Interactive History Novel Writing Month - July 2012

[Prodigal]

Just something small...

Our soul is like a mirror. At its creation, and when we are first birthed, it is clean, spotless, and at the height of its attainable perfection. Looking at the mirror is its Creator, our Lord. And so it reflects Him, in its most clean state, it is Theosis, "oneness" with Him.

But through our sins, our carelessness, spots appear on our mirrors. It can be covered with filth and grime when we do not tend to it, but still the Creator looks at it as if it were the same as when He first made it, fondly recalling it, its complexities, intricacies, and unique qualities. Yet they still all reflect Him, are all the same, yet different. All are beautiful in His eyes. Even when covered with dust and cobwebs, He still looks at them fondly.

Even when they no longer reflect Him, when their owners do not care for their cleanliness, He still puts His attention to them, forever caring for His creation. Thankfully, our mirrors cannot break, or even crack, for their Creator is perfect, but they can be covered up by our sins, and so it is our duty to keep them clean, so that God may be reflected in them. That reflection can and will be seen by others, driving them to also keep their mirrors polished, and so triggering a chain of reflection, of that true beauty that God created them to be.

[Agamemnon]

I like it, but we're all born sinful, so unless you'd like to change it to "before we are first birthed", the beginning isn't quite true.


I'm not nearly as Pelagian as you think.


But anyhow, beyond that, wonderful imagery and great metaphor.

[Prodigal]

We are not born sinful. We are not responsible for the sins of our ancestors.

Augustinian Latin!

[Agamemnon]

Original sin? Even you believe in original sin. If not, you're the Pelagian here.

[Dan the Man]

He doesn't. But this is a place to post our writings, not a debate thread. We already have one of those.

[Agamemnon]

Strange... very strange... I didn't know Christians could not believe in original sin...

[Prodigal]

Posted in the debate thread.

Prodigal Son out.

[EmperorBatman999]

Here I go with the beginning of my novel...

Chapter 1:
It was peaceful summer day in the mountains of Spain. Casa Montaña, or Mountain House, was nestled in the quiet hills north of Spain's capital Madrid. Frmers were busy in the fields tending to the wheat and olives, the inn was busy with travelers and the regular customers. Carts, horses, and mules went down the narrow dirt and cobbled streets amongst the white-washed houses with red clay rooves. On a hill at the eastern edge of town was a modest estate of two levels and a cellar. Attached to the building was a quarters for his few servants, and a stable for the horses. One of the horses was gone, the nobleman was away from home.

A horseman trotted along on the the town's approach. He wore a top hat and wore a coat with a long tail that extended down to cover his buttocks. The man was young, but his manners and appearance were noble. Men knew of the man's importance, and so farmers in the field welcomed the man, saying, "Good day, Señor," to the man. The Señor would return the greeting and return on his way. He was the noble who lived in the estate, and he had returned home. He trotted up the road to his home and dismounted, a servant then walked his horse to the stables. The man was Señor Alejandro de Alonso y Huerta, and he had been away in Burgos.

Alejandro reflected on his travels there. He had gone for a ball hosted by the Duque Silvio de Sirlos a Hacha. The festivities were grand in his large palace. Alejandro had gone there not just to mingle with the society of Spain but also to find a marriage. There had been two daughters present, and he had danced and talked to them. But they were the daughters of another Duque and a Marquess. Even despite Alejandro's own noblity, their fathers would never approve, for Alejandro was lower on the ladder of nobility. On top were the Grandees, the men closest to the King. At the bottom were the Hidalgos, men who posessed no land but were still nobles and allowed the titles and regalia as such, and also received the benefit of other nobles - no taxes to pay. Alejandro was a Señor, a mere hereditary lord. His father had died some four years ago at the hand of bandits, and at sixteen Alejandro was just old enough to rely upon himself. His mother had perished delivering his sister, who also died shortly after. Alejandro was left to carry on the family line, and the young man had spent years searching. His father was no longer around to arrange a marriage, and so Alejandro had to represent himself.

Alejandro was a man of youthful frustration. Life was boring. He traveled across the country in search of suitors, and when he was home he had little to do besides read books. Alejandro wonder if he would be entrapped by his books eventually and go into the realm of madness like that man Don Quijote of the novels. For now, he wanted a wine and afterwards rest. The men should be coming in from the fields soon anyway for their mid-day meals and then take their naps until the heat of the sun had left in the early evening.

