Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.
"This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.
Probably not that one - there are very few choices that are locked off and they are more of a "kill innocent people with zero remorse" variety. I believe idealism/cynicism is mostly responsible for altering descriptive text whereas Mercy/Ruthlessness is what locks away options in addition to also altering text (your character threatens people more with higher ruthlessness etc.) Could be wrong about specifics - again, never bothered to look at the game's code.
(I think its reasonable to turn 5 unanimous votes into the threshold for an early update, given that I don't think we ever got more than 9 votes - let me know if anyone has an issue with this.)
You order your men to keep up a steady rate of fire. The rifled barrels of your carbines allow your men to shoot accurately from far away, but the fact that they must wrap every ball in a cloth patch to let it catch the rifling doesn't do their rate of fire any favours.
Firing as quickly and as accurately as they can, your men manage to down a handful of men before you hear a great roar coming from the Antari force. Fueled by raw, desperate courage, the Antari hurl themselves as one man against the Grenadiers. You feel a knot at the pit of your stomach as you see the Antari cut their way through to freedom, leaving their precious supply carts behind. The Antari commander stands fast, guarding the retreat of his men. He holds off his attackers, waiting for the last of his surviving men to win free before withdrawing from his exhausted pursuers.
The battle is over.
-
With the battle over, you set your men to aiding the wounded on both sides. Captain Hunter approaches you to shake your hand and offer congratulations on your part in the victory, assuring you that he will be mentioning you in his dispatches.
The Grenadiers open up the supply carts to find casks of salt pork, lard and barrels of strong Antari potato wine, as well as over six hundred warm fur cloaks and a stack of thick blankets. It seems that your outpost will neither lack for food nor warm clothing this winter.
-
Captain Hunter looks with approval at the haul of plunder, but still seems disappointed at their inability to capture the Antari commander.
"He seemed a fine swordsman, that fellow. He kept his head cool even as we hit him from all sides. Seemed like a very able fellow, probably would have caught a fair bit of ransom."
Regardless, neither you or your captain have time to dwell on what could have been: you must still haul the captured supplies back to the outpost and recover the wounded.
-
It takes the entire evening and much of the night to get the captured supplies and wounded back to the outpost. Bone-tired and battered, you barely have enough energy to tie up your horse before falling into your bed and immediately losing yourself in a deep, dreamless sleep.
-
Three weeks later, a messenger is spotted riding up the road from Noringia. He brings with him letters addressed to you from your family and friends, as well as similar post for the other men of the garrison. More importantly, he brings a copy of the Aetoria Gazette, which contains within its four dozen pages news of the war elsewhere.
You learn that the supply column you ambushed had been on its way to supply a larger Antari force, poised to strike south at Noringia itself. Without its much needed winter supplies, the paralyzed Antari army began crumbling in the face of the cold before finally being annihilated in detail by the main force of the King's army in several running skirmishes.
The destruction of the Antari main force has also resulted in a raft of promotions for junior officers who had distinguished themselves in the presence of the King or his generals. One of those mentioned is Davis d'al Elson of the Royal Dragoons, who, for his actions in battle, has been promoted to lieutenant. Strangely enough, no particular act of extraordinary bravery or genius was cited as a reason for the extraordinary promotion of a cornet with barely a year's seniority.
Why do you think that is?
1) He clearly used his noble birth to secure an undeserved promotion. 2) Perhaps one of his more powerful relatives pulled some strings? 3) Maybe the Gazette ran out of space to print whatever Elson had done to deserve his promotion?
As of the Autumn of the 602nd year of the Old Imperial Era.
Perhaps that is so. You resolve to ask the man himself next time you meet.
-
Your first winter in Antar turns out to be a never-ending purgatory of mud, snow, ice and hail. Thanks to your captured warm weather gear, you return from patrol with your extremities "merely" stinging from pain, rather than numbed by the telltale symptoms of frostbite. Some days are so full of whipping, biting snowfall that crossing the outpost to report in to Captain Hunter is an ordeal in itself.
