I AM HOBO OF DOOM
Knight at Arms
....Bump? :/
Evangeline, Nation-Breaker - An AAR (Chapter 37 Posted)
- 主题发起人 Ogrecorps
- 开始时间
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Knight at Arms
Count Jyland
Recruit
Rachek was an arrogant idiot for letting her go, but that doesn't make the story any less realistic (as in it doesn't detoriate from its current level of realism) or any less great. I've sincerely enjoyed what you've written so far, and would very much like to read more.
Bump 
killer110 说:
In my experience on forums often if something is too long people don't read it; this is frequently abbreviated TL;DR. They see this wall of text (I have not been very good with screenshots lately) and get overwhelmed then back out slowly the way they came in. In looking at other AARs I can't help but wonder if my chapters are too long. Most of my chapters are over 3,000 words. Many other AARs don't have that many words on one entire thread page, "TaleWorlds" to "queries." I put up the poll so I could see what others think about the chapter length. Are they too long to read quickly and easily at work or wherever? Are some of the readers to whom English is not their first language having too much trouble with the wording but not enough that they couldn't more easily and readily get through shorter chapters?
To be clear, if the answer comes out to be 'yes' I won't be sacrificing detail or quality, just dividing the narrative differently. I still make absolutely no promises as to the scheduling of chapter releases.
Chapter 28
January 23, 1258 - January 24, 1258
The news of Dhirim's fall spread as quickly through Swadia as would be expected. What was surprising, however, was that the tale of Evangeline's escape a day later did not follow at one day's delay. Instead it was soon attached to that first piece of news and told immediately after. "Did you hear? Those savage Khergits took Dhirim! Evangeline was there and they must have captured her but she escaped in less than a day!" From there those conversing would discuss whether she really brutally murdered a half dozen Khergit guards during her escape or simply whored her way out, would she ally with the Swadians against the Khergits, was she trying to save Dhirim or just caught in a spot, and lastly, where she was and what she was doing now?
Riding to the nearest Swadian village upon her escape, Evangeline hired a half dozen men. In the next village she found five more. In the one after that eight, then seven in the next, then 10. "Battered and limping I'm afraid I don't make much of a recruiter on sight any more. I still feel like I have blood - hot, fresh, and streaming - pouring down my chin and neck, into my clothes. I still taste it with my tongue and my teeth still gnash and grind remembering my memories they created. I wonder what people see when they look so intently at me, measuring my mettle, intentions, and capabilities. I feel the flesh between my teeth and my neck muscles strain to throw my head from side to side again and tear out throats I don't have before me. My hands strain against a forced calm to burrow into eyes, to grip the edges of the skin found there and pull, pull...
What do these people see when they look at me now? Before I knew they saw a brave and deadly warrior-woman. Now do they see a ferocious beast fit to fight the ones they fear will invade their homes some night? Because that's what I am: a half mad killer, a person driven past the edge but not so far that I can't see where I came from and feel that fear of never getting back, tremble in terror of letting my brutal madness overtake me. When will I next want to kill people in the night with my teeth and my claws and will I be able to stop myself then? If I go insane my men will stop following me and the rightful dreams I've had will be lost. The edges of sanity pull away from me, pull on me and I stare, and I stare, and boy do I stare... And twitch, and fidget, and think terrible, terrible things... I think of tearing flesh and I know that that woman and the baby she is holding are made of it too. I wonder if they... TASTE differently...
I have to call myself back, wrench my thoughts away, concentrate on being the inspiring warrior-woman I was before, the one who led men to battle, furious only in the injustices done to the poor of the world. I can't speak for myself as I know my words will sound hollow. I am not myself yet. Instead my name apparently carries tales of resistance and victory and does the speaking for me. News of Dhirim's fall travels with news of my undying hatred of Khergits and the villages near Dhirim fear for their safety and want to fight. We stumble into town and Lezalit announces my name, asking all who would fight against the oppressors in the land to sign on. I sit on my mighty Damien and try not to wince, fall, pass out or stare at anything for too long. Annabelle is so heavy now... I don't want to lose her but my shoulder may be ruined. I won't know until I find Jeremus and make him have a prod at it.
