The retreat from Hatze had been a bloody disaster.

In the space of four hours, half of Huang Jian's platoon was dead, wounded, or missing. The fighting force of the 'Liaohuan Expedition' had been reduced to a ragtag group of mixed units that had been hastily re-organized into new combat formations. The private paused, alongside the rest of his ad-hoc squad outside a nearby farmhouse. The local peasents had long since fled or been conscripted into the Xiang Army.

A careful inspection of his rifle revealed that Jian was down to thirty rounds of ammunition, half a canteen, and he now had a rapidly expanding hole in his boot left his foot exposed. He had carefully wrapped it in rags to avoid the punishment from the march. Sergeant Wen Xi now Lieutenant Wen Xi carefully moved from man to man, speaking soft words of encouragement or issuing a harsh rebuke when he found something to his dislike.

Further down the road, came the one source of source for the lost expedition. They were disheveled peasents, often carrying guns older then he was. They lacked uniforms or anything even resembling that of a modern soldier. Yet what the volunteers lacked, they more than made up for in enthusiasm. Groups of volunteers, sometimes accompanied by women made their way up and down the company line carrying water and water.

General Xiao Cai had sent several of his staff officers in an attempt to organize the Volunteers into something resembling a fighting force. When his chance came, Jian gratefully refilled his canteen. Soon, whistles were sounding and Jian was back on his aching feet. Can Tho lay up ahead and Xiao Cai saw it as his last great chance to recapture it.
With a core of professional soldiers and thousands of youthful volunteers, the 'Xiang Liberation Army' as it would be christened by its commander would begin its advance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grand Prince Yuzhen Moves Imperial Court:
The Imperial Court has been moved from Yujiin to Xiuying for the duration of the Southern Campaign. Prince Yuzhen has determined that the threat from Xiang must be ended at once and the people of Xiang liberated from the cruel grip of warlords. In an address to a delegation from the House of Lords, Yuzhen praised '' the justice of our cause and the spirit of the Xiang people, many of whom have taken up arms with us to overthrow their oppressors. '' Prince Yuzhen visited troops on the border, along with Major General Liaohuan. It is expected that the Dominion will dramatically increase its military presence in Xiang.

First Army Advances:
The Grand Prince in conjunction with his military advisors had determined that the Southern Expedition requires more men and materials. The First Army will advance across the border to support the brave forces of Xiao Cai who are currently engaging Xiang forces near the city of Can Tho. Major General Liaohuan will command the advance.

Reforms to the Six Codes (Anti-Corruption Policy):
The Six Codes, the Constitution, Civil Code, Code of Civil Procedure, Criminal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Administrative Laws have governed the Dominion since the Reforms of 1842. Grand Prince Yuzhen with support the Prime Minister has pushed for reforms to both Civil Procedure and the Criminal Code to crack down on corruption. The reforms are expected to tackle the Imperial Bureacraucy, specifically the sale of positions and reported kickbacks to government ministers. The Government has appointed the respected Magistrate Lian Bao to head a Commission of Experts to recommend reforms in a report to the government.

Itherae



“Move,” a quiet voice whispered, the sound of foots hitting stone muffled by snow as winter came to stay in the northern reaches of the Empire. Six men moved through the streets and alleys of Tarnsburg, moving towards their objective with as much silence as they could. Each wore heavy clothing, helping to block out the freezing temperatures of the night. Tydeus was one of the agents the Triple I had sent to attack to factory, knowing full well there was no guard or civilian who would be put in the middle of the night while winter checked in. His blackened locks showed under a small cap, yet any other facial features other than his dark brown eyes shown due to the scarf wrapped firmly around his head.

Their target was in sight as they rounded the corner, the Styrworks factory which had fueled the Tyrian war machine against their brothers in Itherae. It must be taken down, a message must be sent that no one was safe by a promise that a rogue wolf had made to his blind followers. Tydeus took the lead checking if the area was clear before signaling for his compatriots to follow him, before attempting to open the door. He took out a lock picking kit before setting to work, though he was making good progress, a much larger man ushered Tydeus to the side before kicking the door. It had barely budged, but the larger man did it once more, then twice, then a third before the door caved in.

The six rushed inside and rushed to get the supplies they had brought into position, the place would go up like a bonfire. “This is too easy,” another agent chimed in, the other laughing in delight as they quickly finished their work. “Well boys, you know what they say, if you can't kill the wolf, wound him,” the same agent stated before lighting a match and setting fire to the place. They ran out and turned to watch the building quickly turn into a malfunctioning oven, no artillery pieces would be made here.

They all laughed and hollered their success to the world before running off into the night, back to the outpost in which they had come. “I can't believe how smoothly that went,” one laughed to Tydeus, Giles, nudging the him.

“Yeah, hard to believe, but I bet the public’s reaction will be much better,” Tydeus said nonchalantly, opening the door to the shared bunk room. He sat on his bed, getting his boots off and unwrapping himself of the heavy clothing. “You know, the tavern isn't far from here, we could go grab a pint for our victory,” he said to the others.

“No, we need to stay and wait for another attack, we can celebrate when we are free, Ty,” Giles said, stretching. “Besides, we wouldn't want to spoil the public’s fun, let them get over the shock of it first!,” the large man laughed before laying in his own bed. He had fallen asleep almost instantaneously, dreams of freedom coming to his mind.

Yet, Tydeus could not sleep, being a man born in Tyro-Redania, he did not know what to do with his life once the war ended. If the Republic lost then he would likely be found and executed for treason, yet if they won then he may be separated from his Tyrian wife who was residing in Aetoria. That was his dilemma, a fact he would have to cope with, keeping his second life hidden from her for as long as he could. The only reason he had joined the Triple I was to be apart of something where he wouldn't be treated any different from another man. It was hard to say, but after the murder of one of his close friends over year ago, it was hard to be in favor of the Empire.

Slowly he drifted into a dreamless slumber, wanting nothing more than to have the best of both worlds.

The room was quiet, all but the loud, guttural wheezes and coughs of the Tsar could be heard. Every man, woman, and child turned their attention towards Pyotr II, their worried faces surrounding him, some real others a facade. None were so foolish as to not realize the gravity of the situation, especially not the Tsar himself. Every breath he took, the pain that filled his lungs felt to be a fate worse than death. Every temple prayer dedicated to his survival. Every sign pointed towards the reaper awaiting to collect the soul of the honorable Tsar.

“It is nice” the Tsar paused, letting out a fit of coughs “for you all to come at my behest.” The Tsar then laid quietly for several minutes, almost as if he had already been exhausted by the conversation. “It is important that I now establish my successor…” He let out a loud wheeze. “To the Tsardom.” Eyes began to look around, many now focused away from the Tsar and onto the two likely candidates. Prince Artur, nearly ten years younger than the Tsar and the youngest among their siblings. Known by many as a rather eccentric and educated fellow, infamous for his time as a Căpitan of a rifle battalion, in which he sacrificed three hundred men crossing the Sirakh Desert in order to flank the Seljuk forces during the Al-Kanasus border dispute, resulting in a decisive, yet controversial victory at the battle of Shakhah. Artur, despite his controversial victory however had the support of many members of the Imperial Ministry and several high ranking generals within the Tsar’s Royal Army. Others however looked towards the young Prince Olev, only fourteen years of age and according to current succession laws, far too young to lead. A kind and caring child, he is loved and adored by both the upper and lower classes. The child however, had supporters far and few between within the Imperial Ministry. The most avid of them however came from General Fyodorovich, to which many believe is due to his complete distrust of Prince Artur.

A priest was officially called, to lay witness to the Tsar’s will and testify the man whom he decided to inherent the Tsardom of Radena. “In my final hours, I have pondered who would lead the Tsardom best. I believe it, while unconventional, best for my son, Prince Olev, to take the throne after my passing. I trust that the word of a dying Tsar be absolute until the end of time.” Many in the room were shocked, none more so than Artur himself. Calmly excusing himself after a short while from the room, eventually secluding himself for the rest of the day. Many stares soon turned towards Prince Olev, before he too nervously excused himself.

It had been a long time idea of the General Staff to smooth out logistics in Kalpia since they knew that this was an era of mass warfare when hundreds of thousands or even millions of soldiers would have to be sent to the front to fight for the republic. Yet, the greatest challenge didn't lie with defeating the enemy, discipline or morale, but rather the massive logistical burden on the national infrastructure. Even Kalpia the country with the most developed railway network knew that it could not feasibly maintain an offensive or move fast enough to make a decisive strike on the enemy and put an end to the war as soon as possible.

Yet, there were many ways in which the logistical process could be smoothed. One of which was the standardization of containers, each with a specific symbol. One container for food, one for rifle ammunition, one for artillery rounds, one for general equipment, etc. By standardizing the containers one could know how much could be transported in a single wagon and thus how much time it would take to supply an entire division or an entire army depending on the availability of horses, trains, weather, soldiers and the distance between the depot and the army.

This leads us to the next topic which is military depots, it was a known fact that depots were the places where all military supplies were stored, but the matter was where those depots where built, their distance to the frontline, the access to nearby source of transports and a number of stockpiled supplies in each depot. To allow for a single depot to not have inventory would be madness and for it to not be next to road or a railway even more. The Kalpian General Staff by whatever means necessary had to find a way to supply its army smoothly and efficiently. The idea was to build several minor and major depots around the country. The Major depots would be stockpiled with huge amount of supplies and be placed in the major hubs of railways in the country while the minor depots would be built near the borders and the countryside, each next to a road or a railway, the minor depots would have enough supply for two months of combat for each division stationed nearby. Thus depending on the situation the supplies from major depots could be transported to several minor depots instead of only one, this would allow for a fast change in concentration of forces on the front. Meaning that if one month the army was pushing north, the next month it could push the south with the same strength. As supplies could be easily transported to one specific area without putting too much stress on a single railway. This also involved plans to build even more railways both heavy and light to connect the depots with the National Kalpian Railway. Several lines would have to be built allow for trains to go to either point B, C, E or F from point A directly.

Another important overhaul was to be the expansion of the Republican Engineer Corps and the use of prefabricated light railways so that they could be easily transported and installed to expand the logistical reach of the army, thus allowing for the railway supply network to advance at the same time as the army even if not at the same pace. This also involved the introduction of field work training to the common soldier and reservist. So that they could be used to expand the railway supply network if needed with the guidance of the Engineer Corps.

