silver or lead

The Rise of the Second Kingdom of Osteria

Conrad Sforza

It was a gathering of crows, circling for any scraps of flesh that could be gorged upon now that the King's spirit had been released from its mortal shell. For Baron Conrad Sforza, the death of the King was concerning but only in the aspect of who would fight for his possessions. As a warrior, Sforza could appreciate that politics much represented a battlefield -- just in a different sphere. Deals would be struck, betrayals would occur, and fortunes would change drastically.

As a man of honor, Conrad Sforza had his misgivings about his liege lord. Reigning from on high on the Summit, Duke Conrad had an enigmatic reputation. It wasn't one that endeared itself to a man like Conrad who had fought and killed the abominations of the Flood Plains since the tender age of twelve. Yet he was his liege lord, Conrad had sworn an oath to serve him and more importantly he had sworn an oath to God.

Calloused fingertips toyed with the prayer beads that hung around the Baron's neck. While the Duke's made their speeches, Sforza attempted to gauge the men infront of him. Each man had their own ambitions and behind every flowery speech, there hid a ruthless bastard. None that Sforza regarded very highly above his own master. Betrayal remained out of the question. The Barony of Lussex would rely on the gold that would come from the Summit and in order to ensure that it continued to flow, he knew where he had to throw his support.

'' My Lords and Ladies... '' Baron Sforza said rising. He took no pleasure in the brief attention that his words brought. A scowl slid over his ravaged and pockmarked jaw. '' I have no aspirations for Kingship. I only wish to see the best candidate for Osteria...and there is no better man Duke Conrad. '' Perhaps that was stretching the truth but if Sforza could turn the support for Conrad from a trickle to a landslide, perhaps they could avoid bloodshed from competing claimants.

Perhaps.

The Rise of the Second Kingdom of Osteria

Name of Lord Baron Conrad Sforza
Physical Description:

Once described as tall, blonde, and handsome with light green eyes, the Red Pox has left Baron Sforza pockmarked and disfigured. While he survived the effects of the disease, it was not without cost. The Baron has shaved his head, except for a warriors top knot. His body is marked from scars, both from the diseases, battle wounds, and self inflicted lashes when Sforza is in a particularly zealous mood.

Claimed Fief: Lussex
Basic History:

Conrad Sforza was never expected to rule or inherit, the third son of Francesco Sforza, it was expected that Conrad would have to seek his fortune on the battlefield or don the robes of a priest. But then the Red Pox ravaged Lussex, three generations of Sforza's were consigned to the earth. Conrad, a teenager survived the pox, but the plague left him physically ravaged in both body and mind.

Conrad believed that he was spared for a reason, the boy who once scoffed at the notion of God and sought the pleasures of flesh now spends hours in silent prayer. While some have called Conrad's sanity into question, no one can doubt his bravery in battle. The Baron personally leads the Lussex Flagbearers against the wretched creatures of the Floodplain's, trusting in God and his sword arm to bring him victory against the wretched abominations.

The Sforza's call their ancestral keep of Cambria home. The castle town is once a shadow of its former self, a relic of the age when the Sforza's answered to no King or liege lord. Time like everything else however has brought a great deal of change. Now the Sforza's pay lip service to the Summit. While Conrad has sworn an oath of loyalty to liege and god, the actions of his Duke and his mysterious past have never sat well with the man who now occupies Cambria. With the throne vacant, uncertain times lay ahead for Osteria and its people.

Background: Champion

The Rise of the Second Kingdom of Osteria

Name of Lord Baron Conrad Sforza
Physical Description:

Once described as tall, blonde, and handsome with light green eyes, the Red Pox has left Baron Sforza pockmarked and disfigured. While he survived the effects of the disease, it was not without cost. The Baron has shaved his head, except for a warriors top knot. His body is marked from scars, both from the diseases, battle wounds, and self inflicted lashes when Sforza is in a particularly zealous mood.