In the meantime, I keep my mind from wandering by giving it specific tasks to focus on. I do more planning now than I ever have before and I have to do it out loud with Lezalit and Firentis rather than in my head were only god knows what illogical twists and turns it may make. I have planned conquests of Calradia and they are fun but the devil is in the details and those are MUCH more manageable. I think about ways to govern the people, to feed my armies, to defend a region or castle, to build roads and communication posts, lookout towers... I think about how I'm going to build the real Calradia, the one that has liberty and is its true self. I think about it because if I don't I'll go mad and start tearing out the hearts of rabbits along the roads. Believe me, I've given that more thought than I should. I'm beginning to think I need books to study and tutors to teach me, anything to keep my lip from snarling, teeth from grinding, and hands/nails/claws from shaking."
The night of that entry Evangeline's party of 39 - all merely militiamen but herself, Lezalit, and Firentis - were attacked by 96 woodsmen bandits. In the battle that ensued Evangeline killed no less than 22 men personally and may have been responsible for even more of the 66 enemies killed. Her ferocious assault head-on caught the attention of her attackers and allowed her forces to get in close. From that confusion Evangeline pulled forth kill after kill amongst they enemy ranks, dozens of them eventually choosing to run for their lives rather than stay and face she who was in fact both the Banshee Rider and Berserker Knight. Those titles should be known to some of the more historically educated readers as belonging to a pair of folk legends up to now believed to be dreamed up by a desperate Swadian peasantry to give them hope of resisting further enemy incursions.
The Banshee - or 'Babbling' - Rider was said to have appeared suddenly one night coming to the defense of a group of farmers beset by Khergit raiders, screaming incoherently and constantly throughout the battle, handily defeating the enemy with her skill and unnerving shrieking. The Berserker Knight has a similar origin story, first appearing also at night but instead successfully leading a mysterious force of otherworldly infantry with nearly uncontrolled fury and energy against an overwhelming force of invaders. Both knights have been credited by folklore as having participated in pretty much every pivotal battle in medieval Swadian history despite some of those battles taking place at the same time or being impossibly far apart for the time passing between them.
The truth of the matter - as I have discovered through Evangeline's journal in conjunction with a few other reliable and contemporary sources - is that that one battle against a veritable army of bandits - actually likely several smaller groups that happened upon the same spot and likely target - and Evangeline's thoroughly unhinged assault upon them caused the birth of two folk legends, too disparate in their primary characteristics to have been thought to be the same. The Banshee Rider was always known to be female but the raw power of the Berserker Knight was never thought to be something a woman could possess. Additionally, the Berserker Knight was always thought to appear with his small but unholy contingent of infantry to turn the tide of battle while the Banshee Rider always appeared alone.
The evidence has convinced me that in the confusion of a night time attack, Evangeline's half-wild mind caused her to behave in such a fashion as to scare the living hell out of pretty much every man present, friends and foes alike. Her ferocious and frenetic counterattack not only cost the enemy a fourth or more of their troops but was so unbelievable that the surviving bandits - and perhaps even some of her own troops - had to comfort themselves by attributing what they had seen to a being of legendary proportions. In telling other folk about this being the witnesses likely disagreed on its specifics and both the female Banshee Rider and male Berserker Knight were born. It would seem that after that night Evangeline learned to control herself better as from that day forward appearances of either folk figure based on her rarely coincided with her own actual presence. However, the value of scaring one's enemies witless on the battlefield was never lost on Evangeline and I believe it likely that she let the dark madness she learned beneath Dhirim slip once in a while on purpose. I also believe that fear of capture in desperate situations may have also caused it to slip on its own now and again.
January 23, 1258 - January 24, 1258
The news of Dhirim's fall spread as quickly through Swadia as would be expected. What was surprising, however, was that the tale of Evangeline's escape a day later did not follow at one day's delay. Instead it was soon attached to that first piece of news and told immediately after. "Did you hear? Those savage Khergits took Dhirim! Evangeline was there and they must have captured her but she escaped in less than a day!" From there those conversing would discuss whether she really brutally murdered a half dozen Khergit guards during her escape or simply whored her way out, would she ally with the Swadians against the Khergits, was she trying to save Dhirim or just caught in a spot, and lastly, where she was and what she was doing now?
