1850 : Alternative Divergence [AH][IC][HIATUS]

by **Cymrea** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 12:09 pm

Certificates of Investment

Second French Republic

Greater Hansa Federation

Aztek Ascendancy

Repuliek Argentinië

Mitsui and Sumimoto Conglomerates

by **Cymrea** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 12:10 pm

[Withdrawn]

by **Cymrea** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 12:17 pm

[Withdrawn]

by **Cymrea** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 1:36 pm

[Withdrawn]

by **Oscalantine** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 4:29 am

Akita, Tōhoku Shogunate
Empire of Japan

[[Changed Kim Chun-chu’s color to green from springgreen… mainly because it is too hard to see ^^;;;]]
“This old man is humbled at my lord’s most generous accords. I have no doubts that, should the history repeat itself, we will be marching with valiant Japanese soldiers in most glorious field of battle. My Emperor recognizes this, and the hopes of friendship that was answered by my lords in this short summit. Therefore, I am glad to assure my lords that the Most Serene Imperial States would wish to recognize and fully support the Japanese ambitions to Siberia as well as other colonial ventures. To support Siberian colonization effort especially, my Emperor have requested the Kingdom of Balhae to cede their claims in the coastal region of Vladivostak, the coastal region directly south of the Japanese claims in the western Manchuria. It is hopes of my Emperor that direct territorial link between Great Japanese Empire and the Most Serene Imperial States will continue the friendship and prosperity through the generations to come.”

As if on cue, one of the delegates produced a map marking the map of the region and its terrain. The map documented major population centers as well as brief demographics of the region. While the land was barren for the most part, the southern regions closest to Korean Peninsula were extremely developed, as Shai traded frequently from this area. Large harbors capable of docking military vessels were fully supported by the city’s population, which was where the demographics showed a healthy number of Manchurians working in the region.

The delegate also produced a golden-trimmed silk roll, which were sequenced with black wool and burned into the silk: this was the Imperial Charter for the Korean government that was used as an imperishable documentation for the extension of the Emperor’s will. The charter, once opened, were written specifics of cessation of the land to the Great Japanese Empire as well as Korea’s guarantee that, while the historical claims belonged to the Kingdom of Balhae and thus part of Korean heritage, the land given will forever belong to the Great Japanese Empire and will be recognized as part of the Japanese lands by the Most Serene Imperial States.

“Please review the charter and its contents. As the colonial affairs belong to the Viceroy of Chuk-Jae-Do with exception of the Kingdom of Balhae, the official documents necessary to validate my statement would still be in transit to the orient.”

“I believe that we have reached an agreement: would my lords be agreeable to the following agreements?

The Most Serene Imperial States of Korea and the Great Japanese Empire will recognize each other’s colonies. The Most Serene Imperial States of Korea will further respect the northern and western Siberia to be the sovereign of the Great Japanese Empire.
The Most Serene Imperial States of Korea and the Great Japanese Empire will declare mutual alliance of convenience, where at the request of another, the other will join the call to arms as long as it does not conflict with the national interest of the other party.
The Most Serene Imperial States and the Great Japanese Empire will declare mutual Peace Treaty between the two parties, where both nations will not engage in hostile activities against each other.
The Most Serene Imperial States and the Great Japanese Empire will reduce tariffs on each other’s imported goods to 20%, and promoting trade in between the two nations. For this end, both nations are prohibited from blockading and otherwise harming the other nation’s economic ambitions with exception of the prior declaration.

“Lastly, my Emperor wishes to construct embassies between our two nations. Until a formal embassies can be constructed, we wish to invite the Great Japanese Empire’s envoys to the Palace of Foreign Embassies in Hanyang. Are these accords agreeable with my lords?”

Movement in the Colonies

[EVENT]
The colonization fleet, after a short docking to subdue the pirates in the Andaman Sea, sailed across the Arabian Sea directly into the Persian Gulf. The Rea Sea Pirates, concentrated and concerned in the Hansa-controlled Arabia, were caught completely off guard as fleet spearheaded by ten of the second generation Turtle Ships. The pirates, long-used to boarding the vessels, were completely countered by iron-plated iron shells not giving a single quarter for boarding. With the Turtle Ships putting the enemy fleet in chaos, the Ship of the Lines opened fire, unconcerned about the Turtle Ships. While the shells bounced off the thick iron plate of the Turtle Ships, the wooden frames of the pirate frigates designed for speed were devastated. After a crushing defeat, the Muslim pirates retreated into the inner Persian Gulf.

Instead of pursuing and extending their front with weary ships and crew, Laura ordered the fleet o instead take the pirate ports in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz. With their fleet retreated, the villages and port authorities surrendered instead of taking on the massive fleet alone. As the securities of the ports in the area were established, Laura sent out the missionaries of Cheondoism out to the Mosques. The missionaries, long-experienced in dealing with Muslim natives from the Indochina and Indonesia, were able to slowly convince the populous of the intentions of the new Queen of the lands, Laura. This managed to quell the uprising of religious zealots to the minimal, and many agreed to support Laura as the new Queen, favoring the stable foreign ruler than unstable, exploiting local rules.

