#arquebusier

[demi-lancer]

Comparison of musketeer/arquebusier late 16th/17th century. From left to right on the 1st image: Joseon (Korea), Ming (China), Portugal, Japan 

Credits: @柿子菌stargazer

Source: https://twitter.com/XavierMT3/status/1622027325079691264

[domjordanillustration]

arquebusier

[f16dblock60femboidilf]

Since my tablet is broken, and I can't figure out how to make my not specifically drawing tablet, tablet, do the drawing thing without doing a million other things I don't want. I drew this with a mouse, and vectors, and a lot of clipping masks. Like so many fucking clipping masks. It's probably one of the worst things I've ever made but it has a kind of Adventure Quest charm to it.

This lil scrimblo is my, like attempt at making my own goblins for my pseudo original fantasy P&P setting. that I'm running in a PF2e game. I wanted to make my goblins and kobolds not all like, culturally homogeneous so these specific goblins are from a far southern mountain steppe region that have merged with several other goblin and kobold tribes to make a Tsardom. What they lack in tillable land they make up for in trade minerals, marble, and metals. Their metallurgically focused magics have helped them bring up their engineering capabilities far beyond their distant neighbors, who are eager to trade them grains, timber and food stuffs that the Tsardom has in short supply in exchange for their resources, mercenaries and technology that simply can't be as readily reproduced.

I tried really hard to look up like, any art of frilly ruthenian/prussian goblins, and couldn't find anything, so I just broke down and drew one.

[phospolipid-bilayer]

Voice doodles compilation 3? ft. Some random guy..

[crusaderiguess]

What is something you've always wanted to do?

I’d love to visit so many places, but if I leave travel out the answer is to have/do a full 16th century infantryman cosplay.

[lepreuxchevalier]

