Female 5' 5" 25 (15th October 1911) Darcsen Born in Vasel
Appearance Valette is thin, the kind of thin only one who grew up on the streets in near-poverty can be thin. She is short of stature but after the initial rigours of the training camp she has a surprising amount of muscle on her athletic frame, enough to surprise those making the mistake of assuming her strength by her physique alone.
Her hair is the raven colour and her skin the paleness that is symbolic of the Darcsen race, to which she belongs. Her eyes are a deep blue and are usually calm, expressionless in the way many of the oppressed race have become to protect themselves. With a rounded chin edging towards pointed and an angular jaw line, accentuated by her lack of body fat, Valette stops short of looking bony but only just.
The uniform she wears is clearly a hand-me-down but fits well enough and is in good condition, the colour is merely faded a little but still obviously of the Gallian Militia. The insignia of her rank is the only thing new about her clothing, freshly sewn onto the chest, shoulders and collar of her uniform. Otherwise she has gone with very little customisation, merely small metal plates at her elbows and a hidden knife sewn into the sleeve of her coat.
She has, thus far, scrupulously avoided the pattern symbolic of the Darcsen people.
Personality Valette is honest and forthright in all her dealings although she has the nuance to avoid confrontation and keep the pace; she is, after all, a Darcsen and has had to learn such tact to get on in life. She is proud of her heritage but does not shout about it, knowing it will only bring hate and distrust down upon her. Loyal to a fault and caring of her comrades, Valette will take the fall and shield her teammates where possible.
Rank Corporal
Role Scout
Biography Born in Vasel to impoverished Darcsen parents, Valette was the third child although not the last in her family. Her parents lived with her mother's two sisters and their respective families in a single house far too small for their extended family. The older children were depended upon to earn a living for the family with two of the fathers no longer able to work, both injured in a mining accident in Fouzen years before.
Valette went to work early in life, falling into a bad crowd and earned a living as both a cutpurse and a grocer's assistant, out of sight of course. The eldest children all left home, starting families of their own making her parents and younger siblings and cousins further dependent on her meagre income until war broke out. Two days later she was finally caught thieving and conscripted into the militia to avoid any conviction; her income goes entirely to supporting her family in Vasel.
Affiliations Although a Darcsen, she bears no ill-will to those prejudiced against her race although she is proud of her heritage and infinitely protective of those suffering frequent abuse. Her family are in Vasel but beyond that she has formed no other connections thus far. She is loyal to Gallia for its, relatively, good treatment of Darcsens.
"It's been so long, I don't remember what okay feels like." - Kayla Krantz
[ ❇ ] I N F O R M A T I O N
Race: Gallian
Place of Birth: Tschellberg, Gallia
Date of Birth: August 7th, 1919
Rank: Private
Role: Sniper
Height: 162 cm
Weight: 45 kg
Hair Color: Eerie black
Eye Color: Avocado green
Complexion: Bruised
Body Composition: Slim
[ ❇ ] P E R S O N A L I T Y
A meek girl by any standard, Annelien is someone who struggles with authority. Her past has made Annelien rather submissive, and as a result she has difficulties being a free thinker. While some superiors would appreciate a soldier that followed orders without deviation, to her comrades Annelien appears as a walking empty husk devoid of the ability to think for herself. Additionally, her past has converted Annelien into a recluse in comparison to the other members of Squad 11. Trained by experience, Annelien tries to keep herself out of everyone's way, often avoiding eye contact at the same time.
Still, despite the traumatic events she had suffered, it is still possible to see Annelien smile, provided the occasion and place. Places such as flowering meadows, or a gentle coastline often calm Annelien, reminding her of the world's beauty--that not everything is painful as it seems. Moreover, Annelien keeps a small worn out teddy bear within her squad kit. While few know of the stuffed animal's existence, it is something Annelien is willing to lay down her life to protect. Acting as a spiritual reminder for Annelien, she often finds herself gazing at the bear with hazy eyes full of memories long past.
[ ❇ ] B I O G R A P H Y
Annelien Duesterhaus had been born an only child spawned after the aftermath of the first Europan war. At first, life was kind to Annelien, given a loving childhood from her parents. Her parents did everything they could to give Annelien a happy lifestyle, and it showed from the treatment they gave their daughter. Yet, as Annelien grew to be five years old, tragedy struck. A tainted shipment had arrived within Tschellberg, and Annelien's mother had been afflicted with illness that would claim her life. Seeing his wife die had changed her father, who had taken to alcoholism, and later during his drunken stupors, abusing Annelien--the daughter he had cherished.
Locked in a struggle she didn't quite understand, Annelien was used as a punching bag on multiple occasions, sometimes over simple mistakes. It was as if it was an answer impossible to fathom; Annelien had loved her mother all the same, so why was her father abusing her as if he despised seeing his own daughter? Living a life of uncertainty with nowhere to go, Annelien allowed herself to be subject to her father's torment, earning a number of injuries along the way--telltale signs of the abuse she was put through. Eventually, after years of pain, Annelien was finally given a chance to escape her troubles and her father.