Using the occupied ports, Laura immediately went into reorganizing the fleet and repairing them for the future battles. Turtle Ships in particular were recalled into several more defensible harbors, where they were repaired in separate locations to prevent one sabotage operation compromising the entire fleet. Furthermore, the Ship of the Lines, unsullied by both the battle and attrition, were ordered the patrol the seas in larger bulks to be the first response from both inside the Persian Gulf as well as outer Arabian Sea. The frigates which consisted bulk of Laura’s fleet due to pirates joining her ranks, however, were worn from travel through the high seas. In order to compensate for the morale of the crew, Laura reorganized both the naval officers as well as her pirate crew into shifts, where equal parts of pirate crew and the naval officers will be manning the Ship of the Lines while others rested in shore-leave. This was to be a temporary measure, and Laura’s men were given extensive manuals on how to behave in the region. As the frigates and Turtle Ships were finished with the repairs, the crew would be manned and further “colonization efforts” to the Persian Gulf will be initiated.[/EVENT]

by **Novacom** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 6:13 am

[Event]He is referred to as the Jade Eagle, and he is the commander of the Ascendancies Southern Military Front, he is the one ultimately responsible for the swift liberation of the south,” I replied to Bloody Mary, she had been somewhat confused over why I had seemed so nervous, she was not of course to know. Although she was starting to learn our ways she could not be expected to know just how important his coming here was, it meant that the next stage of his Plan, his Operation Tlanextic, meaning Light of Dawn, it seemed somewhat appropriate given what success could net our people, our state.

I still remember meeting with him and being given my initial orders that would have me meet the young lady pirate, he had summoned me to his office in Tenochtitlan, the Commissary of the Military had its own compound for its officials out on the great Lake Texcoco. The Pyramid complex there was extensive and commanded an impressive view of its surroundings, it was only possible to reach via boat, to say that I had been somewhat nervous had been an understatement, I feel no worry when it comes to grappling with pirates or wild animals.

But instead put me before a man like this, a man who had given his all for the people and the state, whose ideas for waging war spearheaded the debates for the future of warfare in Aztek militant academic circles. There were indeed those who claimed that his ideas would not be tenable for decades if not more, and truthfully I could understand their point, even then however this did not seem to faze the man, far from it he continued to apply his ideas in different ways and constantly sought to push the boundaries of what was possible.

When I had arrived at the compound I had found him waiting for me, standing there grandly in his regalia, he wore a close fitting mask made of jade and gold, the only somewhat solid piece was the beak over nose which was artfully wrought of polished gold. As for the rest it was comprised of tiny tiles of jade each no bigger than a fingernail, patterned carvings and a band of interlocking triangle patterns of yellow and blue created a band around the brow and a small crest of protrusions most feather like rose upon either side of the head.

His garb was in similar style however made of sweeping fabrics, although decorative, he was after all a military man so the cut of the uniform was very much such, that of a uniform. It was long and flowing bunching at the ankle and elbow, the cloth of darkest obsidian with a long jade tunic with high collar, twin bands cinched a bicep each upon which the Aztek Dragon coiled about the state crest. His eyes were hidden beneath navy lenses and the only visible patch of skin were his hands, which were folded into his arms crossing as they did his broad chest, despite the uniform concealing his frame he was well built without an ounce of fat on his body.

When the guards at the jetty had finished checking me and allowed me to proceed he inclined his head gently before turning to make his way further into the compound and I myself made hastened to catch up to him as he went through the great gates into the walled enclosure. A small select group of soldiers were drilling in the central courtyard around which the Pyramid Ziggurats rose, great statues of resplendent quetzals and rearing jaguars rested upon plinths flanking steps.

The sun had was just beginning to reach the apex of its path across the skies as I followed him inside, and into a hive of activity, administrators, equerries and staff officers seemed to be engaged in a choreographed dance as they hurried around the great atrium. A number of desks acting as reception seemed to be fielding requests and directing some of the flow of administration, no sooner had a sheath of papers been laid in a carved stone docket then another would come along and stamp upon a proffered sheet before departing with a different sheath.

He simply strode through an isle of calm in a flurry of activity, although news of the situation had become common knowledge nobody seemed at all panicked or worried and I paid it no notice as he lead me up a set of wide stairs and up several more again. Before finally leading me down a corridor, at every corner intersection and junction a set of guards stood at fierce attention and ever vigilant, when we finally reached the end of our journey I was in his office.

At first I thought I had entered a toymakers workshop, a vast table dominated one entire section, upon which a scaled model of the Americas and the Caribbean lay, on a nearby table were artfully crafted models. I knew each represented actual assets small figures of soldiery and of men half animal, evidently representing a military grouping similar to the Panther Pride, the Ascendancies elite commando’s each figure made me almost cry. Evidently the artisans must have spent days on each the small figures no longer than my middle finger and perhaps two thumbs wide appeared most lifelike, what I did find interesting is several of them were already set upon the board, not only that, but several other figures he did not immediately recognise were also set in place.

“We enter a new day Chi’al,” were his first words to me, he had padded over to his desk and since returned with a tray bearing a large crystal clear pitcher of iced water and two large reed enclosed glasses which he set upon a small desk near the display. “These Pirates represent a threat that the Guild Congress thought would affect us little,” he continued slowly, his words carefully measured, “however in this they have proven to have gravely miscalculated, and it could cost us dearly.”

