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Author Topic: Tilea, IC 2342  (Read 13235 times)

Offline Padre

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Re: Tilea, IC 2342
« Reply #25 on: March 20, 2013, 09:06:29 PM »
Holy War?

Spring, IC 2342
The City of Remas


In recent years the Vessilio di Morr, known also as the Banner of the Holy Church of Morr, had been a rare sight upon the Reman streets. Neverthless, its design was well known, consisting of a maroon field bearing an amalgamation of two of the most famous symbols of Morr – the ‘hourglass spent’ and the raven’s wings.



Its most common, official use was during ceremonies of lordly investiture, but today it was being flown for another reason: Frederigo Ordini, Archlector of Morr and Overlord of Remas, intended to inspect his city’s soldiery. It was being born along the streets between the archlector’s palazzo and the Piazza del Soldati by the knightly Gonfaloniere of Remas, Filippo Vannino. Garbed in a wholly martial manner, Sir Filippo wore full plate armour, sporting a plume of maroon feathers, a matching silken scarf worn over his shoulder, and bearing the blue and white quarters of Remas upon his shield. He was mounted upon a destrier clad in enamelled armour.



The streets were quiet, traditionally the case when the archlector of the silent god made an official progress, though there were squinting eyes at every window, peering between barely opened shutters hoping to catch a glimpse of their lord. Of course, guards marched ahead and behind the archlector, but even they kept a respectful distance, so that immediately around his holiness, apart from the echoing clip-clop of iron shod hooves, Morr’s most sacred city was as peaceful as a necropolis under the noonday sun.



The archlector was not alone. A young cleric rode at his side, Father Sauli, carrying yet another badge of office – a phial of blood belonging to the most holy Mother Rosa, enclosed within a silver case and mounted upon a staff. Taking advantage of their oddly public form of seclusion, Frederigo had been questioning his companion concerning military matters. He knew full well that the parade today would reveal little concerning the true nature of Remas’s fighting strength. He was not so foolish as to think himself well-equipped to judge the effectiveness and worth of soldiers as they paraded, and besides, those he saw would have been carefully chosen, perhaps simply the prettiest in the army. These men might be well trained in their drill but nothing like battle hardened; their polished blades merely pretty baubles, ill-suited to action. Which was exactly why Sauli was present. The young priest came from a famously military family and had for the last week been inspecting barracks, magazines and storehouses, questioning officers and perusing lists in order to assess the military readiness of Remas.

“And what proportion of the army could be dispatched upon campaign?” asked Frederigo.

Sauli pondered for a moment, never keen to speak hastily, then said, “Does your Holiness mean to inquire how many might be readied within a set time, or how many might be removed from the city?”

“The latter,” snapped Frederigo, the slightest hint of impatience in his voice.

Sauli was not surprised by the archlector's tone, for he had already noticed that Frederigo’s mind seemed to be racing. The journey so far had elicited a veritable torrent of hastily spoken queries, a multitude of concerns, asked in such quick succession he wondered how the older man could take it all in. It was a conversation that contrasted rather starkly with the pace with which they physically proceeded, for the archlector was mounted (as was traditional) on a mule and the young cleric upon a pony.



“There is no lawful requirement that any must remain as a garrison ... no accepted precedent," Sauli answered, somewhat stumbling over his words as he rushed to deliver the answer. "If you wished, your holiness, you may dispatch every last man in the army abroad. The citizen militia would still remain, of course, and so could be employed at the gates and walls to fulfill the missing soldiers’ usual duties.”

“Yes, they must remain.” Frederigo was voicing his own decision, not giving a command. Then he continued his inquiry with not one but a list of questions. “What proportion of the army consists of condottiere troops? How many are household troops? How many are Lanze Spezzate? Provisionati?”

“I have all the details put down upon paper, your holiness,” answered the cleric, attempting to adopt a matter of fact manner to suggest competence, “both what the captains claim and what I ascertained for myself during inspection. I would say about half the companies are contracted mercenaries, of which more than half have served for two or more terms and so presumably have become somewhat settled into their Reman life. The horse contains two companies of Lanze Spezzatte, including those who took service after Giovanni Biondo’s death and the dispersal of his company, the rest being individually contracted.”

“Deserters?” interrupted the archlector.

“Indeed, your holiness, many probably were. Although some do seem to have contracted themselves to prove their independence from the companies ...”

The archlector raised his hand to silence the priest. “You must find out exactly who broke previous contracts, for what I have in mind will not suit the kind of men who flee service for whatever reasons. I do not intend to promote failure. These men will be sorely tested - soldiers who have already failed such a test are worthless to me.” A glance at Sauli was sufficient to impress upon him the importance of this task. Then Frederigo continued, proving once again the preciseness of his thoughts by picking up exactly from where the list had left off:“And the provisionati?”

