To Die In War
To us, they extolled the virtues of war.
To us, they told tales of glory and honor.
To us, they fed deceptive fruit of victory.
To us, they lied.
And we listened,
We followed them to war/
Yet we didn’t find what romised,
No virtue, glory, honor, nor victory.
We found sin,
We found infamy, a,
We found the cruel drug of war.
We found only death awaited us.
-Finnbarr Korbinian
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Part 0: The Green Dagger Rebellion
| 0:4 | Battle of Gren Part One |
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Seifedmis 22nd, 856 (7/22/856) - Strausen - Duchy of Rechigokoe - el Adelmar Athanaric
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“I, el Adelmar Athanaric, decre you guilty of the crimes of looting, assault, and murder. The penalty is death.” Adelmar stood above one of his soldiers, whose arms were bound by rope. Earlier that day, someone caught him looting a home after he had murdered the owhis wouldn’t stand, so Adelmar swiftly put him on trial for it through a provisional military court. Although, since he didn’t have any judicial staff or officers, he gave out the sentence himself. Adelmar then had some of his men take the murderer out into the main city square, which was just outside the courthouse.
The soldier who had received his sentehrashed against Adelmar’s men and shouted about how he should be above this kind of punishment, but Adelmar paid no attention to him. His focus was oing the sentence. On one hand, it was standard for a firing squad to be assembled to carry out the deed. There was also hanging for the murderer, which was another option. In the end, though, Adelmar settled on doing it himself. He wanted everybody to know and uand what happens to those who it crimes against on people.
As the murderer was being held down, Adelmar walked forward calmly. He looked down and could only feel disdain for the man before him. He didn’t deserve to wear the uniform of the New Model Army. It should symbolize service to the people, not harming the people, ahat’s what this soldier used it to do. As long as parasites like him were here to suck the lifeblood out of the people and the reputation of the Army, there could be no reform or modernization of the try. As Adelmar thought this, he raised his revolver and put it against the murderer’s forehead. With the eyes of the city’s citizens on him, Adelmar knew he had a duty to fulfill, and so he squeezed the trigger. Droplets of blood mixed into the blue fabric of his uniform and nded on Adelmar’s white gloves.
The murderer dropped to the ground dead, and a silence hung over the square as the people witnessed Adelmar exeg a soldier as punishment for a crime. Such a thing was unfortunately nearly unheard in real life. Seeing these looks, Adelmar spoke to the crowd, “This man itted the crimes of looting, assault, and murder. For those crimes, I executed him. Me nor my officers will tolerate looting or any crimes against the people. Our mission is to serve you. The people of our kingdom.” At this, the crowd burst into cheers for Adelmar. Now they felt they had somebody to protect them, like how the Asded Heroes before their assion protected on people from tyrants and corrupt officials. Lothar saw it differently, though. He simply believed that he was exeg the w aing an example for his soldiers. He didn’t learn about how people saw him until the day, when Leonhard entered his office.
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Seifedmis 23rd, 856 (7/23/856) - Strausen - Duchy of Rechigokoe - el Adelmar Athanaric
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“Hey Adelmar, I bet you’ll get a kick out of this.” As he said this, Leonhard tossed Adelmar a rolled up neer. Adelmar looked at it and chuckled. The paper was the Strausen Daily Herald, a loeer, and on one page there’s an illustration of Adelmar, but filled with divine imagery. The most obvious was the Holy Fire of the Twins, which is typically reserved for images of saints, heroes, or emperors of the old Sed Empire. With the other promi symbols also being there.
“You know, I don’t quite look like one of those a heroes.” He wasn’t wrong, since most of the heroes and saints associated with the Sed Empire came from the northeasternd of the Empire, which meant they all had rather light plexions. Meanwhile, Adelmar looked more like the average Nonesian since he had dark olive skin and dark hair. After all, Nonesia was in southwestern Roquesnd.
Lehed and pointed out, “It’s not like there aren’t Nonesian heroes.”