Riding to the nearest Swadian village upon her escape, Evangeline hired a half dozen men. In the next village she found five more. In the one after that eight, then seven in the next, then 10. "Battered and limping I'm afraid I don't make much of a recruiter on sight any more. I still feel like I have blood - hot, fresh, and streaming - pouring down my chin and neck, into my clothes. I still taste it with my tongue and my teeth still gnash and grind remembering my memories they created. I wonder what people see when they look so intently at me, measuring my mettle, intentions, and capabilities. I feel the flesh between my teeth and my neck muscles strain to throw my head from side to side again and tear out throats I don't have before me. My hands strain against a forced calm to burrow into eyes, to grip the edges of the skin found there and pull, pull...
What do these people see when they look at me now? Before I knew they saw a brave and deadly warrior-woman. Now do they see a ferocious beast fit to fight the ones they fear will invade their homes some night? Because that's what I am: a half mad killer, a person driven past the edge but not so far that I can't see where I came from and feel that fear of never getting back, tremble in terror of letting my brutal madness overtake me. When will I next want to kill people in the night with my teeth and my claws and will I be able to stop myself then? If I go insane my men will stop following me and the rightful dreams I've had will be lost. The edges of sanity pull away from me, pull on me and I stare, and I stare, and boy do I stare... And twitch, and fidget, and think terrible, terrible things... I think of tearing flesh and I know that that woman and the baby she is holding are made of it too. I wonder if they... TASTE differently...
I have to call myself back, wrench my thoughts away, concentrate on being the inspiring warrior-woman I was before, the one who led men to battle, furious only in the injustices done to the poor of the world. I can't speak for myself as I know my words will sound hollow. I am not myself yet. Instead my name apparently carries tales of resistance and victory and does the speaking for me. News of Dhirim's fall travels with news of my undying hatred of Khergits and the villages near Dhirim fear for their safety and want to fight. We stumble into town and Lezalit announces my name, asking all who would fight against the oppressors in the land to sign on. I sit on my mighty Damien and try not to wince, fall, pass out or stare at anything for too long. Annabelle is so heavy now... I don't want to lose her but my shoulder may be ruined. I won't know until I find Jeremus and make him have a prod at it.
In the meantime, I keep my mind from wandering by giving it specific tasks to focus on. I do more planning now than I ever have before and I have to do it out loud with Lezalit and Firentis rather than in my head were only god knows what illogical twists and turns it may make. I have planned conquests of Calradia and they are fun but the devil is in the details and those are MUCH more manageable. I think about ways to govern the people, to feed my armies, to defend a region or castle, to build roads and communication posts, lookout towers... I think about how I'm going to build the real Calradia, the one that has liberty and is its true self. I think about it because if I don't I'll go mad and start tearing out the hearts of rabbits along the roads. Believe me, I've given that more thought than I should. I'm beginning to think I need books to study and tutors to teach me, anything to keep my lip from snarling, teeth from grinding, and hands/nails/claws from shaking."
The night of that entry Evangeline's party of 39 - all merely militiamen but herself, Lezalit, and Firentis - were attacked by 96 woodsmen bandits. In the battle that ensued Evangeline killed no less than 22 men personally and may have been responsible for even more of the 66 enemies killed. Her ferocious assault head-on caught the attention of her attackers and allowed her forces to get in close. From that confusion Evangeline pulled forth kill after kill amongst they enemy ranks, dozens of them eventually choosing to run for their lives rather than stay and face she who was in fact both the Banshee Rider and Berserker Knight. Those titles should be known to some of the more historically educated readers as belonging to a pair of folk legends up to now believed to be dreamed up by a desperate Swadian peasantry to give them hope of resisting further enemy incursions.
The Banshee - or 'Babbling' - Rider was said to have appeared suddenly one night coming to the defense of a group of farmers beset by Khergit raiders, screaming incoherently and constantly throughout the battle, handily defeating the enemy with her skill and unnerving shrieking. The Berserker Knight has a similar origin story, first appearing also at night but instead successfully leading a mysterious force of otherworldly infantry with nearly uncontrolled fury and energy against an overwhelming force of invaders. Both knights have been credited by folklore as having participated in pretty much every pivotal battle in medieval Swadian history despite some of those battles taking place at the same time or being impossibly far apart for the time passing between them.