There would be no rest today, however. The sound of drums sounded from the south. Then it was followed by sound of boots stamping the earth. Hundreds of stamping boots. Then, emerging into the open from behind a hill came blue men in a neat column. Farmers stopped what they were doing to look up. A farmer went to tell the Señor about the arrival of the soldiers. What soldiers exactly, nobody knew. Royal Guards? An Irish regiment? Alejandro walked outside to observe the marching column. Now clearer details could be made out. The column was led by an officer on a horse. He wore a bicorn hat with edged in gold thread. Behind him were two other officers slightly less grandly clad. Then behind them was the drummers, dressed in strange, bright uniforms. The drummers beat a steady rhythym, pulling the men onwards. The flagbears followed close to the drummers. They carried a flag that was blue, white, and red with golden lettering embroidered on. Then following behind the flag were soldiers with tall, furry hats and on their shoulders were red epaulets. Grenadiers The other troops wore no epaulets, and instead of a fur hat they wore a tall, cylindrical shako. On the shako was a diamond-shaped badge with the regiment's number on it. Above that was a round tricolored cloth called a cockade. Then on top was a blue pom pom, indicating the men as fusiliers. Finally at the rear were men who were epaullettes that were green and yellow, Voltigeurs. All the soldiers and officers wore a dark blue uniform with red facings.

The men entered the town, and marched to the plaza at the town's center. Alejandro followed from a distance on horseback, trying to ask an officer what was happening. The apparent regiment paraded in the plaza, making an impressive sight for many of these simple villagers. They had never seen such a military presence before. The town constable was one thing, but an entire regiment another. The regiment's quartermaster and some of his sergeants began chalking the doors of houses with strange numbers and letters, indicating which soldiers were to stay in what houses. The QM chalked the door to Alejandro's own home, much to the disapproval of one of his servants.

Alejandro saw these officers were issuing orders in French, and so Alejandro switched to French to communicate with the men. French was the language of high society and diplomacy in the year 1808, despite France being the main enemy of the major nations of Europe, and unknown to these people, Spain had joined these enemies. Alejandro rode up to the man who was dressed the grandest, assuming he was there leader,

"Monsieur, can I ask what is going on? How long will your men be staying in this town?"

The Colonel replied back,
"May I present myself as Jean Doumont, Colonel of Emperor Napoleon's 42nd Fusiliers of the Line. And we will remain here until further orders. Now, who are you, Monsieur?"

"Lord Alejandro de Alonso y Huerta,"

"Ah, so you must be the Monsieur with whom I will be billeted with. Pleased to make your aquaintance. Now, I am busy, so I must go," the Colonel made a small bow and turned to the quartermaster. He dismounted, and a smartly dressed groom took his horse and walked him to Alejandro's estate after the Colonel pointed out is location. A covered wagon with the officers' wives and belongings followed the column into the town. Wives reunited with officers. The Colonel's was absent, he was a single man. The wagon was unloaded by soldiers and footmen. Some desks and weapons' racks were taken to the Constable's office, and then the wagon was sent to Alejandro's estate. The French had arrived, and now Spain was at war.

Chapter 2:
The French at first caused few problems. People were annoyed at their presence, but issues between the soldiers and townsfolk had yet to begin.

Until a man had entered town. He was Juan Gonzales. He was a traveler, but regularly visited Casa Montaña. The one sole posession he had besides his clothes was his guitar. He was a hagard-looking man with a short beard, a coat faded coat, grubby trousers, wore a beaten wide-brim hat. He traveled around the towns in this part of Spain playing his guitar for donations, food, rooms and occasionally a whore. Despite his ragged appearance, he was a virtuous virtuoso. It was said Juan was talented enough to play for the King. Little did these simple people know that the King would prefer to hear the slow, soft melodies written by French, Italian and German composers from a century before rather than the fast dances and sad songs, the sounds of these hills. And today Juan had arrived stressed and exhausted.

The villagers had gathered in the inn to hear what Juan had to say. Alejandro was also interested, and made an appearance. There were French soldiers in the inn at the same time, and as an act of protest he told his story in the form of song, accompanied by the improvised rhythyms of his instrument. The French soldier didn't understand a single word of the song, and even stomped their feet and clapped their hands to the lively tune. Juan sang of the chaos in Madrid, and that King Fernando VII of Spain, had been imprisoned by Napoleon and that the French King had seen fit to replace Fernando with his own brother Joseph. Juan also sang of how he was on his way to Casa Montaña when he was stopped by a patrol of French cavalry in green uniforms and horse-hair plumed helmets. He was only allowed to get past them by playing a tune. In between were verses insulting the French. And that was why he was exhausted.

The report of the King's arrest and replacement infuriated the people. These simple townsfolk were devout Catholics, and they believed God had placed Fernando VII as His representative on earth. And now he was shut out. What would happen to the earth now?

The situation was worsened by the soldiers' themselves. They had grown used to life here, and so they got drunk and disorderly. When they were drunk, they harassed civilians, sometimes even outright attacking them. It was even believed that a Frenchman had raped the daughter of the farmer Vasco. These reports flooded to Señor Alejandro, for they believed that Alejandro had the authority to fix the situation.