“Oh yeah, you have great heroes like: a guy who was an Imperial invader not from Nonesia, several corrupt nobles and kings, and finally aneneral who wasn’t Nonesian.”
“Love an old Adelmar history lecture.”
“I know. I go on and on about this, too.”
“Believe me, I know you could. I’m sure you would’ve been a brilliant historian if you weren’t in the military.”
“In a more peaceful and modern time, I would’ve loved to be a historian, but we unfortunately don’t live in those times.”
“It’s our job to make a world like that for those who e after us.”
“It certainly is.”
“It’s a good thing you’re now the ‘Hero of Strausen’, then?” Leonhard put emphasis on Adelmar’s itle, knowing that he didn’t like titles like that.
The mention of the title made Adelmar go into another monologue. “Such a dumb title. If anybody deserves that title, it should be you and your men. Without you and your men, we could’ve never made it into the city. In this day and age, there’s no such thing as a single hero. Take the generals who fought in the Echille Revolutionary Wars. They were tactical and strategiiuses but still they only got so far because of the revolutionary atmosphere, which let them rise to the tardless of their social css. Not only that, but they also relied on the Echille people to fight for and supply their armies, and they relied e numbers of staff officers whaheir armies so they could fight so successfully. The Poilesherian Armies never internalized that, and that’s why they failed so miserably in the war and had to be bailed out by so many tries. None of these men rose to power because they were ‘Great Men’ but because of the circumstahey lived in.”
Leently steered Adelmar ba the topic. “You’re right, but that’s not how the people see it. It’s easier to dehe deeds of the many into a single person. Plus, it’s easier to make a story focused on a single hero instead of all the people that aided them. That’s why most stories focus on a single person or a small group of characters.”
Adelmar set down the neer and sighed, “Fair points, so anyway, now that you’re here, I wao ask you about what you think we should do now that we have trol over Strausen. Right now, I’m debating whether we should wait until new orders arrive or if we should march to Gren and join the rest of the army right now.”
Leonhard leaned ba his chair sidering the pros and s of Adelmar’s two ideas, “Well I think we should be bold here and head straight fren since we’ll be able to make it to the rest of the army in two days if we force march the men. I’m sure that we won’t receive much punishment for it.”
“Eh, even if they want to punish anybody, then I’ll gdly accept.”
Leonhard kept talking, “Holy, I don’t see a real reason we shouldn’t head straight fren. All we would have to do is to leave behind troops here to keep it garrisoned.”
“Well, who do you think should stay behind?” Adelmar asked.
“It should be Lieutenant el Odalric de Wigmund. He’s an excellent strategist, but at Gren we’ll be following somebody else’s battle pn, so we need frontline officers for the battle.”
Adelmar smiled lightly since he was thinking the same. “Yes, that’s a good point. I think you’re right. I’ll have Odalric stay here ahe garrison with his regiment.” After that, the two talked for a bit, reminisg about their past and what might e from the uping battle.
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Seifedmis 25th, 856 (7/25/856) - Gren - Royal Territory of Gren - el Adelmar Athanaric
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After two days of forced marg with a brief rest in S, Adelmar’s 11th Mixed Brigade finally reached the New Model Army’s siege camp outside Gren. They were at half strength since Odalric was still in Strausen with half the brigade. When Adelmar told him he was to remain in Strausen, he protested slightly but ultimately accepted since he knew he could do more in Strausen than he could at Gren. Ultimately, Adelmar would’ve rather had both of his anders with him, but he had to leave Strausen in the and of a petent leader if the city were to remain peaceful and stable.
The rebels had held Gren for four months and had been under siege for most of that time. When the rebellion first broke out, the nobility was slow to react. As such, didn’t order the New Model Army into the field until Gren was about to be stormed by rebel armies. Only ohe looble forces were incapable of suppressing the rebellion did it bee clear to the nobles and Royal Court they he help of the modern New Model Army. It got to work quickly, stamping out local revolts across Western Nonesia. Though there were some defeats, like the ambush in the grassnds between Strausen and Rechigokoe, which wiped out the leadership of the 11th Mixed Brigade, which let Adelmar take and of the brigade.
