Year: 1935 EC
Greetings Colonel,
With the beginning of the Second Great War you have been...
Greetings Colonel,
With the beginning of the Second Great War you have been...
Pro Patria (Valkyria Chronicles)
- Thread starter Emdeman
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Index
Emdeman
The Atlantic Federation
- Location
- Australia
Index
Character Creation: Uniforms, Part 2, Trait Selection, Brigade Selection (next post)
Story Posts (Story Only thread):
Chapter One: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 10, 11,
Chapter Two: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Discontinued; just use the threadmarks to navigate.
Side Material/Exposition: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
Character Profile
Name: Rudolf Hapsburg
Affliation: Imperial
Age: 22
Traits:
Heavy Foot Leader
Inspiring Leader
Cautious
Character Creation: Uniforms, Part 2, Trait Selection, Brigade Selection (next post)
Story Posts (Story Only thread):
Chapter One: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 10, 11,
Chapter Two: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Discontinued; just use the threadmarks to navigate.
Side Material/Exposition: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
Character Profile
Name: Rudolf Hapsburg
Affliation: Imperial
Age: 22
Traits:
Heavy Foot Leader
Inspiring Leader
Cautious
Last edited:
Brigade details
Emdeman
The Atlantic Federation
- Location
- Australia
Order of battle
See update 1.6 for more information
Details
Chosen Brigade: Heavy Foot
Order of Battle: 2 light battalions, 3 heavy battalions, 1 armoured battalion
Light battalions: Generally filled with recon elements that focus on intelligence gathering and marksmanship. Brigades that focus on these battalions are fast moving, gather intel on enemy positions easily and most importantly take less resources to supply. However they possess less anti-tank capability than other battalions and little in the way of armored assets. Quite good for wooded terrain and decent on urban terrain.
Most common unit types: Scout, Sniper
Less common unit types: Shock Trooper, Light Tank
Very Rare unit types: Lancer, Engineer, Medium Tank
Heavy battalions: Commonly filled assault troops and anti-tank personnel. Specialise in storming fortified positions and can fight enemy tanks adequately. Has an assortment of light to medium tanks. Though relatively quick moving, these troops are more suitable for actual fighting than recon. Brigades focusing on these battalions require more resources than a light troop but less than a tank battalion. Quite good for urban fighting.
Most common unit types: Shock Trooper, Lancer, Light tank
Less common unit types: Scout, Medium Tank
Very Rare unit types: Sniper, Heavy tank, Engineer
Armored battalions: Spearheads of many offensives in current doctrine, they contain heavy firepower. Focus primarily on armour, carry all types of tanks. Requires flat ground for maximum effectiveness, reduced capability on broken ground (hilly & mountainous terrain). Cavalry brigades require heavy resources to maintain and operate less effectively when undersupplied. The numerous heavier tanks slow the speed of the battalion down. Intelligence gathering capabilities are minimal, the enemy will hear you before you see them. However, it's still a tank army, just roll over your enemies.
Most common unit types: Light Tank, Medium Tank,
Less common unit types: Scout, Shock Trooper, Engineer, Heavy tank
Very Rare unit types: Lancer, Sniper
| Battalion Type | Battalion Name | Battalion CO |
| Light Infantry |
Auvergne's 33rd Chasseur battalion Luneberg's 17th Jaeger battalion |
Francis Giraud (29) Maurice Nivelle (44) |
| Heavy Infantry |
Niederbayern's 11th Grenadier Battalion Limousin's 24th Fusilier Battalion Anhalt's 82nd Line battalion |
Frieda Vorbeck (35) Alexis Surena (24) Aloysius Raeder (36) |
| Armour | Neumark's 7th Cuirassier Battalion | Lars Mueller (31) |
Details
Chosen Brigade: Heavy Foot
Order of Battle: 2 light battalions, 3 heavy battalions, 1 armoured battalion
Light battalions: Generally filled with recon elements that focus on intelligence gathering and marksmanship. Brigades that focus on these battalions are fast moving, gather intel on enemy positions easily and most importantly take less resources to supply. However they possess less anti-tank capability than other battalions and little in the way of armored assets. Quite good for wooded terrain and decent on urban terrain.
Most common unit types: Scout, Sniper
Less common unit types: Shock Trooper, Light Tank
Very Rare unit types: Lancer, Engineer, Medium Tank
Heavy battalions: Commonly filled assault troops and anti-tank personnel. Specialise in storming fortified positions and can fight enemy tanks adequately. Has an assortment of light to medium tanks. Though relatively quick moving, these troops are more suitable for actual fighting than recon. Brigades focusing on these battalions require more resources than a light troop but less than a tank battalion. Quite good for urban fighting.
Most common unit types: Shock Trooper, Lancer, Light tank
Less common unit types: Scout, Medium Tank
Very Rare unit types: Sniper, Heavy tank, Engineer
Armored battalions: Spearheads of many offensives in current doctrine, they contain heavy firepower. Focus primarily on armour, carry all types of tanks. Requires flat ground for maximum effectiveness, reduced capability on broken ground (hilly & mountainous terrain). Cavalry brigades require heavy resources to maintain and operate less effectively when undersupplied. The numerous heavier tanks slow the speed of the battalion down. Intelligence gathering capabilities are minimal, the enemy will hear you before you see them. However, it's still a tank army, just roll over your enemies.
Most common unit types: Light Tank, Medium Tank,
Less common unit types: Scout, Shock Trooper, Engineer, Heavy tank
Very Rare unit types: Lancer, Sniper
Last edited:
Maps
1.1
Emdeman
The Atlantic Federation
- Location
- Australia
Your staff car drives down the hastily made dirt road of the sprawling war camp. On all sides are numberless field tents spread out into the surrounding plain. Supply dumps and Tank parks form clusters that break up the sea of canvas around the military car. You notice the silhouettes of numerous guards vigilantly keeping watch on these crucial areas before being drawn back to your thoughts.
The country that was currently providing the 6th Army Group's accommodations, the small Federation nation of Merovia, had little in the way of an army to resist the might of the imperial war machine. Unfortunately they made up for it in other ways, being renowned for their intelligence service and minefields. Lots of minefields. This specific border between the Empire and Federation hosted mile upon mile of curse-damned mines.
When the republican government of Merovia was established after the overthrow of the duchy shortly after the end of the First Europan War they realised the obvious, inevitable incorporation into the Empire. Their strategic position was hopeless so they decided to make it as time consuming and annoying as possible. At great cost and over several years, the Merovian army laid down ridiculous numbers of mines. Luckily, most of these deadly fields were on the border, since they didn't want the activity of the nation to grind to a halt they couldn't put them down everywhere. Though they probably wanted to anyway.
The purpose of these border minefields was unmistakeable, they wanted to slow down any approaching imperial army. They succeeded, this field army was currently bogged down several miles across the border waiting for the engineers to open corridors. The Merovians were probably using the time bought to do other annoying things, like lay new minefields with their meagre army ugh...
Irritation aside, you have to commend them for working with what they had. Not bad for republicans. However, the other purpose of the minefields was to provide ample opportunity for Merovian spies and saboteurs to be an infuriating pain in the posterior for the imperial military. Targeting supplies and important equipment, those things had to be kept on constant watch to prevent damage that further slowed everything down.
Furthermore, a small army infiltrators snuck into imperial territory before the war and now raided supply convoys and reinforcements. Meanwhile, other Merovian infiltrators attempted to assassinate important officers in the army. Thats probably what ended the life of your predecessor, you're willing to bet good money on it. Standing orders are to execute the dishonourable swine on sight. They don't wear a national uniform and hence aren't covered by the Conventions. Still, you'll have to secretly raise a glass of wine to the soon to be posthumous foreign agents endeavours. As without that, an opening in the command chain wouldn't have occurred and you would still be in the Capital. Stuck doing vapid...
Your thoughts are interrupted by the driver, a Sargethi named Jaimes who slows the car down in front of an T intersection. He turns his head and asks in that nasally accent of his native land, "Where to Colonel? Your brigade command post or the general's headquarters?"
Hmm... a thorny decision, go see your future subordinates or pay your superior officer a visit. It might seem prudent to see the general, but you don't have to. You'll get his orders soon enough and its not like you'll can go against them. Then again its forming a personal impression of the man leading you which is never a bad thing, and who knows what inroads you can make. Maybe other officers, or even your peers will be there. There are several Colonels under the good General. Making your men wait won't matter much will it? They're already been waiting several days. On the other hand who knows what you're missing? Personal interactions that...
"Ahem" Jaimes loudly clears his throat, or would have if he hadn't plainly spoken out loud the word pop culture commonly associates with clearing throats. The man's clearly been reading trashy novels written by commonborn hacks who're clearly formulaic and doing iterations of the same plot to rake in money from gullible...
You shake your head. Right. Back to reality.
[] Visit the General and see other important people.
[] Go to your brigade HQ and meet your people.
The country that was currently providing the 6th Army Group's accommodations, the small Federation nation of Merovia, had little in the way of an army to resist the might of the imperial war machine. Unfortunately they made up for it in other ways, being renowned for their intelligence service and minefields. Lots of minefields. This specific border between the Empire and Federation hosted mile upon mile of curse-damned mines.
