Completed [LP] Bleed for your Kingdom, officer! Codex plays Guns of Infinity

[ERYFKRAD]

2

 

[Major_Blackhart]

2

 

[Reinhardt]

2. If there is real enemy here they heard us anyway already.

 

[Kalarion]

2.

 

[Lithium Flower]

"Give them a good volley to speed them on their way."

"Very good, sir," your Staff-sergeant replies before turning to face the bulk of the men behind you. "Squadron to form close order, and prepare to give fire!"

Within moments, your orders are being relayed down the line by bellowing sergeants in rapid succession. Your squadron coalesces into order, troops solidifying from the chaotic milling of men and horses.

Your men form into two ranks, facing the fleeing partisans as they rush for the safety of the deep forest with renewed speed.

"Present!" you command. The front rank bring their weapons to bear on the retreating Antari with a precision which you might have been hard pressed to expect from clockwork.

"Fire!"

Flame ripples down the line of your formed squadron as the air around you fills with the thunderous crackle of Dragoon carbines. Shrieks of pain and fear answer your volley, with half a dozen of the Antari falling and several more staggering as your men's musket balls strike home.

Seeing their ambushers fall does wonders for your men's spirits. Some jeer and taunt the surviving Antari as they flee into the forest with even greater urgency. Others simply cheer in victory. However bare the victory, it is a victory nonetheless.

-

It is nearly noon before the column is ordered and moving again. For the rest of the afternoon, your men eye the forest warily. Some even carry their carbines loaded in their laps, not even daring to accept the half-second delay which pulling their firearm from their saddle holster might cost them.

Still, the partisans do not attack again. When you are next disturbed, it is not by enemy fire but a woman's voice.

"I think you could have handled that encounter back there rather better," Lady Katarina remarks with scandalous informality as she pulls her horse up next to yours.

"Would you have done differently?"

The young noblewoman nods with an unladylike vigour. "Absolutely!" she replies, her voice laden with frustration and the barest hint of bloodthirst. "I would have ordered a pursuit, run them all the way back to their camp if need be."

1) "I did not want to risk the lives of my men."
2) "Perhaps you are right."
3) "I have no wish to discuss this."
4) "We were still able to kill some of them with that volley."

Personal Information

As of the Summer of the 609th year of the Old Imperial Era

Sir Alaric d'al Ortiga
Age: 21
Rank: Captain
Wealth: 940
Income: 15

Soldiering: 75%

Charisma: 43%

Intellect: 5%

Reputation: 24%

Health: 65%

Idealism: 77% Cynicism: 23%

Ruthlessness: 31% Mercy: 69%

You are a Knight of the Red, having the right to wear bane-hardened armour and wield a bane-runed sword.

You have no decorations as of yet.

Unit Information

Sixth Squadron, Royal Dragoons
Senior NCO: Staff-sergeant Hernandes

Discipline: 56%

Morale: 46%

Loyalty: 39%

Strength: 100%

 

[ERYFKRAD]

3>1

 

[baud]

We're not here to kill Antaris, our job is to escort the canons. Of course we can't answer that...

4.

 

[Reinhardt]

3. Make me some sandwich.

 

[Grimgravy]

1>3

 

[Major_Blackhart]

3. Our primary duty is to escort this... woman and the cannons. Not administer to our own bloodthirst.

 

[Kalarion]

3. Can't believe an option wasn't available to explain (patiently) to her that a well-known partisan guerrilla force has every likelihood to be "retreating" in order to set a follow-on ambush when our men are jouncing around in the trees. On foot. As Dragoons.

 

[Lithium Flower]

For a moment, it seems as if Lady Katarina is planning to press the issue, but only for a moment.

"Very well, then," she finally replies. "I shall not demand an audience with your private thoughts."

For a moment, you ride on in silence, the young noblewoman's words hanging in the air between you.

It doesn't take you long to realise that Lady Katarina is merely waiting for you to change the topic of conversation.

1) Talk to her:
"How do you fare, my lady?"
"What's your opinion of my men thus far?"
"How do you find Antar, my lady?"

