POOHEAD189

Shields of the Empire

Brasidas shared a look with Phaedra questioningly, and then he pushed off the stool and drained the last bit of wine before placing the cup down. Brasidas called for Eudoxia to return, as well as all of the families who had currently had their homes dismantled, summoning them to the center of town.

Less than an hour later, he and Phaedra stood beside a great bonfire, surrounded by Cataphracts with closed faced helms and sheathed weapons, watching silently as Eudoxia approached. Brasidas saw nearly thirty men, women, and children collected together and filled with fear and outrage, or just faces of distraught at losing their homes. Brasidas asked for leave with dealing with this, and at Phaedra's nod he stepped forward.

"What is it?" Eudoxia asked, and Brasidas gave her a blank look. She looked past him at Phaedra, and at her nod she continued with "...Archontas."

"You just started to tear homes down, without the aegis of me or your commander?" He asked her evenly.

"We have a duty to our dea-"

"These people are under my protection!" He growled. "They are now citizens of the Empire. I have a duty to my dead as well, but not at the expense of the living, or are we the barbarians they call us?" The Protos Kapetanos let the words hang for a moment, and then visibly calmed. She seemed to take it well, her face a stone mask. "How many homes do you need to dismantle in order to burn your pyres?"

"Ten, Archontas...no, twelve. We've dismantled seven." She replied without emotion, glancing at Phaedra every few moments. Brasidas nodded, crossing his arms.

"Very well, twelve homes. The homes closest to the torn down walls." He said, much to the dismay of the townsfolk in the circle, and all that listened outside of the Cataphract circle. Brasidas motioned for silence, and when it was granted he said. "I am not finished! Tonight, those of the twelve with homes will have the time to gather their things."

"All night!? In the morning the bodies will-"

"Still be there," Brasidas finished for her, turning back to the crowd. "All men and women who lose their homes over these tearings will have a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. You have my word."

"Where, Archontas?" one man cried, and the Protos Kapetanos pointed behind him, past the fire toward the twenty foot walls that loomed over the township. Right at the citadel of Arbela.

"In there. You who give your homes for us, will be inducted into the new town council, and your quarters will move from your hovels to the citadel, where you will command the town due to your loyal service. You will conduct Arbela's affairs, control the river, and be forever loyal to the Empire, is that understood!?"

There were whispers, but a general cry of acceptance rose over the few smaller yells of denial. Brasidas stepped away from the villagers and Eudoxia, before turning to Phaedra, asked her before all of the town. "Is that acceptable, Protos Kapetanos?"

Phasers and Fortune: A Sci Fi RP (Shu & Poo)

2479 A.D.

Over Valtara, the CMX Transport floated silently in the void. Drawn by the planet's orbit, it set itself comfortably in the stream moving at a slow 227 KPH. Within the hour, it would begin moving toward the extraction point, but as it were it was now time to suit up, grab what one needed, and think on how one might spend that treasure money once it was time to collect. Raddek unbuckled his seat now that they had left hyperspace, climbing to his feet and stepping through a corridor, the airtight door sliding in when he approached before he stepped into the cargo hold. In this old clunker, the engines took up 30% of the ship, and the dull thrum of the power coursing through the ship emanated off every wall, ever present. He set down on a crate, taking his bag from his cubby and retrieving the weapons he had brought.

First was his 680 Gauss Rifle, a large gun that needed to be aimed and fired with two hands. It was a weapon that fires hyper-velocity, high-density projectiles similar to those of a Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, except on a much smaller scale. The weapon could punch through stone and even armored vehicles, short of a tank. It was handy blasting through any beast with a crystalline or carapace shell as well. It's only downside was that it took a moment to fire, and the ammo was very expensive. He expected to get his money's worth, however. Next was his M37 Battle Rifle, an all-purpose weapon with 7.62 x51mm uraniaum tipped rounds that could be fired single shot, burst, or fully automatic. The scope could go from 2x to 4x with the flip of a switch, making it a very nice moderate ranged option if need be. He then strapped his HB 'Brimstone' Revolve to his belt in its holster, just in case he needed some quick stopping power. His Melkor shotgun would remain disassembled in his pack until an emergency was needed.

