Matters of Intelligence
A/N: Just thought I'd plug Future Soldier's main theme here.
Harvey woke up that morning to a quiet room, the sole sound of birds chirping accompanying his early morning activities. It had been many days since the Ghosts had left for their assassination and diplomacy mission into the Griffon Empire, and Harvey was left mostly to his own devices, a man of science residing in a world of magic... an interesting case, to say the least.
It was then after a small conversation with Princess Luna that he began compiling a basic textbook of knowledge on humans and their world: culture, politics, mannerisms, history, everything. It was a massive undertaking to behold, naturally, and one that he'd never truly done before; it wasn't as simple as writing a research paper on a subject in his own field.
After outlining every topic that came to him, he began to work on the structure of the book. It would have been far less stressful if he had another person or perhaps even a number of them to point out any other possible topic that he might have missed. He decided, after missing what must have been the whole Library of Congress's worth of history, to condense the basic gist of human history up to the modern age, and decided to focus more on the aspects of the contemporary era instead.
He sat before a huge number of parchment scrawled with dozens of notes, amusing himself with the thought of the lack of pens within this world, until he received a knock on the door. Taking care to put aside his notes for the time being, he answered it, and found a royal guard--not one of the door guards--standing before him.
"Greetings, sir," he said. "The Princesses would like to speak to you at your earliest convenience."
"Well, any time is fine, but please allow me to put my belongings in order first," Harvey said. The guard noticed the table full of study materials and nodded. Harvey went about, quickly closing inkwells and drying his quills, stopping just short of his dresser. He paused and stared at it for a moment.
Within that single dresser sat the suppressed FNP45 Tactical given to him by Captain Talbot. At the beginning, Harvey had scoffed at it: he was no soldier, and he never had a reason to use a weapon in the first place. But in this world, the threat was too real, as was the threat that the enemy also had the capability to invade the land and abode which he called home at the current point in time. If worse came to worst, the gun would be his last line of defense.
He hoped that he would never have to use it.
He donned his cleaned lab coat, a single piece of clothing brought over from his time working with Maynard, which now signified his position. It was strange that ponies of 'science', if they could be called that, also operated using a similar uniform; he'd have to ask them about that sometime.
Walking to the door, he made sure everything was in order before turning to the guard to ask a question. "What sort of matter do the Princesses require me for?"
"I'm not allowed to say, sir. They just said it was extremely important, and that it concerned the war... and that you should speak to them as soon as possible, sir."
He stepped outside and looked up and down the hallway, closing the door behind him and giving a nod to the door guards standing outside. "Very well, then. Please, lead the way."
"Yes, sir." The guard saluted and turned sharply, walking down the red carpeted stone halls as the doctor followed.
The grounds were completely rife with activity now. More royal guards had been called to duty from reserves, and now daily training drills were held as the Equestrian military prepared for war. There was a rather distinct lack of petitioners... unsurprising, as Celestia must have ordered a curfew, and perhaps even a rationing of resources to conserve for the upcoming conflict, given the food that Harvey had over the past few days.
Even walking through the halls, the presence of the royal guards was stifling. Unlike the situation as it had been before, every single doorway--save for the unnecessary ones like the broom closet, which only had one guard--had a two-guard retinue. Many of them had arrived after the departure of the Ghosts, and so viewed Harvey as a strange curiosity. The new arrivals, however, chose not to ask, merely assuming him to be a confidant, of a species much like a minotaur or a buffalo.
The human and guard pair proceeded through the labyrinthine grounds, eventually happening upon a large set of high-rising double doors, guarded with a four-guard retinue, as a number of non-military ponies constantly poured in and out of it.
"Here we are, sir," the guard said, saluting. Harvey gave a nod to him and proceeded inside.
"...yes, over here and here, Captain. We need more supplies. The entrenchments are almost prepared and the heavy ballistae are on their way from Manehattan," Luna said, indicating towards several regions close to the northern pass. "Ah, Doctor Harvey. Thank you for joining us. If you would follow me, please. Captain Shining, I shall leave you to these duties." Shining nodded and continued Luna's task of planning on the war map.
Luna stepped away and walked around the table, nodding her head at a door and indicating for Harvey to follow. Harvey himself received several tense glances from the scribes running about, but followed her through the number of rooms, eventually stopping in a single room where Celestia sat, speaking with a number of royal guards.
