AAR: Me, Floris | Completed | Chapter 60 & Epilogue posted (19-09-2015)
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What Lord?
Chapter 54: The speech
26 November 1263, 2 PM
26 November 1263, 2 PM
Dear diary,
The word is out. This noon I held a speech before my men, winding them up for the war we now entered. By doing so the lands learned that I knew, and immediately fought back. My words have literally rocked the world we know, and the rest of us hold dear. Even if I had wanted it, there is no turning back anymore. I have said that multiple times today, but now I really mean it. Even if I would quit, Calradia would still hunt me down like a wild animal. For I'm disturbing it even more than Hakim's peace did. Today, a few moments before noon, I watched fully armoured to the men that had gathered on the courtyard. It was crowded, for many soldiers were trained. The crowd made me excited in a way I never felt before.
When I walked outside at exactly noon, a loud cheering went up. As a thundering noise it echoed along the city, bounced between the city walls and kept on going even after I had raised my arms and all felt silent. When the last sound died away, I still stood there with my arms raised. My nerves were almost killing me, something they had never tried before in such an occasion. Everyone looked at me, even the birds had fallen silent and the castle walls listened. This was the moment everyone had been waiting for. Time itself held its breath.
I was very nervous before my speech.
'My loyal subjects, fearsome knights, and everyone who dares to listen to my words, present or not,' I started, stirring up the crowd, 'we stand at a crossroad today. Choices have to be made. Where will we go, and how will we act? The eyes of Calradia are watching us, for we have the heavy burden of making this choice. What we will do next will determine the fate of not just our country, but of entire Calradia for the coming thousand years!' Even the faint murmuring fell silent again upon hearing these words. They finally started to notice that it was not just them listening. I could feel the chill running through the crowd upon this realisation.
'Before I came to his place, it was torn by war. All you knew was fighting among each other. Sarranids against Rhodoks, Nord against Swadians - there were clear factions, and the land had been divided equally. I dare say you, that wasn't war. It was just a small quarrel between neighbouring nations. No, I showed you what war really was. Look around you. Vaegir standing next to Khergit - who would have thought that possible ten years ago?' Slowly I started to walk down the stairs. My words woke something deep inside each one of them, I could see it in their eyes.
'No-one, I dare say, for you were all sheep following the rules of the land. Yes, sheep! Then I came, your shepherd, and showed you how to work together. And see, Harlaus couldn't keep up, so he fell and took his kingdom with him. The Vaegir and Khergit had undergone the same fate. If we unite, we can beat anyone, I have shown you all that. Unite!' This unlocked a cheer from the crowd, but the birds were still not singing.
I was standing in the middle of the crowd.
'I said we stand at a crossroad, and so we are. You've known the small fights from before, and the wars fought under my banner. The past few years you've even tasted peace! Some say peace is necessary, that it will stimulate growth and prosperity. I say they are wrong! Just look where peace has brought us. At first the villages were doing fine, but soon their development came to a halt. How many of you knights have seen a real fight, and thus real honour, the past two years? None, I say! Hunting bandits is not fit for knights like us: we are here to fight real wars. We are here to conquer and unite! Will you fight? Yes! Yes we say!'
When the cheering had died down, I lowered my voice and continued with a whisper. 'Listen. Just listen. Where are the birds, where is the sound of a calm breeze? All have died down. When I asked you to fight, you all said yes. But whom should we fight, and whom is the real enemy? I can see it in your eyes that you do not know. Are it the Sarranids, who had brought us this terrible peace? No, for some of you are Sarranids, so they can't be the real enemy. Are it the Nords, whom we fought against in our last big war? No, for some of you are Nords, and were among the most valiant warriors. Are it the Rhodoks, who appear weak and almost defeaten? No, and don't laugh,' I said with a smile myself, 'for some of you are Rhodoks, and are among our strongest soldiers. We'll have to fight our brothers, for they don't see the truth yet. But they are not the real enemy. Whom it is, you ask? Who?'
It was like the world held its breath. No sound was to be heard from all over the cold Vaegir plains. Animals stopped their choirs, the wind laid down. Then, upon my words, all hell broke loose. 'Calradia,' I shouted. 'Calradia itself is our enemy!' The ground started to shake, and snow started to fall. Still I continued my speech: 'You are all stuck in the old ways. Even tough the empire is gone - Gone I say! - you still abide its laws, and believe its choirs. No!' Walls shook, birds screeched. 'You all need to wake up. To survive is to go forward. Even the cowardest among the animals will fight when cornered. So should you! See how the land fights to keep you under its thumb, to keep you dumb. See how the walls tremble and the land shakes. The storms gather, for we will fight them. And don't be scared, for we will win, I promise you that, because we stand united. Calradia will die, for Holland to be born.'
At that moment high sounds reached our ears, and we were all forced to look up. Seeing what the land had brought upon us, I shouted above the sound of screaming rocks: 'Let this day be known as the day the sky rained fire, and we stood up against the old order. We! Will! Fight! For Holland!'
The sky rained fire.
The cheering even overruled the impacts of the burning stones in the lands beyond our city. The men were angry upon seeing the violence nature brought against them. They were mere mortals no more: they were soldiers of the new order. They would follow me to hell and back, and that was exactly where I might have to lead them.
*****
Gameplay notes
Here is a picture Floris' stats on 29 March 1263:
Because I like explosions, I created these background pictures. Just choose a size, and enjoy!
superspy228
What photo editing program did you use to make that? Photoshop?
alucardiff
Regular
I read this in joy, until Floris became a Hannibal clone. Seriously dude, you turned a fun king into a goddamn demon..
superspy228
TROLL THE HERETIC!alucardiff said:
Still no war... COME ON FLORIS CRUSH THEM!
BTW:
BTW:
It's fate.monnikje said:
MasterCaruyn
Sergeant
Crap... That was epic! Can't wait for the next chapter. 