Le col du Dragonrage...
- & -
Il n'y a pas besoin de violence, mes amis. C'est le prince Jarde d'Ereb - vous feriez pour ne pas lui faire de mal de peur que vous ne sentiez la colère du Concilium.
Les guerriers de Varjan se regardèrent tous l'un l'autre avant de vous rendre leurs regards sombres. "Nous allions juste prendre à manger, mais vous semblez avoir une meilleure idée de la marche à suivre." L'un d'eux répondit avant qu'ils ne lisent leurs épées, leurs macs et leurs haches. Leur convoitise pour la bataille a clairement frappé.
Soudain, Jarde s'avança. "S-SO désolé pour notre entrée dans votre chemin alors! Il a dit aux guerriers d'un ton amical, quoique nerveux. "Donc, nous serons en route! Vous appréciez la nourriture et tout ce qui va bien?" Le prince continua avant de saisir le bras de Taka. "Merilia, tu le gères."
-- Oui, mon seigneur. La femme armée rouge a dit avant de saisir le bras de Cylus.
-,,,,, et -
Le vieil homme s'est jeté à la question principale, qui était-ce? "Moi? Et bien... Je ne suis qu'un témoin à la rencontre entre les représentants des Dwarven et ceux de l'Arcadia League." Il a répondu tout en évitant la question. « C'était tout le spectacle... » continua-t-il comme s'il repensait à un souvenir précieux. Le vieil homme se mit alors à s'en aller pendant qu'un oiseau aux plumes blanches atterrissait sur son épaule. Ceux qui ont les yeux aiguisés l'identifient comme un corbeau, malgré sa coloration.
- Tout le monde...
Jarde retourna au camp avec Taka, Cylus et une femme en armure rouge. Il semblait que deux d'entre eux étaient à moitié dragués là-bas. "Sérieusement les gars? Pourquoi, au nom de Naga, agiteriez-vous les soldats de Varjo?" Il était plus incrédule qu'en colère contre Cylus et Taka. "Au moins, on est libres de scotcher. J'espère que ça ne se reproduira plus."
Et juste quand il a dit ça, une voix a crié d'un ton paniqué, attirant l'attention de tout le monde. "La Ligue nous a trahis! Nous sommes attaqués! » La voix appartenait à un nain et il élevait sa voix pour que tout le monde puisse l'entendre, surtout ses parents. Les nouvelles ont choqué presque toutes les personnes présentes. -- Nous devons nous défendre!
Quelques instants après, une autre voix cria. "Porte-parole! Les Nains nous attaquent! Traîtrise! " La voix appartenait à un Footman de Gleivnir. Bien que ces nouvelles contredisent la première, elles étaient toujours choquantes pour tous ceux qui pouvaient l'entendre. Aux armes! À l'assaut!"
Soudain, l'atmosphère est devenue chaotique et remplie de bruits de guerre alors que les combats éclataient immédiatement partout. Les nains et les hommes ont commencé à s'affronter les uns contre les autres, mais il y en avait encore qui étaient encore confus à la situation et donc, ils se sont juste tenus et regardés comme de la violence qui s'ensuivait. Les Varjans, d'autre part, semblaient tous heureux de la tournure des événements et se jetaient joyeusement dans la mêlée.
Jarde et Merilia démêlent leurs épées mais n'engagent personne. Entre le camp du régiment inhabituel se trouvait un groupe d'infanterie Dwarven et un groupe de guerriers de Varjan. "Monseigneur! Qu'est-ce qu'on fait? Monseigneur!" La femme armée rouge suppliait le prince Jarde de lui donner un ordre, mais il ne pouvait en donner aucun.
Il semblait que le choix reposait sur la partie du régiment du prince.
UNITS IN ARCADIA
CONCILIUM

 
"Battle-hardened warriors with exceptional skill. Can wield axes in addition to swords."



"A seasoned Mage or Healer with a high affinity for magic. Wields tomes and staves."


