Jag – Officer’s Dispatch 15
Heroes: Jag, Zeke, Atobe Keigo, Dust, Pacci and Balarai Snowe
Enemies: The Armies of the Spheran Coalition, Warlord Keldon of the Tiger, Vygrymm Dragon of Sphere, and Tanzer and Lohengris, the Dragonsworn
Recent Duties: After being hustled into a Spheran dropship, you were flown down to the Republic encampment, which has all but reached the walls of the city of Velguara. The camp is abuzz with activity, and a nervous tension is heavy in the air as men prepare for the battle that may very well be their last. It looks like the final hour in the battle for the Crystal Range is about to begin.
Troop Status
Supplies: Schmitzer SMGs, Armored Flak Vests, Deluxe Laywers’ suits, Field Medkit, Healing Syringes and briefcases full of legal documents.
Morale: Unlike what one might expect for most units, the Shark Pack is bitterly satisfied that almost all their legal rivals have been exterminated. You can’t wait to see the look on Mattar’s face when you disapoint him by hiring some more men for ‘your’ firm.
Health: Your men are decimated and exhausted, but that’s nothing out of the ordinary for lawyers. In fact, you’d have to assume there was something wrong with them if that wasn’t the case.
Military Communiques
Commander Kilant has given the order to begin preparing for battle. It looks like pretty much the entire Republic army is here, and nothing is being held back. Velguara will fall this day or not at all.
You’ve also received a dispatch reminding you that your recent activities at the Aerie are of the utmost classified nature, and are to be discussed with no one short of Kilant himself. Although you’re confidant of your ability to handle the truth, you’re a little dubious of some of your looser-tongued companions’ ability to do the same.
Personal Notes
It’s high time someone put an end to this war, and Law Division is up to the task. All this fighting has put you weeks behind on your legal work, and you can’t wait to be back in an office in downtown Electra where you belong. Velguara is the only Spaceport facility held by the Spherans, and seizing it will prevent any further reinforcements from their circling spacefleet and stymy the entire invasion. You intend to see to it that it falls today.
Mini-Objective
Re-take the city of Velguara and put an end to the battle for the Crystal Range.
Balarai Snowe – Officer’s Report 14
Recent Duties: After being hustled into a Spheran dropship, you were flown down to the Republic encampment, which has all but reached the walls of the city of Velguara. The camp is abuzz with activity, and a nervous tension is heavy in the air as men prepare for the battle that may very well be their last. It looks like the final hour in the battle for the Crystal Range is about to begin.
Troop Status
Supplies: Heavy Field Mortars, 2 Remote Mines, Gortex winter parkas and snowshoes, and a ‘dangerous’ dunebuggy which is hopefully now safely out of the reach of both Captain Smith and Jack Frost.
Morale: Contrary to what some might think, the defection of your men has in fact been a huge morale booster for you. 3 guys is a small price to pay to be rid of Jack Frost. And now you’ll be able to replenish your unit with mostly men who have never even heard of him in the first place.
Health: The Avalanche is sick – sick of being out here in the warzone. They’re more than ready to bury their enemies once and for all and put an end to this whole thing.
Military Communiques
Commander Kilant has given the order to begin preparing for battle. It looks like pretty much the entire Republic army is here, and nothing is being held back. Velguara will fall this day or not at all.
You’ve also received a dispatch reminding you that your recent activities at the Aerie are of the utmost classified nature, and are to be discussed with no one short of Kilant himself. Although you’re confidant of your ability to control the information, you’re a little dubious of some of your looser-tongued companions’ ability to do the same.
Personal Notes
It’s high time the Spheran forces were defeated and Velguara returned to Republic hands. After all, once that’s done, maybe they’ll finally let you out of the army so you can retire.
Mini-Objective
Re-take the city of Velguara and put an end to the battle for the Crystal Range.
Zeke – Officer’s Report 18
Recent Duties: After being hustled into a Spheran dropship, you were flown down to the Republic encampment, which has all but reached the walls of the city of Velguara. The camp is abuzz with activity, and a nervous tension is heavy in the air as men prepare for the battle that may very well be their last. It looks like the final hour in the battle for the Crystal Range is about to begin.
