Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

BEEG

3 (15%)

HUEG

0 (0%)

YUGE

0 (0%)

FEKHUGE

2 (10%)

I dream of profits because I'm secretly Salviosi

4 (20%)

Of Kinetic Sheep

11 (55%)

Total Members Voted: 20

[Doomblade187]

Wooded Mountains Chemical Plant: (1) Doomblade
Swamp Promethium Mining Operation (1) Doomblade
Fortify North crossing (1) Doomblade

Using our resource credit for very exprnsive halberd Bs, Caliburns, and paladin Bs.

[Jerick]

Wooded Mountains Chemical Plant: (2) Doomblade, Jerick
Swamp Promethium Mining Operation (1) Doomblade
Woodlands Promethium Mining Operation (1) Jerick
Fortify North crossing (2) Doomblade, Jerick

I think woodlands is a better place to put new resource nodes right now.

[Doomblade187]

Wooded Mountains Chemical Plant: (2) Doomblade, Jerick
Woodlands Promethium Mining Operation (2) Jerick, Doomblade
Fortify North crossing (2) Doomblade, Jerick

[frostgiant]

Wooded Mountains Chemical Plant: (3) Doomblade, Jerick,Frostgiant
Woodlands Promethium Mining Operation (3) Jerick, Doomblade,Frostgiant
Fortify North crossing (3) Doomblade, Jerick,Frostgiant

[Kashyyk]

Wooded Mountains Chemical Plant: (4) Doomblade, Jerick, Frostgiant, Kashyyk
Woodlands Promethium Mining Operation: (3) Jerick, Doomblade, Frostgiant
Woodlands Sheep Sanctuary: (1) Kashyyk
Fortify North crossing (4) Doomblade, Jerick, Frostgiant, Kashyyk

[/quote]

[Doubloon-Seven]

Is anyone good at art?

[Jerick]

Spoiler: Why we fight; A rebel's tale (click to show/hide)

I marched through the snowy forest with my father, white flecks drifted on the breeze. The snow always made things so quiet, so peaceful. The only sound was the sounds of my father and I's footsteps crunching the soft white powder as we marched on. The tall evergreen trees that surrounded us had retained the snow in their needle-like leaves and had become white as well. When it rained or the wind howled my father liked to hum and sing to the tune the sounds of the forest around set. But when it was quiet he liked to be quiet as well and absorb the peace.

A quick sharp shrill whistle cut through the silence, it sounded like a bird screeching but I knew well it was unnatural. My father took a whistle hanging around his neck and whistled back. This was part of an old Abberan tradition my father liked to call "not getting shot by other hunters". In response, a set of figures appeared from the trees and waved to us. It was also traditional to greet and talk with other hunters you bump into that way you'd get a feel for who else was nearby and where they might be going. Though in truth it was usually an excuse to share some alcohol and fun stories. The people who approached now were well equipped for the cold but the one who seemed to be in front of them had particularly well-made hiking gear and it had even been intricately decorated by the manufacturer. He was certainly a Noble.

Since the colonisation of the island, an odd rift had formed in the Noble caste. There were Nobles whose families had owned land here since the first ships had arrived. They had experienced how hard life here could be, they understood the people of the island and almost every single one of them owned at least one hunting weapon. The Noble approaching them now probably was perfectly capable of field dressing a deer himself and was likely an accomplished hunter in his own right. Most Abberan's didn't take someone who wasn't too seriously. The other side of the divide was the Endicarian Nobles. Fresh off the boat nobles who held more favour in the courts of the Endicar Republic than the ever isolated and remote Abberan Nobles and were frequently awarded lands that once belonged to the long-standing Abberan Nobles. They understood little about the island, less about its people and nothing about the art of hunting on the mountainside. They held themselves above everyone while being infuriatingly ignorant about almost everything. They were a frequent topic in bars and hunting lodges but it was never positive.

The Abberan Noble greeted us warmly and in less than a minute my father was in a deep conversation about the movements and changes of all the game in the area with him. The thing about Abberan hunters was through conversations in hunting lodges and chance meetings in the forests they were remarkably good at turning a bunch of individual experiences into a clear picture of what was going on with the animals they were hunting through cooperation. If you want hints where to go to find some good prey you can ask any Abberan hunter and they'll know.

The Noble, his entourage and my father (I was still a little young) started passing around a flask as the conversation turned to politics. The Noble made no effort to hide his disdain for the Endicar nobles. They looked down on him for his willingness to have conversations with people like my father. In their view, nobles and peasants should be strictly separate and they were doing everything in their power to hamstring and rip power away from "improper nobles". He explained that he had found out about many looming problems with his holdings by talking to "ignorant peasants" and was firmly of the opinion that the stuffed up Endicar could go pound sand. My father for his part was angry at the higher taxes and tariffs being imposed on him and his friends by those same fools. The Endicar nobles were demanding more money from us while simultaneously insisting that we hunt fewer animals.

It was several hours later that we parted ways. We talked long enough we had deemed it worthwhile to set a fire and as we put out the fire I reflected on the noble we had met. He was the first I had ever encountered and was a friendly practical sort. I would meet him again many years later when I had become an adult and he had become King of Abbera.

Years would pass as I grew into a young man, one with an old rusted rifle of his own and many hard-won pelts to my name. I still travelled the slopes of the mountain with my father and together we sang to the forest's tune. The troubles of the world outside seemed a world away. Skirmishes between the League and the Alliance were being reported but it seemed so distant at the time. The measures and tariffs levied on the huntsmen of Abbera had only grown more excessive. Endicar was taking all we had as it geared up for global war.

The white and gold uniforms of Endicar troops had become a rarer sight as they pulled more and more of their forces away to face the Alliance's aggression. Those that remained were tired, overstretched and overzealous. The White Caps as they were nicknamed wore an ostentatious uniform of white and gold. It was said that efforts to change their standard uniform into something more practical and less like a parade uniform were stopped by the soldiers themselves. They saw their pristine and difficult to keep clean uniform as a symbol of their discipline and of Endicar's glory. They were fanatics, unmatched in their dedication. They saw any slight on Endicar as a slight on them.

A populace squeezed ever tighter by an authority that didn't care for them and representatives of that authority who were overstretched, undermanned, overzealous and increasingly desperate did not make for a nice combination. Every day we heard new instances of the White Caps going too far. Frequently we saw men with broken fingers because they had said the wrong thing in earshot of a White Cap. The skirmishes between the League and the Alliance were distant but the White Caps were hurting our friends and neighbours, they were outside in the streets and on our roads.

Long after the rebellion, I'd read many different detailed analyses of foreign scholars thinking they can explain why the rebellion happened by looking at the geopolitics of the League and the Alliance. "Of course there was a rebellion," they say "The Alliance needed a foothold on the central islands, so it was only rational that they should spark a rebellion," But that's not what happened. They sent men to stir up trouble of course but by the time they arrived the trouble they'd come to start was already at full steam and thundering ahead. I remember the start of the rebellion, the real start, not the start the league propagandists proclaim, not the start scholars profess.

It was spring and snow had given way to soil and grass. Game was plentiful as the creatures woke from their slumbers and raced through the forest and newly revealed greenery. The small mountain town where I lived and it's many hunting lodges was ugly by comparison, it's dirt streets stamped into a muddy pulp by incessant footfalls. My father and I were returning from a successful hunt, new furs hanging from our backs when we saw it. Three white caps were relentlessly beating a twelve-year-old child across the street from us. The child from the looks of things had been committing an act of vandalism and had been carving some anti-Endicar sentiments into the wooden panels of a building. The soldiers stepped back from the brutalised body of the child and methodically as if putting down a stray cat killed him with a single shot from a rifle. I remember my father looking at the dead child and then turning to look at me. I remember the look in his eyes. There is no way I'll ever be able to forget. He unslung his rifle, a trusted weapon older than I was, and took aim. The white caps had started yelling at people to disperse. One of them looked across at us and his eyes locked with my father's eyes and in them he saw the same thing I'd seen, he froze. My father's bullet hit him in his forehead. My bullet hit the temple of the white cap standing to his left.

