Ascendant

The World Atomic: The War of Ideology in the 20th Century

The Republic of Nijon

(OOC post as asked by Theo with the flag he gave us.)

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

Statement by King Avandre VII on the Tara-Etelian Defensive Alliance

"It has come to my attention today that the great nations of the Coastal Empire of Tara and the Etelian Empire have decided to form a defensive alliance that seems poised directly against the Kingdom of Illesia and the great nation of the Toubrian Empire. This fact saddens me greatly, as Illesia shares an age-old heritage with the Tarans, though we have clearly drifted apart in recent centuries. It remains my hope that Tara, Illesia, and Toubres will be able to form friendly relations with one another, as I had originally hoped when I heard that the Tarans had practically already signed an alliance with Toubres not long before my proposal to my betrothed, Empress Maia Bastos. However, Illesia and Toubres will now have to stand ready against a Taran-Etelian alliance headed by an Empress who describes Toubres as a 'Menance', whatever that word means. As for this supposed slaughtering of 'innocents', my men assure me they were rebels, Serranthian ones at that, and I stand by the Illesian Military at all times. Thank you, and good day."

Selection of the Illesian Marine Corps Commandant

Recently Promoted Lieutenant General Gareth D'Amos, circa 1905

The Illesian Naval Triumvirate today announced the selection of Major General Gareth D'Amos as the first Commandant of the Illesian Marine Corps upon his return to the Illesian shores with an immediate effective promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General. Lieutenant General D'Amos has long written of, and pushed for within the Illesian Military, the formation of a Marine Corps to project Illesian power to distant shores. With his exemplary tactical and strategic performance in Toubrian Serranthia as head of the first Illesian offensive in a great amount of time and first overseas military action ever, Lieutenant General D'Amos has more than proven his capability to helm the Illesian Marine Corps. It is expected that upon his return, he shall immediately begin forming the command structure of the Corps and all other items necessary to create the Corps.

Illesian Small Arms Production

With the licensing of the Tyrian Austerf MG05 and Simon-Lowell Mark 1904 as the MG1905 and SL1904, Illesian small arms production was finally in a position to begin manufacturing high quality small arms instead of the old, obsolete Tournesol-Kamber rifles, as well as adding the innovative new machine gun to the repetoire of the Illesian Military. As such, the Illesian Military handed down the following request for small arms production:

Illesian Military Arms Requisition Order:

The Illesian Military orders the maximum production of SL1904 rifles and MG1905 machine guns that Tournesol Armureries can manufacture every month in perpetuity until otherwise notified by the Illesian Military, with the following ratio of manufacture; 7 SL1904: 1 MG1905, and that the manufactured amounts of each item be sent to the Illesian Army logistical centers for distribution with monthly reports to the Illesian Army Logistics Command on quantity of delivered items.

This essentially meant that if the Illesian small arms industry could produce $500,000 worth of weaponry and ammunition per month, assuming that rifle ammunition cost $0.40 per round, the Illesian small arms industry would produce this ratio 435 [Math: 500,000 / (314 + 7*119)] times, meaning that that month the industry should deliver 435 MG1605's and 3045 SL1904's to the Illesian Military.

((OOC: I did this math to help you out Theo, so you don't have to extrapolate the math too much.))

More Dreadlords Ordered By Illesian Navy

After further consideration by the Naval Triumvirate, the Illesian Navy has put in a request to the Toubrian shipyards to lay down and construct six more Dreadlord-class battleships for the Illesian Navy as soon as they can for the prior proposed cost of $2,050,000 per ship, for a total additional cost to the Illesian Navy of $12,300,000. This additional order resulted in a signficant amount of drinks bought and backs patted at pubs serving primarily Naval Officers in both Regoth and Marneille as the Big Gun Officers seem to entrench themselves further within Fleet circles. However, there are rumors within the Illesian Navy that as soon as the prototype submarines can be finalized, a large order will be made of them to be constructed in Illesian docks, by Illesians, for Illesians.

The names of the six new Dreadlord-class battleships will be as follows:
1. INV Cassava
2. INV Rosary Pea
3. INV Wolfsbane
4. INV White Baneberry
5. INV Belladonna
6. INV Angel's Trumpet

Los Asesinos Silenciosos Submarine Testing

A small conning tower dipped back below the ocean surface off the coasts of Regoth before a torpedo entered the water a minute later, practically invisible to anyone in the path of it. It screamed through the ocean and impacted a small wooden target sailing boat some distance away, obliterating it in a shower of wooden shards and metal shrapnel. Civilian fishermen not far away were astounded by the sight, having been cordoned off beforehand by a few tiny vessels of the Illesian Navy.

