The Torches Rise (RWBY/CKII, After The End)
Cmd. Frost
The last one standing.
- Location
- The Summer Stretch
I'm going to be honest, this plan is a lot more likely to fail than not, but these people just watched their countrymen get slaughtered on the hope that the suffering of their friends and families at the hands of this plague will end, they knew they were marching against a legion from hell, they knew they were marching into their deaths and they still marched out. A full third of our army is dead and the rest are scattered, many would say that it's over, we lost. However I have a few things to say to say about this situation.
FUCK THE GRIMM, FUCK THE APOCALYPSE THEY RODE IN ON, FUCK THE PROGENATORS, FUCK THESE TRIBAL'S, AND FUCK THIS SIEGE, THIS IS THE AGE OF GRIMM BITCHES, OUR WEAPONS ARE SHIT, OUR ARMIES ARE TINY, OUR TECH IS IRON AGE, THE WORLD IS TRYING TO KILL US AND I'M ALL OUT OF FUCKS TO GIVE.
WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD A HUNDRED TIMES OVER BY NOW AND INSTEAD WE WALKED INTO A NEST AND KILLED THE GREAT GRAND-DADDY OF ALL DEMONIC SPIDERS AND THEN WE FOUND A BITCH FROM BEFORE THE FALL ON ICE. WE STILL LIVE AND BREATH BECAUSE WE DO THE IMPOSSIBLE, today we went out to stop one of the greatest threats to our realm and the grimm walked up, knocked us down and didn't stop kicking until we were a bloody pulp, so now we have an opportunity to fight or run.
Either way, here and now we need to decide: Are we gonna lay there and swallow the blood in our mouth? Or, are we gonna stand up, spit it out, and go spill theirs? Basic sanity says we should run home and make our men's deaths mean nothing. Then again like my dad always said, the sane die young.
FUCK THE GRIMM, FUCK THE APOCALYPSE THEY RODE IN ON, FUCK THE PROGENATORS, FUCK THESE TRIBAL'S, AND FUCK THIS SIEGE, THIS IS THE AGE OF GRIMM BITCHES, OUR WEAPONS ARE SHIT, OUR ARMIES ARE TINY, OUR TECH IS IRON AGE, THE WORLD IS TRYING TO KILL US AND I'M ALL OUT OF FUCKS TO GIVE.
WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD A HUNDRED TIMES OVER BY NOW AND INSTEAD WE WALKED INTO A NEST AND KILLED THE GREAT GRAND-DADDY OF ALL DEMONIC SPIDERS AND THEN WE FOUND A BITCH FROM BEFORE THE FALL ON ICE. WE STILL LIVE AND BREATH BECAUSE WE DO THE IMPOSSIBLE, today we went out to stop one of the greatest threats to our realm and the grimm walked up, knocked us down and didn't stop kicking until we were a bloody pulp, so now we have an opportunity to fight or run.
Either way, here and now we need to decide: Are we gonna lay there and swallow the blood in our mouth? Or, are we gonna stand up, spit it out, and go spill theirs? Basic sanity says we should run home and make our men's deaths mean nothing. Then again like my dad always said, the sane die young.
Raiu
Per Aspera Ad Astra
- Location
- United States
After the hospital falls (it's a given at this point) it'll be weird. For one, you could try to find the doctors (and they were doctors, meaning a cut above normal healers) who were contracted out to other rulers when the hospital was still functioning. There's a good amount still in the Zulu lands, since that was a true humanitarian crisis. That one may be hard because there will be a three way interest between the rulers who already have the doctors, you who want the doctors, and Dab who wants to lessen their losses.
Another option is to do it the hard way and force common healers to study the plague. I'll tell you right off, their treatments will be a lot more experimental than anything the doctors put out, which really isn't a good thing. You'd eventually have a decent hospital. MTTH is about 10 years or so.
Or, you could just wait for the plague to burn itself out. MTTH, depending on how you deal with the plague victims, is about 30 years or so. It's a rather virulent plague.
Calm down my friend. Admittedly, you did get to the root as to why I gave this choice. Do you cut your losses, accepting the loss of face and knowledge in order to ensure diplomatic relations are not damaged even more, or do you decide that your people are worth risking war and hatred? It's up to you players to decide.
Cmd. Frost
The last one standing.
- Location
- The Summer Stretch
Yea sorry about that, this just kind of reminded me of a few situations in my life, not exactly like this of course but in the same vein as "Cut losses and save face or going out swinging because they're worth it" Let's just say I had a bad habit of picking the wrong choice.
Anyway, we've done the impossible before and we're only going to get out of this mess by doing more impossible crap, so, once more unto the breach I guess.
Nuckelavee in Menagerie
Raiu
Per Aspera Ad Astra
- Location
- United States
Well, you didn't make a wrong choice there. The Dice Gods had their say in things.
Well, I might as well build the world a little bit.
Well, I might as well build the world a little bit.
The Nuckelavee is very, very, very rare. Sightings in Menagerie are so scattered and rare that Menagerai people truly think it is a demon, an omen of terrible destruction. In the period of time after Menagerie's fall (roughly 200 years after the fall of the Five Kingdoms) there have been three confirmed sightings.
