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[h2][color=ed1c24][b][u]          W A R  N O T E S          [/u][/b][/color][/h2]

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The land of Valys, a world tormented by the shadow of conflict ever since time immemorial. This world which is divided by three great powers, the mighty Empire, the resolute Alliance and the crafty Grand Duchy, may be a world that will never know the meaning of true peace, whose frontiers shift and waver to the dance of its nation's powers like the ocean tides ebb and flow according to the caprices of the moon.

However, even such a world of conflict has its moments of much-needed reprieve and that's is exactly what the Liberation Festival is for. The annual feast in which all warriors put down their arms and the people celebrate the defeat of the vile Goddess of Strife by the Heroes of Legend. During the days of the festival, a competition between the aspiring knights of every nation is held in neutral grounds and all battles are abolished by law.

But, as is said, all rules have their exception. Such an exception would soon become the turning point of a group of Imperial Cadets sent to a patrol mission at the Northern Frontiers. What fate has in store these young warriors? Will they give in to the weight of the whole world? Will they forge a name for themselves and become the next legends to be celebrated for eons to come?

That's what we are about to find. But first, their story shall begin like many others, around a hot meal in a bone-chilling Northern evening...

[h3][color=ed1c24][b][u]Northern Arcadia                    [/u]
[sup][i]Arden Highlands[/i][/sup][/b][/color][/h3]
[color=4b86b4]"Alright, Cadets, you have been doing a good job so far but don't let your guard down just because we are a couple days away from our last objective, Fort Orello, the last bastion of the Empire's defense in the North. If you let your own competence cloud your judgment, you are liable to meet an unsavory demise on the battlefield."[/color] The raspy voice of the [url=http://i.imgur.com/Fx3dNke.png][b]Knight Captain Velocchio[/b][/url] sent by the Academy to oversee the Cadets' training echoed through the camp as she barked orders left and right.

The darkness encroached fast fast on the hilly lands of the Northern Empire, especially around this time of the year when the Winter was still a very fresh memory. After all, the Liberation Festival was celebrated on the first weekend of every Spring, without a fault... at least on recent history.

A freezing wind blew through the Cadets' camp, threatening to blow away their all too precious fire even as tonight's meal was about to get ready to eat. Such a meal, a hearty venison stew, was a luxury for soldiers on the battlefield, brought to them by luck on today's hunt. No doubt it would also be the last good meal, non-preserved meal they would have before reaching their expedition's destination as the lands around this area are comprised mostly of complicated hills and forests.

Beyond the exceedingly complex terrain, which in an of itself acted as a barrier to deter unfriendly advances from the North, laid the famous valley where Fort Orello and its namesake village were located. Being one of the last remaining citadels of the Old Empire, originally build to thwart the lackeys of the vile Goddess of Strife, Orello is one of the Empire's most critical defense positions, standing right in the way of the Grand Duchy's forces.

The village of Orello itself is very well known through the most of the Empire for the quality of it's beer, made from their freshly clean waters, as well as for their sheep, whose both wool and meat are coveted as luxury goods.

However, unknown to the Cadets', they would not have an easy time reaching their destination.

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[color=ed1c24][b][u]Half an hour later                    [/u][/b][/color]

"Unknown armed forces spotted to the northeast of our position. It's the enemy, the enemy, Sir— gahh!" Those were the last words of Wagnil Strauss, one of the group's scouts, before being hit in the back by two gun shots. It seems like the very enemy he spotted managed to track him back to the Cadets' camp and began their attack without any sort of warning.

[color=4b86b4]"Our position have been compromised, get your arms and ready yourselves for the battle,"[/color] the Captain shouted as she took cover behind tree, holding on to Strauss' limp body.

The enemy, which attacked from all sides of the camp, were comprised of light infantry forces, numbering at around one and half dozen. Apparently, one third of their forces were comprised riflemen, with the remaining soldiers wielding light shields and battle axes, all their gear bore a striking resemblance to that of the Duchy's military, thought they didn't bore any form of visible identification. They attacked in groups of two shocktroopers and one riflemen from separate directions leaving only a small corridor, which would lead straight into a nearly impossible to traverse rocky hillside, open for escape.

What was the reason behind such an attack? Who was behind it? And what would the Cadets do in face of such a drastic outcome? That's what will be found out pretty soon... maybe.

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