The truth of the matter - as I have discovered through Evangeline's journal in conjunction with a few other reliable and contemporary sources - is that that one battle against a veritable army of bandits - actually likely several smaller groups that happened upon the same spot and likely target - and Evangeline's thoroughly unhinged assault upon them caused the birth of two folk legends, too disparate in their primary characteristics to have been thought to be the same. The Banshee Rider was always known to be female but the raw power of the Berserker Knight was never thought to be something a woman could possess. Additionally, the Berserker Knight was always thought to appear with his small but unholy contingent of infantry to turn the tide of battle while the Banshee Rider always appeared alone.
The evidence has convinced me that in the confusion of a night time attack, Evangeline's half-wild mind caused her to behave in such a fashion as to scare the living hell out of pretty much every man present, friends and foes alike. Her ferocious and frenetic counterattack not only cost the enemy a fourth or more of their troops but was so unbelievable that the surviving bandits - and perhaps even some of her own troops - had to comfort themselves by attributing what they had seen to a being of legendary proportions. In telling other folk about this being the witnesses likely disagreed on its specifics and both the female Banshee Rider and male Berserker Knight were born. It would seem that after that night Evangeline learned to control herself better as from that day forward appearances of either folk figure based on her rarely coincided with her own actual presence. However, the value of scaring one's enemies witless on the battlefield was never lost on Evangeline and I believe it likely that she let the dark madness she learned beneath Dhirim slip once in a while on purpose. I also believe that fear of capture in desperate situations may have also caused it to slip on its own now and again.
The message log and results after the battle: The key here is to see how many times experience was gained - that's the number of kills but the log ran out of room on the front end so there may be more than 22. For those of you counting at home be sure to figure out where each screenshot overlaps by selecting a few lines toward the bottom of one and finding them near the top of the next. You can also see from the number of horse charges that Evangeline acted as a disrupting battering ram and is likely directly responsible for many of the enemies choosing to rout.
mido1023
Regular
Good chapter, as always.
Truth to be told, you're AAR is really interesting, as you found and kept the perfect ratio between you're character evolution (Psychologicaly speaking) while still being able to relate the events that happen in the game and describing in a really good way the many battles that occure and even minor events like recruitement. To sum up, you showed some amazing writter skills. However if I could advice you about a little thing that may not look important but still can make this AAR perfect, I would say that you should develop the compagnons personalities and stories a little more, giving them more importance will give you more options to write Evangeline's story from a lot of point of views. Furthermore, Evangeline look like she really hate lords, and you actually make it look like all the lords in the world are shameless creatures who only think about pillaging, killing and looting... This may make this story steryotyped and make you lose the opportunity to introduce some "honorable" lords and events which may turn this tale in an perfect epic legend stating the story of the fearless battle queen, her compagnons and allies ( maybe lords, maybe lady's, maybe other charcters that you may create) facing the evil of the world and purging it.
Well, those were my advices to you, I hope that they may help you to develop the story even further. Good luck, I'll be waiting for youre next chapter!
Truth to be told, you're AAR is really interesting, as you found and kept the perfect ratio between you're character evolution (Psychologicaly speaking) while still being able to relate the events that happen in the game and describing in a really good way the many battles that occure and even minor events like recruitement. To sum up, you showed some amazing writter skills. However if I could advice you about a little thing that may not look important but still can make this AAR perfect, I would say that you should develop the compagnons personalities and stories a little more, giving them more importance will give you more options to write Evangeline's story from a lot of point of views. Furthermore, Evangeline look like she really hate lords, and you actually make it look like all the lords in the world are shameless creatures who only think about pillaging, killing and looting... This may make this story steryotyped and make you lose the opportunity to introduce some "honorable" lords and events which may turn this tale in an perfect epic legend stating the story of the fearless battle queen, her compagnons and allies ( maybe lords, maybe lady's, maybe other charcters that you may create) facing the evil of the world and purging it.
Well, those were my advices to you, I hope that they may help you to develop the story even further. Good luck, I'll be waiting for youre next chapter!
I AM HOBO OF DOOM
Knight at Arms
Hooray! Evangeline returns!!!
Von_Lipwig
Veteran
Just registered to say that so far I thoroughly enjoy the story, and I think that the addition of the historian's notes add a lot of atmosphere and give it a sense of authenticity. Like many others undoubtedly, I'm anxiously awaiting any new installments that will emerge.
I agree on the companion thing, it would be nice to give them a little bit more depth. However, considering the AAR is based on Evangeline's personal journal, it might be hard to implement this. Perhaps adding excerpts of companions' journals in the mix might give the author the chance to elaborate on them, but there's a real danger of the AAR becoming messy due to too many sources.