When the republican government of Merovia was established after the overthrow of the duchy shortly after the end of the First Europan War they realised the obvious, inevitable incorporation into the Empire. Their strategic position was hopeless so they decided to make it as time consuming and annoying as possible. At great cost and over several years, the Merovian army laid down ridiculous numbers of mines. Luckily, most of these deadly fields were on the border, since they didn't want the activity of the nation to grind to a halt they couldn't put them down everywhere. Though they probably wanted to anyway.
The purpose of these border minefields was unmistakeable, they wanted to slow down any approaching imperial army. They succeeded, this field army was currently bogged down several miles across the border waiting for the engineers to open corridors. The Merovians were probably using the time bought to do other annoying things, like lay new minefields with their meagre army ugh...
Irritation aside, you have to commend them for working with what they had. Not bad for republicans. However, the other purpose of the minefields was to provide ample opportunity for Merovian spies and saboteurs to be an infuriating pain in the posterior for the imperial military. Targeting supplies and important equipment, those things had to be kept on constant watch to prevent damage that further slowed everything down.
Furthermore, a small army infiltrators snuck into imperial territory before the war and now raided supply convoys and reinforcements. Meanwhile, other Merovian infiltrators attempted to assassinate important officers in the army. Thats probably what ended the life of your predecessor, you're willing to bet good money on it. Standing orders are to execute the dishonourable swine on sight. They don't wear a national uniform and hence aren't covered by the Conventions. Still, you'll have to secretly raise a glass of wine to the soon to be posthumous foreign agents endeavours. As without that, an opening in the command chain wouldn't have occurred and you would still be in the Capital. Stuck doing vapid...
Your thoughts are interrupted by the driver, a Sargethi named Jaimes who slows the car down in front of an T intersection. He turns his head and asks in that nasally accent of his native land, "Where to Colonel? Your brigade command post or the general's headquarters?"
Hmm... a thorny decision, go see your future subordinates or pay your superior officer a visit. It might seem prudent to see the general, but you don't have to. You'll get his orders soon enough and its not like you'll can go against them. Then again its forming a personal impression of the man leading you which is never a bad thing, and who knows what inroads you can make. Maybe other officers, or even your peers will be there. There are several Colonels under the good General. Making your men wait won't matter much will it? They're already been waiting several days. On the other hand who knows what you're missing? Personal interactions that...
"Ahem" Jaimes loudly clears his throat, or would have if he hadn't plainly spoken out loud the word pop culture commonly associates with clearing throats. The man's clearly been reading trashy novels written by commonborn hacks who're clearly formulaic and doing iterations of the same plot to rake in money from gullible...
You shake your head. Right. Back to reality.
[] Visit the General and see other important people.
[] Go to your brigade HQ and meet your people.
1.2
Emdeman
The Atlantic Federation
- Location
- Australia
[X] Visit the General and see other important people.
"To the general of course" you answer confidently.
"Aye Sahib" the driver responds with a native form of address. You thought standardised schools were supposed to drill that sort of provincialism out of people. Guess some sorts of parochialism stay with the lower classes regardless. Still, its not a punishable offence and he does drive satisfactorily when he isn't driving over potholes caused by dug up mines. Its not like thats his fault, the Merovians are guilty of that transgression. They seem to have dug their mines just deep enough to make it too inconvenient for imperial engineers to take time fully repairing a temporary road away from the vital task of de-mining. Leaving noticeable bumps on the road as a result. Its almost like the damned republicans planned it that way... No, that road lies the way of paranoia. Its a pure coincidence, nothing more.
You are dropped off in front of a large tent that looks rather plain. You know from your officer training that this is quite rare as most high ranking imperial officers prefer travelling in something ornate when there are no superwea- ahem, ultraheavy units lying around to waste playing guard dog. Your not quite sure what this means as you walk into the tent, past several members of the general's staff carrying papers.
Wait... who was the general leading this field army again? The soldiers you overheard going through the base only referred to him by his rank, and he should be male given their crude anatomy jokes. You remember the 6th Army Group was being led by Field Marshal Keital but he commands several field armies spread across the entire several hundred mile Southern front. He wouldn't be in the fringe of the offensive.
Maybe you should have asked Jaime before you left the car. Why do peasants have to be the cause of all problems? Wait, that line of thinking is too similar to your stepmother's for you to be comfortable. What would Gerard have said? You should have checked before rushing from the capital like an idiot after getting your first field commission. Right. That was a necessary rebuke from your respected role- You didn't even deserve the position, it was a favour from that wh- Thats enough self-recrimination thank you very much. You walk into meeting room after showing a black armoured guard your new identification card. It seems there's already a heated conversation going on inside.
"We must move at a faster pace General", says an auburn haired man dressed in an identical black uniform to your own. General Hall... must have Angle heritage, probably from refugees going by the name, interesting. The man in the general's uniform in front you looks a bit worse for wear, a hint of wrinkles and greying hair.
"I will not resort to inefficient tactics that waste even more time", the older man replies firmly in a gravelly voice.
"It should get the job done, its an elegant solution to several-"
"No, it takes too long and is certain to miss some, no self-respecting tactician does it unless they're desperate".
"But General Joachim used undesirables to clear enemy ordinance at Al-Dachau".
"That fool would have ordered his own men to clear the area if he couldn't find anyone else, serves him right for under valuing the engineering corp. No, the time used to assemble your solution still evens out when compared to the current methodical approach, and this way we can be sure we got all of them."
"With all due respect General Hall, we need to think of alternative ways-"
"How many troops would we lose to Merovian raiders if we dispersed them to carry out your... foraging?"
"More men would have been lost taking the Zenobian mountain fortresses like you argued to Keital".
"Striking an occupied foe is different from rounding-"
You tune out the irrelevant parts of the conversation and look at the maps on the table. You visualise the the markers on the map indicating this field army's advance.
Going from the scuttlebutt you heard on the way here this field army was moved north from the Zenobian border to support the Field Marshal Keital's invasion of Caucasia. That Federation nation is currently embroiled in an amusing political crisis preventing it from meeting its military commitments. The Zenobian legislature was in such deadlock recently that they couldn't even agree to a declaration of war. It was probably a clever plot from the imperial intelligence service to keep the Zenobians out of the war for as long as possible... But you suppose it could have occurred naturally, after all republicanism is a flawed ideology that despite temporary success is virtually doomed in the long run. You're not sure if you agree with the higher-ups decision, if the nation was so paralysed then why not invade it and restore the natural order? An outside threat could unify them but they could fall apart in factional bickering just as easily. Its surprising to hear even generals shared your opinion. The majority who opposed probably didn't want to fight through that awful, mountainous peninsula of a nation.
While you were thinking the conversation seems to have concluded, the auburn haired Colonel has stopped talking and is now sullenly silent.
General Hall turns to face you and looks at your outfit with a look of confusion, "I know everyone who wears that uniform in my army, who are you?"
"I am the replacement Colonel sent from the Capital, General Hall. My name is Rudolf Hapsburg". You reply deferentially.
"The Capital? Why... you look a little young for...", Hall looks at you a little dubiously before shaking his head, "So what do you think about this disagreement?"
Hmm... you could agree with nameless Colonel with whatever plan he was suggesting, he did inadvertently tell you the General Hall's name and saved you some embarrassment. He is your peer and you will be working with him. Hall did just disparage you on your age and indirectly suggest you got the rank due to your connections. On the other hand, if you agreed with the General it could make getting on his good side easier.
[] Politely agree with the Colonel
[] Respectfully disagree with the Colonel
"To the general of course" you answer confidently.
"Aye Sahib" the driver responds with a native form of address. You thought standardised schools were supposed to drill that sort of provincialism out of people. Guess some sorts of parochialism stay with the lower classes regardless. Still, its not a punishable offence and he does drive satisfactorily when he isn't driving over potholes caused by dug up mines. Its not like thats his fault, the Merovians are guilty of that transgression. They seem to have dug their mines just deep enough to make it too inconvenient for imperial engineers to take time fully repairing a temporary road away from the vital task of de-mining. Leaving noticeable bumps on the road as a result. Its almost like the damned republicans planned it that way... No, that road lies the way of paranoia. Its a pure coincidence, nothing more.
You are dropped off in front of a large tent that looks rather plain. You know from your officer training that this is quite rare as most high ranking imperial officers prefer travelling in something ornate when there are no superwea- ahem, ultraheavy units lying around to waste playing guard dog. Your not quite sure what this means as you walk into the tent, past several members of the general's staff carrying papers.
Wait... who was the general leading this field army again? The soldiers you overheard going through the base only referred to him by his rank, and he should be male given their crude anatomy jokes. You remember the 6th Army Group was being led by Field Marshal Keital but he commands several field armies spread across the entire several hundred mile Southern front. He wouldn't be in the fringe of the offensive.
"We must move at a faster pace General", says an auburn haired man dressed in an identical black uniform to your own. General Hall... must have Angle heritage, probably from refugees going by the name, interesting. The man in the general's uniform in front you looks a bit worse for wear, a hint of wrinkles and greying hair.
"I will not resort to inefficient tactics that waste even more time", the older man replies firmly in a gravelly voice.