I don't remember exactly what happened next, it all became a chaotic blur of rifle fire, smoke, screaming, overturned carts turned into barricades and the smell of blood. I remember the white caps holding out in the train station against almost the entire town. When things had gotten violent the people had needed little excuse to turn on the white caps and the white caps in town had taken that as justification to open fire on everything and everyone who wasn't dressed like they were. It had very quickly devolved into an all-out firefight. The white caps were skilled soldiers and proficient marksmen equipped with finely crafted weapons of war. We had a variety of variants of the standard Abberan hunting rifle. It was a single shot break action rifle, usually old beyond reason and almost certainly heavily modified by whichever hunter held it. The Abberan hunters were accurate too. Few white caps survived exposing themselves but our attempts to push them out of the train station failed repeatedly. They were heavily outnumbered and had no supplies but we needed to dislodge them before trains filled with Endicar reinforcements showed up to put an end to our little uprising. After what had happened if white caps occupied the town we knew they would show no mercy. Both sides grew increasingly desperate as time dragged on. Hours became days and as their ammo dwindled the white caps used their finely crafted rifles as crude clubs.

It was on day three of the train station siege that the train arrived. We readied ourselves to defend against the Endicar counter attack as the locomotive pulled into the station. We picked vantage points and spread out so we could reap a terrible price on any attempt to take back the town. Then the train pulled away. The sounds of its engine faded into nothing as it departed into the distance. The silence that followed was eerie. It took a while before we picked up the courage to mount an assault on the train station. We found it empty. The Endicar had pulled out. We soon found that our little incident had inspired violence in the surrounding towns. Like a spark to dry tinder, our clash with the white caps had ignited a raging conflagration that had engulfed the whole mountain. The white caps were regrouping to try and regain control of the situation and had thus pulled out of a number of places they couldn't afford to reinforce.

We couldn't allow them to regroup.

We tore up the rail lines, cut the telegram lines and took to the slopes of our mountain to track down and stop any Endicar forces moving on foot. They were confused and disorganised. We turned our skills at cooperating and coordinating our search for game against a new prey. They wore white and gold on a mountain of greens and browns. We wore the skins of animals that could vanish into the undergrowth. It wasn't just my neighbours fighting alongside me in that forest. They were my friends, they were my family. In those cold early spring days, I fought for them. I killed and killed again. White uniforms marred with red, abandoned on the slopes, left for the forest to eat. We were ghosts to them that appeared from nowhere slaughtered them and vanished without a trace. It didn't take us long to establish lines of communication with the other groups of hunters on the mountain. Our numbers grew, soon it felt like we had every settler on the mountain with us. Our scouts learned that the Endicar were pulling considerable forces from the city of Abbera to try and crush our uprising. It would be a considerable force, perhaps one large enough to tie us down until reinforcements arrived from Endicar or its League allies. We were confident we could hold out against any number of opponents by using the mountain terrain against them. However, our ammunition was not unlimited. If we were going to turn this uprising into a real war we knew we needed the city's ports and factories. If we were to last we needed to take and hold the city. And so the mountain folk marched down to visit the city. We took routes few knew of, we marched silently during long cloudy nights and we made excellent time.

We arrived in the smallest hours of the mourning and we found signs of bloody clashes between white caps and the city's residents everywhere we looked. A man had been hung from a street lamp with the word "TRAITOR" carved into his forehead with a knife. Barricades had been erected and from the looks of things violently torn down. Blood had collected and coagulated in many spots on the pavement forming unpleasant sticky pools. Rapidly we made our way through the city seeing considerable evidence of some form of a riot that had been ended mercilessly with violence. We seized as many choke points and key positions around the city as we could. Some held small, understaffed and easily taken white cap checkpoints but others had angry but bloodied, Abberan, anti-Endicar dissidents who were contesting Endicar's control of the city. They were delighted to encounter a small horde of rifle-wielding Abberan hunters.

They informed us that following news of our uprising the white caps had taken to the city streets and dragged from their homes anyone they viewed as a rebel. That had spiralled into a riot and things had only gone downhill from there. The city folk weren't as well armed as we were. Many were proper Abberan's and had their own hunting weapon but in the city they were used less often. They weren't nearly as skilled with them as we were, they all had much less in the way of ammunition on hand and they hadn't been able to organise before they were facing the full force of the city's garrison. Against the trained soldiers of Endicar they had done admirably with very little. But they had been pushed back and the white caps believed perhaps correctly that it wouldn't take too much to mop them up and had left a token force to the task before departing to try and put down the mountain uprising in great numbers.

They also told us something else; the city's Endicar nobles were being held hostage in one of the city's manors. The Endicar nobles had thrown an extravagant ball even as the island was engulfed in open rebellion. They in the strange ways of Endicar nobles invited everyone they viewed as allies and everyone they viewed as enemies to flaunt their power and their prestige. I realise now the reason that nobles frolicking with us commoners is so frowned upon by the Endicar; if they spend time with us they start to see us as people, sometimes even as friends. When you see friends hanging from lamp posts with words carved into their faces you would get angry too. The Abberan nobles attended that ball in the city. They were invited after all. And as always the key difference between them and the Endicar nobles was that the Abberan nobles had hunting rifles and the Endicar nobles did not. 

This hostage situation involving a significant number of nobles had drawn off the token force that had been left behind and the remaining white caps were split between surrounding the manor and holding the city. The city folk were wondering what to do about it when we showed up. They were battered and exhausted but our numbers changed things considerably.

We swept through checkpoint after checkpoint taking the city. As we gained control of the city more and more civilians came out to join us. When we hit the forces surrounding the manor where the hostages had been taken we were a tidal wave of armed angry people. We came in behind them and barely slowed down as we trampled the fabulous garden around the manor and the white caps lurking in it into the ground. It wasn't even a fight, they weren't prepared and they were overrun in moments.

When the Abberan nobles inside the manor emerged and asked for the leader of our little rebellion and somehow I ended being the one to talk to the Abberan nobles. The man my father and I had met on the mountain was with them. He was still friendly and practical though it was clear by the way he talked and acted there was a great weight on his mind. He made it clear that if we were to secure the governor we could be able to force the Endicar to accept our terms. But we'd need to move fast to capture him.

The remaining Endicar forces in the city had rallied around the governor's manor and unlike our earlier battles in the city where the white caps believed we were unlead, disorganised and still in the mountains they were ready for us. They had cannons and had dug in with sandbags and machine gun emplacements. I saw a hundred people die in ten seconds. I saw my father ripped apart by cannon fire. I saw good people be cut down like grass. I saw all of that I pushed on anyway. I had to, I needed to. The things I'd seen the Endicar do, I couldn't let them win. I remember the weight of my old rusted rifle in my hands. It kicked like an angry mule whenever you pulled the trigger. Pull, kick, kill, reload, pull, kick, kill, reload. Like the tune of the forest, combat has its own rhythm to it, its own odd, cacophonous and terrible music. As I charged down that street towards the manor's defences my need to beat them, to stop their killing, overtook my other senses. I found myself dancing to that terrible rhythm. I dodged through bullets and shrapnel. I was barely even aware of what I was doing. Pull, kick, kill, reload. I silenced the machine gun by killing the gunner. Pull, kick, kill, reload. I killed the man who tried to replace him. All of a sudden the tempo of that terrible music was being set by me as I charged over their wall of sandbags and into their midst. For one terrible moment, I was there before the governor's manor drenched in the blood of my family, my friends, everyone I had cared the most about. All around me were the people responsible. I stopped merely dancing to the tune of combat and became its conductor. With rifle, knife and club I fought. With hands, feet and teeth I killed. And then the terrible sounds ended, a hush like a soft snowy day descended in its place. It was a soothing relief. We had won, the last Endicar forces in the city had been defeated but no one cheered.

