping First Battalion’s proven squad and platoon leaders in their units keeps it good, and after this, keeps them getting better. Nothing changes, but nothing becomes a problem.”>Form a demi-battalion Special Task Force. If they’d done well in the past, they’d do well in the future. Even if it might cost 1st Battalion’s effectiveness in the short and long term.>Cutting out the hard core of 1st Battalion seemed foolish, but having a small elite force could be very useful. Form a Special Operations Company rather than a demi-battalion.>1st Battalion needed its best, it had been built up for far too long to toss away its organization too haphazardly. Keep things as they were- better opportunities for reorganization would come.>Other?
>>6461901>While this looted materiel wasn’t something to be used to fight for the future, it could still be used to prepare. Form a training cadre- any future mechanized forces would have a base of trainees to draw from.We have to consider logistics and training. A good manpower base will keep us fighting longer.>>6461902>Cutting out the hard core of 1st Battalion seemed foolish, but having a small elite force could be very useful. Form a Special Operations Company rather than a demi-battalion.Let's give ourselves room to grow, without taking too much away from the Battalion.
>>6461901>While this looted materiel wasn’t something to be used to fight for the future, it could still be used to prepare. Form a training cadre- any future mechanized forces would have a base of trainees to draw from.Gotta prepare for the age of Panzer.>>6461902>1st Battalion needed its best, it had been built up for far too long to toss away its organization too haphazardly. Keep things as they were- better opportunities for reorganization would come.Don't worry fellas, your service will be recognized. But best not go cutting up battalions again after the mess last thread.
>>6461901>While this looted materiel wasn’t something to be used to fight for the future, it could still be used to prepare. Form a training cadre- any future mechanized forces would have a base of trainees to draw from.Training Montage~>>6461902>Cutting out the hard core of 1st Battalion seemed foolish, but having a small elite force could be very useful. Form a Special Operations Company rather than a demi-battalion.
>>6461901>Waste not want not, lacking or no it was still armor, and the Legion needed to expand. Plan for a new armored company. The metal and guns would be good for a long time to come.A training unit does sound good, but training for…what, exactly? There’s no non-moleman armor on the roster or in the pipeline in the immediate or middle term, is there? A tank’s a tank, anyway, even if it’s light. Nobody without adequate AT is going to look over a trench lip and say “no big, guys, it’s just a T-8 rolling towards us”. A light/recce company could do the mobile bn. some good.>>6461902>Cutting out the hard core of 1st Battalion seemed foolish, but having a small elite force could be very useful. Form a Special Operations Company rather than a demi-battalion.The (demi-)battalion-scale deployments of the STF were in large part enabled by copious, multi-domain Federation support. We can’t replicate that for our own purposes, so anything more than a company is probably overkill.>>6461897>what if the Kalashikov SMG had a bastard child with the M1?
>>6461902>While this looted materiel wasn’t something to be used to fight for the future, it could still be used to prepare. Form a training cadre- any future mechanized forces would have a base of trainees to draw from.>Cutting out the hard core of 1st Battalion seemed foolish, but having a small elite force could be very useful. Form a Special Operations Company rather than a demi-battalion.If it expands in future perhaps we can give STF members priority for promotion or whatnot
>>6461902>These vehicles might not have been the best or most modern armored fighting vehicles in their current forms, but perhaps they could still find use as something else. Keep them for the parts they are.>Cutting out the hard core of 1st Battalion seemed foolish, but having a small elite force could be very useful. Form a Special Operations Company rather than a demi-battalion.
>>6461902>While this looted materiel wasn’t something to be used to fight for the future, it could still be used to prepare. Form a training cadre- any future mechanized forces would have a base of trainees to draw from.>>Cutting out the hard core of 1st Battalion seemed foolish, but having a small elite force could be very useful. Form a Special Operations Company rather than a demi-battalion.
>>6461901>Waste not want not, lacking or no it was still armor, and the Legion needed to expand. Plan for a new armored company. The metal and guns would be good for a long time to come.>>6461902>Cutting out the hard core of 1st Battalion seemed foolish, but having a small elite force could be very useful. Form a Special Operations Company rather than a demi-battalion.
>>6461905>>6461906>>6461911>>6461926>>6461995Set up the infrastructure for an Armor School Cadre. Next you have tanks, you'll have people ready to use them.>>6461913>>6462069A light unit to accompany the specialist one. Surely you can't entirely make up your unit of mystery machines.>>6461958Find some other use for these things. They have suspension and propulsion after all.>>6461905>6461911>6461913>6461926>6461958>6461995>6462069Form a new company with a special purpose- plenty of them are too special to just slot back into the line anyways, aren't they?>6461906Back in the battalion with you, we don't need another unit so soon.Updating.
“A Special Operations Company,” Or, as it would be shortened to, OS-1C. “A compromise. We advance those who are stifled, and in their place others can rise. We create a new asset, while better preserving the old. I want a list of those who you think most fitting so that we can review the candidates with the men for platoon leaders and company command.”“I’ll have that passed along.” Schwarzehand whistled sharply to an adjutant. “Take what the Legato wants down. It’s nothing we can’t transmit openly. We already have the shorthand commands laid out.”The basic structure of OS-1C was yet to be determined, but you already had an idea of what it would be. The diversity of skillsets, dispositions, and individually procured equipment meant that one could make anything from the clay offered- or simply have a small unit with just about every capability individually demanded, able to have a great effect on a field wherever they went, or to execute a small operation that it was unnecessary to have anywhere near the total numbers of the Legion for. They couldn’t fight a war by themselves, of course, but as part of a line, they could have a decisive local effect.Or in a place with no line at all, they could bring a surprising amount of a war where it wasn’t expected. Armored transports, anti-air and universal guns, quiet weapons and a deluge of motorcycles, marksmen, armored assault troops. 1st Company would miss the amount of plate that would be divested of it, but you had the materials to replace such once your artisans got up to speed again. It wasn’t certain if 1st Battalion would find itself on a frontline in this war again anyways.
From the bridge, you and Schwarzehand went to the hold of the L’Alba Prospera to review the armored vehicles that had been procured, both intact and put together from disabled field captures. In the past, when the Legion had gotten armored vehicles in much the same way, few actually knew how to competently crew or operate the vehicles they’d taken. That could no longer stand. With these machines, you planned to set up a Training Cadre for armored materiel. Yes, these vehicles were still useful, but you planned to get better ones- and for those who crewed the better machines to not be unfamiliar with vehicles like them when they did. Losses could be more readily replaced, new units could be formed more easily, and to be true, more training and replacement personnel would be necessary the more the Legion grew. The ship was moving north to 3rd Battalion anyways, so you’d select one of the new battalion’s units to form up according to your plans. Even if you still needed actual instructors…Unless you took up that duty, of course. At least the first go around.“While we’re on the clerk’s side of things,” Schwarzehand said offhandedly, “The Federation’s offer for that frigate is that we buy it at a generously reduced price, as they put it, and they attach a hired crew to the ship that transfers to us, like with this transport here. Else we’d have to find and hire our own crew anyways. That or we can sell the thing back to them as they’d rather we do. Though not for that big an amount. About the same as we’d be paying to them.” “Generous indeed.” You said with a blasé resignation. “Debate over the terms of salvage and expedient field claim of materiel I take it.”“Ships are expensive. The Federation lost a lot of ships against Petrekora, I heard. Not from their main armada, but all their friends near Petrekora itself. They want to cheapen the recompense. Though. A ship is pretty expensive. The transport is worth it. The frigate? Don’t know about that. Another thing we need to crew, another thing that needs to be maintained, another space in harbor to rent. Not like it’s enough to build a fleet around.”Though it could be the vital start of one. “We’ll decide that later when we have all the numbers readied for the Legion.”“Yes, Signore Legato.”
The new, secret weapons were hoarded at the very back of the cargo area, away from where inconvenient eyes might question what was behind the partition of crates and pallets of supplies. They were not as interesting to think about as much as what was with them though. Weapons were merely tools, and even if the aspect of the new armored vehicles that made them fly could be deciphered, like the Stijder, actually creating more was presently beyond you even if the materials to do so were accessible. They might be so however, if you had a significant representative of the Free Folk…“Hey!” Schwarzehand snapped, not in a loud call but a sharp attention-getting bark nevertheless. “Sky Carrot! Sound off!”Sky Carrot?“I am here.” Came a voice that was some sort of New Nauk accent you hadn’t heard quite like. It had a sort of archaic, formal shade to it, like what might be seen in the initial instances of its use before it became standard over half the continent. Not quite Imperial- it had an Emrean aspect to it, somehow. Somebody from the Emerrach? Quite a long way from where any Sky Pirate made their presence known. “What is it? Here to bother me about dress standards?”“The Legato Palmiro Bonaventura is having a meeting with you like I told you, brat,” Schwarzehand said, “Now stand to!”“It’s quite all right, Lieutenant Colonel,” you said quietly, “I’ve had a teenaged daughter and another will be teenaged soon. I’m well used to haughty young women.”“There’s an image to uphold, signore.” Schwarzehand grumbled, but he let you ahead of him.Carrot was certainly accurate. The sky pirate lass looked to be a woman…close to Vittoria’s age, who would be nineteen this year. Perhaps only a couple of years older at best. She wore the uniform of the Aurora Legion, true enough, but rather like one who had come from Sosaldt, with a defiant scowl on her face like she was no such woman. It was a contradiction with how her blouse was only buttoned in two places in a way that sought attention. An immature defiance that softened to curiosity upon seeing you, which made you wonder just how this person could apparently be so skilled and deadly.
“Greetings. I am Palmiro Bonaventura,” you said with a nod of your head, eyes on hers. They were a rather startling blue, as rich in hue as her head was orange. “Patron and leader of the Aurora Legion, whom fights to bring about Utopia. What is your name, miss…?”The scowl returned. “Nobody has called me it despite telling them, so I wonder if I should bother.”“Many of the Legion go by a name they have selected rather than one they were born with. Introduce yourself how you wish to be called.”The sky lass frowned, contemplated. “The name I have chosen for myself is Meeresrand. I am born and raised of the sky, and my father was an ascendant. I am a Windcaller of the Order of the Lopen Hemelschild and have trained to fight for the heavens since my childhood. As a Windcaller, I am trusted to send for those whom are warden over the Free Folk and their dominion. And I am here to learn of your cause. Of what world you seek to remake, and how.” Her words had been more carefully picked than she seemed accustomed to from how stiff her pace had become. A fire was being kept to its coals.Your eyes flicked to a familiar pamphlet by what must have been where she made her bed. “You are more familiar with me than I am with you already, it seems. Though that is only a summary, an introduction. Theory.”“Theory is easy.” Meeresrand said, “Words are malleable, but action is not. The actions of your Legion have left me puzzled. You make allegiance with the Federation, an enemy of all that I and my people stand for, yet you help us when the Federation would have rewarded you handsomely for us. That made me uncertain, and curious. Too much so to return with the others. A few of us joined you, surely sharing my uncertainty. The small hope. I wish to see if we may have common cause…or not.”“I’m afraid we won’t be turning to fight the Federation while we are employed by them,” you felt the need to say.
“No, I more think of the…long term. Just as you,” she looked to the pamphlet you regarded, “Clearly do not wish to make war upon the world the moment you have a weapon in hand, simply because you are able and willing to battle.” A sharp curl of her lip as she looked down. “I admit I am prone to impulse. I came to the world below upon such winds. Yet an important victory for the Free Folk was not found in a rush of brash resolve. I am unready for the cause I was ready to die for.” A defiant flashing glance back to you. “So I am here. As an ally, not a servant. I am sure you have many questions. I cannot answer everything, and nothing in regards to whence I came from or what our mission here was. I am oathbound to not answer questions or requests only rightfully addressed to our Queen and Protector. But I will try to be…courteous.”There were a few important things you already knew from the post-operations brief. One was that the Free Folk, though far from a singular organized entity, did have a loose sort of unity particularly when it came to recognizing friend or foe. Through means you didn’t need to dwell on rather than accepting it had to do with this woman in front of you, the Legion would not find itself harassed or attacked with her near, which would have been a primary concern on any journey through the seas here or back to Vinstraga. The other was regarding the machines behind her, rounded and treadles, though possessed of something that even now seemed to make them rest lighter on the ground than they should have, not being powered. They made a mockery of physical principles, and could even float just above water, so long as they were near enough to a coast for whatever esoteric reason. The Halobates, the tanks were called, influenced more by aircraft forced to walk than land vehicles made to fly.>What do you ask of this representative of the Free Folk? Keep in mind that being too prying of society or origins is unlikely to bear fruit.>Other things?
>>6462185>What does she think of Palmiro's Theory and the Legion's cause. She read a bit of it, so at a glance, what is her honest opinion.An answer to this might give us just a personal opinion, but it might also tell us something about the society she came from, without needing to ask directly. >What makes her politically against the Federation? Is it simply the Free Folk being enemies of the Federation or are they aligned with the separatist nations in particular? We can't ask what her mission was, but we can ask what she, if not the Free Folk in general might think about their current relationships with those on the surface. >How many steps of authority is she away from her Queen. If she can't speak for her Queen who DID she speak for if anyone besides herself and the few other Free Folk she has with her?>How do the Floating Machines Operate?We have the brief, and I can't think of anything to ask that we don't already know or wouldn't be too prying, so hearing an explanation in her own words is all we'll get from her probably, but even that can be insightful. >Does she know about the History of the surface? Of Caelus, of Vinstraga, of possibly the Subteranians or the Nief'Yem? Hearing our history as she knows it might tell us a thing or two about the Free Folk without needing to ask about it.>Ask how long Meeresrand planned to stick around?How long does she think it would take to get a measure on our men and their morals?Be sure to call her by her proper name. Be respectful. If Palmiro is anything, he's respectful of weird people from strangen places.
>>6462194+1
>>6462194Supporting
>>6462194Good calls all around. Supporting.
>>6462194This
>>6462194>>6462260>>6462291>>6462304>>6462330A bevy of background queries.Updating.
>>6462566How many Free Folk do we have along with Sky Bitch, enough for a platoon or is it like a squad or two?
>>6462692I'd like to know, too. Are they just going to vaguely float around outside the org chart or are they being folded into OS-1C?
If she was to try to be courteous, you would return such. A suitable stack of crates caught the eye- you sat on it rather than keep all parties at attention. There was no reason not to introduce an air of the casual. Especially considering your first query was one of opinion.“Lieutenant Colonel,” you addressed Schwarzehand, “Leave us be, if you may. I’d like this to be one on one.”“Are you sure, boss?” Schwarzehand narrowed his eyes at the woman who was your audience, “She doesn’t seem like a threat, but I don’t know what’s going on in that head of hers either. Or if anything is going on in there.”Meeresrand reddened as you dismissed any worry. “She could have gone back with the others if she wished to, yes? She has no reason to do anything but appease us.”“Certainly dresses like she wants to.” Schwarzehand stepped backwards. “Alright. I’ll be up on the bridge when you’re done. I won’t tell the missus I left you alone with a girl who thinks every waking second is a trip to an Emrean beachfront.”The ginger girl crossed her arms tightly and shut her eyes with a scowl, deigning to not speak her feelings aloud rather than wait until the footsteps quieted. “Hmph. Nobody has mandated otherwise, not even you, so why even mention it? Do I make a show of objecting to eyes laid upon me?”You cleared your throat to direct her attention back to you. “Miss Meeresrand, was it? Alright. I have some questions. Firstly. My pamphlet,” you pointed to the dog-eared paperback bundle. It wasn’t a long read, at twenty-five pages, you had to hope it was well perused, especially with little else to do on a ship. Its title, L’Aurora, was plainly printed in black upon green, much like a standard military instructional. “What did you think of it? Of the Legion’s cause that follows such? Give me your honest opinion. I am an academic and welcome different perspectives to refine our drive towards Utopia.”Meeresrand turned around and picked up the pamphlet, letting it fall open in one hand and eyes flicking across it like a student reviewing at the last moment. “Unity and Strength, those are the pillars of Utopia?” The Legion had some people her age, but it made you feel nostalgic to see somebody of the age that once would have been one of the Young Futurists to consider your decades in the making manifesto. “The Free Folk would see this as antithetical to their cause, if it were applied to them. We are a people, but made up of individuals. Strength in unity without individualism is against our nature. We would be bound to the earth otherwise.”
“It is not so much individualism that is troublesome,” you corrected, considering the Legion’s own quirks, “But that which brings down the whole. Utopia requires all of its members to know and understand it in general, to put their efforts in one direction to the future. I have seen many good things undermined by short sighted egos or surreptitious plotting. The Free Folk do not see the value of the individualism of a traitor, do they?”Meeresrand put a finger to her neck, like she was used to tucking it there when thinking. A scarf, perhaps? “I suppose not. A traitor to the Sky would simply desire to return to the earth, however. We would not try and keep them. The Free Folk, if they do not belong, wander elsewhere. Would that be allowed in your society of the future?”“The few that desire such would find their place,” you said. Though some would argue that no opposite to a Revolution could be tolerated to exist. “But a divided people would not make up a Utopia. The Dawn’s Light is that of the will of a united people, not disparate wills seeking escape. I imagine a very scant few would seek to leave ideal society once it was achieved.”“People of the Free Folk would say they already have Utopia,” Meeresrand said haughtily, “But it is true that they found it apart from the rest of the world. I would not expect one bound to the earth to quite understand it…yet if one utopia is no threat to the other…”“I do not believe mine would be to yours, no. Though one may learn from the other.”The Sky Girl pursed her lips. “I know of your Utopian theory. My father ascended from Emre. He fought against the Revolutionaries, seeing their vision of the future as contrary to his own even if he had no loyalty to the Reich. He was eccentric, I heard, and the few true allies in ideology he had, fell against his brethren. So, he went to the only place his spirit was told would have him.”That was a very vague statement. “He fell in the Emrean War?”“What? No. He…became of us.” There was something there she didn’t want to elaborate on. So be it. “I remember little of what he spoke upon. He and my mother were not together for long. His spirit remained flighty. He resented that Utopia might callously destroy what beauty came before it, or what could be said to not be of it.”“I am a man of history and discovery,” you said, “I would think of no such thing.” “We will see.”
“What of the Federation then?” You asked. Considering your long talks with Representative Stjerner had taught you much of the Federation’s inner workings, its good and bad, and how the Domensgrepp politician was still a true believer in it, at least in it being a good thing for his troubled country. “What makes you their enemy? Is it legacy, or do you align with separatists and rebels in general, since we found you aiding Petrekora?”That was easy for her to answer, as she flicked her hair back and tilted her hips before putting her hands on them audaciously. “The Caelussian Federation,” she said with a practiced touch of venom, “Oppose every part of what the Free Folk stand for. They are a ravenous, all-consuming monster, who see the world’s peoples and nations as feed for its infinite appetite. They play at placation, but their true goal is to force the world to its knees before it. The only just order the Federation sees, that its hidden leaders see, is submission under a one world democratic republic, one where the power and wealth of its core drown the will of any other folk. They hold us in contempt because we reject their aspiration to a nightmare.”“You are pirates,” you had to point out. “Is that not part of it?”“We would not fight them if they did not come looking to fight.” Meeresrand snapped defiantly. She would hold no other opinion on this, you could quickly tell. To her, this truth was unquestionable. The passionate fire of youth burning out other possibilities where compromise might be had. “We have no place for their market dominations, their meddling in affairs and demands for recognition and tribute of their oh-so-glorious existence. We are out of their reach, and that is torturous to them. So we fight. Though we do not make common cause haphazardly. Many would do as the Federation would given the chance. Our expedition to Petrekora was of…” She cooled again as she measured her words. “Mutual benefit. Not a true binding allegiance, beyond that of two travelers around a fire in a winter night. The moment they demanded any more of us than we might stand to benefit, there was no need to linger.”“Alright then.” You let it drop, seeing no reason for a probe or debate. She laid out her grievances well enough even if they were painted in broad strokes, though the latter part of her justifications implied a mercenary bent to the cause of the Free Folk. Which, the Legion, at least presently, were indeed swords for hire. “What is a Windcaller to a Queen? Are you an authority?” She would be awfully young to be one, though perhaps Free Folk did things differently. “How many steps removed are you from her, and if you do not speak for her, whom do you speak for?” This was getting around the fact that it seemed very odd for a people so focused on individualism and free will to kneel to a monarch.
Meeresrand touched at her neck again. “A Windcaller,” she said quietly, “May summon the Queen, or her Blade, with a song to the skies. It is not leadership, but responsibility. My brother was the one who commanded the brethren of the Lopen Hemelschild. I merely commanded the Halobates in battle and advised my brother. Though I suppose he listened to me some of the time…”“Wait. You claim no authority, but the Queen may come to your summons?”“She may elect to.” Meeresrand said hesitantly. “Queen Velecacia does not venture far from her home, and certainly not without cause. Her person is too precious to risk thoughtlessly. There would have to be an exceptional circumstance.”Whether that would be of relevance to you or not was something you had to think about. Certainly not something to demand yet. Though you thought of one small thing. “How old is your queen?”Meeresrand answered reflexively. It wasn’t something of importance. “She will be forty-one years of age come April. Her birthday is…something I always enjoyed.”So this Velecacia was only slightly older than your wife. How long had she been queen, you wondered. That might be prying too much. It brought up questions of predecessors and heirs. Risky information.Next then. Concerning the Halobates themselves. This woman didn’t strike you as an engineer- and not just because of her manner of dress, but perhaps she knew something of them. The Research team would have to investigate these machines whether she liked it or not, if it was a practical endeavor. An advance clue to their operations could tell you if such an investment of time and effort would be worth it.“These Halobates tanks.” You walked over next to one, eyes sliding off its beetle-like form, rounded unlike any tank you’d seen. More like a graceful custom automobile than a war machine. “They float above the ground. How do they do this?”Meeresrand shrugged. “They have small aircraft engines which push them off of the ground, and they float on a cushion of air under the skirt on the bottom. They do not fly without a core which aids that process, which counteracts the machine’s weight and makes it easier to move. The core’s strength falters the further it is away from the sea. More detail on any of that, I do not know. I only know how to manipulate it, not the principles of its function. A swordsman is rarely a smith.”
The core was clearly the most important part then, because it seemed materially impossible for it to move in the way she said just looking at it. Even aircraft benefited from larger engines and the lifting effect of wings. This merely pushed off the ground, its armor assuredly made it heavier than any plane.Not that you were a technical sort either. “Fair enough.” This next question would tell you more indirectly of the Free Folk than the words themselves would say. “You Free Folk come from all over, don’t you? How much do you know about the world below, of Vinstraga and Caelus? Or of Subterranean people, or Nief’yem?”“I know nothing of the last two at all.” Meeresrand squinted. “Subterranean peoples…?”“All in good time. What you do know, then.”“What anybody would know. The Shattering, the Reich, the Emrean War. The Federation’s rise from the Heavens breaking upon it. Zhantao is on the other side of the world. Hvrgullites are gold and the people south of them are black, and you never see them because they only come out at night.”So, in other words, she was no historian or anthropology hobbyist. The intricacies of what happened below must rarely reach the Free Peoples. Where they chose to involve themselves directly seemed more based upon if there was a clear object of interest, then…“One last question then.” You could only think of one more at the moment. “Do you know how long you plan to stay with the Legion? If you are only measuring us, you must wish to go home sometime.”“…I do not know.” Meeresrand admitted. “This is the first time I have made this sort of decision. This will soon be the first time I have been away from home for so long, and it will only be longer after. I do not know what to expect…” A wistful frown, a reconsideration wrote upon her lips. “But I have made my decision, and only a cowardly child would run from the path they decided to go down just because the night was dark upon it.” It seemed more spoken to herself than you. She looked up suddenly, when you were about to excuse yourself.“What is it?” You asked.
“I have a request.” Meeresrand said. “Sitting about like a statue or a painting is dull. I would like a command.”“That is usually something earned before being awarded.”“Not in all cases. If you make something anew, for example. I would be best at utilizing the Halobates, but one of your men has claimed authority over such, so…” Meeresrand sniffed bitterly. “Something of similar sort would be ideal. I would be of little use as a scullery maid, and I would like to spend my time preparing for a future instead of waiting for it to happen to me.”“You would like command of your tanks back, I take it.”Meeresrand grit her teeth. “I would be able to do the most with them, yes. Though I understand if I may not lead the unit, I would at least do best in my own machine. I believe I am more skilled in the use of armor than any of your men that I have met.” A bold claim. Perhaps even a true one.>She was probably the most effective operator of the Halobates- it made little sense not to employ her using her greatest skill…even if those tanks might not see active service outside of testing any time soon.>This woman was not a surface tanker, but she was familiar with armor. Maybe it would be for the best to place her within the new Armor Training unit on its formation? Then she would not be restricted to these secret weapons.>Maid it was then. Sorry, but she couldn’t be spent on a frontline for how valuable she might be, and logistics was always in need of extra hands. And young women, according to their requests.>Other?Also->Do anything else aboard the ship?
>>6462692>>6462727>How many Free Folk do we have along with Sky Bitch, enough for a platoon or is it like a squad or two?Not many, only ten counting her. Really only enough for informational and advisement purposes as a group, not their own unit, unless you rolled them back into the Halobates.
>This woman was not a surface tanker, but she was familiar with armor. Maybe it would be for the best to place her within the new Armor Training unit on its formation? Then she would not be restricted to these secret weapons.Get her in on our plans for Improved training!
>>6462763Specifically, the new training Cadre we plan to form
>>6462756>This woman was not a surface tanker, but she was familiar with armor. Maybe it would be for the best to place her within the new Armor Training unit on its formation? Then she would not be restricted to these secret weapons.Probably best to stick her in as the 2IC, or as a platoon lead to see how well she stacks up, if she can handle a unit we can send her forward and turn the tank back over to her once the current tranche of trainees becomes service ready.It might also be worth it to see if the local militia would be interested since you need far less than a HMG to deal with rioters and so could well serve as an ace in hand to hold onto should things get spicy.
>>6462756>>This woman was not a surface tanker, but she was familiar with armor. Maybe it would be for the best to place her within the new Armor Training unit on its formation? Then she would not be restricted to these secret weapons.Honestly a training unit with sufficient manpower can be used for combat if need be, so she might even see some action. T-8s and armoured cars could be useful for peacekeeping duties up here in the snow.
>>6462756>She was probably the most effective operator of the Halobates- it made little sense not to employ her using her greatest skill…even if those tanks might not see active service outside of testing any time soon.She's the most experienced hovertank operator we have. It would be a waste to send her back to training for tracked tanks.
>>6462756>She was probably the most effective operator of the Halobates- it made little sense not to employ her using her greatest skill…even if those tanks might not see active service outside of testing any time soon.A training pipeline for vehicles we don't have, administered by someone with theoretical familiarity of their employment? I respect the interwar Italy larp, but we really shouldn't. Besides, it's gotta be us who does the first training cycle. That's going to be fun.
>>6462756>Other?If she wants a command, she may enlist in the tanker program we intend to start, and like any other soldier of the future with ambition she can earn her way to an officer's position. That's the way it's done, giving her a revolutionary handout just because she says she's a good tanker would surely be showing the same unwanted favouritims as making the Special Task Force into an elite unit. If not, she will don the maid outfit and be forced to learn some manners.>Do anything else aboard the ship?Did we inspect the infantry weapons directly or did we just read Blackhand's notes? I don't know if'd be necessary, but shooting some of the new guns ourselves to get a little acquainted with them is not the worst idea if we're looking to reequip the whole Legion eventually.
>>6462812I might be retarded because I've been looking at my write in and I can't tell if the second option and it are the same. Maybe it is, and in that case just count this vote for that option.
>>6462812Dunno about that yet, the Caelussian gear is definitely sweet but once we're back in Vitelia ammo is going to be a problem again.
>>6462823Ammunition is probably the easiest to get a production line going for when we return to Vinstraga, so I personally wouldn't worry too much about it. A bigger problem is going to be making the weapons themselves if we decide to use them as standard equipment since I don't expect the Feddies to part with their blueprints, but we could probably reverse engineer them if we put in some effort.
>>6462763>6462790>6462800>6462812Shove her in the familiarization unit. If she makes her way up it'll be from a place everybody saw it happen.>>6462803>6462807Best to put the right tool to work in the right place.I'll call the vote in about four hours and update from there.>>6462874Frankly speaking your artisan and research team isn't suited to mass producing new weapons, more making small numbers of originals or modifying existing ones. Mass equipment procurement for infantry is only really practical by doing it the same way even national armies do- buying it. None of the Federation stuff you're using is a secret weapon, it's a lot cheaper to buy it than trying to invest in the equipment and skills to make an appreciable amount at a decent rate.Hopefully I didn't obliterate my cookies and formatting perms by accident.
>>6462756>She was probably the most effective operator of the Halobates- it made little sense not to employ her using her greatest skill…even if those tanks might not see active service outside of testing any time soon.The Halobates is a very limited item, might as well give it to the person most capable of operating it. She should definitely be spending her time training personnel on it during testing for redundancy though. If she wants to go to the armor training program I do think she should have to work her way up, I don't particularly like the optics of her jumping the ranks.
At this later than anticipated.>>6462964Another for putting her in the place where you found her.Writing.
>>6462874>>6462941With a relatively small amount of Fed weapons we're likely to end up with (under a thousand, at the absolute most, I'm guessing), it might be plausible to convert them to a new world caliber and pull an MP41(r) sort of deal. Hopefully there aren't roadblocks with Fed ammo being weirdly proprietary with strange rim/case geometry or the stuff back home being loaded too hot. Alternatively, we could try and get a Twaryian connection to source ammo that way. If these weapons are mostly going to be concentrated in OS-1C, then having extra sorts of ammo won't gape our logistics like what happened to interwar Italy with the 7.35/6.5 thing.
>>6463059>it might be plausible to convert them to a new world caliberThat would be another alternative, yes. Though doesn't the shape and caliber of the ammunition change the performance of a weapon? I am admittedly from the nation of Nogunsia so I don't really know all that stuff to well, and while I don't expect us to go hard on that type of ballistics calculations in this quest retooling a weapon like that sounds like it could have some consequences too it's performance.
>>6463062Yes, of course. The example I brought up of the MP41(r), which was a retooling of the PPSh-41 from 7.62mm Tokarev to 9mm, is instructive. They did it by rebarreling the guns and installing an adapter that allowed it to use MP-40 magazines. This had a slight impact on the rate of fire, but the weapon was completely usable and, more importantly, within the standard logistical pipeline as far as SMG ammo was concerned. The MP41(r) wasn't super popular, though, because the captured PPSh-41s could natively take 7.63 Mauser from German stocks with no effect on performance. That's beside the point, though, since we are not going to be so lucky.
On one hand, this woman was an expert in something completely unique and foreign to your men. Nobody would be a better operator of the Skimmers than her. However, the principles of the Legion did have to be respected even in this regard. Meeresrand was not as proven as she might think, and certainly no ideologue that matched the Legion’s own beliefs, at least not yet. Maybe she could return to command of the vehicles she’d given some time, but for now, she would grow to know the Legion better from the place most her age found it. Besides, placing her in the upcoming armored training unit would be good for her in several ways, including familiarizing her with a broader scale of equipment, and testing her outside of frontline situations. Any notes on her by Legion observers indicated she was a personality of the battlefield, not the camp nor the storeroom, and that simply lacked balance.Admittedly, nostalgia made you yearn to put yourself in particular charge of the first round of armor training. Perhaps that was something you’d have to be responsible for no matter what, though you’d have to review your material before you could call yourself a proper instructor of tank operations again.You weighed your options, and informed the Sky Warrior of your decision promptly.“I have a unit that will be equipped with seized armored assets,” you said, “A novice company to be trained in the maintenance, operation, and employment of armored vehicles. This unit will need people with experience. A place there is the best I can offer you at this moment. Do well there, and we’ll see about where you advance afterwards.”That didn’t seem to be what Meeresrand wanted to hear, and lips drooped. “I…do not know how to instruct.”“Then you will learn,” you said confidently. “The Legion is not made up of bold individuals acting alone. If you wish to be one of us, then you will learn to operate as we do. Alongside plenty of others. If that is unacceptable, then our logistics officers would appreciate a young woman to be their maidservant, complete with proper attire.”“Proper attire..?” Meeresrand blinked hazily. She probably did not know any sort of proper, professional attire.“Do you accept?”“I. I do.” Meeresrand refocused. “Very well. I will…try.”“Good. Though. Speaking of proper attire,” You pointed to Meeresrand’s open fashion. “That sort of dress distracts men from where their attention should be. Some women of the Legion choose to wear their uniforms a certain way, yes, but one in a position of leadership should have their charge’s welfare in mind. Cover your chest or cover your navel. Have some care. How old are you, anyways, to dress yourself so…”Meeresrand sputtered incoherent syllables in protest before forming. “I am twenty years of age, and an adult!”
