With the new appointment of the diplomats, a luxury yacht, emblazoned with the markings of the Kaiserreich, was sailing into the Port of London. It was arriving with the diplomat, reappointed to his post for the tenth time in a row. A decade of diplomatic convention had made the Alai invaluable, for his contacts and knowledge of the country were unmatched.

He had taken a brief foray back to Antenland to be reappointed by the Council of Lords, but now he was back in London. Or, at the very least, he was on a ship nearly back to London. The ship steamed in, docking at one of the larger docks. The ship was by no means small -- it was a projection of Antenland's glory, and very well had to be large.

With a flurry of movement, the gangway dropped down, and a crane on the edge of the yacht began to pick something up to place on the dock. A flurry of concierges came off the ship, each carrying luggage of the diplomatic envoy. The crane picked something up on the deck, and began to move to lower it onto the dock.

When it could finally be seen, it was a brand new Paerzwagen automobile. It was on a pallet, with a cloth wrap protecting the seats and dash from the weather. It was open-topped, with a back piece that could be extended forwards by hand to cover the driver in bad weather, acting as an impromptu top. It was unblemished by scratches or dents, clearly taken well care of.

Then, as it was being lowered onto the dock, the diplomat himself stepped down off the gangway, dressed in fine clothing. He had a pair of bifocals resting on his head. It was a familiar, and perhaps even welcome for some, sight. He was known simply as Amhold.

A horse-drawn carriage sat not too far from where the diplomat had landed. A clerk, giving the strange automobile a suspicious look, greeted the diplomat with a smile and invited him towards the carriage.
'The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs is waiting on your arrival, Sir, at Worthington House. He will be extremely pleased to see you and has prepared a dinner of the highest standard for your honourable self,' the clerk - one Samuel Thomas, whom Amhold had met on many occasions - said.

"Thank you, Samuel," responded Amhold, continuing, "I shan't keep him waiting. I assume my luggage will be in good hands, as always?" The diplomat moved to the carriage, speaking to Samuel again. "I simply will have to show you how my new Paerzwagen works. Much faster than a carriage, it's a marvelous creation. Perhaps that can be arranged after the meeting at Worthington House?" Samuel looked book at the 'Paerzwagen' and nodded slightly.
'I am certain that, if his Lordship the Secretary permits, it should be possible to arrange.' The clerk smiled as he closed the carriage door behind the diplomat and quickly circled round to enter from the other side. As soon as he was in, the carriage set off through London's streets towards Worthington House. It was by no means far away - purposefully so - but it was not good manners to make a foreign diplomat walk. Even if it was, unfortunately, a xeno. Samuel knew very well that Amhold was not ignorant of the Sacred Kingdom's generally dim view of all non-human xenos, but the man - if one could venture so far as to call the Alai that - generally appeared to put up a blissfully unaware front. He was a gifted diplomat, there was no denying.
'I pray that your journey here was easy, Mr. Sazenov?' Samuel questioned.
"As easy as crossing the channel can be. I never was one for sailing, much unlike the rest of my country. I'm glad to be back on dry land. I pray that all remained well in my few weeks out of country to be reappointed?" Samuel nodded at his question.
'Yes, all has been very well. The general public have been alive with excitement ever since Christmas day - the new century promises to be very exciting indeed. His Sacred Majesty has promised that this will be "Our Glorious Century". These are certainly interesting times, do you not think?'
"Indeed. The new century brings with it many promises and jubilations. The world is at peace -- though I have heard of trouble brewing in Cantor -- and every day it seems someone has a new invention or contraption. It is my hope that we may all continue to work together in harmony to produce a better, and more beautiful world," responded Amhold. Samuel smiled respectfully and nodded.
'Yes, one can only hope that that will be the case.' And with those words, the carriage at last came to a halt. Samuel excused himself, opening the carriage door and moving quickly around once more to open the door for Amhold, 'please Mr. Sazenov, right this way.'
Before them, the great white marble bricks of Worthington House, and its famed staircase, was visible. The porters at the great oak doors stood stiffly and opened the door as Samuel ascended the stairs with the honoured guest of state.
'I will hand you over to Mr. Stevens,' Samuel said to Amhold as the butler greeted them, 'he will lead you to your quarters and ensure that a bath and all your needs are catered for. Once you feel ready to see his Lordship, notify Mr. Stevens and I will be right with you.' Samuel smiled and bowed ever so slightly, before Mr. Stevens gestured respectfully for Amhold to follow him, and he took him to the large quarters Amhold was used to dwelling in while he stayed in London. After such a journey, it was was only good manners to ensure that their state gift had every opportunity to make himself comfortable and clean himself. But Amhold was used to Ulgyrikinan etiquette and protocols by now.

He made his way to his quarters, bidding the butler a hearty farewell so that he could take a quick bath. But only quick, however, for he did not want to keep the Lordship waiting. He took his bath and redressed himself, placing his signature bifocals back on his face. He did some minor grooming and fretting of his clothes, before stepping back out in the hallway to go to the dinner, smiling at the butler as he exited the room.
'Oh, Mr. Sazenov,' the butler said, 'just a moment if you will. Your bow-tie is just slightly...' he reached out and righted the diplomat's bow-tie ever so slightly before smiling, 'that's it.' Amhold responded with a, "Thank you. I do want to look my best for the meeting."
Soon enough, Samuel met with Amhold once more and both of them walked to Lord Robert Cecil's office. It was not, of of course, his permanent office, but it was the one the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs generally hosted foreign dignitaries in. The exception being for human dignitaries, who were hosted deeper in the city at Lodingly Place, rather close to Buckingham Palace.

Once they arrived at the door, the porter bowed deeply and opened it slightly. He waited for a signal from the porter on the other side before opening it completely, and Samuel bowed and gestured for Amhold to enter. Being a mere clerk, he would wait outside until the meeting was over. He did, however, hear the porter on the other side announce Amhold's arrival, before announcing Lord Cecil.
'The Most Honourable Lord Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquis of Salisbury. His Sacred Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.'



The balding, bearded man, who had been seated behind his desk, arose at the diplomat's entrance and circled round to greet him with a firm handshake and a curt smile, though his eyes remained stern and censurious.
'It is good to see you again, Mr. Sazenov. I am most pleased that the Kaiserreich saw fit to reappoint you to your position. Please, be seated.'