One last important point was the quality and amount of military rations assigned to each soldier. This would help to both raise the morale and the fighting capabilities of the army, because thanks to lessons from the Kalpia-Zellonian conflict they knew that food was quite important and without it, the army fighting capability could fall below that of even rabble like the Radenan soldier or the Zellonian soldier. This food had to be in enough quantity and quality for the common soldier. Thus the Department of Army Logistics started to see and experiment with various components of rations, expecting to reach which one was the most effective at keeping the soldier healthy and being available enough to give to all soldiers.

The total investment for the overhaul would be of $20,000,000

Notes:
-The Army standardizes all military supply containers assigning a specific container for rifle ammunition, rifles, artillery rounds, spare parts, food, etc.
-The Army starts to build major and minor depots, major depots at the hubs of the Kalpian Railway Network and minor depots near the border and countryside. A major effort is put into connecting minor depots to the railway network.
-The Army starts to put a focus on the expansion of the logistic reach of the railway network as an army advances on enemy territory, by experimenting with the use of prefabricated light railways and the use of the army common soldier to help in its construction with the assistance of the Engineer Corps, along with an expansion of the engineer corps.
-Department of Logistics starts to seek the right balance between quality and quantity in military rations for the army. With the objective of having healthy soldiers with high morale.





The ambition of Kalpia to have a colonial empire was but a recent idea brought to congress by the Fatherland's party, it wasn't publicized as proper colonies where the Metropolis sought to extract all kind of material wealth to process back on the mainland. No, the fatherland party told to the people and congress that there would only be territories under the protection and guidance of Kalpia, with the objective of civilizing the people living there. This was said to imply a clear difference between the democratic values that Kalpia stood for and those of nations with different values, more specifically imperialist monarchist values.

After several months of pushing forward the discussion of colonies and trying to persuade the President, it finally happened. The President announced that it would give exclusive charters to two companies, one with charters on Masilia and the other in Serranthia. Said charters gave the right to those two companies to establish protectorates in the name of the republic with the objective of bringing civilization to natives and making good use of their resources in order to provide a source of income for the company chosen for this endeavor. Or at least that was the justification.

The selection process would be rather simple, a company would have to form for the exclusive purpose of participating in the competition to become a chartered company, the company would have to give a detailed plan for the treatment of the natives, the area that would be claimed and possible further expansion, the security forces that would be used and the administration of the lands in general. The capital that the state would invest would be $20 Million per Company for a total of $40 Million. And thus it was done. Now it was time for the international corps of Kalpia to ensure that the claims were to be recognized by other powers on the continent.

Notes:
-The Charters in Question are: The Southern Massilian Chart and the Central Serranthian Chart



With the reccent acquired funds of the Kalpian Republic, it had been decided to start to experiment with the motorized vehicles designed by Leikarp Co. , the D.B-I tricycle . The cost of each one at the moment was of $187.5 so cheap enough for the Kalpia government to start investing in it. Thus a request was sent to Leikarp Co. to produce 2,000 of those D.B.-I at the cost of $375,000. It was a large enough to amount to outfit an entire brigade and that was the idea of the Kalpian General Staff. As they would test the usefulness of the vehicle on both logistics, speed and how it handled in different types of terrain.

The task was given to brigadier general Gotthard the veteran leader of the Kalpian-Zellonian conflict. Who because of his experience was expected to think ways on how to make use of the D.B-I as a military vehicle.



After seeing the popularity of the Model Yenson 31 rise through the ranks of the army and that of the masses, the Fatherland's party decided that it would be in their interest to make use of that popularity to rise the civilian acceptance of the military. After all, the people had to be proud of their army and what better way than to be proud of both your army and your favorite race car.

Thus by using their influence the army was given $630,000 to make the purchase of 200 Model Yenson to be assigned to generals and high ranking officers of the army. Mostly to be used in parades or in daily use for the high ranking officers to go their working place.


Total Cost: $72,517,770

Knowing that the loan that the Kalpian was way too big for its immediate needs, it was seen as necessary to pay $241,512,230 to cover at least half of the debt accrued last month. Leaving a surplus of $10 Million and reducing the debt to $96,487,770 this debt was way more manageable that the one before and thus the government would be kept itself afloat for the remaining of the year. The treasury with $10 million was more than enough to provide for any expense that the government may have a need of even taking into account the budget already in place.

Note:
-Kalpia pays $241,512,230 of the debt, treasury is left with $10 million
-Debt reduces to $96,468,770



The company known as Kairth & Sons has signed a contract with the Violette army in order to supply them with 24k artillery rounds each month. This involves the retrofit of the factory to produce artillery rounds of the caliber of the Violette field gun Dieumart 75. Thus from producing munition for the 7.7 cm Kalpian field gun, the factory would now produce artillery rounds for the 75 mm Velettian field gun. This contract is meant to last as long as war between Violette and Tyro-Redania. The Velettians will pay $9.5 per round for a total of $228,000 monthly.

The Emperor's Hidden Arm: Ever Vigilant

Something that Continentals knew little of the Imperium of Hiron, save for the Violette which had been primarily exposed to a single blunder by the Hidden Arm, was that the Hironese were well accustomed to espionage and working in the shadows. From the mythical days of the "ninja," all the way back to almost prehistory, to the very end of the Sengoku Era, the Hironese had fought one other both in the light of day as well as the silence of night. Subterfuge and trickery was a finely honed craft, one that the Imperium had been making use of since its inception.

The tool of this subterfuge?

The Emperor's Hidden Arm.

Officially, the organization was primarily concerned with the internal security of the Imperium, identifying dissidents, traitors, and threats. It did have the secondary job of external surveillance, but the very depths to which it would go were almost evil. Of course, all of this is vehemently denied by the Imperium. Torture, assassination, sabotage, all of these things were clearly not condoned by the Imperium. The Emperor would never order such a thing, which is why the Director of the Hidden Arm, Hashi Takami, barely raised his eyebrows when he went over the most recent order from the Emperor. It was an order to enact Operation Dying Light (translated from Hironese).

Hashi took a long look at the document before deciding how to delegate this to his underlings. It would take quite a bit of manpower and work, but the Hidden Arm would certainly get it done in due time. Overall though, the operation was a surprising change in targets considering their prior work against Violette. Apparently the Emperor was more interested in targets such as Meung these days. Hashi shrugged, and got to work on the operation.

The agents that would be used would have graduated from the Hidden Arm Espionage Academy, a clandestine building situated in Senryu, disguised as a tea shop in the front, while primarily constructed underground. Its agents were almost unparalleled in the entire world, having been taught everything the Hironese knew about espionage including multiple languages, and they were chosen from the cream of the crop of Hironese people. Physical training, mental fortitude, scholarly capability. It was all important, especially considering they often operated in very small groups or even alone, knowing only exactly what was needed to accomplish the mission.

Compartmentalization was absolutely key to information security in the event one of the agents was compromised. Each agent was also incredibly loyal to the cause, almost always willing to commit suicide rather than be captured and interrogated unless they reasonably believed escape was plausible. The Hidden Arm was rather unprecedented amongst Hironese society in that it fully accepted and made use of women for its purposes, even instructing them as full agents. The organization also had a habit of using intermediaries who were entirely not Hironese in the process of executing operations overseas, knowing money could win out over any other motive and that other countries might attempt to look for specifically Hironese people to persecute as spies if worse came to worse as it did with the Veletians.

A Field Gun for an Imperium

While Imperial Arms was quite possibly one of the top arms companies in the world, well, probably the best in Settumu anyway, the same could not be said for the Imperium's field gun companies. Whilst the Imperium made use of a decade old field gun design, the Continentals pushed onwards as ever. In order to rectify this problem, or attempt rectification, the Emperor decided to announce a design competition between the three field gun companies within the Imperium; Eastern Inventions, Ironsides and Cannons, and Leonardo's Sons. Each was approximately the same level of crap, but when representatives of the three gathered, they were optimistic about the design specifications ordered by the Emperor himself. If one of the companies could successfully design such a field gun, it might be capable of surpassing the Continentals in much the same way that the Model 1 had surpassed them...

---

---

Count Phillip von Meyer paced back and forth before the Thecian ministers seated before him, his hands clasped behind the back of his frock coat. "Now, this is no easy question and there are no easy answers. War is a dreadful, though sometimes necessary thing. When a cause is just and the enemy terrible, there are times when force is the only appropriate response to defend one's integrity and people.

Now I know many of you will have read the treaty laid out before you, the terms of which are negotiable, and you will have also have heard of the war Tyria-Redania finds itself embroiled in. You see, we too was met with such a choice, a choice of whether to back-down to those who sought to undermine and threaten us, or to fight. To take to the field and meet our foes with force. A similar choice now faces this fine Kingdom of Thecia. The Veletians, a vile opponent to peace and the existing status quo of the Continent, have made no secret of their hatred for the Thecians, those whom they govern suffer at the hands of unjustifiable laws while their boasts of martial might can only hold darker promises of war and invasion. They are a threat to us all, and that choice, whether Thecia will fight or retreat before this encroaching power, falls to you now. I ask, will Thecia stand with Tyria-Redania in facing this vile foe?"

---

The Kalpian Arms Deal

At the fronts war was being waged in all it's cruel glory, a bloody maelstrom where lives were snuffed out forever to a cacophony of rifle shots, spitting machine guns and to the scream and boom of artillery shells. Soldiers of the Empire sat in foxholes on the Veletian Front high in the Gabrelle mountains waiting for the next convoy to make that treacherous ascent to their positions, or wondering when the next snows would fall. Men on the Itheraen Front sheltered in their positions to the backdrop of the constant bangs of artillery barrages, all the while awaiting that order to advance once more. To the north they stared out from the shattered windows of storefronts and buildings as they held the city of Eisenstadt against the Veletian invaders. Everywhere the Empire's sons were fighting and dying, though with a vengeance they were giving as good as they got, if not more.

The war would not be waged and won solely on the battlefields however, but through logistics and supplies, and the drawing rooms and offices of those who could assure them. For this the Imperial Diplomatic Corps were to be the frontline fighters as Ambassadors from the Empire opened negotiations with Oslad and Kalpia.

Edgar Bain, the Tyro-Redanian Ambassador to Oslograd and good friends of the Boletarian Count Rusak, worked to negotiate and secure the support of Yegerov's Duma in allowing the movement of ammunition and rifles purchased from Kalpia to be allowed to travel through Osladian territories. The amount of which had been concluded by the Kalpian Arms Deal, an arms deal negotiated by Ambassador Ludwig Kaulitz attached to the Tyro-Redanian Embassy in Arsech, which would oversee the purchase and immediate provision of 200,000 KR.99 rifles and monthly supplies of rifle ammunition to support the growing Tyrian war effort.