We had lost many good people and as we cleared the governor's manor I wondered if it was worth it. Offices were filled with ashes from countless important documents that had been burnt and there was no sign of the governor. It seems had slipped away and made for the docks. I...was angry at this revelation. I raced to the docks in the vain hopes of cutting him off. I moved as swiftly as my legs could carry me. Rationally I had known even before I started running that it was too late but my emotions told me I needed to try.

I arrived in time to see the governor's boat sailing out to sea and with it, my last hopes to end this without any more bloodshed were sailing out of reach. There was still a chance though the docks were filled ships, surely one was fast enough to catch him? No sooner had I had that thought when a bright flash of light in the distance caught my attention. A few seconds later explosions ripped through the docked ships. There was another bright flash and another set of explosions tearing apart the docks. It was an Endicar warship shelling the city docks. It was well out of reach of anything we had, it could and probably would shell the entire city into submission. There was nothing I could do about it so instead, I focused on what I could do. I tried to get as many people as far from the docks as I could. It was a disorderly evacuation but when a man soaked in blood comes up to someone and yells at them to leave they have a tendency to obey. The docks, the shipyards, even the warehouses to handle incoming and outgoing goods were turned to splinters by that ship.

As people fled the docks suddenly a triumphant cheer went up and the shelling abruptly ceased. Looking back I saw a new warship on the horizon this one was burning hard and moving fast directly towards the ship that had been shelling us. As it grew closer we could see it's flag more clearly. "It's the Selicate!" people started yelling. The Endicar warship lingered just long enough for the governor's ship to reach it before sailing away at full speed away from the Selicate warship. As it fled the battle for the city of Abbera officially ended. It was entirely in our hands.

There was a certain friendly and practical nobleman who was raised up and declared as Abbera's governor since the Endicarian one had fled. The streets which had been so empty during the fighting filled up with people to him declare our independence. Not one person in that city would accept any less after what the Endicar had done. We would be free of Endicarian greed, our children would grow up without fear of Endicarian reprisals. That was what he promised us. It would be more years of bloodshed left before it was over. But as I stood in the spot where my father had fallen I swore a silent oath to myself; I would not allow this again. No more Endicar cruelty, no more brutality on Abbera's streets. I would protect these people that had lost so much and I would protect the people that had yet to lose anything. As I stood there and mourned, a man who had spent a few hours speaking with my father approached and stood in silence with for a few moments. Eventually, he spoke, he spoke about my father and about the complaints they had shared about the Endicar on those winter slopes. He spoke about the friends I had lost. Finally, he spoke of how my ideas and input had shaped the rebellion while it was in the mountains and how I had broken the defences around the governor's manor. He asked that I help him form Abbera's military. I agreed, I had to agree. I couldn't stand there where my father had fallen, remembering the look in his eyes when it had all began and say no. So I took my oaths and imbued them into our new armed forces. We would protect the Abberan people from all comers if necessary. If the Alliance demanded our downfall we would fight them. If the people of Salvios side with Endicar against us we will stop at nothing to remove Endicar's influence from these islands.

It wasn't long until Alliance ambassadors made landfall. They carried with them offers of recognition and promises to keep the Endicar from landing any more forces if we joined their alliance. This would cut the Endicar remnants on Abbera off from supplies. In taking the governor's manor and the other government buildings in the city we had taken out the Endicar military headquarters. The remaining forces were lost, confused and undersupplied but that did not render them toothless.

By the end of that first week, the Abberan propensity for weapon modification was being turned to the task of making a new more capable firearm. Industry was already being set up to make guns and ammunition. We would drive the Endicar from the island. We would crush the Endicar remanants and defeat the Salvosi who had joined the league. Instead of embracing us as a new nation they decided to act as the Endicar's hand and promised to strike down our "rebellion" It had ceased being a rebellion a while ago and they would find us hard to place back under Endicar rule. Many said the Salviosi were ill-fitted to be part of the league but their money hungry nature matched Endicar avarice perfectly. In retrospect, it shouldn't have been a surprise that the Salviosi sought to sell us back to our old masters.

It was decided that in order to be more harmonious with our new allies and to distance ourselves from the Endicar Republic that instead of a governor we should have a king. I remember marching in the parade that followed, my new recruits marching in step behind me adorned in their new uniforms. No longer a rebellion or a militia we were an army! A nation! It was with swelling pride we marched surrounded by cheering crowds of Abberan people looking happier than I had seen them look in years. All the while I recalled the look in my father's eyes at the beginning of it all. It wasn't hate or anger, it was the look of someone who would sacrifice anything to protect something. As I looked over the crowds still able to smile and cheer after all that had happened and I had the same look in my eyes.

I'm more of a writer when it comes to art. I have no idea what to do for the recruitment posters though I might still take a crack at it but don't rely on me. As for this big piece of text I'd love to here opinions on it. Is it good or bad? Did I screw something up?

[Doubloon-Seven]

Wooded Mountains Chemical Plant: (5) Doomblade, Jerick, Frostgiant, Kashyyk, D7
Woodlands Promethium Mining Operation: (4) Jerick, Doomblade, Frostgiant, D7
Woodlands Sheep Sanctuary: (1) Kashyyk
Fortify North crossing (4) Doomblade, Jerick, Frostgiant, Kashyyk
A Rebel's Tale (1): D7
 

[Doomblade187]

Wooded Mountains Chemical Plant: (5) Doomblade, Jerick, Frostgiant, Kashyyk, D7
Woodlands Promethium Mining Operation: (4) Jerick, Doomblade, Frostgiant, D7
Woodlands Sheep Sanctuary: (1) Kashyyk
Fortify North crossing (4) Doomblade, Jerick, Frostgiant, Kashyyk
A Rebel's Tale (2): D7, Doomblade

[Jerick]

Wooded Mountains Chemical Plant: (5) Doomblade, Jerick, Frostgiant, Kashyyk, D7
Woodlands Promethium Mining Operation: (4) Jerick, Doomblade, Frostgiant, D7
Woodlands Sheep Sanctuary: (1) Kashyyk
Fortify North crossing (4) Doomblade, Jerick, Frostgiant, Kashyyk
A Rebel's Tale (3): D7, Doomblade, Jerick

[Man of Paper]

Time for me to lock votes and write a thing or two I guess.

[Man of Paper]

Spoiler: Designs (click to show/hide)

Infantry

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, and rounds are effective out to 2km, but is somewhat inaccurate. Carried around in weight-negating cases. Costs 5 Ore and 3 Caelium. (CHEAP)

--ARA Model-1912PMG "Sickle" Personal Machine Gun: A lightened version of the Scythe meant for use with Paladin Superheavy Armor. The carrying case is replaced with two crystals embedded in the weapon itself. Has a pistol grip, vertical grip near the barrel, and a deployable bipod. Has reduced range and accuracy compared to the Scythe, but not by much. Costs 4 Ore, 3 Caelium. (CHEAP), but usage is tied to Paladin deployment.

