Fantasy Swords Over Stalingrad

[Incognito]

Swords Over Stalingrad

Detailed - Swords Over Stalingrad

Hello - This is an idea I've been kicking around in my head for a month; it started as a 'what if WWII didn't have guns' question and morphed into something a lot deeper. I've written some short stories in my off time, but I wanted to get a feel for how others might engage with this world, or if it was even appealing to a general audience. I realize its a stark departure from the typical role-play set up, but I think thats what makes it exciting to me. If you're interested let me know, and if there is enough expressed interest I'll see about making it into a proper thread.

History

A New Type of War

At the start of WWI the world was in the midst of perfecting what would become the single most deadly weapon in history; the modern firearm. Faster, more accurate, and more reliable, this new wave of weapons development would plunge the world into costs of war hitherto unprecedented. In 1918, at the end of the Great War the major powers set out to solve this problem. Every nation knows that the new super weapon is not a bomb, but a gun.


January 30th, 1933; Hitler is elected Chancellor of Germany and sets about repairing the broken nation. Science has become the new weapon, and Hitler is more than aware of this fact. Huge funds are shifted, and development of scientific knowledge is made a top priority. August 12, 1938; the German military mobilizes. The former Allied powers feel increased pressure, but a new breakthrough by British scientists has confidence soaring. The technology is shared with Britain's allies in France, and Australia.


September 1st, 1939; the Nazi war machine invades Poland. Two days later, Britain, France, Australia, and New Zealand declare war on Germany. The allied forces prepare to deploy their newest weapon in an attempt to halt the war before it can ever truly begin. November 8th, 1939; The assassination attempt on Hitler fails. The allies seize the moment and deploy their weapon. Mass bombings of Hitler’s forces begin – The new bombs render all gunpowder inert within a wide area. The allied forces are confident this will lead to the cessation of hostilities.

November 12rd, Hitler makes a public statement admonishing the allies’ attempted assassination, calling them “…cowards who would strike from the shadows instead of fighting with honor.” April 9th, 1940; a newly outfitted Nazi invasion force attacks and takes Denmark and Norway. They deploy their own gunpowder neutralizing weaponry and take the city by sword and axe. Hitler has been preparing for this and the Nazi forces are highly trained in medieval combat. The bloody massacre comes to be known as “The Denmark Execution.” April 13th; reacting to the change in tactics, the British army begins a mass overhaul of their standing armies. Factories now produce swords and chainmail. Museums are raided for equipment – nothing is overlooked.


May 4th; As invasion becomes more and more likely, France scrambles to retrofit its armies with any weapon not dependent on gunpowder. June 3rd; Germany bombs Paris using a new, more effective version of the Allies’ secret weapon. Any gun-powdered dependent weaponry remaining in the city is rendered useless. June 14th; Nazi forces enter Paris and slaughter the standing, ill trained and ill equipped French forces. The world is shocked.

Your Story

November, 19th, 1942; the Soviet counter-offensive at Stalingrad begins. You are one of the soldiers fighting in this battle. Your chief concern is survival. The engagement over the city of Stalingrad will become the bloodiest, most costly battles in the modern history of warfare. The sword-based combat means that in five months the USSR will suffer 1,830,618 casualties with only 227,764 wounded. The crumbling city makes organized engagements nearly impossible; most fighting is smaller battalions killing each other in skirmishes, but the ever-present threat of the Nazi's crossbows looms over you.

Sample

I thought it might help if people had a sample of some of my short story - just so they could get a feel for the idea in general and how the world might look on paper. Below is a sample; enjoy.

Petrovik's Tale

Petrovik rubbed his hands together, warming his number fingers as he sat on a flat piece of rubble. Vediet was next to him, sharpening his bayonet, grunting with satisfaction after every few strokes.


“I think its sharp enough.” Petrovik spoke, with a sidelong glance.


Vediet was a large man, enough that he stood out on the field when compared to the average conscript. He looked at Petrovik with a grin, and the large, unruly handlebar mustache, which had once been finely trimmed, hung like a wet dog over his upper lip. “It can never be too sharp.”


Petrovik cast his eyes out to the square, where only an hour before they had engaged the enemy. There, bodies were still strewn chaotically about; the black armor of the fascists was like oil slicks on the ground. Petrovik could see more brown than black though; the brown drab of the standard issue rags the soviet troops wore. It cost them three men for ever Nazi they killed, and those were considered good odds. He frowned.


“Why does the sight of victory make you frown?” Vediet slapped his friend on the back, giving him an encouraging smile. “You are here, they are not. It was a good day.”


Petrovik smiled and nodded. Vediet was right, but the feeling in his stomach would not go away. Petrovik had long convinced himself he would never see outside the walls of Stalingrad, but even acceptance, as bitter a pill as it was, could not fortify his heart against this violence. Petrovik clutched his rifle, the amalgamation of wood and metal that was now only as valuable as the bayonet at its tip; a blade that still had blood crusted in its grooves.


Vediet finally stopped sharpening and stood. The brickwork rubble crunched under his feet as he went to the window and peered out into the square, “I still recognize it. The blood has only highlighted what made it great.” Several of the other conscripts watched Vediet carefully – there were sixty-two of them now, from a battalion that numbered more than twice that only four days prior. No one spoke much anymore.


On the stairs came the sound of Commissar Gregor’s boots. He entered the first floor and paused, surveying the gathered force with a critical eye; one hand was always kept on the glimmering saber’s hilt at his side. He cleared his throat and spoke in an authoritarian tone. “I have received word that we are to press forwards to the factory entrance as part of the next charge! The charge will be supported by soviet steel, a KV-1, and we will slaughter all that stand in our way. Prepare for the signal, and follow me!”


Several of the men groaned, but everyone reluctantly rose to their feet. There was no running from orders in Stalingrad. The banner carrier stood next to the Commissar, ready to hoist the red flag high. Petrovik tried to calm his shaking hands.

 

[Unrlstic]

this.is.beautiful

 

[GrottyStatute74]

I like the idea.... Definetly up for it.


As the person before me said:

this.is.beautiful

 

[Incognito]

this.is.beautiful

I like the idea.... Definetly up for it.
As the person before me said:

Thanks to the both of you. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[Goaty Love]

I'm intrigued

 

[FloatingAroundSpace]

I'm intrigued!

 

[Incognito]

Main post is up on the forum. The Character-sheets aren't done yet, but they will be soon. In the mean time I've included a Q&A section under the OOC section of the main post, so feel free to ask any questions you have there!

 

[Goaty Love]

Link please?

 

[DaManofWar]

maybe,,,,,

 

[Incognito]

Detailed - Swords Over Stalingrad[/URL]