High Commander Moesol Torsal, 1st June, 333ACM
Position: 40 miles westwards of Theas
Damage: Negligible
Capabilities: All Systems Nominal
Advance-Force: 100% & Stable
Pilot: Effective
Morale: Steady
Operational record: Departed Theas yesterday with orders to support defence of Lapistellae, where we anticipate an attack. The Great Dark Host has divided after their capture of Glacies. Dark Triumvirate appointed subcommanders of splinter forces, Morgana retains a force of her own. Intelligence suggests Svartur leading Lapistellae assault.
Received report: Brackelbrand – fighting remains intense and our position tenuous.
Received report: ?-1 dispatched to Dun Fola.
Project Valkyrie subreport: Subject V-87 remains in same physical condition as report dated 26th May. As predicted at Tempestus, mental deterioration has been noted following 6 months in ?-3. V-87 reportedly interacted with advance-force allocation matrix during energised period without suffering physical harm, contrasting all other incidents. However, V-87 noted to suffer emotional distress following interaction – discovered crying in solitude, speaking incoherently. After rest V-87 recovered to acceptable levels, but denies recollection of any such events, including entering advance-force control chamber in the first instance. It cannot be ascertained if this is deliberate, or symptomatic of further deterioration.
Personal observations: Brackelbrand’s defence is of paramount importance, and I continue to petition the High Council to reassign forces to its defence. To lose Brackelbrand could open the path to the capital, and Denofell’s fortifications remain insufficient. More widely, our scouting remains inadequate.
The nature of the project remains a source of great personal discomfort, though I remain convinced by our need and its capabilities. We all must sacrifice.
After-action report – Designation: ?-3 (‘Colossus’)
High Commander Moesol Torsal, 21st June, 333ACM
Position: 15 miles Northeastwards of Lapistellae
Damage: Moderate throughout. Heavy in sections LR5-8, LL6-16, & RA12
Capabilities:
- ?-Class contingent: 23 combat-ready, 17 awaiting repair, remainder (11) lost
- WF-Class contingent: 235 combat-ready, 85 awaiting repair, remainder (180) lost
- Primary arcane projector: functional
- Auxiliary facilities: operational. Engineering, artifice, and medical at capacity
Advance-Force: 54% and regenerating. Within acceptable post-combat tolerance
Pilot: Effective
Morale: Dampened
Operational record: Lapistellae has fallen, and we are withdrawing. Preparations were sufficient for conventional enemy forces. Assault was withstood until arrival of Svartur accompanied by his legions and wearing the impenetrable armour that has become his battle-standard. Situation immediately untenable – external ?-Class & WF-Class units were recalled and recovered where possible. A handful of allied soldiers were recovered during withdrawal. All others presumed lost. Human casualties high. Orders received to redeploy to Denofell and relieve siege of Brackelbrand.
Received report: Dendallen sighted at Abhainn. Force recently departing Elvenden presumed to be in response.
Received report: Droichead besieged by Morgana herself. High Council unclear on her motivation for such. High King Harald has deployed 3x ?-Class units to the area and petitioned Lady Louisa at Halvalf to release her elite forces to the front line.
Project Valkyrie subreport: Subject V-87 continues showing mental deterioration, and has begun to physically deteriorate. Battle damage to ?3 was considerable though manageable, yet V-87 demonstrated severe strain. Haemorrhage of nose and ears, along with extreme phantom pain in limbs. After-action recovery overseen by Chief Biomancer, who found signs of self-harm. This has been a known side-effect among Valkyrie candidates, especially those exposed to combat in ?-state.
Upon waking V-87 displayed extreme distress and refused to return to ?-state in spite of conditioning. We have sent a dispatch to Bothar requesting instructions on best practice, though we anticipate this will take time. At present we have resorted to physically returning V-87 to the ?-operations unit. ?-3 has exhibited random inconsistencies since, as if in response. Presently our artificers cannot account for this. I give my recommendation that V-87 be substituted by the Institute after the war.
Personal observations: The war is turning, and not in our favour. I fear our posture is too reactive. We are now reassigned to Brackelbrand, where we could have been weeks ago. Our presence was insufficient to prevent fall of Lapistellae regardless – we must be willing to concentrate our forces even if it condemns undefended areas. If we do not choose to win somewhere then we shall lose everywhere. Our forces are too few in number to allow otherwise. Trosbriand and the High Council have demanded Project Valkyrie be increased in pace and scope. I do not know what this portends.
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After-action report – Designation: ?-3 (‘Colossus’)
High Commander Moesol Torsal, 9th July, 333ACM
Position: 20 miles Northwestwards of Denofell
Damage: Moderate throughout. Critical repairs complete, others ongoing
Capabilities:
- ?-Class contingent: 30 combat-ready, 9 awaiting repair, remainder (11) lost
- WF-Class contingent: 340 combat-ready, 30 awaiting repair, remainder (180) lost
- Primary arcane projector: functional
- Auxiliary facilities: operational. Engineering and artifice at capacity
Advance-Force: 73% and regenerating.
