At the Mother's Mercy! [OOC Thread]

[Baiwa]

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At the Mother's Mercy - A Napoleonic Era Imaginary World RP

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PREMISE:

In the Empire of Nëmaxia, crisis has erupted. The untimely death of Emperor Óengus IV with no legitimate male issue has spiraled into a succession crisis, heavily influenced by the events of the past century in the Empire. Only mere eighty years ago did Emperor Máedóc II decide to abandon his ancestral Gods and adopt the new religion brought overseas by various merchantmen and diplomats of other realms, the monotheistic faith of the Mother of Mercy, thus ending more than three thousand years of the polytheistic Nëmaxian Faith's place as the sole religion allowed in the Empire. Although large amounts of people had already converted to the new faith by the time Máedóc II did, mostly in the heavily populated southern parts of the Empire, the North as well as the area known as the Hundred Islands clang on the ancestral faith and refused to follow Máedóc's lead.

What followed was an agreement, sealed by the oaths of the Imperial Family and the lords of the Northern territories as well as the strong naval lords of the Hundred Islands. To seal this agreement, the Emperor agreed that his daughter Bleuzenn would marry the strongest of the island lords, the Lord of the largest of the islands, Earl Fergus II of Gaughta. What followed was a precarious peace, sealed by the success of the Imperial Army in crushing a rebellion of fanatic Faith's followers that nearly captured the capital but their armies were soundly defeated in the Battle of Medulla. But now, this peace is shattered. The Earl of Gaughta has proclaimed himself Emperor Fáelán XVI with the blessings of the priests of the Old Faith, and the lords of the Hundred Islands as well as the Northern castle lords have bent their knee to him. The follower's of the Mother of Mercy have instead proclaimed the late Emperor's now two year old granddaughter,Sorcha, as Empress and have rallied the faithful members of the Imperial Army around her, vowing to defeat the pagan pretender. The war has been ongoing for two years now, with no side making meaningful gains. The Imperial Navy loyal to Empress Sorcha was soundly defeated in the Battle of Abhartaich, but not enough to fully destroy it. In the great land combat that occurred in the fields of Meadarloch, the pagan pretender's army was forced to withdraw after suffering heavy loses.

And this is where the player's come in. All will have to be young men of at least low gentry standing, for reasons of practicality, Nëmaxian society not yet accepting of females serving in the armed forces. They will all be officers in a regiment of cavalry loyal to the Empress, and they shall fight in the War of Succession, from the smallest skirmishes to the greatest battle that shall decide the conflict.

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Welcome reader,

This RP is set in an imaginary world, where two religious hostile to each other are clashing in a war of succession. If you keep scrolling below, you will find a table of contents with information about how this RP will work, the religions of Nëmaxia, how this conflict begun, and what your place is in it. But for now, I would like to explain the character system that me and my dear Co-OP Great Confederacy Of Commonwealth States have come up. This is both a character and a faction RP. The plot is set by the two OP's, but you the player is the one who will decide how you will respond. Your actions will influence the final outcome of any event, and create new situations or render old ones irrelevant. It is you who shall decide what goes on. You will RP as the commander of a regiment of either cavalry or infantry (and perhaps Guards, I will explain this below) in the War of Succession, as an Lieutenant-Colonel in Her Imperial Majesty's Army, fighting against the pretender Earl of Gaughta.

As the premise is, you will RP as a young male of at least low noble standing (that means, that your family is not very influential and your noble line insignificant to the point of not having a Coat of Arms), for practicality reasons. Commoners and people of the other gender would have their own stories too tell, different from this one. Now, to the point. This RP will operate on a system of traits, negative and positive, which will cost points. When you are creating your character you will have to initially use 5 POINTS. Adding only positive traits is relatively impossible, and as such you will need to add negative traits as well, which have a negative cost (-1, -2 etc). Both OPs would like to stress out that no trait combination is ideal, as you will see by yourself. Furthermore, you will need to save quite a few points because a system of WEALTH, ranging from one to nine points exist. Wealth will allow you to customize four statistics of your regiment on which we will devote a chapter in the table of contents below. Those are;

• Equipment
• Morale
• Training
• Discipline

In combination with the traits system, this means that you can have a perfect regiment, but with an obviously very bad commanding officer (that is, your character), or a very poor regiment with an excellent commander. The system has been designed in such a way that again I would like to stress this out, no combination is ideal. This is done in order to ensure a very interesting, and creative RP. You will have to RP both your personal actions on the battlefield, but also your interactions with other officers, and more intimate moments with your fellow officers. You will also have to RP the actions of your regiment as a whole, how it behaves in battle and how this affects your character and the men themselves who are fighting with you.

I hope you will find this RP a very entertaining and entertaining experience, and I would like to personally thank my Co-OP, Great Confederacy Of Commonwealth States. This RP would not have been possible without him.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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RELIGIONS;

“Oh Mother, who gave birth to us all,
You are the land on which we walk,
You are the field that gives us grain,
You are the sea that gives us fish,
You are the sun that gives us warmth,
The wine we drink, the bread we eat,
For all you give, we return but little,
But in the End, we shall return to you,
And return to you, all that we have to give”
- Thanks to the Mother, a Daily Prayer

The monotheistic faith in the Mother of Mercy is somewhat of a novelty in Nëmaxia. It came with merchants and diplomats, as well as missionaries from the Lands Beyond. The Old Faith, harbouring no ill will against other interpretations of divinity, allowed these people to build their own temples, shrines and sanctuaries wherever they saw fit. This was mostly in the southern ports, where most of these people came to offload their cargo, although there were also some sanctuaries in the Northern Isles. The popularity among the native population came mostly in the form of the many charities the Faith of the Mother brought with it. While the Old Faith had been somewhat incoherent in her teachings, supporting a large number of dissident cults within her ranks, the Faith of the Mother was more unified. Long before, this Faith had had the bumps ironed out of her framework by years of bloody battle and political strife. Thus, it came to Nëmaxia far more unified and far less supportive of heresies than the Old Faith. The Gardeners of the Mother fed the poor, worked the land and generally cared for the people, while the Old Faith had a more hands-off approach to the locals. This made sure that the Faith in the Mother spread far and wide through the densely populated southern cities, were food shortages were common and frequent. In the North, where farmers sustained themselves, the Faith in the Mother never spread beyond a few harbour towns, where they were always a minority religion.

The Faith of the Mother might be a new faith among those of Nëmexia, but it certainly was not a new faith in the world. Far from it. In the Lands Beyond, this faith had been practised for a few hundred years before it came to the Empire. Many of her ancient stories originate from across the sea, where the early heroes of the Mother had their adventures. Of course, ever since the arrival of this Faith in Nëmexia, saints and heroes have presented themselves in the Empire as well, although the real mythical stories do originate in the Lands Beyond. Every believer, for instance, knows the story of Belarand the First, who was the first to discover the nature of the Mother. While traveling the treacherous mountain passes of his home region, he was caught in a most horrendous blizzard. He prayed on all the gods he knew, the gods of Snow, the gods of Wind, the gods of the Mountains… When this did not avail him of safe weather, Belarand prayed on the Earth itself, asking not the gods but the very mountains and the very air to spare him their judgement. He made a promise to look after their wellbeing, and to give them all he had in return for safe passage.