Troop Status
Supplies: Hacksaw Shotguns, Biker Helms, Steel Breastplates, brand new leather Wheel jackets, Zeke’s Tent of Horrors, multiple watches and Delta Mark IV motorcycles!! With these amazing weapons of war, your unit truly does now merit the name of ‘The Wheel.’
Morale: Obtaining the Delta Mark IV motorcycles has completely put a stop to any further talk of desertion. Even you are starting to think that maybe the Republic is good for something after all. One test drive was pretty good, but you’re more than willing to rides these bikes into battle one more time.
Health: You had the foresight to buy helmets for your men, so none of them have even suffered too badly from the occasional fall off your new bikes. The solid wheels make them a little hard to control when you pull a pop-wheelie after all.
Military Communiques
Commander Kilant has given the order to begin preparing for battle. It looks like pretty much the entire Republic army is here, and nothing is being held back. Velguara will fall this day or not at all.
You’ve also received a dispatch reminding you that your recent activities at the Aerie are of the utmost classified nature, and are to be discussed with no one short of Kilant himself. As far as you're concerned, that information is like Hitler in the bunker...or maybe a weed in Hitler's bunker...well, whatever.
Personal Notes
The Republic seems ready to start their final assault on Velguara. Your main concern is to get some good mileage out of your bikes. And ending this war quickly seems like the surest way to get both you and your mean machines out of here.
Mini-Objective
Re-take the city of Velguara and put an end to the battle for the Crystal Range.
Atobe Keigo – Officer’s Report 14
Recent Duties: After being hustled into a Spheran dropship, you were flown down to the Republic encampment, which has all but reached the walls of the city of Velguara. The camp is abuzz with activity, and a nervous tension is heavy in the air as men prepare for the battle that may very well be their last. It looks like the final hour in the battle for the Crystal Range is about to begin.
Troop Status
Supplies: FLAME-THROWERS, Deluxe uniforms, kamikaze headbands, several exploding “tennis balls” and a fake red Santa hat.
Morale: Some of your men were a little sad to see their tennis buddies running off with that Smithie fellow. As for yourself, you're feeling a little gipped that he never did buy you that hat.
Health: At least your unit is now free from the evil influence of rum. And if you have your way, it will soon be free from the evil influence of Spherans as well. You intend to send them every single one of them packing from Electran soil with extreme prejudice.
Military Communiques
Commander Kilant has given the order to begin preparing for battle. It looks like pretty much the entire Republic army is here, and nothing is being held back. Velguara will fall this day or not at all.
You’ve also received a dispatch reminding you that your recent activities at the Aerie are of the utmost classified nature, and are to be discussed with no one short of Kilant himself. You wouldn’t trust that weak-bladdred Denchulli not to be blathering this out to anyone who so much as looks at him sideways.
Personal Notes
The city of Velguara is the last major Spheran bastion in these mountains, and if you have your way, it will be cleansed of Spherans or burned to the ground in purging fires. Well, really, preferably both.
Mini-Objective
Re-take the city of Velguara and put an end to the battle for the Crystal Range
Dust – Officer’s Report 13
Recent Duties: After being hustled into a Spheran dropship, you were flown down to the Republic encampment, which has all but reached the walls of the city of Velguara. The camp is abuzz with activity, and a nervous tension is heavy in the air as men prepare for the battle that may very well be their last. It looks like the final hour in the battle for the Crystal Range is about to begin.
Troop Status
Supplies: SIR Rifles, Camouflage Scout Uniforms, Sniper Scopes, a Spheran ‘Highwind’ Light Infantry Rifle, and numerous potatoes. Because just like Sugar Crisp, you can’t get enough of those either.
Morale: Boyo morale is not at its high point. That’s mainly because O’Malley is deathly afraid that Seamus will kill him at any moment, cutting your troop count in half. You can’t wait until this war is over so that they – err, he – can go back to peaceful Denchul.
