Year 1911 AC (After Colonization) Hot Season, Combat Phase
Abberan Advancements
This Hot Season saw Abberan engineers hard at work in the Coniferous Forest. A surface deposit of
Ore was uncovered during the land-clearing process providing lumber for the build-up of defensive positions, bringing
Abberan Ore Resources to Three (3). The construction of light fortification at crossroads, stream crossings, and forest clearings in preparation for a Remnant counter-attack also
raises Entrenchment in the Coniferous Forest to One (1).
Thanks to the added Ore resource we can expect the following changes:
The
Scythe becomes
(EXPENSIVE).
The
Gorgon squeaks into
(CHEAP) territory. JUST KIDDING IT'S STILL EXPENSIVE THE GM IS JUST A TURD
Summer in the Coniferous Forest
With Endicarian Remnant forces captured, killed, or pushed out of the Coniferous Forest, the Hot Season goes by relatively peacefully. The dominant winds from the North-East often maintain a breeze just strong enough to keep bare skin cool without being too much of a hindrance, though the winds can lash and whistle through the trees during the occasional storm blown in from the sea. Overall the season is pleasant, and the troops stationed here find it very easy to relax in between tasks now that there's been proper housing built for them.
Pushing the Wooded Mountains
The sun struggles to break through the barrier of branches and needles formed by the trees, with the valleys seemingly in a consistent state of twilight even at the brightest hours of the day. Endicarian Remnant take advantage of this, and the caves hidden by the brush, to avoid Abberan patrols. For weeks scouts were reporting nothing, but felt themselves being watched or snuck up on, only to look and see nothing more than a shadow vanish between trees. Further up the mountain provided little aid in overseeing lower ground, vision blocked by the same plantlife obstructing the sun.
It was when the Abberan forces had extended far into the mountains on a lonesome road that the Remnant launched their first strike.
The rearguard of the advancing column was laid into by an unknown number of soldiers firing through the trees. Thanks to the Wickerman grenades scattered throughout the column this ambush didn't immediately dissolve into a massacre. Using cover provided by the Wickerman's smoke, the Abberan forces were able to begin repositioning to defend against the incoming enemy. The Remnant forces then began to close their pincer with a large force coming from the left flank out of a series of caves while an earth-covered machine gun nest up the road from the front of the column opened fire. The Abberan forces could do nothing but hold their ground as they sent a runner to their attached artillery battery. While the runner was off, multiple pushes by the Endicarians resulted in failure thanks to a combination of things, though the
Draco takes most of the credit. Any time an Endicarian popped up between two trees he had to face off with a spray of pellets and pray they didn't take him out. Oftentimes those prayers went unanswered.
Eventually the runner had relayed instructions to the
Gorgon battery and they began to drop shells on Endicarian positions surrounding the Abberans. The first salvo wiped out the MG nest, cratering the ground and cooking off the apparent armory stockpiled there. The ground shook and the sky thundered for what seemed like ages as trees burst into splinters and dirt and rock were tossed into the air. When the artillery ceased the Abberan officers ordered their men to push outward in all directions. The
Modea proved itself to be much better at firing while moving than the bolt-action used by the Endicarians, and the
Draco continued to prove itself against the Remnant as they were overrun, both as a shotgun and a morale-devastating warpick - it's very easy to surrender when the alternative is a spike driven through your chest after it brained your buddy.
While there were pockets of resistance scattered throughout the mountains, the ambush laid by the Endicarian Remnant had utilized almost all of the manpower and supplies they had to spare. The decisive victory by the Abberan forces therefore resulted in pacifying a majority of the sector.
Clearing the Woodlands
Unlike the forest the woodland is nearly devoid of undergrowth save for the areas around small lakes and ponds. The trees are also spaced much farther apart, granting better line of sight at the cost of solid natural cover. The air is thick and sticky during the Hot Season broken only by the occasional thunderstorm providing a brief reprieve from the humidity. Unfortunately this season had been particularly dry, and so it was fairly uncomfortable for Paladin Aren Wagner von Blankenbruck.
"Lehmann, water," Wagner panted, "I'm getting cooked alive in here."
He'd been tasked with a more diplomatic mission of approaching a fishing village on the shore with ties to Endicar and convincing them to proclaim loyalty to an independent Abbera. While the suit of Paladin Armor was unnecessary, the imposing silhouette of a man in a massive suit of armor that defies the natural world could not be passed up.
Lehmann placed an uncapped canteen in Wagner's hand who desperately took to gulping it down as if he were a fish out of water.
"Helmet," Wagner commanded as he handed Lehmann the canteen, which was hastily replaced with the helmet Hoffmann had been carrying. Now that the village was close though Wagner wanted to present himself fully suited. A horse and cart passed by the platoon assigned to pacifying the village, turned around, and went back home no doubt to give the local leadership a heads-up. Wagner didn't like it. Something in his gut told him to be on guard.