Amhold nodded kindly and took his seat, before responding. "As am I. I do quite enjoy London and the surrounding countryside," he paused, before continuing, "it is to my understanding that in my few weeks out of country, some business has piled up that we must attend to?" Lord Robert nodded as he returned to his seat.
'That,' he said as he sat down, 'would appear to be the case. News has come to us of some rather...distasteful happenings in Cantor.'
Amhold nodded, "As I'm sure you've heard, the South Cantor Company has discovered some rather.. Distressing shipments. Hidden in cotton, they located repeater rifles. My first order of business would be a request for an investigation and sanctions against the relevant colonial authority that allowed such shipments to leave their ports. After all, we did track the shipments to originate in your Cantor holdings."
'I assure you that it is not the Sacred Kingdom's policy to ship weapons to any non-state parties. If it so happened that unsavoury individuals took it upon themselves to do such things, then we will ensure they are punished. But I assure you of the integrity of all our colonial governors - these shipments, if they did indeed leave our ports as you say, most likely escaped detection. As you know, with domains so large, it is impossible to crack down on every potential smuggler - but we pride ourselves on having done a good job of it thus far, and will endevour to ensure that such activities are quashed completely in future.'
"Thank you, your Lordship. I will not request an independent investigation from the Kaiserreich -- especially as agreeing to such would be tantamount to giving up sovereignity -- but I do request that we see results soon from your own investigations. The South Cantor Company is getting quite rowdy in their, I would say, rightful indignation. An indignation fully shared by me. I presume that you are expecting progress in your own investigations?" Amhold responded.
'His Sacred Majesty has, as of yet, not ordained any investigation into the matter. He has taken it upon himself to read fully into the various reports of the incident before committing the time and resources necessary to carry out a full inveinvestigation. It would be truly unfortunate were we to commit to such only to find that it is nothing but petty smugglers. I am certain you remember all too well the similar 1894 incident which, after much investigating, transpired to be nothing but the work of over-enthusiastic zealots seeking to help their human brethren. As soon as his Sacred Majesty decides on the matter, I will instruct my clerk to immediately notify you via telegram. But just to reassure you, I will advise the Lord Grand Admiral to commit another squadron to patrolling the seas around the Horn of Cantor so as to ensure that no Ulgyrikinan vessels steer off course for any reason in future. With that said, I must express my great disappointment that the conditions leading to such activities have not been looked into by the Kaiserreich. We have expressed our hopes in the past that the treatment of humans under your rule should be softened - if this is done, none would feel so strongly as to attempt to smuggle weapons. These activities are a symptom of a wider issue, Mr Sazenov. They are not the cause.' Having said all he wished to say, Lord Roberts looked to the diplomat.
Amhold sighed and took off his bifocals, taking a hanky to clean them with. He spoke as he cleaned them, "I am fully aware of the 1894 incident. I also remember that said investigation was pushed into action by my urging. I will not push you very hard to investigate in remembrance of that fact, but if the Company continues to locate more weapons shipments I am afraid I will have simply no choice. I do, however, greatly appreciate your promise to advise the Lord Grand Admiral. I can only hope that he acts on such advisories. As for the cause, I am fully aware. I would very much prefer to nip it at the bud, but as of now Kaiser Wilim has not authorized such actions. I am forced to work with what is available to me, as I assume you understand, your Lordship. As you full well know, I have been a major component for the demanding of fairer treatment for the Kaiserreich's subjects. It is out of my control, no matter my desire to fix it. I will continue to press the Kaiser to consider your line of thought, but I am afraid I cannot promise progress any time soon. He can be quite the stubborn man when he deems it necessary." Lord Roberts nodded in understanding.
'Of course, of course. I wish to express, on behalf of His Sacred Majesty, the Sacred Kingdom's appreciation for your continuing efforts in this regard. Cooperation with our neighbours has always been our foremost desire, and it is individuals like you who make that possible. Your efforts in opening up trade between our nations, for instance, has gone a long way towards normalising relations between us - despite past hostilities and crushing wars. With more people like you, this wil be - as His Sacred Majesty declared - a "Glorious Century" for all. Why, Samuel tells me that you have once more taken a stride forward in this regard, bringing with you a so-called "Paerzwagen automobile" from the Kaiserreich.'
"Indeed," responded Amhold, "it is my hope that we may enter an agreement that allows for the sale of these new automobiles in your country. It is, however, to my understanding that your roads may prove a little.. Bumpy. If it is required, I can arrange for the shipment of blueprints and perhaps even some road crews to assist in the creation of roads designed to support these new automobiles. We have quite the experienced road crew staff as of current due to the fact we have had to retrofit our own roads. I feel that with our cooperation, your country may soon be able to travel the island in a matter of days rather than weeks -- at least when your people are not taking the train. I believe this is a worthy goal to commit ourselves to." Lord Robert nodded slightly.
'It will have to be something I propose to His Sacred Majesty. He is a very active proponent of improving our train network, you see, so I am not altogether certain he would consider these automobiles for some time. If we begin to see rising income from our colonies in the coming years, I will be certain to push very strongly for these automobiles. If you are unable to use your automobile due to our bumpy roads, however, would it be at all possible for some of my engineers to have a look over the machine? I am certain they will find it fascinating.'
Amhold put his bifocals back on. "I am afraid the automobile design is a patented and protected design. I have no qualms with your engineers examining my vehicle -- as long as it is returned to me in the condition it was handed over, they are not cheap after all -- but the Antenland General Motors Corporation, the Council of Lords, and the patent office would take offense. I may very well be removed from my post if I allowed your country to breach the patent."
'In that case, I find myself very strongly averse to having my engineers anywhere near the vehicle. Your presence here is far more important to us than any machine. I very much hope that the automobile is kept very well protected - its loss may well cause an international incident, if what you say is anything to go by. If you do not have the sufficient number of men, I will have a squad stationed to guard it at all times.'
"Thank you for your kind offer, my Lordship. You prove ever hospitable. I am confident in my concierge's ability, but if you wish to be safe I will not oppose extra guards. I do wish to avoid any incidents. I will ensure that the Kaiserreich is informed of your dedication to ensuring the safety of our patents. It will look most favorable in my telegram home," said Amhold, smiling kindly to the Lord. Nodding, Lord Roberts shuffled through a few pieces of paper on the table before speaking once more.
'Is there anything else you would like to broach with me, while we are here, Mr. Sazenov?'
"Other than the recently discovered weapons shipments, all is well, actually. I am glad that there seems to be so few bumps in our respective country's relationships," he reached into his pockets, shuffling around a bit before taking out a tin of mints, "but before I go, I would like to present you with a small gift. I purchased these mints before I left Antenland. They are my favorite brand. Made with only the finest of ingredients, many of which are imported from exotic locations, I hear. It is my hope that you will find them enjoyable." Smiling slightly, the Marquis accepted the tin and inspected it for a few moments before opening it and extending the tin to the diplomat.
'Please, you would honour me by having one with me.'
"The honor is mine. Thank you," Amhold responded as he gingerly took a single mint, saying, "To the continued prosperity of our two nations." Lord Robert took one also and closed the tin before popping the sweet into his mouth. Amhold followed suite, popping his mint into his mouth as well.
'And now, just before we head to dinner. I was wondering whether you had the opportunity, during your stay at home, to speak with the Kaiser regarding the Firish issue. You did not bring it up during our discussion, so I anticipate you could not...'
Indeed, before his departure, Lord Robert had pressed Amhold to speak with the Kaiser on the issue of Occupied Southern Firland. The territory had been seized by the Kaiserreich in the brief war of 1871 and had since lain under occupation - a thorn in the Sacred Kingdom's side and a mark of shame. It was the late King's - and the present King's - desire that it should be in some way returned to the Sacred Kingdom. Lord Robert though that, perhaps, Amhold could be the key to its return.
"I am afraid that I have made no progress on that front. As it turns out, my return home coincided with the Kaiser's end-of-year vacation. By the time I returned home, he was out at sea already, and I could not contact him. He remained out at sea for the entirety of my reappointment. The Council of Lords and the Ministers proved most ignorant of my pleas to listen. It is something the Kaiser himself will have to decide on. I will continue to press his aide de camps to grant me an audience with him at some point, however." Amhold said. With a small smile, Lord Robert nodded and rose to his feet.
'That is very well. I did not expect progress so soon in any case. I am certain you will inform me of any progress once it is made. For now, let us put these weighty matters aside and go have dinner. I have ordered the very finest dishes in your honour - duck and deer, and a late Christmas turkey, for I know how much you wished to try that.' And with that, the Marquis and his guest headed out of the room and to the dining room.

To the Most Honourable Lord Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquis of Salisbury,


Yours sincerely,
The Most Honourable Lord John Fisher, 1st Marquis Fisher, Lord Grand Admiral, Admiral of the Fleet





To the Most Honourable Lord Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquis of Salisbury,


Yours sincerely,
The Right Honourable Lord Francis Knollys, 1st Viscount Knollys, Private Secretary to the Sovereign

The sun shone especially bright at that moment, and the men in their full khaki uniforms and stifling puttee boots were dripping with sweat as they lazily took to their horses for the shift of patrol. Some carried carbines of bolt action, others with breechloading mechanisms and such. Units such as these which were never to serve the frontline were not well-equipped, sometimes barely equipped at all.

On the distance, across the border, a group of men could be seen. Identifiable as Kreolians by their gaudily large sombreros, they seemed to be trying to sneak closer to the border guard. There was little in the way of cover between them and the guards, however. Eventually they relegated themselves to just walking towards the guards. They were carrying.. Something. It was hard to tell what at the distance.

Of the platoon which patrolled that particular stretch one mile long, two sentries turned their horses, hailing the Kreolians with a raised right hand, presumed travellers, all too common with the times. They let their rifles set in the sheathes of which were firmly tied to their saddles. Their revolvers were in buckled holsters, and their sabres in tied-down sheathes.

Suddenly, ringing across the distance, came a battle cry. A cry that sounded like, "Die, gringos!" A flurry of bullets rang out, shot from Witten-Len 1868 model rifles, old repeating cartridge rifles. The bullets continued to come from the small group as they took potshots as quickly as possible at the patrol.

The two sentries had not even cleared leather before rounds tore into their unarmored bodies. The first took one into his upper torso, throwing him from his horse as he writhed and gasped, clutching his chest. The horse itself made to run, but was soon cut down itself, a clean shot into the heart. The second's horse took one through the neck, tossing him to the ground with his revolver he barely managed to get free from its holster. A snap-shot from him rang as he thumbed the hammer, but the next second a round entered his groin quite violently, propelling him into a similar situation as his compatriot, both writhing and bleeding out.

The shooting slowly died down as the two sentries writhed on the ground, and the Kreolians began to walk up, rifles at the ready in case there were reinforcements or the men tried to fire back despite their bloodied state. They eventually came into close range, where they brutally began to bash the men's faces in. When their work was done, they began to loot the bodies for supplies.

Tattered uniforms and old rifles were among the spoils, with old single actions of both black and smokeless powder models there too. But this raid was not without fault, with two squadrons of eight guards each riding from both the east and west, their rifles drawn and ready, making to acquire targets.

