Plergoth Press/Issue Four

http://wiki.battlemaster.org/images/Plergoth.png The Plergoth Press
Bring in Valhalla's head, get a lifetime subscription!	Editor: Luxor Feylonis	Issue Four, May
The main propaganda sheet and newspaper of Plergoth!

New Tidings

May 1, 1007 | By: Luxor

We received this short piece from our very own Minister of Defence, Kimberly, yesterday morning:

As I sat down to write this piece, I stopped to ask myself, just who am I writing it for? The Nobles of Plergoth? Most of them know already what I am writing. The Nobles of Khthon? Not really, although I know that they will get a copy of this newspaper eventually. The “Nobles” of Vlaanderen? Hah, I doubt many of them can even read. No, the people I am writing this for, is the people of Plergoth.

Many of you rightly question this campaign we have been on. You've suffered long at the hands of the Heroes of Khthon, and the greedy Elitists that form the core of the Rebellion. I know many of you would prefer us to be at peace. But neither of those realms are truly interested in peace. They have made token gestures in the past, but they knew as soon as they wrote it that any one with a shred of honor would reject those proposals. And Khthon constantly rejects every reasonable proposal that the Chancellor has sent to them. Until they start to show the honor that they constantly claim they have, there can be no peace between us and Khthon.

Now Old Grehk joins the campaign, but not as we feared they might months ago. They joined the war on the side of our Confederates, Ashborn. While that does not technically ally them with us, it does put their focus on two nations that have sent aid to the Rebels in Reeds. It also puts them at odds with the Rebels themselves, who have declared that our other Confederated Ally, Mesh, that they will stop any effort made by Mesh to assist Ashborn.

Where does that leave us? With a long trip from Creasur and around the Rebel city of Reeds, we cannot spare forces to lift the siege of Ashborn's capital city of Keffa. Not while Khthon remains a threat to us at least. Which brings us back to those so called heroes. It has become clear that the goblet that the Chancellor of Khthon drinks out of must be tainted, because it only ferments hatred. I once though that Geoff was the only insane one over there. But upon his honorable death in combat two weeks ago, General Elias has taken over. Once a man that I respected, and even trusted, I can see that whatever it is that taints the water there has taken over his mind. Now I fear that Khthon is nothing more than a rabid dog, that for the sake of the world must be put down, lest this disease spread further. I only hope that the death toll is not too high.

With these new tidings, especially the part about the entering of Old Grehk into the scene, this war may be won sooner that we all thought.

Kthonian Raiders Approaching Xinjin

May 2, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline Xinjin

The roads in Xinjin are clogged with refugees fleeing southward towards Creasur as word spreads that the Khthonian marauders are returning to strike again at the Xinjinni people. This same marauding band has looted and pillaged its way through Zuhle, Eg Tutnu and Xinjin in recent months, and continues to oppress the long-suffering peoples of the occupied Plergothian lands of Weghie, Tindle and Dyomoque. Seeking revenge for the sacking of their capital, the Khthonians have launched a savage series of attacks against Plergoth's northern borders, ravaging the land while maneuvering to avoid contact with the main Plergothian defense force.

Now, however, it appears that the Khthonians have made a severe miscalculation, heading back into Xinjin into the teeth of the freshly refitted troops of the Defenders of Plergoth. Already, advance elements of the Khthonian raiding force have been met in battle and annihilated. With the coming of the dawn, this reporter expects to be able to inform you, loyal readers, of Plergoth's glorious triumph over the vile brigands from Dyomoque.

From the Frontlines - Battle in Xinjin

May 3, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline Xinjin

A hush has fallen over the woodlands of Xinjin. Where men fought and struggled and screamed and died just hours ago, now carrion birds and forest scavengers pick at the bodies of the unburied, unlamented Khthonian dead. From my concealed position atop a wooded hillock to the west of the forest clearing where the armies met, your war correspondent witnessed the whole engagement.

The Khthonian brigands, their thoughts surely occupied by rapine and plunder, advanced in several columns, snaking through the forest paths. A quick headcount returned estimates of a force nearly 500 men in number. The columns halted as advance scouts brought back word of a finding. Ahead, in a wooded glen, lay a pile of severed heads - all that remained of the advance forces that had entered Xinjin alone hours earlier. Enraged, the Khthonians charged forwards, their cohesion dissolving as they poured into the clearing and saw the remains of their fellow marauders, piggish faces permanently frozen in expressions of surprise and terror. Little did they know that a great many of them would be joining the pile momentarily.