Claimed Fief: Lussex
Basic History:

Conrad Sforza was never expected to rule or inherit, the third son of Francesco Sforza, it was expected that Conrad would have to seek his fortune on the battlefield or don the robes of a priest. But then the Red Pox ravaged Lussex, three generations of Sforza's were consigned to the earth. Conrad, a teenager survived the pox, but the plague left him physically ravaged in both body and mind.

Conrad believed that he was spared for a reason, the boy who once scoffed at the notion of God and sought the pleasures of flesh now spends hours in silent prayer. While some have called Conrad's sanity into question, no one can doubt his bravery in battle. The Baron personally leads the Lussex Flagbearers against the wretched creatures of the Floodplain's, trusting in God and his sword arm to bring him victory against the wretched abominations.

The Sforza's call their ancestral keep of Cambria home. The castle town is once a shadow of its former self, a relic of the age when the Sforza's answered to no King or liege lord. Time like everything else however has brought a great deal of change. Now the Sforza's pay lip service to the Summit. While Conrad has sworn an oath of loyalty to liege and god, the actions of his Duke and his mysterious past have never sat well with the man who now occupies Cambria. With the throne vacant, uncertain times lay ahead for Osteria and its people.

Background: Champion

Age of Nations [Post 1815 to 1915 RP]

I'm in.

Salute to the Fallen (Reboot)

Kingdom of Jouran

The National Review

Field Marshal Gustaw Von Kruger Oversees Exercises:
The Jouranian National Army (JNA) has begun military exercises alongside the Imperial Tyro-Antari Army. It is expected that two infantry divisions, the First and Third, will begin mock exercises aimed at defending against an attack by a foreign aggressor. The exercise comes on the heels after King Rictus Von Wulfram has publicly decried Kavonian’s attempts at ‘saber rattling’ in recent days. ‘’ In hindsight, the aggressiveness displayed by our neighbors only justifies our recent efforts to re-arm, re-equip- and prepare the National Army for conflict. ‘’

Labor Party Protests in Parliament:
The Labor Party protested the government’s decision to remain silent on the unrest brewing in the Tyro-Antari Empire. Recently elected former General Richard Moraclev called recent civil suppression laws in the Empire as a ‘’ disgrace ‘’ and questioned why there was no resolution yet on the infamous Carlsburg Massacre. ‘’ This government is intent on remaining silent on all aspects of its relationship with the Tyro-Antari Empire from the death of its own civilians to ignoring the abuses of rights of ethnic minorities within our own former homeland. It was these protests in the past that allowed our own nation to peacefully form. ‘’

(Quickie post, sorry I've been away guys. Work has been insane.)

Salute to the Fallen (Reboot)

Kingdom of Jouran

Prime Minister Courts Foreign Support:
Prime Minister Josef Masaryk praised the support offered by the Saurellian and Tyro - Antari Empire's for their stances in supporting the Kingdom's right to defend itself. The Prime Minister slammed the Staratian declaration in a session before Parliament... '' with a nation that has two million men under arms to criticize our government's defense expenditure is laughable. If there is no threats on the continent, then perhaps the Republic should think of disbanding some of its own troops? '' The Prime Minister went on to dismiss Kavonian attempts at inflaming the situation on the continent.

General Gustaw Kruger Promoted:
Lieutenant General Gustaw Von Kruger was promoted to Field Marshal today, replacing outgoing General Lech Kuziora as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. A veteran of the War of the Seven King's where he commanded an infantry battalion, Kruger gained a fierce reputation and an innovative tactician in using artillery fire to break enemy defensive positions. General Gustaw has been a fierce proponent of the re-arming of the military, calling it '' vital '' for the nation's self defense.

Controversial Writer Roman Tacik Gives Inflammatory Speech:
Controversial author Roman Tacik gave a speech to a sold out crowd of six hundred at the Trybusz Theater. The well known nationalist and proponent of '' Greater Jouran '' (a theory that states the ancient Kingdom of Jouran existed in parts of present day Dongaria, Parmua, and Kavonia) warned that the so called Kavonian Crisis was a very threat to the nations existence. '' These Kavonian dogs seek to provoke a war and overrun our borders like they have in ages past. We say again as a people, no more! We will fight to the last inch, the last drop of blood to keep these savages from our sacred soil! '' It is expected that Tacik will run for parliament in the upcoming elections, though no announcement is forthcoming. The government has denied that Tacik's position reflects their own but it is rumored that Tacik enjoys widespread support within the officer corp of the Royal Army.

