I'm much more interested in the characters than the war, since it looks like New Canaan is a bit of a pushover. How much longer are you planning for this AAR to go after the war?
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I've got ideas for three more chapters that will finish off this war and cover some peacetime. After that, I expect 2-3 wars and then the end. I know how I want to end, but I honestly have no idea how many more updates there will be before we get there. Probably 10 at the least, depending on how much detail I go into, and what side tracks me of course!
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Thank you for the update. Very interesting sidebar into the Mormons.
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I'm glad you enjoyed it! Joshua Graham is such an important figure I felt he deserved a spotlight for a bit.
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Of course. It was a good narrative departure to see things from the other side. And in canon he’s clearly a significant character.
It flowed smoothly.
This is always a sound approach. When the game gets a bit dreary, that’s when the narrative can come into its own.
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I'm glad you enjoyed it, and especially that it worked well. I think looking at the other side can tell us a bit about the White Legs while adding some complexity to who's good, evil, etc.
I'm wholly agreed. HOI4's combat isn't bad, it's just repetitive and doesn't grab my attention like HOI3 does. I think my main complaint is it feels like they designed the interface to be as useless as possible so I'd use their battle planner and let the AI run things. Perhaps the new DLC/update has added enough complexity through supply to make it more interesting.
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Part 17: Ghosts of the Past
Ghosts of the Past
The Flag-Bearer stood among the White Legs, at their head as they basked in the flames of New Canaan. He had led the mongrels, two-legged and four, to the city, evading all the New Canaanites. He had watched the Mormons march out, off to fight Salt-Upon-Wounds.T he city fell that night. The Flag-Bearer led the tribals in uncountable atrocities. He remembered leading them in killing all who stood in their way: young, old, the sick, and the weak. The New Canaanites valued their history, and the White Legs had snuffed it out; a people reaching back thousands of years had been ended in a few hours. The screams of the bishop as he burned within his church haunted the Flag-Bearer, reaching through the silence of night, shaking him to his core.
Even as New Canaan fell, Salt-Upon-Wounds had finished putting New Jerusalem to the sword. The Living Prophet was made a martyr, but Salt had left few to remember Rigdon. The city burned, but perhaps not as brightly as New Canaan, the Mormon’s older spiritual home. Now, all New Canaan was reduced to Joshua Graham, his militia, and a few missionaries spread throughout the wastes of Utah.
The Flag-Bearer insisted all New Canaanites must be killed before Caesar would accept the tribe into the Legion, so Salt led the White Legs in a dogged pursuit across Utah. Many Mormons fell, but they took just as many tribals with them. In the end, Joshua Graham and his people had slipped away, finding sanctuary with the Sorrows and Dead Horses, tribes to the south of the White Legs. However, this left the rich lands along the Great Salt Lake to the White Legs, the now undisputed masters of Utah.
After the few New Canaanites slipped away, Salt-Upon-Wounds gathered his people in the ruins of New Canaan and declared victory. The soil was salted, keeping anything from growing for years to come while helping to erase all memory of the Mormons. A great feast was held in honor of the White Legs’ warriors, the fiercest in all the Utah. Chief among the tribe’s heroes was the Flag-Bearer, the voice of wisdom and strength that had led them to ultimate victory.
After a day of sacrificing, feasts, and boasting, Salt-Upon-Wounds led the Flag-Bearer to a massive bonfire. The frumentarius could hear nothing over the roaring of the flames, and the White Legs’ chief said nothing, his emotions unreadable beneath his mask. Suddenly, White Legs began to step out of the shadows, grinning as they approached the Flag-Bearer. He gasped as they came into sight, horrified by the braids they now wore in their hair.
They had tied the knots, twisted their hair in hollow mimicry, ignorant of the true meaning. The Flag-Bearer saw the faces of the White Legs fade away, replaced by the ghosts of his tribe. They smiled at him, even as blood drained from their wounds, grinning at their own destruction. A moment passed, and the White Legs returned, bowing to the Flag-Bearer, eager for his approval.