The Kreolians took cover behind the corpses of the horses, opening fire on the other guards. They fired rapidly, untrained with guns but believing wholly in their superiority. They continued to yell out insults at the guards, as they took their potshots.

One on the eastern squadron met his fate, and none on the west, the two squadrons scattering into staggered lines, using their horseback rifle training to make precise, aimed shots at the banditos. However, this concentration proved fatal, as their straight riding made it easy to lead them, and two on the west fell, another on the east.

Several of the banditos fell, but they continued to fire rapidly, the horses giving them much-needed cover. The corpses ate many a bullets, and the bullets continued to fly from both sides. Yelling, "Revolution!", and various insults, they let out another battle cry.

Two men's horses strayed, the rounds throwing them from their steeds, the rest riding hard straight at the banditos, six in all drawing their sabres and revolvers as they let out their own whooping war-cry, initiating their own small charge.

The banditos took advantage of the head-on charge, blasting the heads of the horses in, crushing the guards under their own steeds. Once the deed was done, they moved to do some more looting of the bodies. Then, they sent a messenger out. In about 30 minutes, a ragged column of 1,500 men arrived. Then, they crossed the border.

It seemed there was no more retaliation, that the rest of the border guards further out were none the wiser that the border was breached. The banditos were on north, with no signs of being stopped soon.

---

Eventually, they came across a town, numbering 3,000 residents. Their column was certainly noticed, and the town militia began to form. They moved the townsfolk to the local mission, an old Kaiserreich fort from the colonial days. The 1,500 Kreolians rampaged through the undefended and empty town, setting buildings on fire and stealing whatever they could. Then, they shot the livestock, and butchered a few for meat, leaving plenty of rotting and unused cow carcasses on the ground.

They then turned their sights to the old mission. They surrounded it and began to take shots at the walls. The militia inside was steadfast, even courageous, or some may regard as stubborn. Old hunting weaponry and even some muzzleloaders comprised their arsenal, and they boarded up the doors and windows hastily, furniture serving as cover. The best marksmen were positioned on the roof with jury-rigged sandbags made of burlap and sand serving as their only cover as they took aimed shots at any which dared to wander into their sights. But, for all intents and purposes, the militia of the town of Brewside was under siege, holed up in that mission, known by all as Cochomana.

The fighting continued for another hour, heavy casaulties on both sides, before the Kreolians brought up an ancient cannon, perhaps from the early 19th century. Another old Kaiserreich weapon from ages long past. They loaded a cannon ball in, with a hefty helping of black powder, and lit the fuse.

The sound of the cannon rung out through Cochomana, and the southern wall crumbled. With a battle cry, the southern line began to charge the breach, still firing all the way with their old rifles.

The militia was prepared, a line of three ranks, the front prone, the second kneeling, and the third standing. To their side, a figure recognizable at any angle, frontiersman Nelson Dunham, who seemed to be leading them all, wielding a muzzleloader, bowie knife fastened to his hip as he commanded the fire order. The ranks opened up, cutting down the first line of charge, but before they could reload for a second volley, the lines met. Sabres, bayonets, and blunt objects thrusted from both sides, and the banditos' numbers proved decisive, overunning the main defensive line in minutes.

Still, the remaining flocked to the roof, boarding the stairs as they laid prone or crouched, with lines periodically firing down into the mass of banditos. The inner militiamen prepared for the assault via the stairs.

The banditos called for ladders, as they continued to make charges on the stairs. With nobody to resist their passage, the ladders hit the building and men began to climb up them. Just then, as well, they began to also storm the stairs, climbing over bodies as they fired indiscriminately into the defenders. A few ladders were kicked down, but not nearly enough, as the banditos began to flood the roof.

That fierce melee erupted again, and scattered shots, too. Many were cut down as they ascended the ladders and stairs, but firepower was not enough, as numbers won the battle, with much cost to the banditos. Not but a mere ten minutes after the roof was charged, all the defenders were slaughtered or captured.

The townsfolk were lined against the wall and shot in revenge for the lost revolutionaries. Three thousand town residents, all shot and killed. They were left in open air, no grave, to rot. The revolutionaries took their loot and left their dead, a total of 600 men. The revolutionaries were down to 900 men. They ran back across the border, with plenty of valuables, ammo, guns, and food.

Left particularly, atop the rubble of the Cochomana, was the head of Nelson Durham, upon a pike for all to see.

_{A collaboration between @CaptainBritton and @WrongEndoftheRainbow}

Thursday January 4th, 1900

To the honorable and sacred king, Agnaclus,

This telegram has been sent out from the unofficial capital of Aquarious. I am Dallas Fiton, the General of the Aquarions. I wish to meet in person, January 6th, for a diplomatic meeting involving a discussion about trade routes, aid for my economy, and of course, a discussion about the Great Human Alliance. I, personally, don't agree with everything you have put forth, but my people- and my wife- are pushing me to at least take it into consideration. I also wish to present an interesting opportunity. Let's just put it this way, I can aid you with your technology problems, but I expect something in return.

Sincerely, Dallas Finton

*Second letter, sent along side the first*

Dear Agnaclus,

I know my insufferable husband is sending you a telegram, and I am begging you to accept his offer. Our people are poor, and are thinking about rebelling without outside influence. If another country tries to stage a coup here, say Antenland, they would easily succeed. I have a feeling that would be against your current goals... and the Great Human Alliance. If we just get some financial aid, our people will settle down- and hopefully prevent Antenland from gaining an advantage against us. Our people are itching for war. We will pledge an alliance with you, against any country or power, if you help us get out of this death spiral. Please brother, I am BEGGING you.

Most desperately, Nix Finton

'Your Sacred Majesty, two telegrams from Aquarian,' Lord Francis Knollys, Private Secretary to the Sovereign, extended the two pieces of paper to the King, who was sat at his desk reading another report on the incident in Candor.
'Urgent?' Agnacious asked without looking up from the report.
'Somewhat, Your Sacred Majesty,' the Viscount responded. Agnacious slid the report aside and reached out for the telegrams, which the Viscount handed to him. He scanned them quickly with his intense blue eyes. The first letter was from General Dallas Finton requesting a meeting between them in two days, and the second was from the Vice-President Nix Finton - the former's wife - beseeching he accept the strange request.
'Awfully short notice. I am scheduled to review our five new frigates at Portshead on that day - is that not right, Lord Knollys?' The Viscount nodded.
'Your Sacred Majesty is correct,' came his response.
'Has Sir Edmund Monson not yet returned to Aquarian?' The King questioned.
'He is scheduled to depart in two weeks, Your Sacred Majesty. He wishes to spend the beginning of the new century with his family.' Agnacious looked down at the telegrams once more and put them aside.
'Duty calls, Lord Knollys. Inform Sir Monson that he is to depart for Aquarian tomorrow morning at the latest. He must be present in Eau by the 6th for this meeting.' Lord Knollys nodded and bowed deeply.
'I shall immediately write to Aquarian with Your Sacred Majesty's response - if it please Your Sacred Majesty.' The King nodded as he handed Dallas' telegram back to the Viscount. He would respond personally to his sister's telegram.
'Yes, do that Lord Knollys, and I shall return to these overblown reports. I will never understand the Alai - these reports are no different from the previous ones. I hardly think another investigation will be necessary...' the Viscount did not respond, but bowed respectfully before leaving the King's study to write the necessary letters.





To the Honourable Sir Edmund Monson, 1st Baronet,


Yours sincerely,
The Right Honourable Lord Francis Knollys, 1st Viscount Knollys, Private Secretary to the Sovereign





To His Excellency Dallas Finton, General of the Democratic States of Aquarian,


Yours sincerely,
The Right Honourable Lord Francis Knollys, 1st Viscount Knollys, Private Secretary to the Sovereign





Dearest Nixie,


Your loving brother,
Agnacious

January 5th, 1900

After months of deliberation and meticulous vetting by the princes’ council of appointees known as the Duma, the assembly had elected a diplomat to oversee the relations for the neighboring Volanth Empire as the last man, Prince Nikolai Golitsyn, had retired from that position. The declaration had appointed the military commander Baron Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel to the post, and a letter was drafted to each princedom as well as to the Empire itself. The contents of the Empire-bound letter read as follows.

"To our most gracious and benevolent neighbor,

The Princely State of Mehrsaba has appointed Baron Pytor Wrangel of the Neva Governate as our dedicated diplomat for all affairs regarding our two nations. In a few days from now, he shall land in the capital port of the province of Varn, the heart of the Imperial-Princely sea trade. His decisions wield the blessing of the twelve princes of Mehrsaba and we trust your guidance, along with our co-operation and resources, shall usher in a new era of prosperity for us all.