2) "If there is nothing else, then I bid you good day, my lady."
(Normally you could pick any of these dialogue options, but to makes this easier I'm just giving you the option to either exhaust her dialogue or ignore her.)

Personal Information

As of the Summer of the 609th year of the Old Imperial Era

Sir Alaric d'al Ortiga
Age: 21
Rank: Captain
Wealth: 940
Income: 15

Soldiering: 75%

Charisma: 43%

Intellect: 5%

Reputation: 24%

Health: 65%

Idealism: 77% Cynicism: 23%

Ruthlessness: 31% Mercy: 69%

You are a Knight of the Red, having the right to wear bane-hardened armour and wield a bane-runed sword.

You have no decorations as of yet.

Unit Information

Sixth Squadron, Royal Dragoons
Senior NCO: Staff-sergeant Hernandes

Discipline: 56%

Morale: 46%

Loyalty: 39%

Strength: 100%

 

[Grimgravy]

1

 

[baud]

2.
I don't really see the point

 

[ERYFKRAD]

2. Thot begone

 

[Kalarion]

2.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

2. We are not here to entertain some member of the more flippant and indecisive sex. We are here to do our duty for our King and Country, to keep our men alive, accomplish our mission, and damn all the rest. How may we lead the men through example of strength through morality and discipline if we are seen lollygagging with this would-be seductress?!

 

[Lithium Flower]

"There is actually one more matter," Lady Katarina replies.

The Royal Intelligence agent rides up closer to you until her knee is almost touching yours. "Considering the situation and the value of our assignment, my mind would be set more at ease if we took additional measures to diminish the chances of another partisan attack."

"You mean you want us to move faster in order to reach safety before the partisans can prepare another attack?" you reply.

Lady Katarina nods. "I would strongly suggest it, yes."

The dark-haired noblewoman pulls out a folded map from a hidden pocket within her riding habit. She turns it toward you so that you might see your route upon the paper, traced in grease pencil. "As you likely know, we are here," she points to a spot about a third of the way up the line. "Up here," her finger moves down the route, to a spot about three-quarters of the way to Kharangia, "is a bridge, the only crossing over the River Kharan for fifty kilometres in either direction. If the partisans are to ambush us again, it will be there."

You nod in agreement. "I must concur with your assessment, and I assure you that I have already considered the matter," you reply as you reach into your tunic pocket and pull out your own map of the region, the one which you had gone over with your officers the day before you departed Noringia.

Unfolding your map, you point to the same crossing, only on your copy the point is already annotated with the words "most likely point of ambush" in your handwriting.

Lady Katarina seems taken aback a moment, almost as if she had not expected you to take what almost seems like an elementary precaution.

"I have been in the King's service for the better part of a decade, my lady," you reply, trying to keep your tone genial. "You have no need to remind me of my duty."

Lady Katarina pauses for a moment, caught off-balance. Then she nods. "Yes, of course. I shall trust your professional judgement in this matter, Sir Alaric. I give you joy of the day."

I ask my Staff-sergeant for advice.

Hernandes nods when you bring up Lady Katarina's suggestion. "Yes, p-picking up the p-pace would p-p-probably be for the b-best," he replies. "It would b-be preferable t-to avoid c-combat altogether."

"Even if that means straining the men and horses?" you ask.

The Staff-sergeant nods. "B-better the men sweat n-now than b-bleed later in an avoidable b-battle."

1) I drive the men and horses as hard as they will go.
2) I order the column to make moderate haste.
3) I maintain our normal pace.
4) I send a detachment to rush ahead and hold the bridge for me

Personal Information

As of the Summer of the 609th year of the Old Imperial Era

Sir Alaric d'al Ortiga
Age: 21
Rank: Captain
Wealth: 940
Income: 15

Soldiering: 75%

Charisma: 43%

Intellect: 5%

Reputation: 24%

Health: 65%

Idealism: 77% Cynicism: 23%

Ruthlessness: 31% Mercy: 69%

You are a Knight of the Red, having the right to wear bane-hardened armour and wield a bane-runed sword.

You have no decorations as of yet.