He mouthed a few words of praise, but could not will himself to voice the lies. The braids kept calling out to him, telling their stories of rape, murder, death, and destruction. He could not look away, determined to read the braids, find some reason to the madness. Finally, the Flag-Bearer realized the braids meant nothing; his tribe was dead, and the White Legs were but pale imitations. They tried to show respect, but they only disgusted the frumentarius. They were little more than ghosts of his people, reborn as slaves to Caesar…
A few days later, the Flag-Bearer had disappeared without a trace. Salt sent scouts out to find the man, but he was determined not to be found. His disappearance shook the White Legs to the core; what did it mean for Caesar’s emissary to abandon them in their moment of triumph? The tribe had bathed him in honor and riches in thanks for all they had learned, but the man had spit in their faces. Salt had asked the shaman for an answer, and the wizened old man consulted the entrails. He found the Flag-Bearer was a man shrouded in darkness, walking a dangerous road. He had made the White Legs masters of Utah and disappeared just as quickly, leaving the tribe to make their own way in the world.
Salt was not comforted by the shaman’s findings, and often found himself pondering the Flag-Bearer’s actions. He had spoken of Caesar’s love for fierce warriors, and his fervent desire for New Canaan’s destruction. The White Legs had followed his every word, but still the Flag-Bearer abandoned them. Perhaps the mighty Caesar and his Legion were just as fickle and faithless…
Note: Apologies for the shorter update, but I felt like this conveyed everything I wanted to. I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to structure the next few updates, so we shall see how they come out! My update schedule will probably be disrupted as we draw closer to Christmas and the New Year, but I shall try to keep updating somewhat frequently.
Also, everyone should start working on voting in the Year End AwAARds! You have until the end of January, but I'd start now since there are so many categories to recognize our deserving authors. Works updated sometime from Dec. 1, 2020 to Nov. 30, 2021 are eligible. I hope you will all be involved in such an important part of AAR Land. I know I'm excited for my first Year End AwAARds!
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What will Caesar do, now that the Flag-Bearer is gone, will he send someone else, or have the White Legs outlived their usefulness?
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Has the White Legs grown to the point of no longer being a Ceasar vassal?
Thank you for updating
Thank you for updating
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Well, you'll have to wait and see on some of this, but the Flag-Bearer has gone AWOL and isn't working for Caesar anymore. The White Legs still have some use since a few New Canaanites have slipped away to the south.
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After all the horror in New Canaan, perhaps it was inevitable. Will be interested to find out what this means for the event chain with the Legion.
None needed. It may prove a significant turning point, or just a bump in the road.
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Then you'll probably enjoy the next update, whenever I get it up. It will probably be after the New Year, so I hope everyone enjoys the holidays!
I haven't decided how significant it will be, but it matters a lot to the Flag Bearer if no one else.
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Part 18: Encounters in the Dark
Encounters in the Dark
Jump smiled as she saw the sun crest Indian Peak, bathing her in the warmth of its early morning glow. It felt good to be in the land of her ancestors, especially after months at war. She laughed as Kip darted into the scrub, determined to catch a lizard that had darted across the path. The other scouts chased after, curious to see whether the dog would win its race, and they were not disappointed.
Kip seemed to be gaining on the lizard, when it suddenly darted into its hole. The dog pawed at the hole and tried to stick his snout in, determined to catch the reptile. After a few minutes, he sat on his haunches and let out a howl of frustration. All the scouts had joined at this point and chuckled at the dog’s plight while a few started digging at the hole, urging him on.
After a few minutes, the dog and scouts had dug out the hole, and the lizard darted from its hiding place, sending Kip back in pursuit. As the lizard slipped under Jump, Kip followed, bowling her over. Jump and Kip collapsed into a tangled mess of limbs, fur, and flesh, laughing as she struggled to hold back her obsessed dog.