Judge Above, she really was only a little older than Vittoria. “Plenty old enough to know how men can be made unwise, then. Next we speak, I will not have heard any complaints from Schwarzehand nor other superior officers regarding state of uniform. Are we clear, young lady?”Something in your tone had cowed her where Schwarzehand found obstinance as she shrank back. “Yes, yes. I understand. Judge Above. Surely your men can control themselves, I merely…”Yes, yes. You had daughters. They wanted to be attractive, the eyes and appetite of men sated the ego of the western woman, and Meeresrand’s Emrean blood was showing strong enough there. Yet there was a way to not overcompensate as a default, a lesson good to learn while beauty was still youthful.You’d already said what needed to be said and discovered what you could. With a nod, and a salute until it was awkwardly returned, you left to return to the bridge. There were a few other things to discuss with your 1st Battalion Lieutenant Colonel.-----“You’re back, then.” Schwarzehand stood and saluted. “Was she trouble?”“No more than my eldest might be when she’s in a mood.” You missed Vittoria. It had been a long time, and even now, she was by far the most alike you in spirit of your children. Vitelia was an uncertain place when you left it, and uncertain times were… “I have granted her a position as a senior advisor in the Tank Training unit we discussed forming. Amongst 3rd Battalion, combat experience of the modern day, let alone future tactics exploited with swift machines, is practically unknown.”“Let’s hope it doesn’t get to her head.” Schwarzehand sighed before sitting back down and splaying out his legs, putting his thick hands behind his head. The stout metal stool he sat upon dutifully withstood the abuse placed upon it. “So then. Next on the list. We’ve got money to move, assets to claim. If you want, weaponry to inspect.”“We’ll do the latter next. I’ve read enough to need a break before moving to juggling numbers.”Until your money situation as of recent operations was figured out, the evaluation of weapons in your own hands was a formality, but best to get it done ahead of time. The vast majority of the weapons of the Aurora Legion lineman were from the last great war. Suitable enough for many, but the war for the Future required a far greater advantage and not so stale a mindset as complacency.
You went with the Lieutenant Colonel to the bow of the ship with a selection of weaponry, though the focus was on Petrekoran capture and Federation procurement. Shooting into the surf, you were hardly searching for flying fish to snipe rather than getting the general feel. The bolt-actions, by your measure, were not significantly superior to the old Luci or Stachel rifles you already had, besides having a different round and greater recoil in their more powerful loads. National pride, fond familiarity, or was it because bolt action weapons had little further improvement to be made since the turn of the century? You’d see with the automatics.The Petrekoran machine gun was not particularly satisfying. It felt like an outdated weapon, and Schwarzehand confirmed it. Serviceable, but you could do better. It was, to be fair, a superior machine gun to the standard BRN-06/15 automatic rifle for the reason that the BRN was not designed as a light machine gun at all, but surely one could do better at a mass replacement.The Caelussian M-10-2 machine gun, by comparison, was no debate whatsoever. Stable, easy to run, and of satisfying rate of fire along with a durable and simple mechanism. The top loading magazine was apparently a change from the original Twaryian design that used a rather clumsy (if proven) flat drum. The Federation, fond of saving effort on good ideas, had bought the rights to the gun at substantial price and, without risk of objections, improved upon the weapon. Schwarzehand advocated clearly for replacing each and every one of the BRN-06/15s with it as soon as possible…but you did have concerns for the different ammunition. Say what one would, Vitelian ammunition was not hard to get back home, and neither was Imperial. Federation munitions, however, were not so common the further one got from the Federation’s principle client and friend on the Vinstragan continent, Twaryi.Then came the subject of the automatic. The troops liked them very much- you were neutral on them. When you had Schwarzehand demonstrate the M-3-3 self-loader, the blast from the muzzle brake was startlingly potent, and when you tried shots yourself you saw your Lieutenant Colonel no more pleased to know that experience.“This weapon is quite loud[//i],” you felt the need to say first and foremost. “The recoil is greater than our Stachellungo self-loaders as well. Heavy in the hands.” Were it not for the muzzle brake the recoil would be a bear indeed, rather than just noticeably harsher.“It’s built tougher and meaner.” Schwarzehand said, “Definitely not a gun for new soldiers, but our people who care for them have high praise. These are a newer variant, I’ve heard. Old ones were bad about wandering upwards with their grouping.”
What could the reason for that be, you thought as you toyed with the machinery. It was certainly resilient in feeling. “The Federation cartridge is more powerful than the Vitelian one. Does that serve our troops well?” The Vitelian standard was 6.7x52mm Lucian. Caelus used 7.6x63mm Federal. An appreciable difference even if both were rifle calibers, neither of which were more or less pleasant to be hit by than the other. “It’s a very straight shooter, Legato. Rather complex, but no more so than our macaroni blasters. Plenty of the troops acclimate just fine, especially when they know they don’t need to conserve ammunition anymore.”“We’ll be wanting for a new source once we are outside of Caelus, however,” you mused. “Unless we secure supply contracts with Twaryi, or are very diligent with reloading our own rounds.”“Your decision, boss. Though it never hurt nobody to have a lot of choices in reserve.”Or, you thought, thinking of how this gun might feel in another, more familiar and comfortable caliber, you could have your artisan troop look into caliber conversion- a gamble of a proposition, but one of tolerances and relatively minor adjustments rather than inventing something anew. The problems with moving to a smaller, less powerful cartridge were far fewer than moving the other way around after all.By contrast, a pair of mysterious Free Folk weapons were secretively opened from a locked case, and it was explained that rather than using the ignition of powder to drive a bullet forward, these guns used compressed air to drive a round at surprisingly lethal speeds. There was a rifle and a carbine version, of markedly different forces and surprisingly equivalent to their conventional cousins.“I have heard of airguns and their usage before,” you said, “Our own heavy mortars are pneumatic. These are rather unlike anything I know.”“Don’t know how they made them, and I get the feeling they don’t know either,” Schwarzehand huffed, “But they’re battle tested. Practically works of art.” It did feel like holding a far more complicated machine than most guns. Brass fittings already gave the guns a look more like clocks than weapons. Reproducing these would be a challenge…if they didn’t already work off some esoteric oddity like the Skimmers did. “The Sky Pirates say you treat it like your child and it won’t disappoint. It’s certainly a quiet killer. Give it a try.”It was a far cry from quiet, but the odd thudding sound would be difficult to hear from far away, especially in the din of a battle. There was something strange about how it fired too. As though the internal machinery was somehow being supported by something else within to augment the energy applied to the shot.A curiosity. Perhaps useful for something special. Not something to consider for any mass adoption.
You had your fill of small arms. There was another particular subject to view on the deck though. The view of it to near seas, that is. The frigate. Dubbed the VKF Sinyiamezt, it was a Petrekoran vessel that had been taken in bloody close combat by the Special Task Force, and later used in a disguised assault on Petrekoran Roxorient Command along with other captured vessels. There was a dispute of ownership there- though the terms of mercenary contracts taken stated that loot seized in battle was property of those who captured it, to motivate further usage without Federation direct support, it hadn’t been considered that four warships would be taken, worth vastly more than might be assumed. So a dispute had been had- one resolved in one way by allowing the Legion ownership of the L’Alba Prospera in exchange for giving over a minesweeper and a disabled destroyer. The frigate had gone unmentioned, the Federation unwilling to deal further with Schwarzehand and 1st Battalion in such odious combat seizures. It wasn’t a particularly impressive ship. The bow of it had a decently impressive gun, perhaps a 10 centimeter, and there were small arms positions that might be used as well as a bow equipped with torpedo and depth charge armament, but it was still quite small, assuredly not very tough.“That seems anemic even for a frigate,” you said. “But neither of us are paying for the cost of construction either.” A very brief look at costs told you that the price of even a small and relatively lightly armed warship, in Caelussian equivalencies, could cost as much as a company of T-8 type tanks- and demanded about as many if not more men. “Yeah.” Schwarzehand’s mouth remained in a rigid downturn as he scratched his wobbly chin. “With how much we need on land, Legato, I don’t think anybody is feeling enthusiastic about procuring a navy. It’s such a little boat. Our men took it and others so easily when they were caught off guard. Doesn’t do good at hauling and storing like this big boat does.”It was still a seaworthy ship at least, and if there was any intent of having a proper independent fleet it had to begin somewhere. That it was doing escort duty wasn’t a dismissive act- it was plenty able to ward away opportunists of its own strength. The investment would still be disproportionate.Back to the bridge. It was time to bury your nose in papers once more.While compensation for northern operations and those of the Mobile Battalion besides for maintenance hadn’t come in, a substantial bounty had been paid out for the daring decapitation strike and the conclusion of high intensity Roxorient operations. A kingly sum for any one person or even a small group, alas, a mercenary organization made up of thousands at this point could only see it swallowed all too quickly.>Budget increased by 20.> Aurora Legion Budget- 30/50
Awash with funds as you were, there were two primary things to get out of the way. The first was the fate of the appropriated frigate, the advantages and disadvantages of keeping it now well reviewed…>Divest yourself of the small ship. The Federation was willing to pay for it, and sell it you shall. (Gain +5 Budget)>Keep the vessel. Even if you will have to figure out the solution of a crew- to be necessarily solved with cash, as well as the troubles of other maintenance… (Investment of -5 Budget)>Other?The other matter was deciding what of the Legion’s myriad needs and opportunities to tackle first and foremost. The most potentially pressing was the question of recruitment and manpower. While the Legion had seen a substantial increase with the addition of 3rd Battalion, now you were coming into a rare problem for military units- an excess of materiel, and another reality of being unable to replace casualties. For now, this wasn’t a problem. No disasters had occurred where the Legion was reduced to non-operational strength in any of its components, but fortunes could turn quickly. Were you to trust in your fortunes and not wish to expand too hastily (there were volunteers simply set aside to wait upon your return, after all), a solid investment would be in equipment. The Federation was only too happy to sell armaments to just about any buyers, and right now, you were very close and could avoid the usual costs of shipments. As the Caelussians also seemed to be actively innovating and seeking new testbeds for conflict even before the Petrekoran debacle, their military industry was far more dynamic than war-weary Vitelia. Alas, if you sought western developments though, you would be better left setting aside the funds for your return. Unless you set out feelers to start preparing Vinstragan assets for use upon return…or even before, though they would be out of your ability to administer.Attempting to do both of these at once was advised as unwise. Reorganization and expansion became more difficult the larger an organization got, so it was best to focus on one over the other, though certainly not to the point of abandoning one goal.>Focus first upon matters of manpower and replenishment. No army could be had without fighters…>The Legion was big enough to not need major expansion soon- but it did need to keep up with the times. Handle the matter of equipment and re-organization of units around such.Also->Investigate or handle anything else in regards to management?
>>6463346>Divest yourself of the small ship. The Federation was willing to pay for it, and sell it you shall. (Gain +5 Budget)>The Legion was big enough to not need major expansion soon- but it did need to keep up with the times. Handle the matter of equipment and re-organization of units around such.This is an era of warfare where tactics and equipment trump raw manpower.
>>6463346>Divest yourself of the small ship. The Federation was willing to pay for it, and sell it you shall. (Gain +5 Budget)>The Legion was big enough to not need major expansion soon- but it did need to keep up with the times. Handle the matter of equipment and re-organization of units around such.I suppose regarding manpower now that we have the L'Alba in an emergency we could send it back west to pick up reinforcements? We do have recruits in Sosaldt, getting them to say Vynmark or the Southern Cities shouldn't be that hard presumably.Or maybe after developing closer relations with the locals we can unlock some level of indigenous recruitment.
>>6463367+1
>>6463346>>6463384Also on the ammo topic:-Would Archduchy 7.5 mm rounds be able to be loaded into a gun chambered for 7.6 Federal, or is the case length and such too different without wildcatting it?-Another potential solution to the recoil issue could be getting our artisans to reduce the powder loads, which should be within their capabilities I assume?
>>6463367SupportingHopefully we can benefit from Federation economies of scale price-wise compared to equivalent Vitelian gear
>>6463346>Keep the vesselMostly to flaunt the prestige the Legion acquired taking the port and the ships, but also in case we need to make a less than friendly exit from the old world. Who knows what could happen in six months, the situation could be wildly different and any extra space to carry Legion men out of here is good to have,>The Legion was big enough to not need major expansion soon- but it did need to keep up with the times. Handle the matter of equipment and re-organization of units around such.Don't really want to make a recruitment ground here, we'll handle expansion once we return to Vinstraga. If I recall we had basically promised to go to Wezkatinbach once we returned, we could make our recruitment then.
>>6463346>Divest yourself of the small ship. The Federation was willing to pay for it, and sell it you shall. (Gain +5 Budget)>The Legion was big enough to not need major expansion soon- but it did need to keep up with the times. Handle the matter of equipment and re-organization of units around such.About three battalions makes the Legion a regiment or so. A good spot for a re-org before it sprawls into something like a brigade and becomes unwieldy as all hell.
>>6463367>6463384>6463406>6463434>6463573Get rid of the boat, use the money to get better toys.>>6463571Keep the boat.Updating, since things seem to be pretty firmly in one direction and the next thing will require more detailed thought. The next update will be rather short, but I'll keep the vote open until Tuesday because it'll probably be worth further discussion or inquiry.>>6463407>Would Archduchy 7.5 mm rounds be able to be loaded into a gun chambered for 7.6 Federal, or is the case length and such too different without wildcatting it?The Archduchy's chosen rifle caliber is pretty close to the Federation's, but it's not quite close enough when it comes to overall length to be a simple swap out. It'd be easier than other calibers to make small modifications in favor of though.>Another potential solution to the recoil issue could be getting our artisans to reduce the powder loads, which should be within their capabilities I assume?Plenty within their capabilities, even though they'd be doing a lot of work when the recoil isn't unmanageable, just harsh compared to what people are used to with Vitelian guns, and mostly only problematically so with the repeated fire of the self-loader.
The Federation could have their frigate, you decided easily. As Schwarzehand more or less said, best to invest in the main aspect of the Legion, and a single frigate could not participate in naval operations to the equivalency the Legion could as a land unit. The costs were better off spent on other things- and the savings and lump sum both would allow for greater budgetary flexibility on terra firma.Which you would need, given the determined objective of shaping up the Legion when it came to equipment and organization. It was already the size of a regiment in manpower, though far from standard as two battalions could be described as infantry with the smaller Mobile Battalion practically an independent operator on its own. Not that the Legion needed to lose its colors in becoming strictly uniform, but at the very least each unit would not be found incapable of doing a particular task, and they would be able to work in concert with another another rather than simply alongside, especially in regards to command structure. Vitelia’s structure traditionally made the Brigade the core of the greater organized force, the Division, but such a bulky (and frankly unwieldly) organization ill suited the Legion, it not being a conscripted mass clumped together out of hasty necessity. With the shape of an infantry regiment core on the horizon, it felt best to begin looking at the Legion in the shape it would take in the hopefully near future.Which meant focusing on the procurement of materiel rather than manpower. The Federation’s warmaking markets did not lack for ability nor desire to provide, even in these times of a hot war. It was a good time to be a weapons manufacturer to say the least. Not so ideal a time to be the consumer, but the Federation had plenty of scale and competition with itself so that prices didn’t seem overly predatory. Even so. With the arrangement to divest yourself of a ship, you would be near doubling available budget for the Legion. That meant a few significant changes could be made…or particularly decisive equipment put in the hands of your men.After all, the sum of paydays to be made off of Federation employ had only just begun to be tallied. This increase was for one front- the other two had yet to pay out. Perhaps some greed and ambition would serve you well…but perhaps, ensuring the success of the other two fronts in the first place would be more prudent than rushing forward too quickly, in regards to short term augmentations and preparations.
>Current Aurora Legion Budget and Expenses- 30/55>Note: You do not have to spend all of the budget. It may be wise to save a healthy amount in case future on the spot opportunities or necessities crop up.>While it wasn’t a glamorous augmentation, it would be a necessary one to coordinate three battalions or anything larger. Begin procurement and assembly of an Advanced Headquarters Company element to coordinate between Battalion command units, as well as directing support to constituent units. Dedicated regimental logistics, medical, signal and self-defense assets would not be cheap, even in their limited number for this unit, but they would be well worth to be properly centralized. (11 Budget)>Larger and more powerful equipment would be an inevitability if the Legion was to remain an imposing force for long. That meant a heavy maintenance and transportation unit was better formed sooner rather than later. With more and more armored materiel coming into your possession, ways to move damaged or disabled vehicles would prevent many problems and expensive sacrifices. (12 Budget)>While the Legion was far from poorly equipped, they were not excellently equipped either. This would have to change, since you had access to the vast stocks of the Federation, and could pay the price to bring at least portions of it into the cutting edge. (4 Budget for each company infantry fighting equipment level upgrade.)>Battalion assets had to be standardized. 1st Battalion’s Mobile Headquarters, Engineering and Logistics troops had all been donated to the Mobile Battalion, and 3rd Battalion had their own Engineering and Headquarters support units now. It would be for the best to replace such invaluable support. (Add equipment for an Engineering troop and Headquarters/Signal troop to 1st Battalion for 5 Budget Each)>The Mobile Battalion was designated such for its complete motorization. The same capability had to be extended to more units. The battle for the Future could not be won if its fighters were only as swift as their feet could carry them. (Cost of 5 Budget for each Company motorized)> There was room for expanding the capability of the Legion’s battalions in new ways. The Legion ever seemed to lack for organic heavy support- perhaps it was time for a Towed Regimental Artillery Battery, to supplement the heavy mortars with long guns. (8 Budget for guns of 12cm caliber) (Mobile Infantry Guns of 7.5cm caliber have been captured in sufficient numbers to organize a battery of, their support to make them properly mobile only costing 3 Budget)>Other? (Budget will be negotiated)
>>6463610>>+1 Maintenance and Transportation Unit(12 Budget)>+1 Engineering Troop and HQ/Signal Troop for 1st Batt. 5 Budget Each (10 Budget Total)>+1 12cm Artillery Battery (8 Budget)
>>6463610>>While it wasn’t a glamorous augmentation, it would be a necessary one to coordinate three battalions or anything larger. Begin procurement and assembly of an Advanced Headquarters Company element to coordinate between Battalion command units, as well as directing support to constituent units. Dedicated regimental logistics, medical, signal and self-defense assets would not be cheap, even in their limited number for this unit, but they would be well worth to be properly centralized. (11 Budget)>Battalion assets had to be standardized. 1st Battalion’s Mobile Headquarters, Engineering and Logistics troops had all been donated to the Mobile Battalion, and 3rd Battalion had their own Engineering and Headquarters support units now. It would be for the best to replace such invaluable support. (Add equipment for an Engineering troop and Headquarters/Signal troop to 1st Battalion for 5 Budget Each)>The Mobile Battalion was designated such for its complete motorization. The same capability had to be extended to more units. The battle for the Future could not be won if its fighters were only as swift as their feet could carry them. (Cost of 5 Budget for each Company motorized)
>>6463610Judge above, the need for more money never ends.>Larger and more powerful equipment would be an inevitability if the Legion was to remain an imposing force for long. That meant a heavy maintenance and transportation unit was better formed sooner rather than later. With more and more armored materiel coming into your possession, ways to move damaged or disabled vehicles would prevent many problems and expensive sacrifices. (12 Budget)> There was room for expanding the capability of the Legion’s battalions in new ways. The Legion ever seemed to lack for organic heavy support- perhaps it was time for a Towed Regimental Artillery Battery, to supplement the heavy mortars with long guns. (3 Budget for 7.5cm battery)>Battalion assets had to be standardized. 1st Battalion’s Mobile Headquarters, Engineering and Logistics troops had all been donated to the Mobile Battalion, and 3rd Battalion had their own Engineering and Headquarters support units now. It would be for the best to replace such invaluable support. (Add equipment for an Engineering troop and Headquarters/Signal troop to 1st Battalion for 5 Budget each)HQ/Signal Troop (5 Budget)Advanced HQ is a important but can wait for now, it doesn't seem like the Legion will be operating as a whole this contract. The heavy maintenance unit would be good for the Mobile Battalion since its probably going to take some losses and we don't want the Feddies getting their hands on anything sensitive.>>6463613Can't afford that plan, it'd be 60 Budget total
>>6463610This looks like an interwar British battalion in terms of complexity. That's not a good thing >While it wasn’t a glamorous augmentation, it would be a necessary one to coordinate three battalions or anything larger. Begin procurement and assembly of an Advanced Headquarters Company element to coordinate between Battalion command units, as well as directing support to constituent units. Dedicated regimental logistics, medical, signal and self-defense assets would not be cheap, even in their limited number for this unit, but they would be well worth to be properly centralized. (11 Budget)This is uh, desperately needed considering how slipshod this must all come off as to an actual commander in the field. >Battalion assets had to be standardized. 1st Battalion’s Mobile Headquarters, Engineering and Logistics troops had all been donated to the Mobile Battalion, and 3rd Battalion had their own Engineering and Headquarters support units now. It would be for the best to replace such invaluable support. (Add equipment for an Engineering troop and Headquarters/Signal troop to 1st Battalion for 5 Budget Each)> There was room for expanding the capability of the Legion’s battalions in new ways. The Legion ever seemed to lack for organic heavy support- perhaps it was time for a Towed Regimental Artillery Battery, to supplement the heavy mortars with long guns. (8 Budget for guns of 12cm caliber) (Mobile Infantry Guns of 7.5cm caliber have been captured in sufficient numbers to organize a battery of, their support to make them properly mobile only costing 3 Budget)The 7.5 cm support guns, it's all else we can afford on this plan, and that's a size that should suffice for the conflicts we find ourselves in.
>>6463610Supporting this >>6463613 except for the artillery being the 7.5cm guns
>>6463610>>6463633Support
>>6463616Supporting these options. Without the upgraded Headquarters we may not be able to field the full might of the Legion decisively, but we do not really need to do right now.
>>6463616>Can't afford that plan, it'd be 60 Budget totalThere's only one battery and one general maintenance and transportation unit. Also, the Engineering Troop and HQ/Signal Troop are only going into 1st Battalion. Not sure where an entire extra 30 Budget is going.
>>6463877Should have phrased it better but essentially 30/55 Budget means we have 25 Budget to spend, not 30.
>>6463886What? How does 30/55 mean we have 25 budget to spend
>>6463610>Advanced Headquarters Company (11 Budget)"Administrative Staff: Battalion Grade" is shockingly grim. We simply cannot afford not to do this if we're planning on ever using the Legion's battalion in a mutually-supporting combined arms manner, to say nothing of how important unfucking this is for prospects of future expansion.>Battalion assets for 1st BN (Add equipment for an Engineering troop and Headquarters/Signal troop to 1st Battalion for 5 Budget Each)HQ/Signals, please.>Towed Regimental Artillery Battery (8 Budget for guns of 12cm caliber) (Mobile Infantry Guns of 7.5cm caliber have been captured in sufficient numbers to organize a battery of, their support to make them properly mobile only costing 3 Budget)Discounted 7.5cms are the right call. 12cms, aside from being expensive, might be overkill for regimental artillery. 10cm and up strike me as divisional assets and we're not there yet.I tally this at 11+5+3=19 Budget total. I think keeping something for a rainy day is a good idea, especially in case our expensive mobile unit manages to get itself a little banged up in the fighting it's doing now.
So the general different seems to be whether to go for Big Rigs or Big Boss.>>6463613>6463616>6463642>6463704Break out the Wreckers.>>6463614>6463633>6463654>6463975The Administrative Upgrade, preemptively.I'll either need a tiebreak within the next 12 hours, or I'll roll things off at that time.
>>6464394+1 to admin upgrade
>>6464394I'll give a +1 to admin too
Thankfully there were no consequences for oversleeping.>>6464416>>6464626The Admin Expansion it is.Writing.
After review, you determined that above all, the Legion needed to be well organized and ready for expansion and exploitation of opportunity, even at the cost of some other capabilities. So, preparations were initiated to expand the administrative staff and capabilities to a dedicated company, able to manage the affairs of an entire division, and well preceding organizational needs for the foreseeable future. Along with that, 1st Battalion’s missing support troops would be replaced, and a battery organized made up of infantry guns that they themselves had taken in operations. Not the most imposing artillery, being of 7.5-centimeter mountain guns, but well within their scope of needs and operations. A dedicated heavy mechanized recovery and transportation battalion had been high on your list of needs to acquire- but for now, it was too much of an expense when combined with other needs.>Aurora Legion Budget- 54/55Of course, new formations could not be staffed with imaginary friends, and there were not nearly enough new combat-unfit personnel to round out even simply organizing the planning for the administrative expansion. So it was just a necessity for the 4th and 5th Company of 3rd Battalion’s stay with 1st Battalion to be made permanent as it was completely cannibalized to ameliorate other personnel shortages. It wasn’t as though 1st Company was still in active combat anyways, and it provided a clean excuse to slot the 4th of 3rd properly into the battalion structure, with no more confusion regarding who was 5th company of whom. There were still significant shortfalls in personnel count for 1st Battalion’s unit strength, but for now, a balance was found for day-to-day needs. Plenty for them to do besides play on the beach now. The costs would be well worth it, though- the Legion had plenty of room for further expansion now, once you returned to your manpower sources.Though it brought up the question of potential short-term solutions, as you and Schwarzehand reviewed personnel assignments and who could be sent where.“Know just who to put for this artillery battery.” Schwarzehand flicked the pages in his hand. “We’ll see if he takes it. Old Emrean, probably chafing a bit from being stuck under his junior in Fifth. See how a captaincy charms him, leaves less competition for the OS-1C lead.”“Old?” You questioned.“Our age.” Schwarzehand snorted. “Old for a soldier, boss, not old for a man. Old for a second lieutenant certainly. Knew his way around heavy weaponry. Still adaptive. Uncontroversial choice.”
“I see no more appropriate candidates,” you said, reviewing who else might take lead on such. “Prior skill and employment will be vital. Are there others from the special assignment who could find promotion appointments in our new units?”“Mostly. Ones who aren’t fighters through and through. The mobile HQ lead has to go to Di Vialta and his upper echelon though. Compensation for us ripping his company out from under him. Make him feel important. Though we could stand to fill out our posts better.”You leaned back on the stool, pushing against the wall of the ship’s bridge behind you. The view outside was naught but blue. “Are you suggesting we send this ship across the sea again? It seems a risk.”“Talked with Sky Bitch. Said she could convince some people to give a route.”“What a useful ally for you to catch.”“She’s still a bitch.” Schwarzehand scowled. “No, though, because we don’t know too well what might be waiting, and if we need this boat back here, it’ll be a long time sailing back and forth. I was talking about taking on some of the Vinstragan mercs over here.”“I thought we were the most prevalent of them.”“Definitely the biggest amongst them by far. If we wanted to, we could try our hand at poaching some of their people. Might help patch up our needs. Only there’s no guarantee they’ll be of the right ideals. They’ll know how to fight, certainly. But they’ll be sure to be mercenaries first and revolutionaries last when the going isn’t their way.” Schwarzehand’s expression carried the dark expression of weighing a choice he’d rather not take, but would be hard pressed not to.It didn’t sound very good to you either, but it would be the sole source of manpower you might find without active outreach locally. “Costs and expected numbers?”
“Depends. We could take on a few hundred while staying within our means, which would fill our shortages and then some, and sure, they’ll bitch about lower pay, but after the Roxorient op, boss, we’re renowned. Plenty of mercenaries will eat shit if they think they’re getting the best deal in the long term. We’ve got a rep as winners. That means drawing the unscrupulous sorts though. They’d want to be more set up as an alliance than anything. If we ran them through a coffee filter to weed out anybody we wouldn’t want permanently, we’d have a lot less. Won’t take much effort to grab at least. We already have a few asking questions.”Hm.>Reach out to everybody who is interested. You can’t be too picky right now, and even a few hundred would still be a small minority of the Legion as a whole. (Large recruitment rolls with bonus)>Maintain ideological purity, but reach out nevertheless. Anybody you could get would be better than nobody, as long as they were a Legionnaire at heart and not a looter. (Small recruitment rolls)>There was no need to risk compromising the Legion. You’d accept some difficulties for now.>Alliances, he said? Those might prove useful in adding to your strength without having to expand organizational capabilities or even directly paying, since they would simply share contract availability. Reach out to the interested companies, since they could be kept at arm’s reach…>Other? (Anything more in depth than sending letters to people from the same continent as you or meeting with them is unavailable because focus has not been directed to them.)The rest of the voyage back to Andersenshaven was spent organizing procurements, drafting appointments, and reviewing plans. Everything was in motion before you sailed to dock back at the northern city where your headquarters was on the 20th of January of 1929…ah, your youngest son Giacomo’s birthday had been on the 13th. Oh well, he was only one year old, anyways. You’d make it up to him when he was cognizant. While you stood and thought about how you’d forgotten a child’s birthday having been so busy, Schwarzehand, upon going ashore with you, was completely repelled by a winter cold he had never experienced. “Judge Above,” he shivered, “What sort of hell is this place? Down in Petrekora it’s a nice fall night at coldest.”“I told you that it was cold.” You replied dispassionately. “The numbers were negatives, not positives. Though you won’t be staying long anyways.”“Nah. Think I’ll stay where it’s warm instead of freezing my ass off just walking out for breakfast.” His blubber was not the shield you assumed it seemed. There was plenty to review upon your return- you could not go back to your eagerly awaiting family quite yet. A telegram was delivered to you upon your return, marked urgent, from Captain Dulechamp of Fifth Company.
Unsure what to expect, you opened it and found a query regarding new administrative staff organization, and that a “general poll” of the “fighting fit” of the Legion had demanded that the new uniform standards for any female administrative staff would mandate the length limit of skirts to be fifteen centimeters above the knees.Urgent indeed. You sighed and crumpled the paper in one hand to throw into a bin.The other was from your Research and Artisanry units, who learned of the potential of L’Alba Prospera and had already anticipated its arrival being of use to them. Construction of properly circumspect laboratory and storage space had been difficult, but if they were permitted to move all materiel, supplies, and workspace to the newly acquired ship, they could resume research and development projects immediately. That would mean, of course, the ship would be unavailable for other uses or be allowed to go other places for transportation duties beyond relatively light loads, but it would ensure a permanent stash and development area for your secretive assets…>Allow the usage of the L’Alba Prospera as a Research and Development and Factory Vessel. As an Auxiliary it was already well suited to such purposes.>You needed that ship for other purposes. The R&D crews could make do ashore- they’d have to get used to doing such elsewhere anyways.>Other?Those two only happened to be the most recent- much had happened while you were away, and it was time to catch up on it all. Though you could only place your attention on one thing firstly…>The next section after some brief administrative resolution will be a Perspective Shift. You may only personally influence events in one place to the degree that who you take over may be able to. The other events not selected will play out with relative unpredictability, without your ability to touch upon them.>A detailed report on the first serious operations by 3rd Battalion- handling the riots just northeast, in the regional capital of Eigansbrand. (Night of the New Aurora- Major Domani and 3rd Battalion)>From your most lavish unit, an extended brief on the recent actions of the Mobile Battalion in Operation May Three- and the surface debut of the Stijder Tanks in the Wars of the Old World… (Operation Spring Rain- Captain Von Trocken and the Z. Stijder Company)>Word from home, from Vitelia- regarding monumental changes that had taken place recently, and matters that may require your attention- or be beyond any ability to change by your hand anyways… (Rise of the Dual Consulate- Vittoria Bonaventura)>Westwards from Naukland, a rare place with easier access to communications to Caelus than others, your eldest son had much to share about his social and school life… (Best Laid Plans- Lorenzo Bonaventura)>Other? (Within reason and relevancy)
>>6464689>Maintain ideological purity, but reach out nevertheless. Anybody you could get would be better than nobody, as long as they were a Legionnaire at heart and not a looter. (Small recruitment rolls)>Allow the usage of the L’Alba Prospera as a Research and Development and Factory Vessel. As an Auxiliary it was already well suited to such purposes.>From your most lavish unit, an extended brief on the recent actions of the Mobile Battalion in Operation May Three- and the surface debut of the Stijder Tanks in the Wars of the Old World… (Operation Spring Rain- Captain Von Trocken and the Z. Stijder Company)Despite the skirmish there's been a lack of Panzer Commander action for a long time, we need to fix that.
