CANNON and CANON (OOC-OPEN)

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

CANNON and CANON

A 18th Century Roleplay

The Royal Province of Dangomor

-IC-

Welcome to Dangomor, captain! Oh, please, stand at ease. We’re not at the military college here, after all. We do not stand on ceremony. I hope you’ve had a pleasant journey, although I must admit that when I came here, the journey was tainted by the posting that lay at the end of it. Still, I have learned to love the peace and quiet of this area. If my wife wasn’t back in the capital, I would have fashioned myself a living here.

But, captain, I fashion you want some kind of rundown of the situation here? Well, we can be very short about it. Here, if you look at the map… The 22nd Regiment of Foot, your new regiment, is stationed from Halgomar. The beautiful city you find yourself in. Two days marching from Alchadia in the east and Frisda in the west, from where it is another day to Sondar. The province is a quiet station, although I understand that with the rising religious tensions in the empire the Princely Council saw it fit to strengthen all garrisons in the Royal Provinces. That means here as well. You won’t be the only battalion commander to be placed in the empty husk of the 22nd. For so far as I know, you will have a quiet time here. I suggest taking up a hobby. I’ve learned to play the piano here, and I have taken up glassblowing. Lieutenant Mardan of the 1st Company has gotten a degree in agricultural sciences here. Social life is a barren wasteland here, but there is nothing to stop an officer such as yourself from finding a meaningful way to spend your time, the Gods Willing.

I guess you have heard about the Hill People of the Gomor Mountains. A savage people who do not adhere to the Canon. They worship a singular god and deny all others, in defiance with the wise teachings of the Record Keepers. The heresy is safely contained to only the most inhospitable lands, though, and those savages have no political unity with which to oppose our control. The papers back in Dallia like to paint them as giants twice the size of a human, with magical powers and dark access to demons. In truth, they have not even been a nuisance, at least not to our troops. The constables are doing alright, and they don’t really seem to need our help with anything, save the occasional brawl and public executions.

So, I say, you are dismissed. Go unpack, find yourself an empty room to call your home, and find a barrack for your troops to sleep in. We are having dinner with the other new captains tonight, I have not seen a new face in these parts for months. And wear something comfortable, watching dress uniforms at the dinner table gets boring really quickly. I am your colonel, not your mother.

And with that, your captain enters service in Dangomor, the dictionary definition of backwater. No major roads lead through this north-eastern region of the Dallic Empire, and it has no major ports to speak of. Local production consists of wheat and marginal mining, just enough to keep the population fed but not enough to attract major attention. Local artisans make a very peculiar sort of green-red coloured pottery, and local cuisine is always a variant of ‘fish-and-lamb pie’. Due to a recent uptick in sectarian violence throughout the empire all imperial garrisons have been improved, especially since the recently-finished war in the overseas lands of Acc has opened up many battalions for this purpose. Whether you volunteered for the job or whether you just pissed off the wrong commander, you find yourself in the most uninteresting part of the empire, commanding a battalion.

It will not stay that way for long, however. Under the surface, discontent has been growing. The colonel might not know it, but imperial rule has become more and more unpopular over the years. Slowly, like a brainless frog in a cooking pot, the area has been getting hotter and hotter. Most of this has to do with the ever-increasing presence of the Keepers, the priests of the Canon. This polytheistic religion has a highly regimented set of deities available for worship, taking the pantheons from conquered peoples and adding them to their own. Dangomor, however, has been traditionally monotheistic, and as the priesthood gains more ground, the monotheists feel themselves getting ever more restricted. Those public executions the colonel was talking about were mostly executions for heresy.

In this RP, you will command a battalion of men or women from the imperial army. In this mid-18th century army, commissions are bought or gained by birth, and battalions are almost personal possessions. This leaves you with a very high level of customisation, as long as it fits within the statistics. Native auxiliaries from far away colonies, light cavalry with plumed hats, an all-female line regiment, all is possible. Female battalions and mixed battalions are somewhat of a novelty, and some might hold conservative views, but they have proven themselves to be just as effective as all-male battalions.

That brings me to the point system. Every battalion will have 18 points to spend to determine what it is good at. Since this is a shit posting, most battalions will not be the crack veterans of a dozen wars. There certainly will be no guard grenadiers or cuirassiers running about. It must be said, though, that this is only to give me a feeling of the regiment. There will be no hard maths going on in the background, it will just help me determine certain outcomes. The description will be most important, as long as it doesn’t go against what you have chosen in the statistics.

So, without further ado, welcome to the RP!

Some more information on Dangomor. This is not a must read, but can be used as a handy reference point.

The Dallic Empire is a large, multi-ethnic state situated on the coast of the Stalwart Sea. It is the powerhouse of the region, constantly influencing the affairs of other nations near her border, and projecting power far overseas. It is governed by a council of princes, each prince representing a historic region within the empire. While the empire used to be a loose confederation of these princes, as time and technology have moved on the need for a more centralised state became apparent, and the Twelve Principalities are generally no more than administrative units. Apart from the Twelve Principalities the empire also administers a lot of provinces that do not fall under one of the princes. These provinces are generally administered by a governor, or a military governor if things get out of hand.

The government and the aristocracy are vitally linked. Higher education is basically only open to the landed classes, as are the military ranks of colonel and up. With a bit of luck and a wealthy donor, a commoner could make it to captain, although it is generally understood that a military career ends there. The other leg on which the empire stands is the Canon, the organised pantheon. The civil servants of the realm are often either military men or clergy, and sometimes even a mixture of both. The Canon, although it has a defined leadership, does not have a strict caste of priests, and everyone who graduates from a university or an academy is usually vested with some standing within the religion.