The first was in AF 0, when a Nuckelavee broke through the Iron Walls of Kuo Kuwama, slaughtering many inhabitants before the final remaining Great Hunters (Huntsmen trained in the Old Style of teaching and of such great age that one of who could remember the time before the Kingdoms fell) sacrificed themselves to save the people of Kuo Kuwama and seal the breech in the walls. This one was named Alastor.
The second was spotted in AF 137, when it suddenly appeared in the lands of the Megwambi Empire, who controlled much of the lands of central Menagerie outside the lands of Kuo Kuwama. The legends state a monster, part man part horse, destroyed the rulers of the Megwambi Empire so totally, no records remain of their name, causing the fractured web of alliances which unite the current tribes. This one was named Balberith.
The third was spotted in AF 805, rising out of the sea in the Tara Tribal Unity, which had once encompassed both the northern most lands of central Menagerie, and all the way down to the Ekidnu tribal lands. This is the only Nuckelavee known to have been slain by non-Hunters, fallen in a great battle known as The Red Plains. Even to this day, the plains of the Tara tribe are stained red, and their population had been reduced to such an extent they are still recovering to this day. This Nuckelavee was believed to be the youngest of the ones encountered, and it surrounded itself with hordes of Grimm. It was named Feurety.
This one is the fourth, and has no name. What makes the Nuckelavee is not their massive destructive capabilities, but their ability to command the Grimm around them, turning battles into massacres.
Welcome to the Age of Grimm.
The first was in AF 0, when a Nuckelavee broke through the Iron Walls of Kuo Kuwama, slaughtering many inhabitants before the final remaining Great Hunters (Huntsmen trained in the Old Style of teaching and of such great age that one of who could remember the time before the Kingdoms fell) sacrificed themselves to save the people of Kuo Kuwama and seal the breech in the walls. This one was named Alastor.
The second was spotted in AF 137, when it suddenly appeared in the lands of the Megwambi Empire, who controlled much of the lands of central Menagerie outside the lands of Kuo Kuwama. The legends state a monster, part man part horse, destroyed the rulers of the Megwambi Empire so totally, no records remain of their name, causing the fractured web of alliances which unite the current tribes. This one was named Balberith.
The third was spotted in AF 805, rising out of the sea in the Tara Tribal Unity, which had once encompassed both the northern most lands of central Menagerie, and all the way down to the Ekidnu tribal lands. This is the only Nuckelavee known to have been slain by non-Hunters, fallen in a great battle known as The Red Plains. Even to this day, the plains of the Tara tribe are stained red, and their population had been reduced to such an extent they are still recovering to this day. This Nuckelavee was believed to be the youngest of the ones encountered, and it surrounded itself with hordes of Grimm. It was named Feurety.
This one is the fourth, and has no name. What makes the Nuckelavee is not their massive destructive capabilities, but their ability to command the Grimm around them, turning battles into massacres.
Welcome to the Age of Grimm.
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MTTH?
If that means Mean Time Til Healing (or, how long we have to put up with the Plague for) then, if we don't grab the doctors from Dab, we have to put up with the grimm Plague for ten years at least?
Screw that! Let's go for broke!
Raiu
Per Aspera Ad Astra
- Location
- United States
Nope, it just means you'll have to deal with experimental treatments for about ten years, assuming you're not doing anything unethical. And MTTH is Mean Time To Happen, which is the average amount of time. That means the average results will see you develop a decent hospital in about twenty turns. That assumes no resource dumps or accidents.
The hospital is kinda a big thing, as it not only helps out with disease resistance, it also helps safeguard the Prosperity of a province. Prosperity is a term which hasn't come up recently, and it is a bit of a hidden value with big effects. There are four Prosperity levels: 0 (where the Province is not prospering), 1 (where things are looking to be on the up and up), 2 (where everyone will say it's a pretty good time to be alive), and 3 (where things are going great).
I'm not going to tell all the ways that Prosperity can be gained or lost, or all the benefits, but I will say that avoiding wars and raiding is a good way to improve Prosperity, and that Prosperity is the way to open Holding Slots, among other things. (This is also a system that I haven't implemented yet, so don't lose sleep over it.)
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Cmd. Frost
The last one standing.
- Location
- The Summer Stretch
So in other words we're gonna need the grand-daddy of all dust bombs to kill that thing
- Location
- The Shrine of the Muse
- Pronouns
- She/They
Or really good luck and a fuckhuge amount of men.
Cmd. Frost
The last one standing.
- Location
- The Summer Stretch
Hunter training could also help.
Speaking of which @Raiu, how set in stone is the Apprentice system the hunters have going right now? Would they listen to us if we told them to take on more than one apprentice at a time or to start working together to train them?
Raiu
Per Aspera Ad Astra
- Location
- United States
Its not a formal rule, but most Huntsmen follow it because their hands on teaching style doesn't help them out when it comes to multiple apprentices.