Some illustrations of pike-and-shotte infantry and gunpowder-based, siege artillery that I have officially designed for “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” or “House Biermann of The Margraviate of Brannenborg,” the newest of the four secular, hereditary “Kurfürsten Des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” or “Prince-Electors of The Empire of Mankind Proper.” Both these artworks and their associated “faction iconography” were officially designed for a low-fantasy setting of my original conception with technology and material culture roughly equivalent to European History during the compounded advents of The Italian Renaissance, The Protestant Reformation, and The Discovery of America. Where formations of heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic and noble knights in either suits of full plate armour or heavy coats of chainmail fight alongside professional armies of pikemen and matchlock musketeers. Where medieval-style stone castles are gradually being outsourced in favour of both lavish country estates and devoted military fortifications, or “bastions,” due to the technological advancements being made in gunpowder-based, siege artillery. And Where fledgling nation-states in the form of both kingdoms and empires look beyond the great oceans and the frontiers of “The Known World” in search of exotic riches and virgin lands. In context to the canon lore of my “homebrew” medieval fantasy world, “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” or “House Biermann of The Margraviate of Brannenborg” is the newest of the four secular, hereditary “Prince-Electors” or “Kurfürsten” within The Imperial College of “Das Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” or “The Empire of Mankind Secundus.” “Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” or “The Margraviate of Brannenborg” is loosely inspired by “The Mark Brandenburg” or “The Electorate of Brandenburg” within “The Holy Roman Empire” during the Medieval and the Early Modern periods of European history. “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” is at once the newest, and the most reluctant, constituent member state of, and territorial addition to The Empire of Mankind Proper, or “Das Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit.” As well as the newest secular, hereditary “electoral principality” or “Kurfürstentum” within The Empire of Mankind since the official appointment of Markgraf Friedrich II Von Biermann to The Imperial College during The Electoral Reforms of Emperor Vespasian VII as the 96th Emperor-Elect of The Empire of Mankind Secundus. Over 150 years prior to the contemporary events of my medieval fantasy setting, the lands of “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” was originally part of “The Former Kingdom of The Midlands” under “The Late House Bartholemew” before the untimely extinction of the legitimate, male bloodline of their dynastic household and the subsequent collapse of their hereditary state. As the territorial part of The Former Kingdom of The Midlands most heavily afflicted by the wholesale peasant uprisings agitated by the religious indoctrination and the systematic, mass conversion of the local populace by the hut shamans hailing from “Erdøk,” or “The Great Forest” directly east of The Empire of Mankind Proper. The illegitimate son and the heir presumptive to the last King of The Midlands born to House Bartholemew originally pawned, and then permanently transferred the future lands of “Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” to “The Imperial Household,” the direct descendants of Prinz Heinrich von Nymphenburg as The First Crowned Imperator of The Empire of Mankind Secundus, as well as the hereditary, dynastic, “great house” of “Imperial Princeps” or “Imperial Magnates” for “Der Reichstaat” or “The Imperial Demesne,” in order to fund his equally desperate and futile war effort against the recalcitrant great houses of feudal aristocracy and nobility in The Former Kingdom of The Midlands who had collectively and universally rejected his lawful and legitimate succession to The Former Kingdom of The Midlands due to his birth as an illegitimate issue to the last King of The Midlands from The Late House Bartholemew. Due to it’s polar, geographic distance and territorial dislocation from “Der Reichstaat” or “The Imperial Demesne” as the hereditary, dynastic lands of “The Imperial Household” or “Der Kaiserliche Haushalt,” as well as it’s constant affliction by the wholesale peasant uprisings agitated by both the religious indoctrination and the systematic, mass conversion efforts of the local populace by the hut shamans indigenous to “Erdøk” or “The Great Forest.” Friedrich Biermann, one of the most seasoned, battle-hardened generals within “The Imperial Army” mostly levied, and later conscripted from the hereditary, dynastic lands of “The Imperial Household” seated at “Nymphenburg.” As well as one of the few commoners within the recorded history of The Imperial Army to be promoted to an office of military command by sheer virtue of merit, was officially awarded hereditary, dynastic enfeoffment over “The Southern Imperial March” or “Die Sudetenmark” for his years of meritorious service as a domestic, household general in service to The Imperial Army. As the local populace of The Southern Imperial March or “Die Sudetenmark” were longtime apostates from The Conservative Church of The New Gods who would never acknowledge the newly enfeoffed and anointed “Friedrich Von Biermann” as their liege lord and princeps. Friedrich Von Biermann as “Der Markgraf Der Sudetenmark” officially petitioned to Archpatriarch Cassadorian XIV seated at The Holy Sept of Romulus to prosecute an “errantry war” or a “great crusade” against the religious apostates of Die Sudetenmark, who were largely religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk” or “The Great Forest.” Manfred Von Lichtenstein, Bishop-Prince of Garyalburg, one of the three ecclesiastical, invested, “prince-electors” or “Kurfürsten” of The Empire of Mankind Proper and Archpatrichal Legate to Cassadorian XIV for this new “Albic Crusade,” officially preached and prosecuted “The Albic Crusade” at a holy synod of Bishop-Princes and Grand Abbots at Die Universität Wörtzburch in Das Herzogtum Solingen, one of the leading centres of church-sanctioned, academic research on both The Canon Theology of The New Gods, as well as Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Civil Law and Jurisprudence north of The Olympian Mountain Valley. In addition to the retinues of crusading, aristocratic and noble knights and the peasant levies hailing from the multitude, or the plethora of minor “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” states as well as the constituent states of “The Borderlands Confederacy” directly south of “Der Reichstaat” or “Nymphenburg.” This “Albic Crusade” was generally only heeded by a minority of the baronial magnates from Das Herzogtum Solingen as the native, electoral principality of Markgraf Friedrich Von Biermann’s birth and origin before his formal enlistment into The Imperial Army based in “Der Reichstaat” or “Nymphenburg,” as well as their domestic, household retinues of aristocratic, noble knights and their feudal levies of men-at-arms. Knowing that the odds were still highly unfavourable towards Friedrich Von Biermann as the titular “Markgraf Der Sudetenmark” leading at the forefront of The Albic Crusade, despite it’s formal and official preaching and prosecution by Manfred Von Lichtenstein at The Holy Synod of Die Universität Wörtzburch as Bishop-Prince of Garyalburg and Archpatriarchal Legate to Cassadorian XIV. Maximillian IV as the 94th Emperor-Elect of The Empire of Mankind Secundus and the hereditary, dynastic, “Imperial Princeps” or “Imperial Magnate” for “Der Reichstaat” or “The Imperial Demesne” offered to permanently transfer to Friedrich Von Biermann fulltime command over a mighty host of professional, Imperial Army men-at-arms regiments and knightly retinues in return for acceding to an official “Imperial Act of Incorporation.” Where Friedrich Von Biermann and all his hereditary, dynastic successors as “Die Margrafen Der Sudetenmark” would both acknowledge the feudal, hereditary, “Imperial Princeps” or “Imperial Magnate” of “Der Reichstaat” or “The Imperial Demesne” and the dynastic patriarch of The Imperial Household as their liege lords and suzerains for “Die Sudetenmark,” unconditional to their formal election as the preferential candidates for the title of Emperor-Elect of Mankind. As well as subsequently incorporating Hohenbiermann’s hereditary lands of Die Sudetenmark as the newest, and perhaps most reluctant, constituent member state of, and territorial addition to The Empire of Mankind Proper. Bolstered with permanent, fulltime command over a mighty host of professional, Imperial Army men-at-arms regiments and knightly retinues hailing from “Der Reichstaat” or “The Imperial Demesne” in joint partnership with Bishop-Prince Manfred Von Lichtenstein as “Archpatriarchal Legate,” or the pontifical representative to the person of Cassadorian XIV as “The 269th Bishop of Romulus” and “The Head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods” for