The Canon is both the name for the faith and for the holy text on which it is based: the Canon of the Faiths. This Canon contains the names and key characteristics of every deity whose existence has been recognised by the Keepers, the central authority of the faith. Due to the empire ruling over many lands, all with different ideas of divinity, a large overarching pantheon was created to centralise the religion into one. Every year, deities get added and removed, ideas get branded heretical, based on the number of followers and their standing within the empire. As long as you follow one god or more gods of the Canon, and don’t openly preach the exclusivity of one god, the faith is alright with whatever you worship. Some even take to worshipping all gods of the Canon, although that is more an academic work than a work of spiritualism.

The Dangomori are the native inhabitants of the province, making up about 60% of the population of the coastal areas. They used to have their own tribal government, but the loosely confederated people of the area were easily crushed in the days of the early empire, and for two hundred years the empire has held a firm grasp on the region. Due to a lack of natural resources or a strategic position, the province has always been part of the imperial hinterlands, occupied to paint the map and to have a bit more recruitable population. The Dangomori have no real sense of a cultural unity, more unified with their clans, tribes and families than with the lands, something which the imperial administration has been keen to exploit. Dangomori are unified by their language and their belief in a single, all-knowing and all-powerful god, although they worship him more as a king of the gods. While bordering on the heretical, since the Dangomori are generally peaceful, the Keepers leave them alone in favour of bigger fish to fry, especially in the foreign lands of Acc. A more unified cultural identity has emerged, however, and a sense of nationalism is growing among the population.

A special breed of Dangomori, the hill people never really surrendered fully to imperial rule. They avoid the cities cultivated by the empire in favour of Vigo, the old capital of the Dangomori confederation. They are a mysterious folk, led by warrior priests/chiefs who walk the line between religious leaders and military commanders. They trade solely with other Dangomori, and have open disdain for the Dallic population of the coastal areas. Their worship of one god approaches the heretical, but so far the imperial administration has not reached far enough into the hinterlands to really root it out, and the understaffed garrison has not dared enter Vigo for fear of sectarian violence.

Sondar is the most sleepy of the four coastal cities. It barely deserves the designation of city, as it lacks even a traditional city wall. Its surrounding areas make a living off farming, mostly cattle, which they allow to graze in the mountains during summer. In winter, the cows come down to the coastal plains. The city creates a unique kind of milk and cheese, with especially the latter being considered a delicacy. Foreigners, however, generally don’t like either the smell or the taste, nor the traditional pairing with lamb meat.

Frisda, situated on the river Indoma, is a large transport hub for much of the province. The river Indoma reaches deep into the mountains, where rock and valuable metals are mined. Not in any huge quantities, but enough to make Frisda a city of goldsmiths and masons. While the administrative capital is situated at Halgomar, Frisda is generally considered the cultural capital of the region, with many temples built in honour of their one god. They have tried to create their own version of the imperial capital, with aqueducts, theatres and boulevards, and although it pales in comparison with the Dallic capital, it is still a sight to be seen. Frisdari are generally seen as scammy people with a hand firmly on their purse at all times.

The administrative centre of the province. Here we find the governor’s palace, the army barracks and the naval depot. Halgomar is a fortress town, first constructed as such when it was established that the Bay of Halgomar was the best natural harbour in the area. Subsequent planners have lamented not building Frisda into a fortress town, as it has become the economic hub of the city, but there is no turning back. With little in the way of commerce except for agriculture, Halgomar has come to live off the constant imperial presence. They make their money off work on the docks, together with small scale industries based on the presence of soldiers. Brothels, arms manufacturers, taverns… The presence of both soldiers and sailors in the town make Halgomar one of the more dangerous places to be at night. Although, armed with a sabre or a rapier, you most likely won’t have anything to worry about.

Alchadia is situated at the mouth of the Cuell river, at the edge of the Dan plateau. This grassland it home to various nomadic peoples, some of whom enter into the general vicinity of the city every now and again. The Dangomori see them as beggers and tradition enemies, as their ancestors used to raid the province before the empire came. The Dallic inhabitants are more willing to work together with these nomads, since there is no historic animosity between the two. The Cuell river forms the breadbasket of the region, its river providing fertile soil that can easily be farmed with wheat, corn and potatoes. With the nomadic peoples as a proxy, this is probably the area with the most begrudging attitude between the Dallic and Dangomori populations.

While Frida might have been erected as a cultural capital, Vigo is seen as the more conservative heart of the Dangomori. While in the coastal cities Dallic and Dangomori mix without much trouble, the city of Vigo is pure Dangomori, a mix of about 50/50 Low Dangomori and Hill peoples, the latter recognised by their braided beards. While the order is kept by imperial constables and judges, they generally don’t mi too much in local affairs, and being posted there is generally seen as a punishment. The constables are happy to let the Hill People have their own courts and customs, meaning they don’t have to interfere in dangerous, centuries-old feuds.

Onto the app! Like I said, the description is the most important part, and the statistics help as a way to make sure that battalions are not overpowered. There will be no grenadier guards stationed here, unless your battalion earns enough experience. Battalions were learn and become better over time. Also, the empire and the lands beyond are pretty much a blank canvas. Be creative! As long as it keeps with the theme, I am happy. Important stuff mentioned in apps will get their own place among the files.

Each battalion has three companies of 100 soldiers each, making the total strength of each battalion 300 fighting men or women.

For filling in your statistics, use these links in the image brackets:
1/5:

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[img]https://i.imgur.com/uRbicaS.png[/img]

2/5:

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[img]https://i.imgur.com/aS6A8yq.png[/img]

3/5:

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[img]https://i.imgur.com/uvPqcQm.png[/img]

4/5:

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[img]https://i.imgur.com/tXT04Rs.png[/img]

5/5:

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[img]https://i.imgur.com/3iTTw8t.png[/img]

Remember, each battalion has 18 points to spend.