It was after that prayer that he found an overgrown stone hut in the side of a mountain, giving him shelter against the terrible storm. Inside, he found but a woman, cooking for him a lovely stew and pouring him a tasteful red wine. She did not speak to him, no matter how hard Belarand tried. Eventually, he gave up, taking the stew and the wine gratefully and leaving after a good night’s sleep. The woman woke him up, gave him bread and fish for his travels, and waved him goodbye as he left to the sunny meadows of the mountains. Belarand travelled to his home town, where he collected all his belongings. He suspected a form of divinity behind the woman, and he wanted to make good on his promise to give all he owned to whatever saved him, and he thought it to be this woman. Alas, arriving at the place where the hut had been, he found nothing but a solid wall of bedrock where once the entrance had been. Dumbfounded, Belarand returned again to his native village, where he began to overthink the nature of the world. It was here that the Faith in the Mother began, where the foundations were lain.

The central tenants of the Faith in the Mother are actually quite simple. Followers of the Mother see the divine world not as a world of Lords and Subjects, but as a glorious whole. Where the Old Faiths had gods of Wind and gods of Water, the Faith in the Mother doesn’t recognise their overlordship. They see the world as divinity itself, not detached from the forces controlling her majestic beauty. The followers of the Mother do not pray for good winds or favourable harvests, but they pray to the air and to the ground themselves, seeing them all as embodiments of this one Holy Mother. All the food one eats, and all the water one drinks, all the air one breathes, are all gifts given by the Mother. A way of sacrificing herself to all her children. Eventually, at the end of their life, a Follower of the Mother will give himself back to the Earth, being buried without a coffin to ensure their bodies are properly absorbed by the earth. Wealthy families even plant trees on their dead relatives, giving rise to large Fields of the Dead where every tree represents a deceased family member. Death, in this faith, is seen as returning the gift of Life to the Mother, so that she can use it again to create something new. It is seen as a form of reincarnation, although the life force of beings isn’t translated 1:1. Although, with the wealthy families, the trees are seen as 1:1 reincarnations, something that isn’t entirely supported by religious dogma.

It is not uncommon for people to be buried alive on Nëmaxia. Followers of the Faith see it as their duty to return to the earth after their demise, giving back as much life force as possible at once. Therefore, some older people, whose life force is fleeting from them as they live, ask to be buried alive. This way, the Mother can receive the largest amount of life force at once. It is also a way of accepting one’s death, accepting being one with nature and the world. This practise is seen as particularly vile by the followers of the Old Faith, who do not accept burial in the first place. To them, the body is something that should be destroyed as soon as possible, and death is to be avoided at all costs. This, of course, will be explained later. This process has led to most of the disagreements between the Old Faith and the Faith in the Mother, and attacks on Fields of the Dead and body kidnappings do not happen infrequent. Live burial is also an often-used method of execution, especially for religious trespasses. In giving his body to the Mother (albeit involuntarily), the criminal is forgiven his crimes. He who taketh, giveth back.

The Faith

No-one knows exactly when the Faith began in Nëmaxia. Scholars have tried to pinpoint her exact beginnings, but to no avail. No matter how many books are written on the subject, the trail stops dead with the first settlers to come to Nëmaxia. The Faith seems as old as the people themselves, coming with them on their long voyages to what is now the Empire. Of course, there were many differences between the various incarnations of the Old Faith, many of which had differences in what gods to worship, and how to visualise the spiritual world. It is postulated that it were these differences that led to the creation of the first state-like entities on Nëxamia. United by a common religious sense, these early communities all came up with distinct power structures, although it was all settled in the same base religious code. This fact would eventually make the unification of the island easier, as there was little dividing cultural diversity to speak of on Nëxamia.

The creation of the Empire came with king Óengus V, the later emperor Óengus I of Nëxamia. While there had been plenty talk of unification before his rise to power, and plenty of wars to back those talks up, no-one had actually succeeded in controlling more than half of the island. The difference for Óengus lay in the support he had with the many priests of the Old Faith. From his early beginnings as Prince of Eulenn, Óengus had proven to be a devout follower of the Gods. Under his rule, may temples had been built, and the Old Faith and his government apparatus had mixed and combined into a single entity. In a way, he created one of the first major theocracies on Nëmaxia. This tickled the interest of many of the priests, who encouraged the population to seek the protection of this new king. One by one, the kings and queens of Nëmaxia saw their power decrease through religious and peasant revolts, slowly adding cities to the ever-increasing empire. When half the island fell under his sway, a college of Old Priests crowned him emperor Óengus, Protector of the Faith, Lord of Nëmaxia.

Not days after his coronation, Óengus fought his last battle at the River Bram. It was a token battle, really. Most of the enemy’s force had deserted, they were out of supplied, and every commander on both sides believed it was going to be a rout. Still, the enemy coalition prepared themselves as the only crossing of the Bram for miles around, a pike and shield wall stretching the entire narrow. The heavy cavalry of Óengus did the job in less than fifteen minutes. Their charge through the shallows was unopposed, unhindered, uncountered, as they drove their lances into the enemy. The shield wall broke in an instant, the entire reserve army fled before the imperial banners. Many of them were cut down, many of their leaders burned alive on pyres (as was tradition). The next couple of months was nothing but a victory march through all the northern cities. In every city, the local priesthoods gave Óengus a new title, some more contrived than the next. King of the North, Prince of the Streams, Lords of the Waves, Chancellor of the Islands, Bringer of Fire, Herder of Goats, Builder of Walls, Walker of Roads… Before long, Óengus was the most titled person in the empire. After his victory parades and triumphs, he returned to his capitol to perform his last triumph. Eventually, the Old Faith had given him his Empire, and he was going to return the favour.

The tenants of the Old Faith are quite different from those of the Faith in the Mother. The Old Faith promotes a view wherein in the Visual World and the Spiritual World are separated. The Spiritual World, it is proposed, is pure and invisible. Only those things that become corrupted become visible to the naked eye. Therefore, everything that one can see is automatically somehow ‘not divine’. The idea that the earth itself is divine is completely contrary to the teachings of the Old Faith. It, however, does explain why the Faith in the Mother could be so successful. After all, the Faith in the Mother gave the people a reason to believe that the world they lived in was more than corrupt. It was a more gentle religion, other than the self-depreciation of the Old Faith priests. The human soul, in the Old Faith, being invisible, is the only reason humans are semi-divine. It protects the human body from the harms of the corrupt world. Therefore, when someone dies, it is important to burn their body as soon as possible. Without the protection of one’s soul, the body might become part of the corrupt world, not following their souls into the afterlife. Like the live burials of the Faith in the Mother, the Old Faith burns her criminals as penitence of their sins. After all, a criminal man is corrupt, and it would be best not to let him fall any further to corruption. This explains the religious conflict surrounding death and burial.

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HISTORY;

Of all the people to lead the Empire during a time of religious division, Óengus IV was probably the best suited for the troubles that plagued his realm. Following the Imperial Oaths of Máedóc II, born as the second son of his father Fáelán, he was raised in the court of the Earl of Gaughta. Eighty years before, that arrangement had been included in the Peace of a Thousand Years, the peace that saw princess Bleuzzenn married off to the Earl of Gaugtha. That way, the North was guaranteed a pro-Northern voice in the court of the Emperor, making sure that their needs were met in imperial politics. From a young age, Óengus was raised in the Hundred Islands. But, apparently, not young enough. Fáelán, ever distrustful of the North, had put off the exchange for as long as possible. Every time, he found a new reason to put off sending his second son to the North. Security reasons, illness, some religious feast… In the end, Gaughta threatened with a blockade and war if the young boy was not delivered immediately. Under those threats, not wanting to risk a conflict he was not prepared for, Fáelán did send his son north. But the damage had already been done. Óengus had been raised as a proper follower of the Mother, and that religion he would bear with him for the rest of his life.