>>6464688>>Maintain ideological purity, but reach out nevertheless. Anybody you could get would be better than nobody, as long as they were a Legionnaire at heart and not a looter. (Small recruitment rolls)>Allow the usage of the L’Alba Prospera as a Research and Development and Factory Vessel. As an Auxiliary it was already well suited to such purposes.>From your most lavish unit, an extended brief on the recent actions of the Mobile Battalion in Operation May Three- and the surface debut of the Stijder Tanks in the Wars of the Old World… (Operation Spring Rain- Captain Von Trocken and the Z. Stijder Company)
>Everything was in motion before you sailed to dock back at the northern city where your headquarters was on the 20th of January of 1929…ah, your youngest son Giacomo’s birthday had been on the 13th. Oh well, he was only one year old, anyways. You’d make it up to him when he was cognizant. Oh, that's not a good sign...>>6464688>Maintain ideological purity, but reach out nevertheless. Anybody you could get would be better than nobody, as long as they were a Legionnaire at heart and not a looter. (Small recruitment rolls)Ideological Purity is the most important thing.We Must Maintain The Revolutionary Agenda.>>6464689>Allow the usage of the L’Alba Prospera as a Research and Development and Factory Vessel. As an Auxiliary it was already well suited to such purposes.>Word from home, from Vitelia- regarding monumental changes that had taken place recently, and matters that may require your attention- or be beyond any ability to change by your hand anyways… (Rise of the Dual Consulate- Vittoria Bonaventura)We really should make sure the Vitelia front is ok, at least to see how the political situation is going.I worry about 3rd Battalion and Lorenzo more personally, but if we can only influence one it should be back home.I'm sure Von Trocken will do fine on their own.
>>6464707You know what, I think you're right.>>6464696>>6464688I'm switching my last to check-in with Vittoria. (Famous last words before someone screws the pooch)
>>6464688>Maintain ideological purity, but reach out nevertheless. Anybody you could get would be better than nobody, as long as they were a Legionnaire at heart and not a looter. (Small recruitment rolls)>Allow the usage of the L’Alba Prospera as a Research and Development and Factory Vessel. As an Auxiliary it was already well suited to such purposes.>Word from home, from Vitelia- regarding monumental changes that had taken place recently, and matters that may require your attention- or be beyond any ability to change by your hand anyways… (Rise of the Dual Consulate- Vittoria Bonaventura)
>>6464688>Reach out to everybody who is interested. You can’t be too picky right now, and even a few hundred would still be a small minority of the Legion as a whole. (Large recruitment rolls with bonus)>>6464689>Allow the usage of the L’Alba Prospera as a Research and Development and Factory Vessel. As an Auxiliary it was already well suited to such purposes.>Word from home, from Vitelia- regarding monumental changes that had taken place recently, and matters that may require your attention- or be beyond any ability to change by your hand anyways… (Rise of the Dual Consulate- Vittoria Bonaventura)
>>6464688>>6464689>Maintain ideological purity, but reach out nevertheless. Anybody you could get would be better than nobody, as long as they were a Legionnaire at heart and not a looter. (Small recruitment rolls)>Allow the usage of the L’Alba Prospera as a Research and Development and Factory Vessel. As an Auxiliary it was already well suited to such purposes.>Westwards from Naukland, a rare place with easier access to communications to Caelus than others, your eldest son had much to share about his social and school life… (Best Laid Plans- Lorenzo Bonaventura)
>>6464689>Maintain ideological purity, but reach out nevertheless. Anybody you could get would be better than nobody, as long as they were a Legionnaire at heart and not a looter. (Small recruitment rolls)>Allow the usage of the L’Alba Prospera as a Research and Development and Factory Vessel. As an Auxiliary it was already well suited to such purposes.>A detailed report on the first serious operations by 3rd Battalion- handling the riots just northeast, in the regional capital of Eigansbrand. (Night of the New Aurora- Major Domani and 3rd Battalion)>You may only personally influence events in one place to the degree that who you take over may be able to. Short of soulbinder shenanigans, I don't think Vittoria will be able to influence events to the degree the other ones can.
>>6464689>>6464688>Maintain ideological purity, but reach out nevertheless. Anybody you could get would be better than nobody, as long as they were a Legionnaire at heart and not a looter. (Small recruitment rolls)We're not hurting for replacements so much as to let just anyone in. Hell, based on the skirmish roster, there plenty of scoundrels in the ranks as it is.>Allow the usage of the L’Alba Prospera as a Research and Development and Factory Vessel. As an Auxiliary it was already well suited to such purposes.I'd rather we kept our options open and used it as a general-purpose vessel, but given that we have a lot to hide in the current theater, this will have to happen.>From your most lavish unit, an extended brief on the recent actions of the Mobile Battalion in Operation May Three- and the surface debut of the Stijder Tanks in the Wars of the Old World… (Operation Spring Rain- Captain Von Trocken and the Z. Stijder Company)Please. Let us command panzer. I beg.
>>6464689>Maintain ideological purity, but reach out nevertheless. Anybody you could get would be better than nobody, as long as they were a Legionnaire at heart and not a looter. (Small recruitment rolls)>Allow the usage of the L’Alba Prospera as a Research and Development and Factory Vessel. As an Auxiliary it was already well suited to such purposes.>Word from home, from Vitelia- regarding monumental changes that had taken place recently, and matters that may require your attention- or be beyond any ability to change by your hand anyways… (Rise of the Dual Consulate- Vittoria Bonaventura)
>>6464688>Maintain ideological purity, but reach out nevertheless. Anybody you could get would be better than nobody, as long as they were a Legionnaire at heart and not a looter. (Small recruitment rolls)>Alliances, he said? Those might prove useful in adding to your strength without having to expand organizational capabilities or even directly paying, since they would simply share contract availability. Reach out to the interested companies, since they could be kept at arm’s reach…We can do both, can't we? Recruit more soldiers of the Dawn, ally with those with more mercenary convictions who want to get on the winner's side>>6464689>Allow the usage of the L’Alba Prospera as a Research and Development and Factory Vessel. As an Auxiliary it was already well suited to such purposes.>From your most lavish unit, an extended brief on the recent actions of the Mobile Battalion in Operation May Three- and the surface debut of the Stijder Tanks in the Wars of the Old World… (Operation Spring Rain- Captain Von Trocken and the Z. Stijder Company)Panzer Commander at last.
>>6464819Since it seems it's between tanks and daughter swapping to:>From your most lavish unit, an extended brief on the recent actions of the Mobile Battalion in Operation May Three- and the surface debut of the Stijder Tanks in the Wars of the Old World… (Operation Spring Rain- Captain Von Trocken and the Z. Stijder Company)
>>6464694>6464821>6464851>6464860Nostalgic command of a panzer captaincy.>>6464707>6464714>6464724>6464770>6464824Firstborn in the Homeland.>>6464775The Mosshead Candidate.The vote'll be open for four more hours before I call things.
>>6464689>>Word from home, from Vitelia- regarding monumental changes that had taken place recently, and matters that may require your attention- or be beyond any ability to change by your hand anyways… (Rise of the Dual Consulate- Vittoria Bonaventura)
>>6464977One more for Daughter Commander.I'll start updating, but for recruitment rolls, give me 3 sets of 1d50, they'll all be added up together.>>6464851>We can do both, can't we? Recruit more soldiers of the Dawn, ally with those with more mercenary convictions who want to get on the winner's sideForgot to address this, but no, since the former is basically trying to covet away their men, which would make plenty of contractors who aren't strictly independent wary of working with you. They don't want to get eaten up after all.
Rolled 29 (1d50)>>6465047
Rolled 30 (1d50)>>6465047
Rolled 32 (1d50)>>6465047
Rolling very close to the middle average huh?
>>6465067Perfectly balanced. as all things should be.
Got sick and slept all day, otherwise this'd be out earlier.You shifted the message from home to the top of the lot. What was happening in Vitelia was a complete fog bank to most everybody of the Legion, including yourself. You’d directed your cousin to provide you information, but the telegraph wires over to Caelus went from practically nowhere beyond the Reich; even a dedicated individual would find regular communications difficult. So anything communicated would have to be of particular importance.That in mind, you opened the envelope…yet it was not from Antonia.-----Lapizlazulli Outskirts, Vitelia, January 8, 1929You are Vittoria Bonaventura, eighteen years old, a student at the Azure Halls of Lapizlazulli studying the philosophy of the Forthcomign Dawn. Yet you were also somebody else. A person few other people knew or could recognize as a part of you, and by their recommendation, it was best that few more ever did. That was your true talent, though. Learning certain arts of the esoteric had come far more naturally than any other academics did, to your chragrin. A piece of your mother that had overtaken your father, you guessed, even if neither could see as you a few of your siblings did.Right now, school was supposedly out for the New Year, as a standard period of rest for students in the tradition of the city of Lapizlazulli, but that wasn’t the whole truth. The students weren’t on holiday, but any on an arrangement with the Revolutionary Leagues for free schooling (as you were) had been called up as reserves to help police the city. The Revolutionary Governor Pescatore had mobilized all the regulars for some unspoken purpose, and tensions were like they had been back before the Leagues’ supposed unifications of the East of Vitelia. Something was going to happen soon, everybody couldn’t stop chatting about, but nobody had a good idea of what.
Though you thought you might have a clue. One you’d never have expected, the other night. Auntie Lena had been home (not your biological aunt, but she was not so close to the family as Elena Giarno), her harsh cough a forewarning of her presence. It was some long term, difficult illness to do with an old wound. You’d considered what you might do about it… but when you had learned the particular art, you’d also learned it was of little use for wounds that were so old, or illnesses so entrenched. So said, and well demonstrated, your master Zeitgeist.“Vi,” she waved from an armchair in the living room, no fire lit despite the winter. The house, big and empty of people as it was, was often cold these days. “How’s your day t’day?”You itched under the neck of the faded red jumper that was the garb of the League Militant in this season. It was cheap in all ways, only serving to mark that you were affiliated with the Revolution in Lapizlazulli. It was too large, but at least that served to even out your shape. Still, you yearned to get it off, only hesitant in shedding the meager warmth provided. “Boring as it could be,” you answered her. “Are you gonna be back long? We could go out someplace tomorrow. Could skip, not like anybody’s keeping track.”You were Father’s daughter- considered a possible spy, you’d heard, in spite of the supposed friendly words the Governor and all affiliated with him had to say in public, and thus kept away from anything important. For the better. You had better things to do than chores for the Leagues.Elena coughed and shook her head. “Nah. Sorry kid. Got a job to do. Just stoppin’ here for th’ night.” Another hacking choke, and she beat her breast in frustration.“Should rest longer,” you said with a pout. “Is it that idiot important? Dad lets you here however long y’want, just sit back an’…wait for things t’ get better.”“Nah.” Elena insisted. “Don’t worry ‘bout me, Vi. I’ve almost got the money to get a doctor in the Reich. They got medicine there we don’t know the likes a’.” “Really?” You asked doubtfully. Their medical science was more advanced than most of the world, but what wasn’t that believable was that Elena had met with somebody and gotten a price quote, even as much of a wanderer as she was. She’d had this for years, she claimed, and she’d given up on it being better.“Really. Somethin’ like nothin’ before.” She leaned forward. “You have dinner yet, Vi? I’ll make y’ somethin’. Let me look in the pantry an’ see what y’ got…”“Oh, that’d be great.” Elena could cook. You could not. The hardest part of living alone without any of your family here was constantly facing how you barely knew how to make pasta. Mother had expected you to learn while she was away, but it still wasn’t enough motivation.
Not like you were catching a man so early anyways. It was much too soon, no matter what Mother thought. She was a kind of woman unfathomable to you, who couldn’t imagine life without Father. Great as he was, you knew that someday, maybe sooner than any would like, he could be stolen away. It had happened multiple times in your life already, and it wasn’t a safe bet to think it couldn’t again.Elena was going in the morning, and that’s when, after you asked where she was going;“Interres. Tolvidaria. I got deliveries t’ make.” She hauled her pack over her shoulder and gave you a look of wistfulness. You wished you had her freckles- it would make you look more like a maternal figure you could actually admire for her loyalty, her strength. “Stick around home a while, Vi. Things are gonna get shook up soon. Don’t tell nobody that. Should go for the better fer everyone.”She didn’t elaborate, and you thought about what she’d said all day before going home early and finding a confused looking courier at your front door.“The former Premier is not here?”“Hasn’t been a while,” you said, warily. “I’m his eldest and I’m watching the house. What do you want?”“Er, there’s… a lot of letters here,” the man took out a paper bag and practically dumped his whole satchel into it. “All for your father, Miss Bonaventura. From all over. They came to the post at the same time. It’s a little weird…we checked them, they aren’t anything dangerous, just…weird. All paid for.”“…Okay.” You frowned. “Alright, I’ll take them.”“Have a good day, signora,” the courier said as he made his exit, much more relaxed with the weight of mystery lifted from his duties.…They were addressed to Father, yes, but he wouldn’t be back for perhaps months. These had all been delivered at the same time, all from…the Auratus. That new province only relatively recently made Vitelian. From people whose names you didn’t recognize whatsoever. At first, curiosity compelled you to only open a few, just to see what the fuss was.
The few opened was enough to make you open even more, because each letter claimed to admit to not knowing father personally, but they were compelled to write a message, in pieces. Each directed to an unknown other claimed piece, an overall message spread throughout several dozen others, redundant in case any piece did not find its way forth. You grew more cautious- yet more curious, as you went on. What could this possible be to be so secretive? Father might not have been in power, and had been obstructed from regaining any anyways. The message was not even one of threatening a coup, or asking for support for their own causes. You double checked it…and the message was as cryptic as could be, when assembled.“I have found the secret to sainthood. Come to where I was when I passed on. Let us help each other seize the Future as we once might have dreamt to.”Your mouth felt dry, your breath short. Master Zeitgeist had told you of such things. You had encountered this phenomenon…but never had they been so bold. This…may be a restless spirit.One whom, in your duties as the sorceress Remiel, could not ignore, if it was behaving like this.Yet. It was not the business of Vittoria Bonaventura, was it? Protocol dictated by the Lords of the Mountain demanded you summon your master to destroy it…but Zeitgeist was his own creature, difficult to get the attention of, and prone to doing things his own way at times decided by his whimsy. You did not have to do this…out of duty to your tutor, at least.After all. Curiosity pulled you in multiple directions. Auntie Lena was going to Interres for some reason that seemed consequential, and though you were but one rather unimportant, not politically powerful person, perhaps there was something you might be able to do. To help, to save her maybe, if it was a dangerous job she was doing. You were, as a person, nothing like people might assume.While you were accustomed to going out on your own as an adult woman, it was true that these days, it wasn’t necessarily wise to do so no matter who you were. So if you wanted, it might be prudent to bring friends, though the only one you truly trusted was…also unusual.
Your best friend was a girl named Elicia, another student of the Azure Halls, even if she was technically your senior there. She was tall, voluptuous, and beautiful in just about every way possible which made just about everybody jealous, even yourself. She was awfully naïve in some ways too, though that was because, despite what might be assumed from looking at her, she was only fifteen years old, your brother’s age. Considering he was a prodigy in a few ways; Elicia was certainly smarter than people even thought now. She was at least a better student than you.The thing that made her potentially more helpful than a fifteen-year-old with knockers about four times the size of yours would otherwise be (she deliberately seemed to forget that men would be interested in her body at her convenience) was that she was not who she said she was. Elicia, in truth, was Crown Princess Edelina von Halm-Auric of Halmeggia, the neighboring country, the golden-eyed bloodline whose ancestry reached back to when their progenitors had driven the Dhegyar from their lands. Her eyes were disguised with contact lenses these days, but when she unveiled them to you once, there was no mistaking what she was.Nor what she was able to do. Like you, she was unusually sensitive to the esoteric, though she did not study it as you had. If you should go north, she would be one of the few who might even perceive what you would have to seek out- and if you went to try and interfere in Interres, perhaps her political pull could be of use…>Chase after Elena. Whatever she was doing, you couldn’t let her do it alone. She was mother to your half-brother, friend to your father, was loitering about Lapizlazulli being marched about so important?>You needed to go to the Auratus and see what the source of those letters was. Never mind that they wanted Father and not you- he was not equipped like you were to examine whatever this was.>Other?Also->Involve the Halmeggian Crown Princess?
>>6465620>>You needed to go to the Auratus and see what the source of those letters was. Never mind that they wanted Father and not you- he was not equipped like you were to examine whatever this was.and>Involve the Halmeggian Crown Princess? [Yes]It's time for the very fun magic show
>>6465620>“I have found the secret to sainthood. Come to where I was when I passed on. Let us help each other seize the Future as we once might have dreamt to.”How much do the older kids know about Chiara? Bonetto would get the reference but I doubt Vi does.>You needed to go to the Auratus and see what the source of those letters was. Never mind that they wanted Father and not you- he was not equipped like you were to examine whatever this was.Much as I'd like to help Elena, this sounds like something only a soulbinder can solve.>Involve the Halmeggian Crown Princess?Sure, especially since Halmeggia is just over the border from the Auratus. Also I don't mind seeing more pre-Luftpanzer Elena
>>6465620>You needed to go to the Auratus and see what the source of those letters was. Never mind that they wanted Father and not you- he was not equipped like you were to examine whatever this was.We let our dear daughter be a double wide hip witch for a reason.Hope Elena will be ok alone.>Involve the Halmeggian Crown Princess?Sure. Genuinely why not?
>>6465627>How much do the older kids know about Chiara? Bonetto would get the reference but I doubt Vi does.They know vaguely of the people Bonetto fought alongside, particularly those that came along to reunions. They'd know plenty about Chiara considering, well, how many of the next generation are named after the same person.
>>6465620>You needed to go to the Auratus and see what the source of those letters was. Never mind that they wanted Father and not you- he was not equipped like you were to examine whatever this was.>Involve the Halmeggian Crown Princess?[Yes]
>>6465620>You needed to go to the Auratus and see what the source of those letters was. Never mind that they wanted Father and not you- he was not equipped like you were to examine whatever this was.>Involve the Halmeggian Crown Princess? [Yes]
>>6465629+1
>>6465626>>6465627>>6465629>>6465657>>6465769>>6465770Unanimous going on Ghost Stories adventure with the Golden Eyes Gal.The joke's been made plenty of times before but you could describe a bunch of plot notes and characters and then ask somebody to guess the title of the story and what it is would be the last thing they'd guess.Updating.
>>6465833The other side is true, I thought I was getting into panzer commander but it’s really World War Wizard: The Prelude On a serious note, couldn’t resist the opportunity to discover the canon event that makes the princess want to stay as far away from magic as she can (and keep the spell book out of her brother’s hands). And betray her family…
Auntie Lena had taken care of herself as long as you’d been alive. Did she really need your help? If you were right about her, then no, she didn’t. This other thing though…that was something only you could deal with. Something that filled you with a burst of pride for a skill so long nurtured yet seemingly superfluous, so much training and danger and aimless tasks, but now, here was a task where you were the only one with any power. Elena…could make do, you were sure.Could you do this alone? Maybe, but you didn’t want to. If you were to adventure, it wouldn’t be like spending lonesome evenings about the house. You wanted somebody along. Also, you supposed, for the safety in numbers. Vitelia wasn’t as safe as it once was, and you knew of somebody who was hardly ever unguarded- somebody who could not be trapped by politics as you might be in the journey to the Auratus, where this voice from the past spoke from.Besides. Edelina could sense as well as you could. She was one of the few people besides your tutor and master that could even perceive what was out there. So you went to the city and to her place of residence, the temporary stay for her that she had called home through most of her university schooling. A place that let few in without a call from the telephone outside first.Edelina had rented out an apartment (rather, her three escorts had done so) on the cliffs of Lapizlazulli, a graceful three-story complex of rounded painted plaster walls and gardens that was the envy of any home from the outside- but seemed rather cramped on the interior, and not particularly modern. A picture in miniature of Vitelia, but much like everything else about Edelina, a source of much envy. You wondered if her people couldn’t shake the feeling that a princess should ever live outside of something that could be called a castle or manor. Fittingly, it was called the Castella del Brezza del Sud, a mouthful of a name but fitting for the place above the sea it commanded, hardly ever hot even in summer, maybe too cold these days.The Halmeggian Princess’s two manservants and one maidservant were always wary of you, but Edelina was ever happy for visitors, especially those she could be most open with. She found secrecy exhausting, and depressingly routine. Once, she had compared herself to you by saying how your father was practically king of this side of the country- a point you had to annoyedly correct her on, given how it contrasted every single one of you and Father’s principles.If only it were true, in hindsight.
By nature of the gaps in your knowledge, the princess had to be told an abridged version of what your theory was regarding the letters. What the true identity of the thing was, was not so simple, but you told her a tale of a restless spirit, haunting the Auratus and requiring investigation. In truth, you could probably purge it immediately if it were an Ember- a sort of duplicate husk of an entity that grew out of the residual presence of the deceased rather than an actual soul.“We don’t have school anyways,” you told Edelina, though she wouldn’t need convincing as much as her minders, especially since from their point of view you’d be a pair of silly girls going hunting after ghost stories. “We can go somewhere new for a change. See what’s up there?”Edelina smiled sweetly at you, but squinted in skepticism. “I do not think that the Gepte is much good for tourism after years of war and decades of tension and skirmish, but if you wish to go, I will come along even to the Edge of the World.”The Edge of the World, if you could see it, was actually not so dangerous, more mysterious and beautiful than the dread it inspired of most people might suggest. “Well, it’s just the edge of Vitelia and Halmeggia. We both could learn something from it, couldn’t we?”That track of education made the butlers reluctantly accept the impromptu holiday- one of the men would remain at the apartments while the others came with you two for safety. It mattered little that you had a gun, amongst other things difficult to convince the normal person of the value of…but four people were difficult for random toughs to interfere with, too. They also had a different idea of what the merits of a trip to the Auratus was too, under the impressions that you were sure most Halmeggians had, especially when expecting the same opinion from their future queen, but Edelina was gentle hearted, and open to compromise and sacrifice.“At the very least,” her eldest butler said curtly, “The forces of this governate occupy the whole of the route, their allies the destination. There shan’t be unreasonable risks.”Should you tell them what Elena told you? Yes, they were undoubtedly spies of a sort, but the present situation…you did dare to ask after that statement.“Pescatore’s forces all went north, to Crovicci,” the maidservant said, her voice cool crystal. Rehearsed, like explaining a natural phenomenon to a child. “He is closely linked with the Augustan faction of the Vitelian Royal Army. All indications imply civil unrest and escalation of tensions to be happening decidedly elsewhere from the provinces of the Revolutionary Proconsuls…”Auntie Lena didn’t seem so sure. What she was referring to must have not been a matter of armies, then..?
By that night you were waiting at the city’s newly expanding train station for the last train out. A quiet journey, and a luxuriant one, in spite of Pescatore’s government railing against gaps between poor and rich and all having the same treatment. You weren’t fool enough to think it was plain hypocrisy- the company that owned many of the East’s rail networks had links high up with the Augustans. Pescatore would have to be an idiot to deny them their upselling of private cabins and fine dining. Besides- was Utopia really a place where nobody could have the nicest things? Father didn’t make it sound that way.When you and Edelina had some time loitering by yourselves, you in the red jumper that showed your allegiance, her in a long coat and sash that did little to hide her shape, you could speak more on things left out of earshot of elders.“I confess,” Edelina said, “I do not know how much use I will be. I know not of mystic matters as you do, even if the Presence and its mysteries is the privilege of the Crown to bear the responsibility of knowledge of. Such knowledge is seen as able to be abused by…those who have not grown enough.”“I think you’ve grown pretty plenty,” you prodded a finger at one of those mountains and she laughed like she’d been tickled. “Seriously. Is every woman in your family like this?”“Goodness, no.” Edelina put a hand to her chest. “Alexandra asks me if she will have to carry such weight, with fear in her eyes. I can reassure her with pictures of our ancestors, with the sight of her mother.”“So the King doesn’t have the monarchial milkers?”“Judge Above, do not call them that,” Edelina groaned. She had to know you'd heard far worse. “I hope such is not all people think of when they see me. I fear they have been getting bigger still…”Unimaginable. “Why not? You’re not full grown, and it means you’ll be even pretty prettier than you already are. That might already be awful helpful, yeah?”Edelina flashed you a sad look. “You speak as if you have no beauty yourself, Vi.”“Compared to you?”“I love your blonde hair. Your eyes. The strength of your body. You are very Vitelian.”“Blonde is normal. Your blood red is not. Like a ruby in flame.” “Blonde is not normal for Nief’yem.” Edelina interjected.You grit your teeth and snorted at that, no retort prepared. “Besides,” you rubbed your hip, and you had the same feeling about it as she had her chest. “I have a fat mountain goat ass. Same source as the eyes.”
Edelina turned her gaze to her own rear. “Our hips are around the same size. Do I have a, erm, fat mountain goat posterior?”“It’s the right size with how the rest of you is big,” you sulked. “Balanced.”“Regardless of what you say,” the princess said with melancholy that a voice as lovely as hers could not help but force sympathy with, “It is a sad world if I am the only one permitted to be beautiful. You are allowed to be so too, Vi. Can we not agree to that? It is against Utopian principle for beauty to be the sole property of a single pinnacle…and I am no such pinnacle anyways.”“Oh shut up,” you punch her arm, even her skin alabaster like a sculpture of eld. “Who is, then?”“Have you seen the lady upon the covers of the last few months of Nou/Coup” Edelina gained some energy back, her eyes shone “The model for the autumn? She is so narrow, but the way they dress her makes her so graceful, fabrics so delicate and carefully crafted just for such a form, and they could not hope to look so on a body like mine. You could wear her shirts, however...”“I haven’t,” you weren’t so into such things, “Do you have those mags with you?”“They are in my luggage. We can get them out, I am sure.”When her servants returned the two of you were chattering about clothes of all things. You were ashamed to say it was more engaging than you expected it to be, lasting all the way onto the train.-----
It was night on the train, moving northwards, and though you wouldn’t be disembarking from this one through several stops, neither you or Edelina were quick to sleep, instead helping yourselves to the odd service of Espresso Della Notte, rich coffee made with beans who had been made to lose the charge they normally gave to the senses. It was the best you’d ever tasted- Ydela would have loved it, considering her quiet nature. The countryside was dark to most, and there was little reason to look outside it. With it opened at the train’s slow and steady night pace, however, both you and Edelina could catch glimpses of the other, the benign forms of life whose times upon this world were brief and bright and harmless. A world invisible to most- and in the dark, to people such as you, some otherwise normal things emitted their own shows of the light of vitality, a glistering over the world so subtle that one might have mistaken it for a reflection of the clear night above were it not cloudy and blackened below for it. The chill of New Year’s winter air was worth the sight, which glass concealed when peered through.Funny to think so many boys you knew would cut off their arm to sit where you were now. Some of them thought you were fond of women in the same way they were- they were wrong, of course. You liked men. It was just that you didn’t like them enough to trade your sorcery away for. Master had warned of how your Presence was irrevocably changed through an act most your age thought innocuous, especially amongst the Revolutionarily inclined…Edelina stared silently out into the night. You had her ear for whatever you wanted…though maybe you’d be better off respecting the quiet and pondering something particular yourself.>Talk to Edelina about anything? You have the rare private ear of royalty, rarer still one inclined the same way politically as you for the most part. (What about?)>Think to yourself on present affairs of the country-minor as you might be in them. (Of what nature?)>Review with yourself matters of the Esoteric; you were about to have a close encounter after all, and mistakes could have unknowable consequence. (What to review? Though your knowledge is not great…)>Other?>You may choose as many as you like for this vote, so long as a subject is written in.
>>6466015>Talk to Edelina about anything? You have the rare private ear of royalty, rarer still one inclined the same way politically as you for the most part. (What about?)Chat about how she views Halmeggia's current state of affairs with all the unrest on its borders, this should be near the beginning of when things start going downhill until the present day.>Think to yourself on present affairs of the country-minor as you might be in them. (Of what nature?)Who seems to be winning in Criovicci at the moment to the outside world? Meanwhile as the East fights amongst themselves, how does the Autarch in the West react?>Review with yourself matters of the Esoteric; you were about to have a close encounter after all, and mistakes could have unknowable consequence. (What to review? Though your knowledge is not great…)Review our knowledge how to exorcise such phantoms, what spells work best?
>>6466015>>6466021+1
>>6466015Supporting >>6466021
>>6466015Think of spells to make the bust grow
>>6466015Talk about boys, have her parents been looking around for another royal match for her?
>>6466015Think of spells to make the bust shrink
>>6466231+1
>>6466015>Talk to Edelina (What does she think of this political situation? Does she have any plans for if things get heated? 5 year plan swap, were does each girl think she'll be. Contemplate what it'll be like when Palmiro returns.)Otherwise, >>6466021 is good.
>>6466021>>6466105>>6466137>>6467004Politics and Ghosts.>>6466235Men.>>6466231>>6466451>>6466609Ponder solutions.No update until tomorrow, this weekend was really busy and I'm pretty drained, and still have to go into work tonight.
>>6466235+1
Looking at the countryside made you think of the greater game going on for this province, for Crovicci, this pastoral place of warm wind and cool nights, for centuries a land of churches and vineyards that even managed to weather the Scouring in places, such was the holiness of some holdouts. Now, its fate was again in question, as other political factions held back to see whether Pescatore or Sabato would triumph in bridling the region.While you lived in the lands allotted to Pescatore and were technically under his command in the Revolutionary League Militant in times of emergency such as this, you had no loyalty to him. He was somebody who your father had raised from nothing, but when father was attacked and his place as Premier lost, he had greedily taken what he could, most significantly the Revolutionary Army, and set about ripping up what father had preserved to centralize power under himself and his Royal Army friends. Sabato was no more deserving of loyalty, ever having been outspoken against father, and while a handsome man and a pretty face with a magnetic personality, was an egotist power seeker if you looked at him and felt anything in the brain rather than between the legs. Plenty of simpleton sluts could talk for ages about him without saying a word towards Revolution.There was a third man that made up what some called the Revolutionary Triumvirate along with Pescatore and Sabato, the Red Prince. Your cousin Antonia’s boyfriend, but he wasn’t seen as an actual player in this contest. As far as anybody you ever spoke to or overheard, he was in no position to anyways, ruling the seas and ready to align with whomever won out of convenience. He was a man of subtlety and not force. It made you jealous of Antonia, honestly. Maybe if you had a slim figure like her you’d attract men of subtle yet powerful will. For being a place of learning the Azure Halls had so many that turned to brutes upon smelling a hint of fragrance or seeing a single spot of sweat.Yet so far, there had been naught but a standoff. Much café chatter was had about who would win, who had the Revolutionary will, who had the firepower, who was in a better tactical position, but while both Provincial Governors adjacent had rushed into Crovicci where they could to seize what was easy, any conflict between them was launched by individuals, and while not sponsored, such skirmishes were also quietly ignored by the men supposedly in command. They were still feeling one another out- though Pescatore’s more cautious nature had meant, in such a conflict of haste and impulse, most said that Sabato was definitely gaining more in the short term.
Spoken of in more hushed tones were the speculations about Padrino. Not that anybody but you called him that, especially not where any League Informants might be listening ready to hassle you to make you show better “devotion to supporting the cause”. Such rats were always sneaky little perverts with imaginations bigger than any real principles. Anyways. Giovanno Leone, the Autarch, had seemingly taken his eyes off the situation in the Vitelian East despite having won such a powerful position as having the ability to wield the powers of the king as advocate of the people. He had been shoring up the west, yes, but in more curious rumors, he had also been journeying further east to Sosaldt and back, returning to show about various strangers before going on back. Some said he was going to the deadly dustlands to whore about, as one of the few subjects tolerated of him was slander, but you knew better. Padrino was friends with many a mercenary, including one of the most famous and feared ones you’d ever known. Was he adventuring, reminiscing, or was he planning something? It was true that much of the Royal Army of Vitelia, while still numerous, seemed to be not so united on whom they had sworn an oath to.You doubted absolutely that he was seeing any paramours though. That seemed impossible when he was married to Auntie Marcella (no relation, like Elena). She had a rack and a personality to exploit it unlike Edelina. A man would have to be fond of boys to ever stray from that. Given the choice you’d rather Father have swept her off her feet rather than your actual mother. Her daughter Chiara, named for the same person as your little sister, was younger still than Edelina and still outshone you…“Er.” Edelina coughed, “Vi, is there something on my blouse...?” Oh. She had stopped looking out the window. She had taken off her color contacts, and her golden eyes shone with their full, unchecked beauty.“Nah, I was just…thinking about something stupid. When I should be thinking about more important things. Like…how’s Halmeggia doing?” You asked, finding a thing that was more than an emergency swerve. “I’ve heard from a few people things are getting heated. The borders and all, even if there’s not fighting no more. Not in the same way as here, sure, but you’d know better than anybody else, I bet.”“Ahh…” Edelina tugged on a lock of hair hesitantly, accepting that you had no desire to linger on covetous dreams. “We are going to the Gepte…the Auratus, after all. Halmeggians are no stranger to the territory. I have not stayed very long there, on holidays from the Halls. I only know what I have heard from our own consultants, what rumors I hear from the marketplaces. I am no expert…”“C’mon…”
“Well…” Edelina was still hesitant, “I do not wish to mislead through being mistaken, but very well. Yes, there is not division like there is in Vitelia, of provinces and gangs and ideas of government, but there is much dissatisfaction. The Parliament is in constant deadlock. Reforms of any kind, or even reactions to events, from the government meant to be the advocate and voice of the populace, often find themselves stalled into ineffectiveness. Solutions are independently found and executed. The Parliament takes credit. Any who are popular and effective representatives have found themselves barred from holding office by my Father. He wishes to not inflame tensions, as those people are divisive, but he pleases nobody by trying to please all. I do not know what I would do differently myself. Those who have the will do affect change are too dangerous to allow the power. It is a situation where…” Edelina trailed off, measuring what she would say, “The Autarch of your country, he is seen as extremely dangerous. Your father was retroactively accused of having the potential to be dangerous. I fear if my father the King does take a side, perhaps the people of this new age will see him as dangerous to them, too. I wish I knew of an answer to the problem besides preparing for inevitable conflict.”You looked down to your jumper. The colors of the Revolutionary League Militant. Your opinion was plenty obvious- and Edelina knew what to say in the presence of any but you. Something you repeated back to her. “The Revolution must be brought about some way, it can’t just stop because people don’t like it. Conflict shouldn’t be feared, even if it isn’t sought out. You know that’s the way it is. Otherwise, we do nothing and dream like so many dead philosophers.”“Surely,” Edelina said melancholically, “There would be a way to convince them. That it isn’t worth fighting change, to at least allow it a chance to show itself?”“Maybe.” You tilted your head. “Aren’t you the Queen to Be, Eddy? Just say how it is. What are they going to do? Say you aren’t their Queen? Say your golden eyes are fake? You said your father’s making his people restless by doing nothing. Somebody has to do something.”Edelina thought on that with a concerted tugging of a hanging loop of hair. “I…am not yet ready to make that kind of decision.”“Well,” you crossed your arms, “You never know when you’ll have to, y’know.”Edelina stared into her lap, and you regretted pushing so hard with what she said next. “Do others expect you to exceed your father so readily, Vittoria?”You didn’t say anything to that, and just studied her eyes, still staring down, wrought with trouble. It wasn’t a question you could even begin to think about. Father was…father.