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[box][size=150][b]Captain App[/b][/size]
[b]Character Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Strengths:[/b]
[b]Weaknesses:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Biography:[/b]

[size=150][b]Battalion app[/b][/size]
[b]Battalion name:[/b]
[b]Unit type:[/b] (Line infantry, light infantry, militia, light cavalry, line cavalry, artillery)
[b]Uniform:[/b]
[b]Banner:[/b]
[b]Marching song:[/b]
[b]Standard gear:[/b]
[b]Unit Statistics:[/b]
[u]Discipline:[/u][img][/img]
[u]Morale:[/u][img][/img]
[u]Fire rate:[/u][img][/img]
[u]Accuracy:[/u][img][/img]
[u]Melee:[/u][img][/img]
[u]Marching speed:[/u][img][/img]
[u]Self-sufficiency (Survival):[/u][img][/img] 
[b]Description:[/b] 

[b]1st company lieutenant:[/b]
[b]2nd company lieutenant:[/b]
[b]3rd company lieutenant:[/b]
[/box]

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Reserved for roster

1st Battalion
Fellus’ Acolytes
Colonel Horatio Fellus, baron of Hevan

1st Cavalry Battalion
1st Death's Head Hussars, Hohenfriedberg's Riders
Captain Virgil Jean Louis Philippe Montbeliard de Hohenfriedberg

2nd Cavalry Battalion
West Pfeiffer Imperial Carbineers
Captain Ebenezer Paschalis, Baron of Oscala

2nd Battalion
Wolves of Iron
Captain Hugh Lawson Clay

3rd Battalion
Cybulskan Volunteers "The Blackfeet"
Captain Cibor Marczynski

4th Battalion
Crask Highlanders
Captain Alastair Strachan, Laird of Crask

5th Battalion
Valentin's Volunteers "Native Scouts Battalion"
Captain Valentin Rosicrucio de Dangomor

3rd Cavalry Battalion
Carlington County's Imperial Cuirassiers
Captain James Augustus Rupert Carlington

44th Battalion
Fletcher's Farmers
Captain Kasch "Leśnik" Fletcher

6th Battalion
Chandakot Janissaries, the “Spinning Jennies”
Captain Samadou Diop

7th Battalion
Jalair Jezzails
Captain Altan Jalair

9th Battalion
Erika's Jägers
Captain Klaus Adler

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Colonel App
Character Name: Horatio Fellus, baron of Hevan
Age: 38 years
Appearance:

Strengths: Horatio is a very sociable fellow, very eager to strike a conversation, and a tremendous listener. He enjoys company, and has a talent to make friends very quickly through his charming ways. As a very religious man, he keeps away from the more nefarious elements of soldier life, and he expects his men to do the same.
Weaknesses: Horatio is not that good of an officer. He passed the exams of the military academy, so he is familiar with military lingo, but he has never really experienced combat, and he sees his posting in Dangomor more as a vacation than as an actual job.
Personality: Light-hearted, friendly, playful, but very religious. Horatio is a kind man, a charming man, who can find enjoyment in almost any situation he finds himself in. He is very knowledgeable in spiritual matters, and technically allowed to lead a congregation. Theology, he found, was always more interesting than military matters.
Biography: Horatio was born into the mildly affluent Fellus family, the barons of Hevan. Hevan is a very agricultural barony, mostly preoccupied with growing grapes for a particular local wine of modest quality. As the oldest son of his father, the war hero Horatio, Horatio the Younger was expected to go to the military academy as well. The young lad was hesitant, but his lineage left him with little choice. During his time at the academy he was mostly preoccupied with his theological studies, however. He barely managed to pass his academy subjects, but often aced his university work. He became involved with the Keepers and the Canon, and after getting his lieutenancy at the military academy he pursued an academic career in theology, doing research for the Canon and traveling far and wide to see local cultures. The imperial war ministry was happy to let him be, since he was among the lowest-scoring officers of his generation.

With the rise of religious tensions in the empire, as well as the discovery of various liberal underground organisations, the empire recalled many officers from leave. Horatio was called in too, and given the mission to assemble a battalion of men for a posting. With his connections with the Keepers Horatio managed to get 300 willing church-goers, all men, to sign up with him. He spent quite a bit to get them equipped in a faithful fashion, but when all was said and done he reported at the ministry with a full-strength battalion. Captain Fellus was thus sent to the far-off province of Dangomor, in the knowledge that there was very little to ruin in that peaceful place. When, a few years later, the garrison was increased, Horatio was promoted to colonel of the 22nd Regiment, an old regiment that had been disbanded in Acc. With the new regiment in place, all was ready to receive the new captains and their battalions.

Battalion app
Battalion name: Fellus’ Acolytes
Unit type: Line infantry
Uniform:

Banner:

Marching song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7KssJwTz4g
Standard gear: Model Year 13 ADII Musket, bayonet, truncheon
Unit Statistics:
Discipline:
Morale:
Fire rate:
Accuracy:
Melee:
Marching speed:
Self-sufficiency (Survival):
Description: The battalion is made up of the most religious fighters from all over the empire. It is a melting pot of different ethnicities all following the Canon. The battalion might be comparable to a mobile bible belt, with every member making sure all the other members behave in a pious way. Drinking and smoking are officially banned by the captain-colonel, as are visits to the brothels. Everyone knows that everyone does it, but the lieutenants still keep an eye out. The battalion is moved by a will to please the gods, which makes them especially good in matters of morale, but due to their lacking commander they have never really been drilled properly in the use of muskets and bayonets. They have been equipped with truncheons, as these weapons are easier in use than the steel blade of their bayonets.

1st company lieutenant: Harry Neilon
2nd company lieutenant: James Beccan
3rd company lieutenant: Andreas Flaningen-Pott

[Cylarn]

Of course, of course. Expect an app.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Welcome, welcome! Good to see you, Cy.

[Hgnha]

Tag

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Welcome!

[Kowloon-California]

Tag! This looks really exciting, I'm looking forward to getting into this RP with you!

[Sefy the Great]

fastest tag in the west

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Welcome, welcome!

I should add: it is not necessary to make a flag and a uniform and all that. You can also describe them, or leave them blank. If you want a flag designed, I can always do my best!