As for sympathetic lords, I would put some of them into a grey area myself. Some may be more generous towards their people and may find themselves partly sympathetic to Evangeline's motivations, yet her goal is to completely uproot the current system and this means that their powerbase will crumble with no real, solid hope for a comparable position under Evangeline's rule. My guess is that if any of these nobles, sympathetic or not, would go to Evangeline and surrender to her (or seek to ally with her), she would either kill them ('cowardly/weak lords who are quick to change sides whenever it suits them') or take them prisoner ('I cannot trust them as they may stab me in the back, like the Kerghits'), regardless of their apparent willingness to actually surrender or even cooperate.
And if I can think of that, so can these lords.
Basically, I would really like it if there were lords who were neutral or outright sympathetic to Evangeline's case, but Evangeline herself may still disregard this because of A.) fear of betrayal, B.) blindness to a lord's sincere wish to cooperate or C.) end justifies the means.
I'm looking forward to whatever Ogrecorps decides to do, though
mido1023 说:
I agree on the companion thing, it would be nice to give them a little bit more depth. However, considering the AAR is based on Evangeline's personal journal, it might be hard to implement this. Perhaps adding excerpts of companions' journals in the mix might give the author the chance to elaborate on them, but there's a real danger of the AAR becoming messy due to too many sources.
As for sympathetic lords, I would put some of them into a grey area myself. Some may be more generous towards their people and may find themselves partly sympathetic to Evangeline's motivations, yet her goal is to completely uproot the current system and this means that their powerbase will crumble with no real, solid hope for a comparable position under Evangeline's rule. My guess is that if any of these nobles, sympathetic or not, would go to Evangeline and surrender to her (or seek to ally with her), she would either kill them ('cowardly/weak lords who are quick to change sides whenever it suits them') or take them prisoner ('I cannot trust them as they may stab me in the back, like the Kerghits'), regardless of their apparent willingness to actually surrender or even cooperate.
And if I can think of that, so can these lords.
Basically, I would really like it if there were lords who were neutral or outright sympathetic to Evangeline's case, but Evangeline herself may still disregard this because of A.) fear of betrayal, B.) blindness to a lord's sincere wish to cooperate or C.) end justifies the means.
I'm looking forward to whatever Ogrecorps decides to do, though
I want to thank you guys for reading and commenting, you are very literally keeping the writing coming because without feedback and suggestions I start to feel like I'm wasting my time, so thank you. I really appreciate the support and input.
As for the suggestions regarding the lords of the land... I can only say that Evangeline's and everyone else's world has been rocked recently bringing with it a lot of changes including several you guys have suggested. In the beginning the game drove the story almost exclusively. Now, however, Evangeline and some of the other characters are exercising more and more influence all the time. Perfect example: the second half of Chapter 27. I didn't really do those two parts, she did; I just typed along in horrified amazement as she came totally unhinged.
Again, thank you guys. The phenomenon seems to be the more support I get the more/faster I write.
As for the suggestions regarding the lords of the land...
I can only say that Evangeline's and everyone else's world has been rocked recently bringing with it a lot of changes including several you guys have suggested. In the beginning the game drove the story almost exclusively. Now, however, Evangeline and some of the other characters are exercising more and more influence all the time. Perfect example: the second half of Chapter 27. I didn't really do those two parts, she did; I just typed along in horrified amazement as she came totally unhinged.Again, thank you guys. The phenomenon seems to be the more support I get the more/faster I write.
Some people would question if you are subject to a split personality with statements like that.Ogrecorps 说:
Regardless, you can't argue with the results. Keep it up. 
With Warriv gone and Floris in limbo, Evangeline is our only hope.
MalbynaTOR
Recruit
This actually is a great read...didn't bother reading any AAR's before, but this one got me hooked.
I love your style of writing and your narrative skills...way to go and i can't wait for the next chapter to be released
I love your style of writing and your narrative skills...way to go and i can't wait for the next chapter to be released
wickbroke
Recruit
I echo Bregil. To find her sympathetic is to toe the line of madness.
Please don't lose your tone, your goal, or your voice! Too often, series will evolve as the authors interests change. I do wish all the comments were in another thread, so that the story were not diluted and the reader not distracted. I eagerly await each chapter, but I will wait patiently until it is ready. This is the only thread I have flagged for updates.
