All was quiet in C-Ton for the last few weeks. Citizens were calm and cooperative and even volunteered to help with the bug problem.

A terrible event occured today, however.
Nearly 1000 Aliance soldiers were killed and another 1245 mortally wounded.
A tunnel had been dug under a main Gematrian Barracks in the western camp and explosives were strategically placed. Those that were not crushed and killed by the collapsing roof, suffered severe burns and lost skin due to the explosion.

In Eastern C-Ton a similar attack occured, but only 23 Aliance soldiers were killed and 42 were wounded.

This coordinated attack is creating a cause for concern.

A Tape was Delivered to HQ 1 hour after the attacks

A figure wearing a black hood stands infront of a black flag with a red emblem. The emblem is in the shape of a Tiger.

On either Side of him stands figures wearing red hoods carrying bamboo longspears with red string and pom-poms tied around the ends. The blades glimmer and appear to be about 3 feet long.

"This is Sala El Dijn, Leader of the Resistance movement,

This occupation will not be easy.
Leave C-Ton now or you will regret staying in the nation."

Sala El Dijn

A recent poll was taken around C-Ton,

6 groups of 10000 citizens were taken in 6 different locations accross C-Ton.

96 percent feel that the Aliance has no right to be in C-Ton,

of those 96 percent, 80 percent said that they hate the Aliance and everything it stands for.

Of those 80 percent, 50 percent say that they would join the resistance if given the opportunity.

Of the 4 percent that believe that the Aliance has the right to be in the country 12% feel that a change in regime was in order, 26% of the 4% say that the Aliance's assistance is required to deal with the Foundation and the Bug attacks and the other 62% of the 4% Say that the Aliance is responsible for the dammages to the country and should have to repair the country.

C-Ton Census Board

OOC: I think that you fail to understand the occupation. It is not possible to conduct polls in your country. News cannot yet flow in and out with any regularity.

And I think that 1000 deaths in an attack like that it exorbitant. I think that maybe a tenth that would be a reasonable number. Also, don’t forget that digging a tunnel will generate seismic information, and takes a long time. This kind of tactics might work once, but now that it’s a known tactic, it will likely not work again.

IC: James joined the resistance soon after he first heard about it. His home in Eastern C-Ton was destroyed by a shell from one of the Gemetrian battleships, and he craved revenge. A man contacted him, gave him a gun and a sack of grenades, and told him the name of a friend to talk to. That was a month ago, and James quickly rose through the ranks. He now had a team of five other resisters, and they gathered around their campfire cleaning their guns. They just uncovered three RPG systems from a weapons cache that another cell told him about, and they were getting ready to hit a Gemetrian supply train later that night. This would be a big strike for the resistance.

*snap*

James quickly turned around, with his 9mm in hand, poised and ready to shoot. He hoped that it was just a deer, or something. The other members of his team quickly grabbed their sidearm, or trying to hurry reassembling their weapons. They were in a clearing of a burn-out forest with their backs to a clay cliff. Soft whistling sounds suddenly erupted from the newly grown underbrush, and James’ arms and left leg erupted in pain. He hit the ground, confused as blood poured out of his side. He was going into shock.

From the shadows, three figures emerged with silenced assault rifles. They were Gemetrian soldiers, to be sure, but these were warped by madness. They had glued fragments of human bones to their armor, and some of them had attached human skulls and deer horns to their helmets. They wore cameo cloaks that trailed moss. These were more demons then men. Their breathers were silenced to, and they walked without making a sound. Three emerged, but he was sure that more lurked in the trees, watched them with exotic sensors.

James tried to pull himself together and pick up his gun with his left arm, as his right was useless. A soldier stepped one the gun. A second leaned over James and pointed a gun at his head. The third drew a sword, a long thin blade with writing dancing on the edge, and put it at the throat of a woman on the ground. The sword was gently curved, and single sided. It glinted oddly in the firelight. The woman was Maria, she came from the West, after her husband was killed in combat. She was gasping like a fish out of water. She was probably shot through the chest. She knitted, and was working on a scarf for him.

“Ou ex cha Anij-Amate? Verit ko liberat caurhe!” the one with the blade asked. Where is your leader. the truth will set you free, pig. He finished with a laugh that reverberated through the dead trees. The laugh was broadcast through his faceplate and sounded inhuman; metallic and harsh. James spat at the one holding the gun to his head. Blood and saliva landed on this skull mask, and dribbled onto a necklace that looks like it was made from human teeth.

