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The Tale of a Crow

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C r o w:
(Author's note: this story, written by my hand, will be used to build up a more explanatory and wide background for my RP character, so that I won't be annoying future story threads with my character telling the story of his life and main points, as it could result in being an annoyance for the other writers.
I dare to write such a piece since I have already seen examples of such throughout the Cantina.
I'll try to release as many chapters as fast as I can.
This awfully long story is to substitute the character bio that is in another thread, since I changed a lot of ideas since then.
TEXT WALLS ARE BOUND TO HAPPEN, THE READER MAY SUFFER BRAIN DAMAGE, BUT THAT WOULDN'T BE MY FAULT
(Maybe it would be my grammar's...)
Also, constructive comments about how to improve my writing are always well accepted.
Note also that this style of writing is precisely intended to tell a story by myself,
in "co-op" stories I'll try to use a less heavy and long-winded style of story telling (obviously).
About the clothes now, since I know I'll be too lazy to describe them later: in the first phase imagine the main protagonist with any kind of nobleman clothing from the XVI century. In chapter 3 he's wearing the armor presented for the Baronies in the alliance artwork, only withou the silly helmet. By chapter 4 onwards he has an armor like the one used by the NCR elite rangers from Fallout: NV, with the same kind of helmet and gas mask, all painted black, with a crimson crow emblazoned on the back of his coat.

Enjoy the text wall story!

C r o w:
Prologue
Cainhurst Castle, homestead of the Cainhurst family, Barony of Ravenrook

The day was nearing its end, and the sun was already descending behind the high ridges of the fjords.
*clang*
With a strong sound of metal clashing against metal sword trough the air, sent flying a few meters far from its wielder.
"Stop! I yield!" said a young and tired voice, as his sword touched the ground
Standing in front of the young weaponless opponent stood another boy, tall, slim, blond haired, pointing his saber towards the defeated opponent.
Both were breathing heavily.
"Y...*pant*...you managed even to disarm me...*pant*...usually you go for a killing blow...*pant*...this was...unexpected."
After this words, the one that was standing tree beside him his sword and sat down in front of the defeated boy.
"*pant pant* You were good too, you actually managed to see trough my feint."
"Nay, I just was badly positioned, wasn't for the strength of your blow, probably I would have fallen face-first into the dirt."
After he said that they both boasted laughing.
"Better get back to the castle, I'm getting hungry, it should be nearing dinner-time, here let me giv'ya a hand" said the victorious boy after getting back up on his feet and pointing ingredients his hand toward his fellow.
After getting his friend up, they both picked up their own swords and headed back to the castle.
"Sure the sword master is happy to have such talented apprentices!" Said the other boy. "He sure is, Astelan, but I highly doubt feels the same about my shooting skills..." Replied the boy with a saber.
"You are still thinking about when you really missed the broadside of a galleon? Don't worry, you'll find a way someday to compensate that horrible aim of yours with handguns!"
"Yeah... Sure"
"Hey, cheer up! At least you don't have to start practice to behave like a politician like my father is!" Tried to comeback Astelan.
"Well, instead it looks like I'm already copying the situation of our fathers, the Lord and his most trusted Companion"
"When I'll be lord and all the castle will be mine, you shall be my right hand, my champion, THE champion of Cainhurst!" Said Astelan enthusiastically.
"Mhh, sure it is a nice plan."

C r o w:
Chapter 1 (one)
Cainhurst Castle, homestead of the Cainhurst family, Barony of Ravenrook

Outside the day was cold, dark, and cloudy, a powerful snowstorm was passing over the fjords, and only the most brave and the most foolish airship pilots would dare to take off, while everybody else sealed themselves at home for the time being.

Deep inside the castle walls all kind of sounds could be heard, servants carrying out their various tasks, noblemen and women discussing, cooks cooking... But one sound in particular was easier to catch amidst all of these, and it was the clashing of swords coming from the castle barracks.
*clang*
"Higher!"
*clang*
"Keep your guard higher damnit!"
*clang*
"What the..."
*toc*
And like that there was one less sound in the castle.
In the training area of the barracks, where the duel took place there was a little crowd of watchers, all with the same surprised expression on their faces.
An old man was standing with a sword hilt in his hand, sweat pouring out of him like never before, and a hilt less blade a few meters behind him.
In front of him, still in the position that he took after the swing, a boy, tall and slim, breathing heavily, with a saber in his hands.
"You actually managed to defeat ME?!?!? What kind of dirty trick did you use???"
The boy, staying calm and taking a relaxed position replied:
"You were putting too much stress on the blade, I-I intentionally lowered my guard a bit, in order to bait the right attack to disarm you..."
After some moments of awkward silence the public, composed mainly by the guards that were having their training session started to talk carefree, some discussing about the unexpected outcome of the duel others just having small talk.