Pilot: Erratic, non-compliant
Morale: Uncertain
Operational record: Enemy assault at Brackelbrand repulsed. We have begun repositioning northwards to intercept enemy force marching on capital from Glacies. Belay that last. New orders are now to withdraw and patrol outskirts of Denofell.
Received report: Brackelbrand is besieged once more
Received report: Dún Fola holds but is cut off. The enemy approaches Denofell from all sides.
Received report: The enemy has captured the bridge at Droichead – fighting is reported south of the River Airgead. The king has recalled 1,000 WF-Class and a dozen Valkyrie-crewed ?-Class to Lokabrenna Wood.
Received report: Further forces from R?tur are attempting to recapture Brúarland.
Project Valkyrie subreport: V-87 has collapsed mentally, retaining limited control of her faculties. We rely on the conditioning alone. Her physical state is rapidly deteriorating, she refuses to eat or drink. We are losing her.
Her behaviour is erratic and troubling. We are forced to keep her restrained whenever she is not in ?-state – she has attempted suicide on a number of occasions. I do not fault her. Whenever she is lucid her mood oscillates severely and unpredictably between aggressive and withdrawn. She requests only that she be allowed to exit ?-3. I have obviously had to deny this.
She must now be forced by WF-Class into the ?-control. All the while she weeps, and begs for freedom she has never known.
Personal observations: I scarcely continue to hope. We are ordered to patrol as if we are a simple city guard. I rail incessantly against this waste of our power, but our orders are absolute. His Majesty is recalling critical forces out of the region when they are needed most, in the short-sighted hope of defending the homeland. If we are not victorious here, nothing shall be able to save Bothar. We must defeat the enemy here if we are to defeat them at all. The humans are correct to seek battle at Brúarland, but they must win. Loss risks our last major supply route being sealed. I wish them the strength of mighty Thor in this endeavour.
I cannot continue to call her V-87. She is not just a subject. I cannot indulge the pity I feel by relieving her suffering, for to do so would allow the suffering of so many others. Her name is Astrid. It was, at least. I think someone must remember this. I am not certain she does. She has now spoken to me directly, during her rare and fleeting moments of lucidity, claiming that the souls speak to her in her dreams. I do not know what this means.
She has taken to sleeping in the advance-force allocation chamber or the engine room, even while they are operational. This is not openly worrying, but is nevertheless unnerving given that those rooms are immediately fatal to anyone else at those times. They seem to be the only places she is calm.
?-3 continues to behave strangely at times, even when Astrid is not in ?-state. It has never felt so alive, and that has never felt so worrying. The air grows thick with despair.
This is wrong. We were wrong.
After-action report – Designation: ?-3 (‘Colossus’)
High Commander Moesol Torsal, 4th August, 333ACM
Position: Outskirts of what was once Denofell
Damage: Severe
Capabilities:
- ?-Class contingent: lost
- WF-Class contingent: 9 awaiting repair, remainder (491) lost
- Primary arcane projector: functional – insufficient advance-force for continued use
- Auxiliary facilities: crippled, likely eliminated
Advance-Force: 4% and regenerating.
Pilot: Broken, hostile
Morale: Irrelevant
Operational record: Imagine this shall be final report. I write only in hope it shall be found someday and I shall be heard. The greatest battle of the war has been fought. We have lost. Denofell has fallen – though not into the hands of the enemy. It has been cursed. I do not know how. It hosts horrors I dare not describe. The darkness that fell over it did not lift with the morning. It has not lifted with several mornings.
?-2 forced to self-destruct – explosion felt across the city. ?-1 disappeared – rumours reached us that it reached Tempestus, though crippled. I hope so. I should like someone to have survived this nightmare.
We remain. We are alone. We have lost.
Project Valkyrie subreport: The crew are dead. Astrid, V-87, the Subject, the Pilot, the Candidate, the Valkyrie – whatever she is, or was, she has vanished, she has broken. She has turned ?-3’s internal defences against us. Against everything. I have sealed the hatch for now. The bridge alone survives. She has taken control, we can find no way to remove her from the pilot’s seat. We cannot touch her; a magical barrier prevents us.
I am starving. I am parched. I, who perhaps deserve it most of all aboard ?-3, will die not by her hand, but by want of water. Is this my punishment? To see what fruits my labour and cruelty have wrought? That we stooped so low in our desperation for victory and lost despite it – maybe because of it. It is no less than we have earned, and as Commander I must shoulder this responsibility. It would not do for me to escape punishment so easily. I wish I could see the ocean again.
Through it all she screams and writhes. The Machine has taken her. We took her. We stole her life away.
Valkyrie is Evil.
Valkyrie is Evil.
Valkyrie is EVIL.
VALKYRIE IS EVIL.
Sammy xx