Health: Although the flight back was a little shaky, you still managed to get a much better sleep without Smithie constantly waking you up and trying to scare you. Good riddance to him, as far as you’re concerned!
Military Communiques
Commander Kilant has given the order to begin preparing for battle. It looks like pretty much the entire Republic army is here, and nothing is being held back. Velguara will fall this day or not at all.
You’ve also received a dispatch reminding you that your recent activities at the Aerie are of the utmost classified nature, and are to be discussed with no one short of Kilant himself. Although you have no particular loyalties to the Special Forces, if it’s important to winning the war and getting you and your Boyos out of here, then you’re all for it.
Personal Notes
All this fighting has made you long for the sweet green hills of Denchul and winning this war gets you one step closer.
Mini-Objective
Re-take the city of Velguara and put an end to the battle for the Crystal Range.
Pacci – Officer’s Report 9
Recent Duties: After being hustled into a Spheran dropship, you were flown down to the Republic encampment, which has all but reached the walls of the city of Velguara. The camp is abuzz with activity, and a nervous tension is heavy in the air as men prepare for the battle that may very well be their last. It looks like the final hour in the battle for the Crystal Range is about to begin.
Troop Status
Supplies: PK-33 Handguns, SIR Rifles, Bright Yellow Deluxe Uniforms, and a fashionable European carry-all which now contains several Energeon Cubes, which look rather suspiciously like a bunch of crystals stuffed into a cardboard box.
Morale: Pac-man, pac-man, pac-man. That’s about all you hear out of the Pac these days. Or maybe that’s all they hear out of you. Regardless, it’s been far too long since you played a game of Pac-man, and you’re starting to suffer from the withdrawal.
Health: Pac-man withdrawal can also be dangerous for your health. Symptoms include repeating the word ‘Pac-man’ multiple times in quick succession. Based on this, you can only surmise that your entire unit is thus infected.
Military Communiques
Commander Kilant has given the order to begin preparing for battle. It looks like pretty much the entire Republic army is here, and nothing is being held back. Velguara will fall this day or not at all.
You’ve also received a dispatch reminding you that your recent activities at the Aerie are of the utmost classified nature, and are to be discussed with no one short of Kilant himself. That shouldn’t be any problem: all you’re telling anyone these days is ‘Pac-man, pac-man, pac-man.’
Personal Notes
Pac-man, pac-man, pac-man. You’ve been telling Bumblebee all about Pac-man, and he can’t wait to play it. You’re all for being helpful to the army and all that, but you really do miss playing Pac-man. And the sooner this war is over, the sooner you’ll be able to do so.
Mini-Objective
Re-take the city of Velguara and put an end to the battle for the Crystal Range. Pac pac pac pac!
The PCs seemed a bit surprised to receive such a glut of credits, and debt payments were flying around fast and furious. All soldiers, whether Conventionals, Special Forces, or Auxilliaries, now cost two per credit. In the end, Jag bought only two more lawyers, bringing his unit strength and veteran status to 4, preferring to load himself (and others, including Pacci and Dust) down with healing syringes. Pacci elected to stay at six men and preserve his veteran status, and Zeke seemed content to preserve his as well. The foreigner, though, loaded down with more med. kits and syringes than others would have thought humanly possible, taking around fourteen total. Snowe and Dust, however, seemed to have fewer problems with buying men. Figuring that the only thing keeping Seamus from murdering O'Malley would be more Boyos, Dust bought twenty-three more Denchulis, bringing his total to twenty-five and giving his unit a +5 damage bonus for the first time since the start of the military campaign. Also, having sold his pistols and sabres, the extra free weight allowed him to buy climbing spikes. Snowe, down to three men from Frost's betrayal (not that this bothered him in the slightest!), bought enough men to bring the Avalanche to a strength of 34, surely enough to bury the opposition. Keigo and Seigaku also went this route, issuing crimson uniforms and flamethrowers to many new recruits to bring the total to twenty-five also.