The year was 1935, and the Imperials were eager to seize the rich stores of ragnite in Gallia for their conquests against the Atlantic Alliance. Sweeping in from the north, the Imperials set their eyes on the city of Tschellberg due to its proximity to the sea. Gathering what she could, Annelien disappeared in the night while everyone else was distracted by the impending siege. Still, after leaving the only home she knew, where was Annelien supposed to go? Like many Gallians at wartime, there was only one path left for them to take--the conscripted and nearly completely civilian Militia.
Marching down the long and arduous road to Randgriz, Annelien traveled to the capital city, sometimes with an empty stomach. Soon arriving in Randgriz, it was even a struggle for Annelien to find a place within the Militia. Some of the recruiters argued that they shouldn't accept Annelien based on the injuries she had already suffered, but it was eventually decided the need for manpower was greater, especially after they took notice of her quiet nature. Given an old GSR-1 and a Militia-issued uniform, Annelien was placed in Squad 11, 4th Platoon of the 2nd Gallian Militia regiment, and soon shipped off to war.
[ ❇ ] A F F I L A T I O N S & R E L A T I O N S H I P S
Father: Matthieu Duesterhaus — 40 Years Old — Alive
Mother: Hanna Duesterhaus (née Bauwens) — 35 Years Old — Deceased
N/A for now. Will be updated as the story progresses.
Appearance: Mara has light brown hair and deep blue eyes. She is of a healthy build, as she has lived a fairly privileged life, but not one to the point of being spoilt. As she has been preparing for a career in soldiering for some time, she has well developed muscles and a toned body. Her personage and clothing are always exceedingly neat and tidy, as it is a point of pride for her to keep herself looking as prim and proper as possible.
Height: 167cm (5’6)
Personality: As a soldier, Mara is somebody with something to prove. She is not merely a dutiful soldier but an eager one that will volunteer for frontline duty at the drop of a hat. Her great drive is to rise in rank, although it is not out of lust for gold, fame or adulation that she fights, but to restore some honour to her family name. One day she hopes to not only be an officer, but perhaps one of the greatest officers in the Gallian Army. For now though, she simply intends to let her deeds speak for themselves and do right by her unit.
Outside of military matters, Mara is a decidedly calmer and relaxed person. With her drive to rise out of her mind, she will trend towards calmly listening to those around her rather than taking the lead in a conversation. She is a good listener, although her lack of experience with common problems tends to make her poor at offering effective advice. In stark contrast to her battlefield persona, she is someone that hates to create conflict in person, and will go to lengths to avoid offending people. The only thing she will not stand for is someone insulting her family, as that is a sore point in her history.
Rank Private
Role Shock Trooper
Biography Kieran Samaria was a high ranking military officer when Mara was born. He was not only partially famous in his field but also something of a wealthy socialite in Randgriz. Mara grew up wanting for nothing, and it was always assumed of her that she would go on to be a great officer just like her father. This all changed when Kieran was suddenly caught up in a corruption scandal that resulted in him being dismissed from service and becoming a pariah both in Randgriz and much of Gallia at large. Given that they were no longer welcome in good company, the family moved to a small hamlet known as Belisa far from any major cities. At this point, Mara was only 10 years old.
While the move was certainly a downgrade from their life in Randgriz, the family wasn’t out of money yet, so life was not yet the worst for them. Mara could only watch as her father sank into a deeper and deeper depression, as he seemed to lament the life he left behind. Mara wanted nothing more than to claim a position as one of the country’s top officers herself, believing that it might assuage her father’s misery to see his child rise. At this point, her family name was still politically and socially tainted, so no respectable military school would even think of taking her in. With few options, Mara made up her mind to serve in the Belisa town watch and attempt to make a name for herself through good service alone.
Although Mara was always a dedicated soldier, even in Belisa, so far from Randgriz, a few among the watch judged her for her family name. Mara was never able to secure any advancement during her time with them. When the war began, Mara was almost eager to prove herself on the field of battle. It was not to be her opportunity for glory, as the meagre town watches were quickly beaten down by the invading Imperial army, and Mara was lucky to avoid being killed in the opening moments. As both she and her family fled for safer ground, Gallia began to conscript its people into the militia. Mara volunteered herself to the concscriptors long before they even thought of coming for her. At this point, nobody was about to turn her away on account of her parentage. Now, as a member of Squad 11 of the militia, Mara hopes that she will have her great opportunity to bring her family out of the mud.
Affiliations
-Kieran Samaria: Mara’s father, a disgraced military officer who used to be partially famous for his work. He now wallows in his misery, and is too old and inebriated to be useful for military service. Mara personally believes he is not actually guilty of the crime he was accused of.