“Honoured Jade Eagle, why tell me this, surely they would be more receptive to your words with what we now face, surely now they will hear you!” was all I could say, my words inflamed with passion, why me was all I could wonder, why indeed had our greatest military mind chosen me to speak such words to, truly I did not know. Nor will I ever likely, know, the man is as inscrutable as ever, but he has a talent for foresight, “It is quite simple, I tell you this now on the eve of what will likely forge you into a legend, this conflict shall redefine our people. The Guild Congress has granted me my requests, across the nation the role of every man woman and child shall be made clear, we must hurl ourselves into this task body and mind, heart and soul, we shall use these pirates as the catalyst of transformation, in essence Chi’al we shall use it as a springboard.”

“To put paid to these pirates we must ultimately sweep them from the seas and the rocks to which they cling, we must take them for ourselves and make sure that we are never again in a position to be threatened such again. However in order to do so we must become so much more, we have industrialised yet the process is neither as extensive, nor as comprehensive as we require, I have spent much time with Commissariat Catlitla and Commissariat Tlihuite, who lead the Commissary of Infrastructure and Economy respectively. “

“Between the three of us we have made extensive plans for the total economic mobilisation of the Ascendancy, the people have a common cause to unite against the initial signs are promising, productivity in all levels is increasing steadily and the cascade has barely begun.” He had said much already but I had listened intently, though quite what he meant by cascade was something I hadn’t grasped and I said as much, at this I could tell me smiled his body language told me as much.

“Ah young Chi’al, I shall explain, the cascade is simple, first we hurl our efforts into infrastructure, in doing so we develop more industries to expanding and further developing our infrastructure which makes our existing infrastructure and factories more effective by streamlining our supply chains. Not only that we add further supply chains into the mix by connecting resource sources not previously well served by our current Infrastructure, we continue this until we reach critical mass. During this process we continue building more new factories not to produce war materiel, no instead these new factories produce components required to create more factories and infrastructure.”

“As this continues we see radical increases in production capacity, as new subsequent factories are created these new ones will be divided amongst civilian production, military production and yet more cascade projects. As an aside, while this cascade is underway we will also be expanding our naval based infrastructure and industries as well, however we will be attempting to accelerate the break point for military production, the Navy shall be our shield and sword arm in this conflict, and likely others in the future.” His last pronouncement piqued my interest greatly, the idea that an enemy could be defeated without making landfall was intriguing, and thought provoking, after all I was trained in way to win a war without participating in a battle as it would conventionally be defined.

Through the use of what the doctors call a Scalpel opposed to a sword, death by a thousand cuts, each done in a way that the enemy does not even realise that he himself has been cut, to use naval power to strangle an enemy. To prevent them from making landfall, the mobility an effective navy could provide, I could easily see the value in such a weapon and the benefit to the nation in such a cascade, although a war would be hard on the people the long term benefit for all was inarguable.

“Chi’al my young friend this struggle against the pirates shall forge our people and nation anew in the crucible of war, we shall be remade and in doing so our people will know prosperity unending,” were his words, here he paused and took a sip from his glass. Instead of continuing he began to place pieces upon the board, at first the pirates and then the conventional forces, as he did so he begun to explain his strategy, while conventional forces moved into position the Panther Prides, of which as you know I am the leader of one.

We would be the vanguard, we were to move through the jungles like a black wind of death silencing all resistance and heralding the way for the conventional forces, falling upon patrols and forward positions, ending them before they could reveal what was to come. In advance of our own efforts other Prides would infiltrate the occupied cities and take up positions, at night they would make use of bows, blowpipes and whatever else deemed appropriate, you may think it quaint we use such weapons however they are far more subtle than the Musket, the Flintlock, Grenade and Pistol.

These weapons make much noise and are instantly noticeable and traceable, an arrow loosed from a bow is hard to trace and darts from a blowpipe are in some cases not even noticed, of course he didn’t say that we would use such things, he simply left it to our own judgement. He told me that small regular units would be put under our command to move forward in support of our actions and when the time was right or no longer appropriate for us to be at the vanguard. As you saw our efforts had a vastly disproportionate effect, so much so that calling up and training new members of the military is nowhere near complete.

We continued on in this vein at length, and he fully briefed me on what is to come, this subterfuge of Iron Chin’s ultimately matters little, this Operation is extensive to say the least I only hope we can serve as best as we can and are not found wanting, Bloody Mary having listened to my story with rapt attention now eyed up the steadily approaching figure with an expression of faint yet concealed respect, a good sign from her to say the least. As he came closer she cut a low curtsey, a gesture she had never made before to Chi’al’s reckoning, visibly stunning both him and both his own men and those of the fair lady.

Quite what the Jade Eagle made of it was beyond everyone, his expression concealed beneath his eagle mask, he respectfully returned the bow and clasped both Chi’al and Bloody Mary’s hands in turn before entering the manor. When all were seated Bloody Mary rose, “When we secured this place, what little securing that it required we found but a single family, they said they had hidden themselves not wanting to be taken from their homes, by Iron Chin.” Her she paused for effect, that name had become known by many in the Ascendancy and was viewed with ill regard, “Who took everyone he possibly could and loaded them upon ships and departed for destination unknown. Given what we know from the battle at sea following the reclamation of Chichen Itza that force divided into five separate ones and fled in a different direction, what was even more concerning was that each force was not inconsiderable and each lead by what appeared to be his flagship, The Iron Will.”