If you told them to take on new apprentices, they would follow your command and search for new candidates. Since they would be teaching multiple students for a long period of time, the training of both apprentices would take longer, but you'd have more hands on deck. having multiple Huntsmen working on one apprentice is... awkward. Huntsmen don't really do well at sharing teaching time with other Huntsmen. The system is that a Master Huntsman teaches one group of apprentices while the other handles their group.
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Or, other practical reasons include: It's easier to pay attention to one retarded teenager who is literally invincible (but only for a little while) than a gaggle of them. The expected rate of apprentice deaths per year is over 15% (meaning it's important to train up one quickly, rather than a bunch slowly and risk them dying half-taught).
Now, if they had a single, central location, very defensible and regularly supplied with a stream of possible trainees, say, a school? Well, master/apprentice falls a little out of favor in the face of academic oversight.
Of course, such a place would cost exorbitant amounts of money, materials, and dust to run; feeding, the sheer number of trained instructors necessary to run it, screening for applicants, training costs, forging class costs... And then it wouldn't show results for at least five to eight years.
I wouldn't doubt that Raiu's ballpark on the cost of a primitive Huntsman academy is something in the range of ~30 Lien/~5 Dust per turn, and as a special holding it would be around 600 Lien to start construction.
Raiu
Per Aspera Ad Astra
- Location
- United States
Those numbers are accurate, PoW. Accurate for a combat school like Signal (the highschool to Beacon's university). Even then the school would be considered understaffed and underfunded.
The most basic level of Huntsmen Academy (past Signal levels), would cost about 60/15 a turn to barely function. To get it to full strength would be about 100/25 a turn. At this point, there is only one place that has an income exceeding that mark: the Hyliodorian Republic, the trade center of the world. Even in the case of the Republic, that wealth is divided between three patrician families, who are more worried about getting into power and making money than improving the quality of their Huntsmen.
Raiu
Per Aspera Ad Astra
- Location
- United States
Alright, some time has been given to vote, and I believe it's time for the customary alerts. The voting period will close in 24 hours, and I'll be making a resolution. After this final heist interlude, I'll be completing the third turn with a interlude based on a random event for your Focus. (It will just be a single threadmark interlude, the results of which will be found in the Rumor Mill.) This will be the last planned interlude for a few turns, because holy crap I made this one drag on for too long!
For everyone who stuck in this long, thanks for forcing my continued interest. I'll try to deliver on quality writing from now on.
For everyone who stuck in this long, thanks for forcing my continued interest. I'll try to deliver on quality writing from now on.
Cmd. Frost
The last one standing.
- Location
- The Summer Stretch
Oh hell no. That is the power level we would get.
Raiu
Per Aspera Ad Astra
- Location
- United States
Shhhhhhh. That's the power level you are currently at, if you sent more than just the army. There would have been strange Combat-Within-A-Combat shenanigans if that happened.
It's a younger Nuckealavee, but it surrounds itself with lesser Grimm. An army that is prepared for it has a really good chance of killing it, and the casualty rate lowers when you get Huntsmen involved. In the show it took about four Huntsmen Apprentices to take down one, though they were Before Times Huntsmen Apprentices, so make of that what you will.
I will say this: if it wasn't for the Nuckalavee, the plan would have worked. I will also say this: the demon's no where close to your lands, so you can safely let Dab and the tribals deal with it.
Edit: Oh, by the way. 65.9% of all Huntsmen Apprentices don't make it to Master Huntsmen. In Menagerie it's 53%. Let's pretend those numbers were not an actual statistic and just a pair of numbers I pulled out of nowhere for comedic effect. Yep.
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But it was there, so it didn't
The question is, what do we do about it? I vote we keep going, because while we've already taken losses the basic plan is still sound. Besides, losing a third of our army for no benefit would suck - if we can at least bring back a doctor or two to help bring the Grimm Plague under control then that would help ease the sting of their loss.
Cmd. Frost
The last one standing.
- Location
- The Summer Stretch
Raiu
Per Aspera Ad Astra
- Location
- United States
A lot of you think that you need an Aura to survive in this world. While an Aura helps protect you from knives, bullets, swords and claws, they can put people on edge because you have something different, and that can sometimes lead to the more... Destructive assassination events.
The better way to survive? Don't stick your head out. Don't rock the boat. The flipside? Your torch won't be carried, since your story wasn't worth remembering.
Now we move on to how to use an Aura. Or rather, I get to point you to something PoW created. Personal Combat of 36, by the way, if my math-hammer is correct.
The better way to survive? Don't stick your head out. Don't rock the boat. The flipside? Your torch won't be carried, since your story wasn't worth remembering.
There are generally three ways an Aura can awaken. The first is having a naturally awoken Aura at birth (which does happen, if rarely). Before you ask, there's no clear link between babies with awoken Auras and couples made of two awoken Huntsmen. It's seemingly a thing of random chance. By the way, these lucky children are prime apprentice material for Huntsmen, so if you do see one, there's like a Huntsmen ready to snatch them up.
The first way that a person whose Aura did not awaken at birth is through intense meditation, soul searching, and perhaps a bit of vision questing. This method is mostly used by nobles who cannot risk death or disfiguring, commoners trying to become Huntsmen, and Master Huntsmen trying to unlock a deeper understanding of their Auras. It's slow, very slow, but it can work, if unreliably.
