"This is your entire staff, General Schwarzkopf?" asked Field Marshal General Maxwell von Blucher. Blucher had brought two aides and three lesser ranked officers to the introductory meeting with Schwarzkopf.
"Not quite , Sir," replied Schwarzkopf. "Lieutenant Hartmann is my senior staff officer, but I have another Lieutenant, Herr Meyer. Meyer is occupied setting up a talent scouting network across the Kielsburg region. The Flying Eagles are looking to upgrade our pool of military specialists who support the soldiers. Lieutenant Hartmann is a master at finding the best specialists available.
"I will trust your judgement on this matter, since both you and your battalion come with the highest recommendations. How familiar are you with the military situation on the Jutland peninsula, Schwarzkopf?" asked the Field Marshal.
"I know that the Northmen are invading, but not much more, Sir!" replied Schwarzkopf.
"Ah yes. Well then let me give you a brief summary: The Jutland peninsula extends almost 400 kilometres to the north of our military headquarters, here in Kielsburg. Just 50 kilometres north of us is Padborg, which occupies the narrowest section of land, and represents the most defensible position available to our troops. Under no circumstances are we to allow the Northmen to breach that line of defence. The capital city of Badendorf would be threatened, along with the industrial heartland of the Holy Prussian Empire. As for the rest of the Jutland peninsula, our defensive tactics can be rather more flexible. Mobile defence, conducted mostly with cavalry has been moderately effective at slowing the advancements of the Northerners, but recent landings on the western shores have bolstered the Northern numbers. In addition, there have been confirmed sightings of wyverns, hybidized flying beasts and dragons." explained Field Marshal Blucher.
"Who is the leader of the invasion, Herr Blucher?" asked Schwarzkopf.
"Sargantus, Demon Lord General, from the gates of Hell itself. He is as bad as they come, and has generated the largest invading army of Northmen seen since the Sjaeland invasion in 3752. Kaiser Gunther Fredrick himself, led the victorious armies in the Battle of Arslev, which defeated the Northmen and drove them back to Norgeland. Sargantus started giving us trouble last year, by stepping up longboat raids along the north coast of the Empire, but this spring he began more serious landings and has established 4 viable bridgeheads on the peninsula. Three of them have met up and we expect the fourth to join the party imminently. Once that happens, the Northerner front lines will be 50 kilometres north of the Padborg defensive line," explained Blucher.
"What is the plan to stop the combined armies from breaking through your main defensive line?" asked Schwarzkopf.
"Well, that is why we sent for you and the Flying Eagles!" answered General Blucher.
"I see, observed Schwarzkopf. "What units do they use as the spearhead of their attack?"
"The average Northman soldier is a considerable opponent. Their lives in the mountainous wastes of Norgeland toughen and strengthen them, if they survive. On top of that, Northern demon worshipping practitioners of the dark arts are capable of improving the already significant fighting abilities of their soldiers," explained Blucher. "However, in addition to the powerful soldiery, the Northmen cavalry ride wyverns into battle. Capable of flight over short distances, these units act as shock troops designed to breakthrough the centre of our lines. We have had considerable difficulty with these elite troops."
"How about artillery? Do the Northmen wield cannons, or perhaps catapults?"
"None that we have observed," answered Blucher. "There is one other special class of flying attacker: On three occasions dragons have been observed over the peninsula. None have engaged in battle, but if they do, they will surely be a fearsome opponent."
"Where do you intend to deploy the Flying Eagles, General Blucher?" inquired Schwarzkopf.
"In the centre of our defensive line! We are led to believe that the 427th battalion is capable of stopping any attacking force!"
"Let us hope that the rumours are true, General!" stated Schwarzkopf. "How long do we have to prepare for our deployment?"
"We were hoping to ship you out as soon as possible. Would one week be an appropriate amount of preparation time?"
"I guess that it will have to do, Herr Blucher," answered Schwarzkopf. Turning towards Lieutenant Hartmann he added, "Hartmann, we have seven days to make ready for battle. We will need to meet with Meyer to see the progress he has made procuring new specialists for the battalion!"
"Yes , sir!" replied Hartmann.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
"How has your talent scouting been going, Lieutenant Meyer?" asked General Schwarzkopf.
As per usual, Nicholas Meyer was putting in 16 hour days, interviewing public house owners, local adventurers and his personal network of spies deployed around the city of Kiel. Schwarzkopf had caught up with him engaged with his technicians running endless data sheets through the steam belching Analytical Engine. Set up just outside the officers tents of the Flying Eagles battalion campsite, the Analytical Engine had attracted inordinate attention since their arrival. Everyone, it seemed had heard of the machine, to the extent that it had acquired an almost legendary status. Some imagined that the 427th simply received their fighting orders directly from the machine! Others genuinely believed the machine to possess an Artificial Intelligence rivalling that of a human mind. Nicholas Meyer knew that the truth was somewhat more complicated and less magnificent in nature.
