Cry of Darian

An age of blood and bronze

When the winds had died down in the mountain pass, Darian summoned his troops to his side. Twelve hundred men. He knew not their names, nor their heritage, but he knew one thing. If he failed, all of them would die.

— Liu Juyi, Darian's Cry

Darian's Cry is a famous speech given by the Sage of Lightning, Darian, before the Battle of the Scarlet Pass. With most of his old guard decimated by the previous defeat at the Salt Plains, he was left with a hodgepodge of troops, all relatively inexperienced. The speeches had a profound psychological impact, and motivated each and every soldier to do his duty.

Document Structure

Clauses

The

Historical Details

Background

Commander Darian replaced Commander Ryn as the commander of all Salt Range Ground-Air Forces immediately prior to the capture of Linsent by Sage-Archer Nora's forces. However, by then, the forces of the Salt Range were decimated, and it was all he could do to wage a desperate guerrilla campaign against the allied advance.
However, after the capture of Linsent, Darian no longer had pesky politicians preventing him from attacking. Instead, he was to guard the passage of the fleeing birds of the capital, and he was able to mass his troops for a final battle.
Before marching on Widwrat Commandery, he needed to motivate his fatigued and demoralized guerrillas for an open battle against well-trained forces. He linked up with Ryn, who had now proven her own brunt in combat as a lower-level tactical commander. Together, they rung the bronze gong of the Scarlet Fortress, guarding the Scarlet Pass, summoning their troops.

Public Reaction

Ryn was, I mean, OK, but you gotta know, Darian is where it's at! He's the biggest, baddest commander I ever saw!

— Unnamed Soldier

The speech was very well received by the Salt Range troops, with an incalculable morale-boosting effect. It was credited by both Ryn and Nora to be one of the greatest factors determining the outcome of the Battle of the Scarlet Pass, which Darian won decisively.

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Cry of Darian

[gong ringing, flutter of wings]
Soldiers, attention!
This may be the first time that you've left your farm, the first time you've seen so many Halorin in one place. This may be the tenth, or hundredth. But I know you're all scared. Whoever says they aren't is a liar, pure and simple. It may seem like we haven't had one victory in months. It may seem hopeless.
But there's something else burning in your heart. You might not know it, but that's called hope. We are still all of the same race. We may not have been born on the same day, or the same year, or in the same place. That's Kali's will. What we can control is our actions. We can die on the same day, in the same place. We all must die, so let us die bravely! Let us die free, in defense of our homeland instead of in chains...
Let whoever who thinks himself too highly to die in my company, in the company of his countrymen, let him leave! Some lament that they were born in such a time, when they have a reason to live! "Born too early to explore the world, but too late to found a village." I call BS on that, too. I am proud to be born in a time, when my country needs my aid! I am proud to be born in an age of blood and bronze: an age where the common soldier matters!
Let every man assume his station bravely, and fight bravely for his country. Some fear they'll fail: I promise you, you are shedding the blood of the invaders who seek to enslave and slaughter me. You will succeed. As long as we do live, Linsent has hope yet! The Fatherland or the Grave!

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Type

Manuscript, Historical

Medium

Oral Tradition / Word of Mouth

Location

Scarlet Pass Fortress

Authors

• Darian, Sage of Lightning