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. (CHEAP)

ARA Model-1913AT Anti-Tank Rifle "Halberd": A 40mm anti-tank rifle made of Caelium Steel and lightened by a Caelium core. The Aligned Caelium rounds make the weapon very unreliable, but it can kill an armored target at 800m when it hits. K-Wool inserts and padding nearly negate the kick of the weapon, and a bipod helps support it. Has a 2-man crew, one of which is responsible for keeping and maintaining the SparkPack. Costs 4 Ore, 3 Caelium, 3 Gavrilium, and 3 Kinetic Sheep. (EXPENSIVE)

--ARA Model-1913AT-B Anti-Tank Rifle "Halberd-B": A heavily modified Halberd using C-Null Steel to calm the gravitational maelstrom within the weapon. Has a range of 1km at 800 m/s. The SparkPack capacitor is drained within 25 shots, so another SparkPack is carried around as a backup. Costs 4 Ore, 4 Caelium, 4 Gavrillium, 3 Kinetic Sheep, and 2 Chemical Compounds. (EXPENSIVE)

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. (CHEAP)

ARA Model-1913ART "Jotunn": A massive 420mm cannon capable of firing HE shells and the new Depleted Gavrilium-based Rime Shell out to 10km. The 900kg shells take up to 7 minutes to load and fire, but are devastating on impact. Makes use of a winch system to lift the huge shells. Calls for Ore and Gavrilium. (CHEAP)

Uniforms for the Massed Infantry v1.1: The Abberan uniform consists of cotton undergarments, a grey gabardine wool pants and jacket with light K-Wool reinforcement, and a collarless cotton button-up shirt. The jacket has multiple convenient pockets and a foldable collar. Super snazzy 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, gloves, and boots. Binoculars are handed out as necessary. Holsters and ammo pouches have flaps on top to keep out the weather. Padded steel helmets and rubber filtration masks are standard issue (with citric filters being uncommon among standard troops), 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. (VERY EXPENSIVE)

--ARA Model-1912ARM-B "Crusader" Superheavy Armor: A normal Paladin modified to use a SparkPack as it's primary source of power. Can remain powered for a week at a time, though it can be kept running for as long as possible with occasional replacement of the Gavrilium crystals in the SparkPack. Utilizes an insulated D-Gavrillium crystal to cool the armor, with excess cool air vented out the back creating a misty cloak. Has a pair of Caelium Tubes in the chestplate that, when activated by a protected forearm switch, allow the Crusader to leap up to 3 meters and across 9 meters. Costs 5 Ore, 5 Caelium, 4 Gavrilium, and 2 Kinetic Sheep. (VERY EXPENSIVE)

ARA Model-1913ARM "Nike" Shocktrooper Armor: K-Wool clothing covered by metal armor and a leather overcoat. The facemask has a threaded port for a filter. Can be equipped with a specially-designed backpack that has a SparkPack and two wings housing Aligned Caelium rods capped with C-Null Steel. Users can leap great distances using the pack, but must be very careful. Without JumpPack: 4 Ore, 3 Kinetic Sheep, and 1 Chemical Compounds. (CHEAP) With JumpPack: 5 Ore, 2 Gavrillium, 2 Caelium, 3 Kinetic Sheep, 2 Chemical Compounds. (EXPENSIVE)

Ground Vehicles

ARA-1912MP-T "Faithful": A reliable 4-wheeled truck with a closed cab and covered bed. Can sit eight men and equipment, though up to twelve can be crammed in if the Scythe mounted on a truss behind the cab goes unmanned. Has a top speed of 25km/h. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Oil. (EXPENSIVE) 

ARA-1912MP-APC "Kingmaker": A hovering troop transport utilizing a Gavrilium Generator for power. Holds 12 men plus Driver, Passenger, and Scythe Gunner. Armor is 2-4mm thick, providing some protection. Turbine motors on the bottom of the Kingmaker are susceptible to damage, and the vehicle controls like a boat, drifting slowly to a stop unless the Caelium is powered down. This makes dismounting a choice between damaging the belly of the craft (where everything important is housed) or risking ankles. Loads slow her down, but it can reach 30km/h when empty. The Generator is protected by a K-Wool shroud. Costs 4 Ore, 3 Gavrilium, 3 Caelium, and 1 Kinetic Sheep. (CHEAP)

--ARA-1912MP-APC-B "Caliburn": A Kingmaker utilizing Aligned Caelium and C-Null Steel nodes installed on the sides at the front and back for propulsion. Has up to 10mm armor, adds a K-Wool layer and K-Wool-reinforced resin for added protection. Controls much better than the Kingmaker and has a higher top speed of 40 km/h. Costs 5 Ore, 4 Gavrillium, 4 Caelium, 3 Kinetic Sheep, and 1 Chemical Compounds. (VERY EXPENSIVE)

Aircraft

RSN 1913-COR "Orleans" Sky Corvette: A lumbering flying five-winged behemoth armed with 6 Scythes and a Gorgon. Requires one of two GavGenerators to provide the central Caelium crystal crystals enough power to fly. The bottom is armored fairly well, and can travel up to 25km/h. Vital sections have an extra layer of K-Wool sandwiched between the armor plates and the frame. The crew is protected from the harsh elements thanks to being provided with Winter Gear. Utilizes Caelium Steel to reduce power requirements while maintaining endurance. Fins have been added to improve stability. Costs 6 Ore, 3 Caelium, 2 Gavrilium, and 2 Kinetic Sheep. (EXPENSIVE)

Support

ARA Moddel-1912RAD "CourierMan" Radio: Cumbersome wireless communications equipment with a range of 1.5km. A step in the right direction for reliable long-range communication. Costs 6 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)

Components

Gavrilium Generator: A generator that uses pressure to induce a piezoelectric response in Gavrilium rods. Can replace conventional engines in most cases where power must be provided. Negates oil cost related to powering a design, but adds a slightly reduced cost in Gavrilium.

ARA Model-1913GEN "SparkPack": A 12kg Gavrilium Generator housed in a 40cm long, 22.5cm diameter cylinder. Has two capacitors housed inside. It can be connected to any compatible piece of equipment to provide either the required or an extra boost of power. The SparkPack is deployed as auxiliary equipment based on it's cost. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Gavrilium, and 2 Kinetic Sheep. (CHEAP)

Caelium Steel: A Caelium-Steel alloy weighs half as much as similar volumes of steel without losing durability. Designs utilizing Caelium Steel adds 1/2 the cost of Ore in Caelium for any cost associated with the replaced steel.

Caelium Powder: When powered, Caelium Powder lifts the coated object by acting as a counter to the pull of gravity. The strength of "lift" is directly proportional to the amount of energy applied.

Caelium Powder Rods: Powdered Caelium suspended in a conductive fluid and powered much like a mercury lamp (fluorescent bulb in todayspeek) in order to provide lift. Slightly more efficient than regular Caelium Powder.

Pure Caelium Crystal: When powered, creates a weight-negating field containing and within the attached object. Will neutralize up to 65kg.

Aligned Caelium: A mixture of Caelium and grain-aligned metal that creates a gravitational "push" at either end of the metal when supplied with power.

Caelium-Null: A powder created from heavily treated Caelium that absorbs and negates the gravitational effects caused by Caelium.

C-Null Steel: Steel combined with Caelium-Null much like Caelium Steel. Can be used to insulate against the effects Caelium has on gravitational fields.

D-Gavrillium: Depleted Gavrillium is a cripplingly cold material that is neutralized in a small burst of heat when citric acid is applied.

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. Light pressure forces a piezoelectric response.
Abberan Royal Kinetic Sheep: Sheep whose wool is capable of dispersing kinetic energy across it's surface. Higher-grade wool is able to dissipate a larger amount of force.

