>>39368105
You push yourself off your chair and almost immediately lose your footing. You barely manage to catch the table before you fall. At least you won't need a bandage on your nose.

"General, let me know if there's anything else." Just because your shoulders are too stiff to move doesn't mean you can completely ignore decorum.

"There is one more thing, captain," General Gunther says. "It'll take some time for everything to be sorted out, so I'm free if you want to talk about… about what happened today."

Yeah. You really should talk to someone about it.

>Take the General up on his offer.
>Talk to DuLac instead. She'll know how to deal with this shit.
>This is too personal. Talk to Ernestine instead.

>>39368114
>>Take the General up on his offer.

>>39368114
>>Talk to DuLac instead. She'll know how to deal with this shit.

>>39368114
>Take the General up on his offer.

Top brass first, the others after. Getting on talking terms with the General is a good way not to get handed the shittiest jobs unless we can really handle them.

>>39368114
>>Take the General up on his offer.

>>39368114
>This is too personal. Talk to Ernestine instead.

File: Belgen Gunther.png (141 KB, 193x373)

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>>39368114
"General, I think I'll take you up on that offer," you say. "I'll need another drink though."

"We all do," General Gunther says. "Theimer?"

"I have everything you need right here." The Darcsen takes out another bottle and a pair of glasses from a chest.

You limp back to the chair and crash into it, sending a sharp pain through your body. If it was going to turn out this way, you shouldn't have gotten up in the first place.

You lean back and close your eyes, thinking back to the battle that happened today. The noise. The screams. The fires. The bullets. Everything.

When you open your eyes again you stare blankly ahead at a battle that isn't there anymore. You take another sip of scotch.

"It all started when…"

>"… I was running an errand for Gaul."
>"… I practicing my sharpshooting on the front lines."
>"… I was keeping watch on the Imperial trenches."

>>39368406
>"… I was keeping watch on the Imperial trenches."

>>39368406
>>"… I practicing my sharpshooting on the front lines."

>>39368406
>"… I was keeping watch on the Imperial trenches."

>>39368406
>>"… I was keeping watch on the Imperial trenches."

>>39368406
>"… I practicing my sharpshooting on the front lines."
>"… I was keeping watch on the Imperial trenches."
Are basically the same thing.

>>39368406
>"… I practicing my sharpshooting on the front lines."

>>39368406
>>"… I practicing my sharpshooting on the front lines."

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>>39368406
"… I was keeping watch on the Imperial trenches," you say. "Honing my skills a little whenever an opportunity showed up…"

=====

You stand on an empty crate of bullets and carefully slide your rifle through the barbed wire. You don't want to scratch your weapon, but you can't see shit from the trenches unless you do this and if the soldiers are going to bleed for Gallia, why not make the weapons bleed a little to?

You look through your scope, hoping you'll find a target. The game this time is a little disappointing. A few Imperial scouts dart their heads out of their trenches for a few seconds, but it's never long enough to get a good shot in. There are a lot more Imperial shocktroopers, but they're all hiding behind sand bags, rocks or scrap metals scavenged from the husks of ruined tanks. There aren't any good shots to be had there either.

There are about a dozen tanks, but unless the tank commanders are stupid enough to open their hatch and go for a stroll, there's nothing you can do about them.

You sigh and nervously tap the side of your rifle. Things are always so much simpler during a firefight.

>Take a shot at one of the shocktroopers.
>Take a shot at one of the scouts.
>Just keep watch in case something happens.
>Just head back to your squad. This is just volunteer work after all.

>>39368727
>Just keep watch in case something happens.

>>39368727
>>Just keep watch in case something happens.

>>39368727
>>Just keep watch in case something happens.

>>39368727
>Just keep watch in case something happens.

If we get really bored, we can try shoot the vision slit of a tank driver and hope we get lucky.

>>39368105
What do I need to know to jump in?

>>39368808
just read the past threads they are not that long

>>39368808
You're a sniper, you're in the desert, it's Not World War I in Not Europe and tanks are awesome.

>>39368808
Kind of WW1 and slightly above tech, regular joe who is a good shot with a sniper is MC, based off a game. Otherwise, read the storyline so far, you'll not miss much in the meantime.

>>39368849
Renard is not a regular joe, he is a Gallian noble.

>>39368890
who is a glorified administrator with a nice house and inherited money.
In the army, hes basically a joe in officer position. Not high end noble like the generals.

Looks like keeping watch wins. Roll 4d6!

Rolled 6, 4, 5, 3 = 18 (4d6)

>>39368945

Rolled 4, 4, 3, 5 = 16 (4d6)

>>39368945

Rolled 6, 3, 3, 4 = 16 (4d6)

>>39368945

Rolled 2, 4, 6, 5 = 17 (4d6)

>>39368945

Rolled 1, 6, 5, 3 = 15 (4d6)

>>39368945
eagle eyes!