However, these defeats were few, with most of the rebel armies being easily crushed. Since many of them didn’t have a higher purpose fhting outside simple aowards the nobility and gover who had abandoned and failed them during their time of hough this initially led to a massive rebellion, the New Model Army and the Grand Duke’s Eastern Noble Army quickly suppressed it, with the rebels now fio the city of Gren.
Though the army was still somewhat wary of a direct atta the city. Ruben Theodoricus, the Protector of the People as the rebels called him, had defeated a previous assault by the army before. Ihe walls of the city, he had thirty thousahough most of them were peasants from the surrounding tryside. Most of the garrison remained loyal, so many of them were currently part of the besieging army. Unlike in Bollstadt, the aura of victory surrounding Ruben Theodoricus was all that held together the rebels in Gren. If he were to fall in battle, they would surely colpse. All of this will surely lead to a climactic battle to end the rebellion, which started only four months ago and almost brought Nonesia to its knees.
When Adelmar made it to the camp, he had Leonhard take the brigade and find a suitable area to set up their things. Meanwhile, Adelmar went to the tent of his adoptive father, Army General Niko de Diederich. As soon as he ehe tent, General Niko saw him a over to hug Adelmar. “Son, I didn’t expect to see you so soon. I heard you won a brilliant victory at Strausen.”
Adelmar returns the hug. “Yes, my men won a glorious victory. They captured the great city in a single assault. Without them, I would still be stuck outside the city waiting for aid.”
“Well, I’m happy you’re here. We’re about to un atta the city and your troops will be an important part of our attack. We will have a war cil in an hour, and I’d like you to sit in on it.”
Adelmar raised an eyebrow at that, “But father, I’m only a el? Only general officers are supposed to be at the war cils.”
General Niko expined, “It’s not an official rule, but anybody invited by the anding officer attend. Besides, after your victory at Strausen, you’re almost guaranteed a promotion by the Royal Court once we defeat this rebellion.”
His father’s words heartened Adelmar. “Alright, then I’ll stay here until the war cil begins.” The two tio talk about the victory at Strausen before the war cil began. Finally, as an hour passed, the various generals of the army arrived for the war cil. Adelmar instantly saw Majeneral Thiemo de Waric, his anding officer, who scowled at him as the two locked eyes, but her said anything to each other. Theher generals arrived. Adelmar could quickly tell them apart by their capes. The brigadier generals wore bck capes, majenerals wore red capes, the two lieutenant generals wore silver capes, and finally Leneral Niko wore a golden cape embroidered with the Holy Fire. A couple of them threw curious g Adelmar since he was distinctly out of p his el’s uniform and since he had the short dark blue cape that field officers wore, but nobody really cared that much. Adelmar saw many of them looking somewhat on edge, for the battle ahead of them would be key to determining the future of the try.
Leneral Niko began the meeting and started going over the current pn for the battle. Adelmar sat in his chair a quiet, since he k wasn’t his pce to speak about the battle pn. As they were examining a map of the battlefield, one general asked how they po break through the rebel lines. Many generals bounced around ideas, with them all settling oraditional method of a frontal assault using wide infantry formations to maximize the amount of rifles on the frontline. Adelmar started thinking about this situation. The method of assault was the traditional way, but Adelmar knew how many casualties attag arenched enemy could infli the attacker. Then he had an idea fsh through his mind aood up and requested to speak.
Majeneral Thiemo de Waric was the first to react. “el Athanaric, you should know your pce isn’t to interrupt us!”
However, one of the lieutenant generals would stand up to defend Adelmar. “Now, now, Majeneral, I believe we could learn something from him. You were the anding officer at Strausen, weren’t you?”
Adelmar was quick to respond, “Yes Sir, I was in charge during the capture of Strausen.”
“Very well,” the lieutenant general tureneral de Niko and said, “I believe we should allow him to speak if you would permit him.”