The scouts’ game had drawn the attention of the main camp, and soon children were running everywhere, laughing as Kip chased after them. Jump stood off to the side, pleased to be home. The simple pleasures in life helped to forget all the horrors that had happened in the lands of the Canaanites…
Eventually, the White Legs returned to their camp and settled into their daily routine. Jump and the other scouts helped check the traps, but they were otherwise left to their own devices. After helping Echo set up a tent, she decided it was finally time to see Albert once more. Calling out to Kip, Jump left the camp along the path she could not forget.
The sun was beginning to set as she neared Albert’s home. Not much had changed since she had last seen the Old One, but his flock of bighorners seemed to have disappeared. The wind whistled through his scrap metal shack, and a faint light poked out through the gaps in the walls. Jump hesitated for a moment, simultaneously eager and afraid. She finally steeled her nerves and opened the door, revealing the Old One hunched over his worktable, silhouetted by the faint light of a lamp.
The ancient man groaned as he turned to face his visitor, an unintelligible emotion flashing across his monstrous face. “Uhhh, i-i-it v-v-ver-r…good t-t…” Jump trailed off as her words fled in the face of Albert’s silence.
Albert grimaced and refused to lock eyes with the scout. “You must leave. I am not a good teacher, and I was wrong to have tried,” he spat out. Jump fell to her knees, distraught, and began to babble in her people’s language, desperately trying to make him understand. The Old One steeled himself once more and held his hand up to silence her. “You are like a daughter to me, but I can not be your father. I am sorry,” he managed to say. With that, he rose from his chair, joints screaming, and ushered the scout from his home. She was all tears, but Albert had convinced himself it was the right thing to do long ago. He guided her into the night and closed the door on his involvement with the White Legs.
Jump was in the dark. Tears freely ran down her face, and she could not comprehend why Albert had abandoned her. Kip nuzzled her leg in a futile attempt at comfort, and the pair stumbled back in the direction of Indian Peak. Jump was barely able to see and only kept to the path thanks to her honed instincts and Kip’s subtle nudges.
Suddenly, a gruff voice called out from the darkness, “Halt! Who goes there?” A torch suddenly burst into life, and Jump made out two legionaries through her tears. They had strayed far from the camp, and Jump could not understand why.
“I am Jump, White Leg scout. My people are friends of Caesar,” the scout responded. She began to shuffle a few steps forward when one of the legionaries raised his spear. “Let me past!” Jump exclaimed.
One of the legionaries chuckled evilly and looked to the other. “I think she’s all alone except for that mangy mutt.” The other nodded, and the pair advanced on Jump. She stepped back but stumbled on a branch in the trail. She tried to unsling her rifle, but the first legionary shoved her to the ground and knelt on top of her. He pulled her rifle loose and tossed it to the side, out of reach. Before Jump could scream, the legionary had placed his massive hand over her mouth, muffling all sound.
Kip snarled at the legionaries and leapt at the man on Jump, tearing into his forearm with fearsome canines. The man tried to get the dog off, freeing Jump to scream her help. Suddenly, Kip let out a yelp and was sent flying to the side of the trail. He was laying in a crumpled pile of fur and blood, the shaft of a spear buried deep in his side. The second legionary came into Jump’s view and covered her mouth once more. “Bandage up your arm, I’ve earned first go at her,” he snarled to the first man.
The scout put up one final struggle, desperate to free herself from the legionary. Sudden pain shot through the side of her head, and her vision began to swim from the legionary’s blow. “I like a little fight. The slave girls are never so fun,” he chuckled. His evil grin filled Jump’s vision as she fought the call of darkness, resigned to her fate. As he leaned in close, shock flashed across his face, and Jump felt his body go limp. She heaved his bulk to the side and saw Albert above her, his tomahawk coated in the legionary’s blood.