Please don't lose your tone, your goal, or your voice! Too often, series will evolve as the authors interests change. I do wish all the comments were in another thread, so that the story were not diluted and the reader not distracted. I eagerly await each chapter, but I will wait patiently until it is ready. This is the only thread I have flagged for updates.
Chapter 29
January 25, 1258 - February 5th, 1258
"A fateful opportunity has presented itself: The Swadians have besieged Dhirim to take it back from the invading Khergits. I have marshaled my forces and we are marching to join the fun... I expect to meet the rest of my ransomed irregulars there since if they know me at all they will know I wouldn't miss such an opportunity."
The siege of Dhirm Evangeline speaks of was apparently over quickly but offered her a satisfying amount of bloodshed as she was able to fully utilize the large siege crossbow she had been itching to put to work. By organizing the attackers cleverly, she was able to remain relatively safe and quite close to the enemy so that she could fire bolt after bolt into their midst so near as to be almost unable to miss. She enjoyed the vengeance very much but faltered in storming the town when she reached the stairs where she fell. The Khergits hadn't the numbers left to hold that location and were quickly pushed past it but Evangeline stared and believed that she could see a red tinge on the dark grey pavers. The truth is most likely that the darkness of the stones WAS the blood she was looking for but dried and trampled.
The very spot where Evangeline struck the stone.
An assault was repelled and the attackers, including Evangeline, were pushed back toward the gate. Instead, Evangeline climbed the stairs of a tower and killed all who came to challenge her.
Once the battle was over and the city retaken Evangeline and her company rested for a few days and received almost all the rest of the surviving members from before the siege. Rolf, Baheshtur, and a few others were raucous in their enjoyment of the reversal. Others like Evangeline, Lezalit, Firentis, and Ymira were not so jubilant though, of those four, Evangeline did the most celebrating. One would think that she might want to tour the city of her capture and begin to work her way past the hard memories there but she did nothing of the sort. In fact, the tavern she chose for herself was as far from every quarter of the city she had fought in as she could be while remaining within the walls. Even then, however, their stay was cut short by 2 days after she took a brief walk around the tavern and stopped cold staring at a house just across a small byway.
The house was not so different from others around it but the subconscious of her mind told her it was a place of horror and evil. The woman who stepped out of it to head to the market district smiled pleasantly at Evangeline and moved along briskly, petrifying the warrior-woman she smiled at. She wanted to shout, she wanted to run the woman through with a spear or grab her by the shoulders and tear her away from the corrupted building for her own good then put it to the torch. Panic and violence swamped Evangeline's mind.
She wrestled with these thoughts for what seemed like full minutes but likely were only seconds. She turned away swiftly and issued a command to Baheshtur as soon as he was found. "But we still are without Jordan and Jeremus, captain." he replied. She wanted to spin on her heel back towards the insubordinate man and punch him from his feet, scream out her order again and stomp him until he obeyed. She did not do all that but did spin on her heel to face him, a crazed and furious look in her eye. He was startled and stared back, surprised, uncomprehending. He was one she used to speak with easily and explain her decisions to. He considered them friends and since her escape from that same city a couple weeks before she had talked with him more than ever and really seemed to include him and his ideas in the leadership of her warband. But now she wanted to strike him, he could see, and he hadn't a real clue why. The thing that disturbed him the most, however, was that after only a second she spoke smoothly and easily but the look remained in her eye and her expression of psychotic rage hadn't softened at all. "Jordan isn't coming," she stated evenly. "And Jeremus is in Shariz."
Her matter of fact statement that her most trusted bodyguard would not be coming or that she at least wasn't going to wait for him shocked Baheshtur into another train of thought. Had she seen Jordan die? Did she blame him for her capture and not want to see him again? Did she mean that he COULD not come, WOULD not come, or SHOULD not come because he wouldn't be welcomed? Without more information Bahestur couldn't decide but he had an order to follow: Roust the troops and let's be on our way.
The fact of the matter was that Jordan could not come though Evangeline couldn't have known why. After she was injured and taken away by Firentis, the whole back of Jordan's right leg was cut through to the bone by a Khergit warrior. Jordan survived the rest of the battle and when it was over the victorious Khergits drug him outside the city walls and threw him on the road, free but permanently crippled. The Khergits had no use for him and expected him to die of shame and infection, a proud warrior who couldn't even stand and never would again...