With utmost respect,

The Duma of Mehrsaba"


Baron Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel

However, the true nature of this appointment was more spiteful than it seemed. The baron himself was no stranger to positions of power. Just before this, he was the commander of Neva’s provincial army known as the Black Army and led his troops on horseback at the frontline to squash a peasant uprising a few years ago. Rumors of his battlefield skill led to rumors of unchecked ambition, and this new diplomatic appointment to a far-away, foreign country was the answer those that feared Wrangel had come up with. Indeed, even the prince of Neva had thought that Wrangel would subvert the rule in his own principality. This was not lost on the Baron himself but he could not protest such an appointment without insulting not only his princes but also the neighboring Volanth Empire.

As soon as the news broke, Baron Wrangel was immediately sent on the war galleon TPMS Kovno escorted by 15 other cruisers headed to Varn. Those nearby when the ships sailed swore that they heard expletives as the ship left port but these rumors could not be confirmed.

Kenny, Nix, and Dallas poured over their issues and solutions. One such issue was dealing with international relation. The Aquarian government, in the five years it's exsisted, has had little interaction with other nations, besides the SK. As they reviewed the maps of the world, the best start would be the nearby princely state of Mehrsaba, due to the rulers not suppressing humans. Kenny was unsure, but was overruled by the power duo Dallas and Nix. Kenny wasn't angry, but he certainly wasn't taking the blame if this plan fails. The meeting with the SK delegate was already set up. Kenny penned the letter, by choice, while Nix and Dallas worked together creating what the letter was attempting to accomplish. In the end, they agreed on sending a non-violence pact and an offer to set up trade routes. Dallas, of course, insisted the letter was sent by boat to show off the Aquarians navy power. The mayor, Seth Reynolds, was forced to accompany the fleet and meet with diplomats (which he was NOT happy about) if Mehrsaba accepted the offer.

The Emperor of Volnath, Rurn, sighed as he put down the last typewritten page. He was sore, but that was no longer a surprise or even a strange feeling to him. What was important was that he had gotten the letters out to the various nations of note to invite to the World's Fair. With any luck, they would all respond with yes and it would be a rousing success, the start of an annual international event. If not, it would be a failure and a humiliation to the Empire. Not that they were unfamiliar with the concept of humiliation in the last decade. He carefully folded the Etresna letter, gathered a few more designs from his desk, and headed out of his study. The two Dragon's Claws fell into step behind him, a constant presence he was entirely used to. "Now, Gur," he began, looking over his shoulder at the Orc on his left. "when we're in Etresna you can't be distracted by the beautiful women there. They'll never let me live it down if you're nearly seduced twice in one week."

The Orc blushed beneath his tattoos, protesting. "M-my Emperor I told you in the repor-" Rurn laughed, waving a hand at the floundering bodyguard. "Yes yes my boy. I know. I believe you don't worry. But we must hurry, we have an airship to catch and another nation to visit, despite you and your bretheren's displeased looks you give me whenever I do this."

The Claws made no comment, simply following him to his destination. More of them fell into step behind him until there was a 100 of them filing onto the airship. In a few moments they were off and headed to Etresna.

“Grand Inventor, if I may have a moment of your time. I know you are extremely busy but we have a message from the lands of Volanth.” The pudgy man who entered the small throne room, one mostly filled by books and sketches of designs, seemed to jiggle as he tiptoed through to the man who sat in the middle of the floor. The Grand Inventor wasn’t quite what everyone imagined, though those who saw him at work would know full well that the man in kingly dressed is not the same as the one before them for he was disheveled, unshaven, and certainly had missed a few meals and more than a few hours of sleep.
“Hmm? Yes, what is it Frond,” He replied to the man with a voice which was certainly lacking in any formality and even more so by referring to a Councilman elected by the Trade Guild by such a nickname.
“I told you to call me Councilman Frondin. You really must work on your formality sir, a single slip up and the emissaries from other nations could mistake you for a simpleton or worse, a fool.”
“I would doubt any man would dare raise such a word to a man of my level,” the Grand Inventor said plainly as he scribbled down a design and put it in a pile next to him.
“Yes, yes. I know Grand Inventor. Anyway, it seems that the Emperor of Volanth will host a ‘World Fair’ in a month and we are invited to display our inventions. Of course, I will accept their offer but I must ask. Will your invention be done by then?” The man fidgeted around, look at the rough designs and piles of research which had accumulated around his Lord.
“I am… unsure Frond. By theory, it should work and be ready by the time the Fair arrives but that is only if the Engineers can make it properly and my research is flawless. A hot air balloon is child’s play to what I am doing. This must be able to lift a lot more to be useful to us. Even more work must be done for it to not seem like we wasted our time. First it must lift off the ground alone, then it must lift off the ground with people. Even I can’t predict whether it will work.”
Frond had been stunned, it was the first and perhaps only time he had heard any Grand Inventor admit that their invention may not work, let alone admit that the years worth of research done for it had been for nothing. Yet, he knew this was how the Grand Inventor had become popular with the Flyer’s Guild. He had no sense of pride in his works, even knowing how smart he was, and yet he always worked hard to make sure he didn’t fail. Whatever Harold Ulius was working on would surely succeed if he put his mind to it.
“Very well, I will send a message that it may be ready by then but that we cannot promise anything. We also must discuss the representative to talk about the-”
“Send Amellia, my Son, and that old codger, oh what was his name? Oh! Yes, send Tallion. He could use some time out of his workshop with all those planes he has been building and he’ll be needed to discuss the construction and working of the railway.”
“Very well sir. That’ll be all,” the Councilman said as he closed the doors to the throne room and walked away. His Grand Inventor truly lacked any tact when in private conversations yet seemed to be a master of political games when he was dealing with others. Such a strange man.




‘Dear Amellia,

I hope you are doing well this day, what with having such a boring post and simply overlooking the training regime of our soldiers. A message from the Grand Inventor: You, Bernhardt, and Maester Tallion are to head to the conference that Volanth is hosting in two weeks in order to discuss the railway. Please keep Tallion in line, you know how that man has grown senile in his years.



The woman sighed and pushed her chair away from the desk, shaking her head at the message and the idea of having to go to such a mundane meeting. She was the one best equipped to meet them, but why did she have to take Bernhardt? The gall of the Grand Inventor had only grown since he took his position a year ago, continuously finding a reason for his son to get close to her. She had put aside his advances, after all it was impure to be involved with another officer, but she couldn’t put aside the fact that Bernhardt certainly was charming.
Either way, the Commander of the entire Army of Tezzar couldn’t waste time while she was away. She called in Commander Helios, a man she looked up to for his way of leading his forces though he had started to grow tired of the War Guild and had begun to talk more about retirement. “Commander, I called you here to address you about something of the utmost importance. It seems that the Grand Inventor is sending me, Bernhardt, and Maester Tallion to meet with the Empire and discuss the railway. During that time away, I will entrust you to lead the forces here in Heliun and maintain the status of our troops. You will not disappoint me, correct?”
It didn’t feel right to her, talking down to a man she respected so much, but it was how she must address a soldier who was beneath her in rank. The man’s response was as expected. “I will not Grand Commander. Disappointing you would put dishonor and my family, something my sons could never bear as they look for a position such as the one I hold now.” He gave a bow to her and left, knowing full well that the conversation was over at that she had said what was needed, his duties now were to begin work on assuming the temporary position.
“How low of us to have to go to a meeting with such a foolish nation. The things we do to protect our people and our technology is amazing.”

Meeting between Supreme Commander Azhis and the Emperor of Volanth
Time and exact location undisclosed

“Welcome, please, sit.” Azhis gestured towards a plush chair arrayed before a small table loaded down with confections, fruits, cheeses, and other hors d'oeuvres of various kinds, stemming both from the Empire and from the Realm. The chair was a rich dark wood, with warm red cushions affixed to it and angled in such a way as to let its occupant recline slightly, whilst retaining some air of dignity and attentiveness.

She pulled aside some drapes from the thin windows of her private study, letting rare shafts of sunlight stream into the simple but comfortable space. Bookshelves stretched to the ceiling, bowing under the weight of the heavy tomes arrayed upon them, and in the corner a large desk sat piled high with papers and other materials - prominent against even those was the heavy revolver lying in plain view atop them all, partially disassembled and with cleaning rags and other accoutrements lying by it.

“I understand we have many things to discuss, but first, how are you fairing, Majesty?” She asked, her voice eerily tranquil, almost airy but with a leaden weight behind it that carried no notes of frivolity. “I understand the situation with our more Western compatriots has been... strained.” Sitting alongside him, she took a small candy and popped it into her mouth. After a moment, she commented idly, almost as if this were a mere meeting of friends, “Fazhe made these, the boy has promise as a cook, even if he’s no tactician.”

