Marching to Destiny: A fantasy military RP (O/A)

[CatsAndCatsAndCats]

It is a tale commonly told. Yet it is a tale that must never be forgotten.

Four hundred and thirty-four years ago, the demons came. Beings of unimaginable power, tearing through the civilized nations. And thus it was decided by Emperor Kaltenn the Third of Norland to create a new military force. The Spellblades, or, as they are commonly known, the Five Hundred and One - men infused with almighty power in both sword and magic. In fighting the demonic horde that encroached upon the world, and the treacherous Dark Casters, they became champions for all time.

And it is these men who will, ultimately, be remembered by history. But is this right? Should the sacrifices of the many nameless men in the regular Koradian troops be forgotten? No, in this chronicler's opinion, they should not, as they performed feats of heroism comparable to, and sometimes even surpassing, those of the Spellblades. And it is my task to record the tale of one group of such forgotten heroes, who perhaps shone the brightest out of all of them.

This is the tale of the Seventh Koradian Army. Their tragedies and triumphs, their victories and defeats... all is contained within these pages...

~Kavarian Ekiros, Imperial Chronicler
Chronicle of the Seventh Koradian Army, 434 in the Demon Years

Profile thread

OOC thread

[CatsAndCatsAndCats]

DA RULES! Love 'em or loathe 'em, live 'em either way.

1. Don't forget, this is a war RP, so characters CAN get hit, or even get critically injured. Godmodding or powerplaying this is not cool.

2. Play nice. If players get annoyed at each other, fine, but don't drag it IC! If I catch two players fighting each other or importing drama IC from OOC, you will BOTH be kicked out of this RP. If you have an issue with another player, PM me and I'll try to sort it out.

3. Romance will be difficult, considering this is an army. You can do it, but keep it sorta PG-13, and remember, it's gonna be damn dangerous.

4. Violence is encouraged. After all, you're in a war. But don't make it too over the top and cartoonish. Realism is what we're going for here.

5. Swearing is fine. Once more, don't go over the top with it.

6. NO ONE LINERS, NO FIRST PERSON, NO *HERPADERP* FOR ACTIONS, AND NO TEXT TALK. This RP is semi-/advanced-lit, so give me at least one or two solid paragraphs per post. Quality over quantity and everything, but give the other players something to work with, eh?

7. Try to keep this RP active and post at least once a week. If you don't, I will PM you a warning, and if you don't post within three days, you will be killed the next time the army goes into action. This is non-negotiable. If you have a reason to be away, PM me and tell me, and I'll put a notification of it on the character list so other players aren't left hanging.

8. Don't hesitate to PM me if you have any questions about the rules or the RP.

9. PM me all your profiles. When you PM me your profile, title it "Reporting for Duty" and put a gaia_crown in it so that I know you read the rules. When it's accepted, post it in the OOC thread, I won't do it for you and it helps keep who everyone belongs to straight.

10. You may have up to three characters, as long as you can keep up with them.

11. No, I don't have any plot set in stone (though I do have a good idea of where it's going). If you have any plot/story ideas, post them OOC and I will happily accept them if I like it. I'm not going to try and play god here.

12. Follow the Gaia TOS. I shouldn't even have to tell you this.

13. Have fun!

[CatsAndCatsAndCats]

About the Koradian Army

The Koradian Army is the backbone of the Koradus Empire. It consists of nine armies, each of which is granted the power to act independently, though each is subject to the will of the Emperor, and to the Inquisition which they use to hold power over their citizens.

The organization into units is as such:

Squad (10 soldiers, commanded by Sergeant)
Fifteen squads per company (150 soldiers, commanded by Captain)
Four companies per regiment (600 soldiers, commanded by Major)
Eight regiments per division (4,800 soldiers, commanded by Colonel)
Five divisions per army (24,000 soldiers, commanded by General)

Additionally, squads are often organized by the Company Captain into platoons of two to five squads for operational purposes. Each division contains six regiments of infantry, one of cavalry and one of archers. The army is also accompanied by a baggage train and one independent company each of mages and engineers.