  
Footmen are paid as full-time professional soldiers, ready to answer the call to arms at all times. In addition to forming a standing army to repel enemy attack, Footmen also serve as city guards, the fire watch and the enforcers of the law. However, most of the time these soldiers spend their days drilling and training with various weapons to the barked instructions of grim-faced sergeants and veteran marksmen. Every state trains its regiments to fight together, providing each other with mutual protection on the battlefield. Footmen often march to battle with detachments of differently armed troops to aid them. These detachments form up close to their regimental units, where they guard vulnerable flanks and provide battlefield support, either by joining their regimental units in the bloody melee of close combat with swords and maces and axes and other similar weapons, or by showering oncoming enemies with missile fire.
Concilium Footmen usually have red and blue as their uniform colors.
*Bow variant
"Although inaccurate, Bow Footmen provide a cheap, plentiful line of defense against the oncoming enemy."
*Spear variant
"With a spear in hand, these men are no heroes, but they are stalwart defenders of their homelands."
*Polearm variant
"Although Footmen are not particularly skillful with such weapons, they can defend their homelands with them well enough."

VARJO

 
"Varjan Warriors come alive in the midst of bloody battle; thriving on the slaughter of their foes."
Varjan Warriors are fighters of remarkable prowess. Their strength is infernal and their bodies are as tough as steel. Encased in suits of masterfully-forged armor, a Varjan Warrior is equal to several mortal fighters. One could say they are no longer truly human, but living weapons, honed perfectly for the bloody tasks before them. He has nothing but contempt for almost everything and goes about the business of murder with a vengeance. A Varjan Warrior's only solace is in the slaughter - the fulfillment of his new existence as an instrument of his nation's violent will, and at battle's end, his armor is splattered with the lifeblood of the slain.

*Halberdier variant
Varjan Warriors equipped with the mighty halberd to take down larger foes for Arcadia is full of monsters and beasts larger than man.


 
"Elites are greater than their Varjan brethren, more powerful and savage in close quarters, especially with great weapons."
There are those amongst the ranks of the Varjan Warriors who bear the favor of King Caldeyron more than their fellows. Known amongst their kind as Elites, their frames are swollen due to inhumane training, and "boons" bestowed on them by their King in recognition of the many fell deeds they have committed. Even if an Elite warrior bears no such stigmata, it is clear that he carries the grace of the Caldeyrons from his aura of dark menace. The Elites are truly the nobility of Varjo. The Elites lead by example, fighting not as commanders but as veteran warriors and champions. In this way, the Elites hope to attract yet more of their Majesty's favor and ascend to the ranks of the truly exalted. They advance unflinchingly through magical bolts, hails of arrows and punishing artillery volleys, their purposeful thread never falters as they march ever closer to their prey. Battle lines have buckled and broken at the mere prospect of a unit of Elites closing in upon them, blades raised so that the methodical butchery of the foe can begin.

*Halberdier variant
Varjan Elites equipped with the mighty halberd to take down larger foes for Arcadia is full of monsters and beasts larger than man.


 
"Hellriders deliver a terrifyingly powerful charge to enemy lines, particularly if armed with a lance."
Hellriders are feared throughout Arcadia and beyond as merciless butchers capable of turning the course of battle with a single charge. They are towering brutes atop immensely powerful Hell Steeds, rider and mount clad in thickest plate, each section of armor crafted by a master blacksmith. A Hellrider's greaves are jagged blades, well suited to slicing through the flesh of the enemy. Even the frightful reputation of the Hellriders is a weapon in its own right, crippling those who would stand against them before a single blow is struck. Many Hellriders charge to war with great lances, evil-looking polearms designed to impale and tear their foes. Others wield a deadly assortment of weapons, from cleavers and war-picks to heavy maces. Some Hellriders even brandish magical blades, each bearing a small measure of power. Regardless of the form or the hexes inscribed upon these ensorcelled weapons, they are all enchanted in order to kill, and most flicker with dark fire. Each Hellrider is a paragon amongst his warrior brethren, for he has trod the path of damnation for many years and holds the favor of the Varjan King. A Hellrider's horned helmet may conceal a twisted and permanent rictus smile of sharp metallic fangs, or a striking and cold beauty that steals the breath away. Few have a chance to find out, for those who behold the Hellriders of Varjo are but moments away from a grisly end. A full unit of Hellriders, galloping at speed, will hit a battle line like the mailed fist of the gods.


