Discussion for a Kingdom of ashes

[Laurel]

Definately not completed (so give input), but there needs to be something told to the people of hywrl before the letter is sent out. I would ask that we make a public speech. They should be told first, since it is there city we are using. Also, the last part is if Xath/Gerti would agree to talk-- Fellow high alder and sexy and all
"People of Hyrwl! Oceanis will soon be free of these invaders! I have sent word beyond our walls to tell our story and plead our cause for aid while the king is too busy in the north. I have asked all –ALL- willing to join us in this fight against this plague that is spreading. Many of you have heard the words and wisdom of Lady Xath (or whatever full name you have/are using) who will tell you now what has been proposed” - obviously in more eloquent speech and more Xathy- bluemages can be good and are pardoned with one year service

 

[The_Universe]

Maybe Xath's title should be "Herald of Oceanus," "Herald of the Phoenix Queen" or something? Give her an official reason to be spouting off all of these speeches for you...?

Also, These are the estimates derived from scouting/scrying:

There is Syvattagor, and 4 Huge (size category) White Dragons.
There are an estimated 1000 Ladonids (medium, lightly armored, camoflaged scout-type Draconids).
You are unsure how many Chameloids are in the city--you know that there are at least 250, but because of their shapeshifting ability, their numbers are hard to gauge.
There are 2000 Kerren infantry (small, heavily armed and armored Draconids)
There are 750 additional Kerren serving as aerial cavalry/scouts mounted on Wyverns.
There are 1000 Dahaka (Medium-Large, heavily armed and armored shock troops/marines).

In addition, there are at least 500 living humanoid-looking creatures serving as troops for the Draconids when you first scout them out...by week 4, that number has at least doubled. This number continues to grow, and in some cases you even see children joining their ranks.

There are also approximately 150 Vilewights, and 1000-2000 ghasts/ghouls/zombies. These numbers were growing quickly, but are now slowing a bit for an unknown reason. They certainly haven't run out of people, yet.

Most of the undead appear to now be serving as labor, working to strengthen the wall that has sprung up around Oceanus, and rebuilding the upper and lower docks that fell during the attack.

Hope that that helps!

 

[Laurel]

Maybe Xath's title should be "Herald of Oceanus," "Herald of the Phoenix Queen" or something? Give her an official reason to be spouting off all of these speeches for you...?

I am all for it!- Gerti, what do you want to be called? Does/would Xath have a problem with this?
I would just not make it 'Herald of Oceanis' in case it doesn't work to free the city. Also depending on when we tell the people about Queen Jaine I would pobably not use 'Herald of the Queen'. So maybe just Herald of the Phoenix army or Herald of Hwyrl for now.

 

[AIM-54]

Draft force sizing exercise

Okay kids, as the resident military nerd who's boss is not in the office today, I have developed a series of force sizing possibilities based on the numbers given above.
Before I get into the fun, technical stuff, I want to mention that it will be critical to train up the potential militia and able-bodied men we have. If we can get those with basic training some more advanced training, we can essentially double our forces (so maybe Justice and Xath should do some recruiting? . If we can get even half of the currently untrained, but able-bodied basic training (for militia purposes), that allows us even more flexibility with the second 600 freed up for combat purposes. That said, let's get to the juicy, juicy details. The differences between these are based entirely on the size of the smallest unit, but the effects of that open up different options farther down the force size line.

Option Alpha:
1 Squad=10 soldiers (60 Squads)
1 Shield=4 Squads (40 soldiers, 15 Shields)
1 Section=3 Shields (120 soldiers, 5 Sections)
1 Company=2 Sections(240 soldiers, 2 Companies)

Option Bravo:
1 Squad=12 Soldiers (50 Squads)
1 Shield=4 Squads (48 Soldiers, 12 Shields+2 Squads)
1 Section=3 Shields (144 Soldiers, 4 Sections+2 Squads)
1 Company=2 Sections (288 Soldiers, 2 Companies+2 Squads)

Option Charlie:
1 Squad=15 Soldiers (40 Squads)
1 Shield= 4 Squads (60 Soldiers, 10 Shields)
1 Section=3 Shields (180 soldiers, 3 Sections +1 Shield)
1 Company=2 Sections (360 Soldiers, 1 Company+4 Shields)

Option Delta:
1 Squad=8 Soldiers (75 Squads)
1 Shield=5 Squads (40 Soldiers, 15 Shields)
1 Section=3 Shields (120 Soldiers, 5 Sections)
1 Company=2 Sections (240 Soldiers, 2 Companies+1 Section)

Option Echo:
Regular forces as Option Delta
Special Forces as option Alpha

Jeremiah's proposed order of battle:
Using option Alpha (or Delta), which gives us 5 Sections:
1 Section Spec Ops
1 Section Training (as in providing basic and advanced training for potentials)
2 Section Infantry
1 Section Cavalry

If possible, I think we should try and get the half-orc's 240 troops (2 companies by this calculus) to engage in training the potentials, thus not committing them too fast and freeing up another company, which I would place in the Infantry category, giving us a battalion of Infantry plus two companies of support.

Infantry Section:
1 Shield Halberdiers
1 Shield Swords/Axemen
1 Shield Archers
Or
2 Shields Swords/Axemen
1 Shield Archers

Our SOF (Spec Ops Forces) will be geared for individual squads to operate singly for significant periods of time, in order to prosecute our guerrilla war while we build up forces (of course they're regular recon flights might just mean they come after us that much sooner, but if nothing else, we can use the SOF units for recon and the occasional target of opportunity if not an active, destructive campaign). Thus, one shield (4 squads) will be in the field, while one rests/recovers from being in the field and one works up to replace the platoon currently in the field. SOF missions will probably be tasked at around 2-4 weeks, depending.