"It should get the job done, its an elegant solution to several-"
"No, it takes too long and is certain to miss some, no self-respecting tactician does it unless they're desperate".
"But General Joachim used undesirables to clear enemy ordinance at Al-Dachau".
"That fool would have ordered his own men to clear the area if he couldn't find anyone else, serves him right for under valuing the engineering corp. No, the time used to assemble your solution still evens out when compared to the current methodical approach, and this way we can be sure we got all of them."
"With all due respect General Hall, we need to think of alternative ways-"
"How many troops would we lose to Merovian raiders if we dispersed them to carry out your... foraging?"
"More men would have been lost taking the Zenobian mountain fortresses like you argued to Keital".
"Striking an occupied foe is different from rounding-"
You tune out the irrelevant parts of the conversation and look at the maps on the table. You visualise the the markers on the map indicating this field army's advance.
While you were thinking the conversation seems to have concluded, the auburn haired Colonel has stopped talking and is now sullenly silent.
General Hall turns to face you and looks at your outfit with a look of confusion, "I know everyone who wears that uniform in my army, who are you?"
"I am the replacement Colonel sent from the Capital, General Hall. My name is Rudolf Hapsburg". You reply deferentially.
"The Capital? Why... you look a little young for...", Hall looks at you a little dubiously before shaking his head, "So what do you think about this disagreement?"
Hmm... you could agree with nameless Colonel with whatever plan he was suggesting, he did inadvertently tell you the General Hall's name and saved you some embarrassment. He is your peer and you will be working with him. Hall did just disparage you on your age and indirectly suggest you got the rank due to your connections. On the other hand, if you agreed with the General it could make getting on his good side easier.
[] Politely agree with the Colonel
[] Respectfully disagree with the Colonel
Last edited:
1.3
Emdeman
The Atlantic Federation
- Location
- Australia
[X] Respectfully disagree with the Colonel.
You think for a moment on which side to take before replying, "I'm of the opinion that the good Colonel..."
The General's eyes subtly narrow
"Baumann", the colonel supplies.
"Baumann's idea has its merits and flaws", you open diplomatically, "but in this particular situation the latter outweigh the former. The main problem as General Hall pointed out is sending isolated bands of men scour the land in an environment of Merovian spies and infiltrators, along with other issues."
"A valid concern but it would give the troops something to do while waiting, unlike the last two weeks. Its what soldiers do, fight" the colonel snorts, "What else?"
Not exactly a quality retort, "It could affect morale, especially those who don't possess such... conviction." General Hall seems to have taken a step back and let the debate continue.
"We don't need milksops in this army," Baumann snorts, "if thats a concern then just take volunteers."
This man is starting to get on your nerves with his loutish mannerisms, "There is also a negative public image the military would cause if it created a perception of-" Bad habit of yours, being overly formal when irritated.
Hall gives you a strange look.
"Showing we're tough on crime," Baumann cuts in boldy, an annoying habit, "the border populace would cheer us on."
"The time spent rounding up the condemned, criminals, miscreants, darcsens, deserters and other low lives from all the nearby slums and prisons would take longer than you expect and be too much hassle".
The General's left eye twitches, to all appearances it looks natural.
"I don't see how thats possible during a time of war," He sounds a little uncertain.
"You would have to deal with the local bureaucracy," You play your trump card.
All the people listening seem to collectively wince. It seems no one has thought of interacting with the civillian government. Baumann looks unhappy and seems to be thinking of a response, he opens his mouth before being interrupted.
General Hall appears to have had enough of the discussion and speaks out in an authoritative voice, "That is enough time on that tangent. Back to the matter at hand, since Commandant Scheer has told us he expects his engineers to clear a path through the minefields within 5-7 days, I want your troops to be extra alert for assassins. Double the sentries, triple the guards around the engineers, I expect them to be targeted even more. Also, make final preparations for moving out. I want the vanguard to march as soon as the engineers give the go ahead. Messages have been sent to the other colonels to this effect. Any questions?"
Did he want a distraction to change the subject?
"Whose brigade is the spearhead?" asks Baumann curiously.
You can't fault the him for taking a way out of a tiring argument with that man.
"Colonel Ahzgle's" There is a murmur of surprise. Hall pronounces the Avar name as "Ah-s-gle" in his light Angle accent. He turns to someone in the audience, "Is that fine you ma'am?"
Why is he so polite to a subordinate? Is he an old fashioned gentleman or is it something more?
A brown skinned woman off to the side nods silently from behind a gaggle of watching adjutants. You're surprised you haven't noticed her at all given she wears an identical uniform to yours. How long was she there, like a quiet killer? You don't like it when stereotypes are perpetuated. A cruder person would make a rude joke at the name... And probably be gutted for it, Avars are a serious people. Hang on, how did Hall notice she was there?
"Good, dismissed", the general looks a little pleased as he turns to you, "Hapsburg, since your newly arrived I'll give you a quick personal synopsis of the current situation. While my army was resting on its laurels for the last few weeks waiting to breach Merovia's Great Mine Wall, the other armies under Field Marshal Keital's have advanced into Caucasia and encountered heavy resistance. Not surprising given the proximity to Baku, the Feds are going to throw everything they have to stop us. Therefore it is imperative to liberate Merovia as quickly as possible so we can assist with the capture of Baku."
Baku, the location of some of the largest ragnite deposits and refineries on the continent. Nearly one-tenth of continental supply, eclipsed only by Gallia itself. Taking it would be invaluable to the Empire. With the hilarious political impasse in Xenobia, the time has never been more ripe.
"Your brigade will be assigned to sector 7, resistance across the line should be minor. Merovia never had enough money to modernise their army and maintain their obsession with mines so expect to be fighting museum relics. Though be careful not to be bogged down in civil unrest, how you deal with it is up to you since you'll be on the front-lines while I'll be in the rear. That should be all for now, good luck". With that, Hall turns to talk to a staff officer. You exit the General's headquarters.
Wait, Jaimes and his car is missing... He was supposed to wait... How are you going to get to your brigade command post? You are stranded in the middle of the sprawling camp... Where is he? How dare he leave you here? You take back all the good things you have ever thought about that wretched Sargethi. You will have that commoner's hide! It will be mounted on your father's hunting wall and you will use it to terrify your stepsisters, or even better when they are having a tea party with their friends, making them die of embarrassment. Thus making your stepmother even more furious at you for thwarting her tireless efforts for negotiating for play dates or 'acquiring a network of acquaintances'.
You bring yourself back from pleasant revenge-filled fantasies to the current situation. No way are you going back to the general's HQ and looking like an idiot. You'll find your own way to the destination, though you're not sure where it is.
Anger slowly fades in boredom as you start walking in the direction you came and begin noticing the things around you in the tedium. Common soldiers are busy carrying out daily activities normal in any army camp like servicing their weapons. Menials walk past doing common chores and labours. Messengers race past on old-fashioned horses carrying missives. The most 'remarkable' incident was a tank rumbling past at a fraction of its true speed, sadly in the wrong direction. After about ten minutes of movement an officers car saunters by. Through the window you see the surprised face of Colonel Baumann looking back at you. After a moment the car speeds up, kicking up dust and getting some on your once pristine uniform, its fortunate darker colours hide stains well. You hope the Merovian bumps on the road gave the scoundrel some bruises.
Several more minutes pass and the mid-summer sun was starting to get unpleasant when salvation came. People cleared the road as side by side two convoys made their way up the road. One was a line of trucks carrying supplies to a stockpile somewhere. The other seems to be part of the general's artillery battery. Either is valid choice and you could make important connections among the people on either convey.
[] Hitch a ride on the supply trucks
[] Hitch a ride on the artillery battery
You think for a moment on which side to take before replying, "I'm of the opinion that the good Colonel..."
The General's eyes subtly narrow
"Baumann", the colonel supplies.
"Baumann's idea has its merits and flaws", you open diplomatically, "but in this particular situation the latter outweigh the former. The main problem as General Hall pointed out is sending isolated bands of men scour the land in an environment of Merovian spies and infiltrators, along with other issues."
"A valid concern but it would give the troops something to do while waiting, unlike the last two weeks. Its what soldiers do, fight" the colonel snorts, "What else?"
Not exactly a quality retort, "It could affect morale, especially those who don't possess such... conviction." General Hall seems to have taken a step back and let the debate continue.
"We don't need milksops in this army," Baumann snorts, "if thats a concern then just take volunteers."
This man is starting to get on your nerves with his loutish mannerisms, "There is also a negative public image the military would cause if it created a perception of-" Bad habit of yours, being overly formal when irritated.
Hall gives you a strange look.
"Showing we're tough on crime," Baumann cuts in boldy, an annoying habit, "the border populace would cheer us on."
"The time spent rounding up the condemned, criminals, miscreants, darcsens, deserters and other low lives from all the nearby slums and prisons would take longer than you expect and be too much hassle".
The General's left eye twitches, to all appearances it looks natural.
"I don't see how thats possible during a time of war," He sounds a little uncertain.
"You would have to deal with the local bureaucracy," You play your trump card.
All the people listening seem to collectively wince. It seems no one has thought of interacting with the civillian government. Baumann looks unhappy and seems to be thinking of a response, he opens his mouth before being interrupted.