Spoiler: Territories (click to show/hide)

Abbera: 3 Ent., 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 2 Caelium, 1 Gavrillium // 100% Control (Radio Coverage)
Coniferous Forest: 2 Ent., 2 Ore, 1 Gavrillium // 100% Control (Radio Coverage)
Wooded Mountains: 0 Ent., 1 Caelium, 1 Chemical Compounds (2/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Woodlands: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Farmland: 1 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Swamps: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Snow-Capped Mountains: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
North Peaks: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Plains: 1 Ent., (0/3 Resources)
North River Crossing: 1 Ent., (0/3 Resources)
Fortress-City Harren: 2 Ent., (0/? Resources) // 75% Control (Contested)

Spoiler: Resources (click to show/hide)

Ore: 4
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Caelium: 3
Abberan Kinetic Sheep: 2
Chemical Compounds: 1
Gavrillium: 2

Spoiler: Special Rules (click to show/hide)

Radio Coverage: Radio Coverage improves the ability to effectively defend a sector based on efficacy of the design.
Improved Survivability: Our soldiers become more effective over time thanks to some form of standardized protection.

Spoiler: Credits (click to show/hide)

Research Credit x2
+1 to a Proposal due to Saltviosi

Spoiler: Salviosi Armory (click to show/hide)

Infantry

Senapang Pattern Rifle: A 110 cm, 4 kg dark wood masterpiece. 7.7mm rounds are fed via 5-round stripper clip into the 10-round internal magazine, which can also be loaded with rounds individually. It has an adjustable rear sight with 100 meter increments. It also has a bayonet lug and comes with a bayonet. Padded for operator comfort, extremely dependable and reliable. The Senapang outclasses many rifles of our time. Costs 2 Ore and 2 Wood. (CHEAP)

--Senapang Pattern Rifle (Var.S): A Senapang with an 8x scope, providing effective fire to 1km though shots can fly as far as 4km if you don't care about actually hitting your target reliably. Each squad has one Designated Marksman with a Var.S. Costs 2 Ore and 2 Wood. (CHEAP)

SMG-12 Sub-Machine Gun: Essentially a low-powered hand-cranked personal Gatling Gun fired from the hip and fed 10mm pistol rounds through a box magazine under the weapon. Difficult to aim, as there is a crank mounted on top of the thing. Occasionally fails to load chambers, resulting in the nickname "The Stuttergun". Still, it's a big step in personal automatic firearms. Costs 4 Ore and 2 Wood. (OBSOLETE)

--SMG-12a Sub-Machine Gun: Replaces the crank system with an open bolt blowback system, with the added benefit that it can actually be aimed. Rate of fire drops but reliability increases. Costs 3 Ore and 2 Wood. (CHEAP)

M2 Dispersion Grenade: A fantastic incendiary weapon. Effectively a canister on a stick that explodes in a burst of heat and molten metal. The sudden burst of wilting heat causes intense burns out to three meters while the flying molten Gavrillium can inflict serious wounds out to ten. Costs 1 Ore and 1 Gavrillium. (CHEAP)

M3 Fragmentation Grenade: A fragmentation grenade built from the knowledge of our previous grenades. Lethal within a 5m radius, debilitating within 15, but can cause injury out much further if you're (un)lucky. Has a cap that can be pulled off for a 7 second fuse or twisted and pulled for impact. Shaped like an egg, but can have a stick screwed into the bottom if desired. Costs 2 Ore (CHEAP)

GGG-12 Gavrillium Gatling Gun: A tri-barrel gatling gun that uses a small GavEngine to rotate the barrels. Fires up to 600 rpm with a range up to 2200m thanks to the 7.7G rounds which use a GavPowder load. A heat sink helps provide equilibrium between the heat caused by the Gavpowder load and the freezing caused by the depletion of Gavrillium rods in the engine. Uses a dial to adjust rate of fire. Effective and reliable. Costs 5 Ore and 4 Gavrillium, making it (EXPENSIVE).

--LGG-12 Light Gatling Gun:  A GGG-12 without the Gavpowder. Range drops to 1500m but Rate of Fire is increased to a possible 1200 RPM. Is also much lighter, allowing it to be redeployed very easily by a crew. Can also be deployed with a small artillery carriage. Costs 4 Ore and 2 Gavrilium. (CHEAP)

LFG-13 Light Field Gun: A 40mm direct-fire gun which utilizes HE and Gavrillium Rounds. Capable of firing out to 1100m. Made of Caelium Steel and easily maneuvered by the crew. Costs 5 Ore, 2 Gavrillium, and 2 Caelium. (CHEAP)

GA1 Cannon: A 150mm piece of artillery that uses a mixture of cordite and powdered Gavrillium to fire rounds fairly accurately to six kilometers but potentially out to nine if accuracy isn't really a factor. The barrel warps from extended use so teams are asked to restrict themselves to six rounds at a time before needing to cool for an extended period. Costs 5 Ore and 3 Gavrillium. (EXPENSIVE)

--GA1B Cannon: By modifying the powder, barrel, and alloy used in the GA1's construction, the GA1B can fire 5 rounds a minute accurately up to 10km. The use of Chemical Compounds in the powder formula complicates things. Costs 4 Ore, 2 Gavrillium, and 1 Chemical Compounds. (CHEAP)

GBC-13 Gavrillium Bunker Cannon "Scylla": A 105mm cannon utilizing HE and solid shot with bunkers using GavGenerators designed to aid in cooling of the weapon and powering of the bunker. Utilizes the same altered GavPowder and metal alloys the GA1b does. Can be fired out to 10/15km. Costs Ore, Gavrillium, and Chemical Compounds. (EXPENSIVE)

"Mountain" Myomer Lifting Kit: A reinforced canvas suit with cords of myomer muscle running across it powered by a small GavEngine in the back. Allows users to lift 250kg. Sees most of it's use in a support role and not on the front line. 2 Gavrillium, 2 Myomer. (CHEAP)

--"Avalanche" Armored Lifting Suit: A modified Mountain with greater mobility, combat effectiveness, and 20-25mm Caelium Steel Plate armor for protection. Sees a 10% drop in lifting power and soldiers complain about extended shifts, but otherwise the Avalanche has no glaring issues. 5 Ore, 2 Gavrillium, 3 Caelium, 2 Myomer. (CHEAP)

BSU: The Berani standard uniform is made of light cotton dyed khaki. A wide brim steel helmet offers some protection, and leather patches on the elbows and knees provide a level of comfort and protection when kneeling or leaning on something. The uniform has a large number of pockets, belts, and satchels made of cotton webbing in order to carry large amounts of equipment such as ammo and grenades. Entrenching tools are provided to all soldiers.

Ground Vehicles (I guess?)