As the Khthonians milled around in rage and confusion (and, in some cases, looted the death-pile of helmets and gold teeth), a horn sounded, answered by another, and another. The Khthonians rushed to form battle lines as the Defenders of Plergoth began to emerge from the treeline. Nearly one thousand men took the field to defend Xinjin, proudly brandishing the banner of Plergoth. At the head of the formation rode Elroy, Marshal of the Army of Plergoth.

Surveying the assembled raiders frantically attempting to form up lines and come to some semblance of order, he held his blade aloft and urged on the warriors of his command: "For Zuhle! For Weghie! For Xinjin! For Plergoth! Have at them!" The cry returned a thousandfold from the men - "FOR PLERGOTH!!!!", and the infantry, a sinuous line of bristling blades and gleaming armor, advanced towards the Khthonian positions at a steady march. Arrows fell like rain among their ranks, and many good men fell, including Dedmerath of Prevos, but the Plergothian men continued to advance, finally crashing into the defensive lines hastily formed by the Khthonian infantry and cavalry. As the battle swirled into close fighting, Khthonian banners fell, one by one, swallowed up by a righteous tide of Plergothian armsmen in savage close combat that laid low both Thomas of Xinjin and the vile Trithereon of Gaxano. Khthonian arrows continued to fall upon Plergoth's finest, felling both Chancellor VonGarrett and Supreme Judge Artevan. Finally, the surviving Khthonian bandits broke and fled into the woods, abandoning their archers to the tender mercies of Plergoth's infantry.

Howling like wolves, the Plergothian forces tore through the Khthonian archers. "For Dedmerath, Artevan and VonGarrett!!!!" the cry went up. Many of the Khthonian bowmen were garrotted with their own bowstrings, their decapitated bodies left for the wolves, and their severed heads left on the dead-pile for a ravens' feast.

The shattered Khthonian army is withdrawing and regrouping. Though beaten this day, it is certain that they will return with more blood-stained gold from their mountain mines and more conscripts from the occupied city of Dyomoque to again menace the lands of Plergoth. However, following this decisive victory over their forces, there is hope that we can one day soon end their threat to our realm and our people forever.

The Scoreboard

May 3, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

A new feature we offer our readers, tallying the damage inflicted by each side in the ongoing conflict. When the war crime trials commence after Dyomoque is burned to the ground, this record will bring the Khthonian leadership one step closer to their well deserved nooses. The numbers provided will be updated following each battle.

Plergoth:
Khthonian brigands killed, captured or wounded: 3,053
Khthonian warlords wounded: 2
Khthonian warlords captured: 1

Khthon:
Plergothian soldiers killed or wounded: 374
Plergothian nobles wounded: 7

Number of battles included in the above tally (victory count):
Xinjin: 2 (Plergoth: 2, Khthon: 0)
Tindle: 8 (Plergoth: 7, Khthon: 1)
Weghie: 3 (Plergoth: 3, Khthon: 0)

Khthonian Criminals Apprehended

May 3, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Following the rout of the Khthonian army in Xinjin, most of the surviving Dyomoque warlords fled back to Tindle and Weghie to lick their wounds and drown their sorrows. However, with their leader, Trithereon, lying wounded in the underbrush, recovering from having his nose hacked off, his so-called "Hope Bringers" were scattered and directionless. Throughout the day, following the battle, Plergothian patrols caught and apprehended 62 of the unit's shocked and demoralized survivors. The fight had completely left most of these men, for the most part simple peasants who had been drafted at swordpoint from their homes and fields by the brutal Khthonian regime in Dyomoque and sent to spill their lifeblood on Plergothian blades at the whim of their cruel masters. Only the eight personal guards of Trithereon put up any resistance, killing four men of the 2nd Nightstalker Legion before being slain to the last man. Patrols continue to seek Trithereon's field encampment, where he and his few surviving men (6 or fewer, we estimate) are believed to be recovering from their wounds.

This brings the total losses suffered by the Khthonian forces this day to 418 souls, a staggering 84% force reduction, compared to Plergoth's 20% casualty figures.