When Colonel Doumont left for Madrid for an errand, the townspeople gathered near Alejandro's estate. The priest Father Nuñez was there, was well as the village's constable, Antonio Panza. Father Nuñez was a fiery man of the Catholic Church, who preached practical crusade on anybody that opposed Spain, be it the Ottomans, British, Portuguese, and now the French. Panza was a more laid-back man who's job was to protect the town and its people from thieves and bandits that occasionally came around the area, but he never actually led a patrol more than five miles outside of the town. They demanded to see the Lord. Finally, Alejandro ordered for a servant to open the door and let the group in. Then the men of the town walked into the poorly lit cellar. More candles were lit and the leaders of the town gathered to speak, all urging action. The King was arrested by these invaders, and it was their duty given by God to fight off the invaders. Alejandro himself was reluctant. He had no idea how many Frenchmen were in the country, or if these simple townspeople could defeat the same men who had brought down the giants of Austria and Prussia. Yet these men wanted him to lead them it seemed. Alejandro thought for a moment in the dark cellar. It stank of wine, mold and dirt. Alejandro lowered his head, and the men around the carven wood table lowered theirs, and Alejandro spoke in a near-whisper,

"You want to drive the French out? Here's what we will do: Panza, you will gather weapons for some of the men if they don't have any. How long should that take?"

"Probably not long, Señor, about two weeks I think. Many of the men already have guns, bird-hunting pieces, but they should work. For the others, I'm certain that can worked out. There must be guns in my own armory, and other men including yourself can lend guns,"

"That is acceptable. I have some muskets. Once you have the weapons, I will invite the French leaders to dine. But the day before the dinner, a group of men is to clash with the French in a fistfight. Start that fight, don't let the French. Then after the fight run away, go through the ravine to the old amphitheatre. The French will need to up the assault in the conversation, and I will tell them you escaped through the ravine. Some hundred other men should join you at the amphitheatre. The French will send men to chase you. Hide amongst the seats in the dark, there should be no moon soon and that will hide you. Surprise the French when they get there and then return home after all of them are dead. Not a single soul escapes. A second group of two hundred men will remain in the town. I will order a servant to light a candle in my bedroom, that is the signal for the rest of you to start the attack on the town itself. Storm Panza's office and steal as many French weapons from the armory as possible after we seize the town and arm the rest of the men who want to fight. Remember friends, this attack is meant to be quick, where many of the French leaders are dead or confused. We benefit from the chaos. But if this fails, expect a firing squad or hangman's noose next morning."

Many of the men nodded in doubt and doom regarding Alejandro's final warning. But the plan seemed easy enough, and many others nodded in agreed enthusiam. And so it was agreed. Panza would get weapons, Alejandro would set the dinner, Nuñez would meet with men who wanted to be involved in the battle for Casa Montaña and give them a group to go to for the night of the attack.

Then two weeks later, as planned, Panza informed Alejandro that the weapons were ready. Everything had fallen in place, the band of men had got in a fist fight with some Light Company soldiers and then ran. They were about twelve men. Other men had taken side-routes to the amphitheatre and gathered at dusk. They all sat on and behind the stone seats, each having a loaded musket, and an axe or knife.

The French officers had accepted the invitation to dinner. Colonel Doumont came, along with two of his Majors, and two Captains. One was of the Light Company, and another of a center Company.

After the greetings were made, the men sat down to the first course. The Light Captain was almost a boy, with blond hair and spectacles that made him look as if he belonged more in the artillery than an infantry regiment. He seemed like a person of degrees, trajectories, calibres, and angles, and not marching and shooting.

And while the Colonel was neat and polite, his Major wasn't. Major Blois was a loud, blunt man,

"Do you know what is the best sport in the world? The hunt! And many man who doesn't say so is fool! Be it rabbits, or thieves. Its all the same. You could trample them, whip them, shoot them from time to time. Man was meant to hunt. For the hunted? Too bad! Only a fool gets caught by the hunter!"

The Major laughed and he continued to boast some more about some of his trophies, nobody had asked him for his experience on the hunt,

"I've hunted many, many things. And almost all of them on my various campaigns. My first was in Egypt, and I was with Emperor Napoleon himself! He was no Emperor then, of course, but he would! And he is! I caught a lion there. Massive kitty, with sharp claws, sharper teeth and a roar louder than a cannon. Wee Drouin here would probably fall down dead if he just heard the damn thing!"

Drouin was the bespectacled Voltigeur captain. His small size that accompanied his youth made him a victim to the huge major,

"And I bet you kiddy hasn't caught men before! I caught Hebert Girard, the most infamous outlaw of France! I also caught many an Austrian assassin with their silent muskets that actually hit where you aim! Each one of those bastards hanged. I also caught many boar in the Black Forest. Have you been there? No! Because the only place you've been Drouin was anywhere besides your mother! Is this your first out alone in the world, Captain? You know, we really should use the guillotine again on anybody that opposes our Emperor and his brother, the rightful King of Spain. A blade of mercy that drops quickly and silently on the necks of the enemies of the Revolution. Dead in an instant."