The old man, still surprised, with a very calm voice started:
"Well, I guess...this is it" as he shrugged his shoulders "you learned all that it was within my capability of teaching!" He started to smile. "You are my best apprentice ever, I was glad to have the chance of refining your talent"
While he kept calm during the previous minutes, now it w the boy' sti me to be surprised.
"What are you talking about!?" He asked with an almost shocked face.
"Finally, the apprentice have beaten the teacher, don't you understand? You have become better than me!"
"I'm flattered by the compliment sir but..." But he was interrupted by his mentor.
"Lad, listen to me, you are almost a full grown man now, I taught you the basics of piloting, gunning, even a bit of engineering, you are ready to start a career, being it in the Royal military or in the Royal politics, you show clear loyalty, and that's a rare trait in this conspiracy filled land, I strongly believe that you are ready."
And then he raised his voice a bit: "I know that even if you knew that Astelan was hiding behind those boxes all along you didn't say anything out of your care for him."
Hearing that, the young soon-to-be lord came out of his hiding spot.
"Damn you old jeezer, I thought I was perfectly hidden!"
"A piece of your cloak wasn't covered by the boxes" said calmly the instructor.
"And it was not the best idea trying to sneak with a long cloak on in the first place" commented the young swordsman.
Astelan's comeback didn't take long to be heard:
"Broadside of a galleon"
"Oh, flak you!"
"Shut up you two and go upstairs, the launch should be ready soon, and I don't want to hear your parents complaining to me about your punctuality!" Boasted the instructor.
"Aye!" The boys said at the same time while they dashed towards the stairs.

C r o w:
Chapter 3 (three): "Bring the honors of battle", part 1
Outskirts of the Ravenrook Fief, precise location unknown.

~A few months later~

"So... Who's the new officer?" Whispered a soldier in the night to his comrade, pointing at a far tall and silim figure.
"Uhhhhh...dunno, very young, and never seen in the barracks before, must be a nobleman if he's already an officer" answered his friend.
After this, they stared into the air, looking for any suspicious event.
[A guard]"Damn! It's cold today!"
[Other guard]"Yesterday was cold too!"
[A guard]"But today is colder"
[Other guard]"You got a point"
"HEY! You two there!" The guards heard yelling towards their direction.
[A guard]"Flak! It's that officer! Did you do anything?"
[Other guard]"No! Did you?"
[A guard]"Neither, then what does he want?"
"HEY YOU TWO! Are you deaf of what?" Kept yelling the officer while walking near them.
"What, we didn't hear you sir, the wind blows unusually aggressive today!" Replied a guard.
"Like if the other days was less aggressive..." Comments the officer.
Then he added "I give you 20 minutes, go to the western tower, tell them I sent you and take some extra pelts and a hot drink, I'll stand watch here until you return.
Be a minute late and I'll have your heads."
"Thanks sir.... I guess" said the other guard as they started walking.
"Sir, we don't know your name" Said the guard.
"Uh? Ah, yes, I'm Captain Emil Ansager Von Cainhurst, now get moving."
"Aye sir"
After getting distant from the officer, the guards started talking:
"Von? What that does mean?"
"Some say 'of' whatever land they come from, others say 'von', depends on the family tradition really. I'd guess he comes from one of the fiefs south of here."

~19 minutes later~
"RUN YOU MORON! RUUUUUUUUUN! I don't wanna get beheaded because you had to piss!" shouted a guard while running towards their guard post.
The other guard was spewing a curse every step.
"There he is! SIR! Sir! We are here, thank you for the favor!"
The officer noticing them, spoke with an urgent voice:
"You two, keep running and go call me a spotter!"
The guards, surprised by the tone of the officer's voice understood that there was some real problem.
"Understood, on the move!" They replied. They returned after a minute or so.

"Sir! The spotter is here!"
"Good, you there, look on the western pass and tell me what you see."

