From before any living person could remember La Bain and Fashionland had been in tyranny. From the days before the Common Era, all attempts at individuality were crushed. Freedom… there was none. You couldn’t even be a noble and be free - unlike other tyrannies of history. All the way from the beginning two mothers, women of pride, women of glory, two women who mothered two very different races, creeds, and purposes of life.
Down through history violence was always a part of life but never for freedom. All the prior violence had been wars conceived by Kings or Queens, or Princes or Princesses or Lord of chalice and malice. None of these wars were ever intended to actually bring benefit to any of the individuals breaking their backs and scrubbing the superior man’s feet. But these wars were in order to either bring land, sustenance or luxury to the lord of the land. The man with a plan, the hand with the lamb, the king of either who could bend his people to follow his orders as if a super villain with no powers who could control the will of the strong.
However, those with the broken backs and those with the foot scrubbers grow frustrated with the smell; not to mention the lack of chiropractors! Many a century pass and the smell continue to grow worse. Those who could previously stand the smell eventually stepped out and yet came back to scrub the feet again only to find their heads missing. A popular execution of the time of the 1st through the 10th century A.D. became the “excavator” – a large boom attached via a workhorse and a bolt with a large bucket on its end; the bucket included a blade, in order to execute the damned the executioner would stand atop the contraption drawing the boom at a 90-120 degree angle depending on the thickness of the damned man’s neck, he then released the boom and it swung as is a child’s swing set down via centrifugal force ripping the victims neck from his/her body and collecting it in its bucket.
Soon hundreds of men and women seem to forget their heads as they step out of an excruciatingly thin line which was loosened or tightened according to their lord’s chalice of malice. This method is eventually eliminated in Fashionland as instead the Royal House of Enforcement became fonder of poisoning the accused without their knowledge.
By the 1700s there was no secret that the Royal House of Enforcement was not an agency to protect anyone but an agency which could be corrupted into doing nearly anything from poisoning all those accused even if the guilty individual was only one out of a ten man lineup; to confiscating goods from civilians to bring to the King or offer for export. Soon criminals became known for starving themselves to avoid being poisoned by the authorities; and goods being covered with animal and sometimes human feces to prevent capture by the RoHoE [row-hoe].
In the late 1790’s, an insurrection in the Carvalho district of La Bain was crushed brutally by the Ministry of Kings Official Vigilance or MoKOV [mack-off]. More than even before the excavator went to work begging for heads on street corners, at cemeteries and on Church hall steppes. Weddings, funerals, sermons, market auctions, parties, balls, schools, military training, and other events were all interrupted by storming MoKOV Secretaries who brought mobile excavators with them via horse drawn wagon to allow for quick disposal of the accused.
This eliminated all attempts at La Bainian insurrection for 40 years.
However, a new page was being turned in Fashionland; the potency of poison used by the RoHoE began to become weaker after the reserve effect of genetically engineering took the vital part of the main ingredient used away except in rare exceptions. Yet since now traditional public executions had been long done away with due to 500 years of RoHoE poisonings a new method was in need of creation. The current king, King Salchillas V [sal-chee-yas] believed that the excavator was too cruel and unusual he brought in a new law that made death by firing squad the way of the future.
However, this created a mass uproar which King Salchillas saw as a direct threat to his time in the saunas of the Magdsden Gardens in what is now Vikas van de Merve; as he now had to spend more time at the Crucible making decisions. He decided to mobilize the Army to disperse any crowds which gathered. Fatal mistake number one of his tenure as King – not sending troops with muskets – he instead sent traditional Infantry with the standard issue swords and blade beveled shields in order to crowd control; not expecting a major conflict.
Upon arrival in Draytonville, South; Lieutenant Anderson Moore with his unit encounters a secret compound of skilled swordsmen who had been experimenting with musket production for the better part of 5 years. The swordsmen pact called the Villacorta [vi-yah-core-tah] only 20 strong produced a wall of highly inaccurate musket fire which initially drove Lt. Moore’s men back. However, the tactical minded Moore – standing 6’10” nearly 300 pounds with long flowing brown hair and a cleanly edged yet wildly long and flowing goatee, a monocle of gold trim and chain, a finely pressed and intensely prestigious double-breasted frock with brass buttons and a sash of royal purple, with a demeanor similar to that of modern surfers. He loops half of his men around to the rear of the Villacorta fortress where to his surprise stand 40 more sword-armed men who immediately throw small daggers upon them before commencing a desperate charge. Lt. Moore then orders a full retreat and an abandonment of weaponry in order to keep his men from being chased to their origin.