She paused again allowing the implications to set in, The Iron Will was one of the first of a new generation of Naval Vessel, some called them Ironclads, and as a name went it was fairly accurate, for this vessel at least was constructed completely of that metal and had made a name for itself as a sore scourge of the waves. That the ship now appeared to have four other sisters made many visibly concerned, just one of those ships had triumphed over ten conventional vessels that more appeared to be entering the equation boded ill. “Yes there were five of the damned things, one of them turned back to Cuba, another came this way and it appears at this time that all the people here were taken. Two went south and we couldn’t keep pace with them to find out just where, as for the last it went east, I daresay it isn’t our problem for the moment anymore.” She concluded at last, she had become quite the asset to the Aztek’s her connection with her fellow pirates had provided a groundswell of information and that was before anybody brought into the equation the prisoner she had been instrumental in bringing in.

The foul man had for want of a better word been her handler from Iron Chin and had been for a time his chief executive, knowing perhaps more about his day to day operations than the man himself, and he had unwittingly told much to his captors. He had not even realised he had done so, before waking he had been dosed with a compound of ground herbs and chemicals upon waking he saw differently to his captors, instead he saw them as his captain. He hadn’t given it a second thought when he had been plied with questions, and had told them of much, that another pirate referred to only as “The Lady” had arrived not so long ago at Iron Chin’s stronghold. How quite she had managed to arrive unannounced and unrealised was beyond anybody, she hadn’t even came bearing a weapon, she had conferred silently with Iron Chin and scant days later a number of plans had been hatched.

For some time Iron Chin had been pressing that all those who once sworn fealty to Bloodbeard should now transfer that loyalty to him as the man’s nephew and heir to his legacy, some had gladly done so while others had openly scoffed at the idea. Chief amongst which had been Lemon Coat and it had not been long before the two were in open dispute, the ensuing conflict had done severe damage to his standing forces at Cuba, but by this point the die was cast elsewhere. He had already begun his ambitious plans to seize more land at the Aztek’s expense, all in accordance to a strategy worked out with The Lady, what the ultimate objectives were had been something of a mystery. What was clear however that Iron Chin had more at his disposal than had previously been reckoned, a great deal more information had been gleaned and recorded, and the loathsome excuse for a man was still being held and tended to as he continued to disgorge vital intelligence.

It was something of a blessing now that his master had for all intents and purposes removed himself from the board as a known factor, by openly concealing his true location he had for all intent and purposes vanished, what was known was the existence of pirate strongholds to the south. However the Jade Eagle declared that the most immediate threat was to the north at Cuba, seize that and the rapidly expanding Aztek fleet would have a shield for the future, and be able to stretch across the seas more easily. What was concerning was the appearance of this new player to the game, this Lady, however before the Jade Eagle could continue he was interrupted kindly by Bloody Mary, “I believe I have my suspicions over who The Lady could be, I must travel to Ile de la Gonave. I believe I shall find answers to our questions there, and I have personal business I must attend to with all due haste,” she looked somewhat downcast for a moment as she clasped a fist over her right breast and gazed down at the oaken desk around which the conference was being held.

The Jade Eagle appraised the young lady pirate before eying up Chi’al seated next to her nodding slowly, “Go, and take Chi’al with you, take ten days for this matter and return to us here, it shall take that long for our preparations to be complete, however.” Here he paused catching the gaze of the pair with the thick navy lenses of his mask, “you will not travel there upon your fair ship the Golden Garter, take instead one of the other vessels of your flotilla, I know it is your flagship but you would perhaps draw more attention than I think you desire for this.” She seemed somewhat indignant at the idea but then appeared to mull over the idea some more before she seemed to acquiesce to the idea, “I assume you have preparations to make, and my ship shall be part of those?”

“Indeed fair lady, we shall need to sweep the seas of both Iron Chin and Lemon Coat’s ships,” Jade Eagle replied, as he gazed around the table appraising each of those present, “During the next ten days our fleets shall be loosed upon the seas. While we do not expect to sweep the seas completely we can be sure to deal considerable damage to both forces, which according to our sources have already managed to inflict no small amount of damage to one another.” Several of the gathered officers nodded at this, the thought of being able to take the fight to the pirates was mollifying to say the least.

“We will reconvene in eleven days, Chi’al I shall brief the prides in your absence, as for you fair lady, good fortune in your endeavours, you have my word your ship and crew shall be safe in your absence,” here the Jade Eagle sketched a half bow before filing out of the room. Bloody Mary and Chi’al eyed up one another before they themselves made their way out to the docks, in a short space of time the isle had started to look somewhat different, Aztek architects had drawn up plans for the rebuilding of Jamaica in their own image. Artisans were poring over every building in sight and engineers and dockworkers were hard at work making the docks ready for the task required of them, a steady stream of supplies were being steadily offloaded and several ships were already queuing up to offload supplies at the barely adequate facilities.

Bloody Mary had made for her ship first to take some supplies in addition to some other things before choosing one of the other vessels to make use of, as she did so she had to mollify her own crew and the others who had flocked to her banner in the past weeks. She spoke of the need to work together and by the time she was finished Chi’al had joined her having waited a respectful distance away with his own supplies slung in a sack over his shoulder.

The fair lady and her companions swiftly boarded the vessels and made ready to sail, as they did so the assembled vessels began setting sail for their various objectives or unloading supplies or troops onto the isle. Jamaica would swiftly become a key cog in the Aztek War Machine as they and their Pirate “allies” swept the Caribbean of hostiles, the two worked carefully together though the Pirates understood that although they followed Bloody Mary the Aztek’s held their fealty. Thus far the Aztek’s had been kind to the Pirates who had flocked to their banner, something which many of the pirates openly admitted they would have been unlikely to do if the situation were reversed something that set many minds working.