this “Albic Crusade” formally preached and prosecuted against the apostate, Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk.” The Albic Crusade had concluded in overwhelming triumph for both Markgraf Friedrich Von Biermann and the crusaders with the final conquest of the greatest Erdøki cultist stronghold of “Brenna.” With the stunning and the official conclusion of The Albic Crusade at The Siege of Brenna, The castletown of Brenna as the final and greatest site of Erdøki cultist resistance was formally consecrated by Bishop-Prince Manfred von Lichtenstein as The Archbishopric of Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel. Where Manfred Von Lichtenstein was formally invested, with Archpatriarch Cassadorian XIV’s explicit blessing, the awesome and prestigious ecclesiastical office of Bishop-Patriarch of Brannenborg in order to facilitate the systematic, mass conversion of the apostate, Albic tribes autochthonous to Die Sudetenmark back into the fold of The Conservative Church of The New Gods officially seated in The Holy Sept of Romulus as the civilizational kernel, historic capital, and titular namesake of both The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus.” Friedrich Von Biermann as the first and only “Markgraf der Sudetenmark” would thus subsequently rule from the newly consecrated Archbishopric of Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel, or the former Erdøki castletown of “Brenna,” as his official seat of power. formally restyling himself as “Der erster und herrshend Markgraf von Brannenborg und Der Gründungschef von Hohenbiermann.” With the next two and a half decades spent as “Der erster und herrschend Markgraf von Brannenborg und Der Gründungschef von Hohenbiermann,” Friedrich I Von Biermann would award hereditary, dynastic enfeoffment to the most arable lands, titles, and estates that had not been previously claimed as the official property of The Conservative Church of The New Gods first and foremost to the conquering, crusading knights directly involved in The Albic Crusade, and secondly to the regimental colonels of the former Imperial Army men-at-arms regiments who had distinguished themselves with meritorious service, valour, and skill at arms. This new class of landed, hereditary, feudal aristocracy and nobility, or “junkers,” would come to “characterize,” or otherwise “engender” the entirety of the reign of Markgraf Friedrich I Von Biermann with a significant degree of military fortification in the form of stone castles and city walls in order to protect both themselves and their loyal subjects against the outrage and the predations of the apostate, Albic tribes, who had both stubbornly resisted, as well as deeply resented their forced, mass conversion back into the fold of The Conservative Church of The New Gods. These “great houses” of “junker” princeps and magnates, paying feudal homage to “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg,” would collectively facilitate the gradual and effective resettlement of skilled, moneyed, and educated settlers and immigrants hailing from the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere of The Empire of Mankind Secundus. Most notably into the newly established castles and fortified cities established directly by Friedrich I Von Biermann as Der erster und herrschend Markgraf von Brannenborg und Der Gründungschef von Hohenbiermann, as well as any castles and fortified cities constructed under the princely, “great houses” of “junker” aristocracy and nobility paying feudal homage to Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg. The culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” settlers and immigrants settling within these newly established castles and fortified cities, as well as the most lucrative and arable rural estates of attached countryside, would form base of commercial, industrial, cultural, and scholastic life in the new “Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” in the form of the urban “burghers” or bourgeoisie, merchants, artisans, and professionals, as well as the rural “kollmers” or country gentlemen. The gradual and effective resettlement of culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” settlers and immigrants into the newly established castles and fortified cities of Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg and the rural estates of their attached countryside, as well as the systematic, mass conversion efforts that necessitated the practicality of the thorough cultural assimilation of the autochthonous, apostate, Albic tribes by a culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” Conservative clergy with their traditional monopolies over knowledge, learning, and education in general, would characterize “The Sudsiedlung” in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg as the last, and undoubtably the most reluctant, constituent member state and territorial addition to be officially incorporated into The Empire of Mankind Secundus. “Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” alongside the neighboring “Königreich Middenland” based uniquely beyond the southernmost frontiers of The Empire of Mankind Secundus well over a century after the stunning and final conclusion of The Albic Crusade at The Siege of Brenna, would collectively form “Die Sudkreuzritterstaaten,” “Die Teutogenstaaten,” or “Die Sudentscheidenstaaten.” Essentially a “Teutogen” or a “Southern Austere” cultural and linguistic bloc born of the complimentary events of “The Southern Crusades” and “The Sudsiedlung.” “The Southern Crusades being the religious wars and the territorial conquests waged against the apostate, Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship or “Erdøk,” “The Great Forest,” or “The Great Bastion” geographically situated directly beyond the Eastern frontiers of “The Empire of Mankind Secundus.” “The Sudsiedlung,” by contrast, refers the gradual and effective mass migration and resettlement of culturally and ethnically “Austere” or the “Northern Imperial” settlers and immigrants from The Empire of Mankind Secundus alongside the systematic, mass conversion of the indigenous, apostate, Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk” that necessitated the practical realities of their thorough cultural assimilation into the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” culture and language of their feudal and ecclesiastical lords and masters. As implied by both it’s historic and it’s present strategic value as the last, and undoubtably the most reluctant, constituent member state of, and territorial addition to The Empire of Mankind Secundus through Emperor Maximillian IV’s “Imperial Act of Incorporation” officially brokered with Markgraf Friedrich I Von Biermann in return for his military contributions in manpower, resources, and finances against the apostate, Albic tribes indigenous to “Die Sudetenmark” during The Albic Crusade. “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg,” since the historic reforming of “Die Sudetenmark” around the church-sanctioned consecration of The Basilica of Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel over the site of the former Erdøki castletown of Brenna, has been deprecated by both nobles and plebeians alike throughout the entirety of The Empire of Mankind as “The Imperial Sandbox.” Such an epithet implying the generally meagre, base economic and industrial yield and value that has come to characterize Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg ever since Markgraf Friedrich I Von Biermann had finally asserted his de jure rule over the region with The Albic Crusade and it’s subsequent and complimentary “Sudsiedlung.” Long before the final collapse of The Former Kingdom of The Midlands beginning with the untimely extinction of the legitimate, male bloodline of The Late House Bartholemew. The lands of the future “Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” were already characterized by an overabundance of swamps, marshes, and thick, wild, impenetrable forests. What little economy, industry, material culture, and infrastructure that had previously existed within the region had largely been ecologically “reclaimed” by the Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk” or “The Great Forest.” With Markgraf Friedrich I Von Biermann’s de jure assumption of power and authority over the region, any indigenous, apostate, Albic tribes who had both violently and openly resisted their systematic, mass conversion back into the fold of The Conservative Church of The New Gods by the culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” Conservative clergy had faced systematic, mass genocide at the hands of both the fledgling, yet highly competent professional army in direct service to Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg, as well as the feudal, aristocratic levies of knightly retinues and men-at-arms regiments paying military service and direct homage to the princely, “great houses” of “junker” aristocracy and nobility. This equally stubborn and violent resistance put up by the Albic natives religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of Erdøk would subsequently and consequently result in a significant