I should have known something incredibly bad would happen. I agree with Maximiliano though, if Black doesn't succeed with this he will have a hard time ever succeeding, whereas subterfuge can rebound.
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I should have known something incredibly bad would happen. I agree with Maximiliano though, if Black doesn't succeed with this he will have a hard time ever succeeding, whereas subterfuge can rebound.
Not only an exciting update, but one that that finds me having not only sympathy but respect for John Preston. What have you done to me, Cat!?!?! Could it be that Preston has finally grown up and has given up on his earlier childish ways? I don't want to hold my breath, but it would be about bloody time if it were true.
Now, the other thing to think on... did the Governor get a way (I think it unlikely) and will Black figure a way to cast John in a bad light over this situation? Oh, the possibilities!
Now, the other thing to think on... did the Governor get a way (I think it unlikely) and will Black figure a way to cast John in a bad light over this situation? Oh, the possibilities!
If I ever saw a better textbook case of brown stuff hitting a fan…well, I wonder what the fallout’s going to be.
Hmm... What's to stop Black from possessing Governor Moultrie, if he can get close enough? Then Allen can be killed in action, the whole episode of streetfighting can be hushed over as 'discontented troops stirred up by that dastardly Allen, gone mad while out fighting the natives', Black would be back in charge and the trail leading from Rutledge to him would add another twist, thereby throwing off Heyward once he makes his way down south.
I don't like this possibility one bit...
On the other hand, very exciting update, very vivid and lively descriptions of the battle being waged in Charleston.
I don't like this possibility one bit...
On the other hand, very exciting update, very vivid and lively descriptions of the battle being waged in Charleston.
CatKnight: ..."Hey, Pierce!" called one of the others. "Allen wants him alive!"..."That's Colonel Pierce, Commander of the Carolina Guard!"
if Allen / "Black" lives, then Preston's life ain't worth a plugged nickel ! !
fantastic update ! !
if Allen / "Black" lives, then Preston's life ain't worth a plugged nickel ! !
fantastic update ! !
Stuyvesant said:
I wonder about this, too. It seems that Black cannot be stopped unless he and his host are completely isolated from everyone else. What "range does Black have when infiltrating a new victim? From the scene at the hospital the range seems to be fairly short.
As Chief Ragusa noted, it was amazing to read Black rallying his troops with the cry that "God is with us!"
:wacko:Preston was so wonderfully responsible, and obviously well liked and respected by his men, it would be a tragedy if he were to perish in the street fighting. CatKnight, say it ain't so!
Black's definitely making his power play as Allen and taking out Preston might be one of the better things for him, in many ways. The lad certainly has the fortitude to go up against the great man, though he'd certainly lose regardless.
Maximilliano: Hard to say what Black's thinking. Actually as I sat down to write that last post I figured Black would bide his time. I even looked up the election years for South Carolina in that time frame. Then he told me he wasn't waiting for February 1785, he was ready to go now.
dublish: EU2 players know all about rebellions.
Chief Ragusa: I don't know. I doubt the game will go to 1800, so I really am not worried about it. Realistically they'd probably move the capital anyway, as there reason for moving - wanting a neutral site - hasn't changed. As for its name...that's wide open at this point.
Heyward City has a nice ring to it....
J. Passepartout: Very true. This is an all or nothing shot for Black, and he's admitted outright he didn't expect this much trouble.
Draco Rexus: John's trying! (In more ways than one.) His time with Moultrie has helped him somewhat by surrounding him with mature, intelligent men who know what they want out of life. Whether it'll be enough...is a good question. He's still a proud, touchy SOB and unless Black fails entirely, he still knows what buttons to push.
Fulcrumvale: We'll find out.
Stuyvesant: Black would never think of something that clever!
I'm glad you liked the battle. I think I could've done better with the descriptions, but I'm proud of the general flow and such. I stole a trick or two from Judas Maccabeus's CK battle maps to help me visualize what was happening.
GhostWriter: Ah, a pessimist!
jwolf: Good catch. Yes, Black's little transfer ability has a very short range. Further, it may not be obvious exactly what's happening, but it's clear it's bad, so Black needs privacy.
Black's saying "God is with us" certainly sounds...astonishing...to us, but remember we've had a look into his thought processes and this is what he really believes. God's been distracted by his little toys (us), and he's going to remind Him of His loyal servants - the angels. We see him as evil for what he wants to do and the ways he's going about it. He thinks he's just cleaning house.
coz1: That is true. Preston against Black would be...heroic....but very, very brief.