-The spotters are the elite marksman units in the Royal Army, when weaponized they are deadly snipers, otherwise they act as target finders-

"I see the lanterns, strange design, foreign...
Ships, non-Royal formation, many squids...
I can count fifteen, behind them... Three big vessels, uncommon design, heavy...
I CAN SEE A SYMBOL!"
"So where are those ship from?"
In that moment, the spotter, who just was still a little sleepy, since it was still deep night, became fully awake, eyes widening like he had seen a demon.
"A-a-a...Angleans..."
Even if the average fjordlander was with already a fair skin, everybody there became suddenly wither than the snow.

The Captain suddenly started sprinting towards the nearest tower.
"Damnit! How the hell did they sneak past Sky's End's patrols?!?"
He thought as he was ascending the stairs to the tower top.
"Wait... Was this that week when every unit was to return to the city for maintenance?"
He checked then a paper taken from his pocket.
"IT WAS! Damn these anglean monsters and their bloodlust...and how the hell did they even knew about that?"
He reaches the top of the tower.
"It matters not, now we know they are coming, and we will be ready to give them a warm welcome party"
In front of him there was a little wooden pillar, on which was fixed a bell, to be sound in case of alarm.
And he rang it.
*ding*
And the guards woke up.
*ding*
And the pilots woke up.
*ding*
And the keep woke up.

This garrison was the second line of defense in case of a foreign invasion, and as such it was both a stronghold and a staging point for airships. The main build was towering, so tall that two spires could be docked on top of each other and still have a lot of extra space, in fact there were at least 12 air-docks there.
The keep had also two very peculiar features: one was an enormous bell that could topple every sound in the garrison, the other was a very rare and unique piece of artillery mounted on top of the keep.
Said piece was called either "The Baron's Organ" or "The King's Hand", it was made of five Lumberjack cannons of increased size, that every time it shot made a noise that reminded of an organ, hence the name. While being a very simple weapon, it was also extremely effective, since it had a ridiculous range, moreover, together with lesmok super-heavy rounds it could reach an astonishing maximum range of a 100 kilometers*.

As the captain was still looking in the distance, the great keep bell started tolling.
Muffled and incomprehensible sounds came out of his personal radio, far clangs in the keep's direction could be heard and little movements from the Spires. A radio in his proximity started crackling as a voice, at first with a disturbed signal, then clearer said
"Control tower west 3, do you copy, control tower west 3...
"Captain Ansager reporting"
"What's the meaning of this alarm? I hope it's not some paranoia or some night drill."
"An airship battle group has been located, they are coming towards here and are trying to sneak up on us, they have been recognized as angleans"
"They might be warmongering extremists, or a rogue battalion, right now we are at peace with the Republic"
"We SHOULD be... Anyway, they have not been reported by Sky's End patrols, I say they are hostile."
"...hmpf.... Many bodies and ships are hidden in the snow anyway"

At that moment troops were being deployed on the walls, some wielding rifles, other manning the static defenses.

*{62,3 miles}

Meanwhile, inside the keep

"Attention all airship crews, this is not a drill, repeat, this is not a drill"
"Enemy air fleet approaching, repeat, enemy air fleet approaching"
"All hands to battle stations, repeat, all hands to battle stations"

With these alarms being shouted trough the building's comm system, every single airship crewman was running towards their assigned position, starting engines, checking the weapons, and making final take off preparations.
The First Captain began a little speech:
"Ok boys, 19 ships, 15 of which are Squids and 4 currently unknown, have been located, we all know how fast Squids are, so I want Spires 10-11-12 to make our rearguard, and I hope you all are bringing fast tracking weapons, because the annoying buggers are going to try every their trick to break our formation.
Now, everyone go! Life in honor!"
And was answered by everyone else with: "Death in duty!"

Back on the walls

"They will be here in nearly 5 minutes" said the spotter "in a few seconds they will be within optimal range of the Organ."
"Ready the flare gun, it will be too late when they understand what hit them" replied Emil "Inform the garrison commander about that and wait till' he gives permission to fire, we don't wanna screw up some plans."
"Aye"

Far from the walls

The fleet approaching the garrison seemed to be oblivious of its positioning, perhaps because the storm was making anything difficult to spot, maybe because it was not precisely positioned on the flight maps.

"We should be approaching the research post, tell everyone to be at the ready. And remember, first take down the defenders, next search for any relic from the Old World that we don't have, destroy the ones that we already have, only in the end you mop up the survivors" a gritty voice said on a radio, far from the garrison.
 Men fully covered in furs and body armors were around him, each with either a carbine or an smg strapped on their back and and either an axe or a dagger on their sides.
The man who spoke was met with silence as an answer.