"...and your numbers are correct, yes?"
"Yes. Contact with the griffon loyalists has been made, and they have sent us information that implicate that the battle wagons used by the griffons may be less formidable than previously thought. In addition, they have sent word that a task force sent from Equestria is aiding them. Is this true, Princess?" Given his answer, Harvey figured that not all of the officers were entirely aware of the Ghosts.
Celestia nodded. "Indeed, Lieutenant. I have sent a small group charged with the task of sabotaging the griffon war machine, and perhaps even stonewall their war effort entirely. I am glad to hear that they are making good progress so far."
"Will that be all, Princess?" the lieutenant asked.
"Yes. Proceed to your command post for your orders." The lieutenant nodded and the group of ponies turned to leave, giving surprised looks as Harvey stood next to Luna at the door. "Doctor Harvey. Thank you for taking the time to speak to us. Guards, if you would." Two royal guards nodded and closed the door to the room.
"You wanted to speak to me about something, Your Majesty?" Harvey said.
"I apologize for interrupting you in the middle of your work, but we would like to extend to you a position of counsel within our most trusted officers," Celestia said.
Harvey thought for a moment. "With all due respect, Princess, I'm not a soldier. I don't think I'm particularly cut out for this task."
"True. But you do have experience with how they work, do you not? We hope that your insight into human military affairs would give us an extra opinion on the enemy's--and our own--military tactics. From what we have seen, your species seems to be exceptionally knowledgeable on the issue."
"Well, I suppose that's true... would that be all that I would be needed for, then?"
"Indeed. When we convene, you will be escorted to the war room alongside the officers, where we will deliberate on various courses of action or domestic issues. You will not be obligated to give an opinion, but it would be much appreciated. But more importantly is the task of intelligence..."
"Intelligence?" Harvey asked. "Are those positions not already filled?"
Luna nodded. "They are, Doctor, but we believe that your position with the Ghosts will aid us immensely in providing us information on how the Ghosts will proceed with their mission. You seem to have a decent knowledge of how they operate, and their modes of operation are quite foreign, even to our own military. Should you choose to accept, you will work with our intelligence officers to provide a report to my sister and I on the affairs within the griffon homeland."
Scratching his head, Harvey wondered what the Ghosts had been up to since they began. "Well, if that's the case, then I would be more than happy to help. I assume the Ghosts have been rather forthcoming in their results so far?"
"Yes. As you could tell from my prior conversation, they not only seem to have made contact with the loyalists, they have also gained their help. Quillfeather's information was very much helpful in this. As Captain Talbot stated, it would have been much more complicated without loyalist support," Celestia said. "We have already established basic communications with them, and are exchanging information."
"Well, that sounds absolutely grand, Your Majesty. I hope you'll take my word when I say those boys are the best in the business. So, where do I begin, then?"
Celestia stood and walked towards Harvey. "Right now, actually, the meeting is about to begin. If you and Luna would follow, please." The guards opened the door and the three proceeded back to the war room, where it had been cleared of unnecessary staff. Captain Shining and a number of other officer ponies sat waiting as they took their seats.
By the time Harvey had exited the room, the sun had already begun to set. Luna had excused herself near the end of the meeting to tend to the affair of lowering the moon, something that he was still intrigued by, even though Luna had demonstrated the whole process to him. That only made him even more confused in the process, but he thought it was a nice touch that the world was essentially in a controlled environment thanks to the Princesses. No scorching hot summers or high tides here... unless the Princesses wished it, of course.
The meeting itself had panned out in a standard fashion. Though Celestia had wanted Harvey for second thoughts, it seemed that the ponies were already quite militarily capable, especially with Captain Shining leading most of the planning. Their courses of action were sound, and focused mostly on defensibility within the western part of Equestrians lands, while also concerning themselves with the removal of civilians from larger settlements.
Harvey had noticed that there was a special commission to install ballistae batteries on top of the Canterlot castle walls. Probably a wise decision if the griffons decided to assault the capital directly instead of harassment; the airships could circumvent the frontline Equestrian ballistae if they played their cards right, and there weren't any man--or pony--portable anti-aircraft weaponry available, as far as he knew. The wall defenses would be more than enough to fend off any direct strikes.