Leneral de Niko nodded a Adelmar speak. After he finished, he asked Adelmar, “How many men would you o make this pn possible?”
“I would hree thousand men or three miments of a thousand men each to supplement my force of two thousand men.”
“It’ll be done.” With that, the cil granted Adelmar permission for his pn. For the rest of the meeting, Adelmar stood bad only responded whenever somebody asked for his input, whily happened a few times. His only thoughts were on the uping battle and the danger he might face. He had a rough idea of where he wao attack based on the maps he had, but he had no information about the enemy’s strength or training or equipment. All he had was hope that they’d give him experienced soldiers and officers. Finally, when the war cil was over, Adelmar left a back to his brigade to brief them on the uping battle.
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Dear Mother,
I hope you are doing well; I received your st letter and appreciated it. How are Wilfrand and Micheal? Hopefully, they haven’t been causing you trouble since I’ve been gone. I’m sure that father has been busy at the fe now that I’m not there to help him. He must be getting a lot of orders from the army. Every day, supplies arrive at the camp, as well as new soldiers. Yesterday, miments arrived in camp, and I’ve been talking to their men, and I have to say they’re extraordinarily disciplined. If only my regiment had their discipline, although we’ve never faced actual bat. We’ve only fought poorly trained and equipped rebels.
Other than that, however, I’ve gotten to know a lot of men whom I otherwise would have never met if I hadn’t left the city. Many of the men I’ve met are the sons of poor farming families. Until I met them, I’d never really thought about how they lived. Since most of them ’t read or write beyond a basic level, I’ve been writiers for them: it has been an honor to help them keep in touch with their families. It has been a lot to think about, and I want to do something for them once I’ve returned home. I still have so much left to tell you, but it’s time for me to go, so ime you hear from me, I’ll have returned home.
-Your Son Nikous Franz
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Seifedmis 26th, 856 (7/26/856) - Gren - Royal Territory of Gren - Private Nikous Franz
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A rge force of gover soldiers was gathering on the edge of the treeline. Opposite to what they had heard was a oint in the rebel’s lines of defense. Off to their side was a on battery firing away at the rebel defehey had destroyed the rebel ons opposing them with their accurate fire. The rebels hadn’t thought t forward new ons, sihey focused on the massive artillery duel in their ter, where they believed the main assault would e from. Meanwhile, skirmishers ahead of them were busy attag the rebels in their fortifications. Because of the accurate and disciplined fire of the skirmishers, the rebels hid behind their defenses and didn’t peek out behind them out of fear of being hit.
Before the battle, the goverroops enjoyed a restful night’s sleep and ate in the m. In parison, the rebels had endured nighttime raids by gover cavalry and skirmishers, keeping them awake or having little rest. They were also suffering from a ck of food that the prolonged siege had caused, meaning many of them didn’t get a good meal. All of this, bined with the training and equipment superiority among the goverroops, tipped the scales of the battle to their side.
Nikous was in the sed row of his regiment, which was selected as the vanguard of the unit. It wasn’t a secret that his ander, el Bertram de Waltheri, wahe glory of leading the vanguard. Nikous was slightly on edge. After all, he had never faced actual bat, aher had anybody in his regiment, sihey were always stu reserve, and now they were the vanguard of this battle. Though as he was thinking, his ander, el Bertram de Waltheri, called the troops to order and shouted, “Soldiers, today a glorious victory awaits us, the Twins, will grant us victory over these vile rebels! As we dlorious work, the Heroes will march alongside us, granting us righteousness and victory!”
This brief speevigorated the men, filling them with the youthful enthusiasm that drives men to do reckless things. At that moment, none of them knew just how dangerous the situation they were marg into would bee. Off to the side, Nikous saw another field officer sighing while shaking his head. Though he quickly brushed it off, after all, he was about to go into battle. To his side, he saw a couple of people from his pany.