It did, however, improve his moral growth. Growing up with distant cousins who followed the Old Faith, Óengus learned to be acceptive and respectful towards the Old Faith. He believed in coexistence, that the two faiths could live side by side if the leadership desired it enough. He spoke a lot with theologians of both religions, concentrating mostly on the similarities between the two faiths. While in the North, he actually wrote the book “On the Similarities of Faiths”, in which he highlighted that many of the religious feasts were shared (such as the Feast of Seeds and the Feast of Harvest), and that the Empire would do well to combine these feasts into one. The reason the book wasn’t published, however, was his own father. Fáelán was a hardliner when it came to faiths. He saw the Old Faith and the faith of the Mother as inherently incompatible, pointing to their respective views of Death and the Afterlife as his prime reasoning. During his reign, Fáelán did his best to spread the Faith in the Mother to the North. He built shrines and sanctuaries, and promoted meditation (a very Motherly habit) among the population. He actually proposed tax reductions for those who joined a Motherly congregation, and under his watch many priests of the Old Faith were buried alive.

This habit actually came to bite him in the buttocks. The more priests he buried, the more hard-line their replacements became. These new priests were younger, more hot-headed, and many had just come from their theological academies where anti-imperial sentiment was common and growing. His forced push against the Old Faith pushed many priests to a more hard-line path, making the Old Faith leadership disrespectful at first, and rebellious as time went on. More and more, following the example of emperor Óengus I, these priests began influencing the appointment of administrators and public servants. Judges, policemen, even army officers were appointed more and more by the whims of the priesthood. This encroached more and more unto the capital, until the intrigue reached the imperial court. After a long and iron reign, which would later be called the Years of the Vengeful Mother, emperor Fáelán XVI was killed with his wife and first son, prince Fáelán, when their carriage was bombed and burned in the streets of the capital. His guards looked on and did nothing, their loyalties having been bought long before. Thus, the emperor died. Long live the emperor!

By this time, Óengus had already returned to his home city. Acting as the city’s mayor, he had tried to alleviate tensions between the different faiths, something in which he was constantly hindered by both Old Faith priests and politicians of the Faith of the Mother. Neither side saw him as a champion for their cause, and thus the polarisation of the Faiths actually led to more tension. Mere minutes after the fatal attack on his father and older brother, Óengus was informed that he was next in line to the throne. Two weeks later, he was crowned in the Name of the Mother, emperor and lord of Nëmaxia. He was also the first emperor to swear allegiance not only to the Mother, but also to the people of Nëmaxia, prompting everyone to wonder what kind of emperor he was going to be. The Priesthood expected a pushover emperor, and had prepared for a victory on all fronts. They hadn’t prepared for the eventuality that Óengus would prove a decent emperor. Something they’d better prepare for, as history taught them.

The first order of business for Óengus was twofold. First, he hung the members of the Imperial Guard he couldn’t trust anymore. He didn’t bury them alive, and he returned their bodies to their families so they could choose how best to deal with the bodies of their deceased relatives. Some were burned, but most were buried. Immediately after, to alleviate tension coming from the north, he pardoned a lot of priests from the priesthood who had been on death row for minor crimes. He restored the priesthood of a lot of moderate priests, and invalidated many of the discriminatory laws proposed by his own father. He wrote into law bills that would stop interference of the empire into religion, making it local affairs to be governed by city councils and local lords. He broke the power of the Priesthood in appointing administrators, while removing the favour of those believing in the Mother. His empire would be the Empire of the Two Faiths, it was something he believed very dearly in. This reign would continue for many years, and with every year, the tension between religions waned.

It was at the birth of his granddaughter that everything changed. Sorcha was named after a heroine both in the Faith in the Mother and the Old Faith. In the former, she was a farmer, who helped design the great works of irrigation that now fed the capital. In the latter, she was a warrior princess, who fought bandits from the day she could hold a sword. Sorcha was the embodiment of the Empire of the Two Faiths, her living representative. On the day of her birth, the field where the ashes of Óengus I had been laid to rest bloomed for the first time, flowers of many colours sprouting out, blossoming and dying in a single day. Many followers of the Mother believed it to be a sign, that Sorcha was somehow the reincarnation of Óengus I. The followers of the Old Faith dismissed this, being unbelievers in the idea of spiritual reincarnation, but they found the display enchanting nonetheless. Sorcha’s birth could be seen as the turning point for the empire, although not in the way people would suspect.

For, when Sorcha was born, her father went out to hunt to alleviate his tension. With his rifle in hand, he want to shoot a few deer for supper, hoping to take part in a great feast to celebrate his daughter’s birth. His wife, father and child never saw him back. Accounts differ on the matter. Some claim he was ambushed by bandits, killed and dragged off. Some claim he was burned alive by religious fanatics. Some even claim it was his own guard who shot him through the heart at three paces. Whatever happened, the death of the Heir Presumptive changed everything. The Court, most of them cousins of Óengus IV, called for the blood of those responsible. Most of them wanted to see some priest hang, and all pointed to a different priest. Óengus tried to calm them down, but to no avail. In one week, about fifteen priests of the Old Faith were found dead by various forms of murder, with five more missing (presumed buried). Óengus was outraged, and issued an edict to the police to find and apprehend those responsible. This went too far for the Court, whose feet were beginning to become a little too hot. As the evidence closed in on them, and as Óengus IV had his own younger brother arrested for treason, the events collapsed. With help from their personal retinue, the courtiers of Óengus stormed his chambers, killing all imperial guards in their path, before dragging the emperor to the throne room. He was given a quick show-trial, sentenced to death, and an hour later, he was dumped into the river with a stone tied around his ankles. He never even received a proper burial.

The events that followed are known to all. Sorcha was named Empress and Lady of Nëmaxia, crowned on a pledge only to the Mother. The part about the people, which had been a battle cry for moderates on both sides, was suspiciously absent. In the North, this coronation was not accepted. Earl Fáelán, who had grown up side-by side with Óengus, and who saw him as much as a brother as any man could, denounced the practise. In response to this treasonous act, he proclaimed himself Emperor, In the name of the Old Gods, Lord of Nëmaxia. He vowed that on the Old Faith, and on the People of Nëmaxia. That last line was included on purpose, and when he bellowed it out loud in the halls of his ancestral palace, the crowd went wild. The Emperor of Thunder was his immediate nickname. He styled himself Fáelán XVI, in total disregard of the father of Óengus. It was a powerful message; the North did not accept the rule of Fáelán XVI number 1. They did, however, accept the rule of his son. So, the Second War of the Mother began.

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TRAITS and ORGANIZATION;

Positive traits (cost):
Wealth (1-9)
Educated (+1)
Experienced (+2)
Mentioned in dispatches (+2)
Climbed up the ranks (+1)
Of high* noble birth (+2)
Hero of the people (+1)
Field engineer (+1)
Reconnaissance leader (+1)
Elan! (+1)
Bold (+1)
Good shot (+1)
Skilled in melee combat (+1)
Modernist (+1)

Negative traits (gain):
Incompetence (-2)
Despised by the people (-1)
Of low noble birth (-1)
Disliked by command (-1)
Questioned loyalties (-2)**
Bad service record (-2)
Corrupt (-2)
Ambition despite all (-1)
Reckless (-1)
Shell-shocked (-1)
Old Fashioned (-1)

* This means you are the son of either a Count or a Viscount, Earl titles being four in the entire of the Realm
**This trait means that the officer is a member of the Old Faith and will have to state so in his application.