With his iron eyes, he checked every clip and magazine he had, checking the chamber of his Brimstone and feeling satisfied he was prepared. Overheard, a high strung voice could be heard speaking over the comm. "Hey, get your food and supplies before it's time to jettison out of here! We'll be there in an hour, you two. Best get acquainted before you head out or it'll be awkward going down there, or that's what I think at least."

It was the captain, aptly named 'Junky' who was hired to bring them out here in these 'boonies' of a system. No one else was around for forty lightyears save for pirates, black market traders, smugglers, and a few military outposts. Them and the locals on the planet, and he heard a lot of rumors about them. Mutants, raiders... he would see when he got there. Once he hefted his gauss rifle, he wondered where his partner was. He had barely seen her before they launched off into the nether.

Fire Emblem: The Slumbering Goddess

---

Well that certainly hurt.

Kayden had recieved a few bruises on the training yard during his sword drills, but his master-at-arms had always done his best not to wound Kayden deliberately. This was another matter. It felt like he had been thrown back into Luin, five against one just like last time. Well, he supposed he couldn't grow without a bit of a tough lesson. The thought didn't help him feel better, but it kept him moving as he walked out of the training yard and up the stairway into the sauna. Immediately he felt the steam in the air when he crested the stairs, and it helped ease him just a tad. His sinuses began to clear a bit, and he felt like he was back at the Imperial Palace Sauna at home. This one might not be as clean or well run, perhaps. But it was very nice to know it was here.

In the changing room, he stripped off his dueling clothes, already stained from the ground. He sighed and let it drop off of him, setting them on a bench before collecting a towel. He thought the day had gone well for the Eagles so far, at least considering how poorly it could have gone. Everyone seemed...relatively stable. A bit off, but he thought the entire team took their criticisms well, and did good in the training yard. Even Rudolph, though it looked like he still got pretty banged up. Professor Tomai had been the worst in Kayden's opinion. He wasn't used to magical attacks, to say the least.

Stepping out of the stall, he made his way to the public bath. A private bath appealed to him, but he wanted to be sociable and get to know his fellow students. Walking in, he just noticed Rudolph sliding into the water. Had there been a group he likely would not have spotted him, but as it were he was alone for now. He wondered just how many might join them in a bit.

"Well met, Rudolph." Kayden bade him with a grin, heading over to step into the bath around 4 feet away from his guild-mate, the hot water immediately sending a cascade of relaxation over his limbs. He was glad the water was slightly murky with scents and likely some salts to help keep the water warm, made things less awkward. Kayden splashed a bit of water on his face and then fully submerged himself for a split second to wet his hair, before resting his arms behind him on the ledge. "You did well today. Veronica too, though let's keep that a secret as much as she can. With her fucking ego it's not good to add to that pile of arrogance."

He shook his head, pondering the day until he realized his friend was...mostly submerged like some crocodilian. He must have been uncomfortable. Kayden had never been insecure like that, and a part of him realized it was due to his own ego. Well...sometimes that sort of thing served a purpose.

Shields of the Empire

"Other than you and Tychon? No," he remarked, referring to the reinforcements. There was, of course, Georgicus, but that seemed to be a lost hope. What in the hells was going on? He loathed to pull back after they had fought for their lives to make it here, but even with Tychon arriving, it would be a deathwish to fight the Satrap as they were unless they found the right terrain and the favor of the Gods yet again, and it didn't do to consider them on your side in every engagement. The gods blessed you in the morning and cursed you in the afternoon, some said.

"I don't think either of us has sway over the other, so we can work in unison until they send another commander. But we can either push forward or pull back. Staying here will do us little good in three days time." Brasidas told Phaedra. She seemed a fierce but competent woman. Far more erudite than the stories of miravets told, but it was a similar myth about the men of Boreas so it surprised him very little.

Thinking on it more, there was a grumble in his throat and he cursed, realizing the best course of action. "A tactical withdrawal would be the best option until we find out what's what. In a week the satrap will be here, or he would be were I him. We're tired and have too little food for us to last a prolonged siege, and he could hold us here for weeks were he of the mind to." The force they had just repelled was one of the many vanguard armies that swarmed about the place. Now the ones that escaped would make it back to the Satrap and tell them everything.

