The morning horn is pretty normal, as is the packing up of the camp and forming up although you are all the shiniest you have looked since first got your armor since you were all told to look good for your final arrival.


The only trouble starts right before you are all due to set off and stems from the fact that 4 men are missing along with all their gear. The Capt. orders an immediate search of the camp and area around it but nothing is turned up. He seems genuinely angry for the first time and mutters about men being dragged naked behind horses before ordering the march to begin at double time since its an hour late.


After an hour of double time he calls normal march and shouts back to the squad.


"Well boys it appears you have now seen the ugliest part of army life, deserters. I'm going to tell you now that running off after  you enlist and gain your armor is a very, very bad idea. The day you left training you swore to serve your country for at least 3 years so breaking that oath is treason and trust me on this, we deal with treason VERY harshly."


The proclamation is met with silence as you all try and think of who is missing, you think that you might have an idea when the Capt. begins to speak again.


"Now once we reach the temporary camps we are not going to enjoy a nice lunch like I planned, instead I will have to report this and each and every one of you will be questioned by some of our... lets call them information retrievers for now. So I'm going to give you all some honest advice. Do not lie to them, do not hold back and do not try and make things up. If you are honest, you'll have a two minute chat and be in the lunch tent right after. If they catch you lying you'll be in a whole lot more trouble. You all understand?"


The squad replies with a resounding "Yes Sir!" then marches in silence until shortly before noon when a runner approaches from up ahead. Its a scout from the camp up ahead and he chats to the Capt. before running back the way he came. The Capt. thinks for a bit before addressing you all.


"Well it seems that our deserters tried to cross the lines some time this morning and get over to the enemy side, it also appears that they were carrying some important documents with them. They didn't make it. This wont change our plans at all but just a reminder for you all, be completely honest when questioned and you'll be fine."


Once you reach the camp you are all surrounded then guided to a large tent by soldiers from another squad whose emblem you don't recognize. You are informed that you are all here for a quick chat at the request of the intelligence section and that you should wait patiently to be called through as it shouldn't take long.


The man seemed nice and reassuring but being 'invited for a chat by the intelligence section' doesn't calm you down much.


Your turn finally comes and you are lead through a tent opening into smaller adjoining tent with an old small man waiting behind a desk. You notice another man standing to the side poking at a lamp seemingly trying to get a steady glow from it as it flickered and spluttered.


The small man looks up and smiles "Come in and have a seat, don't mind my colleague there, he just refuses to requisition a new lamp if he feels he can fix that one." The other man just grunts and nods in your direction before turning back to the lamp and swearing at it under his breath as he started fiddling with it again.


"So I'll be honest with you" he begins "The men that deserted your company may have been trying to take documents containing very classified information regarding our city over to the enemy. We simply need to know everything we can to ensure nothing got through that could put our city in danger, do you understand?" he waits for you to nod before continuing. "So if you could please tell us anything you think is important I'll note it down then you can be on your way to the lunch tent which I believe will be something nice today."


"Rabbit stew and potatoes." interjects the man at the lamp.


The small man laughs before continuing "My colleague keeps a close eye on the menus, but we must be getting on, so do you have anything you feel might be important to share with us?"


The men seem congenial and relaxed and this isn't exactly an interrogation so you quickly decide what to say

You complete honesty is best even if you might look bad. You tell everything from when you first had doubts, them approaching you and the last night by the fire.

You were warned not to lie to these people and you don't plan too. Even if they seem nice, they are still intelligence workers so you cant be too careful.


You tell them the entire story of meeting the men, you tell them every detail you remember about them before and after they approached you. You even tell them anything you think might have given them reason to talk to you. After your done the small man smiles encouragingly and asks a few small questions to clarify details before putting his quill down.


"Well thank you Glor, I do believe you've told us everything you know. You didn't even try to hold back minor details that may have made you look bad but don't worry, you having some doubts isn't a crime and I'm sure the commanders here can put any of your fears to rest. Now I believe the Captain is waiting anxiously in the lunch tent for you all. He puts on a strong front but he always takes care of men in his charge, now go enjoy your lunch, my colleague there will point the tent out to you."


The grunting lantern obsessed man waves you over to the back of the tent and opens the flaps for you "The one with the blue pendant." he points to a large tent some way across the camp "Rabbit stew today." he adds before retreating back into the tent.


You call you thanks and head to the tent. The little man was right and Capt. Argor is waiting at the entrance, he gives you a reassuring smile and sends you over to the long table where the squad mates who went in before you are all sitting and dishing out stew from a central pot.


As the lunch hour passes all but 1 of your squad makes an appearance. The Captain calls you all over and you hear him muttering that he told him not to try and lie before he addresses you all properly. "Right boys you've been spoken too, had some good grub and not its time to meet the rest of the 3rd! We have the main barracks tent in this camp so the commander will give you all a once over before your all assigned duties. Follow me."


No-one asks about the missing squad member and several others had heard the Captain's muttering so you all march to the 3rd companies barracks tents in silence thinking that this camp may not be as welcoming as everyone seems so very keen to make out.

