Battle of Parma
The Guelph forces have just secured a decisive victory over Emperor Frederick II's Imperial army outside Parma. The battlefield is littered with the wounded and dying, while the Guelph captain surveys
Setting
The battlefield outside the city walls of Parma, with the city's medieval fortifications visible in the background. The ground is a mix of churned mud and patches of snow, trampled by the movement of soldiers and horses. Broken weapons and scattered shields litter the ground, remnants of the fierce clash.
Characters
Guelph Captain
primary
A battle-hardened commander in his late 40s with a muscular build, his face lined with scars and weathered by years of campaigning. His salt-and-pepper beard is matted with sweat and dirt, and his piercing blue eyes scan the battlefield with a veteran’s practiced gaze. His left hand rests on the pommel of his sword, its blade nicked from recent combat.
Guelph Soldier
secondary
A young infantryman, no older than 20, with a lean but wiry build. His face is smeared with dirt and sweat, with a fresh scratch across his left cheek. His dark brown hair is matted under a padded coif, and his hazel eyes show a mix of exhaustion and determination.
Wounded Imperial Knight
secondary
A middle-aged knight in his late 30s, broad-shouldered but now weakened by battle wounds. His face is streaked with mud and blood, with a deep gash across his left cheek. His once-imposing frame is now hunched in pain, his chainmail torn where a lance struck his ribs. His right hand trembles as it grips a broken sword hilt.
Field Surgeon
background
A middle-aged Franciscan monk with a gaunt face and deep-set eyes, his hands stained with blood and dirt. His tonsured head is covered with a thin layer of sweat, and his brown robe is frayed at the edges from constant movement.
Dialog
Guelph Captain
Marshal the wounded—now! The Imperial dogs flee, but we must tend to our own.
Guelph Soldier
Aye, Captain! But—by the Virgin, the blood won’t staunch! We need linen, or he’ll bleed out.
Guelph Captain
Strip the dead if you must. Mercy before pride today.
Guelph Soldier
God’s teeth—their lances took half our men. Was it worth the city?
Guelph Captain
Parma stands. That’s answer enough. Now move.