Extensive debriefings of the captured "Hope Bringers" will be conducted. Those guilty only of having served as forced conscripts in the Khthonian army and having shown acceptable conduct on the battlefield will be allowed to work on penal farms, helping to restore productivity to the lands they damaged. Those that took part in looting, rapine, crop destruction and/or intentional damage to infrastructure will face the headsman, and their skulls will adorn pikes atop the Traitor's Gate in Creasur, bringing hope to the citizens of Plergoth that the Khthonian menace as a whole will be similarly dealt with in the very near future.

Khthonian Criminals Pursued into Tindle - Vanguard Ambushed

May 4, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Following the successful repulsion of the Khthonian raid into Xinjin, the Army of Plergoth set off in hot pursuit of the fleeing bandits. Regrettably, the exuberance of some of the pursuers was such that they outdistanced the main body of the army and ran headlong into an ambush sprung by Khthonian militia in Tindle. Details are sketchy, but it appears that the Valentic Order Guard was forced to retreat before the Plergothian attack faltered, and Daragh's Dominators is continuing its panicked flight back to Dyomoque, leaving the militia forces to face Plergoth's main army on their own.

As to the Plergothian vanguard, "Sparta's 300" managed an orderly retreat following the wounding of their commander, Whevarier, supported by Makail's Rangers, who lost nine men. Nicolai's "Adrenaline Junkies" suffered heavy losses as well, but it was Shinayne Corrinae's 1st Successor Defenders that bore the brunt of the militia attacks, leaving seven men dead and the remaining 19 wounded, including Shinayne herself.

War Taken to Khthon's Doorstep

May 5, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

It's been a long and punishing war for Plergoth. Most of the fighting against the rebels in Reeds and the brigands of Dyomoque has taken place on Plergothian soil. In the early months of the war, Plergoth lost much of its cropland, and the military infrastructure of Xinjin, Zuhle, Eg Tutnu, Jaekind and Prevos suffered from extensive looting and attacks directed against our defenseless people. Despite the high-minded rhetoric espoused by Khthon at the outset of the conflict, it soon became clear that they were fighting a war designed to cripple our economy and eliminate our ability to fight.

Now, with the support of our steadfast allies in Avalon, Plergoth is ready to answer the Khthonians in kind for their repeated pillaging of our realm. The main body of the Plergothian army has pursued the defeated Khthonian raiders from Xinjin to Tindle, and while they cower behind the walls of Dyomoque (freshly rebuilt after the Army of Plergoth's last visit), we intend to extract our pound of flesh from the merchants, militias and nobles of Tindle - teaching them the folly of supporting the bandit regime in Dyomoque.

Nobles and knights of Khthon - by entering into Plergoth's civil war and attempting to claim our lands in order to "ensure your continued existence", you have foolishly sown the seeds of your own destruction. The Army of Plergoth has now arrived to inform you that the harvest has begun.

From the Frontlines - Battle in Tindle

May 5, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Tindle

Though night has long since fallen, a flickering glow illuminates the starless skies - Tindle is ablaze. Screams echo from the hamlets and villages as loyal Khthonian merchants and nobles, having grown fat off the plunder taken from Plergoth in recent months, are forcibly divested of their ill-gotten gains...and their lives, if they resist.

Tonight's Tindle is a much different land than the one which greeted the dawn. The Tindle militia forces, supported by the rear-guard of the shattered raiding party fleeing from Xinjin, had successfully ambushed the vanguard of the Army of Plergoth pursuit force. The sullen Plergothian prisoners huddled in the central square of Tindle's capital city, under guard, while the militia troops drank to their success and were toasted by the bejewled noblewomen and overfed merchants of the town.

The celebratory atmosphere was disrupted as a scout on horseback, his eyes wide with fear and his mount driven near to death, galloped through the city gates and made his report. "M'lords! Plergothian troops have crossed the border in great numbers, far more than we can hope to face! They'll be here within hours!" A ragged cheer went up among the Plergothian prisoners, then faded as militia guards clubbed the shackled soldiers with their spear butts.

The militia commander turned to Daragh, commander of Daragh's Dominators. "M'lord. Can we expect reinforcements from Dyomoque? Will Khthon come to defend us?" However, his question remained unanswered, as the Daragh was already saddling his horse and readying his unit to flee to the distant safety of Dyomoque's walls. Only Raffi and his veteran "Raging Storm" archers remained to support the Tindle militia.

The battle was a trifling affair. Raffi's archers vented their frustration and rage upon their former allies from Avalon, slaying 13 Guards of Ippetimbal before being annihilated. The militia fought bravely, but were simply overwhelmed by the tidal wave of warriors that struck their lines, outnumbering them four to one. Within two hours, the last traces of Khthonian resistance had been swept from the field, leaving Plergoth and Avalon in command of the territory.