Transport Sled: A small platform used primarily to transport our machine guns and artillery, though it can aid in the general moving of supplies. Costs 2 Ore, 2 Gavrillium, and 1 Caelium. (CHEAP)

Armored Sled: A mobile man-driven armored firing platform utilizing Caelium Steel with a mounted G3-12 or LGG-12 that requires two men to maneuver from within. Can carry four additional passengers. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Gavrillium, and 2 Caelium. (CHEAP) (OBSOLETE)

--Roofed Sled: An Armored Sled with a retractable roof assembly installed. The armored slats are guided by chains in a pair of rails that hook over the top of the Armored Sled from the rear. It's controlled by a lever powered by the on-board GavEngine to reduce time and energy needed to raise and retract the roof. Costs 4 Ore, 2 Gavrillium, and 2 Caelium. (CHEAP)

ArC-12b "Kerata" Armored Car: A barely-functional troop carrier that acts as little more than mobile cover, and can be outran by a soldier on foot. Bounces wildly when going over uneven ground. Has been unofficially dubbed Errata. Costs 5 Ore, 2 Gavrillium, and 2 Caelium. (CHEAP)

Aircraft

LEA-13 Lifting Engine Aircraft: A metal sphere containing a Gavrillium/Gravite engine attached to a basket to propel itself skyward. Meant for use as an observation platform, though swaying can make the job difficult. Definitely would never use a lawn chair. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Gavrillium, and 2 Caelium. (CHEAP)

AAS-13 "Perahudara" Assault Airship: An easy and simple airship to control. Has a pair of LLG-13s. Very poorly armored, but is at least capable of carrying it's cargo of 20 soldiers. Can hit top speeds of 25km/h 3 Ore, 4 Caelium, 2 Gavrillium. (CHEAP)

Support

VTR-12 "Ceramah" Radio: Cumbersome wireless communications equipment with a range of 1.5km. A step in the right direction for reliable long-range communication.

Components

Gavrillium Engine: An engine run by extracting electromagnetic energy from Gavrillium rods and converting it to mechanical energy. Much more powerful and cost efficient than standard combustion engines. The engine's only flaw is overcooling in very cold environments as the rods freeze as their stored energy depletes, seizing the engine and shutting it down. The Depleted Gavrillium rods must be handled with proper protective equipment. Glows blue. Adds 1 Ore to the price of the base vehicle design and converts Oil cost into 1/2 the cost in Gavrillium

Gavrillium-U: Specially treated Gavrillium that, when explosive force is applied, rapidly heats into a molten blob.

Full Metal Jacket Gavrillium Munitions: Ammunition that uses the peculiar reaction of Gavrillium-U to an explosive force within a copper casing to cause devastating armor penetration ability at closer range and is more effective in an anti-infantry role past that. It manages this by piercing armor at close range with a jet of pressurized molten Gav-U as the round mushrooms and becomes a burning glob as it travels.

GavPowder: A mixture of cordite and Gavrillium-U that provides a boost to muzzle velocity and range of weapons, at the cost of reliability due to overheating.

Caelium Foil: When applied to a surface and powered the Caelium foil lifts the object it is attached to based on the amount of power being diverted into it.

Caelium Steel: A Caelium-Steel alloy weighs half as much as similar volumes of steel without losing durability. Designs utilizing Caelium Steel adds 1/2 the cost of Ore in Caelium for any cost associated with the replaced steel.

Gravite: A uniquely structured piece of Caelium which can create a gravitational field to pull itself in the direction of it's Dominant side.

[Man of Paper]

Year 1914 AC (After Colonization) Hot Season, Combat Phase


Abberan Advancements

This season saw the construction of a set of facilities in the Wooded Mountains dedicated to researching and synthesizing the much-needed Chemical Compounds we use in our equipment. The increase in manpower from refugees willing to work has also allowed the exploitation of a deposit of recently discovered Gavrillium. As the bulk of our offensive pushes into Harren City we have also begun to build up defenses on our side of the North River Crossing, bringing Fortification to One (1).

As a result of our additional resources we have experienced the following changes in our armory:

The Wickerman, Halberd-B, and Nike lose their [complex] tags.
The Halberd-B becomes (EXPENSIVE).
The Crusader becomes (VERY EXPENSIVE).
The Kingmaker becomes (CHEAP).
The Nike becomes (CHEAP)/(EXPENSIVE).
The Caliburn becomes (VERY EXPENSIVE).
The SparkPack becomes (CHEAP).

Of note, the development of the SparkPack has allowed the deployment of the Scythe to be tied to the cost of the SparkPack and has made it man-portable (as it was the power supply provided by the Paladin to the weight-eliminating crystals that tied the Scythe's use to the powered armor).

A Rebel's Tale has been circulated among the public and has gained popularity. As a result Abbera has earned one Research Credit.

Salviosi Successes

Proposal: "Avalanche" Armored Lifting Suit

Avalanche Armored Lifting Suit

The Mountain Myomer Lifting Suit was a triumph of engineering and proved what can be done if we combine the unique resources of our island. However, it is not fit for combat deployment due to it's exposed power supply and other factors. This must be remedied, as the potential applications are vast.

The basis of the Avalanche is, obviously, the Mountain. No need to reinvent the wheel. It is from this point that we begin to change things, starting with general adjustments to make the suit more suited to the stresses and mobility required of combat over backline logistics. The "Armored" part of "Armored Lifting Suit" comes in the form of Caelium Steel armor. Plate armor covers most of the body, thick and well constructed enough to provide strong resistance to bullets or even outright deflect them if they hit at the wrong angle. The plating is thicker around the vulnerable parts (the chest, and the engine, mostly) besides the joints, so as to ensure that it won't be easily penetrated. There are adjustments made to the engine and heating system so that it will not freeze the metal or the occupant of the suit during extended use. The suit can either be worn with a full helm for maximum protection at the cost of vision, or a open face helm for lesser protection but unobstructed vision.

Avalanche-armored men will make for strong pointmen when we enter Harren, able to clear buildings and assault enemy entrenchments fearlessly compared to unarmored men and capable of carrying even heavy weaponry on their own to support their squads, as the need arises. They will be able to go places that our armored sleds cannot go or that we cannot bring heavy weaponry to with speed, providing a strong advantage in close combat. When we beat Abbera past Harren, they will serve to provide mobile covering fire for assaults or lead the charge in trench clearing as we take the fight to them. Should we be put on the defensive they can still provide strong support. Alternatively, if a heavily fortified position must be taken (and not shelled into dust), a team of these armored men ought to be a strong spearhead.

Difficulty: Hard
Result: 9 (6+4-1) 9 (6+4-1) = Above Average

Our engineers have successfully redesigned the frame taken from the Mountain to allow a greater range of movement, though some raw power was lost in the exchange. Even after the Caelium Steel Plate Armor is attached to the frame, range of motion is only truly limited by the wearer. There was an effective 10% loss in lifting power, but the protection of 20mm Caelium Steel Plates more than makes up for it. The chest and engine both have 25mm armor plating for some added protection.The helmet has a visor that can be locked in place with a pin in either a closed or flipped up position.

While their potential on the point of the spear cannot be understated, they also see use manning the various Sleds as well as defensive positions and emplacements. Avalanches provide much needed protection for our infantry, though there are some complaints of comfort on longer shifts in an Avalanche suit. But really, who would be comfortable standing in a trench night and day?

The "Avalanche" Armored Lifting Suit costs 5 Ore, 2 Gavrillium, 3 Caelium, and 2 Myomer, making it (EXPENSIVE) at this time.

Proposal: AAS-14 "Perahudara" Combat Refit

AAS-14 'Perahudara' Combat Refit
A modification of the Perahudara adding optional 20mm Caelium Steel armor plates to protect the engines (Lifting and otherwise), the pilot, and the gunners' positions. The upped LGG/GGG can be replaced with a 105mm Scylla artillery gun, to allow it to engage hostile Orleans airships at respectable distances.

Difficulty: Hard
Result: 2 (2+1-1) = Utter Failure

Well we tried. Any time we added something to the Perahudara it disturbed the delicate balance we'd unknowingly achieved with the vehicle in regards to size, weight, power requirement, and just about everything else under the sun. We ran out of time this season to work on the refit thanks to the complications at every turn in regards to it's ability to actually fly. We think that if we focused on a single change at this point we could easliy upgrade the Perahudara without the need for a total redesign. We could also attempt the whole refit at a later date, but all we've gained from our work this season is "we are really bad with vehicles".