Slice. The soldier with the blade grabbed Maria’s severed head by her bloody hair and walked over to James, letting the dead claret from her cut veins fall like rain on his face. James screamed, as if his cries could stop her exsanguinations and bind her beautiful face back to her still body. But heaven, as always, was deaf to bootless cries.

“Shu-sha, chao! Oka-ret ja Oskalegiate, revet Gemetria-Kore-a gyu…” Shh-shh precious. We are the Bone legion, the State sends Her Love. Maria’s head fell into the snow, and the still dripping blade punctured through James’ abdominal muscles and slowly crept through his intestines and organs. Blood spurted out. Grey crept into his vision, and the world swam. Pain turned into light, punctuated by spots. He caught a smell in his nostrils, the smell of incense and spices.

***
Legate Grimson read the report as soon as it came in. He gave a dismissing sniff.

“These childish antics will soon come to an end. We tried to be merciful, letting them live in our new lands. But I think that this is starting to become impossible. We need to hit them hard now, for cruelty committed all at once is remembered less. Break them. Bend them to our laws. These savages have existed for too long without proper authorities to rein them in. If they offend us, judge them harshly. Bomb their villages if they attack us, we are still at war, after all and I feel no duty to let these poisonous asps continue to survive near our new and glorious cities. Whenever a Gemetrian soldier dies, I want ten of them put down.

“Push them out, and push them west. And the sooner that we set up the full sensor net, the better. Their fake census was supposed to scare us, but I see it as giving us the license to use our full force on them. There are no civilians here, any one that defies us is an enemy. Let’s start by disassembling the ghetto around the sites of the two terrorist attacks. If they attack, retaliate with rocket attack from our Air Cavalry. Let us show them that we have more will then they ever had.

“Also, step up the Oskalegiate presence in the wilderness. Our little psychotic legion has been doing some impressive work. Give them the means to step it up.”

OOC

WOAH!!!

Gematria... honestly smarten up...

Seismic activity?????

From DIGGING????

Why is it that trade tunnels from Egypt to Palestine are not discovered through seismic activity?

what do you have to monitor this if we cant even conduct polls???

How hard is it to conduct polls?
How hard is it for a nation to have news or census boards... sure, say that I fabricated the information but I can still present it....

Also, if you deny the polls then I dont see how you can justify using them as proving that there are no civilians

Also, where does Gematria keep its troops?
How many troops do they have?
Do they all have their own houses with white-picket fences??
Of course not!!! they are massed together in military buildings!
This is a resistance movement!
Look at the casualties in Iraq!
This is not unreasonable.
And if Iraqis were more organized they could accomplish the same thing.


Next off....
WHO IS JAMES???? you cant just invent C-Tonian resistance and kill them off?
And did I say they had guns???

I will ignore your last post because it was too rediculus to accept.

C-Ton

Also what is happening in C-Ton... are things being rebuilt?
What are you doing??

Are you just occupying while we rebuild ourselves?
If this is the case why are Newtonians not being allowed in?

I thought Mr. Popo wanted to aid in this rebuilding process!

OCC:

Thanks for taking an interest in my education. I am currently smart enough to notice that ad hominems rarely get you anywhere in life.

It's a traditional method, detecting digging by vibrations. It has been used for a long time, there are records of soldiers in WWI driving sticks into the ground and detecting vibrations by biting on the stick. Remember the time you mocked Durass for using dolphins? This is another one of those times.

Monitor what? Gemetria' doesn't give a damn about your people's opinions. And its hard to coduct a poll when all of your civilians are under military rule, and people questioning other civilians. They probably would be considered spies, or terrorist recruiters.

Your polls suggest overwhelming support for the resistance. Resisters are not civilians.

They live in barracks. The buildings are spaced like an appartment buildings, but are single story. So if a barrack could hold 40 soldiers, to kill 1000, you would need to level a decently sized town with explosives. That's assuming that they all are in their buildings at the time, which is a bad assumption, as militaries generally have around three shifts. I'm certain that Gemetria would notice that much homemade explosives being move, especially as cars and public transit are not allowed.

Terrorist bomb attacks generally claim less then 10 people. Some of the bigger ones could claim 50 or so. I don't think that your number is reasonable.

Just some guy, you know?

It was just for RP flavor, an encounter with the bone legion from the victum's point of view. I hope that James wan't too important to your plans. You can RP the death of Typical Soldier Carlyle, if you wish.

You never said that they didn't. I think that would be a reasonable assumption. You aren't going to get to far with bows and arrows.