General Hall appears to have had enough of the discussion and speaks out in an authoritative voice, "That is enough time on that tangent. Back to the matter at hand, since Commandant Scheer has told us he expects his engineers to clear a path through the minefields within 5-7 days, I want your troops to be extra alert for assassins. Double the sentries, triple the guards around the engineers, I expect them to be targeted even more. Also, make final preparations for moving out. I want the vanguard to march as soon as the engineers give the go ahead. Messages have been sent to the other colonels to this effect. Any questions?"
Did he want a distraction to change the subject?
"Whose brigade is the spearhead?" asks Baumann curiously.
You can't fault the him for taking a way out of a tiring argument with that man.
"Colonel Ahzgle's" There is a murmur of surprise. Hall pronounces the Avar name as "Ah-s-gle" in his light Angle accent. He turns to someone in the audience, "Is that fine you ma'am?"
Why is he so polite to a subordinate? Is he an old fashioned gentleman or is it something more?
A brown skinned woman off to the side nods silently from behind a gaggle of watching adjutants. You're surprised you haven't noticed her at all given she wears an identical uniform to yours. How long was she there, like a quiet killer? You don't like it when stereotypes are perpetuated. A cruder person would make a rude joke at the name... And probably be gutted for it, Avars are a serious people. Hang on, how did Hall notice she was there?
"Good, dismissed", the general looks a little pleased as he turns to you, "Hapsburg, since your newly arrived I'll give you a quick personal synopsis of the current situation. While my army was resting on its laurels for the last few weeks waiting to breach Merovia's Great Mine Wall, the other armies under Field Marshal Keital's have advanced into Caucasia and encountered heavy resistance. Not surprising given the proximity to Baku, the Feds are going to throw everything they have to stop us. Therefore it is imperative to liberate Merovia as quickly as possible so we can assist with the capture of Baku."
Baku, the location of some of the largest ragnite deposits and refineries on the continent. Nearly one-tenth of continental supply, eclipsed only by Gallia itself. Taking it would be invaluable to the Empire. With the hilarious political impasse in Xenobia, the time has never been more ripe.
"Your brigade will be assigned to sector 7, resistance across the line should be minor. Merovia never had enough money to modernise their army and maintain their obsession with mines so expect to be fighting museum relics. Though be careful not to be bogged down in civil unrest, how you deal with it is up to you since you'll be on the front-lines while I'll be in the rear. That should be all for now, good luck". With that, Hall turns to talk to a staff officer. You exit the General's headquarters.
Wait, Jaimes and his car is missing... He was supposed to wait... How are you going to get to your brigade command post? You are stranded in the middle of the sprawling camp... Where is he? How dare he leave you here? You take back all the good things you have ever thought about that wretched Sargethi. You will have that commoner's hide! It will be mounted on your father's hunting wall and you will use it to terrify your stepsisters, or even better when they are having a tea party with their friends, making them die of embarrassment. Thus making your stepmother even more furious at you for thwarting her tireless efforts for negotiating for play dates or 'acquiring a network of acquaintances'.
You bring yourself back from pleasant revenge-filled fantasies to the current situation. No way are you going back to the general's HQ and looking like an idiot. You'll find your own way to the destination, though you're not sure where it is.
Anger slowly fades in boredom as you start walking in the direction you came and begin noticing the things around you in the tedium. Common soldiers are busy carrying out daily activities normal in any army camp like servicing their weapons. Menials walk past doing common chores and labours. Messengers race past on old-fashioned horses carrying missives. The most 'remarkable' incident was a tank rumbling past at a fraction of its true speed, sadly in the wrong direction. After about ten minutes of movement an officers car saunters by. Through the window you see the surprised face of Colonel Baumann looking back at you. After a moment the car speeds up, kicking up dust and getting some on your once pristine uniform, its fortunate darker colours hide stains well. You hope the Merovian bumps on the road gave the scoundrel some bruises.
Several more minutes pass and the mid-summer sun was starting to get unpleasant when salvation came. People cleared the road as side by side two convoys made their way up the road. One was a line of trucks carrying supplies to a stockpile somewhere. The other seems to be part of the general's artillery battery. Either is valid choice and you could make important connections among the people on either convey.
[] Hitch a ride on the supply trucks
[] Hitch a ride on the artillery battery
Last edited:
1.4
Emdeman
The Atlantic Federation
- Location
- Australia
[X] Hitch a ride on the supply trucks
After a moment of thought you dismiss the artillery convoy. Making some field guns disappear is highly unlikely, not to mention crewing issues and legal headaches. Its a shame orthodox imperial doctrine concentrates all the artillery in a central location, very underutilised. Most likely a legacy of the First War, though you suspect the tendency to use ancient Valkyrur super-weapons also plays part. An attempt to replicate the shear fire-power of those artefacts made by that legendary race. The power of one relic, equalling hundreds of artillery tubes delivering kilotons of destruction on unlucky targets... you'd give an arm for just a few of those inferior weapons of the modern age in your brigade. You'd need the general's order to try something like that... who you just recently visited, perhaps you should have asked him then, oh well.
You wave down one of the passing supply trucks and earn yourself a seat riding shotgun. The driver, a middle aged woman part of the rear echelon, treats you respectfully enough given the officer's uniform, if a little unnerved by the unusual circumstances. To your pleasant surprise she knows where your brigade is quartered, and even more fortunately her route takes her close to it. Your sharp eye notices some extra details which will make your following pitch even easier. That black hair is quite luscious for a woman her age.
Many rank and file soldiers disparage the rear echelon troops for avoiding combat with a variety of crude names. Normally you would say that is a result of their plebeian heritage. Unfortunately this view is also shared among some officers who should know better. Treating the people who make your army run poorly is never a good idea, even if they're the unsavoury type.
"So miss...?"
"Alberta Frenzel", her voice is a little apprehensive, obviously uncomfortable being addressed familiarly by someone so high ranking. Its natural for commoners to become nervous when around their betters.
"Frau Frenzel, my name is Rudolf, I assume by the accent that you too are from the most sophisticated region is Europa?", You smile as you lay on the charm.
The woman freezes for a moment in surprise before recognition lights up in her eyes. A small smile forms on her face, confirming your suspicions are correct.
"Yes, I'm from Wien", she responds with a hint of pride. You notice her earlier uneasiness has been relaxed somewhat.
"Its a pleasure to meet a countrywoman so far from Wiena. You're the first one I've encountered since I came here. If it wouldn't be too onerous could you do a couple of favours for me?" you ask.
"Yes?" Some of the wariness is back.
"A small favour first, please don't tell anyone of this mishap of mine. It would be quite embarrassing for me" you say self-deprecatingly in a semi-jovial tone.
"Of course Colonel", Frenzel laughs lightly, "My lips are sealed, what else?"
"As you know", you start speaking carefully, "I've recently been appointed to command a brigade. That many soldiers use up frightful amount of resources. I would greatly appreciate it if some additional supplies made their way to my troops".
"But I'm not someone important enough to decide that! I could get into enormous trouble doing something against military law!" She's responds in an alarmed voice.
You aren't surprised, you'd have to be absurdly lucky to meet someone high ranking in the logistics corp randomly. But you suspect she's no menial either, normal combat officer training doesn't involve studying the supply corp but you studied the support battalions as an elective during your extra years at the academy. The imperial army doesn't use low-ranked peons to drive supply trucks. Most of the manual labour is done by unskilled people or darcsen. The lack of uniform makes it unsure but in your approximation her rank should be somewhere in the middle of the chain of command. Time to add the carrot.
"I'm not asking you to place your life in danger for me Frau Frenzel", you respond to the outburst mollifyingly. "You know how armies operate, supplies get forgotten or misplaced, papers are mistakenly filled, unexpected surpluses are left to rot, there's a lot of waste. All I'm asking is to redirect something that won't be missed. I'll even make it worth your while. More so then you'd expect from just my rank".
"How?" she asks a little suspicious.
"My name is Rudolf Hapsburg, make of it what you will", you look out the window but you smirk slightly when you hear her gasp. So she actually does come from Wien. No self-respecting native of your homeland wouldn't know that name.
"So... you would owe me some favours that could be used here or at home". Frenzel concludes.
You frown a little at the plural but you know you have her, "correct, I give you my word to that effect. So whats is your decision? Your perfectly entitled to refuse and I'll forget this conversation ever happened", you already know her answer.
She spends several moments thinking rapidly, giving you a calculating look she answers, "I suppose many remarkable events have occurred in the cabin of this truck for the past few minutes where I have been completely alone."
You smile broadly, "Indeed, I'm sure many fateful things have happened here". This is why you are fond of your native country, even the commoners are refined and intelligent, for the most part.
It was quite fortuitous you met a fellow Wiennese all the way out here. Even if she's lowborn she could be quite useful in the future. The rest of the trip passes quickly without event.
When you arrive close to your destination you hear some commotion in the distance. You say goodbye to Frenzel and hurry on by foot. As you approach the brigade command post you see two groups of soldiers locked in a vicious brawl. There are probably up a hundred warm bodies in that melee.