C r o w:
Commander's quarters, inside the keep

"Very well commander, but remember: the relic have the foremost importance, you must use your soldiers to defend it at all costs, apparently the one that it was found by your research team is a never seen before model, it may help the Baronies' war effort a lot.
Our comm team will try to redirect as many patrols available to reinforce your defense, HQ out."

Mumbling angrily, the commander walked toward his desk and took a bottle of Firewater. Sipping directly from it, he heads to a large underground hangar, under his room. In that place are located multiple heavily armored vehicles, all with tracks, all with a thing on their back reminiscent of a heavy flak, only with 4 really long barrels, with extremely long ammo belts filled with what would seem some kind of mixture between lesmok and burst rounds. Everything was frozen, except a single one that was the first found.
"Damn this things... You only gave me problems... Flaking glorified scraps... Bloody nuisances..." Mumbled the commander while walking staggered around and dripping alcohol from the bottle "What wrong did I do to you, why do you give me so many problems?!?!?!?"
This commander was just one the many noble firstborns, that thanks to his family ties, was made an high ranking officer very young. "I hate this place! I hate this cold! I hate everything!" He shouted whimsically, and then pointed at a guard there "And I hate YOU! Bring me another bottle!" And then he fainted on the floor.

Back on the walls

After the commander fainted for... 'Unknown reasons' the garrison entered a moment of chaos, with every lieutenant and captain minding only their own plan, leaving behind their back any previously prepared plan.
"What the hell do we do now?!?" Asked a terrified soldier "Nobody is following standard procedures now!"
The young captain, with a stressed look on his face, coming down from the tower, started shouting:
"Y'all here, man your guns, take the other soldiers to their own, prepare to fire at the enemy formation as soon as the spotters on the tower shoot the signal flare!" Seeing that the soldiers present there were just looking at him surprised he added:
"What'cha looking at? GET MOVING!" Then the soldiers started getting to their places.
A spotter with grizzled hair and a scar covered face got near the captain saying "This garrison didn't even exist a year ago, it was just a bunch of ruins in the middle of some mountains, not even scavenge-worthy, I don't even know why it was established. Anyway, apart from me, the First Captain and few others, everybody here is barely a recruit, and this is just a glorified boot camp, don't expect efficiency."
"And you old man would be?"
"The First Spotter lad, the guys you sent for a spot woke up the whole room, I'm very displeased with that."
"Well, sorry my lord but we are under attack."
"By who? I don't see any fighting going on."
"Angleans, only the Organ has them fully in range." Replied the young captain while pointing at the enemy fleet's general direction.
"Oh, well, this is going to be fun!" While saying that, the old man took from his back a modified portable Mercury Gun and after few moments of taking aim, he shot a flare towards the enemy fleet, and then smiled childishly.
"What the... You gave out our position just like that?"
"Eh? The Organon is in range, let it shoot!" He said while still smiling.
After a few seconds, surprising the while garrison with its sound, the Organ started firing. The heavy lesmok rounds creating trails of fire behind the shots that quickly disappeared in the distance becoming faint lights in a matter of few seconds.
Only to be seen as explosions on the mountain sides and on the enemy ships.

Anglean fleet

A series of five gigantic explosions took the raider fleet by surprise, with one of the shots simply melting in the hit a Squid.
"Unit 3-1 here, unit 3-7 taken down, readjusting formation"
"Roger unit 3; unit 1 engage delta formation, scout the origin point of the shot"
"Another volley incoming!"
"Evasive maneuvers!"
"Unit 2-1 here, unit 2-5 and 2-6 got taken down, readjusting formation"
"Roger unit 2; unit 2, unit 3, lower altitude, widen formation, engage scatter formation. That must be a long range piece, we are sitting ducks here, follow unit 1 and prepare for engagement; unit 1 change from delta to scatter formation, number of casualties is a,ready too high."

In the keep's air docks

The First Captain was an old man, strong, still fully possessing of his mental faculties, unlike the First Spotter, that recently has  almost gone fully senile in his behavior.
"All ships, commander's down, 'unknown reasons', so now you take orders only from me, and you'll be happy about it, understood?"
"Aye" answered the whole fleet.
"Have your guns at the ready, remember the basics, first tear down their reactive armor, then break the main structure, for every shot you'll miss, I will personally punch you in the face, and don't any of you dare to die, or I'll will kill you!"

The small fleet of 12 spires finally took off, executing a coordinated maneuver in order to get into their planned position without any problems.
"Let the dances begin!"

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