Recruiting Sergeants

= Background =

With many versions, usually changing the material to suit the viewpoint of a given faction in a variety of conflicts, the origin of "Recruiting Sergeants" ultimately traces to the aftermath of the Battle of Tortuga where hastily-mustered forces under Lawrence Islo were defeated in heavy fighting against the Crimson Armada. Both pilots and ground forces were recruited from across a variety of otherwise neutral skylands, the single largest being the "Blue Furys" of New Hovlund. The entire five-hundred-man unit was lost in vicious house-to-house combat over a period of several days, refusing to leave their position even when the defenders to either flank had already been routed or pounded into submission by Admiral Fuseli's heavy artillery.

= Lyrics =

Two recruiting sergeants, came from the Azure League

To the town of New Hovlund, to serve the Azure need

Five hundred enlisted, for weekly pay and feed...

"Enlist, you New Hovlanders, and come follow me."

They crossed the tossing oceans in a modern caravel

And when they hit Tortuga, they entered into hell

While fighting up the skyland, the first of them fell...

"Enlist, you New Hovlanders, and come follow me."

So it's over the mountain and over the sea

Come brave New Hovlanders, and join the Azure League

We'll fight the foe at Islo, and up at Angels Three

Enlist, you New Hovlanders, and come follow me.

The call came from the radio, "Here comes the Fuseli,

We've got to hold position, we'll hold it or we'll die."

At roll call next morning, just a handful survived...

"Enlist, you New Hovlanders, and come follow me."

So it's over the mountain and over the sea

Come brave New Hovlanders, and join the Azure League

We'll fight the foe at Islo, and up at Angels Three

Enlist, you New Hovlanders, and come follow me.

The New Hovlund families still cry for the day

The youth of their skyland went sailing away

Five hundred men slaughtered, and still recruiters say...

"Enlist you New Hovlanders, and come follow me."

So it's over the mountain and over the sea

Come brave New Hovlanders, and join the Azure League

We'll fight the foe at Islo, and up at Angels Three

Enlist, you New Hovlanders, and come follow me...

So it's over the mountain and over the sea

Come brave New Hovlanders, and join the Azure League

We'll fight the foe at Islo, and up at Angels Three

Enlist, you New Hovlanders, and come follow me...

Enlist, you New Hovlanders, and come follow me...

= Real World =

The song is actually in remembrance of World War One and the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, which was virtually wiped out at the Battle of the Somme in an assault against the German trenches on July 1, 1916. It can be heard on YouTube, performed by "Great Big Sea", at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knxR-Q2VoBE&feature=channel_page.

"It was a magnificent display of trained and disciplined valour, and its assault only failed of success because dead men can advance no further."

--- Major-General Sir Beauvoir de Lisle (commander, British 29th Division)