seannie

Industry Manifest 1890, The Foundries of Charolles, Duchy of Charolais 1st of Jamedi, Fourth Era, 1890. 1890, a new year, a new decade. The cogs of industry spin faster than ever before, unbothered by any of the developments occurring throughout the world. As a matter of fact, it’s almost as if nations are driving forth to claim their spot under the sun even more than before. Favor fortunes the bold, supposedly. An uneasy peace reigns throughout the Continent still, the effects of the Resource Wars having taken its toll - no nations, as of yet, are capable enough of waging total war. They must first contend with routes of expansion, of all things pertaining to their nations - industry, land, manpower, fleets. The western shores seem like a viable escape from the plights of the Continent, but with new shores, brings new peoples. The further navigators explore these new micro continents, the more the understanding of the world gets warped - one thing is for certain, however, the new world has yet been exploited and ravaged to the same extent as the Continent. Prime real estate for any aspiring colonial Empire. Most importantly, the complete disappearance of the Order of Hieoromars has begun to take its toll, as the fabrics of reality begin to warp and bend. Things that should be, are not, and things that not, are. May Hieoromar protect the worthy, for it seems the world itself is turning against its denizens. International Events and News Newspaper across the Continent print out the following in the boldest text possible; --- “IT’S GRAND RACING TIME!” That’s right people, it's been long overdue, four years since the last Championship, so here we are again. Q1 of 1890 will be the deciding part of the year where the nomination committee comes to a conclusion on which nation will be granted the honor of hosting our 18th Championship Race. The committee is expected to take the better part of the year facilitating a new circuit, while the race proper occurs in the later half of the year - so here’s to hoping that it won’t be held in a cold northern region like last time! Grand Races, the world’s most favorite pastime. Not even wars stop nations from sending a team of dedicate Granship pilots and engineers to represent them at the circuits. Nations interested in reaping the rewards of hosting a Championship may now begin their biddings. Be quick, because the race will be held in Q4 later this year. Will be making a public discord channel for nominations. --- “NOYANS TO HOLD KURALTAI!” Following the death of the first Great Khan, the Noyans have reportedly gathered at their capitals to elect a new Khan worthy of leading the horde to dominate all under the heavens. Whatever happens, best of luck to those stuck living in the wastelands still. --- “SKIRMISHES ON THE VARYN RIVER!” In another bout of unsurprising news, the Republic of Velka and the Kingdom of Varnyn have reengaged themselves in ground skirmishes once more - near Lake Antar. However, the cyclical affair was almost broken by a shocking development by the Varnynan Royal Guards, who, in their newly deployed personal Body Armor Combat System, managed to breach the river fortifications, before being forced back by the reckless Velkan decision to issue danger-close artillery strikes on the affected trenches. The Empire of Reismark has refused to commit to any military actions so far. --- “THE PONTIFEX MAXIMUS EXPRESSES DESIRE TO ISSUE PASTORAL VISIT TO BANTU BASEZULWINI!” During a public sermon, High Pontiff Hieoromar LXXX of the Church of Hieoromar has made a public announcement at the Mausoleum of Hieoromar, expressing a desire to hold a pastoral visit to the Bantu People. Why this wasn’t done through the formal channels of diplomacy, only the Holy See knows. Critics theorize that the Kingdom’s close proximity to the Holy See, and by extension, the Mausoleum, has led to such interests in the Bantu realm as of late - to ensure they stay within acceptable religious lines. Further claims detail that this may only be the first of many pastoral visits to nations throughout the world, to further affirms Hieoromars’s place among the common people. --- “EXPANSION, EXPANSION, EXPANSION!” National forces throughout the world seem hellbent on claiming more of the pie for themselves! We’ve got reports of a Sarronian Expansion in the westerly deserts, along with the Aurigan Principalities in the northern reaches. Both nation’s official statement is that they’re reclaiming their traditional territories that have gone into misuse as a result of the Resource Wars. Larger Scale Political Map The Acadian Consulate Stuck between a rock and hard place - such is the informal idiom giving to the Consulate's precarious geopolitical position between the two feuding Empires of Sechsia and Sarradon. However, the rapid militarization of the nation under the First Consul, Eden Roucayrol may just be the factor that could tilt the balance to favor Acadia’s side. And despite such authoritarian chafing, a Draker center of commerce has settled itself within Lucerne in the past 20 years of the late President’s tenure, bringing the occasional sky beast bounty to be processed and sold to Acadian merchants - avoiding most military investigations by greasing the palms of the inspectors, both figuratively and literally with the fat of drakes. [5,000c per turn in profits from the Draker commercial stronghold] POI: Biological Research Facility, Installation 0004 Burrowed deep within thick boreal forestry, Installation 0004 has long been fearfully shunned by the local Acadian inhabitants, a source of superstitions taught to children to keep them away from the forest, and the dangers of the wildlife that lurks within - until now. Following the dawn of the morning sun, the nearby homesteads were shockingly found to have been devastated, their inhabitants ripped apart and strewn all over as if a pack of wild beasts had torn through. However, just like the careless wild beasts they are presumed to be, their tracks were just as easily traced back to their origin thanks to the work of the local law enforcement - Installation 0004. Work must be done to fully uncover what has happened within these halls. Event: The Bombing of the Lucerne Aeroport With the increasing intensity of discrimination against those of far right affiliations following the assassination of President Dessaint, much of the pressure initially placed upon those of leftist revolutionary ideals was temporarily loosened. Underground movements, in opposition of the once Royalist, now dead President, flourished for a brief moment, before the Premier-Consul’s own brutal reign commenced. However, that gap in time was enough for a radical association of freedom fighters to organize and supply themselves. At 14:27, 1st of Jamedi, 1890, by Hieoromic standard, an explosion shudders throughout the Capital of Acadia, Lucerne. Even as far as the old Royal Palace, could one see the plumes of smoke rising from the direction of the City’s Aeroport. As it is known, an attack on the civilian sector of the aeroport commenced the ordeal, as what were thought to be civilians passengers, turned out to be armed insurgents as they donned their equipment. Pledging their allegiance to the dying ideals of revolutionary liberty, and expressing a desire to assassinate the Premier-Consul, the terrorists began their operation, attempting the hijacking of several civilian ships transiting passengers. However, their ineptitude is quickly apparent, as an exchange in gunfire from the nearby garrison of federal infantry within the aeroport eliminates a good many of them - not before a fatal mistake occurs. While attempting to throw a grenade at the engaging police, an insurgent is unfortunately struck dead with the explosive primed, which then promptly detonates, setting off a catastrophic explosion. The grenade had slipped loose beside a refueling freighter, causing a cascade of ignitions that would ultimately lead to the vessel’s vitriol-reactor undergoing an immediate supercritical meltdown that promptly obliterated its surroundings as it fulminated. In the ensuing chaos, the remaining insurgents flee into an air liner bound for the New World, though find its reactor disabled, preventing any lift, thanks to the quick thinking of the chief stoker of the vessel. Now, a recuperated response encircles the vessel entirely, though hold-off on commencing any assault on a ship laden with civilian hostages as fires rage around the aeroport. They await word from the Capital. The Bound Constellation From above and beneath, unknown and unseen, forces threaten the fabric of reality - the Elders have only begun to grasp at its magnitude. The Hieoromars have long manipulated the histories of the world, twisting the truths to satisfy their needs, but perhaps such deeds were done with the best in mind for its inhabitants - perhaps the Adjudicator had knowledge so forbidden that it forced him to seal the entirety of the planet away from the stars. With the Progenitor dead, and his descendants gone, the mystery of the world, the universe, is left to the Heart Within to discover now. POI: THE GATEWAY On the slopes of Mount Achlys lies a great gate, large enough to fit a dreadnought and neither First Men, or Hieoromic in origin. By going through the layers of ash which once entombed the gate, archeological findings even propose a notion that its age may be older than that of the First Era. Regardless of its make, no efforts have managed to unseal the gate - it seems that no conventional equipment is capable of making any dent. For now, it remains unchanging, continuing its play against the tides of time. Event: Uncovering the Mystery No doubt, such a cult of esoteric truth seekers salivate over the potential of unlocking the secrets of the Gateway - an unsolved mystery beneath their very feet. Whether or not they should truly discover the truth behind the Gate, is a topic for another day. The only lead is a hole within the center of the gate, the size of a man’s arm in diameter, which is presumed to be the access point for a key, or a power generator of sorts. The Constellation has so far been able to track down a potential match, but have found an immediate complication in their operation. The Great Khan of Tann, who has since passed away, had in his possession a relic of the same proportions as the hole on Mount Achlys. However, the relic is now in the collective possession of his descendants, who are embroiled in the Kuraltai, the election of the next Great Khan who will lead the fleets to conquer the land under the heavens. The Eastern Katsumore Clan "A flower falls, even though we love it; The forest shudders with the breeze, as if nature was in anticipation, fearful of the spilling of more brotherly blood. Perhaps enough was already split - ever since Takahasi and Inouye slew each other in honorable duel five years ago, the forests have been at peace. No matter the context for peace, it still was peace. Now divided by the Asahi River, the two Clans contend with themselves, perhaps fate shall bring them together once more through fire and peace, or perhaps the allure of worldly affairs will draw them further apart. POI: The Eastern Tree of Life Far above the canopies of most trees, one stands above all. The Eastern Tree of Life is parallel growth on equal to its Western counterpart - no other in the world come close to these twin behemoths. The City of Shinseina, the Capital of the East, is easily covered in shade throughout the entirety of all seasons, the tree’s immense canopy spreading far. Though, quite apparent to any rational thinker, the tree is not of a natural make, for at its roots lies the remnants of an ancient facility, perhaps even First Era in origin. Only recently has an entrance been discovered in Shinseina, as the shifting of its roots unfortunately demolishes a small neighborhood in the City. POI: The Northern Citadel Long before Hieoromar arrived on this planet, when apocalyptic wars were waged between the First Men, defensive installations had to be built to withstand stellar devastation. The Northern Citadel is one of those installations. For supposedly ten thousand years, this Citadel has stood the absolute test of time, remaining strong in its build - only covered by the occasional flurry of moss and weeds, only to be cleared away by the next batch of inhabitants. Now fully under Katsumore control, the Citadel is a bulwark of defense against any desert-borne intruders, while also providing a chokepoint for most airships, as the surrounding mountain range rises high enough in altitude to prevent easy flight over. [1 free Ancient Citadel] Event: Attack of the Sky Beasts Just like its brother to the west, the eastern Daichi are also plagued by the sudden arrival of sky beasts, numbering in the hundreds, maybe thousands, each of them varying in sizes and tenacity. Fortunately for the Clan of the East, the Archduchy of Tyrel has also been swarmed by such creatures, and have promised their aerial support to fight back the sky beasts. A detachment of independent Drakers has also arrived, eager to get into the thick of it. The Western Katsumore Clan ...and a weed grows, even though we do not love it.” Sagara-Moto Katsumore Descendant of the Dragon Emperor, Takeya Katsumore claims his ancestry, and retains the title of Emperor, of all Daichi, even if it places him at odds with the eastern half of his peoples. Do delusions of grandeur reign in the Dragon Palace, or will these ambitions be successfully fulfilled? POI: The Western Tree of Life Just as the Sacred Tree of the East basks the City of Shinseina in its shade, the Sacred Tree of the West is no different in its hospitality of the City of Miotari - representing the commonality between the divided Daichi. However, nothing has appeared out of the ordinary for this vast fauna, as it remains blissfully unchanged. Event: Attack of the Sky Beasts Without warning, the northern hinterlands of the Daichi are under attack by uncharacteristically hostile hordes of sky beasts, which have swarmed over the initial defenses and commercial airlines, before being stopped by the national navy of the Katsumore Clans. Sensing the potential for a good hunt, many drakers from nearby have begun congregating to the Sacred Forests, hoping to make some good money. Many questions now need answers, but the fact still stands that the threat hasn’t been fully neutralized - the situation is in Emperor Takeya’s hands now. The Duché de Charolais A land of industry - the realm of Charalais is one of the most developed in the known world, its smoke plumes rise high above, replacing the white clouds with their own dark soot. Left to their own device in a relatively stable part of the world, and enjoying exclusive trade with the Naresian League, the Duchy has been set free to decide whatever destiny lies ahead - for better or worse. POI: The Grand Bridge Heading westward is the Grand Bridge, once an ancient wonder of the world for its impressive ability to straddle a strait of ocean - though surprisingly in comparison to the rest of its counterparts, not even this First Era construction was able to withstand the ocean’s tides. The center of the bridge had long collapsed into the waves below, separating both ends from each other by several kilometers. Several companies have begun to petition the Duke’s government for contracts allowing them to restore the bridge to capacity. POI: Mines of Charolais Eureka! What a wondrous day for the Duchy of Charolais. With the ever increasing demand of industrialization, the need for the extraction of resources to fuel Charolles’ foundries grows ever more. In such a bid, the Duchy has established several mines to exploit natural resources across their realm. One of these, later popularly dubbed the ‘Mines of Charolais’, had struck a vein rich in Vitriol. [+2 production of Vitriol Trade Resource] Event: Pirates in the East Several settlements across the eastern border have begun reporting the increasing sight of Sky Pirates once again. A combination of local border forces and bounty hunters have held them off for now, but such a sudden spike in hostile activity no doubt details the development of a popular rise of a pirate warlord capable of amassing a fleet of like minded brigands. The military has been requested for reinforcement and the nearby Naresian City of Al-Alad has sent special emissaries to Charolles to establish a joint effort against the pirates. The Holy Sechsian Empire Once the North’s foremost power, the war with Sarradon, and the subsequent revolutionary uprising and warlord era tore this country apart, rendering decades of advancements utterly useless. However, the era of extremist ideologies ushered in by the Blessed Regent has overturned much of the troubles plaguing the Empire and in just a short time since the civil war, looks poised to bring back retribution to its rival, the Sublime Sarradon. POI: The Wreck of the Centauri Deep within the eastern Sechsian hinterlands lies the wreck of an ancient vessel of the stars, dubbed the ‘Centauri’, after the immense lettering painted across its hull. Despite such an enticing site of exploration and mysteries, none have truly ever managed to get close to the wreck, as a horde of hostile automatons have made quick work of any curious enough to try - even by air. A remnant nexus is most likely nestled deep within the ruins of this enormous starship, controlling the eb and flow of the automatons. POI: Installation 0026 - Orbital Defense Installation 0026 is just one of the many, still relatively intact, First Era facilities throughout the world. It appears to be in working order, with what appear to be large howitzers pointed at the skies still, but remains entirely inactive, none of the button smashing causing anything to turn on. POI: Northern Reaches Spaceport Only two spaceports remain in the northernmost forests of the Continent, each of them long overgrown and in severe disrepair. Particularly, the spaceport situated within the Empire has had nature envelope it so much that the forests have made it their home. Built during the Age of Conflagration, these launch pads no doubt contributed to the destruction of the earth at the time. Some theorists even claim they could once again be operational, but the technological know-how is most definitely outside the current understanding of Seshsian technology. Event: Warlord of the East Though the Empire has been once united, by definition of its territories, it has yet dealt with the ostracization of a great many of its population. Namely, those who once pledged their allegiance to the General turned Warlord, Mikael Aralov. Now this pirate plagues the eastern Imperial borderlands, resolved to be as much as a pest possible, in a twisted act of revenge towards the central authority of the Empire. Eastern expansion has been halted for now, until the turncoat is dealt with. Protectorates of Contamrol In a land ravaged by temperamental weathers, the Contamrol eek out their living amidst the craters of the First Era. Traders stop here only for a short moment before having to make quick departures as ashstorms from Mount Achlys force most airships to be grounded. Perhaps it is in these barren lands that the Protectorates will establish themselves as a Continental Power, free of the meddling affairs of the outsiders. POI: The Domed City of the Waste Perhaps in opposition to the teachings of the Warders, deep within the Crater of Parlamann lies the pummeled ruins of a once great wonder - one of the First Cities established by the Starlords, a relic of the First Era that was designated for destruction by whichever forces at the time. While most of its underground halls are theorized to have been discovered, there are many segments left to uncover, requiring even more work to excavate. Event: Storm in the Wastelands Regardless of their personal beliefs and desires, the Craters of Contamrol are still the source of great contention for the powers that be - prized for its geopolitical positioning as the launching pad into further wasteland excursions. One of these powers, the Great Khan of Tann, had once been on the verge of commencing his subjugation of the Craters, but his death had cut short such ambitions. Now the Kuraltai convenes, and no matter who is elected, the successor will no doubt wish to resume the campaign against the Warders, for the conquest of the craters will no doubt be a legitimizing boon for the new Great Khan. The Crusader State of Jena Out of all the nations in the known world, the State of Jena is most likely to be the most attuned to the third dimension of psionic understanding. The constant exposure to all things Vitriol within the land of zealots has culminated in the Spiritus Sanctus Navis, the connection between man and his consciousness. This instrument of knowledge is left to the ambitions of Horatius’ descendants, and in an odd twist of faith, may even discover the secrets which the Order of Hieoromars kept from common knowledge. POI: Sky Beast Graveyard Deep within the Jenese Mountain lies an ancient burial ground of sky beasts - where for whatever reason, these aerial creatures congregate in their final days of life, and lay to rest for the last time. Draker airships congregate in this area by the dozen, paying out costly hunting contracts to the local government just to get a chance of hunting down a sky-beast on transit to their resting place. Though sometimes, a beast of immense proportions arrives, requesting even the attention of the national navy. [5000c generated per turn until otherwise] POI: The Citadel of the East The Peninsula of Jena is likely the most well defended geographical region in the known world, due to its unique formation of mountains allowing only one viable entry point by foot. It seems that the First Men themselves realized the worthiness of the peninsula, for within the mountain pass that connects it to the rest of the world, they have established a Citadel high upon the mountain slopes overlooking the passageway below. Like all that they build, the Citadel has held strong against the test of time, its moon-white stoneworks yet to have fallen into any ruin. [1 Free Ancient Citadel] POI: Installation 0030 - Orbital Defense The eternal wardens - Installation 0030 is just another one of the facilities built by the First Men, with the intention of planetary defense, no doubt. It’s ancient howitzers remain pointed high towards the skies, in frozen anticipation of the days the stars erupt in warfare. Whatever was of use within its bunkers, have long been pilfered - though it is rumored that their activation sequences are untouched, and may be activated when the time comes. POI: Installation 0076 - Weather Station A quaint little facility in the middle of the peninsular wastes, this Weather Station supposedly once controlled the eb and flow of the wasteland’s winds, whenever it was operational anyway. Now it serves as a comfortable waypoint for Sky Couriers delivering mail and packages across the realm and beyond. Event: The Behemothaur - Tyrant of the Skies Just as rumoured, an ancient and venerable beast of the skies has made its appearance near the graves of its kind. So large in size that it was first recorded for its magnitude in the north of the continent, by researchers of the Aurigan Principalities - it seems that the Janase Peninsula is in its migratory path. However, Drakers in their lust for gold, had engaged the behemoth of a sky beast, their airships being promptly swatted against the side of the nearby mountains before entering into a frenzied rage in the Crusader State. Bantu baseZulwini The Masters of Trade, the Bantu Peoples, the Kingdom of the Heavens - their prowess equals even that of the Naresian Traders of the West. Situated at the end of the trans-continental trading routes, the Kingdom will no doubt reap the rewards of the global market. POI: The Domed City of the South A rare sight to behold, a centralized metropolis of the First Era - though partially ruined, most of its sister cities have been utterly obliterated, save for this one. The Bantu have long inhabited its streets and high buildings, living out comfortable lives under its dome, but the city remains in disrepair still - basic infrastructure remains obsolete, much of its halls remain uncovered, and the rest of the Bantu regard the city in fearful superstitions, believing it to be a City of the Dead. Some work must be done by the central government before this wonder is rebuilt to its former glory, if at all possible. [Build 1 City at the cost of 1 Admin Point] POI: The Underway Upon the southern shores of the bay in which the Kingdom presides lies the entrance to the underworld. Or perhaps not. It seems that it is simply a tunnel that crosses under the mouth of the bay, and exits out onto the other northern side. While First Era in make, nothing seems out of the ordinary, other than the fact that no construction project comes even close to it in scale and magnitude - save perhaps the nearby Mausoleum of Hieoromar the Abjudicator. POI: The Great Dams To the north of the Bantu Kingdom lies a great strait which cleaves the land in twain as it connects ocean to sea. Each end of such an unnatural formation is regulated by two Great Dams, which have been controlling the flow of water into the strait since time immemorial. While it continues churning, quick investigations make it clear the Dams’ interiors were built in such a sophisticated fashion, that turbines within generated some kind of energy to be harnessed - almost like the windmills of today’s technologies throughout the Continent. However sophisticated it was, the Dams no longer operate at such a capacity - perhaps some Bantu ingenuity will offer some insight in the future. The Republic of Lannion The newest of the realms added in the register of nations in the known world, the Lannish Tribes have done to the Puebloans, what the Sechsians had done to them. With their Peninsula under their heel completely, President Eduoard Rufus may finally look outward, to what the world has to offer his people. POI: The Cliffs of Lann Much of the Lannion Peninsula finds itself surrounded by high cliffs on all sides, no doubt a significant hindrance to any seaborne vessels seeking to dock, but in a world of airships, these natural formations are easily circumvented. And as if giant termites had burrowed their ways through the earth, the vast cliff sides are marked with enormous openings and smaller caverns. They are a popular destination site for many tourists in this day and age, with the Sky Couriers even utilizing its images as a post stamp for most international mail. POI: THE SPIRE Possibly the tallest structure in the world, the Spire rises so high into the sky that not even the most capable of airships is able to reach its height. Its stairs and floors, which number in the thousands, have yet to be fully explored, as intrepid explorers continue to excavate their way to the top. Some levels of the Spire are even large enough to have housed temporary settlements; waypoints for expeditions continuing on their way to the top. Certain individuals have claimed to reach untold heights, but the freezing temperatures have prevented any further attempts - one thing is for certain, not one single man has announced themselves to have reached the end at the top. The Koninkrijk Aadrensveld-Rhynsland A bastion of sensibilities in a world of nonsense, the Koninkrijk, compared to its mainland counterparts, is relatively stable - and some could even say prosperous. Naturally, such stability is but an advertisement for further engagement with the island’s inhabitants, with many Naresian trans-continental traders treating Aadrensveld as a vital stop-over port, among others. A better alternative to the worm-eating Protectorate in the east, for some. However, success naturally breeds resentment, and the pirates of the wastes have taken a keen note of this burgeoning realm, oft causing many disruptions to national trade and the likes - but where disorganized piratry lies, the Bounty Guilds arrive also. Pirate hunters, with their airships, have found themselves a port of operation within Coenstaad, taking contracts and selling seized goods throughout the city. [5000c generated from Bounty Guilds] POI: THE CAVERNS OF COENSTAAD Deep beneath the Koninkrijk, beneath the worries of the common populace, lies an unnaturally vast system of caves, crevices, and other cavern-like formations. So deep in fact, that it has not even been fully explored, despite the inhabitants of Aadrensveld having lived upon it for thousands of years. Here, within the core of the earth, superstitions come to be true - as anomalies are plenty in these depths. Sky Clans Situated upon the Shard of Sarram, the Sky Clans preside over all within the Sann Deserts. It is throughout these dunes that the Clans will reclaim their birthright, the soar amidst the skies like the ancestors once had done so. However, the sands themselves hold many great mysteries, for better or worse. Perhaps the Clans will uncover the great truths of desert. POI: THE SHARD OF SARRAM Possible one of the largest of the known flying islands in the world, the Shard is now home to the City of Matar, Capital of the Sky Clans. So large in fact, that its pools of water overflow onto the earth below, and creating the Grand Oases of Saranvar, as well the rivers of Charolais. Many of the world's sky nomads, adherents of the Ways of the Heaven, Skies and the Earth, commit their Makr, Holy Pilgrimage, to this Island - a pilgrimage which has also been adopted by practitioners of the Sarranam Faith. It's name also derives itself from the Prophet Sarram, of which the the Sublime Empire of Sarradon derives their origin - the ruins on the sky island that predate the arrival of the Sky Clans no doubt compares truthfully to the architecture of the Sarradonans. Now, the traces of the past have long since been thoroughly pilfered, only the Sky Clans remain. The Miraabi Confederation The Great Miraab, the high plateau that stands tall above the shattered plains of the Continent - the last oases of plentiful life within these ruined lands. From the depths of the earth, reservoirs of clean water spill out onto the surface, cascading down the plateau in a majestical sight to make vast lakes. With the advent of the airship industries, the strategic placement of the Great Caravanserai, situated almost amidst the clouds themselves, has given way to great wealth - attracting many to establish their base of operations here as they strike out into the rest of the Continent. Bounty Hunters, Sky Nomads, Couriers, and even rogue Drakers roam these stalls and airfields. Though such wealth has been the cause of many conflicts, as the Great Khanate often has attempted its conquest of the Miraab, with varying degrees of failures - time will tell if the Confederation will send them back, or be subjugated. POI: THE RUINED SPACEPORT OF MIRAAB The Great Caravanserai, with its many bazaars, has built its foundations upon the ruined relics of the First Era. The Miraabian Strip was once the base of operations for star travels, housing many great vessels that have now been degraded into piles of junk across the Great Miraab. What was once supposed to be the control tower of the spaceport, has now been reduced to a simple watchtower, looming high above the Caravanserai below. POI: THE WARDENS OF MIRAAB Though the Spaceport of Miraab lay in ruins, it was the effects of time that ultimately wore it down, not hostile actions, for the Great Miraab was shielded by an array of defensive weapons, also First Era in design. No doubt a cataclysmic battle occurred here, as the surrounding area has been disfigured and scarred to unimaginable levels. The wrecks of great starships have found their graves here, picked apart by scavengers and strewn about the vast expanse by sandstorms. The main facilities of the artillery defense systems remain, its halls mostly untouched, not for the lack of trying - the Miraabi simply do not have the current knowhow on the engineering of these relics, so they remain dormant. EVENT: THE KURULTAI Just like any other nation unfortunate enough to have made their living in the Great Expanse, the Miraabi Confederation has always found itself caught within the sights of Tann expansion - even before the Khanate took to the skies in their airships. The animosity between the two peoples has long cultivated in various conflicts, in which the Khanate seek the conquest of the Great Plateau, but are simply warded off by the Confederation’s strategic positioning. A new bout of these conflicts seems ready to begin, as the death of the Great Khan has led to the collapse of the peripheries of the Khanate as its Noyans converge in their capital to discuss and elect the new Great Khan who will lead his peoples to dominate the universe. The Great Miraab will no doubt be the first of targets.

