Thunderbrawl (335 film)

Jameson Vahareis as High King Caoifhlinn

Caolan Broin as Captain Murphac

Cathair Pwysh as Admiral Maddock

Kyra Volanis as Empress Mila

**Thunderbrawl** is a 335 military drama film directed by Blake O'Brallaghan and produced by United Studios, a conglomerate of several national studios in order to fund the epic. The film stars Garmanese-Novacian actor Aodh Heston as Admiral Ifan MacDiamúda of the LRG *Thunderchild.* Additional roles are played by a star-studded cast.

Thunderbrawl was the most expensive film shot at the time of release, and ran for a lengthy 3 hours 18 minutes in its standard release, though the film included an additional 12 minutes in Garmanese releases including cut scenes with High King Marcas De Róiste I. The film was shot between 332 and 334, and was on-location in Iksis, Garman, Hybretia, Novac, Kygon, and the United Federal Commonwealth.

### Plot

In 242KOR, the Kordynian Empire has won the Battle of Iksis. On the heels of their victory, the fleet is attacked by the Gretian Imperial Navy. Dafydd Maddock (Pwysh) leads the HMS Resolute on a suicide mission to save the Imperial fleets. Admiral MacDiamúda (Heston) attempts to rescue Maddock, but is forced to withdraw after taking serious damage from one of the Gretian vessels.

Several months later, panic has gripped the empire as the Gretian fleets have overrun Endiolaudika and Kolangrad. Garmanese ships fail to stop the Gretians from passing through the Dire Straits, and Haven falls to a massive ironclad fleet lead by the same vessel that attacked *Thunder Child*. Identified as the HMIV *Thunderball*, it and the HMIV *Excelsior, Interregnum, Renton* and *Eudora* begin destroying Novacian and Garmanese ships in the Bay of Saint Black in anticipation of reinforcements from the north. Empress Regent Mila orders that something be done about the *Thunderball* as High King Marcas I is killed at the Battle of Cúlchríocha.

The Garmanese and Novacian fleets attempt to prevent the Gretian-Tyretian fleet from reaching Fearna in the Battle of Saint Black's Bay, but the LRG *Rosslare* is destroyed. *Thunder Child* spots *Thunderball* but is unable to pursue, knowing that it would be in vain. *Renton* is ran aground by *Thunder Child* and Novacian Captain Montgomery of the Aubitz. *Thunderball* ambushes the two ships, but they are saved by the Lirrachan warship *Balmoral*, who have come to provide material support to the Garmanese, as the Gretians are also attacking their people.

Gretian reinforcements arrive, with the Garmanese-Novacian fleet unable to prevent them using the Northern Channel. King Daelin I manages to hold Fearna for months until the Kordynian fleet is able to use new technologies and tactics to dislodge the enemy. Cut off from the Sea of Conquerors, the Gretians put their full force into invading northern Garman and Novac.

On November 4th, the LRG *Thunder Child* and *Curracloe* are supporting a Novacian fleet lead by Captain Montgomery (McCall) when the Gretian fleet attacks. Seriously outgunned and outnumbered, the ships try to lure the Gretians into range of the coastal artillery loaned by the Lirrachans. The *Aubitz* ruptures the Gretian Battleship *Eudora*'s hull, and it chases the little ship into range of the artillery, The *Eudora* is set ablaze by the barrage, but sinks the *Aubitz*, killing Captain Montgomery.

*Thunderball* moves to fall back, MacDiamúda and Murphac give chase. A tense game of cat and mouse begins as Captian Lennox tries to hide in the fog near islands on the north coast of Saint Black's Bay. *Thunder Child* and *Thunderball* periodically run into eachother, exchanging tense fire with one another. *Curracloe* gets lost and cannot support the *Thunder Child*, MacDiamúda is determined to destroy the ship regardless. Finally, he gets the jump on *Thunderball*, who is disoriented and running low on shells. The *Thunder Child* is seriously damaged as it charges the *Thunderball*, but the two ships collide with the agonizing sound of scraping steel. Fierce fighting breaks out over the decks of the two ships, as MacDiamúda takes part in the melee. As fires spread across the enemy ship, MacDiamúda comes face to face with the Captain of the *Thunderball*, a man who looks very much like himself. Before the two can fight, the fire spreads to the *Thunderball's* magazine and the ships explode.

The next morning, the *Curracloe* discovers the wreckage and recovers survivors. They find MacDiamúda mortally wounded but alive. He is brought before High King Caoifhlinn De Róiste, where he utters "*Trí Theine agus Uisce"* before he dies. The new King declares him a national hero and orders a memorial be built to honor the sacrifices of those on the *Thunder Child*.

As the credits play, modern day footage of the wreck of the two ships is shown.

In a post-credits scene, the loss of the *Thunderball* leads to the Gretian prime minister losing a vote of confidence and being replaced by Hiram Borman, who smirks as he pens a letter to the General Secretary of the People's Democratic Republic of Pandora.

### Historical Accuracy

Historians had some criticism for the film, though it was credited as being far more accurate than most films of the genre. The scenes set on the *Thunderball* at the end of the film were shot on the deck of the U.W.S. *Republica*, formerly HMIV *Rhoysler III*, a Thunderball-Mark IV destroyer which was not introduced until 30 years after the end of the Great War. The Novacians in the film wear the wrong uniform, that which was introduced in the naval reforms of the late 240s. This may be due to the inconsistencies of the war-era Novacian uniforms, which were the same as that of the merchant marine and lacked flare.

The events of the actual *Thunderbrawl* are not widely known, but the film uses the general assumption of what happened based on reports of the crew of the *Curracloe* and the memoirs of Admiral Murphac. The contents of the meeting between Admiral MacDiamúda and the High King have never been made public and were invented for the film. The Novacian navy did not participate in the Battle of Saint Black's Bay, and the HMIV *Thunderball* was not present in the Battle of the Western Seas.