[Olthenia]

Tag!

[Cylarn]

Hinging on the creation of a mounted Carbineer battalion, with most of its personnel drawn from the ranching stock of the Pfeiffer Valley.

Consider this to be a placeholder.

Captain App
Character Name: "I am Captain Ebenezer Paschalis, Baron of Oscala, Son of Major Donovan Paschalis, Earl of West Pfeiffer. Those titles aside, I much prefer the brevity of 'Eb.'"
Age: "Thirty-three, as of six months ago."
Appearance: "For a start, I am reasonably tall at six feet even. I weigh close to one-hundred ninety, and not much more than than that. The weight is muscle; I am a stocky, corn-fed man. My muscles are pronounced, but not to excess as to make me appear as one large muscle."

"My hair is brown, and I keep it long and gathered back into a single tail, tied with a piece of black lace. Unlike many of my contemporaries, I am still blessed with a full head of hair. Much to the contrary of norms, I sport a decent beard, full and even. It does much to make me intimidating, covering my face. Much hair covers the rest of my body. My eyes are blue, and often is it remarked that the contrast between my deep blue eyes and my brown hair is unsettling at best."

"I bear my fair share of scars, although many are hidden away. Most pronounced would be the shrapnel scar above my left eye, along with deeper, brown scars reaching up into my scalp. I have an ugly pink scar down the side of my neck, obscured by the hair. My fingers bear small scars, the result of anything from wartime injuries to five-finger-fillet. A brown circle on both sides of my left hand, palm and back, denotes where a bayonet was stabbed into me."
Strengths:

• Tested Officer - "I began my military career early-on, with my father insisting heavily upon a military curriculum once I was able to read and write. Most of my early tutelage came by way of my parents and the governesses and retired officers that they hired to educate me. I began my "formal" uniformed experience as a fourteen-year-old Cadet with the 8th Pfeiffer Rifles, where I learned much more than I did as an Academy braggart, although I did graduate within the upper half of one-hundred eighty other Cadets."
  
  "My commission as a Junior Lieutenant of Cavalry brought me to Arris; the Jungle Jewel. I battled natives from the age of twenty to twenty-three. By losing scores of men and being wrong footed in my early days, I learned how to command with competence. I learned how rigid adherance to doctrine was no substitute for organic thinking. I learned to fear waste. Most recently, I took part in two campaigns against the rank-and-file of Acc. Quite obviously, I survived the war through organic thinking and an allergy to waste."
  
• Killer - "Look within the Canon; the Gods do not condone wanton violence, nor those that commit such acts Perhaps that is one of the reasons I find myself in the Church, with my head bowed and my mind asking for forgiveness. You see, I am in a profession of death. I would never ask my men and women to accomplish a task that I would shy away from, and killing least of all. With Sjambok and shot, I have done it all."
  
• Resilient - "I will never forget the first time that I saw before me, clouds of white smoke and the cracking ignition of powder and flint. I will never forget brazen charges into volleys of canister and round shot. Nor will I forget my lone trek through the green inferno of Arris. While many tell plenty of the hardships of war, it is up to the individual to accept the adrenaline and the fear of death and the overwhelming sensory sensations that come with battle. We all process it differently; I have seen the sons of heroes beat feet and flee upon the first enemy volley, and native levies hold the line no matter the odds or consequences. Affirmation of the horrors - and acceptance - are important to every individual. I have been stabbed, shot, trampled, pinned - and yet I understand that this is what I have been preparing for such things all of my life, and that has given me the nerve to lead men into hell and back."

Weaknesses:

• Haunted - "I often find myself bereft of sleep, replaced by a restless slumber in which I cannot escape from the inner recesses of my mind. As a bright-eyed young Cadet, I was never told of the true weight of my actions, how easy it is for the past to feel so... unresolved, even after a decade or two. Particularly, I recount my trauma whenever I close my eyes. I see the dead in my sleep, and at any given moment, my mind may briefly recall back uneasiness and anger, pain and fear."
  
• Wounded - "I have taken my fair share of wounds, some more severe than others - and some more well-healed. Scars adorn my body, such as the four-inch laceration down the side of my neck where a Tahksani shaman had nicked me with an obsidian dagger. However, the scars do not inhibit my movements."
  
  "What does impede me? My left leg was broken at twenty-one, the result of my steed being shot from under me by a flurry of arrows. My leg, still healing after a decade, still gives me issues outside of the saddle. I've gotten grief from my right lung and ribcage, which took a musket ball during the campaigns in Acc. From time to time, I find myself expulging blood by way of coughing. So far, it has not forced me to resign my commission."
  
• Inebriant - "I will be the first to admit that my love of inebriation has often gotten the better of me. An inability to translate my inner machinations has motivated me to rely upon intoxication to dispel the darker emotions that I feel on any given day. In fact, the opening task of my morning ritual involves a glass of wine to steady myself and a bowl of hashish to set me right. I know to prevent myself from incapacitation by alcohol or hashish, although my activities are often seen in a negative light by my contemporaries."

Personality: Eb seems to be a stoic, observant character at first glance. He carries himself with a certain sense of duty and personal honor, very fair in his intentions and motives. Conservative in his support for the nobility, it is worth mentioning that Eb carries a remarkable sense of empathy and warmth for lesser companions of his.

Being a career soldier, Eb has long sorted through the barbarity of war. He sees both war and peace as necessary evils in their own right. There is no doubt that Eb understands the minisculity of himself within the larger sphere of events. In his mind, taking a human life in war is vital to self-preservation and personal advancement. Although he laments death, he understands the importance of it.
Biography: "I hail from the Pfeiffer Valley, a region of winding rivers and land fertile enough to raise herds of cattle. As with the men that I am descended from, I was born in the ancestral lands of the House of Paschalis, beneath the roof of the estate at Broadmoor Pond. My House has known these lands, particularly West Pfeiffer, since the earliest days of the Empire."