Surveying Tindle, a prosperous territory that had thus far been nearly untouched by the savagery of the sort that Khthon had unleashed on Plergoth's lands, the command went forth: "Burn Tindle to the ground! Let them learn of the horror of war, and the terrible consequences of their support for the bandit kings of Dyomoque."

As dawn breaks, spreading a sullen gray light over the shattered countryside, the plumes of greasy black smoke rising into the sky are certainly visible from the parapets of Dyomoque. They are a message to the cabal of thieves cowering behind the walls - Plergoth is Coming!

From the Frontlines - Skirmish in Tindle

May 5, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Tindle

As the flames spread throughout Tindle, those loyal to the bandit kings of Dyomoque have not been idle. Shadowy figures dart from haystack to haystack, gathering, organizing, planning. Scribes hurry from hut to hut, bringing reports to community leaders and the surviving militia commanders. The news is grim - the Plergothians have attacked with cold hate in their eyes and vengeance in their hearts, and the Khthonian army continues to cling to the tenuous protection of their fortifications - leaving the people of Tindle to their fate.

If the Dyomoque cabal of cowards won't help them, the Tindlese realize, they'll have to save themselves. Able bodied men are recruited from the fields - farmers who've lost their lands and meager possessions, peasants who've lost loved ones, young nobles who've seen their stores and mills and futures reduced to ashen waste - and hastily organized into something vaguely resembling a proper military formation, though referring to it as an unruly mob wouldn't be too far from the truth. Pitchforks and reaping scythes far outnumber polearms and swords, but they have numbers, patriotism and righteous rage on their side, and they are, after all, the blessed Children of the Egg.

Once assembled, the militia captains lead the charge against the Plergothians, who have taken a brief break from their pillaging to face this renewed resistance to their operations. The Tindlese men, seeing the assembled enemy, their banners black from the smoking ruins of cities and farms, their hands red with the blood of Tindlese peasants, shout with rage and charge...into an absolute hail of arrows fired by the professionally trained and well-equipped Plergothian troops. Farmers, merchants, militiamen - charge forward into the waiting arms of the enemy, ducking their heads and raising their arms as if to ward off the lethal shafts. It avails them little. Mere minutes into the battle, dozens of the partisans are lying on the ground, screaming, thrashing, and pouring their lifeblood onto the ground they fought to defend.

A militia captain attempts to rally the men, "By the Great Egg, we fight for Tind...URK!" A well aimed shaft flies true, piercing his throat. With his death, the nerve of the Tindlese breaks, and the survivors flee. Those few that managed to reach the Plergothian lines find their farm implements no match for tempered Creasur steel.

With the morning's entertainment finished, the Plergothian troops return to the business of crushing Tindle's ability to contribute further to the Khthonian war effort.

The fires continue to rage unchecked...

From the Frontlines - Skirmish in Weghie

May 5, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Weghie

Khthon is in turmoil. Following the ignominious death of their long-time leader, Geoff, at the hands of Yao Ling's skilled bowmen during the sack of Dyomoque, they had been following the lead of Sir Elias, Chancellor and Minister of Defense of Khthon. Under the leadership of Sir Elias, Khthon's army - blinded by their hunger for revenge, has sacked Zuhle and Xinjin, and been led to defeat after defeat against the Army of Plergoth.

Following the disaster in Xinjin, most of the Khthonian army fled through Tindle back to Dyomoque, but Sir Elias himself withdrew to Weghie, perhaps hoping to avoid his pursuers and return to Xinjin to lead his Riders of Khthon in further banditry. He failed to account for the dogged pursuit of Lord Geoff's 34th Division and Lord Kevin's 18th Scythian Reavers, which ran the Riders to ground as they attempted to hide in the midst of a peasant militia.

The battle hardened Plergothian troops carved a bloody swath through the peasants, making a bee-line for Sir Elias' position. The fighting raged around the Khthonian center as the Riders sacrificed themselves in the defense of their supreme commander, but to no avail. Sir Elias was struck down by a mighty blow from Lord Geoff, and his surviving partisans have fled into the wilderness.

Leaderless, outnumbered, and under siege, things look grim for the Khthonians. Is this the outcome they had in mind when they joined Valhalla's war against Plergoth lo these many months ago?