"Ah, Doctor Harvey." Harvey turned around to find Captain Shining walking out of the room, a procession of other officers exiting behind him. "Princess Luna has told me that you've accepted her invitation to aid us. On top of planning, I'm also in charge of the intelligence division. We've gotten some new reports in, so let's head on down and see if we can glean anything from them."
"Down?" Harvey asked. "It wouldn't happen to be in a dungeon, would it?" he asked, stifling a laugh.
"No, it's nothing like that," Shining chuckled. "That's just the old rumors they spread around to scare the ponies who work outside of the branch. It's actually much less intimidating. If you'll follow me, please."
Shining led him to down several more halls, away from the more public places, and stopped before a large painting located in the middle of a completely nondescript dead-end hallway, with barely any furnishings at all save the painting itself.
"What, is it behind the painting?" Harvey wondered.
Shining shook his head. "Actually, it isn't. But I like looking at this painting every time I stop by it. The actual door is somewhere else. Don't you think the gilded sword at the bottom left corner is just fantastic?" he turned to smile at Harvey before walking straight behind him and through the plain wall, leaving the dumbfounded scientist to stare in awe.
"Now there's some witchcraft and wizardry if I ever did see it..." Harvey muttered, before following him inside. As soon as he entered the hallway, the doorway behind him sealed itself with a stone wall, reappearing with a fading effect. "Very impressive. I'm sure a lot of the people back home would want to get something like that."
"Voice-activated, passcode-protected magical barrier, protected by illusion magic," Shining pointed out. "Now, let's head downstairs. Don't worry, it's not a dungeon..." he laughed.
They proceeded down a long flight of stairs, before reaching the bottom and entering through a door embedded into the side of the hall. Within sat a large atrium with a number of dark-armored ponies, which Harvey recognized as Luna's Night Guard, attending to various jobs like fixing up equipment and armor, poring over information reports, and plotting out supposed enemy movements on a large war map not unlike the one upstairs.
"Welcome to the Sanctum of Night, Doctor," Shining said. "This is, officially, Princess Luna's Night Guard headquarters, and it serves as our intelligence center for the war effort."
"Impressive. You know, despite the ponies' initial givings being peace-oriented, you sure don't mess around when it boils down to the serious stuff," Harvey said.
Shining shrugged. "Well, Princess Celestia has always had a serious concern with the safekeeping of Equestria. Just because we're mostly peaceful doesn't mean we can't fight, and she's always wanted to keep it that way by fooling our enemies into thinking that our military comprises of a bunch of shiny-armored stallions strutting around in parade march."
"So, you wanted me to--" Harvey was cut off as a unicorn guard approached them with a floating scroll, which Harvey took. He unrolled the scroll and began to examine it. "Well, this is the most recent one, you say?"
"It is," Shining confirmed. "If the Ghosts manage to pull this one off, and take out General Gale Whipser, we'll have our first major stake in the war, maybe before it even begins."
"Well, I'll be damned," Harvey said, reading through the rest of it. "Well, I can't say that they won't succeed. If anything, knowing how they work, they'll try to leverage the situation towards their favor before they even notice it."
"That's the problem, you see..." Shining said. "...the Ghosts don't know about it yet. We only received this correspondence from the griffon loyalists on a chance basis from a general all-inclusive report. The operation only puts in an outline for how it would proceed, and we're not even sure if the Ghosts or the loyalists are completely aware of the situation."
"It's a defector with extremely important information on the identity of an as-of-yet unknown enemy general!" Harvey said. "Why wouldn't they act on this as soon as possible?"
"According to our reports from the city of Carseract, where Gale Whisper is headquartered at," Shining said, "there's been an increasing number of riots from the general populace against the griffon military. It could be that they're far too busy dealing with that to notice or concern themselves with the issue."
"Is there anything we can do about this? The correspondence says the timeframe for this is extremely small, and even then, the defector wants secure protection before he'll relent to anything," Harvey said, pointing at the specific part.
Shaking his head, Shining levitated over another scroll and read it. "From what our scouts say at the borders, it'll take several days before our own agents can deliver the letter to the city. It's under martial law, which means increased military presence, both inside and outside, and they've reported more military units from the capital of Tesseraka being transferred in to maintain order."
"You'd think the ensuing chaos would make it easier to enter..." Harvey said.
"Anyone else would think that, but Carseract has huge walls which make it a pain to enter through any way other than the gates. From what I read here..." Shining said, squinting at the report he was reading. "...Gale Whisper has become increasingly paranoid and installed multiple deterrents to prevent intruders from entering. Sewers have been secured with gates, windows have been barred, the works."
