The Empire Strikes Back

[Tsuyose 3285]

 

 

“INTO THE FIRES OF BATTLE, UNTO THE ANVIL OF WAR.”

 

• 8th of The Grand Harvest, 1624,

The conglomerate of the NATO Pact encroaching upon the Romstun forces.

 

The molten sun dawned over the horizon, signifying the conglomerate of banners, the NATO PACT encroached upon the field, their armies in their hundred thousands. The dulled shadows retreated from the depths of the weary battlefield, the Romstun scourge pacing to-and-fro the opposing river, and before long, the NATO came to a pause. The bannermen would hammer their banners into the depths of the earth, swaying proudly beneath the breeze of the wind.

 

Proud, pious men, who stand together against the scourge that threatens our livelihood!

We stand together, diverse, but strong! For a cause greater than our own petty conflicts!

The scourge before you, stand in an effort to slaughter your men, your women, and your children!

Bandits, barbarians, savages! We are Men, Dwarves, and Elves of the Isles of Axios, and we will defend our lands, our honour, and our law ‘till the day we draw our last breath!

We do not retreat from battle, fellow men!

 

Peter Sigismund roared, poising the grandiose warhammer of Gudour, the Conqueror, Gror Ireheart, bellowing aloud, standing proud beside his men, he’d usher his own moral bolster, his own pious words, and then.. The horns of war resounded. There they charged, with the commanders at their helm, for the late Imperial Prince, Philip Owyn, would be revenged. Arrows bellowed across the skies, littering the earth on both sides, explosions, and shots popping with a resounding ‘Bang!’ from Peter’s flank, there, the good men stood, shields raised high, swords drawn, and archers perched. Ser Abraham and Ser Felix charged together, back-to-back as resounding ‘Bangs!’ flooded from Abraham’s pistol, and the clashing of weaponry from Felix’s longsword.

 

Gonzalo de Castro, by his lonesome, cleaved through many-a-man, Leo de Savin, a ruthless warrior, slaughtering the Romstun horde, the magnificent Otto II with his Northern Men, slaughtered the Flays in their many. Romanos Palaiologos maintained his stature, bellowing a mighty war-cry.

 

The horns resound once more, much to the dismay of the Romstun horde, came forth a cavalry charge, heeded by the sovereign nation of Norland, who slaughtered the bandits in the dozens, impaling them atop their lances, and piking them down with various weaponry. While distracted, the main forces pressed forth. The two forces clashing, however, the opposition, confused, and out rallied, the coalition’s numbers doubled, even. Their numbers dwindled, and the coalition’s pursued on, slaughtering the Romstun’s by the dozen. Albeit it were the infamous Deano Romstun, who’d engaged upon the Holy Orenian Emperor, Peter Sigismund, with Aeternius to his flank, Alfie to Deano’s, and they clashed in a vehement war of their own, the quadruple colliding, fire splashing against the earth, and unfortunately, the latter fled when the bulk force charged forth. While he might’ve escaped the field that day, their ire for one another was naught but scorned.

 

The combined forces of the NATO PACT decimated the Romstun’s in their many, slaughtering the Flayed Man threat,

 

Romstun has had its day. Law and Order will prevail. The Isles of Axios will return to the sovereign rulers once more, without the banditry plague.

 

 

---

 

The Romstun horde fled the field of battle, the conglomerate forces took their due departure, leaving only the Orenian force to traverse the battlefield. However, reports of the Romstun men were lacking, some say, they discarded their bandanas, and the remainder would flee in an effort to outrun the encroaching forces. Peter Sigismund wouldn’t pause with a mere skirmish, of course, while he had the advance, he decreed his troops forth.

 

The horde of the Holy Orenian Army scoured the western lands of Lorraine, with Pepin de Bar and his envoy capturing the very man who’d flayed the Imperial Prince, Philip Owyn alive. A just reward to deliver unto His Imperial Majesty.

 

Another envoy would capture the infamous Alfie Bartham, to be delivered unto Adelburg for public execution. A due example of those who’d dare slay a man of Horen.

 

As they advanced throughout the western lands of Lorraine, the banners of House of Romstun were burned in the process, instead, replaced with the sigil of the House of Horen. Peter Sigismund, had returned law and order unto the archaic land.

[Thatpyrodude 2008]

Philip Owyn smiles down upon his brother, watching from the Seven "Vengeance has been had"

[Felder 92]

"What a fight" Reimond Walden says as he walks off the battlefield.

[rukio 8924]

Perched on the stairs to the gatehouse inside of Adelburg, Lily hears of Alfie's capture. Sighing, she shakes her head, musing over the flower in her hand. "I wonder if the monks'll see fit to bring him back..." She looks over at Ethel for a moment then back at the flower. "What'll I do if he's dead?" She frowns, lost in thought as she awaits her best friend's answer.

[Its_Just_Leap 399]

2 minutes ago, Lord Sagan said:

Perched on the stairs to the gatehouse inside of Adelburg, Lily hears of Alfie's capture. Sighing, she shakes her head, musing over the flower in her hand. "I wonder if the monks'll see fit to bring him back..." She looks over at Ethel for a moment then back at the flower. "What'll I do if he's dead?" She frowns, lost in thought as she awaits her best friend's answer.