Not long after, the prototype LA-Type 2 submarine resurfaced and docked within the secret Los Asesinos Silenciosos testing facility docks, allowing Captain Akeles to climb out first, followed by his six fellow crewmembers who were eager to stretch their legs on dry land after having been within the cramped prototype sub. The Chief Engineer of Los Asesinos Silenciosos, Fernand Dubois, approached Captain Akeles, whom spoke thusly, "It works well. Firing the torpedo causes the ship to buck a bit though, maybe even enough for the vessel to have shown through the surface of the ocean."

Dubois nodded and wrote something down on a slip of paper, remarking, "We'll probably have to develop a procedure for adjusting the ballast as torpedoes are fired. Maintaining balance is crucial to the operation of the submarine. Fantastic work as always, Captain Akeles. We'll commence another test firing in a few hours once my men determine what to do about this issue."

While Los Asesinos Silenciosos had initially been intended to be an entirely secret operation to veil the Illesian development of effective and offensive submarines, with the Newsita Nationale paper blowing the lid off their cover, the submarine research division of the Illesian Navy had ceased trying to be completely secret about their development and instead now operated quite overtly, though security had been tightened significantly in the test facility in order to keep out pesky reporters. The personnel of Los Asesinos Silenciosos and Admiral Castago of the Naval Triumvirate remained steadfast in their mission of developing the first effective military submarine.

Illesian Advisors Land in Helrox, Make Headway Towards Flegleen

July 21st

Major General L'Etadre stepped briskly off the bridge leading from the IV Winter's Glory in a Helroxi port not far from the borders of the Republic of Escya, followed closely by his fellow military advisors. At the other end of the bridge awaited... no one, to which Major General L'Etadre could only balk as he muttered to himself, "Dear God, did the Helroxi not send anyone to receive us?" The advisors were forced to arrange for transport to Flegleen on their own, partially contributing to the time it took to travel there.

July 24th

When the advisors finally arrived in Flegleen, they arrived to find a city stricken by rioting protestors struggling with provincial police, forcing the small group to find a map of Flegleen from a local and plan a route to the military headquarters after talking to a few people who knew the area. In order to not attract attention, the advisors stowed their military garb and took on Helroxi civilian clothes, making their way carefully through the city while trying to avoid the worst hit areas. Finally, they would arrive at the Helroxi military HQ, convincing the guards to let them in by showing the Illesian military uniforms, medals, and ribbons they had stored in bags on their back. Upon entering, they changed back into their Illesian military uniforms, marching furiously into the building to consult with the foolish Helroxi and figure out how to salvage the situation.

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

The Illesia Navy sent notice to both the Toubrians and Tarans that they had decided to go with the Toubrian design. Unfortunately, they were disappointed with the capabilities of both shipyards as the Illesians believed it was entirely possible to go from four 12 inch guns to ten. This, apparently, would have to wait.

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

The Illesian Army decided to accept the Austerf MG05 and Simon-Lowell Mark 1904, christening the Austerf MG05 license production model as the Maskingevär 1905, or simply MG1905, and the Simon-Lowell Mark 1904 as the SL1904. From there, they honored their prior agreement with Tournesol Armureries by sending a secret request to the small arms company for the number and ratio of rifles and machine guns desired, as the number itself of delivered weapons was to be viewed as a highly confidential state secret. It was expected that Tournesol would adhere strictly to this secrecy, maintaining only records of weapons produced for itself and general revenues for tax purposes, and delivering the weapons in sealed crates to the Army's logistical centers for distribution.

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

Illesia Today

Our Front Page story today is an interview with King Avandre VII himself, who has recently come under some minor international fire for the actions of the Illesian 1st Expeditionary Force in Toubrian Serranthia.

Your Majesty, is it true that the Empire of Toubres is a puppet state of the Kingdom of Illesia?

"What kind of a nonsense statement is that? For one, I do not see how a Kingdom can have an Empire as a puppet state. It is well known right now that Illesia is merely a burgeoning regional power. To suggest Illesia is controlling Toubres is equivalent to suggesting that Queen Athena pulls the strings of the Tyrians. Such a statement is hardly worthy of even being a joke."

