Re: Grand Battle S3G1! (Round Two: The Great Battlefield)
05-29-2011, 04:42 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by Valter.
"Sergeant Conaway!"
"Yes sir!"
"Gather the men. I have a eulogy to deliver."
"Eulogy, sir?"
"You're here to follow orders, not give me sass! Now get to it!"
"Y- yes sir!"
~~~
A troop of about a hundred soldiers stood at attention in front of the officer's tent. They were Crimson Company, a forward branch of Red Army's foot soldiers dedicated to scouting and espionage behind enemy lines. Their present mission (investigating a path through a nearby forest that would have allowed them to flank Green Army's forces) had been cut short when some sort of monster had ripped into their ranks, converting the entire company in a matter of minutes.
The monster in question stepped out of his tent now: Brigadier Kerak, new master of the Crimson Company. A shako with a red feather sat atop his head to denote his newfound leadership role. He'd been a bit put out when he learned the soldiers he tried to eat would just stand up and start fawning over him, but the chance to order some people around without any strings attached was a welcome perk. It reminded him of life on the top back in his tribe.
"First order of business, gentlemen and ladies!" Kerak shouted at his soldiers. "From this point forth, we will be known as Chartreuse Company!" A slight ripple took place as the color of every uniform present, the tents, and the feather on Kerak's hat changed to accommodate his order. "Very good. That's a much better color."
"Does this mean we're now affiliated with Green Army, sir?" Conaway asked.
Kerak shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. Would it help?"
"Allying with one of the major forces would be an immeasurable boon, sir."
"Uh, okay. Consider it done!" A green stripe appeared on the uniforms of Kerak's soldiers. And on the tents. And Kerak's hat.
"Anyway! As you all doubtless have no knowledge of who I am-"
"Actually, sir, we learned all that when you converted us," Conaway pointed out. "You're Kerak, a Deinonychus, shaman by trade, participant in something called a Grand Battle. We're briefed on all new commanders."
"Oh, phooey." Kerak stomped the ground a bit in frustration. "You're taking all the fun out of this. New order: you are not to disrupt me while I am expositing! Okay?"
"Yes, sir."
"Okay! Where was I? Right: as Sergeant Conaway so kindly pointed out, I am from a far away land, and a far away time. There are six others like myself, members of an intergalactic competition, whom I will be discussing at some other time, but my words right now concern none of them. Right now I will be addressing the eighth competitor; a man who unfortunately no longer travels with us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Murdoch Miles
A glowing man, he was! Member of a race called the 'Varalica'. Pleasant-mannered and pacifistic to the extreme. An inspiration to us all, really.
But he toyed with forces well beyond his control. You see, the last world we visited was defined by a battle between two concepts: Chaos and Unity. Sort of like this place, i guess? Well, you're not concepts so much as people, but i think its the same idea with the way you're all fighting.
ANYWAY: Chaos and Unity, in a never ending battle! It was here that Murdoch made his fatal mistake, you see. He chose a side! He became a servant of Unity, trying to disrupt the natural balance of that world by spreading Unity whenever he could!
And disrupt it he did! Time and time again, he tampered with the balance, until the very fabric of the world rose up in rebellion against him. A warrior was created, to hunt him down and end his life for his meddling.
Murdoch made a pledge not to kill any living being. But he committed a sin far more dear than murder when he landed on that world. He declared war on the very foundation of that world, and paid for his brashness with his life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, soldiers! Do not fight against the natural order of any world! Or you could face Dire Consequences!"
"Uh, sir?" a corporal in the first row of the formation asked. "It was a wonderful eulogy, sir, but we were really hoping someday we'd end the 'balance' between the four major armies someday and unify the map under one color! Sir," she added hastily.
"Oh." Kerak frowned. "That's a pretty good point, I guess. I wouldn't mind conquering the world much either. How about this: don't tamper with forces beyond your ken, or you could face Dire Consequences! It sorta works with the story."
"Very good, sir."
"Excellent! In that case, this meeting is adjourned. You may all finish one last meal, and then we will be breaking camp. It's high time we set out to show this land what Chartreuse Company is capable of!"
