Byrd Man

The Sword of Damocles: Cold War NRP

I'll write up something about the red scare.

The Bogus Byrd Man's Interest Check

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Crisis in Constantinople: The Ottoman Parliament in 1930

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Legions: Rise of Rome

Sardinia

"Bastards!"

Cursor stood on a wooden platform mounted above his men. He wore his full battle uniform complete with helmet. His legion stretched out across the beach watching him with rapt attention. The ocean held the fleet that had ferried him and his men across the sea to the island. Cursor paced and grinned as he spoke to the legion, his hands behind his back.

"Welcome to Sardinia, men. Welcome to our island. I say our island because for the time being it is not Rome's, and it is damn sure not Carthage's. It is ours. And we have invaders in our home. The curs from the last war have returned to claim what they think is theirs. They are gravely mistaken. For their error the Senate has seen fit that the Carthagean scum be punished in a most heinous way. This is why they do not send diplomats to barter, they do not send warriors to fight, but they send bastards to conquer."

A cheer went out from the men. Cursor smiled widely and nodded at them.

"Our mission is simple: Drive Carthage from this island and do not stop until the last mongrel has been pushed back into the sea and drowned. We begin our march in an hour. I do not intend to stop or slow down until our goal is accomplished. The Senate has given us the grand task of taking the fight to those treaty breakers, and I fully intend to give them a fight they shall never forget. You know what you have to do, and you know what I expect from each of you. Now you bastards get out there and get to it!"

Karalis
Two Weeks Later

Cursor sat on his horse with his staff, watching the action below from a hilltop. The Consul's intelligence had been right for the most part. The forces of Carthage seemed to outnumber him by at least a thousand men. The quality of those troops appeared to be suspect, mercenaries in shoddy equipment. They had many archers that would have made a full-on assault of the city costly. Cursor and his men had negated that advantage nicely. While he knew all there was to know about the enemy, they knew little of him. The march to Karalis is when the plan had formed. The only thing that would convince the cowards to come out of their hole would be superior numbers. Cursor took half his men and marched directly to Karalis while the other half, led by his trusted lieutenant Felix, would take an indirect route to delay their arrival.

From there Cursor played the part of the arrogant Roman general. He parked his small force outside the walls of Karalis, just outside of archer range, and demanded their surrender. He stamped his feet and continued to mock and belittle the Carthagean general into meeting him in the open field. A day later a rider arrived with Felix's message that he was in position. After four days the gates to Karalis opened and the enemy rode out to meet him. Cursor readied his men and they took up their places on the battlefield.

"Our time is now, Bastards!" He announced to the men. "The place is here. Fight for glory, fight for the brother at your side. You do not retreat or give up ground. You fight until the last man and you keep moving forward or else. Any coward I see running I will personally kill. If you think the enemy is bad, then you have yet to see my full fury. For Rome!"

That was two hours ago. Now he watched as his section of troops fought hard. The overwhelming numbers of the enemy was beginning to take its toll. He could sense they were close to potentially breaking. Cursor ordered the signal to go out. A loud horn blasted from nearby. Minutes later, another horn blasted in reply. A few minutes later, the second half of his legion came spilling over Karalis' seven hills towards the enemies' flank. The surprise and swiftness of his men swung the momentum in Cursor's favor.The Iberians tried to hold the tide, but an assault on two sides shattered their defenses. The Carthagean in command signaled retreat and just like that the rout was on.

"Send the word," Cursor said to his lieutenants. "All units regroup. A token force is to stay in Karalis and occupy it. The rest of us are moving forward. The enemy is running, let us not waste this chance to run them down."

---

Consul Longus,

Karalis has been captured with around two hundred losses to the Bastards. We hold the city but continue on. My message is brief because I am currently pursuing the Punic whelps across Sardinia. I mean to cut off their route to the sea and smash them against the island rocks. Further information shall arrive as soon as I have more to give.