Of course, Your Majesty. Illesia is indeed a Kingdom and Toubres an Empire. Though, there are a growing number of detractors of Empress Bastos, claiming her to be incapable of solving Toubrian issues with Toubrian might or of 'flip-flopping'.

"Empress Bastos is perhaps the most capable young woman I've ever met. Most young women are dainty, frail things with hardly more than the thought of fashion in their minds. But not Empress Bastos. Truly, it is the rare mind I meet that contains such depth and ability to carefully plan. I will state that it was absolutely a mistake to call the Conference on the issue of the Tehmig Savages. That became apparent from day one when, as we can see from transcripts of the event, the Conference was immediately hijacked to attempt to benefit the Great Powers that had attended it. Furthermore, these Great Powers intended to create rules regarding Serranthia, without the Tarans being represented. If that fact alone doesn't discredit the ridiculous sham that the Conference became, then I do not know what will. Her blessing for Illesian intervention in Toubrian Serranthia was a master stroke in my opinion, allowing the ridiculous Conference, which had gone completely off the rails at that point, to simply fall apart and fail to create any nonsensical decisions about Serranthia that would've been unenforceable anyway."

And what of the tiny minority of Illesians and Toubrians who are apparently pacifists calling the suppression of the Tehmigs 'slaughter'?

"I say they are fools who believe the Serranthian to be equal to the Euranian. Such a belief is nonsense and has been documented time and time again to be false. If the Serranthian were equal to the Euranian, he would have great empires just as we do. But he does not. And because of that, it is the mission of the Euranian to bring civilization and empire to the Serranthian. Those that resist will be dealt with accordingly. The Tehmigs attacked and raped numerous towns full of Euranians, and so I personally sent the 1st Expeditionary Force to crush their rebellion. And considering the reports from Major General D'Amos, it has been a raging success, a true display of glory as the first Illesian offensive military action in decades, if not centuries. I also personally call upon all peoples wherever you are, if you encounter this kind of drivel about Serranthians being equal to Euranians or whatever else, to defeat their argument with the facts we all know to be true."

Absolutely, Your Majesty. While I'm here, might I get your opinion on the Second Tyro-Helroxi War?

"I fully hope for a swift end to the hostilities and a return to peace for those two nations. The war seems to have clearly developed out of a misunderstanding as far as I can tell, but such things are always clouded until history can clearly pick them apart."

And finally, what about the Cadian demands of Helrox that were recently issued?

"Vultures, the lot of them. The foul-mouthed King Roy Carl seems intent on threatening and insulting every neighboring country of Cadia, to the extent that I expect the Cadians to cease to exist as a nation within twenty years. Their only hope is overthrowing their failure of a 'King', and I use that word half-jokingly, or listening to the guidance of another nation on how to more peaceably run their affairs."

Thank you, Your Majesty, for the insights.

(+1 to all July rolls.)

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

A Helping Hand

Illesian Military High Command, The Presidium, Regoth

"So, the Helroxi want our assistance, do they?" laughed Michielle Hontas as he, along with the other members of the Marshall and Naval Triumvirates reviewed the recently received telegram from the Helrox Empire.

"Aye, seems so. The deal is sensible enough," noted Jacques L'Avon, one of the central players in the Naval Triumvirate, "I say we send some fairly capable people. Navy ones too, considering how the Helroxi got their asses handed to them on the seas against a navy less capable than their own."

King Avandre strolled into the chamber, adjusting his coat and removing his hat before being informed of the situation, at which point the young King took his seat between the two Triumvirates and ruminated for a few minutes. Finally, he told them, "Let's help the Helrox as best we can. But risking the lives of Illesian soldiers in this conflict between hundreds of thousands of men seems nonsensical. Not to mention the fact the Tyrians might try to intercept the ships transporting them if they catch wind of this. Let's send the advisors on a commercial vessel as quietly as possible to Helrox. No rifles, no ammunition, or any other kind of weapon. Nothing the Tyrians can claim as substantial assistance to the Helrox. Marshall and Naval Triumvirates, you have your orders. Pick your men, and send them out as soon as you can."

