Gunpowder and Steel: A Trail of Death
This is recruitment for a story that's already in progress. Right now, we have four members and haven't gone all too far. We're at a fantastic place for people to join in should they want, and have a great group, but I feel like just one or two more people would really top it off and add some more good stuff to the story.
As the title might sugget, this tale takes place during the Napoleonic era. Yes, I'm talking muskets, bayonets, cavalry, and artillery. A distinct period of time where technology is rapidly taking over the battlefield, but hasn't completely overwhelmed the more traditional aspects of warfare. If you find this period of time interesting, or are interested in learning more about it, then you'll love this.
What I'm envisioning is not a nation RP, but rather a more traditional first person story with about 4-6 people involved. The story will be based on historical lines such as weapons, traditions, culture, and major events such as battles. Other than this however, we will not be bound strictly to a textbook version of history, this is meant to be an adventure not a lecture. I'm looking for people who either have a good understanding of this time or are willing to learn about it. I'm hoping for a fair level of dedication, and would like the story to advance at about a post a day, meaning people should expect to post about once or twice a week. All the standard advanced expectations apply of course, I'm hoping for decent sized posts and few grammatical or spelling errors.
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The Story
The Napoleonic War rages on with an intensity and ferocity never known before in the world. Few nations are left untouched by the brutal fighting and devastation, but the real war is fought between the two super powers, Britain and France. A crucial stage for the European theatre of the fight, the Iberian Peninsula soon became the key battleground the war was fought on. An expedition under Sir Arthur Wellesley, which was originally intended to attack the Spanish possessions in Central America, was diverted to Portugal. The troops under Wellesley won the Battle of Vimeiro while reinforcements landed at nearby Maceira Bay, but politics allowed the French to retreat from Portugal with all their loot and put Wellesley's army under John Moore.
John Moore, a capable and well-loved leader, drove the French all the way back to the Spanish city Salamanca with a capable army of 25,000 well disciplined men. Their advance was checked by the news that Napoleon had taken the Spanish capital of Madrid, and was advancing on the British army with a veteran army of 200,000 men. Recognizing sure defeat if they stayed, John Moore is forced to lead a hasty retreat back toward the Spanish port city of Corunna in order to evacuate. The French were not about to let the British escape unscathed however, and a vicious pursuit soon evolved. This is where we will begin our story.
The world of the British army isn't so simple as fighting the French however, bone deep in the army lays a fiercer, age old, conflict between officers and the men. No rank could be achieved in the army without paying a considerable sum for it, meaning that frequently officers had little to no qualifications. In addition, this meant that people from the ranks never rose to the rank of officer. The highest a British soldier could hope to climb was to the rank of Sergeant. This fact led to an odd mixture of resentment and awe from the troops, as officers were seen as more than mere men. British soldiers would frequently, in fact, refuse to fight under anyone except officers who bought their ranks. For their parts, officers were usually frightened of the soldiers who were so unlike anything they encountered in their previous lives of luxury. The British often recruited the lowest of the low, people who chose the army instead of death for a crime they committed. The officers' fear of their men usually led to a strong disconnect that eventually turned to contempt, or even loathing. It was a rare and beloved officer who could bridge that gap while still maintaining his dignity.
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Players will be slightly limited in what sections of the army they come from as the involved battalions have already been specified. They can be from the Life Guard Household Cavalry, 42nd Highlanders, 51st Foot, or the 95th Rifles. If anybody feels really strongly about coming from another battalion I wont stand in their way however, as long as you can explain how you came to where we are in the story right now. I just ask that nobody has a rank higher than sergeant. Is anybody interested? If anyone has any questions feel free to post them here or PM me.
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OOC: http://roleplayerguild.com/showthrea...eath-OOC/page1
The Story So Far: http://roleplayerguild.com/showthrea...Trail-of-Death