"So, can't we simply just hazard a transfer by using one of the pegasus Night Guard?" Harvey said, looking to the busy guards.
"No, we can't," Shining responded. "We can transfer it quickly to the borders, easily within half a day, but the problem lies in bringing it into the city: the griffons will definitely have eyes out for any pony intruders, and anypony that we send will most likely be killed or taken prisoner. We have to rely on the loyalists located on towns near the border to do it, and even then, they work slowly, since they can't act too fast or suspiciously and blow their cover."
"Damn," Harvey said. "If only things were as simple..."
"I can do it," a deep voice resonated throughout the chamber. The Night Guard looked around, wondering who had made the statement, as not even their own sounded so intimidating. "If it pleases the captain, I can deliver the message to Carseract." A lone armored griffon stepped forth from another room, covered in ornate gold-plated armor.
"Ah, Sergeant Bloodfury," Shining said. "He's part of the Griffon Empire's Imperial Guard, protectors of the Emperor. We can trust him; he was with the griffon royal family when they crossed the borders," he said, noticing Harvey's apprehensive expression. "Don't worry, we've worked with him several times before in the past. He can be trusted."
"Damn right I can," Bloodfury said. "If it puts us one step closer to putting a blade through Strongbeak's gullet, I'm all for it." He pulled off his helmet and put it on the table next to him. "It'll be easy to infiltrate the borders. All Imperial Guard wear their helmets at all times, and only the Griffon Emperor knows our names and what we look like. If you need me to deliver a message, I'll do it for you."
"What about running into enemy griffons?" Harvey asked. "Can you take them on by yourself?"
"Can I?" Bloodfury laughed. "Not even the General of the Bastion has griffons trained like the Imperial Guard. I could probably best half a company running around in that armor of theirs. I should know, I've worn it. I know where to stab where it hurts. Besides, if anyone gets in my way, I'll just pound them into the ground."
"Do you know how to contact the loyalists within Carseract?" Shining asked, floating away his scroll to a table with a number of boxes. A guard took the scroll and placed it within one of the boxes before returning to sort out a large pile next to him.
"Perhaps, perhaps not," he said, scratching the scar that he bore on the right side of his face. "But I know enough from the intelligence reports. Carseract's a huge hole in the ground, and if they're already instigating riots, it shouldn't be too hard to find them. Besides, I know a few safehouses there that lead into the underground tunnel network. They're probably set up inside those."
"According to this report," Harvey said, holding up the rolled-up report in his right hand, "the leader should be well-known among loyalists. They say he's Imperial Guard himself, actually."
"Yeah, old Scarclaw. He was a great general, back in his days. Practically staved off the whole dragon invasion just through his presence alone. They broke through the lines on the north wall during the Battle of Northern Reach Keep, but he rallied the defenders faster than the Emperor would receive a blessing when he sneezed. If any griffon can lead a revolution straight into the heart of the Empire, it's Scarclaw. He holds major clout throughout the Empire."
"Well, talk about a coincidence. Why are you here, then?" Shining asked. "I thought all the Guard were to return back to the Empire after their escort."
"Most of them, not all," Bloodfury said. "You don't question the ambassador's orders to protect the royal family until they reach Canterlot when he's on the ground bleeding out. They might have gotten the jump on the Emperor's retinue at the time, but believe me when I say that we put those traitors to the test when we made our way out of Tesseraka."
"You fought your way out? From what the Princess said, it sounded like the royal family was secreted away through some hidden exit."
Bloodfury shook his head. "No, it wasn't anything like that. Somehow, Strongbeak got wind of the escape routes and our soldiers there were besieged right when the coup began, so we grabbed the royal family, stuck them in a carriage, and made a run for it. And let me tell you, running around in a carriage is not secret or quiet, at all." He gave a deep laugh. "The entire Legion of the Bastion was hot on our tails, but we cut down each and every single one of those bastards as we fled through the streets. Never underestimate an Imperial Guard."
"And what of the Emperor? He's alive, isn't he?" Harvey asked.