Here's kind of a cool article:

Great War

I hadn't heard of the drum technique before. But this should give you an idea of the time and effort invovled in digging one of these bad boys, and why no one uses this as a serious tactic anymore. Motars are much more cost effective, really.

OOC: Tunnelling was detectable in the middle ages, even when it was used during a seige with a lot of noise to cover the sound.

Current seismic technology would detect tunnel diggers at about 1km from the sensor and a set of sensors would be used cover an approach area and, more importantly, triangulate on a target. To conceive that your idea could be successful is a serious underestimation of modern technology. A mortar attack would have been more realistic and more sensible.

Those sensors (and others) are the same reason I'll have plenty of notice of any attempt to leave New-Ton and warning when the bugs start getting out of West C-Ton.

OOC: The drum technique is related to a medieval one.
A large, shallow cauldron was dug into the ground, preferably in a cellar or dungeon near a wall. It was filled with water and when sappers got close, ripples would form on the surface of the water.

Will come back with IC post later, I assume the eastern attack was in my sector, correct me if not.

Two hours after the bomb attack, in the nearest village to the Durassian base.

Windows shattered and entire buildings shook as the first jets thundered low over the rooftops, afterburners lighting the sky in supersonic fury. Helicopters appeared out of the night as a second flight passed and disgorged troops who began methodically clearing buildings. Tanks and armoured vehicles rumbled in from all sides with more troops as loudspeakers told the inhabitants to come out to the front of their homes immediately.

As they left their buildings, the townspeople were searched for weapons, tagged with zip bands identifying their home and then herded towards the local school field as troops began methodically searching buildings using dogs and several sensors including thermal and chemical detectors.

EVERYONE OUT OF THE HOUSE NOW! Sgt Traeger at the scared faces in the window as his section crashed through front and rear doors. Within minutes the occupants were lined up in front and frisked under the barrels of Durassian rifles. Mother, father, an adolescent and two children shivered in the cold air as ID tags were zipped to their right wrists. Keep those in sight any time you're asked for them, if you lose it you'll die. A trooper brought searched boots and jackets from the house then another team took the familay away.

Sgt Traeger turned the house ver to a search team and he and his section headed for their next target passing the same scene over and over.

OOC

The article states

This implies that the soldiers had to first be taken by this trap before they began counter measures.

We only ever develop precautions once we see the need.
You cant tell me that you saw this coming and brought seizmographs into C-Ton and placed them near barracks to detect tunneling. Perhaps now that it occured you would develop a counter.

People have to die from diseases before we develop cures. People have to die in car crashes before we place speed limits. People have to get fat and health problems from McDonalds before something is done to save the seizmic activity in america from all of those tubs of lard walking around.

You may claim that in the trenches during WW1 they developed the need to protect against tunneling, but C-Ton was quiet until this initial attack. And very rarely do new nations that enter "modern" wars, learn mistakes from past wars. There arent trenches anymore. Trench warfare died after WW2.

How was the US able to prevent 9/11. 9/11 could never happen again because they are aware of the danger and are protecting against it.

I am willing to concede that Borreal Tundra has brought in seizmographs to detect the bugs on that are attacking their trade route outpost. (although Borreal tundra has not stated any plans in attacking the bugs or protecting the contraband sugar). But as for the barracks, bring in a ruling if you must but I stand my ground.

IC

Several houses are vacant as Durass begins their initial sweeps.
Some C4 is found in a vacant house but detonated remotely as soon as troops enter the house to search it.
Most people do not leave their houses as instructed (89%). (Durass may do what they wish, but most of the time they find the people inside reading or watching TV... or with a pillow over their head trying to get some sleep. At one comical house, a baseball bat is found beside a broken alarm and a man is yelling at Durassian soldiers "Do you know what time it is?")

One house in particular was discovered.
A key part of the resistance movement. Plans are found to take out Durass HQ and other plans are found to lure the bugs to a key "weakpoint" in the main Gematrian base.
A few people are found in this house and fight to the death.

Other than this, the search turns up nothing.

OOC: As confusing and invalid as I find your arguments about fat people, 9-11, and trenches: I did say that this "might work once." Even though I would imagine that most countries would have seismic sensors around their barracks, I allowed for the possible oversight at this one complex. I still think that this attack is unreasonable because of the time and effort that it takes to set up one of these tunnels, and clearly unreasonable due to scale. I think that allowing one or two attacks of reasonable size (say around 100 deaths, 225 injured) is a reasonable compromise. If you disagree, then we can contact a mod.