  
Footmen are paid as full-time professional soldiers, ready to answer the call to arms at all times. In addition to forming a standing army to repel enemy attack, Footmen also serve as city guards, the fire watch and the enforcers of the law. However, most of the time these soldiers spend their days drilling and training with various weapons to the barked instructions of grim-faced sergeants and veteran marksmen. Every state trains its regiments to fight together, providing each other with mutual protection on the battlefield. Footmen often march to battle with detachments of differently armed troops to aid them. These detachments form up close to their regimental units, where they guard vulnerable flanks and provide battlefield support, either by joining their regimental units in the bloody melee of close combat with swords and maces and axes and other similar weapons, or by showering oncoming enemies with missile fire.
Varjan Footmen usually have black as their uniform colors.
*Bow variant
"Although inaccurate, Bow Footmen provide a cheap, plentiful line of defense against the oncoming enemy."
*Spear variant
"With a spear in hand, these men are no heroes, but they are stalwart defenders of their homelands."
*Polearm variant
"Although Footmen are not particularly skillful with such weapons, they can defend their homelands with them well enough."

GLEIVNIR


"A heavily-armored brawler who can swing a large axe as if it were a feather. His mighty attacks can tear through foes and obstacles."


  
Footmen are paid as full-time professional soldiers, ready to answer the call to arms at all times. In addition to forming a standing army to repel enemy attack, Footmen also serve as city guards, the fire watch and the enforcers of the law. However, most of the time these soldiers spend their days drilling and training with various weapons to the barked instructions of grim-faced sergeants and veteran marksmen. Every state trains its regiments to fight together, providing each other with mutual protection on the battlefield. Footmen often march to battle with detachments of differently armed troops to aid them. These detachments form up close to their regimental units, where they guard vulnerable flanks and provide battlefield support, either by joining their regimental units in the bloody melee of close combat with swords and maces and axes and other similar weapons, or by showering oncoming enemies with missile fire.
Gleivnir Footmen usually have gold and silver as their uniform colors.
*Bow variant
"Although inaccurate, Bow Footmen provide a cheap, plentiful line of defense against the oncoming enemy."
*Spear variant
"With a spear in hand, these men are no heroes, but they are stalwart defenders of their homelands."
*Polearm variant
"Although Footmen are not particularly skillful with such weapons, they can defend their homelands with them well enough."

DWARVES

 
"With weapons in hand, Dwarven Infantry lay into the front lines with unremitting violence."
Dwarves make formidable fighters - they are strong and extremely resilient, broad of shoulder and wide of girth. Although by no means quick, they are physically robust and can maintain a steady plodding pace, marching for days on end despite being loaded down by burdens and heavy mail. When they charge into battle, the momentum generated by their wide, armor-clad bodies is remarkable, hitting the foe with a resounding impact. Protected by their heavy mail, their skillful use of overlapping shield walls and, finally, by their own tough and obstinate nature, Dwarf individuals, units and armies as a whole seem able to absorb punishing blows that would cause other races to break and flee.


 
"A volley of Dwarven crossbow bolts will travel far and hit hard, particularly against the lightly armored."
When the Clans are called to fight, some Dwarves arm themselves with crossbows and join the battle as Bolters. These formations are tasked with raining bolts down upon their foes - a task they perform with orderly zeal. Bolters seek to thin down the enemy's ranks, punish units attempting to outflank their own forces and engage in ranged duels with the foe's missile-armed troops. Dwarves have never taken to bows, partly because they do not suit their short physical stature, but also due to the limitations of such weapons in confined tunnels. The powerfully-built Dwarf crossbow can easily fire shots that outdistance the puny bows used by Man, and the crossbow bolts pack enough punch to devastate lightly armored foes. With typical Dwarf precision, a unit of Bolters will unleash its hail of bolts, reload, take aim and fire again. Protected by heavy armor and their own sturdy constitutions, it is a rare day when an enemy - even one with more skilled marksmen than the Dwarves - can win a long-ranged shooting contest against a unit of Bolters. Of course, should the enemy approach near enough to engage the Bolters in close combat, they will find hardened warriors eager to put their axes and shortswords to work. While the devotees to the rifle have grown over the years, they have not replaced the crossbow. There are many Clans that prefer the range of the crossbow, while the most traditionalist simply rile against any technological progress and the regrettable lack of "elbow grease" needed to fire a rifle instead of winding a crossbow winch to reset its formidable shot.