A Seannie n Co Ltd. Forum Roleplay Production The culmination of technology, the ADAS Hieoromar of the Advaren Domain, First Battleship of the Skies, Year 1800, Third Era Links: LARGER SCALE MAP RULES SPREADSHEET POLITICAL BORDERS MAP Year 1890 of the Fourth Era, The Resource Wars, A world at war. What first began with alarming reports, which detailed the dwindling nature of the world’s most crucial resource, the mineral, Vitriol, was soon followed by the mobilization of national armed forces, as the established order of the world came to be under threat. The international community of the known world had spent the past century modernizing itself on the basis of this potent mineral, its entire industrial revolution dependent on it. Now with its impending depletion, the Continental nations scramble in disarray. Without any immediate alternative, a dark age will no doubt cast its shadow upon the world, but no nations will stand idly by as their popular ways of life finds itself slowly eroded from existence, to fight against the dying of the light - even if it meant the acceleration of their own demise, as the ensuing resource wars will not only deplete the last of these earthly resources, but ultimately, their own lives. And whereas the ancient Order of the Hieoromar kept the world stable in their distant administration, the rapid disappearances of the last few remnants of such a revered organization has only exacerbated the imminence of the conflicts. Aspiring warlords, now completely unchecked by any potential interventions by the Hieoromars, begin their wholesale plotting of the destruction of their fellow Man, all doneso in the blind pursuit of profits and gains. Though not all is lost to senseless violence, as a new revelation sweeps through the Continent. To the west, new shores have been discovered, owing to the continuous innovations in airship technology throughout the past century - which have resulted in the gradual increase in the range of flight for most airborne vessels. Resulting from these technological advancements, these foreign lands were eventually stumbled upon by coincidence, a Naresian trading-fleet sent astray awarded this momentous achievement. Already, without any biddance of their homeland, intrepid entrepreneurs launch their own independent expeditions to the so called New World, with fleets of freighters sailing high above the toxic waves below to establish their new colonies - to spread their civilization and exploit the land to the fullest. Where the Continent has been mostly harvested of much of its resources, wondrous tales speak of the new world as lush land ripe for settlement at the whims of the Continental powers, however, many first ventures are established solely by settlers who desire a safer and more prosperous life away from the conflicts at home. And though the new world may be rich in its natural resources, rumours also spread that the colonizers are not alone upon these new lands. Despite all these chaotic developments, the established nations of the known world continue playing their great game, each vying for dominance over the other in an endless struggle for supremacy. Oblivious to the dangers that lurk above. Heralded by the Resource Wars, the Age of Imperialism has begun. As a player in this setting, you take the role of a customizable nation in a world embroiled in turmoil alongside other players, each vying for their own ambitions, be it through war or peace. Starting from lowly polities and rising to power as influence rises and wanes, manage politics, economics and military in a bid to carve out your own national path in this setting. The Continent, an extension of the known world in which the game is primarily situated within, is set in an environment roughly analogous to our own during the prelude to the Great War, both in basic technology and worldly understanding - though it comprises a plentitude of fantastical elements. Science continues to innovate, suffrage movements are at their highest, and capitalist ideals flourish as the global market expands - all under the chafing rule of Imperialism. Tyrellian Patrol-Corvette, HGS Kass, Menvir Skies, 1887 SETTING The Continent It has long been common knowledge that the world once thrived in lush fauna, accompanied with vast plentiful oceans that covered much of the earth, but clearly, times have since long passed. The Continent now shrunk in size due to receding tides, finds itself mostly covered in arid wastes, the consequences of Man’s folly during the Second Era. Amidst the Age of Conflagration Man had turned on itself with such depraved savagery that the planet itself was engulfed in ash for centuries on end, drying up the largest of oceans, flattening the highest of mountains, and poisoning the bounties of the earth. It was only by the Grace of the Hieoromars that any resemblance of civilization was permitted its continued existence, following an extensive cleanse of the majority surviving population. As the Order of the Adjudicator began their distribution of its knowledge upon these lesser beings, uplifting them from the mud they had just pummeled each other into, they molded the surviving societies into their image. Only with the end of the Era would the world return to some sense of normalcy. In the Continent proper, the Great Expanse, the deserts that occupy much of the land, continues to encroach upon the civilized world. Owing to its mostly lifeless properties, lawlessness has planted its roots within the deserts, preying on the bold who seek passage to other regions in the Continent. The Tannic Khanate establish their rule within these badlands, asserting their brigandry across the steppes. The North, with its cooler temperatures, is home to some of the last great boreal forestry in the known world, nestled between vast mountain ranges. Here, snow still blankets the earth during the final seasons of the year. To the west lies the Great Deserts of Sarram, home to endless dunes of sand, and great canyons. An inland sea, kept pure in water, cleaves the deserts in half, though some astute individuals may find it entirely artificial in make. The southern half of the Continent is home to some of the most hospitable territories of the Known World, with sprawling forests, and plentiful lakes, replenished by the Hieoromic efforts throughout the Third Era. The New World Fifteen years prior, 1875, new shores were discovered beyond the boiling oceans encircling the Continent. Initially found by accident, a result of violent winds, the continuous advancement in airship technologies have allowed for the verification of this momentous claim. Such navigators and explorers have begun asserting that the New World does not consist of a supercontinent like the Old World, but rather chains of subcontinents, interspersed with archipelagos and other island formation. Some new claims have even begun asserting the presence of sophisticated ‘tribes’ inhabiting these new lands, shaking the core of the academic world, as the Order of Hieoromars long detailed the notion of Continent being the only hospitable landmass of the world. In contrast, it is these new lands that are lush in vegetation and other fauna, causing the biggest diaspora of peoples in history as millions flee the Old World from 1875 to 1890. Language Though the varied regions of the Continent once spoke their own unique languages, some sharing in etymological roots, the introduction of a common language by the Order of Hieoromar in the Second Era brought about the dominance of a new international language for all political, economical, and military affairs - the Lingua Herin, tongue of the Adjudicator, as it is known. Though stubbornly enough, regional dialects still persist as most indigenous languages of the Continent have mostly synchronised with that of the Herin speech, rather than being rendered extinct utterly. And in some rare holdouts, some original languages have remained entirely untouched, maintained by classes of traditional culturalists - now popularized as code talk for the more deceptive of operations. The Resource Revolutions The early 19th century has been plagued with an unprecedented level of domestic turmoil as an ever increasing conscious population begin to question their meager existences, in opposition of the established aristocracy who had been harshly regulating the flow of essential goods. Through the 1820s, the Continent would face the worst of it, with a violent revolution occurring within Velka, then cascading to the rest of the international community. As a result of the constant Hieoromic interventions of the past, and their subsequent propaganda, much of the world still finds itself entrenched within feudalistic hierarchies, only recently embroiled in social unrest. The Republic of Velka and her fellow Revolutionary States would be the first to break the norm, as the disappearances of the Hieromars has unshackled the consciousness of the common class. Even the League of Nara, in desire for a wider distribution of wealth, has slowly had aristocratic ideals eroded away - though really, the wealth only transferred from one privileged societal class to another, birthing the modern concept of capitalism. The Grand Races (Granship racing) Having developed from delivering feuds between Sky Couriers, the Grand Race(s) became the result of these activities being formalized into official races. Since then, with the increased elebatoration and officialization of these events, the races have become one of the known world’s most popular sporting affairs, observed by millions. It is an ultimately messy sport, with little in the way of regulations, both in terms of safety and engineering - it is not unheard of for a pilot to meet a tragic end in a certain part of the race where witnesses are present. The Races are held every three years, with the circuit’s location decided by a nomination’s committee composed mostly of high level tycoons representing their company’s interests in the races. Many nations strive to be nominated, as the Races require little preparation, but bring in immense amounts of wealth through the crowds attracted - creating even further national feuds. Albert Stromm, the reigning champion of the 1887 Grand Circuit of Henvar, with his Strommship Manufacturing team, has provided the media with his intent to defend his championship title in the 1890, Q2 race. The Great Houses The current Great Houses of the World are the direct descendants of the Nobility emplaced by the Order of Hieoromar in the Second Era. Their influence and control over politics is on par with no one else, as they once held communion with the Hieoromars directly, kept privy to their machinations. Rumours has it that these same Hieoromars clandestinely bestowed upon their own celestial arts and capabilities. From the 50 Houses that were first installed during the Second Era, only 3 remain - the rest having been exterminated, or their bloodlines consumed by upstarts. Chief of the nobility is the Imperial House of Reismark. Founders of Absolutism, the Imperial Family is the antonym to any Revolutionist upstarts, presenting themselves as model traditionalists and staunch Hieromites. Prior to the disappearance of the Order, a Hieoromar liaison maintained a direct link to the Emperor, having been given rank within the Emperor’s Own Council. Having reigned supreme upon the Continental stage for most of their existence, their power and influence has nevertheless waned over the past century, plagued by disastrous wars and revolutionaries. The House of Vaeyne, of the Kingdom of Varnyn, claims its ancestry from this dynasty as a rebellious cadet branch. Following in this contention of influences is the Sublime Empire’s own House, the Royal Family of Zaharenn. Having arisen during a bloodless palace coup, their dubious ascension to the throne has led to a tenuous strain upon their nation, with the House of Hakim descending further into paranoia as schemes and plots threaten to topple their reign. The Revolutionary Family of Velka. A rogue Great House that has forsaken its origins. Once rulers of the Empire of Velka, their continued mismanagement of their realms led to their downfall during the Revolution of 1806. However, through a process entirely unbeknownst to the public, the Imperial Velkan family were permitted their continued existence by the Directorate, though forced to abdicate all claims and titles, as well as being forced to adopt a new name - The Emmeran Family. Religion Once influential, with the passing of the Age of Enlightenment, religions have lost much of their sway over the common people, and the aristocracy by this extension. The occasional simple reverence to an individual's deity is considered enough effort spent in worshipping, as people increasingly begin embracing more Humanistic understanding of moral relativity - rather than having such being dictated to by classical religions. The Hieromic Faiths The Continent is dominated mostly by sets of beliefs derived from a common worshipping of Hieoromar the Adjudicator, the Progenitor, etcetera. The Church of Hieoromar, the majority religion of these faiths, preaches Hieoromar as a God of the Stars, having traversed unto this plane to cleanse it of its filth, and seeding life in his image. All Hieromic religions share the common pillars of worship, good and evil, justice and retribution, heaven and hell - though each differs in their own comprehension of these details. The Church of Hieoromar Founded on the death of Hieoromar the Adjudicator by his disciples in the Order, the Church would come to dominate the ideals and beliefs of the Continent, establishing the popular morality of today. The Order of Hieoromars, its members composed of the same stock as the progenitor, were themselves elevated to the ranks of prophetic deities themselves as they further propagated their Master’s knowledge throughout the centuries. The Holy See, the Capital of the Faith, administers much of its control within its halls, though does dispense its authority unto smaller deviations, such as Bishoprics and the likes. The Book of Eclipse, commonly known as ‘The Truths’, which is in itself the Church’s moral bedrock and historical record of the Adjudicator's life that has been spread to the far corners of the known world, details the end of the world, and universe by extension, in apocalyptic hellfire carried out by non-humans, among other things. The Northern Hieoromic Church A schismatic sect of the Hieoromar Church that broke away during the Third Era due to conflicts in the doctrinal understanding of their faith, which was only exacerbated by the mother’s church over-extension of its administration in its attempt to encompass the entire Continent. Sarranam An unorganized religion native to the Empire of Sarradon and its previous regional iterations, in which worship of Hieromar as their Sublime God, and his foremost disciple, Sarran, as his prophet are held in the highest regards. It is a mostly peaceful faith, focusing more upon the scholarly researching and worshipping of the Adjudicator and his Saints, which finds many new converts as it is able to synchronize itself into other religions, finding more willing converts than those of the other Churches. Minor Religons Exileites The Exiles of Advar. The Advaren Domain preaches a wholly unique religion unto its own, a political ideology that was ultimately warped and radicalized over the centuries. A state religion, with the High Hegemon as its head, the Advaren Faith, though mostly secretive, has come to be known as a set of supremacists tenets that raises the Domain above all other nations. With its founding myth describing the Domain as the last remnant of a First Era colonialist endeavor, placing it in direct conflict with the Order of Hieoromar - who had attempted to cleanse all life near the end of the First Era. The Ways of the Heavens, the Blue Skies, and the Earth A form of nature worshipping, the ‘Ways’ treat various aspects of the earth as divine - with the heavens high above treated as the most principal of deities. The religion has been most popular with the Tannic Peoples, traditional mountain nomads who have since taken to the skies upon flying islands, and now, airships. Their reverence of the skies have instilled within most aviators the same respect, who pray mostly for calm winds and clear skies. The modern Aviator’s Creed and Superstitions are derived mostly from this religion. A high number of potential psykers have been recorded in its main worshippers, correlating that their religious practices somehow allow an individual to enter a state of mind most malleable to the connection with Vitriol. Luddites An obscure gathering of radical fanatics who find themselves in extreme opposition to the foundation of any new technologies. Further detailing that Man’s fate was led astray by its unrestrained manipulation of the more esoteric realms of knowledge. Heavily repressed by nearly every faction on the Continent, Luddites have been mostly reduced to the shadows, committing surprisingly capable acts of terrorism against hives of demonic worshippers. (Player religions) The Imperial Sarranian 2nd Inspector Squadron, Renvi Red Desert, 1888 TECHNOLOGY Vitriol A wondrous metal primarily capable of being refined into unparalleled hard-lite properties. First discovered by chance upon the observation of a collapsing island, Vitriol has since been discovered as the source of power for some of the world’s mysterious ‘natural’ wonders - from islands floating high above, and now, in the Fourth Era, within the mightiest of airships. As part of the Industrial Revolution of the early 19th Century, Vitriolite has also been utilized in many other infrastructural improvements, fortifications mainly. And due to its lightweight, yet sturdy make, the metal was also pushed forth as an advancement in the technology of personal body armor systems for the common soldier - but recent reports have dictated most nations to reserve their stocks of Vitriol for more prioritized projects, such as airships. It was in the year 1787 that Vitriol was first industrialized by the common man. Dr. Albert Koch, an engineering researcher of the University of Kassador, Archduchy of Tyrel, revolutionized the understanding of this mineral by developing a new way of harnessing, exploiting, and manipulating the resource’s energy exertion. At first thought only to be useful in the field of construction, Dr. Koch further sought to replicate the effect Vitriol had upon the natural formations of the world, such as the Sky Islands, which floated effortlessly high above - poised as a metaphorical challenge to Koch’s lofty ambitions. Upon the accidental spilling of his glass of water onto a shard of Vitriol, Koch was able to make a timely observation of the quick change in properties that had just occurred as a result of the water’s contact with the metal. Furthering multiple replicatory experiments, Dr. Koch was finally able to establish the first instance in which Mankind asserted its control over Vitriol. Vitriol’s volatile reaction with water had caused it to maintain flight, without any gravitational constraint, but was yet contained by any other limitations, as it would usually fly high into the workshop ceiling, or into the clouds to never be seen again. Dr Koch would have to develop some sort of mechanism to further dictate the height of such a peculiar metal. As such, Dr. Koch made quick work on the following process. Now in his field of expertise, mechanical engineering, Koch further revolutionized worldly understanding by creating Mankind’s first ever reactor, to be promptly utilized as a containment measure for the energy exerted by chemically active Vitriolite - maintaining a stable orbit dependent on the amount of water utilized in the equations. To ensure total control over Vitriol’s fluctuation of height levels, Koch constructed a rotary engine system based on diesel fuel, which was developed to cycle water through specialized chambers that controlled the chemical reactions to a desired state of height. Dr. Koch’s tutor, Alexander Gran, through his tinkering in the workshop, had managed to fully attach the engine to the reactor, creating one independent unit. As more and more platforms were attached to the reactor through welding, Gran had unknowingly created his first iteration of what would become the popular Granship, the first vessel to be flown into the skies. Through trial and error, an aerodynamic prototype, capable of height fluctuations, acceleration, and deceleration at the control of a Pilot was finally constructed. The findings were ultimately published in the University’s academic journals by Dr. Koch, who believed all should have access to this new era in human ingenuity, and quickly took on from there. Not long after these developments was Man able to resume its place amongst the skies, as more and more vessels lifted off to claim it as their own. The Hieoromars, now severely depleted in manpower, relinquished their monopoly of flight, granting Humanity absolute domain over the heavens as factories began pumping out prototypes after prototypes - eventually culminating in the launch of the ISS Hieoromar of the Advaren Domain, the first armored battleship of the skies, revolutionizing the state of the world forever. However, this Golden Age of Industry has never subsided since it began, and as more developments come to improve living standards, it has begun the depletion of some of the world’s largest deposits of Vitriol. Incapable of adapting to new sources of wealth, nations warily await the day when their crutch is kicked out from underneath them. Though for now, a few great deposits continue to churn out Vitriol without signs of stopping along with the odd flying islands that can be dismantled for its minerals. but the - either regress technology, explore the ends of the earth for more, or forcefully seize existing stockpiles. Aviation Granships Named after Alexander Gran, a tutor of the famed inventor, Albert Koch, Alexander developed the first granships utilizing his mentor’s discovery of the chemical reaction between water and Vitriol. At first consisting of only single man small crafts used mostly for sightseeing, travel, deliveries and exploration, Granships gradually became outfitted for war as dominance of the skies became necessary. Their inherent vertical take-off and landing abilities grant them greater ease to be attached upon the more weighted airships, utilized mostly as scouts and messengers between naval forces. Though rumours spread within military circles of the establishment of an airship class solely responsible for the deployment of Granships on a larger scale, a Carrier, so to say. Airships Building off of the model of the original Granships, workshops would increasingly enlarge the scales of these vessels as the various arms races of the Continent went full tilt - eventually culminating in the creation of the Hieoromar-class battleships, which most navies of the known world center their doctrines of battles around. As a result of this disorganized and spontaneous evolution of technology, most nations took on independent designs in their airships, fabricating vessels that fit their standards and aesthetics. Airships are naturally the pride of most nations and as such, are kept highly classified in all regards. The civilized world in the past century has been especially wrought with espionage, as nations attempt to decipher the make and fabric of their enemy’s airships, in order to be able to transcribe such information to their captains in battle, who might take into consideration having the knowledge of their opponent's weak points. As a result of this ever changing arms race of nations attempting to grasp technological superiority, airships have become extremely adaptable, with a vast array of ship designs now being categorized into various classifications - freighters, destroyers, cruisers, etcetera. Naturally, modern armed fleets have developed deployment compositions that best accentuates each individual airship’s capabilities - though, with virtually no counter as of yet, the Battleship class has been dominating the current naval affairs of war, with fleets usually centered around pairs of these 1st-class airships. Warfare Land Warfare In the Modern Era, land warfare is dominated by entrenchments and fortifications. The advancements in military arms of the Fourth Era have led to changes that have made it all too suicidal to openly array armies in regimental formations in this day and age. The Mass Driver Rifles of old, once utilized by the common line infantrymen, has been phased out by more repeatable ballistic based firearms, such as the bolt-action rifle. Though as the Era further progresses, less and less attention seems to be focused on ground forces, as wars are increasingly decided by aerial engagements, stifling the advance of armed technology. Despite all these wondrous inventions of war, the new advancement in artillery has proven itself to have become the most crucially important development of the arms races during the modern era. The introduction of the modern howitzer has led to the annihilation of entire regiments in the Revolutionary Wars before the infantry could even clash. From miles away, armies could now wipe each other out with the combined firepower of the air force and artillery - only furthering the necessity for defensive fortification. As a result, the utilization of overwhelming firepower has become the norm, in which the concentration of force is utilized to demolish any established defenses, then followed on through by waves of ground soldiers to mop up whatever’s left. Naturally, this meant warfare quickly devolves to a game of sit and wait as trench systems become more and more elaborate - though any commander worth his salt would look to the skies to change the tide of his battles. Sky Warfare The establishment of aerial combat as a new form of military doctrine has revolutionized the world entirely, dominance of the skies now was the deciding factor to any war. No defense is capable of withstanding a 52-gun salvo fired upon them from the clouds. However, unlike the battles of mud and blood down below, airship combat is an even more deadlier theater of war. Refined Vitriol will eventually fracture entirely under extreme duress, causing ships to freefall or ‘sink’ once catastrophic damages have been incurred. Further, a well placed shot into a ship’s reactor can also cause it to implode violently, shattering the vessel into a million pieces. Though this field of warfare is in constant change, the conventional doctrines of the time are decided by the currents of the wind, positioning, morale, weather, reconnaissance, communication, and naval composition. Most times, battles are simply won before any engagements are made, thanks to prudent attention, advance planning and adaptability. Naturally, traversing the skies is an inherently dangerous and risky venture for any airships as most vessels are typically at the mercy of temperamental weather, low visibility, and the occasional mountain range. Proper sailing knowledge typically mitigates most issues, though some organizations have banded together to establish ‘waypoints’, series of remote ‘light stations’, tall structures with a large beacon at their highest point, emitting a rotational beam of light at night, and usually operated by sky couriers. Psychics, Magi, Arcane The latent ability of psionic powers has existed within Humanity since long before the First Era, though such abilities have withered or otherwise laid dormant in the majority of the population ever since. Only a few organisations of clandestine nature have maintained their powers over the centuries, though not without persecution or extreme scrutiny from factions who would see their influences curtailed, if not immediately eliminated. Throughout the centuries, the Order of the Hieoromars have long propagated the notion of the Psyker as a creature of evil doings, issuing the wholesale extermination of any who may portray such metaphysical powers - effectively culling and stifling such a population to the point of near extinction. To many, their abilities are like magic akin to the Star Lords of the First Era, but the truth is far less mystic in origin. With the disappearance of the Hieoromars, researchers of a curious, and bold sort have begun their experimental studies into Man’s connection to the immaterial, theorizing that the mineral, Vitriol, the cause of much joy and hardship in the world, acts as a sort of key to the seal within one’s consciousness as the Industrial Revolution unearthed immense amounts of Vitriol that affected various individuals by sheer luck. Though the process itself is intricintly dependent on a subject’s state of mind, in which an equilibrium of violence and calm must seemingly be established in order to manifest one’s arcane abilities - an undertaking most similar in procedure to that of the final practitioners of the Way of the Heaven. Those who have exhibited their capabilities are subsequently able to manipulate and produce finer sources of energies similar to that of Vitriol and as such, are able to bend the fabric of reality around them as well. In essence, human psychics are themselves engines of power fueled by the properties of Vitriol, where a connection to another dimension of consciousness is made, with its energy exploited to manipulate the foundations of the existing third dimension. Though most psykers present their capabilities in the shape of the four classical elements of nature, in 1883, during a breakthrough in psionic power, a psyker, Michael Nevar of the Archduchy of Tyrel, managed to improve his technical understanding of the unseen world to such a point where he managed to evaporate his entire town in an implosion. Where once the Hieoromar held responsibility for the discriminations of psykers, with their loss, nations have taken upon themselves to decide the fate of an increasing population of reality-bending deviants. No popular consensus has been achieved yet, as most nations find themselves at odds with their treatment of psykers - either raised as centers of national pride, helming war efforts with their tremendous powers, or treated as potentially volatile malignants requiring prison or execution. Nevertheless, organised groups of these individuals have existed throughout the eras across many of the nations, each group having their own cultural spin on their abilities. Some know it to be purely scientific and embrace their abilities rationally or with pragmatism, but other less developed cultures see it still with a sense of mysticism. Psykers are not recruited through any set means, but rather by player events and mod discretion. Vrenian Infantry, 2nd Division, ‘The Big Plus’, 6th Regiment of Foot, Psyker Attack, Revolutionary Wars, Adenhem Front, 33rd of Jani, 1820 MAJOR FACTIONS The United Aurigan Principalities His Supreme Highness, Amadeo I of the House of Albrici, Grand Prince of the Aurigan Principalities A Federation of States centered on shared cultural bonds, the Aurigans Principalities are a strong regional power on their own - often expending their extranational influence on other statelets when given chance. Their robust geographical positioning has granted the Principalities a natural line of defense, allowing it to easily focus its attention elsewhere, should the homefront be sustained effectively. Though their northern borders are continuously under pressure by the Sarranian Empire, having been a historical target for raids from these desertic dunes. This historical animosity between the Principalities and the Empire of Sarradon has led to the foundations of the Aurigan --- The Empire of Reismark His Imperial Majesty, Maximillian IV of the House of Reismark, By Grace of Hieoromar, Emperor of Reismark, Duke of Antares The last surviving direct descendants of the Exile colony ship, Antares, the Empire of Reismark finds itself at the apex of world order in this modern era. Though the colony ship has long been reduced to dysfunction, during its operational stage, its forges were capable of providing the Empire its unparalleled weaponry and equipment to successfully wage war in the Era of Enlightenment - the derelict ship now serves as the epicenter of Imperial Power, the Antares Palace. Despite being dealt a loss during the Revolutionary Wars, the Empire remains a steady bastion of traditionalism and feudalism - the model nation for any who strive to meet the noble Hieoromar standard. And thanks to some chance discovery of rare minerals, its armies and fleets are now once again poised to retake its lost territories from the Velkan Republic, and Kingdom of Varnyn. --- The Kingdom of Varnyn His Royal Majesty, Haran I of the House of Vaeyne, King of Varnyn Having torn itself away from the Empire of Reismark near the end of the Third Era, the Kingdom of Varnyn has led itself to a relatively monotonous status quo. An existence owed mostly to the issue that Varnyn finds itself within a power struggle with the aforementioned Imperial Reismark, its historical rival, and the Velkan Republic, revolutionary upstarts. Regardless of this fine political impasse, nothing can debase the quality of the Royal Vrenian Guards, renowned throughout the Continent as prime soldiers, even sought after by the Reismark Emperor despite the animosity. --- The Archduchy of Tyrel His Grace, Terah II of the House of Kassadan, Archduke of Tyrel A modest realm of sorts, Tyrel has prided itself on remarkably sound rule in the past century. Smart compromises with revolutionist forces effectively quelled any major revolts as resource regulations were laxed. Tyrel itself was founded upon the union of two independent realms, which in itself propagated the inherent nature of the government’s ability to come to compromise. Further on, having been the world’s first in the establishment of a bicameral assembly of politicians, tying together commoners and nobility, has led to a mutual understanding . It has become a model modern nation in the perspective of the academic circles - praised for finding middle-ground in society, fostering a strong cultural identity and patriotism. --- The Admaren Domain The High Hegemon The Admaren Domain consider themselves the last of the Starlords, shackled to the planet by the curse of the Adjudicator. Their claims have some merit, as their technological prowess typically far exceeds the capabilities of their neighbours - though their insistence on self-isolated supremacy has not led to favourable standings within the international community. --- The Revolutionary Republic of Velka The Directorate The Great Upset of the Continent, the Republic of Velka has twisted the natural order of the world by introducing liberalist ideals into the minds of the common man - succeeding in this endeavour, no less. Having forgone the entrenched ideals of Hieoromar, replacing their worldly understanding with the Humanist-centric Law of Man, the Republic of Velka has put itself in opposition against nearly all of the remaining world powers. However, instead of becoming the beacon of liberty and freedom it aspired to be, its ensuing wars left its realms battered and beaten, unable to fully fulfill its national dream under such heavy burdens. --- The Narese City-States League of Mayors A commercial and defensive confederation of independent cities held together in the mutual expectations to generate vast amounts of wealth. It was within these cities that the first conglomerate of sky couriers were formed, as the Naresian saw fit to monopolize this early revolutionary trade. Their continued existence so far has been safeguarded thanks mostly to their ability to pay off any aspiring warlord, but this isn’t to detail a lack of military capability, as their fleets, though small, are typically outfitted with the best wealth can purchase. --- The Sublime Empire of Sarradon Sarron's Own, Hakim of the House of Zaharenn, Sulatan of Sarradon The Sublime Empire is the world’s foremost polity following Reismark, having clawed its way into the total control of its own Oases in the desertic expanse. Securing such control over this vast body of pure water allowed the Empire’s unmitigated outward expansion. Though most of their claimed lands are sandy wastelands, the continuous discovery of rare resources maintained the national growth. MINOR FACTIONS, CONSORTIUMS Sky Beasts, Drakens, skyfish, catch all terms for flying beasts that come in all shapes and forms. Often elusive and even more difficult to catch - once slain, a single man could become rich for life simply off of this bounty. Most Sky-beasts are butchered for their organs, fat, skin, scales, teeths, and more, of which are all made into extremely valuable items such as medicine, oil, or even prime cuts of meat, though some creatures revered even as divine. Though most categorization of aerial creatures are reclusive, the dimwitted, fast-breeding, sky fish, is staple diet for those who may find other sources of food lacking, as nets are a simple enough strategy to capture these flying fish. Throughout history, notable Sky Beasts have achieved legendary status based on the magnitude of their actions, countenance and temperament - though nowadays these larger than life creatures have resorted to simple prey and predator lifestyles, occasionally stumbling upon civilized life. A unique category of these beasts are the leviathans - gargantuan sky beasts capable of swatting down even a Hieoromar-class airship alone. Though some flying creatures may be held in captivity, they seemingly can never be tamed - instead, their distressed state is potent enough to melt their own skin apart resulting from various organ failures resulting from stress. Drakers, Sky Hunters Wherever Sky-beasts go, Hunters follow. Some of the first independent civilian endeavours into the skies following the invention of the Granships were the Drakers, who sought to fulfill the vast market needs for wares carved out from Sky Beasts. Motley crews of Drakers would form expeditions, taking on retrofitted civilian airships into the skies for Draking runs, but unfortunately most tend to devolve to piratry as Sky Beasts aren’t so easily found further into the Fourth Era, over-hunting having led to the rapid depletion of the more popular sky-beasts turning public opinion against most Drakers. Sleeping Legion, Automaton The Sleeping Legion is a disorganized remainder of technologies from the original Age of Colonization, during the 1st Era. Automatas designed to protect the first Humans and their interests as they exploited the planet to their benefits - programmed to be forever loyal to these directives, and any primordial Bloodlines that may still exist. As the millennium progressed, the hardware within these drones have gradually withered away, resulting in various conflicts within their programming - while some groups remain highly defensive of their assigned territories, others have adopted entirely rogue objectives, sometimes trespassing onto civilized land with hostile intent. Despite being of such advanced make and origin they are not invulnerable to the technology of the day, as such, their self-preservation modules typically prevent them engaging humans. Ultimately, most of their enclaves can be easily cleared with good positioning, heavy weaponry and artillery, while others could possibly require the full mobilization of a powerful nation. Sky Couriers As the invention of Granships brought communities and nations together in a new model of interconnected trade and politics, the need for independent couriers to deliver all sorts of mail became a necessity. As no other invention could topple the speed and flexibility of a Granship, the burden of such fell upon wealthy and ambitious entrepreneurs who could afford the establishment of formal companies. And with no other region in the world capable of generating as much wealth as the Naresian City-States, the first courier corporation would form here. Backed by centuries of commercial history, the City-States’ would spread their mercantile influence even further than was once possible, establishing countless waystations and regional headquarters, garrisoning these with their own private armed forces. Sky Pirates, General brigandry has always plagued the nations of the world, however, in the age of airships, such activities have doubled in intensity and frequency. There is no set classification for these pirates, as the plethora of them each share different ideals and ideas , though, are mostly united in the shared objective of robbing others of their wealth to further propagate their own existence. Naturally, as befitting of opportunistic pirates, rogue airships tend to plague lands most affected by instability, moving on to other regions once satisfied. Occasionally, depending on the state of worldly affairs, warlords may carve out their names into the annals of history, amassing fleets of like-minded rogues to wage wars on nations. Bounty Guilds An international association of Guilds with varying levels of shared objectives, primarily the sale of their services - such being bounty hunters. With much of the Continent being desolate wastelands without many national polities, the common people, desehrt pioneers, required protection against forces of destruction, namely pirates, remnant automatas and sky beasts. Feuds between Bounters and Pirates are especially tense, often escalating into massive conflicts reminiscent of conventional warfare. Wherever pirates operate, so too, do the Bounty Guilds also. Though, just as pirates may offer their airships as privateers to nations, Bounty Guild auxiliary fleets may also assemble as privateers for the highest bidders. Tann Khanate, A conglomerate of pirates turned to nationhood. The Tann Khanate is the result of a popular warlord seizing an archipelago of flying islands rich in Vitriol, subsequently becoming one of the wealthiest men in the known world. Though the aspirations didn’t stop there, as the momentum of such a discovery led the Khanate to war against other smaller states, subsuming them into a tributary state as the Tannic Fleets spread far and wide. Sky Nomads A loose term for those of non-sedentary application, who instead have sought out the wonders of the skies. Their close association with the Ways of the Heaven have earned them their esteemed reputation, often thought to have some sort of esoteric knowledge that allowed them to uniquely harness the destructive currents of winds that sometimes affects the Continent. While most are deeply religious, holding Sky Beasts, the Earth, Heaven, and Skies in high reverence, some Nomads simply wish to live a simple life herding sky fishes across the Continent. Colonial Statelets Independent ventures into the new world at the behest of no nations, but their own. The Continent, unkind to its denizens, has typically led to numerous diasporas throughout the Known World fleeing destitution and conflicts. The advent of new, untamed lands, free from the constrictions of the established orders of the world, has been one of the most enticing endeavours for those who seek to do away with the old world. Stateless Aurigan Cruisers of the United Principalities, Fleet Maneuver Exercise, Rwellian Clouds, 1879 THE ERAs The Eras, records of time established by the Hieoromars. Common history has long been monopolized by the Order, propagating whatever knowledge they deem to be the truth. Each new Era is dictated by the death of the incumbent Grandmaster of the Hieoromars, long-lived they were, though with their disappearance in the Modern Era, such customs have been held with skepticism. 1st Era The Age of Colonization The Hieoromars have long propagated the notion that 10,000 years before the current date, Mankind first arrived on this fair globe upon mighty airships that could reach the stars. In their exploitation of the planet, their greed triumphed over their sensibilities, and these various representatives of the early Man waged war upon themselves to near extinction. However, these conflicts were but just extensions of a greater scheme - one that had embroiled the entirety of the heavens. The celestial forces high above, with their starships capable of great devastation, had decimated themselves in such great wars, rendering the planet without any governance. Some polities remained, scrambling for whatever was left, but most of the land devolved to tribalistic squabbles - tribals with some of the most advanced weaponry available. The Advaren Domain, which claims this ancestry, still exists in the modern era. 2nd Era The Age of Conflagration Following some thousands years since the advent of the First Era, Mankind had begun its recuperation as the last of the Exiles began their final approach - colonial starships capable of housing entire nations. Polities began to reform, reminiscent of those of the last era, as they carved out the earth in their own image. Though again, the perfidious nature of Man isn’t so easily quelled and great destruction was once again brought to the land. As if history mattered nought to the inhabitants of the world, it repeated its darkest past once again as a conflict gone too far led to total war on a global scale. Following a series of zero-sum military campaigns, series of saturation bombings took place, starships orbitting the planet began their onslaught - turning lushious forests into deserts, and oceans into dried ponds, the earth itself struck alight by the raging flames. It was during this cataclysm, that the Order of Hieoromars were first established, formed in the image of the Adjudicator, the Progenitor. Their capabilities were without equals, as their forces descended upon the planet with such divine punishment that all nations were eradicated, leaving only desperate survivors in their cleansing wake. It is in this narrative that the first national creation myths of the earth find their origins, established by the Hieromars following this period of time they designated the ‘Great Purge’. Having had enough with the turbulent nature of Man, the Hieromars began the establishment of their national identities, appointing a vast array of specially chosen aristocracy to rebuild the planet in their image. Technology was severely devolved, to never again allow for the utilization of such destructive weaponry, and to safeguard the planet against further celestial invasions, a great barrier was erected, encapsulating the earth in its transcendent light. 3rd Era The Age of Enlightenment Much of the Third Era lent itself to the New Order established by the Hieoromars, wherein Man’s cataclystic tendencies were effectively neutered, devolving the world’s quality of life - to be rebuilt by the tenacity and diligence of the newly established. The Arcane Arts of the Celestials were done away with entirely, reverting nations back to states of simplicity. The desertification of the world following the Conflagration would also shrink the habitability of the continents, slowly eradicating all life in some of them. Though not at all so futile, as the Hieoromars themselves were not so lofty enough that they’d observe from a distance - instead they actively partook in the terraforming of the world, saving as much as they could. New life was seeded, and the earth was tilled. Their actions began the paragon of virtues, treated akin to deities, allowing Mankind to recuperate and progress into a new age. Nations rose, and fell, conflicts flared, and died, in this Age of Enlightenment. 4th Era The Modern Era The Age of Imperialism This modern era has seen some of the most significant changes in world history - the discovery of Vitriol, which just might alter the fate of this dying planet, depending on its application. The Industrial Revolution of the early 19th Century has slowed down some, but the majority of the world refuses to see the potential collapse of international societal order as Vitriol is slowly depleted - the current arms race will eventually see to the extermination of Mankind on this planet. Nevertheless, there are profits to be made, and smaller states to be bullied into submission - Imperialism stops for nothing, and no one. Modern Timeline 1787 - A chemical reaction between Vitriol and Water, discovered by Dr. Koch, leads to the creation of the first Vitriolite Reactor - capable of generating an obscene amount of power. 1790 - The first Granship is flown. Developed by a tutor of Dr. Koch, Alexander Gran, a miniaturized reactor was first capsuled inside of an aero-dynamic vessel meant for one pilot. Refined Vitriolite was then infused into the foundations of the vessel through a smelting process, ultimately allowing the frame to handle the pressure of accelerated lift. The findings are published, and the utilization of Granships are popularized throughout the Continent. 1795 - The Industrial Revolution - An unparalleled growth in national economy, infrastructure, and trade begins to occur in earnest as the popular acceptance of Vitriol revolutionizes every sector of national industry. Draking, the hunting of sky-beasts begins on a commercial scale - popularized by the retrofitting of civilian airships. 1797 - The first known organization of Sky Couriers is founded within the Narese City of Alta. The delivering of packages and other mail by way of Granships further revolutionizes worldly understanding as international communiques were made feasible. 1800 - The Advaren Domain becomes the first nation to achieve an aerial battleship, the ADAS Hieoromar. A flurry of duplications emerge, establishing the Hieoromar-class of airships, the mainstay of any conventional sky-fleet. 1806-1810 - The Springtime of Nations - As the Hieoromic grip finally slips free into obscurity, unprecedented unrest takes place in the Empire of Velka, and elsewhere, as the common populace begin the realization of superior alternatives to the current brutal conditions of the Industrial Revolution. During a particularly bad year of crop failures, a bread riot in the Capital would eventually lead to the spark of civil war. Defecting military elements seized control of airports, while Liberalist Revolutionaries assembled the ground armies. Though the Empire of Reismark would intervene, it was soon made clear they only sought to seize their disputed territories from Velka. The War would be won by the Republicans at the end of the decade, with Reismark claiming its territories in negotiations. Elsewhere in the Continent, other minor states take up the torch of revolution, overthrowing their established hierarchies with varying degrees of success and failures. 1814-1827 - Revolutionary fervour would spur on another bout of wars, as the reformed Republic of Velka mobilized its forces to march on Reismark to reclaim its lost territories. Ever opportunistic, the Kingdom of Varnyn would also invade despite the clashing ideologies of their allies - more interested in retaking its traditional claims than frivolous political allegiances. The first occurrence of mass airship battle occurs during this war, resulting in the defeat of the Republic. Varnyn’s intervention would prevent the total loss of the Revolutionary Fleet, and ultimately lead to the conditional surrender of the Imperial Reismark Navy following its near total defeat in the Battle of Navre. Under threat of an intervention from the United Principalities, peace talks commence and end in favor of the Kingdom of Varnyn, Republic of Velka - with minor land concessions made along with various compensations. 1830 - The Empire of Sarradon undergoes a series of regional conquests throughout the Expanse, deploying fleets of airships to nearby Oases and further consolidating their hegemony over the deserts. 1831 - An immense deposit of Vitriol is uncovered within the Empire of Reismark, assisting greatly in its economical recuperation as it is extensively exploited for profit. 1835 - The Grand Race - A new sport takes the Continent by storm, unparalleled in its popularity. Following the Zenmanna Agreement between the Sky Courier corporations of Zenmanna, Remen INC., and Anar Tech, the first official race was carried out within the debris fields of the southern Continent. The First Champion, Markus Anter, of the Advaren Domain, would go on to win the next two Races, establishing the basis of fast piloting - later analyzed and utilized for aerial dog-fighting simulations. 1840 - A sky island abruptly and rapidly loses altitude, crashing into the City of Bakar, decimating the small desert nation of Qu, and sparks a refugee crisis in the neighbouring countries. 1840 - 1860 - The Peaceful Decades - The Continent enters an era of uncharacteristic stability and stagnancy as the known world is finally fully interconnected through the utilization of airships. Exchanges of ideas and peoples occur as the Continent is fully mapped out. Pirates become fully established in various parts of the world. Trade flourishes. And despite the average condition, people live on amiable lives. 1875 - The New World - A convoy of Naresian merchant ships are blown off course whilst on a trading expedition, landing them. Numerous colonization attempts are made, some achieving success, but none making any great progress inland. No one dared to expend their naval power in faraway unknown lands while threats of war loomed. 1880 - A psyker by the name of Michael Navar, a researcher within the Archduchy of Tyrel, causes the annihilation of his town, along with himself during a psionic experiment gone wrong. The explosion, which virtually wiped all trace of the settlement, was felt throughout the entire Archduchy. 1885 - The Research and Development Team of the United Principalities develops the first sophisticated automatic weapon, the Machine Gun. A portable, bi-pod mounted weapon capable of decimating any unit of light infantry caught in the open. 1888 - In response to the latest development of automatic weaponry, the Kingdom of Varnyn announces its first prototype constructed in response to such threats; the Body Armor Combat System, steel plates infused with the hard-lite properties of Vitriol held together by spun silk capable of withstanding certain impacts. 1889 - Following a year of concealment, the depletion of one of the 3 major deposits of Vitriol within the Empire of Reismark becomes public. Further unrest is stoked as a result. 1890 - The Resource Wars - In contrast to the peace experienced in the past decades, the first report is made on the depletion of Vitriol, sparking off a series of unrest and conflicts. Paranoid national governments regard others as imminent threats, and borders are tightly regulated. Some minor nations are unfortunately consumed by their larger counterparts - all in a bid to secure more Vitriol. Lost Skies begins. Further information on the state of the world to be provided in the IC thread. Hieoromar the Adjudicator, Progenitor, 2500 SL, Second Era APPLICATION Contact me on discord, seannie#5413, for invitation to server, or any other questions. Starting Assets: -4 Cities -50,000 C worth of buildings -15 AP worth of troops -10 NP worth of ships + Doctrine Bonus Nation Customization Discord Username: Nation Name: National Symbol (Flag, etcetera): Culture: History: Unique Military Units (Max 3): National Idea: Point of Interest: National Traits: Map Location:

THE XXIV EXPEDITIONARY LEGION ‘The Nachzehrers’ The lushious expanse of the Broken Coast Badlands. “Good day for a walk, eh, Marshal?” A muffled voice spoke, as if obstructed by cloth over mouth. “Silence Will - you’re well aware of the limits to my patience.” An equally stifled voice replied, exasperatedly. The duo had seemingly been marching for the length of the day, beading sweat through their uniforms as the high summer sun above shone down upon them mercilessly. Behind them were an odd thousand or so similarly clad figures, stretched out in a long line across the land. In this barren and inhospitable wasteland, horses, or even cattle, could not survive, so the 24th Expeditionary Legion of the Concordat were forced to march, gentlemen and enlisted alike. Already the mobile infirmaries had patients; foolish soldiers who heeded not the warnings of their superior and took off their protective equipment in hopes of getting a breath of fresh air - only to fall ill soon after, confirming such dangers to the rest of the troops. Manual labor made everything worse, as the soldiers depended not on the strength of beasts, but rather themselves to push the armies along - with the summer heat bearing down upon all. Nothing to do but endure it, the Triumvirs sent them eastward, and east they shall go. The immense support of the Concordat’s logistical empire surely helped the process along, anyway. Without prompt, the two looked up to the skies almost in sync, their eyes squinted to pierce through the films of their goggles. “You reckon that airship will return again?” The former kept on, as if seeking out entertainment in the form of talk - his eyes remaining set on the skies before him, where an airborne vessel had flown by. “Major Jonathan from the 6th told me the only nation in this cursed part of the world capable of such sophisticated flight is a so -called ‘Vrenian Principalities’. Triumvirs only know what they’re up to - probably just spooked by us. Reckon they didn’t think anyone would be coming from the west. Guessing they may or may not come back to double check.” The Marshal stopped to jab a tube-like apparatus through his mask, finding it with his lips as water was sucked through from his canteen of water. A platoon of infantry march by, kicking up dust along the way. “Wonder if we’re even able to shoot it down, the thing flies pretty high… not to say that I’m advocating that we fire the first shot or anything.” William kept on incessantly as the Marshal increasingly began to ignore his subordinate’s aimless inquiries. “Heard the further we go east, the safer the air gets…. Hey, you listening?” He missed home - the Marshal thought. Where the rain didn’t kill anything it touched, where he could dress lightly and comfortably, eat food that didn’t come in a can - most of all, drinking iced water. He cursed the day the Triumvir forced him into this undesirable deployment, but damn anyone who thought he would not commit to his objectives effectively, he was the perfect representation of a model officer, afterall. The Concordat had quite literally burst onto the scene thanks to some apt logistical planning, now having swarmed the majority of the Badlands in a matter of mere months before they had to inevitably slow down. Outposts propped up throughout the region as the armies established and solidified the Concordat’s presence within the Broken Coast as the Expedition continued siphoning more and more resources from the heartland. From these forward observation bases, a peculiar sort of individuals had begun installing themselves - groups of civilians constantly darted to and fro throughout the area, scooping up anything they could. Scientists mostly, bemused as to why the land here withers away like so. Some stumble on ancient artifacts, while others discover unremarkable locations, most of which being the ruins of a ‘Felsen Reich’, whatever that was. Even the Marshal was instructed to stay clear of these little science gremlins, a directive coming straight from the Triumvirs. Outsider relics, he assumed, were their goals. The Concordat couldn’t get enough of them - even rumours spread that their rise to power was built on the foundation of such countless magical artifacts. Thoughts to be saved for later, however, as he spots the first of many foreign soldiers over yonder, the Marshal having finally crossed the barren desert. ACTIONS OF THE 24TH EXPEDITIONARY LEGION OF THE CONCORDAT Marshal Durham and his detachment of Legionnaires finally cross the desert from their staging grounds in Anflym Pass, coming into sight with the first patrol of Vrenian Cavalry as the clouds of dust behind them announce their presence. A white flag is raised to indicate no harm to those of the Principality. Elsewhere throughout the Badlands, the race to the mountains were well underway - as the Legion began finishing the rest of their land grabs. [Initiating contact with Vrenian Principality] Following along a rough map detailing the northern Badlands, procured during the Assembly of the 24th, General Alten has found quick respite as his own detachment of Legionnaires finally reach the Great Sea. A further march along the coastline leads the General into another unknown sector of the Badlands, to which his Legionnaires continue the same work that was done in the claiming of the previous provinces - though its mountainous regions are well avoided, less they overextend themselves. The Konigreich of Zunderland would eventually be reached as the General continued along the coast, and if he was uninterrupted, Alten would hail himself as an officer of the Concordat tho whichever authority maintained the borders in Zunderland, seeking to establish communications with whoever was in charge. [Initiating contact with the Zunderland Konigreich | Moving troops into A4 to claim its lowlands] The remainder of the Expedition is tasked with the securing of the last vast sector of open land in the region, coming down upon its barren wastes from all directions as outstations begin to dot the land. The northern and western approaches arrive into the area near immediately, while the eastern route awaits General Alten’s troops to finish with their designated sector of land. In the meantime, surveyors begin to determine the lay of the land, while eager scientists bounce along to discover what the hostile earth has to offer. Though the Legionnaires themselves remain on alert, unable to shake their paranoia and disturbance they feel when marching under the open skies. [Claiming province A5 entirely] A bold endeavour is underway as Concordat surveyors begin to assess whether or not the Badlands could be suitable for the eventual establishment of railways. Detailed maps begin to be formulated, noting down special elevations and obstructions, along with various evaluations of the soil itself. Despite the land nominally under Concordat control, Legionnaires still find themselves tasked with the protection of these surveyors, following them along the Badlands. Foremost, roadways would have to be dug out, then train terminals would be established along the Citadels of Anflyn and Narhem, eventually routing their way through their respective mountain passages, and eventually connecting to the Konigreich of Zunderland, and the Vrenian Principalities. [Assessing the possibility of establishing railways to Zunderland and Vrenia across the Badlands] In conjunction with these previous efforts, separate groups of surveyors also continue to investigate the viability of connecting the Badlands with infrastructure. As it stands right now, the only Concordat presence in the region are contractors or Legionnaires, eventually civilians would have to pass through the area as trade is connected to the Broken Coast proper. Such an ordeal would require roadways, waystations, and foremost, a formal investigation into the source of the anomalous activities in the Badlands that renders the land so lifeless. [Nation-building is underway] Not even a year passes and the exploitation of the land is already well underway. Resources are to be extracted from the Broken Coast and sent back to the Concordat proper to eventually be circulated into its economy. Hopefully, with the more shipments sent, the more the officials back home will dispense further funds. [Shipments of Coal and Raw Materials are sent back to the Concordat] To further facilitate this development in the industrial sector, several rudimentary factory complexes begin to be established throughout the controlled territories where nodes of resources are most concentrated - organizing and consolidating the manufacturing of various resources into manageable portions prior to being shipped back to the Concordat. [Building factories]