------------

CHAPTER ONE: DUTY AND HONOR

It was one thing to fight an enemy cut off from their homeland, stranded and outnumbered, facing an opponent with a new technological ace up it's sleeve. It's another story entirely when you're fighting someone on your level...

The initial skirmishes between Abbera and Salvios saw battle lines drawn east to west across the city, with fighting happening in the tightly-packed residential and industrial areas of the Lower District as well as the more open, lavish Upper District. Salvios had seen themselves capture the walled Upper District early on thanks to their Perahudara assault transports, and as a result the city became the victim of a siege within the two-pronged assault. A thirty-foot gated wall provided, initially, a substantial barrier against Abberan probing. Salviosi sharpshooters wielding their Sniper-variant Senapang manned the wall alongside the GGG-13s and LGG-13s that had quickly earned reputations as highly effective and efficient man-killers. Abberan forces were lit up by gunfire as soon as they showed themselves, and so the Salviosi had bought time to turn the whole of the Upper District into a staging ground.

However fighting in the Lower District was not going in their favor. The Kerata is nowhere near as effective as the Kingmaker or Caliburn, or even the Faithful at, well, functioning, and the Perahudaras have a difficult time finding places to land when not being harassed by Orleans. Their biggest saving grace here is the fact that the Perahudara can outpace the Orleans, and with the help of the LEA-13s, so long as someone on the ship is paying attention to the tiny metal balloons raising tiny flags in the distance, they can find safe areas to look to sit down, or at least get a head-start running away.

Initially, combat between the armies here was sporadic and bloody, but consisted only of infantry. As battle lines developed, the Salviosi were able to bring their slow-moving Roofed Sleds and their damned mounted gatling guns to the front, creating artificial chokepoints in a city already riddled with them. This almost, but not quite, counteracted the increased numbers of Abberans we were able to field. Luckily for us however our soldiers suffer critical and debilitating battle wounds at a much lower rate than originally predicted thanks to the introduction of K-Wool into the standard infantry uniform. The FMJ/G Munitions the enemy have in disgusting abundance has two effects: at longer ranges for the round and weapon the bullet becomes a molten glob that splatters and sticks itself to the target, and closer in the round mushrooms as it hits targets, firing the molten interior forward through the weakened tip. While far from perfect, the K-Wool, being wool, resists burning to a point - long enough for those hit by the globs to douse it if they're quick enough. The K-Wool, while it only rarely completely stops a bullet, will also absorb the impact of the rounds enough to keep the tips of the FMJ/Gs from mushrooming when it does. Still, the best defense against those rounds is not to get hit.


----------------


Crusader Aren Wagner von Blankenbruck had led the Order of the Iron Hand, all also donning Crusader armor (save for the Scribes, half of which are in Nike armor), through a series of alleys in an effort to get as close to the walls to the Upper District as possible. The West Gates had been shut and barricaded within the first few days of the war, and in the past weeks every attempt at overcoming the walls had ended in massive loss of life.

Wagner stepped over the remains of some collapsed wall and into the building it was a part of. The sound of his metal boot kicking some stones shocked a Salviosi soldier who had been occupied searching through the burned-out building.

"Don't move!" Wagner barked as one of his Squires leveled a Draco at the soldier. Wagner wasn't sure if the man understood him, but whether he did or not, he still began shouting in his tongue at the top of his lungs. He fell silent when the left half of his torso peeled back as the Squire fired in response.

"No further!" Wagner shouted to his men, with the order being relayed throughout the advancing Crusaders, "Spread out and secure the block!"

Crusaders split off in teams of three with their two Squires apiece. Lehmann and Franke moved out with Wagner to find a good spot to observe. They were very close to the killzone between the last standing cover and the wall of the Upper District, so even if there wasn't further engagement, and indeed at this point there was not, it would prove to be a good spot to prep for the assault. Aren set himself up in an old room in this apparent hotel which did indeed stand right at the edge of No-Man's Land and began to observe the defenses. He and his men were, of course, within range of Salviosi arms, but as artillery had yet to be used in the city proper (it's meant to be secured, not destroyed, after all, and indirect fire is not very accurate), the only real heavy guns to come to bear were those on the Orleans, and the Salviosi wanted to avoid drawing their fire.

Night fell without another shot fired. The Salviosi body laying in a heap seemed to be alone, a scout or possibly a deserter, as he had an officer's whistle but didn't appear to hold the rank of one. As the sun rose and the sky was tinted various oranges, reds, and purples, Aren, waving the flag of parley, marched confidently and alone towards the middle of the near half-kilometer of No-Man's Land. The gates opened and a single Roofed Sled was pushed out. The man who was clearly officer-in-charge stood proudly atop it while the gun remained unmanned. The platform slid towards Aren and eventually settled itself onto the ground. The commander gestured to Aren to join him on the Sled, so Aren removed his helmet and did so. As he entered the sled he saw the two men armored much like himself that were responsible for propelling the thing. Unlike him though, their strength was greatly amplified by the suits they wore. Or at least reports said so, Aren had never encountered them before.

"Do you speak Endicarian?" Aren asked.

"I do," said the officer, extending a hand.

"My name is Aren Wagner von Blankenbruck, Captain of the Order of the Iron Hand," he said, taking the man's hand for a brief moment, "I've been sent by the Abberan High Command to negotiate on their behalf as well as that of the Central Alliance. Our forces have pushed past south into the city enough to cut the Upper District off from relief from the ground, and we have skyships," Aren gestured to a half-dozen Orleans that had begun to loiter above the nearby Abberan forces, "Capable of severing your connection to any external aid. We request your total and unconditional surrender. You and all your men within those walls will be held as prisoners of war until the end of the conflict or release is otherwise negotiated for."

"You seem certain that the city will fall to your people," the officer spoke, "But you cannot predict the tides of war. I appreciate that you and your higher-ups have enough honor to make the offer, but it would be dishonorable for us, men and women fully capable of fighting, to surrender. I must respectfully decline."

The officer stood and extended his hand again, "We're not so different, Abberan," he said as Aren stood and once again in this brief time shook this man's hand, "May we both survive what is about to pass."

Aren and the officer both went back to their lines.


----------------


The Assault on the Upper District was a devastating slog for both sides. The Abberans used the cover of darkness to get a number JumpPack Nikes close to the wall and managed to infiltrate the barrier. The zipper-like noise of the JumpPacks drew the attention of a pair of sentries, but they were silently dispatched thanks to the Draco spikes they had handy. Their main goal was to sabotage the enemy defenses, but without any dedicated equipment, their mission devolved into them fighting from emplaced weapon to emplaced weapon along the wall. It didn't take long for them to get found out and, as they tried to flee across No-Man's Land, get cut down. Notably, the use of FMJ/J against the Nike was extremely effective, as the metal armor atop the k-wool allowed the round to spray inwards and prevented the wearer from effectively dousing the burning material. With the gates intact come morning, the attached Orleans began to fire shells at the gatehouses and hardened locations. When the gatling guns the enemy had begun to look skyward in an attempt to deter the bombarding Orleans the first horn sounded from the Abberan lines, followed rapidly by countless other command horns. Sickles, Scythes, a couple old Halberds and a handful of Halberd-bs began to pepper whatever Salviosi were atop the wall. They made easy targets for the Salviosi marksmen using scopes though, and so a number of the enemy's gatling guns remained intact and in use.