“So,” you struck up less weighty conversation after letting things settle. Allowing questions to be forgotten. “You’re hot property, aren’t you? An actual princess.” The cabins were not so close that many could be listening, though the adjacent ones were occupied by Edelina’s servants anyways. “That means who you marry is real important, yeah? They tell you who it’s gonna be? Somebody hot?”Edelina glanced back out the window. “I am to be the Queen. That means I will be Sovereign Ruler over Halmeggia. Such is the right of the firstborn of my family since Halmeggia was born from victory over the Dheg Khanate. Whomever I marry would be a consort, not a monarch…save for, perhaps,” Her hands tightened on her longcoat uncertainly. “The Kaiser. He is also an unmarried sovereign. If we were to be married, then Halmeggia and the Reich would be one…”That sounded scary. Though the Kaiser was admittedly…well, yeah. Even your little sister crushed on him. “Is that…something Halmeggians want?”“No.” Edelina looked back to you. “Many are against such a thing. Halmeggia is an old and storied land. We align ourselves with the Reich out of politics, but certainly do not seek to be ruled over by them. It is still what many fear, however. Many seem to see the Royal Family as being more closely allied to the Grossreich than to their people. They see my father’s refusal to take a political side as an implied threat that my hand may be given to the Kaiser, rather than one of the local nobility. It is a frightening thing to ponder…” Well, if the issue was the Family making the decision… “Wouldn’t you rather find your own love?” You interjected, “You’re to be Queen. Who could tell you who you’re meant to marry without slandering you as some cow who needs to be led by her bridle? Don’t let your life be decided by politics, at least not before you’ve had the chance to live it, and that sorta thing?” “Find my own...? The Azure Halls have…made me wary of being so presumptuous,” Edelina said with discomforted tautness of lip, “Men see me as older than I am, as something I do not understand. I try not to think of…such things. I prefer not to be…hunted. It is more frightening than having my future picked for me. At least then, all know the true gravity of the union.”Part of Edelina’s disguise was her deceptive level of growth. She could easily impersonate a woman several years older than her, despite her face still having the soft contours of childhood on it that were not yet roughed out by the progression of womanhood. Her height (and chest) were far more convincing anyways, as was her magnificent, curly calligraphy and refined speech, her academic prowess in study and recitation.
Not many knew what Princess Edelina looked like outside of a few in Halmeggia- the average person’s image of a fifteen-year-old girl did not match the Crown Princess’s true form whatsoever, especially with her lineage’s distinctive aurum eyes concealed.“Being hunted is the best part,” you sniff. “What’s the appeal of a guy who only does what he’s told, when he’s allowed to do it? That’s a dog, not a man. Imagine the kind of guy who chases after a queen knowing what he wants. I’m not saying to swoon for one of those dick brains at the Halls.”Edelina shook her head. “Well…I suppose I do not know well enough. Even so. You are a woman. By Vitelian standards I am still a girl. Caution should be my companion for a long time to come. After all, is that not why you have no companion?”She did know the real reason. A gentleman’s kiss does not banish your strength, surely? She had put forward. So…admittedly, yes, you still had not grown since the last one left behind, in a way.Best to turn this back into the political. “So who’d be the best to marry, then?”“I know not.” Edelina sagged, “The nobles believe it tradition that should be returned to, as my mother was not of their most prestigious households. Their influence and popularity has been waning, however. To make one of their sons my consort would not be a decision for the Future. The Kaiser, for how forward thinking he is, is not the path my people would wish. Thinking about it, I cannot help but wonder if I should not marry at all…”You blinked at that. “What? No. That’s just the same as doing it because somebody told you, but not even people who know or care about you.”“But it may be the best decision for Halmeggia.”“Fine, fine.” You had to drop it there. Edelina had a way of digging in her heels when it came to sacrifice. Maybe it was the reason she refused to get rid of that horrifically ugly handbag, among other things. Some need to level herself. If she was any worse you were sure she’d chop her tits off so people wouldn’t be jealous.That profoundly ugly handbag caught your eye just thinking about it, down on the floor. You had absolutely no idea why she kept it- she’d not let most see it at school, but outside of it, she’d haul it around in defiance of any semblance of good taste. When you’d asked after it once, she said she had liked how “ordinary” it was. Edelina was far from an idiot, but she must have had a warped idea of what ordinary even was…
Again though, things weren’t how you preferred. You didn’t like to see Edelina looking wistful like she did. Maybe you were the one who had to cool off.“I have to use the toilet,” you lied as you got up, “I’ll be back.” Though you took along your leather knapsack- you’d be thinking about something else as you, rather than going to the restroom spaces, went to be by yourself in the transit space between two passenger cars. A connected tunnel that contorted with the curve of the train whenever it went over slight turns. At this time of night, guaranteed to be a place to find solitude.In such a place, you could review your means of dealing with the parallel world. That which rested under humanity’s nose, beneath light and shining in shadows, but only for a scant few. Unless things went wrong. Situations where you were made to act.The phantom calling out, at least, was a sort you had dealt with before. Zeitgeist had educated you partially by throwing you into the proverbial water, as Father had once done literally. The most common by far, and the root of many other creatures, was an Ember. Their traits changed little over their forms save for intensity- to exorcise a later evolution was merely a matter of application of greater force.Embers and such beings were creatures of pure Presence, the Life Force that was produced and shed by all living things, and unable to be dispersed through physical force. You had a few ways of exorcising such creatures that you had been taught, either through word or indirectly. In the first place, to keep such things at a safe distance or to otherwise deter them, you had Rock Salt from the deep mountain valleys. An otherwise plain, even culinary sort of tool, it had properties which scoured the presence of entities like the vast banks of it sealed away below. Mountain herbs were a similarly effective deterrent, drawing away energies and serving as a weak form of poison to creatures that feasted upon Presence.Anybody could fling salt. Most had reagents as their sole defense against such things if they chose to pursue, but near nobody could do other things like a Sorceress might. The most direct being the Imbuement and Radiance, one to infuse an object, temporarily, with hostile Presence drawn directly from yourself, and the other to direct it out from your own body, though not very far- only somewhat beyond your own grasp, which made it risky to use, though the strongest method of forceful exorcism against Presence creatures.
Spells were not easy for you, though. They could be much easier if you were a Soulbinder as your tutor Zeitgeist was, as they could manipulate their Presence as readily as a change of thought, whilst you were only aided by superior perception to guide it along carefully constructed paths. Your spells thus had an intrinsic rigidity to them. A clumsy sort of power, and you found them exhausting to use repeatedly. For whatever reason, a Soulbinder also had greater wells of Presence to access in their arts than you did…Though you did have a particular specialty that you had a knack for. You’d done plenty of experimentation…truthfully, in pursuit of shaping flesh, which was sadly too difficult to attempt normally given the strain upon one’s presence and consistent force required to change something that was, effectively, your immutable identity. Presence followed form, and forcing one to change the other was far from simple. However, it did mean you had accidentally discovered a means to enhancing one of your arts beyond its normal potential.>Soulbinders could enhance the properties of their Radiance and control it better with elemental properties. You had found out the means to make a similar sort of adjustment to the art- that of the Revolutionary, era defining element of the Thunderstrike.>Imbuement had been more your style- it let you put more power into means outside of yourself, such as your revolver. A silver bullet being the bane of the supernaturally resilient was mere metaphor for most, but not for you.>Surely, surely, flesh shaping was not yet from grasp. You simply needed to use more power for it, yes. Much more power, which you might just have…>Other? (If not plausible for one of Vittoria’s power, it will be reduced into a form that is. Arts are also just that- art, interpretation and suggestion. It is difficult to find precision.)The other methods besides those of snake oil merchants and actual sorcery you had for exorcism were one more plain in usage, and the other anything but, but both of rather the same purpose. The first one, a creature had to be convinced into of its own will. The spiritual equivalent of a cage trap, an iron jar lined with layers of nacre and salt with ever so thin gold paint before a layer of lacquering, this Ghost Jar was a curiosity of the West, an ancient trinket you’d discovered yourself on one of the expeditions Zeitgeist forced you to embark upon in your training. It was only truly capable of sustaining and storing small creatures, however. It was nothing to seal away a monster.
The other thing was a theoretical method of your own fashion, discovered through seeking…something else. Blood was a powerful storehouse and conductor of Presence, as your ready-made spells attested being spilt from yourself. Not all blood was equal. Any investigation you’d made into such things had come up completely absent of even the slightest clues, but in the same expedition into an ancient, hidden temple that had found you the Ghost Jar, you’d found ancient carvings, of a language not read when seen, but still understood by your senses. Ancient, primordial bloodlines, into whom were bound forbidden sorceries that were meant to make their lines the rulers of the world above and below eternal. Their essence was capable of incredible things, especially to mere sorceresses such as yourself. A fully fledged master of arts, a Soulbinder, could do even more.That clue had been a mere old myth when you first read it. Then you had encountered one such bloodline, a vial of whose blood you kept with your things, still fluid and bright crimson despite it having been a long time since it was shed. It moved obediently to suggestion, spoke back to better serve your arts made with it, empowered all efforts in whatever ways were desired without even instruction nor conscious direction, and withdrew at will. Incredibly powerful- but you only had so much of it, and any attempt to mark that bloodline for later would have merely drawn others greedily to that woman…Utilizing such a reagent you could fashion a Soul Seal, able to bind even powerful Presence creatures to a material object, rendering them mostly safe until you might free them, as intact as the moment they were captured within whatever thing you chose to contain them.There were other arts, for example, the precious Stitch spell, but that was for wounds of physical nature, not those that a Presence creature might make.All in all, there were many options available to you…though you could attempt to create new means. Edelina, for example, had an odd variant of a special bloodline. Such was the source of her golden eyes, which to you, were even more radiant than the already exceptional gold the rest of the world saw. Asking her for her blood was rather macabre…but she would do it, and merely perceiving as she could made her able to potentially help with spells in ways you might not be able to alone, even untrained as she was.One of the doors opened, and you shut your bag, but it was Edelina. “I apologize,” she bowed at the shoulders, “I can speak with few as I do with you, I did not mean to offend, however I did.”“What? No, that’s fine.”“You were not going to the toilet.”“Maybe I was going to do it here.” Edelina gave you a scornful look of distaste. “I thought you needed some space.”
“Venturing away from home would let me consider matters beside my role as queen to be, I had thought,” Edelina leaned against the wall opposite of you, “But learning of Utopian beliefs has only made such even more…inescapable.”“Who says you can’t leave?” It was a natural thought to you. Was it Father? Was it Zeitgeist? Your life had made it so you could simply go where you wished, and live free…though still, not as anybody.Edelina frowned. “I have never been anything but what many wish they were. To foist responsibility… What would you do, in my place, Vi? You have been so many places, have so much about you that is not obligation of birth. In some things most important, my tutoring has felt more as instruction for a part to be played rather than knowledge to guide me.” She bowed her chin expectantly, but you were not so ready to answer, as you rarely were as a senior of her outside of education. You were well used to her being superior, even in ways you thought particularly yours, such as daring and rebellion. For all you swam against some currents, you were no princess challenging a system most thought the nemesis of such old systems of rule.Did you really know more? For all of how Father and your teacher had advised and prepared for you to not be bound, oftentimes you felt only more lost for that…>You would cast aside the crown if you were her. At best it was a lonely gilded cage, at worst, a trap where you could not live your own life. There were others who would gladly take such a place.>Audentis Fortuna Iuvat. How many thousands languished unable to affect change because of nothing more than birth status? It was an opportunity granted to a person who might actually do something with it. Whatever the risks, in her place, what could you do but act in the name of good?>In her place, you’d probably…be thankful you were busty as you’d be. Was there something wrong with not knowing what to do while being young as you were? Maybe fixating on ideas of responsibility so early was a mistake. Father seemed to think so with his own friends made at your age…>Other?
>>6467825>Imbuement had been more your style- it let you put more power into means outside of yourself, such as your revolver. A silver bullet being the bane of the supernaturally resilient was mere metaphor for most, but not for you.Phantom Hunter Vittoria sounds pretty cool.>Audentis Fortuna Iuvat. How many thousands languished unable to affect change because of nothing more than birth status? It was an opportunity granted to a person who might actually do something with it. Whatever the risks, in her place, what could you do but act in the name of good?
>>6467822>>Surely, surely, flesh shaping was not yet from grasp. You simply needed to use more power for it, yes. Much more power, which you might just have…>>6467825>>In her place, you’d probably…be thankful you were busty as you’d be. Was there something wrong with not knowing what to do while being young as you were? Maybe fixating on ideas of responsibility so early was a mistake. Father seemed to think so with his own friends made at your age…
>>6467822>Imbuement had been more your style- it let you put more power into means outside of yourself, such as your revolver. A silver bullet being the bane of the supernaturally resilient was mere metaphor for most, but not for you.As much as I'd want Hilda's Bane....I'll let Vittoria have the ability to punch ghosts instead.>>6467825>Audentis Fortuna Iuvat. How many thousands languished unable to affect change because of nothing more than birth status? It was an opportunity granted to a person who might actually do something with it. Whatever the risks, in her place, what could you do but act in the name of good?>Other (Roles, as restricting as they were, are things that provide plenty enough room to breathe for someone with the spirit to make it their own. And responsibility, while crushing, is not so when one allows themselves solidarity with the like minded.)Think first, of what would make you the best person you can be, do so for your own sake before anyone else.Then of what that better person could and would want to do to better the world.Then, think of the Role you have been blessed to have.And finally of the people and comrades that seek that same betterment.Thinking of what a good This or That would do, from the top down, leads to old minded stagnation. The opinions of traditionalists and anti revolutionaries are what constructed those roles after all.One must first seek to embody a revolutionary mindset, and synthesize a version of a given role, true to themselves and befitting of that mindset.And once you understand that, you can seek out those who would truly help you as no one person should be expected to carry the Future on their back alone.
>>6467825>>Imbuement had been more your style- it let you put more power into means outside of yourself, such as your revolver. A silver bullet being the bane of the supernaturally resilient was mere metaphor for most, but not for you.>>Audentis Fortuna Iuvat. How many thousands languished unable to affect change because of nothing more than birth status? It was an opportunity granted to a person who might actually do something with it. Whatever the risks, in her place, what could you do but act in the name of good?
>>6467825>Soulbinders could enhance the properties of their Radiance and control it better with elemental properties. You had found out the means to make a similar sort of adjustment to the art- that of the Revolutionary, era defining element of the Thunderstrike.>Audentis Fortuna Iuvat. How many thousands languished unable to affect change because of nothing more than birth status? It was an opportunity granted to a person who might actually do something with it. Whatever the risks, in her place, what could you do but act in the name of good?These issues will not simply go away, they must be faced eventually. Maybe it is unfair to require action like this from someone so young, but it is also unfair to expect the people to sit and wait and suffer while their advocates wallow in deadlock.
>>6467823>Imbuement had been more your style- it let you put more power into means outside of yourself, such as your revolver. A silver bullet being the bane of the supernaturally resilient was mere metaphor for most, but not for you.Having ranged options sounds good especially if Vi can't sling spells like a full soulbinder can.>Audentis Fortuna Iuvat. How many thousands languished unable to affect change because of nothing more than birth status? It was an opportunity granted to a person who might actually do something with it. Whatever the risks, in her place, what could you do but act in the name of good?Truly the road to hell is paved with the best intentions.
>>6467826>>6467852>>6467971>>6468005Imbuement of Invention is the way forwards.Also, the Future can only be brought about by the Bold.>>6468002As above, but with the Shocker. >>6467838The bovine dream.I will wait until tomorrow morning to call things and update from there, but I'll get stuff done ahead of time so it won't be too long a wait.
>>6467825>Soulbinders could enhance the properties of their Radiance and control it better with elemental properties. You had found out the means to make a similar sort of adjustment to the art- that of the Revolutionary, era defining element of the Thunderstrike.>Audentis Fortuna Iuvat. How many thousands languished unable to affect change because of nothing more than birth status? It was an opportunity granted to a person who might actually do something with it. Whatever the risks, in her place, what could you do but act in the name of good?
>>6467822>Other>Your Father often spoke about how someone looking to build the future needed to have a strong vision for it. He was of course speaking metaphorically, but you've focused it into a more literal form. You've began to notice your surroundings more, you see things that to anyone normal would not. You can tell when objects in a room have been moved abruptly from where they would nromally be as if the world itself speaks to you, you see the incremental twitches of the face clear as day, you decipher the hidden meanings of momentary glances cast when they are believed to be discreet and your mind seems to move just ever so slighty ahead of you in time, letting you see things that happens moments before they do.>Heightened perception and pattern recognition, very minor magical foresightGive me the magical bat vision.>You would cast aside the crown if you were her. At best it was a lonely gilded cage, at worst, a trap where you could not live your own life. There were others who would gladly take such a place.What good is strength to change the world when you are constrained from weilding it due to your station?
>>6467825>Audentis Fortuna Iuvat. How many thousands languished unable to affect change because of nothing more than birth status? It was an opportunity granted to a person who might actually do something with it. Whatever the risks, in her place, what could you do but act in the name of good?>Imbuement had been more your style- it let you put more power into means outside of yourself, such as your revolver. A silver bullet being the bane of the supernaturally resilient was mere metaphor for most, but not for you.
>>6468116>>6468325Boldness, another for each.>>6468267Vision and Freedom.Updating.
“Audentis Fortuna Iuvat,” you recited. Maybe you didn’t know Old Vitelian like your brother did, but you knew the phrases you liked best. “You know that one?”“Fortune favors boldness, yes,” Edelina said. Honestly, she probably knew Old Vitelian better than you, too. Halmeggians grew up bilingual at minimum. “I do not know if I could be so, though…”“How many thousands have languished, unable to find any future for no reason besides where they were born?” You asked, “You were born to be queen. What is there to do but use that, no matter what you’re risking, to try and do something good? At least you’d have tried, right?” You put your finger in your palm, “If you’re not the person who can do that, then who is? If you know who it is, then why not try and be them? Nobody’s built t’ do only one thing, Eddy. That’s what reactionaries tell people so they never try and get out of the prisons they’re stuck in. What have we been learning, in the Azure Halls? You came out this way to know, right? You don’t have t’ do it alone either. Nobody can force you to do anything, but if I were you…there’s only one way to go, y’know?”Edelina wrapped her arms around herself in doubt. “I still don’t know…who else save the Kaiser has had so much demanded of him so young? I should not complain of unfairness with how fortunate I am…” She spoke of her wealth, but maybe it was your own family’s well to do nature that made it not your first assumption. “But I still believe that another would be better suited, and that when such a time comes, I will have to think if I am to stand in their way, or move aside…”“Everybody wants everybody else to move aside,” you declared, thinking of Father’s situation. “Especially the people who aren’t actually good enough. The people who you’re meant to be the advocate of, would that be proper service to them, to allow that?”Edelina pursed her lips and kept her golden gaze downwards. “Then the people may wish for the Revolutionary Man…or they may need such, but curse the rise of one…I apologize, Vi, this was a difficult question, the fault is not with you…”“Well, just,” you threw up your hands. “Remember what I said, okay? What’s going on in the world, it’s not just gonna go away. At some point it’s us who are gonna have to do something, and when we’re first in line, we’ve at least got each other, right?”“Mm.” Edelina seemed to feel a little better about that.“Anyways…I guess we should go back to the cabin.”“Er.” Edelina coughed, “I do have to go to…”You didn’t stay to ponder whether or not she was just doing what you’d done.-----
When Edelina returned, looking still down but eager to move away from any past subject, you tried to involve her in what you had been figuring out in her absence. Nothing philosophical, but the task you were headed out to actually take up.Finding the specter that was sending the messages to your home, seeking father. A person who was undoubtedly, having had more time to think about it, considering they were the only person in your father’s closest friend group all spoke about having fallen in the Auratus, your father’s former commanding officer. Perhaps something more, given the fondness he and Marcella and mother and Padrino spoke of her, the reverence, the uncommonality of a female officer in that war. One of her relatives had come to your sixteenth birthday, a man Padrino and father were great admirers of, but there seemed to be a hesitance to reminisce about her to you. The Auratus War was not one of fond memories for father and mother.You didn’t know where this person, this Chiara Di Scurostrada, had actually fallen in battle. The Auratus was an entire province after all, and the entire place had battles fought across just about every piece of it. Auntie Marcella would have known, but it was not so easy to simply ask her, and she’d never mentioned anything about the war to you whenever you spoke. You knew where she was buried, but Embers did not haunt where their bodies rested if they had been moved afterwards. Presence did not linger long in dead flesh at all. The hard work of figuring out just where in the entire Auratus region this specter might be was instead done using triangulation, with towns where the letters were sent from forming a specific area, though not necessarily a small one. It at least gave a place where you could ask after where an old battlefield specifically was. Once you knew that much, you and Edelina’s senses could guide you the rest of the way.With the remaining privacy you had in the cabin, you had retrieved your gun from a hidden compartment, spared a search by the rights given to first class passengers. Edelina watched in fascination as you enchanted the bullets you brought along with it, the Presence imbued within making the gun, suddenly, rather effective against spirits. It was a technique that had proved incredibly useful in the past. Certain monstrous creatures were both of matter and presence, and enchanted bullets thus proved doubly devastating against them.When you arrived in the Auratus, an entire day was spent in the area narrowing things down. You’d want to encounter this spirit in the night anyways- people shouldn’t see what you might have to do. Especially not you and a crown princess getting up to the supernatural, and that included her servants, loathe as they were to let the two of you alone.
It was a quiet and peaceful place now. War had not visited the Auratus for many years now, and even poisoned land was merely scarred over now. Idyllic wrecks of vehicles and guns had been left to rust, fortifications washed in by erosion, the tensions after the war denying scrappers and only permitting cleaners and demining. It was a picture of a ruin grown over, now snowed over with a thin blanket of frost, a heavy snowfall not having come yet this winter here.“What a beautiful place this is,” Edelina said softly as the two of you explored in the night, following glows and chills, strange lights that floated like fireflies and stars. Places like this were always suffused with Presence of bloodshed, which sometimes produced agonized wraiths, but more often merely fed benign apparitions that were little more than will-o-wisp. “It is a shame so many died for it. How much beauty justifies the bloodshed and hatred?”She really was a sweet girl. Even mother knew that to get her way she had to whack you with a cooking utensil plenty of times. Maybe you deserved to be walloped with a spoon sometimes. Especially when you felt you were being ignored in favor of more and more siblings… “Ah!” Edelina gasped, and pointed, “That tank…something is near.”“I feel it too,” you whispered, and you readied your spells and tools in your sleeves, handed Edelina your leather knapsack to hold. “Get behind me.”“Who goes there?” An imposing, feminine and imperial voice blew through you. Spirits spoke in ways felt by the soul, not by the ears, and this one had a strength that cut to the quick, and sweeping around the wreck, to your flank, like it was blown by the wind, a glowing mass whirled about and coalesced into shape.You hadn’t been sure what to expect- for all you’d heard of who this was, you’d rarely seen any pictures of her, and she hadn’t looked like she did now. A Sea Vitelian, for true, but her hair had been bleached- so why did it seem blonde as a spirit? Had this spirit’s image of itself been so strong to defy what physicality dictated of Presence? Similarly, unusually, she was dressed in some mixture of identities- a uniform of some sort, but also the wispy films and accoutrement of something else, when oftentimes a spirit would be dressed in rather basic conceptualizations. It wasn’t surprising that she seemed still young, even if the person whose image it had died near the same time you had been born. Images did not age.It spoke as you and Edelina remained twenty paces far. Your partner’s breath had stuck in her throat with the chill in the air.
“You are not Bonaventura. Yet you come to his summons. I know not how you found this place, but be away from here, yourself and your friend. This is a grave for soldiers, and no place for young women to entertain themselves in.”“I am Bonaventura,” you raised your voice in objection, “My name is Vittoria Antonia Bonaventura, and my Saint is Emelida, Patron of Heroes! I have come in place of my father, Palmiro Bonaventura, Commander of the Aurora, and Bringer of the Dawn, a man who fought and shed blood for Vitelia in these very lands, together with you. You’ll deal with me as you would with him.”The spirit raised an eyebrow. “His daughter…to the Saint Emelida…you are already this old?”“I introduced myself. What about you?”The spirit raised its chin as if in some slight offense, but it spoke still. “In life, I was Chiara Di Scurostrada, and I sought to guide a nation suffering for its declining holiness towards a just future. My ambitions put me on a path where neither my class nor sex would be any barrier, so long as I was determined, but through justice or fortune, I was slain upon the battlefield. Were it the will of the Judge, I decided, I had no regrets. If it was fate, then I could not protest my fair drawing of the lot. However, I awoke once more, and realized what even those who walked alongside the Saints never knew. Death is not the end. For a Saint, it is the beginning. Sainthood is beyond any lifetime. To exceed our mortal selves, the Judge must call us forth once again to serve our parts. I am elevated for special purpose, and to that end, I am his instrument. A Blaze. This was no soul raised from the dead, you had known since your tutelage had begun years ago. It was one of the first things learned. The restless dead were merely songbirds, singing back a song they had heard. The Presence of the Living resonated with that of the land, of the earth below, of Velekam, and the dissipation of one’s life force could in rare cases bring forth a cursed doppelganger. Such creatures were what were called Embers, but if they consumed more presence and grew, they became more distinct, more powerful, more dangerous. An Ember was parasitic. A Blaze could be predatory. If it grew further still, it could transform into something worse- something unstable and no longer remotely human even in imitation.This creature, by the laws of the Mountain Lords, would have been marked for immediate extermination if discovered. But you did not know if you could defeat this spirit in a fight.“You’re not the risen dead,” you said, trying to keep your voice level. Spiritual power was washing against you, trying to lap away like the ocean at shore. “You’re a copy of a person. Vital energy molded by an echo. You’re not real…”
The spirit was unfazed. “I am here now, am I not? Whether true or false, I carry along my memories, my dreams and my drive. Does that not speak enough to my having a purpose?” “What…” Edelina shivered against the energies battering her behind you, “What is your purpose, o spirit?” She did not learn what you had. She sought diplomacy with a creature evolved to prey upon sympathy and hope.“This world has had no saints for centuries,” the Apparition said, its voice quiet yet resonant, like a chill blowing through you. “It needs one more than ever now. A Saint of the Revolution must come about. The Judge grants us the means of our salvation, so long as we have the strength to raise the tools thrust upon us by God. Aid me, daughter of Bonaventura. Our cause may be the same, if we may only help one another.”“How can we trust you?” You had to challenge. “I know what you are. I know how you got the way you are now. Haven’t you consumed others like you?”“I have made common cause. I have made others believe. My progress to my current form has been slow and ponderous. I know not what year it is anymore, such has been the agonizing pace. I could share the details of my life that I could not know otherwise. I could tell you my greatest joys and most bitter losses. Whatever you believe, I have only acted upon what I believe is the upright and just course of action. I ask for help, I do not lure you forth with honeyed words to trap you.”“What do you need our help with?” Edelina asked, “How could we possibly help?”“I know that I reach the limits of this form. It is time to become human once more, and I know of only one possible way. As I am spirit, and have no body, I must obtain one. I must inhabit…something. That is what I ask of you. I know it is no small thing to request, but there was never a Saint who did not walk as a man, who did not live as a person. I know not what comes next for me, only that I must once again be changed. For the good of mankind, I ask again that you help me to one I may inhabit. One who is close to my form, ideally, so little is in conflict, or changes…”The Blaze was requesting that you help it possess somebody. In some cases, an Ember could inhabit a person temporarily and control them. A Blaze could do so easily- and permanent inhabitation resulted in one will overpowering the other, both Presences becoming one, and with a Blaze this powerful, the person inhabited would surely be all but consumed by the invader. Such a danger, such a perversion upon the soul itself, was part of why a Blaze was something to destroy as soon as possible…
…Yet. Might it be true, that a Saint was actually an inhabited person, given power by the Presence of another entity? You had no idea. The Lords of the Mountain did not recognize the Saints of the Cathedra just as, the other way around, Sorcerers and Soulbinders were naught but myth and secrets respectively. Despite Edelina’s own ancestor being a Sorceress just as you were. The Saints did exist, even if the staunchly atheist denied they had any holy might. What gave you pause was the idea implanted, the little doubt, that what if this was the intent of the Judge, who worked in mysterious ways? Would you cross God himself, in opposition to what was claimed to be blasphemy by mossheads? Was that what a Vitelian would do? Was that what one who sought the Dawn would do? This was a duplicate of your father’s, of padrino’s dear friend, yet you were the one who would be making this decision…“Vi…” Edelina said with a quavering voice, “I believe she is telling the truth, that she means no ill, but all the same, this feeling frightens me so, and I have doubts that we should meddle in this…this is beyond anything I have been permitted to know…”All eyes were upon you now. The anticipation of the princess- the expectant gaze of the spirit. The latter had seated itself as though on an illusory chair, but its energy was still far from calm. It perhaps still expected that you might oppose it…>You cannot let this blasphemy exist upon this world. Prepare to enact an exorcism, and destroy this foul imitation of life and soul.>Agree to help, however you might. You had the means to place this creature into a safe form, and the means to unleash it again. If it wished to help, then why would you not take its aid? You would find somebody for it to inhabit soon enough, had ideas already, even… (Whom?)>The matter of a friend of your father’s was your father’s to decide upon. Agree to help this spirit, tell it of your plans- then seal it away for transport. Mailing a ghost was far from the strangest thing you’d done in service of the cause. >Other?
>>6468432>>The matter of a friend of your father’s was your father’s to decide upon. Agree to help this spirit, tell it of your plans- then seal it away for transport. Mailing a ghost was far from the strangest thing you’d done in service of the cause.
>>6468432>>You cannot let this blasphemy exist upon this world. Prepare to enact an exorcism, and destroy this foul imitation of life and soul.
>>6468432>Agree to help, however you might. You had the means to place this creature into a safe form, and the means to unleash it again. If it wished to help, then why would you not take its aid? You would find somebody for it to inhabit soon enough, had ideas already, even… (Whom?)The "obvious" answer would in fact be Chiara, but as to which one?
>>6468432>Agree to help, however you might. You had the means to place this creature into a safe form, and the means to unleash it again. If it wished to help, then why would you not take its aid? You would find somebody for it to inhabit soon enough, had ideas already, even… (Whom?)Ideally a woman that Vi and Bonetto won't miss terribly like the Princess in Emma's case Any more notorious highborn women in Larrenci or Interres?
>>6468432>Other?With the power of Imbuement, would it be possible to bind this spirit into a hand fashioned body? We could reach out to Lorenzo for help making the body too, he seems to have a knack for that kind of thing. It may take some more time for this body to be ready but if we have qualms about sacrificing a person to play host for this ghost, this could be our next best option.