THE XXIV EXPEDITIONARY LEGION ‘The Nachzehrers’ Battle-Standards of the Legion 3rd Regiment of Foot, ‘The Rejects’, 2nd Battalion, 1st Division of Anflyn, 24th Expeditionary Legion The Concordat’s entry into the Broken Coast through the passageways of Anflyn and Narhem. To the far west, past the vast ranges of mountains, beyond the expansive deadlands where the rain sterilizes the earth itself, a nation stirred. The Concordat, a militaristic state with a covetous desire to advance its hegemony upon the world, looked forth upon the Broken Coast warily - not because of its feeble inhabitants, but rather it was its rival, the Sultanate of Kaph, that had begun its own inquiries into the region that caused such a disturbance within the Concordat. Not to be surpassed, the Triumvirs, as part of their initiative to deny any and all sources of growth for the Sultanate, issued the Edict of Assembly, organizing an entire new Expeditionary Legion to be deployed into the Broken Coast - a natural order of things as part of their jingoistic tendencies. The particular nature of this campaign required years of preparation, of which were used to produce and develop unique armaments and equipment never seen before. Weapons, clothing, tools, and more, all designed so that they could withstand the harsh environment of the Broken Coast’s borderlands. What came of this was a wholly distinct Concordat Legion compared to its counterparts elsewhere - a Legion which had to be supplied with manpower. It was decided following a minor convention of the Triumvirs that the lower dredges of their societies would fill its ranks, whom they saw as worthwhile expendable pawns to be thrown into the inhospitable wildlands - if the Legion required reinforcements, more undesirables would be simply sent. Regardless of these dubious upbringings, the militaristic nature of the Concordat lets no recruits be unfairly untrained - all receive the same attention and expertise necessary to manufacture the perfect soldier capable of advancing the objectives of the Triumvirs. Nevertheless, the 24th Legion, later known by their self-given nickname, ‘The Nachzehrers’, began their service with an exemplary record. The entire logistics of the Assembly would go without flaws, with the acquisition of resources overseen by a dedicated staff of officers, while public attention favored a new deployment to bring home further glory. Despite being composed of such a motley combination of backgrounds, the soldiers were nevertheless eager to prove the Concordat’s might to the nations of the Broken Coast, with the added benefit of expeditionary pay. With the staging grounds set, locomotives ferry troops to their deployment zones, and say their goodbyes - the armies begin their march past the twin-citadels of Anflym and Narhem, continuing eastward. And so, in the year 3251, the Concordat struck first in the grand schemes of geopolitics, breaching through the Manerrim Mountains and into the Broken Coast - commencing the formal presence of the Concordat in this region of the world. The average Nachzehrer infantryman - clad in a breathing apparatus, acid resistant clothing, and waterproof cartridge muskets. Unique The Expeditionary Legionnaires [Medium Line Infantry] Concordat trained and equipped infantry - already a superior alternative to whatever the Broken Coast can provide. However, an immediate issue arises in that they can only be trained and equipped in the Concordat homeland, as the Triumvirs does not allow for the native population of the Broken Coast to be raised to the ranks of the Concordat, leading to the occasional shortages of manpower for its Expeditionary Legions. The 24th’s Legionnaires are uniquely outfitted, designed to handle the hardiest of weather, along with advances in musketry that can fire more accurately and faster than the local alternatives - such progress in technology that was not conventionally achieved, but perhaps derived from left-over knowledge of the Outsiders. Furthermore, within every Regiment of the Legion resides a Battalion of Pioneers, combat engineers capable of designing the battlefield to their likings through entrenchments, and other constructive measures - a rather skewed ratio of engineers to infantry, but done so nonetheless at the behest of Marshal Durham. National Idea Might of the Concordat Roll for a sheet of resources transported from the heartland every 1-2(?) turn. Marshal Alexander Durham An upstart Marshal who made his rank by currying the favors of the Triumvirs - such is what his opponents would gossip among themselves. Young Durham entered the Army as a commissioned officer of the Concordat, his affluent father having bought him the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel for a tremendous cost that seemed to have caused no dent in the family funds. Of his combat experience, little could be said, as he never saw much of any. Rather, his success came through his uncanny ability to charm and manipulate others to his liking. In this regard, Alexander is a man of vanity, seeking higher stations in life to satisfy his own concealed narcissism - finding a disturbing amusement in being in command of increasingly more individuals. However, he is not entirely useless, for in 3246, young Durham positioned himself to a position of acclaim within the circles of officers in the Concordat, having stifled and arrested a mutiny of great proportion before it could have even begun. It was during this event that Alexander and Charles met, and became collaborators in various affairs of political subterfuge - despite Charles' discovery and disdain of Alexander’s true character. Following his popular rise, Durham overstepped a boundary during an attempt to flex his influence to achieve a rank out of his reach. It was at this moment that the officer truly felt fright, as a Triumvir personally descended upon him, instructing the man to be wary of his surroundings. Nevertheless, Durham did receive his promotion, though was deployed to the formation of the 24th Expeditionary Legion, the forlorn hope into the Broken Coast. Brigadier-General Charles Gibbons The moral bedrock of the Expedition. Sir Gibbons is a man of exemplary talents, beloved by all, his peers, superiors, and inferiors. One of the few men to uncover Marshal Durham’s strange behaviourism, and even come to terms with it - dedicating himself to the Expedition as the restraint to his superior’s narcissism. A peculiar sort of companions. Gibbons bought his commission through the family inheritance, becoming a Captain of Lancers within the 3rd Legion - a uniform he has managed to maintain despite his continuous promotions. The man had become a war drunk fool during his service, finding revelry in battle, and enjoyment on the march. Though such would change with the introduction of Alexander, as he found himself roped along by his various schemes - which would culminate in his less than favorable deployment to the Broken Coast. General William Alten The senior commander of the Legion - acting as mentor to the aloof Marshal, and popular Gibbons. General Alten sought a comfortable retirement, but was instead deployed along with the 24th Expeditionary Legion to the Broken Coast - as a final act of damnation by one of the Triumvirs. A secretive kind of man, rarely speaking of his past to others, but clearly learned in the affairs of the military.