This small encounter drops the jaw of the King, he is placed in utter shock that he not only failed to keep order, but has been defeated by his subjects who he previously viewed as no stronger than that of which to break their backs and scrub his feet to his honor. He orders the entire kingdom of Fashionland to be swept by martial law patrols of all potential threats, all cracks and crevasses to be searched by a soldier of the House of the Army or of the House of Enforcement.
But the remote countryside, and the backwoods, and the grassroots, and the creek dwellers all forced his hand in to a face palm. Army soldiers were annoyed and ridiculed by ambushes and booby traps daily; both by urban swordsmen, and country musketeers. For 20 years this went on to no avail for either side as no real battles were fought and no real casualties were lost.
Meanwhile, in 1850 the La Bainian people were growing jealous of the Fashionlandi progress toward freedom, however, the new brutal King D’angelo I takes over the throne late in the calendar year. He reinvigorates the use of the excavator to scoop the heads of all deemed by the MoKOV as bringing back news of happenings in Fashionland, as well as those suspected of plotting against the kingdom. The words and words associated with “free”, “revolt”, “fashion”, or all types of weaponry, disobedience, and words used against the king or the kingdom are erased from dictionaries and made illegal under punishment of death by D’angelo who holds this principle even down to any variations of the words banned.
However before D’angelo is able to enact further crushing laws; he dies of a mysterious disease (later found to be a sexually transmitted disease which was contracted by a secretly revolutionary prostitute named Lady Varela – which was sent to woe leaders of the kingdom, with her long flowing black hair, her tsunami-like feminine curves, and her seductive grin; she would give them her disease in order to eliminate them). Once his son D’angelo II stepped up to take the throne he had already contracted the same disease from Lady Varela, however, his immune system being slightly stronger he survived for a short 2 year tenure long enough to realize Lady Varela’s plan and had her too executed by the excavator.
Later in 1859, King Varelle I – son of King D’angelo I and of Lady Varela – reversed the laws created by his father regarding the diction of the populous; he however did not loosen his father’s love for using the excavator to dig for heads.
Yet in still, by this time in Fashionland the ball for revolution is still rolling. Revolutionary David Dakar Isaac Willis of Anastasia City, South began his rise to fame. He originally was commissioned into the House of the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant in May 1858 and began upgrading his rank as a matter of an immediate. However once his head is slammed into the side of the excavator in October 1858 causing him to lose two teeth and permanent damage to his upper lip by a superior officer he is praised temporarily by his subordinates for standing to him and attempting to protect their rights. The superior officer is then sent to the excavator to surrender his head to the king for his actions; meanwhile 2nd Lt. Willis is promoted directly to Captain to replace the dishonorably executed officer.
Tables turn when in mid 1859, he learns that there are plans to destroy the government by several people from his family and millions of others in the nation. He returns to Anastasia City where he is met by cheers and a parade. He later writes in his famous book “The Trials of Dakar”: “I had not expected the great commotion that was bestowed upon me upon arrival, as I had come initially for heads.” Once a spy who followed him to the location saw him speaking with a known revolutionary he reported Cpt. Willis to the Royal House of Enforcement and the Royal House of the Army. Cpt. Willis was then automatically stripped of rank and a bounty set on his head for capture. Cpt. Willis then evaded and went to the heart of the revolution in Anakin where he joined the Revolutionist Circle of Trust. The Circle of Trust quickly promoted him to their Captain equivalent and sent him to command a unit from his home town in Anastasia City.
The leader of the Circle of Trust was then killed weeks later in a House of the Army led cannon ambush on his train headed for Vikas van de Merve. The leader Leon Krane wrote a note saying that on his death the order of replacement would go with Cpt. Willis in 3rd. However later, the other two who had been before Cpt. Willis stepped aside; as they felt they were better for the civilian aspect as Jeniffer Buckland said or the warfare aspect as Commander in Totality Olwen Stockton said respectively.
By 1861, the Circle of Trust had evolved into the Circle of Freedom, by which Chairman of the Board of Directors David Willis then changed the positions’ name to President. At this point King Salchillas V now sees the building “Circle of Rag tags” – his term used for it – as a serious threat and repeats the sweeping of the countryside and the backwoods yet this time finds nothing but empty factories and churches; as the real threat with President Willis at the helm has taken refuge in every willing city, town, and hacienda in the North, South, West and Western Central.
At this time the war begins in Fashionland.
King Salchillas V now not facing a small insurrection declares war on the entity. But the men who back him in the House of the Army are far less loyal to his name than he thinks. Those who are loyal withdraw from those who are withdrawing for the Circle of Freedom, and concentrate in retreat after countless losses and swift defeats over the next five years all the way to the capital - as if ants from an anthill became confused and went back to the hill after attack by 1865.
In 1866, the official flag of Fashiontopia – the Libertatem of Fashiontopia – flies for the first time above the ruins of the old capital which with the help of the man and woman who would later be his Presidential cabinet Jeniffer Buckland and Owlen Stockton as Study of the People and Study of Defensive Integrity respectively. The new flag, a rising sun was crafted to represent freedom and turning a page on darkness of tyranny of previous forms of government. The bottom blue representing land and the wealth of beauty that is human life and integrity of duty and service. The top red showing the will and strength that comes from unity and courage. Lastly, the middle grey represents the meeting point between ideologies and setting immature and petty arguments to the side for the greater good of others.
Upon his first speech as President over the new land President Willis spoke to the public revealing that he had pleaded and begged the revolutionaries of La Bain who had specialties on covert operations to help the Fashiontopian effort, yet they all refused leaving the Fashiontopian dream to fend for itself. This speech enraged the majority of the population of the nation and even during the message the crowd present at the time cried out to abandon them in return. This is precisely what the new government does, even making original legislation which prevents any help of the La Bainian people specifically.
Once King Varelle I of La Bain became aware of this speech he immediately retightened the leash on the beast that is his subjects, he reenacted the diction laws which were placed by his father, and even made them even more strict; making a law which required all first born sons have their vocal chords removed and began public education programs which indoctrinated the first born sons into believing that the kingdom is the only way – of course all banned diction was not omitted from the class materials.
Fashiontopians finally see freedom. La Bainians can’t even taste it.
During President Fernando Bertrand’s administration from 1934 to 1939 an economic crisis and spiraling inflation causes riots and old fashioned gun duals on a new all time high, the Reformed Liberal Party is ousted in no-confidence vote, and President Bertrand is thrown out by the Military and Police who bond to impose temporary martial law. This sparks an immediate outrage by the citizens who then unite as their ancestors of the 1850’s and 60’s did against the previous iteration of tyranny; no government would ever rule the people the same way again. In a war known as the 10 Years War, General Condo Palatial commanded the remaining loyal military troops in an attempt to crush the will of the people. In the end he failed; yet what he did do was spark interest offensive action on next door neighbor La Bain.
He had conceived a plan to annex La Bain for three reasons; he recognized the need to new things that the people love which means new lands, he also saw that resources of La Bain were far underutilized, so Fashiontopia could use them, and lastly he had read books on the revolution and saw that it left out the fact that the people of La Bain are still people too. He saw their human rights as a reason to overthrow their government. Contrary to his wishes he was forced to surrender at the end of the 10 Years War to the will of the people. The government was restored to the free version which the original Revolutionaries truly believed in.
Upon surrendering the plan for annexation was discovered miraculously out of a burning building being clinched by Study of Finance Rutger Deeley – who later died from complications due to smoke inhalation and a war related bullet wound. The plan was then incorporated into the revitalized government’s wishes and the very next President even had to run with it partially on a front burner. However being juggled by the government like one of the balls by a clown with a suit, the plan was passed down between three Presidents as if a story of lore rather than something of pressing needs like a baby or an insurance bill. But then Gorton Daniels got elected in 1962, he brought it up and ordered Parliament to make a decision on it. Like a grandfather being interrupted from a deep like in his rocker; the plan goes in one ear and out the other, they pass it in a nonchalant manner, and then go back to rest.
Once presented to the heads of Delano Corsiba and the other military companies of the day, they rejected the idea due to being tired and severely damaged by the encounter in the lands to the North. None of the companies were prepared for such a daunting task of taking on the then mighty La Bainian Army. So again like a broken record the history of the plan repeated itself, yet another roadblock stopping progress dead in its tracks. Gorton Daniels then passes down the idea of the plan to Jack Anderson who becomes wildly unpopular. His administration becomes seen as a failure and by 1969 his hope for reelection is as non-existent as a God to atheists; by that meaning highly debated and controversial, every other political talk and radio host speaks about his supporters or his haters as if they were evil. In late 1969 however, King Lemieux I has it up to his ears with Fashiontopians and decides to make all contact with Fashiontopians an illegal act, likewise any Fashiontopians crossing into La Bainian territory are to be destroyed on sight. By 1970 two planes carrying 129 passengers when put together; have both been removed from the sky like a mother to an item on her Black Friday shopping list by hidden anti-air craft flak cannons.