With everyone crammed into the crude, leaky shelters, disease spreads quickly. A dozen of the Grenadiers die from strange diseases which you have never heard of before. You and your Dragoons are not immune to these foreign sicknesses either. Not a day goes by without one or two of your men ill from some strange or familiar ailment.
By the time the snow finally begins to melt, you are all sickly and emaciated. You meet the first signs of spring with depleted food stores, a terrible case of the flux and with three of your men's horses frozen to death.
-
Thankfully, a supply column from Noringia soon follows, bringing with it food, reinforcements and some welcome news:
In his infinite wisdom, His Grace the Duke of Wulfram, commander of the King's Army in Antar, has decided to focus military operations along the River Kharan for the foreseeable future. Thus, the small outpost which has served as a base for you and your men over the past year is to be vastly expanded with a palisade, more permanent buildings and enough room to house three thousand fighting men and their hangers-on, camp followers and servants. With this news comes official documentation, designating the site of your much-expanded outpost as 'Fort Kharan'.though you do not think the site has quite the substance to warrant the designation of 'fortress' just yet.
A steady stream of profiteers and other ne'er-do-wells follow in the wake of the new arrivals.The next week, another column arrives, bringing with them a company of Royal Engineers, four small pieces of field artillery and a half-dozen other small detached units of cavalry from other regiments. They bring with them news that Captain Hunter is to be promoted to major and that your long assignment as the outpost's only cavalry officer is finally over.
-
With another three dozen cavalrymen now present at the outpost, you are now at more liberty to choose your own assignments.
A few options present themselves:
Firstly, you can remain on patrol duty while the other cavalry units take over the additional duties of the enlarged outpost. Without the need to also operate as Hunter's at-need cavalry force, you could probably expect an easier time of it.
Secondly, you could always draw the easier duty of serving as the cavalry reserve. While that means you will be cooped up in barracks for most of the next year while the other cavalry units are on patrol, there is always the chance for some emergency or great battle for you to distinguish yourself.
Lastly, you can request a promotion to lieutenant. Now that you have the one year's seniority needed to be eligible, a promotion to lieutenant would be the natural step forward. Such an advancement would open up the possibility of being assigned the command of an entire troop of forty Dragoons and thus, give you a greater chance of finding yourself in a major engagement.
Promotion in the Royal Tierran Army is a fickle thing. You would need both the appropriate seniority and the funds to pay the difference between the amount you could sell your cornet's commission for and the price demanded by the man selling his lieutenant's commission to you. In your case, the going rate for such a step up is about 250 crowns, hardly an insignificant sum. However, particularly well-regarded officers sometimes have the cost of their promotions covered by regimental funds as a reward for their high reputations, something which you might possibly be able to warrant, thanks to your heroics thus far.
1) Return to patrol duty.
2) Request cavalry reserve duty.
3) Seek promotion to lieutenant.
This is a very important choice. For the record, we do not have enough money to purchase a commission, so 3) entails us trying to get our promotion using our reputation.
Regarding 3, I don't see the regiment paying for us, we haven't done anything in particular to warrant such expense. So I'll go with 2, to try to earn glory on the field.
You will still be sitting around a lot in reserves with the intention of being mobilized whenever the need arises. Whereas combat patrols means you duties are constant but dedicated to just that - patrols.
I dunno dude, why not try 3 if it's at all possible? Even without Thunderer, we wouldn't have enough money to buy the commission and our reputation is not that bad.
You send off a request for promotion with the next courier. A month later, he returns with a letter stamped with the seal of the Duke of Wulfram, commander in chief of the army, with his official approval regarding your promotion to lieutenant. You are ordered to proceed to Noringia to receive your promotion and await a new posting befitting your rank.
You leave the next day.
CHAPTER V Wherein the cavalry officer receives a PROMOTION to the rank of LIEUTENANT.