Three men and a handful of poorly armed militia met the platoon at the edge of the village late in the day. The apparent ringleader was an older man with no hair to speak of on his head and a distinct lack of one eye. He held a hand out to Paladin Wagner as they approached.
"Karl Schulze, at your service. And you must be the Abberan 'scum' our overlords warn us against..."
Negotiations wound up being anything but. The men ate and drank together and shared much with each other. Wagner never left his suit, which kept the villagers on edge at first (and ate up quite a few batteries), but wound up becoming a talking point with everyone. A child even managed to convince the Paladin for a ride atop his shoulders.
Which made the sudden burst of machine gun fire at dusk all the more surprising. Multiple automatic weapons had apparently been set up in secret and the whole village was caught in a crossfire.
Wagner grabbed Schulze by his collar and yanked him with centimeters between their faces, "What sort of treachery is this?!" he growled.
"None of mine! I swear it!" Schulze replied, getting thrown onto the ground as a result. His own guards were too shaken by the attack for it to have been expected, and so Wagner took it as truth.
"Do you swear loyalty to the nation of Abbera?" Wagner asked with a sense of urgency.
Schulze looked around for only a second before nodding, "Yes, yes, obviously!"
"Then get your people to safety. Let us take care of the bastards."
Thanks to the ease of carrying and deploying
Scythes the Abberan platoon had already set their guns up in windows and anywhere else with cover and a good view. The sustained fire from the
Scythes slowed the advance of the Endicarian Remnant that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and allowed Paladin Wagner and the rest of his men to position themselves and prepare for close-in fighting.
Paladin Wagner was stomping down the main dirt road of the village, gesturing and shouting orders, when a bullet deflected off of his forehead and kicked it back like he'd been punched. Wagner replied with a raised middle finger in the direction he expected it came from before continuing to instruct his men. As Remnant forces began to approach the village outskirts mortars began to fire indiscriminately, causing widespread devastation within the village. Wagner remained standing in the road while his Squires took cover from a dangerously close barrage. A blast shook Wagner to the core and, for a brief moment, his suit lost power. Thanks to some adjustments made recently whatever jiggled out of place was held securely enough to jiggle back into place, and so he kept moving.
The Endicarian Remnant began a dedicated push down the main road to the village center but were hampered by a wall of lead from a pair of
Scythes set up behind some overturned carts and stacked crates. Wagner now stood behind them, shouting orders and providing assurances for his men. While the bulk of the fighting was now happening within the village a handful of Remnant soldiers had landed quietly at the small village docks in a few rowboats. They managed to come up behind Paladin Wagner's position and assault it. He left the
Scythes under watch of Squire Lehmann while he moved to stamp out the attack from the rear with Squire Hoffmann. Wagner laid into a merchant's stall a couple Endicarians were cowering behind with his
Modena when a mortar round fell in front of him and detonated, blowing him off his feet, knocking off his helmet and sending his rifle from his hands. Paladin Wagner stood and saw the broken body of his
Modena, as well as that of Squire Hoffmann. Wagner took the
Draco off his corpse and lightly slapped his bloodied cheek with a sigh before turning to fire upon the Endicarians now charging in with bayonets fixed to finish the job. Rifle rounds impacted the Paladin Armor, transferring harmless levels of force through to Wagner, who took down three Endicarians before running out of shells. One "brave" Remnant soldier charged Wagner in an attempt to stick his bayonet into Wagner's exposed face, but was knocked on his ass by a solid kick before his skull sprayed along the dirt as the
Draco's buttspike hit it's mark. Wagner charged the rest of the fallen soldier's squad with a roar, bullets impacting his armor but doing little more than slow him down as he rammed the Endicarian nearest him, crushing bones between his armor and the home behind the Endicarian. One of his buddies came at Wagner's side and manage to slip a bayonet between two pieces of armor, digging into the flesh beneath his rib cage. Wagner turned his head and locked eyes with his assailant, roaring as he gripped the barrel of the rifle stuck in his side and pushed it out, knocking the Endicarian off balance. Wagner tore the rifle from the Remnant soldier's grasp and swung it loosely, striking the man in the jaw with the butt of the rifle before crossing the other way as he fell to a knee with the buttspike on the
Draco, which broke off and stuck behind the jaw and under the ear of the Endicarian. A third soldier was poised and ready to fire point blank at Wagner's head but crumpled to the ground when Lehmann had decided to leave the
Scythes and their crews to hold their own.
"It's done! Fall back!" echoed a shout in the distance, and the Endicarian Remnant began to disengage and disperse as quickly as they had appeared. Paladin Wagner was helped to his feet in time for a series of large blasts coming from a number of buildings in the village - most notably the food stores, dock, and what counted for an armory. The explosions helped to cover the Endicarian Remnant retreat, but a few still managed to be captured. After verifying the village was not complicit in the attack, Wagner and Schulze agreed that, with Endicar as a common enemy, perhaps it would be best if the village pledged themselves to Abbera.