They are probably your troops given the proximity to command post. They are your responsibility and you should probably do something about it. You could try to break up the fight, something to get their attention... you look down at your hip and see your service sidearm safely secured in its holster. You are certain you can deal with them, make them hear your words and shame them into doing their duty. Of course it can be dangerous but your made of better stuff than being afraid of danger. You could try to avoid the fight and let things cool down but then you'd be missing your opportunity to mark your authority, and who knows what additional injuries will be caused.
[] Attempt to break them up. You can handle them.
[] Wait for the brawl to end on the sidelines.
[] Walk around and avoid them.
After a moment of thought you dismiss the artillery convoy. Making some field guns disappear is highly unlikely, not to mention crewing issues and legal headaches. Its a shame orthodox imperial doctrine concentrates all the artillery in a central location, very underutilised. Most likely a legacy of the First War, though you suspect the tendency to use ancient Valkyrur super-weapons also plays part. An attempt to replicate the shear fire-power of those artefacts made by that legendary race. The power of one relic, equalling hundreds of artillery tubes delivering kilotons of destruction on unlucky targets... you'd give an arm for just a few of those inferior weapons of the modern age in your brigade. You'd need the general's order to try something like that... who you just recently visited, perhaps you should have asked him then, oh well.
You wave down one of the passing supply trucks and earn yourself a seat riding shotgun. The driver, a middle aged woman part of the rear echelon, treats you respectfully enough given the officer's uniform, if a little unnerved by the unusual circumstances. To your pleasant surprise she knows where your brigade is quartered, and even more fortunately her route takes her close to it. Your sharp eye notices some extra details which will make your following pitch even easier. That black hair is quite luscious for a woman her age.
Many rank and file soldiers disparage the rear echelon troops for avoiding combat with a variety of crude names. Normally you would say that is a result of their plebeian heritage. Unfortunately this view is also shared among some officers who should know better. Treating the people who make your army run poorly is never a good idea, even if they're the unsavoury type.
"So miss...?"
"Alberta Frenzel", her voice is a little apprehensive, obviously uncomfortable being addressed familiarly by someone so high ranking. Its natural for commoners to become nervous when around their betters.
"Frau Frenzel, my name is Rudolf, I assume by the accent that you too are from the most sophisticated region is Europa?", You smile as you lay on the charm.
The woman freezes for a moment in surprise before recognition lights up in her eyes. A small smile forms on her face, confirming your suspicions are correct.
"Yes, I'm from Wien", she responds with a hint of pride. You notice her earlier uneasiness has been relaxed somewhat.
"Its a pleasure to meet a countrywoman so far from Wiena. You're the first one I've encountered since I came here. If it wouldn't be too onerous could you do a couple of favours for me?" you ask.
"Yes?" Some of the wariness is back.
"A small favour first, please don't tell anyone of this mishap of mine. It would be quite embarrassing for me" you say self-deprecatingly in a semi-jovial tone.
"Of course Colonel", Frenzel laughs lightly, "My lips are sealed, what else?"
"As you know", you start speaking carefully, "I've recently been appointed to command a brigade. That many soldiers use up frightful amount of resources. I would greatly appreciate it if some additional supplies made their way to my troops".
"But I'm not someone important enough to decide that! I could get into enormous trouble doing something against military law!" She's responds in an alarmed voice.
You aren't surprised, you'd have to be absurdly lucky to meet someone high ranking in the logistics corp randomly. But you suspect she's no menial either, normal combat officer training doesn't involve studying the supply corp but you studied the support battalions as an elective during your extra years at the academy. The imperial army doesn't use low-ranked peons to drive supply trucks. Most of the manual labour is done by unskilled people or darcsen. The lack of uniform makes it unsure but in your approximation her rank should be somewhere in the middle of the chain of command. Time to add the carrot.
"I'm not asking you to place your life in danger for me Frau Frenzel", you respond to the outburst mollifyingly. "You know how armies operate, supplies get forgotten or misplaced, papers are mistakenly filled, unexpected surpluses are left to rot, there's a lot of waste. All I'm asking is to redirect something that won't be missed. I'll even make it worth your while. More so then you'd expect from just my rank".
"How?" she asks a little suspicious.
"My name is Rudolf Hapsburg, make of it what you will", you look out the window but you smirk slightly when you hear her gasp. So she actually does come from Wien. No self-respecting native of your homeland wouldn't know that name.
"So... you would owe me some favours that could be used here or at home". Frenzel concludes.
You frown a little at the plural but you know you have her, "correct, I give you my word to that effect. So whats is your decision? Your perfectly entitled to refuse and I'll forget this conversation ever happened", you already know her answer.
She spends several moments thinking rapidly, giving you a calculating look she answers, "I suppose many remarkable events have occurred in the cabin of this truck for the past few minutes where I have been completely alone."
You smile broadly, "Indeed, I'm sure many fateful things have happened here". This is why you are fond of your native country, even the commoners are refined and intelligent, for the most part.
It was quite fortuitous you met a fellow Wiennese all the way out here. Even if she's lowborn she could be quite useful in the future. The rest of the trip passes quickly without event.
When you arrive close to your destination you hear some commotion in the distance. You say goodbye to Frenzel and hurry on by foot. As you approach the brigade command post you see two groups of soldiers locked in a vicious brawl. There are probably up a hundred warm bodies in that melee.
They are probably your troops given the proximity to command post. They are your responsibility and you should probably do something about it. You could try to break up the fight, something to get their attention... you look down at your hip and see your service sidearm safely secured in its holster. You are certain you can deal with them, make them hear your words and shame them into doing their duty. Of course it can be dangerous but your made of better stuff than being afraid of danger. You could try to avoid the fight and let things cool down but then you'd be missing your opportunity to mark your authority, and who knows what additional injuries will be caused.
[] Attempt to break them up. You can handle them.
[] Wait for the brawl to end on the sidelines.
[] Walk around and avoid them.
1.5
Emdeman
The Atlantic Federation
- Location
- Australia
[X] Attempt to break them up. You can handle them
It takes a split second watching the brawl before you make up your mind.
Its time to do something brave. Of course some people would say bravery and foolhardiness are two sides of the same coin. But those people are stupid stepsisters pretentiously named after ancient Valkyrur or pretty stones, who know nothing about the world and are useless to boot. Its not like the result could be any different considering who their mother is. You're pretty sure its that new fangled natural selection theory at work, the name certainly sounds appropriate enough.
Thats enough reminiscing about those inferior people calling themselves your younger siblings. Back to the matter at hand. Your right hand unholsters your service pistol and points it at the air.
You could step onto a crate for a better view and present a more imposing stature but you're not some republican demagogue looking to incite a mob. You don't need psychological tricks to assert your authority. You have better, more refined methods.
You pull the trigger. The gunshot rings out through the entire area. It takes a moment for the sound to register, fighting subsides, heads turn in your direction. Eyes widen as people recognise your uniform, whispers quickly form as the front ranks relay what they see to people behind them, phrases like 'its the new colonel' or 'oh fuck'. The soldiers look sheepish and they don't appear inebriated, so your chances are looking good. After examining the faces in front of you, you recognise the two main ethnicities among the crowd; Franks and Goths. You can vaguely guess the sides, if not the exact cause. You know what tone and angle to take.
"What is the meaning of this?" you loudly ask while turning your withering glare from one man to another. "Are you soldiers of the Alliance or a group of drunk farmers?" You use the old fashioned name of the empire still used in official documents to stir some fraternity.
"But they started it" says an unknown voice in the crowd.
"I don't care who started it", you can't let recriminations drown everything out, "what I care about are the results, and fighting each other when we are just days from marching into battle is utterly stupid. How many men will we lose to injuries from this fight? Men who would have stood beside you in the coming days. I am disappointed in you."
This tidbit draws guilty looks. They didn't know how close a breakthrough was. Bored soldiers are a recipe for trouble after all and two weeks of waiting is quite tedious.
"Where are your captains and majors?" You demand, the fact that there were no superior officers around to head this off is a surprising oversight.
Heads turn, the crowd parts to reveal a pair of men. A giant of a man is holding a smaller man in a headlock. At the sight of you the pair sheepishly separate. Both are wearing major's uniforms.
Oh for crying out loud, you close your eyes and take a deep breath. Weren't officers supposed to keep disagreements to words? "You two, meet me in my command post, I'll deal with you later", you sternly command before turning back to the crowd.
You've dealt with crowds of commoners before. Its important to remember that they are human and have human desires to be appealed to or denounced. Most important is to keep it simple, so that even daft minds can understand you. You talk some more, reminding them of duty and berating their failings before talking up future successes. You hand out punishments ranging from extra sentry duty to menial labour. The crowd soon disperses.
As you walk to where your command post is, you can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. With this undoubtedly gallant act you have something to brag about in your letters to your mistress back at the capital. How you heroically stopped a brutal brawl (caused by enemy agents of course) and defused a tense standoff among the troops.
However, now you're at a bit of loss at what to do. Do you call a meeting of the other majors to find out who they are? They should know about the tensions around the camp. Talk to the fighting majors personally? Individually or together. Or just hold it off and find out what you can from official documents? The last option has pros and cons; knowing someones name before you meet them and what they do can be handy but personal face-to-face introductions are also useful.
Pick One.
[] Call the other majors to a meeting.
[] Learn more about your brigade's order of battle, who commands what, what states they were levied from etc.