"We have some interesting candidates," replied Lieutenant Meyer, holding up a sheaf of freshly printed parchment data sheets.
"Would it be possible for you to join Lieutenant Hartmann and myself to review the best candidates? We have settled upon a budget that can be spared for the new hires, and that should provide you with some guidelines as to how much money we have to spend. The three of us should be able to prioritise which specialists to invite for interviews. We only have a few days left before we are deployed to the front lines.
An hour later all three officers were sitting around a meeting table in Schwarzkopf's tent.
"See here Meyer, with the addition of 30 marks to the budget, we have some new spending flexibility. That said, Gunnar Hellsson's artillery company has already eaten up 18 of those marks. That leaves 12 gold marks per month freeboard, or 1200 pfennig," explained General Schwarzkopf. "Lieutenant Hartmann, where do you see our spending priorities to be, for this new money?"
"Well Sir! I understand that the overall fighting capabilities of the Northmen to be of higher quality than we were used to on the Eastern front. It would seem to me that every unit currently without a specialist, could benefit from the addition of an appropriate battle magician," observed Lieutenant Hartmann.
"Which companies are we talking about, Hartmann?"
"The Wolf Knights have Lady Echinacea, Oxheart and yourself. The Thuringians have Eagleclaw and mage Flamebringer. Curt Gallencamp has made the Horse Artillery more reliable and effective. The dwarf cannons have Hellsson. It seems to me that the Hanoverian Halberds, the Brunswick Outrider cavalry and the Stalsburg Handgunners could all use some help. Maybe not the Mongolians though. Those rockets don't seem like very good candidates for specialists," explained Hartmann.
"What have you got to help the Handgunners, Outriders and Halberdsmen, Meyer?" asked Schwarzkopf.
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"Hmmmm... Let's see here, how about these six candidates here. They were the highest rated of all of the possibilities by the Analytical Engine. I processed more than one hundred applicants through the machine, and cross checked them against every one of our companies. I interviewed all six of these guys. What do you two think of them?
___________________Pureheart Bells____________________Chromium Alloy_____________________Equine Stallion__________________
Profession:________Cleric: 3 spells known______________Mage: 2 spells known_______________Mage: 2 spells known___________
Leadership:________7__________________________________7___________________________________7_______________________________
Fighting skill:______4___________________________________2___________________________________3_______________________________
Attacks:___________3___________________________________1___________________________________2______________________________
Quickness:________3___________________________________3___________________________________3______________________________
Power:____________4___________________________________2___________________________________3______________________________
Defence:__________3___________________________________3___________________________________3____________________________
Speed:____________3___________________________________3___________________________________3____________________________
Wounds:__________3___________________________________1___________________________________3____________________________
Armour save:_____4+leather armour and shield_________none________________________________none________________________
Special abilities:_Blessed blades, +2 attacks____________Magical accuracy +2 to hit__________Ride like the wind: + 6 to charge
_________________Holy sharpening, +2 to wound_________Surgical penetration, -2 from________Invisibility: Whole unit cannot be
_________________True believers, unit never retreats______opponents armour save____________seen_________________________
Mount:___________none__________________________________none______________________________Ghost Strider: Magical steed__
Experience points:18,402________________________________6,706______________________________11,272_____________________
Estimated salary:__240 pfennig_________________________130 pfennig_________________________210 pfennig_________________
__________________Prestor Johnson_______________________Mercuric Silver__________________Steeplechase Mustang___
Profession:_______Cleric: 2 spells known__________________Mage: 3 spells known_______________Mage: 2 spells known
Leadership:_______7_____________________________________8____________________________________8____________________
Fighting skill:______3_____________________________________4____________________________________3_____________________
Attacks:___________2_____________________________________3____________________________________2______________________
Quickness:________3_____________________________________3____________________________________3_____________________
Power:____________3_____________________________________3____________________________________3_______________________
Defence:__________3_____________________________________3____________________________________3_______________________
Speed:____________3_____________________________________3____________________________________3______________________
Wounds:__________2_____________________________________2____________________________________2____________________
Armour save:______5+ leather armour____________________none_________________________________none________________
Special abilities:___Manifestation, Holy entity summoned. Long shots, double range of guns_____Unified charge_______
___________________Shame, Enemy weakened, -2 defence__Molten armour, Enemy burns__________Second wind, charge range
_________________________________________________________Mercury, enemy weapons turn to liquid_______________________
Mount:_____________none_________________________________none____________________________________Warhorse____________
Experience points:__6944_________________________________18,441__________________________________7643___________
Estimated salary:___140 pfennig__________________________250 pfennig______________________________130 pfennig_______
"Quite a list. Hiring them all would be expensive. Eleven gold marks per month! The battalion would be all but tapped out, and I like to retain some budget flexibility," commented General Schwarzkopf.