The New Commander

Once you reach the 3rd Companies HQ tent you are all looked over by an older officer who is introduced as the 3rd's commander, and one of the highest ranked officers on the front lines. He gives a welcoming speech and tells a few of his old military stories to try and make you feel at home but ends with telling you all that one of your number ran off during questioning towards the front lines so was probably working with the others that had disappeared.


He quickly changes the subject and tells you that the most important matter at hand is getting this base up and running. You can see the start of the fortifications from here and the men working on them so he leaves you back in the care of Capt. Argor (who it appears requested to be assigned to your squad) and he takes you to the work site.


Once there you are divided into smaller teams and sent off to the areas that suit your skills best but 2 other highly trained men and your self are kept back and are taken to the work-site overseer's tent. Due to your experience you each given teams to command and areas of the fort to work on, The deadlines are strict but your labor is made up of disciplined soldiers so work should progress quickly.


Weeks pass and the forts defenses and main buildings are fully constructed right on schedule. Capt. Argor calls in a few of the team leaders including yourself for a chat.


"Well boys the work here has gone great, but the 1st and 2nd haven't been idle either and and still pushing on ahead. Resistance is growing as they near Carn but we should have it under siege but the time spring hits. That being the case we need men and overseers on the front lines to quickly erect new defense lines and set up all the siege works once we reach their walls. The rest will remain here to finish off these forts and make them defensible and livable for years to come. I for one will be heading forward, its dangerous but I was never one for waiting around, who else wants the exciting job?"

You head to the front and eventually the siege lines

The trip to the front is a long one, each day away from the newly built forts increases the risk of being attacked by small bands of skirmishers or partisans that might be in the area. Your party has an escort from the 1st but you only number 100 men and so everyone is kept watchfull and double sentries are posted each night.


Along the way you stop at the small temporary encampments your army is using to move the supplies, no more than palisade walls around bare earth but each time your group stops for a day or two to help fortify the camp before moving on. Finally after many days of marching and building your company arrives at the front lines, they have been pushing ahead each day against increasing resistance but the enemy seems to retreat each time it has lost the advantage.


Capt. Argor confides in you that he hates the tactic but that its been their most effective one of the war. They set up small ambushes and skirmishers to engage your vanguard into each fight blocking the advance. They would just keep moving and plow over the small attacks but very occasionally its a much bigger force and plowing ahead would lead to massive casualties. So most days the march is interrupted and temporary defenses erected.


The advance continues this way until you are within sight of the city and the clear plains around it prevent any large numbers of troops to be hidden.


Spring is just about to begin as your troops encircle the city and you and the rest of the 3rd start building defenses and war machines.

You final Charge

Your troops are elated about beginning the siege as they see it as a much safer occupation than marching through hostile woods and you share their relief. Your men work quickly and in a couple of days you are beginning to see walls, ditches and palisades spring up around the city.


You mainly work on erecting palisades behind shallow ditches but lend a hand to the construction of the massive trebuchet that are going to bombard the cities walls. You feel that the work is going well and that within a week your army will have a very strong position ready to repel any final attacks.


Unfortunately Carn does not wait for the week to end and instead attacks in force. Just before dawn they flood out of a merchants gate and launch a full scale attack on your encircling lines. You have some defenses in place but there are still gaps and it is through one of the gaps that they push. Capt. Argor hearing the horn rouses you all instantly and orders you into full armor.


"Now is the time we draw swords with the rest! We built these defenses and now we man them ourselves!"


He leads you all out and into the camp, as you move forward you can see fires spreading and hear the din of battle. Your army hadn't been as prepared as it should have been and it seemed that every man in Carn was on the field in full armor. The Capt. upon seeing the state of the camp lead you in front of the medical tents and ordered you into a defense line before running inside.


Once he returns he explains whats happening.


"They are attacking and making ground through the camps fast. These are the medical tents, sick and injured are being evacuated by the staff as we speak but we need to buy them time. We hold here. No retreat untill they are safe you understand me?"


Your squad responds with a resounding "Yes Sir!" and prepare for the onslaught.


It comes fast and is brutal. A full platoon of enemy soldiers charges you shield line and is in the process of breaking through when they are hit in the flank by a squad from the 3rd who were barracked elsewhere. They join your defense as the enemy regroups and you start gathering stragglers from defeated squads.


The enemy attacks relentlessly but each time you just hold the line long enough, then finally the all clear is given from behind. Your squad gives a ragged cheer and those left standing begin to try and retreat. Sadly the enemy has been reinforced and hits you hard, finally smashing through your defense line and overrunning the tents.


You fight bravely and have used your skills to take down several attackers but you are tired and you shield arm slips long enough for a spear to take you in the side. You fall and look up at one of your attackers officers as the rest push over you to get at the retreating defense lines. You see him pause to look down.


You manage to say "We will still win the war, My home will be avenged."


He looks down at you with something akin to pity "Avenged? We never attacked you, your own council sent the burning ships so they could invade us, no, there will be no vengeance for your home here."


Then he takes a soldiers pity on you and ends it all.