It had all in all taken a day to arrive, during which Bloody Mary had delighted greatly in choosing out a disguise for Chi’al, the formal uniform of a Jaguar Pride Warrior would naturally stand out in the open amongst pirates, after some arguments a compromise had finally been reached. The timing had been fortuitous for the winds had been good allowing for a swift transit, the pair made landfall with Chi’al following closely behind Bloody Mary, he had been garbed in a cream shirt with an open collar and bunched elbows along with shorts and striped long stockings.

Bloody Mary lead the way swiftly to the back alleys to a tall colonial house with pink satin curtains, the entire area seemed less than reputable which was swiftly reinforced when Chi’al was practically forced through the door while Bloody Mary made herself scarce. The building had evidently seen far worse times as numerous hasty repairs had evidently been made and although it served an altogether different purpose now it was apparent that it only did so relatively recently.

He had been told to ask for a good time with Samba Di Mamba, the mistress of the brothel, an extremely sultrily dressed lady, who was perhaps more than a little overdressed and worse altogether far much makeup. The stern lady smirked and lead the way through a warren of richly appointed corridors, through parlours filled with preening ladies who visibly perked up at the presence of the dashing figure cut by the Aztek. Finally they reached a corridor with an open window at the end flanked by rich bulging deep violet curtains, the mistress opened a door with a pair of bongo’s carved onto them and ushered Chi’al inside, with a simple cooed instruction to enjoy.

The door did not close entirely and in front of an immense boudoir was a great nubile female, her immense chest was enclosed within a bodice made of layers of doubloons, her dark black hair was tightly coiled and cropped into dreadlocks, and her thick red luscious lips were curled into a smirk as she eyed up her latest visitor. “You can stop hiding Mary,” she cooed her deep honeyed words drifting towards the door, which abruptly swung open as the aforementioned lady slipped in closing the door and locking it with a click.

“So what brings you here, and with such a fetching young man as well, I can tell he’s not one of your crew or yours,” this dark temptress extended her long arms and artfully cared for nails to caress Chi’al’s arm gently. The man tensed up and shook himself gently out of the ladies grasp while Bloody Mary padded over and wrapped her arm conspiratorially around Samba Di Mamba and began talking conspiratorially. Chi’al leaned himself against the door one ear cocked towards it and the other towards the conversation, for all intents and purposes he was here to watch over her, but he ill liked the situation. The entire building smelled to him vile, and the noises he could hear of frenzied grunts and impassioned moans of bodies moving against one another and all sorts of things he would rather not think of.

As the two continued their conversation he kept his ear to the door and stiffened, the foot falls he could hear didn’t sound at all right, his mind was spinning the stench of perfume and unwashed bodies was overwhelming. Many of the pirates they were working with had taken to some of the Aztek’s strange ways of hygiene with alacrity though some hadn’t completely understood why they were being given so much fruit. He shook his head, no that sound was coming closer, and it sounded too heavy to be the mistress or just one customer, he swiftly made his decision and scant moments later Chi’al hurried over. “We need to go, now!”

Bloody Mary’s head swung swiftly towards Chi’al before casting her gaze about the room, she swiftly grabbed both him and the other woman and hurled them in the direction of the bead, which she herself swiftly crawled under fumbling frantically. After precious moments during which the sound of multiple heavy footfalls in the corridor outside seemed to grow in volume, as they seemed to grow almost painfully loud Bloody Mary let out a small bleat of relief. With a barely audible click the floor under the bed seemed to lift up slightly before coming up as much as it could under the bed, the fully grown adults as quickly as they could begun making their way under the bed and into the concealed trap door, as they did so the door was thundered upon by what sounded like a battering ram.

“Come out here this instant Bloody Mary, we know you’re in there!” bellowed a male voice, this merely caused the three to accelerate their slithering through the trap door which Bloody Mary careful shut with great slowness. She motioned for the others to slowly crawl down the steps as she grabbed a heavy handle at the top and began tugging slowly, the heavy stone slab moved easily enough and reassuringly enough with very little sound. As the slab came along she slithered down the steps and finished pulling it home with a slight chunk using a handle recessed in the slabs underside, now the roof, barely believed what had happened she sat motionless and breathing heavily.

Chi’al was not so motionless he was stalking about the place even dressed up as a pirate he had all the stealth and lethal aura of a panther stalking his prey, he was eying up every in the dim gloom lit only by a vivid emerald light he had somehow produced from nowhere. Samba Di Mamba, however looked distinctly worse for wear crumpled as she was in a heap at the bottom of the rough carved stone stairs rubbing her head with both hands a distinctly displeased expression playing about her Nubian features.

“And just what is this place?” Chi’al whispered breathily, and more than a little concerned, Bloody Mary seemed to snap herself out of her self-induced stupor and rose to her feet as soon as she was able. “I remember this place from when I was young, and that was not always a Brothel,” was all she could say as she began making her way over to Samba who by now was eying up the pair with confusion and in Bloody Mary’s case supreme wariness a glimmer of what could be recognition or realisation glimmering in her amber eyes.