depopulation of their number in the region by either the professional, armed forces paying direct homage and military service to Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg, themselves, or the feudal, aristocratic levies of knightly retinues and men-at-arms regiments paying direct homage and military service to the princely, “great houses” of “junker” aristocrats and nobles in turn paying feudal homage to Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg as their liege lords and Imperial Princeps. Friedrich II Von Biermann as the second Markgraf von Brannenborg born to Hohenbiermann had only and finally achieved official appointment for Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg into The Imperial College as the newest of the four secular, hereditary “Kurfürsten Des Zweiten Kaiserreich der Menscheit” or “Prince-Electors of The Empire of Mankind Secundus” as a reward for acceding to the obligatory call to arms by his unconditional feudal overlord and suzerain Vespasian VII against the official partisans of his political and military opposition for his lawful and legitimate election as the 96th Emperor-Elect of Mankind. Under the hereditary, dynastic rule of Albrecht Von Biermann as “Der herrshend Markgraf von Bannenborg,” “Der momentan Chef von Hohenbiermann,” and secular, hereditary “Kurfürst des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” has the fortunes of Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg changed exponentially for the better. With the advent of the theological reforms to the religious establishment of, and the institutions of organized religion within The Conservative Church of The New Gods officially seated within The Holy Sept of Romulus as the civilizational kernel, historic capital, and titular namesake of both The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus” formally preached and published by Karl Von Luxembourg at Die Universität Wörtzburch as one of the leading centers of church-sanctioned, academic research on The Canon Theology of The New Gods and Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Civil Law and Jurisprudence north of The Olympian Mountain Valley, as well as the original site of the church-sanctioned preaching and prosecution of The Albic Crusade by Bishop-Prince Manfred Von Lichtenstein at The Holy Synod of Wörtzburch. Has Albrecht Von Biermann taken the opportunity to confiscate the lands, property, and treasuries of any ecclesiastical and monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods who had both openly resisted and protested against the formal renunciation of his spiritual, cultural, and moral ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus in order to enrich both the state coffers of “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg,” as well as any aristocratic, noble, “great houses” of “junker” princeps and magnates in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg personally sympathetic to the theological reforms officially preached and published by Karl Von Luxembourg. Albrecht Von Biermann as “Der herrschend Markgraf von Brannnenborg,” “Der momentan Chef von Hohenbiermann,” and secular, hereditary “Kurfürst des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” had formally decreed state legislation to officially renounce the old Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan rite and liturgy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods originally formalized and decreed under the religious reforms traditionally attributed to The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind “Cassadorian the Great” in favour of “The Luxembourgian Reformation” with it’s theological tenets of “Sola Fide” or “Salvation by Faith Alone,” “Sola Gratia” or “Salvation by The Gods Alone,” and “Sola Scriptura” or “Salvation by Scripture Alone. With the essential and foundational tenets of The Luxembourgian Reformation emphasizing both the vernacular translations and the strict, universal interpretation of The Holy Canons of The New Gods by all social classes outside the ecclesiastical and the monastic clergy and the feudal aristocracy and nobility. With Albrecht Von Biermann’s legislative decree to officially convert to The “Reformed” Faith of The New Gods based on the theological reforms officially preached and published by Karl Von Luxembourg at Die Universität Wörtzburch on behalf of both his dynastic household and his hereditary subjects, has Albrecht Von Biermann officially become both the second hereditary, dynastic ruler in both the recorded histories and the geographic expanse of “The Known World” after Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” based uniquely beyond the southernmost frontiers of The Empire of Mankind Proper, as well as the first hereditary, dynastic, “Imperial Princeps” or “Imperial Magnate” to formally and officially annul his spiritual, cultural, and moral ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus as the historic capital, civilizational kernel, and titular namesake of both The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus.” With Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg’s spiritual ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus formally annulled, has Albrecht Von Biermann finally assumed supreme authority over matters of religion in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg. And in the process making himself the effective and virtual “Supreme Head of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg.” As a direct consequence of his formal assumption of supreme authority over matters of religion, as well as the formal renunciation of his spiritual, cultural, and moral ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus, has Albrecht Von Biermann effectively endowed himself with full control over the state investiture of new bishops and abbots for “The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg.” Including state investiture over the venerable and prestigious ecclesiastical office of “Bishop-Patriarch of Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel” since it’s original establishment with the church-sanctioned consecration of The Basilica of Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel over last and greatest Erdøki cultist stronghold of “Brenna” by Manfred Von Lichtenstein as it’s Seminal Bishop-Patriarch. In addition to his formal assumption of supreme authority over matters of religion in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg, as well as his systematic confiscation of the lands, property, and treasuries of any ecclesiastical and monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods who had both openly protested against, as well as openly refused to submit before the formal renunciation of his spiritual, cultural, and moral ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus. Albrecht Von Biermann as “Der herrschend Markgraf von Brannenborg,” “Der momentan Chef von Hohenbiermann,” and secular, hereditary “Kurfürst des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” has actively pursued an extraimperial personal union with “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland” based uniquely beyond the southernmost frontiers of The Empire of Mankind Secundus. Using their common background as the earliest religious converts to The “Reformed” Faith of The New Gods based on the theological reforms of Karl Von Luxembourg to the religious establishment of, and institutions of organized religion within The Conservative Church of The New Gods officially seated within The Holy Sept of Romulus as the historic capital, civilizational kernel, and titular namesake of both The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus.” As well as his paternal, dynastic ties to Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” originally established through the marriage of the younger sister of his late father and predecessor Markgraf Friedrich-Albrecht Von Biermann to “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” shortly after the stunning and official conclusion of The Midlands Crusade with the climactic “Battle of The Godswoods” as “the pretext,” or otherwise “the rationale” for a prospective personal union. Has Albrecht Von Biermann actively pursued the diplomatic agenda of merging Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg with Das Königreich Middenland into an extraimperial composite state united by their shared heritage as “Die Sudkreuzritterstaaten,” “Die Teutogenstaaten,” or “Die Sudentscheidenstaaten,” or the cultures and states born of the complimentary and subsequent events of “The Southern Crusades” and “The Sudsiedlung.” As well as their common background as the earliest religious converts to The “Reformed” Faith of The New Gods based on the theological treatises of Karl Von Luxembourg questioning both the spiritual and cultural legitimacy and moral infallibility of “The Bishop of Romulus” or “The Archpatriarch” as the legitimate, universal, and acolytic head of The Faith of The New Gods, as well as his spiritual, cultural, and moral power and authority as “The Last of The Classical Pontiffs,” or the sole, anointed representative of The Entire Canon Pantheon of The New Gods within the known world. Within the subsequent “Treaties of Marienburg and Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel” officially brokered between the state-sanctioned, court representatives of “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” and “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland,” respectively, has Albrecht Von Biermann as “Der herrschend Markgraf von Brannenborg,” “Der momentan chef von Hohenbiermann,” secular, hereditary “Kurfürst des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit,” and nephew to Friedrich I offered to establish mutual heredity between Hohenbiermann and Hohenrotbart for both Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg and Das Königreich Middenland, should either dynastic house officially grow extinct through the male bloodline. Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland,” “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart,” and paternal uncle to Albrecht Von Biermann, in direct response to his nephew’s introductory proposition, elaborated upon the opening proposition. Only agreeing to the outlined terms under the conditions that Das Königreich Middenland never be incorporated into The Empire of Mankind Proper as both a constituent, member state and a territorial addition. As Imperial law had officially “restricted,” or otherwise “excluded” all constituent, member states outside “Hohenluxembourg Des Königreich Schönbrunn” and “the hereditary state” and “the dynastic house” of the Emperor-Elect, himself, from endowing the current patriarch of their dynastic household with royal titles. That Albrecht Von Biermann and all of his prospective successors as “Die Markgrafen von Brannenborg” officially convert to The “Reformed” Faith of The New Gods by the time of their formal inheritance to Das Königreich Middenland from the then extinct, male bloodline of Hohenrotbart. So as to simultaneously protect and preserve the religious liberties of all subscribers to The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Das Königreich Middenland, while also encouraging both the growth and the proliferation of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg. And that Albrecht Von Biermann and all of his prospective successors as “Die Markgrafen von Brannenborg” officially serve as both regents and godfathers to Friedrich I’s infant son Kronprinz Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart in the event and the occasion of his untimely demise. As Friedrich I as Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart had only and finally succeeded in producing a surviving male heir by his late 70′s. Albrecht Von Biermann, in response to his paternal uncle’s diplomatic elaborations, both sweetened and concluded the subsequent and complimentary “Treaties of Marienburg and Brannnenborg-An-Der-Havel.” Outlining within his ultimatum the final condition that Friedrich I and all of his prospective successors as “Die Könige von Middenland” officially hold the title of “Der Markgraf von Brannenborg” plurally with the title of “Der König von Middenland” upon inheriting Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg from the then extinct, male bloodline of Hohenbiermann. As opposed to incorporating Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg as a constituent province of Das Königreich Middenland uniquely situated within the southernmost frontiers of “Des Zweiten Kaiserreich der Menshhceit,” so as to simultaneously preserve and retain the awesome power, authority, and privilege traditionally associated with the title of secular, hereditary “Kurfürst des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” that had been both traditionally and synonymously tied with the hereditary, dynastic title of “Der Markgraf von Brannenborg” since The Electoral Reforms of Vespasian VII as the 96th and official Emperor-Elect of Mankind. With this diplomatic agenda of finally merging Das Königreich Middenland and Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg into an extraimperial composite state based on their shared heritage as “Die Sudkreuzritterstaaten,” “Die Teutogenstaaten,” or “Die Sudentscheidenstaaten” born of the subsequent and the complimentary events of “The Southern Crusades” and “The Sudsiedlung,” as well as their shared background as the earliest religious converts to the theological reforms of Karl Von Luxembourg to the religious establishment of, and institutions of organized religion within The Conservative Church of The New Gods. Albrecht Von Biermann actively pursues the dynastic ambition of acquiring hereditary, dynastic control over lands, armies, and wealth for his dynastic household that is virtually and effectively beyond the power, authority, influence, and jurisdiction of “Der Kaiserliche Haushalt” or “The Imperial Household” officially seated in “Der Reichstaat” or “The Imperial Demesne,” known colloquially as “Nymphenburg.” While also finally breaking away from his ancestral obligations of unconditional feudal homage to The Imperial Household seated at distant Nymphenburg in return for their historic military contributions in manpower, resources, and finances officially granted to Friedrich I Von Biermann as “Der erster und herrschend Markgraf Der Sudetenmark und Der Gründungschef von Hohenbiermann” for his church-sanctioned crusade officially prosecuted against the apostate, Albic tribes autochthonous to Die Sudetenmark that formed from the northernmost partition of The Former Kingdom of The Midlands under The Late House Bartholemew. In terms of both the hereditary, dynastic military traditions of Hohenbiermann in particular, as well as the culturally ingrained, provincial military traditions of Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg in general. Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg under the hereditary, dynastic rule of Die Markgrafen von Hohenbiermann arguably possesses the single, most competent, professional military of any constituent, member state within The Empire of Mankind Secundus. Despite it’s official status as the last, and arguably the most reluctant, constituent member state of, and territorial addition to The Empire of Mankind Proper. Linear descendants of the military traditions of the professional, Imperial Army men-at-arms regiments and knightly retinues permanently transferred to the fulltime military command and the direct supervision of Friedrich I Von Biermann in order to bolster his gradual and eventual pacification of the apostate, Albic tribes indigenous to “Die Sudetenmark” during, and in the wake of “The Albic Crusade.” And steeled by many decades of quasi-perpetual warfare against the apostate, Albic tribes who had both violently resisted and openly protested against their systematic persecution and the legislative marginalization of their religious liberties in order to encourage their systematic, mass conversion back into the fold of The Conservative Church of The New Gods officially seated within The Holy Sept in Romulus, Cosmopoleis at the hands of a culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” Conservative clergy. Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg under the hereditary, dynastic rule of Die Markgrafen von Hohenbiermann possesses a highly formidable, professional, disciplined, and skilled-at-arms corps of elite pike-and-shotte infantry regiments. One whose professional quality and numeric quantity are both significantly disproportionate to the meagre, base economic and industrial yield and value of Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg. With the sudden, recalcitrant uprising of over half of the princely, “great houses” of “junker” aristocrats and nobles who had both openly resisted and violently protested against Albrecht Von Biermann’s legislative decree for his official conversion to The Luxembourgian Reformation on behalf of both his dynastic household and his hereditary subjects, as well as the subsequential and consequential annulment of his spiritual, cultural, and moral ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus. Most notably the formidable, provincial power and authority of the junker princeps and magnates of “Hohenlictenstein” as the hereditary, dynastic household of Bishop-Patriarch Manfred Von Lichtenstein as the church-sanctioned, “Archpatriarchal Legate” or “Pontifical Representative” to the person of Archpatriarch Cassadorian XIV for The Albic Crusade, as well as The Seminal and Founding Bishop-Patriarch of Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel. Has Albrecht Von Biermann officially responded to the political, religious, and military opposition for his formal assumption of supreme authority over matters of religion as “The Supreme Head of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” by investing a significant portion of his state treasury into the latest technological developments made in the novel design of gunpowder-based, siege artillery in order to effectively nullify the formal opposition of both the recalcitrant, princely, “great houses” of “junker” aristocracy and nobility, as well as any burgher and kollmer enclaves openly opposed and resistant to The Luxembourgian Reformation, by reducing their respective castles and fortified cities to ash and rubble.