Bloodfury looked at Harvey with what was best described as amusement. "A lot of non-griffons have never seen Emperor Arcus before, I wager. He's easily more than twice my size, a beast of a griffon... as expected from his own lineage. Last I heard from those that fled from the throne room, as soon as Strongbeak launched his coup and killed the throne room guard, the Emperor practically flattened at least a whole company before they managed to subdue him. Subdue, of course, being a loose term, as our most esteemed leader tore apart half the group ordered to restrain him, too. Probably locked him up at the Bastion now."
"We had intended to rescue him. With any due luck, he'll still be alive when we can still do so."
Bloodfury strolled around the war map, stopping at the north-facing end to look at the capital of the Empire. "Not even Strongbeak is stupid enough to touch him with a spear. The best they could probably do is lock him up in a steel-plated room and throw away the key. He's had more than a few attempts on his life before, and it's going to take nothing short of a giant guillotine to kill him... assuming you can hold him still long enough to do it."
"So... he's a rather tough griffon to kill."
"Putting it lightly, yes. He'll be fine without us..." Bloodfury leaned in closer, so only Shining and Harvey could hear. "Don't tell anyone else about this, but Scarclaw and the Emperor did a sort of test in the past, one which Strongbeak is now running parallel to himself, actually. You see, the Emperor was actually curious as to how well he would fare if he actually got... you know, captured. So Scarclaw and the Imperial Guard volunteered to be his test group, and put him away in the Lockbox, the most secured part of the Bastion."
"That sounds rather... intriguing, actually," Harvey said. "A test to see if he could escape from imprisonment?"
Bloodfury nodded. "It was an absolute one-side victory... on his side, of course. You ever see any pony or griffon punch straight through steel? The Emperor can. He practically swatted us away like flies and walked out the Lockbox as if it were his own front door. It's probably the only place in the whole world to keep him locked away, though; normal jail cells will result in either a collapsed wall or bent bars, and a whole lot of dead guards."
"So why hasn't he done anything yet?"
"He was captured when we fled. The information that his family is safe hasn't gotten to him yet, and that's probably the only thing keeping him in there. He thinks Strongbeak is holding them hostage, and that might actually be what Strongbeak is telling him, for all we know. Otherwise, Arcus would fly into a rage and go straight for Strongbeak's throat... and not even the best of our generals can stand up to him in a duel, much less the chaos of battle."
"...and the Emperor is in the Lockbox, isn't he? Strongbeak's put him in the Lockbox?" Harvey put the scroll down at the edge of the war map and looked down at the topography. "The way you put it, the Emperor himself could win this war by himself."
"He gets wind that his family's alive and safe, and he will, which is why Strongbeak wants to lock him in a place so dangerous that not even the Princesses would dare to look for him... too bad he didn't know about the Emperor's little test. Now, enough talk about that," Bloodfury said, shifting loudly in his armor. "You need someone to deliver a message to Carseract, and I'm a griffon. Let's make this work."
"Wait, wait..." Harvey held up a hand. "Why hasn't Strongbeak just killed the Emperor again?"
"Because the official word on the street is that the Emperor has been 'overthrown', not executed. Besides, it was like I said: he's too powerful to kill, and the fearful rumor is that he was stuck with a dozen spears in the throne room just to incapacitate him... only it didn't. It only made him angrier, and then Strongbeak had to work his little false blackmail and get him to stand down."
"I'll go finish the preparations for the trip. We have several posts out at the borders, and we'll place you closest to the nearest loyalist town," Shining said. "From there, you can meet up with them and move on to Carseract. Will that do?"
Bloodfury nodded, and Shining walked through one of the many doorways, going through a room that had racks of weapons within. "Yeah, but I'm going to have to ditch this armor. I get caught wearing this and I'm as good as dead. No problems, though, I can work just as well outside of my armor. So who am I to deliver this message to?"
"The loyalists, preferably Scarclaw himself, or scribe Snowfeather, who went with our Equestrian task group to make contact with the loyalists," Harvey answered. "Given what we have, however, it seems that they've been successful."
"Snowfeather, the ambassador's son? Well, I'll be... and an Equestrian task group in the Empire?" Bloodfury asked, his head tilting slightly with curiosity. "Ponies would stick out like a broken wing over there."
"Well..." Harvey paused. "That's because they're not ponies. They're humans, like myself."
"Huh. Well, there's a first time for everything. Hope you humans are up to snuff on the whole fighting thing, 'cause there's going to be a lot of it. But your kind seems a bit scrawny for combat, don't you think?"