You feel the heat from the Duke of Cunaris's banefire longsword on your neck as its razor-sharp edge hovers a thumb's width from your exposed throat. You meet your regimental colonel's steady gaze as best you can, acutely aware of the fact that three more swords are also pointed at you from each side and back, each just a step away from putting twenty centimetres of steel through your throat. Cunaris speaks; you hang onto every word.
"Do you, Alaric d'al Ortiga, swear to always uphold the King's Laws in your service, to maintain the security of the realm and to follow, without compunction, the orders of His Majesty the King and those he has placed as your superiors?"
You hesitate for a moment, but only for a moment. You've faced far deadlier things than a sword in your face. You steel yourself and quickly regain your composure. "I swear, by the Saints and by my sacred honour."
Cunaris does not miss a step. "Do you, Alaric d'al Ortiga, swear to protect the person and interests of His Majesty the King upon the field of battle? Do you swear to discharge this most vital duty so long as you have eyes to see, legs to stand upon and an arm to fight with?"
The answer comes more easily this time. "I swear, by the Saints and by my sacred honour."
"Do you, Alaric d'al Ortiga, swear to live a life clean in both mind and deed and to serve as an example to those who are bound to follow you?"
"I swear, by the Saints and my sacred honour."
Cunaris gives a small, knowing smile and withdraws his sword. All around you, you can hear his aides doing the same.
"Then by the authority of His Majesty, King Miguel the First of House Rendower, I hereby appoint you lieutenant in the service of His Majesty's Royal Dragoon Regiment. Saints guard the King!"
-
You exit the large stone building serving as the Duke of Cunaris's command headquarters feeling no different than you had before. When you were in training, you could not help but look enviously at the lieutenants, at the two shining pips upon their collars and at the rooms they got all to themselves instead of having to share. However, now that you have spent some time in service and have earned that fateful rank yourself, you realize that all your Lieutenancy means is a more ornamented uniform, a larger room and more responsibilities.
Worse yet, you have not been given consideration for a command. After all, leading a patrol is work for a cornet or an NCO, not a lieutenant. You had to leave your old unit behind when you left Major Hunter's outpost for Noringia two weeks ago. Some of the men spoke their farewells with genuine affection, although you had no doubt that some others were cheering your departure in the silence of their own minds.
You spend the afternoon and evening being fitted for a new uniform bearing the silver tower and two gold pips of a lieutenant of horse. Unlike enlisted men, who must make do with the often ill-fitting issues of assigned uniforms, as an officer, you are expected to pay for a new uniform as part of the cost of your commission. As such, your new tunic and trousers have been made to fit you by a tailor residing in Noringia specifically for that purpose. After a few hours of fitting and alterations, your new uniform is complete. To your pleasure, it fits you perfectly.
-
It is now past sunset, and you are most exhausted. You remember the way back to the officer's billets well enough now, and the intervening time and a substantial garrison have considerably improved the conditions at night in Noringia.
As you cross town in the darkening gloom, your thoughts turn quickly to your new promotion. You now float in an uncomfortable limbo: for you are too senior to command a patrol and still too junior to be given command of a troop currently led by a more experienced officer. Your only hope is to be given a newly formed unit or to replace an officer killed in action. Honestly, you have no idea what your next posting will be. The entire future of your career is up in the air, relying entirely on the whim of His Grace the Duke of Cunaris and, of course, the boffins at Grenadier Square.
How do you feel about that?
1) I feel very confident! I am sure I will get a new command soon! 2) I am uncertain. Having a field command made it much easier for me to win merit and plunder. Now, I am without a command, and I have no idea when I shall get a new one. 3) Requesting a promotion was a mistake, I would much prefer to be back at the outpost with my men.
As of the Spring of the 603rd year of the Old Imperial Era.
MICHAEL BRIGGINS
(Born 578 OIE) Lieutenant in the Royal Tierran Navy, Third Lieutenant, HMS Victorious, Baneless.
CAIUS D'AL CAZAROSTA
(Born 585 OIE) Cornet of the Royal Dragoon Regiment. Illegitimate son of the Countess of Leoniscourt. Deathborn.