"I say we follow the river until we reach the mountains and then swing round and head north." He downed the last of his drink, wiping his mouth with his scarred forearm. They could go north in theory, but he felt a malaise about marching through rough terrain with only a few spots to find water. Then again it was also the less logical therefore the less predictable choice.

Shields of the Empire

"Deserted?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. That troubled him more than he would voice aloud. Recalled he could see, but he knew Georgicus as well as Phaedra, and Phaedra had been the only one who had come to their aid. They would either be dead or still under siege were it not for her. As he thought of this, he drank his jug of wine. The Boreas supped their drinks without watering it down, considered barbaric by many southern provinces, but from what he heard of Miravet women, they would like as not handle it, even considering how light they were. He noticed the lack of saluting when her second arrived, and he snorted lightly. Brasidas was a bit too tired to care, it was just funny at the moment.

"I have around three hundred men guarding any festivities tonight. We'll see how my boys and your girls do together. We might have a long march ahead of us, depending on where we're to go next. I had thought we were going to Gildygon, but I haven't received proper orders in weeks." He explained to Phaedra as Eudoxia went to perform her duties. "I was hoping to see if the palace truly had the skeleton of a bahamut."

Past the wagons, men laughed. Brasidas caught the sight of Arbela townsfolk now walking freely. He hoped none of his men took any homes that belonged to anyone still living, or he would hear about it in the morning.

"If we don't go to Gildygon, we don't need the siege works."

"The city would be difficult to take with our force, anyway." Phaedra added, placing her wine cup down with a clap. "It's not our orders that worry me..."

"In two days time or less, my second will arrive," he told her, not cutting her off but wishing to say his thought before he lost it to exhaustion and wine. "Once he gets here, we should have just short of five thousand soldiers between us. Maybe we should head north and send a missive to Talcidus, or the Emperor," He leaned back against a pillar holding outcrop of a roof they had over their heads. "or even the Patriarch. I've heard he's visiting the Sagdolians."

He shrugged and looked back at her, giving a handsign of apology, pointer finger and thumb pressing against the forehead above his ways and sliding his hand through the air toward her in a quick gesture. "What did you mean, worries you? Do you speak of Georgicus?"

Shields of the Empire

"That could have been nasty," Sayf said, a large scratch down the length of his dark arm. He still held his bow in his uninjured arm, gripping it tightly like it was the only reason he had survived the scuffle. "Too bad for the Atvari. They pay well, but they paid the wrong tribe." The smell of hookah wafted from his mouth, having already celebrated with his horsemen. Brasidas was not sure if it was a religious ritual or purely for enjoyments. He hadn't cared enough to ask.

"Straton?" Brasidas asked the Lochias as he climbed up the hill, helmet carried under his arm. His scouts were already combing the enemy camp for supplies. Tonight every man they could spare would rest and drink hearty. Though there was the matter of the miravets. He did not know what would happen with a regiment of women and a regiment of men camping together. It wasn't like wintering in a city and waiting for the campaigning season, and even if these women weren't their comrades, they weren't going to be demure maidens or whores looking for a gold coin or two. Everyone else might rest, but Straton and his men had a long night of guard duty, as did his cataphracts whom he would post on foot to patrol and keep watch.

"Hundreds dead, Archontas." He said. It sounded grim, but it could have been far worse, echoing Sayf's thoughts. "Hard to tell with all of them strewn about. We have seven hundred and thirty cataphracts left, eighteen hundred protostates, and four hundred and fifty nomads left. With the miravets, we should have thirty four hundred in all with only minor injuries, give or take a hundred soldiers."

"Good. Keep your men moving. When we head out, we'll let them in the carts, but tonight they need to keep their eyes open. Theron, take a century of your most rested men and grid them around in groups to keep any man from being greedy with the spoils or our reinforcements." He ordered, and the two men gave salutes, walking rather than hustling away. No man in their army had not been in that fight, and they were all exhausted.

Just then, a horseman rode up in a swift mount. In the dying light of the evening, he could scarcely tell it wasn't simply a slim man until she hopped off and spoke. She walked like Sayf, though with less swagger. When she saluted, he mirrored it almost simultaneously.

"Protus Kapetanos Phaedra Commnenus."