The Emperor of Volnath, Rurn, chuckled idly. “An army marches on it’s stomach Supreme Commander. Even if Fazhe can’t keep your Realm safe with his rifle, he may yet keep its defenders full and happy. Which is just as important when you’re a soldier. Provided things haven’t changed in the forty some odd years since I’ve been in the service.” He reclined slightly back in his chair, smiling lightly.

“If you mean how I fair politically, things are tense. The Aquarians have drastically increased their military in the last few years, and my agents inform me that they’re chomping more and more at the bit as time goes by. The Princes are attempting to arm themselves, while at the same time bickering among themselves and snubbing some of their more military talented generals. One of whom is visiting ambassador Tauran, to discuss more about the trade route. The Technocracy is supplying them in an attempt to help them modernise, I suppose. The Technocracy in general is getting worryingly powerful. There are some border problems going on in the Confederate States. The Sacred Kingdom is, as always, making complaints about my subjects returning back to Imperial controlled lands. The Reich has been quiet, which in itself is mildly worrying. They’re never this quiet.”

He shifted in his seat, wincing. “Personally, I’m just old. A strange thing to you, I know, but we mere mortals do age and get sore. But enough about political problems and the unbeknownst to you problems of age. How do you fair, Commander?”

Azhis smiled, a wan, thin, tired smile. “We age as well, Rurn. Some of us faster than others. I can feel the passing of years much like any other, but their mark on me has yet to be felt. Perhaps one day I too will see wrinkles begin, but for now I will take what I can get.” Another candy sat in her fingers, and she bit into it, savoring the sweet candied fruit. “Yes… the boy is a good cook, if nothing else. And loyal - a trait none too common these days. A loyal cook is more crucial than many realize - how many kings have died choking on wine poisoned in the vicinity of an inattentive chef?” She sighed, “One of my books would probably tell me all I needed, but this chair is rather comfortable. Far better to discuss the world doing its best to tear itself asunder despite our best efforts when comfortably ensconced upon a soft leather cushion.”

She looked out the window, taking in the vast cityscape that stretched before them - the capital city of the nation, home to no fewer than twenty million inhabitants, almost all of whom left without modern infrastructure and amenities. All to feed the overly complex and expensive tastes of the ruling elite who wasted the days with art and poetry while the world sped on ahead of them.

“I fair as well as could be expected with Aquarian on my doorstep sharpening its saber.” Azhis looked to the emperor, “Come what may, should they set out on the warpath they will find the lands of the Reich are their only route to your own, at least over land. As always - Etresna is ready to lay waste to them should they attempt a crossing. The Technocracy…” She trailed off, sighing, “The Technocracy is a grave concern to both our nations. And one that bears further discussion. But I digress.”

Offering another candy to the emperor, she sat up straighter, looking him in the eye, “Did you have anything in mind beyond the obvious to discuss today, Rurn?” A quick movement of her head towards her left indicated a large stack of papers, books, and other miscellaneous documents - the seal of the Realm’s navy prominent upon the topmost of them. She looked at him, trying to discern what else the man might have visited her for today. It was unusual for simple military purchases to be decided in person behind closed doors such as this, and she burned with curiosity as to his motives.

“Ever busy as usual, I see.” He accepted the candy with a smile, popping into his mouth quickly. “The main reason I came here personally is the offer of defensive establishments in both our nations. You and I both know that the Legionaries, no matter how successful they have been, aren’t as good as your regular infantry. They won’t be for many years now, years I suspect we don’t have. I’d like to request that you station a couple regiments in the Imperial mainland, for quick response defensive purposes.”

“In return, I’ll have an airfield and Imperial Dragons stationed here in the Realm, likely around that rather large desert opening in your mountain chain, and send more Imperial ships patrolling your coast. It’ll be mostly armed and armoured merchants, I’m afraid, but that will gradually change as we build more military ships.” He leaned forward in his seats. “Any objections, Azhis dear?”

“Speaking of ships, actually.” Azhis interjected, “We do have the matter of the purchase of some more proper warships for the fleet, until our naval facilities are brought up to par, but that can wait. I can spare you two regiments from the fifth division - about five thousand in total. Be cautious in their use, unless you begin to adopt our level of basic training, I doubt the average Imperial infantryman will ever truly match - the difference in training is simply too great.” As an afterthought, she added, “Though I’m afraid we’ll need to keep their artillery here. We’re still precious low in supply of those. Our fleet, aside from the few Reich vessels we’ve purchased, is also armed merchant vessels, so I doubt further additions of such would be overly beneficial. Rather, I’d prefer to see more shipments of machine guns and artillery to our standing units. We have excellent rifles and sidearms - but if that was all it took…”

Azhis trailed off, nodding to a small picture on the far side of the wall, depicting a crude photograph of corpse strewn fields in the previous war in which Etresna had fought alongside the Empire. “Those were merely gatlings and other crude automatic weapons - should another such conflict erupt, the casualties would be horrendous. I would like to propose, in addition to your own suggestions, cooperation between our various field commanders to develop more innovative strategies than human wave assaults.” She grimaced, “Your empire may have the manpower to sustain such tactics, but we cannot. Panarre has informed me that her attempts to communicate with some of your own commanders have been… frustrating.” Smiling more warmly now, Azhis rested a hand on his shoulder, “We shall make it through this too, my friend.”

“I only plan to use them in concert with my Dragon’s Claws to slow Aquarian march through the Reich should they declare war. You may be on frosty terms with the Reich, but if they march through the Reich I’ll have to send Imperial Legions to stop them. I’ll pull the fifth division back after my legions get in position. While the guardians aren’t as deadly as your infantry, they are good at holding a position come hell or highwater.”

He waved a hand. “I don’t lack for artillery. That can be covered more than well enough, as can more artillery and machine guns being sent here. Though, be warned, we still haven’t figured out how to get a more manageable version for the rest of us yet. The Minotaurs are quite happy lugging around Dragon’s Breath and other variations of machine gun around, the rest of us aren’t a strong. You’ll have to make do with the heavy turrets.”

He idly glanced at the photo. “I’d like other plans than ‘throw men at them till we get there’. Collaboration sounds lovely.” He gave a small mischievous grin. “That offer I made to scare some of your problems and frustrations with fake assassination attempts is still on the table.” He turned and pulled some papers from his pocket. “If that is still considered ‘extreme’, my engineers have sent me forward some designs they managed to get from the Technocracy. If these don’t convince them, nothing will.” He handed them over to her, grabbing another piece of candy.

“Never fear.” Azhis smiled again, a grim one now, and her eyes glinted with a dangerous edge. “Your offer of assistance is truly, truly, deeply appreciated. But I have things well under control.” After a moment, she spoke again, “Expect a coded telegram in a week or so, I think the political situation here will have changed somewhat by then. The reformist faction is gaining considerable headway, and well over half the council has come to their senses and devoted their efforts, and resources, to fruitful endeavors instead of yet more paintings. The others… well, we have the Raijan’s ear, and the way things are progressing, they will be forced to accept that the world is no longer in the steam age, or they will be cast aside as the outdated fossils they are.” If one listened closely, a dark undertone of satisfaction was evident in her voice, her contempt for the fools in the ivory towers no great secret to anybody who knew her.

“That being said, I will never refuse designs we can implement in the factories. They are still undergoing retooling and modernization, but I predict we should be able to begin production of a downsized variant of Imperial automatic weaponry within a few months at most. The designs are mostly finalized, from what I have heard. There is the concern of ammunition, however. My engineers are designing the weapon around the .276, whereas your nation uses a considerably wider bore cartridge. This is something we still need to address - we would have to supply ammunition for our troops to be stationed in your territories, which creates a logistical nightmare at best.” She paused for a moment, taking another candy and chewing on it slowly, “Speaking of engineers, how have ours been doing in your labs? Have they been as fruitful as we hoped?”

He grinned at her. “You love solving logistical nightmares. I’m sure you’ll have a solution months before they set foot in Imperial lands.” He paused for a moment, thinking. “If my memory serves me, they’re doing excellent. After we got them to stop focusing on their traditional studies, they started making leaps and bounds. I suspect even the Technocracy would accept them at this rate. They’re a great help to the technological advances of the Empire, and will be a great help when they come back home.” He thought for a moment. “I suppose the good news about the Aquarians mobilizing is that their only ally is the Sacred Kingdom. If war breaks out, most of the world would be on our side.”

“Most of the world is the Reich, at this point.” Azhis reminded him, raising an eyebrow, “And we all know the state of their land forces. Practically nonexistent. Were a straight land battle all it took, I would have dare to say the Realm’s military could defeat them. A combined Aquarian and Sacred Kingdom offensive could potentially incur serious damage upon our own forces - should they begin to supply the Princely state, we could well find ourselves in a multiple front war. You have many troops - but they have far less territory to manage than you do. I can assure you, any Aquarian offensive over land would end in a trail of blood for them, but we cannot be everywhere at once should you require time to mobilize.”