Unit Information

Sixth Squadron, Royal Dragoons
Senior NCO: Staff-sergeant Hernandes

Discipline: 56%

Morale: 46%

Loyalty: 39%

Strength: 100%

 

[Major_Blackhart]

2. While 4 is a tempting possibility, the idea of us dividing our forces at a critical junction like this is too great a risk. And I am risk averse.

 

[Grimgravy]

4>2

 

[ERYFKRAD]

2

 

[Reinhardt]

2. 4 is fine too, but we picked wrong lieutenant for this job.

 

[baud]

Let's take some risks: 4

 

[Lithium Flower]

The next day, you give the order that the column is to move faster. You set the pace most likely to avoid harming either men or horses overmuch, alternating one hour at a walking pace and one at a somewhat swifter speed.

The new pace puts a substantial amount of strain on the horses. By the end of each day's march, they are lathered in sweat from the summer sun and breathing hard from exertion. It seems that the long months of sedentary life in Noringia have done little for their condition.

Likewise, the men are not particularly pleased at your orders. They grumble a great deal. You suppose they too are unused to moving such long distances at such a pace.

Still, you make good speed over the next couple of days. The partisans in the woods, though an ever-present threat, do not strike.

-

After four days at your new pace, your column rides out of the forest to find itself confronted by the deep, swift-flowing waters of the River Kharan.

The bridge proves to be a weathered series of granite arches holding up a road of plank-covered dirt. A ruined tollhouse stands upon your side of the crossing, its stout stone walls crumbling under the burden of long centuries of neglect.

You fought your first battle in Antar upon a bridge like that one, in the first autumn of the war. Your small group of dragoons had been on detached duty under the command of Captain Hunter then, a dashing Wulframite officer of the elite Aetorian Grenadier Guards.

That battle had been an ambush against an Antari supply column. That time it had been Tierran foot in burnt orange who skulked in the woods, while you and your dragoons waited in hiding inside the ruins of a tollhouse much like the one before you.

That action had ended well; the enemy supplies in your hands, its escort beaten off or killed. You had won no small amount of esteem for your part in the battle.

That was a long time ago, though. Most of the men who fought in that action are long dead, including Hunter, who had been promoted to lieutenant-colonel only to be killed leading his grenadiers at Blogia. Little remains of that battle but your memories of that bridge, so much like this one.

Still, that had been a different time and a different bridge; over a hundred kilometres further upstream, if you remember your geography right. There are other subtle differences too: the arches are more shallow, the river swifter, the roadway narrower. There is also, of course, the fact that this bridge is swarming with Antari partisans.

-

There are maybe two dozen of them in total. Most are scattered on the roadway with muskets, or pistols, or even pitchforks in hand. A few others, however, clamber up and down the stone sides of the bridge. One or two dangle from the underside of the arches. It seems clear to you that you've caught the Antari preparing some sort of ambush.

You don't have much of a chance to get a closer look. The Antari seem to have no difficulty spotting nearly two hundred mounted dragoons moving towards them in broad daylight. Shouts of alarm quickly come up. Already, some of the quicker ones are raising their muskets towards you.

Most of your squadron is still behind you, in the woods. You will have no time to deploy them properly, no time to consider your options or consult for advice; you must react now.

What will you do?

1) I charge with my lead troop to sweep the Antari off the bridge.
2) I form up whatever men I can and fire a volley into the enemy.
3) I order my men to keep their distance and skirmish with the enemy.

Personal Information

As of the Summer of the 609th year of the Old Imperial Era

Sir Alaric d'al Ortiga
Age: 21
Rank: Captain
Wealth: 940
Income: 15

Soldiering: 75%

Charisma: 43%

Intellect: 5%

Reputation: 24%

Health: 65%

Idealism: 77% Cynicism: 23%

Ruthlessness: 31% Mercy: 69%

You are a Knight of the Red, having the right to wear bane-hardened armour and wield a bane-runed sword.

You have no decorations as of yet.

Unit Information

Sixth Squadron, Royal Dragoons
Senior NCO: Staff-sergeant Hernandes

Discipline: 56%

Morale: 42%

Loyalty: 39%

Strength: 100%

 

[baud]

1 let's charge, the solution to all our problems!