Ranks are indicated when reporting for duty as follows:

General: General ________ of the 7th Army
Master Archer _______, (1-5th Division) Archer Regiment, Seventh Army
Cavalry Commander _______, (1-5th Division) Cavalry Regiment, Seventh Army
High Mage _______, 7th Army Corps of Mages
Chief Engineer _______, 7th Army Corps of Engineers

Colonel: Colonel ________, (1-5th) Division, 7th Army
Major: Major ________, (1-8th) Regiment, (1-5th) Division, 7th Army
Captain: Captain _______, (1-4th) Company, (1-8th) Regiment, (1-5th) Division, 7th Army
Sergeant: Sergeant _______, (1-15th) Squad, (1-5th) Company, (1-8th) Regiment, (1-5th) Division, 7th Army
Private: Private _______, (1-15th) Squad, (1-5th) Company, (1-8th) Regiment, (1-5th) Division, 7th Army
Archer: Archer _______, (1-5th Division) Archer Regiment, 7th Army
Cavalry: Cavalry Trooper _______, (1-5th Division) Cavalry Regiment, 7th Army
Mage: Mage _______, 7th Army Corps of Mages
Engineer: Engineer _______, 7th Army Corps of Engineers

Abbreviations for ranks:
Colonel _______, 2-7
Major _______, 6-2-7
Captain _______, 4-6-2-7
Sergeant _______, 13-4-6-2-7
Private _______, 13-4-6-2-7

Abbreviations for units:
Division 2
Regiment 62
Company 462
Squad 13-462

[CatsAndCatsAndCats]

THE WORLD OF CHIMERUM, PART 1: Geography

The RP takes place in Chimerum, a world divided into three continents: the Old Lands in the southwest, the Demon Lands to the east, and the New Lands in the northeast. Between the three lands is the Diamond Ocean, which covers most of the world's surface.

The New Lands are the largest continent, and almost entirely dominated by the human Koradus Empire (which also covers some islands in the Diamond Ocean). Along its southern coast, it has a temperate climate, suitable for agriculture, but most of it is cold and mountainous. In the far north, it is too cold for humans to live permanently, and it is almost entirely dominated by the half-human half-animal Beastmen.

The OId Lands, to the southwest, were once the land of the great Elven Empire, but a great schism in government and a decadent, corrupt royal family brought the empire down. Though a few Elves still exist, they are a dying race, sequestered away in the few old elven cities that remain, and have little contact with outsiders. Since the empire's fall, Koradus has moved in, and maintains some territory in the east. The Old Lands are a land torn by war, with the elves, Koradians and the elves' terrifying undead servants warring for land.

The Diamond Ocean contains many small islands, most of which maintain primitive, tribal cultures. However, one nation, Komoldo, has begun to expand into a strong empire of its own, and come to rival Koradus for the greatest human power that currently exists. However, crossing the ocean is treacherous. The Grey Elves, a faction of the Elves who fled their crumbling empire, have devolved into vicious pirates and allies of the demons, raiding the island kingdoms and any ships that pass, living in floating cities on the water. Though the Komoldim try to keep the waters safe, it is a difficult task, due to the advanced magic of the Grey Elves.

The Demon Lands in the south are a terrifying desert wasteland. Nothing grows here, and it is almost always unbearably hot. Once the domain of human kingdoms, the demon infestation hit here hardest. Almost all of the populace have become the mindless slaves of the Dark. The once-great human cities now lie in ruins. However, Komoldo has several holdings in cities along the relatively demon-free north coast, and are attempting to push further into demon territory. However, this is a hopeless endeavour, and they have been forced to abandon many of their cities to the demons.

(NOTE: If someone would like to draw a map, I will pay them 5,000 gold.)

[CatsAndCatsAndCats]

THE WORLD OF CHIMERUM, PART 2: RACES

Koradus: One of two major human nations in the world, the other being Komoldo, Koradus is a rapidly expanding empire. Once reliant on medieval technology, it has recently become the domain of engineers and scientists, who are developing (steampunk-ish) technology that has made them the greatest power in the world. The empire itself is ordered, with the absolute rule of the Emperor and the vicious hand of the Inquisition keeping the populace in line. However, at the empire's frontiers, war is a way of life, and the armies are being bled dry by interminable war with the demons.

Komoldo: Once a primitive island nation, Komoldo has come to rival Koradus as the primary human world power. Though certainly not as advanced, technology or military-wise, as their rivals, Komoldo's navy is greatly feared, due to their swiftness and propensity for quick, decisive strikes. Komoldo and Koradus are no friends, due to their trying to stake claims on the same territory, and have gone to war several times. However, they share a mutual enemy in the demons, and the Komoldim navy and Koradian army, when joined together, are a force to be reckoned with. But the alliance is fragile, and can all to easily fall to infighting.