SIR JOHANNES D'AL FINDLAY, DUKE OF CUNARIS
(Born 556 OIE) Lord colonel of the Royal Dragoon Regiment. Knight-Grandmaster of the order of Saint Jerome. A sitting member of the Cortes and head of the noble house of Findlay.Banecaster of the 8th Calibre.
LORD DAVIS D'AL ELSON
(Born 584 OIE) Lieutenant of the Royal Dragoon Regiment, eldest son of the Baron of Hawthorne , a poor, but politically influential Cortes noble. In possession of aspirations to knighthood. Banecaster of the 3rd Calibre.
WILLIAM FENTON
(Born 578 OIE) Corporal of the Royal Dragoon Regiment, formerly in service to the Ortiga family. Baneless.
ATHELSTAN HARLECH
(Born 572 OIE) Corporal of the Royal Dragoon Regiment, popular with the men. Baneless.
LEONARD HERNANDES
(Born 578 OIE) Sergeant of the Royal Dragoon Regiment, disciplinarian. Baneless.
SOLHAMMOND LANZEREL
(Born 574 OIE) Sergeant of the Royal Dragoon Regiment, formerly of the 4th Regiment of Foot.Baneless.
SIR ALFRED D'AL MONTEZ
(Born 565 OIE) The Commanding officer of the Third Squadron of the Royal Dragoon Regiment. holds the rank of captain. Baneblood.
HIS TIERRAN MAJESTY, KING MIGUEL I OF HOUSE RENDOWER
(Born 586 OIE) Reigning monarch of the Unified Kingdom of Tierra as well as Duke of Aetoria. Young and impetuous, but capable. Baneblood.
RICHARD WALKEN, RN
(Born 565 OIE) Captain of the List in the Royal Tierran Navy. Commanding officer, HMSVictorious. Baneless
SIR ENRIQUE D'AL HUNTER, VISCOUNT OF WOLFSWOOD
(Born 577 OIE) An officer of the Grenadier Guards Regiment. Knight-Captain of the Order of Saint Jerome. Commands the outpost at the Kharan River Bridge. Banecaster of the 9th Calibre.
HECTOR CANDLESS, DUKE OF WULFRAM
(Born 542 OIE) Lieutenant General in command of Tierran forces in Antar. Duke of the northern duchy of Wulfram. An experienced, but conservative career soldier. Banecaster of the 6th Calibre.
SPRING, 602:
With the thawing of the winter snows, the Tierran Army has begun expanding its beachhead around the town of Noringia.
The King has demanded that at least three Regiments of Foot and one Regiment of Horse must be deployed reinforce the forces in Antar by the end of summer.
The Earl of Crittenden, Port-Admiral at Northern Pillars, reports the Calligian Sea to be free of Antari warships.
SUMMER, 602:
Elements of the King's Army have reached the River Kharan. Construction has begun on numerous outposts along the river.
Royal Tierran Intelligence reports that a large Antari army is being mustered to repel the Tierran Army. His Grace the Duke of Wulfram is dispatched to take overall command of the Tierran Army in Antar.
The Northern Fleet attempts to launch an amphibious raid against the Antari port of Kharangia. Shore batteries repel the attack. The Northern Fleet loses two frigates, and a third-rate of the line.
The Royal Dragoon Regiment lands in Antar, along with the 6th of Foot, the 8th of Foot and the Kentauri Highlanders.
AUTUMN, 602:
A 14 000-strong Antari army advances south from Octobirit, with the intent of retaking Noringia.
The Duke of Wulfram assembles a force of nine regiments, numbering 6 000 men, to face the Antari, with the intention of isolating individual columns and destroying the enemy by detail.
WINTER, 602:
After a twelve-day running battle, the last 4 500 survivors of the Antari army surrender to the Duke of Wulfram's troops, 70 km northeast of Noringia. Thousands of men die on both sides from the bitter winter weather.
The Duke of Wulfram makes the decision to bypass the heavily fortified city of Kharangia. As a result, the River Kharan is designated the main line of defence on the western front. Elements of the Grenadier Guards, the 9th of Foot and the White Rose Lancers are dispatched to reinforce the picket forces already present.