"Truth be told, hiring one from each category should be affordable, and we will still have 4 or 5 marks to throw at someone special, if the opportunity presents itself," added Lieutenant Hartmann.
"I see your points," replied Meyer. "Let's see here. The very top rated choices would be Equine Stallion, Mercuric Silver and Pureheart Bells. All three interviewed very well. Pureheart was especially impressive. a mountain of a man, as devoted to Theodor as can be imagined. Every company will have at least one specialist, and each will be really well matched to their soldiers. All three should cost us 700 pfennig per month."
General Schwarzkopf studied the parchment data sheets, paying meticulous attention to all of the assembled information. "Invisible Outriders!" commented the General drily. "What will they think of next, I wonder?"
"Yes, I wondered about the military possibilities of that spell myself, General," acknowledged Meyer. "Mage Stallion was quite confident that he could conceal all twenty of the horses and riders. And his stallion, Ghost Strider, is amazing! I have never seen such an animal in all my life!"
"I will look forward to meeting them all, Meyer. I would ask you to hire all three of our choices by tomorrow, which should allow a modicum of training prior to our deployment, northwards." Schwarzkopf gathered up the parchments and handed them back to Nicholas Meyer. "Do you have any other plans for the Analytical Engine in the next few days?" asked the General.
"I do, Sir. I think that I will take the machine to the people of Kielsburg. So many seem fascinated by the Engine. They might as well get a close look at it, and I have a feeling that I just might find a diamond in the rough out there.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Trundling down the cobblestones into downtown Kielsburg created quite a stir. Nicholas Meyer had made sure to have the boiler pressure near its maximum for the event so as to attract the most attention possible, and the approach was working. The whole town had stopped what it was doing to get their own glimpse of the legendary Analytical Engine. Steam belching out the sides, and coal smoke pouring from its chimney, the complicated bronze machine drew the attention of one and all. Also accompanying the Analytical Engine were ten magnificent Wolf Knights in their dress uniforms.
Meyer had an ulterior motive of course. Meticulously, he scanned the crowd for military specialist candidates. Each company already had at least one specialist, but Meyer couldn't help thinking that someone out there might be able to add a supplementary skill or ability to the battalion which might be the difference in the upcoming confrontation with the Northmen. However, that hope was yet to yield any candidates. By the time that the impromptu parade had passed through half of the city, Nicholas Meyer hadn't seen much to write home about.
Meyer couldn't believe that so many average citizens could have such low or non-existent military skills. The data sheets churned out by the Analytical Engine showed candidates of very little to no value for the battalion. Meyer's scanning ability was on full force as he looked through the crowds. Data numbers and skills appeared clearly, superimposed upon each of the citizens. Almost all of the numbers read zero or none. No special skills, no significant skills or strengths. Ah well, it was worth a try, he supposed.
But what was that one?
Alone, against the front wall of an official government building stood a man of Indian descent in front of a horse drawn cart. On the cart, which might have been a retail cart of some sort, was piled with elaborate sculptures and carvings of small statues or idols. Perhaps the idols had religious or magical qualities of some sort. What really caught Meyer's attention were the data numbers produced by the Analytical Engine. He even grabbed a hard copy from the printing press to confirm what he was seeing in his own vision.
This guy was useless as a fighter, but possessed an absolutely unique magical ability of some sort. The Analytical Engine referred to it as 'Time Magic', whatever that was, but of greater interest were the flagged numbers associating Lady Echinacea's Banner with this man's cart magic. The combination of those two magical devices yielded performance numbers that were extremely difficult to believe.
"Whoa!" commanded Nicholas Meyer, bringing the Analytical Engine to a halt. "Sir! He called out to the Indian man. Could I have a word with you?" Four of the Wolf Knights created a pathway through the crowds lining the boulevard. The man was able to step forward within the speaking distance of Lieutenant Meyer.
"How may I be of service, officer?" asked the mysterious Easterner.
"I would like to speak to you regarding your cart, Sir!" requested Nicholas Meyer. "My name is Lieutenant Meyer and I believe that it is possible you and your cart may be of significant benefit to the Army of the Holy Prussian Empire. I would like to investigate this possibility with you."
"I am honoured to meet you, Lieutenenat Meyer. My name is Swami Chronos. Although I regard my limited talents to be of extremely humble origin, I would be pleased to offer any assistance that you might deem worthy of consideration. What would you have me do, kind Sir?"
"If you could just follow me back to my military camp, we can have a conversation there, in private. Could you please follow our parade?" asked Lieutenant Meyer.
"I will do that, officer Meyer. Please lead the way."
The magical Indian man gathered up his horse drawn cart and pulled in behind the Wolf Knights, joining the caravan back to their military encampment. The military magic of the East was about to join forces with the military magic of the West.