-- SPEND 1 POLITICAL CLOUT TO RECRUIT GENERAL

Salute to the Fallen (Reboot)

Kingdom of Jouran

Government Defends Military Budget:
Prime Minister Josef Masaryk defended the government’s massive expansion of its Armed Forces in a session of Parliament today and later in a speech that was broadcast by radio. ‘’ The Jouranian Government maintains its rights to field its own standing army and to have military parity with its neighbors. This is an inalienable right of a sovereign nation. We reject all claims that Jouran is seeking renewed war or conflict on the continent. But we will not sacrifice our national rights to self-defense nor rely on other nations to grant it for us. Dongaria fields an army triple the size of the Jouranian National Army. Do we protest? No. But nor will we allow this new nation, which we have all fought so hard for, to be consigned to the ash heap of history because we did not invest in the manpower, equipment, and training to defend our homeland. ‘’

King Rictus Conducts State Visit to Tyro-Antari Empire:
In a move no doubt to smooth over ruffled feathers, King Rictus Von Wolframm is set to visit his cousin and Emperor in the Tyro-Antari Empire. The King is expected to stay for more than a week in the Imperial Capital, meeting government officials and promoting ‘’ Jouranian – Imperial ancestral ties of friendship’. The move comes as the Great Powers are set to meet over Kavonian complaints of Jouranian militarization, complaints that the King has called a ‘’ foreign conspiracy to strip the nation of its sovereign rights as a state. ‘’

Ministry of Trade Threatens Retaliation:
The Ministry of Trade released a statement stating that if neighboring states began a ‘’ trade war against Jouran then the Kingdom would respond in kind against any and all measures, within legal means. ‘’ The statement did not elaborate on what those means could be but some measures could include the banning of certain imports and raising tariffs at border crossings. Meanwhile, Jouranian factories began producing the first batches of an estimated eighty thousand rifles that are destined for the army. Tiva Arms & Manufacturing President Milos Sovotka praised the government for the arms contract that would allow the ‘’ military to perform its national duties. ‘’

Salute to the Fallen (Reboot)

Kingdom of Jouran

Colonel Bohdan liked to consider intelligence work like fishing. You set the bait, cast your rod, and then waited for the fish to nibble on the hook. It had been six years since Jouran had achieved statehood, in that time Bohdan had seen new nations rise, others get swallowed up, and Empire’s slowly begin their march to decay. Yet some things never changed. The Kingdom of Jouran was under threat at its borders as it had been during the time of its Duke’s. It had been the continent’s rabbit, constantly fought on, trod on, and occupied. The result was an ethnic blend that made up Jouran’s fabric to this day.

The Colonel for his part was determined that there would be no more dramatic shifts of fate on this sea of change. The most dramatic of which was from the neighboring state of Dongaria. If any country posed a dramatic threat, with a million men under arms, it was Jouran’s neighbors to the northwest. With its dilapidated defenses, the newly born nation was in a peculiar position. But if the Dongarian’s were to cross the river, then the Colonel was determined that his countrymen would not be caught by surprise.

The Royal Jouranian Intelligence Service functioned like a well-oiled machine. Unlike the Jouranian National Army, the RJI was one of the few entities within the Kingdom that did not have the Tyro-Antari’s fingerprints all over it. It was formed nearly twenty years ago to keep an eye on the various political movements and most of all at the time, a boot on the throat of the Duke’s enemies. During the War of the Seven King’s, the intelligence given to their Imperial counterparts had been dismissed as inadequate. It had resulted In a great deal of Jouran’s sons returning home in pine boxes, including Bohdan’s own son.