Equipment (1-4) would determine what materials the soldiers are fighting with. 1 would be a peasant militia, armed with rude firearms and melee weapons, not unsimilar to Russian partisani in the Napoleonic Wars. Knives, fishing spears, that kind of thing. 2 would mean armed with weaponry that's somewhat antiquated, although still on par with modern weapons. Old firearms, for instance, or low-quality sabres. 3 would mean modern weapons, standard-issue rifles and what not, while 4 would mean the best-of-the-best equipment. This would be for honorary regiments, like guard units.

Morale speaks for itself. This has elements of both your 'morale' and 'loyalty' stats. How willing is a unit to fight? Will it keep up with the march? Will it try to desert? How well will they fight? Even when under heavy pressure? 1 would mean a regiment that has enough of the war. They would try their best not to engage in battle, and when put under pressure, they will retreat as soon as possible. This is an unworkable regiment, and if units get to this low a number, their lieutenants would have to do everything in their power to bring that up to speed. 2 would be somewhat regular, although the units are still liable to break. They won't try to run, but desertion would be a problem. 3 would mean regular, standard issue, only retreating when all hope seems lost, and 4 would be tremendous. These men would march to the dawn and beyond when ordered to, only breaking in the face of extreme odds or when ordered to. Units with extremely high morale are less likely to recognise danger, so that could be a problem.

Training speaks for itself. How well can your men use the weapons they are given? Again, 1 means a regiment that has been plucked from the field, given weapons, and pushed into service without as much as a course on basic weapons. 2 means a group of soldiers that has had training, but no real experience. They might cling to their training too much, and much pressure might make them forget that training. 3 means regular knowledge of weapons, even when under pressure, and 4 means a top-notch understanding of how weapons work. These are experts, able to take on an enemy with a spoon in one hand and a combat knife in the other.

Lastly, discipline. How well will your units listen to orders? How well will they respect your orders? Will they loot and plunder? Or will they stay in formation when ordered to? How well do they respect their commander? 1 would mean a force that raids and loots, barely standing in attention when ordered to. 2 would mean something like a force of conscripts, ready to fight and listen, but a bit uncertain as to their commanding officer. 3 would be regular, listening and marching in cadence, while 4 would mean a discipline that is unrivalled, able to carry the body of their commander to their objective if needs be.

Her Imperial Majesty's Army
Theme Song: Doot Doot
Motto: To Heroic Deeds of Daring

Her Imperial Majesty's Army is the land-based branch (and most trustworthy) of the Imperial Armed Forces. When the War of Nëmaxian Succession broke out (as people outside of Nëmaxia call it, the supporters of the Earl of Gaughta calling it the War of the Faiths and the supporters of Empress Sorcha calling it War Against the Usurper), the army broke mostly not on religious lines, but where each House threw it's support behind. Although almost all of the nobility faithful to the Mother of Mercy decided to rally behind the Empress, there were quite a few gentry belonging to the Old Faith that remained at her service. Those were the lowest of the Island and Northern Gentry, for years vassals of the Earl of Gaughta and other northern lords, who now sought a chance to elevate themselves or simply, because they were stationed in the south when the war broke up.

The main unit of the army is the regiment, with each regiment being commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel and having around 1,000 men. These regiments are further divided in three categories, Guard Regiments (elite regiments massed by the largest of the noble houses, few in number, Cavalry (Traditionally considered the second in tier after the Guards, but still fewer than the Infantry), and the Infantry regiments of the Imperial Army (who make up the bulk of the Imperial Army). Although the Imperial Army maintains a basic system of provisions for it's regiments, it's up to the commissioned officer to train them, equip them and have them proper uniforms on his own expense, the Army believing that men of noble blood should not put a strain on the Imperial Budget. This explains the large differences between various regiments, with some being well equipped and trained, while others have only the barest of training and munition. This has also affected the effectiveness of the Imperial Army on the field, when all these regiments must cooperate.

Although a Lieutenant-Colonel has his own force of men that he personally guides into battle, he is not alone in this. The Staff-Sergeants of the regiments, commoners who have taken up arms as professionals in Her Imperial Majesty's service are the ones that forward their Lieutenant's commands and orders to the troops. Thus, the Lieutenant must be both a men of competence in strategic matters, as well as a man who can inspire his soldierly and can lead them effectively in the havoc of battle. That is not to say that unpopular commanders often have it worse. Usually, the men will not break unless under heavy strain and only in the cases that their officer's competence is below low.

This also presents a problem to Her Imperial Majesty's Army, the competence of it's officers. Only allowing gentry into the army as officers leads to many high-born children who know nothing of war, commissioning expensive and lavish regiments, only to lead them into disaster in battle. There have been talks of reforming the system of the armed forces to include some commoners with experience in war matters, such as Staff-Sergeants into higher up positions, but nothing has been confirmed until now.

NON-COMMISSIONED
Armsman
Lance Corporal
Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Color Sergeant

COMMISSIONED
Cornet
Lieutenant
Captain
Major
Lieutenant-Colonel
Colonel
General of the Brigade
General of the Arms (Vacant)
Chief of the Arms (Empress Sorcha)

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Map of Nëmaxia

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STARTING POSITION:
The Battle of Meadarloch ended a month ago. The Earl of Gaughta led the largest of the Northerner armies ever established to drive Her Imperial Majesty's Army from his lands and deliver such a decisive blow to the forces of the Empress that they would have to sue for peace. Over 350,000 men were involved in the battle that took in the green fields of Meadarloch, which some say were red with blood after the battle was finished. The Earl of Gaughta was repulsed, losing 57,000 soldiers in the process, and much needed equipment. The Imperial Army had nominally won, losing only 23,000 men due to the strategic genius of it's most trusted military commander, General Kenneth Ó Díomasaigh.

But the war was not going well for the Empress.

Losing most of her navy in the grand naval battle outside the island of Gaughta in the Bay of Abhartaich, the Earl of Gaughta and his followers now had the upper hand. They controlled most of the sea routes of the Empire, and they could block all trade towards the southern provinces. Much of the grain that had been harvested had been hoarded by the government to feed the army, and soon there would no grain left. The situation would be grim if they reached that point, and capitulation would be inevitable.

They had seven months to win this war that had been waged for two years, or face defeat. During the course of that time, commoners and gentry alike had served in the meat grinder, but new blood was needed. The Regency of the Empress had a year ago approved the creation of new regiments for the Imperial Army, and now those were to be deployed in the field. Not all were prepared. Not all were led by competent officers. But they would have to do.

Or else, may the Mother's mercy forgive them because the northerners would not.

This is where the player enters in. Either a seasoned officer of per-existing regiments who now has his own command, or a young lad fresh into the field. He has to take care of his men, his commission and he has to carry the burden of winning the war. The RP will start in a reception/ball hosted by General Ó Díomasaigh on the night before the Chief of Staff officially delivers the orders for the campaign to come. This will allow the player officer's to meet each other and discuss somethings before the long campaign begins. A such, a map of the current situation will be provided in both the OOC and IC thread.