The second method is the most common one, for better or worse. Auras have been known to awaken under extreme stress (not surprising, considering how many Huntsmen come from destroyed villages). The easiest way to cause extreme stress, in this case, is to beat the apprentice nearly to death, usually with a heavy stick. The crueler Huntsmen drag the beatings out over several days, locking the apprentice away in isolation to amp up the stress considerably. It's hard to know at what point an Aura awakens, and some Auras never awaken, to unfortunate effects.
The third method is the rarest, and it is known as the Trial. The Trial varies between cultures and even Huntsmen, but it usually involves the Grimm in some form. The Trial is only used on apprentices who have significant combat capabilities, but cannot be "beaten awake". This is the deadliest form of Aura awakening, and most who attempt it die horribly. This is not entirely forgotten, as the extreme stress can sometimes not only unlock one's Aura, but also their Semblance. Everything else about the Trial is carefully kept secret.
The first way that a person whose Aura did not awaken at birth is through intense meditation, soul searching, and perhaps a bit of vision questing. This method is mostly used by nobles who cannot risk death or disfiguring, commoners trying to become Huntsmen, and Master Huntsmen trying to unlock a deeper understanding of their Auras. It's slow, very slow, but it can work, if unreliably.
The second method is the most common one, for better or worse. Auras have been known to awaken under extreme stress (not surprising, considering how many Huntsmen come from destroyed villages). The easiest way to cause extreme stress, in this case, is to beat the apprentice nearly to death, usually with a heavy stick. The crueler Huntsmen drag the beatings out over several days, locking the apprentice away in isolation to amp up the stress considerably. It's hard to know at what point an Aura awakens, and some Auras never awaken, to unfortunate effects.
The third method is the rarest, and it is known as the Trial. The Trial varies between cultures and even Huntsmen, but it usually involves the Grimm in some form. The Trial is only used on apprentices who have significant combat capabilities, but cannot be "beaten awake". This is the deadliest form of Aura awakening, and most who attempt it die horribly. This is not entirely forgotten, as the extreme stress can sometimes not only unlock one's Aura, but also their Semblance. Everything else about the Trial is carefully kept secret.
Now we move on to how to use an Aura. Or rather, I get to point you to something PoW created. Personal Combat of 36, by the way, if my math-hammer is correct.
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Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
I don't mind wholesale transplanting of smaller primers you like. Go for it.
As a note, though, physical and mental discipline are good aids for aura awakening. Aura is the pure, concentrated essence of the soul, and a strong body, coupled with a sound, focused mind, lend greater resilience towards bringing it out. Generally, the failures are those who don't take to proper physical regimens or refuse to see the sense in sharpening their wit and will.
Considering how poor the physical well-being of the average person is, and the loss of mental exercises to make up the difference, most people who can use aura at all have to enter something of a minor battle-trance to focus it enough to be useful. In addition to the other limits mentioned in the primer, I actually disallow commanders to make use of awakened auras unless they're forced into fighting directly (it just hasn't come up yet in-quest). Basically all of the commander's mental acuity and talents are spent making their weak, mistreated bodies form a coherent aura at all, so their tactical acumen would plummet if they tried to keep their aura up in the middle of a battle without needing it!
As a note, though, physical and mental discipline are good aids for aura awakening. Aura is the pure, concentrated essence of the soul, and a strong body, coupled with a sound, focused mind, lend greater resilience towards bringing it out. Generally, the failures are those who don't take to proper physical regimens or refuse to see the sense in sharpening their wit and will.
Considering how poor the physical well-being of the average person is, and the loss of mental exercises to make up the difference, most people who can use aura at all have to enter something of a minor battle-trance to focus it enough to be useful. In addition to the other limits mentioned in the primer, I actually disallow commanders to make use of awakened auras unless they're forced into fighting directly (it just hasn't come up yet in-quest). Basically all of the commander's mental acuity and talents are spent making their weak, mistreated bodies form a coherent aura at all, so their tactical acumen would plummet if they tried to keep their aura up in the middle of a battle without needing it!
The Dance of Desperation (Omake for Changeofheart)
Raiu
Per Aspera Ad Astra
- Location
- United States
AN: This is an omake for @Changeofheart for proofreading, and also for deciding just what was left of your army. Not only does it allow me to give another view of the battle, it also lets me show the differences between riflers and Zouave.
DAY 0
There had been no time in Ruben's life where he had been as scared as the battle outside the hospital. He had not felt fear during the patrols under Lady Skye. The first battle in Buhaw had been too swift to let fear grow. The siege had been too frantic for a common man to grow fear. This battle, however, was frightening.
He had been a rifler in the second line, safely behind the spears when the demon showed itself. As soon as the demon opened it's mouth, Ruben knew Lady Skye had sent the army to die. It explained so much: why she sent them with a maimed foreigner who believed in false gods, why she had sent the levy swiftly and in secret, why she did not come herself, why she sent the fool Russet to command.