Colonel Doumont seemed annoyed at the major's attacks towards Drouin, but was used to it. He could not directly protect Drouin, for the major sat between the Captain and Colonel.

"That is enough, Major. Not when we are eating. This Monsieur has had his servants prepare a most delectable meal I would like to have the appetite to eat,"

And so Blois's bragging had stopped. Alejandro nodded at the compliment. Then the conversation had picked up interest with the Austrian assassins and their bizzarre rifles.

"Technology in these times is amazing. This is the year 1808, and yet I mean the Austrians, for all their incompetence in command, have invented a rifle that makes no sound. They say it fires by using air to force the bullet out. And this bullet flies with enough force to kill a man and remain far more accurate than our own muskets. The Germans and British also have been using rifles for a time now. They aren't silent, but they're accurate enough to aim at a single man over a hundred of meters away and still hit him! I wonder why the Emperor hasn't chosen to make use of these guns? My men would sure enjoy them better, being smart, clever light infantry," Drouin made a stab back at the Major. The Major led a normal fusiliers company, "Mad you don't lead Chasseurs, Blois?" The Chasseurs were French Light Infantry like the Voltigeurs. The former meant hunters, and the latter meant vaulters. And Blois was not a Chasseur.

"Go back to school, boy, this war isn't supposed to be fought by children,"

Before the conversation got out of hand, Alejandro changed the subject, this time to bring up the misconduct of Colonel Doumont's men to the townsfolk of Casa Montaña...

[Dan the Man]

Chapter 1

"Communications relay open." A hand, riddled with scars from decades of use, clutched the microphone and spoke into it with clarity. The hand belonged to a strong arm, whose sleeve was decorated with medals and stripes of every color. From the face of this man stared two piercing eyes of steel, which stared into the screen before them with purpose. "Admiral, you do realize that this is desertion, high treason!" A voice piped up behind the weathered man. "You can't go back after this." The Admiral did not look up, but took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in his throat. He spoke into the microphone again. "Comm relay open." He tapped his foot impatiently, then, screaming into the device, "damn it, comm relay open!" Finally, a mass of gray fuzz appeared on screen, accompanied by a brief cacophony of unintelligible buzzing. The bridge, once illuminated only with the faint glow of a few buttons and switches, was suddenly uncomfortably bright with a blinding white light. The Admiral blinked a few times, allowing his weary eyes to adjust. A few lines of green text appeared on screen. "Select target." A computerized voice issued from the loudspeaker. "Contact Forward Party. Status: Urgent." "Confirmed. Contacting Forward Party. Please stand by for clearance." The computer droned. The Admiral's eyes widened for a moment. "No! Cancel clearance order! Proceed with directive, do not contact Control!" "Order to bypass clearance received. Please input override code." "9-Y-3-B-1-4-A-0-G-1-6." "Override code accepted. Proceeding with directive. Please wait." For a few uncomfortable moments the screen flickered with fuzz and the speakers squealed quietly as the computer attempted to find its frequency. Finally: "Contact succeeded. Communication initiating." The face of a young man swam its way onto the screen. His insignia marked him as a lieutenant. "Admiral," he saluted. "It's an honor to speak to you." "Spare me the pleasantries, lieutenant." The Admiral growled. "I want the details of your status report immediately. We have 20 minutes to launch." "Oh, yes." The Lieutenant fumbled around on his desk, poring over mountains of papers. "Yes, it's right here." He held a folder up to the screen. "Planet hospitable, with temperate climate and bountiful sources of water and other resources. No sentient lifeforms present, threat from non-sentient organisms minimal. Overall, the planet is ideal for colonization." The Admiral licked his dry lips thoughtfully. "Not very verbose, are you son?" He shut his eyes for a moment. "Very well. You have four weeks to prepare your base camp for the arrival of seven-thousand refugee families. Good luck." He put the control microphone back to his mouth. "End transmission." The Lieutenant's face swam out of view once again. The Admiral took another deep breath. The voice behind him spoke again. "Sir, this is our last chance. If we shut down now we can return home and nobody will ever know what happened. Sir, I urge you, think of the crew. They have families too." "Captain," the Admiral wheeled around in his chair and fixed the poor sailor in his iron gaze. "There is nothing for them here anymore. Nothing. If they stay here, any of them, they die." "But sir, this is treason! If they're caught, then -" "Yes yes, treason this, treason that! I know the cost and so do they! But please, Captain, since you're so wise, finish your sentence." "If they're caught, then they die." "That's right." The Admiral snarled condescendingly. "And if we stay?" "They die." "The only chance, that is the only chance, that any of us have is if we get out of here now. If you have a problem with this, then you have -" he glanced at the time display on his control panel - "about seventeen minutes to disembark this ship. We'll manage just fine without you." The Captain stammered. "I'll...I'll stay sir." "Good choice. Man the helm." He gestured towards the navigation controls at the far end of the room, then returned to his microphone. "Prime engines." Almost at once a dull roar could be heard as the ship's eight cold-fusion engines came to life. The Admiral spoke once more into the microphone. "Comm relay open." Once again the screen and loudspeakers buzzed. "Select target." "Intercom. Broadcast to the entire ship." "Confirmed. Intercom activated." The Admiral swallowed again and began to speak. "Good evening. This is your commander speaking. In about 11 minutes we will be departing on a four-week long journey which will take you, all several thousand of you, to a planet hundreds of thousands of miles away from here and well outside of the war's reach. You will be safe there, we will be safe there, and we will rebuild ourselves there. The journey may not be safe. We will attempt to exit the planet's atmosphere as fast as possible but there is still always a chance that we will be caught by a patrol. This is a cargo ship, and does not have the kind of firepower to take on any warships we may encounter. If this idea scares any of you, please, take this opportunity to abandon ship while you still have it. Though I must warn you: You are no less safe here than you would be back in your homes. Or, at least, what's left of them. For those of you that do stay, I urge you to remain close to your families and friends, as well as to make more along the way. A strong sense of unity between all aboard will be absolutely paramount to our survival. If you have any further questions, please ask a crewman but remember that this is not a luxury cruise. This crew is first and foremost trained for military operations and is here to keep the ship running and to keep you safe, not for your entertainment." He was silent for a minute, thinking of what to say next. "That in mind, I want to remind you all one more time that this is your absolute last opportunity to disembark. To the rest of you, good luck. We will do our best to ensure that we all reach our destination safely. That is all." He turned back to the control mic. "End transmission." It was no work of art, his statement, and he knew this, but it got the job done. He was a fleet commander, not a poet, and he didn't care how it made his charges feel as long as it got the point across and they didn't do anything stupid like throw themselves into the generator fans or let their children play in the armory. He sighed and rapped his fingers on the control panel in front of him, his expression pensive. Now or never. "Captain, take us out of here."