0

 

Ethel looks to Lily with a somber look on her face. "If the monks don't see him fit to be brought back then I promise that I will make sure that you're able to place the flower onto his grave."

[rukio 8924]

15 minutes ago, Leap1Games said:

Ethel looks to Lily with a somber look on her face. "If the monks don't see him fit to be brought back then I promise that I will make sure that you're able to place the flower onto his grave."

1

 

Lily's expression turns grave, her face paling. "Oren will suffer all the more, should the monks decide not to let him live." She grasps the stem of the flower tighter, staring across Adelburg towards the church. She glances over to Ethel. "Maybe we can do something to save him...."  She would then glance back down at the flower and laugh. "He'd probably just throw it away again, though."

[Chaw 964]

jackie chan iv licks his lips, himself almost dying. He marches forward with angus ready to lay siege to some more flay pricks

[Its_Just_Leap 399]

24 minutes ago, Lord Sagan said:

Lily's expression turns grave, her face paling. "Oren will suffer all the more, should the monks decide not to let him live." She grasps the stem of the flower tighter, staring across Adelburg towards the church. She glances over to Ethel. "Maybe we can do something to save him...."  She would then glance back down at the flower and laugh. "He'd probably just throw it away again, though."

0

 

Ethel looks away from Lily and to the small road with a slight smirk on her face "I know they will, but saving Alfie is almost impossible...There's only two of us and god knows how many other guards keeping him locked away." She laughs hearing the thought of him throwing the flower away again. "Lily, if you somehow saved him and he threw the flower away afterwards. Then he would be the dumbest man to walk the lands of Axios."

[rukio 8924]

Lily returns to her perch a few hours later, her eyes dull as she looks to Ethel. "Oren may think they have the last laugh but...." She trails off, looking down at her dirtied hands, shaking her head. "Creator forgive me..." Her voice is low, ensuring only Ethel will hear her. Smiling weakly, she gets up from her seat, hand outstretched to Ethel. "Time for part two, I suppose?"

[Freischarler 421]

A due example of those who’d dare slay a man of Horen.

 

Magnus thinks for a moment, remembering when his good friend Carolus Horen was killed by guards in the city for trying to kill an undead beast.
"Hm, strange."

[Glocky18 545]

Romanos Palaiologos chuckles, "Make no mistake, the battle to come is the most important and we will count more dead than they will." He'd say, assuming the allies will lay siege on their settlement.

[nordicg_d 1847]

House Romstun and allies fought courageously against unmatched odds, though it was not enough. The superior numbers of the NATO pact simply overwhelmed them. The men under the Romstun banner were cut down but not without inflicting serious damage to the NATO ranks.

 

Deano Romstun fled the battle but at what cost. His men and allies lay defeated, his house in ruin. Regret at fleeing troubled his mind, he wished he stayed and fell along side his men.  

Upon his return to Doggersden, he removed his crimson bandana and cut his hair with hopes to withhold his true identity.

 

“Disband and leave, we are wanted men. Return here no more protect yourselves and go into hiding.” Echoed Deanos final orders within the halls of Doggersden.

[rukio 8924]

 

A small figure 4'10 in height creeps among the dead bodies. A crimson robe conceals the person within, an off-white mask made of bone hides the face. It falters occasionally, bending down and removing a helmet here and there, as though looking for something specific. The crows fly away as it approaches, landing once more as it passes by.

 

The stench from the bodies does not seem to phase the being, for it has one purpose and one purpose alone. At last, it kneels before one body in particular. Removing the facial covering from the body, the cloaked figure merely stares down at him for a moment. Gently, they reach out and shut the eyelids, though the eyes are long gone from the scavengers. 

 

"I found you...too late. It would seem....they were correct when they said you..." The voice is soft and low, a touch of sadness to it as they trail off. "All men deserve to be buried with honor..." The figure shakes slightly, exhaling loudly as it seeks to regain its emotions. 

 

Removing the heavy armor, the cloaked being would place a single lily in the still hand of the now deceased Alfie Bartham, curling his fingers around it. "The flower of reincarnation and rebirth...." She tucks a stray strand of blonde hair back behind her mask, the pale skin on her right forearm where a brand had been removed was exposed for a moment. She did not seem to care however, knowing she alone would be out to carry out this task she had set. "Though I hope you do not come back...and that the Creator finds it acceptable that you rest in peace." 

 

Carefully, as though the body were a newborn baby she did not wish to drop, the masked and robed finger carried his body away from the carnage, blue eyes dull with agony. "I had hoped they would imprison you...I would have freed you..." She struggles to regain control of her emotions, readjusting her mask to conceal the scar tissue on her face.

 

"I had hoped to be your friend in life...but now I see I will have to avenge you." She whispers, a barely audible laugh escaping her throat.

[Lirinya 4021]

Artemis, despite her distaste for conflict, was terribly proud of her father, brother, and various other relatives and Santegians that fought, and came out of the battle alive.

[Legoboy7984 3155]

Ser Joren Baruch would clean his sword as he'd smile

"A good day this was."