Beastmen: The Beastmen were formerly servants of the elves, made to serve them as slaves and warriors, but when the Elven Empire collapsed, the Beastmen were freed from their control. Though they live all over the world, their primary power base is in the far north of the New Lands, where they maintain a clan-based society. Despite their fearsome appearance, being giant fusions of man and any animal that can be imagined, the Beastmen are mostly a peaceful race... unless they are insulted, in which case, the resultant blood feuds can go on for generations. They mostly keep themselves to themselves, but have an alliance with Koradus, and Beastmen often serve in the Koradian military. They live a shorter time than humans, roughly 55 years.

High Elves: Since the fall of the Elven Empire, the High Elves are a pale shadow of what they once were. Nevertheless, they remain a proud and arrogant race, hiding away in the few old elven cities that remain, and refusing to admit that their magic - and they - are a dying race. Elves tend to dislike humans, and half-elves and the few who do attempt to integrate into society are treated as outcasts. Their half-mechanical servants still wander the remote places of the world, attacking indiscriminately. Any humans who try to enter their cities are attacked and killed immediately. They are longer-lived than humans, and more attuned to magic, and live to about 400 years old.

Grey Elves: The Grey Elves were a faction of elves driven from the Elven Empire at its fall, who found shelter on remote islands in the Diamond Ocean. Driven to desperate measures to survive, they eventually devolved to barbarism, despite maintaining the floating raft cities they once lived on. Now, they are a race of vicious pirates and brigands, striking at island and coastal cities whenever they can and harassing merchant vessels. Much of the efforts of Koradus' navy are devoted to keeping the seas free of Grey Elf ships.

Demons: Terrifying beings from beyond the known planes of existence, demons are the primary threat to the security of the world. Appearing out of portals without warning, they are fully capable of tearing an entire regiment of soldiers apart. They can manifest in two breeds: Dentassi, who manifest themselves as magically-endowed monsters, or Valtassi, who possess humans. All old feuds aside, any living being in Chimerum will stand alongside blood enemies to destroy an infestation of demons.

[CatsAndCatsAndCats]

THE WORLD OF CHIMERUM, PART 3: Magic

Human magic was born upon the entry of the demons into the world, created as a tool by the Emperor to fight the demons. The Spellblades, or the Five Hundred and One, were the first mages, and all power derives from them. The head of each of the eight Spellblade legions has control over each of the eight schools of magic, and has to implicitly accept or deny every spell that is cast in the world. Whenever one of them dies, another one is born to take their place, so there are always five hundred and one Spellblades in the world. Each Koradian mage is trained by a Spellblade, so they specialize in one school of magic - while they can use the others, they are not nearly as powerful as they are in their specialist school.

The eight schools of magic are:

Illusionists: Derived from the First Legion of the Spellblades. Illusionists specialize in deceits, traps and illusions (e.g. hiding things that there are or creating illusory objects from thin air, or altering an enemy's mind to create false memories).

Summoners: Derived from the Second Legion of the Spellblades. Summoners specialize in bringing a manifestation of energy, objects or creatures to or from the mage (e.g. using energy to heal or teleporting soldiers throughout the empire with a network of portals).

Enhancers: Derived from the Third Legion of the Spellblades. Enhancers specialize in affecting the minds of others, influencing or controlling their behaviour or imbuing them with additional power (e.g. controlling another's mind to act as their servant or granting additional strength to an ally).

Resurrectors: Derived from the Fourth Legion of the Spellblades. Resurrectors work with raw life force, either granting it or taking away (e.g. removing the life force from another and transferring their power to oneself, or bringing others back from the dead to act as undead servants). Resurrectors are often distrusted, and said to be "close to the demons".

Guardians: Derived from the Fifth Legion of the Spellblades. Guardians focus on protecting allies, objects, or locations (e.g. creating a barrier around them to act as a shield, or creating an aura which will harm anyone that comes near them).

Shapers: Derived from the Sixth Legion of the Spellblades. Shapers focus on changing the nature of their own or others' bodies, either positively or negatively (e.g. transforming the skin of an ally to stone, or re-arranging the organs in another's body in order to kill them).

Searchers: Derived from the Seventh Legion of the Spellblades. More scholarly than the other, battle-oriented schools Searchers focus on research and revealing information, which includes divination spells that allow them to see the future (e.g. reading the minds of others, or being able to read any language).

