Bold & Beautiful
The Hoplite maidens parted for her like the comb through just-washed scented hair,
nodding their bronze-covered faces with respect and awe to the lone warrioress who
walked with swaying grace and confidence. A few souls looked into her eyes and their
hearts were caught by the quickest of knowing glances. Passion and pride stirred,
she was with them, she would not let them down. They would not let her down. As she
passed, unbound hair dancing in the light breeze that cooled fair skin beneath the
yellow sun, her name was said.
"Alaika."
Alaika the Heroine. Alaika the Undefeated; she who had taken five enemy Heroines
and slain three more with the tip of her stainless spear. She who smelt of roses each
time she took the Meadow in her skirt of white and blue, swaying hypnotically around
the back of her thighs, spear in one hand, unmarred shield held in the other: its
painted front the image of her patron Duchess Memphis.
"Alaika," the chant from scores of throats grew louder. "Alaika!" the pointed
tips of spear radiated the sun.
And then the throng hushed, Alaika had passed them through and stood alone in
front of the ranks of Hoplite maids. The first in front of the enemy's serried line.
The sunlight bathed her perfect skin with a glowing nimbus and she pointed her spear,
Raetu, and spoke with a commanding voice to the enemy: "Who dares come forth and challenge
me? Doth any Heloiese have the courage to match spear and breast against Alaika?"
Heroines on the Meadow of Glamour
Heroines have two fundemental roles on the Meadow of Glamour. Firstly, to seek and
Duel enemy Heroines and capture of kill them and demoralise the enemy maidens by the
defeat of their champion warrioress, then secondly to engage the lowly maids herself
and send then scurrying from the Meadow in distress. However, without support by her
side's maidens, a Heroine does face the danger of being outnumbered and killed.
Duels : Bodice against Bodice
"I do challenge you!" came forth a reply from the enemy's front rank and through
it stepped a maid of young years and the Hoplites behind Alaika laughed and taunted
the girl. Only to stop when Alaika raised her Spear and held it across her body.
"Name yourself then, girl, and your accomplishments. I do not wish to spill the
blood of such pretty youth," said Alaika.
A flash of anger swept over the challenger's flawless face, deep-brown eyes and
peach-coloured lips twinging with insult. From each delicate hip she pulled forth
a long bladed sword and held their weight easily in her hands. As she walked in front
of her line the blades danced and caught the sun.
"I am Ophenimosa, Heroine of Heloiese and I vanquished the Bandit Queen Vilda
in the midst of her lair alone and bonded her followers to me. I fight for my land
and sisters and against invaders like you."
Alaika smiled, a rich curve of red. She tossed Raetu into the air and caught it
with her wrist turned above her head and stepped forward into the Hoplite's fighting
stance; round shield covering her otherwise defenseless body, spear ready to thrust
down into the face or upper-chest of her foe.
Ophenimosa, sword in each hand, cut the leather thongs that crossed beneath her
youthfull bosom and the holders of her blades fell around her feet which dug into
the Meadow to test its firmness. Then, suddenly, she rushed, swords arcing upward,
legs charging.
When a Heroine moves into melee with another she is issuing a Challenge and if accepted,
a duel is fought. A Heroine can choose to decline the challenge and run away but will
suffer loss of Glamour and that will only make her less effective during the battle.
It is best, and honourable, for the Heroine to stand and fight and die if need be
than to become a coward. If the Heroine is not up to the task of taking on an enemy
Heroine then it is best to keep her well out of the way and out of danger!
Two Heroines duel in front of their armies.
A Duel is conducted differently to a normal melee in that hits taken are permanent
for the loser. A Heroine may not be killed immediately but she can be severely weakened
and become easy pickings for lower quality damsels wanting the Glamour of the kill
for themselves.
However risky, Duelling is what Heroines do. They are Glamourous and use that Glamour
in the Duel to increase the number of their own attacks, reduce her opponents D or
even to cause automatic hits if she wants to use four Glamour that way (a hit that
is permanent).
Because of the dangers, duels should not be initiated lightly, despite how skillful
and Glamourous a Heroine is. A duel should be initiated for the right reason and the
right Heroine chosen to do the job. Heroines specifically trained to duel should seek
out their enemy and draw them into combat as soon as possible. Without a Heroine,
enemy troops are much more suspectible to being driven from the Meadow by Glamour
alone and death will certainly demoralise the enemy and their commander.
Duelling Heroines are those with high combat profiles, A and D chiefly
although a high H improves survivability and durability. High Glamour
does not necessarily make a Heroine good at Duelling, it simply means she can increase
her profile, decrease her opponent's or cause an automatic hit (a Heroine can sacrifice
herself in this way is she is outclassed to cause some damage at least if she knows
that winning the duel is impossible). Fae and Tautha Heroines with the highest Glamour
are better Magi than duellists. Use Glamour to best increase the chances of inflicting
hits on the enemy Heroine. This may not be just from increasing A.
If a Heroine has enough Glamour, decreasing her opponenent's D-1 increases her chances
of hitting. A3 GLAM3 versus D6 might luckily result in 1 hit. Knocking
D to 5 will ensure at least one hit (by mathematically average). Still,
keep in mind that the opponent has Glamour too (and know how much) and will be using
it a well to win.