>>6468432>You cannot let this blasphemy exist upon this world. Prepare to enact an exorcism, and destroy this foul imitation of life and soul.The Judge sent her back as a Saint of the Revolution? Yeah, yeah, I'm sure every phantom that Zeitgeist ever exorcised had a sob story to tell.
>>6468502>Any more notorious highborn women in Larrenci or Interres?Vittoria would not know. It's not really her interest or domain. She'd probably say somebody might fit the bill- but would you really want to raise such a person into this sort of power, both notorious and highborn? That, and she'd have to get close. A Blaze of this strength is difficult to just lead around like a dog.>>6468562>With the power of Imbuement, would it be possible to bind this spirit into a hand fashioned body?Imbuement has more to do with manipulating one's own presence, not that of another. What that sort of thing would be more related to is a sealing ritual as mentioned is possible with sacred blood. Though that would be very untested for somebody like you.
>>6468595Right. As an alternative, we're kind of near Gilicia, maybe we could find a suitable candidate there? With their general religiosity we might actually find someone willing to volunteer if "convinced" gaslighted that Blaze-Chiara is actually on the road to Sainthood.
>>6468432>You cannot let this blasphemy exist upon this world. Prepare to enact an exorcism, and destroy this foul imitation of life and soul.Yeah, no.She's gotta fucking go.
>>6468432Gonna combine two options here:>Agree to help this spirit, tell it of your plans- then seal it away for transport. >DO NOT mail the ghost. Exorcise it once it's been sealed away and is vulnerable. I believe this is an ancient soulbinder technique called lying.
>>6468651Support, lmao
>>6468609>As an alternative, we're kind of near Gilicia, maybe we could find a suitable candidate there?You could try. But Vittoria has never been there, and the effort would be...extended. In other words, offscreen.I'm waiting to see if I get called into work today, but if not, I'll call the vote in five hours or so.
>>6468432>You cannot let this blasphemy exist upon this world. Prepare to enact an exorcism, and destroy this foul imitation of life and soul.To lure someone here and have them be taken over by this thing would be pretty bad. I think anons did it for Emma and the Duchess because of the conflict with the Duchess but I don’t think Vi hates any females that much.
I was indeed called into work. I'll have to call and update tomorrow.
>>6468432>You cannot let this blasphemy exist upon this world. Prepare to enact an exorcism, and destroy this foul imitation of life and soul.
>>6468432>>6468651lmao, I support that plan for the exorcism
>>6468453>>6468741Pass this one up the chain.>>6468463>>6468502Find a host, to bring forth a saint.>>6468562If saints are not born, then perhaps they are made.>>6468462>6468593>6468623>6468811>6468896Rid the world of this unholiness, regardless of what it claims to be. You know the truth of its existence, unlike so many.>>6468651>>6468673>6468926Deception to ploy what is, at its core, a deciever....Meaning a doppelganger spirit, not a woman.Updating.
When you had first been being tutored by Zeitgeist, he had taught you of these spirits of the dead. You had pitied them, wondered why they could not be so readily given mercy. Even so, he had told you:“They are, heh heh, not to be treated as humans, Remiel. No more than a photograph is. The dead do not return no matter what they believe. It’s best not to defy what is so long decided for us, heh heh…”“Why not, though?” You had asked Zeitgeist, “Why not let them come back, if they’re good? There’s plenty of people wasting their lives, their wealth, and doing nothin’ but bad business with what they’ve been given. We could take all the jerks and idiots and replace them with somebody worthy while.”“Heh heh, hehhh…if all of the dead could come back, Remiel, what room would there be for any new people? What would a world full of nothing but old souls look like? You are of the utopian delusion, you should know well enough how the cycles of life and death rejuvenate the soil of society…once upon a time, a seemingly perfect world ended, for something so innocent as sentiment for the unfortunate, heh heh heh. Even the villains of the world have their purpose…and imagine if they never left.”Old unlife would suffocate the new, consume it to sustain itself. An eternal stasis. Was it your place to make an exception? Not when you knew the truth of what this spirit was. This blasphemous memory of the dead had to be purged.Were it so easy as believing that, though. This spirit was more powerful than any you’d encountered, you already knew. If you attacked it outright, what would it do to somebody seen as an enemy, rather than right now, where you might be of help? At best, any lingering respect for your father this Blaze’s original soul may have had would keep it from consuming you, and force you to flee- whereupon it could escape into the world.
There was an alternative, though. Trickery, that which teacher had said was the necessary skill of a sorceress. What Padrino had said was the friend of a fighter as much as brute force, and in the case of those who could not rely on it, an even greater ally than that. Whether or not you would have helped this Blaze, to do so, you would have either had to draw a person out here, or seal it away or otherwise store it, which you had the unusual means to do. Albeit, the Ghost Jar could not seal this creature without reducing it. You would have to use the theoretical, untested Sealing Spell, augmented by the power of primordial royalty…and a large portion of it too. Unless you found the woman who had given it to you again and forced it from her, it would be irreplaceable.It would unquestionably work, however, forever trapping even a Blaze as this in a deactivated form, in an image upon vellum, unable to be freed unless if its bindings eroded…which sacred blood never did.Edelina’s blood could work, somewhat, if you wished to take a risk or weakened this Blaze first. Her blood was not of sacred brood, but hers was a bloodline of sorcery nevertheless. Your essence would be the catalyst for anything, of course, and was of little use as reinforcement.“You hesitate,” the spirit noticed. “I know I am intimidating as I am now, but I mean no ill will. So many years and much toil have gone into my plans. The defiance of death is too rare a blessing to squander. I would be in your debt in all ways for your assistance, to you and your bloodline, daughter of Bonaventura and Yena.”There wasn’t really any reconsidering that point now. “It might be easier to transport you to my father,” you suggested, “If you were reduced.”Suddenly, the spirit seemed guarded. “That is not an option. This power I have gathered is a necessity. To become a Saint, rather than merely reborn…”So it would not be so easy as that. This was not whomever Chiara Di Scurostrada had been, and you were not daughter of Bonaventura right now. You were Remiel, the Cowled Sorceress, and you had a duty to perform for the world of the living.>Do this with some honor, as respect to a memory. Refuse, and inform the spirit of its coming obliteration, and begin the assault, to try and purge this creature in one fell swoop.>Perform the Sacred Seal with the Queensblood you obtained. Though it is precious, and could have so many other potential uses for other things…>Attempt the Sacred Seal with Edelina’s blood. It may not work without weakening the Blaze, but it may be simpler than destroying it outright.>Other?
>>6469096>Attempt the Sacred Seal with Edelina’s blood. It may not work without weakening the Blaze, but it may be simpler than destroying it outright.
>>6469096>>Attempt the Sacred Seal with Edelina’s blood. It may not work without weakening the Blaze, but it may be simpler than destroying it outright.
>>6469096>Perform the Sacred Seal with the Queensblood you obtained. Though it is precious, and could have so many other potential uses for other things…Needs must
>>6469122>>6469207>>6469251>>6469377Attempt to not use the very special blood for sealing.>>6469321Go all out.Updating. Won't be a long one, though.
Alright, alright. There was one option to take while you still had a semblance of this ghost’s trust. To enact a sealing, which would trap this creature in stasis, nothing more than dreamless sleep to a creature of Presence as it was frozen into matter, like ice into stone, water into cloth. Yet you didn’t want to use the Sacred blood for this- not yet. It was too precious, even if it was the only method powerful enough for you to be certain it might work. “Eddy,” you whispered to the princess behind you, “Give me your wrist. I need your blood.”“Huh?” Edeelina blinked, but she proffered her hand almost too obediently. “It…won’t be much, will it?”You weren’t actually sure. With a flick of the blade of your multitool, you did something that would make her servants assault you on the spot if they were anywhere near, and Edelina flinched.“Ouch!” She winced.“Shh,” you hushed impatiently, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I just need…” You didn’t know why you whispered. Spirits didn’t really hear the same way actual creatures did.“What are you doing?” the Blaze of Chiara demanded, drawing back. “Sorcery,” you answered, “The best way I can help you is to seal you. It’ll be over soon.” If this didn’t work, though…You cut open your own palm and smeared your blood over a spell tag, one which would seize Edeelina’s blood into prearranged symbols upon the Vellum meant to be the sealing substrate. It flowed through thee air in tiny, rootlike streams, spilt like ink and hardening like wax into geometric matrices forming a circle, interlocking branches meeting in the middle and knitting together.I am Relqa, she whom bound the tempest to her whim, Edelina’s blood was trying to reach into your presence through your own, you are not my blood, who are you to bind my might?Your mouth moved on its own, lips reciting incantation meant to assert your own identity rather than being what might be assumed to be part of a spell.“I am Remiel, the Cowled, and I bind you in the blood of Golden Tomorrow…” You felt faint, and you heard Edelina fall to her knees behind you as the Sealing Spell’s power began to push against that of the Blaze’s radiance. You felt it struggle, saw it trying to weave around, falter, then try and slip through. The false Chiara had been fascinated, but was growing suspicious…would this work? “Peace shall seize you and set you to slumber!”>Roll 3 sets of 1d100. They must collectively add up to 200 or above.
Rolled 70 (1d100)>>6469525Lol, watch these not add up to 30.
Rolled 100 (1d100)>>6469525fingers crossed.
Rolled 4 (1d100)>>6469525
Rolled 100 (1d100)>>6469525Well well well, if it isn't the consequences of my actions...
>>6469534somebody MURDER this man IMMEDIATELY
Cinema
>>6469534YOU FUCKING NIGGER REEEE
>>6469532>>6469533>>6469534>>6469535Gee billy 2 100s?You could have spent that getting triplets.Anyways writing.
At first, it went well. The reaching streams found purchase, became roots, which sent out shoots further. The flames and radiance were steadily contained- the fire in the spirit’s eyes dimmed with placidity. As it was almost done…“You of false eyes, what do you plot with my bloodline?”“Shit!” You snapped as your concentration was broken and the spirit’s eyes flared again.“Treachery? From the child of my closest friends? You seek to controvert the Judge Above, the future of moral humanity itself?”Edelina completely collapsed behind you. Emergency adjustments made to your spell had taken too much blood from her, and now, without her conscious allowance, the flow had ceased. The ends of your seal scorched and shriveled with the spirit’s building fury- you were so close!Yet it was not over, not yet. The spell, miraculously, had not snapped asunder. It still was trying to absorb and pacify the spirit- it just needed to be made a little weaker…but how? Attempting anything could ruin your perilous hold over the whole structure of the shaky, unsteady binding…>Draw your gun and shoot the spirit with your imbued bullets. It might spoil your concentration, but if it didn’t, the spirit would be weakened enough to seal… (High DC Roll)>Commit to a partial sealing. It would rob the spirit of much of its power- and you could disperse what remained before its fractured aspect broke out…hopefully. (Battle a weakened Blade)>Reinforce the seal with Sacred Blood. You’d still be using a precious resource, but hopefully not as much as you might have needed before.>Other?
>>6469541>Commit to a partial sealing. It would rob the spirit of much of its power- and you could disperse what remained before its fractured aspect broke out…hopefully. (Battle a weakened Blade)
>>6469541>>Commit to a partial sealing. It would rob the spirit of much of its power- and you could disperse what remained before its fractured aspect broke out…hopefully. (Battle a weakened Blade)fuuuu
>>6469541>Reinforce the seal with Sacred Blood. You’d still be using a precious resource, but hopefully not as much as you might have needed before.
>>6469541>>Commit to a partial sealing. It would rob the spirit of much of its power- and you could disperse what remained before its fractured aspect broke out…hopefully. (Battle a weakened Blade)
>>6469544>>6469551>>6469598>>6469653>>6469680A partial seal, a job needing to be finished. With how much it would be weakened, surely it should be easier...>>6469630It almost worked, the Seal just needs a bit more.Writing.
A partial sealing was your only chance to preserve your already significant efforts. If you risked the seal snapping, this Blaze would regain all of its power- and you would be helpless against it. With a bite of your tongue in frustration, you abruptly brought the ritual to an early end. Runes scribed in Presence and Crimson snapped back into vellum, and tore away iridescent energy from the spirit with an agonized gasp. It was only temporary; if the spirit remained active, with the seal as precarious as it was, then it could break itself loose and become whole once more. You had to finish the job to render it harmless…“What have you done?” The Blaze demanded, “The power of a saint, foul sorceries…Can there be no accord between us?”“You must be destroyed,” you declared, reaching for Edelina and your fallen bag to get your tools of exorcism. “I told you. You’re a fake, a copy. A danger to the world. And my job is to keep things like you from threatening humanity.”“Signora Vittoria Bonaventura, I would rather not be your enemy,” the specter said with a raising of its hand, “But I cannot allow this chance to slip through my fingers like so many before. If your father told you anything of me, he would have said I was a warrior. I will not be underestimated.” “Right back at you,” you declared. “I am a warrior as well.”“Show me.” It thrust a hand skywards, and a wall of blue-white fey fire burst from the ground between you, a hair’s breadth from your face, pins and needles coursing through your body. It was still so powerful, to do something like that…Your sixth sense was utterly blinded by the intensity of the attack, but it hadn’t actually harmed you- what was the spirit doing? You had to think fast…>?
>>6469748>Empty our revolver into her
>>6469748shoot it a lot
>>6469753>>6469828I have to mention, in case it wasn't clear, that you don't really see Presence creatures with your actual sense of sight rather than what the sixth sense informs of your other senses. If you still intend to try and shoot something you can't see without making any particular guess as to where, that's allowable but your chances of success are predictably miniscule.
>>6469748>Calm down, back up, hold your breath, close your eyes, and feel for the Blaze's location with your Sixth sense. Avoid getting boxed in by the fire walls, wait for it to close in, then blast away.Also, if it's possible to imbue Vittoria's gloves with power in that brief moment in time as well, then do so. If the Gun isn't enough, we can at least grab the bitch and deck her a few times.
>>6469748>>6469862+1I don't know what is in Vi's repertoire, but getting her sixth sense back so she can "see" the spirit again seems a priority, as well as putting in some distance between her and the blue flame/last known position. Would also be mindful that the princess isn't taken advantage of while she is unconscious.
>>6469830Ok, supporting >>6469862 then
>>6469862>>6469895>>6469903A risky maneuver- but what other option do you have than to try and reveal the threat?Roll 3 sets of 1d100, averaged, roll over DC 50. If you have any last minute ideas you can throw them in to improve your chances.>I don't know what is in Vi's repertoireHer tools were listed
Rolled 49 (1d100)>>6470158Watch this. I am about to redeem myself.
Rolled 17 (1d100)>>6470158
Rolled 93 (1d100)>>6470158
>>6470161>>6470171>>6470193Far closer than I would have expected.Guess it would have been better to be lucky the first time though, huh? Writing.
>DC50: Rolled 53: Close SuccessNo…you couldn’t panic. You needed distance, time, even a few moments. You stumbled backwards and closed your eyes. Any senses save for that which buoyed all were a waste, the bright flame of fey fire fooled the eyes, and that was certainly the intent. You breathed, slow and deep- a second had passed without disaster, and in that moment you had palmed your revolver. That big gun that was a bear to shoot, but it packed the punch you needed more than comfort. The other hand shook a spell loose from your sleeve to light your fingers alight with your own crackling Presence flame. If this specter came close, you’d have a last defense.You remained silent, light on your feet, waited for the first sign of-There, but it was so fast-Your eyes opened to the Blaze shooting towards you, one hand reaching for your throat. You thought to shoot- but thought better, and met its wrist with your own. For with a hand enflamed, you could enforce matter upon the immaterial, and found the uncanny grip of touching soul. It came as a surprise to the spirit, it seemed, as you grasped the arm and flung beside and over you in a twirling pirouette of a throw. No wonder. It would not have encountered anybody at all who could so much as try to touch her.As it whirled towards you again, though, the moment of surprise and hesitation, the distance, the renewed sense of where this image of the past was, proved just barely enough. You shot three times, each crackling bullet a shockwave to the supernatural sense, leaving a sparkling trail of false-light. Great rippling caverns opened in the spirit’s image, like holes burned through paper, edges racing outward.The spirit floated in midair, stared at the wounds with surprise, then calm. “I suppose, if this is my just fate, then it is the Judge’s will.” It touched at the space where half its chest used to be as its presence futilely tried to knit itself back together. There was not enough of it to repair anything now. “…Very well. I will not beggar for more time, or consolation. If Bonaventura’s daughter could triumph over what I thought to be the makings of a Saint, then I’ve no choice but to trust the future to those who have survived. Finish it.”“My younger sister is named for the woman you were,” you felt the need to say, aiming the revolver again. “And the daughter of Signore Leone and Auntie Marcella. You’re remembered fondly, but you’re just that. A memory. You’ve got to pass on forever now.”“Do not fail as I have. May the Judge Above bless you and give you strength.”Three more shots. Not the best aimed, but they didn’t have to be, as they obliterated what was left with a final scattering of embers burning away into nothing but sparkling dust.
You fell to your knees, then onto your backside, next to Edelina. Thankfully, the spirit hadn’t gone for her. You wondered why…was it because her blood sealed its energy? Or did the same presence that rebelled against your manipulation drive the Blaze away too? With a start, you realized that, the Blaze trying to blind you, then rushing for you- it was trying to possess you. What would you have done if that happened? Could you keep yourself from being burned away long enough for master to help you? Would you have negotiated to work together? It didn’t matter now. You’d done your duty. A glance to the vellum where much of the Blaze’s power had gone- an entity partially sealed could not reform, and you could tell in its shifting identity. Much of this was likely dispersed energy or other embers, coalesced into a single mass. After checking to make sure Edelina was alright, considering how much blood you’d taken from her, you destroyed the sealed entity by burning it in rock salt. Rid of all sense of identity, the energy flowed out and crystalized. A Radiant…you’d call it a worthwhile prize, you thought as you picked it up and gazed into its formless beauty, life itself given the shape of a perfect, round gemstone. It could prove incredibly useful for the store of obedient, moldable energy it was, even if you weren’t certain for what yet…Edelina finally stirred after a Stitch spell returned some scattered blood back into her, and you helped her sit up.“Ooh…” She blinked and rubbed her eyes, “Vi…is everything well?”“I won.” You said simply. “That thing won’t bother anybody anymore.” There didn’t need to be more detail than that. “We should get back. I think your servants might notice we’ve been out, and there’s been gunfire.”“Gunfire?” Edelina echoed, “You can shoot a spirit?”“You could probably do it too,” you said blankly. “I think it’d be helpful for you to learn.”Edelina shook her head. “No…my bloodline only allows such acts by whom bears the crown, and only in defense of our people…”“Then you should get ready to wear that crown.”“I do not know, still…” Edelina grasped at her chest, finding it difficult to feel where her heart was. “Was I of use?”“Plenty,” you said with a reassuring pet of her head, offering your hand to help her stand. “How’re you feeling?”“For how little I did, I am exhausted…” She sounded more disgruntled at herself than you’d ever heard directed towards anyone or anything else.-----
The next morning, you had been hoping you could sleep in- especially after being found by Edelina’s people, and thoroughly interrogated and scolded for “exploring” in a region of relative danger, unescorted. However, the sun was barely up when you were rustled out of bed by Edelina’s maidservant.“Miss Bonaventura,” she urged, and you flailed at her from being disturbed so suddenly. “You must wake. There is a situation.”“Huhh?” You blearily moaned like a stupid cow. “Muuugh? Situation?”“We must be ready to move immediately. Do you need help getting dressed?”“Nuuh.” You stretched and yawned. “I got it. I’m not a kid. What’s happening?”“The Provincial Governor of Interres, Forte Sabato, has been assassinated.” The maidservant said, “Your relation, Elena Giarno, has been declared responsible and arrested, for delivering an explosive parcel to him. It is good that we are firmly in Pescatore’s territory…but the papers say that you are being sought for questioning.”“Huhhwhat?” You fell over while changing out of your sleepwear, ending up a half-dressed tangle. “She what? Assassinated? Explosive?” You could only repeat words like an idiot, unable to piece it all together without your mind blanking out of panic and confusion.“I know this must be a shock,” the maidservant knelt down to you, “But I again insist that we must hurry. Halmeggia is not far from here. With simple disguises we may move to the border and cross over with ease. Once there, we will take you into shelter of the Royal Family.”“I…” You were silent as you got up and got dressed. Your things were already mostly packed, but the maidservant was already grabbing up the rest of your stuff as you fumbled for buttons. What were you going to do? You could accept the shelter offered…but your pride insisted you’d done nothing wrong. Would somebody who had done nothing abandon her mother country? Would somebody innocent not look guilty for fleeing?>There was no reason to be a fool. Take up asylum with Edelina in Halmeggia. Even if it meant leaving the Azure Halls, and Home…>You were no criminal and had done no wrong. You appreciated the offer, but both you and the crown princess had an education to return to, and you intended to do just that. Besides, it wasn’t like Edelina was in trouble, right?>A person of your talents and age could handle herself. Running off into Halmeggia could cause trouble for that country and your friend, too. Best for you to affect your own escape to somewhere else. You were plenty familiar with traveling alone, off of any trail most people bothered to take… (Go where?)>Other?
>>6470225>A person of your talents and age could handle herself. Running off into Halmeggia could cause trouble for that country and your friend, too. Best for you to affect your own escape to somewhere else. You were plenty familiar with traveling alone, off of any trail most people bothered to take… (Go where?)Well, Vi is a soulbinder-in-training, and she spent the first few years of her life in the backcountry with the mossheads. She might be looked for there, but it seems safer than staying and it's less distant than Halmeggia.
>A Radiant…you’d call it a worthwhile prize, you thought as you picked it up and gazed into its formless beauty, life itself given the shape of a perfect, round gemstone. It could prove incredibly useful for the store of obedient, moldable energy it was, even if you weren’t certain for what yet…If only we had a magic regenerating tank with a death laser that ate these for breakfast. I miss Richter's M/32 so much.I miss Richter and Maddalyn too, of course.>“The Provincial Governor of Interres, Forte Sabato, has been assassinated.” The maidservant said, “Your relation, Elena Giarno, has been declared responsible and arrested, for delivering an explosive parcel to him. It is good that we are firmly in Pescatore’s territory…but the papers say that you are being sought for questioning.”Ok, this misadventure seems like a waste of time compared to stopping an assassination and keeping Elena out of trouble. Oh well.>>6470225>A person of your talents and age could handle herself. Running off into Halmeggia could cause trouble for that country and your friend, too. Best for you to affect your own escape to somewhere else. You were plenty familiar with traveling alone, off of any trail most people bothered to take… (Westwards to Naukland.)Link up with what family you have on the continent and make a plan for what to do next.
>>6470225Back and gone again. Nothing for it I suppose, this Revolution is for the living.>There was no reason to be a fool. Take up asylum with Edelina in Halmeggia. Even if it meant leaving the Azure Halls, and Home…I do not want to stray too far from Vitelia. If things are about to get bad it will help to be close at hand in case we are needed.>Other?Send a letter once we are safe to Lorenzo explaining what has happened. I do not want him returning home just to get scooped up by whoever is playing policeman these days.
>>6470225>There was no reason to be a fool. Take up asylum with Edelina in Halmeggia. Even if it meant leaving the Azure Halls, and Home…Huh.Well Sabato won't be missed but this is definitely not good.
>>6470225>There was no reason to be a fool. Take up asylum with Edelina in Halmeggia. Even if it meant leaving the Azure Halls, and Home…You can take the girl out of the Azure Halls, but you can't take the Azure Halls out of the girl>>6470233>this misadventure seems like a waste of timeI don't think Vi would feel the same, she'd have to acknowledge that her path and responsibilities are tied to the supernatural. Having blaze-Chiara become a saint and lead another faction would only become a bigger headache later on.I'd be interested to know what choice Vi would have picked if the player base didn't intervene via this POV (e.g. between helping Elena, staying at home or dealing with ghost stuff). Like, if we had chosen a different POV, would Via have gone ghost hunting anyway? Ignore if this is peaking behind the curtain too much.
>>6470225>There was no reason to be a fool. Take up asylum with Edelina in Halmeggia. Even if it meant leaving the Azure Halls, and Home…Let's get to a safe place first, we can always decide where to go next once Bonetto and the Legion wraps up the Caelus contract.
>>6470332>Having blaze-Chiara become a saint and lead another faction would only become a bigger headache later on.You know what, that's actually a great way of looking at it. If Vi didn't show up, who knows what Chiara would have done while waiting for Bonaventura to show up. Could have gotten nasty in the long term.
>>6470225>>You were no criminal and had done no wrong. You appreciated the offer, but both you and the crown princess had an education to return to, and you intended to do just that. Besides, it wasn’t like Edelina was in trouble, right?
>>6470225>There was no reason to be a fool. Take up asylum with Edelina in Halmeggia. Even if it meant leaving the Azure Halls, and Home…
>>6470226>>6470233Take off yourself, for elsewhere. Wandering is nothing new, and you are hardly lost.>>6470255>6470309>6470332>6470339>6470427A Holiday in Halmeggia isn't so bad. Especially considering how the kind of demand you'll be in back at home isn't exactly the one you'd prefer.>>6470383A Vitelian Revolutionary leaving Vitelia? What example would that serve for the future? You remain.>>6470255>>6470233Additionally, ensure your family doesn't end up getting caught in the recent history page.Updating.>>6470332>I'd be interested to know what choice Vi would have picked if the player base didn't intervene via this POV (e.g. between helping Elena, staying at home or dealing with ghost stuff). Like, if we had chosen a different POV, would Via have gone ghost hunting anyway? Ignore if this is peaking behind the curtain too much.I do think the mystery of certain things is better than knowing necessarily how things may have otherwise gone, especially when, sometimes, a plan wasn't thought up as ahead of time as it might seem, but what I will say is that your daughter was never one to sit quietly at home instead of looking for trouble and seeking out both proving herself in worthy causes and exploring the unknown and esoteric both, and one route was one she could make far more conclusions about as to what the actual risks and opportunities were. Whether she'd have brought along the Princess is also very much up in the air.
>>6470487The red trim on Ghostchiara's veil makes it look a bit like she is still bleeding out from a head wound, was that intentional at all or am I reading too much into things?
>>6470499>was that intentional at all or am I reading too much into things?Not particularly intentional, more being a note that matched the uniform, but her neckerchief is crimson due to that being the mortal wound.
“Okay…okay, okay,” You slurred out as you accepted what was happening, and that you didn’t have any better ideas. There wasn’t any reason to be bold or defiant, no reason not to accept this help for what it was. That you were already being sought out was a sign not to underestimate what might be happening. Halmeggia didn’t have good relations with the Revolutionary half of the country, and that would protect you for long enough to figure out what was happening. “Whatever you say.”“Good. My partner is arranging transport, and our man in Lapizlazulli is laying low and gathering information. Please, allow me to dress your hair to cover it properly. You will have to keep your militia sweater off as well…”You went along with whatever you were told to do, moving as an automaton as you thought aimlessly about why any of this was going on. How long had Auntie Elena been planning to do this? Had she told anybody about it? Why do it? Forte Sabato had ever set himself up as the youthful rival to father, but he had never considered him a personal enemy. What was going to happen with the conflict between the Provincial Governors of the Eastern Leagues, now that one of the three had been killed? Sabato was young and arrogant, and you’d never heard of him having any plan of succession, only proclamations for his place in the future.Practically half awake, you realized you were in the back of an automobile with Edelina, a hood pulled up tight over your head and your hair in a wrapped bun. Edelina was similarly hooded, and glanced at you worriedly.“Vi?”“Uh. Yeah.”“Are you alright?”“No.” You’d left home before, relished the chance to even, but you’d never been driven away from it. How long would things be like this? What would your family do…Edelina had put her arms around you to try and console you. “It will be alright, Vi. My family can make easy accommodation for you as a guest. Most Halmeggians speak Vitelian very well. You’ll be safe and treated respectfully…I could even introduce you to my own family, won’t that be neat?”Somehow you thought you wouldn’t be so well received without completely lying about your political inclinations. As well as who you were related to. “Eddy…I need to send things to my family. To Naukland, across the sea…can your people do that?”The maidservant, listening from the front, answered for the Princess. “The Halmeggian Royal Family is well favored by the Grossreich, who have a priority telegraph line over the oceans. A message can be sent easily and speedily to Caelus, as well as to Naukland. Especially if it need not be disguised.”
“Alright…thank God…” You settled back in the seat and looked lazily out the window. The roads, the countryside, it was all empty. Nobody cared about Halmeggia right now. “Oh Auntie…what’ve you gotten yourself into…?”Edelina’s agents would be able to tell you over the next few days, to send off to Father, to Lorenzo. None of it would be good.-----Simultaneously: Aboard the L’Alba Prospera, off the coast of KraymayakiAfter making the decision to organize the OS-1C Company, things wouldn’t be officially ready for some time, but you would at least finalize the administration of it. Yes, the leadership was elected, but you were required to approve the options. Elsewise the fairest woman might win unrighteously from the easily swayed emotions and feelings of young men.“So these are the candidates for the troops of the Special Company OS-1C to select, then,” you reviewed with Schwarzehand. “The most obvious selection I may have made is absent…”“Captain Rosseau is a good fit for the new artillery unit command.” Schwarzehand said without any sign of second thoughts. “Upright. Innovative. Knows the works of it for years. Elected or no he’s the choice even a fool would want first.”“His lack of vice record would have been greatly appreciated in this unit, I am sure.”“Respectfully, Legato, I disagree. Take it from a Black Coat. You want somebody with flexibility for this.”“But not too much, or in the wrong ways,” you said, further reviewing. “The officers of the newer companies, for example. They are absent from this running, and from the unit?”“Too green. Too little time in the Legion.” Schwarzehand dismissed, “The brave and bloody one, record’s got insubordination in it. Warrior type. So they all got their honors and words of recommendation on their records. I didn’t hesitate to cut them off the special unit anyways. Not a good fit for what you want made. I handed him to Dulechamp to replace the one who’s in charge of the Skimmers now, though Ponte wanted him too. The other ones went to the auxiliary support troops instead of to the 4th.”Not something you thought that the young and ambitious would understand. Especially how you and your men had thought of the rates of ascent in the Auratus War. “Perhaps their youth would help dynamism? We older men may not realize we are set in some ways.”“Plenty of that with 6th Company that’s been proper forged, Legato. Any sharp minds won’t be found stuck in any unit of the 1st. Besides. We’re not that old yet. Let’s get back to the list.”You pointed. “The Emrean War veteran here. I remember him. He seemed well mannered enough.”“Resourceful in the field too.”“The larceny record.” That mustache, however, was one far too proudly worn to ever have been stolen.“An unrepentant petty thief, Legato, but a damned hard fighter.”
“Perhaps better kept on the line then…” You went to the next one. “The 2nd Company Lieutenant. Pietro.” A Sea Vitelian, unusual for 2nd Company.“Good for command I’d say. If the Fealinnese man has another of his officers commanding a company I’ll never hear the damn end of it. Waltz didn’t want to give up any of the volunteer commanders, you know. And Horak wanted to poach his sniper woman. Guess he likes a bitch who can handle a big gun.”“Only one of the 1st Company men in the running for the position of Major, however?” You asked.“Like we talked about. Anybody not here’s too valuable on the frontline to stick watching from the back. Also might not be suited for not rushing in themselves when they need to be commanding. That’s why the Platoon Sergeant sorts aren’t rocketing up to the top chair.”That left the last candidate to set before the company. “A man of the wastes. Well suited to combat appropriations, expertise with subterranean weapons, assault badges…”“One of Katze’s boys. Don’t know if that means in that way. Who knows with her. Everybody says things and she don’t deny it. Anyways. Last one with officerial authority there. Bit of a drinker. Not unfit for command, knows the importance of staff. Decent enough conduct. About as fit as the others but more inclined towards the mechanical, the new.” Schwarzehand leaned back. “And that’s all of them.”“If they passed your muster, then they will have passed mine,” you declared, putting down the papers. “I have no objections. The troops may select their officers.” From the numbers involved in the command of a company from its support to its platoons, even the lowest available positions remained sergente di platone, and such was a place of trust and importance still, even if it did not have the shiny official veneer of being ranked commission.Whomever found themselves leader, they’d undoubtedly have their own personal effect on how the new unit was run, equipped, and how it fought…>E. Cialdini (Free Enhancemeent for OS-1C- Multi-Mission Personnel Armor)>A. Pietro (Free Enhancement for OS-1C- Expert Gunnery)>R. Schwarz (Free Enhancement for OS-1C- Armored Personnel Carrier Enhancement)A seemingly minor decision, and one you would not have overthought had you known what was happening homeward.-----Simultaneously: At Dagtagmotorhus District Itinerant Apartments, Stor Ankomst, NauklandIt was nearly time for school to resume. The winter break for Langenachtfest was rather extended in Naukland, but as it was the tenth of January now, it was near time for enrollment to start up. Irena had already done it, but Lorenzo had occupied himself with another project, and enrollment somehow slipped his mind. He still wanted to get things done early…but Irena wasn’t letting him today.