"Sergeant Conaway!"
"Yes sir!"
"Gather the men. I have a eulogy to deliver."
"Eulogy, sir?"
"You're here to follow orders, not give me sass! Now get to it!"
"Y- yes sir!"
~~~
A troop of about a hundred soldiers stood at attention in front of the officer's tent. They were Crimson Company, a forward branch of Red Army's foot soldiers dedicated to scouting and espionage behind enemy lines. Their present mission (investigating a path through a nearby forest that would have allowed them to flank Green Army's forces) had been cut short when some sort of monster had ripped into their ranks, converting the entire company in a matter of minutes.
The monster in question stepped out of his tent now: Brigadier Kerak, new master of the Crimson Company. A shako with a red feather sat atop his head to denote his newfound leadership role. He'd been a bit put out when he learned the soldiers he tried to eat would just stand up and start fawning over him, but the chance to order some people around without any strings attached was a welcome perk. It reminded him of life on the top back in his tribe.
"First order of business, gentlemen and ladies!" Kerak shouted at his soldiers. "From this point forth, we will be known as Chartreuse Company!" A slight ripple took place as the color of every uniform present, the tents, and the feather on Kerak's hat changed to accommodate his order. "Very good. That's a much better color."
"Does this mean we're now affiliated with Green Army, sir?" Conaway asked.
Kerak shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. Would it help?"
"Allying with one of the major forces would be an immeasurable boon, sir."
"Uh, okay. Consider it done!" A green stripe appeared on the uniforms of Kerak's soldiers. And on the tents. And Kerak's hat.
"Anyway! As you all doubtless have no knowledge of who I am-"
"Actually, sir, we learned all that when you converted us," Conaway pointed out. "You're Kerak, a Deinonychus, shaman by trade, participant in something called a Grand Battle. We're briefed on all new commanders."
"Oh, phooey." Kerak stomped the ground a bit in frustration. "You're taking all the fun out of this. New order: you are not to disrupt me while I am expositing! Okay?"
"Yes, sir."
"Okay! Where was I? Right: as Sergeant Conaway so kindly pointed out, I am from a far away land, and a far away time. There are six others like myself, members of an intergalactic competition, whom I will be discussing at some other time, but my words right now concern none of them. Right now I will be addressing the eighth competitor; a man who unfortunately no longer travels with us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Murdoch Miles
A glowing man, he was! Member of a race called the 'Varalica'. Pleasant-mannered and pacifistic to the extreme. An inspiration to us all, really.
But he toyed with forces well beyond his control. You see, the last world we visited was defined by a battle between two concepts: Chaos and Unity. Sort of like this place, i guess? Well, you're not concepts so much as people, but i think its the same idea with the way you're all fighting.
ANYWAY: Chaos and Unity, in a never ending battle! It was here that Murdoch made his fatal mistake, you see. He chose a side! He became a servant of Unity, trying to disrupt the natural balance of that world by spreading Unity whenever he could!
And disrupt it he did! Time and time again, he tampered with the balance, until the very fabric of the world rose up in rebellion against him. A warrior was created, to hunt him down and end his life for his meddling.
Murdoch made a pledge not to kill any living being. But he committed a sin far more dear than murder when he landed on that world. He declared war on the very foundation of that world, and paid for his brashness with his life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, soldiers! Do not fight against the natural order of any world! Or you could face Dire Consequences!"
"Uh, sir?" a corporal in the first row of the formation asked. "It was a wonderful eulogy, sir, but we were really hoping someday we'd end the 'balance' between the four major armies someday and unify the map under one color! Sir," she added hastily.
"Oh." Kerak frowned. "That's a pretty good point, I guess. I wouldn't mind conquering the world much either. How about this: don't tamper with forces beyond your ken, or you could face Dire Consequences! It sorta works with the story."
"Very good, sir."
"Excellent! In that case, this meeting is adjourned. You may all finish one last meal, and then we will be breaking camp. It's high time we set out to show this land what Chartreuse Company is capable of!"