-Julia Samaria: Mara’s mother, who is responsible for keeping their family from disintegrating entirely during the early years following Kieran’s scandal. One look at the couple now will tell you they’re only together for their children for now.
-Cameron Samaria: Mara’s older brother. Unlike Mara, he had no interest in associating with anything military after their father’s scandal, and just wanted to settle down into a life of simple work. He has now been conscripted against his will, and serves in another squad in the militia.
“I don’t wanna do it, but that’s what we’re gonna do.”
General information//:
<Full name> Hans Vallin
<Gender> Male
<Age> 26 (April 20, 1909)
<Race> Half Gallian, half Imperial
“People usually make fun of people with ugly expressions and scary faces. But little do they know what they have been through to get it.”
<Appearance>
A man who has been through many things he shouldn’t have at the age. He has blonde hair and grass green eyes, an inheritance of his late-mother. Hans is fairly well-built. Not entirely muscular, but not thin or wimpy. Twenty six springs have passed ever since Hans was born into the world, his face still bear a few traces of youth, and yet the war has taken his toll on him. In the corner of his right eyes was a bullet scar that ended in his right temple, though this is not commonly seen, as his bangs would cover it for him. But perhaps the most powerful reminder of the war he had been through was the chest. A huge scar that ran horizontally in his chest, a combination of both combat injuries and surgery.
For a choice of clothings, Hans is a little formal in terms. He was born with a status that people in his hometown usually dubbed as ‘poor nobleman’, which is simply the lowest in the hierarchy of nobility, but still considered a nobleman. As a result, he is accustomed to wearing formal clothes. But normally, he is seen wearing his Militia uniform, with a few medals attached onto his left chest, dictating his combat history, insignias dictating his ranks as Corporal and role as an armored crewman. He has no head protective gear, but possess a headset, and a throat microphone that he and his crew took and renovate from the dead crewmen of a destroyed Imperial tank.
<Height> 5'9 (180cm)
“If I'm gonna have to die, I'm gonna die. The same goes for you.”
<Personality>
A strict, stoic, realistic yet tragic tank commander, Hans is never seen making irrational decisions or acting out of pure emotions and instinct, but rather logic and tactic. He knows the full consequences of pure recklessness, and never wants any of his crew to suffer needlessly from it. But nevertheless, he is not the type to be afraid of sacrifices, even if it meant sacrificing his comrade’s lives, or his own, for the sake of the common goal. Taking the matter philosophically, one can properly define Hans as a realist, compared to the opposite archetype, idealist. While idealists tend to put their morality and code of honor ahead of reasons, realists are entirely opposite. Hans usually views the situation in a more pragmatic way, making decisions based on simply logics, and is not affected by emotions. When a situation demands a difficult decision to be made, even if it is cruel and ruthless, while idealists tend to get stuck between the conflict between their own beliefs and reality, Hans is not affected. As a result, he is sometimes considered to be cruel and brutal, even sometimes by his own crew, who has been with him the longest, but in reality, he is simple a damaged soul who has seen too many things that he shouldn’t have seen, and is only acting for the best, for the sake of everybody else, and for the common goal.
Hans shows a considerable amount of hatred for the Imperials and also the Gallian Military, who are pretty much the cause for every calamities and tragedies he has seen in the course of his life. The Imperials, who destroyed his hometown, forcing his mother to move away, and eventually killed his entire family. He does everything he can to kill them. The Gallian Military, specifically the high command, for their actions of disregarding human’s lives and sent him, his crew and his former squads on suicidal missions, and then eventually revoking their credits for their own. For them, he is not hesitant to show disrespect or insubordination, but does not go any further than that. Despite this, he is brave, compassionate, caring and is dedicated to keeping everyone around him safe. <Rank> Corporal
<Role> Armored Crewman (Tank Commander)
“I'm sorry, mother, father, Jynette. I did my best...”
<Biography>
Born in the town of Senshan, in the far east border of Gallia, to a mother whose ancestors were Imperial soldiers, and to a father who is a noble in that town. The story of the couple began with the Imperial’s oppression upon his mother’s city, where Darcsen’s population is the common population. The sheer brutality of the soldiers there caused his mother to move away to Gallia, a Neutral country, in hopes of a peaceful life. There, she fell in love with a nobleman, and the two had a child together. The name is as expected: Hans Vallin. Hans lived a peaceful and normal childhood, under the love and care of his parents. He grew up normally, did well at school, entered university specialized in engineering, and got a beautiful girlfriend. Life was good, and one could think that the happiness would last forever, until the war began…
Senshan was among the first targets to be hit by the Imperial forces. The town-watch were especially unprepared for such an invasion, and as a result, civilians were not evacuated in time. In the midst of the chaos, Hans, while returning from university, found his house destroyed by artillery fire, burning and collapsing. Panicked, he ran away and met up with his girlfriend by coincidence. The two then tried to steal a horse in the midst of chaos and escape the town, but an Imperial sniper soon took the life of his girlfriend, who died in front of him.