She took another candy, eyeing it for a moment, before turning to Rurn once more, “At least our engineers are reaching their full potential. If nothing else, the people of this realm are brilliant scholars. There was a time when we lead even the Technocracy in innovation - I should like to see such status return. How goes progress with infrastructural overhaul, by the way? Your engineers here were a little… difficult, at times.”

Rurn shrugged.“I was referring to the nations of the world, rather than actual world. Bloody though any war may be, if it’s two against five it will be short. And that’s always good for wars. As for the Princely States joining the Sacred Kingdom or the Aquarians, Tauran is going to gently suggest that joining them would be met with the abrupt withdrawal of Imperial support for their economy and air force. He’s also going to suggest to this snubbed general of theirs that he has a friend in the Empire. Worse case scenario, we’ll start supporting him to unite the Princely states under his rule.”

Rurn sighed ruefully. “They think they know best don’t they? I imagine it didn’t help that they requested to tear down several artisan architectural masterpieces, to increase the space and production of the Realm. They figured it out eventually, though I imagine death threats were made.” He smirked softly. “Speaking of death threats, thank you for not killing my spy. He was a good one, and those are rare to find these days.”

“I extend the same thanks to you in turn.” Azhis smiled, reclining in the chair, “I’m not sure what pushed her to be so foolish and brazen like that, but I thank you for returning her. Your man tried to jump out of a window to escape, and so we cannot move him back to the empire while his legs heal, but rest assured once he has recovered I will send him on his way with a box of chocolates and a stern warning.” She sat in silence for a moment, savoring the flavor of the candied lemon in her hand, “That’d be a sight to see, the Princely States run by someone more competent with the economy.”

“She is young, and the young are filled with confidence. Though I must admit, attempting to seduce one of my bodyguards was driving headlong into foolishness.” The Emperor chuckled quietly, then raised an eyebrow. “A sight to see, but ideally a sight that favors us. It would do no good to have a supporter of this ‘Grand Human Alliance,” He said the words with only mild contempt, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the Sacred Kingdom. “on either side of us. Much better to have a malleable States that are crippled economically, than an enemy States that are not.” He tapped his fingers on his chin.

“Though, I must admit, if we were able to direct their energies at the Technocracy, we’d be able to weaken several enemies with one stone. The Sacred Kingdom would support them, which would draw in the Aquarians. They’d eventually tire themselves out and we’d be relatively untouched. Of course, that is if everything goes smoothly, and in national politics nothing ever does. Best to keep the States as they are, until absolutely necessary.”

“A wise strategy. I find playing a game where your success is dependent wholly upon everything proceeding to one’s own expectation of how others behave is doomed to failure. Any sapient being is difficult to predict, even more so when it is unstable nobles at the head of titanic armies of multiple millions of men.” She grinned, remembering the missive, “If I remember though, she did get farther than expected with him before his companion returned from investigating her distraction in the hallway. Perhaps you should supply your guards with some distractions in their off time to keep their minds focused whilst they guard your study?” Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “Regardless, we cannot control the other nations - but we certainly can fortify our own. Ideally without knocking down millenia old architectural masterpieces. You do have some very zealous engineers.”

“Such is the way with all games we play. We merely roll the dice and hope it works.” He raised and eyebrow, grinning himself. “Oh really? In his report he mentioned being ‘As solid as a dragon’s scales’ against her advances. I think I’ll start looking into safe off time distractions. Wouldn’t do if they were poisoned while trying to distract themselves.”

“I seem to recall, the scales on the underbelly of a dragon are far from the steel hardness of the ones on the rest of the creature.” Azhis teased him, “Perhaps he simply neglected which dragon scales he was as hard as. Maybe baby dragon scales? It would certainly match what I heard in the report I received more.”

“Oh I’m certain at least one part of him was as hard as dragon scales. Now the question is, which of them is merely trying to save face? Or are they both exaggerating so they aren’t as embarrassed?” He sighed wistfully. “Ah, to be young and worried about pride again.”

He snagged another piece of candy, continuing. “Speaking of pride.” He reached down and brought a letter out. In a mock formal voice he announced, “You and your finest engineers are invited to the first World’s Fair. This is an age of technological wonders and more fancy words that basically boil down to: Etresna’s finest engineers are invited to a gathering where the nations of the world show off the prettiest and greatest wonders they have. Everyone’s invited. Even the Sacred Kingdom. It’s a good chance to size each other up, and maybe get some more designs.”

Azhis raised an eyebrow, sitting up straight in her chair once more and deflty pulling the letter from the hand of the emperor, quickly scanning its contents before looking back up to him. “Well now, an interesting proposition. I have not seen all of the inventions our engineers in your labs have been up to, aside from the lighter machine guns as mentioned, but we have made some fascinating things in the field of architecture. As we have for the past fifty hellish years.” She sighed, “Please tell me my people have at least something of note beyond the art and architecture produced by the current airheaded elite?”

“Militarily? Not much. Lighter machine guns, some more refined version of Sacred Kingdom armor, and some more streamlined bomber plane ideas. Medically we’ve made leaps and bounds. THough some of their examples are harder to flashily show off at a fair such as this. But I imagine that this might be a good thing. After all, if you act like the Technocracy surely is and start showing off your the leaps and bounds you’ve made, it’ll make people stop underestimating you. They’ll start taking notice, rather than being surprised when the time is right. And believe me, we all want to be the surpriser, rather than the surprisee.” He smiled. “It’ll be fun for whoever you send. Might even get a few more spies into other nations if you get lucky.”

“Very true - I didn’t specifically mean weapons technology, but if that is all there is thus far, I am content to leave that as a surprise for the next adversary we end up facing.” She sat back in her chair, thinking for a few moments, “I believe I may have someone who would do well in this fair of yours. Two people, to be precise - a brother and sister who have reputedly made some astonishing breakthroughs in anesthetics and other medicines. From what I have heard, they are on the verge of developing a non-addictive painkiller for use in our hospitals, though it will be a few years yet before it is fully complete, it should be a perfectly normal addition to this fair of yours - after all, medicine is one of the few areas we have managed to keep up with the rest of the world on.” She grinned, “And that way, we leave the best surprises for those best suited for them. Like with yourself - or did I mistake the nature of the cargo I saw your people unloading at the dock?”

“Nope. They’re machine guns like you think. Nasty surprises for anyone trying to do invade your poor underdeveloped country.” He teased gently. “Fortunately for you and your underdeveloped country, you sit upon a lot of raw materials that would be greatly beneficial to the international railway mentioned in your letter, which several nations including the Empire are greatly interested in seeing built. Will the Realm send ambassadors to represent its interests in a week’s time?”

“Aye, we do sit on raw materials, if nothing else.” Azhis allowed herself a small smile, “All the gods above know how these mountains hold so many resources, but I for one won’t look a gift horse in the mouth. You will have those ambassadors at the conference. Extending construction through the mountains might be difficult, there are precious few passes that are wide enough to fit rails through - but there’s certainly nothing in the way of making an attempt at it. Rail access would certainly aid our modernization program greatly.” She raised an eyebrow, “Us underdeveloped savages are good at building things, after all.”

Rurn waved an airy hand. “Yes, the Empire has uplifted you poor savages into masterful builders. Without us, who knows how long you would’ve been stuck up here in the mountains, banging rocks.” He nodded sagely. “Yes, yes.”

“Not too much longer, I would think. Your guards seem distracted enough by the lovely ladies of the Realm that I think they would’ve happily handed over some toys for a little alone time.” Azhis teased him lightly, “Perhaps I should hire some prostitutes and send them along with my regiments so your guards have something better to focus on the next time a spy comes along?”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. I think poor Gur won’t look at a woman on duty for several years now, and he’s been warning the rest of them. That won’t work for the next few years at least. Better luck after that.” Rurn snorted. “Poor boy blushes like a maiden whenever I so much as bring it up around him. It’s a grand time.” He glanced at the window, sighing. “As much as I’d like to sit here and chat like we didn’t have governments to run, I have other things to do to hopefully ensure that we don’t go plunging headlong into massive war. Your turn next time we have to meet up, if I remember correctly?”

“Yes, I believe so. Unless your guards insist on visiting the city again for the wonderful nightlife. And buxom tavern ladies.” Azhis grinned, reclining in her chair as she sipped idly at a small cup of tea. “Though, I do believe we also have a dinner meeting scheduled with financial advisors? Shall I see you afterwards, as usual, or is time pressing throughout the day?” She looked down, raising an eyebrow at the still almost full platter of sweets and refreshments, “May as well call your guards in and offer them some of these. I certainly won’t be able to finish them.”
“You most likely will, though at this point I think you’re just trying to give me a heartattack.” He raised an eyebrow at the plate. “You’ll have to convince Gur to take the piece, the rest aren’t so embarrassed and stiff necked. I’m beginning to think they like coming here. You feed them sweets and they can relax a little.” He chuckled slightly. “Stay here too long and their reputations as cold killers dedicated to protecting me at all costs might suffer a blow.”

