- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 11,370
Skanian Border, 3420 A.C.
Through the spyglass you see a city. Its walls have crumbled away from the fires of war, exposing its naked vitality. Commerce, banking, smiths and factories. The wealth of a city is in its people – they are its lifesblood, and it is the people that you see, herded into the city squares, awaiting the frightful hammer that might befall them at any moment.
“The Skanians did not evict all of the citizens from Olympia,” you hiss under your breath. “That is going to make things a lot harder.”
“The cowards! To hold innocent Shinari civilians as hostage in their very own homes… are there no lows these dishonourable northerners will not stoop to?” Your aide does not take the news lightly. Her pony-tail swaying from left to right in outrage, she grips the hilt of her saber tightly, as if prepared to draw at any moment. “What shall we do, my lord?”
“We’ll have to do something. If we could just lure them out… Oh, and how many times have I said it now, Marie? Stop it with the ‘my lord’ thing when we’re in private.”
“That would be improper and a breach of etiquette,” she replies stiffly.
“You outrank me if we are talking about social etiquette, my lady Lieutenant Marie Camna,” you say sweetly. “Your father is the most powerful lord on the Council of Nobles, and I am a lowborn commoner.” Yet here she is, seconded to you as your aide. You know quite well that it is not a matter of talent – she was the top student in the academy, outscoring you – and it still amazes you to this day that she would want to serve as your lieutenant instead of taking up a command of her own.
Marie protests, unwilling to lose the argument. “My father has adopted you into our family, so you are as good as any noble. And besides, you are-“
“That’s enough, Marie.” The seriousness of your voice is enough to make her stop, and she gives you a quick apology before turning her gaze back to the occupied city of Olympia.
“The… enemy numbers about fifty men. The colours indicate that they are from the Skanian 166th Regiment, a veteran unit that has seen combat since the war began five years ago,” Marie reports, taking on a more disciplined manner as she flips through her clipboard. “And…”
“Ean’s breath!” You curse, spotting one through the spyglass just as she says the word. Steamknights.
The three gigantic armored figures are dormant, slumbering in one of the squares, but you have no doubt that they is ready to awaken should you make your presence known. A man who wears one of these suits of armor, even if he is the most scrawny and useless specimen of humanity to ever live, will be transformed into a juggernaut on the battlefield. Powered by steam and electricity, these 8-foot tall monstrosities – quite often more nimble than their bulk would suggest – are armed with large swords and cannon. Each knight is said to be easily the equal of a hundred men in battle. The Skane Republic had unveiled these weapons of theirs to devastating effect in the initial days of the war. Shinari scientists had rushed to close the gap, but at the moment industrial production of Imperial steamknights still lagged behind that of the Skanians even if quality-wise they are now equal.
All that is irrrelevant to you, however, as you did not have a suit of your own. Imperial armor can only be worn by someone with the minimum rank of captain – an edict from the Council of Nobles, one which you suspect is aimed at enhancing survivability of the nobles in war – and though you do happen to be a captain, you are also a very fresh one, untested in combat.
And then there are the political considerations from that worthless Council… You frown, but stop yourself before it turns into a scowl. “Very well then. Lieutenant, I think it is about time we got back to our troops.”
“Yes, my lord. I’ve identified the best routes we can take into the city. Will we be engaging the steamknights?”
“Whether we want to or not, we will likely have to, in order to liberate Olympia.” Whirling your horse around, you ride down the hill, where your regiment is awaiting your orders.
The city’s liberation is precisely why you have hurried here with your hundred men before any of the other regiments could arrive. A long, drawn-out siege is out of the question. Just like how the First Emperor defeated Zeus and Marduk to begin his path to empire, just like Diogenes Camna’s Miracle at Euphraxes… you too need a powerful feat of your own if you are to achieve your goals. You look at your men, who have put all their faith in you to lead them to glory, and know that not all of those faces will be standing here again when the sun sets.
Sacrifices.
Bricks to pave your road to the world’s peak.
They know it themselves, but that knowledge does not make you feel any better. If it were not a necessity…
But you close your eyes, and yet again you see the face of your half-brother, sitting upon the throne of Ankida, and the face of your dead mother, wasted away in the cramped, dirty shack the both of you spent ten happy years in… and you raise your sword, the black metal gleaming dully in the sun, to the deafening cheering of your soldiers.
The spring breeze whips your blood-red cloak into the air. It is time for you to take your first step into this spiral of madness, from which has borne a springtime of lies and the deaths of nations...
Major powers in 3415 A.C., at the start of the Great Civil War
***
A. You conduct a multi-pronged full frontal assault at the highest speed. The aim is to free the civilians, and then cut down as many enemies as you can before the steamknights come into play.
B. You use your main force as a diversion while you, Marie and a small hand-picked squad attempt to sneak in and hijack the dormant steam-powered armors. You have worn it once before, during academy training, and you are relatively confident you can do it again.
C. You challenge the leader of the Republic forces to a duel for the fate of the city. If he refuses, this can be used to impact his forces’ morale. If he accepts, however, he is likely to come striding out in steamknight armor…
D. You attempt to negotiate with the Skanians. Be it the release of all the civilians, or their own retreat from Olympia, you are hopeful that you have the skill in words to succeed at a bluff, pretending that your strength is far greater than they think.
E. What use is ambition? You throw your sword into the ground, grab your pretty childhood friend, and run away into the wilds where you will make babies and live out the rest of your life in relative peace.
