HANGMEN HANG, 1774

[Trenchist 864]

THE HANGMEN HANG

7th of Gofrey’s Triumph, 1774

 

“Some people live to eat, some eat to live. I’m neither. I simply enjoy food.”

Captain Johannes Bletzer to Faust Goathe, following Friday dinner.

 

 

Common, Marian, the guttural Kaedreni, Auvergnian, a hint of Thuanidian, even a slip of Nordic. My, atleast I don’t hear Elvish, Dniester mused. The Lieutenant whistled shrilly, hand rising obliquely in an effort to gain the teeming soldiers’ attention. “Ey, look here and shut up.” he finished, sidestepping - overtaken by Hauptmann Betzler. 

 

“Hael, gentlemen, kameraden.” he began, eyes skimming over the sort. He noted Nessel, Stahlherz and Talhoffer were tired, they spent the night in watch duty. “Zhese Hangmen, Hangwomen, Hangelves, Ich admittedly do nicht know what zhey are; zhese so-called mercenaries, who hide zheir faces behind green rags.” he paused, eyes set askance momentarily, catching de Reden and de Langford covertly exchanging some play-dice behind their backs. “For zhe best, Ich presume, zheir faces best remain hidden. At any rate,” he gesticulated, “zhese bandits have started picking fights vith us, challenging our patrols.” he picked up the agreeable nods of Goethe and Louis, who he witnessed cut down some of the brigands themselves, and hid a proud smile. 

 

“We even lost some footmen, ja, in a test of mettle.” he wet his lips, readjusting his posture. At the back of the flock, Fitzgerald and Strobl were whispering, sotto voce, he guessed about moustache wax. We, Heusites, value our physiognomy, Fitzgerald took a liking to say. “Zhey sent parties, zhey were slain. Zhey are caught roadside, zhey die. Ich do not blame them for always fleeing, always retreating - resorting to flight after fight ist a cur’s instinct, und curs zhey are.” he pushed forward his jaw, hang shifts to his longsword’s pommel, resposed. “Zhey are a tribe exalting corruption, an inferior anomaly, absent of any sense other zhan primitive instinct. Zhey will be deprived of all will to fight when zhe blood zhey yearn for will spill from zheir own. We shall nicht yield. Now now to statements: Aep Vlandenburg hereby receives a commission, assigned Oberhauptmann. In preparation for new recruits, Benjarno has ordered a new supply of arms, thus joo may wave Eisenhuts goodbye, zhey are nicht longer uniform. Lastly, it ist Venus day, so expect zhe payroll und repast as soon as we disperse.” he cleared his throat, eyes trailing to his colleague Hauptmann and their Lieutenants, “In anyone’s wish to add?”

 

“Yes.” nodded Lieutenant Dniester, his typical sly smile soon alighting on his face, eyes turning to the soldiers. “These ne’er-do-wells, these Hangmen. They defy the laws of man, the laws of God. They live by no code, by regard to naught. In their lexicon, there is no jurisprudence. They are a species that will never be civilized, a species never meant to live in civilization, and we shan’t stoop to their barbarism, ney, we take advantage of it. Cast off decadence, renounce sin. Evil shan’t draw breath on Heussen soil. From today, their extermination is expedited.” he concluded, heels touching as he extended a salute to the addressed, who too shot out their hands. “Ave Heusmann, Gott mit uns!”

 

 

We hung and executed twofold than the Hanged did, contrary to their barks of calumny. Animosity is a two-way-street, recollects Commandant Martin Heusmann. The ditch of bodies was piling ever-taller, so the soldiers resorted to tossing bodies from the precipices. A practice introduced by the Sergeant de Reden, the butcher of Kreden. Fitzgerald detests it, but the Sparrow is evidently a realist.

 

When men run out of words, they draw swords, Saint Brother BOB of the OSL taught. An accomplished wordsmith, he defended the Church by the quill in wake of a Haensetic schism, while his Ordermen abated it by sword. The Hanged, however, had no words to begin with, the Lieutenant was right. Their aggression is groundless, it holds no motive. And thanks to precisely that, their primitive feebleness, of body and mind, their downfall is imminent. Nature ordains it.

 

Spoiler

 

“Master Bernt, attorney of law. I must confess, atimes I ponder, per fas et nefas?”

The lawyer finished chewing the buckwheat with honeyed milk. He alighted his spoon on the table, and patted his chin with his handkerchief before beginning, “O Captain, I shall reconcile your scruples. Probity is no error, disabuse yourself of that notion. It is virtue. You may find it risible I say this as a legalist, but before I took to law, I studied the ethics of the Canon. An academic theologian, if you will. And so, I present to you my conclusion. Those we fight, who you, ere our meal, dubbed a species unbefitting civilization, are precisely that. I druther a lamb’s  life over any of theirs. By slaying them in the field, in the roads, by hanging them by the noose and even tossing them off the cliff, you enact the Lord’s justice, I tell you, more than simply waging war.”

 

Spoiler

 

[Mazok 19]

Liam aep Vlandenburg placed his sabaton over another dead brigand "The battle of attrition is in our favour." he stated, watching the rest of their men scramble while barking akin to a pack of wild dogs.

[Aiscool9 12]

Heil Heusstandarte

[N1ck 16]

Lieberman de Langford, straddled over a chair in camp, sword poised between his legs. He ran an oiled rag over it, giving a glimmer. His great uncle's own blade, abandoning it to rust was not an option.

 

 

 

 

 

 

He made ready for war.

[Steelvictorian 8]

I feel, we are the germany stuff in the game. Anyway, Hail!

[Greyskies007 32]

Lucien de Reden would mumble “Heil Heussman” as he sipped his whiskey and finished the housing logbook.

[ErayJr412 6]

Louis exlaimed: “Heil heussmann!”

[Lord of Boars 556]

Faust das Goethe would scratch his hairless chin before muttering: “Totalen Krieg bedeutet Totaler Krieg...”

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

[osumanduas 1442]

Richard Helvets offers his congratulations upon hearing of their success, sipping single malt from Varoche as he sat in his maple rocking chair.

 

“Doing God’s work gentlemen.”

[catgrumps 5]

Miray Fhuji gave an approving nod at the news. “Heil Heusstandarte!” 

[pokantu 48]

Would get back to his newly furnished room, he sat on his seat, left dirty, bloodied sword by his aide. The man would then go to take off his gauntlets, taking off his ruff from around his neck. ”Ah, its a gut day to be alive, sunny, no rain, clear skies. Und zhe roads clear of threats, our contractor shall be happy to hear about these. Zhese bandits had been attacking Kaedrin, now leave zheir corpses on our doorstep” He then went to put his feet in water.

[Jagdkatzchen 99]

Toni casts a brief gaze towards the rabble of enthused men, the corners of his mouth tightening into a smirk. Then, he turns back and makes his way back to his tent, a quill in hand to finish his latest treatise on Waldenian swordplay.

[Balthasar 2497]

Heinrich nodded to the brief speech in complete support. Returning to the cosy storage room to make count of the necessities.

[Christ 939]

Christ chuckles

Spoiler

O_O this my face reading your post.