December 5th, 1900
In the waning days of 1900 with all the events of the year still burned into her memory Zengids and King Akbayar Bahar chose to end the year constructively though the major setback on the Seljuk issue could not be undone King Bahar wished to push forward seeking industrial progress as a means to push Zengid forward. The Zengid National Infrastructure Act of 1901 seeks to expand the current budget of the Roadway Expansion projects by $5 million on top of it's current allocated budget by the year 1901. As a secondary but no less important objective of the act is the creation of an Office tasked with seeking out an Investor willing to kick start private investment into a Railway Company in the nation since Zengid itself has no companies able to take up the task. Armed with tax incentives and promises of subsides the Minister of Finance has started seeking an investor to help Zengid bring a railway to the nation. The nation badly needs a Railway Company and with this act the King hopes to solicit an investor to help ease the financial burden of the startup costs associated with such an en devour. Any willing investor with the capital and the know how can be the proud proprietor of the Kingdoms first national Railway and have tax breaks to boot.

King Akbayar hopes that this new initiative will help improve the Zengid Economy and make travel through Zengid easier for all Zengids. The King has repeated the benefit Zengids will have from this interconnected system of transit some question the action believing their taxes are better suited helping the Seljuk situation instead of pandering to foreign money men. Despite man still have high hopes for the investment and what it may bring. The act decreed late in 1900 brings hope that 1901 may bring great progress to all of the Kingdom of Zengid.

In the wake of the Tsar of Radena illness which was announced to all great countries, the military as a sign of respect was pulled off the border of Radena and most recalled to garrison cities, however 20,000 men were sent to the mountains of northern zellonia to practice combat in the mountains specifically how to traverse them easily without worry. In other news the minister of public information set about rallying support for the empire of Tyro-Redania which was currently in conflict with a filthy republican country much like kalpia and the traitorous empire of Violette who stole 2 of the the kingdom’s prized ships and it would not be forgotten easily.


The kingdom of zellonia whom only recently designed the Majestic class had an important decision to make, with the dockyards in zellonia destroyed they had no capable way of producing a ship of that magnitude. However the Empire of Tara offered to build the ship at a cost of 21 million. However many in zellonia believed it would cost a little more than 10 million if they waited for the docks. However the king had little patience and would ask the empire of Tara to lower the price to 16 million, if that agreement was met the deal would be one.

Furthermore, celebration for Gerfden in zellon were coming up for in the 3rd week of december was entirely devoted to the celebrations. Gerfden the God of Power and the sea was a dead religion having been overshadowed by the more centralized Trisdel yet he nor the week were forgotten and became a tradition ever since St James the Forgiver, whom the current king takes his namesake from said that while the future is Trisdel the past must not be forgotten and started the first celebration in zeel, Invitations were sent to the royal family of the marnish kingdoms, the former Memoital commonwealth royalty and to the Tsar of Radena and his family. The week was expected to be bigger than ever before with new and special event planned, the king had even hopped to meet his future wife there but only time would tell.

Empire of Violette

---

Corporal Valentin Léger steadied his arm, bracing his rifle tightly as it rested against the top of the rocky outcrop. A thin veneer of ice had coated most of the peaks here in the eastern Gabrelles, and he'd had to use his climbing pick to chisel away at the outthrust of stone in front of him, in order to make sure he had the perfect spot to prop up his Vinnault. Riflemen (such as his earlier self) using rigid rocks as bracing often had to contend with sliding or scratches after their weapons were fired, the forestock of their bolt-actions slowly being withered away—albeit cosmetically—with each shot. Léger didn't like that; he preferred to keep his weapon, his petit fusil, factory pristine. Scratches and wear might not have impeded performance much, but it seemed disrespectful to Valentin not to take extraordinary care of a device built for ending the lives of his fellow man. He imagined that it was more dignified to die from the shot of an excruciatingly well maintained machine. If there was one mercy that the Corporal could grant to the sons of the fathers he slew, it was that hours had been spent caring for his weapon for each dead man it produced. It was wrong, Léger surmised, to kill a man without exerting too much effort.

He wasn't used to being so high up in the mountains. Such perfect vantage points as this had been reserved for the artillery crews of the 25th Legion, Valentin's division, ever since they'd moved into this highland with the rest of the 1st Auxiliaire. Even though he'd been here in the Gabrelles since before Violette officially entered the war, this was the first time he'd been sent to a position to his liking. He'd mostly worked in the lower valleys before now, where the enemies were more numerous and closer, but paradoxically, harder to shoot. In the easier passages through the Gabrelle mountains, both sides were so well established that they had mutually learned, quite early on, not to send any men forward. In the valleys, any man who tried to advance would die twice before they could even scream. The Tyrians, to their credit, had made very sure of this intransigence; their officers had enjoyed the luxury of far more first hand accounts of soldiers dropping dead a foot in front of the line versus their Veletian counterparts. The trouble of such easy shooting, though, was that it was difficult to distinguish oneself. There were arguments between riflemen over whose shot had hit first, tactless gambling about which member of the Tyrian squadron conducting the latest probe would be last to die (they were all equally likely to die), and other such distracting juvenility. When the orders from headquarters had arrived for the line's focus to shift to rifle from artillery, Valentin had been quick to volunteer to make the trek up to the higher peaks. There were fewer men to kill up there, but fewer fellow killers too: he'd have a larger slice of a smaller pie. The Corporal had met an artillery squad on the way down as he had made his own ascent, and they helpfully told him of the perfect position—cut into the stone by mother nature herself—for he and his rifle to take up. Once he'd actually seen the spot, he wished he'd have kissed the artillerymen. It was the dike of his dreams, as if the hand of God had reached out from the nearby heavens to carve a dugout into solid stone with his own hand. He was regretful to have to share.

Léger had come along with a partner, of course. No sharpshooter traveled alone, no matter how independently minded or capable of autonomy he might have been. Valentin's was a Légionnaire: a rank down from Valentin, but from the 25th Legion, same as himself. Their commander always called him Niel; Léger had no idea what his first name was, and had no special reason to care. He wasn't much of a shot, but he did have a good set of eyes on him, and he was quiet—unfortunately quiet, even. The man was practically a ghost, speaking exactly as little as was necessary to communicate with his comrades. Corporal Léger figured something was wrong with his head, but one didn't need to be of sound mind to be a spotter. Unless Niel starting seeing hallucinations of Tyrian riflemen down the mountain, Valentin didn't care much what went on in his head. Besides, he seemed to open his mouth to eat exactly as little as he talked, and that was fine by Léger's standards; he was happy to devour whatever Niel didn't. The two slept right there on the front, hidden behind the outcrop of rock, a thick sheet tented up above them to keep out rain and snow while they rested, nestled in the crevices. Most of the men in the Auxiliaires had it much better, but Valentin and Niel weren't the type to gripe. Niel seemed numb to the world, and Valentin almost preferred the rugged conditions. It felt right this way, like he was a predator on the prowl instead of a cog in the machine.

One night, not a few minutes after the sun had rose, Valentin was woken up Niel. In his deep, reserved tone, he told Léger of the position of a Tyro-Redanian off on an early morning scouting mission. There seemed to be only one of them, which Valentin and Niel alike knew wasn't likely to be true. Even the Tyrians weren't dumb enough to send lone men out into mountains full of hostile rifles. Normally the Corporal would have waited for the enemy soldier's partner (or partners) to come within sight as well, but this one was too close. He needed to be engaged before he stumbled upon their position. Long after the Tyrian had hiked further up the mountains than Valentin normally would've allowed, he levied his rifle along the concealment of stone in front of him. With Niel looking out for movement from any other enemies that might be prowling behind the one they saw, Léger fired. The shot didn't echo like it might have in the lower peaks, as there was nothing here for the sound to bounce against but open sky and clouds. As the bullet found the torso of the Tyrian trudging up the mountains, he stumbled, not falling far behind himself but rather stumbling down to the ground slowly, as if shocked at the death of a loved one. Valentin wondered if this one had anyone waiting at home for him. He made a silent prayer for God to have mercy on the soul of the main he'd slain even as he set aside his rifle and helped his spotter try to locate any others. They saw no one: either the Tyrian had been alone, or the rest of his squadron had been far behind, and farmed against proceeding by the shot. They were likely too far away to have intimate knowledge of Valentin and Niel's position, thankfully. So, after training his eyes and ears for any sight or sound of commotion for a solid minute after he'd fired hid shot, Léger relaxed. He grabbed his pick and carved a notch into the rock, above the two from the other day. They'd gotten three that time, their first kills in the upper peaks, but one of those was Niel's. Léger didn't count those; he had to keep a separate tally of all those men whose lives he'd ended personally he'd taken personally. When he met his maker, Valentin wanted to be able to tell him exactly how many of his fellow man he'd ended during his mortal jaunt in the world: and that he was prepared to answer for every one.

---

Before conflict between the Empire of Violette and the Tyro-Redanian Empire seemed possible, let alone impending, Violette's artillery squadrons were small in number and ill-equipped. The Ministry of the Army and the leadership of the Gendarmerie had always focused first and foremost on riflery: ensuring without question that each and every fighting man in the Empress' employ had a rifle and knew how to use it. Up until a scant few months before the war had begun, were a periphery focus for the Gendarmerie. The threat of the Hironese, even as far from the homeland was Veletian Settumu was, had been forefront in the mind of Violette's generals and admirals alike. It was only after the Survian Crisis (in which the Empire's intelligence implicated Tyrian involvement), and the Tyro-Redanian meddling in Sypia, that Aetoria was brought to mind as a closer and stronger rival to Confluence to Senryu. That is when the forces that be in Confluence began to truly prepare for a large-scale land war with their largest neighbour. Chiefly, this preparation was accomplished through the beginning of mass construction of artillery, and the training of many new artillery crews to facilitate their use.

All of this industrial might put to the task of the development of new weapons leaved precious little space to develop ammunition for those same weapons, however. Various domestic measures were suggested by the Ministry of the Army to make adjustments to production of civilian industry, subverting it for the army's use to produce more shells more quickly. These plans were thwarted, however, by a business proposition from Kairth & Sons: an armament company in Kalpia. Desiring to profiteer off the deaths of tens (hundreds?) of thousands, the fine folks at Kairth & Sons offered to help supplement the artillery shell production for the Dieumart 75 guns, proposing that their own industrial centres in Kalpia be retrofitted to help arm Veletian artillery. Minister Philippin Calvet, responsible for the army's procurement, was eager to accept. Why despoil Violette's own civilian manufacturing, potentially handicapping the Veletian economy's future growth and development, when foreign factories could fill the gap instead? With consent from the Kalpian government, the deal was signed, and the Dieumart 75s of the Gendarmerie Nationale would soon be firing away at the armies of the Tyro-Redanians with little need for conservation of ammunition. It was a good day for Violette.