Ravagers: Derived from the Eighth Legion of the Spellblades. Ravagers are the most violent and destructive of mages, working with raw energy or creating something from nothing (e.g. traditional destructive spells such as fireballs/lightning bolts/etc., or manifesting objects when necessary).

[CatsAndCatsAndCats]

PROFILE SKELETON

Copy the profile skeleton below. PM me the profile with the subject title "Reporting for Duty" and one of these gaia_crown somewhere in it. I will post it in the profile thread.

General Information
Name:
Age: (Nobody under 18 please, the army's not a babysitting service)
Gender: (Male or female)
Orientation:

Primary weapon: (Note that gunpowder weapons are only available to Engineers. For Archers, this must be a bow)
Secondary weapon: (Mages cannot have one of these)
Tertiary weapon: (Mages and Engineers cannot have one of these)
Primary school of magic: (For Mages only)

Biographical information
Race: (As from the Factions post above, any except demon. You can also be half-races if you want)
Rank:
Unit: (As described in the post above. Only do it from the unit you command above. So, for example, Captains would put their company, regiment and division, while Colonels would only put their division. Check the "Roles" post below to see what ranks are available.)
Homeland: (Make one up, as long as it's within the world as described in the "Geography" post. You can choose one from the map if it's ever done smile )
Personality:
Biography: (At least two paragraphs, include why you decided to enlist in the army)

Appearance Information
Overall Appearance: (Either picture or description, but not too anime if you use a picture)
Eye Color:
Hair Color:
Distinguishing Marks: (Tattoos, scars, missing limbs etc.)

Played by: (Gaia screenname)

[CatsAndCatsAndCats]

AVAILABLE ROLES

You may have multiple characters. Send a reserve if you would like to reserve a spot.

Commanding officers
General: Bartok Hallimont (CatsAndCatsAndCats)
Cavalry Commander: Ekkehard Heldenhammer (obsidiankatana)
Master Archer: Vidar Beauclerc (Phobso)
High Mage: Brocken Nailwood (Dark Sea Captain)
Chief Engineer: OPEN

Ranking officers
Colonel: OPEN
Colonel: OPEN
Major: Aeden Threshervan (NovemberRain181)
Major: OPEN
Captain: OPEN
Captain: OPEN
Sergeant: OPEN
Sergeant: OPEN
Sergeant: OPEN
Sergeant: OPEN

Enlisted men
Private: Via Sikil (Captain Luke Brown)
Private: OPEN
Private: OPEN
Private: OPEN
Private: OPEN
Private: OPEN
Private: OPEN
Private: OPEN
Private: OPEN
Private: OPEN

Specialists
Cavalry Trooper: OPEN
Cavalry Trooper: OPEN
Cavalry Trooper: OPEN
Archer: OPEN
Archer: OPEN
Archer: OPEN
Mage: Nissa Revane (Sinoke)
Mage: Ekan Ysr (Infernal Steel)
Engineer: Tahlia Yasil (quiksilver001)
Engineer: OPEN

[CatsAndCatsAndCats]

This post reserved for a later purpose

[CatsAndCatsAndCats]

This post reserved for a later purpose

[CatsAndCatsAndCats]

OPEN! Let the shenanigans begin!

[CatsAndCatsAndCats]

Rather tellingly, the Koradian Seventh's first taste of combat, in 288 of the Demon Years, came about, not through some glorious charge of horses as the Inquisition would have preferred for purposes of morale, but through a confusion of treachery and lies. Even more tellingly, said treachery took place at a lavish banquet, a banquet scheduled by Emperor Ludovic as a celebration of Imperial might. Fully prepared to face an enemy from outside, they could never have predicted the rise of this enemy within...

~Kavarian Ekiros, Imperial Chronicler
Chronicle of the Seventh Army: Volume I, Chapter I - "House of Unquenchable Fire" (434 of the Demon Years)

[CatsAndCatsAndCats]

~Bartok Hallimont~

Bartok struggled not to sigh in disappointment as he climbed up to the hastily constructed podium on a field outside Jaestam, preparing to give a speech to the Seventh Army at their passing-out ceremony.

The sunlight flashing on his armor was giving him a headache. In battle, he wore standard-issue steel plate and boiled leather, but he had to look "grand" and "regal" for the passing-out, so he was given some flashy but useless gilded suit of armor, a flowing blood-red cape that he constantly struggled not to trip over, and a ridiculously ornate plumed ceremonial helmet. The helmet was far too loose anyway. They can afford enough to let us all camp outside the city like this, and a banquet besides, but they can't afford a helmet that fits?