The battle lasted for another two days, with the entire town captured by Imperial soldiers. Fate had spared Hans from the scythe of death, but had killed him mentally. Left with everyone he knew dead, his home gone, his money vanished, Hans was basically clueless. He had limited options. Thankfully, a nice Militia man who survived the battle of Senshan told him that he should enlist in the Militia, to help in the resistance against the Empire. To this day, Hans still considered it to be one of the best advice he ever got.
He joined the Militia shortly after, and his knowledge in the field of engineering helped him got a slot as an Armored Crewman, taking command of a Gallian light tank, named Pacifier, along with a crew of three, who would become his close friends: Hans himself, Sora - the gunner, and Joachim - the driver. Initially distrusted, because of his half Imperial blood, Hans’s discipline, bravery and care for the two of them soon earned him their respect. They regarded him like an older brother of the team, while Hans saw them as nothing but his second family.
Hans’s first battle went well, even better than people had expected. But his second battle was not. His squad, consisted of three Gallian light tanks and a group of supporting infantries, were sent to attack an Imperial convoy attempting to supply their frontline troops. But mid-way, they were ambushed by a heavily armed Imperial heavy tank, which soon decimated the entire squad, with the only exception was the Pacifier. With several skilled maneuvering and quick decision making, the Pacifier managed to jam the Imperial tank’s turret, destroy its track and then finally taking out the crew. The Pacifier survived the battle, but in the making, Hans was seriously injured when the tank’s machine gun shot him a few times in the torso during the fight. The mission failed, and he was quickly taken back to base for medical treatment. The battle earned him a huge scar in his torso, a reminder of that terrible day.
His injuries did not stop him from taking the commander’s hatch for long, as he returned to combat a month after, assigned to a new squad. The next two missions were uneventful, but the one after that was a total repetition of the second battle. A suicidal frontal assault issued by the high command, which ended in his entire squad killed, again, except for his own tank, which escaped demise because of the damage it received made the enemy thought it was knocked out. After the battle, when all sides had ceased firing, the Pacifier rolled its tracks again, and returned to base, where he would be assigned to Squad 11. <Affiliations>
Haven Vallin - Father (Deceased) Arisa Vallin - Mother (Deceased) Jynette Beaumont - Girlfriend (Deceased) Sora Emiralda - Close friend and comrade (Alive) Joachim Ayalatte - Close friend and comrade (Alive)
Tank//:
Pacifier
“It's not simply a tank. It's our home.”
<General information>
The Pacifier is a standard Gallian light tank under the command of Corporal Hans Vallin. The tank boasts a 360 degrees turret, an auto-loading system, and an unusually large caliber (75mm) gun. The tank is fast, mobile and lightly armored, suitable for hit and run tactics. The tank’s weak armor is a deadly weakness when engaging other Imperial tanks. While it can cope with an Imperial light tank, it may fall short when fighting medium or more heavily armored tanks, but can still outmaneuver and take them out if skilled enough
After the battle with the Imperial heavy tank, Hans saw a desperate needs for additional armor. The crew then proceeded to install additional logs and sandbags onto the tank, with spaced-armor on the turret. The tank’s protection was increased, but it could still be taken out with a single shot if hit at the right spot. In addition, there is a gun located in the driver seat, serving as an anti-infantry gun. However, the gun is not a machine gun, but a standard Gallian service rifle being placed into it, so its firing speed is exceptionally painful compared to an actual tank machine gun.
<Other crew members>
Sora Emiralda
Gunner
<Gender> Female
<Age> 20
<General information>
Born a scholar to yet another rural town in Gallia that was destroyed by the Imperial soldiers, Sora was going to be an aspiring mathematician, and was writing her theory of mathematics when the war broke out. After being driven out by the Empire, she decided to join the Militia in hopes of liberating her hometown from tyranny. Her skills in quick calculation gave her a position as a tank gunner, and she was soon assigned to her first tank: The Pacifier. There, she met her crewmates, Private Joachim and Corporal Hans Vallin. Being a person of great intellect, she did not hate Hans at first, but was cautious around him. But soon after their first battle together, she was impressed by Hans's tactical and logical mind, and from that point onwards, she trusted him completely and unquestioningly.
Sora is a bit air-headed, as her min is usually elsewhere, thinking about the equations and numbers, but in the heat of battle, she is a force to be reckoned with. Focused, intense and accurate describes her really well. She regards Hans as a strict, somewhat brutal, but trustful and caring, generally good. She shows respect to his 'tough-love' kind of teaching, mostly towards the brash Joachim, and usually does not interfere with him.
Sora's hair color is sometimes misinterpreted for being a Darcsen, but she didn't usually receive discriminations, as they are apparent enough to distinguish her from them.