1 December, 1900
José Luciano Franco
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Dear Tsirine, Empress of Violette

Last week I stated to my Parliament that we were working for peace not only for this country, but to preserve the peace of the Continent. Today events move so rapidly that it is exceedingly difficult to state with technical accuracy the actual state of affairs, but it is clear that the peace of Continent cannot be preserved. Itherae and Tyria, at any rate, have declared war upon each other. Violette has followed just as clearly.

Before I proceed to state the position of his Majesty's Government I would like to clear the ground so that, before I come to state to the House what our attitude is with regard to the present crisis, the House may know exactly under what obligations the government is, or the House can be said to be, in coming to a decision on the matter. First of all, let me say, very shortly, that we have consistently worked with a single mind, with all the earnestness in our power, to preserve peace. The House may be satisfied on that point. We have always done it. During these last years, as far as his Majesty's Government are concerned, we would have no difficulty in proving that we have done so. Throughout the Zello-Osladian Crisis, by general admission, we worked for peace. The cooperation of the great powers of the Continent was successful in working for peace in the Zello-Osladian Crisis. It is true that some of the powers had great difficulty in adjusting their points of view. It took much time and labor and discussion before they could settle their differences, but peace was secured, because peace was their main object, and they were willing to give time and trouble rather than accentuate differences rapidly.

In the present crisis it has not been possible to secure the peace of the Continent: because there has been little time, and there has been a disposition -- at any rate in some quarters on which I will not dwell -- to force things rapidly to an issue, at any rate to the great risk of peace, and, as we now know, the result of that is that the policy of peace as far as the great powers generally are concerned is in danger. I do not want to dwell on that, and to comment on it, and to say where the blame seems to us lie, which powers were most in favor of peace, which were most disposed to risk war or endanger peace, because I would like the House to approach this crisis in which we are now from the point of view of Survian interests, Survian honor, and Survian obligations, free from all passion as to why peace has not yet been preserved...

We understand the indemnities that seek to keep the Itheraen Question unanswered by all except those men fighting for Royal & Imperial crowns and under the labors of Itheraen democracy. Instead, let it be known that Survia itself seeks the understanding that Violette's political prowess outmatches her military mind and maintains the issuance that Veletian prestige is unmatched even in the adage of the Wolfram dynasty. The implications of a short peace exceed even the worries of a short war and with it comes the adulation of every man thus far impressed upon him the oppression of fighting a war to free a man that is not his brother, or his sister, or his daughter or mother.

Signed,

The Kingdom of Zengid, considered by the other Continental nations was a nebulous backwater, a gateway between the Seljuks and the civilized. The antics of Suman Pasha, the heavy handed Seljuki nationalist who lurked in the wastelands of Northeast between Asena and the Seljuk territories. King Akbayar Bahar convened a meeting of the Zengid National Army and was met with two discerning opinions.



General of the Zengid Army, Iskender Ilgaz proposed that the border must be reinforced with soldiers and that Suman Pasha would have to be burned out like a rat, and only then would the considerations of his actions to the Zengid people be met. Ilgaz believed that the Seljuk Empire was a decadent nation and that the reinforcing of the Seljuki-Zengid border would go without changes. By sending forces however, Zengid recognizes Suman as a domestic terrorist, perhaps even a covert rebellion. If General Ilgaz was wrong about Seljuk, they could see the deployment of soldiers as an act of aggression and use it as an excuse to go to war.


Marshal Akinci Colak of the Zengid Reserve had a different motive. He believed that Pasha was playing the long game. Instead, he believed that deploying soldiers was exactly what Suman Pasha wanted: military action. Colak instead wanted mediation with the Seljuks and only if that failed then utilize the locals to help hunt Pasha down, but not before attempting to understand the resolve of the Seljuks. General Ilgaz was opposed to this, saying it would be akin to admitting that King Bahar was incapable of maintaining the security of his own kingdom and required the aid of foreign nations to solve it's own problems.


On December 26th, the Tsar of Radena Pyotr II emerged from his state room for the first time in over a month. The Tsar, thought well on his way out of this world beamed, walking upright and without fever. He hugged first his son Olev, and then immediately brought in local reporters so that the news of his recovery could be spread across the Continent. The return of the Tsar set asides concerns that the future of Radena might be left to either a child or a traitor, and in his return Pyotr was elated to known that another 160 kilometers of rail on the Continental Railroad between Sloboda and Sloslia had been completed. The single rail was nearly 700 kilometers long now.


In the Imperium of Hiron, two of three battleships of the Taizen-class were finished after labor surpluses allowed additional workers to be temporarily allowed onto the job. The design of Taizen was a modified version of the Formidable-class battleships of the Serene Navy with two additional 6-inch (152 mm) guns. Taizen had an overall length of 432 feet, a beam of 76 feet, and a normal draught of 27 feet 2 inches. She displaced 14,560 long tons (15,380 t) at normal load. The crew numbered about 830 officers and enlisted men.

The ship was powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one propeller, using steam generated by 25 Morris boilers. The engines were rated at 15,000 indicated horsepower (11,000 kW), using forced draught, and designed to reach a top speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) although the Taizen proved to be faster during her sea trials in December 1900. The ship reached a top speed of 18.45 knots (34.17 km/h; 21.23 mph) using 16,341 indicated horsepower (12,185 kW). She carried a maximum of 2,000 tonnes (2,000 long tons) of coal which allowed her to steam for 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).

The Taizen's main battery consisted of the same four Taran designed HG-11 Company 40-calibre ten-inch guns used in all of the preceding Hironese battleships. They were mounted in twin-gun barbettes fore and aft of the superstructure that had armoured hoods to protect the guns and were usually called gun turrets. The hydraulically powered mountings could be loaded at all angles of traverse while the guns were loaded at a fixed angle of +13.5 degrees. They fired 850-pound (386 kg) projectiles at a muzzle velocity of 2,400 ft/s (730 m/s).

The ship's secondary armament consisted of fourteen 40-calibre 6-inch quick-firing guns mounted in casemates. Ten of these guns were positioned on the main deck and the other four guns were placed above them at the corners of the superstructure. They fired 100-pound shells at a muzzle velocity of 2,300 ft/s . Protection against torpedo boat attacks was provided by twenty HG 12-pounder 12 cwt guns. The 12-pounders fired 3-inch (76 mm), 12.5-pound (5.7 kg) projectiles at a muzzle velocity of 2,359 ft/s (719 m/s). Lighter guns consisted of eight 47-millimetre (1.9 in) three-pounder guns and eight 47-millimetre 2.5-pounder guns. The three-pounder gun fired 3.19-pound projectiles at a muzzle velocity of 1,927 ft/s (587 m/s) while the 2.5-pounder fired 2.5-pound shells at a muzzle velocity of 1,420 ft/s (430 m/s). The ship was also equipped with four submerged 18-inch torpedo tubes, two on each broadside.


The waterline armour belt of the Taizen class consisted of Tsirine cemented armour that had a maximum thickness of 9 inches (229 mm) over the middle of the ship. It was only 4 inches (102 mm) thick at the ends of the ship and was surmounted by a six-inch strake of armour that ran between the barbettes. The barbettes were 14 inches (356 mm) thick, but reduced to six inches at the level of the lower deck. The armour of the barbette hoods had a thickness of 8–10 inches (203–254 mm). The casemates protecting the secondary armament were 2–6 inches thick and the deck armour was 2–3 inches (51–76 mm) in thickness. The forward conning tower was protected by 14 inches of armour, but the aft conning tower only had four inches of armour.

The Taizen, like all the other Hironese battleships of the time, was fitted with four Joyeux JS-1 coincidence rangefinders that had an effective range of 7,300 metres (8,000 yd). In addition the ships were also fitted with 24-power magnification telescopic gunsights.


In the Imperium of Hiron, requests to design a field gun exceeding or at least consistent with the standards of Continental designs was met by some backlash in the Hironese arms community. Ironsides and Cannon, founded in 1873 predominantly designing naval guns on ironclad warships, was one of the first to attempt such a design. Months after the request surface, Ironsides and Cannon promptly dropped out of the competition, citing: "..metallurgy and design standards in Hiron cannot compete with current Continental designs. It is of the most regret that we must drop out of the competition to present a new weapon for the Emperor."




While Pyotr hung hopelessly to life (and news of his recovery had not yet reached the East), trouble began in Radena. The Eastern Provinces were notoriously lawless, but culturally the Radenans and Meung got along. The constabularies were not likely to come calling especially in the winter months where snowfall was 4"-6" a month.



The cities, like Seosong, Suyang and Tougata were bustling industrial centers where fishermen and loggers converged, their cities a mish-mash of Meung and Radenan cultures. The first riot started, allegedly, in Suyang, along the coast, where Meung workers there--displeased with the forfeiture of Wenshou Islands to the Radenans had become a direct stain on their culture. The first protest was 300 strong, but the next day there were nearly 400 Meung workers and a nearby fishery had to be shut down for lack of workers. Two weeks later, the dust had settled--until another protest started again. A dispute between a Radenan--unidentified--and two Meung workers erupted when the Radenan pulled out a revolver and shot one of the men. The crowd rushed him.

Later that day, that same fishery was burned to the ground and a fist fight in a bar between Meung and Radenans turned into a mass brawl with 16 arrested and 4 badly injured. On December 28th, the body of six Meung workers were found floating in the Tougata Basin, chains having been wrapped around their neck and attached to blocks thrown in the water. Only the fact that the chains were nearly 100 years old and eventually snapped free did the bodies have a chance to float back to the surface.

On December 31st during a New Years Festival in Suyang, a shoot out called six, two Radenan and four Meung, over a dispute about "who owned the Northern Side of the Road." Constables, many of whom operate unarmed, have requested help from Glavnya.


During the Zello-Osladian War of 1899-1900, Radenan troops armed mostly with Kirov single-shot rifles suffered heavy casualties against Osladian troops equipped with Otto.88 repeating rifles, particularly at the bloody Battle of Vorl. This showed Radenan commanders the need to modernize the general infantry weapon of the army.