Crusaders and Paladins charged among the infantry, a portion of whom were using Nikes with JumpPacks to propel themselves upwards and ahead and, the hope was, out of the way of bullets. While the forces in powered armor were more than capable of surviving a few concentrated rounds of basic enemy fire before the armor would give, the FMJ/G munitions inflicted a large number of casualties. Once the gate was destroyed the gap was filled with a large force of Avalanche soldiers. They used SMG-12as and Senapangs not unlike standard infantry and were taking losses from the Halberd-bs and Sickles, but showed their strength quite literally as the two forces met. Fighting with fervor as they had nowhere to retreat to, Avalanche soldiers went hand-to-hand with Paladins and Crusaders and, thanks to the synthetic muscle within the suits, were able to quite literally lift and throw their opponents. Infantry flowed around these fights as the charge continued, few wanting to interfere in clashes with people far outclassing themselves. They couldn't always avoid it when a Paladin or Crusader landed on them, but with the gunfire from the walls there was more incentive to just push. Luckily we have the Draco buttspike to utilize as well as specifically-designed equipment for our armored soldiers, which is better than nothing, even if the fist hitting you feels like a truck. It gave us the edge, but only by the thinnest hair.

A number of Roofed Sleds blocked up the holes in the wall. An Orleans, smoking and burning from concentrated FMJ/G fire, turned to retreat as the other ships began to strafe the Salviosi forces trying to build up behind the wall. Now that they were moving and not sitting facing their targets they were much harder to hit with small arms, and even so without the ability to accurately and consistently land FMJ/J shots on them, the Orleans could act practically unopposed. Perahudaras occasionally harassed them, but were outclassed in both armor and arms.

As Abberan forces began to breach the wall, thanks largely to the actions of the supporting Orleans, the Salviosi began to open fire on the incoming armored soldiers with their 40mm field gun, the LFG-13. Ultimately a conventional, nonman-portable Halberd, though in much greater numbers, their 40mm shells, in both HE and FMJ/G, made paste of a number of our armored soldiers and left holes in the approaching swarm of infantry. Bodies had to be pulled from the breach in order for the Abberan forces to progress inward, but the ruined gate became a meatgrinder for both sides.

Grenades flew from both sides. The Salviosi M2 was highly effective at setting our troops on fire or cooking them alive and the M3's fragments inflicted a significant amount of injuries. Thankfully the Wickerman burned out our enemies as well as providing a smokescreen, allowing our soldiers the opportunity to press inward.

Once the wall was breached the fighting devolved and the Salviosi forces pulled further back to the Hilltop Estate and Cemetery within the Upper District.


----------------


Combat this season has resulted in an ABBERAN VICTORY! Abbera now controls 75% of Harren City.

We must inform you that our radios have picked up strange transmissions coming from somewhere within Harren City. This turn's Design Phase will be as normal, however this Revision Phase you can decide to use your Revision to Investigate the Signal. You do not need to make the decision immediately, but we may not be the only ones detecting it.

Fighting is intense, and it is only by the grace of our Orleans and ground transports that we were able to fight as hard and effective as we have. There's a lot to think about, so get to it!


IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE.

[Doubloon-Seven]

Here's a few ideas for how to deal with that chokepoint issue.

Spoiler: ARA Model 1914BMB "Colossus" (click to show/hide)

What is a grenade but a mobile artillery shell? What is an artillery shell but the single most useful thing on the battlefield? Well, a conical tube full of propellant and a detonator, but that's beside the point. At any rate, what Abbera needs is a mobile explosion machine. A sort of... mine.

Prometheum, a naturally reactive material, can be purposefully overloaded by our vise-engines. While in most cases this just means our technicians need to undergo more training, a Prometheum engine could perhaps act as both fuel and explosive. The engine, placed inside of a metal sphere, is then fitted with a Caelium lifting core. Additional secondary explosives are to be packed in as needed to ensure a successful detonation of the engine.

Basic propulsion is provided by turbines set into either side of the sphere, and control is achieved through a radio antenna sticking out of the top. Operators of the mine will be issued a radio transmission control tool.

To ensure the Colossus won't simply be shot down by Salviosi snipers, operators have the option of attaching a wickerwork basket and cheap decals to disguise it as a Salviosi LEA. In these cases, it is recommended for the mine to be released from an Orleans, because no matter how stupid, a Salviosi is not going to be fooled by an empty fake hot air balloon drifting out of Abberan lines.

Spoiler: Uniforms for the Massed Infantry v1.2 (click to show/hide)

Our jackets our snazzy. Our trousers are pistol-proof. However, sadly, wool is still slightly flammable. Silica fibers are not. After finding a method of turning mineral glass fibers into fabric, experiments unveiled the fireproof nature of a fabric made out of rock.

By adding air to the formula, the silicate can be blown into a sort of insulating mineral wool that can be woven into the outer layer of the UMI, offering our soldiers protection from flame and molten metal.

Abberan High Command would like to note that this should not entirely replace the 1.1 uniform, being that an insulating mineral wool is far from the best thing to wear when the Army eventually invades Salvios' more arid regions.

[TheFantasticMsFox]

Spoiler: RSN 191X “Icarus” Combat Superiority Flier (click to show/hide)

RSN 191X “Icarus” Combat Superiority Flier

The Icarus is derived from the technological advancements made by the Orleans Sky Corvette and improvements in gravitational manipulation to to construct an advanced new Flier .

The core of the Flier is its 5.85 meter long teardrop shaped fuselage made of aluminum and kinetic wool-resin plates, with C-Steel for extra armor. The pilot is in a cockpit with an enclosed bubble canopy of reinforced glass that is mounted forward the nose to provide maximum visibility. At the head of the fuselage 4 Scythe machine guns with 700 Rounds per gun, and twin Halberd AT rifles with 10 rounds of ammunition each. These are each rigged to separate triggers for cannons and machine guns for the pilot. Behind the pilot in the center of the fuselage is a bomb bay able to carry two loads 100 kg of bombs which can be released independently. Bomb-loads are comprised of hand grenades, or 80mm HE shells. Behind that in the center of the fuselage is the engine/power supply, using a Gavrilium Generator with spark pack supercharger to increase performance. Behind this is an electric turbine that feeds in air via an air scoop under the fuselage on either side and a C-Rod to help provide more lift.

The wings of the Flier are mounted double stacked and biplane configuration behind the cockpit. They are made of aluminium and C-Steel for structure, and covered in a kinetic wool-resin plates plus more C-Steel for armor to provide strength and protection. In the center of each wing is both an electric turbine and a Caelium Powder Rod gravitic drive. Caelium Crystal is also mounted in these engine pods to reduce the strain on the structure. These are mounted in teardrop shaped structures to protect their inner workings. The wings themselves also mount wire controlled maneuvering slats.

Other features of the Icarus include Kinetic wool and C-Steel protection of key components. Metallic surfaces on the wings and outer fuselage will be coated with C-Powder to further reduce weight. The cockpit also has a gun-sight for its weapons. The turbines are to be improved as well to increase speed.

The final feature of this design is the (non)optional launch mechanism: the Kinetic Impulse Transfer Engine. Using a launch cradle that mounts under the center of the Icarus attached to a 50m track that can be elevated from a 15 degree to 45 degree arc. This track is propelled by firing 1 to 3 430mm solid shot shell in the opposite direction to quickly and rapidly launch an Icarus Flier. the shell casing is fixed to the track, as to ensure transfer of force.

Goal statement for the Icarus
-Improve the power of the turbines
-Cost is aimed at being Very Expensive, don't cut corners for cost.
-Speed is the focus over maneuverability
-Intended to have VTOL capability
-Bomb bays can just be stuffed full of hand grenades or artillery shells.

I feel we want this cause its cool, and I think they are going to try and deal with the Orelans. Also it will allow us to just obtain air superiority, which means better recon and supply for our forces.