Joachim Ayalatte
Driver/Assistant gunner
<Gender> Male
<Age> 24
<General information>
Joachim was a rude, angry and rash tank driver from a poor and uneducated family who had to work in construction sites at Fouzen for a living. Tired and sick of his living conditions, the invasion of Gallia by the Imperial forces was a perfect escape route to Joachim, as he enlisted in the Militia via the universal conscription. He was initially going to be assigned as a scout, but circumstances pulled him into becoming a tank driver. He was assigned to the Pacifier, along with Sora and Hans. Upon learning his commander's origin, a nobility and a half Imperial, the hot-headed tank driver immediately grew to hate and distrust him, but were forced into following his orders, by Sora and some of the former members of his squad. After the Pacifier's first victory, his hate was shaken by Hans's tactical ability, and by the second battle against the Imperial heavy tank, the distaste vanished, after seeing Hans bravely giving out battle orders despite being critically injured by the tank's machine gun. From that point onwards, Joachim no longer held any grudges towards his commander anymore, and had a sense of mutual respect and trust to him.
Joachim's rash and angry personality serve as a foil to the two more calm and collected crew members. His uneducated background had a major impact on his personality. Nevertheless, he surprisingly showed compassion towards Darcsens, as he had many times worked closely with them at Fouzen, and understood the unfairness of such a terrible social discrimination towards a race whose convictions were a story of thousands of years ago that had absolutely no evidence at all. He also grew to hate nobility, as most of whom he encountered were mostly jerks who knew nothing of compassion and kindness to people like him, especially the Darcsens.
Appearance A moderately built man of his age, Otto doesn't hold much to brag in the terms of his physical appearance, which isn't something he would do as a person anyway. Whilst some of the other subordinates for other Squads contain hard-faced and rugged veterans of either the Town-watch or previous conflicts, Otto bares a smooth complexion only roughened by a stubble around his mouth and chin. Both the stubble and his natural hair are both of an oak brown, not being too dark to mix him with a Darcsen and not too bright to relate to most youth-soldiers within the Militia. His eyes are glossed with a bright aqua-blue tone that stand as a defining addition to his facial structure. Though it would have seemed he'd been unscathed from the war as of yet, Otto still retains a bullet trail stretched across his left cheek where a scout had struck him weeks before his assignment to Squad 11.
As a choice of attire, Otto has made a few additional changes to his issued uniform. A red-and-black chequered scarf rests around his neck and over his right shoulder, in a scaled-down poncho style, as a symbolic reminder of where his origins came from within the town-watch. The only additional plating added was all that could be found; a single metal knee-cap placed onto his right knee respectively. Due to the shortages in armour during the formation of Squad 11, there could only be the handout of the single plating. This, in time, is what Otto hopes to add to in his spare time, but that takes resources and the only place to gather those are on the frontlines, providing he survives long enough to get that far. Fairly new patches of rank and insignia of his role are placed with almost pinpoint accuracy onto his uniform, as if the man had spent more than an hour sewing them to perfection. A sheathe for the standard Gallian blade is fitted to his chest-webbing for emergency requirements. Off-duty, he has kept mostly what he would've worn underneath the standard-issue clothing within his town-watch, as a way of commemorating the town that had eventually been lost.
Height 6' 1"
Personality If there was one thing that Otto was taught at a young age, it was that comradeship would always strive in any situation. Whilst this sticks to him as a motto for life, he wasn't originally great at up-keeping what he believed in. Otto found difficulties socialising at a young age, and that sometimes has carried out into his current state. Though it is safe to say that Otto's ability to talk amongst his team and command has excelled since his time of conflict began in the town-watch. His caring mindset puts himself behind everyone else in the squad. But with all these small precautions to look out for within his upbringing, Otto strives to talk and get to know as many of his comrades as he can, just as he believes in. One of his main strengths is vitality in the horrors of war. Through early depictions of what battles could bare, Otto has found himself as a prepared, though not fully, individual for facing the eyes of the enemy, someone he's prepared to fight in the defence of his friends, homeland and self.
Rank Sergeant
Role Shocktrooper
Biography Born in the town sat upon an isolated hill, Otto grew up accustomed to the small variations in tradition that Ryben Hill had to offer, such as small festivals and the grand scheme of a well-built community. The hill that the town had gained its name from was surrounded by a great forest of tightly-compacted trees, which made tradesmen from truck and horse-back a somewhat difficult predicament to come by. Through a dedicated 'Runner' system, which set fast individuals back and forth to nearby settlements and larger towns, which sometimes could take up to several days of travelling, in order to grab up and make use of resources unobtainable from within the town's geographical emplacement. The town itself held history, apparently serving as an Eastern outpost during the First Europan War. It's symbolic nature of defence and over-watch gave the town a name quite recognisable amongst the Gallian map, despite its size. No bigger than a large village, the town was restricted by the size the hill's peak could give them. To make up for the size of the town, an old collection of tunnels remastered and revamped from years before still are used as a form of an underground market and additional home space. Some say the tunnels were once used by the engineers of EWI.