[] Find out more about the majors under your command (only two out of six currently known):
- [] Aloysius Raeder
- [] Francis Giraud
- [] Both at once
It takes a split second watching the brawl before you make up your mind.
Its time to do something brave. Of course some people would say bravery and foolhardiness are two sides of the same coin. But those people are stupid stepsisters pretentiously named after ancient Valkyrur or pretty stones, who know nothing about the world and are useless to boot. Its not like the result could be any different considering who their mother is. You're pretty sure its that new fangled natural selection theory at work, the name certainly sounds appropriate enough.
Thats enough reminiscing about those inferior people calling themselves your younger siblings. Back to the matter at hand. Your right hand unholsters your service pistol and points it at the air.
You could step onto a crate for a better view and present a more imposing stature but you're not some republican demagogue looking to incite a mob. You don't need psychological tricks to assert your authority. You have better, more refined methods.
You pull the trigger. The gunshot rings out through the entire area. It takes a moment for the sound to register, fighting subsides, heads turn in your direction. Eyes widen as people recognise your uniform, whispers quickly form as the front ranks relay what they see to people behind them, phrases like 'its the new colonel' or 'oh fuck'. The soldiers look sheepish and they don't appear inebriated, so your chances are looking good. After examining the faces in front of you, you recognise the two main ethnicities among the crowd; Franks and Goths. You can vaguely guess the sides, if not the exact cause. You know what tone and angle to take.
"What is the meaning of this?" you loudly ask while turning your withering glare from one man to another. "Are you soldiers of the Alliance or a group of drunk farmers?" You use the old fashioned name of the empire still used in official documents to stir some fraternity.
"But they started it" says an unknown voice in the crowd.
"I don't care who started it", you can't let recriminations drown everything out, "what I care about are the results, and fighting each other when we are just days from marching into battle is utterly stupid. How many men will we lose to injuries from this fight? Men who would have stood beside you in the coming days. I am disappointed in you."
This tidbit draws guilty looks. They didn't know how close a breakthrough was. Bored soldiers are a recipe for trouble after all and two weeks of waiting is quite tedious.
"Where are your captains and majors?" You demand, the fact that there were no superior officers around to head this off is a surprising oversight.
Heads turn, the crowd parts to reveal a pair of men. A giant of a man is holding a smaller man in a headlock. At the sight of you the pair sheepishly separate. Both are wearing major's uniforms.
Oh for crying out loud, you close your eyes and take a deep breath. Weren't officers supposed to keep disagreements to words? "You two, meet me in my command post, I'll deal with you later", you sternly command before turning back to the crowd.
You've dealt with crowds of commoners before. Its important to remember that they are human and have human desires to be appealed to or denounced. Most important is to keep it simple, so that even daft minds can understand you. You talk some more, reminding them of duty and berating their failings before talking up future successes. You hand out punishments ranging from extra sentry duty to menial labour. The crowd soon disperses.
As you walk to where your command post is, you can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. With this undoubtedly gallant act you have something to brag about in your letters to your mistress back at the capital. How you heroically stopped a brutal brawl (caused by enemy agents of course) and defused a tense standoff among the troops.
However, now you're at a bit of loss at what to do. Do you call a meeting of the other majors to find out who they are? They should know about the tensions around the camp. Talk to the fighting majors personally? Individually or together. Or just hold it off and find out what you can from official documents? The last option has pros and cons; knowing someones name before you meet them and what they do can be handy but personal face-to-face introductions are also useful.
Pick One.
[] Call the other majors to a meeting.
[] Learn more about your brigade's order of battle, who commands what, what states they were levied from etc.
[] Find out more about the majors under your command (only two out of six currently known):
- [] Aloysius Raeder
- [] Francis Giraud
- [] Both at once
Last edited:
1.6
Emdeman
The Atlantic Federation
- Location
- Australia
[X] Learn more about your brigade's order of battle, who commands what, what states they were levied from etc.
You decide to avoid meeting your underlings for now and decide examining the brigade paperwork instead is a good idea. Everything seems orderly under the last colonel until the record-keeping becomes patchy recently under the temporary command of a Major Nivelle. You think he may have had difficulty running the brigade due to being first among equals or it could be something else.
Looking at the order of battle reveals where each battalion was levied from and who commands them. From an outsiders perspective these troops would look identical in their battle dress and standard equipment but a smarter person can learn quite a lot from the nuances and quirks.
Order of battle
Some interesting thing you note:
- The ethnic mix of the enlisted seems to be mostly Franks and Goths, with a smattering of Avars and Gepids.
- Most of the battalions were raised relatively recently, less than a year ago. Most of the enlisted will be a bit green with small groups of veteran survivors folded in from disbanded battalions.
- The commanding officers are all older than you by at least several years if not decades, with the exception of Major Surena who is only two years older than you.
- Surena and Vorbeck are women, the other four are men, though in your opinion two of them may still be boys.
- Nivelle fought in the last war, the entire duration of the war as an enlisted. Vorbeck and Raeder also fought, but only in the last year of the war.
- Nivelle has been recently called up from the reserves less than a year ago
- Mueller and Vorbeck has some relatively recent experience pacifying primitives in the east.
- Giraud has been stationed on the western border for the past few years, that region has always been tense with minor skirmishes even before full-blown war broke out.
- Raeder has been previously stationed on the northern border, you don't have much experience about that region. Though judging from simply looking at the map and seeing the tiny federation holdings up there it should have been a cushy posting for any officer.
- Surena doesn't seem to have much history as an officer. You suspect she's inexperienced and got the rank through connections, though you personally can't really say much on that front either. Oddly enough her battalion runs smoothly enough so she probably has good administrative skills or natural talent like yourself.
- You are now responsible for the lives of 4872 soldiers.
This all useful information though a lot of it doesn't seem helpful to the current situation. You learnt some neat background information but most of it could been put off for later. Raeder and Giraud were the two majors currently waiting in the common room. Maybe leaving them to wait while you were rummaging through paperwork wasn't the brightest idea, though perhaps the wait cooled them down.
About the troops under your command... Franks and Goths hmm... could be worse you suppose. Goths were an industrious if dour people inhabiting parts of central Europa. They formed a few strong states that stayed true to the old ways. Franks were an innovative if sometimes restive people who inhabited parts of western Europa. Their culture was never robust enough to form strong centralised nations and they remained a patchwork of statelets and moderately sized nations. Sometimes Franks were too innovative, given half of them have fallen to the dark side and embraced republicanism. Though in their defence they are not totally lost like the Iberians or Angles. Your own people, the Wiennese are obviously better having combined the best parts of both cultures, Gothic and latin cultures like Frankish, to form something more sophisticated than the sum of it parts.
The should have been some tensions, but certainly not enough to boil over like this. So perhaps there are other factors in play like personal frictions.
You could meet all the majors together and take the two squabbling majors aside later, or do it the other way around.
[] Call a meeting of all the majors
[] Meet Giraud and Raeder and sort them out
- [] Individually
- [] Together
You decide to avoid meeting your underlings for now and decide examining the brigade paperwork instead is a good idea. Everything seems orderly under the last colonel until the record-keeping becomes patchy recently under the temporary command of a Major Nivelle. You think he may have had difficulty running the brigade due to being first among equals or it could be something else.
Looking at the order of battle reveals where each battalion was levied from and who commands them. From an outsiders perspective these troops would look identical in their battle dress and standard equipment but a smarter person can learn quite a lot from the nuances and quirks.
Order of battle
| Battalion Type | Battalion Name | Battalion CO |
| Light Infantry |
Auvergne's 33rd Chasseur battalion Luneberg's 17th Jaeger battalion |
Francis Giraud (29) Maurice Nivelle (44) |
| Heavy Infantry |
Niederbayern's 11th Grenadier Battalion
Limousin's 24th Fusilier Battalion Anhalt's 82nd Line battalion |
Frieda Vorbeck (35)
Alexis Surena (24) Aloysius Raeder (36) |
| Armour | Neumark's 7th Cuirassier Battalion | Lars Mueller (31) |
- The ethnic mix of the enlisted seems to be mostly Franks and Goths, with a smattering of Avars and Gepids.
- Most of the battalions were raised relatively recently, less than a year ago. Most of the enlisted will be a bit green with small groups of veteran survivors folded in from disbanded battalions.
- The commanding officers are all older than you by at least several years if not decades, with the exception of Major Surena who is only two years older than you.
- Surena and Vorbeck are women, the other four are men, though in your opinion two of them may still be boys.
- Nivelle fought in the last war, the entire duration of the war as an enlisted. Vorbeck and Raeder also fought, but only in the last year of the war.
- Nivelle has been recently called up from the reserves less than a year ago
- Mueller and Vorbeck has some relatively recent experience pacifying primitives in the east.
- Giraud has been stationed on the western border for the past few years, that region has always been tense with minor skirmishes even before full-blown war broke out.
- Raeder has been previously stationed on the northern border, you don't have much experience about that region. Though judging from simply looking at the map and seeing the tiny federation holdings up there it should have been a cushy posting for any officer.
