![[circle-of-hell.png]] *Added to the Codex on* ***October 29th, 2024*** --- ### Quotes "No boy or girl shall e'er escape The Butchers of Bastogne."[^1] - Children's rhyme circa 1944 "Bastogne looked like the pits of hell itself."[^2] - Pvt. Michael Jenkins "Whatever devilry drove them could not be quelled until every last man facing us down fell."[^3] - Pvt. William S. Miller <br> ### Description The Circle of Hell was a decisive battle that saw a legion of mysterious soldiers rescue Allied troops in Bastogne, Belgium in 1944. At the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne during World War II, American troops received word that an assault on their position was imminent and that they were to hold the line. In their care was classified cargo and they were to assist a special unit that would be joining them in their defense. The [[Covenant of Fire]] arrived at night with deep cold and thick fog, silently taking the battlefield and looming like ghosts. Those brave enough to peek underneath their macabre masks would be rewarded with a vision of disfigured, burnt flesh. Due to the sheer brutality these soldiers showed in their assault, the Americans dubbed them "The Butchers of Bastogne." Their relentless carnage changed the tide of battle and the Americans somehow lived through the Circle of Hell. While the American troops celebrated the victory, the Covenant set to work on their true task. The classified cargo belonged to [[Sulis]], the organization responsible for [[The Firestorm Project|Project: Firestorm]]. These soldiers were the survivors of Firestorm, unquestioningly loyal to Sulis and their mission. The Covenant was successful in their to bury the secrets hidden within that cargo. One day, when the time was right, their descendants would return to reignite Sulis' project again. [^1]: The full children's rhyme is in the [[Beware the Butchers|"Beware the Butchers"]] player card. [^2]: From an [[The Unsent Letter|unsent letter]] from Pvt. Jenkins to his brother. [^3]: Taken from Pvt. Miller's account of the Butchers in the [[Haunted Disbelief|"Haunted Disbelief"]] player card.