"The operatives in place are thoroughly trained in the arts of war, though their standard operations involve ambushing the enemy with superior positioning, intelligence, and firepower. We aren't very well built for direct confrontations like you griffons are."
"Point taken. Fight the battle in a way that benefits you," Bloodfury agreed, turning as Shining arrived back at the war room. "So, sir, have the arrangements been made?"
Shining nodded. "They have. You'll be leaving immediately, and you'll be bringing the orders with you. They'll be sealed away with a number of books that'll be transported with you, but specifically, it'll be located within a copy of Griffon Agricultural Techniques. When you reach the town, you'll enter Carseract through the most common method: by supply caravan. From there, you can contact the loyalists."
"Sounds good," Bloodfury said. "I'll get the message to either Scarclaw or Snowfeather for confirmation, and from there, the task force can aid in relocating the defector. Anything else you want to add?"
Harvey raised his hand for a moment, only awkwardly lowering it after realizing that he needn't have done so. "Well... if you could, I think it would be best if you can aid the task group in bringing in the defector. It sounds like the loyalists are pretty busy with the current state of affairs, and the defector will probably want a griffon contact to ensure his safety."
"Agreed," Bloodfury said, removing his armor plates and storing them on a nearby table. "Military rules are that we don't trust anyone other than our own. If a bunch of humans show up with vague claims of working for the loyalists, he'll most likely make a run for it, and we'll have spent all that effort for naught. Assuming he isn't already being hunted, of course. We keep close tabs on our own. He might just run himself into a griffon blade if we mess up. I'll see what I can do to help."
"Thank you very much," Harvey ended, as Bloodfury threw a pack over his back. A Night Guard appeared with the books to be transported, and stored them within the pouches.
Bloodfury nodded to both Harvey and Shining before making for the exit. "Strength and honor be with you all," he said.
"Ah, one more thing, Sergeant..." Harvey asked.
"Yes, Doctor?"
"Is Bloodfury a name you received at birth, or...?"
The griffon sergeant chuckled, shaking his head. "All the griffon veterans who successfully complete their Imperial Guard training have their identities wiped clean, and we all get to pick a name for ourselves. So, no, this isn't my birth name, though I can see how it might be taken as such."
"Ah... well, aside from that, I believe you should know who the leader of the task group is. He goes by the name of Captain Talbot."
"Thanks for the information, sir," Bloodfury nodded. "I'll be sure to speak with him as soon as I get the go-ahead from Scarclaw."
"Very well, then... good luck," Harvey said. Bloodfury disappeared through the door as a number of Night Guard followed him through, taking him to the balcony where a chariot awaited to hasten him to the borders. "Well, Captain Shining... I can only hope that we aren't too late."
"I hope so, too, Doctor. Now, if you don't mind, we have a number of other reports from the loyalists we believe you should take a look at, especially with things concerning the latest griffon military inventions." Shining walked with Harvey to a table, where he then levitated over a giant pile of scrolls half as tall as Harvey was.
Harvey sighed. "Well, the book can always wait until later..."
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No, I haven't played the game yet. The PC version is borked pretty badly, and I'm waiting on patches before I do so.
In the meantime, however, I have Space Marine to hold me over. FOR THE EMPRAH!
842656 SPESS MEHREENS
damn the emperor is a mean SOB
As exciting logistics can be, I can't wait 'til bullets start flying.
Me as well more flying bullets please.
though Harvey doing more stuff is good for me too.
you know..... GR and MLP is a good combo....but what iff we add in some WHammeh? or maybe even sum imperial legion? SPAM HTE GUARDS! FOR THE EMPRAH!
843196
No. One crossover is already harrowing enough, and 40K is something that requires a special focused touch in order to do. Adding in more series is like asking to turn a masterpiece into a disaster.
For further reading, I recommend this story by Verbose Sobriquet.
842656 SPACE MARINES
puu.sh/EU7B
PURGE THE XENO SCUM
puu.sh/EU7q
ATTACK ,FOR THE EMPEROR
Ps. ANGRY MARINES ALWAYS ANGRY
842656
You are having problems too?!
Let me guess, the game laggs like hell no matter what option you select and even the Intro movie is a diashow just like the main menu. The loading times take ages and even if you drop into the game you are unable to move with neither mouse nor keyboard (except for switching stances and ADS). Deam and I have been waiting for this game for so long!
Well guess we'll have to wait a bit longer for the fixing patch to come out.