- Surena doesn't seem to have much history as an officer. You suspect she's inexperienced and got the rank through connections, though you personally can't really say much on that front either. Oddly enough her battalion runs smoothly enough so she probably has good administrative skills or natural talent like yourself.
- You are now responsible for the lives of 4872 soldiers.
This all useful information though a lot of it doesn't seem helpful to the current situation. You learnt some neat background information but most of it could been put off for later. Raeder and Giraud were the two majors currently waiting in the common room. Maybe leaving them to wait while you were rummaging through paperwork wasn't the brightest idea, though perhaps the wait cooled them down.
About the troops under your command... Franks and Goths hmm... could be worse you suppose. Goths were an industrious if dour people inhabiting parts of central Europa. They formed a few strong states that stayed true to the old ways. Franks were an innovative if sometimes restive people who inhabited parts of western Europa. Their culture was never robust enough to form strong centralised nations and they remained a patchwork of statelets and moderately sized nations. Sometimes Franks were too innovative, given half of them have fallen to the dark side and embraced republicanism. Though in their defence they are not totally lost like the Iberians or Angles. Your own people, the Wiennese are obviously better having combined the best parts of both cultures, Gothic and latin cultures like Frankish, to form something more sophisticated than the sum of it parts.
The should have been some tensions, but certainly not enough to boil over like this. So perhaps there are other factors in play like personal frictions.
You could meet all the majors together and take the two squabbling majors aside later, or do it the other way around.
[] Call a meeting of all the majors
[] Meet Giraud and Raeder and sort them out
- [] Individually
- [] Together
Last edited:
1.7
Emdeman
The Atlantic Federation
- Location
- Australia
[X] Call a meeting of all the majors
After going through the last few papers - apparently you have a squad of elite honour guards somewhere in the camp - you decide to go call a meeting of all the majors. After finding some enlisted to act as impromptu messengers you go back into the command post. Seriously where are all the adjutants? There should be some to handle the brigade's administrative affairs, you will have to ask for some from the majors or the general.
Now to deal with the two errant majors waiting in the common room. Francis Giraud is tall, well-built man with a jovial face with golden blonde hair. Sitting a few yards away is the stern, dark haired Aloysius Raeder, a short stocky man with a seemingly constant faint scowl on his face.
They both look surprised by your young age, you wish people would stop doing that. There have been instances of people being promoted despite their age, you got your rank fair and square. By knowing the right woman.
"I trust you two have cooled off enough not to go at each other again?" You naturally inject a healthy dose of sarcasm into the question. Raeder is inscrutable to the jab while Giraud just cracks an affable smile. But it doesn't reach his eyes.
"Just a friendly scuffle between two old acquaintances, made worse by a lack of adult supervision. It won't happen again", Giraud tries to pass the incident off as trivial with a grin.
"While we have our disagreements I have to concur. This unfortunate incident was the result several unique factors that won't occur in the future", Raeder keeps his voice even.
"See even Aly agrees, why not let the past stay that way and start off on a new page?" Giraud says placatingly.
Raeder's frown deepens at the nickname.
"I see, I will make my decision on the matter soon. For now I want to meet the rest your peers", you formally decide.
Both men give you an odd look, wondering why you made them wait half an hour and then just dismiss them. They should naturally conclude it was a snub for their atrocious behaviour which will hopefully make them feel guilty and attempt to make up for it. Or maybe they used the idle time to smooth over their issues and extend you an olive branch. As for their justification, you decide to:
[] Believe it - Combat should ease any tensions due to shared hardship. With a new colonel here the troops should be less rowdy anyway. You technically weren't in command yet and bringing the matter up again could inflame things. Let bygones be bygones.
[] Remember it - Whatever happened was a blow up that shouldn't have happened. You'll have to talk to them tomorrow in depth about what occurred. Make their men work together so this won't happen again.
You three wait in silence for the other majors to arrive, it does not take long.
The first to arrive is Surena, you immediately dislike her on first sight. Her dossier says she is a commoner but that's not the reason for your distaste. The rank and file are commoners, and so are most of the NCO's and some of the officers. She has aristocratic features implying she is an illegitimate child or some commoner who got lucky, your willing to bet the former considering how she got the rank at such a young age. Her almost regal bearing ticks you off to no end, bastard children are just a degree away from being step children in your opinion. You idly wonder how many men she slept with to get to that position. Okay that's a little too disingenuous even for you, perhaps she has a noble parent pulling strings for her.
"Hello Francis, Aloysius." Surena smiles while turning to you, "So you're the new colonel, nice to meet you. I am Alexis and I hope we work well together", she says it all in an irritatingly genial voice.
You school yourself to a neutral expression and respond with simple, "likewise". Wait, was the last line innuendo? She better not be subtly flirting with you, you'll need to watch out and reject any advances. It would be unprofessional as well as unfitting of you.
"At least I won't be the youngest around here anymore", she attempts to lighten to mood. Giraud chuckles while even the taciturn Raeder flashes a brief albeit small smile. They seem to have a rapport.
Again with the age, you internally sigh. Surena looks a little put out by your lack of response, judging by how her smile went stale. Serves her right for making a terrible joke.
The next to arrive is Nivelle, an ageing man with greying hair. His uniform is worn with age and he walks with an unsteady gait. A look at his face answers some of your hidden questions, going by his features he is of mixed blood. That would explain why someone with a Frankish name would command a battalion from a Gothic nation. Records say he is an enlisted who later became an officer due to experience. You can respect someone who rose through the ranks, regardless of origins.
"Good afternoon colonel, I have to apologise in advance for the sorry state of the records. I am not suited for that position and its been a while since I put on the uniform", Nivelle says regretfully. He's humble to boot. He seems relieved to not have that much responsibility anymore.
Vorbeck and Mueller walk in together. The former is a plain faced woman who is distinctly unremarkable, though something in Vorbeck's eyes unsettle you slightly. Mueller meanwhile is a handsome man who looks like your stereotypical tanker, black stains on his uniform and what not. Both acknowledge you with an informal salute before taking their places without a word. Being last does make people less talkative.
"Now that everyone's here I'll introduce myself. I am Rudolf Hapsburg and I will be running this brigade come hell or high water", you proclaim grandly. "I want a full run down on the state of your battalions. I have just gotten back from seeing General Hall and he expects us to breakthrough before the week is out".
Your words seem to galvanise your new subordinates, waiting for two weeks on a near battle ready state appears to have put them on edge.
"What do you want to know colonel?" Vorbeck asks, curious.
"What is the quality of the rank and file trooper? I have heard these are recently raised-"
What follows next is an hour long planning session on all the little details and quirks the official documents didn't convey. The group talks about problems and ways to resolve them. You feel you may have earned some respect from the subordinates since you knew what you talked about and didn't come across as clueless.
All the troops have been trained adequately though many lack combat experience since the war only started 9 weeks ago. In these circumstances anyone with combat experience is being labelled a veteran. Still, the war was anticipated months ago so the new soldiers have spent at least 6-9 months being drilled, they should perform adequately. An average of about 2 in 10 troops in the brigade have experience in various brushfire conflicts in the east. The Surena's Limousin 24th, Mueller's Cuirassiers and Vorbeck's Grenadiers have a higher than average number of veteran troops, about 3 in 10. All are armed with standard imperial weapons, the only troops with elite weapons are the leaders with small personal honour guards like you, Surena and Giraud.
Each battalion has an attached support element to deal with logistics issues. Supplies are adequate at the moment but more couldn't hurt. Mueller seems to be constantly complaining for more fuel and parts. Vorbeck also wants more fuel, but she wants it for flamethrowers. Woman seems obsessed with fire. Surena wants more mortars along with additional ammunition. Nivelle worries about the supply situation since he has had trouble with the logistics corp due to his temporary authority, he thinks they have been under-supplied. Giraud and Raeder disagree and think its just baseless worrying, though you in your completely impartial opinion lean slightly towards Nivelle.
Your infantry are not mechanised in any way, standard thinking is that trucks are unsuitable for travelling on anything but good road and no one has bikes out here. At most the infantry hitch a ride on armour when out of combat. There are a few trucks in the supporting elements for bringing supplies or fuel to the tanks but most of it use old fashioned horse and cart or menial porters.
"So", you ask the majors, "do we have any of those new radios?"
"Haha no," Giraud shakes his head, "I doubt any formation in the army has a radio".
"I heard the general has one in his headquarters so he can talk with the field marshal in Caucasia", Surena supplies.
"We will rely on messengers on horseback or foot like our forefathers. We will make do like we always have", Raeder responds solemnly.
It said something about the Empire that it could build multi-storey high superweapons and yet it couldn't provide radios to most its armies. You willing to bet the Federation doesn't encounter these requisition issues.
At the end of the session everyone is tired from all the planning and prepare to leave when you ask one last question, "where are all the adjutants? They seem to have vanished".
Nivelle answers, "they have been spread to the battalions, you can have them back but they're not that great. Your predecessor organised most of the paperwork himself. Perhaps you can ask the general for some?"
Interesting idea, you can bundle that with another request you had in mind. Now what are you going to do in the few days you have left before the invasion begins?
Pick three things to do over the next few days:
[] Investigate the brawl and the causes for how it happened (only available if you pick remember above). Try to resolve any issues you find.
[] Contact the logistics corp for more supplies using your authority.