After doing this, the three found Varin digging trenches nearby. He asked where they had been, and Dust, whose player had a massive brain cramp and forgot the pretty specific instructions on the officer's report (<-- weak bladdered!!), let slip that they had been at the Aerie. Varin was surprised, but the other PCs quickly reassured him that it was in fact just a new restaurant on the base, serving top notch food at quality prices. Varin seemed interested in going, but the PCs replied that it had just been shut down for food standards violations, and that that wouldn't be possible.
But the PCs were quickly summoned to Kilant, who informed them that they were to report with their units to Sector 1, the hot zone of the combat: Velguara itself, massively fortified, and with almost no available cover. It was a verifiable suicide charge through the levelled ground. If they failed, then the Republic would surely fall. Packing up their belongings and gathering their men, the heroes thus prepared for the final hour against the Spherans.
Thunder split the sky as Kilant concluded his orders, drawing from his belt the weapon that might turn the tide against the Spherans - the glowing blade of a Thunderblade. Today was the day they would die for nothing or stand for something. Rallying under their leader's inspiring words, the Special Forces joined Kilant in the charge with renewed vigor as they rushed to their destinies.
Shortly thereafter, they arrived at the battlefield along with Kilant to find the Spherans already set up. Sir Karsh of Tigerclaw, and Keldon, its warlord; radio-holding Spheran scouts; Tiger tanks; Spheran artillery; and two brigades of heavy knights. Kilant, his Crystal Defenders armed with Thundersabres, gave the heroes one simple order: defeat all enemies. The Spherans were thus faced with the wrath of the Crystal Defenders, the Wheel, the Boyo Scouts, Seigaku, the Shark Pack, the Avalanche, the Pac, as well as Van Gogh and the Impressionists, there to provide air support.
Rushing for the high ground, Dust and the Boyo Scouts climbed the first hill, gaining enough range, as well as line of sight, to hit anything on the battlefield. Pacci made a break for the hills on the opposite side, firing upon the Keldon-warlord. The others moved forward, swapping fire with the Spherans, with both sides taking casualities. Suddenly, a Spheran transport plane flew low overhead, and over the fortifications of the city.
At Sector 1, the heroes had taken heavy casualties. The Shark Pack was reduced to Jag and Mattar, while the Pac had been taken down to about three Pacmen. The Boyos were holding up fairly well; that is, they weren't dying in droves, though they were almost always broken. The Avalanche had taken some casualties, and Zeke had lost a bike or two, but looked otherwise okay.
But Kilant shortly gave the order to fall back, and fall back they did, to the trenches dug by Varin and the Conventionals earlier. A deep line of trenches criss-crossed the terrain, with barbed wire fences providing protection from all but the heaviest armour. Keigo, Dust, and Zeke set up in the trenches, with a back line formed by Kilant, Snowe, Van Gogh, Pacci, and Jag. The orders this time were even more simple: defeat Vygrymm and his fourty-odd strong unit: the Dragon's Fangs.
This time, the Electrans finally had some heavy hitters, with Van Gogh calling in air strikes, Xelme pounding the Spherans from the walls with the powerful captured artillery, and Kilant and the Crystal Defenders wielding thundersabres. The battle was fierce, with the group focusing on the Dragon, disabling the artillery, and keeping the remaining Tiger tanks from plowing through the barbed wire fences. As it was, though, Kilant held the line between the two trenches, cutting through Vygrymm's men as Xelme's artillery and Snowe's mortars also repeatedly pounded the hex.
As the Dragon's men were reduced to half-strength, however, there was a horrible cry from the sky, and two black forms could be seen to the north-east. Kilant, worried, told the PCs to make haste back to the Egg, just as he himself charged to the front ranks for a duel with Vygrymm himself. Doing this, they found the Egg by an open-top skiff. The skiff, he told them, had a new technology that could pacify the Drakhaans, disabling the Spherans' mightiest weapons, and let the group deal with the riders. Zeke asked if these were like "brain-boxes", to which the Egg just nodded.