Irena Di Martellosa was…Lorenzo’s…he didn’t know. They went out on dates a lot over Langenachtfest. They’d exchanged gifts, though neither had really known what to get the other, more serving to confuse than anything. Not that Lorenzo had assumed somebody as wealthy as Irena would ever be impressed by the kind of cheap jewelry he could afford on his personal budget. They’d even held hands sometimes, but it all felt rather…forced.There was just about one thing of any intimacy the two did together, and it was completely innocuous, if only because Lorenzo had only experienced it with older family and family relations. Irena had gotten accustomed to wanting to play with Lorenzo’s long hair. Usually when she seemed irritated about something. She’d been doing it a lot lately, and Lorenzo wasn’t sure of why, or if he should even ask, until that morning of the tenth.“Irena…” Lorenzo asked her while she was over at his place, standing behind him as he sat on a chair in the workshop space, putting together a simple braid tail. “You’ve been doing this a lot. Don’t, er, girls, usually do this with…each other?”“I do.” Irena said haughtily, “What about it?”“So why me?”“Why not you?” Irena asked back with a sharp snap, before catching herself with a short humph. “How many other people with your hair color do you know here? How many else might even be in Stor Ankomst? Is it so wrong to be interested in something interesting? You’ve not complained at all before…”It was true enough. Mountainfolk did not like the sea, and there were very few in the northeast of Vinstraga in the first place. Hardly a day passed where some Nauk resident didn’t marvel at their young engineering student guest. Though…Vitelians weren’t common up here either. Irena was interesting for more reasons than her looks…though if that was the subject, he was curious of something.“You bleach your hair.” Lorenzo said, sounding very unintelligent pointing out the obvious.“I do.” Thankfully, Irena seemed to have gotten used to random outbursts like that.“If you don’t mind telling me,” Lorenzo said quietly, “What’s your real hair color…?”“Real hair color?” Irena echoed, “That is not the way it is meant to be seen. To a Sea Vitelian, expression of the outside ought to reflect the soul. To dye our hair this way, to bleach it,” Irena told Lorenzo, “Is an expression of unity. Nature says we may not have it, but the Vitelian Empire did not bow to the whims of such. Many forget why this is done, but those of noble blood know well such history, and so we maintain our heritage. Where we are one with our brethren of the hills.”
Yet, do they also bleach their eyebrows, Lorenzo thought. He felt like he remembered that most actually did not, but wasn’t sure enough to say. He did feel like he had an idiotic question, but he wondered if he should ask anyways. “What of the skin for the other way around?”“I’ve not known a Hill Vitelian who does not darken in the sunlight.” Irena sniffed. “It is hardly like you’d have to smear clay on yourself. The actual thing that was done would be to blacken your hair…” Irena tousled the green lock she was braiding, “…But you shouldn’t do that.”“But, what color is your hair when it isn’t bleached? You haven’t said.” Lorenzo had to insist.Irena gave an irritable retort. “What does it matter? It can be whatever I want it to be. I want it to be blonde.”“I was only curious…”Irena sighed huffily and went back to turning one lock of Lorenzo’s hair over another. She slowed after a minute, then suddenly spoke up again. “What color would you want it to be?”“Uh?” Lorenzo sputtered, “I don’t…I don’t understand.”“What. Color. Would you like. My hair to be?” Irena leaned forward and whispered into his ear with increasing frustration. “It’s bleached anyways. I can make it anything. What do you like?”Ohh…Lorenzo’s answer was caught in his throat, especially with Irena’s breath tickling him. Her small breasts pushed into his back. Her hair tumbling over his shoulder and cheek…there wasn’t any way she didn’t know how he was making him feel doing this, but an unseemly side of him stood in the way of good manners, and refused to allow him to ask her to stop.>The way it is now is perfect. (Blonde)>Mother would prefer a verdant shade… (Green)>An earthy chestnut or dark brown would look good, wouldn’t it? (Brunette)>A rusty shade, some sort of red, would surely be novel. (Red)>Other?Things are gonna get pretty heavy for a bit so best to get some levity out of the way, there's only going to be one minor choice for Lorenzo and then for the 3rd Battalion, before some more extended stuff later with the tanks because I figured that would be fair for the demand and impact.Having a vote for which of the skirmtoids (affectionate) gets the rank hopefully isn't going to be taken personally
>>6470526>>A. Pietro (Free Enhancement for OS-1C- Expert Gunnery)>Other: I'm sure her natural hair color would be prettiest
>>6470525>R. Schwarz (Free Enhancement for OS-1C- Armored Personnel Carrier Enhancement)>The way it is now is perfect. (Blonde)
>>6470526>>R. Schwarz (Free Enhancement for OS-1C- Armored Personnel Carrier Enhancement)The ability to move straight into an assault in relative safety seemed really good in the special operation, not saying it would work as effectively in a regular operation but making that capability better sounds pretty good.>The way it is now is perfect. (Blonde)I don't know if I would want her to try and dye her hair to some other color here anyway, they probably would boil some mushrooms or something for the dye.
>>6470524>R. Schwarz (Free Enhancement for OS-1C- Armored Personnel Carrier Enhancement)>>6470526>An earthy chestnut or dark brown would look good, wouldn’t it? (Brunette)
>>6470526we didn't vote for Lorenzo POV and just left him to his autistic tendencies. this was the real battle to win>R. Schwarz (Free Enhancement for OS-1C- Armored Personnel Carrier Enhancement)>The way it is now is perfect. (Blonde)what she wants is what we'll get, just need to be convincing.
>>6470526>A. Pietro (Free Enhancement for OS-1C- Expert Gunnery)>The way it is now is perfect. (Blonde)
>>6470526>R. Schwarz (Free Enhancement for OS-1C- Armored Personnel Carrier Enhancement)>The way it is now is perfect. (Blonde)
>>6470526>R. Schwarz (Free Enhancement for OS-1C- Armored Personnel Carrier Enhancement)Would be kind of neat if we could eventually turn the company into a testbed for armoured infantry à la Reich Panzergrenadiers or Netillian Mech Guards.>The way it is now is perfect. (Blonde)>spoilerJust wondering tanq, a promotion is welcome but would the universal guns be folded into the artillery company or remain with OS-1C?
>>6470526>>R. Schwarz (Free Enhancement for OS-1C- Armored Personnel Carrier Enhancement)>The way it is now is perfect. (Blonde)
>>6470559Show me those dark tones.>>6470634>6470703>6470779>6470814>6470816>6470834>>6470858There's something about blondes, is there?>>6470751Cocoa is good on coffee, isn't it?As for the company command position, somebody's gonna have to change their name. Or you differentiate them by redbeard versus fatso.Updating.>>6470834>would the universal guns be folded into the artillery company or remain with OS-1C?War captures tend to be, while property of the Legion, under the specific care of the unit who took them. Such was the matter of tanks earlier on after all. Considering a mix of both a mark of personal achievement as well as the guns being of both similar range and utility in the support guns while also being capable of more, it would only be wise for said universal guns to remain under the custodianship of the artillery support company.So the former basically. They're very useful to have on the line of a battalion, especially without a dedicated anti-tank company.
“B-Blonde,” Lorenzo sputtered, “I like…the way it is now. It’s perfect, this way, I mean.”“…?” Irena paused. “Is it? You are not saying so simply to please me, are you?”“I mean, yes, but, no, but what I mean is…” Lorenzo tried not to go crosseyed at how he managed to fumble every other word in this sentence. “You keep it that way for a reason. Most people don’t think about what color to be on a…societal level like that. You do it out of a sense of honor, you chose that reason yourself. You keep doing it even though nobody asks you to here. I don’t know how many people expect you to at home either. I just think that’s…nice. I-I guess I like the color too, the contrast and all of that sort of…thing. But I think what you want for yourself is the best. I’d rather you like it best, instead of being what somebody else likes best…”“…” Irena had let her hands down by her sides. “I suppose so. But there are blonde Nauk girls as well. Have they caught your eye?”“They don’t think about what they are. They’re just doing the same thing as ever. N-not that there’s anything wrong with that, but, with what you said…nobody can call you a false-facer, can they? Where I used to live, people called my older sister a fake Nief’yem, mountainfolk, just because her hair was blonde. Nobody who knows anything actually thinks that, but… I just think what you choose to be is more important. I’d like that more than getting to pick whatever I want. I’d be making you fake, I think.”“Y-you don’t have to explain it,” Irena cut Lorenzo off. “I…appreciate it. What you said about my choice being best. I…have not had as many of those as you may assume. Choices.”“You chose to be here, didn’t you?” Lorenzo asked offhandedly, “It’s a long way to go for something that isn’t.”“…I suppose I have,” Irena said with a sigh. “I…think I have.” She went back to braiding, and Lorenzo had to clear his throat.“Er, do you have to-”“Of course I do. We have a reservation to attend in a few hours, and I will not have my man looking improper.”-----January 20, 1929, Andersenshaven, DomensgreppA wind blew through the port. A nasty sort of wet one that chilled to the bone, and reminded one of their age.“Legato,” a Legion staff courier walked up to you and saluted. Obviously not from around here, being a Sea Vitelian young man who was bundled up particularly thickly. “Acting Lieutenant Colonel Domani has prepared a report on recent operations for you.”“Thank you,” you took the folder. “I’ve got quite a lot of reading. I’ll send ahead to Domani when I’m ready to meet him. Have things been well here?”“Cold as the Abyss, Legato. But I’ve been here, not where the battalion was.”“Very well.” You saluted. “Dismissed.”
As the courier left, you reviewed the correspondence you’d gotten. Curious. Several letters had come wired from Halmeggia of all places, a country you had never, not once, had direct dealings with. You had to set them aside for later. A brief note from your son in Naukland. Lorenzo was doing well, apparently, though he had little to say about his studies rather than that things were good with his lady friend. At least he seemed glad about it, even if it seemed awfully hesitant considering how confident Di Martellosa had been about how things would progress.Next you reviewed 3rd Battalion’s recent activity. Considering that it was mere riot suppression and peacekeeping, you weren’t sure how much could actually be disastrous, considering you hadn’t been angrily mobbed at the docks by your patrons, but plenty could have gone very right or wrong still. From what you could tell of his demeanor, Domani, who had been placed in charge of 3rd Battalion’s operations and had been left to his own decisions in your absence, was a rather passive and cautious sort, which might have meant his inherent guardedness would have at least preempted anything foolishly bold.>Roll 3 sets of 1d100 for events. The first for the preparation, second for integrity, third for opportunity of action. The first roll has +10 for the presence of the engineering and construction troop, the second has +20 for the presence of the Subterranean companies and their armor and less-lethal melee means, the third has -20 for general lack of experience and command demeanor.>Update will continue after rolls. No DC, this is just a general feel for events.
Rolled 65 + 10 (1d100 + 10)>>6470922
Rolled 99 + 20 (1d100 + 20)>>6470922
Rolled 67 - 20 (1d100 - 20)>>6470922
Rolled 14 - 20 (1d100 - 20)>>6470922Wooo, negative modifiers!
To review, the regional capital of Havakse (the governate you had been asked to aid in keeping the peace of), Eigansbrand, had been the target of a great gathering and subsequent political protest by several of the local troublemaking groups called the Half Hand- Orrmsaga and Natfang, militants of the Serpent and the Bound clans, here to contest each other as much as they were there to demonstrate against the state. They had organized thousands of their clan folk to come to Eigansbrand, as well as other supporters, and though for now they were merely massed, there were already reports of them trying to force their way into places they shouldn’t- testing the limits of what they could do. Shortly before the arrival of 3rd Battalion, there theoretically could have been nothing standing in their way as the local law enforcement refused to march upon and quell an Anti-Federation protest.In spite of the concern of uneasy city officials, your mercenaries had been able to establish solid perimeters and prevent assaults by mobs on particular areas of discontent, namely the Federation businesses of the New Market District and the City Center where administration was, as well as the Old Town where the homes of officials were. Barricades set up by the new engineering troops of 3rd Battalion proved very helpful in obstructing the less organized rioters, and when your troops had been tested, the results had been extremely impressive. Where hotter and more panicked heads might have been overwhelmed or prompted some sort of massacre, whether in badly handled defense or as reciprocation, Acting Lieutenant Colonel Domani had put together a simple but effective plan. Thin lines of 3rd Battalion’s normal troops formed screens, and wherever rioters tried to force a brawl, reaction teams of Subterranean platoons went forward with galvanic prods and their battle armor, easily dominating any who thought they would find easy pickings in those who had been compelled to not use their firearms for their deadliness. There had been some injuries, several dozen in total, but nobody was mortally or badly so- the shock of how well the Legion weathered several waves of riots had caused the militias to back off…though a lack of follow up or initiative planning had meant the ringleaders and most anybody but useful idiots had evaded arrest.All in all, it wasn’t a bad first operation for the formation. The officials of Eigansbrand were satisfied, the riots and protests had caused a lot of noise but little damage, and there was as of yet no sudden escalations as the political dissidents had desired. Domani was apologetic in his reports, and admitted to much hesitation and lack of confidence, but he had done well enough for a novice whose only experience was in desk work.
Though for their success, they’d find themselves being heavily reorganized soon enough, as their expeditionary companies would be remaining with 1st Battalion and the 3rd Company would be transformed into the Armatura Lehr Company, a significant number split off to staff the beginnings of the nascent Divisional Administration Company, including the commanding captain who would be replaced by a former tanker from 3rd Company, who herself would be aided by the newly recruited Meeresrand.Still. Matters had merely been delayed, and the Half Hand were not obstructed whatsoever in planning whatever their next move would be. You’d have to follow up on this- preferably after you had seen reports on the Mobile Battalion’s work.After that, you checked a short and terse telegram from Vitelia. It was anonymous, but the styling of it was practically a signature from your cousin Antonia. It merely read:Great changes happening soon. They will want to involve you. Do not do so. Do nothing, no matter what. Wish I could tell you more. They know I would speak. Speaking too much unwise.How ominous. You set the report and letters on the table of the café you had wandered into to sit in. You hadn’t ordered anything save water, leaving coins out of courtesy rather than payment- you’d not be here long.Finally, the letters from Halmeggia…A shock that made you pause, for they were not from a government or a delegate, as you might have expected, but from Vittoria, your eldest daughter, and they told of dire news, told over the course of several telegraph transmissions days apart, only so timely and long, assuredly, because they had come from the Halmeggian Royal Family’s access to the Grossreich’s communications…though you had no idea how your daughter would have access to such. Firstly, Vittoria was safe. At some point, she had somehow befriended the Crown Princess of Halmeeggia. So that was how she could speak through this, though you wondered how you had never figured such out, or had not gotten any hint of it. She had news to share, gathered by her friend’s spies observing in Vitelia- people she insisted you not tell anybody of, of course. The news was the sort that would be national headlines, something that turned the country’s current situation on its head, something that forced you to pause while reading for the consequence of it.
Forte Sabato, Revolutionary Provincial Governor of Interres, had been killed as a result of a bombing. A package had been delivered to him, but rather than whatever he had been anticipating, it had been an explosive of enough power that there was little to try and save, and no ability to deny or delay what occurred. The perpetrator, many witnesses attested to, had been…Elena Giarno, an unassuming mail courier who was nevertheless deemed certain to have knowingly enacted the assassination. You…had no words. She did not seem so inclined…she had no benefit you could see, unless somebody had coerced or compensated her to do so, but the news had conjured up no shortage of fiction and theory that Vittoria said she would not dignify by relating them.Her son by you, Benito, was here in Caelus at least. You could not imagine what might have happened were he in Vitelia. Vittoria herself had apparently been sought for questioning, but she had fled the country. No doubt your home had been thoroughly ransacked now for “investigation.”Thrown into chaos, the provincial capital of Tolvidaria had been quickly stabilized by a combination of Julio Di Alba’s mercenary band, already present, and an expeditionary force from Mare Vitelia, commanded by Vicenzo Libero, suddenly flying in to “restore order.” You doubted anybody was under any delusion as to what actually happened, but it was the new way of things no matter what any thought about it. Sabato’s best forces had gone north, and the demagogue himself had not prepared any sort of succession, not anticipating his end at all. Whoever was first to seat his chair with enough force behind, thusly, had been his heir. Not everybody accepted this. In fact, many did not, but they were up in Crovicci, and Pescatore was preparing to crush them, as he might do easily since Julio’s Band of Bastards with their heavy equipment were aiding their mutual half-brother rather than the fallen Sabato’s will. Perhaps they might get help if they bent the knee to the new master, but as things seemed now, they would try to reform the three-way struggle…and be subdued in the attempt. Newspapers were apparently already calling Pescatore and Libero the “Duo Consulate,” as the two worked together rather than opposing. Nobody would be able to contest them save for the Autarch, who was still not interfering. A master stroke of consolidation…and the price would be your Elena’s head, as the punishment for slaying an official and however many others with explosives was clear. Destructive Terrorism with Intent to Assassinate and Targeted Assassination- Death was the penalty for either let alone both.
Not before a trial, of course, even if it was for little but show. There always had to be an event, which made you sick to think about but gave just a sliver of hope. Sailing across the Seerneshav back towards home was far, far too arduous to even consider…but in the few weeks she might have, being paraded about in a courtroom, was it possible for you to do anything…?Antonia’s warning flashed in your head again. Do nothing, no matter what. Could you simply do that, though? Let your childhood friend, your faithful companion, mother to your son Benito, simply be allowed to die without having at least tried? Or had she intended to die regardless, and never wished for you to try and save her? That even attempting to do so would be seen as disrespect?Your thoughts swam in muck; had you not been seated you might have had to lean on a wall. What would you tell her son, by God? Could you even tell your wife, before settling on some sort of plan?>What could you do? Nothing, that was what. You had no power anymore in the old country, and trying to act forcefully was a fool’s game. Surely, Elena knew what would happen, and had her reasons.>No friend of yours would languish waiting for execution. You were the Legato of the Aurora, former Revolutionary Premier, a savior of the Vitelian Revolution. You had friends to call upon to act for you… and they could spring Elena before she met the gallows. (Whom to call upon?)>Attempt to lodge a diplomatic demand for leniency. Impotent as it might be seen, interference it might be claimed to be, you could not stand to do nothing at all… (Anything to give weight to your words?)>Other?
>>6470942Well if Bonetto wasn't already simmering over the whole usurpation this is just more fuel for the fire to utterly purge the Eastern Leagues when we go home.Anyway with Elena's condition she won't survive a long stay in prison even if we can pull strings to lessen her sentence so I'd say we either go all in or nothing:>No friend of yours would languish waiting for execution. You were the Legato of the Aurora, former Revolutionary Premier, a savior of the Vitelian Revolution. You had friends to call upon to act for you… and they could spring Elena before she met the gallows. (Whom to call upon?)We have Marcus in Interres and whatever recruits in Vitelia the Legion has gathered while we're gone. Alternatively, could we hire the Hogs for a jail break?
>>6470942>What could you do? Nothing, that was what. You had no power anymore in the old country, and trying to act forcefully was a fool’s game. Surely, Elena knew what would happen, and had her reasons.Antonia says we should do nothing
>>6470942>What could you do? Nothing, that was what. You had no power anymore in the old country, and trying to act forcefully was a fool’s game. Surely, Elena knew what would happen, and had her reasons.She must've at least anticipated something like this was likely, that's why she gave Benito over to us.
>>6470942>What could you do? Nothing, that was what. You had no power anymore in the old country, and trying to act forcefully was a fool’s game. Surely, Elena knew what would happen, and had her reasons.I mean she either knowingly delivered it, in which case she deserves the death penalty, or she was a pawn... but Elena isn't naïve, and dropped a hint to Vi "to stay home", so it seems Elena is culpable to some extent.I feel like Palmiro is no stranger to killing people, but I can't remember him choosing to assassinate his opponents (and using a bomb to have collateral damage is also distasteful). Have to trust that Elena had her reasons
Maybe we could hire that private investigator we've used to find out whether Elena really planned this or whether she's being used as a pawn? Although, by the time we get the results back it may be too late to intervene either way. It sounds like she did know what she was doing but it would be awful to leave her to her fate if he's just being used.
>>6471159Maybe we could request Vi ask the Princess if the Halmeggian intelligence services are willing to investigate further on this, whoever was behind the bombing is going to be powerful enough to easily dispose of a lone PI snooping around.
>>6470942>What could you do? Nothing, that was what. You had no power anymore in the old country, and trying to act forcefully was a fool’s game. Surely, Elena knew what would happen, and had her reasons.
>>6470958Attempt to help in what way you can- to trust fate, unavoidably, to others.>>6471037>>6471130>>6471131>>6471269Sometimes a fate is asked for. There is no way for you to contravene in this one, and painful as it may be, others may expect such...>>6471159>>6471165Seek further information.Writing.
Could you do something about this? Yes, yes you could. You were patron and commander of a mercenary legion, you had many contacts, friends you’d fought alongside, but the question was not one of could, but should. Antonia, who was in deep with the current Revolutionary leaders, had explicitly told you to do nothing. Moreover, Elena had purposefully sent Benito along with you, out of any potential consequences of what might happen. She had already been speaking vaguely of misfortunes of the future even then- so she knew something would happen. Something that might cost her life, even, with how grim predictions of her ongoing health had been. She had accepted she would die soon.No matter who a person was, the laws of the land did exist for a reason. If she indeed was complicit and knowing in carrying out this assassination, the law demanded her life for it, and anything else was special pleading. You could accept that as the tragedy that it was, even if your sympathies were not for the primary victim. What bothered you most was the why of it. Had she been manipulated? Surely, with the benefits to the Dual Consuls, she had been used. You had to find that out, at least. Amongst your many connections, you needn’t resort to unsubtle brute force. Lino Vetro, your hired Investigator, could be distracted from a seemingly fruitless search for Cesare with that, and if your daughter had her own connection to a foreign throne, perhaps whatever passed for Intelligence services in Halmeggia (you doubted somehow they had anything much better than the most basic observers but alas) could share what they knew- though they had no obligation to you, a Revolutionary figure, rather than your daughter’s much more respected friendship.So, that was it. Hollow acceptance washed over the confusion and pleading, though you kept a well trained even expression in the glass before you. This, like so many other things, was simply out of any ability to control. Though assuredly…if Elena had been compelled to be sacrificed, those who had done so would be held to account.
…What would you tell your family, though? Elena was practically family herself. Yena was good friends with her, and had conspired to make her pregnant by you some years back. Said son from such was also here. Should Benito not know that his mother was going to be executed, that she had done what she did? That would be the right thing to do, but she was alive yet…and Benito would not see why his mother should not be saved. Your refusal by default would be a scar on any relationship with your son forever…>Do not tell anybody. Not until it is certain nothing could be done. It would merely be a fact to be accepted, then.>Inform your family. They deserved to know- and to know you were powerless to do anything about it, both righteously or not.>Only tell Yena. She would at least have the maturity, you hoped, to know nothing could be done, and since she was responsible for mothering now anyways, she might know how best to comfort.>Other?Work, the Legion, still called to you more than the family, with that in mind. So instead of going to see them, you went back to the L’Alba Prospera, which was a madhouse requiring management with all the new changed and investments being set in motion. It wasn’t good to fixate on this and not Yena and the children, you knew, but right now, all you wanted was to let thoughts of Elena scar over as quickly as possible, and the only place you knew you could be at peace doing that, was the familiar environment of martial society. Where everybody had struggles, but overcame them in favor of the welfare of the whole. The army united in purpose, and especially now, grateful for whatever aid came. Nearly one hundred independent mercenaries of Vinstraga had been found afar and allowed into the Legion to help make up for manpower shortfalls, but that was south, not here, and Andersenhaven was a madhouse of people still new to soldiery coming down off of a successful mission only to find a mess at home, transfers upon transfers, and whomever seemed not busy or a casualty of cold to be treated, somebody to be conscripted for hard manual labor as the newly acquired ship was turned into a secret laboratory and factory for the long-needy Research and Development Company and Artisan troop. So energized were they that they told you they could near immediately get to a new project aboard the vessel, once everything had been moved onto it and unpacked, the space they had been preparing before to be now used for the new administrative unit…Of course, they were still in the midst of puzzling out the mysteries and aspects of Harzwohlkan Bluepower, the material that was not only used as gunpower in subterranean war (though not so much now, for lack of it, most guns instead converted where possible to use down-powered conventional smokeless) but also a factor in their odd galvanic technologies.
As their progress stood now, they would be ready at roughly the same time the Legion’s reorganization efforts would be done- two weeks, at the start of February. Personal life, Vitelia, all was pushed to the back of the mind with new operational necessity questions. There were a couple weeks at least before anything could be considered for most in the midst of vast reorganization, but future plans were still open. Most significantly, what 1st Battalion might be set to do. You’d be arranging this before you caught up with what had come to you regarding your Mobile Battalion.1st Battalion, with the eastern islands front of the Petrekoran defense having utterly collapsed, was passing time with garrison duty of the very headquarters island its special task force had stormed. It could very well continue to idle there, familiarizing itself with new equipment, training, making its organization firm and solid, and most importantly, being paid for without risking taking casualties or suffering materiel losses. However, little would actually be gained either.Alternatively, they could be committed to another front of the Petrekoran War, though war was an unpredictable beast. They were most certainly at this point a proven unit, however, and committing them once more to battle could see even more repute and resources flowing into the Legion, for understandable risk- though the Mobile Battalion was already quite busy, so it might be a moot point, save to go to another, yet more dangerous front, as what you had heard indicated linking up to operate alongside the Mobile Battalion to be an impractical option, for how long now it would take to reach them.Then there was the option of pulling them up and moving them north to Domensgrepp. A similar net neutrality of maintenance, but it might expand your options in your northward operations while keeping them close to hand and easily accessible to your person, a battalion of veterans to back up your quite neophyte battalion. No matter what you did, though, the OS-1C would not be operating, not yet, not so quickly. Such a special purpose unit had to be very steady on its feet to not risk being immediately wasted, so they would be forced to spend plenty of time consolidating itself in practices and procedure, remaining either on the island it captured or in camp up north save for extreme emergency...>Keep 1st Battalion in its garrison. It had already exceeded expectations- no reason to risk it further in this mess of a Caelussian War.>Allow 1st Battalion to move to the Southern Front of Petrekora. Where its most brutal defenders fought and its craftiest commanders…where the Federation’s less capable states tried to regain their honor.>Move 1st Battalion north, to where you were. The additional aid might be excessive…or necessary.>Other?
>>6471499>>Do not tell anybody. Not until it is certain nothing could be done. It would merely be a fact to be accepted, then.>Move 1st Battalion north, to where you were. The additional aid might be excessive…or necessary.It's not like we could send the entire Battalion home for the sole purpose of helping some idiot or Elena now...
>>6471501Supporting >>6471503
>>6471501>Only tell Yena. She would at least have the maturity, you hoped, to know nothing could be done, and since she was responsible for mothering now anyways, she might know how best to comfort.>Move 1st Battalion north, to where you were. The additional aid might be excessive…or necessary.Let's not underestimate the Half Hand in terms of the threat they could pose.
>>6471501>>6471503+1
>>6471499>Only tell Yena. She would at least have the maturity, you hoped, to know nothing could be done, and since she was responsible for mothering now anyways, she might know how best to comfort.>>6471501>Move 1st Battalion north, to where you were. The additional aid might be excessive…or necessary.
>>6471503>>6471510>>6471528Tell Nobody.>>6471521>>6471627>>6471643Tell Wife.Either way, moving the 1st up north so they know what frostbite feels like.If we're not tiebroke in an hour I'll roll it off.
1st Battalion would return to your direct influence, you decided. Either Schwarzehand’s battalion would be an excess with no penalty, or the Half Hand would turn out to be a more capable enemy than expected. Either way, you’d not be caught flat footed. 1st Battalion would have to acclimate for certain, but given that the most grueling work of discovery in this extreme environment had been conducted already, they’d suffer less for building their new barracks in expanding Fort Granita, the name of the Aurora Legion’s camp outside Andersenshaven. It already had an accompanying village of providers and entrepreneurs- you had to wonder how long they would linger when you were gone.Transport had already been arranged to bring the light armor materiel northwards for the training unit, and more would be arranged as Schwarzehand would take a flight south to meet his unit again, and set sail. Petrekoran submarines were not a great threat anymore, you’d been told, as the taking of the islands had substantially reduced safe passages and operational range both. A boon for you- how much longer would this war last, you wondered. Optimism regarding the length of a conflict was always met harshly by reality. At the very least the Legion would have little obligation to stick it to the bitter end.The arranging of these matters, the calls and waiting, let you reflect some on the situation back in Vitelia. How to deal with it. Not in a way that mattered, ultimately, but a personal matter to address regardless. You’d tell your wife- and that was it. She had a right to know what would assuredly be bothering you still, and it wasn’t as though you could stay away from your family until you could put on a sufficiently unaffected mask. The children could be shielded a bit longer, but Yena…could, and would deal with it. Especially since she had so much responsibility over the household, such as it was. She was about four or five months into her pregnancy, about halfway, and it wouldn’t be long before she was heavy with a new child again. This would be the ninth…You rubbed your cheeks. Yena would undoubtedly want to make up for lost time when you got back, and she’d wonder why you weren’t eager to sate her. Just a little more putting off, you thought, as you touched at the Mobile Battalion report…-----
January 20, Larrocia Outskirts, Viteliahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cCR6MBAaB8An already dark night was made even more so by a shroud of winter fog, miserable and cold, coating everything in frost without a handsome blanket of snow to make up for it. There were few in this village outside of the provincial capital to care, however, a few stubborn sorts who refused to move into the city like the rest had recently. These isolated few were unaware of a few guests they had tonight, one of whom had secretly bought a property to use here just for this purpose, as he had never moved in, and never rented the place out. None knew that this mysterious homeowner was one of the two Revolutionary Consuls, and no red carpet had been rolled out for anticipation that they would both be here tonight, sans anybody but the most basic of escort for transportation. Humberto Pescatore waited in the two-floor home, the first floor only two rooms, one a kitchen and the other a large receiving room with a fireplace, though it was unlit in favor of a candle on a small table. Most of the furnishings were gone, leaving a barren, empty place stripped of all but bare necessities. Such a bald and unwelcoming place was what the other Consul, Vicenzo Libero, stepped into with little comment save for a blink at his partner in power.Pescatore was seated on a stool, a blocky young Sea Vitelian man not yet thirty with the build and look of a laborer but the mind of a schemer of the best sort- an undiscovered one. His legs were spread wide, elbow on his knee and chin on the back of the hand, staring intently at the door. He did not rise as his guest entered alone. Dark haired, with a slight blush of color from mixed heritage, and beauteous raven hair and a sharp imperial face, he would have seemed the opposite and opposed of a commoner like Pescatore, but they were in allegiance nevertheless. “The Red Prince,” he regarded him. “So. It is done, I’ve heard. You have the East.”“And you the North,” Libero said as he stepped further in, eyes still watching for any trap, even if he was certain there was none. “As arranged. When those who need further convincing have laid down their arms, that is. Will they present a problem?”“No.” Pescatore stared. “They will realize their situation soon enough. Time erodes their will already. When their confidence is low and their rage weary, then what remains will be disarmed or crushed. We have no reason to further discuss Sabato’s diehards. They are just as mortal and fleeting as he turned out to be. Instead, we need to talk about what comes next. No more talk of whom holds north or south, but of what we do. What the Eastern League does. When we sufficiently rally the Revolution’s new holdings, we will easily hold over half of the country, should the Vanguard Vitelia associate with us openly and closely.”
“Which they will.” Libero said, “I have ensured that. Not to mention your associations.”“Yes, the Augustans…” Pescatore let a smile lift a corner of his mouth. “The Royal Army itself grows fonder of us than of any of the Old Order. The Autarch may be declared in control, but his power is not nearly what any claim it to be. He only truly rules in the west, and raises not a finger here still. That speaks much to his true domination, does it not? Our house has been built, and he inherited a rotten shack.”“He has been building, however.” Libero observed. “Yes. Which is why we should accelerate the Revolution. The time to prepare for the upheaval of this country is now. I just want to ensure we are on the same page. The current situation is satisfactory, isn’t it? Dual rulership? A pair of equals atop the Councils?”“That’s fine.”“Really?” Pescatore raised an eyebrow. “I expected to need to give at least some concession.”“Those are better given to the future.” Honeyed words- the Red Prince hardly needed more than he already had now. The hand of greed could easily turn on one’s own throat if outstretched too far. “I believe we were already in agreement of what would happen when we orchestrated it, Signore Pescatore. Surely you wanted to meet for more reasons than to watch one another agree.”“Nothing gets past the head of the Eastern Vitelian Revolutionary Intelligence Department, does it?” Humberto leaned forward, still seated, and clasped his hands together, elbows on his thighs. “The loose end. Signora Giarno. Your poppet. She is imprisoned by you.”Libero walked forward, put a hand on the simple table and a foot behind his other heel. “What of her?”“Do you think it is wise, what is being done?”“Sabato has a passionate base. He riled his people to think of him as a hero. The people want justice, and blood.” Libero waved a hand. “She knew that. Such was why she was so well compensated.”Pescatore scoffed. “Women’s psyche are adapted to mold firmly into circumstances they believe beyond their control. They have evolved to find solace in being forced for lack of strength to enact their own wills. Such is what makes them so flighty. What women, what this woman wants, is unimportant and short sighted. She cannot see beyond her own grave, which she has already dug and leapt into to sleep.”“What would you do differently?”“I know of her condition. She will die in a year or two at best anyways.” Pescatore let out a deep, sighing breath. “Have you no regard for our elders? I love your father as little as you do, and conversely, should you not respect the former premier Bonaventura as I do? Keep Giarno under comfortable house arrest and wait for her to expire naturally. No matter what she is dead soon.”