THE UNION OF THE VISTULA THE UNITED COMMUNES OF ARNAU HAS BEEN REORGANIZED INTO THE FIRST UNION OF VISTULA, FOR A SAFE AND SECURE SOCIETY “ANGRIFF!” The shouts rang out along the battlefield as masses of infantry collided into each other with bayonets drawn. General Steiner had already known his victory was imminent before the bayonets were even displayed - his gamble on a heavy handed flank had pulled off as his elite infantry crushed through Sudveldische’s own. Now, from atop of his elevation, Steiner gazes on as his cavalry dashes out from the nearby woodlands, cutting down panicked enemy soldiery - his mind already far ahead from this petty squabble before him. The Freehold had gone for the Revolution’s throat as the civil war raged, he would need everything at his disposal to throw off this Bushling’s advance into his homeland. No further time could be wasted on these insurrectionists - the Freehold, devoid of any righteous moral compass, would no doubt lay waste to the entirety of Arnau if left unchecked. The Fatherland had to be defended at all cost - is what the General thought to himself, as if trying to psyche himself up to task, with the loss he incurred at Jamesvale still fresh in his mind. “Sir?” He wasn’t entirely convinced, even now in this victory of his, that he had the capabilities to defeat the Freehold. Outnumbered and quite particularly outgunned, his fortune certainly appeared to bore no good tidings for the Revolution. The fight would have to be won unconventionally, or perhaps it was the Freehold themselves that were fighting uncoventionally already, having departed from their natural habitat and stepped onto Arnau’s own speciality. “Sir?” The voice finally shook Steiner free from his thoughts. The General turned to his right, a brow raised as he faced his aide-de-camp, nodding in acknowledgment of the man’s presence. “Sudveld’s right has broken rank and fled, sir.” The young officer continued, pointing out to the regiments in the distance that had begun breaking apart and fleeing in disorder. “Ah, very well - call off the attack. We’ll need these lads, no matter how astray they are, to assist the Revolution in our fight against the invaders. Service for immunity, you see? They’re still our countrymen afterall. Send the reserves into the City now, on the double - issue the terms of surrender and we can finally turn our attention to more impending matters.” “Yes, sir, right away, sir.” A long sigh blows a cloud of air in the cold afternoon as the General reigns his horse away from the field of battle, on to continue another gruesome and tiring day of battle. “Here’s to hoping for peace one day.” Friederich Vogel ‘Father of the Revolution’ Friederich Vogel, the world’s most forward thinking philosophic egalitarian, and a noted humanist. Founder of the new popular ideology, Communism (commonly, Vogelism), Friederich has long advocated for the dismantling of social hierarchies in which all are given an equal right to success - rather than having power accumulate in the few through inherited means. Having begun his academic studies in Westerveld, the concepts of classical liberalism were instilled in the young Vogel in this foreign country, who would later bring back these ideals to his academic circles in the Confederation of Mitteland - to be developed upon by his fellow like minded peers, such as Hans Lufta, and Huge Frazer. For the next few decades, Vogel would eventually manifest the culmination of his studies into a profound declaration, a Vogelist Manifesto, in which he details a better world for all, how to fulfill such, and the consequences of this communist ideology. It would gain minor traction throughout the universities of Mitteland, and disparaged but no further than a simple talking piece - the undisturbed insular nature of the Confederation causing no need for any general disturbance in the masses for the subsequent decades. So as things festered, Vogel dedicated himself to his works as an author, further propagating his various thoughts and concepts. As a man of letters, Vogel has published many works which have been elevated to high fame; ‘the 12 Theses on Society’, ‘the Vogelist Manifesto’, ‘the Reichisch Identity’ and ‘Poverty under Communism’. These texts have been largely responsible for further helping spur on deviancy within academic circles of the Broken Coast, and perhaps beyond, which has slowly permeated throughout the lower classes of society, eventually culminating in the Revolution of 3250. Following the stalemate of 3250, more commonly known as the Fool’s War, revolutionist tendencies flared up throughout the Confederation, as more and more turned to Vogel’s ideology in replacement of a continuously ailing, ineffective, ruling government - and on the eve of the disaster at Jamesvale, Friederich finally struck the torch of Revolution, commencing major uprisings in retaliation to poor government policies throughout the Confederation. These efforts in Arnau were doubled in intensity, as its populace raged on for the loss of their native 1st Division, executed on-mass by the Freehold following their surrender in the Bush. Representatives of the Confederation were defenestrated, drawn and quartered, or lined up against walls to be shot to death - these brutal revolts had far exceeded even Vogel’s own expectations, rendering him temporarily unable to cohesively organize the Revolution as more and more violent ideologies fractured apart, chief of which being Frazerites, a group of anarchists. Following the initial defeats of the Revolution in Sudveld and Suden, Friederich had come together with the Communes of Arnau to consolidate a new provisional government till the Revolution fully succeeded in reclaiming the Confederation - the Supreme Council of Communes had been formed, but had already been neutered by Friederich’s overwhelming popularity. The Vogelist Association was given free reign over the Communes, propagating the ideals of their mentor to all. Defenders of the Revolution would eventually gather under the banners of the Black Guards, or Black Army, dubbed after the dark color of the uniforms of the Revolutionary Freikorp - and as the Principality and Junta waged war in the north, Friederich had directed the troops south to Sudveld, to finally squash what was seen to be an insurrection. But the Freehold would intervene, splitting apart the Revolution, and trapping Vogel in Arnau as it lay under siege. Verse 1: Stand up! the soul of the proletarian Workers, let's get together at last. Stand up! the damned of the earth! Stand up! the convicts of hunger! To overcome misery and shadow Slave crowd, stand up! stand up! We are the right, we are the number: We who were nothing, let us be everything: Chorus: This is the final struggle Let's group together and tomorrow The International Will be the human race The Battle of Sudveld, 3251 ACTIONS OF THE UNITED COMMUNES OF ARNAU As the Mittelandische refugee crisis continues into the new year, many more Vogelist sympathizers are embedded within these destitute exiles. The objective remains the same, to further the cause and to network more like-minded individuals to support the Revolution - by monetary means, or volunteers. Underground societies form in whichever countries most accepting of refugees, if any, chief of which being Westerveld so far, where major blackmarket transactions deals remain continuous. [Expanding underground commie networks throughout the universe] The Vogelist Model spreads to Sudveld following its capitulation, wherein, its previously suppressed communist supporters are now free to hold their political rallies and parades. Vogelist newspapers prop up on every corner, with groups of propaganda speakers blasting out the latest developments in the war efforts with their megaphones. What were underground unions of workers, now burst into the public as they drastically alter the culture, rights and legalities of all workers, in their implementation of the Vogelist Model, while Vogelist Militias began to reform in order to support the Black Army’s northward advance. [Asserting Vogelist rule and order over Sudveld] As the Revolution enters a state of total war with its invading neighbors, new radical policies are forwarded by the Supreme Council. The Women’s Brigade has been established; composed of an all-female task-force of combatants and logistical supporters, the objective of such a new organization is to hopefully alleviate the pain and struggle felt by the regular infantry as they thwart off these foreign invaders. These women are trained for war just like any other, and are expected to go the extra mile to prove their worth as they strive for the same constitutional representation as their male counterparts. [Enlisting women into the Black Army] The Revolution commits to the same mobilization efforts carried out in Arnau last year, now this time in Sudveld. An emergency conscription edict has been issued to gather new soldiers, regardless of if they can be outfitted with standard equipment - both women and men are equally pressed into service, leaving the rest behind to maintain the economy. The Edict works to drag out the recently incorporated citizenry who may maintain discontent towards the Vogelist Regime, rather than allowing them free-time to organize unrest in Sudveld. Soldiers of the recently defeated Sudveldsiche army that retired from service following their undertaking of new oaths are specifically excluded from the Edict. [Emergency Conscription Edict issued in Sudveld] Operation Firestorm is underway. A flurry of hastily assembled PEACEFUL diplomats are sent across the newly established border with Westerveld. Presumably stopped by border guards, they address themselves as representatives of the United Communes of the Vistula, and urgently request a line of communications with whichever authority is tasked with foreign affairs. [Sending diplomats to Westerveld | Discord] The Foundries in Arnau pump out a battery of artillery at top speed as the Freehold closes around it. [4,000v, 4AP, 2S] A Regiment of the most zealous revolutionaries are assembled from both Arnau and Sudveld, leading to the formation of a new Black Guard (Foreign Corp) unit. [1,000v, 2AP, 2S] Blackmarket trading 2 units of gunpowder for 1,000 each. 8 units of Revolutionaries are trained up to Regular standards [2,000v]

Sigismund screeches into the void with the force of a million suns imploding as his descendent strips the barclays of the titles he exhausted himself to have bestowed upon that family

THE MITTELLÄNDISCHE CIVIL WAR All hell has broken loose in the Confederation - following a string of humiliations, and munity of the armed forces, the nation has violently torn itself apart into four halves. General Klein, of the northern border army, has declared the creation of a Military Reconstruction Authority in a bid to seize the apparatus of state from the Capital, but was fended off by loyalists of the Principality of Suden. Both of these States see themselves as the most pure succession of the Confederation, true inheritors of what the Confederation stood for. To the south, the border with Westerveld, General Waltz of the Sudveld Freikorp was declared Governor of the State, having presented seperationist policies in favor of an independent state in opposition to the Confederation - he has been reported to have attempted talks with Westerveld. Smashed between these rogue states lies the United Communes of Arnau. In a surprising upset of the natural order, the army elements stationed in the region refused to turn their arms against the general populace as unrest reached a boiling point throughout the Confederation. When the citizenry demanded access to the armories, the soldiers obliged and joined arms, establishing together a new adhoc armed forces - the Black Guard (Army) of the Revolution, named so after the color of the Freikorp uniforms. It is during this revolution that the peoples of Arnau unshackled themselves from their traditional classist restrictions, leading to the extinguishment of the wealthy and established powers and rise of a . By all standards, even on an international level, the Union has taken on an extremist and radical form of nation building, with the new government adhering to a fledgling ideology it has dubbed ‘Communism’, a political theory forwarded by a famed Arnauist intellectual, Friederich Vogel, that entails the dismantling of social classes and private ownership - among other things. Vogel continues to propagate the necessity of the proletariat to rise up against their masters in whatever shapes they come throughout the Broken Coast, so that the common people may lead their nations to the Golden City of the Sun on an international scale, no longer discriminated against by arbitrary boundaries. The Revolution initially made grounds into Sudveld and Suden, but were stopped short by brutal reprisals by the established governments there. The Principality of Suden, in its inherent disdain for uppity commoners, labelled the Revolution a gross degeneracy of social order and of everything good - so when the workers burst forth from their factories, they were met by hails of grapeshot, all but wiping out the major components of the Revolution’s spread in Suden. Further west from Suden, the Revolution saw no gains at all in the lands controlled by the Military Authority, with reports having filtered through that General Klein ordered severe crackdowns on Volgist-Communists before they could even fully organize. The Revolution had the most success outside of Arnau in the State of Sudveld, with communist uprisings stretching all the way south along the Vistula - though such was stopped short by a hastily assembled Army of Sudveld Freikorps. Most citizens of Sudveld have a seemingly natural affinity to Vogelism, having long embraced liberal ideals themselves, but at the same time, also view the Revolution as a dangerous threat to the established social order - one that will incur the wrath of its foreign neighbours and ultimately be the death of the Mittelland Idea. THE MILITARY RECONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY OF THE CONFEDERATION LED BY THE MILITARY JUNTA UNDER COMMAND OF GENERAL CHRISTOPHER KLEIN Extremist elements of the armed forces in Suden have declared their opposition to Suden and Arnau’s claim to the reunification of the Confederation. Stationed out of Fortress Vlachev in the far north, Regiments of Regulars easily swept aside Revolutionary Militias and other organizations early on in the Revolution as they continued their forceful induction of splinter-states. Their actions have been increasingly brutal in their oppression of deviancy, having been reported to have had massacred thousands of Vogelists, as well as the imprisonment of even more non-conforming vagabonds into concentration camps. So far, in a bid to seize the Capital to assert the Authority’s rightful rule over the Confederation, General Klein has commenced a major offensive against the Principality of Suden. THE PRINCIPALITY OF SUDEN LED BY PRINCE-CHANCELLOR MICHAEL VON SUDEN The core successor of the Confederation, the Principality is still in control of much of the executive authority of the previous government. Prince Michael, though the propagator of the failures that led to the Civil War has continued to hold on to his power as of yet, benefiting from the system of inherited wealth and of the direct control the Prince has over his armed forces. It is currently defending against General Klein’s offensive, but is also forced to contend with its eastern neighbour, the Republic of Westmark, who will no doubt have aspirations of taking total control of the twin-cities of the Vistula for itself. Prince Michael has petitioned the Kawahara Shogunate for aid and continues to fight a bitter fight. THE UNITED COMMUNES OF ARNAU LED BY THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF COMMUNES Arnau was the hardest stricken State of the Confederation following the failure of the Bush War, with much of its soldiery, the 1st Division primarily, having been executed by the Freeholder following the Battle of Jamesvale, along with their General, von Arnau. Following these consecutive series of humiliations and defeat, what was once simple discontent, now turned to feverish Revolution - workers began to organize protests, aided by their counterparts in the rural communities. A general revolt first commenced in Arnau City against the established powers of the Stately Government there, a revolt of which was met with no resistance and were instead joined by the regiments garrisoned throughout the city. Overnight, this cascading effect was propagated to the rest of Arnau, with many turning to immediate reunification under this new chaotic order. Friedrich Vogel, the father of the Revolution, had spurred within the hearts of many, a better cause for all Mankind - the establishment of Communism, in which the proletariat will no longer be stratified into arbitrary and discriminatory social classes, and instead unite under one, indivisible. Though he couldn’t exert his influence further out from Arnau at the time, he was able to leverage his influence within the Revolutionary Guards to coerce the various communes of Arnau to adopt Communism - forgoing private ownership and installing zealot to positions of authority in order to continue the Revolution outwards. THE STATE OF SUDVELD LED BY GOVERNOR-GENERAL STEFAN WALTZ The most moderate of the splinter-states, Sudveld had declared its neutrality at the beginning of the conflict, but such was ignored as the Revolution indiscriminately swept south to claim much of the State for its own cause. A hastily assembled Freikorp met the Revolutionary Militias in battle along in the Vistula and quickly routed them back to Arnau. In response to this, Sudveld announced its objective to separate from the Confederation entirely, to forge ahead its own independence alongside with the potential amiable Westerveld Dominion guiding it. State of Sudveld, pink Principality of Suden, yellow United Communes of Arnau, red Military Reconstruction Authority of the Confederation, white ACTIONS OF THE UNITED COMMUNES OF ARNAU The Black Guard of the Revolution has begun its earnest reunification of the State of Sudveld - where diplomacy failed to unite the two polities, armed forces will suffice for now. An Army has begun to cross the border upon the ancient Outsider highway. [Reunification War] Though the Revolution had commenced in earnest a few months ago, it was an abrupt affair at first - violently birth immediately following the catastrophe at Jamesvale. As the news broke of the fate of the 1st Division of Arnau, the State broke into a delirious frenzy, and was quick to overthrow the representatives of the Confederation throughout Arnau. During this period, the Revolution was a disordered mess of conflicts of interests, with prominent radicals pushing their own ideologies into the cesspit. Though such would last no longer, as order returned to the Revolution with Friederich Vogel's return to the political scene. Though he was the father of the modern communist ideology, the explosive zealotry of the Revolution had overwhelmed him at first, rendering him temporarily incapable as he organized his pieces on the proverbial board of politics. The Vogelist Faction, a political party loyal to Friedrich responsible for having established the grassroots of the Revolution, in conjunction with the Freikorps of Arnau, were quick to restore sensibility to the people when the order was given. Now months into the Revolution, a formal government had been established in cooperation with the multitude of communes throughout Arnau, with the communists ideals fully embraced. The Vogelist Faction remains a quasi-paramilitary organization bent on spreading Friedrich's ideals to all in Arnau - educating the peasantry, issuing lectures on the sides of roadways, and other publicity stunts in hopes to further propagate the burgeoning ideology. Most of all, ensuring that the people kept in line with the greater good. [Stoking the flames of Revolution] A group of attrited Regiments of Line Infantry are combined into one, scrounging up whatever meager resources the Union can provide the fusiliers with equipment. [1,000v, 2AP, 2S] Various attempts are made to acquire gunpowder through dubious and illegal means - mostly through the blackmarket. Smugglers first establish connections with the underworld of the Westerveld Dominion in hopes to acquire such gunpowder, shipping them north along the Vistula into Arnau disguised as merchants of Westerveld. [3GP, 3,000v] Suggested by Vogels and established by the Supreme Council, the Commissariat of Foreign Affairs is formed with the objective of spreading the Revolution internationally as it exports fervent Revolutionaries disguised as refugees to other countries affected by severe class dysfunctions. Connections begin to form, but no definitive actions are taken as these Revolutionaries work primarily on establishing their networks. [Networking gommunism throughout the world] Stockpile, 500v