It was the way in those days to think of a reliable and easily reloadable repeating rifle as the best solution for the problem. So, in the following years, many systems were acquired and tested by GAU of the Ministry of Defence of Radenan Tsardom, and in 1899 the Vinnault-99 has been obtained through semi-official channels from Violette. It came along with the model of cartridge and bullet, but without a primer and the smokeless powder. Those problems have been solved by Radenan scientists and engineers (the smokeless powder, for instance, has been produced by Sergei Rostov himself).

In 1899, three rifles were submitted for evaluation: Captain Sergei Ivanovich Suchkov of the imperial army submitted his "3-line" caliber (.30 cal, 7.62mm) rifle; Kalpian designer Mostif Leon submitted a "3.5-line" (.35 caliber, 9mm) design; and a Captain Mendelov submitted another "3-line" design (1 "line" = 1/10 inch or 2.54 mm, thus 3 lines= 7.62 mm).

When trials concluded in December 1900, the evaluators were split in their assessment. The main disadvantages of Mostif's rifle were a more complicated mechanism and a long and tiresome procedure of disassembling (which required special instruments — it was necessary to unscrew two fasteners). Suchkov's rifle was mainly criticized for its lower quality of manufacture and materials, due to "artisan pre-production" of his 300 rifles. The commission initially voted 14 to 10 to approve Mostif's rifle. At this point the decision was made to rename the existing commission and call it Commission for creation of the small-bore rifle (Комиссия для выработки образца малокалиберного ружья), and to put on paper the final requirements for such a rifle. The inventors obliged by delivering their final designs. Head of the commission, General Petrov, ordered subsequent tests held under the commission's supervision, after which the bolt-action of Suchkov's design was ordered to production under the name of 3-line rifle M1900 (трёхлинейная винтовка образца 1900 года).

Like the 1899 Mawker rifle, the 1900 Suchkov uses two front-locking lugs to lock up the action. However, the Suchkov's lugs lock in the horizontal position, whereas the Mawka locks vertically. The Suchkov bolt body is multi-piece whereas the Mawka is one piece. The Suchkov uses interchangeable bolt heads like the Taran Baker Mk I. Unlike the Mawka, which uses a "controlled feed" bolt head in which the cartridge base snaps up under the fixed extractor as the cartridge is fed from the magazine, the Suchkov has a "push feed" recessed bolt head in which the spring-loaded extractor snaps over the cartridge base as the bolt is finally closed similar to the Kalpia KR.99 and Itheraen Model 99 or modern sporting rifles. Like the Mawka, the Suchkov uses a blade ejector mounted in the receiver. The Suchkov bolt is removed by simply pulling it fully to the rear of the receiver and squeezing the trigger, while the Mawka has a bolt stop lever separate from the trigger.


Like the Mawka, the bolt lift arc on the Suchkov is 90 degrees, versus 60 degrees on the Baker Mk. The Suchkov bolt handle is at the rear of the bolt body and locks behind the solid rear receiver ring. The Suchkov bolt handle is similar to the KR.99: It is attached to a protrusion on the middle of the bolt body, which serves as a bolt guide, and it locks protruding out of the ejection/loading port in front of a split rear receiver ring, also serving a similar function to Mawka's "third" or "safety" lug.

The rifling of the Suchkov barrel is right turning (clockwise looking down the rifle) 4-groove with a twist of 1:9.5" or 1:10". The 5-round fixed metallic magazine can either be loaded by inserting the cartridges singly, or more often in military service, by the use of 5-round stripper clips.

In test trials, the Suchkov was effective at 750 yards, easy to use and only moderately more expensive to produce at $28 a rifle versus standard Continental rifles at approximately $24. It outshined the Mawka, the Kalpian KR.99, Otto.88 and Vinnault-99 at 650, 700 and 750 yards respectively.


Like the Itheraen Front, the Gabrelle Mountains were a non-combative zone in the month of December. Casualties were lesser than the Itheraen Front given the altitude and the measured blizzard that came down, stifling Veletian and Tyrian hearts alike. December 1st to the end of the saw more men killed by frostbite than by combat.




The Winter of 1901 was abysmal. December, especially the end of the month, was so worrisome that soldiers themselves deserted on both sides, hoping for the warmth of anywhere but a Tyrian position or an Itheraen trench. No offensives of either kind were held, but the Itheraens continued to bombard Tyrians positions, even as their own men froze on the battlements. The bright gleam of the snow off the beaming sun did little to stir the men to fight. In the first two weeks of December, three inches of snow fell over the Itheraen Front. Men did little but keep themselves warm, the thunder of incoming artillery barely enough to rouse him into action.



The front was unnervingly quiet, save for the rhythmic cacophony of Itheraen I-DF artillery guns. Even the Tyrians were too cold to worry themselves with return fire. The commanders ordered their men to stay warm and stay alive. In a time so cold, little else seemed important.




The Battle of the Inner Sea was the second naval battle of the Tyro-Itheraen War, fought on 28 December 1900, between the Empire of Violette and Tyro-Redanian Empire. The battle took place in the south-eastern Inner Sea when the Tyro-Redanians attacked the Veletian escort off the south-west Veletian coast.

The Tyro-Redanian Royal & Imperial Fleet remained largely in safe harbors on the Serranthian coast while the Veletian Marine Natione remained in the northern North Sea. Tyro-Redanian defense of the north coast was non-existent, leading to the Invasion of Eisenstadt months prior. Similarly, the Veletian Marine Nationale command apparently feared for the loss of it's fleet and in response maintained to keep it together no matter the cost. Heavily damaged in November and fleeing to , the VX Paix Éternel was called back forthwith in December to return to the 1st Imperiale Fleet from Zanzan, Cotê d'Or, where it was being repaired. Unassisted and unescorted, she barely managed 9 knots.

In 1977, Kalpian military historian Hebert Freyer would ask in his book: Leashed Wolves, "why did the Tyro-Redanians attach submarines to their surface fleets?" A fair question in retrospect, but at a time when these new and experimental ships had no genuine purpose or guidance in this era. It was no one's fault, Freyer argued, that the Tyrians simply ordered their submarines to fall in line behind the battle fleet. The Battle of the Inner Sea they say was a Tyrian victory before the first guns fired and a Veletian victory immediately following the first salvo.



The Tyrian Royal & Imperial Fleet was in position to cross the Veletian T, with Commodore von Trapp's Royal Squadron of 3 armored cruisers [i]SMS Novara, SMS Minerva[i/] andSMS Diana and his flagship the coastal battleship SMS Bellona, the Veletians were slow to turn because they were on the front flank of a merchant fleet of 35 troopships steaming through the Inner Sea. Heavily damaged and listing to port, the VX Paix Eternel crept along at 9 knots an hour, slowing the rest of the fleet so that they might keep pace with her. Smoke billowed inordinately from her stacks and it was this ship that the Novara, Diana and Bellona targeted with their first salvos.


The sinking of the VX Paix Eternel, a measly eleven minutes before her aft magazines blew and cascaded the sea with white hot shrapnel, was forgettable. The Battle of the Inner Sea was the largest modern sea battle in the history of the world with warships in a post-ironclad age. Following the complete dissolution of the Eternel, the remnants of her crew now each in an individual battle to stay afloat while the battleline floated past her, the battle properly began.

The VX Hildrik and VX Jubilé turned their guns on the armored cruisers of the Royal Cross Squadron. The battleline of nearly 85,000 tons of warships -- and Violette loses the entire war.


While the war in the Gabrelle Mountains had effectively ruined Parnand's first fiscal year and requiring potential subsidization from the Veletian government, the Kalpian automotive industry of 1900 was measuring an unseen competitiveness. The Kalpian government, approving a mass purchase of cars not even manufactured yet effectively turned the automobile from a "civilian purchase" into a military weapon. Only 22 of the Yenson 31 HP's were purchased by wealthy Kalpian elites before the Kalpian government stepped in. With both prominent industries pulled back--one from war and one from government interference, demand in other markets had just started to creep up.

While the Radenan Tsardom had fostered interest, with a Radenan railroad tycoon seeking an alternative answer to transportation and purchasing a Parnand Simple to show off on the streets of Glavnya, it was the far and away Imperium of Hiron that generated the most interest in an automobile market. The Senryu Automobile Display and Exhibit from December 19th to December 21st was not dissimilar to the Kalpian display the month before: present was a Yenson 31 HP (it's serial numbers indicating it had been smuggled illegally out of the country in parts then reassembled), a Parnand Simple and a Jostwagen.

- [Imperium of Hiron receives Demand, Wealthy, 3%.]


For the first three months of the Tyro-Itheraen War, neither the illustrious smooth talking ministers of the Empire of Violette nor the steely eyed diplomats of the Tyro-Redanian Empire made overtures to the nation stuck promptly in the middle. The Kingdom of Thecia owed a minor section of it's own population in Veletian land and had a nearly non-existent relationship with either nation besides that.

King Methaxas, in a private meeting with the Thecian Parliament on October 14th announced: "It is the duty of your King, representing the People and Parliament, to announce the official neutrality of the Thecian Kingdom, the Thecian Army and the Thecian Navy. It cannot be but the undoing of all the nation has worked for to choose sides in a tasteless conflict over issues that no Thecian yet has lost sleep over." The request of Count Phillip von Meyer at Sutra was met and on December 14th he met with Foreign Minister Peleus Demetrios as well as several minor commanders of the Thecian Army. The meeting lasted only two days, where it became self evident in the words of Minister Demetrios: "..that the Tyro-Redanians were looking for their own Itheraen Republic," alluding to the idea that it was the Itheraens and not the Veletians doing all the fighting.

Before Count Phillip von Meyer left via road back toward Holtzer, he was given an additional, confidential meeting with King Methaxas and allegedly given a single, singular provision based on a pair of promises. This would not be a signed treaty, but a promise from one man to another.


n 1891, Zellonian Admiral James Maguire, then the Chief of the Royal Navy, issued a request for a new battleship design based on the Zellonian Victory-class, but that incorporated a recently designed 12 in (305 mm) gun and Tsirine armour, which was significantly stronger than compound armour (designed by a literal nephew of the Veletian Empress in 1896). The Director of Naval Construction, Archibald Black, prepared a preliminary design for a 12,500-tonne (12,300-long-ton) ship armed with four of the 12 in guns and protected with an armour belt that was 9 inches (229 mm) thick. White submitted the design on 27 January 1892 to the Board. Due to the greater resilience that Tsirine armour provided, less of it could be used for the same level of protection, allowing for significant weight reduction. As a result, the protection scheme was made stronger and more comprehensive than in the Victories, while minimizing increased displacement. This included the fitting of fully enclosed armored gun shields for the main battery guns.

The Board approved the design and intended to lay down three ships under the 1892 programme, but work on the 12 in gun was taking longer than predicted, and so construction was delayed to the 1893 programme. By that time, the third ship of what was to be the Majestic class was redesigned as a second-class battleship, Zellonian Victory, leaving only two ships to be laid down under the 1893 estimates. By August 1893, however, the public perceived the strength of the Royal Navy to have fallen relative to its traditional rivals, the Veletian and Radenan navies. Malcolm Hartwell, the Commander of the Zellonian Fleet at the time, proposed a large naval expansion plan referred to as the Hartwell Programme that included a Majestic-class battleships to soothe public opinion.

The Majestic was to be a benchmark for all successor pre-dreadnoughts. While the preceding Victory-class battleships had revolutionized and stabilized Zellonian battleship design by introducing the high-freeboard battleship with four main-battery guns in twin mountings in barbettes fore and aft, it was the Majestic that settled on the 12 in main battery and began the practice of mounting armored gun houses over the barbettes; these gunhouses, although very different from the old-style, heavy, circular gun turrets that preceded them, would themselves become known as "turrets" and became the standard on warships worldwide.The Majestic class, the largest class of battleship ever built, would be one of the most successful battleships of its time time.


The Majestic would be 390 feet long between perpendiculars and 421 feet long overall. It had a beam of 75 ft and a draught of 27 ft. It would displace up to 16,060 t (15,810 long tons; 17,700 short tons) at full combat load. The ships had a freeboard of 25 ft forward, 17 ft 3 in amidships, and 18 ft 6 in aft. Its hulls were divided into numerous watertight compartments, with 72 compartments inside the armored citadel and 78 outside it. A double bottom extended for much of the length of the hull. It was fitted with two pole masts, each with two fighting tops.

The Majestic was considered a good seaboat, in large part due to its high freeboard, with an easy roll and good steamers, although it suffered from high fuel consumption. It would nevertheless be very manoeuvrable. The ship had a crew of 672–794 officers and enlisted men, and this number varied between seasons and over the course of their careers. It would carry a variety of smaller boats, usually including three steam pinnaces, one 42-foot steam launch, two 34 ft cutters, two 27 ft whalers, three gigs of between 24 to 32 ft , one 16 ft skiff dinghy, and one 13 ft 6 in raft. The ship was equipped with six 24-inch (610 mm) searchlights, with four on the bridge and one on each mast.

Majestic was to be armed with four ZL.1 12-inch 35-calibre guns in twin turrets, one forward and one aft. This caliber would become the standard for all future Zellonian battleship classes. This would be the first new Zellonian battleship to mount a 12-inch main battery. The new gun was a significant improvement on the 13.5-inch (343 mm) gun which had been fitted on the King James and Victory classes that preceded the Majestic, in terms of ballistics and strength of the gun itself, and it was significantly lighter. The 12 in gun had a muzzle velocity of 2,500 feet per second (760 m/s)—a significant increase over the 13.5 in gun owing to the use of smokeless propellant—and it could fire a 850-pound (390 kg) shell with a range of 13,900 yards (12,700 m).


The Zellonian fledgling arms industry Guntherson Arms fulfilled it's first design request, submitting for army approval the G.A. Gevär m/01 rifle. Called the "Zellonian Mawka," the Gevär m/01 was the first of a potential family of bolt-action rifles based on an improved variant of Mawka's earlier Model 1893, but using the 6.5×55mm cartridge, and incorporating unique design elements as requested by Zellonia.

All Zellonian Mawkas were chambered for the 6.5×55mm cartridge, and all Zellonian-made actions were proof-tested with a single 6.5×55mm proof round developing approximately 455 MPa (65,992 psi) piezo pressure (55,000 CUP). Zellonian Mawkas were prototyped by Waffenfabrik Mawka AG in Aetoria, a/N in Kalpia and in Zellonia by Carl Guntherson stads Gevärsfaktori and Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Aktiebolag in Vorl, Zellonia. All Zellonian Mawkas, whether built in Kalpia or Zellonia, were fabricated using a Zellonian-supplied high grade tool steel alloyed with nickel, copper, and vanadium, a product than noted for its strength and corrosion resistance.



These rifles, like other pre-M 98 system Mawka rifles, lack the third safety locking lug at the rear of the bolt and feature "cock-on-closing" (similar to the contemporary Vinnault-99 rifle) instead of the "cock-on-opening" style found on the Kalpia KR.99 and most subsequent bolt-action rifles. The rear sight was graduated for 6.5×55mm service cartridges from 300 to 2,000 m (328 to 2,187 yd) in 100 m (109 yd) increments. The Royal Zellonian Bureau for Arms Procurement could order the Gevär m/01 into service or order the designers to attempt to improve it, but it was by all accounts, a decent rifle.

License to Kill

Ambassador Renshou Iyogo sat sipping a cup of hot tea in the Hironese Embassy within Aetoria, reading one of the daily Tyrian newspapers. Most of it was filled with news about the progress of the war, particularly the bloody fighting on the Itheraen front. Outside a foggy closed window, people milled about in the snowy streets of Aetoria, trying to get on with their lives in the face of possible invasion by the Veletians in particular. Iyogo drew his suit more tightly against his body, trying to keep warm whilst wishing the Embassy had a series of fireplaces. In truth, it was a rather small office nestled away within the Tyrian capitol, not deemed to be of particular importance to the Imperium. The Imperium viewed the quality of most of its Embassies as non-vital, considering none of them handled sensitive matters that weren't public knowledge. The Hidden Arm was tasked with more clandestine issues, and its operating centers were absolutely secret.

Iyogo looked up lightly when a knock on his door drew his attention, followed by the voice of a young woman calling out, "Ambassador, we've received a communication from the Ministry."

Waving his hand to enter despite not being seen, Iyogo also grumbled a, "Bring it in."

The secretary entered, bowed, and then slid the communication to the Ambassador across his desk before awaiting further orders. Iyogo picked it up and took his time in reading the paper before deciding to tell the secretary, "Schedule an appointment with the Tyrians. I need to discuss the procurement of a license to produce Pragers with them." The woman bowed and quickly exited, moving to alert the Tyrians.

To detail it more closely, the Imperium was seeking to procure a license to produce Pragers for a period of ten years, ideally with the license costing around 5-10 million dollars. There was a very specific stipulation that the Ministry had ordered though: that the Ambassador word the eventual agreement such that the Imperium could hold the license but be allowed to negotiate with owners of foreign factories to produce Pragers purely for the Imperium's military. The specifics would, of course, be negotiated between the Imperium and the Tyrians shortly.

An Imperial Machine Gun

Across the world, another secretary strolled towards the CEO's office of Imperial Arms with an Imperial Decree in hand, written and signed by the Dragon Emperor himself. Imperial Arms was the foremost small arms company in the Imperium, and with the Model 1 undergoing final touches, would essentially be crowning itself as the foremost rifle company in the world. This capability was recognized by the Emperor, and it was a capability that he wished to have expanded to another category of weapon.

The woman knocked quietly on the office door, waiting a few minutes before the CEO, Tagano Abe, gave her permission to enter. Quickly bowing before entering the man's space, the secretary announced, "Sir, I have an Imperial Decree for you."

Abe's eyebrows raised for a moment as he rubbed his chin, "A Decree for me specifically? What does the Emperor want, I wonder. Let me have a look at it." Receiving the Decree, Abe opened it carefully, making sure not to tear the paper, "So the Emperor is ordering us to establish a division dedicated to researching and creating machine guns. We are being provided with ten Pragers to take a look at and carefully reverse engineer to create an understanding how these weapons work. He'll subsidize the division once the new budget is made... Very interesting."

Looking towards the woman, Abe asked simply, "Are the Pragers here?" She nodded and motioned towards the lower levels of the building, "Arrived with the courier, sir." Leaning back in his seat, the CEO waved her off after instructing the woman, "Write a letter thanking the Emperor for his order. Imperial Arms will get right on creating the division as soon as possible. I'll have our human resources conduct a search for the most qualified engineers and gunsmiths we can find to add to our ranks, and once the Model 1 is done, I'm sure Mazuki will find it a thrill to look at a Prager."

Empress Liliana Dies: Nation in Mourning:
The nation was plunged into mourning as the Imperial Palace announced the death of the young Empress Liliana. The Empress, long known for her delicate health, struggled in the last year in a bout with a recurring illness and kept out of the public eye. Imperial Chancellor Montclaire has announced a one month period of national mourning. Prince Fredrick, Duke of Everux, and Viscount of Retz has been recalled from his post in Settumese Tara as Imperial Governor to assume the Opal Throne. Chancellor Montclaire called for 'national unity' and for the country to unite behind Prince Fredrick in this time of 'continential turmoil'. The Prince, first cousin of the Empress, has been serving in Settumese Tara for the last three years.

Intervention Possible?
The specter of possible Taran intervention was raised by Foreign Secretary Gabriel De Marin who condemned the growing chaos on the continent. In a recent comments to the Daily Star, the Foreign Secretary condemned '' Tyro-Antari aggression in all its forms against a sovereign state. '' The public comments are the strongest yet and when asked on possible Taran intervention, the Foreign Secretary could would only say that the '' government was evaluating all of its options in ending the fighting as swiftly as possible. '' The Foreign Secretary is expected to travel to Violette as soon as next week.

War in Settumu:
The Meung invasion of Xiang has caused a massive spillover of fighting into the nation of Dun Nam. Large pockets have fallen under the sway of Xiang Warlords who have occupied several large towns. Meung Imperial troops have launched an offensive to evict them from the town of Can Tho. The fighting has raised the possible fear of spillover into Taran territory. General Alessandri, commander of all Colonial forces in Settumu Tara has warned that he will not tolerate any incursions into Taran territory. Hundreds of additional troops are expected to be dispatched to the border. Prince Fredrick prior to his departure has promised '' additional resources and manpower '' for the colony. Deputy Governor Francis Ballard has been named acting governor in Price Fredrick's stead.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aboard the HMS Victory

Three years have ago, Fredrick Valois, first Cousin of the Empress and next in line to the Imperial Throne had been a popular officer in the Imperial Army and known somewhat as a dandy at court. He had friends in high places and with his Royal Blood that made the Prince dangerous to an Empress in a fragile state of health. Thus, the young Lieutenant Colonel had found himself drummed out of the Army on a 'medical discharge' and sent as far away from Tara as possible.