General: Oh! Did you know Paradox itself has recognized this AAR? Don't believe me? Scroll up to their new pic/banner. That guy in the middle with the red eyes could be Black!
Er...wearing a mask and having a REALLY bad day, but it could be!
Now we just need to get them to post a pic of Peperna the Holy Cow.
dublish: EU2 players know all about rebellions.
Chief Ragusa: I don't know. I doubt the game will go to 1800, so I really am not worried about it. Realistically they'd probably move the capital anyway, as there reason for moving - wanting a neutral site - hasn't changed. As for its name...that's wide open at this point.
Heyward City has a nice ring to it....
J. Passepartout: Very true. This is an all or nothing shot for Black, and he's admitted outright he didn't expect this much trouble.
Draco Rexus: John's trying! (In more ways than one.) His time with Moultrie has helped him somewhat by surrounding him with mature, intelligent men who know what they want out of life. Whether it'll be enough...is a good question. He's still a proud, touchy SOB and unless Black fails entirely, he still knows what buttons to push.
Fulcrumvale: We'll find out.
Stuyvesant: Black would never think of something that clever!
I'm glad you liked the battle. I think I could've done better with the descriptions, but I'm proud of the general flow and such. I stole a trick or two from Judas Maccabeus's CK battle maps to help me visualize what was happening.
GhostWriter: Ah, a pessimist!
jwolf: Good catch. Yes, Black's little transfer ability has a very short range. Further, it may not be obvious exactly what's happening, but it's clear it's bad, so Black needs privacy.
Black's saying "God is with us" certainly sounds...astonishing...to us, but remember we've had a look into his thought processes and this is what he really believes. God's been distracted by his little toys (us), and he's going to remind Him of His loyal servants - the angels. We see him as evil for what he wants to do and the ways he's going about it. He thinks he's just cleaning house.
coz1: That is true. Preston against Black would be...heroic....but very, very brief.
General: Oh! Did you know Paradox itself has recognized this AAR? Don't believe me? Scroll up to their new pic/banner. That guy in the middle with the red eyes could be Black!
Er...wearing a mask and having a REALLY bad day, but it could be!
Now we just need to get them to post a pic of Peperna the Holy Cow.
-= 177 =-
South Carolina
August 1784
He heard distant roaring, as if from a waterfall. Occasionally shouts and running feet would join in, but always the waterfall. Strangely it smelt of human sweat and tasted like blood. He lifted his face to feel the water, but nothing. Still hot air, and so very dark. Occasionally he'd see a flash like lightning and pain would sear across his chest, but otherwise nothing.
Finally the flashes and pain settled and he dreamt of a clear, spring day. Cassie was there in a yellow dress with Christina on her lap, clapping her hands. Tom Heyward sat there as well, their past troubles forgotten, and he had a woman with her...Anne Whiting? Something about her presence soured the dream, adding a dark undertone to the otherwise pleasant...picnic?
They talked amiably for some time, John would never remember about what. Suddenly Tom stood, scattering their picnic. His pupils widened to engulf his eyes so they looked black, soulless. He pointed behind John and shouted, "LOOK OU...."
John Preston woke with a start, half sitting up. His ribs instantly noted this wasn't proper behavior and he fell back, gasping.
"You're awake, Colonel," said a voice from the darkness. "I'm pleased."
"Governor?" John asked. He twisted his head this way and that. "Where are you?"
"Nearby," Moultrie answered. "Try not to move. You have three ribs stove in and I don't have any medicine."
Preston sat up anyway, despite his chest's strong disapproval. It made it easier to breathe. He sat, gasping for awhile. God, he was tired. "Where are we?"
"The Arsenal, so pardon my not striking a flint." Moultrie sounded amused. He paused as people shouted Þnearby. Impossible to tell what they wanted. "You've been asleep for maybe two hours."
"The Arsenal?" Across the street from St. Michael's and the State House. The center of town. "God, we have to get out of here!"
"You're not going anywhere. Anyway, they'll not think to look for us here."
"They'll want ammunition...powder, shot."
"Do you hear gunfire? No, John. The fight between your Guard and General Allen's traitors ended an hour ago. We won't know who won until morning."
Preston grunted.
Moultrie shifted, a soft rustling sound and something glass rattled towards John. "Whiskey. It may ease the pain."