I also have to say that an interminable "back and forth" of attacks doesn't really interest me. Basically Gemetria's strategy is to respond to all terrorist attacks with disproportionate force, and to flood the country with Gemetrian civilians to culturally assimilate the region. There will be a sharp distinction between “Gemetrian” zones, and “C-Ton Zones”, so there is no free passage between the two kinds of regions. Inter-region movement is also restricted.

Focus on your overall plan, because I really don't have the patience to RP each little battle.. “Insurgency” isn’t really all that effective against armies that disregard human rights, and all that this will lead to is the continued suffering of your people, and gradual genocide. Your country is under martial law, and it looks like both Gemetrian and Durassian soldiers are prepared to do whatever is necessary to root out the problem.

Just a reminder, there is a significant buffer zone between the swarm and the main Gemetrian forces, that is being enforced with fire bombings and chemical weapons. By the way, most of the major Gemetrian encampments are not in urban centers. There are generally only smaller forces and paramilitary bases in C-Ton’s cities.

OOC:

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. The C-Ton military academy needs to fund it's history section.

Boreal Tundra, Gemetria and Durass are fighting at late 20th/early 21st century levels. This tactic shouldn't have worked the first time, here's a link to one of the US systems used in real life.

IREMBASS

Canadian military uses similar systems and SOP is to set up defensive zones using this equipment around all company size or greater bases. While I'm not certain how IREMBASS seismic/acoustic sensors work, the Canadian system uses a ground spike seismic sensor and tunnelling would be detected within 500-1000m. Standard issue is at company level with 3-4 systems per company (to allow all around coverage and target location by triangulation.)

Which is why our nations have already learned from those previous mistakes, we're not new and we've already made those mistakes, to paraphrase an old saying, Apparently we've forgotten more about war than you've even known.

Due to the following, I didn't bother to read about your bug attack until now.

I figured it was the same message in both threads so, didn't bother checking.

Once again you've teleported w/o regard for realism. Your bugs went from near the middle of C-Ton to the blockade point almost in Judith Gap, through Azark, without being noticed. A PM as to the defences of the blockade point would have told you BT has I-REMBASS type sensors around the blockade and along the former DMZ to the area controlled by MrPopo and along the former border of Azark. As far as I'm concerned, your bugs haven't made it out of C-Ton yet. BTW, with MrPopo's pullout those sensors (and my troops) will be moving up to the border of New-Ton.

As for my reactions, I had decided but, didn't bother posting, to ship everything back to New-Ton with the refugees and inform MrPopo that no further shipments would be allowed and to only transit empty cars and busses for New-Ton bound refugees. See Train to C-Ton thread for more details.

To quote you, "honestly smarten up..."

What kind of idiots will be sitting there reading when their windows are shattering, armoured vehicles are roaring throught the streets and troops are smashing in their doors? They may not leave the houses but, unless they're zombies, at very least they'd be trying to find cover.

OOC: I think Boreal covered the sensors well enough, I also use SOPs based on the Canadian miltary (as they're the ones I know) but with the better equipment Durass can afford.

Also as noted, the idea that they'd be "sitting reading" is ludicrous, passive resistance if you'd like but, try to be a bit realistic.

IC:
Lt Reit watched the team enter the house, his Kodiak's thermal site showed only Durassians, over the radio he heard the report from the section leader. Charlie Sierra One Five, we have explosives in building, no visable tripwires, will secure site for EOD. Then the buiding exploded.

SHIT! Kor, get the medics! Cherry start checking windows left, anyone taking too much interest, gun 'em! The turret swung to the left as Cpl "Cherry" used the light intensication sight to check all the buildings in view while the Lt scanned right with his command sight on thermal mode. All personnel, we've either got traps or comdets, do not enter buildings without thermal confirmation of occupants.

Got one! Reit heard Cherry's call as the 25mm bushmaster opened up and a house down the block erupted in a cloud of small explosions from the HEI rounds.

In the next street over, Traeger heard the explosion and saw two troopers blown out the back door and across the yard. Screen and cover! Anything looks bad, shoot it. Doc, with me.



Shortly, the message over the loud speakers changed, "When told to you will exit your houses with your hands on your heads and follow instructions of Durassian personnel. Any resistance will be met with approprate force."

Houses were checked using thermals and those determined to be vacant were torn down. If not vacant, the occupants were ordered to leave, failure to comply brought a barrage of teargas grenades and further orders to exit or face lethal force.

