Chapter 199: The Majestic River
But more flags are the flags of the electors, that is, the flags of the principalities. There is the green Stillland flag, embroidered with a skeleton holding a harp and torch and the Stilllands' oath of defiance of death, and the half-red, half-purple Ototmark flag, with a white eagle standing proudly in the center. There is the Nordland flag, which is half blue and half yellow, embroidered with sea eagles and harpoon coats, the Highland flag, which is half green and half red, and is decorated with a Sigmar cross, the flag of the Duke of Nunn [***] with a white background and a light yellow checker, the Ayvalan flag that shines with a golden human sun, the Austrand flag that stands with a majestic bull's head, and many other principalities, domions, frontier realms, monastic and secular knights, and the flags of the mysterious schools of magic, each with its own color and coat of arms. They bloom like a sea of colorful flowers in this frozen field, as if bringing the breath of spring to the harsh winter of Kislev.
The infantry marched slowly in small solid formations, the dense ranks like countless chessboards on the field, and the halberds and spears and flags like the wind-swept forests. In addition to ordinary halberders, crossbowmen, and musketeers, there are also a variety of unique troops, each of which is an outstanding warrior with a high reputation, although the equipment is different and the characteristics are different. These warriors were the elite of the various principalities, and their names made the enemies of the empire tremble.
Among them were Steelland's River Patrol, the brilliant longbowmen dressed in green with triangular beanies and a one-man tall yew longbow with a clanging saber at their waists. Their counterpart, Deathjack, wears green jackets with black buckles, shorter longbows, and heavy single-edged battle axes. Hellhunting Redeemer with a leather helmet and a pointed stake and scriptures on his chest, holding a halberd engraved with Mithril runes, and a blood-colored guard wearing a flaming red cuirass, a broad-brimmed feathered red hat, and a ten-foot-long halberd. The Stilllands have a long history of fighting orcs and hunting down vampires, their halberds are as strong as walls, and their proud archers have always defied the muskets of other countries.
The ranks of the Ottotmarkers followed closely behind the Stilllanders, and the Death Guards, dressed in black armor, wearing black helmets, and wearing red hats, wielded eight-foot halberds, were their backbone. These heavily armored halberders wore skull masks, showing their courage to defy death, and their sharp halberds were also decorated with the skull crest of the Grim Reaper Moore, with an aura of cold and majesty. Many of the Kislev's archers were also in the mix, their compound horn bows short and powerful, their huge two-handed tomahawks glowing coldly behind their backs. Kislev and Ottotmark had a pact to exchange warriors, so the warriors of the steppe would be loyal under the half-red, half-purple banner.
The Duchy of Austrand was known for its musketeers under the Red Bull banner, and now they have a proud military appearance. Leading the way were the Brann-clad Flametongues, their broad caps tied with scattered skeletons, and the heavy butts of muskets with brass nails and iron caps forming the coat of arms of bulls' heads. Dressed in half-white, half-black uniforms, these fierce gunners were known for their steadfastness, and they even wore the bones of their fallen comrades on the brim of their hats, and even when the muskets ran out of ammunition, they would wield heavy muskets like hammers against the enemy.
Flann Tongue is flanked by Oster snipers with long-barreled muskets on their shoulders, and these scattered white-clad gunners have more eye and range than ordinary people. Their muskets were made by dwarven and dwarf technicians, and were equipped with scopes with brass tubes, and they were as fine as a handful of ornate crafts. Wearing round hats, they are selected from among the best hunters in the Oster Forest, and their goal is to kill from a distance and avoid melee combat. Behind them advanced black guards armed with greatswords, powerful swordsmen in black heavy armor who were the flowers of the infantry of Austrand.
Under the banner of the mermaid came the Nordland Marines, the pride of the land of the sea with their scarves and tricornes crooked, blue and yellow plaid jackets, and light cuirass. Each of them wore two long-barreled pistols, and the speed at which they were drawn and reloaded was extremely fast. A bayonet sword with a gauntlet and an armor-piercing dagger in the shape of a claw were their weapons in close combat, and they were always fearless, whether in a scuffle on a ship or in a vicious fight on the beach. But perhaps because of the distance from the sea these days, these wild warriors now look a little languishing.
Although the Marines were a little unrefreshed, the teams of heavily armored crossbowmen behind them were full of smiles. These majestic men were all dressed in full plate armor, iron helmets wrapped in yellow and blue ribbons, and carried huge claw crossbows, like rows of steel mountains marching forward. Their winch crossbows can shoot through the plate metal armor of the Darkspirit Heavy Warriors, their broad-bladed swords can shatter helmets, and although they move slowly, their confidence is always their own strength, and the Nordland's proud heavy crossbowmen will not be afraid as long as they have eaten their fill.
The Avalan flag with the golden sun hoisted in the wind, and the proud halberds of Avalan came under the banner. Dressed in glittering heavy armor, these warriors wore enclosed, wide-brimmed helmets, and held ten-foot halberds with crescent-like blades, and their steps were as neat as moving walls. Their shoulder guards were sheet-shaped, carved with the Avalan emblem of the golden human-faced sun, and the runes of magic glittered on them. The wealthy and fertile southern power of Avalan is close to the Dwarven United Kingdom, and their elite are armed with dwarven armor and runes, and Avalan's halberd can decapitate the heads of greenskinned orcs with a single swing. In fact, many of the Ayvalans had the Greenskins carved into their cuirass with the sign of killing them, and most of the troops who had come from the south were battle-hardened warriors.
The line that marched in conjunction with the Ayvalans was the city defense of the halfling Dominion. The distinctive coat of arms of boots and soup pots fluttered playfully on their square flags, and long Seiko sniper muskets swung behind their backs. These four- and five-year-old gnomes, wearing beaver rats or marmot fur caps, were amazing musketeers, and their rifled muskets had twice the range of the Empire's ordinary muskets. Although not able to fight in close combat, halflings always fought alongside humans, and their ultra-long-range and accurate musket shots were appreciated by many generals and nobles.
Black-clad soldiers marched silently around the checkered Nunn flag on a white background, their black wide-brimmed top hats adorned with Sigmar's coat of arms. The majestic city of Nunn is home to the Imperial Arsenal and the Great Smelter, and the thick black smoke has made them accustomed to black clothes and black armor. At the head of the line, Nunn guards, fourteen-foot spears, heavily armored spearmen with curved broadswords on their backs, wielded their broadswords to slash at enemies when they were not fit to advance with their spears.
Behind the woods of superspears are the glittering blades of axes, and the brave warriors in Seiko cuirassets and red-feathered helmets are the masters of these axes. They are the proud guards of Nunn, wielding the nine-foot axe as swiftly as their own arm, and the crossed battle axes and skull crests shine firmly on their breastplates, marking the fearless hearts of the Duchy Guard. Behind them are the Master Engineer and the Master Sniper, their multi-barreled muskets flashing with traces of metal magic, and the Empire's Great Arsenal and the Imperial Metal Academy of Magic have been allied for centuries, and their cooperation is a model of Imperial unity.
The forest swordsmen of the Duchy of Tarabekland marched in a scattered formation, their steel shields and curved daggers shining in the sun, red and yellow ribbons wrapped around their breastplates, and Tár's maple leaf coat of arms adorning their domed helmets. These high-speed swordsmen are adept at fighting in the woods, where the dense forests of vines and shrubs are not a good place for spear activity. A small group of Taal hunter priests clad in animal skins and antlers guarding the banner of the gods of nature with great axes were the pride of the Talabekran infantry who gave everything to the Old Gods, and they were not afraid to face the minotaurs when they wielded their great axes.
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