From the Frontlines - Peasant Uprising in Tindle

May 6, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Tindle

Whipped into a patriotic frenzy by empty promises of support from Dyomoque, hundreds of ill-equipped and untrained peasants took up arms against the Plergothian occupation force - a howling mob of old men and young boys, throwing themselves upon the spears and swords of their enemies. The slaughter was appalling, with more than six hundred dead Tindlese and a mere 20 Plergothians wounded. Early reports now coming in indicate than another 600+ peasants are gathering for a second wave of attacks, charging headlong into the meatgrinder, as it were.

At this rate, by the time the occupation ends, there will be naught but old women and girls left in Tindle. Even if the region rejoins Dyomoque, its contributions to their war machine will be substantially reduced for months, if not years to come. Zuhle is avenged!

Khthonian Bandits Returning to Xinjin

May 6, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Once again, the people of Xinjin are bracing for another visit from the Khthonian bandits. Too weak to assist the partisan forces in Tindle, the Khthonians have returned to their regular trade of banditry, and have dispatched a quarter of their army through Weghie to raid Xinjin. With the main army engaged in the razing of Tindle, local defense forces are insufficient to repulse the brigands. The Xinjinni are in for a rough time of it.

Nonetheless, this only strengthens Plergoth's resolve to once-and-for-all root out and destroy the den of thieves in Dyomoque, ridding Beluaterra of this realm of fallen "heroes".

From the Frontlines - Bandits Repulsed in Xinjin

May 6, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Xinjin

Cresting a hill, Hokaru reviewed parchiment scraps covered with deployment diagrams and numbers, as scouts returned with reports that a scratch Plergothian militia was assembling across the main road. Hokaru spat, then turned to his captain. "That's the best they can do? A gaggle of peasants and a merchant's caravan guards? Easy meat!"

"M'lord. I advise caution," replied the captain. "Several of our scouts are overdue."

"Ahh, the bassids're probably just tryin' t' get a head start on the lootin'. Everything Plergoth's got is in Tindle, 'cept for these dregs. Have the boys move out. We got killin' t' do 'fore the real fun begins."

The Khthonian brigands advanced down the main road, blowing their battle horns and shouting war cries. In their path stood a motley assemblage of enraged Xinjinni peasants clutching makeshift weapons, backed up by a mercenary band of caravan guards - raw recruits who'd hired on less than four hours earlier. Hokaru's men broke into a run, sensing an easy victory.

It was at this point that lords Nicolai and Thomas ordered their veteran units to break cover and advance from the treeline into the Khthonian flank. Suddenly outnumbered, flanked, and already taking casualties from Lord Thomas' expert bowmen, Hokaru's charge faltered, and a swirling melee ensued as soldiers, brigands, peasants and mercenaries crashed into a confused press of bodies and blades.

Casualties among the Plergothian infantry were high, and Lord Nicolai was greviously wounded, but they succeeded in blunting the Khthonian charge, pinning the bandits in place as Lord Thomas' archers whittled down their numbers. The battle was hard fought, and costly, but there will be no looting in Xinjin tonight.

From the Frontlines - Slaughter Continues in Tindle

May 6, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Tindle

Perhaps it's something in Tindle's water that gives the inhabitants such an unfortunate combination of blind devotion, suicidal determination, and utter martial ineptitude. Whatever it is, it can be safely assumed that the "Heroes" of Dyomoque have been bottling this substance and imbibing heavily.

Another 600+ peasant militiamen and insurgents took to the field today, marching without shoes over the scorched stubble of their fields, past the blackened chimneys of their farmsteads and raven-picked corpses of their livestock. Hopelessly...haplessly...they ran forwards towards the impenetrable line of the Army of Plergoth. Over six hundred Tindlese dead at a cost of only five Plergothians wounded. More than four hundred are reported to be assembling for a desperate third wave...

Where are the trained warriors of Khthon? The "heroes" of Dyomoque? They cower under their beds, fearful to even venture outside of their walls, lest, like Hokaru in Xinjin, they be crushed and hunted like dogs, whimpering in defeat. Soon, very soon, now, they will run out of peasants to hide behind, and will be forced to face the icy justice of cold Plergothian steel.

From the Frontlines - Khthonian Feint Inspires Tindlese to Disaster

May 7, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Tindle

After days of ceaseless carnage that have seen Tindle's lands ravaged, homes destroyed, and people slaughtered in futile attacks against the Plergothian occupation forces, hope had almost gone out of the Tindlese.