[Dave Strider]

I'm in a bit of a narrative mood, expect something more resembling a Wikipedia Article rather than a story should I actually decide on something

[Majonga]

OOC: OK guys I am going to hit you guys with something rather off the wall here. This was a story that I told to my Girlfriend when she demanded a bedtime story and she enjoyed it enough to demmand sequal and I have always intended to write it down.

Keep in mind, this is a children's story, and so it includes alot of repetition and reminders so they kids remember what we are talking about. The original story included a bit of light racism, which I have taken out since it might offend some people. I also intend to make simple pictures for each page if i put it into a book, with simple pictures of an orange with a smiley face etc.

So here it is...

The Friendly Fruits Five-a-Side Football Team

Once, there was an Orange, whose colour was pre-defined before this begining of this story. And one day, when he was out walking in the sunshine he came across a sign. It read: "Friendly Five-A-Side Football Competition. Trophy for the winning team." The Orange thought that sounded fun, so he set about to collect his friends and make a team.

So the Orange, whose colour was predefined before the begining of this story, went to see his friend the Apple. Now the Apple is Red, but sometimes Green, depending on how ripe he is. The Apple lived in a tree with the rest of his family, and when he heard of the competition he immediately hopped off his branch and plopped on the ground to join his friend the Orange.

So the Orange, whose colour was predefined before the beginging of this story and his friend the Apple, whose colour is Red, but sometimes Green depending on how ripe he is, travelled through the land on a journey to collect a five-a-side football team. Soon they came across a Banana Tree, where they met the Banana. Now the Banana's colour is Yellow, like the sun, and he was a cheerful friendly fellow who was really excited by the football competition and agreed to join the team.

So the Orange, whose colour was predefined before the begining of this story, the Apple, who is Red, but sometimes Geen depending on how ripe he is and the Banana who is yellow like the Sun, travelled on through the land. After a while they came across a Lemon Tree, and there, they met a huge amount of Lemons, who were yellow like the Banana. But the Lemons were bitter and they didn't want to play football. However they said that the 'Ugly Lemon' should play so they could laught at him. the Lemons were all mean to the 'Ugly Lemon' becuase he was Green rather than Yellow. Yet you and I know that the 'Ugly Lemon' wasn't actually a Lemon at all, but a beuatiful Lime. Hoping to get away from the mean Lemons and happy to have found new friends, the Lime was eager to join the Fruits in their Five-a-Side Football team.

And so, the Orange, whose colour was predefined before the begining of this story, had found nearly enough friends to enter the Five-a-side football competition. He had the Apple, whose colour was predefined before the begining of this story. The Banana who is yellow like the Sun and the 'Ugly Lemon' who wasn't actually a lemon at all, but a beautiful Lime. All they needed was one more player to join their team. So they travelled on. Soon, they came across a Plum Tree, where they met a Plum. Now the Plum's colour was purple, which is a royal colour and that made him very snobbish. He thought he was better than all the other fruits, but when he heard of the Trophy, he wanted it for himself, becuase he was spoilt. So he joined the team.