The Situation of the Front At Present

Colored in DARK PURPLE is the territory under the pretender Earl of Gaughta

Colored in CYAN is the territory in which fighting is taking place.

Colored in LIME is the territory under the control of Her Imperial Majesty Sorcha I

---

APPLICATION FORM:

Code: Select all

[box][b][size=110]Officer[/size][/b]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Rank:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Religion:[/b]
[b]Place of Birth:[/b]
[b]Traits:[/b]
[b]Background:[/b]

[size=110]Unit[/size]
[b]Name and nickname:[/b]
[b]Type:[/b]
[b]Training:[/b]
[b]Discipline:[/b]
[b]Equipment:[/b]
[b]Morale:[/b]
[b]Uniform:[/b]

#MothersMercy - Leave this in place for OP's to check your application[/box]

ROSTER:

Lieutenant-Colonel Tremayne Uchdryd, Baron of Yspaddaden, Commander of the 12th Regiment of Yspaddaden Foot, “Firemouths” And Serving as CAPTAIN of the Regiment is Kenly Varyn Champallan

Lieutenant-Colonel Haul Emmet, Commander of the 18th Regiment of Foot Guards, The Pale Volunteers

Lieutenant-Colonel Gareth ab Uther of House Tyddewi, Commander of the 11th Tyddewi County Hussar Regiment

Lieutenant-Colonel Josack Whiteford, Commander of the 3rd “White Guard” Regiment of Foot

Lieutenant-Colonel William Toffleston the Younger, Count of Remsworth, Commander of Her Majesty's Most Proper 5th Regiment of Foot, "The Blue Coats"

Lieutenant-Colonel Garen Ulryden, Commander of the 2nd Disciplinary Regiment

Lieutenant-Colonel Iorwerth Emrys Pawellyn fe Affalwn, Commander of the 21st Eastern Infantry Battalion, "Ghost Warriors" (Rhyfelwyr Ysbryd)

Lieutenant-Colonel Gidyon Barnnet, Commander of the 43rd Regiment of Line "Farming Reds"

Lieutenant-Colonel Aelharra Markestan, Baron of Claringston (Disputed), Commander of Her Majesty's 2nd Regiment of Mounted Northmen, ''The Old Pride'

Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander d'Autriche, Commander of the 17th Cuirassiers "Redgrass Emperors"

Lieutenant-Colonel Jason Brynjolf, Commander of the 1st Brynjolf County Dragoon Regiment "Powdermages"

[Baiwa]

Feel free to ask either OP anything!

[Albertae]

TAGTAGTAGTAG. Where have you been in my NS life?

Query: You play as an officer of your own regiment and not that of a regiment in which all players are required to be a part of?

[Baiwa]

TAGTAGTAGTAG. Where have you been in my NS life?

Query: You play as an officer of your own regiment and not that of a regiment in which all players are required to be a part of?

Yes, an officer in your own regiment. You will basically control both your regiment as a whole and your character, mostly your character unless BATTLE occurs. Then you do both!

[Albertae]

TAGTAGTAGTAG. Where have you been in my NS life?

Query: You play as an officer of your own regiment and not that of a regiment in which all players are required to be a part of?

Yes, an officer in your own regiment. You will basically control both your regiment as a whole and your character, mostly your character unless BATTLE occurs. Then you do both!

Query: Where are the ranks? I looked in the HIM Army spoiler and it only showed Staff Sergeant and Lt. Colonel.

[Albertae]

Officer
Name: Kandor Beckenworth
Age: 27
Rank: Lieutenant-Colonel
Appearance: Kandor is an average height, average built man with dark brown hair almost looking exactly like black hair and hazel colored eyes.
Religion: The Mother of Mercy
Place of Birth: Eulnn
Traits:
Wealth (6)
Positive
Educated(+1)
Hero of the People(+1)
Negative
Of low noble birth(-1)
Ambition despite all(-1)
Shell-shocked(-1)
Background:
Kandor was born into a minor noble family setting him up for his future, his destiny. When Kandor was 9 his father died protecting the family from a robber. That meant Uncle Ferdinand would be the head of the house. When Kandor reached the age of 13 he was sent to a military school that taught strategy, tactics, leadership and many other things that would determine his ability to bring his future soldiers into battle and out of battle. Then when he turned 17 he joined the officer training program for the Imperial Army. By the age of 22 he is sent with his own attachment of soldiers as a Captain, skipping two officer ranks, because of his sheer ability to be a great commanding officer. During the middle of his 24th year of age he is sent into a hopeless situation by his CO and it terrifies him to where he has memories of it in his sleep. Now he is 27 and he is a Lieutenant-Colonel after leading his troops in the Battle of Meaderloch. His regiment was given the designation nickname,"Lioness Head" for being the spearhead of the Empress' Imperial Army during the battle.
Unit
Name and nickname: 21st Regiment, "Lioness Head"
Type: Infantry Regiment
Training: 2
Discipline: 3
Equipment: 2
Morale: 3
Uniform: They wear the uniform of the Imperial Army with a lion's head in the center of the middle.

#MothersMercy - Leave this in place for OP's to check your application

Edited.

[Baiwa]

Yes, an officer in your own regiment. You will basically control both your regiment as a whole and your character, mostly your character unless BATTLE occurs. Then you do both!

Query: Where are the ranks? I looked in the HIM Army spoiler and it only showed Staff Sergeant and Lt. Colonel.

I will make an edit about the ranks, expect it soon. This RP has so much background but I can will bring it under good control soon.

[Albertae]

Query: Where are the ranks? I looked in the HIM Army spoiler and it only showed Staff Sergeant and Lt. Colonel.

I will make an edit about the ranks, expect it soon. This RP has so much background but I can will bring it under good control soon.

Great. I'm assuming if you get the negative traits you receive the (-#) opposites?

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

This seems interesting...

Officer
Name: Tremayne Uchdryd, Baron of Yspaddaden
Age: 34
Rank: Lieutenant-colonel
Appearance:

Religion: Faith in the Mother
Place of Birth: Yspaddaden Estate, east of the capital
Traits:
Wealth: 6

Positive
Educated
Experienced

Negative
Shell-shocked
Bad service record
Disliked by command

Background: Tremayne was born as the first son of his father, who was (unhelpfully) also called Tremayne. He was the first of three brothers and four sisters that would follow him in rapid succession, giving him a rather large family to grow up with. As was customary in the Uchdryd family, Tremayne received his formal education at the Military College of Nëmaxia, situated just outside the capital. There, under strict military supervision, he was taught the basics of being an officer. Leading in the field, basic infantry tactics, flag codes and various drumbeats, as well as the long and glorious history of Imperial Arms. He never actually learned to fire and reload a musket, as those were seen as beneath the level of the gentry. He did learn how to fence, though, but more strictly in a duelling sense than a combat sense. More style than practicality, one might say.

After finishing his education, Tremayne went home. He aided his ailing father in governing the Yspaddaden Estate, until Tremayne Senior was no longer capable to hold a pen. After that, Tremayne Junior took over all his father’s duties, until he had drawn hi last breath. At a relatively young age, Tremayne became baron of Yspaddaden, governing the estate together with his brothers and sisters. At least, when his brothers weren’t out to get their own military education. It was here that Tremayne found out he was well-suited for a life of peace. Gardening, having diner, drinking wine and reading books seemed the spice of life for him. He even found a wife who shared his love for all these comforts, and he married young Sarah not long after having met her. It seemed like master Uchdryd was going to spend his days reading and relaxing, far away from the troubles of the world.