He groped around until he found the bottle and gulped it down. "What happened after I.. after the fight?"
The governor didn't reply for several seconds. "When Allen's men ambushed us, I ran into the nearest building and from there to here. We were outnumbered and my fighting days are behind me. You appeared and made a bold effort, but too late. I saw their leader beat you..."
"Pierce. Captain Pierce. He wanted to kill me so he could take over."
Moultrie paused. "Did he?" His tone hardened. "How unfortunate for him." He took a moment or two to master himself then continued: "You stabbed him and there was some argument about what to do next. They left you there to go help with the fight at the docks. That's when I came out and dragged you back here." Somewhere a musket fired. More shouts.
Preston nodded at the darkness, leaned against a barrel and closed his eyes.
"How did you do it?" Moultrie asked curiously.
"Eh?" John drank some more, the warmth in his stomach displacing the pain nicely.
"The Guard. Under Captain Barcer they could barely load a gun, yet here they've stood line to line against a professional army and at least fought them to a standstill. How did you train them?"
Preston shrugged. "I took your advice. You said, Don't listen to what others say, pay attention to what you see. If you don't like it, don't haunt them about it but help them find ways to do better. Then I stole a page from von Stupi...er...Baron von Steuben: I found some folk who agreed with me, we worked out what we wanted to see, trained some folk and taught them to train their mates and so down the line."
"I see."
"What will we do tomorrow?" Preston asked.
"If your men won, then we let them find us and bring you to a doctor. If not, the innocent people of this town will wonder what is amiss. We will find someone we can trust and proceed from there."
"Alright." Preston was too tired to care, and the whiskey offered a warm, welcoming darkness. "We'll have to get a message to Cassie." He closed his eyes again. "I guess I'm in your debt."
"For what?"
"For the rescue. And the drink."
Moultrie smiled at the night. "Loyal service is the only payment I require."
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Heyward City does have a nice ring to it!
John trained a regiment using Moultrie's advice. No wonder Moultrie took a risk and went out to retrieve him.
John trained a regiment using Moultrie's advice. No wonder Moultrie took a risk and went out to retrieve him.
Moultrie is a good man. I truly hope he doesn't end up as one of Black's victims -- or, worse yet, another one of his hosts.
When Black inhabited Rutledge we learned of occasional attempts by Rutledge to regain control. Will Allen do the same, or has Black finally found a man after his own heart?
When Black inhabited Rutledge we learned of occasional attempts by Rutledge to regain control. Will Allen do the same, or has Black finally found a man after his own heart?
CatKnight: ...GhostWriter: Ah, a pessimist!
actually, i think of it as being realistic ! !
CatKnight: ...Moultrie smiled at the night. "Loyal service is the only payment I require."
aye, loyalty has much to commend it ! !
awesome update ! !
actually, i think of it as being realistic ! !
CatKnight: ...Moultrie smiled at the night. "Loyal service is the only payment I require."
aye, loyalty has much to commend it ! !
awesome update ! !
I am glad to see that this AAR is still running strong. Some excellent updates since my last response, but I am all caught up now. I really like Moultrie and am very curious as to what will go down in Congress.
How about Heyward, D. C.?
How about Heyward, D. C.?
Oh boy. Black has possessed Moultrie now has he? Moultrie will be able to declare marshall law in response to Allen's attack. Gotta admire evil when its that clever
I am somewhat disappointed that Exeter didn't seize his oppurtunity when he had the chance. At this point I think the only thing left for him is perhaps a last sacrifice for potential redemption or to die/succeed as black's servant.
Handy that - Moultrie must certainly be a good sight for Preston. But the fight is long from over.
I have to agree on two things. First, Moultrie is sounding quite Black-ish. That is qutie scary indeed considering what he could do to with a completely dupted Preston.
Second, I agree with you Cat, that dude in the banner could be Black with them mean red eyes and all.
Second, I agree with you Cat, that dude in the banner could be Black with them mean red eyes and all.
I'm not sure if Moultrie is 'himself' either, but Preston doesn't seem to have the knack of dis-trusting people. The trust part he seems to have mastered. He should pay some attention to what the 'dream-Tom' was trying to tell him.
Sheesh, South Carolina - if it's not one revolt it's a Civil War. What is it with these people, did they hit their heads on a Palmetto log?
Sheesh, South Carolina - if it's not one revolt it's a Civil War. What is it with these people, did they hit their heads on a Palmetto log?