At last, the fruits had gathered enough players to enter the competition. They had the Orange, whose Colour was predefined before the begining of the story. The Apple, who is Red, but sometimes Green depending on how ripe he is. The Banana who is Yellow like the sun. The Ugly Lemon, who wasn't actually a Lemon at all, but a beautiful Lime, and finally the Plum, who was Purple, which is a royal colour and made him very snobbish. Together they made the friendly Fruits five-a-side football team.

[Dave Strider]

Okay, this is just a general synopsis.

As (some of) you guys know, I like to draw Napoleonic-esc maps.

I will be doing a narrative of a (fictional) battle based off of one of my maps.

So, I proudly present to you, Chapter 1 of...

The Battle of Telburg

Chapter 1 - Background, Part 1

The Battle of Telburg, arguably the decisive battle in the both tactically and strategically limited Fourth Silesian War, has its roots in a conflict half a world away; the American Revolution. At this time, the year is 1780. Spain and France are both intervening against the British in favor of the Americans, and France, being power-hungry as she nearly always is, is also keen on conquest of Holland and Hanover, to bring British power down in Europe as well. Naturally, the Austrians back them, also keen on expanding their empire into Central Europe. Britain, both because of its lack of available soldiers, and its need to keep German mercenaries from the Holy Roman Empire (dubbed "Hessians" by the American Rebels) asks Prussia to intervene on its behalf. The Prussians, though at first hesitant, finally agree to help the British when it is discovered that one of their former officers - one Baron von Steuben, who was dishonorably discharged from the Prussian army on account of supposed Homosexuality - is in America, fighting on the side of the Rebels, and assisting in their training; something that embarrasses Frederick greatly, which he wishes to make up to the British. Frederick personally writes to King George III, pledging the full support of the Prussian army, and vowing to personally raise 40,000 men to crush the Austrians. The Dutch, likewise, pledge another 15,000, and another 20,000 or so Volunteers from Denmark, Sweden, and the Protestant states of the Holy Roman Empire find themselves in the British and Prussian service. The British, feeling the obligation to have some kind of force on the continent, assemble the latter two groups into an army under the command of William Howe, who, though he resigned from command of the North American theater in 1778, was still an important figure in British society, and whose service commanded respect. Howe had, under his command, 35,000 Dutch, Danish, Swedish, and German troops, as well as an unattached Brigade of 2,000 British Regulars from the 48th, 31st, and 59th Foot, and the 11th Light Foot. This force included around 4,000 German and 1,000 Danish Cavalry, and around 36 Dutch Batteries, for a total of around 144 Cannon. Meanwhile, the Prussian "Army of Silesia", under the command of General-Leutnant Hans-Joachim von Zieten, a famed Prussian Cavalry General who aged close to 80, was comprised of 34,000 Infantry (including 5,000 Grenadiers), 6,000 Cavalry, and 170 Cannon. The Prussian Army, having been at peace only for a year following the end of the War of Bavarian Succession in 1778-1779, had learned much in terms of how disease could affect an army; as such, the medical corps was doubled, and Surgeons were permanently attached to all Companies, and supplied with plentiful quantities of Tourniquets, fresh water, and whiskey, all of which could be accessed from the rear at their request by a dispatch rider. Such riders were attached to every Company to ensure that such needs would be urgent in their arrival. However, though the advances in medicine in the Prussian Army were no doubt astonishing, King Frederick II was still unwilling to commit large bodies of soldiers to be potentially exposed to illness and death, after nearly 10,000 Prussian Soldiers had died in the past 3 years. Therefore, he only permitted Zieten - who had, himself, been denied from serving in the War of Bavarian Succession, and now held a grudge against Frederick for it - to bring 40,000 men to the field, and to march cautiously, instructing him to never advance ahead of the Supply lines by over an 8 hour march. Zieten, with such heavy restrictions against him, simply shrugged them off, disregarding his King's orders as "ill-planned" and "the renditions of a stress-ridden, senile man". Leaving Silesia and crossing into Bohemia on the 4th of June, 1780, Zieten almost immediately set off with his trusted Cavalry on raiding missions, leaving his Infantry Division commanders isolated and nervous as they set off on half-blind marches into the Austrian countryside, attempting to find some kind of target to attack and occupy, to bring the Austrians to battle. Zieten, while raiding, didn't even bother to send out Scout patrols to search for, or determine the size of, the Austrian Army; it might be said that, having not been in the army for nearly 20 years, that he was reliving his glory days as a dashing young Cavalryman (and indeed, it was later noted by several local women that he appeared quite young and energetic in bed). He had no idea of the forces arrayed against him, or about how they may be concentrating to deliver a deadly blow against him...

