December 21st, 1587 - Stuttgart, Holy Roman Empire Abnormal Beans are Beans with exceptionally enhanced abilities far exceeding that of drone Beans. There are currently only two known species of abnormal beans, both of which have exceedingly large fatality counts, though the existence of an abnormal Crimson Bean is likely.

Sauer leaned back in his chair and sighed, placing his quill on the table. The sun was setting behind Stuttgart’s walls out of the small window of his sleeping quarters. He had spent his whole day inside again, and he was getting tired of it. He closed his eyes and let himself relax for a moment.

After their night in Besançon, Bösch had sent a messenger ahead with a detailed report of the Bean attack. As they rode farther east, the towns and cities became more and more inhabited; far too quickly, in Bösch’s opinion.

The remnants of Bösch’s company arrived in Stuttgart on November 14th, six days after escaping Dijon, to find the gates to the city closed, armed soldiers patrolling the eight meter tall walls. That evening, Captain Bösch met with an old friend, General Krüger. Krüger had received Bösch’s report and took the warning seriously. The same report had been sent to the Holy Roman Emperor, who would begin preparing a plan to fight the Beans.

The name Bean had stuck. Being used in the report read by both General Krüger and the Emperor himself, as well as in the further explanation of events by Bösch to Krüger, the beings threatening the Empire were officially dubbed Beans. To the people who had not encountered the Beans, the name was confusing and slightly comedic. To Sauer, it was embarrassing.

He had chosen the name as a joke, trying to ease the tension on what he assumed was his last day alive. If he had thought the name out thoroughly, he would have chosen something more interesting and scientifically accurate. Instead, they were fighting Beans.

Bösch remained in Stuttgart, governing the city while General Krüger met with the Emperor and other high ranking officers and military strategists in Nuremberg to discuss how best to move forward. In the meantime, Schmidt, Rob, and some of the other surviving soldiers from Bösch’s company volunteered to be sent back west to establish a defence against the Beans with Lieutenant Kaplan in Besançon.

Before leaving Stuttgart, General Krüger gathered doctors and scholars to begin studying the Beans. Their job would be to find out how to kill them and develop strategies for the Empire's army to use in battle. Sauer and Reist had been forcibly volunteered by Krüger, spending the past two weeks poring over reports, trying to piece together how to kill the Beans.

He had tried to avoid thinking about what happened in Dijon, keeping his mind occupied with his work, but he could not stop himself. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see the lifeless bodies of the soldiers and civilians, Wagner among them, sailing through the air after the massive Bean creature destroyed Dijon’s wall. He could see Gladisch falling to the Beans, Sauer being unable to do anything to help her. He could see Jakob’s body being shredded into nothing, leaving behind an unrecognizable pile of flesh behind. He could smell the blood, hear the screams, feel the fear, as though it were still happening.

He brought his mind back to the report he just read, trying to find some advantage against the Beans. Something… anything that could help the Empire. Anything to take his mind off Dijon.

He swallowed, opening his eyes and glancing at the large map of western Europe hanging over the smouldering fireplace opposite the window. A series of pins placed throughout the Kingdom of France led from north to south, signifying the locations of confirmed Bean attacks. There were three different colors of pins, each signifying a different type of Bean.

In the north there were reports of white Beans with tough shells able to deflect bullets, dubbed Ashen Beans. In central France, reports changed to those of the dark red Beans that attacked Dijon, dubbed Crimson Beans. In the south, reports described green Beans that were much more agile than the other types, dubbed Verdant Beans.

A second series of black pins to the east of the Bean pins signified Empire encampments established to monitor the movements of the Beans. They had not advanced since their attack on November 8th, and there had been no further sightings since, even though many of the Empire camps were less than a day’s walk from where the Beans had attacked.

Sauer rubbed his eyes. The sun outside had set, casting the room in the flickering shadows of three lit candles. One belonged to Reist, who was reading a report from the only survivor from Tournus, a French civilian. She and Sauer had talked much more during their time in Stuttgart, though every time she spoke her voice was soft, almost sad. She had not mentioned the man she had watched die outside of Dijon, and Sauer had not asked.

The other two candles belonged to Leon Schubert, a volunteer scholar who had joined them a week earlier. He was chosen by Bösch for his detailed background in animals, assuming it could be useful in finding a weakness in the Beans.

“Schubert,” Sauer said. “May I have one of your candles?”

“Of course, Thomas my boy!” Schubert shouted, standing up quickly. “Anything for my dearest of friends, a survivor of Dijon! It amazes me that someone with your abilities is in the same room as me. Asking for one of my candles, no less!”

“I survived Dijon, too,” Reist said.

“I know, silly, but you won’t tell me what happened!” Schubert held a candle out to Sauer. “Take it, my boy! It would be an honor! A survivor of Dijon, an eyewitness to the monstrous Beans! I would have fallen dead with fright if I had seen one of those hideous creatures, I would! Truly a man strong in both body and mind, you are!”

Sauer sighed, taking the candle. “Thank you, Schubert.”

“Call me Leon, my boy!”

“You do realize I am older than you, right? There is no need to call me your boy. Please, call me Sauer.”

“I know, but I must decline!” Schubert took a deep breath.

Reist sighed softly, gathering her papers and standing up. “You’ve done it now, Thomas. I’ll be in the hall, come get me when he tires himself out.”

“And Reist, you should call me Sauer—”

Schubert cut him off as Reist closed the door. “Were you not the brilliant mind who decided to call those dastardly creatures Beans? How ever did you come up with such a name? Please, tell me, Thomas my boy!”

“We have been over this before, Schubert.” Sauer returned to his desk, placing the candle next to his stack of reports. “Many times, in fact. I should return to my work, and you should too. We do not have time to waste telling idle stories.”

“Oh, just tell me again! I love the way you tell stories, I really do! You wouldn’t want me to beg, would you? I’ll beg, you know.” Schubert began to get on his knees.

“Oh my God. Schubert, get up. Why—”

“See, I knew it! A true friend like you wouldn’t make me beg to hear a story!”

“Why do—”

“The story, my boy! Start it!”