Board Thread:Fun and Games/@comment-35614398-20200921192423/@comment-35614398-20200924145828

From cradle to grave

The cameras were rolling as a squad of Holy Roman soldiers raised the black and gold banner of Holy Rome over the battered ruins of a fortress.

It had taken the Holy Roman XIII Corps 15 days to take Festung Roth, a fortress on the road towards the major urban centre Nuremberg. Initial exploratory raids on the fortifications had taken surprising losses, and so the army had opted to just bomb the hell out of the building for a week, before trying again. These attacks had made better work of the defences, but it still took another week before the last SS troops had fallen or retreated from the ruined structure. In the last days of the siege, news crews had been invited to film the anticipated Holy Roman victory, and so the moment of government triumph was captured on film, sure to become a major propagandal victory.

Afterwards, when the fort was confirmed cleared, Holy Roman soldiers began to sweep the surrounding fields. Intelligence believed that the Germans had retreated from the area, and so news crews had decided to catch a few interviews with soldiers as they patrolled.

Hello, I’m Kurt Wagenführ, speaking from the aftermath of the Battle of Festung Roth, where, as you saw, Holy Roman troops have successfully taken another fortress from the damned Ultra Nationals. Speaking to me now is Oberleutnant Albert Rudel, who was one of the men behind this victory. Tell us, Herr Rudel, how d’you expect the coming battle for Nuremberg will go?
 * in German

“Well Herr Wagenführ, from a military viewpoint I have to say the situation remains uncertain. The Germans purportedly have a few divisions they’ve been saving for a time like this. From my own opinion though, I’ll say I feel more than confident our men will be able to handle the next few weeks of battle-“

shouting, commotion, in the background

Is-is something wrong?

“What’s going on? What’s the matter?”

''Rudel moves away from the camera, walking away across the field to where a group of men is huddled around something. Wagenführ turns to the camera and quietly signals to follow''

“My god, what on Earth?!”

''closer now, men can be seen backing away from the hole, shaking their heads. Several men are crossing themselves. Someone throws up''

What’s wrong? Something in the hole-?

“I can’t allow the camera to come any closer.”

Oberleutnant Rudel steps in front of Wagenführ curtly, blocking him off from the hole.

“I’m afraid this interview is over. We shall have to take your camera I’m afraid.”

No, you can’t do that. What’s in the hole? hey!”

''soldiers step forward to grab Wagenführ, who shoves them away. One of the soldiers stumbles into the camera, which topples over and into the mysterious pit.''

''There is shouting from above, but anyone watching wouldn’t be concerned with that. They’d be much more focused on the face staring with glassy hollow eyes back at the camera. An infant’s face, dirty and just beginning to rot, but unmistakably a child.''

There are more bodies in the background