This dream was shattered when Sorcha became empress. Quite soon after the coronation, the throne called upon all officers on leave to report at the nearest army headquarters. Almost the entire male line of Uchdryd was called upon, leaving Sarah and her sisters-in-law to care for the barony. Tremayne and his brothers joined in the capital, accepting their commissions. Tremayne was given the position of lieutenant-colonel for a regiment, and his younger brothers were all given various battalions in other regiment. The family was split up, only able to communicate when stationed in the same place or via letter, many of which got lost in the endless confusion of war.

Tremayne had his first taste of battle in Meadarloch, at the battle which carried its name. While the battle was won, Tremayne paid an enormous price. His regiment, inexperienced and only used to theoretical warfare, marched unto an enemy artillery position. Although they ended up capturing the hill on which the artillery was based, they did not do so without cost. Shrapnel shot and canister shot tore through their lines, explosions and cannon fire dwindling their numbers. Yes, the cannon were taken out, but at a huge price. The regiment actually had to be sent back to the capital to replenish her numbers, and has only recently become able to fight again. The veterans are tired and beyond hope, while the new recruits beg to be part of a battle. Tremayne tried to maintain his posture, but Meadarloch has shocked him to his core. He isn’t quite sure if he can take another battle.

Unit
Name and nickname: 12th Regiment of Yspaddaden Foot, “Firemouths”
Type:
Training: 3
Discipline: 2
Equipment: 3
Morale: 2
Uniform:

#MothersMercy

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

I will make an edit about the ranks, expect it soon. This RP has so much background but I can will bring it under good control soon.

Great. I'm assuming if you get the negative traits you receive the (-#) opposites?

Aye. Picking negative traits will gain you points to spend, while positive traits take away from those points. Upgrading your regiment will also take points.

[Albertae]

Great. I'm assuming if you get the negative traits you receive the (-#) opposites?

Aye. Picking negative traits will gain you points to spend, while positive traits take away from those points. Upgrading your regiment will also take points.

By upgrading your regiment you mean all aspects of it? How did you get the points to spend on your regiment? You have over six wealth in it.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Aye. Picking negative traits will gain you points to spend, while positive traits take away from those points. Upgrading your regiment will also take points.

By upgrading your regiment you mean all aspects of it? How did you get the points to spend on your regiment? You have over six wealth in it.

You put points into 'wealth', which you can then use to upgrade some aspect of your regiment. I put six points into wealth, which means I can add six dots to my regiment. I put two in both training and equipment, and 1 extra in discipline and more each, adding up to my six wealth points. I could've used those points to improve my character, but I chose to upgrade the regiment.

[Albertae]

By upgrading your regiment you mean all aspects of it? How did you get the points to spend on your regiment? You have over six wealth in it.

You put points into 'wealth', which you can then use to upgrade some aspect of your regiment. I put six points into wealth, which means I can add six dots to my regiment. I put two in both training and equipment, and 1 extra in discipline and more each, adding up to my six wealth points. I could've used those points to improve my character, but I chose to upgrade the regiment.

Ok. Ok.

[Albertae]

Is there a map with city names?

Officer
Name: Kandor Beckenworth
Age: 27
Rank: Lieutenant-Colonel
Appearance: Kandor is an average height, average built man with dark brown hair almost looking exactly like black hair and hazel colored eyes.
Religion: The Mother of Mercy
Place of Birth:
Traits:
Wealth (6)
Positive
Educated(+1)
Hero of the People(+1)
Negative
Of low noble birth(-1)
Ambition despite all(-1)
Shell-shocked(-1)
Background:
Kandor's childhood was that of any other low born child's. His family was poor making ends meet slimly every week. At the age of 9 he'd organized his own gang through sheer leadership and the ability to get other poor kids to follow him. Then when he turned 14 his whole life changed when his family died in a fire that he caused. After that he led a depressed life often starving leading to his attempted suicide when he was 17. When he failed to kill himself it put a totally new picture of the world in his eyes and it influenced him to join the Imperial Army the next year after getting a job and studying in secret.

Kandor joined Her Majesty's Imperial Army when he was 18 and quickly rose the ranks to Staff-Sergeant where he showed great promise. By the civil war, he was promoted to Lt. Colonel and quickly learned there was a whole bridge in difference between the NCO ranks and the CO ranks. He'd go on to be a favorite of his regiment and often leading them to victories.

Unit
Name and nickname: 21st Regiment, "Lion"
Type: Infantry Regiment
Training: 2
Discipline: 3
Equipment: 2
Morale: 3
Uniform: They wear the uniform of the Imperial Army with a lion's head center in the middle.

#MothersMercy - Leave this in place for OP's to check your application

[Baiwa]

Is there a map with city names?

Officer
Name: Kandor Beckenworth
Age: 27
Rank: Lieutenant-Colonel
Appearance: Kandor is an average height, average built man with dark brown hair almost looking exactly like black hair and hazel colored eyes.
Religion: The Mother of Mercy
Place of Birth:
Traits:
Wealth (6)
Positive
Educated(+1)
Hero of the People(+1)
Negative
Of low noble birth(-1)
Ambition despite all(-1)
Shell-shocked(-1)
Background:
Kandor's childhood was that of any other low born child's. His family was poor making ends meet slimly every week. At the age of 9 he'd organized his own gang through sheer leadership and the ability to get other poor kids to follow him. Then when he turned 14 his whole life changed when his family died in a fire that he caused. After that he led a depressed life often starving leading to his attempted suicide when he was 17. When he failed to kill himself it put a totally new picture of the world in his eyes and it influenced him to join the Imperial Army the next year after getting a job and studying in secret.

Kandor joined Her Majesty's Imperial Army when he was 18 and quickly rose the ranks to Staff-Sergeant where he showed great promise. By the civil war, he was promoted to Lt. Colonel and quickly learned there was a whole bridge in difference between the NCO ranks and the CO ranks. He'd go on to be a favorite of his regiment and often leading them to victories.

Unit
Name and nickname: 21st Regiment, "Lion"
Type: Infantry Regiment
Training: 2
Discipline: 3
Equipment: 2
Morale: 3
Uniform: They wear the uniform of the Imperial Army with a lion's head center in the middle.

#MothersMercy - Leave this in place for OP's to check your application

There are just a few problems. Even of low noble birth, Kandor's family would not struggle to make ends meet. The Nëmaxian Army does not accept commoner's as more than NCOs, although that might be the case after the war is over. As such, I would like to ask you to change your application to meet that, since it conflicts with what is already set in this universe.

This seems interesting...

Officer
Name: Tremayne Uchdryd, Baron of Yspaddaden
Age: 34
Rank: Lieutenant-colonel
Appearance:

(Image)

Religion: Faith in the Mother
Place of Birth: Yspaddaden Estate, east of the capital
Traits:
Wealth: 6

Positive
Educated
Experienced

Negative
Shell-shocked
Bad service record
Disliked by command

Background: Tremayne was born as the first son of his father, who was (unhelpfully) also called Tremayne. He was the first of three brothers and four sisters that would follow him in rapid succession, giving him a rather large family to grow up with. As was customary in the Uchdryd family, Tremayne received his formal education at the Military College of Nëmaxia, situated just outside the capital. There, under strict military supervision, he was taught the basics of being an officer. Leading in the field, basic infantry tactics, flag codes and various drumbeats, as well as the long and glorious history of Imperial Arms. He never actually learned to fire and reload a musket, as those were seen as beneath the level of the gentry. He did learn how to fence, though, but more strictly in a duelling sense than a combat sense. More style than practicality, one might say.