The heathen commander ordered the retreat, and he must have thought the army's run had been a sign of duty, of following the plan. Ruben knew the real reason. Everyone would soil themselves if they had to stand before the demon, and they wouldn't be seen as cowards since the commander told them to run. Ruben gripped his rifle and fled like the rest of his comrades, not one man daring to trip for fear of his own life. The man who had yet to see his twentieth year ran, ignoring the cries of the spearmen behind him.
The sprint was hard, but the call to form lines felt all too soon. Ruben had barely past the strange mounds when his line's officer began shouting commands. The Zouave had been one of Skye's own retinue. She must have wanted appearances to be kept, so Ruben pitied the man. His family must have angered the Nameless One for him to be so badly betrayed.
Fear motivated the peasants far greater than any command, and within heartbeats Ruben's rifle was laid out over the shoulder of his fellow sacrifice. Shouts of "Steady!" rang throughout the lines as the vanguard of spears scattered to the flanks. The hardy spearmen were scarcely out of the firing line when the order to fire was shouted. The first volley spat through the air like rolling thunder, and Ruben's rifle kicked hard as he joined the second volley. Before the Dust smoke had even cleared from his gun, Ruben knelt and opened the flash pan, tearing the next tallow covered cartridge open with his teeth.
The baker's son did not see the first mound ignite, but he felt the air shatter as the creatures of the Grimm vanished behind clouds of earth. There was a moment of stunned silence as explosions riddled the battlefield, Grimm giblets raining down like righteous rain. A cheer rose up through the army, and Ruben's voice rose to join the cheer. He had been wrong, Lady Skye had not sent them off to-
The terror returned with a vengeance and only snippets remained in the levy soldier's memory. Small Grimm sweeping forward, sacrificing themselves on the mounds to protect their elders. The fool Russet charging forth to challenge the demon. The spear lines shattered by the demon, the fool's body used like a gruesome mace. His rifle striking his officer's head, the man falling to the ground.
Ruben returned to his own mind later, the sky darkening as he hid in the branches of a tree. Everything was silent. He was alone. The young man looked down at his hands, and saw a rifle. It was not his musket, but the strange, compact form of a Zouave rifle. At his hips he saw two pouches: his own cartridge pouch, and the pouch his officer carried. "Now I've done it." He muttered as he clutched the rifle.
He knew it was not safe to move at night, so he knew he would be camping in the tree until dawn.
DAY 1
The morning sun awoke Ruben. He had thought his fear would keep him from sleeping, and yet here he was, awake as if nothing had happened. He heard a scraping coming from the base of the tree, causing him to look down. His heart leaped into his throat when he saw the creature.
A Beowulf, a whelp missing it's front forepaw, clawed at his tree. The tiny demon snarled, its attempts to climb foiled by it's injuries. "Right." Ruben muttered to himself, checking his new rifle. It wasn't a musket, not like his own, and the paper cartridge inside was different from his own. "Ok, so there are differences." He closed the breech and aimed, the demon snarling again. The report signaled the end of the tiny threat. "Yeah, that will do."
Ruben dropped from his pearch. Looking around, he could see no Grimm on the horizon, but he knew they would eventually come. With no clear path home, the survior shrugged. "Well, north we go then."
DAY THREE
Since the dispatching of the whelp, Ruben's travels had been quiet. The marching rations within both his packs had staved off hunger, but his canteen was draining quickly in the dry season's heat. He had no clue where the supply wagons had departed, and thirst would soon be a more dire threat than the missing creatures of the Grimm.
The future problem was quickly banished from his mind when Ruben spotted the familiar form of a horse under the shade of a savanna tree. At first he paid it little mind, but the sight of bridle and saddle quickly changed his mind. His step quickened, and soon he saw a familiar face dozing under the tree. "Nameless One's big toe! Zahi, is that you?"
The stable hand jumped awake at the sound of his voice and his saber was raised in surprise, only to quickly be lowered when he saw a friend. "Pit, Ruben, were you trying to give me a heart attack?!" The anger was quickly replace with a smile as the young man stood. "I thought you were lost when the lines broke. Good to see I was wrong."
The friends embraced and their tales were swapped. While Ruben had been in the fighting at the center, Zahi's wing had struck the Grimm's flank. When the call to retreat was sounded, the horse rider had been able to safely retreat, but with a distinct lack of order in the retreat, he had chosen to strike out on his own in hopes of being a smaller target. "I did manage to grab as much water from the supply train as I could, though." He said, gesturing to the numerous canteens that hung from his mount's saddle, before passing one to Ruben.
His thirst quenched, Ruben struck his deal. "How about we team up. We can split watches at night to make sure nothing tries to eat your horse, and if something does pop up, we can handle it together."
Zahi's answer was instant. "You think I'm heartless enough to say no to a friend? I'd gladly team up with you any day. So, where are you heading? I've been trying to take the roundabout route home, but..."
"I'm not heading back to Yeqerta. Lady Skye sent us to die against the Grimm, and I don't want anything to do with her now." Zahi blinked at the venom in his friend's voice.
"You can't be certain of that."