Another tactic an Heroine can engage in whilst in melee is to keep her opponent engaged
in the duel. This will keep the Heroines out of the battle. A Heroine can use her
Glamour to negate hits against her if she looses. If she only takes one or two hits
the result is effectively a draw. If she takes more - fighting a much better duellist
- the tactic is simply a better chance of surviving for longer.
When a Heroine goes hunting another she should not go alone. A Unit of Maidens should
back her up and the Heroine should be attached to the Unit, protecting her from harm,
until she is close enough to the enemy Heroine to charge and defeat. The Maidens can
also be used to block a more powerful enemy Heroine from attacking theirs by moving
ahead and denying a path (attached Heroines can be challenged). The Maidens should
quick enough to keep pace with the Heroine if she has to chase a foe so they are not
left behind, and capable enough in combat to fight the enemy. A Heroine does not want
to get strandard alone and surrounded by enemy damsels.
It is dangerous even for a Heroine to be alone in the midst of battle. Guard her
from harm with a Unit of maidens.
Fairest of Them All
It ended not with the sharp tip of Raetu piercing the girl's breast and stilling
her heart, but Alaika was victorious non-the-less. She used her spear to trip the
young Ophenimosa and used the full weight of her shield and body to trap her on the
ground. Bitter tears of defeat stung at the corners of Ophenimosa's brown eyes.
"Victory is mine!" Alaika declared, "And I take you under the Code as my prisoner."
Alaika stood and a pair of Hoplites ran out to grab a limp Ophenimosa by the shoulders
and escort her to the rear of the battle. The duel concluded, the solid line of Hoplites
marched up behind Alaika and she turned her attention to the defiant maidens not far
away.
Lifting her spear again , friends on either side, she charged screaming the name
of her Duchess and before her the foe wavered in the face of her Glamour and broke
and fled.
It is Glamour that is a Heroine's greatest assest when fighting against maidens. She
can advance towards them and they will flee in terror, or stand before them and none
will dare approach. When battling Units Heroines can be used in two ways, to deny
the enemy a charge, and to be an unstoppable battering ram what will rout all before
her.
If an enemy wants to melee a Heroine or Unit with Glamour (either its own or from
an attached Heroine) it must pass a contested Glamour test. The test is GLAM+D3 (D6
being able to produce too variable a result). A Heroine of GLAM 3 or more can by herself
stop any enemy maidens (without Glamour themselves) from coming closer than 2" effectively
halting an advance completely.
Without a Heroine to support them the Hoplites will have a hard time trying to
resist the enemy Heroine and her Peltae.
Reversely, that Heroine can charge the maidens and they will not be able to withstand
her presence and are Pushed Back, which the Heroine can Follow Up and try to destroy
them. But consider that the Heroine can only Follow Up the difference of the Glamour
test and unless it is greater than the maiden's H, she has no chance
of catching and destorying them. Still, she can continiously drive them from the Meadow.
Yet if a Heroine is caught in melee with maidens, she could be in trouble. Like duels,
any hits the Heroine takes are permanent so each defeat weakens her and makes her
easier to kill. Maidens can be used this way by one side to weaken a Heroine and then
use their Heroine (likely less powerful and Glamourous) to make a challenge. Damsels
with Glamour themselves, such as 1st Class Hoplites, Fae and their exiled Unseelie
kin are better suited in this role as they have better chance of success.
To ensure this does not happen, a good Princess will guard her Heroines with a Unit
of damsels protecting them from danger. The damsels will sacrifice themselves for
the sake of their Heroine.
A Heroine attached to a Unit increases the effectiveness of the Heroine's Glamour
and ability to force the enemy back by her presence alone. As the enemy retreats and
a hole widens in their line the maidens are there ready to exploit it. Glamourous
maidens will make the enemy retreat further and give a better chance at destroying
them.
Yet again remember that the enemy will can do the same as well. Heroines not suited
to Duelling will stick with their maidens and deny yours. High Glamour Heroines will
be near to impossible to engage or resist with maidens alone. The only way to stop
them from ruining any chance of victory is to get one of your own Heroines to that
critical point as quickly as possible and bring the Heroine to a duel or make her
retreat behind her maidens and thus strip their Glamourous support, turning the swaing
the skirt the other way!
Alaika let her damsels round up the captives and strip the dead as the wished.
Such things were beneath the dignity of a Heroine. Alone she walked back to her tent,
her younger sister waiting anxiously for her return by the red flap. Alaika handed
over Raetu and then her shield, both placed on the A frame standing next to the tent.
"Your captive is inside. She wouldn't let me clean her up and is sulky."
"It was not the most honourable of duels. She is young and untried and was not
ready to face a real Heroine. Still, she has courage and that is what set her apart
from the others. In time she may bloom, if she lives long enough. I will go an relax
now, let done disturb me."
Alaika entered her tent and her sister sat down by the front, sighing the sigh
of a dreamer, that she too was a glamourous Heroine and about to initiate the rights
of a victor over a captive in line with the Code of the Bold and the Beautiful.
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