The first person he saw was Gottlieb, who, as usual, was making boisterous cims about what he would do in the uping battle. Like always, S?ren tried to quiet him down. He was an older man and had been a wyer before volunteering, so he could keep Gottlieb in check, who had been a young farmer. He was very receptive to authority figures, despite his usual recklessness and ck of care for standards and discipline. Meanwhile, at the edge of the line was a young boy named Finnbarr. None of them knew his actual age, or really anything about him other than he was trying to get away from something. Other than that, he was rather meek and didn’t pin or boast about anything like his fellow soldiers did.
The men had their bayos fixed and muskets loaded, although they had ordered them not to fire until they had reached the enemy’s entres. The treelihem mostly hidden, and Nikous estimated they had only about two hundred fifty meters to cross before they reached the enemy lihis was slightly difficult though sihe rebels were on a small hill and below it ehat they had to cross to reach the entres. Nikous was fident, though, and he was ready to fight. So as the drummer tapped out the order to advance, he went forward bravely without fear.
Despite orders to not shout or fire their ons, some soldiers did as the n passed by the skirmishers, alerting the rebels to the attack. Within two hundred meters, the rebels fired off a solid volley, though because of their smoothbore muskets, the shots weren’t very accurate. Though many men fell with the rebel bullets, blowing rge holes through their bodies wherever they were hit. Their el ordered them to charge, as men would fire back, though most would tinue forward up the hill. Around Nikous, a couple of men ducked down into a ditch, hiding from the rebel shots. They started praying for safety, the rest of the men tio advance. As they reached the hill, the rebels fired off another volley, this time a more sporadic volley as the rebels fired at will as the goverroops advanced up the hill.
Reag the crest of the hill, Nikous saw some of his pany already engaged in hand-to-hand bat with the rebels. As he rushed into the melee, a snarling rebel lu him, using his musket as a club. Before Nikous could respond, the rebel’s head burst into bloody ks and Nikous saw S?ren had shot the rebel, with him only giving a small nod to him before turning bato the melee. Shaken, but with adrenaline pulsing through him, Nikous plunged into the melee, disregarding his own safety. He saw Gottlieb fag off against two rebels and keeping them back, using his musket as a spear to poke at them when they got too close. Much more pressingly, he saw Finnbarr desperately trying to stand his ground against the rebel wielding an enormous ax. He could barely dodge, and it was clear it was tiring him out, so Nikous rushed into a. Just as Finnbarr was about to be sliced in half by the ax, Nikous lunged forward and stabbed the rebel through the chest. Crimson red blood flowed down his bayo as he helped Finnbarr to his feet.
Otlefield, the rebels retreated as they fled into the forest behind them. The soldiers quickly cut down the remaining rebels with either a bayo or bullet. As the skirmish s end, the moans and groans of the wounded and dying scattered across the battlefield repced the sounds of battle. Some y bleeding from stab wounds, others tried in vain to move their bodies, but their limbs couldn’t respond. Others still had massive wounds from bullets which tore through their bodies, leaving bloody holes where there was once skin, muscle, and bone. Pooling on the ground was the blood of both rebel and gover soldiers, their crimson blood mixing, making no distin between rebel overhat caused all this suffering.
Yet almost as quickly as the battle ended did el de Waltheri—who looked suspiciously unscathed—appeared t the soldiers to order ahem bato formation. However, it was clear the bat had taken its toll on the regiment, as the battle line was now much shallower and the fighting had exhausted the surviving men. Looking at some in his pany, he saw how it affected them. Gottlieb, despite all his strength, was clearly losing some of that energy as his movements became slower, and he wheezed with every movement. The fighting had scuff up and bloodied his uniform. S?ren didn’t openly dispy that the fighting heavily affected him, but it was still clear that he was running low on ammo by the way he kept obsessively cheg his ammunition box. Even though he hadn’t directly fought hand to hand, his uniform was still just as disheveled as everybody else's, shog everybody since he was usually the most meticulous with his own uniform. Finally, Finnbarr was, as usual, quiet a back, and it was clear he was still in shock from almost being killed itle with his hands holding his musket, shaking.
