Blackpowder and Blood (A Fantasy EU4 Quest)

Escann is a land of rivers, its rolling farmlands and lush forests crossed by dozens of tributaries and inlets, from mighty continent-spanning arteries to minor brooks named only by the village it borders. Normally, if one were to take a boat down one of these waterways they would meet many fellow travelers, farmers shipping their wares to downstream markets, fishers out to catch an early morning, or dignitaries making their way to one of Escann's famed tournaments.

Things haven't been normal in Escann for nineteen years.

As a vessel cuts through the gentle and empty waters of the Devaced river, its deck bears no load of crops or livestock. Instead, grim-faced men peer over the bow at black lines of smoke rising over the horizon, hands clenched around spear shafts or crossbows as they mutter uneasily. The crew of the boat, on the other hand, merely duck their heads and hasten their efforts. Many of them have grown up knowing nothing other than the terror and helplessness of the Greentide.

"I thought we'd broken the bastards at Vernham?" One soldier speaks up, turning to his fellows. The men bear the signs of a long campaign, all of them bearing some combination of scarred armor and purloined loot on their bodies. A bronze-colored tabard is slung over their gambesons, bearing the simple heraldry of their liege, cutting them a distinct figure amongst the adventurers of escann.

"Always more of 'em," another darkly mutters, not taking his eyes off the trails of smoke. "They just scatter once we crush a Warband. This'll only end when we drive off or slaughter the last of them."

This is unpleasant news to the men-at-arms, who grumble black curses at the situation, knowing it would probably be them rooting out the orcs from whatever hole they'd taken nest in. Gods knew the Escanni wouldn't be up to the task, they noted with a touch of contempt while glancing at the sailors resolutely ignoring whatever tragedy had occurred in the distance.

***

The vessel makes good time down the river, and soon their destination appears around a bend: Vernham, the forge of the Blademarches. That the town had fallen on hard times was immediately obvious from the half-collapsed walls and lines of refugee tents spilling out of openings in them, with more figures visible even from the river approaching the settlement. A modest keep overlooked it all, and from it hung a banner with the same heraldry that adorned the chests of the soldiers which now patrolled its halls. An oasis of civilization in a sea of madness, the men think, un-tensing at the sight.

As the boat approaches the docks and begins to slow, an officer appears from its bowels, blinking slightly at the sudden brightness. They're moving as soon as they touch land, hopping on the shore with only a mild stumble and immediately marching towards the keep - the crowds part before them without hesitation. The figure screams 'important' from as much their posture as the plate they wear, and even all the chaos and ruin of the greentide hasn't diminished the instinct of a commoner to avoid getting in the way of an impatient important person.

The streets of Vernham aren't in any better condition than their outskirts, bearing the signs of a sack like an unhealed wound. The formerly vibrant industry of the town lies looted and barren, the survivors more focused on repairing the roofs over their heads, and its current occupiers haven't even begun to approach the monumental task of repairing and relighting the forges. The Bronzehardt men-at-arms maintain a degree of order in the inner streets, although despite the strain at housing the army the locals seem more grateful for their presence than anything, and the officer receives respectful nods as they approach the appropriate keep. The years in Escann have eroded the line between levy and adventurer, they noted - back in Anbennar such familiarity would be positively scandalous.

Up close, it seems that Verham's keep bore the greentide a little more gracefully than its curtain walls, insofar that the building maintains its structural integrity. Still, judging by the gouges in bare halls where there might have once been decorations, successfully repel the orcs it did not. Too many Escanni fortifications were made to be pretty than defensible, the officer groused, and now they were neither. What luxuries remained were decayed and ill-maintained, the horde of servants needed to maintain them having long fled, been slain, or made slaves by the latest marauding band of greenskins to want service of their own.

Finally, the officer reached his destination: the chamberlain's chamber. It might be assumed that their liege would set up in the former lord's quarters, but allegedly the commander had thought it gauche to set up like the poor town's latest potentate, and instead operated out of the chief subordinate's quarters. Whether that symbolic gesture would have any real meaning was dubious, but there was probably some merit to parking yourself in the seat of the person who actually ran most of this setup.