"There was a time when the Valley was a land ruled by centuries of clan warfare and cattle-rustling. Before the days of the Empire, the Valley clans called themselves 'Reivers,' and turned the Valley into a cauldron of blood and lifelong feuds. An eye for an eye, blood for blood; that was the ancient law of the Pfeiffer Valley. House Paschalis was one of the earliest clans to yield their weapons to the Empire, and every single man from the Advent of imperial rule in the Valley has served the Emperor faithfully."

"I was born the second child of my family, and the first son. I lived a youth like many other young aristocrats in the Valley; I received the best education, I learned to master equestrian duties, I fought and frolicked, and was taught the intricacies of the Valley gentry. You could say that from an early age, I was destined to serve. My preliminary service was with the Pfeiffer Rifles, a line infantry battalion. I was never deployed as a youth, although I received indoctrination in a musket line. By choice, I spent much of my time with the enlisted ranks, and learned a wealth of knowledge before I attended the Academy."

"I received the same shock as did any new Cadet at the Imperial Academy of War and Leadership, or 'Black Hill,' as the general area around the Academy is known. This was a deliberate intention of my father; to give me the lap of luxury and an easy life, only to have my conception of the world up-ended in an attempt to gauge my resolve. My fellow Cadets - I misspoke, as Freshman Cadets are referred to as 'Rooks' at Black Hills - and i were subjected to the sobering realities of military training. We led a Spartan lifestyle, restricted not only in what we could do, but how we could do it."

"Walking at Black Hills was difficult as a Rook. You walked befitting your status at the institution; in the gutter, at a constant quiet March. We ate last, and without conversation, as the upperclassmen all sat together around us, engaged in conversation and free, unhindered interaction. Falling out of line meant that we were all punished for the acts of a few. Despite the hardships, we learned."

"I branched Cavalry during my time at Black Hill. Although I had no real love for the pageantry and flamboyance of the Hussars, I was raised a horseman, and that was what I would do. I learned the feeling of a saber as it cuts through flesh, thrown from unruly horses after the firing of a cannon. I learned pain, I learned hardship - but I learned. I learned to get back up, angrier than ever, resolute to push forward and punish my transgressors. I pushed myself to work hard, to hold my composure when most of all I want to lose it. You see, Black Hill knocks you down and forces you to climb to your feet - the only true way to make you into an officer."

"Minted as a Cadet after my first year, I ingratiated myself within the social aspects of Black Hill. In time, I was the principle mid-weight boxer within the Cavalry Troop. In fact, I took up boxing as a Rook, and began competing with the Infantry and Artillery Cadets. Some fights were sanctioned, and many were impromptu, motivated by personal scores. I also joined the Natatorium, and took on swimming as a leisurely sport, in addition to hunting and hiking."

"In time, I found love within those chambers. My late wife, Lady Ursula Colquitt of Stone Mountain, was not a student at Black Hill, but in courtship with a rival of mine. It must sound as though it came from a dreadful story of women's fiction."

"Within the Troop, Vincente Cadorna and I had an intense hatred of one another. We vyed for leadership positions within the Corps of Cadets, and generally did whatever we could to ruin one another. That's adolescence, and one thing that irritated me more than anything was Vincente's luck with women. Not to say I was not lucky; I have plenty of bawdy tales and stories of indiscretions, but Vincente always had a loving woman around his arm. It was our Junior Year, the night of our Ring Ceremony, that I saw the two of them enter the ballroom. I was enamored with Ursula; I knew of her, and I knew of the Colquitts of East Pfeiffer. Ranching gentry, much like my own roots. That didn't matter to me at the time; what mattered was humiliating Vincente."

"Humiliate him, I did. It was not very difficult to spot Ursula's disinterest - or her risque inclinations within the reception. Over a few glasses of wine, we bonded and eventually absconded. It was quite a scandal within the Troop, but it eventually subsided. Over the next few months, Ursula would return to Black Hill, and we began courting. We carried on through my Graduation, up until my first assignment in Arris."

"Arris is a jungle 'paradise,' depending on the circumstances. As a newly-minted Lieutenant gazing at the peninsula from the confines of a schooner, I was mesmerized by the colors, the exotic plants, white beaches, and the parrots. I do so love parrots; nothing like the vultures and hawks and crows of the Valley. Arris is way to the East, with valuable resources hidden beneath layers of rock, soil, and vegetation. That was the purpose of the Arristown; to exploit and mine the local land. In of itself, easier said than done."

"The Tahksani are the native inhabitants of Arris. Covered head-to-toe in war paint and not much else, they acted much how you would expect a bunch of heathen natives to act. When the Canon priests and priestesses arrived at their villages with food and friendship, we had to extract the flayed corpses of those pious men from atop the bamboo Spears on which they were impaled. The women...we never saw the women that the Tahksani took. Any Dallic citizen that wandered into the jungle was made short work of by Tahksani arrows."

"When the militias fled the jungle and told of demons in the leaves, we were mistaken to scoff and call them cowards. My troop and I were sent to track down a lost group of militia, and to kill as many natives as we could find. We still know little of the Arris jungles, and that lack of knowledge got us killed. Riding on their own beaten paths almost thirty miles into the jungle, the natives were able to completely wrongfoot us and obliterate my troop. Atop our horses, we were easy targets for their arrows. When I ordered the men to dismount and form a circle, we bought some relief by projecting our musketoons into the foliage around us, as the natives skirted our flanks and belted out horrid screams. They closed in fast, forcing us to take to hand-to-hand combat. We were unprepared for this kind of savagery; we were trained to fight men of honor like ourselves, not demons."

"I found myself bloodied and shaken, but alive. During the chaos of the final native charge on our belleagured square, I had been kicked down a sloping hill, tumbling and crashing into rocks and trees. When I came to, it was night. Blind and terrified, I climbed a tree and spent the sleepless night waiting for the sun to rise. Then, I walked south. It took me an entire week to return on foot, surviving off of the land and avoiding the hunting parties that most certainly had an interest in capturing me. Dehydrated, starved, shocked, naked, half-mad, and half-dead, I presented myself to the sentries at the garrison and promptly collapsed."