The ceremony was held on a field not far from the city walls, the only place large enough and nearby enough to hold all 24,000 soldiers of the Seventh Army. Bartok could not deny that it all looked very impressive, all the soldiers standing by regiment and arranged into neat ranks, the Colonels and specialist commanders standing beneath the podium under the watchful eye of a few white-robed Inquisitors. The mages were resplendent in their ceremonial robes, the soldiers looked appropriately martial and intimidating in their boiled leather and mail, the cavalry's horses were all freshly groomed and rested, and the engineers were standing proudly besides whatever strange devices they had been tinkering with last. This was a polite way of saying that the War Council had spent too much on equipment and not enough on training facilities.

Struggling to suppress his bitter laughter at the sheer madness of it all, Bartok unrolled the scroll containing the short speech that he, as General, was obligated to read. The War Council had seen the speech he had intended to read at the ceremony, and made some hasty revisions after they saw what he had written. Perhaps he shouldn't have said that the army was underprepared for what they were about to face. Even if they were. What was left was a lot of pious humbug and genuflecting before His Almighty Majesty.

The speech was generic enough, in fact, that Bartok could not even remember what he said after he had read it. All he remembered was the last part. "Soldiers of the Seventh Army! Listen closely, for this concerns you. You have come a long way, through the rigorous training designed to produce only the best to serve His Almighty Majesty's will. As your newly assigned General, I watched you grow like the mighty oak. You have come from humble origins, as common citizens of this empire. But thief or lord, farmer or merchant, human, elf or beastman, you are common citizens no longer. Stand and be proud, for you are soldiers of the Koradian Empire, the strong arm of this mighty nation. And I am proud to call you... my soldiers."

He forced what he hoped resembled a proud smile onto his face, as the gaggle of noblemen watching the ceremony applauded politely. They had heard all this before, many times over, as yet another unfortunate batch of raw recruits was sent out to get slaughtered by demons. Bartok was fairly sure he'd heard that "mighty oak" thing before too, when he'd first signed up in the Third Army's recruiting drive. Either the Inquisition speechwriter was immortal, or they all lacked imaginations. Perhaps Bartok did not need to voice his true sentiments in his speech. He had voiced them enough during training, after all.

Bartok climbed down from the podium, removed his helmet, and began to give directions to the troops. "Move out, all of you. Everyone whom His Almighty Majesty invited, to the palace. Rest of you, to your camps. And don't get lost like you did three days ago..." That night, everyone in the Seventh ranked Major or above, plus the four commanders of the specialist units and a select few lower-ranking officers - and Private Sikil, whom Bartok had taken upon himself to watch like a hawk all throughout training - would be invited up to the August Palace for a feast. The remainder of the army would return to their camps and sleep rough, as per usual. Must look on us like we're too privileged. And it might be that's true. But we can't ignore His Almighty Majesty's wishes, after all. No matter how much some of us would like to... Chewing on these thoughts, he fell into step next to the rest of the commanding officers, ruminating on what the future had in store for the Seventh. Probably not much.

((OOC: Everyone's character is coming to the feast smile ))

[Dark Sea Captain]

↘↘ Br o c k e n

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNa i l w o o d ↙↙

✘✘✘We fight for the greater good !

Sitting in a rather nice looking library filled with books of nothing more than magic was none other than Brocken Nailwood. He was sitting in the middle of the room with his hands out in front of him. Floating around him was orbs. Orbs of the magical elements. Fire,water,lighting,earth and so on. He was concentrating on a new casting art. It was the only thing on his mind right now. He had forgotten all about the ceremony that he was supposed to be attending. He had more important things to think about anyway. And that ceremony was not one of them. Though it wouldn't be right for him to miss the ceremony. With him being a High Elf the humans might think he saw himself over such things. Where in he didn't. Brocken was far different than most High Elves. True in the past he through himself better than most. But not anymore. With a sigh Brocken closed his hands into fists before standing to his feet ad placing his hands behind his back. It was time he made his way to the ceremony. Brocken just hoped that he didn't miss anything important. Closing his eyes and sighing softly Brocken grabbed the spell book he was reading at the moment and the rest of the things he needed before heading out. It was a short walk. Brocken made it to the ceremony in no time. Sitting down in the spot that was meant for him Brocken looked up at Bartok as he spoke to everyone. His words....they were not meant. Brocken could feel it. Funny. Someone must have told him to say such things. But why? It seemed humans had control issues just like other races. Rubbing his chin and keeping his eyes closed while the speech went on Brocken let out a small sigh once everything was said and done. Clapping his hands with everyone else Brocken stood to his feet and made his way over to Bartok after he gave his orders. Marching along side the man Brocken opened his eyes and sighed softly before glancing over at the General. " If you don't mind me saying sir that was an interesting speech. Well put together. I'm sure the others will look back on your words once in battle and keep them to heart. " With that said Brocken looked forward again making sure to keep his peace about him.

