User blog:TheSnub/The Musketeer

The Musketeers
Welcome!

This is the tirst time I've done this so bear with me. '''I know it won't be perfect but nonetheless I wanted to try this out. '''

MGE belongs to Kenkou Cross.

Introductions
"The Company- A free-standing army of  mercenaries whose members come from many walks of life. Those who joined this mysterious but dangerous group often come from villages who have been completely taken over by the mamono. Others are disgraced members of the Order, still more have nowhere else to go. The Company takes anyone but above all else they must be human. They have no quarrel with 'those mamono that can be reasoned with. It is the extremists and the Order followers they truly abhor. 

''Do not take these men lightly. Their services are given to the highest bidder sure but should any of these men find out that their client is a supporter of extremism or the Order, they will not only kill the target assigned but they will also kill the client who proved treacherous'.- ''a travelling scholar who had the misfortune of seeing the Company in action.

"The Leader of the Company, Alan Rorke is a figure shrouded in bloody mystery. Rumor has it that he was once a great hero of the Order in Lescatie, a captain to many men who stood their ground against the Demon Lord and the mamono. Rorke the Unbroken, that was what they used to call him... The soldiers loved him. The common folk they worshipped him. I've heard that one woman prayed to Alan Rorke. 

''The nobles? They hated the dastard, hated him so much they sent him to die at the hands of extremist mamono supporters. Well supposedly they say he did die at the hands of those extremist cults...No. Legend has it that he played them so well that his enemies thought he was dead. 'He was barely alive but he bided his time. Like a predator stalking his prey he waited for his strength to return. 'See, I think I know the reason why Rorke simply refused to die. Hate. Hate is just as powerful as love you see. I've seen it in the eyes of some of the soldiers who left the Order. Hate'll get you killed sure but if you channel it, you focus it on one single thing it can keep you warm for a long time.''

''As for Rorke, well he killed each man and woman who had a hand in his near demise. Anyone that was involved or stood in his way...well, let's just say that they suffer enough telling their wives or husbands why their kids are dead."-  ''A retired soldier discussing the legends surrounding Alan Rorke.

"'I bled for days in service to the Gods and all I recieved was damning silence. I slaughtered men and mamono alike and still nothing. I wonder...do the gods care for us at all? The silence tells me otherwise."- Alan Rorke (att.)

"Victory demands sacrifice!"- Warcry of the Company

The Fall of Lescatie
From the unpublished memoir of Joachim Vandis, former soldier of the Order (Note: Vandis and those of his ilk were declared Diabolus Hereticus for following the defector, Alan Rorke.) 

There was nothing I could do save simply watch in despair as Lescatie was overrun. It was an impossible fight. Everyone in our little company of soldiers knew that Lescatie was finished. We were not even a formal fighting group. Most of the men and women in our unit were cobbled together from those who weren't dead or turned into Mamono themselves.

How could I describe what had happened? They came at us in force. No one knew  what had happened. They came at us in waves. Men and women were caught unawares. The lucky ones were dead, the men who were taken too fast to even end it themselves? I saw a man get taken away by a bunch of Werewolves. It took all of my courage and wit to even move away from there. I was lucky. The moment they turned on me, several musketeers had opened fire wounding some, killing others. Gods above, I was saved by the timely intervention of a sergeant.

Alan Rorke was different back then, bright. Eager for battle and courageous. Needless to say the nobility may have hated him, the men and women he commanded for the Captain loved the man. The commoners worshipped him because he actually cared about people. That was the problem with Lescatie's nobles and those who sided with the Order. They cared not for the people they ruled over, all they cared for was their own safety. I curse their coward hides every waking moment.

Alan Rorke was different from them. It was mainly because of him that our little company had survived. I sank to my knees in disgrace. I remember sobbing my gratitude on the man's boots. He simply took me by the arm and told me to stand and fight. I was a lowly spearman. But by the gods I wouldn't let this man down.

And so we all went, our company grew as survivors gathered. We rescued those civilians who were being harassed by the Mamono. There were...rumors that Wilmarina Noscrim had fallen to the enemy. Morale was low at that point. Noscrim may have been a young girl but her star had been rising within the Order. There were other rumors too, rumors that a Lilim herself was commanding the monstrous horde. A powerful succubus with white wings.

Rorke was smart. He knew there was nothing he could do against such demonic power. As far as anyone knew, no one had stood against the Lilim and lived to tell about it...or ever came back human at all. So he focused on rescuing civilians and those who could not protect themselves. The Order wanted us to retake Lescatie. Alan Rorke had defied those orders and went to rescue the folks that actually mattered.

It took us three days, and the lives of twenty brave warriors. We finally stopped to make camp a few miles away from an abandoned village. The night, I remember it being rainy and cold. I was weeping as the rain fell down on us all. How could I not? We were alive!! The little company we had were dancing in the rain, screaming, crying like madmen. We were alive. There was nothing in the world that felt so good...

That good feeling didn't last though when the Order found us all. It was horrible. We did not know what those three knights had wanted. But all the same we were prepared for the worst.