While most were forced out by the gas, a few attempted to hold out. In the first few instances, thunderflashes were fired through windows and the stunned civillians were bound and dragged out. Later, those who failed to come out from the gas were hit with frag grenades. The survivors were brought to the school fields while the dead were stacked in bags on the street curbs.

In one building, shots were fired in response to the gas grenades. The Durassian grenadiers immediately fired thunderflash and then frag grenades into the building while a pair of Kodiaks opened up with Bushmasters and coax MG fire. Troopers then cleared the house room by room using grenades and firepower to eliminate any possible resistance. Eventually, the assault team reboarded their Kodiaks and left the building under guard.

By the next morning a fire, apparently started by a teargas grenade would consume the wrecked building leaving nothing for the search team that arrived at dawn. Meanwhile, the intel removed from the building was transmitted to Gemetrian and Durassian HQs. (OOC: To any observer, it would appear the intel burned with the building.)

OOC: Based on the informative posts by both Boreal Tundra and Duras (especially the interesting article on the IREMBASS), I retract my opinion that the attack should be allowed (or rather, successful) at all.

I have to say to both of you that it has been an educational RP for me, due the excellent research that is apparent in your tactics and equipment.

Gematria,

The attack occurred.

Honestly... who brings in seizmographs????


Call a mod if you disagree.

C-Ton

Ps.. it's been a month....

OOC: I would, but the current mod seems to be MIA.

I submit that we reappoint the mod for this war. I suggest DH, as he is neutral to this conflict, and I have been impressed with the saliency of all the posts that I have seen so far.

If there are no disagreements over the "change of mods" from the other players, and not legal concerns, then I call on DH to make a decision based on available evidence.

I think that the link that Boreal Tundra shows that there is current and widely used technology to prevent the attack, and I think that it would have been reasonable to use. Even if this is disagreed, I think that the scope, time line, and scale of the attack is completely unreasonable. I submit that the onus of proof is on C-Ton to explain how the attack is possible, and why it is reasonable.

C-Ton,

If you actually read what is written, you'd see it's SOP (that's STANDARD Operating Procedure, what is done every time) in the Canadian military (among others.) These are the same SOPs that Boreal Tundra's are based on, as apparently are Durass' and as a more advanced nation, it's not out of question for Gemetria to do similar as well.

If you want it taken to a Mod, (and I have no problem with an alternate as MrPopo is unavailable) then present your reasoning how you'd bypass such methods.

Also, for the information of all, I'd be happy to take this private (PM or limted access thread) rather than clogging another RP thread with OOC but, only if all parties agree to do so.

OOC: My military is based on a hybrid of American and Russian military technology, and sensor depolyment is SOP for the American military.

EDIT: NM, Popo's back.

I havent had time to read this thread therefor I would suggest that you do get a third party to step in other than myself as I may not be able to respond for a few days still, unless you are willing to wait. I have map and OOC stuff to address as well.

OOC: Okay, so does Carb, Al, or DH want to handle this?

“… and hereby the military occupied lands indicted in Appendix IV will now be the called Ur-Hyron. Ur-Hyron’s capital will be Tiar, build on the ruins of the former C-Ton city of…” Quaestor Vespus read off the abstract of the recently passed bill to Propraetor Vespus.

“Cut to the quick, woman. I have little time for nomenclatural propaganda.”

”Sir, several cities along the coast have been granted coloniae status, and a large swath of land has just been organized into provinciae. Thus you have just lost the powers of imperium in most of the intact C-Ton cities. Praetor Kalmuk and his little pack of Quaestores through a lex just received impreium and potestas over Ur-Hyron. There are still much land that you retain imperium over, but I expect that they will be annexed some time within the next five years.”

The elder Vespus paused, then nodded. “Kalmuk is a friend of your father’s, I have heard good things about him. This is a big step up in the cursus honorum for him. I didn’t hear about his promotion to Praetor…” He coughed slightly, “I would assume that my office will move, then,” his wrinkled hand rested on the table.

”Yes Propraetor, we have a new base that was just set up at the Second Temple. Come Propraetor, Legate Grimson has some proposals that need your attention, and you will be closer to Prefects there. There is much to do.”

Quaestor Vespus dutifully helped up her Grandfather from his chair, and helped him out of the door.

OOC: C-Ton just disappeared. This conflict is over, all hail Gemetria!