After finishing his education, Tremayne went home. He aided his ailing father in governing the Yspaddaden Estate, until Tremayne Senior was no longer capable to hold a pen. After that, Tremayne Junior took over all his father’s duties, until he had drawn hi last breath. At a relatively young age, Tremayne became baron of Yspaddaden, governing the estate together with his brothers and sisters. At least, when his brothers weren’t out to get their own military education. It was here that Tremayne found out he was well-suited for a life of peace. Gardening, having diner, drinking wine and reading books seemed the spice of life for him. He even found a wife who shared his love for all these comforts, and he married young Sarah not long after having met her. It seemed like master Uchdryd was going to spend his days reading and relaxing, far away from the troubles of the world.

This dream was shattered when Sorcha became empress. Quite soon after the coronation, the throne called upon all officers on leave to report at the nearest army headquarters. Almost the entire male line of Uchdryd was called upon, leaving Sarah and her sisters-in-law to care for the barony. Tremayne and his brothers joined in the capital, accepting their commissions. Tremayne was given the position of lieutenant-colonel for a regiment, and his younger brothers were all given various battalions in other regiment. The family was split up, only able to communicate when stationed in the same place or via letter, many of which got lost in the endless confusion of war.

Tremayne had his first taste of battle in Meadarloch, at the battle which carried its name. While the battle was won, Tremayne paid an enormous price. His regiment, inexperienced and only used to theoretical warfare, marched unto an enemy artillery position. Although they ended up capturing the hill on which the artillery was based, they did not do so without cost. Shrapnel shot and canister shot tore through their lines, explosions and cannon fire dwindling their numbers. Yes, the cannon were taken out, but at a huge price. The regiment actually had to be sent back to the capital to replenish her numbers, and has only recently become able to fight again. The veterans are tired and beyond hope, while the new recruits beg to be part of a battle. Tremayne tried to maintain his posture, but Meadarloch has shocked him to his core. He isn’t quite sure if he can take another battle.

Unit
Name and nickname: 12th Regiment of Yspaddaden Foot, “Firemouths”
Type:
Training: 3
Discipline: 2
Equipment: 3
Morale: 2
Uniform:

(Image)

#MothersMercy

You know, you could always accept yourself, but ACCEPTED

My own map and the basic cities will come soon.

[The Vekta-Helghast Empire]

Taggity.

[New Roman Empire]

Officer
Name: Jason Brynjolf
Age: 26
Rank: Lieutenant-Colonel
Appearance:
Religion: The Mother of Mercy
Place of Birth: Brynjolf Estate
Traits:
Positive
experienced
Of high* noble birth (+2)
Good shot (+1)
Skilled in melee combat (+1)
Wealth 6
Negative
Corrupt (-2)
reckless (-1)
dispised by command -1
Old Fashioned -1
Dispised by the people -1
Ambition despite all -1

Background: Jason Brynjolf is the second son of Count James Brynjolf, who is from the far western peninsula of the Empire. Even as a child, Jason was always a strong for his age. This always seemed to get him in trouble for one thing or another, wither it be hurting his brothers or pulling his sisters hair. As a young child, he was always getting into some kind of trouble. Though later this would level out, he was taken on a hunt with his father at a young age and given a rifle to shoot at the game. Once they trapped a deer, Jason aimed the rifle after his father explained where to hit the dear and how to use the rifle. He held his breath and squeezed the trigger dropping the deer, this was the first time he had shot a rifle, but he had gotten good at throwing stuff at his sibling. From that point, he started to practice fire arms every day. Though his father forced him to train with a saber as well, though he didn't believe it would save his life at all. But he went off to the Military college in the capital.

At the college, he found himself around members of the new faith. It was always comforting to have those who followed the same religion around him. He and several other often harassed those who followed the old faith. During this, he had received word that his father was forming a dragoon regiment, the first of its kind on their lands. Jason was and adequate student, never did more then he had to do. Once he graduated though, he was in the top 10% in his class. He was the fourth best shot in the class and was good with a sabre thanks to his father forcing him to learn how to use one several years prior. Upon graduating, he was granted an officer position in the Imperial Majesty's Army as a Lieutenant-Colonel in a Dragoon regiment. He was assigned to the 1st Brynjolf County Dragoon Regiment, though it was given the nickname of Powedermages due to the men being hand picked for their skills with a gun. While most are decent with sabers they tend to favor their firearms.

Jason had always been loyal to the crown, he swore loyalty to Empress Sorcha. This was due to him valuing his life and the fact his family are staunch royalists. He first saw action shortly before the battles held at Meadarloch. He and his regiment were on patrol, when they came across a rebel patrol. They had been assigned to look for any activity and eliminate any roving patrols. The rebel patrol was a regiment of Foot, Jason have the order to fire into the regiment. They fired and took a good chunk of the regiment down and ordered a charge. The regiment quickly turned towards the Dragoons and returned fire, cutting down a good chunk of the dragoon in the process. When suddenly another regiment of Foot came out of the trees and opened fire on the dragoons. Jason seeing the stupidity of his actions sounded a retreat and were assigned to the back lines til they got reinforcements.

Unit
Name and nickname: 1st Brynjolf County Dragoon Regiment "Powdermages"
Type: Dragoon
Training:2
Discipline:2
Equipment:3
Morale:3
Uniform:

#MothersMercy - Leave this in place for OP's to check your application

[Sjalhaven]

Reposted later.

[Argentumurbem]

This application is for one of them Guard regiments. Please say if this is a problem

Officer
Name: Haul Emmet
Age: 40
Rank: Lieutenant-Colonel
Appearance: Link
Religion: Old Faith
Place of Birth: The capital
Traits:
- Wealth (9): Yeah this is just me OOCly metagaming
- Educated (1): Received a military education from the national academy
- Experienced (2): Has given many years to the army, for better or worse
- Climbed the ranks (1): Whether by luck or skill he has found himself rising to his command
- Elan! (1): Capable of running others his age in to the ground without pausing for breath
- Low noble birth (-1): There is no great mansion to his name, no family crest to wear as his own
- Questioned loyalties (-2): He is of the Old Faith, and well known for the intensity of his devotion
- Bad service record (-2): From quiet assignments to a list of disciplinary strikes against his name, he is no model soldier
- Corrupt (-2): Surrounded by those who are his better, it is no wonder he has taken a liking to earning on the sly
- Ambition despite all (-1): He needs to be remembered, desiring what he considers his no matter what the law says
- Reckless (-1): Bravery is one thing, tunnel-vision towards danger is another
Background:
- A lowly cousin to a viscount's brother's sister-in-law, Haul only managed to remain above the ghastly middle class by virtue of his father's money-grubbing. For years he and his immediate family moved between the north and the south, latching on to distant relatives and religious allies in an effort to keep their estates from falling in to disrepair. This near constant travel meant that the youth was taught by a magnitude of various teachers, giving him a broad and yet very undefined education. That is, until his father managed to win him a place at the military academy just outside of the capital. For Haul, this was the first time that he truly appreciated card games. He was a small fish taken from a small pond and thrown in to the ocean while at the prestigious institute, unable to make many friends due to his tragically inferior social status.
Even accepting for this, Haul proved himself a capable, if undesirable student. Eventually he found himself an officer within the army, high enough to survive on his salary alone and yet low enough for his fellow graduates to affirm their social superiority over him, even if it was to an outsiders' eye only a distinction between the number of middle names. Ever since Haul Emmet has divided his time between the military and the administration of the isolated family holdings, money farming so pragmatically that when the current war came along, he was able to bring together enough money to buy his way out of his cavalry regiment and in to one of Her Majesty's great Guard regiments, the 18th Foot Guards.
Now in command of this tested regiment following the desertion of its former commander, Haul has taken the reins with both hands and refuses to give up what he deems is his by all rights and laws of man and god. For the true nobles of the Empresses' court, he is nothing but an up-jumped heretic, barely distinguished from the filth marching under the tattered banners of the impoverished regiments of foot. For the greater majority of his men, he is a man they can, dare they say it, come to love as a leader.