Samba remained impassive as she rose awkwardly to her feet dusting off what little garments she had and folding her arms across her solid slender frame, Chi’al and Bloody Mary were eyiing her up, she was after all the one Bloody Mary had come to see. That scant minutes later armed pirates had stormed in and came to the room where they were was suspiscious to say the least, and the occupant of it was likely the reason for it. Chi’al made to remonstrate her to this effect before Bloody Mary cut him off, “Samba may not look it but she’s our best bet for finding Teary Eye and we know she’s wrapped up with Iron Chin so this was to be expected. Remember, we’ve raised Iron Chin’s ire with our actions and your, well our fleet actions certainly won’t be helping matters, they could have been on the lookout for us.”

Chi’al considered this for a moment before resuming his exploration further forward before coming to a halt at a crossroads, the way forward was blocked off with a large number of creates each covered in the rotted remains of flags from around the world, amongst which were the remains of a pirate banner that seemed stragely familiar. Bloody Mary her gaze locked on the crates shook herself back to a semblance of dazed normality before looking left and right her face a mask of deep thought. “If I remember rightly this passage to the left should take us out near your abode, while to the right, well truthfully I don’t know, I barely remember this place,” she trailed off uncertainly clasping her hand to her chest under her necklace of doubloons.

“You don’t remember!? We could be stuck down here forever!” wailed Samba di Mamba before Chi’al dove upon her with all the speed and of the panther which his training embodied swiftly clasping his hand over the dark ladies mouth. “Do you want them to hear us, your caterwauling will travel for a fair distance down this sort of passage,” he hissed in a harsh whisper, she struggled for a moment before realising she was powerless in the man’s grasp before halting her efforts and nodding her head.

“When you are quite finished carrying out our earlier subterfuge, I thought we wanted to get out of here, I certainly know I have questions to ask you Samba,” Bloody Mary queried haughtily, her eyes narrowed as she observed the tableau before her, and her hands upon her hips. Chi’al slowly pushed himself up off the ground and helped up the dark temptress who upon rising immediately began readjusting her costume and dusting herself off looking distinctly unhappy at the entire circumstance.

She could hardly be blamed after all, in her “profession” she was hardly used to being shot at by muskets or hurled into secret passages, she was however perhaps used to being dived on by strong men, though for altogether different reasons. The others perhaps realising this said little else as they began making their way carefully down the stone passages worn as they were with age they appeared somewhat well cared for, at least some sections. They had by now passed into what was evidently a more used one as they halted for a second Chi’al and Bloody Mary apprising one another and then both directions before they nodded and as one made to the right, thinking it somewhat prudent to not reappear so close to the Brothel.

The going was somewhat easy to say the least this section of the passage evidently saw frequent use, the floor had a narrow depression worn into it by untold number of footfalls and the earlier layers of dust were for the most part absent. The trio looked about nervously with only Chi’al seeming anywhere near at ease with the situation, something that was only natural yet even he seemed ready to spring at the first sound his hands close to his belt. Finally they reached a dead end with a single crack in the middle of the wall, Samba made to wail again before silencing herself following a fierce glare by Chi’al while Bloody Mary ran her hands across the wall and eyed up the crack closely. Scant seconds later she removed a pendant beneath her nigh curtain of doubloons and obscured the view of the wall before for the moment with an audible click a nearby wall began to slide open revealing a set of stone stairs with light glimmering at the top of them.

As they made their way up they could hear the clinking of doubloons and the steady scratching of pen upon paper, finally they came to a stop before a wooden panel with a lever upon the wall which without hesitation Bloody Mary pulled. The Wooden Panel shifted to the side revealing a tall man seated behind a desk weighing things upon a scale and making notations, the man wore an elaborate four cornered hat of Akkadian style and both his hair and beard were as black as night and tightly styled in vertical coils. He paused mid motion of setting another chunk of gold upon the scales seeing the small group, his gaze was fixed upon Bloody Mary before dropping his tools and rushing towards her, all the while his face began to split as he broke down in tears.

“Can it be, is it truly you?” he wept, as he kneeled before her clutching at her feet sobbing intently, “Your father where is he? Is he back!” he entreated in-between sobs much to Bloody Mary’s ambivalence, Chi’al’s confusion and Sambas look of understanding, who swiftly took charge much to everybody’s surprise. “We had best go see Captain Goldknuckle, he has some explaining to do and I suspect some long overdue answers,” she swiftly grabbed the man and brought him to his feet and gave him a quick shake something which seemed to bring some composure back to him.

With surprising swiftness they were able to make their way through the dock to Lucian’s bar, they had had to be somewhat careful due to a roaming group of dangerous looking thugs who seemed to be the lookout for something. The small group slinked into the bar, Lucian immediately spotting them his expression briefly flickering with surprise as he spotted those accompanying Bloody Mary, he quickly directed them into a small room concealed to one side. He swiftly set himself down in front of the desk in the room and proceeded to pour himself a generous measure of amber liquid out of a large bottle, while The Man and Samba Di Mamba bore down upon Lucian gesturing behind them and immediately began pressuring the elder pirate for answers.

“Did you know her father’s father?” enquired Samba di Mamba, her tone hushed and her eyes narrowed, her dark skin glimmering by the light of the roaring fire, The Man nodded the narrow black curls of his beard shifting with every movement. Lucian appeared to eye up the pair with a combination of great weariness and reluctance, his gaze flicked to a portrait above the fire before after a moment of visible weighing up replied “Indeed I do, and I promised him I would care for the girl, I would keep her safe until she was old enough to find her own way.”