-- Legate Quintus Cursor

Legions: Rise of Rome

Let me know if I need to change anything.

Legion Name

Legion VIII: Spurii Romanae “The Bastards of Rome”

Legion Banner: A a black two-headed wolf on a red background.

Spurii Romanae

Sub-Legion I
"Spurius Nouam"
New Bastards

Hastati: 1200
Principes: 1350
Triarii: 750
Velites: 1200
Equestrians: 1200
Total Soldiers: 5,700

Sub Legion II
"Veteres Spurium"
Old Bastards

Hastati: 1200
Principes: 1250
Triarii: 1250
Velites: 1000
Equestrians: 400
Total Soldiers: 6,000

Legio Legatus

Name: Quintus “Sulpicius” Cursor

Legatus Age: 45

Legatus Origins:

Quintus Cursor was born as the bastard son of Marcus Sulpicius Cilo, a powerful senator in Rome. Cursor was raised by his mother, Sulpicius’ chambermaid, and was often ignored by his father in favor of his legitimate children. Cursor grew up in the Sulpicius household as something of a pet for his half-brothers and sisters. This treatment from his own flesh and blood led to a bitter attitude towards most of Rome’s elite. The rage he felt inside boiled over when he was seventeen. After constant mistreatment from his oldest half-brother, Tullius, Cursor attacked him and permanently disfigured his face. Sulpicius nearly had his own son killed, but a pang of guilt of his abuse of the boy lead for him instead to opt for banishment. He purchased a commission for the boy and he joined the VIII Legion as a low-level centurion. Cursor saw the military as a path to better his status in the world and to get back at his family. Campaigns against barbarians in the north of Italy showed Cursor’s merit as a commander. He was tough but fair on his men, and he pushed them to be better. He quietly advanced through the ranks of command over the years. Now Cursor commands one of the toughest and finest legions in all of Rome. He recruits those that are not desirable in other legions and turns them into warriors. His bastard status, his reputation as a tough commander, and the rumors of his battlefield actions have created a mystical aura around him. He is the Bastard of Rome.

Legions: Rise of Rome

It's not too late to throw a sheet up is it? I've been debating about joining this one just because this period in Roman history is one of my favorite periods in all of history.

Crisis in Constantinople

Members of the Chamber. First let me say thank you all for entrusting me with this great and noble task. I shall do all in my power to serve as your speaker. The time for applause and black-slapping is now over. The rapture of election and reelection has faded, and we are left now with the work of parliament. This work will not be easy, nor will it be glorious. Toil adequately sums up the job description for deputies. Those of you who wished to be elected simply for the benefits and titles of government, you should leave this chamber now. We are not elected to be something, but to do something. Our job is to better our Empire and our constituencies. Enough talk from me, let's get to work.

--Bora Çolak, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Deputy for Hatay

Crisis in Constantinople

Bitch, you better ask permission. Although I would imagine it would slow things down for everyone to wait on one person to say "Yeah" before they post.

Crisis in Constantinople

I am honored by the Sultanzade's nomination and kind words. For him to reach across the aisle and nominate a member of the opposing party shows that he is a wise man who seeks actual results over political gamesmanship. It was not my intention to seek any leadership role in the new government, but I will accept the position as speaker if my fellow Deputies see fit that I am worthy for the role.

--Bora Çolak, Deputy for Hatay

The Sword of Damocles: Cold War NRP

From the Office of SCAP
Tokyo, Japan

In light of the Communists continued war against the lawful government of the Republic of China, President Truman has ordered me to extend naval patrols of the US Seventh Fleet, stationed in the Philippines, farther west across the East China Sea to encompass the Strait of Taiwan in their patrol routes. The Seventh Fleet is just one aspect of my combined Far East command, which along with brave ground troops and bold airmen, will patrol the land, air, and seas in the East to protect American interest and allies from unwarranted Communist aggression.

-- General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander Allied Powers