"I spent four days in a comatose state, and an additional month in convalescent quarters until I could regain my strength - and have the tapeworms removed from my stomach and the botflies cut from my skin. Much of my time was spent devoting precious intellectual energy towards vengeance. I was outraged at my defeat; my first action had been a spectacular failure that rattled the folks at home. I thought about our tactics and methods, how we did things out of our own convenience that would inadvertently give the natives a tactical edge."

"When I resumed my command and received a new platoon, the anxiety was all. So was my resolve. I stopped taking the beaten path; a line of horses traveling down a narrow footpath is a death sentence, especially since we weren't the ones making the paths in the jungle. Much effort was spent learning topography, and I managed to create a decent map of the terrain and the foliage within our sphere of influence. We also stopped pursuing the natives into the jungle, because that only heightened the possibility of an ambush. We incorporated their mobility and tactics into our own profile, and three years later, I would leave Arris - safer than it was when I arrived."

"Upon my return home, I and a successful effort to court Ursula, and my efforts blossomed into a wedding at her ancestral ranch te following year. My three years in Arris and my wounds merited me a position at Black Hill as a training officer for the very Troop that I once called family. While Ursula delved into her philosophy work and later her pregnancy, I painstakingly ensured that my Cadets understood that academy life and battle life are two different beasts, and to have a rigid view of warfare was to have a wish for suicide. Can you believe that during my tenure as a Cadet, the Troop never trained with carbines? In my time, such training was only applicable once you arrived to your unit. Under my tutelage, I taught my Cadets how best to shoot from the saddle, how to hold the weapon as to prevent the ball from sliding out. By the end of my tenure at Black Hill, cavalry training has diversified beyond simple preparation for service in the Hussars."

"After the Academy stint, I completed a year of study in Cybulska, where I observed the Blackfeet during their bush wars against their Kurundush enemies. I lamented that such a unit was absent in Arris. With a company of Blackfeet, I could have done much more against the Tahksani. That following year - the year before I left for Acc - Ursula gave birth to our first and only child, our son Hondo. Next to receiving the Savannah Cross, holding my wife and infant son in my arms was the greatest moment of my life. That boy is my Scion; the herald of my lineage. Being a father for the first time... it's nothing short of an enchanting feeling."

"In Acc, I fought brigands. These weren't your average cutthroats; these were trained soldiers who decided to utilize their training in a malevolent way. These men made their way through fortresses in the flat prairies of Central Acc, and probed themselves to be tumors. I took charge of mounted riflemen, a task I find very enjoyable and rewarding. I raised a company of West Pfeiffer horsemen and used them for maneuver operations. With the distraction of fortified wagon circles, we would commonly draw in assaults by the brigands, my horsemen and I watching from afar as the militia fired from their wagons at circling horsemen and clustered lines of riflemen. We would then ride in close enough to refrain from immediately spooking the brunt of them - and fire a deafening volley of carbine fire. Quickly remounting, we would charge in with our horse pistols and Sjamboks. More often than not, the preliminary volley was enough to break our adversaries, and pistol and Sjambok made up any difference. It was no doubt a risky endeavour; I still bear the injuries of a musket ball to the lung after such a charge."

"Have you heard of the Grass Cross? It's the ultimate decoration for valor among those of us from the Valley; a symbol that not only did its bearer do something formidable within the heat of battle, but did so at great personal cost to life and limb. I earned mine during the Siege of Fort Gravesend, although this action occurred outside of the siege, between our rearguard and a superior number of enemy mercenary reinforcements. My troopers and I were sent out to skirmish the enemy's flanks. Wat happened was complete and utter chaos."

"Our ride had taken us deep into the Falgar Timber, the massive wilderness that dominates the southern end of our area of operations. As we approached a gulley, we found ourselves on top of the entire mercenary contingent. A real fear-inhibitor, if I must say so."

"Despite the sudden shock of happening upon the enemy force. we stuck to our doctrine. With most of the troopers already wielding their carbines, we let loose a volley of fire upon the equally-bewildered mercenaries, and dispersed some hundred yards from the gulley. I gave the order to dismount and take position along the the trees, firing in intervals of four men at a time. Admittedly, this is something resembling Tahksani tactics, as they emphasize the very foreign concepts of cover and concealment. The mercenaries predictably followed in pursuit, emerging from the gulley in a mixture of rabble and barly-cohesive lines as they met our guns."

"With close to seventy men all firing in groups of four in succession, we maintained an almost constant fire rate as the mercenaries struggled to keep their constitution. I watched plenty of them fire a single, inaccurate shot and flee deeper into the forest; I saw some who never ever chose to shoot. We started whooping; making these shrill warcries before I brandished my pistol and Sjambok, and gave the order to advance. I had no idea of their numbers, only that we were outnumbered. Charging was a gambit, but I saw fortune for my side. The ruffians were caving in quickly, and it was time to press the advantage. We charged them on foot and took them in close combat. That caved them in for good."

"After some time fighting elsewhere, I returned home and took a leave of absence to attend to my duties in the Valley. My father, Earl of West Pfeiffer, had requested me home in order to bestow upon me, my own barony. In that, I was granted my own estate, my own herd of prime beef cattle, and a retinue of subjects to tend to the estate. Ocala, we called it. It's a truly beautiful river estate, one where I could take some true leisure for the first time in my life."

"For a time, it was exhilarating to be living a life of leisure. I taught my son many things during this time. He fired his first musket, much to the chagrin of Ursula. And the two of us grew closer than ever, and made it known to the world that we were inseparable. I have never longed for a mistress to replace her, and aside from an occurrence in the jungle hell, I had stayed faithful to my wife. In time, we found ourselves expecting another child. Life goes so well, oh so well."