"I am. Russet had been pretty clear about his grievances with Lady Skye, and I'm certain she didn't want to be known as a murderer, so she sent us on this fool's mission. Think about it, why else would we go out of the way to save some other noble's home? Either she's bedding that noble, or she wanted Russet to die painfully."
Zahi pondered. "Alright, I'm going to trust your hunch. So, where are you planning on going?"
"Remember the plan? After we distracted the Grimm we were going to burn some tribe's lands. I saw a map in the commander's tent, and I remember the way to one of the tribe's. It'll be a bit rough, but I think I can get us in their good graces while we plan the next move. Trust me on this?"
The stable hand was quiet for a moment before he nodded. "Alright, I'll trust you. Let's get going then, I've rested enough."
DAY FIVE
Five days of wandering, five days of being ever vigilant of the Grimm, five days without seeing civilization. Ruben's heart leaped when he saw a plume of smoke rise in the mid-morning light. He took a moment to compose himself, slinging his rifle as he did so. "Alright, Zahi, let's hope this works."
Soon, the pair arrived at the wooden walls of the settlement, a gate in clear view. As they approached, the guards shouted and sprinted towards them, spear tips gleaming in the sunlight. The two raised their hands in a sign of surrender. "I am Ruben of Yeqerta!" The soon to be traitor yelled, "I have information your Champion will want to hear!"
DAY 0
There had been no time in Ruben's life where he had been as scared as the battle outside the hospital. He had not felt fear during the patrols under Lady Skye. The first battle in Buhaw had been too swift to let fear grow. The siege had been too frantic for a common man to grow fear. This battle, however, was frightening.
He had been a rifler in the second line, safely behind the spears when the demon showed itself. As soon as the demon opened it's mouth, Ruben knew Lady Skye had sent the army to die. It explained so much: why she sent them with a maimed foreigner who believed in false gods, why she had sent the levy swiftly and in secret, why she did not come herself, why she sent the fool Russet to command.
The heathen commander ordered the retreat, and he must have thought the army's run had been a sign of duty, of following the plan. Ruben knew the real reason. Everyone would soil themselves if they had to stand before the demon, and they wouldn't be seen as cowards since the commander told them to run. Ruben gripped his rifle and fled like the rest of his comrades, not one man daring to trip for fear of his own life. The man who had yet to see his twentieth year ran, ignoring the cries of the spearmen behind him.
The sprint was hard, but the call to form lines felt all too soon. Ruben had barely past the strange mounds when his line's officer began shouting commands. The Zouave had been one of Skye's own retinue. She must have wanted appearances to be kept, so Ruben pitied the man. His family must have angered the Nameless One for him to be so badly betrayed.
Fear motivated the peasants far greater than any command, and within heartbeats Ruben's rifle was laid out over the shoulder of his fellow sacrifice. Shouts of "Steady!" rang throughout the lines as the vanguard of spears scattered to the flanks. The hardy spearmen were scarcely out of the firing line when the order to fire was shouted. The first volley spat through the air like rolling thunder, and Ruben's rifle kicked hard as he joined the second volley. Before the Dust smoke had even cleared from his gun, Ruben knelt and opened the flash pan, tearing the next tallow covered cartridge open with his teeth.
The baker's son did not see the first mound ignite, but he felt the air shatter as the creatures of the Grimm vanished behind clouds of earth. There was a moment of stunned silence as explosions riddled the battlefield, Grimm giblets raining down like righteous rain. A cheer rose up through the army, and Ruben's voice rose to join the cheer. He had been wrong, Lady Skye had not sent them off to-
The terror returned with a vengeance and only snippets remained in the levy soldier's memory. Small Grimm sweeping forward, sacrificing themselves on the mounds to protect their elders. The fool Russet charging forth to challenge the demon. The spear lines shattered by the demon, the fool's body used like a gruesome mace. His rifle striking his officer's head, the man falling to the ground.
Ruben returned to his own mind later, the sky darkening as he hid in the branches of a tree. Everything was silent. He was alone. The young man looked down at his hands, and saw a rifle. It was not his musket, but the strange, compact form of a Zouave rifle. At his hips he saw two pouches: his own cartridge pouch, and the pouch his officer carried. "Now I've done it." He muttered as he clutched the rifle.
He knew it was not safe to move at night, so he knew he would be camping in the tree until dawn.
DAY 1
The morning sun awoke Ruben. He had thought his fear would keep him from sleeping, and yet here he was, awake as if nothing had happened. He heard a scraping coming from the base of the tree, causing him to look down. His heart leaped into his throat when he saw the creature.
A Beowulf, a whelp missing it's front forepaw, clawed at his tree. The tiny demon snarled, its attempts to climb foiled by it's injuries. "Right." Ruben muttered to himself, checking his new rifle. It wasn't a musket, not like his own, and the paper cartridge inside was different from his own. "Ok, so there are differences." He closed the breech and aimed, the demon snarling again. The report signaled the end of the tiny threat. "Yeah, that will do."
Ruben dropped from his pearch. Looking around, he could see no Grimm on the horizon, but he knew they would eventually come. With no clear path home, the survior shrugged. "Well, north we go then."