Otto was brought up by a father, and a father alone. His mother's whereabouts was kept disclosed from his ears for years, and still it remains that way, as his single-parent felt too ashamed to talk about what happened during his spring-youth days. It must've happened shortly after he was born, or around the time he was too young to even collect memories, considering how little Otto knew of the event. His father ran the 'Runner' business, so it only made sense for his only son to get involved within the family, and local, business that kept the town running and connected with the closest settlements. This itself gave Otto his early taste in comradeship, where communication was a vital system to keeping the trails fresh for 'Runners'. This allowed Otto to gather the ability to hold friends within a working environment, though outside of work it was quite difficult to maintain such relationships. According to his father, the Runner business was also inspired by what both Otto's uncle and father were appointed to during their service. Tasked with delivering messages and supplies whilst under-fire, it had a ring of honour to be under such business.
From an early age until the upcoming uproar of the Second Europan War, Otto kept running with his comrades and town. As he got older, his tasks became more and more tricky and lengthy. This built the stages of resilience, sometimes having to continue on a journey for several days before even reaching the town he needed to contact. Whilst out on one of these job assignments to a further settlement named 'Poal', Otto used as much stamina as he could to return home upon hearing the great news. War had broken out in Europa once more. This could only mean one thing for Gallia: there were threats that may lurk in the next months and weeks.
Otto was quick to return home. Gallia itself was not in a state of war, but after what had happened in the previous continental conflict, it was only wise for people like his father to suspect a repeat in history. Gallia once again was on a back-foot in comparison to the Atlantic Federation and the Autocratic Eastern Imperials that were fighting the war so far. A slight hatred towards the Imperials from what had happened during EWI had left a reinstatement of the town-guard in order to act as a policing and first-hand method of apprehending possible threats towards the town and forest. No declaration of war was initiated, but the walls of the town began to feel the weight of its settlers depending on it to withstand another possible conflict. From persuasion from his father, and the worry of being ambushed by a possible spy-patrol whilst on a job assignment, Otto was quick to sign up for the Ryben Hill town-watch. This was the decision that would have saved his life when the real conflict started.
And as dreaded, the news flyers from nearby towns suddenly began to rush in. War! War they cried! The Imperials had launched a major offensive against the Gallian border, and the military weren't strong enough to defend it to its fullest. People began to fear, some even left the town before giving the war a chance to change courses. Yet the citizens of Ryben Hill held some resilience. They had survived the bloody encounter of the 'Hilltop Offensive' during EWI, which had lasted more than three months before the Imperials were successfully repelled. Both the hilltop positioning and surrounding forest made the town an excellent staging position for counter-offences on a regional scale, as well as applying the well-known town with an incredible amount of defensive measures given by nature itself. This was the hope and determination that the town was being burdened with.
The Imperial giants were apparently spotted in nearby towns and the gates to Ryben Hill were sealed tightly. The time had come to prepare for a bloody engagement, one that the town watch, and Otto, had presumed would be something manageable. There were going to be no threats of tanks nor vehicular movement, due to the steepness of the hill and the additional forest, which meant only an infantry-based offensive could be acted upon. But what the town watch lacked in comparison to the Miltia and Military back in EWI was manpower. Otto would find himself about to be plunged feet-first into hell.
The first shots were fired at dawn, where a flash of automatic fire from sub-machine guns were able to cut down the first few unfortunate members to be watching over the walls. Families still in the town began to run out into the crowded streets, heading down to the tunnels for the emergency evacuation procedure. It took two hours to see every civilian leave the walls from the back tunnels, and shortly after the town-guard found themselves in a state of encirclement. It was as if constant rifle and machine-gun fire was being concentrated on every possible angle from down the hill. The advantage of height gave the town-guard the edge over their inexperience, and it was the second day of fighting that Otto had claimed his first hostile life. In attempt to save himself and a fellow watchman from the spray of automatic fire, he managed to impact the Imperial within the chest, knocking him back into the bushes and shrubbery below. Whilst it definitely saved himself, it did not save his comrade.
Day after day, the town began to crumble in strength. The battle itself drew out longer than the Imperials had suspected, and the increasing number of troops began to be exposed to the defensive struggles of the town watch, as well as civilian mothers and fathers who volunteered to fight alongside them before evacuating. The annoyance to the Imperials made it seem like the town itself was defended heavily by the military itself, not including the civilian-soldiers taking arms. It was on the ninth day of the Battle where the gates were finally breached by explosives, and Imperial shocktroopers began to pour in and suppress anyone in their eyesight. The town-watch could only expend the use of semi-automatic or bolt-action rifles from nearby larger settlements. Despite this, an old EWI Stationary Machine Gun was at their disposal and was set up in the entrance to the tunnels within the town. A final stand, and an order given from Otto's father, gave Otto the chance to leave despite his hysterical intentions to stay.