After the King left, the Marshall and Naval Triumvirates chose the men they felt best suitable to the job, sending them orders to convene in Regoth before boarding the commercial Illesian trading vessel, IV Winter's Glory, and setting sail for the Helroxi shores near the Republic of Escya. Winter's Glory would be taking the longer sea route near Yorgnir, followed by the Marnish Kingdom, in order to avoid any potential Tyrian interference. Once in Helroxi lands, the advisors expected to be met by Helroxi representatives, as the Illesian Kingdom sent a telegram accepting the deal and informing the Helrox of where they planned to send the advisors and when they should arrive.

The advisors were the following men:

1. Major General Oliver L'Etadre of the 17th Infantry Division. L'Etadre was known far and wide within the Illesian Military as an up-and-coming young man who'd managed to attain the rank of Major General almost by force of will and using a few connections at the age of 36, nearly a decade younger than most Illesian Major Generals. It was expected that he would become one of the preeminent military minds in the future for Illesia.

2. Brigadier General August Jules of the 17th Infantry Division. Jules is L'Etadre's right hand man, well accustomed to his superior and capable of anticipating many of the man's maneuvers and desires.

3. Brigadier General Rolf Roscoe of the 17th Infantry Division. Roscoe is in many ways a quiet, reserved man, but this quality tends to disappear when one looks deeper. He has personally been attributed with a number of aggressive offensives during Illesian War Games, and this quality is likely to show itself in the Second Tyro-Helroxi War.

4. Rear Admiral Samuel Bjorn. Bjorn tends to believe heavily in playing by the tried and true methods of naval warfare, in particular, not attempting to sink an enemy fleet at port.

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

Building the Future

The complete lack of railroads had not gone unnoticed by the King of Illesia. Whilst other, often far greater, powers had significantly more of these constructions, Illesia had none. This was undoubtedly due almost entirely to Illesia's heavy reliance upon agriculture as her main export, but if Illesia were to become great, the Illesians had to strive forward into the future. A plan for roads had already been laid down by the efforts of the Committee on Infrastructure, and so, a further order was sent down by the King. The Committee was now to seek out the best choice they could find to perform the role of CEO an Illesian state-owned rail company within three months that would be known as the "Illesian Rail Monopoly." Empowered with an absolute monopoly on the laying of railroads and running of locomotives for those rail lines, the Illesian Rail Monopoly, or IRM, were instructed to develop the rail network of Illesia as follows:

Planned Illesian Rail Network with Road Network Included

Railroads are crossed by black lines, roads are not.

This process was to be much the same as that for the road network, with the following phases:

1. Red Phase, this rail line is intended to link Ironhold through Regoth and Marneille.
2. Light Green Phase, this rail line will link Juliad to Ironhold and Levandre to Marneille primarily.
3. Dark Green Phase, this rail line will link Svenhold into the network along with San Marco's and Marshos.
4. Yellow Phase, this rail line links Cuidad de Angeles as well as L'Eria and on to Turinne into the network.
5. Brown Phase, this rail line links Vierzon and forms a connecting link between Turinne and Marshos.
6. Cyan Phase, this rail line primarily functions to form a shorter link between Cuidad de Angeles and L'Eria, as well as to further strengthen the Western Rail Network.
7. Pink Phase, these lines primarily strengthen the ability of the Western Rail Network to function even under duress, and shortens some paths.

The IRM was to focus primarily upon transport of industrial materials, but will also have capabilities to transport passengers. Its secondary goal is to be able to provide rail-based logistics for the Illesian Army. King Avandre believes that a solid rail network will enormously strengthen the Illesian economy as factories can more easily receive and distribute goods without relying on the sea lanes, with the bonus of the developed road network hopefully assisting as well.

Monetarily, the IRM is to receive an initial funding of $5,000,000 from which it will begin purchasing locomotives and building rail as soon as humanly possible. The CEO of the IRM will be allowed to make requests for additional funds by contacting the Committee on Infrastructure.

A Marine Corps Of Our Own

The combined minds of the Marshall and Naval Triumvirates along with King Avandre have come to the decision that a dedicated force of highly trained and talented soldiers capable of numerous tactics included the assault of foreign shores is going to be sorely needed in the near future of Illesia. Considering this, King Avandre has ordered that the Illesian Marine Corps be established beneath the Illesian Navy. The Illesian Marines are to be highly skilled, well-paid soldiers of the utmost physical quality and ferocity, capable of executing with an incredible degree of efficiency: amphibious assaults, boarding actions, mountain climbing, raid tactics, maneuvering in concert with Army and Navy forces, infiltrations, reconnaissance, night operations, and any other tactic that the Commandant of the Illesian Marines or his subordinates can devise.