Unit
Name and nickname: 18th Regiment of Foot Guards, The Pale Volunteers
Type: Infantry
Training: 3
Discipline: 3
Equipment: 4
Morale: 3
Uniform: Link

#MothersMercy - Leave this in place for OP's to check your application

[The Vekta-Helghast Empire]

Never mind I'm an idiot.

[Baiwa]

Officer
Name: Gareth ab Uther of House Tyddewi
Age: 27
Rank: Lieutenant-Colonel
Appearance: Official Portrait
Religion: Old Faith
Place of Birth: Tyddewi Castle
Traits:Educated (+1)
Of High Noble Birth (+2)
Skilled in Melee Combat (+1)
Questioned loyalties (- 2)
Ambition despite all (-1)
Reckless (-1)
Disliked by command (-1)
Old Fashioned (-1)

Background: Gareth was born as the third son of Count Tyddewi, the Lord of Nëmaxia's north-most island. As such, his family had little expectations of him and as such had decided to send him over for military training in the south, in hopes that their son would make something out of himself instead of sitting around in the family's estate in the shadow of his two elder brothers. The young Gareth had already shown an appetite for war, and was more than an eager fencer, learning to wield a sword with his father's Master of Arms. Gareth was more or less a competent student of the Military College, but the his religion was always a subject that put him at odds with his fellow officers, and he could only find suitable company among the other cornets who were following the Old Faith.

Finishing his education in the Military College, he received a permanent officers commission in his Imperial Majesty's Army, under the grudging approval of his family. Even though Count Tyddewi had hoped that his thirdborn would return to the island to assume the duties of the Master of Arms of his Guard Regiment, the young Gareth instead decided to take command of a regiment of Hussars that had been raised from his island and lead them. As such, when the tragic events unfolded in the capital, Gareth was one of the first officers to pledge his allegiance to Empress Sorcha, not wishing to lose his head. This of course drew the condemnation of his family, who disowned him.

Finding himself at the vanguard of the Imperial Army at Meadarloch, the young officer led his men to battle with a ferociousness which was often deadly, his regiment losing quite a few men in the process. In the end, the regiment was so far within enemy lines, that it got encircled by the the Earl of Gaughta's troops. Facing disaster, the young officer took a decision that would mark him forever. Unsheathing his sabre, he led a charge of his hussars at the thick enemy line, breaking free in the process but losing 2/3 of his commission. This forced his regiment to be relocated at the capital to receive much needed reinforcements. Now the young officer waits for another opportunity to prove himself in the field of combat...

Unit
Name and nickname: 11th Tyddewi County Hussar Regiment
Type: Cavalry
Training: 2
Discipline: 2
Equipment: 2
Morale: 2
Uniform: Regiment Uniform

#MothersMercy - Leave this in place for OP's to check your application

Obviously accepted.

[Baiwa]

Do we have a base amount of points to spend on traits to begin with, or do we start at 0 and have to balance?

Sorry if I've missed it.

You start at 5, but adding negative traits increases that.

[The Vekta-Helghast Empire]

Do we have a base amount of points to spend on traits to begin with, or do we start at 0 and have to balance?

Sorry if I've missed it.

You start at 5, but adding negative traits increases that.

Yeah, I just noticed - I must've skipped the line.

[Baiwa]

This application is for one of them Guard regiments. Please say if this is a problem

Officer
Name: Haul Emmet
Age: 40
Rank: Lieutenant-Colonel
Appearance: Link
Religion: Old Faith
Place of Birth: The capital
Traits:
- Wealth (9): Yeah this is just me OOCly metagaming
- Educated (1): Received a military education from the national academy
- Experienced (2): Has given many years to the army, for better or worse
- Climbed the ranks (1): Whether by luck or skill he has found himself rising to his command
- Elan! (1): Capable of running others his age in to the ground without pausing for breath
- Low noble birth (-1): There is no great mansion to his name, no family crest to wear as his own
- Questioned loyalties (-2): He is of the Old Faith, and well known for the intensity of his devotion
- Bad service record (-2): From quiet assignments to a list of disciplinary strikes against his name, he is no model soldier
- Corrupt (-2): Surrounded by those who are his better, it is no wonder he has taken a liking to earning on the sly
- Ambition despite all (-1): He needs to be remembered, desiring what he considers his no matter what the law says
- Reckless (-1): Bravery is one thing, tunnel-vision towards danger is another
Background:
- A lowly cousin to a viscount's brother's sister-in-law, Haul only managed to remain above the ghastly middle class by virtue of his father's money-grubbing. For years he and his immediate family moved between the north and the south, latching on to distant relatives and religious allies in an effort to keep their estates from falling in to disrepair. This near constant travel meant that the youth was taught by a magnitude of various teachers, giving him a broad and yet very undefined education. That is, until his father managed to win him a place at the military academy just outside of the capital. For Haul, this was the first time that he truly appreciated card games. He was a small fish taken from a small pond and thrown in to the ocean while at the prestigious institute, unable to make many friends due to his tragically inferior social status.
Even accepting for this, Haul proved himself a capable, if undesirable student. Eventually he found himself an officer within the army, high enough to survive on his salary alone and yet low enough for his fellow graduates to affirm their social superiority over him, even if it was to an outsiders' eye only a distinction between the number of middle names. Ever since Haul Emmet has divided his time between the military and the administration of the isolated family holdings, money farming so pragmatically that when the current war came along, he was able to bring together enough money to buy his way out of his cavalry regiment and in to one of Her Majesty's great Guard regiments, the 18th Foot Guards.
Now in command of this tested regiment following the desertion of its former commander, Haul has taken the reins with both hands and refuses to give up what he deems is his by all rights and laws of man and god. For the true nobles of the Empresses' court, he is nothing but an up-jumped heretic, barely distinguished from the filth marching under the tattered banners of the impoverished regiments of foot. For the greater majority of his men, he is a man they can, dare they say it, come to love as a leader.

Unit
Name and nickname: 18th Regiment of Foot Guards, The Pale Volunteers
Type: Infantry
Training: 3
Discipline: 3
Equipment: 4
Morale: 3
Uniform: Link

#MothersMercy - Leave this in place for OP's to check your application

You are one of the two Guard Regiments I will accept, so go for it!

[Baiwa]

I would also like to inform everyone the capital's name is Eulenn, I will have a map of major towns and cities up by tonight.