Extinction (Certain Death)

[Coroneljones]

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When faced with an overwhelming invasion?

There is but one right choice to make.
One Doctrine to embody.

To hold fast, and stand your ground.

To Resist and Bite

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We were told to hold the border

And that is what we did.

Honoured were our orders

In spite of our foe.

We Promised.
To Endure.

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2139AC - Goldlight Order

With a return to the Vigil, for the half-decimated Brigade sent to aid Gloomlight Grove, an increase in The Order´s efforts in preparation for the Atrellyan forces becomes visible, to the point where it can no longer be obfuscated behind half-enforced secrecy, and carefully maintained internal documentation.

As a fortress that has stood for forty two years prepares for the most lethal of tests against its fortification.

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A TRADITION OF SERVICE,

With the Wards and Orphans of the Tribunal.

The Goldlight Order has officially existed for Sixty Five years, since its original transition from a mercenary outfit to a pseudo-knightly Order, and with it, the majority of its years of service was alongside or beneath the Holy State of Aphros, as an Auxiliary Military.

From the start of the Indefinite Crusade against Skarnfel and its forces, to the founding of the Republic.
And for forty two of those years, the Stronghold of Martyrs´ Vigil has existed, granting a proper home to The Order and its practices, as well as infrastructure for such.

Enough time for a cultural tradition of service to form, where service in The Order and its Wings is an honoured practice amongst veteran families - or something to fear and discourage, from those that remember the years of the Crusades.

Yet even beyond the Militant Wing and its volunteers, it is not simply familial influence that prepares the youthful volunteers of The Vigil for a potential life of duty and service, for the Faith Wing of the Tribunal in turn is responsible for guiding and moulding, as a social and educational arm of The Order.


Orphans turned into Wards of The Order and its Tribunal, or simply local children - be it within the Vigil itself or lesser villages and hamlets within its domain - that are then provided education by the clergy of the Faith Wing, both academic and social subjects.
A familiarisation with the philosophy and creed of the Goldlight Order is ingrained, even if just by proximity or by the classes that bring it up, and a light is pointed at its Military by passive participation or interaction with its members, where even if service in the Militant Wing is not something of interest, the Clergy may be an alternative that catches the eye of someone.

Both serve in combat in their own way, as part of The Order´s militant outfit nature, where one wing is at the front, and the other supports its efficiency, equal flexibility, in War and in Peace.

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A decimated brigade returns, nearly broken after a singular engagement, yet where one falls in the name of home, three more are ready to take their place.

With entire families, homes and livelihoods on the line in the face of the Atrellyan invasion, there was no shortage of volunteers for the Vigil and its Guard from within the domains of The Order. And even without them, the wards under the care of The Order´s Faith Wing are a steady source of dutiful or patriotic members for any number of of occupations to contribute to the war effort.

Academic pursuit and militant instruction alike, molding those under the care of the Tribunal for whatever field they find themselves drawn to.

4 SPAWN A SOLDIER SLOTS

[Emporium HERE]

COSTS:

• 300,000 coins, 130,000 Influence
  
• 600 Mythril [Equipment]
  
• 10 Prisminthium [High-Grade Equipment]
  
• 10 Arcanium [High-Grade Equipment]
  
• 20 Auguria [High-Grade Equipment and Supplies]
  
• 1,000 Copper [Equipment and General Supplies]
  
• 600 Orichalcum [Equipment and Runework]
  
• 1,000 Iron (into Steel) [Equipment and General Supplies]
  
• 300 Poppylus [Alchemy Supplies]
  
• 30 Fairy Powder [Alchemy Supplies]
  
• 300 Air Crystals [Alchemy Supplies]
  
• 400 Cylion [Alchemy and General Supplies]
  
• 1,000 Wood [General Supplies and production of prayer amulets]
  
• 300 Pork [Food Supplies]
  
• 50 Wheat [Food Supplies]
  
• 50 Rainbow Fish [Luxury Morale Food]
  
• 100 Cacao Fruit (into chocolate) [Luxury Morale Food]
  

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THE NORTHERN SHIELD-WALL.

And a Hunter´s Touch.

The least fortified side of the City lay to its north, where no foe was projected to strike from for all of its years, until now. And with this new variable?

Adaptation was required.

The construction of a wall and other physical deterrents was mandated and required. A line of Adamantite, Nyeshk and Tyrium, further bulked up with stone, as a physical bump against the oncoming Atrellyan forces, and inlayed with Austereia, to bind a stationary Barrier to the wall itself, with the aid of several Arcane Magi and a few prominent Magi from Gloomlight.

And even with its completion, traps are already laid upon the field, specifically prepared to wear down the Atrellyan Horde, by an expert in the field of hunting their demons.
A Hunter.

The wall itself may only be a physical deterrent, yet in time it may be more.
But for the time being, it would hopefully suffice, as the work effort is now fully visible.

TWO WATCHTOWERS TO BE SET ON THE NORTHERN SIDE, TO REPRESENT THE NEW WALL

COST:

• 150,000 coins, 5,000 Influence
  
• 1,000 Adamantite [Wall Materials]
  
• 300 Tyrium [Wall Materials]
  
• 150 Nyeshk [Wall Materials]
  
• 10 Austereia [Wall Materials]
  
• 500 Wood [Scaffolding Materials]
  
• 1 Barrier Mage [Not Expended nor Consumed.]
  

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FROM THE HOMELAND,

With love.

Outnumbered and outpowered, it is only logical to reach out to potential “allies” against a common enemy, and such was the logic of sending a diplomatic detachment to the one place that the Knight-Commander once left, half a century ago.

The same front that the Atrellyans had been attacking, prior to the invasion force sent to Meranthe, yet few acts were done out of goodwill alone, and to convince the Great Kingdom, or at least individual members of its nobility and church, to send any sort of expeditionary force?
It would need quite the convincing “donation”, and the right favours to be called in.

Eternite - the very same metal that a whole expedition was sent to the Peninsula to ship back home, decades ago - and the potential relic of one of the Twelve Saints, or at least something made by his hands.
As well as a degree of familiarity with two noble houses of the Homeland - Keene and Avincus - through members of their bloodlines having served in The Order over the years, especially with the latter of the two.

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The dreaded answer that it would not be enough was ever constant.
Until the Order´s vessels returned from their westward trip to the Bay of Tears, yet not alone.

A small contingent of Aenite Soldiers and their veteran officer - perhaps in service to one of the noble houses or directly from the Theocracy´s Defensive Army yet certainly with a hatred for the Atrellyan armies - settle into position along the walls, while weaponry and armor, blessed by the Church of the Twelve Saints, is loaned to the Logistics Division to outfit The Order´s own. Something that will likely be collected, when this foreign detachment returns home.

A SINGLE-USE SPECIAL "LIFELINE" TRICK HAS BEEN GRANTED.

(A secret that will help later.)

COSTS:

• Coin [Travel Fees and envoy gifts]: 50,000
  
• Influence [Diplomatic Envoy]: 70,000 
  
• 20 Eternite [Totally not bribery]
  
• 10 Austereia [Totally not bribery]
  
• 1 Sanctified Boltcaster [Relic of a Saint]
  

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TOTAL COST: 500,000 coins and 205,000 influence.