The Marshall Triumvirate is to choose the best men it feels suitable for the job to form the initial command structure of the Marines, with the Military planning to build a Marine force of undisclosed numbers. They will be trained primarily at a camp in Regoth, though their six-month minimum training will see Marine Recruits travelling all over Illesia to endure various environments.

Stirring New Business

Continuing to look towards the future, King Avandre VII has consulted with the Committee on National Finances as well as a number of highly regarded economist such as Ralph Laurvan, a university academic who has spent his life trying to understand the fluxuations of economies and their causes, as well as a number of business owners in Regoth. Together, they have all come to the conclusion that one of the primary hurdles to a business, especially when starting up, is the tax burden upon them. To address this issue, King Avandre VII signs The Nascent Commerce Tax Act of 1905. The objective of this act is simple; help ignite the furnace of the Illesian economy by incentivizing the growth of new businesses within in. It is believed that this Act will help motivate a number of entrepreneurs and investors to start businesses and take risks they otherwise would not have, with the potential for enormous growth and pay-off.

The Nascent Commerce Tax Act of 1905

In order to encourage the growth of new businesses in Illesia as well as the economic growth and innovation that the appearance of these businesses brings, King Avandre VII hereby declares that all new businesses that:

1. Are started in Illesia after the passing of this Act;
2. Are started and owned by an Illesian national or majority owned by Illesian nationals;
3. Are not attempting to manipulate this Act in a fraudulent manner to avoid paying their taxes such as closing a business and reopening it under a new name or any other financial trickery as determined by the Ministry of Taxation.

Businesses that meet these three requirements will be considered new by the Ministry of Taxation and will be temporarily taxed only 10% of their revenue for two years after their founding instead of the usual 33.5%. To receive this tax break, when a new business sends in its tax forms, it will notify the Ministry of Taxation on the forms that it is a new business. If the Ministry of Taxation chooses to audit the business and discovers that the individuals or other entities that started the business lied to make the business appear as if it were started after the passing of this Act when in truth the business that existed before the passing of this Act, even under a different name or ownership, the business will be fined an amount equivalent to the amount of tax the business should have paid during the time it was receiving the tax break.

Sowing the Seed of a Shipbuilding Empire

With the distinct need for war-ready shipbuilding capacity in the Illesian Kingdom, and already on a roll when it comes to planning and ordering the development of new infrastructure, King Avandre VII consulted further with the Naval Triumvirate and Committee on National Finances this month before ordering the construction of a 7,000 ton, 5,000 ton, and five 2,000 ton drydocks primarily distributed between Regoth and Marneille. The Committee on Infrastructure is to oversee their construction, receiving bids from various companies and choosing the lowest bids within three months. The necessary funds, determined from the summation of the low bids of these companies, will be transferred from the Treasury to the companies.

These drydocks will then be given over to the winners of the following contest, which is designed to foster an Illesian-based shipbuilding and design company, one that will design, test, and build the latest Illesian fleets,

Illesian War-Ready Cruiser Design Contest

To all Illesians interested and willing to form a private shipbuilding company, King Avandre VII challenges you to:

Design and have built, even by a foreign drydock, a War-Ready Cruiser with the following specifications:

1. Mounts at least eight 6-inch guns, eight 12-pounder guns, and at least two torpedo tubes but preferably four,
2. Has a top speed of at least 20 knots, preferably higher,
3. Has deck armour ranging from 1.5 to 3 inches.
4. Has gun shields with at least 3 inches of armor.
5. Has a conning tower with at least 5 inches of armor.
6. Holds enough ammunition for the main and secondary guns to fire continuously for at least forty minutes.
7. Does not displace more than 7,000 tons.

All participants will have one year and three months from the announcement of this contest to design and build the cruiser before presenting it before King Avandre VII, and whatever staff he chooses to judge the contest, off the shores of Regoth. The winning company chosen will receive ownership of a 7,000 ton drydock, a 5,000 ton drydock, and five 2,000 ton drydocks, already built or under construction by the Illesian Kingdom, as well as a contract to produce a to-be-discussed number of their designed cruiser. Beyond this, further requests will be made for more designs of various classes.

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

A middle-aged Illesian sat reading the paper as hundreds of people strolled past him on foot and in horse-drawn carriages in the city of Regoth. Sprawled across it were the words, "Second War In The West!" His eyebrows furrowed as he looked closer at the article, mentally remarking how distance the Vigento-Julian war had seemed. And yet, another war had erupted in the West. Slowly, it appeared as if conflict was crawling its way East, and that was not something the man wanted. So long as Illesia stayed out of the distant conflict between giants, the man was at least somewhat at ease.

(OOC: +1 To All Orders For June)

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

An Engineer With A Vision

It was a humid May night as Charles Amlore and the engineering team that currently composed Yorvagr Motor Company remained hard at work after hours in the shop. One Segaso Modello 1 sat untouched in the corner of the workshop that composed Northman Machining, with multiple drawing boards next to it that held replications of its design and Segaso Systéme 3.2HP engine, all labeled carefully as well as the way in which the order in which every part was added. Not far away was the undisturbed Karqasia Model V with its K.A. 6HP engine and associated diagrams as well as a still-assembled Forino 4HP motor.

About twenty yards away, nestled against the wall of the shop and surrounded by numerous machines to create parts as well as a number of blank drawing boards and the men of Yorvagr, were the mostly disassembled models of each automobile and the Forino engine. Amlore in particular stood in front of each of the three competing engines' parts, looking at each in detail as he took a slow drag on his cigar. After exhaling a plume of smoke that only added to that which already hung in the air from his fellow engineers, the man pointed at each one, "What do you each of you see in common with these engines?"

For a few moments, everyone looked at each of them before Harold Yngold, the burly near-Dwarf muttered, "They're too bloody hard to take apart."

Amlore chuckled, nodding at the same time before adding, "That is true. But there is more."

"They all use two cylinders," noted Samuelle.

To that, the Chief Engineer nodded again, taking another puff of the cigar, "Also correct. Put simply, these engines are a bitch to maintain and they're also rather inefficient in a way." Slowly circling the three engines he spoke, motioning to each one occasionally, "The K.A. is essentially just a replica of the Forino, and the Segaso isn't much different either. They're all made of an astonishing number of parts, and it would take even an intelligent person quite a while to disassemble them if something went wrong and say, a valve needed to be replaced. I've been reading up on the theory behind how these engines work as well, and I've come to the conclusion that we need to expand to four cylinders."

Harold stroked his beard for a moment, taking a draught of beer afterwards before asking, "What makes you say that, boss?"

Smiling, Amlore raised a hand to reveal four fingers, "There are fundamentally four processes that a cylinder undergoes when it operates. Fuel and air come in, they get compressed and then ignited by the spark plugs, then this hot gas pushes against the valve of the cylinder and is eventually expelled to be replaced with fresh air and fuel. So what might happen with two cylinders?"

The youngest engineer, Robére, slowly said as if unsure, "They get mixed together."
Clapping his hands together before forcefully pointing at Robére, Amlore continued, "That's absolutely the right answer. Mixed together to the point where, if you think about it, the old, spent fuel and air gets mixed with the new air-fuel mixture. That means the engine isn't as powerful as it could be. Now, if we design an engine that isolates intake of the new fuel-air mixture from the old, compression, ignition and power stroke, followed by exhaust of the spent fuel-air mixture, the result should be a much more efficient, powerful engine. And if we take it one step further," once more, the man brought those four fingers out, "we can have a cylinder doing each process at one time. So there will always be a cylinder performing the power stroke, followed by exhaust, and so on!"

Brushing his grayed hair back over his head, Amlore continued to pace, rubbing his chin thoroughly, "We've also got to reduce the complexity of the engine. We need to keep it simple. Keep everything simple. The more simple it is, the easier it is to build, maintain, and the less it'll cost. Every part we don't need needs to be stripped or fused into another. We'll make the cylinders be fused together into a single cast iron engine block, and then have the head be detachable so engineers and mechanics can more easily fix problems inside and so the car can be assembled faster... We'll strip all the unnecessary crap off the car, then try to use simpler materials instead of extravagant leather for instance. The cheaper it is to build in terms of material costs, the better, but," Amlore waved outwards towards the team, encompassing all of them, "labor needs to be taken into account too. The Segaso is mass manufactured, so we'll do the same, but we're going to do it even better!"

Taking a deep breath before stopping in front of the crew, Amlore finished his half speech half rant with, "And the objective is simple: not only meet the expectations of the contest, but attempt to go beyond them. I want us to revolutionize the automobile, even more than our competitors have revolutionized it. I want to make the automobile so affordable that even beggars will drive them. And everyone will want one. And we'll all be rich beyond our wildest imaginations!"

There was a chorus of "Here here" as the men raised their glasses and cigars, quickly setting about work attempting to revolutionize the fledging industry. From a simple machining workshop in the quiet city of Ynghold, in the quiet nation of Illesia, six men had a fair chance to succeed enormously.

Shaping an Army

A group of young Illesian recruits gathered together in the morning of May 17th for their daily meeting, some of them sipping mugs of ale and talking amongst themselves when the group was quieted with an aggressive shout, "At-ten-tion! Get in formation!"

Haphazardly and frantically, the group tried to align themselves and take up the position of attention as the sergeant approached, clutching a piece of paper in his right hand that he unraveled, yelling, "Alright, recr- Jamey, shut your goddamn mouth, now! And put down that fucking mug of ale! Now, listen up: The Illesian military is beginning to undergo a long series of changes with the goal of adhering to the following standards, handed down by the Marshall Triumvirate themselves. When we were focused entirely on defense, we became complacent. From now, we are going to push ourselves, all of us, together, to be the absolute best we can possibly be. And that starts today, here, with all of you. All of your fellow soldiers will also immediately be put into harsh physical training as well, so don't worry. Now, the standards that we are going to push your sorry asses to meet are as follows," the sergeant began reading directly from the parchment,

"1. Ability to lift at least 120 pounds of weight above the Soldier's head.
2. Ability to carry at least 80 pounds of total gear and equipment on the Soldier's body and march with it for at least six hours while covering at least twenty miles with few breaks for rest.
3. Ability to run three miles unencumbered within thirty minutes.
4. Ability to sprint 300 yards within 70 seconds.
5. Ability to perform ten pull-ups without resting.
6. Ability to perform fifty crunches without resting.
7. Ability to pass a marksmanship course that presents a Soldier with man-sized targets at 200, 300, and 400 yards. Every Soldier gets 50 rounds to use, and there are 20 targets at 200 yards, 20 targets at 300 yards, and 10 targets at 400 yards. To pass, the Soldier must hit at least thirty-five targets. To receive the distinction of 'Marksman' with accompanying ribbon and 10% more pay per month, the Soldier must hit at least forty-two targets. To receive the distinction of 'Eagle' with accompanying ribbon and 30% more pay per month, the Soldier must hit forty-eight targets.
8. Ability to disassemble and reassemble the Soldier's rifle within four minutes, blindfolded.
9. Ability to quickly re-establish chain of command when the Soldier's commanding officer is incapacitated.
10. Ability to stand at attention, in formation, without moving or talking, for at minimum three hours.
11. Ability to understand and execute the orders of the Soldier's commanding officer nearly flawlessly.
12. Ability to identify all ranks within the Illesian Army and respond accordingly.
13. Ability to perform basic live-saving first aid on a fellow Soldier.
14. Ability to properly wear the dress uniform of the Illesian Army.
15. It is unacceptable for a Soldier to be Drunk, Disorderly, Insubordinate, to Assault a Fellow Soldier or Officer, or to perform any other activity deemed unsavory by their commanding officers or the Military as a whole while on duty and ideally while off duty as well."

For a few minutes, the sergeant remained quiet, letting his words sink into the group as some of their faces paled. Many of them had initially signed up believing that a job with the Illesian military was an easy one, considering they had barely fought anyone for longer than most could remember. That belief died that day. In the ensuing months, a number of Illesians would fail to push themselves hard enough to make acceptable progress towards the standards and be replaced with fresh bodies, but Illesia would eventually persevere as every Illesian soldier was ordered to begin a significant amount of physical and mental conditioning.

Arming an Army

Alexander Felize stood before the Committee on National Finances which had convened with the Marshall Triumvirate and King Avandre VII present on May 23rd. Felize was quite the elder businessman, having performed the job of CEO of Tournesol Armureries for decades. Tournesol was literally the oldest arms manufacturer in the world, and it was in dire straits. Debt was up enormously and only piling on more and more as the interest weighed in while no one seemed to be buying their outdated rifles anymore. And so, Felize had decided to come before the government in person, essentially begging for work in order to save the company, its employees, and the lineage that Tournesol represented.

King Avandre himself had appeared, a fact which thoroughly surprised the old CEO as the King slid a paper towards Felize to pick up and read, "The Marshall Triumvirate, the Committee on National Finances, and myself, have inspected your request, Mister Felize, and we have come to a simple conclusion..." Felize's heart weighed heavily in his chest during that long pause Avandre gave, "and that is, that your rifles are obsolete. It's been, what, a decade since you designed a new rifle?" For a moment, Felize began to correct him before Avandre forcefully continued, "Exactly how long doesn't matter. The point is, Illesia needs a new rifle. We also want to try out some of these new machine guns that have been getting passed around, so that contract is fairly straightforward. If Tournesol Armureries can license the most up to date, effective and best rifle and machine guns designs from another private company, even a foreign one, within three months, for at least a period of one year of production, Illesia will buy every single rifle, machine gun, and round of ammunition your company can produce. Of course, we expect all of these items to be in working order."

Eyes going wide, Felize slowly stepped towards the paper and took hold of it, signing his name where it was supposed to go, binding the government to its promise. As the man signed though, Avandre leaned forward and placed a single hand upon the paper, "Mister Felize, do not give the government of Illesia subpar weapons. It may not end well for you. We hope for your success. Oh, and, I want you to think carefully about this and ask your engineers, then inform us within a month whether or not your company can design rifle, machine gun, and field gun designs on par or better than current designs. Within a reasonable period of time, of course. If you can pull it off, Illesia will likely give Tournesol a contract for the production of those weapons. And don't lie to me, Mister Felize. I will personally take affront to it if you do." Avandre smiled and leaned back in his seat, releasing the paper.

Gulping profusely, Alexander Felize bowed multiple times to the assembled men, "Yes, your Majesty. I will get right on all of your requests. Tournesol will do all that they can to not fail you."

Forgotten Deadlines

Fitzgerald was sitting quietly in the Committee on Infrastructure's conference room on May 25th when he received a paper from his secretary emblazoned with the King's own seal. Opening it, he quietly summed it up for the assembled Committee, "The King wishes to receive reports on our progress every two months, and informs us that we have six months to disburse all $5,000,000."

A wriggly old turtle of a man, Saribold, shrugged next to Fitzgerald, "Alright. I was a bit surprised that the rest of the government had forgotten their deadline when they formed our Committee. Usually they're more clear.

(OOC: +1 to all Orders for May.)

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

The Tip of the Spear

May 9th, The Illesian Capitol of Regoth, The Presidium, Military High Command

Major General Gareth D'Amos stood solemnly as the elevator ascended to the top floor of the Presidium. The 49-year-old officer's hair had entirely grayed by this point in his life, though much of it had been cut a few millimeters from the scalp. Crease lines adorned his somewhat olive-colored face and seemed to concentrate around his ever-squinted brown eyes. D'Amos was universally recognized within the Illesian Army as perhaps the most experienced and capable infantry commander they had, though that wasn't enormous praise considering the general state of the defensive-minded Illesians.

Nonetheless, D'Amos walked faithfully into the conference room, startled for a moment as he recognized King Avandre VII as well as the entire Marshall and Naval Triumvirates. Stepping into the center of the curved table, all seven of their faces looked at him expectantly, to which D'Amos pounded his chest with his right hand and bowed deeply, nearly causing his military cap to fall off.

King Avandre declared, "Welcome, Illesian brother and Major General D'Amos. We of High Command have a special military operation for you to carry out, of the utmost national importance."

D'Amos finally lifted his bow, "I am ready as always to serve Illesia."

The King motioned towards one of the Marshall Triumvir, Michielle Hontas, who slid a folder towards D'Amos. D'Amos picked it up, leafed through it for a few moments, raising his eyebrows as he remarked, "The King and the Triumvirate is certain they wish to send Illesian forces onto Toubrian soil, in what is one of the first offensive foreign actions we've done in a very long time?"

"The King and the Empress of Toubres are to be married in three months. Their soil may not be de jure Illesia, but it might as well be. The same goes for our soil," responded Triumvir Hontas.

Deciding to add Hontas' words, Avandre spoke, "This is to be the beginning of a new era for Illesia, Major General, and you are the tip of the spear."

Appearing to give no emotion, the Major General once more pounded his chest and bowed, "Yes, My Lord. I will exercise your Will as best I can."