And it was at that time that Otto found himself down the Last Run of Ryben Hill. This was a run that was no longer for the benefit of the town, but the benefit of himself. Given an order to retreat with several others, they scattered after hearing the sounds of gunshots and close-quarters-combat within the tunnel system behind them. And yet, on this final run, Otto would face one last horror of the battle. Upon making his way to the next settlement, where the recent arrival of the Gallian military gave a rendezvous point for evacuation, Otto came across many of the civilians that had tried escaping days before, now blood-stained in the Forest. Upon his brief time and stunned hysteria when facing these corpses, he retrieved a small red scarf found upon the body of an elderly woman. He recognised her, but not greatly. An old baker from the centre of the town, known for delicious provisions. It was all he could spare the time to scavenge, as the now war-born young man made his way for the future.
It was his debrief given by Gallian Military officers posted in the nearest reinforced town that gave him slight commemoration. The gratitude, alongside two more Town-watchmen who'd survived the battle, were offered a place in the Militia. Truly, this was an excuse for the universal conscription, but they offered to write a report, stating that a high rank could be initiated if the right words were chosen. Whilst the other two, a man and women, named Iden and Yralith, who would go on to becoming Squad 8 and 4s ICs in the Militia, Otto didn't actually feel he was worthy of any military pride. He hadn't felt he contributed enough to the battle nor had done anything majorly heroic. Despite this, he joined the militia, declining the ideas of being placed as a Squad Leader. However, upon joining the forces, he eventually found himself being placed as the Squad Subordinate for their IC, Lando Tankreith, for what their commander saw in him. Battle experience was what gave almost all the NCOs in the squad their positions, so Otto was going to follow suit anyway...
Affiliations Kristoph Mallaye - Father [Unknown Status - Lost contact after the Battle of Ryben Hill] Lieutenant Iden Askia - Friend/Fellow Survivor [Alive - Squad 4's Officer] Lieutenant Yralith Ottoneman - Friend/Fellow Survivor [Alive - Squad 8's Officer]
Relationships To be updated as the Roleplay progresses.
Race Gallian born in the small fishing and lumber town of R'lyeh
Appearance Since James grew up in a fishing and lumber town, he is considerably more muscular then your average city dweller. Thanks to his height James is hard to miss in a crowd. Many people tell him he has a very intimidating face. James received a new pristine uniforms and attached extra armor plates to protect himself. Height 6'2
Personality Even though James is young he shows a remarkable degree of maturity. Always willing to listen to the problems of others and help out in whatever way possible. He is kind and understanding and can be someone's best friend. But don't take his kindness for weakness, if necessary James will fight for his friends and do whatever he has to for their protection. Due to his adopted sisters he has no prejudice towards the Darcsen people.
Rank Private
Role Shocktrooper
Biography James lived an average childhood in his small fishing town. James was a good student and well liked around the town. Everyday after school James would play with his best friends Hunter and Erica. The three had attended the same school and sat next to each other. Everyday the three would play and then help their fathers on the docks. Life for James was boring and repetitive. The only interesting thing about James's life was his trip to the capital. When James was 13 his parents took him and his siblings to visit a graveyard to see his namesake. Uncle James had been a Patriot who was killed in the weaning days of the last war. Uncle James wasn't a brave man, nor was he the smartest or the toughest. But like so many others when his country asked his to serve, he was one of the first to enlist. The trip has since turned into a blurry mess of nothingness, with all that remains being the singular statement from his father "See that James? There lies my brother... You know when he was younger he was a loser, he was sensitive and was scared of his own shadow...yet when it counted he was there dragging me back to cover...all the while he was getting shot at." James had died after saving his brothers life. He was awarded the gallian medal of honor for saving a number of wounded soldiers. It was thanks in part to his uncle that in high school James and his two best friends joined his town watch. Even though his job was rarely ever more then helping an old lady with her groceries, he took pride in the small difference he made in his community. When war broke out James and his friends enlisted in the militia, exchanging their old tan uniforms for pristine blue ones. Affiliations Father: Major Jonathan Hollens age 38(Retired Shocktrooper) Mother: sergeant Alexandra Hollens age 37(Retired sniper) Brother: corporal Walter Hollens age 20 Shock trooper active duty Adopted sisters: Elisa and Jessica age 15 (of Darcsen decent) Sister in law: Sarah Hollens age 20 expecting mother Best friends: Hunter& Erica Willows ages 18&17 (respectively) scouts with other squads Former Town watch commander: Jeremiah " Captain" Winslow active duty town watch Uncle: James Francis Hollens 17 (killed during the last war) Relationships
Male 6' 2" 38 Years Old, Born 15 March Atlantic Born in Deventer of the Atlantic Republic - Lives in the town of Fulson of the Arlem Region
Appearance Of a medium, Copper is in a good physical condition. He has bright green eyes and dark brown hair. His skin is tanned from working outside. He bears a scar under his left eye from a childhood accident. His uniform always seems wrinkled but his buttons always shiny. He stays clean shaven to the best of his situation. His off-duty appearance is usually work jeans and a t-shirt.
