Episode: Stormwinds
Posted by Story on 05/21/21
Over the past decade, the soldiers of the Compact often return from the warfront with strange tales about events that they cannot quite explain. During the Siege of Arx, some soldiers spoke of strange occurances and how the soldiers they fought seemed dead well before a sword touched them. After the battles of Setarco, they murmured about fighting monsters in the field and how the sharks were just -wrong- in the water. As the troops return from Pieros more stories follow of how the jungle came to life outside the city and finished the battle for them. Most people know this to be nonsense. War is brutal and sometimes these strange stories are a way of allowing the mind to process such horrors.
Right?
There are other tales as well. Tales of the bravery of the soldiers that defended the walls of Pieros. The sacrifice of Duke Aiden Rubino, who bravely threw himself in front of Skal'dajan spears to save the life of Lord Gawain Blanchard who had proven himself so well upon the battlefield that more than a few from the Oathlands have taken to calling him 'The Beast of Chevalle'. Dame Bree Harthall distinguished herself by placing her body between the enemy and fellow fighters often enough that she earned a moniker of her own - The Divine Shield of Solace. Princess Deva Redrain, only recently returned to the North from parts unknown, fell and was nearly lost if not for the brave efforts of Princess Tikva Grayson, Duchess Khanne Halfshav, and Lady Volcica Stahlben. There were many heroes on the battlefield that day. Many insightful calls made by the generals that day. The Compact has never lacked in bravery.
Though the threat was pushed back, for now, it did come at a cost. The unfamiliar terrain and tactics cost all the Houses that fielded troops during the battle a significant portion of their forces, some suffering more losses than others. The loss of these soldiers not only presents a significant decline in the appetite for war by a battle-weary populace, but also leaves the Compact vulnerable. After all, Skal'daja isn't the Compact's only enemy...
Right?
There are other tales as well. Tales of the bravery of the soldiers that defended the walls of Pieros. The sacrifice of Duke Aiden Rubino, who bravely threw himself in front of Skal'dajan spears to save the life of Lord Gawain Blanchard who had proven himself so well upon the battlefield that more than a few from the Oathlands have taken to calling him 'The Beast of Chevalle'. Dame Bree Harthall distinguished herself by placing her body between the enemy and fellow fighters often enough that she earned a moniker of her own - The Divine Shield of Solace. Princess Deva Redrain, only recently returned to the North from parts unknown, fell and was nearly lost if not for the brave efforts of Princess Tikva Grayson, Duchess Khanne Halfshav, and Lady Volcica Stahlben. There were many heroes on the battlefield that day. Many insightful calls made by the generals that day. The Compact has never lacked in bravery.
Though the threat was pushed back, for now, it did come at a cost. The unfamiliar terrain and tactics cost all the Houses that fielded troops during the battle a significant portion of their forces, some suffering more losses than others. The loss of these soldiers not only presents a significant decline in the appetite for war by a battle-weary populace, but also leaves the Compact vulnerable. After all, Skal'daja isn't the Compact's only enemy...