“Reman for the most part, your holiness, countrymen enlisted from the towns and villages of your domain. Certainly the halberdiers, although some of the handgunner companies were obtained from Biondo’s force.”

“Good, good,” the archlector said.

They were now approaching the square, from which drums, fifes and shouted commands could be heard. Frederigo leaned to one side to see past the fluttering silken standard ahead. “I will hear more after the inspection, concerning the magazines, powder and artillery. However, I can tell you now that the forces presently available are insufficient for the great task I have in mind. More will have to be obtained. You must look into the matter.”

As the little party came into the square, the advance guard had already taken its position among the arrayed troops and the final peel of drums was nearing its end.



Halberdiers, swordsmen and hangunners stood in ranks and files upon either side of the square, with several companies of horse interspersed amongst them. Liveried in blue and white they were, just as Frederigo expected, a pleasant sight to behold. Most were dressed in the fashion of northern soldiers with slashed sleeves and voluminous breeches, as so many of the realm’s professional soldiery were these days, aping the garb of the foreign mercenaries who had so changed the nature of warfare in Tilea.



Frederigo and Sauli now rode a little ahead of the Gonfaloniere. The archlector, perhaps still distracted by his considerations, ignored the commander and standard bearers advancing on their steeds to greet him, and instead began riding slowly before the soldiery. As he perused them his face was grave, his mouth locked in a frown. The soldiers could not possibly know what thoughts lay behind such an expression, but Sauli had more to go on. Was this the look of a man inspecting those he would send to their deaths? Or perhaps a man wrestling with doubt concerning the viability of his plan?



One thing was clear however. Whatever the archlector intended, it was something considerably more ambitious than a border war or minor conquest. All week Sauli had satisfied himself with the belief that his task was little more than an administrative requirement, as matter of record keeping and such. Even when he heard of this parade it did not seem strange - such things are not uncommon, indeed to be expected in the normal course of things. But in the last half hour Sauli had become convinced that something big was afoot, something not at all ordinary.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2013, 10:34:10 PM by Padre »
Photobucket has now re-destroyed my pictures, so the first half of my collected works thread is no longer working again. To see my website version of the campaign thread, with fully functioning pictures, please go to https://bigsmallworlds.com/

Offline fauthsie

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Re: Tilea, IC 2342
« Reply #26 on: April 11, 2013, 08:48:45 PM »
Awesome stuff mate...
A new Campaigning home....

http://animositycampaigns.com/joomla

FAUTHSIE CAMPAIGN CONSULTING INC.... I MAKE YOUR CAMPAIGN GO!!!

Offline Padre

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Re: Tilea, IC 2342
« Reply #27 on: July 11, 2013, 10:09:52 AM »
This project stalled seriously due to the foolishly self-imposed lonely nature of the experience! I thought I could fluff away and then get together with the local guys to play but something did not click and the games did not happen.

But it is not done with ... I have now recruited 6 actual, real live players from my local gaming buddies to take part in a more old-style campaign using a tried, tested and modified Mighty Empires' rules crossed with General's Compendium, with other stuff added in.

The new campaign is set in 2401 and as such meant I could use all the background here as the history to the new campaign, just had to move the historical events on to 2401. Also a get to use the scenery and figures I have been working on like mad for the new project instead.

I intend to write pieces (like above) to reveal the unfolding story, and various events, in a variety of styles. I think I will be writing from non-player characters' perspectives, rather than the players perspectives. But with the players providing orders then the games will be forced to happen rather than me forever sorting fluff and stuff and never getting to the battles. I will report on battles, but rarely the massive battle reports have done so, so many times before, instead I intend to do illustrated accounts in a 'snappier' style.

A new thread will thus appear shortly.

(Edit) Here it is - http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=46787.0
« Last Edit: December 15, 2013, 09:36:05 PM by Padre »
Photobucket has now re-destroyed my pictures, so the first half of my collected works thread is no longer working again. To see my website version of the campaign thread, with fully functioning pictures, please go to https://bigsmallworlds.com/

Offline GamesPoet

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Re: Tilea, IC 2342
« Reply #28 on: July 13, 2013, 12:49:40 AM »
 :icon_eek: Oh no!  This one's over?  Bummer. :icon_sad:
"Not all who wander are lost ... " Tolkien

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Offline Padre

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Re: Tilea, IC 2342
« Reply #29 on: July 13, 2013, 06:39:00 AM »
It doesn't feel over to me! It's just jumped to IC2401 and has some actual, tabletop players this time. Everything I have done up 'til now will feed directly into the new start.

See the jump as a way to rescue this project, not as an end to it  :-D
Photobucket has now re-destroyed my pictures, so the first half of my collected works thread is no longer working again. To see my website version of the campaign thread, with fully functioning pictures, please go to https://bigsmallworlds.com/