Azhis raised an eyebrow, “Perhaps I should wink at him and wiggle my eyebrows? He seems vulnerable to that sort of thing.” She stood, stretching, and slowly walked over to her desk, rummaging around in one of its drawers for a moment before returning with an oaken flask, clearly marked as holding a fine brandy. Its mark showed it coming from the wealthy vineyards in the western foothills, and she poured two small glasses of it for herself and Rurn, raising the drink and downing it. “To further cooperation.” Offering the bottle to him, freshly corked once more, she continued. “Please, keep it for yourself or gift it to your men. A token of our hospitality - assuming Gur hasn’t already drunk his fill of wine and women in the taverns by now.”

Rurn eyed her form appreciatively as she walked about, bringing him a drink. “To further peace.” He replied, downing his own drink, chuckling again. “Ah, poor lad. I expect by the end of this trip here he’ll never live it down. Have you told your soldiers yet? I think he needs at least some break from the unending teasing he gets from his own.” He picked up the plate of candied sweets and the brandy. “You’ll be their favorite for a week now you know.” He called, heading towards the door. “There’ll be lots to see who gets to go here next.”

Azhis let out a small laugh, “Well of course. Our ladies make alluring and attractive spies, and we give out free candy and brandy to visiting friends!” She grinned, “Something tells me I may have to send you home with a barrel of vintage and some photographs so your men stay happy, won’t I?” She nudged him gently, “Go on then, I’ll see you later tonight. Adafarry is expecting all this paperwork for the minutiae of the naval transaction and artillery shipments to be finished by the end of the day.”

To His Imperial Highness, Emperor Rurn of the Empire of Volanth,


Yours sincerely,
The Right Honourable Lord Francis Knollys, 1st Viscount Knollys, Private Secretary to the Sovereign

The year 1883 saw the breakout of a minor feud between human and orcis villagers in Volanth-held Walderia. Concerned about the conditions of humans in Walderia - who were a minority relative to the orcish population - the SK intervened and demanded that the Empire see to it that its humans are treated better.
As this was a minor and rather isolated incident, the Empire dismissed the SK's concerns as overblown. But the SK saw an opportunity here. It had long been the view in SK military circles that establishing a colonial presence was vital for the long-term security of the SK. The dominance of non-humans and non-Christians in the world was worrying, and any opportunity to weaken such powers was to be capitalised upon. This was just such an opportunity. That is not t say, of course, that there was not also genuine concern for the safety of fellow humans - but it was seen as advantageous to exaggerate such concern.

With the SK not letting up, Volanth eventually agreed to a joint commission to investigate the 1883 incident and recommend reforms geared towards preventing such things happening in the future. Ever reluctant to do as this commission asked, the Empire did not exactly make things smooth for it and it eventually collapsed. The SK accused the Empire of actively sabotaging the commission, and the Empire denied this and accused the SK of infringing upon its sovereignty. In early 1885, the SK landed its 1st Colonial Division on the Volanth-held Isle of Christ (then known as Tshan's Tooth). News of the the SK's declaration of war reached Volanth almost at the same time as the news of the capture of the island. The Virgin Islands and the Aegeas Isles were captured in the following months, and the Empire shored up its colonial defences - particularly in Walderia - in expectation of an SK landing somewhere there.

It came as a tremendous shock when the SK, in a completely unexpected move, landed a force in Malta and the Pyrenees. The idea that the SK would turn a purely colonial war into an all-out clash between Narrevian powers was somewhat unthinkable. But it had happened, and there was now every possibility that the aggressive SK would consider landing troops on the Imperial mainland. Caught completely unprepared, for there hadn't been an actual war against the Empire in almost a century, the Imperial military floundered. The Emperor, Rurn, ordered the Empire's huge navy to protect the channel between the SK and the Empire, and the military to reclaim lost Imperial territory. Thousands of ships headed towards the channel, while the rusted Imperial war machine ponderously moved into action.

It was a disaster.

While the Imperial navy vastly outnumbered the SK, it simply couldn't compete with the SK's armored ships and torpedos. In one of (then Admiral) John Fisher's greatest naval military displays, hundreds of Imperial ships were sunk, compared to a mere handful of SK ships. But the Imperial goal was achieved. The SK was discouraged from invading the Imperial Mainland, though at a horrendus cost.

The war to reclaim the Empire's colonial holdings went even worse. Hundreds of thousands of poorly trained troops who had joined expecting the occassional conflict with bandits, armed with single shot rifles and no machine guns or modern artillery to speak of, marched against the effectively modernized military of the SK, and were slaughtered en masse. Entire Legions broke and ran in a disorganized mess, shaming the Empire and ceding more land to the SK.

In one of the few notable displays of the discipline the Empire used to be known for, Legate Zavoon Crian (now commander of the Dragon's Claws) commanded his Legion to hold a defensive line as the rest of the Host retreated. Expecting to die, the 51st Walderia dug their heels in and held their ground. Slowly, the advance of SK forces pushed them back into a small peninsula in southern Adro - seventy thousand men crammed into a small area of land, barely holding off the forces of the Sacred Kingdom. Supplies were nearly nonexistent and conditions were beyond untenable - the Legate was on the verge of ordering a suicidal last charge, his men further whittled down to fifty thousand in strength. On the eve of the planned assault, heavy shells began whistling in from off the coast. At first, many thought that Sacred Kingdom naval forces had been diverted to flsuh them from their position, but after a few minutes it became blatantly obvious that the furious hail of shellfire was slamming into the SK vanguard.

Minutes after that, landing craft began to beach themselves upon the Imperial position, disgorging the full contingent of marines on what was now plainly an Etresnakiten pre-dreadnought accompanied by a motley flotilla of vessels of all kinds, many piloted by civilians moved to the cause. With the well equipped and superbly trained marines forging ahead to distract the SK forces, the trapped Imperial legion began an urgent evacuation into the hastily assembled armada. All told, at the cost of well over three hundred dead and wounded marines and a truly staggering amount of naval ordnance, the fleet succeeded in evacuating almost all of the trapped Imperial forces, another thousand dying in a desperate rearguard action alongside the Marines. The defeat, known as the Miracle of Adro to some, caused outrage in the SK's senior military circles, and various admirals were removed from their posts for allowing an inferior force to outmanoeuvre the pride of the SK - its navy.

Not long after, the Realm extended formal military assistance to the Empire in their war. While the Empire had been able to check the SK's advances since early 1887, a bloody stalemate had developed with neither the Empire able to push back the SK and retake its lost territories, nor the SK able to continue its tremendous advance. The longer the stalemate continued, however, the mre untenable the vastly outnumbered SK's position became. It had relied on swift attacks and stunning victories against numerically superior but disorganised Imperial forces to attain victory. With the Empire now more prepared and pumping its hunreds of thousands of soldiers into the war, such advances and victories became more and more difficult for the SK. However, time well-spent meant that the SK had managed to shore up its defences across the board, and senior military officials were confident that, even if they made no advances, they would be able to hold on to all they had captured.

The Empire, throughout the early beginning of Etresnakiten involvment in the war, was restructuring and rebuiliding it's military. In what would be dubbed 'The Great Forging'. Discipline was restored into Imperial ranks, often with a brutal hand. Those who broke ranks before the order was recieved were shot. Deserters were crippled and left for the SK to find. Thieves had a hand cut off and were given a pistol. Such was the standard of punishment throughout the Imperial military.

Emperor Rurn, the Dragon's Wisdom, ordered all Imperial Legions who fought against the SK but broke and ran to be decimated, and given one chance to restore their honor. They were to be the first units in any assualt, always on the frontlines. Anyone of them who ran without orders would be shot.

The Etresnakiten officers examined the Imperial officers, and were given full right to demote and replace any they deemed unfit. Those who argued were given one chance to prove themselves worthy. All failed.

One Host of the Empire had fled before the SK forces without firing a single shot, running away before the SK could engage them. The Emperor ordered them Eradicated. They would be armed with pikes and simple armor and driven before the main Imperial/Etresnakiten host. When conflicts began their goal was to charge into the enemy's position and overrun them. By the end of the first year after the 'Great Forging', they had all died.

This all changed when, in early 1888, Etresna joined the fray on the Empire's side. Bringing with them powerful artillery and the latest weaponry, the Etresnakiten tipped the precarious stalemate in the Empire's favour. Despite tenacious resistance, the SK found itself losing ground and its commanders were often left paralysed in the face of unpredictable lightning Etresnakiten attacks backed by terrifying bombardment. Key SK positions were targetted with terrifying efficiency and accuracy, and many good soldiers and weaponry was lost. Additionally, many officers both higher and lower were lost to dedicated sniping formations deployed deep behind enemy lines by the Etresnakiten expeditionary force.