Eidgenossenschaft Middenland Confederation of the Three Middle States From east to west, the Confederation embroils itself in a bid for growth, taking on its neighbours in belligerent acts of military show. Whereas in the east, with its formidable Vistula River, the conflict there was concluded indecisively, the western expansion into the Freehold would see victory - less the Council of State admits they are not fit to govern and are willing to lose the Confederation to anarchy and discontent should they fail. With the economy having bottlenecked itself in growth earlier in the year, economic think tanks throughout the nation issued their findings, detailing that there were no other alternatives to the acquisition of wealth other than forceful expansion to ensure the Confederation’s way of life. These justifications were righteously compounded by propaganda, when it was made known that the Freehold was contesting the Confederation’s expansion. With a new opponent in the minds of the citizenry, and the Grand Army fresh off the Vistula skirmishes, the Confederation was ready to stick it to another target. “Raise the Freikorp, raise the Freikorp! The citizenry have been raised! By order of the Council! Muster stations everyone!” Messengers dash throughout the communities of Sudveld, the Confederation’s southernmost state on the border with Westerveld. It seems, to those who pay attention to such developments, that the conflict to the west may escalate to full-scale war, and that to prepare for such, the call for assembly has been issued. Attached to Marshal Hozen’s field army, Major-General Stefan Waltz has been given the command of the six or so thousand strong raised brigade. Proving to be cunning, as displayed by his actions in the border skirmishes with Westmark earlier in the year, Marshal Hozen has planned to put these innate abilities to good use as they root out the wildfolks from the Bush. It is reiterated to the General that the livelihoods of those inhabitants are worthless - what happens in the Bush, stays in the Bush, a little ethnic cleansing to clear the way for colonizers wouldn’t hurt anyone much. They were savages, afterall. “Verily, good sirs, the nation’s attention must be turned elsewhere - else we subject ourselves to the whims of the displeased masses. What occurred on the Vistula was an intelligence blunder of unparalleled stupidity. To be awakened in the early morning by gunfire, only to be told that no side but the other committed the first cartridge. A blunder, god damn it!” The Prince-Chancellor slammed a balled fist against his oaken table, though resumed his typical demeanor as quickly as he had his outburst - unsettling some of the others around. “Though we know not of whom these machinations were stringed, it is quite apparent that the espionage division led us into the worst national embarrassment of the decade… Imagine it, two cordial nations, at each other’s throat within the span of an hour, simply because both representatives were too stupid to think something foul was afoot!” He shook his head in disappointment, slouching back into his seat dejectedly as the remainder of the Council looked on attentively. “I shall deal with the Director, Chancellor - you shan’t hear of him ever again.” piped up a man at the table of no recognition compared to his uniformed peers around. “Good, I leave his replacement to you. Failure won’t be tolerated, or you will be treated likewise to our fair departing intelligence commander.” The Chancellor concluded, moving on to the next topic with a sip of water. “Now, the next subject of contention - the perfidious Freehold, who had the audacity to move their troops into our frontier as if they thought they had the chance to contest us. We shall make quick work of this war. Slice the snake’s tail, and hold the rest hostage. Deal their army a resounding defeat and their country will buckle to our demands. Westerveld will take notice, no doubt, so we will have to temper our ferocity and let these forest brigands off lightly. We are not yet of the strength able to take on our southerly neighbour, yet.” He spoke on as he gazed over an array of army formations across the valley region between the Freehold and Confederation, eying the warplans. “Marshal Hozen, God bless him, has been sent to settle our westerly feud. We’ve also initiated Protocol Set 4, issuing the assembly of the southern Freikorp - hopefully they can sponge damages away from our regulars. Stifle the media, sanitize our military reports, and hope to god Hozen wins in the west and we might just be able to salvage this mess we're in.” As the Sun began to set, dimming the light in the council chambers, the increasingly weary Chancellor rose from his chair, the rest in the room following suit. He salutes with the strength of an old man, ushering forth the following as he departs; “Remember the Cause, Midxers Unery.” I went for a walk once, To amuse myself, Then I saw in the distance A girl standing. I asked her modestly: "Miss, may I accompany you?" Then the girl said: "Oh, please, no!" “I am married, been married a long time, and I have everything that one could need.” “I don't need to say anything and do not need to ask, and what you can do, my husband can too!” A popular soldier’s song of the 5th Regiment of the Foreign Corp on-march to their destination. The 3rd Regiment of Foot ambushed by the local wildlife in the Bush. "The cry resounds like thunder's peal, Like crashing waves and clang of steel: The Vistula, the Vistula, our Sudenisch Vistula, Who will defend our stream, divine?" ACTIONS Vozin(s): 18,550v, 9 materials Formal Invasion of the Bushlands commences, pushing forth to meet the Freehold’s forces in the woods. An official declaration of war is not yet issued, but letters are dispatched to the Republic’s government through independent couriers, demanding their withdrawal from the claimed territory the Confederation is in the process of civilizing. [Invading E13, war-plans to follow in discord] With war continuously threatening the national integrity of the Confederation, the industry must match these conflicts. The surplus production of sulfur and saltpeter is exhausted entirely as newly constructed mills churn out gunpowder by the bulks to supply the soldiers. [x3 GP Mills, 9,000v, 3m] Having drained the entirety of the national stockpile of construction resources, shipments of materials flow in through the Vistula River, having purchased a part of the Kingdom of Procteland’s surplus. [Buying 5 Material from Hell, 5,000v] In an attempt to maintain the growing need for consumer goods, a factory-complex is constructed in eastern Arnau along the shores of the Northern Lake, kept far away from any potential warzones. [x1 Manufactory, 2000v, 1m] As the threats of war loom over the Confederation, politicians breathe a sigh of relief as Vyascheslav diplomats arrive to discuss treaties in the like. Following the conclusion of the reason for their presence, Sudenisch politicians extend an offer to establish embassies, to better improve the lines of communications between the two nations. [Non-Aggression Pact is signed between the Vyascheslav Confederacy and Middenlisch Confederation | Proposing embassy establishment in capitals]. The political and military maneuvers of the Westerveld is wholeheartedly dismissed, declaring their hostile behaviourism on the border as proof of guilt. The forces stationed in Sudveld are kept on alert for any potential military incursions along the south, patrolling their peripheral territories on a constant basis, while the same is carried out along the Vistula River - observing the lay of the land. The Ambassador in the Kawahara Shogunate is hard at work at diplomacy with various talks being held back and forth. Purchasing 3GP from Kawahara, 3,000v Raising a Regiment of Line Infantry Regulars [1,250v, 2ap, 2s] Stockpiled, 250v, 13m, 6gp, 6s

Eidgenossenschaft Middenland Confederation of the Three Middle States The war on the Vistula comes to an end as quickly as it started. Though it wasn’t particularly brutal, the Confederation noticeably appears to have come out on top in the exchange of engagements, having reduced large sections of the enemy city to rubble, while also seizing parts of Republik’s territory. The loss of what was once an amiable trading partner is felt solemnly, but again, the Republik has shown its true nature, a nation that shoots its allies first without question. With the east secured, the army resumes its focus westward. The Mittellandisch Ironclad, CRS Veld, sinking the two Westmarkian Frigates upon the Vistula. ACTIONS Vozin(s): 15,000v The armistice between the Confederation and Republik is officially signed and put into effect, with the two nations now entering a state of ceasefire until the more formal treaties are sorted. In line with the requests of the Republik to ensure peace, the Confederation has begun withdrawing from its occupied territories, now re-establishing a defensive line along the Vistula River - though with significantly less troops than it was prior in the month. In the twin-capitals, a gathering of politicians has occurred on the ancient bridge, with pavilions propped up awaiting the arrival of the delegation from Westmark. [Reforming defensive lines against the Republik and peace treaty] With the border skirmishes now concluded, several auditing reports flood Central Command, highlighting the faults and flaws of the Army - from its readiness response, to fighting abilities. Chief among these concerns are the Confederation’s inability to maintain a protracted war. Marshal Sigfrid Hozen, the commander largely responsible for having maintained the Confederation’s integrity during the war, while striking blows at the Republic, informs the executive branch, the Council of State, that the nation must continue its expansion westward in the acquisition of resources. Ever the popular man, Marshal Hozen’s colonization plans are resumed, but this time with tenacity and furiosity never seen in the year prior. The Confederation has no need of the native populations in the ‘Badlands’, as the woods are filled with all kinds of degenerates and brigands unfit for service - their settlements to be uprooted and razed, and its populations pushed towards the Freehold. Whereas Marshal Hozen burned the land on his retreat eastward, he instead resumes the scorched earth campaign in this methodical advance westward, keeping his forces in line with allied logistics and seeking to acquire total control of the province within the year. A riled up army coming fresh off the skirmishes upon the Vistula River is fully unleashed upon the inhabitants of the ‘Bush’. [Resuming Colonization of adjacent western province] To never once again suffer these extreme bouts of miscommunications, the Confederation issues forth a new diplomatic plan - the establishment of full-time embassies in other nations. Rather than depending on messengers to issue orders, ambassadors will take charge of their nation’s interest in foreign countries. First of these embassies slated to be opened is within the Kawaharan Shogunate, with the plans for such sent back along with Envoy Botan. [Establishing embassies in foreign countries] The age of industry demands increased production, especially in the face of war. This time, however, the industry is focused in the south along the Westerveld border, away from the hotspots to the north. [2 Factories, 4,000v, 2M | 1 Powder Mill, 3,000v, 2M | 6,000v, 3M total] Though it has closed its borders to Westerveld as a result of the war, researchers still proceed with uncovering the mechanics of the locomotives, depending for now on skilled observers who witnessed its unveiling. The concept of a railway adjacent to the ancient highway that runs through most of the country is becoming increasingly enticing as the government begins allotting further budget grants to its development. [Researching locomotives and railways] A trade deal is struck with the Kawahara Shogunate, which sees the exchange of 6 materials for the individual price of 750vozins. Stockpiled, 4,500v

Eidgenossenschaft Middenland Confederation of the Three Middle States The 3rd Regiment of the Arnau Horse Guards crossing into the ‘Badlands’ in the westward expansion of the Confederation, 3250 A.D. Unification of the Reich A hypothetical concept in its infancy throughout the various Academies and Universities of the Confederation, in which the Reichisch speaking nations of the Broken Coast are unified under one union for a stronger and secure future for those of a common culture. Jubilitations ring out in Mittelheim, the Confederation’s Capital, as various Regiments of the Three States are paraded through its streets, most notable of which being the presentation of the Sudenisch Foreign Corp, seemingly universally loved by all citizenry for its equal representation of all peoples of the Confederation. The festivities had been brought upon by the year’s greatest celebration, Confederation Day - especially intensified this year by the tricentenary anniversary of the union of the three states. They circle through the Palatial Square upon their conclusion, marching in salute to the executive authorities of the Council of States, who overwatch the entire ordeal as customary of their positions. Side by side, the Chancellor of Suden and President of Arnau converse, discussing recent military developments, “Are you sure this is wise, Michael? The Freeholders largely see those woods as their de jure territory, conflict in the region may escalate to war.” the President murmored, her eyes having never shifted as she kept on waving and smiling to the marching infantry. The Chancellor, evidently displeased to have been bothered about matters of the state while overseeing the parade, replies in a quick fashion customary to his oratory aptitude, “Anna, I hope you are not suggesting that the land be simply taken over by our adversaries - we must contest. You know as well as I of our rising issue, we simply do not have enough resources to maintain our wealth.” The President, ever persistent, also hastily retorted her humanistic stance, ”Are you sure this is worth the loss of lives? If the Freeholds contest our actions and tangle us in a regional conflict with our neighbours, the casualties will be in the thousands.” A Regiment stops abruptly with disciplined precision, the Prince of Suden’s Own Fusiliers, to shout their regimental motto in respect of the Prince-Chancellor, continuing on their march in salute immediately after, “Acceptable losses when the stake of our future generations are at risk because their forefathers did not ensure a safer and prosperous present for them. Anna, see to it that the resolutions pass in the Assemble.” The President of Arnau rolls her eyes, having to stop her persistence as the futility of such was made apparent. Mittellandische Freikorps Mittelland's large foreign population and popularity abroad with the common folk has led to a large population of foreigners willing to fight for her honour, but unable to join the Foreign Legion. Every 2 turns, you can roll a 4d5 to raise a volunteer Freikorps. Every 1 on the dice represents 500 men, so with a perfect score you'd get a Freikorps of 10'000. Freikorps troops can only be green, and are restricted to light or medium troop types. 1 artillery gun represents 100 men, so one artillery battery equates to 500. Artillery is capped at 1 battery per 5k, including the battery. ACTIONS Vozin(s): 11,750 Stacks of smoke billow out into the vast expanse as new factories commence their first week of operations following the continuation of the industrial modernization efforts throughout the Confederation. [10,000 Vozin, 5M] News reaches the Confederation of a World Fair being held by the Maritime Commonwealth within New Prospect. Ever eager to intermingle with the other world powers, the Confederation sends its own delegation of athletes, cavalry, artillery and infantry. The cavalry to show off the equestrian culture of Suden, the infantry to show off both marksmanship and rank firing, while the artillery arrives to practise blasting targets down range. A wide range of athletes from multiple disciplines are ready to participate in whichever sports dictated by the Commonwealth, though it is apparent many are specialized in winter sports, such as mountaineering and alpine skiing. [Player v Player interaction with Commonwealth] The colonization of land long ignored is now underway, though it must be soundly pacified before the influx of settlers may tame the land to their likings. The Jaeger Battalion of the northern state of Arnau is called to this task, their regiments being trained to handle such unconventional terrain that the Freeholders call ‘The Bush’. Assisting in this westward push are the Regiments of Light and Regular Infantry, to both bolster presence and serve as occupational forces. The Jaegers waste no time cutting deep into the wilderness in attempts to encircle any settlements in the region and establish the boundaries of the campaign, while the line infantry follows up with the occupation. [3000 Elite Jaegers, 2000 Light Infantry, 2000 Medium Infantry sent to commence the pacification of the woodlands] The Ambassador, Wilheim Marks, to the Republic of Westerveld within Andriesburg begins formal inquiries into the unveiling of a new industrial revolution, the advent of ‘locomotives’. Back home, being blindsided by such a technological invention shines the intelligence division in a poor light, but Ambassador Marks does his best nonetheless to acquire any general information regarding the new train system and its capabilities through his established connections. The Confederation would be quite pleased to have Mittelheim and Andriesburg connected by rail. Researchers back in Sudveld, the state which borders Westerveld, proceeds with the reverse-engineering of any plans sent back, to best understand the use of the trains. [Ambassador to Westerveld investigating new train and gauging potential connection of the two capitals by rail] Diplomacy comes to fruition between the Confederation and the Kawaharan Shogunate as the two nations enter a new age of goodwill formalized by the Treaty of Suden, 3250. https://docs.google.com/document/d/14c3iWguisDfBpXOlIvwignYp-0QBZThJZylB4fL5MJ8/edit?usp=sharing Saving 1,750v

Eidgenossenschaft Middenland Confederation of the Three Middle States Culture: The Confederation of the Three States is organized under a directorial federal parliament in which all States are guaranteed shared supreme authority of the nation in all matters within a bicameral government of the Council of States, and the Federal Assemble of Stately Communes. The common citizenry vote for independent representatives within the Federal Assemble (political parties having been outlawed by the Constitution), while the Council of States maintain hereditary succession - a tradition passed along by its medieval customs. Unlike some democratic neighbours, the Confederation maintains no traditional parties systems, rather, officials are independently elected to represent the communes they are based out ofThe Confederation’s seat of government is situated within the progenitor state of the nation, the Principality of Suden, its Capital, Mittleheim, having expanded its existence upon the shores of the Sude River - with the city being adjoined with the Capital of the Westmark Republic, where the two metropolises are conjoined upon an ancient bridge. The Confederation is composed mostly of citizenry whose ancestry does not originate from Middentenland, but rather from surrounding nations, which they have either fled or emigrated from - most notable being Westerveld, Vyacheslav, Kawahara and Westmark. It’s native population, the Sudenistch of the Suden Principality have long been reduced to a minority within the Confederation as a result of its citizenship being easily given to those of any gender, nationality and race. Where nations of conservative leanings would scorn such a laissez-faire approach to societal standards, the Confederation has embraced this culture of liberty for all, having become a cesspit of a multitude of peoples as it lays in the center of the continent. The Constitution, in its creation 300 years ago, laid the foundations for the basis that all individuals were created equal and free from any inherent traditional values. The influence of religion was barred from secular affairs, taxed like any other business would be, while the female half of the population enjoyed the same privileges its counterparts had, unlike the rest of the continent. Having spent the last few centuries focused entirely on its own perfection, the citizenry have developed a hardy culture of loyalty to not just the ‘State’ but the communities that make up the composition of that ‘State’, valuing the diversity presented in the communes. And though it may not appear immediately on the surface, the peoples of Middenland are fiercely dedicated to the protection of their country, such militaristic traditions having been passed along by the Principality during its tumultuous emergence onto the world stage centuries prior. History: The Confederation of the Three States begins with the Principality of Suden, who were originally a sub-group of the Westerveld peoples to the south of the continent. When the Great Departure occurred, the land devolved itself into a more simple way of life, wherein great civilizations were reduced to tribes that squabbled with each other for just the bare necessities. It was within one of these minor conflicts that the Suden peoples were bested by their superior neighbours within the Westerveld and forced northward in flight where they settled in a valley in which their current borders are now situated. Despite having fled the hardships of the south, more conflicts would inevitably come with the advent of the medieval era. Due to its location at the center of the continent, the crossroad of the known world of the time, the Tribe of Seden was a source of many conflicts as regional powers vyed for the region. However, combinations of tactful alliances, mostly with the proto-states of the Westmark Republic, and effective military competencies warded off many of the attempts. Upon the conclusion of a final invasion Seden faced during the medieval era, the Chief was elevated to the title of Prince by the Church, now leading the Principality of Seden into the early modern period. As the centuries passed and waned, the Principality surged in population as near continuous waves of refugees settled into the valley. Rather than turn away those downtrodden, the Principality instead opted to shed its previous image as a monolithic culture, now adopting the various multitude of beliefs and practises, a conversion of which that was spurred on by their once tribal way of life where they would be of assistance to their countrymen whenever needed. This welcoming nature served to further assimilate these cultures into one amalgamation, rather than divide further and breed hostility - assistance was received, and passed along, creating a perpetual cycle of inhabited growth and trust. With newfound growth came the foundations of new polities within the adjoined territories of the Principality. Arnau was first to emerge, already tied at birth to Seden through loose sets of mutual aid agreements, with the State of Sudveld following last. During this emergence of the proto-confederation, some settlers attempted a westward push into the lands now known as the Bandit Woods, but were instead churned out by the local Abo wildlife. Rather than continuing with these outward expansion, these States instead focused on themselves, establishing lucrative trade routes as they controlled the center of the continent’s trading network, while furthering the bonds of allegiance to one another. As the years continued their unceasing advance, the Articles of Confederation were leveraged by the Principality, who took inspiration from the modern nation of Westerveld and the Maritime Commonwealth during this new age of centralized unity - though where they went further with absolutism, the Confederation remained decentralized, with the new Constitution only accepted if all States agreed that supreme authority was equally shared. But with recent development throughout the Broken Coast upsetting the natural order of the world, the Confederation is forced to stir from its slumber, looking outwards to acquire further resources, and expand its influence. Characters (Up to 3): Chancellor Michael, Prince of Suden President Anna, Chancellor of the State of Arnau Marshal Siegfrid, Defense General of the Confederation Location (Pick 3 Provinces): Top: Arnau Middle (capital): Suden Bottom: Sudveld Unique Units: The Sudenistch Foreign Corp [Medium Infantry] With the coming of so many foreigners immigrating into Suden, the Principality required a method to sort out the new citizenry. Prior to the forming of the Confederation, a route for foreigners to become citizens was to serve a term in the military of the Principality, and to distinguish native soldiers from that of foreigners, the S.F.C was established. The Sudenistch Foreign Corp still maintains that tradition of foreign enlistment, taking in only the most dedicated and loyal soldiers seeking to prove themselves above all other units in the Grand Armee of the Confederation. Arnau Jaegers [Skirmishers] Born out of the constant border conflict with the neighbouring Freeholders, these Regiments originally adopted the Westmark model of skirmishing, but later applied their own techniques and understanding to create a mostly unique organization of infantry. Foremost, the Jaegers are an unconventional fighting force, forgoing the notion of lined combat, instead opting to solely maintain the discipline of sharpshooting. New inventions in the field glass making have led to the creation of retrofitted magnifying scopes that can be attached to a Jaeger’s long-rifle, granting them, so far, unparalleled range and control in their engagements.

Group Name: Boston Police Department (BPD) Discord: eat my ass Starting Point allocation: Manpower: 3 Supplies: 2 Weapons: 5 Starting Location: Boston Police Department Headquarter, 1 Schroeder Plaza

Basic Info Name: Oliver Harris Age: 26 Height: 6'1 Weight: 200lbs Occupation: Portland Police Department, Corporal Biography "Revelation 21:6. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life, freely." Oliver, or just Oli by his friends, is an man of ordinary qualities - at least on the surface, deceiving even Oli into this self perpetuating mediocrity. Thanks to a uniquely abusive, though ultimately standard low income, American childhood, Oli, in a bid to internalize the sufferings experienced, had inadvertently split his personalities in order to best fit the roles expected of him to endure. These fragments of personas were eventually pieced together into a disturbingly cohesive individual that could fool the average person, and himself for now. As Oliver matured and fled the causes of his hardships, these characters were ultimately stifled as new experiences brought new perspectives to life - though this multitude remains dormant, awaiting their fateful day to return to the forefront. With the world ahead of him, Oliver took to his studies intensively as if he had nothing to spare. Now tempered by newly formed bonds of companionship, he saw to law enforcement as a career option - having been lured in by the prospect of servicing the communities that had failed him as a youth, seemingly in an attempt to fix the wrongs once made by his environment. A gross twist on the expectations of what a police officer should be ultimately, intimately servicing communities was the last thing a man as fundamentally broken as Oliver should be doing. Alas, he had long tricked himself into a false sense of normality, believing himself worthy of enrolling into preliminary policing studies. By the references of his professors at the aforementioned collegiate courses, Oliver was offered a position with the Portland Police Department and was enrolled into the Criminal Justice Academy of Maine. Furthering his adept ability to dedicate himself fully to his trade, Oliver was made valedictorian of his Academical class, having passed every testing with honors. He was soon made into an Officer of the PPD following the conclusion of his residency, afforded every responsibility and expectations of a law enforcer. And with his initial lack of improper altercations while on duty, ability to adapt easily into organizational cultures and exemplary service all led Oliver to quick promotions. But as the world buckled under the pressure of the resource shortages, along with the increasingly inept governmental responses, law enforcement obligations were continuously altered further from the usual norm, now forced to deal with the phenomenal rise of religious fundamentalists, and other societal unrest. With the Department's fleet of vehicles mothballed, and equipment having to be rationed, the PPD was surely in a sore state, dealt blows after blows as the country was seemingly tearing itself apart at the seams. Presumably, with this intense spike in criminal activities, Portland's Police Department reacted in due process, leading Oliver to the current state of the world. And during this apocalyptic advent, something had begun to stir within Oliver's subconsciousness, for better or for worse. As per his current profession as a corporal of the PPD, Oliver would either begin at his department's offices (109 Middle Street, I think?), or stationed somewhere in Portland's municipal jurisdiction - presumably at checkpoints or the likes due to the explosive rise in chaos and criminal behaviorism. Or maybe at home somewhere in Deering neighborhood.