Through the spyglass you see a city. Its walls have crumbled away from the fires of war, exposing its naked vitality. Commerce, banking, smiths and factories. The wealth of a city is in its people – they are its lifesblood, and it is the people that you see, herded into the city squares, awaiting the frightful hammer that might befall them at any moment.
“The Skanians did not evict all of the citizens from Olympia,” you hiss under your breath. “That is going to make things a lot harder.”
“The cowards! To hold innocent Shinari civilians as hostage in their very own homes… are there no lows these dishonourable northerners will not stoop to?” Your aide does not take the news lightly. Her pony-tail swaying from left to right in outrage, she grips the hilt of her saber tightly, as if prepared to draw at any moment. “What shall we do, my lord?”
“We’ll have to do something. If we could just lure them out… Oh, and how many times have I said it now, Marie? Stop it with the ‘my lord’ thing when we’re in private.”
“That would be improper and a breach of etiquette,” she replies stiffly.
“You outrank me if we are talking about social etiquette, my lady Lieutenant Marie Camna,” you say sweetly. “Your father is the most powerful lord on the Council of Nobles, and I am a lowborn commoner.” Yet here she is, seconded to you as your aide. You know quite well that it is not a matter of talent – she was the top student in the academy, outscoring you – and it still amazes you to this day that she would want to serve as your lieutenant instead of taking up a command of her own.
Marie protests, unwilling to lose the argument. “My father has adopted you into our family, so you are as good as any noble. And besides, you are-“
“That’s enough, Marie.” The seriousness of your voice is enough to make her stop, and she gives you a quick apology before turning her gaze back to the occupied city of Olympia.
“The… enemy numbers about fifty men. The colours indicate that they are from the Skanian 166th Regiment, a veteran unit that has seen combat since the war began five years ago,” Marie reports, taking on a more disciplined manner as she flips through her clipboard. “And…”
“Ean’s breath!” You curse, spotting one through the spyglass just as she says the word. Steamknights.
The three gigantic armored figures are dormant, slumbering in one of the squares, but you have no doubt that they is ready to awaken should you make your presence known. A man who wears one of these suits of armor, even if he is the most scrawny and useless specimen of humanity to ever live, will be transformed into a juggernaut on the battlefield. Powered by steam and electricity, these 8-foot tall monstrosities – quite often more nimble than their bulk would suggest – are armed with large swords and cannon. Each knight is said to be easily the equal of a hundred men in battle. The Skane Republic had unveiled these weapons of theirs to devastating effect in the initial days of the war. Shinari scientists had rushed to close the gap, but at the moment industrial production of Imperial steamknights still lagged behind that of the Skanians even if quality-wise they are now equal.
All that is irrrelevant to you, however, as you did not have a suit of your own. Imperial armor can only be worn by someone with the minimum rank of captain – an edict from the Council of Nobles, one which you suspect is aimed at enhancing survivability of the nobles in war – and though you do happen to be a captain, you are also a very fresh one, untested in combat.
And then there are the political considerations from that worthless Council… You frown, but stop yourself before it turns into a scowl. “Very well then. Lieutenant, I think it is about time we got back to our troops.”
“Yes, my lord. I’ve identified the best routes we can take into the city. Will we be engaging the steamknights?”
“Whether we want to or not, we will likely have to, in order to liberate Olympia.” Whirling your horse around, you ride down the hill, where your regiment is awaiting your orders.
The city’s liberation is precisely why you have hurried here with your hundred men before any of the other regiments could arrive. A long, drawn-out siege is out of the question. Just like how the First Emperor defeated Zeus and Marduk to begin his path to empire, just like Diogenes Camna’s Miracle at Euphraxes… you too need a powerful feat of your own if you are to achieve your goals. You look at your men, who have put all their faith in you to lead them to glory, and know that not all of those faces will be standing here again when the sun sets.
Sacrifices.
Bricks to pave your road to the world’s peak.
They know it themselves, but that knowledge does not make you feel any better. If it were not a necessity…
But you close your eyes, and yet again you see the face of your half-brother, sitting upon the throne of Ankida, and the face of your dead mother, wasted away in the cramped, dirty shack the both of you spent ten happy years in… and you raise your sword, the black metal gleaming dully in the sun, to the deafening cheering of your soldiers.
The spring breeze whips your blood-red cloak into the air. It is time for you to take your first step into this spiral of madness, from which has borne a springtime of lies and the deaths of nations...
Major powers in 3415 A.C., at the start of the Great Civil War
***
A. You conduct a multi-pronged full frontal assault at the highest speed. The aim is to free the civilians, and then cut down as many enemies as you can before the steamknights come into play.
B. You use your main force as a diversion while you, Marie and a small hand-picked squad attempt to sneak in and hijack the dormant steam-powered armors. You have worn it once before, during academy training, and you are relatively confident you can do it again.
C. You challenge the leader of the Republic forces to a duel for the fate of the city. If he refuses, this can be used to impact his forces’ morale. If he accepts, however, he is likely to come striding out in steamknight armor…
D. You attempt to negotiate with the Skanians. Be it the release of all the civilians, or their own retreat from Olympia, you are hopeful that you have the skill in words to succeed at a bluff, pretending that your strength is far greater than they think.
E. What use is ambition? You throw your sword into the ground, grab your pretty childhood friend, and run away into the wilds where you will make babies and live out the rest of your life in relative peace.
Last edited:
