Chapatrap

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Void

It's crazy how long this RP survived lol I remember it from MCF.

Precipice Of War: The Reboot of a Reboot

Andorra City,
Holy Oligarchy of Andorra
Five Years Ago

Frank spent his days walking around the city with a plastic bag, looking for any discarded pieces of gum. He would carefully scoop them up with his gloved hands, examining each piece to see if it was worthy of his collection. His friends and family thought he was nuts, but Frank didn't care. He was in love with his collection of chewed-up gum.

Frank found himself in the middle of the busiest street in Andorra City during rush hour. He was so preoccupied with looking for gum that he didn't notice the huge crowd of people around him. Suddenly, he was pushed and jostled by the sea of bodies, and before he knew it, Frank was tumbling down the street, his plastic bag full of gum flying out of his hands and scattering across the road.

As Frank picked himself up off the ground and brushed himself off, he realized that he had lost most of his valuable collection. This was a tragedy that could not be allowed to stand. Frank sprang into action, crawling around on the asphalt, picking up pieces of gum and stuffing them back into his bag.

The people around him were absolutely baffled by this strange man, crawling around on the road, collecting old gum. They tried to avoid him, but Frank was too focused on his mission to care. Suddenly, a stray dog appeared on the scene, sniffing around the discarded pieces of gum. Frank watched in horror as the dog licked up several pieces before trotting off down the street.

Frank was horrified. Not only had he lost most of his gum collection, but now he had to worry about a dog with terrible breath. He couldn't let this stand. He quickly ran after the dog, bag of gum in hand, determined to get his pieces back.

The chase took Frank all over Andorra City, through streets and alleys and parks, with the dog always one step ahead. Frank was so focused on his pursuit that he didn't realize he was being followed by a crowd of people, all watching his strange antics with amusement.

Finally, Frank cornered the dog and managed to grab the pieces of gum from its mouth. Triumphantly, he held up his bag of gum, ignoring the laughter and odd looks from the people around him.

From that day on, Frank stayed away from the busy streets of Andorra City during rush hour. He still collected gum, but he learned to be a bit more careful about it. And the people of Andorra City never forgot the strange man who chased a dog for a bag of chewed-up gum.

San Marino,
People's Hegemony of San Marino
Time: Present Day

Once upon a time, there was a spy from Andorra named Juan Ramón. He had been tasked by his government to gather intel on neighboring countries. One day, while he was on a mission in San Marino, he discovered a secret nuclear program.

Juan Ramón had to act fast because the smallest hiccup in his actions would blow his cover. He used his wits and acumen to infiltrate the program and gather information. It took him months to piece together information and decode encrypted files.

Juan Ramón's heart sank when he realized the enormity of what he had stumbled upon. San Marino was developing and testing nuclear weapons. This news could trigger a massive war and human annihilation.

Juan Ramón contacted the Andorran government and shared his findings. They assured him that they would take action and thanked Juan Ramón for his bravery and intelligence. News of the program was leaked to the international community and pressure was put on San Marino to abandon the program.

In the subsequent months, Juan Ramón's life was in danger, but his government secured him and his family's safety.

The entire situation had been a huge success thanks to Juan Ramón's unwavering courage and innate command. He had saved thousands of lives and potentially prevented a great global war. From that day, Juan Ramón was viewed as a hero and the spy who outsmarted the unexpected.

((OOC: I feel great relief in that no matter how bad my writing was, I can still write better than this piece of shit AI))

Precipice Of War: The Reboot of a Reboot

I hadn't logged onto RPGuild in years. I wasn't really sure why I stopped playing or even why I decided to come back now. But here I was, staring at the familiar login screen. I took a deep breath and typed in my username and password, hoping they were still correct.

To my surprise, they worked. And before I knew it, I was staring at the forum page. It was like I had never left. I scrolled through the different threads, trying to find something that piqued my interest. And that's when I saw it: Precipice of War.

Each year, one Preciprick would post about their country in the IC section. For fun, I decided to write a post about my new country, utterly irrelevant to the RP. And I knew exactly what I wanted to write about: Andorra.

I had stumbled across some interesting facts about the tiny country and knew there had to be some comedy gold there. So, I fired up my laptop and began to write.

As I typed away, I couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the things I was writing. I added in some over-the-top characters and ridiculous scenarios, making sure to keep it light-hearted and fun. Finally, I hit submit and leaned back in my chair, feeling proud of what I had written.

The next day, I logged back onto RPGuild to see if anyone had read my story. And to my surprise, not only had people read it, but they loved it. The comments were filled with laughing emojis and compliments on how hilarious it was. I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.

It felt good to be back on RPGuild, and even better to have made people laugh with my silly story about Andorra. Who knew that logging onto a forum after years away could be so rewarding?

What's Your Favorite Moment That Happened in an RP? (It can be either your character or someone else's!)

@KimHanuel

Pretty much everyone I know from that RP seemed to have left after it stopped.

I have contact with some of them on Discord but they don't really RP anymore. Sucks because I enjoyed the casual nonsense we did over the years, especially on Old Guild, but things are fated to change, I suppose.

Speaking of Old Guild, I could fill a whole page with things here from my adventures back then. This site has given me a lot of fond memories.

I'll always be happy to share my all-time favorite quote with people, from a Pokemon: Mystery Dungeon RP I did *a very long time ago.*

The Pokemon was a ship captain and talking about Kyorge sightings. "When I saw it I nearly shit myself. I still do to this day.

That's a quote from @Chapatrap. Another guy I don't see much anymore, unfortunately. This is the best line of dialog he ever wrote anywhere, though. And I want it's legend to live on forever.

@Todd Howard

I'm still around at times. Message me on steam, we'll have a catch-up.

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

(A collaboration post between @Shyri, @Wilted Rose, @Mihndar, @Pepperm1nts and I.

God rest your souls)

Berlin, German Empire

As the sun began to lower in the sky, the Royal German Zeppelin, the Fischadler, readied to take its place. The black balloons began to fill with helium as the last of the foreign envoys boarded, leaving only Kaiser Wilhelm, who was having his ear chewed out by his foreign affairs advisor.

"Remember, these are high, if not the highest, ranking officials of potential allies. Germany could use those in the world right now, so try to be the Kaiser, not Wilhelm. We don't need another Belgium in our hands. Small country does not mean talking down to them, and-"

"Yes, yes, I understand. That was a one time occurrence. Besides, it's not my fault the Belgian had an inflated ego. Now, I really must go. It would not do for the Fischadler to take to the sky without it's host, correct?"

With a nod of understanding, the Kaiser's advisor split away from him, heading back indoors, as the Kaiser headed for the Zeppelin, trailing two guards.

Once inside, one of the guards broke off to let the captain know the Kaiser was on board, while Wilhelm made his way to the lounge where his guests were waiting, making sure he looked his best before entering.

"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, friends, and welcome to Berlin. I hope those of you who arrived last night and earlier today enjoyed your day in the city. Now, before we begin, if you need any refreshments, simply wave down Andrea." He said, motioning to a young woman with curly blonde hair. "She will be happy to retrieve anything you require. She also speaks both German and Russian, so, for my Russian guests, you can freely make requests in your own tongue."

Taking his own seat at the head of the long table, Wilhelm put on a pair of glasses, and opened the file that had been left there for him, glancing over it.

"Now, seeing as how The Ottomans called us all together, I think it only fitting that Herr Pasha gets this meeting started."

Erdem Mehmedoglo Pasha, the Ottoman plenipotentiary, nodded, his almost comically small fez almost falling from his head. "Thank you, your Grace" he replied in heavily accented German, adjusting his fez somewhat before returning to Turkish. "The Sublime Porte's interests in European affairs have been marked with concern following events in the last few years. It seems the age of the European Empires has faltered, leaving a power vacuum that will be filled by vile and evil characters. As you have all no doubt read in my Sultans letter, the growth of ideologies such as Marxism and liberalism in Europe are extremely worrying. What we are proposing is a strong alliance of European powers, an enlarged Quadruple Alliance if you will, to combat violent revolutionary governments in Europe and return the continent to the peace we saw prior to the Great War. We are not proposing a return to the chaos of the Great War but instead a new order of states to guide the misguided of our continent"

Erdem paused as translators whispered into the ears of the other representatives before continuing.

"The first motion we would like to propose is a return to the Concert system of the last century in order to nurture the fragile peace that Europe currently lays in. All nations represented here today would be allowed to call a Concert of the recognised European powers in order to find diplomatic solutions to disputes between legitimate governments and if the situation calls for it, military intervention that also respects the sovereignty of each member nation. Each of the permanent members have veto powers and only recognised Great Powers may join this permanent council.

Secondly, we would like to propose a motion of support of the preservation of monarchies and empires of Europe and condemnation of communist, socialist and extreme nationalist movements. The Sublime Porte are concerned by the rapid growth in power of Greek and French communist governments but believes that diplomatic solutions can be achieved.

Finally, we would like to propose the drawing up of spheres of influence in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In order to preserve European hegemony, we believe that a return to colonialism in Africa is paramount to counter the growth of the so-called East African Confederation. In order to maintain a lasting peace in Europe, we believe the divisions of states among borders guaranteeing peace and not nationalism must, once again, become the norm. Thank you"

"There are some immediate concerns." Aleksei Burov, the Russian envoy, began. "The proposal, as it stands, or at least as presented just now, requires that the member states of this hypothetical organization be recognized sovereign entities." He glanced toward the Ukrainian Hetman. "The proposal also speaks of the destabilization of Europe brought about by the fervent nationalism that has manifested in our nations in the past decade or more, and yet, we are sitting here today with the representative of one such nationalist front - a territory not recognized by most major European powers. This very same proposal then calls for the preservation and support of European monarchies in the face of nationalist and communist aggression. The inclusion of Ukraine and other rebelling territories of the Russian Empire in the organization proposed today are directly contrary to the aforementioned points, and I see no way for this organization to take form in a manner that is true to the founding principles presented by the Ottoman plenipotentiary if Ukraine and other rebel states are welcomed at the table as legitimate political entities."

Anastasiya Solovski, the Ukrainian monarch, was quickly asking the waitress, Andrea, for some more wine in Russian when she heard Burov begin, and her eyes snapped back towards the conversation at hand. "This matter is only truly a concern if the fading afterglow of a lost empire insists upon the control over all of the lands which it once held sway. It would be one thing if your nation actually even controlled the majority of Russia, but you're rather just some sort of Baltic state now, no?" Anastasiya took a sip from her glass and continued. "I and therefore Ukraine have come here in the spirit of peace and cooperation, as we face rather severe threats to the stability of Europe, if not the world. Our traditions and way of life are being challenged and we perhaps stand on the verge of a new dark age if we cannot find a way out. And you have evidently come here to stir up conflict over territory you can't even begin to reach? This infighting serves no purpose except that of the communists, liberals and nationalists within my fellow monarchies. Are we a national state, which has become independent from the Russian Empire of more than a half decade past? Yes. But the ideal of this conference is to preserve the status quo of European hegemony. The Russian Empire's age is past. We are here now, and we are committed to the struggle, as shown even know with our war with communists in Eastern Ukraine. It does not do for us European nations to fight each other over past claims. If we must indeed resort to that, I would point out that there was a Kievan Russia well before the Muscovy from which your empire descends ever came to exist. It is not as if I do not support Russia's right to reclaim its ancestral lands. There is a considerable proportion of Russia which still lies in the control of criminals, warlords, and other undesirable elements. These areas can and should be retaken by the "Russian Empire," and perhaps they should concentrate on them first before picking figh
ts with one of the few stable countries to emerge from the mess which they allowed to happen in the first place."

"Imperialism is a natural right of any monarchy. It is indeed the duty of a civilized European state to bring civilization to the barbarous masses of Asia and Africa, and Ukraine fully supports the Ottomans' effort to do so. But it is patently ridiculous to support conflicts between civilized, stable European states when threats loom on the horizon. We are not nationalist radicals who intend to liberate each and every one of your tiny minorities. We are a traditional monarchy just like yours of some forty million people which stands as a stable borderland against the anarchy and subversion to the east which threatens to spill over into your nations. I humbly ask that all of you consider supporting us in that effort rather than fanning the flames of what is now Russia further."

"Now then, let's not get rash and over to top." Spoke up a rather old man, clutching his cane as he stepped forward. His grizzled face covered with an eye-patch over his left eye and a comically large handlebar mustache. Count Maximillian von Mannheimer, the Federation's Chief Diplomat. Most likely one of the few people in this room to not only remember the Great War, but to have fought in it too.

"Need I remind you all that the Danubian Federation has offered official diplomatic recognition to the Ukrainian State? Indeed, Anastasiya's words do hold merit. That does not mean she had to speak the way she did, but it has been said. Our old political fueds should be put aside for the moment to focus on the rising tide of the far-left within all of Europe. While I do not condone rampant Imperialism as if it is our 'god-given right', I do condone the destruction of Communist Regimes wherever they may prop up. Be it in Europe, Africa, or Asia. On to the condition of… Nationalism, sometimes it would be better to bend then to break. The Austro-Hungarian Empire bended, and the Russian Empire broke."

A hand would move up to rest on Mannheimer's shoulder, gently moving him to bow as a woman took the spotlight from him. Archduchess Seraphina, Heiress of the Habsburg Throne bowed her head ever so slightly to the assembled room of Diplomats and Nobility.

"It would do little good to simply mimic what von Mannheimer said, but do know that I share his sentiments. We have gathered here, all of us, on the agreement to rekindle the fire of Europe and the crush the rising tide of Communism, Syndicalism, and Socialism. Yet we have barely begun, and already squabbles break out between us. Let it be proclaimed then, that the Danubian Federation will claim the responsability of resisting the rise of Communism within the Balkan States, with or without this Congress."

Kaiser Wilhelm, who had been stroking his beard while listening up to this point, finally stood, commanding attention to him.

“If the notion of this meeting is as Herr Pasha has said, then it can only be concluded that the Turkish state does not view the Ukrainian independent state as an 'extreme nationalist movement', seeing as Miss Solovski is sitting at this table. If that is true, then I am sure that the Turks also fully recognize the legitimacy of the Armenian people's government, and also intend to allow them to hold their independence. Unless I have misunderstood the intentions...” he said with a slightly accusatory tone. “Then I feel we can consider this matter settled, and move on to more pressing matters.

"We feel a recognition of Armenian independence would be disruptive to European trade in the Middle East, Kaiser" replied Erdem cooly. "We in the Ottoman Empire do not condone the existance of breakaway states. However, the invitation of the Hetman comes from a place of pragmatism and in no way signifies Ottoman recognition of the regime over that of the Tsar. But the Red threat is a concern to Istanbul, owing to its proximity to the Caucasus and Eastern Europe and from what we see, the Ukrainian national state has been the only nation in Europe successfully fighting communism".

"Your hypocrisy astounds me, Herr Pasha." Wilhelm replied sharply. "If all it takes for Turkey to recognize such a state is fighting a common foe, your people must truly be backed against the wall. It makes me question whether you are capable of helping anyone, or if the old man of Europe simply called us all here to help him fix his problems."

Taking a drink of water, the Kaiser took on a formal pose, arms behind his back. “We are not here to debate legitimacy. We are not here to squabble minor details. We are here to find a fix to the threat which plagues us all. The threat that lead to the strife currently besetting the mighty Russian Empire. The threat that we see taking control of various states more and more often these days. Ladies and gentlemen. We are here to find a way to destroy the communist threat. Paris. Moscow. Athens. Beijing. It spreads like wildfire across the globe, destroying all it comes in contact with. The options are fight, or fall. I don't know about you, but the German's do not intend to fall. I could care less about the Afrikan's, especially those in Ethiopia. They stood by us in the Great War, and have communists within their borders as well. They should be an ally, not an enemy.”

Sighing, Kaiser Wilhelm took a slow look around the table.

“So far, all I have heard is personal agenda's, and all I have seen is hungry eyes looking for support. If that is what you want from this alliance, then by all means, hold a second meeting in Constan-” he heald up a hand, signaling his translator to not finish the last part. “A second meeting in Istanbul. However, if all you want from this alliance is furthering of your personal issues, and not a stop to the red menace, then you can consider Germany not interested.”

With that, Wilhelm basically fell to his seat, the wood of the chair creaking as he landed. “I am here because I want to save Europe from itself. If this conflicts with your interests, please, take a stand now. If I am in the minority, I shall take my leave to the back room. However, if I lead the majority, then we can begin talking seriously.”

Anastasiya nodded emphatically when the Kaiser had finished his speech. "It is very true that the issues of legitimacy and nationalism are far removed from what we are here to discuss, and I would have preferred to not see it brought up. Even now, Ukrainian troops are engaged in battle with communist insurgents in the east. There are other Bolshevik remnants in the rest of Russia which need to be dealt with. It is not the time to hash out these issues."

"It is the belief of the Sultan that an alliance with the Hetmanate to fight the Eastern Communists is attainable, in order to prevent the further spread of the red plague into our nations. While we respect the Tsar's claims to his rightful empire, we will ask the table to look at the situation. The Tsar has lost control of much of His empire and now controls, de facto, the immediate area of St. Petersburg and the city itself. He cannot be at the forefront of fighting our common enemies without huge support from His allies, which would be a threat to Russian sovereignty. It is desirable to all of us that a powerful Russian state be reinstated, with or without Ukraine, but at a later date," said Erdem, looking around at the table.

"If we are ready to continue on with the conference, I'd ask the table to vote on our first proposal. We can all value from co-operation and it is clear from the meeting today that many of our nations have grievances that can be discussed and sorted, diplomatically. The establishment of a European Concert can see us unite our resources, with the goal of maintaining a peaceful and free Europe while respecting the sovereignty of the Great Powers."

"Russia will not be signing an agreement to assemble or take part in a concert of nations that recognizes Ukraine and other rightful territories of the Russian Empire as independent member states." The Russian diplomat said bluntly.

After a long, whispered conversation with his advisor and translator, Kaiser Wilhelm stood once more.

"I have already sworn German might to the Russian cause. The true Russian cause. And seeing as this meeting has devolved into a plea for a welfare payment on behalf of the Turks, I fail to see how this will truly move forward. Every proposal so far is only beneficial to Turkey. The inclusion of Ukraine is justified on a petty clause, only because it aids the Turks. I defended Miss Solovski's presence, because I had hoped this meeting would be something worthwhile. That the presence of a pretender state might be justifiable, because it was backed by a strong proposal. But I see now that this meeting is simply a plea for aid from the sick old man, that would benefit only him, and the Ukrainians by extension. Germany is fully capable of combatting the Red Threat of it's own. Clearly, I had assumed the Ottomans stronger than they truly are. I will not stand in attendence for a meeting led by the spectre of a country that no longer exists."

Without another word, Kaiser Wilhelm turned, motioning for his entourage to follow, and left the meeting room.

The Archduchess would rise from her seat as well, Mannheimer quickly rising to follow her example. "I see this is pointless then. The German Empire only came here to project it's own influence over the decadant remains of the lost Russian Empire. That's why the Russians were invited, after all. Clearly, this entire meeting remained nothing but another powerplay between the powers here to carve out spheres on influence in the "attempt" to destroy communism. The Danubian Federation does not need this alliance, and it does not need the petty squabbles of a destroyed Empire dividing Europe's attention. We will deal with our own communist threats, and handle our own problems." She said, bowing her head slightly and motioning for Mannheimer to follow her away from the table.

Yet he stayed for a moment, and spoke up himself; "Europe has done nothing but fight and destroy itself for the past two centuries. From Napoleon, to Crimea, to the Great War. We have learned nothing from these events. The German Empire only cares about making sure it remains the sole power in Europe. The Russian "Empire" cares only that it gets the help and money it so desperatly needs so it can maintain some shred of legitimacy with an Empire they destroyed themselves. The Ottomans want help fighting enemies it itself can not fight alone. We, the Danubian Federation, have fought and bled to keep our nation and people safe. We can not in good conscious waste our resources and efforts helping you in doing nothing but assisting in your own goals. We withdraw from this meeting."

With that, Mannheimer turned on his heel and walked away with the Archduchess.

Erdem jumped to his feet. "Y-yeah? K-keep walking, fuckers!" he screeched. "We don't need you fags anyway!"
/s

Wilhelm then orders his Secret Service agents to throw Erdem and Solovski off the back of the blimp. "I told you we would win this meeting." he said to Burov, smiling.

Erdem smiled as he flew through the air and tipped his fez over his fringe. "It's most unkind to be rude to a lady, m'Kaiser" he muttered, landing on his heelie skates. "I'll be back - and so will the Janissaries". With that, Erdem skated off towards Istanbul, leaving only a dust shaped cloud of a Turkish diplomat in his wake.

Erdem loudly sighed and sat back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. He glanced at his translator and at the two envoys still sat in front of him. The Hetman herself and the Russian ambassador. "You speak Ukranian?" he asked his translator quietly. The woman nodded, a polite smile plastered to her face. "Good. Tell the Hetman we will be in contact shortly. This meeting went as planned." He pulled out a cigarette and stood to his feet. While walking away, a match quivering in his fingers, he paused. "Don't tell her that last part".

The translator nodded again.

The Turkish diplomat swung the doors out to the small balcony open and stepped out into warm, May evening, smoke streaming from his nostrils. The Sublime Porte would have be happy with this. He leaned heavily on the railing and stared at the city below him, rubbing his eyes again.

"Sick Man of Europe...fucking infidels" he growled. He spat the cigarette out into the night and it was swallowed by the darkness in seconds.

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

I also would like to inform @Keyguyperson that the PoW Discord server officially has an emote to poke fun at Japan

@Dinh AaronMk

P O S T F G T

<Snipped quote by Dinh AaronMk>

Ha ha ha.

@Raddum

J O I N F G T

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

@Raddum stop lurking and join already

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

It' more WWII/Inter-war tier technology. No jets, not advancements into space, no nuclear power.

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

@Letter Bee

Seems like a good idea, defying the Ottomans (who had previously ruled Algiers until 1830) is something a fairly anti-Imperial Algerian Islamic State would do. Maybe not open defiance but there would be thin ice between the two nations (though not as much as France of course)

@SgtEasy

I'm okay with this. After the Ottomans lost Arabia, there surely would be contenders for the Caliphate but the Turks and maybe some others still recognise Osman IV as the Caliph.

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

Topkapı Palace, Constantinople
Topkapi Palace had served as the seat of power in the Ottoman Empire for centuries. It's halls had seen murder, conspiracy, love, hatred and arguments since the days of Suleimann but as of the 1940's, had been reformed to fit the Ottoman's new constitution. It stood proudly on the banks of the Bosphorus, overlooking the great city that had once been declared the Second Rome. Since the Tanazamat reforms 60 years previous, had lost much of its
political relevance. In the early days of Osman's rule, it'd been the place of many meetings but as Osman had grown older and lost interest in politics, served more as tourist attraction and symbol of the old Sublime Porte.

"He's praying, Selim. I cannot disturb Him" repeated Muhammad, the smirk still mocking the Grand Vizier. "This is important, Muhammad" snarled Selim, lifting his walking stick threateningly. Muhammad looked unperturbed at the crippled veteran standing opposite and sighed. "This isn't the army, Selim. You can't get what you want by demanding it. This is the Grand Sultan, the Caliph of our Religion, Allah's representative on Earth! His word is second only to the Prophet Muhammad, Allah be with him" replied Muhammad in a hushed tone, as if afraid Osman himself was listening. "And he said, no more little disturbances while he prays! Why, I remember the last time you came barging into here, screaming about this and that, it was all very, very queer!"

Selim Pasha hated Muhammad. Why the Sultan had chosen a young, handsome Arab as the head of his own Janissary Guard was honestly beyond him but Selim guessed it was probably at the suggestion of the army. Those thick, blowjob lips probably had something to do with it as well.

"Yes, yes" snapped the Grand Vizier, his walking stick once again by his side. "If you'd like to wait an hour, the Grand Sultan will be with you" said Muhammad, his sickly sweet smile on intensified by the twirled ends of his moustache. The Janissary Muhammad gave him a wink and minced away behind the door, slamming it after him. Selim grumbled something about a bundle of sticks as he turned to look at the waiting room. Two French style windows flanked an ancient painting of Suleiman the Magnificent and several cracked, leather armchairs occupied each corner. The carpet was dusty and the tacky wallpaper showed traces of mold.

Osman IV had once held meetings with the military in this very room 20 years previous but it had fallen into disuse during the the Greek Invasion of Cyprus, when the military and cabinet had met independent of the Sultan. Selim Pasha lowered himself into a chair slowly, groaning at a shooting pain going up his leg. It was getting worse. Old age, said the doctor. Selim himself was on the wrong side of 70 and had been born in a dying Ottoman Empire but his own pride prevented him from retiring. He intended to stay in power as long as he could and leave a stable, politically independent Ottoman Empire in his wake. His premiership had lasted since the early 40's and he intended to keep it that way, army or no army.

Selim's hand gently brushed his leg, where that old war wound was. It brought back a flood of memories.

Kara Station, Ottoman Sanjak of Syria
1917

The desert realm was silent now. Only the occasional burst of far-off gunfire cut through the dark wastes, each one sending a dark shiver down Selim's spine. He was handsome, then. The stresses of politics and age had not yet scoured his face and body but the desert sands and lack of sleep had taken their toll. Even bent within the remains of the train station, shakily reloading his rifle, one could easily see him on the front of a French fashion magazine. The sound of hooves and the trail of dust had slowly faded into the distance only minutes before but Selim still felt weary.

"Nefer Selim" hissed Dervish from somewhere outside the station. "Are you still alive?" "Y-yes, sir" mumbled Selim, not daring to peek out over the shattered wall. Dervish didn't reply but instead hopped over the wall to join his inferior. "Anyone else?" "I-I don't kn-know, sir" replied Selim, tears springing to his dark eyes. Dervish, a man with a hard face and a powerful beard, ignored the cowering Nefer and glanced over the wall.

The train station was the only source of Ottoman civilisation for miles around but days of raids and attacks from Arab cavalry had left it in ruins, a skeletal brick building that was slowly losing to the shifting sands. The tracks had been left deliberately untouched, to the relief of the Ottoman High Command.

"Those fucking towel-heads will be coming back soon, Nefer" said Dervish, that familiar glint of madness flashing in his eyes. "We'll give them hell, boy. There's a train coming in a few hours with supplies. We're going to take down as many of these fuckers as we can before it gets here". Selim nodded quickly, sniffing. "Cry for our brothers later" growled Dervish, glancing at the dead bodies, littered all over from the last raid. Friends, leaders, fathers had all died in the last raid. They had used dynamite and superior numbers to overwhelm the small Ottoman unit but the Red Star and Crescent still flapped proudly above the flaming ruins of Kara Station.

"Come on, Selim. I saw Enver fall at the machine gun but it's still up there. I have a plan" grinned Dervish, motioning his remaining soldier to follow him. The men crawled on their bellies to the doorway, avoiding rubble from the walls and the remains of their comrades. They stayed low, making their way to the tall, machine gun nest on the outskirts of the station. Selim's heart pumped hard in his chest as his hand brushed against the uniform of Enver, who had been shot from his nest and fallen 10 feet to the floor. He froze, tears springing to his eyes again. "Sir, I-I don't think I can..." he mumbled, a sob cracking his voice. Dervish already had a foot on the bottom rung of the ladder.

"Nonsense, Nefer. We will be heroes" said Dervish, a reassuring smile and an outstretched hand pulling Selim to his feet. "You understand? I don't want tears or fear or any of that. I want you to be the good soldier you've always been". He bear hugged Selim and held the young man's face in his hands. "Reinforcements in a few hours. I promise" he said, kissing the young man on the forehead. Selim nodded and wiped his running nose on his sleeve. "Up the ladder, there's a good boy. I'm right behind you" said Dervish, clapping the future Grand Vizier on the shoulder.

Selim shakily climbed up the ladder and scrambled into the tiny nest. Dervish came after him and they both crouched behind the shaky wooden structure. A machine gun, still hot to touch, lay motionless on its stand. Dervish examined it carefully, muttering to himself for some moments as his Nefer hugged his knees. "Okay, Selim. You keep a look out, I'm going to find more ammo for this gun in the stores in the cellar. You see anyone, let me know" whispered Dervish. As he shuffled past, he stopped momentarily. "This is one train that won't be late, you'll see, Selim. It'll be over before you know it" he smiled and Selim returned the favour.

Selim squinted through his binoculars, scanning the horizon for the daily dust cloud he had come to hate. This was the first time the Arabs had broken through the fence and they had wreaked havoc. No doubt they were returning to their camps to gather up another force to fully take control of the station.

Dervish picked through the bodies of his fallen comrades, collecting ammo, guns and whatever else. He paused over the body of a Turk who had lost his legs to dynamite and a fallen horse. His screams had pierced the air of the battlefield for hours until he had fallen abruptly silent at the hands of his own gun. "Allah loves a warrior" he murmured, closing the mans eyelids.

When he returned to the bottom of the ladder, Selim was peering over the edge, staring down at him. "Selim, keep look out" he hissed, shifting the collection of guns slung around his shoulder. "Don't you need help, sir?" replied Selim meekly. "No! Now check the horizon!" he retorted in hushed tones. Selim nodded and scrambled to the other side of the nest, squinting through a pair of binoculars.

In the dawn sun, at the end of the valley, he could just see the very thing he didn't want to. A large dust cloud, kicked up by the biggest force of horses he'd ever seen.

Arabs.

Topkapi Palace, Constantinople
"Selim Pasha?" asked a voice, gently shaking the Great Vizier awake. Selim awoke quickly, his bloodshot eyes madly scanning the room. His heart pumped in his chest. He was still in the Sultan's Quarters. "Selim Pasha?" repeated the man, standing up. It was Sultan Osman, casually dressed in dark robes. His impressive beard had become even greyer since Selim had seen him last. A white turban was wrapped around the Sultans head.

"My Sultan! My greatest apologies, I must of drifted off!" apologised Selim, jumping to his feet to bow. A pain shot down his leg and he audibly gasped, reaching madly for his walking stick. The Sultan gently took his Grand Vizier by the shoulder and lowered him back to his seat. "It happens to the best of us, friend" he smiled sadly. "Please, go easy on that leg. I want my Vizier in one piece".

Selim, his face red with embarassment, bowed his head in shame. His beating heart was slowing now but the pain in his leg was yet to subside. "You seemed disturbed while you slept, friend. What were you dreaming of?" asked the Sultan. "A better time, my Sultan" replied Selim, only now daring to look the Ottoman Emperor in the face. Two Janissaries flanked the Sultan, who sat on an Ottoman stool opposite the armchair that Selim had slept on. They each looked bemused but neither was Muhammad, who would of no doubt made a quip by now and stayed silent. "It's the crack of dawn, Selim. Why are you here?" asked the Sultan kindly, placing a hand on his friends.

"Kurdistan, my Sultan. It's exactly as we feared" replied Selim. "There was an explosion this afternoon. The city of Karakilise is under martial law". The Sultan sighed and scratched his beard. "When did you hear about this?" he asked finally. "Two hours ago, my Sultan. I rushed here to inform you as soon as I heard. The military are staying silent on the matter apart from that".

"Shall we move ahead on your proposal, my Sultan?" asked Selim, slowly massaging his leg at the epicentre of pain. The Sultan never answered.

Some days later

To: Tsar Alexandre V of the Russian Empire, Kaiser Wilhelm IV of the German Empire, Kaiser Franz Joseph Otto II of the Danubian Confederation, Hetman Anastasiya Artemivna Solovski of the Kingdom of Ukraine,

In light of recent events in the Ottoman Empire, I write this letter with a heavy heart. The end of the Great War was a turbulent time for many European nations and I'm sure no one would like to return to the fruitless bloodshed and anger of these times. But I fear if we do not take a united stand against evil ideologies present in our nations and neighbours, the turbulence of these times will once again begin to rock our great continent. The fingers of nationalism and communism have found their way into all of our nations and at the sixth decade of this century, I believe it is finally time to take a united stand. I am proposing to you, great, holy leaders of Europe, a co-operation of our states against the growth of these ideologies that wish to topple our states.

Communism grows on the fringes of Europe and will spread from nation to nation until all of the world follows the word of the Red Dragon, which stirs in the Far East. Already, great nations such as France and Greece have been swayed by the words of Karl Marx and its citizens placed under oppressive, atheistic regimes. Communist insurgencies are present in both Russia and Ukraine and I am open to pledging the Ottoman Empire behind the legitimate monarchies in the fight against communism. Likewise, the question of nationalism lays unanswered in many of our nations. It is my own solemn belief that all nations of Europe should be united under strong leaders and empires and I believe all of you join me in this line of thinking.

The slide of Europe towards chaos can be prevented before it becomes an unstoppable free fall. But only in our own co-operation. I look forward to a safe, holy and just Europe under our careful guidance.

Signed:

Sultan Osman IV Han, Sovereign of The Sublime House of Osman, Sultan of Sultans, Khakhan, Commander of the faithful and Successor of the Prophet of the lord of the Universe, Padishah of The Three Cities of Istanbul, Edirne and Bursa, of Anatolia, of Rumelia, of Kurdistan and all territories of the Ottoman Empire