"In an instant, life can turn very dire, especially when events happen outside of your control. Something happened during the pregnancy, something with her heart, as she fought to deliver our daughter. The stress was far too much; I held her there for a while afterwords, still and lifeless just as our daughter. I have never felt such strong sorrow."

"Perhaps you may say that's why I am here. My better judgement gave me the inclination to distract myself. There is nothing more that I can do for Ursula. There is only myself, and my son. Thus, I resumed my commission and was granted a captaincy. My own battalion; the West Pfeiffer Imperial Carbineers. I raised them from my home, hand-picked my lieutenants, and accepted my orders to Dangomor."
Battalion app
Battalion name: West Pfeiffer Imperial Carbineers.
Unit type: Mounted Infantry/Light Cavalry.
Uniform: Carbineers wear a short grey jacket, lined with gold thread on the edges. A red sash and black leather pistol belt are worn around the waist, along with a leather cartridge case worn around the back on a white bandolier. Scarves are allowed, and many men (and a few women) of the upper class choose a color that denotes their familial ties. Black breeches are tucked into brown riding boots, adorned with silver spurs and scarlet cloth tied around the top of the boots, denoting the Pfeiffer Valley. Brown slouch hats are worn, often adorned with scarlet plumage mounted on the folded end.
Banner:
Marching song: Yellow Rose.
Standard gear: Carbineers wield Granger Carbines, a variant of the locally-produced Granger Musket. A total of three pistols are carried; two long-barreled horse pistols carried in saddle holsters, and a shorter-barreled pistol carried in a cross-draw belt holster. Sabers are occasionally carried, usually when used in massive cavalry attacks, much like those seen during the campaigns in Acc. However, as mounted infantry, Carbineers have largely forgone sabers and swords for boot knives and whip-like Sjamboks, the regional cattle-herding tool of the Pfeiffer Valley.

Carbineer saddles are handmade pieces, with officer and enlisted pieces alike being of exceptional craftsmanship. Bridles and shoes are provided by the garrison ferrier.
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Description: A mounted infantry battalion comprised of Pfeifferian horsemen, trained as horsemen and hunters in civilian life. Fairly middle of the road, but it will take sheer RP to lean anything else.

1st company lieutenant: Senior Lieutenant Bedford Davenport. Former classmate of Eb.
2nd company lieutenant: Senior Lieutenant Constantine Rasche. Former classmate and renowned ferrier.
3rd company lieutenant: Senior Lieutenant Columbiana Colquitt. Sister-in-law of Eb.

[The Imperial Warglorian Empire]

Guten TAG

[The Imperial Warglorian Empire]

So basically, this is one of those places where no one really cares about the state of the army in the area and such, and so we should be pretty underfunded

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Hinging on the creation of a mounted Carbineer battalion, with most of its personnel drawn from the ranching stock of the Pfeiffer Valley.

Consider this to be a placeholder.

Such a battalion would be very handy to have indeed. Those travel distances are for marches on foot, so having quick response carabineers would be welcome.

So basically, this is one of those places where no one really cares about the state of the army in the area and such, and so we should be pretty underfunded

Yeah, the troops there are mostly there to show that the empire has muskets to point at any problem, and the mere presence usually keeps the peace. So troops are always going to be shit at something.

[The Imperial Warglorian Empire]

Hinging on the creation of a mounted Carbineer battalion, with most of its personnel drawn from the ranching stock of the Pfeiffer Valley.

Consider this to be a placeholder.

Such a battalion would be very handy to have indeed. Those travel distances are for marches on foot, so having quick response carabineers would be welcome.

So basically, this is one of those places where no one really cares about the state of the army in the area and such, and so we should be pretty underfunded

Yeah, the troops there are mostly there to show that the empire has muskets to point at any problem, and the mere presence usually keeps the peace. So troops are always going to be shit at something.

Alright thx, good to know

[Cylarn]

Could you update the links to already have the BB coding link ready for us?

[G-Tech Corporation]

Mm delightful. I'll watch this, but hopefully app if I have time.

[Rodez]

Absolutely big tag.

[Pasong Tirad]

Will definitely send in an application! Since this is 18th century tech, would it be safe to assume that muskets aren't the go-to weapon we can get? Like, if I wanted to arm a battallion with swords and spears, that would also be permissible?

Not saying that's what I will definitely do, just been toying around with some ideas in my head while I'm at work.

I've settled on something inspired by Scottish Jacobites. Will post a completed app hopefully within 24 hours.

[Vlach]

Captain App
Character Name: Virgil Jean Louis Philippe Montbeliard de Hohenfriedberg
Age: 21
Appearance:

Strengths: Virgil is generally well liked (so long as he is not near your daughters) and his men both love and respect him. He is the second son of the Duke of Hohenfriedberg, practically guaranteeing him either a career in the Canon or military.
Weaknesses: Virgil is an untested cavalry officer who lives a hedonistic lifestyle, bedding women and drinking wine when he can. This has hampered his military career enough that despite being the son of a Duke he has been placed into a backwater region.
Personality: A hedonistic womanizer, Virgil is the bane of all husbands and fathers and yet a great friend to have at parties. He is rather easy going and generous to his men.
Biography: Virgil Jean Louis Philippe Montbeliard de Hohenfriedberg was born the second son but third child of Duke Hohenfriedberg. His brother Lord Banastre was already a man by the time of his birth and both he and his father were noted war heroes adding to the glory of house Hohenfriedberg. The men of Hohenfriedberg are famed for being disciplined soldiers, yet Virgil has become something of an oddity. From an early age Virgil was more interested in literature and hunts than he was in soldiering. These hunts turned him into a fine equestrian but not the soldier as expected from his family. Growing up he was sent to many different military academies where he excelled in martial pursuits but failed in discipline, often being kicked from one school or another for deflowering a daughter of a teacher.