>>39368929
Yes but unless nobility (feudalism) as an insitution has been abolished in Gallia, being a blueblood places you into position and status that is irrevocably different from that of the peasantry.

File: Barious.png (1001 KB, 850x594)

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>>39368727
You don't see anything interesting in the zone immediately in front of you, so you very, very carefully sweep your rifle back and forth to get a full view of the trenches. There's very little that's out of the ordinary.

Then you spot one Imperial scout lying on his stomach next to a tank, just out of your effective range. He's looking at the Gallian trenches through binoculars. Scouts and sentries aren't rare here, but there's something about his position that seems… strange.

You pull back and reposition to get another angle on him. This time, you can get a peek at what's behind the tank. It's a crate of mortars. The Imperials must be using the tank as cover while the scout acts as a spotter for the mortar team.

"Watch for mortars!" You yell. Maybe it's nothing, but you don't want to take any chances.

The nearby soldier nod at your order and pass word down the trench.

>Find some cover.
>Find a gas mask.
>Retreat.

>>39369116
>Find a gas mask.

>>39369116
>>Find a gas mask.
We aren't carrying one? Better rectify this oversight immediately.

>>39369116
>>Find a gas mask.

>>39369116
>Find a gas mask.
Oh this is bad.

>>39369116
>>Find a gas mask.

File: HAHA TIME FOR RAGNITE CHLORINE.jpg (45 KB, 513x234)

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>>39369116
You duck down and reach into your back to pull out your chemical suit. Everyone around you is doing the same thing. You put on the stifling suit - made even worse by the desert heat - and tighten it around your boots and gloves before putting on the mask. You can barely see anything, but you won't have to breathe whatever ragnite mixture the Imperials cooked up to day.

Once you're certain the suit is secure, you get back up to look over the trench. You can't see the scout anymore, but you can see the tank as it wheels away and reveals, as you suspected, a line of mortars, all aimed directly at the Imperial trenches.

The mortars shells arc above the battlefield. Some fall towards the Gallian trenches. Others are aimed at the zone directly in front of the trenches. All of them explode in mid-air, releasing a blue-green gas. There's no wind today, so the Imperials won't have to worry about choking themselves.

The gas quickly fills the trenches. Most of it settles near the ground, but even where the gas is thinnest, you can't see more than three or four feet away from you. The gas masks also make it almost impossible to give or hear orders clearly, especially with the sound of the exploding mortars overhead.

>Grab as many people as you can and pull back.
>Brace yourself and get ready to hold your ground.
>Fire blindly towards the Imperials. They might be using the gas as cover to charge you.

>>39369574
>>Brace yourself and get ready to hold your ground.

>>39369574
>Grab as many people as you can and pull back.

>>39369574
>Grab as many people as you can and pull back.

I'm not sure about the grab people part but, we as a sniper just became useless.

>>39369574
>Grab as many people as you can and pull back.

File: Imperial Tanks.jpg (234 KB, 750x538)

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>>39369574
You'll get slaughtered if the Imperials attack now. You need to restore some semblance of order. You look around and grab the two nearest soldiers by the shoulders.

"Take what you can and pull back to the second trench," you yell. "We need chokepoints!"

You're not sure if the two soldiers even heard you, but they pull away from you and head back. You run down the trench line, always yelling the order to pull back. Inside the chemical suit, your body is covered in sweat and you can barely breathe in enough air to keep moving.

Gallian mortars are now soaring above the battlefield. Hopefully, it'll be enough to buy you time, but without spotter and with all that fog, the Gallian mortars will only have limited effectiveness.

You follow the dug paths into the second trench and wait for the Imperials to advance. You can hear their tanks advance, but you're not afraid of them. They have no way of getting to the second trench, not unless the Imperials can pull metal bridges out of no where.

You direct a group of Gallians to take cover around a chokepoint.

>Keep waiting for the Imperials here.
>Check the other chokepoints.
>You have some flares. Maybe you can direct Gallian mortars.

>>39370070
>>Check the other chokepoints.

>>39370070
>Check the other chokepoints.

>>39370070
>>Check the other chokepoints.

>>39370070
>Check the other chokepoints.

>>39370070
>>Check the other chokepoints.

>>39370070
You run down the trench to check on the chokepoints and make sure they're all manned. Some of the squads are still disorganized from the attack, but they get their shit together fast enough. All they need to do is point a machine gun at a hole, really.