“And her father, is it him? She has his eyes!” The Man enquired almost desperately, tears streaming down his face and his nose running, his expression one of dawning realisation and barely restrained hope, Samba Di Mamba’s gaze shifted to Bloody Mary again who appeared somewhat confused about the conversation her expression darkening. “Lucian, you owe me an explanation, what are they talking about!” thundered Bloody Mary, who was by now tiring of the confusing situation, and in truth she was somewhat keen for answers herself.

Lucian smiled laying the small glass back upon his desk as he cast his gaze up to the portrait of the flame-haired man, “you don’t remember much of your father, do you,” he queried mildly as he swirled around the amber contents of the glass while Bloody Mary shook her head at this. “I’m hardly surprised, you were barely five when you were entrusted into my care, he wanted you to be safe, as he set out on his great endeavour,” he continued his blue eyes gazing wistfully at the portrait once again upon the wall once again. It was of a magnificent Pirate in a bottle green overcoat with flaming hair and an impressive beard of the same fiery hue, he had a friendly and warm expression on his face which appeared young and hale.

“Your father set out to forge all of piratedom into an actual nation, he had welded together a foundation with his charisma and his passion, he had travelled the world rallying the pirates of the world to his banner,” he continued on, his words both wistful and mournful. “Then disaster struck, he vanished and only his flag could be found, this man’s name was Bloodbeard, and he was your father, a visionary who sought to forge the golden age of piracy into something greater, and with his loss.” Here he paused again to take a deep breath and knock back another glug of whiskey, the story was evidently not a pleasant one for him to tell, “with his loss, we lost that one last chance for greatness, you lost a father you had barely known,” here he cut himself off here, on the brink of saying something he was not ready to yet.

“I am, Bloodbeards daughter?” Bloody Mary quietly, she could barely believe what she had heard her usually jaunty manner having given way to a stunned silence, she swiftly sat herself down upon one of the cushy chairs next to Lucian. Samba Di Mamba clasped her broach in one hand and gazed intently upon it, deep in thought while The Man abruptly broke down in tears sobbing and in between sobs calling out that he knew it, he knew it when he saw her eyes, “Then why is Teary Eye after me and mine?”

“Yes my dear, you are his daughter,” Lucian replied slowly his tone steadying, “As for Teary Eye, she was always a tricksy one, she more than anybody would likely know,” with this he smirked, he remembered the days of old and he immediately turned his gaze to Samba as indeed the others had. “Well?” It was Lucian who had asked but it was evident that the rest of them wanted to know as well, Samba Di Mamba visibly sighed before turning to face all of them, “It’s true, she wants to meet with you, but given her situation she could not leave, instead she now controls much of what was Iron Chin’s forces in Cuba waging war against Lemon Coat,” Samba replied after much thought. “However because she wants to meet with you she cannot simply command those forces to stand aside, if he were to do so they would turn against her,” her eyes were glowing with reflected light from the roaring flame, her dark skin shimmering in the warm light.

“So in order to meet with Teary Eye, we need to assail Cuba and find where she’s hiding,” replied Bloody Mary, the sheer scale of the task abruptly dawning upon her, she was by now supremely glad that she had taken a seat. Chi’al placed a hand upon her shoulder and looked about the unlikely band now, “Fair Lady, you know what the Jade Eagle intends, when we make landfall we shall comb the isle for her,” with this he turned his expression to Samba, “Surely you can lead us to her lair, we can put paid to Iron Chin’s flunkies.”

Before the Nubian could respond either way The Man interrupted, “I’m coming with you! My name is Nabonassar, yet your father always called me Jingles, your father, he did so much for me, he was such a great man and I see you following in his footsteps, I swear myself to your service as I did to his!” He had dropped to one knee, the great curls of his beard resting upon his chest, Samba and the others seemed frozen in time surprised to say the least was an understatement.

Bloody Mary was visibly taken aback by this, it was almost too much before she nodded her head simply, at which Jingles abruptly dried up and began to smile from ear to ear while Chi’al simply sighed, longing perhaps for a return to the comparative simplicity of commando work. Lucian however smiled as he rested his head upon his chin a knowing expression playing about his features, and to some extent a great sense of relief. With little left to say the group began making their way out and back to the docks, it was fortunate they were leaving for the group drew no small amount of attention.

Bloody Mary was deep in thought as the ship made its way back to Jamaica, she had had a lot of time to mull over what had happened in such a short amount of time, she had spent nigh the entire journey locked in her cabin rethinking her life and her memories. Meanwhile Chi’al, Samba and Jingles were locked in conversation they had much to discuss and by the time they arrived at Jamaica Bloody Mary had finally emerged. Regrettably there was little time for conversation as upon their arrival Chi’al declared he would have to rejoin his pride, however he reassured her once the invasion of Cuba was underway and they had made landfall they would set out together in search of Teary Eye. [/Event]

---Diplomacy---

To disentangle the history of the Commonwealth and Cambria is difficult to say the least, but the archivists have attempted to do so in any case,” came the words of a young Archival adjutant, he had been requested to tender reports on several nations to Caa’ci so that he may properly informed make contact. It had been agreed that the policy of Isolationism was no longer tenable and thus relations must be established, however to rush headlong into this process was foolish and ill advised, he knew to expect a French Ambassador shortly so he bade the Archivist to be swift in his duties so that he could be swift with his own.