Eventually he completed his studies and was granted the rank of Lieutenant, being placed near the capital of the Dallic Empire. Being in such close proximity to the capital Virgil used his time visiting social events such as dances and parties. He also continued to practice his horse riding skills and when he had spare time he started riding other beasts, namely his Colonel's daughter. Since Virgil had such family connections and was rather well liked by the general higher ups, his Colonel took initiative and promoted him to the rank of Captain and forwarded his name so that he would be moved to Dangomor as a form of a disciplinary action.

Battalion app
Battalion name: 1st Death's Head Hussars (Hohenfriedberg's Riders)
Unit type: Light Cavalry
Uniform:

Banner:

Marching song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE70jrhOrjk
Standard gear: Cavalry sabre, lance
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Description: Hohenfriedberg's Riders are an inherited battalion from Virgil's brother Lord Banastre which served with distinction in the overseas war in Acc. The men are almost exclusively recruited from the Hohenfriedberg demense, though a few come from other places. These are men who are excellent equestrians, having ridden in the Hohenfriedberg rugged terrain and plains both. As such, most terrain is not a challenge for them. The men are known for their ostentatious uniforms and swashbuckler attitudes.

1st company lieutenant: Antoine Bassano
2nd company lieutenant: Joseph Arcole
3rd company lieutenant: Michel Castiglione

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Could you update the links to already have the BB coding link ready for us?

Sure! In just a minute.

Edit: Should have responded to everyone... Just a second.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Mm delightful. I'll watch this, but hopefully app if I have time.

Good to see you, G. Your lurking presence is made of solace.

Absolutely big tag.

Absolutely big welcome!

Will definitely send in an application! Since this is 18th century tech, would it be safe to assume that muskets aren't the go-to weapon we can get? Like, if I wanted to arm a battallion with swords and spears, that would also be permissible?

Not saying that's what I will definitely do, just been toying around with some ideas in my head while I'm at work.

I've settled on something inspired by Scottish Jacobites. Will post a completed app hopefully within 24 hours.

Oh yes, Melee weapons are definitely a possibility. After all, they are not sending the best of the best here.

-Snip-

Good to have you, captain Montbeliard de Hohenfriedberg. A young aristocrat always does well among the ranks. Accepted!

[Absolon-7]

Captain App
Character Name: Hugh Lawson Clay
Age: 28
Appearance:

Strengths:

• Unwavering Will - This man has a will as unbreakable as steel. He could look at the abyss and the abyss would shiver.
• Eye on the Goal - Following orders to the letter isn't exactly a top priority. The only thing that matters is the getting results, which he always does. What the higher up's don't know won't hurt them.
• In for Life - Hugh see his life best served as a fighter. That's what he's always been and until he sees a reason to retire he'll stay. This also so means he knows every loophole and ins-and-outs of military life.

Weaknesses:

• Stone Wall - The pleasures of social life aren't exactly his forte. He is quite out of place at officer's dinners and social gatherings of nobility and gentry.
• Harsh Harbinger - His harsh judgement could be exploited by a clever foe to undermine his authority and stage a mutiny.
  

Personality: Hugh is a stoic man of few words. He prefers to show rather that say what he means. He has a few eccentricities such as a fascination with the lives of wild beasts and possessing a scavenged heavy cavalry saber despite being a foot soldier.

Biography: Hugh was born in a average sized town in the coastal border province of Warudo to a family of wealthy gentry. Warudo was a fertile place due the mountains at the back keeping the sea's moisture all along the region so this made the place a relatively pleasant place to live for him as a child. He grew up to be a feared street fighter in the region's capitol until he was drunkenly enlisted at the tender age of 18 in the army by a sergeant recruiter. He initially resented being in the army but eventually he found it to be where he belonged all along. His first few deployments were against bandits but he eventually proved himself for a promotion on merit alone by his commanding officer who had a soft spot for the boy. Along the way he saved enough money for a modest wedding with his sweetheart who acts as his secretary. He would be involved in several campaigns and border conflicts the next few years before eventually arising to the rank of captain after saving enough money to buy the commission. Now that he is a captain, Hugh was put in charge of a new fresh battalion made up of native recruits from his homeland and sent to the backwater province of Dangomor. A fitting reward for his service, no?

Battalion app
Battalion name: 2nd Battalion Wolves of Iron
Unit type: Line infantry
Uniform: Double-breasted gray jacket with two rows of brass buttons, a pair of ankle high boots, gray trousers and a round cap with a crown and visor stiffened with pasteboard
Banner:

Marching song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBd82FUuGXw
Standard gear: Each men has a Model Year 13 ADII Musket, bayonet, and a Bowie knife for weapons. A knapsack for his spare clothes and personal belongings, a haversack for his food, a canteen for water, a tin cup, a cap box on his belt to hold the percussion caps that fired his rifle, and a cartridge box for the ammunition. Officers posses flintlock pistols and sabers.
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Description: Composed of 300 native men of the Warudo region, these fine soldiers are brought together for a greater purpose in life serving the empire as most lacked opportunity to succeed at home. In doing so, these men are an example to their fellow kinsmen as they made the choice to stake their lives on the line for a quest of glory. All men are drilled to the point of extreme obedience, even not firing till they see the whites of the enemy's eyes. While, the imperial army has several burdensome regulations the captain has seen fit to only bring it down to three: 1) No drunkenness without permission, 2)Not to steal, except from the enemy or when starving, and 3) And to die rather than surrender. The latter two are usually interpreted loosely enough to cover several other grievances soldiers can commit by the officers. Breaking of these rules at any time is met with a swift hanging or punishment duty that would make the oathbreaker wish they were lynched. In overall quality, the men are fairly average but if put in a corner they will be fiercer than any beasts.

1st company lieutenant: Hughes J. Beauregard
2nd company lieutenant: Clark Chambliss
3rd company lieutenant: Paul Octave Herbert

[The Imperial Warglorian Empire]

Are we allowed to have things like Long Rifles? Or are we only allowed muskets?