Personality Generally light-hearted and positive, on and off the battlefield. He respects his superiors but tends to forget the proper etiquette when addressing them. He gets along with people who do their fair share of work, but tends to want to do as much of it as he can. He pushes the limits of his orders but never purposely goes against them. He loves to meet people and tries to be inclusive if the situation is right. He likes to be helpful and seeks out the opportunity to light another's burden. On the battlefield, he will preference himself for a risky action if it'll protect or save a comrade.
Rank Private First Class
Role Shocktrooper
Biography Born to a single mother who served as a communications specialist for the Republic's Navy. Shortly after giving birth, the young woman was forced out of her job due to the complexities of having a child. She left the Republic and moved to Gallia where she could work and take care of her child. Unfortunately for her, she passed away due to illness only a year after the birth of her child. This left Copper with only a name. He was raised by an elderly couple who took his mother in when she first got to Gallia.
Outside of the normal schooling for Gallian children, Copper grew up unaware that he was from the Atlantic Republic nor would he really care. He was raised learning hard work was key to being successful and happy. His foster parents passed away giving him a farm and land to work. He would do this for many years until the fires of war started. Being so far from the border in Arlem, it took awhile for news of the war to reach his village. He was among the first to volunteer for the militia when they came calling. He sold his crop and went to boot camp.
His training went well, showing he had an aptitude for close combat and endurance. He was sent off to join Squad 9 under one Lt. Wattz. The Squad was met with misfortune at every turn. They suffered losses and the Squad was eventually dissolved, having Copper moved to Squad 11. His combat experience is limited and the few times he saw action, it was in the dark and without true direction. Copper helped bury 7 people nearly half his age. This strengthened his resolve to protect those he serves with.
Affiliations Town of Fulson - On good terms with mayor and townsfolk. Mellvere Trader's Guild - Member and Good Standings from conducting most of the main trading for Fulson.
Relationships
**I can add way more detail as I play him. Just gotta get a feel for him, walk in his shoes, ya know?**
Appearance Adrianna has a curvy figure that is nicely filled out top and bottom, slightly marred by a scar across her nose from a mining accident when she was young. Commonly wears gloves to cover up how her hands have become calloused and slightly scarred from all the industrial work she has done.
Adrianna still retains and prefers to wear her Fouzen Town Watch leather cap over a standard helmet unless riding heads-up from her tank's turret. She also prefers to strap spare ammo cylinders for her carbine on her right arm for quickdraw when out of a tank. Standard uniform otherwise at the moment. (She plans to grab a SMG as soon as possible.
Height Five Foot, six inches
Personality Adrianna is a work-hard, play-hard type person born of living in Fouzen's industrial district. In combat she is serious and focused on her duties as a tank commander, shoving aside emotion and feeling for hard rationalism even under fire or when her comrades are in danger to save more lives by fighting to the best of her ability. While a hard-edged attitude to take, if people are alive to complain about it then she'll keep doing it.
Out of combat, she compensates for her edge on the battlefield with a passionate love of booze, good eats, and recreation with either gender, paired with a scrounger's eye for goods. She is somewhat dismissive of Darcsens due to several incidents in the Fouzen mines, not an active persecutor but certainly willing to turn a blind eye to other's actions or prioritize saving other lives over theirs on the battlefield.
Rank Lance Corporal
Role Tank Commander
Biography Adrianna was born and raised in Fouzen, Gallia's greatest industrial city and ragnite mine. For most of her life she worked with her family to keep food on the table and the heat on at home, working in mines and factories in turn alongside her brothers and parents. With a knack for machinery and numbers, Adrianna decided to take tanker courses when it was time for her mandatory military training, initially so she knew how to better maintain motors like the trucks and tractors in the mines. While not passionate or gifted with the combat arts, she learned much and qualified well to become a full-scale militia tank commander by the time she completed her coursework in Fouzen's schools and training grounds. Returning home accredited enough to be able to hold dual jobs as a assistant foreman and town watch tanker, she thought life couldn't get any better.
Then the Empire invaded, with Fouzen being one of their highest-priority targets after breaching the fortress at Ghirlendio. The Town Watch was called up and Adrianna was thrust into a rusty tank to protect the evacuation convoys out when it was clear the city could not be held against the Imperial warmachine. While she fought to her last shell and final breakdown of her tank, she ultimately was unable to do anything to save Fouzen or prevent Imperial pincer movements from cutting off the evacuation. None of her family and friends made it out before the Empire closed the pocket around Fouzen.
Reporting to the Gallian Militia to rejoin the fight and to one day retake Fouzen, Adrianna is prepared to face a real war to protect her home and country.
Affiliations WIP
Relationships WIP
Character Theme Not necessary, but can be used if wished.
(With green eyes and brown hair)