The second man had seen his comrade’s death and hesitated for a moment. One girl and a decrepit old man were surely no match. He finally decided to take them on, but his hesitation would prove his undoing. Jump’s head was swimming, and she could feel the darkness’ embrace grow ever stronger, but she fought the siren’s call. She scrambled across the trail, oblivious to the thorns biting into her limbs; she only had eyes for her rifle. As her heart seemed ready to beat out of her chest, Jump shouldered her rifle and lined up a shot. She squeezed the trigger, instantly killing the legionary, before giving in to the darkness…
Note: Apologies for the pause in updates. I got pretty busy with the holidays, got covid (luckily not bad), and then had a bit of writer's block before finally coming up with something. It's also very likely I won't be able to keep to the one update a week schedule I had set at the start of this AAR. I don't want to compromise the quality or turn this into a chore, so I hope you'll be OK with a more relaxed updating schedule. Hopefully this update makes up for things since I think it is quite important for my characters.
Also, there are apparently two sets of awards going on right now: Q4 ACAs covers Q4 of 2021 and ends on Jan. 30 while Year End AwAARds cover all of 2021 and go until the end of February. I highly encourage you to vote in these awards (Thanks jak for your vote already!) since there are many writers who are very deserving and greatly appreciate the support.
Thanks for your support of this AAR, and I look forward to your feedback and thoughts!
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The first serious rift between the Legion and the White Legs. The obvious difference in how these two factions treat women is perhaps the tribes first major hint that Ceasar might not have the best interests of their tribe in mind.
Ceasar won’t like this snub. In the Legion their is no tolerance for disobedience. It remains to be seen what consequence this event will have.
Also I’m happy Albert came back for Jump.
Ceasar won’t like this snub. In the Legion their is no tolerance for disobedience. It remains to be seen what consequence this event will have.
Also I’m happy Albert came back for Jump.
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Even though the Legion is the White Legs' ally, it doesn't mean they share the same values or even like each other all that much. Will Jump and Albert tell Salt-Upon-Wounds though?
I'm really enjoying this AAR, so if you need extra time to continue this great story then take all the time you need!
Your welcome.
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The puppet (White Legs) may have to bite the puppet-master (Legionnaires). Thank you for the update
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This is a very accurate summary of events, and I'll hopefully explore the fallout in the next chapter.
I thought that would be a much more satisfying reconciliation, rather than the two making up right away.
I suspect they will, at least to explain the two dead legionaries if nothing else.
Thanks! I was able to keep the weekly schedule because I had written ahead, but I have used up all my earlier works.
That is very true, within the narrative at least. In game, there isn't really a mechanic to model the White Legs going against the Legion. I guess I went too far down the pro-Legion focus tree, but I'll do my best to fit the game with the story.
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A nice little physical meets metaphorical moment.
Oh dear. The lizard scene before was the equivalent of the GI showing the picture of his girl just before D-Day! Will Kip live or die? All will no doubt be revealed in the next exciting episode.
Good that Albert came to the rescue. And that the two legionaries got their just desserts.
None required, of course!
Glad it wasn’t too bad.Whatever pace you’re comfortable with is the right one. Far better to pace yourself than burn out by pushing too hard.
Agreed.
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I can only say: “Go Albert!”. Well, that, and the fact that I’m glad I’ve never sided with the Legion in NV
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Glad you picked up on that.
The lizard scene really was a brief bright spot in a long chain of dark. You'll just have to wait to find out what happens next! I haven't even decided for myself yet
Glad it was a satisfying conclusion. It felt like the right way for Albert to reconcile with Jump, and it changes the narrative a bit.
Me too! It took me down for about a week, but I'm feeling good now.
I thought you might like this turn in their relationship. I've done the Legion ending because they arguably have the best game play in the main quest (assassination, infiltration, etc.), but they are borderline fascists and are certainly not someone to root for. I do enjoy them as an enemy though! They're so easy to hate and satisfying to take down.
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