"But wait! News from Dyomoque? The Heroes are finally coming to save us?"

"Yes!" the scouts reply. "Lords Neyl, Vyacheslav, Batman and the ruler of Tindle, Mirari, have been seen making preparations for a sortie. A plan must be afoot...perhaps a secret Vlaandereeni army is nearly here, and together they will drive the hated Plergothians out of our lands. We must attack and do our part!"

At dawn, 435 partisans and peasant militia troops assemble and advance towards the Plergothian lines. "The Heroes are coming!" shout their commanders. "You'll see!"

As the Tindlese mob presses on through the early morning fog, the sun breaks through and illuminates the rolling valley where the Plergothian army awaits. Blackened farmland extends for leagues in all directions, and as the fog burns off, it is dreadfully apparent that the Heroes have not come. There will be no secret Vlaandereeni army riding to the rescue. Tindle is on its own.

Shocked and dismayed, the peasants barely resist as the Plergothians surround and engage them, wounding only five Plergothians in the hour it takes to remove another 435 souls from the roster of those who once believed in the "heroes" of Dyomoque.

Tindle burns on...

Retreating Khthonian Bandits Harried Through Weghie

May 7, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Weghie

Still reeling from the defeat of his "Attack Force" in Xinjin, Hokaru of Khthon managed to link up with the remnants of the Valentic Order Guard in Weghie, a tactical error that allowed the pursuing forces of Lord Geoff's 34th Division to bring both bandit troops to battle at once. In a closely matched fight, pitting 31 Khthonians against 34 Plergothians, the superior training and resolve of Lord Geoff's men triumphed, putting the remnants of the Khthonian raiding party to flight once more.

Update! This just in!

Hokaru of Khthon, his raiding party in ruins and his honor in shreds, was captured by Lord Geoff's guards as he attempted to infiltrate the 34th Division's bivouac. He was found to be carrying a poisoned dagger - an assassin's tool.

Don't worry, Hokaru. You'll soon have plenty of company in Plergoth's dungeons, once the other bandit kings of Dyomoque are apprehended and brought to justice.

Mopping Up Operations Continue in Tindle

May 7, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Another 147 armed peasants surrendered to the Army of Plergoth today without a fight, and the Army of Plergoth remains untroubled about the reports of twice that number gathering for a dawn attack on the primary encampments. "In truth," drawled Sir Elroy, Marshal of the Army, "the yeomanry of Tindle make excellent target practice for our archers, and are much more satisfying to run through than straw dummies. Even should our efforts to grind Tindle into submission fail, the entire expedition will have been worth it as a training exercise for the army, which has made great strides in experience and cohesiveness while taking minimal casualties on this campaign. I daresay we're stronger now than when we started."

Though the peasant militias are selling their lives cheaply, they are succeeding in their goal of preventing Plergoth's occupying army from inflicting further destruction. The Tindlese, though foolhardy and inept, do at least have courage, and that we can respect.

Would that the "Heroes" hiding behind the walls of Dyomoque had the same amount of courage shown by the meanest Tindlese peasant. Truly, Khthon does not deserve vassals of this caliber.

From the Frontlines - Bandits on the Run in Weghie

May 7, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Weghie

With the capture of their leader, the skulking assassin Hokaru, his "Attack Force" was left leaderless in Weghie. Recruited from the street gangs of Dyomoque, they'd come south, a diabolical half-hundred, intent on looting and burning their way across Xinjin. Defeated by peasants and caravan guards in Xinjin, they fell back to Weghie, where they were further thrashed by Lord Geoff's 34th Division. Leaderless and routed, the remaining bandits hunkered down around the empty "Batman's Pride" infantry training center and waited for the end.

It was not long in coming. The battle-hardened troops of the 34th Division advanced on the infantry center at dusk, the blood-red setting sun at their backs. One of Geoff's men was wounded in the ensuing fray, but five of the bandits were slain, and all of the other sixteen were badly wounded. The scattered survivors will soon be hunted down and dispatched like the beasts they are. A fitting end to a warband so ignobly conceived and led.

Meanwhile, as Lord Geoff's soldiers rest after the battle, they take the time to marvel at the oddly constructed infantry training grounds. The outlandish training uniforms (with capes and cowls), oddly shaped throwing knives and staff of elderly manservants strike the men as being woefully out of place in the rural heartland of Weghie.