As weak as ever after being ridiculed to the point of grey hair he declared war on La Bain – a year after the events already happened due to indecisiveness. He had missed the point of what Fashiontopians wanted, it was the last straw. At a speech in Parliament a Congressman even wittingly called for his impeachment knowing that the President’s term was nearing its end anyway. The failed attempt crashed and burned even harder than the planes 2 years prior; as he was quickly beaten in an 89% vote against him at the election.
“Out with that lame and in with progress;” Presidential candidate Ferris Strokes’ slogan as he hailed from the South and used his charisma in the tremendous victory. Running on a platform of Radical Imperialism, he easily got the attention of Fashiontopians and took eighty-nine percent of their votes to the ballot votes. After being sworn in he immediately met with the heads of the now significantly stronger Delano Corsiba and other military companies. His relaxed yet poised demeanor easily won the support of the military company leaders, where he then came back to change the war to a declaration of annexation upon La Bain.
Later they again met to discuss the strategy, and fiercely and with a wrath and a passion in his voice which now rose, he gave the table a knockout punch, beating his fist down with a standing shout. “Thunder and lightning, fire and brimstone, eye for eye, and tooth for tooth, we will march and we will fight! I want Lemieux’s head in the same bucket those before him used to oppress their people! A combined assault, a siege comprised of ground and aerial forces, drill underneath them if we have to! You make sure you instill a sense of desperation in your troops, I want them to fight dirty if they can kill them with bullets or knifes scratch their f*ckin’ eyes out and squeeze their nuts off!”
Later he passed a Presidential order saying that all soldiers currently in a combat related branch will serve at least two six-month or one full-year tour in La Bain. King Lemieux then calls for his forces to take to the mountains thought being that majority of their training has been done in mountains; Fashiontopian Mountains can’t pose as much of a threat. Wrong. Delano Corsiba allows a large concentration of La Bainian troops to spend days climbing the Western most mountains of Fashiontopia where they then set up firing positions and artillery ranges.
However, Delano Corsiba concentrates in the North and South of the mountain and invades. They fight fiercely to cut the supplies of the mountain troops, while the other military companies take them on. Later facing stiff resistance the slightly larger force of Fashiontopian troops in Northeast La Bain come together and assemble. They receive fresh reinforcements and prepare for a presidentially ordered siege on the La Bain city of Styles. By now the La Bainian troops on the Fashiontopian Mountains retreat southwest to Monchoon where they are met with countless ambushes en route. Severely weakened the rearward La Bainian reserves in the mountains rain down artillery weeks on end until they run out of ammunition due to factory workers who won’t work, or supply cuts.
Once the main armies of the La Bainian reserves are exhausted of supplies a handful of low ammo charges seal the end of the fighting as the governmental compound is bombed by Fashiontopian strategic bombers, later to be moved in on by troops and armored vehicles.
A quick war only spanning the length of Ferris Strokes’ administration; the will to fight had been lost most quickly than the war lost. La Bain loses due to believing in the Fashiontopian cause and losing care for the former kingdom which ruled them. La Bainian officers towards the end sent their troops to fight ahead of them on threat of execution for retreat. They were forced to either kill or be killed by their superiors. As for those superiors who were deserters they were killed by other superiors or made it to the Fashiontopian camp and provided highly useful insight which led to swift Fashiontopian victories and easy goal meeting. The morale of the La Bainian soldier hadn’t showed up to fight, therefore neither did the soldier. The bond between the man and his rifle was broken by lack of will – therefore instead of a soldier fighting; it was reduced to a man with a finger to pull a trigger.
On November 2nd, 1976, the Capital of La Bain went without flag as its old royal jack had been lowered for the last time. However later a flag maker by the name of Chantal Perali put together a flag; the red representing the valor and willpower of the new La Bainian people, the purple representing frustration with generation after generation suffering under the crowns that have come, the blue representing the expertise and newly found stability of the La Bainian spirit, and the orange border line representing enthusiasm for new life of freedom, joy and prosperity.
Upon leaving office for the last time he shot his right thumb to the sky as if the job had been accomplished. “I’m out,” he said as he shifted his feet from right to left on the exaggerated dance yet forward motioning walk out on to the house lawn. Not declaring for the 1976 election the year earlier he knew that he had completed the job. He passed the torch on the Rhonda Patterson the following year; this time the torch would no longer be talk of a plan, lore of the eighteen hundreds, nor failed and missed opportunities; but a lifestyle and a future full of opportunities to build on. Together the Fashiontopians and La Bainians have grown to love each other and are optimistic about moving forward. It’s no wonder that Ferris Strokes is one of the most recognizable presidential names in history along the lines of David Willis and others who have done great things for one love, one heart, one life, one land. The Libertatem of Fashiontopia.