“The people want their show.” Libero repeated. “They care not if she dies, they want her killed.”“You know of the Aurora Legion?” Pescatore’s visage hardened. “Signore Bonaventura has two thousand soldiers, at least. Likely more, and they are far from poorly armed.”“Oh yes. They are better armed than you can imagine. They make your vaunted Revolutionary Good Morning Strike Force seem plain. What is your point? You think he would aid us, against his closest friend, the Autarch? Please.”“It would be unwise to provoke him. What do you think he will do when he sees the photographs, a celebratory headline over a newspaper with Giarno hung by the neck on gallows in Tolvidaria? We rid ourselves of one enemy, we need not replace him so quickly. Give her over to me, and your people can demonize mine however they wish until their blood cools.”Libero’s lip turned up. “I am no fool. You do not consider whom else is provoked by mercy. What precedent is set by not having swift judgment. Elena Giarno well ensured what will happen to her. My noble father has a warband just as Bonaventura does, and unlike him, he is on our side and here in Vitelia, so long as he himself is not provoked.”“He is provoked by Giarno’s labored breathing?”“He was informed ahead of time, as he would have had to be,” Libero said, standing straight. “Along with moving his forces to enforce order, he also volunteered to be the one to arrest her. I believe he wanted to make the same offer you did…and make her his plaything too.”“A delightful rat in the shape of man.” Pescatore said scornfully. “Does he prefer his women dead, then? For her refusal to take his offer?”“Her refusal was more overt than a word. Signore Di Alba has learned to wear a silk vest to defend his vitals from unexpected assault. His pride in his member was ever too great to protect it, though. Miss Giarno made him a eunuch with her derringer.” Libero’s lips peeled back into a mad, open grin. “Such an impulsive, mad woman. Do not underestimate the sweet terror a woman’s wiles can bring upon you, Pescatore. By no other’s hand could the thing that raped me into existence be justly punished.”Pescatore had no reaction. “So she dies so the Band of Bastards continue to guarantee your power in the east.”“Our power.” Libero held up a hand to Pescatore, then put it to his own breast. “As I said. It is all…necessary.” His hand went to his chin. “Which reminds me…you received my request regarding Signore Bonaventura’s daughter? The one attending university?”
Pescatore raised and lowered his shoulders. “I sent men. They said she left her house. They lost the trail going north. I pressed no further. She is only a teenaged girl, Red Prince. Let her be. You already have a Bonaventura in your collection, I’ve seen.”“That is not…Antonia is not-” Libero contained himself. “Perhaps you are right. She is of very small importance. Merely…a loose end, potentially, regarding Giarno.” He hooked his other hand out and pulled a chair from the table. “We have many other loose ends to discuss…though if we are going to properly discuss things, you should light a fire, no? Matters of Dawn should not be spoken of in cold darkness…”-----January 14, 1929, Landing Zone KM31, PetrekoraThe sky on this continent was strange.At night it was dark as anywhere, yes, but when you looked up into it, there was a mysterious sort of light, a kind that echoed something you had once read about, but wasn’t quite the same. Like iridescent, prismatic furrows carved across the sky. Scars of the Heavensbreak, perhaps, or at least such was the only assumption you could make. Nobody seemed actually able to see it outside of the Z. Stijder unit, for some reason, so you’d stopped talking about it and advised everybody else to do the same. So long as you never stared at it, it may as well not exist, unlike many other strange things that happened.Yet you couldn’t help but do it each night and ponder the bloody scars of burnt color emptily, rippling and fading as they did like looking at the shadow of a flame. Especially considering how you could hardly pass the time any other way, waiting for the chance to actually fight. The Federation had the initiative, but it was timid, making gains but refusing to commit its most powerful troops while the Petrekorans were caught off guard, instead choosing to turn what they did hold into bristling fortresses against air raids while plastering anything in range of naval gunfire off shore and keeping everybody else at a safe distance. It was maddening for somebody like you. We are soldiers, let us fight!You are Captain Marz Von Trocken, commander of the Legion's first Panzer Company. The first name is real, the last one, a mirage. Your lineage was a carefully kept secret, but not a particularly interesting one if you were forced to tell. The mystique was itself the appeal. Yet instead of people wondering what romantic bloodline story you were concealing, they just assumed Von Trocken was your real name just because it wasn’t Von Zukunft or whatever. Rubes. “CoMManDer,” a tingling feeling went from your spine to your ears, a resonance from the filament strung from your Stijder to your insulation suit. A filament that had been reached out to you, as the Stijder could do. “WhEN can we RuN agaiN???”
Bothersome machine. You rolled up to your hindquarters and stood up in a single leaping motion, loping over to your crawler tank, putting a hand on its flank. Skirts over its lower half concealed the true complexity of the machine’s suspension. “Hey,” you murmured, “I thought I told you. We can’t talk outside the hull, remember? Panzers aren’t supposed to talk at all. It’s bedtime, or something.”The Stijder ignored that answer and lodged another request, in its warbling voice that had the squeaking strain of a badly played viola. “i WanT to seE MoTHer. WeEe want to SeE MotHER.”We, meaning the entire panzer company. They all talked to each other, in a way just like your own tank just reached out to you, linking comms filaments and speaking as fast as thought, maybe even faster. They’d learned that trick before they’d started talking to people about a week ago. Thankfully only crew like you could “hear” then. Something to do with the way you were all augmented. The same way all the Harzwohlkan of the underground were when they were casemate operators, where they were somehow more integrated with their machines in mind and body in a way you couldn’t explain the workings of. What you did know was that before the procedures that stained your eyes black and rendered your once lovely irises opalescent white (it made you light sensitive as well, so tinted glasses or goggles were necessary in daylight), controlling the Zwarrajno Stijder had been hellishly complicated, each of its four “legs” having its own controls to manipulate, practically impossible to do if concentration was broken and making the driver position the most loathsome of all. Now though, something about how you and the machines linked together made it easy, as simple as moving your own arm or leg. Turning the turret was like turning the head, when you spotted a target, the gunner seemed to know what you were looking at and where to aim without having to be guided in more than a direction. Thinking about it deeply disturbed you, however, so it was all left to the fog of simply being the way things were, not needing explanation.That bliss in ignorance could not be followed when the damn things spoke to you, however. “Maybe you can see your mother if you’re good and we fight well.” You brushed off the second request. “What, do you want to go back to whatever factory made your steel?”“MothER iS UP.” The machine buzzed as it turned northwards and raised on its legs.
“Don’t do that!” you hissed, and the thing thankfully sat back down on its haunches like a dog. They were obedient, at least, even if it was even more disturbing that they could move on their own, as had been found out on the voyage across the sea. “I told you, didn’t I? If the Feddies see you doing things like that, they might take you away forever, and then your mom will be sad, do you want that?”“NooOOOo…”Hiding the true capabilities of the Stijder was of critical importance passed all the way down from the Legato himself. Maybe that was why the Federation wasn’t committing the Mobile Battalion yet. The appearance that their tanks, their guns, were strange looking but not that much more capable than their own vehicles. When the truth was that the Federation’s premier armored units were untested metal, and that if information that 1st Battalion had gleaned from fighting the very few actual Petrekora-designed and made tanks had been accurate, they had panzers that could not be pierced by anything that Federation tanks could fire at them. Bad news, considering that the short-barrel 7.5 centimeter converted infantry support guns of the Stijders were not designed to attack thick armor…Yes, the text of Debon said that the greatest potential of armor was not to smash against one another like a vain joust, but who could possibly turn down the chance to prove oneself superior in all ways? What warrior did not loathe to turn tail to any opponent, even one stronger than they? People called you vain, a glory hound, reckless and short sighted. Mostly correct- you were most certainly not short-sighted, else you would not have taken the Future as your cause. There was no stronger and more powerful opponent to overcome than what stood in the way of the Dawn, after all- the World.Everybody knew, you thought as you turned your back and leaned on your machine, that the world did not change without fighting, and here you were, idle. On the eve of your twentieth birthday. No fight, no girls, no party to be expected save for a belated one. Wretched. There had to be something you could do besides wait for the war to come to you at its leisure.>Speak with the tank, if you were resigned to loiter. At least it felt compelled to answer. (About what?)>Go to the Battalion Command and demand to be sent forward. The Legion was ill served by not proving itself, after all, and you were sure the other Captains felt the same…>The Legato, the Dawn, would not want your company held back so, and there were surely other armor mercenaries at this landing zone who agreed…go to them and form a pack of assault.>Other?Also->What is the name of your tank? It cannot give itself one, after all.
>>6471889>The Legato, the Dawn, would not want your company held back so, and there were surely other armor mercenaries at this landing zone who agreed…go to them and form a pack of assault.>What is the name of your tank?Hammer of Dawn
>>6471889>Speak with the tank, if you were resigned to loiter. At least it felt compelled to answer.Learn what we can of "Mother", how would we otherwise be able to meet their needs.
>>6471889>Speak with the tank, if you were resigned to loiter. At least it felt compelled to answer. (Why does it want to see it's Mother so bad? Was it ready to fight/Did it have a warrior's spirit? What did it think of the sky? Did it dream? Play a game of tic tac to with it, test it's intelligence.)>What is the name of your tank? It cannot give itself one, after all.Nollea
>>6471889>>6471894+1 to tank talk>What is the name of your tank? It cannot give itself one, after all.Badger, as in, 4 legged creature that also seems to enjoy bothering me.
>>6471889>The Legato, the Dawn, would not want your company held back so, and there were surely other armor mercenaries at this landing zone who agreed…go to them and form a pack of assault.
>>6471889>Speak with the tank, if you were resigned to loiter. At least it felt compelled to answer. (About what?)If there's a Mother who's the Father?
>>6471892>>6472191Seek glory through socialization.>>6471893>>6471894>>6472135>>6472213Talk to a machine like a schizophrenic that thinks ghosts and mole people are real.>>6471892>>6471894>>6472135Triplicate of names.I'll roll 1 2 or 3 for them respectively if nobody goes for one or another but you're gonna have to tell me what Nollea even means.Anyways I'll call things in a couple hours.
Rolled 1 (1d3)Alright, locking it in, 1 for Hammer, 2 for Noll, 3 for Badger.
Would you like to contrive some way to hurl yourself to the frontline? Yes. Was it likely that you would succeed? No. The new appointee who had been given command of the Mobile Battalion, some Wezkatinbacher called Von Kivmeri, had given you a sort of special attention that was not the kind you preferred. Said he knew your type, and that you needed a tight leash kept on you. A pup too young to be trained well, he’d said. Bah. Not only was he chafing you with his grip, he’d set his second in command, though more accurately assistant, to ever keep an eye on your unit. An Emrean women called Zaphira-Desvents who was all theory and no practice. A woman who knew the power she had over men like you, younger than her and with plenty they’d want, and not so forthcoming as might be assumed. A frustrating type to be chained by…but you’d not be rebellious so soon. If you were resigned to loiter as those in command willed, though, you had little choice but to indulge this creature in conversation. The machine, you were familiar with, and had gone into battle before upon. The voice was a different matter, and new. No matter how it bothered you that it had appeared from nothing, you had little choice but to get to know it at some point.Its name, you had decided the moment the panzer had become yours, was the Hammer of Dawn, or Hammer for short. Was the consciousness the same entity as the tank? It responded to its name, so you supposed it had to be. Even if its voice was completely unfitting for its glorious name.The machine could “think” to you, but perhaps for the better, you could not do the same back. Yes, you could have gone inside the tank to speak…but the inside had a sort of static in its air that you preferred the chilly night air to. “Tell me,” you said to the Hammer, after a brief look around to ensure nobody was listening to you seemingly having a conversation with yourself. “Who is Mother anyways? Does she have a name? Is it a big metal womb or something? Why do you want to see her?”“MotHeR is NoT MEtaL. MoTHeR is LiKE yoU. HuuuMaNN. NaaME unknOwN. WaNT to SEE hER, beCaUse WE NeVer MET MoTHerrr. Not before WAkING.”So they didn’t even know who she was? Yet they knew where she was. You supposed they were already extremely obedient to stay put instead of trying to wander off themselves. Though they could go pretty far even without the generator vehicles trailing, something about the last tune-ups.“If there’s a mother, there’s a father then, right?” You asked. “I know that much about how things work.” Even if you had yet to enact it. The women who were worth it weren’t the willing ones…and when temptation struck even the seemingly willing ones played coy.“UnKNoWn.”“So you’re a bastard, then.”“Is BeING tHat a BaD tHIng?”
“…Unknown,” you mimicked the machine’s odd way of saying that you didn’t know. You looked up, seeing you weren’t going to get anywhere further with this subject. “The sky. Have you looked up at it?”“NoT WiTH HuMANN EyES.”“Well, look now.” A tingling as you felt filaments link into your suit, crawl up your neck. You kept your eyes craned skywards. As far as you knew, even if it could interface with you, the machine could not control your movements, invasive as it felt anyways.A pause. “MotHEr LoVes tHE DarK Sky. HaTES the SUN. ThE SUN makEs HER LonEl YanD AnGRy. I SEE daRK SkY WiTH yOUr eyEs aND SeE ThiNG thaT MaKeS MotHER HAPPY. SkY to US is noT DarK oR LiGHT. DaRK anD LighT DoNOT eXISt FoR Us.”“Really. So what does the sky look like to you, then?” The roiling definitely was less visible during the daytime.“LIKE thE…SeA.”…Something about that made you not want to keep digging that way. “You sleep, don’t you? Do you dream?”“WhAT is DREam?”“So no, then. When you…you do sleep, don’t you?”“ThE PoWER goes ouT. We FlOAt, until pOWer COmEs bACk. Is THAt SleeP?”You supposed so, though you also knew, among the many things these machines were discovered to be capable of, they could power themselves on at will. It didn’t happen often, but they definitely intended for it to happen. The Stijder were not powered by a combustion engine, after all, but rather by subterranean galvanics, the hum of tamed lightning was their sign of life, and sometimes that was difficult to discern, when it was in a low power mode like now.“iS FlOAt dreAM?”“It might be,” you answered, “Sometimes I fly in my dreams. Free as a bird, like the world ought be.” You ran a hand over the armored flank. “What do you think of fighting, then? You remember fighting?”“NooOo. YeeS. UNkOwn.” The assumption had to be “kind of.” “Do you feel the call of battle, then? That which tugs on a warrior’s spirit? The glory, the fear, everything that one goes to war to find?”“FeeAR?” the thing chirped, “unkNOWn.”“A bold machine. I like that.” The Hammer of Dawn ought to be bold.“WhaT is FEaR?”“Err…” you knew well enough, but how to explain it? “In a battle, people hurt and kill each other. People don’t want that to happen, so they fear it. They’re afraid when something they really don’t want to happen might happen to them. Fear of death is something a warrior spirit must overcome.”“DeAtH?”“Come now. You know what death is. A broken being that cannot heal. Passed on. Gone.”“WE dO nOT hAvE DeaTH then. We BrEAk anD EnDURe. ThIS KnoWN. So nO FeaR.” Another pause. “WherE DeaD thinGs gO? I, We WanT to FinD oUt.”
“…Let’s save that for later.” Loathe as you were to admit you weren’t old enough for certain conversations, this was one of them. Death wasn’t something that happened to people like you, not yet. Especially not before you knew a good woman properly. “Say. Let’s play a game, you know what those are, don’t you?”“ThE CREwS plAY GamES. I cAn bE CREw?” “Sure, sure,” you grabbed a pry bar tool that was propped up on the Stijder. Maintenance used to be so complicated that it was almost impossible to tolerate. Yet when the augmentations occurred you could simply feel where something was wrong, or where something needed touching up. Far, far easier. You drew a three-by-three grid in the dirt, and explained the rules of this simple game. It wasn’t meant to be a pastime, after all, but an evaluation. “I go first, and then you, and the first to get three in a row wins. Understand?”“YeS.”So you would go, then the machine would tell you its move. Naturally, you defeated it every single time.“LeT mE be X.” It demanded after the tenth time. “It aLwAys Wins.”“Not always,” you said. Or had it figured it out?“X alWAYS wIns. I ShoW yoU.”After a few games it turned out that it had figured out the game. Awfully quickly too… “This game is solved,” you explained, “There’s only so many moves you can make, so if you learn them all, you can always win. As long as you go first.” Not that such was hard to figure out, it was a matter even young children could understand, but the Stijder seemed nothing if not childish and naïve. Not to the degree you had assumed, however. “How AbOuT AnOtheR gaME? SitTING herE dOiNG nOtHING is BORinG.”On that, you had to agree.>No Vote Yet, will be for Next Update.
As a side note, to be on theme with Spooky Month, I want to ask which two girls you want and in what, or if you don't have ideas for the latter just the former. Like last time, though ideally not repeats.
>>6472613Chiara and Emma, the Blaze duo.
Another day passed without any developments besides a scout plane buzzing your position before being driven off by Federation fighters, answered with a pair of Petrekoran fighters. The latter were eminently superior in skill- though one was clearly new, as they kept having to get saved by their partner who made the Federation fighter pilots look like fools with the traps they barely escaped from. One of the Feddie planes got shot up, and limped away trailing smoke, and the fight was over as each side decided on its own to split. Then you had to break camp and set it up again to avoid any Petrekoran heavy guns that might have considered you a worthy target, and in the remaining hours of day after that, you had taught the Hammer of Dawn how to play Ichsehe, a looking and spotting guessing game, which told you that it saw the world very differently from you. For one, it didn’t see colors, which made guessing certain things impossible, but it could somehow tell that you, of Imperial blood, were similar to your crew but different from one of the Vitelians in your company. Not that Petrekorans were hard to discern from Legion or Federation.Evening. You were born in the evening, you’d been told. You were twenty years old now. There were a few well wishes from your company, your crew had gotten you a local sweet pastry that served as a good enough treat. Excess was behind you, you didn’t mind a humble day as far as celebration went, but you really just wanted something interesting, something exciting to happen. Finally, the morning after the next day, the sixteenth, there was a briefing on an operation that had been planned. The captains and other leaders of the Mobile Battalion were called into the command post set up by the Signalers. You arrived as soon as you’d heard- early- and impatiently paced for five minutes, taking note of each arrival. Lieutenant Colonel Von Kivmeri had already been present, of course, as was Zaphira-Desvents, whom it seemed briefing organization had been offloaded onto. Despite his scruffy look from all the facial hair, Von Kivmeri was deceptively young, and had an admittedly impressive record. Which was part of what frustrated you to be treated like a child by him when he was so casual with near anybody else. He ought to have known what you felt about that. His aide was the sort of woman you’d see on a magazine, the way she dressed, stood, groomed herself, and even her expressions. Thoroughly Emrean, you would have assumed she was not fit for anything martial whatsoever had she not arrived with the personal blessing of a man you considered well worth idolization. There were worse people to be held by the leash by- but she had thus far ignored any attempts to get to know her better, unless it was in the aide of pursuing ambition. She’d much rather have been in one of your panzers than a command car, but only the augmented could properly interface with the Z. Stijder.
Punctual to the moment was Captain Ornelli, the stuffy Vitelian former professor or something, some sort of scholar, who was a chubby bespectacled disgrace to the image of a proper soldier. You had come from First Company, the Finest, and had gloated to yourself upon hearing of their exploits west of you. At least old Schwarzehand was a bear rather than a blob, a sort of mushroom person like Ornelli. What really ticked you off was how the man talked down to you like a child. He was in charge of the mobile heavy mortars, though, so nobody was rude back lest he be slow with his invaluable support.Then was Captain Arietta. She had been meek once, you remembered, but her time in the wastes with her unit had changed her to become much more eye-catching. She did her hair differently, her eyes were not so wide with uncertainty, her stance and gait had a strength of will to it. Some process had transformed her into somebody most appealing indeed- but that had nothing to do with her unit’s style, which was now of a motorized type, focused on mass employment of heavy weapons using rapid repositioning of such to form rapid defensive lines. The opposite, in a way, of the other Motorized Infantry captain, whom you knew would be purposefully late.Captain Horak was after her, but he’d been hanging around nearby since before you even came. He was a veteran of 2nd Company, and a sneaky fellow, a crack shot and an unabashed clan man of Fealinn. Leader of the Anti-Tank gun company, he had carried some playful idea of rivalry from Fealinn’s fall to the Grossreich, and often claimed to you that his men could skewer your “fancy toys” with ease. He was fifteen years your elder- again, like Ornelli, he surely thought less of you for your youth, but unlike the artillery captain, you couldn’t help but have respect for Horak.Finally, there was the leader of 4th Company, Captain Schoenbijter, from the wastes of Sosaldt. He’d been late often these days, and you weren’t sure if it was just his dust mercenary personality, or if he didn’t particularly respect Von Kivmeri. He didn’t particularly fit in with plenty of the Legion, but he served well enough- even if you thought his ideas of exceptionalism rubbed you the wrong way. Particularly concerning his pushing of Captain Katze to the Legato, who inexplicably put that uppity little smug ginger dust slut into a captaincy. Anyways…like Arietta’s 3rd, 4th Company was of motorized infantry, though with many more motorcycles and focused more on maneuver than firepower, as per Schoenbijter’s experience with raiding.
“We are all in attendance, Lieutenant Colonel,” Zaphira announced as you stood in a line within the command tent, the spectacles that had been on her nose now hanging from her blouse, with more people around. She had spoken in flowery-accented Imperial- Vitelian was the language of the Legion, but Von Kivmeri was still getting to grips with it. Meanwhile, his aide was fluent in anything the Legion spoke. It suited you, of course, since Imperial was your birth tongue, even if she had tinted it in the inherent femininity of Emrean…Von Kivmeri stood from the stool he had been squatting on and eyed each of you. “I’m sure you’re all tired of sitting around, but everything I’ve heard of the Petrekorans implies they’re not to be underestimated, not even these ones, who aren’t their best. They’re still their home guard, the best equipped, and they have commanders with some experience. They also have a lot of arrogant brats looking to prove themselves with the best their patrons can secure for them.” You curled your lip and Kivmeri pretended like he wasn’t also talking about you. “That’s going to work against them, but what we’re doing is testing them. Fighting an enemy we’ve barely touched knuckles with isn’t something to rush into like a blood-hungry wolf. Above all, we’re taking this carefully, seeing how we can push the enemy. So no glorious charges. We save those for when we know our enemy better, when we’re sure we can win. Got it?” He twirled a hand. “Miss Zaphira. Explain the mission, please.”The entire combat element of the Mobile Battalion would be involved in what was planned to be a probe into Petrekoran lines, which had been getting hammered by offshore bombardment and air raids since you’d landed a week ago with little difficulty. You had even been the second wave- freshly taking the place of worn-out assault units that had secured the beachheads and broken the main strength of much of the outdated and poorly maintained fortifications, though intelligence told such had hardly been the main defenses anyways.You swelled with pride at being the first mentioned, the main thrust of the operation. The Z. Stijder Company would be trusted, with the support of 4th Company, to drive into the battered and overstretched western enemy defenses and scatter them. It was projected to be easy- there hadn’t been much chance for mining, and this unit had been retreating for days now. You’d be driving them further away with ease…but that wasn’t the main point of this operation.
“A battalion of the Petrekoran Capital Army’s boldest and richest arrived in the past few days to help rally the defense,” Zaphira pointed to a chalk-scribed emblem on the blackboard set up, some aerial photos marked with red showing vague shapes of vehicles. “They stopped a push from armor mercenaries the other day, and came out on top. Their own armored vehicles are of a type the Federation is generally unfamiliar with, as it has been contained to the Petrekoran heartland…but the Legion has encountered examples, and performed tests against them.”“Our main concern is this one,” Von Kivmeri pointed with a swagger stick to a big, beastly looking thing. It was a very clear photograph, rather than a blurry aerial recon photo. From an operation to the west where a Legion Special Task Force had captured the enemy headquarters for the whole front. “They call it a Basileus, and it’s extremely tough and well-armed, but slow.” It didn’t seem very impressively armed with a main gun that must have been a 4.5 centimeter as standard for the Federation, with an automatic cannon mounted in the bow- it would shred light armor that the Federation used in overwhelming numbers, but it was not so particularly deadly against you, was it? “The main problem for us is that its armor is too strong for any of our weapons to pierce frontally. Its flank armor is also very strong, and would require even our dedicated anti-tank weapons to be within medium range. They do not make up the majority of the enemy’s armor, but there are enough of them to underestimate at our peril.”“If they are so invincible,” you spoke up, “How did we take this one?”“A strike team surprised it in close quarters and disabled it with explosives, immobilizing it and damaging its weaponry to make it helpless.” Von Kivmeri said, “A stunt I doubt many would be capable of, so we will not be attempting to repeat it.”Surely 1st Company men did it. But under which leader? It seemed like the work of baldy, or shades…Zaphira cleared her throat, a cigarette now held in her fingers. “The panzer company attack is a decoy anyways,” Your heart sank. “We’ll see if they’re hungry for another victory, but if they seek one out, they won’t even get the chance to seize it, not this time. They’ll race their Armored Battalion over, and…” She tapped up at the blackboard’s aerial photos where a low hill defined the landscape.
“This position here is where Captain Arietta and Captain Ornelli will have attacked and taken over with much less fuss, giving them oversight of the main route west. Captain Horak is well suited to setting up ambushes, we’re told, and he will surprise the enemy and inflict as much damage as possible within a short time, and retreating before the enemy can prepare a counterattack. When the enemy armored reinforcements are spotted, or if they take an alternative route or otherwise do something unexpected, the western probe withdraws.”“We’ll bite a chunk off of them and run,” Von Kivmeri said, “If they’re hard to handle, we won’t stick around to learn any hard lessons, and we’ll know for next time. If they’re softer than expected, we’ll know that too. But the Federation hasn’t gotten their main offensive plan under way yet anyways, so we’re not doing anything crazy. This is reconnaissance, not decisive battle. We’re just making enough noise to fool the enemy. We have filament, but we’re broadcasting nonsense over wireless for them to intercept and eat up, so they’ll expect one thing but get another. Any questions before we get into the details?”Why, yes, you could certainly think of a potent objection. Why the premier armor of the Legion, the Z. Stijder, were to flee in the face of a foe they could surely best! The enemy would certainly underestimate the mobility, the capabilities of your panzers. Yes, your cannons were more suited for blowing up infantry positions and light armor than even attempting to strike at heavy metal, but your own fellows had accomplished disabling them with mere bundled grenades, and your panzers were so mobile they certainly had no reason to run face first into them in the first place…>Raise an objection. Surely there was no need for you to run away? If you hit the enemy right as Horak did, maybe you could even destroy them? The Petrekorans would again be forced to recognize the Legion as the greatest foe they would be facing. (Unlikely to sway Command)>Do not raise any objection- but plot to make your own move anyways. Von Kivmeri would not see his plan compromised, but you knew the lady overseer could be convinced in the field…the results would speak more than any disobedience could possibly have justifiable punishment for.>Fine, you’d serve your role as distraction, as mere bait on the trap, but you’d be expecting something good in exchange, something to help buy your patience… (What sort of (not particularly reasonable) favor to demand?)>Other? (You are not permitted to be a good little dog who just does as his superior wishes)
>>6472950>Do not raise any objection- but plot to make your own move anyways. Von Kivmeri would not see his plan compromised, but you knew the lady overseer could be convinced in the field…the results would speak more than any disobedience could possibly have justifiable punishment for.
>>6472950>>Do not raise any objection- but plot to make your own move anyways. Von Kivmeri would not see his plan compromised, but you knew the lady overseer could be convinced in the field…the results would speak more than any disobedience could possibly have justifiable punishment for.After we lure the enemy into an ambush and retreat, surely the last thing they'll expect will be for us to turn around and attack them again. With our superior maneuverability they'll never see it coming.
>>6472950>>Do not raise any objection- but plot to make your own move anyways. Von Kivmeri would not see his plan compromised, but you knew the lady overseer could be convinced in the field…the results would speak more than any disobedience could possibly have justifiable punishment for.With the funky angles the Striders can achieve, if we're able to fire from elevation we should be able to shoot through the Basileus's top armour.More mundanely our HE rounds should be able to blow off their tracks, and an immobile tank is a sitting duck for our mortars and AT guns to pick apart leisurely.
>>6472950>Do not raise any objection- but plot to make your own move anyways. Von Kivmeri would not see his plan compromised, but you knew the lady overseer could be convinced in the field…the results would speak more than any disobedience could possibly have justifiable punishment for.Oh yes, lets do this.
>>6472950>Do not raise any objection- but plot to make your own move anyways. Von Kivmeri would not see his plan compromised, but you knew the lady overseer could be convinced in the field…the results would speak more than any disobedience could possibly have justifiable punishment for.If the Legato could ever arrange for the Strijders to be refitted with some better guns, that would be ideal.
>>6472953>>6472962>6472984>6473117>6473142Universally sneaky grab for glory.Just as a reminder I'm looking to be ahead of the game for seasonal stuff on >>6472613Anyways, writing.
Much as you might have otherwise spoken out…you caught yourself, and closed your mouth, crossing your arms. A devious thought had entered your mind. You’d accept this state of affairs, for the moment, carry out your part of Von Kivmeri’s plan…but you had a modification to it that you would implement at the best possible moment. Rather than simply run away, you’d turn back and strike the enemy. They’d still not see the panzer battle they anticipated, because the Stijder did not give such battle anyways. Even if your mountain guns were not the best at piercing thick plate, you might still achieve angles to find downward shot, and absolutely no vehicle, not even battleships, were well armored from above. Failing that, you could strike away vulnerable treads- for the great strength your unit had in its mobility, any panzer was rendered helpless when immobile, at the mercy of artillery and air power and beyond easy or timely rescue. Lieutenant Colonel Von Kivmeri, of course, would not agree if you proposed such to him. He would insist on the merits of keeping this a reconnoitering, but at the same time, if your plan succeeded, how could he possibly punish the success you could achieve? The Federation would be forced to take notice, and all in all, it would be his victory too. All you would need to do would be to convince his aide tasked with keeping you in line, Zaphira-Desvents, of the possibility to be seized. In the field, not here, where she might be far too influenced by the presence of your commanding officer rather than awed by the capability of your legged panzers…“Captain Von Trocken,” the Lieutenant Colonel suddenly fixed his amber eyes upon you, “Is there something you wish to say? You look as though you do.”Ah, crap. “What? Well, yes, sir, I believe the Armored Company could accomplish more with a more ambitious objective, but…” You let your arms fall by your sides in a passive, plaintive shrug, “Our climactic battle will come sooner or later, we can wait a little longer for it to happen.”Von Kivmeri narrowed his eyes, but his suspicion of whatever seemed to fade. “It will happen, yes.”