Yet their ander ordered them forward, and so to the beat of the drum they went forward into the forest without aid from the iments. As the regiment advahere was an odd feeling in the air, and Nikous was worried they were about to walk into a trap. Adding more to this feeling, the forest was silent. While that robably because of the battle, it didn’t help matters. So when they reached a small clearing, it wasn’t a shock to Nikous when the rebels started shooting at the regiment. Fshes came from the treeline as bullets tore through the ranks. The regiment got into formation to fire back as Nikous raised his rifled musket at the sight of one fsh. As soon as they raised their muskets, somebody gave the order to fire, and the deafening roar of the regiment’s muskets almost made him think they were going to be alright. Only for the rebels to tinue peppering the regiment with musket fire.
Nikous quickly fumbled around for a paper cartridge and got it into the barrel. He tore the top off and poured the gunpowder down the barrel. The the bullet into the barrel. , he clumsily used the ramrod to push the bullet down the barrel. Finally, he carefully pced the percussion cap over the e hole. Cog the hammer, he raised his musket as did the other soldiers, then with another deafening roar, they fired as ohough still, it didn’t seem to affect the rebels as more and more bullets came flying towards the regiment. As all seemed lost, somebody ordered a retreat. In the chaotic rout, soldiers threw down their ons and dumped whatever they didn’t need as they streamed back towards the rear. As Nikous ran, he felt a jolt as he felt something strike him on his shoulder. As he fell, he wondered if this was it for him, and he was about to die.
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Seifedmis 26th, 856 (7/26/856) - Gren - Royal Territory of Gren - Private Finnbarr Korbinian
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In a fsh, what was an unnerving march had turned into a deadly retreat as men streamed back to the rear like a human flood. Finnbarr had already abandoned his musket. It would only slow him down, same with his kit taining his powder and cartridges. As he ran, he spotted Nikous stumble and fall to the ground. In a split sed, he had to act, and so he rushed forward and caught him. It took all his strength, but Gottlieb and S?ren quickly aided him. Even though none of them were close, something had made them work together on this task as they carried Nikous back to the rear.
Nikous was clutg at his shoulder as it bled a bright red color and ulsating as blood spurted out with each beat of his heart. They khat if they were going to help him; they o get to a medic. So as men flowed past them, they tried to keep him as steady as possible sihey thought that might help him. Yet as they moved, they tio see the horrible sight of men lying injured or dead otlefield. Some were missing ks out of their body, while others had stab wounds. Others with more trol left tried to reach out and begged for help, though Finnbarr and the others khey couldn’t take anybody else, s to block out the pleas, they tinued on. Though they kept hearing the cries of the wounded, some called for their mothers, others for their loved ones, and others could only scream from the pain.
Finally, they reached the first line of fortifications they had captured not too long ago. Only this time, they were retreating out of fear of what might happen if they didn’t make it back to safety. The iments were mustering for the assault, though the troops from the lead regiment tried to warn them of the defeat they had suffered. The more veteran soldiers and officers waved them off. They let them pass through their lines as the four of them searched for a medic to leave Nikous with. Finally, they found a skirmisher who offered to take them to a medic, which they agreed to. Eventually, they made it to the medic station and id Nikous down for treatment. Before they left, though, Nikous started talking. Finnbarr couldn’t hear, so he got closer and listened, “Please…take this letter…to my family…in Rechigokoe.” As much as Finnbarr wao tell him he’d live through it. He knew his wound was serious, so he took the letter promising to deliver it. Little did he know It would be the st time the two would see each other.
As he returo the camp, Finnbarr could see the look of defeat on his fellow soldiers’ faces. The rebels had pletely routed and humiliated them. Some openly cursed their ander and his attempt to gain personal glory at their expehers simply held their heads in their hands and wondered what could’ve happened if anything had gone differently. Though they had a sense of loss at the death or wounds of their friends and allies. In the end, though, it didn’t matter, siime stops for nobody. As the soldiers wondered and cursed their lot, signal fres flew up and burst into the sky as gunfire and artillery shots echoed back to them.