[leavingautumn13]

having to design a character's outfit around the fact that they use a rifle just really drives me bonkers

but i keep making stoic sniper girl ocs so like... i'm also bringing this on myself

[felipe-v-fanblog]

[disease]

"DRINKING HORN" [ARQUEBUSIERS] attrib. ARENT CORNELISZ COSTER | 1547 [silver (metal) | 38 × 61 cm.]

[demi-lancer]

will say though bing's new ai art doesn't get the difference between an arquebus and a musket...tried a few prompts and always got guns that seemed far too 'modern'

[howtofightwrite]

Recently saw a post about streltsy. Was wondering on the upsides and downsides of using long guns and what is essentially a two handed axe at once.

Would you toss the gun to the side when the enemy got to close Or just hold it in one hand and use the axe one handed?

I can’t imagine it was terribly effective since we didn’t see copycat designs and formations all over the place…

So, an important piece of context, I'm not exceptionally familiar with the streltsy in particular. The streltsy were an early Russian gunpowder unit from around the 1550s until the 1700s. The name itself translates (basically) to “rifleman.” These were soldiers armed with arquebuses. Technically, the organization itself had both infantry and mounted units.

An important detail, that's not a two-handed axe, it's a bardache. These were a shorter polearm designed to function as a stabilizer for a handgun or arquebus. (Keep in mind, in this case, the “handgun,” refers to a longarm.) I'm not sure how many nations used this specific combination, but Russian and Polish forces both fielded units armed with arquebuses and bardaches. (I think the Austrians did as well, but I'm not certain of that.)

The general combination of melee and gunpowder was very prominent at this point in history, so in the contemporary context, the streltsy weren't that unusual.

Starting in the mid-fifteenth century, European militaries fielded “pike and shot” units and formations. The firearms of the time were single shot and required considerable time to reload. The were also not particularly accurate (by modern standards), and not particularly powerful. This created a situation where handgunners would be vulnerable while reloading. A number of units (including the streltsy) practiced various forms of volley fire, where one group of gunners would fire, and then fall back and reload while another line would step forward, and fire, before repeating the processes. However, even under the best circumstances, units of handgunners were vulnerable to melee infantry, and didn't have the firepower necessary to keep enemy soldiers from wandering over and poking them full of holes. The implementation of pike and shot was specifically intended to provide a counter to this. Instead of a unit of handgunners (or arquebusiers), pike and shot formations would include a mix of handgunners and pike infantry. If the enemy attempted to engaged the handgunners in melee, the pike infantry would move in and intercept those attackers. (Specifically, pike and shot units were often arranged with the pike wielders in the center of the column, flanked by wings of handgunners. Alternately, the pike infantry may be located directly behind the firing line, and able to move forward to counter any advancing infantry who reached the handgunners.) The exact mix of pike and gunpowder varied wildly over the centuries. But, the basic concept of a mixed melee and gunpowder unit wasn't that strange historically. As firearms became more powerful, and with the development of the bayonet, pike and shot units became historical footnotes.

The most unusual element with the streltsy was simply that they had both a melee weapon and firearm. Normally in a pike and shot formation, a soldier would be equipped with one or the other.

If attacked in melee, I suspect the proper response would have been to sling or stow the arquebus and then fight using the bardache. Though, some streltsy carried sabres, which would have been another defensive option. Also (somewhat unsurprisingly) some streltsy units included actual pike infantry. So, there were conventional pike and shot streltsy units.

Ultimately, for the time, the combination of a melee weapon and firearm was not particularly strange, and the specific combination of an arquebus and bardache wasn't random. Those were weapons that worked well together.