For the moment however, the Colonel was ensuring that his net was cast wide to gather up whatever bits of information he could. Everything could be valuble, a rumor, a word, at the Royal Jouranian Headquarters everything was disseminated by the Intelligence units before new orders were given to agents in the field. The Colonel for his part acted as the medical examiner at the autopsy. It was up to him to sift through the body of work and see what would go in the final report to his superiors. With that thought in mind, the Colonel dusted off his reading glasses, eased himself into his favorite padded chair, and began to sift through the pile of neatly stacked papers on his desk.

182nd Infantry Regiment: Jouran-Dongarian Border:

‘’ THE KING NEEDS YOU! ‘’

The mustachioed poster had declared six months ago on the streets of the capital. It was one such advertisement that littered the streets of the capital, loudly boasting the benefits the young but growing Jouranian National Army. At its height, the force was barely under a hundred thousand men but the Legislature was pushing for the forces sized to be nearly doubted.

The posters promised warm lodgings, good pay, and three square meals a day.

Instead, Private Hynek had found a force that was giving wooden rifles to its recruits in order for them to train. When Hynek was issued his rifle, he found it to be as old as the one his grandfather had used when he had been in the Imperial Army. The Private lit a new cigarette, coughing as he wave away the swirl of smoke. It was a rainy, miserable day on the border. He squinted to see any moving figures opposite his small guard post but for the moment the Dongarian border was quiet. No masses of troops waiting to cross, no makeshift bridges, though Hynek truly wondered if the day did come if the JNA would be in a position to stop them.

The National Review

The Nations premier source for news

War Hero to stand for Parliament:
Retired General Richard Moraclev is expected to run under the Labor Platform and challenge Conservative incumbent Jan Radzkey in Parliament to represent the Asov region. Moraclev is noted for his service during the War of the Seven King’s, where he commanded the Eighth Infantry Regiment during the Siege of Fusan. The Eighth Infantry Division survived a grueling eight month siege in defense of the industrial city of Fusan. It wasn’t until Tyro-Antari forces managed to launch a counteroffensive that the Eighth Infantry division was able to withdraw. Still, the General is considered to have his own share of baggage. A vocal proponent of Jouran’s role in the war against Blutland, Moraclev was briefly arrested and detained for his criticism of the Emperor during the War and eventually resigned his commission.

Foreign Minister Calls for Extradition:
Foreign Minister Karel Radovitz has called for the Tyro-Antari Government for a speedy investigation into the Carlsburg affair, saying that ‘’ this crime has gone unanswered for years, the victims and their families deserve justice. I will be working with my counterparts to ensure that the accused see the inside of a courtroom to finally answer for the massacre. ‘’ A special prosecutor and team from the Royal Gendarmerie have been dispatched to the Empire to assist in the investigation.

National Budget

Starting GDP: 6.5 billion (-2 billion due to arms production)

-- Administration:
Stability: 54 = 1.35 billion
-2 Stability from Arms Factory
Total Upkeep: 1.35 billion

-- Infrastructure:
Current Infrastructure: 0
Increase Infrastructure by five: 1 Billion
Total Expenditure: 1 Billion

-- Automobile
Current Automobile: 0
Increase Automobile Industry by one: 250 million

-- Industry:
Total upkeep: 250 million
Factory Production: x 2 Factory producing = 80,000 rifles, 40 cannons.
Build Arms Factory: Two billion twenty million

-- Military:
Standing Army = 90,000 = Two hundred seventy million
Reservists = 150,000 = One hundred fifty million
Total Upkeep: 420 million

Recruit: 120,000 regular soldiers.
Total Expenditure: Two hundred forty million

Design & Development:

Rifle Design:
KR- 30 Mk II Bolt Action Rifle: 500 million

Espionage:
-- Dongaria : 300 Million
-- Kavonia: 100 Million

TOTAL UPKEEP: Two billion twenty million
TOTAL EXPENDENTURE: Four billion four hundred ten million
TOTAL: Six billion four hundred thirty billion

Salute to the Fallen (Reboot)

Nation's Official Name: Kingdom of Jouran

Nation's Government: Constitutional Monarchy

-- The Kingdom of Jouran is a constitutional monarchy where the King has a very limited role in the government. Under the new constitution of 1904, when Jouran officially gained its independence, the King has been reduced to the role of a figurehead. The Prime Minister and Parliament ultimately is where the real power of the country lays. The conservative JNP (Jouranan National Party) retains the largest share of government seats at the moment, with the opposition Labor Party assuming a minority role. The current Prime Minister is Josef Masaryk.