"Protus Kapetanos Brasidas Khalkós." He replied, taking off his helmet to better see her. His black hair was close cropped, though he sported a long braid that snaked down the back of his neck. He had a goatee, thick despite obviously being recently shaved. His eyes were copper, giving him an alien, bestial air. "You got here just in time, Kapetanos Commnenus. Thanks for that." He remarked. "Would you like to grab something to eat so we may speak? Because as much as I like the view on the slope, I've seen it a lot the last few days and it's a bit of an eyesore now."

Sayf poked his head in, eyeing the woman up and down.

Blades of the Blood Coast

Do people want to separate, be in segregated groups, or go off together?

Shields of the Empire

Blood sprayed across the faces of Atvari and Imperials alike, what cohesion the units had was long lost to blood fury and fear. Cataphract fought alongside Protostate and auxiliary militiaman, and the kahreed men were equally as disorganized, having mostly gotten over the shock of their comrade's heads at their feet when their lives were on the line. Had they not held the highground, it would have been impossible to see. But the mounted cataphracts to the north were plainly visible, as were Phaedra's cavalry to the east. Brasidas had been in many melees, but this was truly an undisciplined slog.

The men might claim otherwise, but Brasidas would have been a dead man had he not been so armored. His lamellar scalemail allowed him to fight without the shield, axe in one hand and a kahreed iron rod in the other. An axe had more stopping power than a sword, but it was not nearly as versatile. Used with a shield or another weapon however, or in two hands? It was extremely effective. In the maelstrom of the battle, he shouldered an atvari man out of the way, turning and hooking his axehead over the shield of a Mamluk, yanking the shield down whilst simultaneously swinging the rod he had adopted, breaking the cheek plate of the man's helm and sending the man into shock, falling listlessly to the ground. Out of the gloom a spear stabbed at him. He knocked it downward with his rod, stomping on it and snapping the worn weapon with his heavy boot before cleaving the head of the wielder with the axe. A broad blade stabbed into his armor, biting him and causing him to cry out, turning to block the next swing of the royal Khareed Mamluk, weapons locked as they struggled.

The enemy was buckling, but not broken. As the arrows rained down from the east, Brasidas cut down the Mamluk and stepped back into his personal guard, calling for his horn blower. Moments later, the blast rang across the battlefield like a beacon, causing the men around the center of the melee to be silent just long enough for Brasidas to shout one word.

"Reform!"

Like the realigning of a snake to better move, the men up front stepped back as the men behind pushed forward, every Lochias knowing their orders from their commander's call. Spears were no longer an option, but a rough shield wall began to form, stabbing spathas out and ready to hack and stab at any kahreed that came close. Many protostates were cut down as they tried to join the makeshift phalanx, but enough of them were close enough to make an effective line. The kahreeds were no longer in striking distance of the Imperials. They were caught against their shields, just as they were caught against the spears to the south. As arrows fired in from the east and Loxos and the Cataphracts harried their flanks, the Gods smiled as another group of shrieking cavalrymen appeared over the dunes of sand. No, cavalrywomen!

A feral woman holding a standard attached to a land charged into view, sturdy and swift miravet cavalry beside her, forming a wedge as it charged. Arrows flew at them like gnats, but they did little to halt the momentum of the charge. Some of Brasidas's cataphracts wheeled round to join the miravets, plunging back into the mass of kahreeds for one last push into the fray; the rumbling of a thousand horses filled the ears of Atvari and Imperials until it was blotted out by the clash of steel and cries of the dead and dying.

"Push!" Brasidas cried from behind the shieldwall.

His men complied, shoving their shields forward and stabbing with their swords. Like the old legion they moved, stabbing into necks and under the shoulder guards, stepping forward and chipping into them like a serf upon the farms of the levant. The field was bloody, stinking with corpses and shit. The imperial noose began to tighten, and the kahreed's world was growing smaller as they closed in around them.

Sum up your week in roleplaying in just 3 words

Blood, sweat, & bronze

Blades of the Blood Coast

@POOHEAD189sorry! I’m on holiday and in a remote area with limited tech access. I’m due back next Wednesday. Please carry on without me and I’ll work my way in!

@Pagemaster

Hey, that's all you had to say! You can reply once you are back :)