DAY THREE
Since the dispatching of the whelp, Ruben's travels had been quiet. The marching rations within both his packs had staved off hunger, but his canteen was draining quickly in the dry season's heat. He had no clue where the supply wagons had departed, and thirst would soon be a more dire threat than the missing creatures of the Grimm.
The future problem was quickly banished from his mind when Ruben spotted the familiar form of a horse under the shade of a savanna tree. At first he paid it little mind, but the sight of bridle and saddle quickly changed his mind. His step quickened, and soon he saw a familiar face dozing under the tree. "Nameless One's big toe! Zahi, is that you?"
The stable hand jumped awake at the sound of his voice and his saber was raised in surprise, only to quickly be lowered when he saw a friend. "Pit, Ruben, were you trying to give me a heart attack?!" The anger was quickly replace with a smile as the young man stood. "I thought you were lost when the lines broke. Good to see I was wrong."
The friends embraced and their tales were swapped. While Ruben had been in the fighting at the center, Zahi's wing had struck the Grimm's flank. When the call to retreat was sounded, the horse rider had been able to safely retreat, but with a distinct lack of order in the retreat, he had chosen to strike out on his own in hopes of being a smaller target. "I did manage to grab as much water from the supply train as I could, though." He said, gesturing to the numerous canteens that hung from his mount's saddle, before passing one to Ruben.
His thirst quenched, Ruben struck his deal. "How about we team up. We can split watches at night to make sure nothing tries to eat your horse, and if something does pop up, we can handle it together."
Zahi's answer was instant. "You think I'm heartless enough to say no to a friend? I'd gladly team up with you any day. So, where are you heading? I've been trying to take the roundabout route home, but..."
"I'm not heading back to Yeqerta. Lady Skye sent us to die against the Grimm, and I don't want anything to do with her now." Zahi blinked at the venom in his friend's voice.
"You can't be certain of that."
"I am. Russet had been pretty clear about his grievances with Lady Skye, and I'm certain she didn't want to be known as a murderer, so she sent us on this fool's mission. Think about it, why else would we go out of the way to save some other noble's home? Either she's bedding that noble, or she wanted Russet to die painfully."
Zahi pondered. "Alright, I'm going to trust your hunch. So, where are you planning on going?"
"Remember the plan? After we distracted the Grimm we were going to burn some tribe's lands. I saw a map in the commander's tent, and I remember the way to one of the tribe's. It'll be a bit rough, but I think I can get us in their good graces while we plan the next move. Trust me on this?"
The stable hand was quiet for a moment before he nodded. "Alright, I'll trust you. Let's get going then, I've rested enough."
DAY FIVE
Five days of wandering, five days of being ever vigilant of the Grimm, five days without seeing civilization. Ruben's heart leaped when he saw a plume of smoke rise in the mid-morning light. He took a moment to compose himself, slinging his rifle as he did so. "Alright, Zahi, let's hope this works."
Soon, the pair arrived at the wooden walls of the settlement, a gate in clear view. As they approached, the guards shouted and sprinted towards them, spear tips gleaming in the sunlight. The two raised their hands in a sign of surrender. "I am Ruben of Yeqerta!" The soon to be traitor yelled, "I have information your Champion will want to hear!"
Now You See Me 3-4 Fin
Raiu
Per Aspera Ad Astra
- Location
- United States
Sneak past the Tribals, Break into the castle, Grab the doctor and run. We lost hundreds of good men and women to get this far, their sacrifice shall not be entirely in vain.
AN: Nice and vague. I'm going to have fun with this.
AN: Nice and vague. I'm going to have fun with this.
Balthazar came to his decision quickly. The mission would continue, and drastic action would be taken. This was Balthazar's justification for the bolt he placed in the ponce's forehead. The unfortunate man's body threw itself over the wall in the death spasm. The spymaster turned back to the team, seeing their eyes locked n either him or the falling body. 'Oliver watches the wall. He understands my work.'
"B-bloody Pit, sir!" Alex stammered. "He was Glory's third cousin! Do you have any idea what you've done?"
The spymaster's answer was immediate, and his cobwebbed voice whispered as he retrieved the missive. "Kept presence quiet. Saved Glory Lien. We move. Now."
The cumbersome launchers were loosed once again, and the team moved swiftly. Their feet had barely settled upon the stones before Balthazar glanced at the insider. "Rabbit. Dr. Nail's office. Lead."
Once more the rabbit hopped to work, and the team ducked into a damaged wing of the hospital to avoid the vigilant patrols. Inside, the team could hear the wails of the wounded and dying, nurses and apprentices hurrying to allay their pain. Balthazar's finger shot towards Muriel. "Hood." The tribal woman understood the command and covered her hair. Moments later, Balthazar shoved a pile of discarded sheets into her hands, doing the same to Oliver as he ordered the others. "Dieter. Doctor's escort. Alex, Doctor. Lead."
The team set off, matching Alex's brisk pace, sans Balthazar. Between two moments, the Spymaster disappeared, making his own preparations for the escape. Without the spymaster's unsettling aura, the team looked the part of an important doctor's staff, rushing to some emergency. Whenever a nurse seemed too inclined too get a closer look at the supposed Doctor, some event drew their attention away. Thus the team continued, leaving a trail of misplaced bottles, mysteriously opened wounds and yelping patients in their wake.