Whatever had been intended, the Band ran Vernham now, and like any lord, its leader could be found holding court. When - after quietly asking for directions - the officer arrived, they found voices coming from behind a closed door and a line of petitioners nervously awaiting their turn. Mostly Escanni - although two adventurers stuck out like sore thumbs - the supplicants ran the gamut of society, or what remained of it in Escann. A peasant fidgeted with a wood carving while glancing at his fellows, clearly feeling out of place, while a noble stopped herself from rubbing on a visibly worn stretch of her dress, trying to ignore the indignity of the situation. All of them turned to face the newcomer, who had paused for a moment to take in the scene.

The officer was …

[ ] Niklas Kohlhaase: A retainer of House Bronzhardt, Niklas is a childhood companion of Roland, part of the assigned coterie any young lordling accumulates. Separated once his friend was suddenly picked to govern the county Asperage, Kohlhaase expected to return to his previous role as minor gentry subordinate to one of Anbennar's Great Houses if it weren't for Roland practically spitting in the eye of his family and leaving to go fight in the Greentide like some two-bit adventurer. While embarrassing, this wouldn't have been a huge deal except for the fact that he took an army as well as a small fortune in taxes earmarked for the House with him, putting the Bronzehardt's in a very awkward position of having to publicly claim responsibility or face humiliation in a time where they desperately couldn't afford to show weakness. Privately seething, it soon became clear no amount of threats, pleading, or bribery would convince their wayward scion to return home, and so the House turned towards alternative methods. Niklas, who was earmarked as someone with a personal connection not stemming from the family, found himself conscripted for the expedition to drag Roland back home, promised significant reward if he could successfully bring the House's embarrassment to heel. But when the expedition managed to track the Companion down, it was instead Niklas and his men who found themselves convinced of his old friend's righteousness, and he has since then served as a trusted confidant, conciliator towards the House, and talented general for the Band.

[ ] Venia: As the Bronzehardt Band has fought the Greentide, it's accumulated a non-insignificant amount of manpower besides the original levy. This has mostly included camp-followers and the like, a complex support structure emerging as the levy transformed into an increasingly dangerous and large military, but there are exceptions. Venia was a member of the Stalwart Band, a primarily Busilari adventurer group that found itself defeated by the Heartgrinder Orcs - only saved from complete annihilation by a timely intervention from Roland's followers. In gratitude, many of the survivors fell in with what would become known as the "Bronzehardt Band," and from among them emerged Venia of the Liongate, a former subordinate of the SB's captain. Swearing a traditional Busilari debt towards Roland for saving her life (despite the man not actually being present at the battle in question) Venia has hence dedicated her energies towards serving her new company, acting a liaison between the original levy and more independently minded adventurers, 'esoteric' problem-solver, as well as a capable warrior in her own right. Her status as a 'Little Corin' - a term female adventurers styling themselves off of Her legacy have become known by - and rumored unrequited crush on Roland have earned the woman controversy otherwise free from the Band's upper ranks.

[ ] Ser Percival Sebastian: During the Greentide, massive waves of refugees fled the slaughter in Escann, desperately attempting to reach any kind of safety as their world crumbled around their ears. Ser Percival was one of these broken men, a survivor of the early crushing defeats who made it out by cutting and running once the killing started. Haunted by his shame and cowardice, the former knight listlessly wandered the Borders of Anbennar as an itinerant sellsword, another one of Escann's erstwhile chivalry now reduced to scrambling to survive with the rest of their displaced countrymen. That he likely would have remained, if it weren't for Percival encountering the Roland by chance during his march to join Corin. The Band had come to a stop as its participants had come to realize what exactly their liege actually intended, with many threatening mutiny if they didn't return home. In response, Bronzehardt gave an impassioned speech to the assembled host, one which also had an unintended audience - brought to tears by the sight of strangers coming to fight for his homeland for the sake of honor and decency, Ser Percival swore his sword to Roland, and has faithfully served his new liege ever since, coming to lead the faction of former Escanni emigres finding the Wexonard noble a more palatable leader than the often abrasive adventurer companies who came to dominate the war.

A.N. - These will all be sub-commanders in the Band, you're just choosing which one is the most prominent and closest to Roland's ear. The individuals in question serve as representatives of the three main factions you'll be dealing with: the Bronzehardts, the Adventurers, and the Escanni. Ultimately, however, the mechanical impact is minor and this is functionally a vote of which character you like the most and want to have the greatest amount of screentime.