:hail: :hail: :hail:


OOC: :P

The Council extends congratulations to the soldiers of Boreal Tundra, Gemetria as well as our own forces for the successful liberation of the enslaved masses of C-Ton. With the total neutralization of the terrorist regime, they will be able to emmigrate to the free and just nations of the region.

Furthermore, with the conclusion of the "bug" infestation, our forces will be returning home for some well deserved rest. Ready of course to assist the oppressed throughout the region and the world.

Eli stumbled into the boggy clearing running at full tilt. What solid ground there was was uneven, and occasional missteps jarred his chest as his legs couldn’t absorb all the shock. His lungs rasped at the air, and his legs burned, but stopped ceased to be an option a while ago. Malnutrition and exhaustion had taken their tolls, and his body felt like jelly. His once proud uniform was in tatters, but he dutifully wore it, even though he had to supplement with other clothes here, in Northern C-Ton.

He had tied to his back an Israeli-made Magal assault rifle that had run out of rounds long before. A single concussion grenade and a .45ACP Jerico pistol were his only viable weapons left. Behind him, from the dying deep boreal forest, a demon burst, splintering the poisoned trees with its fists.

The demon was running too, but in a patient and easy way. The run of a confident killer, not a frightened rabbit. He was covered in black-lacquered custom armor, with custom spike that were almost certainly ornamental- what strange and deadly filigree. His faceplate was simple and looked like an almost childlike. This was juxtaposed with the nearly eight foot creature that wore it. It was a blacked titanium giant, with infernal strength gifted to it by cunning Gemetrian artifice. Through computer chips and bimetal strands, they had built what stalked men’s minds. This was the creature that chased you in your dreams- getting faster and stronger as your own strides became slower and more futile.

It was a hunter. And there was a pact of them.

They were each spoiled Gemetrian sons and daughters of some rich patrician’s family. This was their video game, their Television. This was the ultimate thrill for those that could afford it. Little packs moved into warzones, just after the main fighting had ended, and hunted insurgents for game. Even now, as Eli ran, he knew that he was being video taped, and would attain some sort of perverse immortality in one of the hunter’s video collections. He also knew that the only reason that he was still alive is because of some of the rules of this sadistic game.

The Hunter stalked him, not with a gun or a missile launcher… but with a savage maul, its head the size of a small filing cabinet, festooned with sharp flanges and ridges. Eli could almost imagine the meeting where this rule was agreed upon. In Eli’s mind, the hunters were all laughing at the delicious wickedness of this anachronistic hunt. All were patting each other on the back, and deciding on weapons to select. The Venetian debutants had their carnival masks, the Gemetrians had their cruelly hooked weapons and armour. The hunter held the metal shaft of the maul with both hands, and howled.

The sound was designed in some lab somewhere, and it tapped into the primitive parts of man’s brains. It evoked images of large and nameless predators, and chilled Eli. There must be speakers somewhere in the demon’s armour- the sound reverberated throughout the forest.

Evil can and will be defeated.

There was meat to those stories, was there not? The teachings of the priest and the elders weren’t for naught, were they? He fervidly hope that they weren’t some apocryphal fable lend strength solely by the weight of tradition. Those stories of light and darkness, of good and evil, and of the eternal battle- these weren’t just whispers told by men frightened of the emptiness, as they stared into the eyes of their fellow man and saw nothing. Or were they just machines of a different sort, playing an interminable game as they counted down their seconds?

Eli planted his left foot and broke right attempting a near right angle turn, counting on the hope that the demon’s momentum would make him unable to make the same maneuver on the soft, wet ground.

He briefly noticed the demon scrambling, trying to gain a purchase on the swampy soil to commit to the same direction. He almost had time to congratulate himself, before his legs were taken from under him. The world got confusing as his vision spun with his body, and he shakily tried to get up from the ground until he realized that his legs no longer functioned.

Shock. He felt it setting in as he assessed his mangled legs, and the thrown maul that took robbed him of his escape. He was hemorrhaging into the rich earth.

He tried to crawl before his vision grayed out completely. His mind wasn’t able to function correctly. His consciousness was the chain of a poor maintained bicycle, slipping off the gears before being able to drive them. He was a mess, and his body and mind were finally starting to realize that.

Eli had already lost consciousness by the time that the hunters pack started cutting up his body for trophies. The skull went to hunter with the maul, as he was the one that took him down. The rest of Eli would be either turned into jewelry, or left for the wolves.

They still had a couple of days before they would have to return to the Motherland, hopefully they could bag a couple more.