Diabolus Hereticus. They declared Alan Rorke as such. The knights had demanded that we all turn ourselves in for our cowardice. I...I couldn't believe it. They were declaring us heretics for running for our lives and rescuing civilians? It was enraging. Alan Rorke simply told the knights that he was defecting from the Order. He then turned and asked all of us who would follow him.

Not one stepped back from that question. The knights in question looked at each other in worry when they realized what was happening. They were more surprised when they saw a line of musketeers pointing the barrels of their guns at them. Alan quietly asked the knights to surrender their weapons and leave.

They did so with hesitation. The guns of the musketeers made them move faster.

(Memoir ends here. Vandis' account was not published widely due to the Order's influence. As of right now few complete copies exist.)

Notable Members of the Company
Athos Theodas Hein

''"Focus men, we have a job to do and there are no excuses for not doing it well." ''

Title: Agent of Chaos

Status: Alive, declared Diabolus Hereticus by the Order.

The son of a deceased merchant from Lescatie, Athos Hein is a notable soldier of the Company. Unlike many of this group's veterans Athos joined after being pinned on the murder of a particularly influential bishop  of the Order. He joined up as a recruit and in the coming years that followed he has proven to be one of the lynchpins of the Company. Known for his quick swordsmanship and pragmatic thinking Athos prefers to work as a solitary agent of the mercenary group, often travelling abroad to offer services to those who require them. When asked to lead his men, he asks nothing more than for them to uphold the ideals of the Company and to fight hard.

Athos is also known for his apathetic attitude towards the Order and the Demon Lord at large. This reflects a lot of the feelings the Company has about the state of the world. They blame both the Order and the Mamono for their loss of homes. Athos in particular has lost a lot of precious people during one of the many large scale battles between the Order and the Demon Lord.

Thaddeus Argos Heldane

''"So long as there is breath within my body, there will be no retreat or surrender." ''

Title: Ferrous Knight Thaddeus

Status: Alive, declared Diabolus Hereticus by the Order

Sergeant Thaddeus is the one of the perfect examples of the Company's greatest. His leadership ensures that no member of the Company is easily defeated and it is his responsibility to train those new recruits, to harness the hatred they have into weapons that prove useful to themercenaries. The man was once an Order Sergeant, but the fall of Lescatie due to the incompetence of the noble classes has hardened his heart against the Order's Leadership and he left without announcement to live a life as a sell sword. Until he met Alan Rorke, the man responsible for the founding of his great Company.

Rorke, sensing the lack of purpose in the Sergeant, simply asked Thaddeus if he would follow. Finally finding purpose in the ranks of the Company Thaddeus asked to join up on the spot. As a sergeant of the Company, Thaddeus leads the men and women under his command with an iron will. He is known for his fortitude and refusal to surrender.

Logan "Preacher" Finley 

Title: Preacher

''"Look, as much as I appreciate your worries it still doesn't help with the fact that I'm the one teaching seven classes for seven days a week for eight bloody hours. So, shut up, sit down and take notes. We've got a lot of material to cover." ''

Status: Alive, wanted by the Order for stealing several esoteric tomes from the Magic Academy Magitec and for illegal arcane practices.

Logan, or Preacher as some prefer to know him as, used to be an average student of Magitec. How or why he managed to get into such a prestigious academy is known only by a few trusted people in Logan's life. As stated before Logan is a mage of average skill but his skill is still appreciated nonetheless by members of the Company. He offers a unique skill set as few in the Company are able to use magic effectively and thus,even if he is not  a proper teacher, he is responsible for lessons of the Arcane wihin the ranks.

Logan was raised alone by his mother, and when was discovered to beable to wield magic the academy of Magitec recruited him. His life as a magus was hampered by mediocrity as most of the teachers there usually passed him over for the more talented or influential mages. The successes of Magitec's greatest mage, Mimiru Miltie, was of no consequence to him but her eventual fall and turning into a witch reminded him just how dangerous things are in the world today. His research involves the use of magic spells that protect the members of the Company against some of the mamono's influences. Sure it is not as effective as he hoped but it helps...somewhat.

Fiora De Valtos 

''"Knowledge is Power, treat it carefully and it will guide you to good fortune." ''

Title: The Black Sheep

Status: Alive, wanted dead or alive for stealing information from the Order.

A noblewoman who lost her husband to the Mamono Invasion of Lescatie. Unlike most of her peers she focused her studies on the mamono themselves. She has always preferred the company of her books compared to people. This brilliance has cost her much in the social area but she doesn't seem to mind it. Short tempered with irresponsibility she uses her information to aid the Company in all matters political, magical or military. Her specialty is the Mamono.

Due to her scholarly nature she is not much use on the battlefield. Nonetheless they should be careful, as she is most effective in her work as an information broker for the Company. She works in tandem with the Company's sneakier members and while she does not carry the blade, her work has allowed the hammer of the Company to smash into the weakest link of their enemies.

Arthur Westrum (Thank you ArmInAss)

"I'm sorry, Mary, I caused you your fall. I won't let it go on longer."