Application Discord name (or you can just add me: wealthypiano#5651): Desired faction: NCR

THE MARCH OF BIHAR 1740 FVC 6-12 months At the head of a column of infantry, upon horseback, Istvan finds himself chewing upon a straw of wheat, stripped from a bundle meant for the livestock wintering inside their barns. This part of the Empire never struggled much supplying itself, and the ancient Imperial Highway always allowed for good traffic year-round. Especially the type of traffic consisting of a long trail of infantry such as this. Shifting about in his saddle, Istvan peers down to his squire, asking the adolescent a question without dropping the straw between his teeth. “Where do you believe our thoughts to reside; the brain or the heart, hm?” “Has to be the head, no?” The squire replied without pause, a brow raised at the sudden question. “That’s where the brain is afterall.” “But when one acts upon intense emotions, they claim to have acted upon their heart - get a feeling in your chest, you know? Perhaps God gave us two minds, the rational, and irrational.” Istvan concluded half-heartedly, finally spitting aside his gnawed straw. He twisted about, getting a look of the infantry column, and spotted the new addition of artillery pieces amidst the ranks. Having caught his Margrave’s attention of the artillery, the squire interjects Istvan’s thoughts, “The unit commanders are requesting that the heavier artillery be kept in static locations during conflict, but the lighter guns are capable of meeting the pace of an infantry formation just fine.” “Hmm, I’ve assumed such. Wondrous weapons those, shame the Jozsefites took all the Mechanists with them. Seen one of them punch through twenty pikes once, tore holes right through them.” The Margrave spoke reminiscently, blowing a puff of hot air into the cold afternoon, creating a mist for his own entertainment. “Ah, it's snowing.” he said, catching one of the first snowflake upon his nose, looking up to the sky to find that the clouds had released their blanket of snow. ACTIONS Available Imperial Gold: 103,920g Having followed up on some personal leads regarding the Imperial Dragoner Korp, Istvan allows for his granddaughter and heir, Kateline, to remain in the Imperial Capital while he returns to Bihar to deal with the ‘Black Scorpion’. She is left with Bihar’s Fang, a sword created from the depths of Kwarwy Citadel, renowned for its bright shine that never seems to falter - hence the name, Glittering Fang. Further inquiries are made of her own initiative, which seeks to fulfill a life long dream of becoming a Dragon Rider under service of the Imperial Household. [Kateline (Agent) seeking to be recruited into the Imperial Dragon Korp] With the forces of Bihar mobilized to have dealt with the initial wave of domestic brigandry, it now turns its attention elsewhere. The initial gathering of Sir Michal’s army earlier in the year continues northward to fully quell any holdouts of lawlessness, though in reality they are only using this claim of brigandry to assume direct control of these provinces. A division departs from Nowy Binarks, while another travels up the ancient Imperial Highway. [5000 Kwarwian Knights, 1000 Kiralskan Hussars, 2000 Kwarwian Arquebusiers, and 36 light cannons continue their push north to claim the empty provinces following their successful punitive campaign] Retcon if necessary With the Lion returned to Bihar, he assumes leadership of a new task-force organized to track down the Black Scorpion’s presence in Bihar, and eventually rout him from the Empire. Realistically, there could only be one point of entry into Bihar, and that was through the ocean - with the Karancay having not reported any of the Scorpion’s actions in their territories, and bandits wouldn't scale mountains just to go plundering, at least that was the hope. Truthfully, the Black Scorpion was most likely a direct agent of the Trazmir, despite his brigand affiliations, guided by the Traitor’s knowledge of Imperial affairs. Regardless, a division of Hussars is set on patrol along the hinterlands, from the north in Nysa, to the south in Binarks. The rest of the infantry and their artillery are spread throughout the affected territories for continued defensive measures, while a galley leaves port, remaining on close patrol to the Empire’s coast. Last, a bounty is issued for the whereabouts of the Black Scorpion, promising wealth for whoever brings forth tangible news of such. [3000 Heavy Pikes, 1000 Kiralskan Cavalry, 1000 Kwarwian Arquebusiers, 18 light cannons, 1 Galley] A platoon of Knights make their way further down into Kwarwy Pass, heading towards the closest Trazmiri outpost. One of the Knights has a white banner leaning against his shoulder, the banner being openly presented as a sign of parlay and truce. If not fired upon immediately, they request an audience with the local authority, though one might be able to deduct their reason for their presence - the Black Scorpion. [Discord Interaction?] The Arcanum of Kwarwy City is finally put to use, as a request from the Knightly Order in the mountain pass is dispatched throughout the land - detailing the need for Magitechnical Engineers, the Citadel is currently on-going excavations of its unexplored sectors, which have long been in ruins following structural collapses generations ago. Rumours of potential discovery, ancient discoveries, from within the depths of the Citadel require the attention of the Engineers. [Arcanum of Kwarwy requesting Magitechnical Engineers for archeological dig-site in Kwarwy Citadel] Preying on the gullible during this current brigand crisis, a new wave of recruitment is underway - promising a chance to defend the Empire, earn some gold, and popularity. The usual. 1 (1000) unit of Heavy Pikemen Regulars [8000, 3 iron] 3 (3000) units of Medium Pikemen Regulars [15,000, 6 iron] 2 (2000) units of Light Cavalry Regulars [10,000, 2 iron] 1 (18) unit of Heavy Cannons Regulars [12,000, 3 iron] With an influx of refugees in Bihar following the Fourth Trazmir War, many of the March’s settlements have seen rapid rises in population, but none so successful as Koharstadt. Named after the current Margrave, Koharstadt is situated on a stretch of road leading to and fro from Binarks to Kwarwy. Originally composed of several farming villages in close proximity, the continued wealth flowing through roads, along with the arrival of refugees, led to the amalgamation of these communities into one urban entity. They have successfully petitioned the Margrave’s Council for recognition, and have thus been granted a subsidy for further expansion. [Constructing a City, 10 stone, 30,000] Following the concept that eternal commercial growth can be achieved by simply expanding the industry of Bihar, two factories within Nysa and Kwarwy see upgrades. [x2 manufactories, 2 stone, 15,000] A ship should always have a partner, therefore, an obvious case was made for such. [x1 Galley, 7500g, 4 lumber] Once again, surplus lumber is shipped off to Przeworsk to be used in their naval facilities. Along with it is a chest of 6420 Imperial Coins, meant as payment for a return unit of Gunpowder. Stockpile Iron: 1 Lumber: 0 Stone: 0 Gunpowder: 0

The Kwarwy Mountains, Nysa ranges “Suffer not the brigand, for they not only prey on the innocence of our society, but the very fabric of it also - a good brigand is a dead one, in all sense of it.” Sir Michal, Imperial Grandmaster of Kwarwy following the announcement of Operation Freedom Enduring to the Knights of the Order. THE MARCH OF BIHAR 1740 FVC 1-6 months “They're summoning us to the Imperial Capital, during the harvest season, while deserters plague the Crownlands? Has the Snake knocked a few screws loose in the Regent’s mind?” Istvan rambled on the complaints to his accountant, who had just presented the Margrave with his letter of summons - a girl of the same age as his granddaughter. The morning sun had just pierced through the windows of his office, which only served to aggravate the Lordling further. “Vaseric damn this fool - bloody noble obligations. I swear I oughtta...” he continued murmuring as he stacked his papers neatly together prior to raising himself from his chair. The aged Knight draped himself in his Order’s cloak, and almost commenced to leave his office prior to being interrupted by his assistant, “Sir, your sword.” she said, pointing to the chair Istvan had just departed as her other hand kept a hold on the documents Istvan had just left on his desk. It was his son’s sword, a sword that was given to him as he was deployed, a sword which he had carried on him at the Battle of Kwarwy Pass, a sword which saved himself, but not his son. The blade hung by the chair’s edge, comfortably snugged in its sheath, taunting Istvan’s memories. “Ah, damn.” he replied with a cough, backtracking hastily to the chair to retrieve the armament. “Nagyon köszönöm, my dear.” said Istvan thankfully in his own native Falzsprzem as he left behind his dusty confines. The blade was now strapped to his waist, making his way through the Margravial Palace of Binarks. An entourage was already assembled at the base of the Palace’s entryway, the intuitive accountant having already issued for the assembly of the Order’s Knights. Istvan’s horse was presented to him, and the group made off without any other preparations. The ancient Imperial Highways throughout the Margrave’s territories would see to it that he received the sustenance required to continue a hasty journey to the Imperial Capital of Rzeschaw. Istvan stopped on the edge of the palatial grounds, for it was at this location that his son and wife were buried along with his own marital partner, nestled under a pleasant oak tree that overlooked the coastal city and its ocean. The skies were alike the ocean in color, and free of clouds, leaving Istvan with a sorrow filled smile as he made his way forth down into the City. By all means, Binarks was a beautiful city - its architecture was undergoing renovations following its partial razing seven months ago, the people were filled with hope and dedication, and the weather was always pleasant. The common people bowed, or curtsied in the presence of Istvan, who reciprocated with waves of a hand, or smiles. The land and its people had hooked the vagabond Istvan, who thereafter decidedly planted his roots in the region, having married the daughter of the late Margrave decades ago, and was later accepted as a member of the family - while creating his own. There was work to be done however, and Istvan’s entourage finally escaped the borders of Binarks, making good progress along the Highways. There were reports of rogue mercenaries plaguing certain regions of Bihar, but the ancient roadways were always kept secured and patrolled by the Knights of the Order of Kwarwy. Grandmaster Michal was already on the hunt for the brigands as it were, so the journey was accomplished with minimal effort. A sight like no other, the Grand Imperial Capital, Rzechsaw, soon appeared in the horizon, ships by the dozens left and entered its confines, as it lay home to the largest canal system in the known world. Its walls stood strong, guarding the Imperial Palace which loomed over the vast stretches of the City, with the occasional dragon spotted circling its skies. Its interiors left much to be desired, at least according to Istvan - wherein the Knight preferred the quaint peripheral cities of the Empire, he disliked the bustling activity that was found within the Capital. An issue which seemed to no longer bother him, as his recent promotion to the title of Margrave parted the crowds of commoners before him during his entry into the City. In his youth, Istvan could never have imagined to occupy lodgings so close to the Imperial Palace, but yet, in a twist of fate, here he is with his entourage, in a manor dedicated for nobility. The gaudiness and faux splendor was uncomfortable, but nevertheless a milestone in his achievements. His thoughts had to wait, for the Sejm soon called the nobles to assembly. Binarks, Margravial Palace, Moon-wing Whilst Istvan was meandering out and about, the governance of the March was left in the trusted hands of the Bihar Council, an appointed group of skilled individuals assembled in the same fashion as the Imperial Council in Rzeschaw. Their selection followed an initiative on the Margrave's part immediately after his ennoblement. A few months later, after an extensive examination process, the Council saw to its new occupants. On this particular day, these individuals found themselves gathered around a table, pouring over an array of documents and the likes. Most curiously was a replica map of the layout of the Battle for Kwarwy Pass, made to the best of their abilities anyway. With a sigh of exasperation, the Minister of Coin, Nikola Nowak exclaimed, “Why exactly do we need to look over all this, like so? Can’t we just accept that Ioan’s losses were a result of his lack of forward observers?” “Not quite, Nikolas.” replied the Commander of the Palatial Guards, Jakub Bales, himself playing around with the models on the aforementioned map. “The Imperial Armies had such an advantage in numbers, both in common soldiers, and officers, that they should have been able to have salvaged this battle themselves following the death of the Emperor and Grand Duke.” Said the Guardsman as his index tapped the location of Imperial pieces on the battle map. “I suppose many would try to flee when seeing the Imperial Dragon falling from the sky. But being trapped in the Pass doesn't allow for much in movement terms, I'd imagine. Which expresses the current fundamental flaws in the formations of our army units.” Minister Nowak throws up his arms in defeat following Bales’ explanation, returning to a state of irritated silence. The Minister of Arms, Vitek Araszkiewicz chimed in, “Yes, our current understanding of warfare is what lost us that day. We must inquire, for the sake of future lessons, precisely how did 12,000 enemy combatants defeat an army of 50,000. Questionable… leadership, is the foremost concern, followed by adept use of terrain on the Trazmiri part. But like Sir Jakub had previously mentioned, our static formations of large bulks of infantry most likely caused us our loss.” “I can see damn why, hah!” bursted out the Minister of Ships, Aleks Nagy - he pointed to the clustered congregation of Imperial pieces on the battle map, in which they all seemed to clash with each other due to their sizes. “They probably couldn't do a damn when the Traitor corralled them all, and peppered them with cannon balls and the likes.” “Exactly so, our multinational Imperial Army struggled in both tactical cohesion and communication, exacerbated by their bulky and cumbersome brigades. I believe that not one of our main guns were able to return fire as the Army clogged up the Pass.” Vitek concludes, crossing his arms over his torso. “Some alterations to our array of forces will need to be made - the common consensus so far being the elongation of a unit’s width. The more of our arquebusiers being utilized, well, the more damage we can output, obviously. Hit the enemy pikes with a proper volley, and they’ll crumble in the ensuing melee.” The Mister of Arms cleared his throat, arranging some of the pieces of the board to resemble his current tactical inputs. “I believe Jakub mentioned earlier that attaching a pair of light cannons to a unit will allow for greater flexibility and capabilities of our artillery, though we’ll need to continue experimenting how severely that may affect a unit’s overall mobility.” “Can’t do much about experiments right now, with the Grandmaster having taken the Provincial Army with him to quell the bandits.” “Right, we’ll have to wait on them for further implementation, then.” The Port of Binarks, 1736 Klaudiusz Lorrain ACTIONS Available Imperial Gold: 93,310g A response force is finally organized after a grueling 7 months of reorganizing following the defeat at Kwarwy Pass. The Imperial Grandmaster, Sir Michal, has organized the entirety of the Order of Kwarwy to quell the rogue mercenaries and minor lordlings plaguing the eastern borderlands of the Empire, starting with Bihar. [5000 Kwarwian Knights, 2000 Kwarwian Arquebusiers, and 36 light cannons deployed to eliminate rogue Free Companies in Bihar] During this deployment of troops, a requisition order of gunpowder is sent to the Imperial Capital, which promises ample payment in return for the supplies. [Attempting to buy xyz amount of GP from Reschawa NPC] Merchants of the March of Bihar are requested to inform their sources that the Margrave is accepting new trade deals with the various forces of the Empire, be they Vaseric, or Joszefites. [Come get your trade deals, easy 1k] 4 quarries are built along the mountains of Kwarwy. [30,000g] 3 (3000) units of Heavy Pikemen are raised in response to the commencing of Operation Freedom Enduring. [24,000g, 9 iron] 4 manufactories are built throughout the Cities in the March. [30,000g, 4 stone] The first ship of its kind ever since the March’s fleet was sunk seven months ago is launched from the drydocks of Binarks. [1 Galley, 7500g, 4 lumber] A shipment of surplus lumber is sent from Nowy Binarks to the Ports of Przeworsk. A blessing from one Vaseric nation to another. [4 lumber] Stockpile 7810g left Iron: 4 Lumber: 0 Stone: 0