With Zeke made the pilot, the skiff took off for the skies above the battlefield. The Egg was right; the "brain-box" technology pacified the Drakhaans as they flew alongside the skiff, revealing the two riders: Tanzer and Lohengris, bodyguards of Vygrymm.
A brutal fight ensued. Snowe, revealing his trump card, produced a metal cylinder, and pressed the button. A blue blade appeared, and he attempted to attack Lohengris, but the blades just bounced off the Spheran's armour. Zeke had a bit more luck, kicking one of them and eating a sloppy joe, and Keigo's flame thrower was out in full force. Meanwhile, Pacci hurled a cluster of grapes, Jag's PK-33 was out in full force, and Dust, taking his time, was able to cut through their defenses with a Deadeye shot.
But just a round or two into the battle, the two Spherans teamed up to produce a duo-tech X-strike, hitting Keigo, Zeke, Snowe, and missing Dust only due to Jag's voracious objection. As it was, Snowe and Zeke both went down, leaving the others to deal with their heavily-protected foes.
But soon Pacci was also unconscious, leaving only Jag, Dust, and Keigo. Their strategy was to stay out of any position that allowed the Spherans an X-strike, and to have Dust and Keigo deal out the damage while Jag objected or reported violations of the Geneva Convention. As Keigo went down, Dust fired at Lohengris, who was bearing down on Jag, the two of them balanced precariously on the back of one of the Drakhaans. The shot knocked her from the beast, sending her toppling down to the battlefield below. This angered Tanzer immensely, who bore down on the Denchuli. Jag tried to object, but was overruled, and the Denchuli went down to a duo-strike from Lohengris' Spheran long blade. With only one person left, he then turned his attention to Jag, who tried frantically to beat Lohengris' defenses with his PK-33. It was not to be, however, and lacking any energy to object, Jag went down, leaving Lohengris as the only one standing.
Snowe, however, having been barely out when he had been attacked by the X-strike, had other ideas. Pulling out his two sabres, both republic- and thunder-, and being too far from Lohengris, decided on a last-ditch effort: he threw both at the badly-wounded Spheran as hard as he could. The thundersabre missed, the blue-blade veering wide of its intended target. But as Lohengris turned around, startled, the republic sabre tore into him, sending him toppling from the Drakhaan to his doom below.
This left our exhausted and crippled heroes to stare in a daze as the docile Drakkhaans slowly circled the battlefield below. The Spherans caught in a trap between the Electran entrenchments and their own former guns, were forced to surrender or flee. The flag of the Dragon was torn from the walls amidst smoke and flame, with the red and blue flag of the Republic raised and flying proudly in its place. Velguara had fallen, and Season 1 of Res Publica Aeternus was over.
Keldon
Race: Spheran
Rank: Warlord
Affiliation: The Spheran Coalition - House of the Tiger
The last of the four Spheran Warlords leading the assault against the Republic, Lord Keldon was as fierce a warrior as the totem of his House would suggest. His bare, muscled chest was painted with black and white tiger warpaint, and he wore a swirling red fur cloak, in addition to an ominous horned mask over his face. It is also suspected that the Keldon Lord's power may grow with the number of forces under his command, although where this rumor is true remains to be seen.
Tanzer & Lohengris
Race: Spheran
Rank: Dragonsworn
Affiliation: The Spheran Coalition - House of the Dragon
The dread Drakkhaan riders have long been a dark plague from the sky for the forces of Republic. First at Stratholme, sweeping the city's terrified defenders from atop the walls, and then at Romulus tearing into the Republic's rear lines, the riders have struck viciously and fearlessly. But now, at last, they are given names and faces: Tanzer and Lohengris, called the Dragonsworn, and fanatical bodyguards to Lord Vygrymm himself. Both were every bit as fearsome as the creatures they rode - the mighty Tanzer in shimmering blue cape and armor had the powerful strength of a Blue Dragon, while his green-clad sister, Lohengris, moved with the deadly speed of a Green Dragon. Though the two were sent tumbling to their deaths over the fateful skies of Velguara, their legacy for our heroes is far from over...