The Imperial mortar strikes have stopped. With the current saturation of chlorine gas, there's no point in keeping the bombardment going and they probably want to avoid friendly fire from shrapnel and explosive shells. The Gallian mortars are still going, but unless they know to make a precision strike against the front trench, they won't be of much help for now.

You hear the tank engines and the sound of heavy machine guns. The Imperials must be clearing the trench so their infantry can jump in. It's a good thing there's no one left in there.

Now you just need to deal with their infantry.

>Start shooting now.
>Lure the Imperial soldiers in a bit.

>>39370492
>>Lure the Imperial soldiers in a bit.

Wait until you can see the whites of their eyes.

Which can be difficult if they're wearing gas masks.

>>39370492
>>Lure the Imperial soldiers in a bit.

>>39370492
>Lure the Imperial soldiers in a bit.

>>39370492
>Start shooting now.

Roll 4d6.

Rolled 6, 6, 5, 5 = 22 (4d6)

>>39370754

>>39370762
Holy shit

Rolled 5, 1, 3, 6 = 15 (4d6)

>>39370754

>>39370762
Whoa, +4. Guess further rolls are moot.

>>39370762
You guys really, really needed that roll.

Rolled 1, 5, 6, 1 = 13 (4d6)

>>39370754

File: Imperial Shocktrooper.jpg (22 KB, 391x350)

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>>39370492
You tap the nearby soldiers on the shoulder and motion for them to hold their fire for a moment. You can't hear the soldiers dropping into the trenches, but you should be able to spot them when they get close. It'll be dangerous, but the cover will give you the advantage. You can already make out a vague shape through the chemical gas.

A bright blue ragnite flame bursts out towards you.

You quickly dodge back to the side and press yourself against the wall.

"Fire!" You yell. "Fire now."

The soldiers reach out to point their guns at the Imperials and shoot blindly. If they stick their heads out, they'll burn immediately.

And in these narrow spaces, they don't need to aim anyway.

You don't know how many soldiers get gunned down, but that doesn't matter either. Someone gets lucky and hits a flamethrower. You hear one explosion, followed by several more as the Imperial shocktroopers all detonate each other.

The immediate area is clear.

>Stay where you are. There might be more coming.
>Sneak into the first trench. You can ambush any other Imperials.
>Get out of the trenches. It's dangerous, but not as dangerous as flamethrowers in tight spaces.

>>39371022
>Get out of the trenches. It's dangerous, but not as dangerous as flamethrowers in tight spaces.

>>39371022
>>Sneak into the first trench. You can ambush any other Imperials.

>>39371022
>>Get out of the trenches. It's dangerous, but not as dangerous as flamethrowers in tight spaces.

>>39371022
>Get out of the trenches. It's dangerous, but not as dangerous as flamethrowers in tight spaces.

>>39371022
Trenches are a great defence against machine guns. Against flamethrowers, not so much.

"We need to get out of here!" You yell. "Everyone, out of the trenches! Just keep low and you should be fine!"

The Imperial and Gallian tanks have begun to exchange cannon shells, so you shouldn't have to deal with the tanks' machine guns. If you're lucky.

You reach about and find some crates and benches which you can use to boost yourselves out of the trenches. The first person to go up uses a piece of wood to cover the barbed wire. Your chemical suits are thick and built to last, but you'd rather not take any chances.

Altogether, there are ten of you who climb out of the trench. You immediately get on your stomachs and crawl as low as possible to avoid getting killed.

You're safe for at least the next few seconds.

>Get as far away as possible.
>See if you can flush some Imperials out of the trenches. You have the high ground.
>Maybe you can scrounge up some explosives and circle around to sabotage the Imperial tanks.

>>39371493
>See if you can flush some Imperials out of the trenches. You have the high ground.

>>39371493
>>Get as far away as possible.

>>39371493
>>See if you can flush some Imperials out of the trenches. You have the high ground.

>>39371493
>Maybe you can scrounge up some explosives and circle around to sabotage the Imperial tanks.

Looks like we're going hunting. Roll 4d6.

Rolled 5, 1, 5, 6 = 17 (4d6)

>>39371814

Rolled 5, 3, 3, 1 = 12 (4d6)

>>39371814
Rolling

Rolled 1, 3, 3, 1 = 8 (4d6)

>>39371814

>>39368105
I'm sorry, did I miss a thread I'm pretty sure we just got out of battle with the 33rd

>>39371895
No, this chapter seems to be largely a flashback.

>>39371895
>>39371969
Yeah, that opening was a framing device for what's happening now.

>>39371493
You hold up your sniper rifle. The trenches are dug in to provide cover, but there's always an angle. It helps that the enemy shocktroopers are carrying flamethrowers. Even with the chemical fog, they're extremely easy to spot.