------------
The Endicarians trapped on our island have proven wily, but our forces have proven able and willing to secure the homeland. With out great successes we are now preparing for a massive push south in an effort to clear Remnant forces from the Farms, Swamps, and Snow-Capped Mountains. With such a wide front to cover we grant
two designs and
request a vehicle design meant to support our infantry as well as
a design for support equipment, something to fill a non-combat support role to, for example, facilitate communications, or improve the quality of life of our soldiers. The reward for
one satisfied request will be a Design Credit for the Revision Phase, while
fulfillment of both requirements will grant that Design Credit a Research Credit.
Remember, you are also to
finalize your vote on the new Resource this Design Phase. This season's rumors from Salvios are strange indeed. There has been a lot of talk about cranks. Or people were cranky? One of the two. Or maybe it wasn't cranks at all?
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASEInfantry
ARA Model-1911A "Modea" Self-Loading Rifle: The first Self-Loading Rifle to see combat, the "Modea" is 4.5 kg and a meter in length. It fires 7.92x57mm rounds fed into the weapon by a 12-round en bloc magazine. It has variable sights and is effective to 400 meters. She's packs a punch but suffers from unreliable internal components. The end of the barrel is lightly threaded to allow attachment of a cup launcher. Costs 2 Ore and 2 Wood (CHEAP)
ARA Model-1911C "Draco" Trench Gun: A 4kg, 80-cm long 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun. Only jams on on occasion, and the butt spike breaks off after a handful of uses. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Ore. (CHEAP)
ARA Model-1912MG "Scythe" Heavy Machine Gun: Utilizes the same 7.92x57mm rounds used by the "Modea". Fires 80-round belts that can be linked together for sustained fire. The barrel rarely overheats even at it's 650 rpm fire rate, but is somewhat inaccurate. Carried around in weight-negating cases. Costs 5 Ore and 3 Caelium. (EXPENSIVE)
ARA Model-1911APG "Wickerman" Incendiary Grenade: A 15-cm long White Phosphorus grenade. The grenade has 15m area of effect, an 8 second fuse, and a dud has never been encountered. Costs 1 Ore and 1 Chemical Compounds, making it (CHEAP), but is considered [complex] until we have access to Chemical Compounds.
ARA Model-1911ART "Gorgon": A standard, reliable piece of 155mm artillery. The round and a bag of propellant are sealed using an interrupted screw breach, and the weapon can fire effectively out to 10km. Uses a hydraulic system to manage recoil. Costs 5 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
Uniforms for the Massed Infantry: The Abberan uniform consists of cotton undergarments, grey gabardine wool pants and jacket, and a collarless cotton button-up shirt. The jacket has multiple convenient pockets and a foldable collar. Jacket buttons hold an image of a crown, and a dark blue crown on the shoulders is used to identify allegiance. Comes with a leather belt and boots. Binoculars are handed out as necessary. Holsters and ammo pouches have flaps on top to keep out the weather. Padded steel helmets are standard issue, as are water-resistant canvas backpacks used to hold the soldier's basic kit. The helmet can be strapped to the back of the pack while traveling.
ARA Model-1912ARM "Paladin" Superheavy Armor: Thick shaped plates of armor attached to an exoskeleton with a soldier strapped inside. The plates of armor have a coating of Powdered Caelium negating part of the effects of gravity on them. As a result, the 50kg suit only weighs 15kg for the purposes of the force needed to move it. Plates can be dislodged by gunfire and "powered down" to normal weight, though improvements to the frame and cabling have reduced this occurrence drastically. A battery in the back has a life of one hour before needing to be replaced by one of two "Squires" assigned to assist the "Paladin". A green-yellow glow can be seen through small spaces in the armor. Costs 7 Ore and 4 Caelium. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Specialty Resources
Caelium: A green crystalline supermaterial that we currently know reacts with an electrical current to suspend itself in the air at a level related to the amount of power flowing through it. Providing current to a Caelium Powder coating will reduce weight of the metal it is attached to, while a pure crystal form of Caelium is capable of creating an object with an internal field capable of negating up to 65kg of weight when powered.
Chemical Compounds: Chemical Compounds have a variety of potential uses in combat, and so facilities must be dedicated to the production of the compounds we require.
Gavrilium: An element that can be burned to produce energy much like coal, but with greater energy output. More research into this resource is necessary.
Abbera: 3 Ent., 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 2 Caelium // 100% Control
Coniferous Forest: 1 Ent., 1 Ore (1/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Wooded Mountains: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Woodlands: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Ore: 3
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Caelium: 2
Chemical Compounds: 0
Gavrilium: 0
Poll
3 (15%)
Author
Topic: Industrialized Warfare: Abbera Thread / 1917 A.C. Cold Season (COMPLETE) (Read 79733 times)