Or so they say!✘✘✘

[IDoDrumStuff]

I'll cut the words from your mouth
You'll never speak my name again
Locked up and sold the ******** out
Don't think you won't see me again

→Via Sikil←
Shady Rogue
Often Via wondered whether or not the headsman's axe was perhaps the wiser option. Sometimes he wished he could return but a few weeks ago and laugh in the face of the General's offer, in the hope that he himself would just cut him down there and put this new type of torment to rest. He was not a soldier like the rest of them, he was a prisoner being forced to fight or die, and the latter was the much more inevitable option, which was a peace Via had already come to accept, there was no way his contribution to the war effort would ever amount of enough to cause a serious dent in the enemy, which was something else the now private had come to accept. He stood in line with those in his squadron, forced in to the typical chain-mail and boiled leather armour that his fellow soldiers were wearing, so that the General had a nice, well regimented, well trained army too look out upon. Soldiers all in line with their backs straight and chests pushed out, shields on one arm and weapons in sheaths and on their backs ready for conflict if it were to rear it's ugly head. Little was it known to the casual onlooker that Via's hands were bound tightly behind his back under suspicion that, if given the opportunity Via would kill his way out of the camp, he was also always followed by another armed soldier wherever he went for fear of him killing people and breaking free. His weapons were still allowed on his person, however with his hands bound he couldn't exactly use them too well, that was so that in case of surprise attack he could be cut free and set about defending himself and his 'comrades'. The heavy military armour was starting to become tiring and clumsy feeling to wear, but all he had to do was stand still for a few minutes to listen to a speech, surely he could handle that much...

The General rose to his podium and unrolled a scroll before him, in gilded armour and decorative helmet, even a man like Via, who knew him less than the common man knew Elven magic, could see even he didn't particularly want to be there, dressed as he was in all of his uncommon finery. He began his speech, and Via stood at attention the best he could, trying his hardest to pretend he cared very much about what the General had to say, he knew he was being sentenced to death anyway, thus leaving him with very little interest in all of the talking beforehand, he wanted to just go out, draw his sword in the name of a realm he cared little about, and then die. As the man spoke, he heard him mention 'thief' in his speech, and couldn't help but laugh to himself slightly, at least the high and mighty General had spared a thought for 'Via the Unlucky', as the case seemed to state, that line even instigated a glare from the soldier standing next to him, the sergeant of his squad, who took an instant disliking to the reluctant 'soldier', Via ignored and let his General continue. As the speech drew to a close he heard the light trickling of noble hands applauding in the gentle breeze around them, which blew Via's unkempt brown hair to the right, the direction in which it already parted, and left a chill on his freshly shaven face, further sending a shiver down his spine, but he stayed straight to the naked eye. He sighed upon mention of a feast he had to attend, one which he was only going to because he was under the watchful eye of the great and powerful General who lead them, as far as he saw it, he was in a den of men and women whom he had previously stolen from, or killed relations of, and thus his trip to the feast would be somewhat awkward to say the least. Further dread clouded over him when he realised that it meant he would have to slug the heavy armour on his body around with him for a few more hours at least, and pretend to care about even more things he didn't know about or understand, any more talk of the honour of warfare or being an honourable, respected soldier would make Via vomit.

"On the General..dog" his designated 'guard' for the day ordered, nudging him hard in the back with his shield to push him forward, Via chuckled and added, without looking back "Aren't you a kind one.." sarcastically as the Guard then pushed him in the direction of the General, who was walking with commanding officers and other high ranking officers in the Seventh Army, Via would stick out like a sore thumb, and questioned whether or not he would be bound and tied like some kind of slave at the feast also...it would still be better than braving the harsh nightfall..and so he chose not to complain..

I'll come back three times
Once in the name of deceit
Twice for your malice
Three times when I take you away