THROUGH STRIFE AND FAMINE AND WAR AND PEACE,

[agogemod]

WHO? Everybody!
WHAT? Fight in the historic Battle of Valmy.
WHEN? September 20th, 1792. Valmy.
ANYTHING ELSE? Violence, as always. Please warn in subject lines for anything beyond physical violence, and move to a personal journal if things go beyond PG-13.

it'll be fine;

between sainte-menehould and valmy,
1792: revolutionary france.

read the valmy setting infopage

MISSION OBJECTIVE

Win the day!

Historically, Valmy was an unexpected victory for France that really kicked off the French Revolution. Make sure this holds true! Don't let the Prussians break through French lines, take either Dumouriez or Kellerman, and survive.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO GOETHE

The life of Goethe was saved by those who volunteered to keep him from the clutches of Regency assassination, though it was a near thing; they were not able to leave completely stealthily, and had to run back to French lines as dawn broke.

Most important after saving the life of Goethe, they were able to apprehend and capture the Regency spy. She is in holding, restrained in a tent hidden far behind enemy lines. You can speak with her, if you wish.



SHARPSHOOTING

Famously, Kellerman had his troups climb up a windmill and the nearby farmhouse to shoot down at the valley below and the Prussians attempting to run through it from the cover of the forest. Take out as many Prussians as you can. Alternatively, if you're not much for shooting but you're quick fingered and organized, you can help reload the shooter's muskets, hand them supplies, more musket balls and powder, fresh muskets when one of theirs becomes jammed, or simply keep the rain out of their eyes.

Battery

You hear that? It's canonfire! Cannons take at least two people to load, aim and fire, making it a steady process requiring teamwork and balance. You want to go as fast as possible so the attacking army doesn't get right up to your nose, after all. Be careful! Don't drop a cannonball on your foot.

COMBAT

Get into the thick of it! There's less armor in this era, more quick jabs with sabers and bayonets, and your pistol can only hold a single bullet at a time. Unless you've got time to reload, you're better off just throwing the thing aside after firing a shot-- you'll see this tactic is popular among troops on either side, not wanting to be weighed down by a now-useless hunk of metal. Horses are not uncommon either, though they're largely reserved for officers who are more than happy to reach down and stab you while they ride by… if they don't just run you over in the first place. And did I mention the cannonfire occasionally making the ground explode into huge chunks? Try to avoid those.

MEDICAL

As always, wounded soldiers require assistance. The medical tent has a steady supply of the wounded, many with injuries from cannonfire, where limbs have been blown off almost in their entirety, and blood gushes readily from damaged major arteries. Act quick, and don't be afraid to, uh, amputate. Nobody else is.

STEALTH

There is reason to believe some Regency spies are undercover as French officers, and intend to kill either Kellerman or Dumouriez. Stay near the generals and protect them... without letting on. Capturing the spies alive would be a serious boon for COST, so if you could manage not to kill the spy, please? ...Please?

INFORMATION is worth its weight in gold

The way these battles work is reliant on the generals sending information down to their troops from the hills they're using to overlook the fighting. Fast riders or runners are essential for this task, and it affords you an opportunity to be near either general should you need to protect them against spying. Or maybe the runners are the spies? Who knows. Regardless, try to preserve the flow of information, and fix any tangles that may appear. If a runner with vital orders gets attacked, back them up; if they get killed, replace them; if they disappear… figure out what happened?

cannon killer squad

For the fast, stealthy, and / or magically gifted, Takatora has set up a 'Cannon-killer' plan, intending to weaken Prussian artillery through magic, speed, and the application of giant hammers. It's risky-- you'll have to get pretty close to the Prussian lines-- but it's worthwhile if you can weaken them even a little.

I'm going down I'm yelling timber

At some point late in the day, just when the worst of the rain has finally stopped, Prussian artillery finally gets aim good enough to send a volley of cannonballs straight at the windmill and farmhouse on the hill. There's a reason this strategy was considered a bold move; stationary targets are never safe in wartime. The windmill comes down in an explosive crash, and the farmhouse begins to collapse. Were you caught in the crossfire? Are you coming to pull bodies out of the rubble? Do what you can to recoup from this loss.

MORALE

When all else fails, keep spirits high. This battle will be impossible without enthusiastic troops committed to the cause. Give rousing speeches! Inspire people! Sing a song! Do whatever you need to.

read the valmy setting infopage

NAV NETWORK LOGS OOC PLURK DISCORD

Comments

[agogenpc]

"Any meaningful service, yes," Xici echoes, agreeing and correcting both.

"You misunderstand," she says, but for once, it's not an insult. This one is easy to misunderstand; court politics are complex even if you're from their country (and time) of origin.

That, and she's getting used to talking, forgetting their positions a little, letting herself relax by inches. This man sounds honorable enough, and his voice is calming. She'll take what she can get, here, at the end of her life.

"There did not have to be a regency. The first prince came of age before his successor died. But in an act of great humility, though he believed himself equal to the task of rule, he saw that Tal-Viero's innate skill surpassed that of his. So he signed an edict giving Tal-Viero a stewardship's role, Regent over the Empire, until the time of either of their deaths. They are blood brothers, now."

[northerndragon]

She can't see the way the corner of his mouth twitches at 'You misunderstand' -- another echo of a different time and place. He expects to misunderstand now... and to learn things through his misunderstandings. Just now, he thinks he's learned why COST's enemy is called The Regency.

What it sounds like to begin with is that the prince has abdicated in favor of a general, without actually abdicating at all. In some ways, that seems correct to Jon: a man has no business leading people if he's not willing to fight at their side. In other ways, there are still elements of the situation that elude him, caught up in all the unfamiliar names and titles.

"I see, but why was there relief when he did that? Your people wanted Tal-Viero more?"

He approaches her, holds the metal cup near her face. "Water, if you want it." If she accepts it, he'll bring it to her lips so she can sip.

[agogenpc]

"Tal-Viero is a man of the people," Little Xici says, as though she's met the man (she hasn't). She smiles warmly at the thought. "He rose up through the ranks on his own merit. The blood of Kuon can be fickle-- the prince's mother was not a terrible ruler, but some incidents were... mishandled." Her use of the passive voice, translated from even as it is Lemurian to Westerosi, implies a certain discomfort with criticising the royal family in any capacity. "Sanaliel Suu, we knew, would inherit Kuon's legacy of valor and ability, but Tal-Viero had already been tested."

She stews a moment in decision before taking the water almost meekly, a tiny sip, nothing more.