A crippling blow was dealt to Sacred Kingdom forces in the continent of Selim. The eighty thousand strong Etresnakiten expeditionary force, under the command of Firahl Kyni Panarre, spearheaded a massive counterattack against the thus far largely uncontested SK colonial forces. Dug in and well prepared, Imperial assaults had failed to gain much headway, gaining some of the lower lying areas. However, the eastern highlands, and with them much of the occupied territory, remained firmly in the grasp of SK troops, resisting many attempts both by Imperial and Realm forces to reclaim it. When the fresh contingent arrived, Panarre immediately set about deploying her forces and marshalling the still unorganized and poorly led Imperial armies in the area. It is unknown how she cowed Imperial commanders, but several of their number went missing at a similar time, and their disappearances were noted.

With her subordinates in line, she split her own forces to form the tips of a pincer move, lightning fast massed night assaults flushing many SK forces from their fortified positions - albeit at a high cost in taking the well defended locations. Having successfully punched through the Expeditionary forces abandoned all but light artillery support and pushed on, smashing through comparatively light resistance put up by unprepared reserve units. Within two weeks, the jaws closed and the Ulgyrikan forces found themselves encircled and pressed in from all sides, constantly showered with artillery barrages and harassed by lightning raids and constant sniping attacks. In cold blooded determination, Panarre forbade the surrender of the main force, further tightening the noose. However, she instructed one regiment to abandon their positions and dig in further back in a gambit to funnel the surviving Ulgyrikan forces into what was expected to be an escape, only to stumble upon a prepared killing ground well within range of heavy artillery batteries and interlacing machine gun fire. In this display of what would come to be a characteristic lack of mercy, she forbade a single soldier from surrender for a full day, until the Ulgyrikan forces had hunkered down in a low lying defensible position in a small blind spot in the massed artillery. Assaulting such a position would've cost an inordinate number of her troops' lives for little gain, so at last she relented and allowed them to surrender. But they refused. Both angered and amused, Panarre ordered the redeployment of her artillery to a new position and continued shelling the last holdout of Ulgyrikan forces. Every hour interrupting the bombardment with another offer of surrender. The battered Ulgyrikinans - who would be forever remembered as the Lions of Selim - again and again refused.

Panarre eventually instructed the emplacement of machine guns in a high spot overlooking the depression in the earth and systematically wiped out this last vestige of resistance in the Selim theater of the war. The naval power of the Ulgyrikan prevented her from launching further assaults against their occupied islands, but much of the mainland had been retaken in a shockingly savage battle, even for the standards of the war, that became known as Panarre's Abbattoir. When news of the extermination of everyone on the Selimfront to a man, SK high command was thrown into utter pandemonium. It sent shockwaves throughout the military establishment and one high ranking general was so shocked that he suffered a stroke and died some time later. On hearing of the last stand of the Lions of Selim, Field Marshall Prince Fredrick Roberts commented, 'It is magnificent, but it is not war; it is madness.'

The Field Marshall was then personally deployed to Selim with 100,000 soldiers. Roberts stayed for a short while in Northern Firland where he drilled his soldiers for a good two weeks as the navy carried out various operations under Admiral John Fisher in the sea east of Argonia, capturing and destroying various enemy vessels and bombarding enemy attempts at constructing coastal defences in the area. This meant that Field Marshall Roberts' eventual landing at Argonia was met with little resistance and he was able to successfully and swiftly make a beachhead. Having heard of the by-now infamous Panarre, the senior SK military man was somewhat eager to face her in battle.

However, Panarre had left by the time of his arrival - her military expertise urgently needed elsewhere in the theatres of the war. Without her oversight, the allied forces rapidly lost ground to the fresh wave of Ulgyrikan forces. Disorganized and ill informed, many allied forces fell into disarray, defaulting to their usual tactics in the absence of informed command - Imperial units stubbornly holding onto every inch of ground, and Etresnakiten formations rapidly seeming to abandon vast swathes of land before launching lightning raids back into them. Despite this, the slow meat grinder of Roberts' well lead, if relatively new, army wore into them and pushed them back, reclaiming ever more land at a high cost in lives on both sides. Things began to change with the return of Panarre, and she was able to coordinate command at all levels, once more playing to the strengths of the forces under her command and relaunching similar tactics to those used prior. Light probing attacks by scouting forces found the weak points in the Ulgyrikan line and pushed through with relentless force, sowing chaos and havoc behind the front lines and allowing the relentless steamroller of Imperial might crush the now disorganized and disrupted defenders remaining on the front.

She rain into a wall, however, when her forces reached the initial beachhead of Roberts' landing, the general knowing well that it was difficult to counter her tactics and wisely choosing to fortify heavily this initial point. Further probing found little, if any, weakness in the Ulgyrikan defenses, and the rapid reconquest ground down into a brutal war of attrition. Panarre experimented further, modifying her previous tactics to further probe along the lines of enemy defenses under cover of night, fog, or other concealment and seek out the tiniest weakness - after finding such weakness they would infiltrate or sabotage them, or merely hurl grenades into the works, doing their best to sow further havoc among the defenders. Roberts, however, had concentrated all his available forces in this small beachhead once more, and Panarre's probing could do little against such an overwhelmingly firm defense.

After two months of this, she drew back, hoping to goad Roberts into sallying forth from his impregnable defenses and allow her to once more resume the unpredictable lightning raids and encirclement tactics that had proven so devastating before. Roberts, however, was not so easily provoked, and though SK forces engaged in light assaults, the war ground down to localized firefights, and little progress was made.

Panarre, in a gamble, withdrew her forces entirely, laying a trap wherein a dead soldier, disguised as an officer, was laid in a field nearby an Ulgyrikan defensive post, with a letter on his person detailing what appeared to be plans for a total withdrawal from the current theatre and redeployment elsewhere, and the workings of a naval buildup for an amphibious assault upon the Ulgyrikan position. The gambit appeared to have worked, and Roberts redeployed some of his forces further inland to secure higher ground for heavy artillery emplacements to counter any naval engagement. Pillaging and raiding many of the abandoned camps, the Ulgyrikan reinforced their position and expanded their occupied territory, digging in further with the little time remaining to them before the alleged naval assault.

Except it never came, instead the SK units were harassed and subject to improvised land mines and suicide bombings in their midst, rendering the entire occupied zone a nearly uninhabitable hellhole. Panarre had accepted that she could not easily dislodge them from their holdings, and instead adopted a policy of demoralization and slow eradication. She was never able to fully reclaim the occupied territory, unwilling to incur the massive casualties a forward assault on the position would entail, but her tactics precluded the further expansion of Ulgyrikan influence in the area - allowing many of the Imperial and Etresnakiten forces engaged in Selim to be deployed elsewhere.

Other than Roberts' relative success, albeit bottled up and in deadlock, by early 1890 much of the SK's conquests had been undone, and it found that it only held on to fractions of what it had captured. However, the islands it had conquered early in the war meant that it could continue supplying its troops on the various continents, and when peace was finally arrived at in mid-1890 the SK held on to all land still under its control - this included the various islands, parts of Walderia, the Horn of Candor, and parts of Argonia. The early stages of the war, as well as later Etrasnakiten victories, had convinced SK high command that the tactics of the future were all about heavy firepower and deeply aggresive and powerful attacks aimed at taking out key enemy positions before the enemy could prepare properly or recover from prior bombardment. Given the small size of the SK military, such a strategy is now viewed as key to ensuring the SK military's victory over forces which vastly outnumber it.

The War in Numbers

Strength of the Nations
Etresnakiten forces: 120,000 deployed, further ~160,000 raised but never deployed abroad, 43 ironclads and 30 modern warships including four pre-dreadnought battleships.
Sacred Kingdom: est. 550,000 volunteer soldiers, 160,000 trained regular forces [at start of the war]. Additional 100,000 raised after the slaughter in Selim and deployed with Field Marshall Prince Fredrick Roberts.
Imperial Forces: Est. 2 million forces at the beginning of the war. Addtional 4 million raised over course of war.

Losses
Etresna: 71,829 killed or wounded, around 5000 missing, thirty one ironclads, 22 modern vessels - all but one of the battleships (surviving vessels scrapped in anticipation of naval restructuring.)
Sacred Kingdom: est. 260,000 on the Selim front. 17,000 during Roberts' campaign in Selim. Est. 100,000 on the other fronts.
Imperial: est. 3 million lost to combat, 1 million lost to Eradication and Decimations, and a final 1 million uncounted for.