You crouch up a bit and find yourself a perch on a rock you remember seeing. You lie down on your stomach. You can't even aim, but you know your rifle well enough to guess where your shots are going and you don't really need to hit anyone. You just need to distract them long enough for someone else to finish the job.

You fire again and again at Imperial shocktroopers as they attempt to breach the second trench. Your bullets create precious openings for the Gallian infantry to exploit. The Imperials aren't being completely routed, but they are stalled. A few well-placed grenades gives the advantage to the Gallian side. You see several bright flames that are snuffed out almost immediately.

The Imperial tanks are doing a little better, but not much. The Gallian supply lines are closer, so it's easier for your own tanks to get resupplied and to rely on spotters. Even through the toxic fog. Your tank shells are more numerous and more accurate.

You hear another round of mortars coming in from the Imperial side.

>Run back.
>Find cover.
>Nerves of steel. They won't be aiming for your position.

>>39372054
>Find cover.

>>39372054
>>Nerves of steel. They won't be aiming for your position.

>>39372054
>Find cover.

>>39372054
>>Nerves of steel. They won't be aiming for your position.

>>39372054
>>Find cover.

File: Ragnite Phosphorous.jpg (41 KB, 468x286)

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>>39372054
You take off at a run and jump towards the back of the nearest Gallian tanks. You doubt the Imperials will be aiming that far back and the armoured tank will protect you from just about anything that lands near you. So long as the radiator you're currently next to doesn't explode and kill you all.

In the distance, you see the mortars explode and plumes of blue-white smoke slowly fall towards the ground and into the first trenchlines. You hear sudden bursts of gunfire, and then nothing. The remaining Imperial tanks begin to pull back.

You wait for the reinforcements to come in. Soldiers in full body chemical suits swarm into the trenches. In this weather, it'll take hours for the gas to clear. Engineers put up temporary barriers to prevent the gas from spreading too much in the meantime.

The reinforcements pull out nothing but corpses. Gallians. Imperials. It doesn't matter. The bodies are all horrifically burnt, as if their clothes had melted and fused with their skins. You can see right to the bones of most of them.

>(1/2)

>>39372646
=====
>Barious Trenches Survival - Combat Report
>6000XP, 4000DCT

You finish your drink and slam the glass on the table.

"Is this what we've come to?" You ask. "We built the trenches to protect ourselves against machine guns, and now they're used to choke us with chemical gas. What do we need to build next?"

"Tanks," General Gunther says. You're not sure if he's serious. "Mobile, armoured and heavily armed. Maybe they'll build something better than tanks one day, but for now, they should be enough to keep our troops safe."

"Unless the tank crews need to breathe." You shake your head. "That was probably out of line, wasn't it?"

"Not at all." Theimer speaks this time. "Protecting tank crews from chemical weapons is one of our foremost concern. We're developing it alongside aquatic capabilities."

"I'm glad someone's thinking about these things." You stand up, your body feeling a lot better now. Maybe it really does help to talk. "Thank you for your time, general, Theimer."

"Are you sure you'll be all right, captain?" General Gunther asks.

>"Yes, sir."
>"No, sir. But I'll see this through."
>"I don't know, sir."

>>39372667
>>"No, sir. But I'll see this through."

>>39372667
>>"Yes, sir."

>>39372667
>"No, sir. But I'll see this through."

>>39372667
>"No, sir. But I'll see this through."

>>39372667
"No, sir," you say. "Quite frankly, I wouldn't trust anyone who feels all right about this. But I'll get the job done."

"That's what I wanted to hear," General Gunther says. "Your squad's waiting for you. Good luck."

"Thank you, general."

You find your squad getting restocked at the back of the encampment. They were supposed to be done by now. The attack must have delayed things.

"Welcome back, boss," Jetje says. "We heard you got caught in the skirmish."

"Yeah, and this is the last time," you say. "From now on, no one moves alone unless it's absolutely necessary. I want us to be able to respond to attacks immediately and that means staying in contact. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good," you say. "Let's get back to our post. We'll discuss countermeasures for chemical weapons and flamethrowers once we get back."

Hundreds of soldiers died in minutes in those trenches. You can't allow that to happen again.

>>39373019
That's all for today. It was an interesting experiments in using a different framing device, at least for me, and things turned out better than I expected. A few good decisions and a lucky dice roll prevented turned into a fairly good outcome.

Next thread will be next Wednesday at 7PM EST. Thank you for playing and good night.

>>39373037
Thanks for running.

>>39373037
It was a pleasure, as always. Have a great night.

Was wondering when things would get a bit more WW1ish, even by VC standards.
Good thread QM.