Title: Sniper/The Lost Soul (himself)

Status: Deceased, committed suicide by gun

A marksman with a dreams of being the first hero marksman of the Order when Lescatie was invaded and fell. He was the most affected when word spread that Wilmarina Noscrim fell to the monsters, but it was just the start. He only managed to evade his now-monsterized childhood friend when the Order attempted to retake Lescatie. Days later, exhausted by hopelessness and about to give up, he saw a contingent of the Company's mercenaries about to be overwhelmed by some succubi when Westrum shot their heads with excellent aiming skills, saving the Company. For that, he was invited to join the Company. Feeling that his previous life is enough, Arthur decided to cast away his memories and begin a new life as a mercenary.

He immediately gained the respect of the Company for his sharpshooting skills, particularly Heldane, who said that had he been given the chance, he would have fulfilled his dreams as the first hero marksman. He hated the Order for allowing his home and friend to fall and the monsters for corrupting her. He is often at his happiest when he sees monster heads blown away with his bullets. However, he and Mary crossed paths again during an operation to save at least ffive hundred families from the kingdom of Batavia which is about to become a demon realm.

He was last seen as a corpse with a bullet in his chest, blood on his mouth and his childhood friend, which he thought became a monster, weeping at his side. His loss was a great blow to the Company as well.

Organization of the Company
The Company relies on massed fire tactics and discipline. Their gear is constantly maintained by artificers and blacksmiths who do their jobs well. The main reason why the Company is so formidable is their absolute willingness to disregard any battlefield courtesy expected by armies such as the Order. This disregard for chivalry and honor is why the Order despises the Company so...and why the Company makes successful forays against the Order.

The following units are listed below:

The Foot Soldiers

Standard soldiers whose job is to provide support to the Musketeers. Armed with pikes, swords and shields alongside other weaponry they may not have the strength or skill but they definitely have the numbers. Armored usually in leather, they are the foremost into the battlefield. This is usually where the new members end up but those who show a particular bravery in battle may be taken up by the other branches of the Company. Veteran Foot Soldiers can be considered a dangerous opponent as countless battles have sharpened these men's instincts. It is their hope that these instincts rub off on the newbies.

The Musketeers

The lines of gunmen that harry the enemy with disciplined fire. Despite their innacuracy the discipline of the Company musketeers allow them to put out an impressive amount of firepower, literally burying their enemy with musket shots before moving into close quarters combat. They are lightly armored and thus they work in tandem with Foot Soldiers as protection against overwhelming numbers and Order Cavalry. The most dangerous of these musketeers are the Landsknechts, armored warriors who wielded firearms and well made single edged longswords known as War Knives. These warriors are quite formidable, ruthless and very dangerous to face. They are known for their steadfast loyalty in the field of battle. They are usually the first sign that the Company is on the war path.

The Rangers

A fairly new addition to the Company, the Rangers are the dagger of the Company. Well known for their stealth and their pathfinding skills a Ranger is also known for being even more pragmatic than their fellow soldiers. These men and women will begin to follow a lonely, cruel path the moment they are sworn into the ranks. The most dangerous Rangers are men known as the Striders. Invisible, silent warriors who are master swordsmen their skills are not to be underestimated. They can be compared to the Kunoichi of Zipangu, except their assassination targets are often found dead.

The Company's Views on Mamono
It would be a lie to say that the Company has never attacked Monster Friendly Villages or roaming monsters searching for a husband. It would also be a lie to say that they do not support human only settlements. For the Company the average (by mamono standards) mamono are of no concern whatsoever, in fact they are often neutral or even apathetic of mamono at large.

It is this neutrality that sets them apart in the world. They are more than willing to cooperate with "reasonable" Mamono and more than once Company mercenaries have worked with influential rulers of Monster Friendly states. There have even been cases of Rangers on patrol being approached by farmers who needed muscle in order to negotiate some kind of agreement with Centaur Villages or packs of migrating Harpies. The same can be said of certain mamono who worry after their husbands who disappear in the wilds.

To summarize the Company are either apathetic to mamono, cautious or outright wish to leave them alone. For the mamono who have encountered male members of the Company their reactions are the same as usual.

The exception to this rule are the Extremists, monsters who seek to actively turn all humans into Mamono.

The Company's Views on the Order of the Chief God
"The Order promised us safety from the Dark, their priests believed that the Chief God would protect all of humanity. And yet...look at Lescatie. The Order built temples claiming them to be places of worship and yet their priests grew fat and their coffers are full thanks to the downtrodden and the helpless. Their lords and ladies trampled on those far worthier than they. Heroes shed their blood so that unworthy men may live another day. That I refuse to accept.

''Gold and Blood. That is all the Order stands for. Gold and Blood. I once served as a Captain to the men and women who faced the Demon lord's Army. I was loyal to them once.''

No more.

''And so you are here because the Order has cast you away in their hypocrisy. You are here because the Order has failed to keep their promise of safety. You are here because you have nowhere else to go. Here, in this Company, I welcome you as brothers and sisters in arms." ''-Alan Rorke, (att.) 

The Company in its founding has made the decision to outright oppose the Order of the Chief God. It is simple as that.