[Agamemnon]

@Maj: WTF?

Also, I'd like to see the racist version, as I'd imagine it's hilarious.

[Agamemnon]

@Maj: WTF?

Also, I'd like to see the racist version, as I'd imagine it's hilarious.

[Dan the Man]

I thought it was adorable. I promise to read it to my own children someday.

[Agamemnon]

So....

I need some writing advice. I'm getting baptised next week or so, and I need to write a testimonial for it, just to explain how I came to Christ, why I wanted to be baptised, etc.


And I have absolutely no clue how to start off.

[Dave Strider]

Simply because I feel it a-flowin...

Chapter 2 - Background (Part 2), and Battle of Olmitz

In the months preceding the outbreak of violence in the Fourth Silesian War, the Austrian Empire had been caught in a near blind spot. Queen Maria Theresa was dying, and her son Francis II was preparing to take over; word of further hostilities with Prussia seemed to make Maria Theresa deteriorate faster due to stress, and as such Francis II was noticably worried. The Austrian Army, still in half-mobilization from the end of the War of Bavarian Succession, took surprisingly less time than its Prussian counterpart to mobilize just as many men; and so, when Maria Theresa died, Francis II, King of Austria and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, made it known to his remaining loyal subjects in the latter - and all subjects in the former - that the realm was at great risk, and that all good Austrians ought to enlist in the army to repel the Prussian invader. And so it was that, by the time of Zieten's invasion, Austria had amassed some 56,000 Infantry, 9,000 Cavalry, and 210 Guns to contend with Zieten. The Prussian Army, divided into two Wings*, is small compared to the Austrian Army. The Prussian Right Wing contained 44 Battalions of Infantry, 10 Squadrons of Cavalry, and 108 Guns. The Prussian Left Wing contained 24 Battalions of Infantry, 6 Squadrons of Cavalry, and 60 Guns. The Austrian Army contained 112 Battalions of Infantry, 45 Squadrons of Cavalry, and 210 Guns. (* = Zieten had taken the other 14 Cavalry Squadrons, a combined total of 2,800 Men, on a raiding party further West, more for the purpose of excitement than any real strategic gain) In the first weeks of the war, Francis II assumed personal command of his "Army of Bohemia", leading it in a daring maneuver that might throw the Prussians out of Bohemia quickly; he sent one of his Generals - Count Heinrich von Pulnow - with 16,000 Infantry, 2,000 Cavalry, and 84 Guns to block the advance of the small Left wing of the Prussian Army at the town of Olmitz; he established a reserve, under the command of General Jorgen Wörst, of 20,000 Infantry, 4,600 Cavalry, and 22 Guns at Zieteldorf, 15 miles to the West of Olmitz; and finally, he personally led the remainder of his army, comprising 20,000 Infantry, 2,400 Cavalry, and 104 Guns, to block the advance of the larger Prussian Right wing at the crossroads of Telburg. Map of Movements, 4 June - 11 June 1780 Map of Austrian and Prussian movements, 4 June - 11 June, 1780 The Battle of Olmitz von Pulnow's men got in place first, allowing them to wait for the Prussians to arrive and assail their positions. While waiting, they prepared light breastworks, strengthened their position via internal roads behind the lines. von Pulnow was no stranger to defensive tactics, and prepared his line well; he deployed his Infantry along a series of sunken roads, massing most of his Artillery - around 70 guns - on a large ridge just behind his front line. He anchored his left flank - 4,000 men and 18 guns, 6 of which were on the ground interspersed with his Infantry - on a 6-way Crossroads, and his right - 5,000 men and 20 guns - along the inside of a V-shaped fork in the road. His right flank was especially important, as he correctly guessed, because his extreme right overlapped the main road that the Prussians were marching down. He knew that his Right would get a hammering, and as such, he deployed his Cavalry - 1,600 men in 8 squadrons - as a reserve, around halfway between his Center and Right, about a mile behind the front line. On the morning of June 8, 1780, the Austrian army awoke to the sound of Prussian guns, and quickly took positions. And just in time, too, as at 9:30 A.M., the Prussians begin their assault. First to be hit, is the Austrian left at the Crossroads; 7 Prussian Battalions, led by fearsome Grenadiers, converge on the Prussians from two directions. However, the Prussian left flank wanders off, and is chewed to pieces by the combined fire from 10 Guns and 2 Battalions of Austrian Infantry. The other 6 Prussian Battalions, attacking en echelon from left-to-right, comes in piecemeal and is hammered by the Austrian Artillery on the high ground; still, they press on. They then hit the Austrian line of breastworks and receive a heavy, concentrated volley from 4,000 Austrian Infantry, which tears the leading 2 Battalions up; the next wave, another 2 Battalions, one of them being Grenadiers, surges forward with an animalistic fury and nearly carries the trenches; however, Austrian reinforcements, combined with the Austrian Artillery switching to Double-Canister and driving off the last 2 Prussian Battalions with heavy losses, forces the Grenadiers back, and effectively cripples the Prussian army in this sector. A lengthy Artillery duel ensues, but the Austrians have effectively won here. The Austrian Left Flank Commander, had, during this assault, sent several messengers to General von Pulnow for reinforcements, stating that his flank would be overrun if he did not have them. Though modern historians debate over whether or not the Prussian assault could have in face done this, they agree that the Austrian left flank could indeed have broken out of fear had it not been for the arrival of 2 reinforcing Infantry Battalions. However, there was another reason that the Austrian commander was reluctant to send reinforcements, and weaken his center; Prussian Cavalry. 800 Prussian Troopers had been sighted only a couple miles away, and they were closing fast towards the Austrian Center. von Pulnow, being the confident general he was, ordered his Infantry not to form squares; rather, he thinned their lines to 3 men deep, and instructed the first rank to kneel, so entire Battalions could fire in one mass volley. He also massed over 30 Guns here, preparing a gauntlet of hot lead for the Prussian Cavalry. And when the Prussian Cavalry arrived, what a gauntlet it was. Shrapnel, Solid shot, and Canister all flew freely from the Austrian cannon, flying and twirling through the air before killing rank upon rank, file upon file of Prussian Horsemen. However, the Prussians continued on, having been trained by Frederick long ago to dress their ranks at full gallop. And on they came, braving the storm of lead, only to charge toward the Austrian center...and be met with a full broadside volley, 3,000 Austrian Infantry discharging their muskets at once. That did it for the Prussian cavalry, galloping away with less than a third of their number remaining. This gallant, and apparently pointless, charge had baffled von Pulnow; was it a Reconnaissance mission-turned-Suicide charge out of a Horseman's personal honor? Or was it intended, and did it serve a better purpose? He would find out only ten minutes later, when a sudden assault by 8,000 Prussian Infantry, arrayed in two long lines, one behind the other, slammed into his right flank, which had no geographical features to help it and only was supported by 12 guns in this area; The Prussian Cavalry's charge was to distract his reserves while the Prussian Infantry readied themselves to attack, giving him no time to send men to his Right. The Prussian assault succeeded in pushing them back a mile, nearly folding the Austrian flank in on the Austrian center like a pocket knife closing. However, it was at this time that a bewildered von Pulnow committed his Cavalry reserve, which surged forth through the ranks of the retreating Austrians, into the disorganized Prussians, who had no time to form square; the sudden onslaught of the Austrian horse, combined with the close quarters in which the Prussian Infantry was condensed, led to a near-massacre which sent the Prussians tumbling back in disorder. The battle was over, an Austrian victory, and the Prussians withdrew that night. Austrian casualties were approx. 1,500 Killed or Wounded, and 200 Captured. Prussian casualties were approx. 4,000 Killed or Wounded, and 700 Captured. Battle of Olmitz (Light Blue and Pink = Retreats, Blue and Red = Advances) Battle of Olmitz, unit actions and deployments, 8 June, 1780