SOF Squad:
5 Swordsmen
4 Archers
1 Medic

All should be combat capable at both ranged and close combat.

So even if none of you read this, just know that I enjoyed assembling it immensely.

Jeremiah aka "Army of the Phoenix G-3"

Edit: Now fully and finally fixed! I hope...

 

[The_Universe]

After I went to all that work determining a standard order of battle for my world, you're not even going to use it? *sniffle*

Also, should I ever try to write this up, story hours style (which I would very much like to start to do when the semester is over), keeping some of the flavor of the world with the ranks/order of battle is kind of important (but not essential, I guess). I don't want to lose the pseudo-17th century feel I was trying to go for in creating the world by adopting modern military organization whole-cloth.

GM whining aside, for those troops who are not already trained and armed, setting up squads of 10, 12, or 15 will be just fine and dandy. However, since the people you plan to have train these troops are already organized into squads of 8, I think there is a reasonably good case for maintaining the current order of battle/rank structure. After all, there's something to be said for letting them use what they already know.

In that case, a SOF Squad would lose an archer and a swordsman, but keep the medic (Bringing them to a standard 8).

Also, remember that the theater for this particular war is relatively small--so far, a single city. Thus, tasking units for 2-4 weeks in the "field" may not be practical, especially since the "field" and Headquarters are in such close proximity.

The Duke recommends Halberdiers, particularly since you have few troops with reach (and several enemies that do have reach), and longspears are easy to make (much easier than swords and axes) if it comes down to that. However, there is still a major equipment shortage in your little army. Some effort needs to be made to remedy that.

Lastly, other than some of the weaponry that the Draconids captured after the attack, and a few steeldrake cannon on the ships that they used early on, the Draconids DO NOT appear to have steeldrake technology. You have an advantage there, if you can get some weapons. Musketeers, anyone?

 

[AIM-54]

If you look at it, it is essentially the same as yours, I'm just using the modern names out of familiarity. The main difference, at least at the level we're dealing with, is that my battalions are stronger than your companies, but those are pretty fluid designations anyway. I also have not touched your rank structure, which, if I'm reading your memo on it correctly, also fits pretty well.

I don't know about the 8 man squad, though. I feel that, especially in the case of Spec Ops, those two extra soldiers might make a huge difference in the success and failure of a mission. Any more than ten, though and you're just carting around too many bodies to be especially stealthy. But that's my opinion.

 

[The_Universe]

An Idea from an NPC (NOT DM RAILROADING! It is JUST and idea))

Lastly, other than some of the weaponry that the Draconids captured after the attack, and a few steeldrake cannon on the ships that they used early on, the Draconids DO NOT appear to have steeldrake technology.

Let's imagine, for a moment, that you let Captain Seaborne in on some of the deliberations/information sessions. After an aerial scouting session/scrying attempt, you learn the above. If so, the good Captain (who has been cast as Jason Lee in the movie version of the game, has the following to say...)

"Let's think about this, alright? You guys saw Darkson, one of the King's cronies, in a hidden harbor with a bunch of crates, talking to the scaly a$$holes that busted into Oceanus. What was he doing there? Having some Light-damned tea?! No! He was either delivering orders, taking orders, or delivering some THINGs!"

"Now, what would he take time out of his busy a$$hole schedule to do? My guess would be to help Syvattagor and the other scale-heads set up this little raz-matazz! What would they need to do it? Maybe the STEELDRAKE CANNONS they shot at the docks, and AT MY SHIP!?!"

He pauses for a moment, so as to prevent apoplexy. Continuing, now pacing around the room, he says, "Since we know that they they don't have them themselves, they must have gotten them somewhere." Nodding to Archonus, "You're twin brother told us that the Bluestar wasn't helping, and we know he's got 'em, which leaves only one bastard to point at--Tain Hawkson I."

Sitting back down, he says, a satisfied smile on his face, "If you can find and...liberate...some of those steeldrake cannons, I bet you'll find that they came from the royal foundries, bear royal marks, and have been shooting balls cast right here in the Falcon Kingdom. Only one man has the wherewithal to move that kind of equipment around without rousing the suspicions of the Talon Justices--the King himself. Start flashing those babies around, and you'll have grounds for this little revolution."

"There. I fixed a problem for you. Now, since you still owe me a ship, and NOW you owe me for that little work of genius, too, when do I get to meet this Queen of yours? I hear she's a doll, to say the least."

 

[The_Universe]

Well, I think the 8 man squads, though weaker, are far more concealable, especially in SpecOps missions. However, you could concievably organize special forces (which should have a less modern name) in a very different way than you would line troops, satisfying both of our desires...

Also, re: the above IDEA (not command), I want to note that I was getting kinda worried for the game. I feared that I had thought/planned myself into a corner, to a place where there essentially was no clear evidence of the King's treachery. Yet, as I read my own post, I found an error in my plan... I guess I am a little proud to have fooled myself for so long.

 

[The_Universe]

Another Casting Decision

In "A Kingdom of Ashes" the Motion Picture, the mysterious old warrior known as Father Dorn will be played by David Carradine (most recently, of Kill Bill vol. 2).

 

[AIM-54]

Well, I think the 8 man squads, though weaker, are far more concealable, especially in SpecOps missions. However, you could concievably organize special forces (which should have a less modern name) in a very different way than you would line troops, satisfying both of our desires...

This comes down to semantics of a sort, and the mission assigned to the troops. For just recon, and minor strike stuff 8 would be enough, but for a search and destroy or in the case of a FUBAR, you're going to want those two extra blades.

As for the name for SpecOps, I'll give it some thought. Can't do any worse than calling a "company" a "section"