-Starke

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[pinturasdeguerra]

1476 Morat, Burgundian Wars, Swiss arquebusiers - Aleksandr Kozachenko

[bimboficationblues]

being a switch in a relationship with another switch is like a vicious struggle between warring Italian city-states. complex political jockeying. siege warfare designed to wear down your enemies until they submit. there are arquebusiers involved.

[roosterarts]

Aspa de Borgoña flameando al viento

Hijos de Santiago grandes son los tercios

Escuadrón de picas, flancos a cubierto

Solo es libre el hombre que no tiene miedo

Translation:

Cross of Burgundy fluttering in the wind

Children of Saint James great are the Tercios

Pike escuadrón, flanks covered

Free is only the man who is not afraid

The tercio was a military administrative unit that contained around 3,000 troops. In the battlefield the tercio would form pike and shot formations called the escuadrón. Through the use of the tercio, Spain would dominate land warfare in the European continent from the 1500s to the 1600s.

Depicted in this piece is the Spanish tercio during the battle of Rocroi (1643). This battle is often reffered to as the begining of the downfall of the tercio. However, it should be noted that the Spanish tercios in this battle were never defeated.

At Rocroi, the Spanish cavalry was routed and the Spanish artillery was captured by the opposing French army. But the tercios stood strong. Withstanding artillery bombardment and numerous infantry and cavalry attacks, the tercios managed to hold.

Having the Spanish surrounded and outnumbered, the French asked them to surrender. In response, the Spanish said: "His Excellency seems to forget he is facing a Spanish tercio."

After more numerous failed attacks that were unable to break the tercios, the French eventually allowed an honorable surrender for the Spanish, where they could march out of the field, complete with their colors and weapons.

----------------------------------------

Featuring:

FairChild (@temper-temper) - Stanrad Bearer carrying the Cross of Burgundy

@techbro-arts and @askpokeeosin as pikemen

Boom (@thedumbguywithaheart43) as an arquebusier

[grison-in-space]

Still listening to 1632, and honestly I forgot how much I like its narrative choices.

Okay, we have the climactic battle scene where the giant marauding mercenary army of pikemen and arquebusiers menaces the brave little 2000s era West Virginia town, right? With the substantial benefit of an M60 machine gun someone smuggled home from Vietnam and buried out in the back of his property. ("look, I'm not like a survivalist weirdo or anything. It seemed like a prank more than anything else at the time!") That did happen sometimes, but that sure was a lucky stroke, yeah? And of course our ragged band of hillbilly heroes, armed with their deer rifles, slaughter the shit out of the giant experienced army of seasoned veterans. Sure. Everybody cheer: remember, this is the army we first encounter raping and killing the shit out of civilians for maximal earnings. The ranks of men begin to fall like a glacier cleaving flesh rather than ice: what an image. Everyone sit back and bask in American technological superiority. USA! USA!

Except.... er, we just took the time to humanize one of the soldiers in that army a couple of scenes ago. He's just joined up to protect his family. His big sister's a camp follower; their family got attacked a year or two ago, and she's pretty, so she got picked as the kept woman in their band. He's just gotten old and big enough to be useful as a soldier, so he's been taken on as a recruit, and he's drinking the crap out of anything he can keep down so he can always be mysteriously too drunk to participate in the looting.

He's pretty sure he's in hell. And then he marches off into that scene of technological carnage.

So this does a bunch of things. One: it's real hard to surrender into treating that slaughter as a total victory when you know that Hans is out in it. We like Hans. He's doing his best and we really hope he lives, okay? (Spoiler: he does live.) Two: it forces you to think about everyone involved--we get a lot of POV from his sister Gretchen next--is experiencing and perceiving these American loons from a specific context that exists beyond them.

There has also just been an absolutely delightful scene where a couple of 2000s-era American doctors are proposing a joint practice with a local Sephardic doctor and he casually suggests they check over everything in Avicenna before they prescribe that in case it works. He's mildly startled when they gape at him like a fish and essaying "uh, you can read Arabic, right?" and when it becomes clear that the answer is definitely no, adds "oh, well, you're in luck, I have a Greek translation!" One of the Americans asks, very cautiously, how many languages he speaks, and he rattles off nine that he's fluent in, another four he's proficient in at least enough to read, and a fifth he's currently picking up for political reasons.

At which point the high school history teacher wanders into the room and asks what's going on, to be told by the Sephardic man's daughter "ah, it turns out my father is a more accomplished linguist even if he doesn't know some things":

"Well, of course!" Melissa snorted. "Americans are ignorant louts when it comes to language." The schoolteacher planted her arms akimbo and gave Nichols and Adams the same glare which had cowed thousands of students over the years. "What?" she demanded. "Did you think you were actually smarter than these people?"

God I love Melissa.

[satoshi-mochida]

Some thoughts and details on my last Gamefly rental, Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story.

The player, no name given, is selected to become the new principal of a school after the previous one stepped down, and must raise it and it's students to be the best it can be.

There's more going on behind the scenes, however, as the queen is getting on in years and without an heir, as her daughter has gone missing, with queens of other kingdoms vying for her throne.

To bring the school back up to good condition, the Principal(as they're always referred to in-game after getting the position) must recruit students, raise them and send them off to work for the kingdom after graduating them, construct the school's facilities, and raise the school's reputation to help with all of the above.

At the school section, it plays like a simulation game, with teachers and enrolled/ready to be enrolled students wandering the campus, where you can:

Check a Tasklist, which will give you rewards for certain goals, such as changing into a class for the first time or clearing certain Missions

Enroll or reject students waiting to enroll.

Check the Graduation request once it arrives.

Build facilities

Forge equipment

Check on the students and get them ready for missions/class change them/graduate them

Send the students out on missions.