Head of State: King Rictus von Wolfram
-- Prime Minister: Josef Masaryk

Nation's Description: The Kingdom of Jouran is an ethnically mixed state, containing its own groups of Tyrian's, Antarian's, and the largest group of the Rhaetia people. Up until the 17th century, Jouran remained an independent Duchy before being absorbed into the Tyro-Antari Empire, where it continued to exist as an autonomous province. Over the centuries, Jouran became a battleground and served as a buffer state for repeated invasions of the Empire. Jouranian Duke's were given more and more power to raise their own standing armies with the blessing of the Emperor's to fight off the invaders. Jouran became so intertwined with the Empire's defense that the ruling Premyslid Dynasty intermarried with the Wolfram's. To this day, second cousin to the Emperor, Rictus Von Wolfram continues to reign over the nation.

It wasn't until the War of the Seven King's in 1902 that its relationship with its 'motherland' would reach a breaking point. As part of the war with Blutland, Jouran contributed over one hundred thousand sons to the campaign. Thirty thousand of them would return home in caskets and thousands more were wounded in the conflict. For the first time in decades, anti-imperial sentiment reared its ugly head. The capital of Klodzko experienced mass protests against the war and the Tyro-Antari monarchy.

By 1904, the situation had reached a breaking point. Duke Rictus Von Wolfram was forced to appeal to his cousin to formally recognize Jouranian independence in the face of the movement. At the risk of yet another bloody border conflict, the Empire relented and Jouran became one of the few new countries to break free of its motherland without bloodshed. Yet it's the newfound nation's territorial integrity is far from secure. Threats from the North in the form of Dongaria and the massive Staratian Empire to the West ensure that the Kingdom of Jouran remains close to the Tyro-Antari Empire in the form of trade, cultural, and military links.

Military:
-- The Jouranian National Army or JNA is a small professional peace time force. At its height in 1902, the 'Ducal Forces' consisted of 300,000 men. Currently, the army remains at three infantry corps, with a hundred thousand reservists. The bulk of the Royal Officer Corp consists of veterans from the War of the Seven King's. Ars a result of its former relationship with the Imperial Army, much of the equipment of the JNA is aging Tyro-Antari equipment. A slow modernization plan is taking effect to further equip the armed forces with modern weaponry in the face of new threats to Jouran's sovereignty.

Desired Location: Where Saranka is.

Major Arms Company Name:
-- Tiva Arms and Manufacturing Co.

Major Naval Shipping Company Name:
-- Zetor Shipping

Major industrial Company Name:
-- Tetra Steel Works

Nation's Major Bolt Action Rifle: KR-28

Nation's Primary Artillery Piece: J-34 80mm Field Gun

Nation Roll

POPULATION: 12,000,000 (+100,000/Season)
STABILITY: 54%
MINING INDUSTRY:
-- Mining Industry Company 1 [2]
ARMS INDUSTRY:
-- Arms Industry Company 1 [2]
SHIPPING INDUSTRY:
LUXURY INDUSTRY:
-- Luxury Industry Company 1 [1]
GDP: [MINING + ARMS + SHIPPING + LUXURY + POPULATION / 2] = $8,500,000,000
STANDING ARMY: 90,000 Soldiers | 50,000 Rifles | 0 Cannon
RESERVISTS: 150,000 Reservists | 100,000 Rifles
NAVY: 0 Coastal BB | 0 CA | 0 CL | 0 DD | 0 SS
AIR FORCE: 0 Scouts | 0 Reconnaissance | 4 AA Batteries
COLONIES: None

Salute to the Fallen (Reboot)

WHOO! I'M BELGIUM! HELL YEAH! I'll have my app up later. I'll prolly take the Saranka spot. Republic of Jouran is the name if you want to update the map earlier.