With that, the other Captains began raising their questions, but you only half paid attention to their concerns, since you were already predicting what you would do in the enemy’s place- so that you could defeat them in your mind before facing them on the field. Without mines, heavy obstacles or anti-tank cannon, the enemy you’d be fighting first could not hope to contend against even conventional panzers, let alone your Z. Stijders, whose swiftness in the hands of its augmented crew were more like the reflexes of a cat than any machine that most knew. They could go backwards as quickly as they could go forwards, they could turn about within the span of a coin, their acceleration was practically the leap of a runner and they could adjust their gait to even climb down rocky slopes- just about the only thing about them you might improve would be their firepower, even if such was already quite impressive for its size, these new tanks showed that guns would only have to get more and more powerful to keep up…As you exited the tent to go amongst your men to brief them, a hand on your shoulder stopped you some paces out. You looked behind you- it was Captain Schoenbijter, the blonde Valstener dustman, halting you with a small smirk.“Hey, black eyes kid. We’re heading in together on this one, huh. You’ve come a long way since the first time you fought alongside us in Panzers at Stonebreaker, haven’t you.”“This will be nothing like then,” you declared proudly. “These panzers we have now are four times as numerous and twenty times as capable, at minimum. I daresay your men will be robbed of any chance to risk their lives today.”“We’ll see about that.” Schoenbijter said with a raised, curious eyebrow. “They did well at Vlamaden.”“And in covering the retreat capturing their-”Schoenbijter interrupted your interruption. “That was against molemen in the dark, though. I wouldn’t underestimate these Petrekorans any more than I’d underestimate Fealinnese…”“Trust me. If any underestimation is to be done, it will be by the enemy, towards us. They’ve no reason to expect our panzers to be as fearsome as they are, in the unique ways they exhibit so.”“I think,” Schoenbijter said in a warning murmur, “That half the point in making you do something so simple is to keep the Petrekorans from knowing that our panzers ain’t ordinary. Didn’t need to hide it from the molemen, they made the things anyways, but maybe you ought to hold that twenty times back to five times, y’know?”You pursed your lips. “Perhaps. Maybe.” Though could you afford that same frivolity when it came time for you to strike at the Petrekoran armor, you wondered…
Back to your company’s camp you went, to the tents erected to hide that you’d moved your tanks here from any scout planes that might have come over. A greeting to your crew first- then you bid see them later, as you had to round up the platoon commanders to brief them on the situation. There were four of them- though your place as company commander meant your own platoon was meant to act in support of another rather than making its own dedicated action. It hardly meant you had to stay off the front, but it did unfortunately mean you could not focus as an ace might be able to, unless you could afford to do so.There were four Lieutenants in your company- all volunteers for the Z. Stijder development. Not everybody who had once been in tanks had volunteered- the fat-titted Kallean mosshead, for example, was sorely missed by many, but such people were leery of the underground. She’d been yanked back north, from what you had heard, for arrangements for an armor training unit. So you’d have rivals in the Legion, hm? They’d have a long way to catch up.Still, your platoon officers had been well tested at this point. Each had their own platoon, save your second in command, who headed your own platoon in case your attention had to be elsewhere. All of your company was familiar with each of the tanks and crews, of course, there were few enough of you and enough time that had to be passed that nobody was much a stranger. For the command, though, there was Lieutenants Erlenbein, Frumento, Pastore, and Kracht. Erlenbein, an Imperial like you, was the newest of your officers to the Legion, and you had a feeling he either had Dhegyar ancestry or was a nobleman once, for he was fond of the imagery of the mounted knight, and claimed to ride well. He was your sort of man- eager for the charge, and loathe to hold back from a fight that seemed certain to be in your favor. Frumento was the opposite in temperament, a cool-headed Hill Vitelian eight years your elder, who spoke little but had something happen in his past to make him cautious by nature, even hesitant- he was observant and skilled but lacked initiative, save for when speaking up to hold back, or point out an enemy error, even if he had not decided to act upon it yet. Then there was Pastore, another Hill Vitelian from far up north, who was of a religious streak you had been told was more emblematic of Gilicians than anybody else. He thought of himself invincible ever since good fortune in Stonebreaker, and maybe he was correct- his rashness was a useful trait for the attack, but he acted first and informed others later.
Finally, Kracht, a man of the Dusts, who had supposedly been born and raised in that cutthroat environment. Brutality defined him, and you hesitated to call him a better fighter than you, but he was most certainly a better killer. He could be trusted to beat just about anybody, so long as he was told to, considering he lacked tactical imagination. One of these had been appointed your second in command. You’d have much rather had a girl commander alongside you, considering that such a luxury could even be had in the Legion, but fortunes had made it so there was not even a single female in your panzer company. A shame. They would look splendid in the insulation suits Stijder crew wore…>Reiter Erlenbein, as a man whose disposition matched yours, was an easy choice as second in command. He could be trusted to do exactly as you would.>Bruno Frumento was a leader unlike you, but perhaps such was the balance you needed- a man quick to tell you where you might not have the right idea, where others would go with what you decided.>Savio Pastore had the impulse and instinct, as well as luck, to be an ideal second. At least, when it came to ensuring your absence would not result in regret.>Marno Kracht might not have seemed second in command material- but his great skill in fighting and coordinating a platoon meant you could easily delegate to him, and focus elsewhere...Also->Anything to talk with anybody about, before heading out?
>>6473229>Bruno Frumento was a leader unlike you, but perhaps such was the balance you needed- a man quick to tell you where you might not have the right idea, where others would go with what you decided.Let's get this show on the road.
>>6473231+1
>>6473229>Bruno Frumento was a leader unlike you, but perhaps such was the balance you needed- a man quick to tell you where you might not have the right idea, where others would go with what you decided.
>>6473229>Savio Pastore had the impulse and instinct, as well as luck, to be an ideal second. At least, when it came to ensuring your absence would not result in regret.Fortune favours the bold, and the more luck we stack the better our chances of success.
>>6473229>>6473231Support
>>6473229>>Reiter Erlenbein, as a man whose disposition matched yours, was an easy choice as second in command. He could be trusted to do exactly as you would.
>>6473231>6473237>6473307>6473413He's your BF.>>6473308One for the God Favored.>>6473497A point for the ImperialAn Imperial putting a Semolina Soldier as his second, huh? Times really are a changing...Writing.
Your second in command was Lieutenant Bruno Frumento, a voice of caution and restraint- it was vital to not refer to his as the voice of reason, which would be how he’d put it. Not once had he diverted you from disaster, as such was something you’d never known. Still. He’d be quick to point out if you didn’t have the right idea, and his own subordinate leadership of your platoon would mean any hesitancy wouldn’t affect any unit in particular.He, naturally, was the sole voice of dissent amongst the lieutenants when you told the leaders of your company about Von Kivmeri’s plan, and your operational place. He spoke reservedly of the importance of knowing the enemy and trusting veterancy in authority as one would trust in the Legato. Well, from what you knew of the Legato’s involvement in battles before the Legion, and within it, he wasn’t one that could ever be called timid as this operation could be.“In any case,” you raised your voice, silencing any debate to be had, “Our orders are such. But the field is a turbulent place like the seas in storm, is it not? We’ll see if the stone stood upon is the place to weather it. Do your checks and rouse the men and machines for battle. We move out in two hours.” Of course, the company would be on board with any change of plans, you’d all learned to be adaptive, but there was one other person you had to scout out, to be sure she wouldn’t hold you on too tight a leash. Staff Adjutant Colette Zaphira-Desvents. Surprisingly, you didn’t have to pull her away from the headquarters- she’d already gone to requisition one of the field command vehicles that were of the Heavy Mortar company’s assets, to utilize as wireless and filament relay for one prong of the attack. She didn’t seem surprised to see you approaching her, either.Zaphira was dressed in something that might have been a uniform once- but had been put into pieces and had additions that were nothing if not attempts to stand out rather than fit in. Most certainly, that hair would not survive in its current form for even a day outside camp. All together her appearance made a statement you weren’t sure how to interpret- besides that she wouldn’t let neither authority nor environment affect her idea of aesthetic, and that aesthetic was to think certain thoughts no matter where on her body you looked.Plenty of your company were a fan of that. Were you? If you were to admit it, you were fond of most any woman that wasn’t fruit sold at market at discount for having mold on it, but you were far from hungry enough to bite into such yet.
“Captain Von Trocken,” she said with a tilt of her chin upwards. Her rank was something lacking definition, and she felt no obligation to salute.So neither did you. “Colette.”“No.”“Miss Zaphira.”“Better. You must want something?”“As consultant to the Lieutenant Colonel, and overseer for his plans when it comes to my unit,” you said, putting your hands behind your back, “You’ll be with us on the field, no? I just wanted to meet with you before we’re all loaded up. Discuss the plan.”“The plan, of course.” She tossed a hanging bang from before her eyes with a flick of a hand. “You understand the tanks’ part in this, yes?” Zaphira asked, “I want to hear it from your understanding.”“We’re bait,” you told her, with a slight, knowing smile. “We go in, scare them enough to call for big brother, then run away like we never existed. That’s the Lieutenant Colonel’s plan. But what do you think of it?”Emreans were hot blooded, you’d heard, and Revolutionary sorts were more so than that. You had to feel a bit smug at the discomfort that crimped the side of the woman’s lips, for a moment, when you knew there might be an agreement to be had. “It does feel overly cautious. True, Signore Von Kivmeri is an accomplished commander, a soldier with more experience than either of us,” That didn’t mean much from her, with all of the nothing she had in field experience, but you let that pass. “I’m sure if an opportunity presented itself, command, through myself, would be flexible enough to permit it.”“Only if one presented itself? Not an opportunity forced, or driven into the foe? If they give us an invitation to squeeze their…to drive a fist into their stomach,” you caught your metaphor, sure that a woman wouldn’t appreciate it. “Then it would be foolish of us not to strike them. No, you’re not so sated by going through the motions, are you, Knight of the New Century?”Zaphira was older than you by around ten years, and she gave you a coy sort of glance, one like she’d give somebody shorter than her despite you being half a head higher. “Squeeze their what? Their balls?” She put a hand on her hip and tilted it. “Debon would not think you bold for hesitating in one place and not another, Reich Boy. But you’re right, in a way. In the Emrean Revolution, there were those whose experience made them hesitant, who let victory slip from their fingers for want of daring…who assumed there wasn’t a vulnerability simply because they didn’t wish to search for it. However,” She put a finger on your nose. “My job is keeping your unit out of trouble. Your victory would be my failing as an overseeing official, wouldn’t it?” She flicked your nose hard, a little pain dulled immediately. “Unless the plan, the idea, were mine. Do you see what I’m getting at?”
“Yes, yes,” you waved a hand irritably, “That’s only if it comes up, of course. Yes?”“Good.” She turned about. “Be at the assembly area half an hour early. With your company. I see no reason to not be ahead of schedule when we have the Filament anyways.”Tch. Uppity woman. You had a mind to be a little late…-----Two hours had passed, and it was time for the operation to begin, oh-nine-hundred hours. The sun was behind you enough to be a disadvantage against the enemy. This front was one where the morning was on your side, and the afternoon against. The symbolism did not escape other young men in the Legion. Zaphira, for her part, had pulled her strings to allow your unit to start moving before the other companies, about ten minutes before official start, and you used every moment to be on your way in an orderly fashion.“Diamond Formation E-4,” you said, “This is a side show. We bury ourselves in them and put out our spines like hedgehogs. Either they’ll flee on impact or they’ll be taught to. Zett Company, move out!”A soft crackling resonated through the air as the four platoons smoothly rumbled into formation, adjusting based off the point of the spear, who in Formation Four was Lieutenant Pastore. There was no bestial roar to be heard like with gasoline engines- the pure power expressed by these creatures’ pulling lightning from their batteries was felt rather than heard, especially when it was released in tandem.Z Company had pulled ahead of Fourth by almost a kilometer. No need to worry about matching pace, not with the shrieking of their motorcycles. Your machines were just about as noisy as a truck at best anyways. Past the Federation picket line- they were mercenaries here like you, contractors from this continent, dug into foxholes and watching you with interest as you pulled through the space in the lines where vehicles were arranged to pass through without giving a sentry a potentially deadly surprise. “Nothing sighted yet.” Pastore reported over filament, in one ear. “They’ve pulled back behind the road, yeah?”“That’s what briefing said,” you replied, “Just keep going until you see something or get shot at. Don’t even stop then not until we’ve properly rustled them up. Increase dispersal, we’re hunting now.”The formation widened, as did the platoons’ own chevron arrangements. You were in the center of the rear in E-4, which gave you a good view of the company, but not much else. “ThEY SpOTTeD somethINg in FrONT.” Hammer buzzed in your ears.
Only the second after, the report came officially from Pastore. “Hostiles front.” A crack of anti-tank rifle fire. “Happy to see us, I see. Their marksmanship needs work.”“Fourth Platoon,” you said, “Slow to marching fire pace and provide suppression. Everybody else, keep pace. We can’t do Spine Formation without giving away what we are, but we can sure as hell put on the pressure.”You pulled ahead of Kracht, whose deadly marksmanship was already doing its work, even with the difficulty of firing on the move. The unique suspension and drive of your vehicles meant that the ride wasn’t as bumpy as it might be with other vehicles, but firing on the move was still an unpredictable challenge. Even so- anti-tank rifle fire, sporadic at first, tapered off quickly.“There’s some trenches closer than expected, Zett Actual,” Erlenbein reported, “No threat to us. Can you flush them out as we roll over?”“Do it.” You replied, then went to the tank intercom. “Gunner, anticipate targets at our eleven-o-clock. Driver, slow in ten seconds and prepare to stop to fire, Load High-Explosive Bursting Charge. Fire at will.” The same was relayed to the rest of the platoon. “First, slow pace so we can cover our comrades’ backs. They’ll be rushing the trenches, anything that raises its head, put back down. We stop if we spot targets.” A ghostly image of the gunner’s periscope view faded in then out of your vision for a moment, like looking through a stained window’s glass. Your crew reported this happening much more often through your eyes than theirs, and you tried not to be distracted when it was the other way around.Nobody roused to the attack when your lead elements passed- you shelled the trenches anyways, before passing over yourself, Kracht’s platoon raising speed to catch back up. From there, you were close enough that it was easy to land hits. The enemy stopped having ideas of contesting you quickly- you were firing in all directions in a semicircle, practically, targets being called out in a rush to catch them before another shot took them. Even in the small slice of the battle you saw, you could already tell that the enemy had been beaten the moment you arrived, as khaki-coated troops sprinted from trench to trench in whatever direction they could instead of holding or returning fire anymore.
This was routine. Busywork. Flushing out rats with terriers. These troops were so ineffectual that it was only the danger they might pose to your comrades in 4th Company that you bothered to give the command to kill them, otherwise it’d be bad sport, mere murder unworthy of staining your souls with. The Petrekoran Armor had better be hurrying. What a horrid disappointment for all it would be if the enemy command were such mice that they retreated all of their forces further in response to this! Hope told you that was not how Petrekorans fought, not their prideful armored corps. You’d have your duel soon enough…“Fourth Here. They’re retreating, Captain,” came Kracht’s flat voice over the Filament.“Here too with Third,” Pastore said. “Hell, they must be running from you too, huh, Second?”“It only took a few shots,” Erlenbein said, “A few more to speed their feet, yes, but then what? Are we finished already? What a dull battle. Fourth Company will have driven out here for nothing.”Indeed…you keyed the alternative line to Zaphira. “Relay, this is Zett Actual. They’re retreating. All of them. It doesn’t seem organized. If they knew we were coming and wanted to run they’d be gone already.”“Hmm,” Zaphira’s voice came back over the Filament, “Chase them, then. Isn’t the point to stir up a panic? What better way to hurry reinforcement than rushing amongst them like a pack of wolves?”“That is beyond the limit of advance, is it not?” You tested her.“Hm, is it?” She coyly replied. “I do not think so, if you’re up for it. Fourth Company holds the ground, nothing would cause your envelopment should you push forth.”>As the lady said, as her idea. Scatter the rats further, then, and see what lies beyond them. Even if you found or did nothing beyond, the enemy would be thrown further off balance, wouldn’t they?>You’d reached the limit of advance- no need to do the dirty work of scouting further. Wait on your heels and be ready to spring elsewhere…even if it wasn’t going to be into a retreat.>Why chase an enemy that wouldn’t fight? That battle was won, it was time to consider the next. Scout out a position to lay out your own ambush, a second surprise for the enemy after the first.>Other?
>>6473782>Why chase an enemy that wouldn’t fight? That battle was won, it was time to consider the next. Scout out a position to lay out your own ambush, a second surprise for the enemy after the first.The better hiden, the more decisive our opening gambit may be as we can chose when, and where to strike.
>>6473782>Why chase an enemy that wouldn’t fight? That battle was won, it was time to consider the next. Scout out a position to lay out your own ambush, a second surprise for the enemy after the first.
>>6473782>>As the lady said, as her idea. Scatter the rats further, then, and see what lies beyond them. Even if you found or did nothing beyond, the enemy would be thrown further off balance, wouldn’t they?Nothing ventured...
>>6473782>Why chase an enemy that wouldn’t fight? That battle was won, it was time to consider the next. Scout out a position to lay out your own ambush, a second surprise for the enemy after the first.Chasing infantry into the trees doesn’t seem like the best use of tanks
>>6473782>>Why chase an enemy that wouldn’t fight? That battle was won, it was time to consider the next. Scout out a position to lay out your own ambush, a second surprise for the enemy after the first.
>>6473790>>6473842>>6473880>>6473896No need to pursue, not when your true prey is elsewhere.>>6473853Do as the older lady with big hair says.Writing. Also posting a flachetag plank. Technically one from four years beyond the present date, though she doesn't look that different at this point in the timeline besides having two eyes.
“Why chase an enemy that won’t fight anyways?” You asked, “Besides, if we know what’s coming, we needn’t be distracted with anything but preparations.”“Hmm. Fine.” The filament distortion twisted Zaphira’s voice. A few strands must have snapped, struggling to form new connections with your speed of advance. “Survey the area then. Fourth Company will do a sweep of the trenches. Then we’re expected to retreat…barring communications difficulties.”“Communications difficulties for a relay vehicle?”“My priority, I was told, was to keep you out of trouble, Zaphira said haughtily, “Captain Schoenbijter knows how to take care of himself, tank boy.”Whatever words let you have your chance. You paid little attention to what 4th Company was doing. Communications difficulties anyways, after all, and you instead had your company comb through the area looking for a good place to wait in ambush for the enemy, who was expected to react. If they didn’t…you’d just wait until you lost patience anyways. A decent spot was the tree line of a nearby woods. While you couldn’t navigate deep into the woods without massively impacting your greatest asset, your maneuverability, you could at least bunker down and not be immediately in plain sight, especially not when the enemy would be getting engaged from the east, while you waited west. Each platoon formed a star to keep aware of your surroundings, Zaphira’s relay vehicle tucked in between two others. While the Petrekoran infantry had run, you’d been briefed that they were far from cowards. Once the shock of your assault wore off, they’d be back for certain. Perhaps sooner than you might hope. For now, though, there was naught to do but watch and wait.“Third Company took the hill,” Zaphira told you. “Captain Arietta is quite capable, isn’t she?”“I suppose.” You allowed. You didn’t know much about her, to be honest. She seemed to hold you in some minor distaste for some reason. Something you’d said once, of many things you’d forgotten.“You suppose?” Zaphira demanded. “…You know what, forget it.”Gladly. You popped the cupola open and looked around. “See anything, Hammer?”“The TrEEs aRe aLivE. ThEY arE LiGHt.”“Well, trees don’t move, and they’re bigger than people, so tell that to your…brothers, sisters? Whatever you all are, since you have the same mother…”“Commander,” your gunner said, “If we have a moment, I’d like to talk about something.”“Is this really the time for this?” You asked, keeping a keen eye over the cupola.“Maybe not, but the thought struck me now, and it seems like I shouldn’t forget it, like I might when we dive in again.”“Speak, then.”“Funny, isn’t it, how the cleanest sort of victory involves barely touching the enemy. Charging in with such superiority of arms that they see they’ve lost by default and flee.”
“As they should.” Your loader said.“Yes, but we don’t consider that much a triumph, do we?”“Victory is victory.”“However,” you interjected, “Anybody chasing nothing but effortless victories is probably seeking out duels with insects. Or might have the mind of a tyrant.”Your driver was silent. He was a friend of yours from the Reich, a servant, technically. He remained with you even when the Kaiser, curse his blood, had taken everything from your family. When they had done nothing but sympathize with those who felt uneasy about the monarch and parliament. He had little to say of Revolution, though. Only what part you planned to play in it. “The point being,” your gunner, a man of letters and poetry, went on. “Perhaps the climactic battle would not be one we think of at all as such, but one where we make ourselves so powerful, those who oppose the Dawn simply submit?”“Were it so convenient,” Your loader said, though you had another thought.“What about those who keep fighting even when it’s hopeless?” You asked, “Those like-”“Captain.” Lieutenant Frumento, keeping watch to the far side of the wood, crackled in. “Petrekoran armor sighted. They look like fast, light types. Guns stubby and wide like ours. The escort type.”The interruption you didn’t expect. “Numbers and bearing?”“Three. Forty-Eight degrees, advancing slowly. They’re coming from that village, and what’s beyond it isn’t visible.”“Fourth Company is withdrawing,” Zaphira announced, “They’re not staying to fight, especially not tanks. Should we dispatch them? Your platoon could do it by themselves.”Maybe. Though these tanks…they were a type referred to as Hetairoi, their word for Companion. As Frumento had described them, they were escorts, which meant that at least when it came to organization, they weren’t supposed to operate alone. Not that they couldn’t, of course, given that they were equipped with a very versatile mountain gun good for flushing out infantry and gun positions, though they lacked for armor and weren’t particularly swift. For your panzers, defeating them wasn’t much of a problem…but should you reveal your position? Or potentially overstretch yourself? Since committing to this plan had prevented being able to retreat with ease. >Hold back for now. Let them advance. Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture, and end up the one engaged on two sides yourself…>One platoon against one platoon? Seemed like odds in your favor already. You hardly needed to respond with your entire company against what must have been a limited probe.>Was the intelligence off? If there was a large concentration approaching, you had to move out and face them with the whole unit…>Other?
>>6474115>Hold back for now. Let them advance. Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture, and end up the one engaged on two sides yourself…
>>6474115>>Hold back for now. Let them advance. Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture, and end up the one engaged on two sides yourself…
>>6474115>Hold back for now. Let them advance. Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture, and end up the one engaged on two sides yourself…Don't waste the element of surprise on the small fry.
>>6474121>>6474156>>6474160>>6474171>>6474205All in on staying low and waiting for the big prize.Updating.
“Not yet,” you said to the company, “Lay low. These are small fry. Think of the bigger picture. Keep that image in your head and don’t get distracted by the teasing of a skirt by the wind. Let them keep walking on in the breezes until a gust arrives.”“Do you usually make such metaphors, Captain?” You didn’t respond to Zaphira’s taunt. You could consider her another time, rather than what she could relay. “Any news about the enemy armor approaching?”“No. But I have sent news of the armor we have spotted.” She kept that smug, distinctively Emrean tone in her voice, that shone through despite a relative lack of strong northern affect. “Fourth Company again urged us to retreat. We did not receive this message. I suppose the filament dispensers on the command vehicles need inspection. Fascinating, but fallible technology, this.”The Filament was not so singularly impressive when one’s eyes were darkened as yours. You waited, and waited. “Have they come forward yet?” You asked, feeling irritable.“No. They’ve stopped.” Came Frumento’s reply. “I’ll tell you if anything changes.” More minutes. “Another platoon has rolled forward. Same type of metal. They’re assembling, but not advancing.”Not advancing. Why? It made sense for them to consolidate their numbers before a counterattack, but there was nothing in their way. Did they…know? Had a snooper snuck close and found you without noticing? “Hammer. Ask your brethren if they’ve seen anything in the woods.” A buzzing in the air- the answer was a chirped negative. Yet the senses of these vehicles were not necessarily as perceptive as your own were anyways. Restlessness built up. You wanted to get out and look around, but you’d look even more conspicuous than even a Legionnaire infantryman in your insulation suit and coverall worn atop.“News from the Battalion,” Zaphira suddenly said, “The enemy is moving past the ambush position, but not in the anticipated formation. They don’t seem to know of the ambush position, but they’ve assumed battle formation. They are not presenting their flanks, and are maneuvering off the roads.”“What?” You asked, “Why not? Should they not be rushing towards us?”
“Perhaps they suspect something?” Zaphira theorized, “The time for waiting may be over, Captain.”Lieutenant Frumento interjected. “Captain. They show no signs of knowing exactly where we are. The group near us remains halted for some reason.”“But do you trust the nerve of the tank hunters?” Lieutenant Erlenbein hummed in, “They are influenced by Second Company, men of bandit tactics. They may sense risk in remaining in position waiting, and flee while they still can.”“Leaving us between two enemies.” Zaphira added. “To the Abyss with doubt,” Pastore said with the irritation of boredom in his voice, “God is on our side. These people find fortune in the fingerbones of women, not in the valor of the Dawn. What foe is out there that we cannot overcome?”Fourth Platoon was silent, and though Kracht was a man of few words, he usually had a short comment in these situations. Uncertainty from him was a poor portent. “Captain,” Zaphira was sounding unsure herself. “We must do something.” Then she thought to bait the lead, on another filament input, that of battalion where only you two were on. “I will make it up to you in a fashion of your choosing if you engage the main force now. It will ensure success, I am sure by any logic. They must be made to expose their flank, and, I recognize that presenting oneself vis a vis forces a flank upon another, hm?”>Deal. Order the platoon down west to the road and bait the main formation of the armored response. If the Petrekorans were wary, you’d give them what they were searching for.>Who did this woman think she was? You’d do things your own way, and that meant not losing your nerve so quickly… (The more hotheaded in your company may not necessarily be wrangled)>Not that way, not into their strength. Maybe you’d pass up on the favor exchanged for indulging Emrean ego, but if you were to strike anywhere it’d be at the lighter armor above.>Other?
>>6474246>>Not that way, not into their strength. Maybe you’d pass up on the favor exchanged for indulging Emrean ego, but if you were to strike anywhere it’d be at the lighter armor above.Smash the weaker enemy quickly while they're still assembling, then prepare to withdraw south per the original plan. It may not be the battle we were hoping for but it will be enough to show our abilities, and wiser than purposefully letting ourselves be stuck between two enemy formations. We're cocky but not stupid.
>>6474246>Not that way, not into their strength. Maybe you’d pass up on the favor exchanged for indulging Emrean ego, but if you were to strike anywhere it’d be at the lighter armor above.Seems like a good opportunity to defeat them in detail.
>>6474246>Not that way, not into their strength. Maybe you’d pass up on the favor exchanged for indulging Emrean ego, but if you were to strike anywhere it’d be at the lighter armor above.if we're lucky there won't be any survivors to talk about our non-standard tonks
>>6474246>Not that way, not into their strength. Maybe you’d pass up on the favor exchanged for indulging Emrean ego, but if you were to strike anywhere it’d be at the lighter armor above.
>>6474257>>6474345>>6474367>>6474385Go for the easier side, regardless of any temptations.Updating.
Would have had things out earlier but I was short one hour of sleep so I was inordinately tired, took a nap and it ended up being like four hours of vivid REM. Though I didn't think it would have self-aware reused content in it.Anyways short roll update soon.
“No, no,” you tried to recall the local geography- the western view your platoons had was still unable to see even a hint of enemy intervention after all. “Not into their strength. That defies Debon’s tactic.” Though it didn’t contravene your sense of pride in your unit. “We strike up into the probing force near us. Third platoon, wheel out, we’ll form a line with you and engage. Second and Fourth, form up behind us for follow-up.” You’d pass on an exploitable favor for now, even if the imagination had little limits on how such a thing could be cashed in. Not that this was the battle you had envisioned either, at least, not if this was the sole engagement. Not a true test of your machines or your mettle, you’d not even have to break your disguises to defeat them: skirts overlaid on the flanks of your vehicles to make them look conventional, though foreign, looking like somewhat tall but normal panzers with two sets of treads rather than four, and certainly not capable of the range of motion that Stijder could truly execute. It meant reducing your abilities some, but to be honest an opponent like this did not merit breaking your thin scheme for.“Driver, take us out, platoon, line formation facing First-Second’s mark. Be ready for six count enemy contact, light armor. Move quickly. Driver full turn right and ahead, fast. Let’s go, Hammer.”A dim awareness of each other tank in the platoon tingled in the back of your mind- where you normally could only sense such by looking around, the link between the armor and you gave you a strange though not inaccurate idea of just how things were going, whereas normally there was at least a bit of lacking coordination in any other armor formation. Panzers were not by nature elegant or quick reacting machines, but Stijder were by their connections and dim foresight of crew intent.Scarcely after erupting out from your cover, facing front, scattered cannon shots rang out. They must have been expecting you, but the hardened subterranean steel of your Stijder did not fear their stubby infantry support guns- not that any hits were scored with the initial salvo, hurried shots against moving targets as they were. A fight had ensued, targets hurriedly picked out- you’d be getting the measure of one another soon enough. The Petrekoran tanks were squat and in decent positions, and the Stijder were still clumsy from rapid movement. Everybody would be making sloppy shots…>Roll 2 sets of 4d100 for your platoon and the other platoon in the fight- DC 70 roll over for striking hits.>Also, roll another 4d100 for the Anti-Tank ambush, DC 60.
Rolled 12, 50, 57, 62 = 181 (4d100)>>6474656
Rolled 1, 58, 44, 15 = 118 (4d100)>>6474656Get 'er done.
Rolled 35, 83, 28, 25 = 171 (4d100)>>6474656
“No hit,” you reported to your gunner with grit teeth as you watched the burning tracer of your shell arc towards the squat enemy target and go wide of its turret. “Loader, armor piercing, gunner, take the shot as soon as we’re ready.”Nobody else seemed to be making their mark either as the enemy’s second barrage came. Your tank rang like a bell as a shell slammed into the turret face, but there was no damage. As soon as the lacking effect was clear to the fool who took the shot, the enemy began to back away one by one in an uncoordinated ripple in timing, but not in route as each appeared to have prepared its retreat path well in advance through the village or to its side.“Hurry!” you urged, but when the second shot was made, the enemy had barely slipped out of position to hit. “Damn!” The whole of the enemy had retreated, as Third Platoon reported. No hits on target, but no damage either. A thoroughly infuriating result. “Hammer, damage?”“SupERFiCiAL.”At least there was that. News relayed from the east again- the anti-tank ambush had been of limited effect, most of the enemy’s heavy tanks were still standing, and what was more, advancing on you. A portion of the enemy, at least, seemed distracted by your attack and was charging for you- while the remaining enemy contingent was sleepily realizing what was happening. Another urged request for you to retreat, as Zaphira said with mounting concern.Retreat…was it probably to attempt, even if you wanted to??>Do your best to skirt around and retreat. This was not how you envisioned this going, but you could avoid any damage or casualties this way.>Chase down the enemy that thought they could escape so easily. Who did they think you were? Then you could face down the approaching force yourself…>Divide your platoons. Two go up, two go down for another ambush. You could handle both enemies at once with your numbers, could you not?>Other?
>>6474678>Chase down the enemy that thought they could escape so easily. Who did they think you were? Then you could face down the approaching force yourself…Although not sure about the final "face down the approaching force yourself", but more like we can defeat the retreating force and then move "up" and "left" to go around the small copse of trees to either retreat or attack depending on how rolls go.
>>6474678>>Chase down the enemy that thought they could escape so easily. Who did they think you were? Then you could face down the approaching force yourself…Well I suppose we can't retreat after such embarrassing gunnery, that would be even worse than going along with the original plan...
>>6474678>Chase down the enemy that thought they could escape so easily. Who did they think you were? Then you could face down the approaching force yourself…
>>6474678>Do your best to skirt around and retreat. This was not how you envisioned this going, but you could avoid any damage or casualties this way.The AT section seems like they are going to have to scoot fast, there is no way we can help them outside of charging the heavies in the open. Considering we are struggling to deal with the lighter tanks I think that would pretty much be suicide.
>>6474678>Do your best to skirt around and retreat. This was not how you envisioned this going, but you could avoid any damage or casualties this way.
>>6474678>Do your best to skirt around and retreat. This was not how you envisioned this going, but you could avoid any damage or casualties this way.If we have smoke rounds use them.
As a heads up I have a few flights to catch that'll last basically all day, so I don't know if I'll be able to update today but we'll see.
This isn't related to anything but it is funny to me that "oppositional blonde" has blown up in a way recently.Not to be a twittoid about it but I did it better and do it better, I'm just saying.
>>6474848How far west and south of modern day Naukland did Nauk Imperial stretch at its height?
>>6474851>How far west and south of modern day Naukland did Nauk Imperial stretch at its height?At one point, all of Vinstraga bent the knee to Nauk Imperial, if you count client kingdoms, but what was consistently within its "territorial core" for the majority of its best days stretched down to the southern precipices and to around the western edge of what the Grossreich is today. This is somewhat seen in a minority ethnicity in Emre called Allandien, who are seen as a rather rural and bumpkin sort of woods folk who were never properly integrated into greater Nauk culture, similar to people like the Yaegir in their section of deep forest in Naukland. They were slower to adopt Judgment over Pre-Nauk Lunar Cults, and are of more Pohja and Skaegi genetic makeup than what most would consider Emrean.As the Empire steadily shrank and broke up into constituent principalities based on former governates and familial possessions it tended to go by mountain ranges, Vynmark being a holdout from rebellions and migration raids and conquests from various tribal territories or overseas ventures like those who eventually became the ethnicities and states of Ellowie and Valsten. Not to mention the migrations, of course, of the Vitelian peoples, though the timeline of such events are vague since Nauk history forms the core of written record and they are cagey about whether or not an actual client state or allegiance was actually such in truth.