[Kip]

Lookin' good, gents! Maj, that story is hilarious. Love how you've hammered down all the conventions of children's literature. With the hidden racial humor you've alluded to (assuming it is in the vein I imagine, and not something plainly offensive ), I'll bet you've done a good job of appropriating the genre to make it your own.

[Agamemnon]

This is what I got so far guys, keep in mind it's NOT a novel, so no embellishment. Beyond that, though, any suggestions?

I’ve always considered myself a Christian. My whole life I’ve believed in God and Jesus, and I’ve always tried to live a good life. But I never really thought about it. I just went through the motions, doing what I did because it’s what I’ve always done. With all that’s gone on in my life, and simply the routine of life, I never really realized until a short time ago that while I believed in Christianity, I wasn’t a Christian. I mean that while I had the intellectual faith to know what Jesus did for me, I never really prayed, never lived out my Christian life. Then, a few months ago, my mother bought for me Mere Christianity, CS Lewis’s treatise on the basic beliefs of Christianity. I read it, and the Holy Spirit moved something within me. I felt an incredible joy, and I prayed that day for Jesus to enter my heart and make me a Christian. I knew that day beyond any doubt that not only was God real, He was very much alive and working in my heart. I started reading my Bible, I started praying (something that I hadn’t really done in a few years), and I started growing in my faith. Since then, He has worked in my heart. Despite all that has happened with my mother’s cancer, and how hard it has been, God has filled me with His joy, and I know that anything that happens does so according to God’s plan for my life. I honestly don’t know how I could have done anything, or gotten to where I am, without His guiding hand. Now today I have decided to be baptized, to show the world that I have Christ working within me and that I will do Christ’s will forevermore.

[Kip]

Can't really comment on that for you - I think that's something that ought to be expressed in your words, and your words only.