"THE GAME WAS RIGGED FROM THE START!" RAMBLES THE DECEASED SIGISMUND

APPLICATION Discord name: no Nation Type: Marcher Lord Nation Flag: The Koháry Lion, placed upon a bed of Biharian blue representing the mountains and the ocean. Nation Name: The March of Bihar Nation Culture: The March is comprised of a majority Kiralskan population, due mostly to the fact that Bihar is in direct proximity to the Imperial Capital, Rzechsaw. Whereas Bihar was once a prosperous core territory of the Imperial Heartland, from which they enjoyed the bounty provided by its Capital, it has now been suffering for generations as a war-torn border province in direct conflict with the Azari Trazmir - who have since managed to maintain their hold on the conquered Kiralskan eastern borderlands following the failed Imperial Campaign of Ioan VII. This developing position has garnered the Biharians the start of a unique identity; a culture emboldened by revanchism, martial prowess, and bravery in the face of adversity, specifically from the Trazmiri. However, with the Imperial Capital so close and the cultural differences so minute, the average commoner from elsewhere may simply view the two cultures as one in the same. Bihar is also a hub of Vaseric beliefs, serving as an extension of the influence of the Church within the Imperial Capital - which has not allowed for much in the way of religious tolerance. Especially of those of the Magite Heresy, which has often been extinguished within Bihar, not only through official State initiatives, but also by the local populace's own accordance. To their Jozsefite counterparts, they regard them with disappointment - unenlightened individuals who were unfortunately led astray by a senile old man to misinterpret the Will of God, and His magical wonders. Bihar has long enjoyed the creations of arcano-tech and other magical assemblies, with the region usually being the first of the Imperial Provinces to receive any sort of popular innovations or inventions during their propagation. The common Biharian folk have seen no need to scorn the authority of the Church, and so remain proudly traditionalist. But above all these disdains, there is none stronger than a Biharian’s hatred for the Trazmiri, and their dogs, the followers of the Traitor, Radzimir Pasha. Long has it been now that Bihar has endured the vile cruelties brought upon them by the Azari Trazmir, leading to many wishing to reciprocate these events ten-fold. Most Biharians do not believe that the Fourth Trazmir War ever ended, and will seek to do harm to those who hold Trazmiri affiliations. Nation Description: For the longest duration in its history, Bihar has been a subject to the direct rule of the Crownlands, established as a demesne for Imperial Capital and its Emperors, from which it served its purpose as a breadbasket to fuel growth. However, following the Trazmir Wars, the eastern Imperial Borders were pushed all the way to a mere few leagues away from the Capital, stopped short by the Kwarwy Mountains and its defenses. This change in territories saw the necessity for the establishment of a dedicated military presence in the region, henceforth creating the March of Bihar, under the rule of House Czacki, who also enlarged its borders to its modern day state. The Biharian Provincial Army was also founded during this time under the purview of House Czacki, alongside with the local Imperial State Army garrisons. Predating the establishment of the March is the Imperial Order of Kwarwy, which has been present in the area since time immemorial, by Imperial standards atleast - taking upon many variations to its ranks, name, and order. It is said that the mountain citadel, its original name long forgotten, is a construct from the times of the Ancients - such tales are just unproven rumours as of so far. It does not cause surprise as to why such assumptions are made however, for its walls consist entirely of pure white stoneworks, alongside with its wondrous crumbling relics of arcano-tech resembling old Mana Engines. The Order is not constricted to just the Citadel, their presence is seen throughout all of Bihar, and by some extension, sometimes elsewhere in the Empire. With their official duties being the protection and maintenance of the Imperial Highways in the East, as well as the defense of the Capital from within the Kwarwy Mountains. The Capital of Bihar has long been situated in Binarks, a coastal city south of the Kwarwy Pass - though it may not be for long, as recent events prove that the city is in a precarious position, being in the path of any potential Trazmari naval invasions. With its sacking during the Fourth Trazmir War, many of its inhabitants fled north along the coast, to find a more defensible settlement within a Bay, known now as Nowy Binarks - be that as it may, the State government still rules out of the original city of Binarks, for now. The old House of Czacki would be made extinct during the Fourth Trazmir War, with the popular Istvan Kohary made as its Margrave following the approval of the local nobility and confirmation of the Imperial Regent. Today, it serves as the forefront against any Trazmari Incursions, defending the nearby Rzechsaw with everything it has to offer. The Biharians await the day for when they can be unleashed upon the Trazmiri, reclaiming the east for God and Emperor. Religion (Jozsefite, Vaseric): Both the common populace and the ruling class are devout Vaseric adherents as a result of their continued and direct proximity with the Imperial Capital, which itself is a Vaseric stronghold. However, hidden away from prying eyes, various heresies lurk in the underworld of Bihar, along with whatever Trazmiri corruption there may be present. The Sacking of Binarks, Fourth Trazmir War Special Characters: The Lion of Kwarwy Pass Margrave of Bihar, Lord István of the House of Koháry (General) István Koháry is of Falzsprzem origins unlike his Kiralski subjects in Bihar. He was born in the City of Siofok, in the western half of the Empire along the coastline near to the Kungvold Estergaard - brought into this world by a family of Knights, who attempted to dictate that his life would be the continuation of his predecessors. A life he would adhere to, somewhat. Whereas his parents expected the boy to remain sedentary, István would instead strike out into his known world, a world constrained by the borders of the Empire that is. As a gullible young man, he enlisted into the Imperial State Army to seek excitement, and served several tours in the north along the borders of the Osvanti Kemijar where his skills would be tested by both the environment and the hostile Kemijari. Following some years later of military service, Istvan’s impetuous temperament, combined with his natural affinity for warfare, caught the attention of Sir Michał, a then Orderman of the Kwarwy Citadel in Bihar, who took Istvan under his tutelage, organized his military discharge and formally inducted him into the Order. At this point in his life, István formed a romantic relationship with the daughter of the Czacki Margrave of Bihar, which was later approved of and officialized by marriage under the Vaseric Church. This surprising acceptance by the tolerant Margrave would create the foundation for Istvan's continued social successes, which led him to be eventually officially recognized as an Imperial Knight, tasked with the command of his own platoon of subordinates within the March. He had fulfilled his familial expectations, but on the wrong side of the Empire, which bothered Istvan none, for he considered the entire Empire his home - his roots growing ever firm into Bihar now. For some time, he led a rather uneventful life, watchful for any Trazmiri activities like any good Knight should be, but instead took to enjoying his life. His attitude and behaviorism also significantly mellowed as he became a part of the Margravial family, alongside the creation of his own. His wife would give birth to both a son and a daughter - the son taking up his father’s profession out of admiration, while the daughter finds her own love in the southern oceans, taking to the waves of the Southern Ocean in an unorthodox betrayal of societal expectations. None of which bothered Istvan much, as he found joy in his children carving out their own fate, like he had done himself. Decades go by as Istvan climbs the ranks, and watches his family grow some more as his son welcomes his newborn daughter. He spends most of his days in the coastal Capital of Bihar, Binarks, where his son served as a house guard to the Margrave, with himself tasked with the oversight of the Order within the city as well. It was not to last, for a dark turn was soon to take place, as all good things must come to an end. With the commencing of the Fourth Trazmirian War, Istvan found himself initially tasked with the defense of Kwarwy Citadel as Sterzstadt-General, Baron Symanski led his forces to Arscea to engage the Trazmiri detachments in the region, though resulting in rather inconclusive combatry for both sides. Aggravated by the lack of immediate success, Emperor Ioan VII raised the might of the Imperial Armies, with this new formation came Istvan and his division of Imperial Knights from Kwarwy Citadel. With the combined might of the Empire, the offensive was renewed, but nothing could prepare the Imperials for the cunning and deceit of the Traitor, Radzimir Through the clever machinations of the Trazmiri, the Imperial Armies found themselves led into a trap within the eastern entrance of Kwarwy Pass. The tightly packed regiments of the Emperor's Army found themselves as target practice for enemy artillery emplacement upon the slopes of the mountains, from which they rained hellfire upon the Imperials. The ensuing combat led to the death of Emperor Ioan as he attempted to reorganize his battle formations, struck down from the skies along with his dragon. The Grand Duke of Arscea soon follows in this demise as he took command of the fracturing army, a stray bullet cleaving through his forehead. Capitalizing on such disarray, the Trazmiri Cavalry was deployed, causing the highest bout of casualties during the battle, and eliminating several of the Imperial Elector Lords. It is during this battle that Istvan becomes a household name, praised for his effective and timely participation. Amidst the panicked rout of the Imperial Army, Istvan held his division firm against the tide of the Trazmiri, forming a mess of schiltron formations throughout the battlefield - the unwavering banners of the Imperial Order of Kwarwy bringing to his side some of the fractured units of the Imperial Guards. However, it seemed as if it were to be a dire last stand, with round shots whistling through the ranks, cavalry nipping at their edges, and sporadic volleys felling men by the dozen. It was through God's Own Grace, or perhaps more appropriately, the late Duke Arscea's son, Jan Antoniewiecz's intervention that saved Istvan and his remnants from being slain to the last, for the arrival of Jan's standards brought upon a renewed hope to the crumbling formations of the Imperial regiments. Istvan's persistence had bought enough time for the new battlefield-forged Grand Duke of Arscea to reorganize his forces and relieve the remainder of the Imperial Army. The battle lines had been reformed, and the scales of battle tipped ever so slightly, causing the Trazmiri advance to be checked. Following these new developments, Istvan continued the fight without pause, carving through many unfortunate enough to confront his zweihander. He fought in the melee with an unmatched zealous furiosity, rallying allies to him, and being shunned away by his enemies. With this newfound momentum, the Duke of Arscea had managed to rescue what was left of the Army, broke free from the entanglement, and withdrew into the depths of Kwarwy Pass. Though there was much to be distraught, the survivors nevertheless cheered for both the Duke and Istvan on that fateful day, holding the two responsible for their rescue. By popular acclaim, Istvan was dubbed the "Lion of Bihar" for his style of melee and courage following the death of the Emperor - while the aristocracy applauded him for the retaining of the last few of the Imperial Standards. Atleast 20-thousand soldiers out of the 50-thousand would survive thanks to the actions of these select few. God would rather compound tribulations with even more disasters - for a division of the Trazmiri fleet had sailed under the cover of darkness to Binarks, launching a surprise raid that would once again catch the Imperial Forces by surprise, leading to the demise of much of the Kohary family, and the extinction of the ruling House of Bihar. The raid would eventually be repulsed by Grandmaster Michal, who would later send a letter to Istvan, informing him of the tragedy that had just taken place - that only his granddaughter survived. The news devastated Istvan, for a time he became noticeably despondent and dull, unaware of his newfound praises. He would later be recalled to a smouldering Binarks, at which point a crowd of Biharian Nobility proclaimed him as their Acting Margrave - the blood of his granddaughter expected to eventually continue the line of the old Margraves. Later confirmation from the Imperial Capital would see Istvan formally ennobled on the pretense of his martial deeds and connections to Bihar, now establishing him as the Margrave of Bihar. Leading Istvan to the current date. Imperial Grandmaster of the Order of Kwarwy Sir Michał of Bihar (General) The Grandmaster is an elusive figure, appointed to the Biharian region by unknown Imperial Authorities within the Capital. His history is not known to the public, but his service records prove himself to be a formidable commander regardless of his origins. None other than a select few know that it was the Grandmaster that had orchestrated for Istvan Kohary to be put forth as a candidate for becoming Margrave, communicating with both the Imperial Capital, and swaying the opinions of the Biharian Nobility to Istvan’s side. Heir to Bihar, and of House Koháry Kateline of the House of Koháry (General) Granddaughter of Istvan, and Heir to the Kohary House and the March of Bihar. During the Raid on Binarks, she committed herself to the defense of the harbour town, sparing her when a division of Trazmiri sailors found themselves in the Margravial Palace, where her father and mother were killed along with the Margrave and his own family. Records say that Kateline was responsible for the sinking of 2 Trazmiri Galleons as she organized the coastal artillery returning fire while warding off landing parties, earning her an early Knighthood. With her Grandfather’s arrival to Binarks, she found out that she was now in line to rule Bihar, as he was proclaimed the Heir to the March - a responsibility she solemnly accepted.

The Scourge of the Empire Lightbringer Arkhelon THE RUINED CITY OF AVOS The Year of the Fool, 1048 Months 1-6(12) “To Agos nyr to Anakhta eiva ano, En twyn exo nos, En wyn exo kativos. Sehula anyos tor nas, Ka fyr tios antinos, Aen enkinovos novi to ovynus Sehula.” “The Age of the Empire is over, From within it has rot, From outside it will be destroyed. Sehula guide us, As we bring retribution, To those who have sullied your name; The Great Trial has begun.” So are the words spoken by the Tyrant of Avos to the Archons - this city has found its purpose. No longer will its people lay in the shadows of its ruins, but instead strive to carve out their own destiny. A destiny carved out from the corpse of an Empire - the Anakhta Elraion, from which much of the Avosian population hail from, either in seeking out a better life, or fleeing imperial conquests and subjugations. It is of no surprise then, of how deeply rooted Avosian contempt is regarding the imperial menace. Their ways of life once ruined by this empire, forced to flee to all corners of the earth as their nations were consumed - with only a fortunate few lucky enough to have congregated within Avos. Now the Empire seeks to continue what it did not finish, as their colonies expand ever so closely to the ruined city. Inaction in the presence of this adversity will be the cause of the end of this new hope. It is the obligation, the duty, of every Avosian to resist imperial advance, to send them back from where they came, and to manifest the Avosian destiny throughout Gerakunos. There is nothing greater in life than to sacrifice one’s self to the greater good. The Varisas-district of Avos, A largely unexplored and uninhabited portion of Avos situated in its south-east, Varisas is the site of many ancient temple-like structures, and is hypothesized to have been the center of worship for whatever precursor civilization built Avos. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Great Trial, is a concept forwarded by the Tyrant of Avos that details the need for the destruction of the Anakhta Elraion by the hands of an enlightened Avosian Empire in the future. It is an extremist ideology fueled by hatred brought upon by imperial invasions. It is popular within the Archonites of Avos, but has yet been made mainstream throughout the City-State. ACTIONS Available Avosian Drakhma: 120,150g Following petitions made by several outlying rural communities regarding pirating activities on the shores of the city-state, the Tyrant formally approves the dispatchment of Avosian troops to secure the national peripheries. The Amentasivos, numbering 4 Regiments at 2000 soldiers capacity, are specifically dispersed to the affected settlements, as well as other potential targets - they are led by the Archon Tyros. Another division is sent out along with the infantry, though they branch out to a different operation; 1 unit of melee cavalry along with an attachment of ranged cavalry are dedicated to monitoring the open stretches of coast lines between settlements. Working in tandem with local government, central authority in Avos also begins the establishment of Citizen Watch. These organizations enlist the aid of able-bodied citizens in affected areas to work part-time in alerting communities of incoming raids and to assist in their defense alongside state troops. They are paid fair, but still minimum wages, and are supplied with light, left-over, equipment. Further improvements to the system are expected, but will have to wait till the production of more resources. During this process, resources are dedicated to establishing an intelligence network dedicated to uncovering the source of these pirates and other like-minded vagabonds. Agents of the Archons are sent throughout the neighbouring regions under various identities, interworking with one another as they narrow their leads. These agents are provided any funds they may require, with a portion of the state’s budget afforded to them. And from the decrepit dockyards of the Avosian port-district of Narin, the city-state’s meager fleet of 5 Hemiolias sally forth, as they begin to patrol the northern coastline of the nation on the lookout for any abnormalities. [MOD INTERACTION - RESPONSE TO PIRATES | 4000 Amentasivos, 1000 cavalry, 5 Hemiolias deployed for peacekeeping | Intelligence gathering begins, 10,000g | Citizen’s Watch, 25,000g, 1 iron] An Avosian representative and his entourage are sent to the isle nearest to Avos of which the League of Guramkos controls. Should the League be amiable to the presence of the Avosian diplomat, the individual portrays himself calmly and with cordial behaviourism, though noticeably lacks any sort of grace that may be befitting of Guramkosian cultural interactions. They bring with them a desire for continued peace, along with the proposition of establishing some sort of trade network between the two political entities. [NPC INTERACTION - LEAGUE OF GURAMKOS - CONCLUDED OVER PMs] Following a successful interaction with the League of Guramkos, the Avosian diplomat makes his way along the Gerakunos coastline to the Kingdom of Antekroia, following a recently departed convoy of merchants on route to the Principality of Nyre. He takes in the sights of southern Gerakunos, his artistic abilities being of use as he sketches landscapes and documents the local way of life. He makes neat work of this, compiling all the information gathered into a report to be presented to his respective Archon when he returns to Avos. Eventually the caravan reaches Antekoria, leading to the diplomat presenting himself to whoever may take him in. Introductions are made, and the diplomat explains his purpose of arrival - the need to facilitate trade between their two nations, especially the purchasing of resource goods to assist in the expansion of Avos. [NPC INTERACTION - KINGDOM OF ANTEKROIA- CONCLUDED OVER PMs | TRADE CARAVAN SENT FROM ANTEKROIA TO AVOS, 8 STONE, 6 IRON, 38,000g COST] With parts of the ruined city now able to commit to the mass production of trading goods, it also begins the distribution of such goods to friendly nations that have had accepted trading rights. It currently takes advantage of imperial leniency to send caravans through its borders as it has been doing so far, but with the Great Trial in its infancy, that being the eventual outcome of total war, conflict may soon embroil the region as the city-state prepares itself to launch a crippling blow to the colonies - effectively cutting Avos off from the rest of the mainland. To ensure the safe arrival of the caravans, a unit of seasoned heavy cavalry are embedded with the merchants. [Caravan sent to the Princedom of Nyre, 24 craftwork goods, 15 blackgoods | Protective detail, 1 unit of seasoned Heavy Melee-Cavalry] As the caravans proceeded along the coast to Nyre, it also established a tradepost. Primarily founded to protect Avosian interests in the region, it is also planned to become a site to exert the ruined city’s influence in the region as the tradepost grows in population. [14,100g, 2 stone] Pirate activities are of great concern to the Archons, and therefore, it is of no surprise that the navy must be bolstered to defend against such a threat. Therefore, within a derelict, barely functionable drydock in Avos, a Trireme commences construction. [7500g, 2 lumber] Following recent prospecting success, Archon Kyran organizes a survey corp for the unearthing of Old Avosian history and mysteries. Though the Tyrant has not openly expressed such, they have a palpable desire to uncover the origins, and cause of ruins for Avos, as well as any other notes of importance. And so with the backing of the Tyrant, a sizable portion of the state’s semiannual budget is set aside to establish and organize this government initiative into the ruins. [30,000g to expand and continue prospecting in Old Avos for further lore fragments and other tidbits] An intelligence unit of a national scale is formed under the oversight of Archon Uilos. It currently consists only of a framework, and is still very much in its infancy. 5550g left The Archon of War, Kyros, is the Tyrant’s foremost subordinate, second in authority to the Archon of Order himself in government affairs. To each other, they have been the strongest of companions - with the history between these two going far beyond their flight from the imperial continent. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Archonites, is a form of government unique to Avos, in which the city is ruled alike to a dictatorship, led by the Tyrant of Avos, the Archon of Order, Tyran, and his subordinate Archons. Each Archon helms an aspect of government within Avos under the purview of the Tyrant. THE ARCHONS - THE ARCHONITE Archon of War, Kyros National Focus: Offence Manpower: 28000 Manpower recovery: 1680 Army of Kyros 4 (2000) Regiments of Super-Heavy, 1-handed seasoned Amentasivos 2 (1100) Regiments of Heavy, 2-handed seasoned infantry 2 (1000) Regiments of Heavy, spear infantry regulars 2 (1000) Regiments of Heavy, seasoned melee cavalry 2 (1000) Regiments of Light, ranged cavalry regulars 1 (500) Regiment of Light, Slinger regulars 2 (1000) Regiment of Light, Thrower regulars 2 (1000) Regiment of Medium, Archer regulars Total: 8600 soldiers Ships of Avos Explorer Ships: 0 Hemiolia: 5 Trireme: 0 Quadrireme: 0 Quinquereme: 0 Hixireme: 0 Total: 5 ships Recruitment: 1. n/a 2. n/a --------------------------------------------------------- Archon of Order, Tyran Total Income: 119,950g Upkeep: 5500g City-State Government: - 100g/per 1000 pop - May build trade posts in empty tiles. May upgrade trade posts to colony cities with enough in-region trade partners - Colony cities provide +5 building slots, +1 province cap, 10,000g, and the use of their armies and fleet - +1 trade good production per building, +10% trade good sale price. Doubled special trade goods building cap per source. National Focus: Foreign Markets, - +1 to Farm Estate, Workshop, Artisan's Workshop, and Smuggler's Den production Wisdom, - +2 Mage Cap. +5 Base Arcane. Access to 1 extra unique spell National Idea: Each general that remains in Avos borders provides +5% trade good sale price and -3% build cost. Population: 560,000 Provinces: 6 The Ruined City of Avos Population: 150,000 Fortification: Great Stone Wall Storage Size: 30 Commercial District: 1 Manufactory: 10 Workshop: 8 Smuggler’s Den: 5 Warehouse: 2 Produces 24 Craftwork Goods Produces 15 Black Goods Generates 29750g without trade Generates 97250g with optimal trade

Sigismund default dances wherever he might have been taken to after killing himself. Perhaps a sign of approval - only the biggest of brains would be able to decipher this cryptid message.

Application: Discord: seannie#5413 Nation Type: City-State Nation Flag: Nation Name: Avos Are you in the Elraic Empire?: Niet Nation Culture: Composed of a vast array of refugees fleeing expansion of the Anakhta of Elraion, the Polis of Avos is a converging point of multiple cultures organized by the Archon of Order, Tyran. Out of this melting point comes the formation of a new kind of peoples, who have begun naming themselves after their patron city, Avos - Avosians. Though exiled from their homelands within the vast reaches of the Elraion Empire, they still normally adhere to the doctrines of the Sun, Sehula, and the Moon, Mehnos, but reject the imperial legends of Elraion - refusing the divine authority of the Emperors and Empresses. Under the guidance of the Archon of Sehula and Mehnos, Kyran, the peoples of Avos have taken to venerating the individualistic self, and its place in a collective commune in order to best worship the Sun and Moon. With great emphasis placed on the enlightenment of the self, great freedom is a natural inherent right of all within Avos - slavery is non-existant, as is any other sort of discriminations. But with the constant skirmishing with the colonies of Elraion, these ethics are tested as the threat of invasion looms over the ancient ruins. The Archons will surely lead Avos to glory. Nation History: Avos is the culmination of hatred for the Anakhta Elraion. When the Empire began its conquests, it displaced a great population of peoples throughout the Mesogean Sea. A portion of this diaspora managed to scramble together its worth within the ruins of Avos - what used to be a great metropolis on the northern shoreline of the Sea, now bordering the new colonies of the Empire on Hekoretlos. Original settlement was wrought with chaos, as the various ethnicities and cultures bickered with one another, with the occasional armed conflict breaking for the lordship of the ruins. It is at this point that a man named Tyran arrives within Avos - with him an entourage of individuals who would later become the Archons of the City. The origins of Tyran is unknown, but it is rumoured that he was a disgraced governor of the Elraion Empire and that his Archons were the subordinates of his tenure. With their arrival, the City of Avos was subjected to a flurry of subterfuge and political actions, resulting in the quick installation of a new order within the ruins. The Archons were established and under the enigmatic guidance of the Tyrant, the inhabitants were subjugated to them - and though they rule absolute as tyrants, their reigns are reasonable and effective. With the expansion of Elraion on Hekoretlos, conflict is no doubt a future for the city. The first settlers of Avos arrived in 1033 - Tyran in 1038, leading to the starting point of 1048. Special Characters: 1. Archon of Order, Tyran, Tyrant of Avos (Leader/Agent) 2. Archon of War, Nyros (General) 3. Archon of Sehula and Mehnos, Kyran (Mage) Primary Magic: Solar Magic Secondary Magic: Lunar Magic Unique Point of Interest: The Ruined City of Avos - Whether that Avos is the true name of these ruins is unknown, but the new inhabitants have come to call it such after having discovered weathered carvings that resembled the spelling of Avos. Whatever its name, Avos must have once been a great wonder of the world - its newfound population only able to settle a quarter of it so far. Fractured spires reach towards the skies and what seem to have been great palaces dot the hills the ruins lay upon. Further, a wide river flows through the heart of the city, where occasional fortune is bestowed upon those lucky enough to have dredged up ancient artefacts. It is a mysterious city, one which has its Archons searching for its history. Easier attempts to form a Great City? Idk. BOINKED