SPRING, 603:
Increased Tierran presence along the River Kharan has led to an increase in partisan activity.
Royal Tierran Intelligence reports evidence of a second Antari army being assembled in northwestern Antar.
Well, we've spent close to a year doing nothing much, the bridge ambush being literally the only eventful thing that happened to us in this time. And it is understood that we won't be given command until some time after our promotion. Would be cool if the text was written differently with high idealism (or maybe it is?), but I guess the author wanted to underline the tedium and idleness present in war.
It is suggested that joining the army in 14 was unusual although since its still allowed it is probably not unheard off. We do have the necessary seniority to be one. Remember that we got a charisma penalty by starting the game at 14, so I think that reflects the strangeness of this.
As for the unit information, it will change eventually.
Perhaps your opinion will be vindicated in the days to come, then again, perhaps not.
-
Only the moon and stars remain in the sky by the time you get to your quarters. Stopping a moment to allow the sentries at the door to verify your identity, you are led to your room by an enlisted man stationed just for that purpose. You wearily strip off your old cornet's uniform and place your new, neatly folded lieutenant's jacket and trousers in your wardrobe.
Soon, you will be moved to a larger room more befitting your improved station in His Majesty's army. For now, you are perfectly content to fall into your bed and drift silently into sleep.
The next day, you dress in your new uniform. Heart in your throat, you report to Regimental Headquarters for new duties.
-
Unfortunately, no new field commands are avaliable. Your new assignment is to the Duke of Cunaris's staff. Normally, that would mean that you would be required to help maintain the administrative duties of the regiment, to shuffle reports and bring the most important requests to His Grace himself for his consideration.
In reality, with Squadron and Troop commanders handling their own paperwork, your new post effectively sets you at liberty. Over the next week, you quickly learn that, save for a requisite check-in every morning, your actual duties basically involve sitting at your cramped desk and watching your regimental commander read Kian philosophy and write letters to his family. Your posting seems little more than an excuse for His Majesty's Army to keep you on hand until real work comes up. None of the other desks seem occupied save for maybe a few in the very early morning. On the sixth day, the Duke finally takes you aside.
"Lieutenant Ortiga, I assure you, there is no need at all for you to waste away your youth waiting on me." Cunaris's expression is a mix of pity and bemusement, like what you would expect of a kindly uncle. "Go on, I set you at liberty. I'm sure there is something else you would rather be doing."
-
With your entire day freed up by your regimental commander's orders, you suddenly find yourself with more free time than you have ever had since you joined the army. Without a unit to maintain, or the immediate threat of combat to demand constant readiness in mind or equipment, you stand at a crossroads regarding how to spend your days. A few options present themselves:
First, there is the officer's club, which has remained exactly as it was on your first visit to Noringia. With a garrison of some twelve hundred men, the town offers enough fellow officers to provide tolerable company. Most use the time to gamble away their pay at the constant games of Tassenswerd; some extra funds could be won on the side, if your skills are good enough.
In addition, you learn of a rather crude, but well-maintained training grounds outside the town walls proper, which the garrison uses to maintain drill discipline and train up new arrivals. While you no longer have a unit to train with, your own skills could always use improvement.
There is also genuine advantage in remaining at your post in the Regimental office. With little other company, you could ingratiate yourself with your regimental colonel. After all, the Duke of Cunaris is a wealthy and vastly influential man. He, or those who might come to you to petition him, might prove most useful acquaintances in future.
Lastly, you could deal with the fact that you still have very little comprehension of the language of those whom you are fighting against. For a small fee, you could hire some local to teach you the rudiments of the Antari tongue, which might prove useful in future.
After some deliberation, you decide to:
1) Gamble and socialize at the Officers' Club. 2) Hone my body and mind at the Training Grounds. 3) Remain at the Duke's Service to ingratiate myself. 4) Learn the Antari Language.
As of the Spring of the 604th year of the Old Imperial Era