January 25, 1258 - February 5th, 1258
"A fateful opportunity has presented itself: The Swadians have besieged Dhirim to take it back from the invading Khergits. I have marshaled my forces and we are marching to join the fun... I expect to meet the rest of my ransomed irregulars there since if they know me at all they will know I wouldn't miss such an opportunity."
The siege of Dhirm Evangeline speaks of was apparently over quickly but offered her a satisfying amount of bloodshed as she was able to fully utilize the large siege crossbow she had been itching to put to work. By organizing the attackers cleverly, she was able to remain relatively safe and quite close to the enemy so that she could fire bolt after bolt into their midst so near as to be almost unable to miss. She enjoyed the vengeance very much but faltered in storming the town when she reached the stairs where she fell. The Khergits hadn't the numbers left to hold that location and were quickly pushed past it but Evangeline stared and believed that she could see a red tinge on the dark grey pavers. The truth is most likely that the darkness of the stones WAS the blood she was looking for but dried and trampled.
The very spot where Evangeline struck the stone.
An assault was repelled and the attackers, including Evangeline, were pushed back toward the gate. Instead, Evangeline climbed the stairs of a tower and killed all who came to challenge her.
Once the battle was over and the city retaken Evangeline and her company rested for a few days and received almost all the rest of the surviving members from before the siege. Rolf, Baheshtur, and a few others were raucous in their enjoyment of the reversal. Others like Evangeline, Lezalit, Firentis, and Ymira were not so jubilant though, of those four, Evangeline did the most celebrating. One would think that she might want to tour the city of her capture and begin to work her way past the hard memories there but she did nothing of the sort. In fact, the tavern she chose for herself was as far from every quarter of the city she had fought in as she could be while remaining within the walls. Even then, however, their stay was cut short by 2 days after she took a brief walk around the tavern and stopped cold staring at a house just across a small byway.
The house was not so different from others around it but the subconscious of her mind told her it was a place of horror and evil. The woman who stepped out of it to head to the market district smiled pleasantly at Evangeline and moved along briskly, petrifying the warrior-woman she smiled at. She wanted to shout, she wanted to run the woman through with a spear or grab her by the shoulders and tear her away from the corrupted building for her own good then put it to the torch. Panic and violence swamped Evangeline's mind.
She wrestled with these thoughts for what seemed like full minutes but likely were only seconds. She turned away swiftly and issued a command to Baheshtur as soon as he was found. "But we still are without Jordan and Jeremus, captain." he replied. She wanted to spin on her heel back towards the insubordinate man and punch him from his feet, scream out her order again and stomp him until he obeyed. She did not do all that but did spin on her heel to face him, a crazed and furious look in her eye. He was startled and stared back, surprised, uncomprehending. He was one she used to speak with easily and explain her decisions to. He considered them friends and since her escape from that same city a couple weeks before she had talked with him more than ever and really seemed to include him and his ideas in the leadership of her warband. But now she wanted to strike him, he could see, and he hadn't a real clue why. The thing that disturbed him the most, however, was that after only a second she spoke smoothly and easily but the look remained in her eye and her expression of psychotic rage hadn't softened at all. "Jordan isn't coming," she stated evenly. "And Jeremus is in Shariz."
Her matter of fact statement that her most trusted bodyguard would not be coming or that she at least wasn't going to wait for him shocked Baheshtur into another train of thought. Had she seen Jordan die? Did she blame him for her capture and not want to see him again? Did she mean that he COULD not come, WOULD not come, or SHOULD not come because he wouldn't be welcomed? Without more information Bahestur couldn't decide but he had an order to follow: Roust the troops and let's be on our way.
The fact of the matter was that Jordan could not come though Evangeline couldn't have known why. After she was injured and taken away by Firentis, the whole back of Jordan's right leg was cut through to the bone by a Khergit warrior. Jordan survived the rest of the battle and when it was over the victorious Khergits drug him outside the city walls and threw him on the road, free but permanently crippled. The Khergits had no use for him and expected him to die of shame and infection, a proud warrior who couldn't even stand and never would again...
I AM HOBO OF DOOM
Knight at Arms
Mixedpotatoes
Master Knight
Good chapter