Settumu Tara was about as far away as Chancellor Montclaire could send him without putting him in the grave, though Fredrick had his suspicouns that Montclaire would've liked nothing better. Officially, it had been a promotion, an opportunity for the Duke to show his mettle. In reality, his presence was one primary for propaganda purposes, a royal face for the camera. He spent his days meeting with locals, colonists, and shaking many a soldiers hand. The actual power had been concentrated in the hands of Deputy Governor Ballard and General Alessandri, leaving the 'Governor' with few actual decisions to make on a day to day basis.

A second, more severe bout, of ill health for his cousin had dramatically changed things for the Prince. He had known of his cousin's health for weeks and how close she was to deaths door. Montclaire had no choice but to send for him, even elements of his own party clashing with him. The arrival of the Cruiser HMS Victory to bear him home should have felt like freedom. Instead, in the confines of his cabin, the Prince soon to be Emperor of Tara felt as if he had exchanged one prison for another.

He was returning to a nation that had lost its Empress, a massive war on the continent who's death toll had begun to spiral into the tens of thousands, and a rabid political base that was eager to spread Taran influence throughout the 'uncivilized world'. The Prince struggled to light another cigar, his head pounding from a hangover. He had drunk himself into a stupor the past three nights with the ships officers and the rocking of the sea was not helping him keep his dinner down.

In some small way, he wanted this purgatory to go on forever.

But he knew that it would not.

Duty beckoned after all.

With a groan, the Prince pushed himself from sweat stained bedsheets, like a soldier prepared to storm the breach once more.

The first colony which had been settled by Zellonia in Serranthia which was named St.James named after St.James the forgiver, which had been funded by the Nervington Trading Company was congratulated by the king himself. However while it was spread far and wide the colony was a success, those who were close to the matter knew of the difficulties that had been sent in from the far outpost. As such the king commanded 10,000 men to be sent each of the colonies to help defend the position as well as provide a larger Zellonian presence. It would also be commanded to search the land for valuables which would hopefully attract new visitors.

Meanwhile the tales that have come from New Zellonia, were quite the opposite. New Zellonia was in a prime location for farming and had already began to scout the area for valuables many believed their to be hidden gems or better within the mountains however only time would tell.


Nearly a year ago when the Zello-Oslad war raged on the Zellonian army commissioned Guntherson Arms, a small time armaments factory to build a new rifle capable of competing with the continentals. However over the course the small time factory had grown due the war presence on their own shores and the increasing demand of weaponry, yet they were able to produce a weapon worthy of a Zellonian soldier. The weapon was tested for distance and tried in comparison to foreign rifles and was noted of being able to compete with them. As such the Zellonian King invited Guntherson to the royal estate for a private meeting and by the end of it the rifle was put into service.


Finally, work had begun on Admiral Maguire’s masterpiece the Majestic-Class Pre-Dreadnought. The admiral now aged 58 and served more in the home office then in the field had the heart that something he had done would outlive him. Meanwhile the architects had begun their journey to tara to help them build their new pre-dreadnought and hopefully strengthen relations with the Empire of Tara.


With word spreading among the world of the continental conflict and the further escalation of the civilian casualties, the Zellonian people took time to think and the government believed it was wrong for the horrors of the Zello-Osladian war to happen once again to another nation. As such the Conrad Government sent messages to The Empire of Violette, The Republic of Itherae and the Tyre-Redanian Empire that it would stand as a mediator for any of the nations that wish for peace.

To Rival Majestic

With the news of Zellonia's new designs for the Majestic class of pre-dreadnought having reached the Imperium not long ago, the Emperor found himself annoyed that a second-rate Continental nation was working on battleships that overshadowed the Imperium's own Taizen class. Because of this, it was decided to commission a design competition among the various naval companies of the Imperium to design a new pre-dreadnought that essentially equaled if not slightly surpassed Majestic. It was the Emperor's personal hope that the companies would rise to the challenge and then some, potentially leaving Majestic well behind, but the Imperium did not expect some massive leap forward in battleship technology. Surpassing Zellonia in all regards navally was a point of national pride.

The 1901 Budget

With the coming of the new year meant a new budget for the Imperium. It was decided that the tax rate would be as follows:

• Poor: 3.0%
• Middle: 7.0%
• Rich: 9.0%

In short, the poor would be taxed 2% less, the middle class would receive a greater tax burden of 2% more, and the rich would receive 4% more taxes in 1901 than 1900. The Emperor was careful to make a series of statements and speeches that the greater tax burden on those more well-off was necessary for the future of the Imperium, and that no more taxes would be added for at least ten more years. It was an accepted fact however that people would not be happy about the increased taxes, but hopefully the poor would appreciate the tax relief.

Changes to the expenses of the budget would be as follows:

• Infrastructure: $20,000,000 (of the amount not spent on maintenance, 20% is to develop roads, 80% for rail development)
• Naval Research: $30,000,000
• Army Research: $30,000,000
• Dockyards: $9,500,000 (to upgrade size to 10,000 tons)

Education, administration, bureaucracy, and all other expenses would be untouched except to maintain parity with population or military growth.

The gerfdom celebrations which had taken place over december had finally ended, the royal families of memoital excluding prince Bernard and the marnish kingdoms had come to zellonia and were wooed by the extravaganza of the celebration in Zeel. The military had a large military parade, the white snowfall had added to the entertainment and mood. Even king James who is rarely seen was at the front of the parade and supported by his elite guard the Zeltin. Towards the end of the month King James held the two families at his private estate in the country, while their rumors began to swell of the King James hoping to connect his line with that of the marnish kingdoms King Sven IV who had a 28 year old unmarried daughter named Princess Freja, only time would tell. King James during the conference of Liubeth had offered to increase trade with the marnish kingdoms and even previously gave a 10 million zeel as compensation for any damages done. As these rumors began to Swell many were worried over what would happen if King James died without an heir especially after 2 months prior of the dispute over the tsardom of radena and it’s ill Tsar.


Princess Freja 1901


After the disastrous budget that was formerly called the phoenix budget but is now referred to as the Burned Budget. The economy was in disarray, the country could barely afford anything and many blamed the king. However his resolve has never been better and before letting the disaster effect them for a whole year the parliament met and agree free trade was the best option at this current stage and that should things of that nature wish to be tried it would need to be done on a smaller scale. As such all goods that had previously been limited were now open to anyone who wished to buy it and many had hope that would fix things. But after further discussion many wished to increase taxes and many knew this would be unpopular but in the long run it would work out. As such the tax increases were as followed.

Poor 7%
Middle 8%
Rich 8%


With 10,000 soldiers already being sent to St.James, the other 50,000 soldiers have begun training for the winter combat. Many believe the Zellonians were born in the ice because of how well they did in the days of yore, but thanks to the advancement of the guns the former use of striking in snowstorms had become less advantigious and as such practice was needed and for the next few months 30,000 Zellonians would practice around the city of Beowolf war Games. While the other 20,000 would spend their time in the mountains between the marnish-zellonian border, especially after hearing of the difficulties of mountain combat from the Itherean-Trya war the zellonian hoped to perfect it my training how to cross the mountains in more efficient time as well as setting up gun batteries.

December 25th 1900:

The Royal Palace in Agisil has been the stage of a Great Debate, the Zengid National Army whom had been called by King Akbayar Bahar to advise him on how best to deal with Suman as well as the Seljuki population as a whole. Nationalists in the Zengid Brotherhood(a.k.a The Committee for National Progress) saw this as the Kings chance to redeem his character and take the necessary steps to deal with the foreign threat posed by the Seljuki in our territory.

"Terrorism must be met with an equal force. You cannot teach a brainwashed Seljuk to live within Zengid as an equal. He and all his supporters should be met with the hell fire they have incurred when they listened to a mad man like Pasha." General Iskender Ilgaz in response to Akinci Colak's push for mediation and local Seljuk support in catching Suman. Ilgaz wished to use military force to reign in the Seljuks and to destroy Suman Pasha. This was unquestionably a sentiment held by many the emotional sentiment against Suman and Seljuks was hitting a peak since February's events. Ilgaz was no longer the only to believe that military force was the only path worth taking Ahmet Suvari leader of the Zengid Brotherhood felt it was "Near treasonous that this meeting was not convened as soon as Suman made his first move. A crime which can only be fixed with the immediate deployment of the military to the area near Asena to search for Suman." The National Seljuk Rights Organization where very worried that a plan similar to Iskender's was under consideration though they had no information about what was being discussed as it was completely closed to the public the Organization was very worried that all of it's work was for nought if Suman turned the Body Politic against the Seljuks.

However the path of mediation was not unsupported Akinci Colak who had publicly supported the Kings calls for calm in February had a large number of supporters in the National Seljuk Rights Organization. The group which was waiting with bated breath as the fate of Seljuks in Zengid may be decided by the political decisions at hand. They overall were cautiously optimistic the King had supported reconciliation before it was unlikely he would risk a war with the Seljuks if he could find another way. Many including Akinci Colak believed Suman Pasha actually was hoping for a war with the Caliphate that it was his goal to provoke a war it was his only way to win he and even all the Seljuki men in Zengid would still be hard pressed to defeat Zengid but if he could bring the Caliphate in his revolution may have a chance.

2:04 p.m.:

Iskender Ilgaz stormed out of the Palace to a crowd awaiting the Kings announcement that was less than an hour away. His anger was apparent to all in attendance.

Asked by a local newspaper why he was not attending the Kings public announcement he stated, "Why would I wish to attend the speech of a monarch unwilling to defend his Kingdom. I have business to attend to elsewhere." Iskender and his furious exit was public first hint at Akbayar's decision. Radicals in Nationalist Moments believed the worst, that King Akbayar's lack of military experience has lead him to look weak in the face of terrorism. Many in the Zengid Brotherhood however still held out that it was possible Iskender was only angery that the King did not deploy enough troops and it was almost impossible that he is holding off military action entirely. Suman was going to pay they believed it was the only way.

The King Makes His Move:

King Akbayar Bahar was confident that his choice was the best possible one given the Kingdoms circumstances. He and the rest remaining in attendance after General Iskenders supporters followed suit felt the situation put them into a very tough set of circumstances. On the one hand the Kingdom had long worked on the Seljuk issue even Akbayars father had wished for mediation and expansion of Seljuk rights before he was forced to role back these rights in the growing tensions. Akbayar and his supporters were not different the Seljuk situation had long been one of oppression and rule from behind a gun but now such an approach has made the population bitter and ready to support a terrorist like Suman. One the other hand was the Seljuki homeland while Iskender believed it to be a non-factor many were unconvinced that Zengid should be writing off the potential for war just yet.