Like other simulation games, there'll be a cursor to move and select with here. It moves pretty fast, though, and it's speed can't be changed, so this part might be easier to play on PC.

As you increase the school's renown, it'll Rank Up, giving you more room for facilities, more facilities that can be built, and higher level caps for students. The highest rank for the school is A.

The various facilities/buildings(which can also be upgraded, with some exceptions) for the academy can provide boosts/buffs in battle missions, such as Classrooms, which give you more experience(and I highly recommend building/upgrading as many of these as possible).

At the forge, you can use Scrap and other materials to craft weapons and accessories, though you need a recipe first. Those can be found ither as drops from enemies or from the traveling salesman. When crafting, you can also add on a few components from the building materials to further boost them by having up to random 3 stats get an increase during the crafting.

Speaking of the traveling salesman, Shilekka, she pops up every few weeks, then leaves after a couple weeks as well. She sells you crafting materials, base weapons(no boosts) and recipes. I recommend at least buying out her crafting materials every time she arrives, as they can go quick if you craft a lot.

While looking around the campus, small '?' may appear at different rooms/facilities. Clicking on them while the ? is there will have a small text event happen, some with choices, that may give you a small reward or not, such as choosing to turn in or keep a lost student wallet, or getting funds for the school from doing well.

As the school gains floors, you can hit L1/R1 to switch between which are shown to see if any ? events are there or to just watch the students and teachers wandering around.

Though starting small, and apparently lacking a roof(which I thought was a joke at first because of how simulation games work, but may actually be true), once it's fully ranked up, the academy and campus can look pretty impressive.

There's a class system for the students, starting from 'Apprentice':

-Knight

Paladin

Arcus Draconus

-Magi

Scholarsage

Medica

-Scout

Arquebusier 

Harlequin

You can't Promote classes right away, however; you need to progress the story and do missions that have you recruit Mentors for those classes, and also need to construct a room/facility for them in the school before you can finally change students' classes.

Each class has it's own weapon type, though a few overlap with their promotion line.

The initial student level cap is 10, and rises as the school improves, however it won't change the cap of students currently enrolled/ready to enroll.

Each class learns skills that can be passed on when they class change. It needs to be done manually, though, as the ones gained from leveling up aren't learned automatically. As the level cap is 10 at the start, they won't be able to learn them all at that point(Apprentice's last skill is at 15, Mid Tier Classes' is at 16, and Third Tier Class' is at 25).

Controls for battle sections:

X to attack or interact

Circle for a Class specific skill(I think they learn a second one at level 25)

L1/R1 or the indicated button on the D-Pad to switch between up to 4 party members

Aside from the class specific attack skills for pressing Circle, some skills they learn are passive while others trigger at random, I believe.

There's thankfully no permadeath if the students get KO'd during a quest; they'll revive at the end or if you abandon the mission, and still get any EXP rewarded for clearing it. They won't gain any EXP from enemies that are defeated during the mission after being KO'd, though(any gained beforehand is kept). The Medica class is the only one that can heal the party in battle, and they also learn Revive, but not unless they can reach level 25.

There are two types of missions:

Ones where you send the students out and control them while they explore, fight, etc., with a set amount of weeks passing while they're away(there's no real penalties for failing a mission, as you'll keep anything you got during it that wasn't related to the story/mission, i.e. experience, money and items, though time will still pass).

Errand Missions, where you send a team off on their own, and won't return until the set amount of weeks for it have passed, whether they succeeded or failed.

There's no way to make time flow faster, so if you have all currently available students away on Errand Mission, you'll need to wait an agonizingly long time for them to finish if you don't want to cancel their mission(s), especially if their missions are set to take a huge amount of weeks.

At the end of each semester(6 months), you'll be required to have at least 1 student who is at level 10 graduate. You're given certain requests for the graduating student(s), mainly their class or sending more than one, though you can just send any you want I believe. Selecting one early will get you more rewards(money and school renown, even more if the student(s) hit their max level), while selecting on the day of will get you penalized with lower rewards(and I think a student less than 10 will be forced to graduate if none are at 10, though that didn't happen to me). I'd say try to have one ready to send off as early if possible.

Aside from the deadline to get a student ready to graduate, there's no actual time limit, so you can play for as many in-game years as you want, and not have it affect the main story.

The AI is usually good about it, but on occasion, party members or enemies can get caught on the environment. Larger enemies actually seem to end up going above them to pass by, which is amusing if it's trees or the like. XD ...though they can get stuck there and out of range for a bit.

Party members and guests/escort NPCs are 'solid', if that makes sense, so you can't just 'walk through' them on the field, which may cause you to get stuck sometimes, usually on stairs.

There's 3 endings, based on how many missions you did that were affiliated with the Five Queens, the best being from doing all of them, which I got, and the worst from only doing ones that are required(Green Gift, Blue Banquet, Black Brawl, White Wandering, and Red Reception).

Some little tricks I found:

You can aggro an enemy, then lure it so that it gets mobbed by your other party members while it's focused on you until the aggro wears off.

If you're at least gaining some experience in missions that you can't beat, I'd say try them over and over to do a small bit of grinding that way, as the two missions clearly meant for grinding, Novice Training I and II, stop being as quick/effective for the higher classes after a while, even with a lot of EXP Boosters.

It took me a bit, but I eventually got into it and enjoyed it overall. It could get repetitive, but also a bit addicting. This wasn't the next game on my queue last time, but I am glad I got to play it.

I hope the sequel improves on the issues I had with this.

Next game being sent is: Granblue Fantasy Versus(they don't have Versus: Rising available to rent yet, unfortunately, so no Anila, darn it)