843391 I run Windows XP.
That should tell you all the problems that I'm having with the game.
843394
Oh that makes my problems look like nothing. I'm sorry for imposing.
I really hope that UBIsoft can fix the problems, hopefully in near future.
843253
Dear God those pictures! I can't stop laughing.
843253
HAHAHAHAH! nice picture
851476 THE SONIC LOL BOOM
WHEN CAN MENDOZA BLOW SOMETHING UP?! I WANT THINGS TO BLOW UP!!!!
-also nice job-
We aren't very well built for direct confrontations like you griffons are."
Well, for the last... ...oh 3000 years of our history we have been going toe to toe at it with swords and knives so yeah, not very well built for direct conflict indeed.
and he`s going to write a history book on humans
859464 Going at each other toe to toe with swords and knives is not the same as going against a similarly-sized species that has claws and can fly with swords and knives that just so happen to have humans easily beat in the physical strength department in an open confrontation.
And, no, it's not a history book per se. More like a compilation of modern human culture and organization.
859484 Dear sir, I believe you put humans in low regard as to their abilities. The fact that they have been doing it for a long time simply states that they are not entirely unaware as to how to handle oneself in a hand-to-hand situation. Strength alone cannot win a battle, generally humans are quick, cunning and can think on the fly in extreme situations. With strength mainly to support those aspects. Also, didn`t you describe the humans as bigger than the griffons? if so then the strength advantage would only play a small part, and would barely matter.
Personally I think you overpowered the griffons, I assume they would be an almost even match with the griffon having a small strength advantage over the humans, both would have an intense fighting spirit, and humans would have a small advantage in the areas described in the first paragraph (not saying that the griffons would be dumb, but less multi-responsive in situations. They`d be more prone to run on instinct) Your writing gives off a subtle note of saying that humans are only better than the griffons(and other species) because of their technology. I think they could stand a chance without it.
This is just my opinion on the matter and you don`t have to care about it, I`m just pro-human is all.
859795 The humans are taller than the griffons, yes, but they do not outmatch them in size. And I very much doubt that using a sword against a lion armed with claws will ensure your victory, only increase your chances of survival. Now assume that the lion can think and fly, and knows how a sword works, and that their claws can most likely through any light armor. They'd able to analyze and react to a combat situation much like we can (he has a sword, avoid being hit, and go for vulnerable parts), and on top of that, would be prone to attacking unprotected extremities because without those, we are easily defeated. That doesn't exactly bode substantially well, even with training. We can't easily lop off a griffon claw like they can forcibly remove our arms.
And, yes, I do believe your point on them being able to hold up without lack of technology could work, but only if they have numbers to fall back upon. The Ghosts do not have that option, so they have to rely on their technology to give them the upper hand. The griffons might have a more one-track response to a combat situation, but that does not mean that they don't recognize a threat when they see it, and will act accordingly. That is why I believe that the humans only hold the advantage through their technology, with guns, camouflage, tracking equipment, etc; to assume otherwise would be erring on the side of underestimation of a foe you know little about, and in all cases, is dangerously naive. Besides, I doubt that four men grabbing swords, shields, and armor and charging against a legion of griffons would turn out well.
859893 I agree, as I never said that the four could win going against a legion. (that would be brutally overpowering humans) Going against any enemy in great number is suicidal if you don`t have a equal force. Also, nothing ensures victory, but using what you have in the best way possible can pull luck in your favor. The griffons are not completely irrational in combat and one would be a fool to underestimate an enemy to that degree, and i'm sure they can come up with quite the battle plan should the need arise. But, they are not the only ones who have a combat mentality or have had combat experience. Men have fought against great beasts(AKA lions) sometimes even bare-handed, and it has gone either way many times(happened a lot in the days of the Roman Coliseum) but give the beast thought and you have not made a unbeatable foe, but rather a foe that thinks on the same level. Making it harder to beat yes, but not impossible.
I believe that in a hand to hand situation a human would have a tough sum`bitch to deal with one-on-one, but not a foe with which you have no chance against. Claws or not, humans can defend themselves against an opponent. (or at least go down fighting)
What it really boils down to is skill and luck, and who has more. No matter what species, you will always find someone less or more skilled than you and from there it just depends on the situation, what you got, and when you got it.
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859893
Wow! you guys really fought it off right their
842656 BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE~!