- [] Contact Frenzel on the side and see if she has anything (dice roll, will happen anyway but with a higher threshold if the option is not selected)
[] Be seen out among the troops, get a personal feel of their measure. Drill them, train them more, push them to the limit (increased morale)
[] Ask the general if he can spare some experienced adjutants or advisers (dice roll). Also ask if he can detach some artillery (hard dice roll)
[] Get to know the other colonels neighbouring you and what type of brigades they lead (random chance of partially happening if not selected)
[] Finalise preparations so everything is ready before zero hour comes (decreases chance of organisational mishaps)
[] Get to know your majors more:
- [] Surena
- [] Raeder (not available if first option is picked)
- [] Giraud (not available if first option is picked)
- [] Nivelle
- [] Vorbeck
- [] Mueller
After going through the last few papers - apparently you have a squad of elite honour guards somewhere in the camp - you decide to go call a meeting of all the majors. After finding some enlisted to act as impromptu messengers you go back into the command post. Seriously where are all the adjutants? There should be some to handle the brigade's administrative affairs, you will have to ask for some from the majors or the general.
Now to deal with the two errant majors waiting in the common room. Francis Giraud is tall, well-built man with a jovial face with golden blonde hair. Sitting a few yards away is the stern, dark haired Aloysius Raeder, a short stocky man with a seemingly constant faint scowl on his face.
They both look surprised by your young age, you wish people would stop doing that. There have been instances of people being promoted despite their age, you got your rank fair and square. By knowing the right woman.
"I trust you two have cooled off enough not to go at each other again?" You naturally inject a healthy dose of sarcasm into the question. Raeder is inscrutable to the jab while Giraud just cracks an affable smile. But it doesn't reach his eyes.
"Just a friendly scuffle between two old acquaintances, made worse by a lack of adult supervision. It won't happen again", Giraud tries to pass the incident off as trivial with a grin.
"While we have our disagreements I have to concur. This unfortunate incident was the result several unique factors that won't occur in the future", Raeder keeps his voice even.
"See even Aly agrees, why not let the past stay that way and start off on a new page?" Giraud says placatingly.
Raeder's frown deepens at the nickname.
"I see, I will make my decision on the matter soon. For now I want to meet the rest your peers", you formally decide.
Both men give you an odd look, wondering why you made them wait half an hour and then just dismiss them. They should naturally conclude it was a snub for their atrocious behaviour which will hopefully make them feel guilty and attempt to make up for it. Or maybe they used the idle time to smooth over their issues and extend you an olive branch. As for their justification, you decide to:
[] Believe it - Combat should ease any tensions due to shared hardship. With a new colonel here the troops should be less rowdy anyway. You technically weren't in command yet and bringing the matter up again could inflame things. Let bygones be bygones.
[] Remember it - Whatever happened was a blow up that shouldn't have happened. You'll have to talk to them tomorrow in depth about what occurred. Make their men work together so this won't happen again.
You three wait in silence for the other majors to arrive, it does not take long.
The first to arrive is Surena, you immediately dislike her on first sight. Her dossier says she is a commoner but that's not the reason for your distaste. The rank and file are commoners, and so are most of the NCO's and some of the officers. She has aristocratic features implying she is an illegitimate child or some commoner who got lucky, your willing to bet the former considering how she got the rank at such a young age. Her almost regal bearing ticks you off to no end, bastard children are just a degree away from being step children in your opinion. You idly wonder how many men she slept with to get to that position. Okay that's a little too disingenuous even for you, perhaps she has a noble parent pulling strings for her.
"Hello Francis, Aloysius." Surena smiles while turning to you, "So you're the new colonel, nice to meet you. I am Alexis and I hope we work well together", she says it all in an irritatingly genial voice.
You school yourself to a neutral expression and respond with simple, "likewise". Wait, was the last line innuendo? She better not be subtly flirting with you, you'll need to watch out and reject any advances. It would be unprofessional as well as unfitting of you.
"At least I won't be the youngest around here anymore", she attempts to lighten to mood. Giraud chuckles while even the taciturn Raeder flashes a brief albeit small smile. They seem to have a rapport.
Again with the age, you internally sigh. Surena looks a little put out by your lack of response, judging by how her smile went stale. Serves her right for making a terrible joke.
The next to arrive is Nivelle, an ageing man with greying hair. His uniform is worn with age and he walks with an unsteady gait. A look at his face answers some of your hidden questions, going by his features he is of mixed blood. That would explain why someone with a Frankish name would command a battalion from a Gothic nation. Records say he is an enlisted who later became an officer due to experience. You can respect someone who rose through the ranks, regardless of origins.
"Good afternoon colonel, I have to apologise in advance for the sorry state of the records. I am not suited for that position and its been a while since I put on the uniform", Nivelle says regretfully. He's humble to boot. He seems relieved to not have that much responsibility anymore.
Vorbeck and Mueller walk in together. The former is a plain faced woman who is distinctly unremarkable, though something in Vorbeck's eyes unsettle you slightly. Mueller meanwhile is a handsome man who looks like your stereotypical tanker, black stains on his uniform and what not. Both acknowledge you with an informal salute before taking their places without a word. Being last does make people less talkative.
"Now that everyone's here I'll introduce myself. I am Rudolf Hapsburg and I will be running this brigade come hell or high water", you proclaim grandly. "I want a full run down on the state of your battalions. I have just gotten back from seeing General Hall and he expects us to breakthrough before the week is out".
Your words seem to galvanise your new subordinates, waiting for two weeks on a near battle ready state appears to have put them on edge.
"What do you want to know colonel?" Vorbeck asks, curious.
"What is the quality of the rank and file trooper? I have heard these are recently raised-"
What follows next is an hour long planning session on all the little details and quirks the official documents didn't convey. The group talks about problems and ways to resolve them. You feel you may have earned some respect from the subordinates since you knew what you talked about and didn't come across as clueless.
All the troops have been trained adequately though many lack combat experience since the war only started 9 weeks ago. In these circumstances anyone with combat experience is being labelled a veteran. Still, the war was anticipated months ago so the new soldiers have spent at least 6-9 months being drilled, they should perform adequately. An average of about 2 in 10 troops in the brigade have experience in various brushfire conflicts in the east. The Surena's Limousin 24th, Mueller's Cuirassiers and Vorbeck's Grenadiers have a higher than average number of veteran troops, about 3 in 10. All are armed with standard imperial weapons, the only troops with elite weapons are the leaders with small personal honour guards like you, Surena and Giraud.
Each battalion has an attached support element to deal with logistics issues. Supplies are adequate at the moment but more couldn't hurt. Mueller seems to be constantly complaining for more fuel and parts. Vorbeck also wants more fuel, but she wants it for flamethrowers. Woman seems obsessed with fire. Surena wants more mortars along with additional ammunition. Nivelle worries about the supply situation since he has had trouble with the logistics corp due to his temporary authority, he thinks they have been under-supplied. Giraud and Raeder disagree and think its just baseless worrying, though you in your completely impartial opinion lean slightly towards Nivelle.
Your infantry are not mechanised in any way, standard thinking is that trucks are unsuitable for travelling on anything but good road and no one has bikes out here. At most the infantry hitch a ride on armour when out of combat. There are a few trucks in the supporting elements for bringing supplies or fuel to the tanks but most of it use old fashioned horse and cart or menial porters.
"So", you ask the majors, "do we have any of those new radios?"
"Haha no," Giraud shakes his head, "I doubt any formation in the army has a radio".
"I heard the general has one in his headquarters so he can talk with the field marshal in Caucasia", Surena supplies.
"We will rely on messengers on horseback or foot like our forefathers. We will make do like we always have", Raeder responds solemnly.
It said something about the Empire that it could build multi-storey high superweapons and yet it couldn't provide radios to most its armies. You willing to bet the Federation doesn't encounter these requisition issues.
At the end of the session everyone is tired from all the planning and prepare to leave when you ask one last question, "where are all the adjutants? They seem to have vanished".
Nivelle answers, "they have been spread to the battalions, you can have them back but they're not that great. Your predecessor organised most of the paperwork himself. Perhaps you can ask the general for some?"
Interesting idea, you can bundle that with another request you had in mind. Now what are you going to do in the few days you have left before the invasion begins?
Pick three things to do over the next few days:
[] Investigate the brawl and the causes for how it happened (only available if you pick remember above). Try to resolve any issues you find.
[] Contact the logistics corp for more supplies using your authority.
- [] Contact Frenzel on the side and see if she has anything (dice roll, will happen anyway but with a higher threshold if the option is not selected)
[] Be seen out among the troops, get a personal feel of their measure. Drill them, train them more, push them to the limit (increased morale)
[] Ask the general if he can spare some experienced adjutants or advisers (dice roll). Also ask if he can detach some artillery (hard dice roll)
[] Get to know the other colonels neighbouring you and what type of brigades they lead (random chance of partially happening if not selected)
[] Finalise preparations so everything is ready before zero hour comes (decreases chance of organisational mishaps)
[] Get to know your majors more:
- [] Surena
- [] Raeder (not available if first option is picked)
- [] Giraud (not available if first option is picked)
- [] Nivelle
- [] Vorbeck
- [] Mueller
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