"Now," Alex began, "If the quack's office hasn't been changed, we shouldn't need much longer to-" He paused as the disguised team turned a corner, coming face to face with a door with dark lettering. 'Dr. Nail of Glacia.' Under the declaration was a schedule of times, showing the doctor was scheduled as resting. Indeed, a light snoring came from inside. "Well, that's fortunate." The insider muttered. "Oliver. Is the door lock-"
A light click came from the door and the sneak looked up from here he was kneeling. "'s not now. Didn't even 'ave two pins." Oliver put a finger to his lips and carefully pushed open the door...
Only for a bell to ring as it opened. The snoring abruptly stopped and the doctor with opinions as unwanted as his ginger beard sat up on the examination table. "Streisand? What did I tell you about unlocking the door without knock-" He stopped as his eyes settled on the lead member of the group. "By the Scepter of Medicine! Well, at least I know the Board didn't send you to kill me. They wouldn't use an exile. By the way, the Captain of the Guard still wants to murder you for his eye, you walking malpractice case."
"Oh shut up, Doctor. If you were not wanted, I'd be perfectly fine without your heretic-" Alex whined before Dieter shoved him away, the former soldier taking the lead.
"You are Doctor Nail of Glacia? Our employer sent us to get you out of the Estate."
Dr. Nail clucked before replying, "Since you're actually asking, it's pretty clear you're not from Ma Aquaan, or one of those bloodthirsty fools clawing at the walls. You don't have the air of a beaten zealot, so you are not from the Zulu. Well, I've always wanted to see Kuo Kuwama-" Dieter interrupted the doctor.
"We don't have a lot of time, Doctor, and you're thinking in the wrong direction. We're from Buhaw-" Like a game of tennis, the doctor cut in.
"Buhaw?! That backwater? Feh, well, it's better than serving as some Champion's scalp-less slave." The doctor stood from his temporary bed and began shoveling papers into a nearby bag. "I know what you are going to say, no I can't leave this. If you expect me to save an entire Petty Kingdom-"
"Kingdom." Dieter said firmly.
"Fine, if you expect me to save an entire Kingdom, then I need my notes, as well as my staff. You," Nail pointed at Muriel, "Girl with the hood. Go to the center nurses station and ask for Aaden and Xaawo. Tell then to bring the full regiment. Use those exact words: the full regiment." The doctor rapidly snapped his fingers. "Hop to it."
With a mutter of "Chauvinist pig", Muriel departed, leaving the team with a distinct understanding as to why the doctor worried for his life.
Seven minutes of uncomfortable waiting and the slow realization doctors do not travel light later, Muriel returned with the nurses and two heavy packs of clinking vials and medical equipment between the three. "Good!" The doctor remarked as he closed his bag. "Now, let us be off."
With the plan officially in the "wing it" phase, the team returned to the desolate section of wall, where Balthazar waited. The spymaster regarded the added baggage with distinct coldness. "Way prepared. Tribes in chaos. Leaders managed. At each other's throats. Exit opened. We go now." With the clipped statements delivered, the team descended the ropes and managed to not lose any equipment in the descent.
With their feet firmly on the ground, the team found Balthazar's acquired horses and promptly mounted up. Speed was more important than stealth now, and the mad gallop to escape began. As the spies made their race through the town, they found Balthazar had not lied of the tribesmen fighting amongst themselves. Little mind was given to the riders as allies clashed in battles of supremacy. Desperation and the promises of glory caused the battles, serving as the perfect distraction. The tribes did not even notice the opened gate, and the Grimm outside were still too distracted by their bloody feast to take advantage of the vulnerability.
Thus, with no dramatic fanfare, the team escaped. In his report, Balthazar marked the mission as a success.
~~~~~
Two weeks later, you ground your teeth as you dropped the report. The mission had been a disaster, costing you everything but your garrisons. The sudden loss of so many of your peoples in such a horrible way was going to destroy public morale, and already you heard rumors of what Isaiah Glory was doing to your public image.
"I send my men against a demon from the Pit for his sake, and what does the ungrateful shit call me?" You rant, "The Oathbreaker!" Jove stood by you, hands out in a placating gesture. "Skye, calm down. It's just one angry man. Don't get so angry. We did not lose everything. Reinhardt did return with most of the retinue."
"I can understand that rat hating me, but he spat on the men that died. I swear, I am going to bust down his door and shove my boot so far up his-" The sudden feeling of water running down your leg stopped you. "Wha... Oh... Oh Dust."
Dr Nail of Gracia acquired and given title of Court Physician, Levy Lost, Ser Reinhardt returns with 100 members of Retinue, Dab Royal Hospital destroyed, Knight Isaiah Glory of Dab Relation Reduced, -100 Prestige from Isaiah slamming your public image, The Jongsu know of your plan, It's Time.
AN: And with that, you have gained a strong tool for fighting disease. You did give me a very vague plan, so I improvised. Now, prepare my readers, for things will be getting interesting.
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