"If what we want is war than we are going to need to arm maybe we should important foreign arms otherwise we might be sending men to fight with nothing but a saber and the reassurance to their families that their doing their duty to the Kingdom... " Akinci Colak.

Even if the Caliphate was a push over the threat of war while our stockpiles were already on the lower side made many think Iskender had an unrealistic idea of the Kingdoms ability to project power in it's current state. If the King was to remain consistent however he would need to attempt Colaks proposal he was the first to wish for mediation of the Seljuk issue and Suman has only made the situation and it's severity more apparent. His belief was that we not only needed to stop Suman but we needed to repair the Seljuk community so there would never be a Suman again.

"If another massacre happens in a decade than we have failed our goal should be to create a generation of peaceful relations with minorities that is one way we can defeat Suman and the likes in the long term." King Akbayar. To create this world the King believed that mediation and the enlistment of the local Seljuks to smoke out Suman Pasha. Only if that fails would other options have to be considered as a last resort.The King was due to make his path of action known. He came out to a large crowd ready to announce to the Kingdom the path they would take on the Seljuk issue.

"My fellow Zengids Suman Pasha has caused this Kingdom a great deal of pain I cannot deny that. We have to remember however that the Seljuks are not represented by this man. His band of misfits is just as hated by many in the Seljuk community. That is why I and Marshal Akinci Colak have considered that the Seljuk issue cannot be solved by arms alone. We must address the issues of the Seljuki community within Zengid and make sure Suman Pasha as well as others like him will never find a platform for support in the Kingdom ever again. I know many of you support military action first but if we provoke a war with the Caliphate who is the say Suman will not have the full support of Seljuki in the Kingdom? We should not be seeking to create an enemy of all Seljuki within Zengid the effects of such a domestic threat to the women and children of Zengid are incalculable. Instead we should be looking to end this conflict as peacefully as possible. The greatest victory we can attain is to work with Seljuki in Zengid to capture Suman Pasha and serve him justice but we cannot do that without mediation with the Seljuki community. Mediation is where we need to start lest we start a war we cannot win."- Excerpt from the Kings Address to the crowd outside the Palace in Agisil.

The Public Reacts

The Kings softness on the Seljuk issue enraged the Zengid Brotherhood who almost immediately began protesting his course of action in Agisil. "Military action was the only action worth taking and the King has shown himself to either be a weak man unfit for rule or worse he himself might wish harm on his subjects."- Ahmet Suvari. A scathing rebuke of the December 25th announcement happened in the Zengid National Times written by General Iskender Ilgaz which argued that the Kings lack of military experience has lead him to make a costly mistake. Iskender Ilgaz believed the Kings fear of war with the Caliphate was not only unfounded but also completely unrealistic as the Caliphate would not hold out had they decided to make war with Zengid in any capacity.

"If Suman Pasha has escaped to the Caliph what is Akbayar Bahar going to do? I suppose based on his lack of grit just send the Calpih letters and flowers until they lovingly give us this terrorist...."-From "The Kings Great Miscalculation" By Iskender Ilgaz

The King had his share of supporters however. Akinci Colak campaigned in favor of the mediation effort in order to build a support base to move the nation forward to a peaceful coexistence with Seljuks. The National Seljuk Rights Organization believed this was a major win for their cause and offered any support possible to get Seljuki communities on board with the process. Many questioned if Iskender Ilgaz was not in violation of the law by so publicly working to undermine the King. Ilgaz may come around however if the mediation effort brings fourth actionable results.

The Kings decision leave the nation divided but with hope and effort the nation may actually benefit. Should the mediation process fall to pieces the King may find himself the target of a nationalist revolt should that not already be in the works. The Kingdom would have to work double time to ensure the Seljuk Issues is dealt with otherwise they will collapse in their incompetence. Zengid hopes for a better future god willing she will get one.

An Imperium and a Republic

The Hironese Ambassador in Kalpia, Takami Ryutsuo, laughed cordially at a joke given by some rich Kalpian plutocrat as the man sipped Veletian wine and pulled his trophy wife against his body. It was one of many parties in Kalpia organized by the Imperium in the past month, in an attempt to shore up relations between the two nations. Primarily, it was just how the corrupt got together and made their deals, and it was how the Imperium and Kalpia decided to become closer friends.

Halfway in a drunken stupor the next day, yet still managing to keep his composure, Takami announced to a small group of reporters, "Today marks the beginning of a much deeper relationship between the Republic of Kalpia and the Imperium of Hiron. Even in the face of such economic adversity as is present here in Kalpia, we can look forward to the future with hope that the Imperium and the Republic shall work much more closely than before, to the benefit of both nations and its peoples!"

One of the reporters decided to pipe up with a question, "Mr. Ambassador, can you elucidate on that statement? How exactly are the Imperium and Kalpia now closer?"

Considering the reporter's words for a moment, the Ambassador replied, "The Imperium and the Republic now recognize each other as mutually beneficial friends. Our interests are aligned in many regards. I am not at liberty to tell you what those interests are, but I invite you to ponder and look at a map. That is all, thank you!" The ambassador returned to his office, satisfied that his job was done.

The Ministry of Economics has recently announced a series of changes to the yearly budget after the Tsardom saw an incredible budget surplus, causing numerous amounts of controversy and infighting within the ministry. After nearly three weeks of heated discussion, the ministry finally agreed to a formal budget proposal to announce to Tsar Pyotr II:




The official budget of the Tsardom of Radena will focus primarily on issues ranging from industrialization, administration, corruption, militarization, and colonization. First the ministry will address the expansion of the industrial output of the Tsardom with announcements of a boost to the current industrial output of the Tsardom in order to meet Continental standards. Proposed administrative solutions will made to address the both corrupt and lawless nature of the Tsardom’s Easternmost territories to avoid repeats of the surge of violence the Tsardom has witnessed over the past month. Next, the ministry will propose a series of budget initiatives to increase military research spending in order to remain competitive and secure against neighboring powers. Finally, the funding of current colonial initiatives will be increased in order to encourage the expansion of the Tsardom to bring about a better, more civilized world in both Settumu and Serranthia.


In order to bring about both law and order to the Easternmost Settumu territories, the Ministry of Economics will propose a significant budget increase to the administration of these territories. This would be primarily placed in the recruitment of an effective policing force, as well as give added benefits of discouraging corruption from said police, local governors, and other officials. This would ultimately aid in a long term stabilization of the region. As a result, the administration budget will be increased to $200,000,000, thus making the administration of the Tsardom 34% of the years budget.


The Tsardom of Radena will continue to meet the current standard of infrastructure it has kept since last year. Considering that there has been no push or need for a major overhaul or massive increase for this part of the budget for the time being the Tsardom will contribute $2,000,000 to maintain its infrastructure and allow breathing room for minor expansions.


Education has always been considered to be important to the Tsardom, allowing for innovation and creation within the workplace. However, the Tsardom at the moment can’t afford to massively overhaul the education budget, especially in terms of secondary education for the wealthy and middle class citizens. As such, the Ministry of Economics has agreed upon keeping the status quo with current expenditure, with primary schooling receiving a budget of $64,000,000 and secondary schooling receiving $80,000,000 of the Tsar’s budget.

The Ministry of Economics believe that the Bureaucracy of the Tsardom is not in desperate need of a financial overhaul, as such there will only be slight increases to the current expenditure, placing the current budget at $100,000,000.


The Ministry of Economics understands the importance of the Tsardom’s current colonial interests abroad. After much deliberation and discussion within the Ministry of Economics, a budget increase was agreed upon to encourage the further expansion of current and likely future territories of the Tsardom. The current budget gives close to $40,000,000 to the Tsardom’s overseas territories.


It is in the best interest of the Tsardom to remain advanced in current military and naval technologies to protect its ever growing empire across the world. As such the Ministry of Economics has dedicated $25,000,000 to both Naval and Army research.

After nearly a week of deliberation by the Tsar, the new budget was officially agreed upon with a few minor revisions.




A recent initiative by the ministry of domestic affairs has been undertaken to improve the current mass unemployment throughout the Tsardom. This initiative is to begin with the construction of several factories, over the course of the next ten years. The first city announced to receive the first factory is the city of Zamocin. An industrial center and incredibly large city, it is believed to be one of the most economically sound locations to construct the first of many factories soon to come.


The lawlessness of the Settumese territories has recently brought about an initiative with the aid of increased budgeting by the Ministry of Economics to bolster the police presence in the Settumese territories. The local police will then be utilized in an attempt to disperse any and all rioting peacefully when given the opportunity. The establishment of a temporary curfews will be made in the following cities: Qinghua, Suyang, and Sensong until the increased violence between the culturally Radenan and Meungese citizens have been quelled.


The Foreign Ministry recently has negotiated a treaty between the Tsardom of Radena and the Veletian Empire allowing for the free access of both military and commercial vessels through the Canal d’Or. This treaty specifies that the Tsardom will pay $500,000 a month, paid annually, for the period of 4 years. This is expected to bring about a great deal of trade and prosperity to the Tsardom’s Easternmost territories. A once incredibly dangerous journey through the South Serranthian ocean has now been reduced to only six months.


With the recent acquisition of the Alek and Wenshou Island the current Radenan Royal Navy stationed in the Hironese Sea has been deemed far too small to protect current interests. Sailing under Admiral Stepanovich, in the flagship the TRN Borzaya, he and an accompanied fleet of two CA, the TRN Sever and TRN Namereniye, six CL, the TRN Koventri, TRN Chertenok, TRN Rytsar, TRN Korona, TRN Ray, and TRN Milost, and thirteen DD, the TRN Posle, TRN Presledovatel, TRN Geroy, TRN Byskochka, TRN Yurkiy, TRN Prygun, TRN Doblestnyy, TRN Foreytor, TRN Vostochnyy, TRN Pech, TRN Strannik, TRN Golavly, and TRN Korol will head to the Hironese Sea to regroup with the current already established fleet located there.


The Tsardom has announced an official expedition to the Island of Fasum lead by eccentric biologist Dr. Yakovich. The goal of the initial expedition is to explore the native fauna, inhabitants, and wildlife along the Island, as well as discover ideal locations to establish small settlements on the Island itself. The first settlement on the Island will be named Novyy Nakhoysk, named after the hometown of Dr. Yakovich.


The Tsar has recovered, giving an official appearance just outside the palace in Glavnaya, and a small speech to the crowd. “It is my duty as Tsar to inform the people that I am now well. The Tsardom need not worry any longer about my health, or the health of the Tsardom should my time come to pass. For the time being, I am reinvigorated and hope for the Tsardom to be so as well.”