Cambria, they have suffered a great deal of civil unrest and wars, first with a war for the throne and religion, the people rallying behind their legitimate leader and traditional ways that had nearly been overthrown by the new. Unprepared for the will of the people the rebels had been thwarted, onlookers who had thrown themselves behind what was convenient now found themselves unable to redact such support when it proved less than convenient long term. Unfortunately that was not the end of it and a century later brother was against brother when a dispute over the proper separation of powers broke out. With the king and his ministers at war with one another, the conflict ultimately ran it’s course and a great exodus began, as it did so it wreaked a heavy toll on the land and on the people. Since then the nation has recovered and spread expanded it’s influence greatly however they have been at loggerheads engaged in a war of words with it’s former colony.

This brings us onto the subject of the Commonwealth, they are the refugees of Cambria and it’s former colony, of course if you were to say that to one of their citizens they would likely attack you, for they have a proud history of democracy. A system that bears some semblance to ours yet is nowhere near as free, they have been somewhat bullish to their neighbours something to be expected given the nebulously porous nature of these colonial nations borders. Truthfully, for the most part they are divided into era’s of what they call parliament, their legislative body and it’s various reformations, I regret that this particular briefing is sparse, but by in large both our northern neighbours have a paltry two centuries of history, perhaps slightly more.

Caa’ci nodded as he was briefed, he now had a good idea about the two nations, they would need to tread carefully, though he had seen reports of a rapprochement in process between the two, however that subject was naturally beyond the subject of the briefing and he thanked the Archivist and informed them to prepare the next briefing while he scribed his letters.

Next we have Louisiana, now before I continue it is a known saying to never lend money to one of their citizens without first finding out how they intend to repay it, now that that has been mentioned I shall continue. Out of all of our northern neighbours their nation is the youngest barely being a century old, a French endeavour it seems that the reason for it’s existence is unavailable, despite our best efforts. Regardless, the colony has seen many expansions and contractions, and much upheaval in terms of leadership, varying between mildly competent and incompetent, this coupled with the wars waged by their masters and our honoured ally the French have meant the colony has changed hands a number of times. They gained their independence from Cambria roughly seventy years ago and are now heavily indebted both due to indemnities and having borrowed heavily to build up their economy and basic infrastructure.

Again he nodded, it was largely in line with what he knew, however the relations with their northern neighbour would be no doubt coloured by their allies and the simple fact of borders, he already had a good idea of what he would be discussing at any such meeting. Again dismissing the Archivist he swiftly put pen to paper, despite his own inner urgings he kept it brief, they would no doubt be able to discuss the finer points in person, and having the matter brought up spontaneously would likely be for the best

Ambassador Tei-te had been expecting something of a conference, then again he reflected lines of communication as of late were hardly reliable, something that would no doubt be remedied shortly when the seas were swept clean of the pirate scourge. Upon being shown in he respectfully inclined his head towards Dom Luís, “Greetings, I am Ambassador Tei-te of the Aztek Ascendancy, I must apologise for my relatively surprise appearance, we had attempted to send word however as I am sure you are aware we live in dangerous times.”

He was dressed in formal Aztek manner, both bright and colourful and dominated by shades of green interlocked triangular patterns of yellow and blue all lain over a quilted dark obsidian tunic, his hands rested upon one another as he held them slightly in front of his chest. Both concealed as they were by his long voluminous sleeves if anything it appeared as if it were one, his youthful features appeared little marred by the stresses of his job and indeed he looked far from the savage that he knew he was expected to be. Misinformation was after all rife, most foolish outsiders and more than a few who should know better based on what they claimed to know, thought the Azteks regularly butchered all the saw in the name of grisly gods, completely misunderstanding the Nahuatl religion.

In old times what could be called the common folk believed that the gods were the be all, however the “learned” were privy to the true theology, that they were merely representations of ideas and indeed but slight reflections of the true ideal. It made what they represented much more identifiable and indeed even today these figures were popularly invoked though not with blood but for what they represented, instead the sacrifice was an action, a thought or a labour.

“My government has heard of your declaration of an America for Americans, a sentiment we can heartily agree with, we would invite only disaster by allowing such cavalier conduct in the lands we call home,” the sentiment expressed was both heartfelt and sincere. If anything it was somewhat moderated from what had been discussed in the Guild Congress, then again matters there were rarely simply or clear, that the Aztek system needed reform was something nobody debated, however pressure was now growing to complete the reforms started by the Tlatoani.

by **Cymrea** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 10:52 am

[Event]

North American and Caribbean (Knack) Station
Independent City of Bermuda

The Third and Fifth Frigate Squadrons comprised eight wooden-hulled steam screw frigates, all under the command of Rear Admiral Everton Rhys Carcharis. The hastily constructed Station was currently being upgraded; its provenance being the recent diplomacies undertaken between Cambria and Bermuda. Sixteen full berths were planned for the station that would supply and repair Cambrian naval vessels in the region. Only four were operational at the moment. Two were occupied, by HMS Dauntless and HMS Ferocious, each having seen recent action off Cuba.

The task force was dubbed Cutlass and responsible for rendering all aide and assistance to the French and American navies in prosecuting the pirates in the Caribbean. Carcharis himself had begun as a captain of one of the Cutlass frigates - HMS Termagant - before the escalation of the operation and establishment of permanent supply ports in Bermuda, French West Indies, and the American Commonwealth. The admiral was not a tall man, but radiated a fierce presence nonetheless. A gold-rimmed monocle of dark glass covered his missing left eye; it was affixed there by a small fastener embedded in the orbital bone. A grim-set mouth was arched by classic Victorian muttonchops in steel grey. And while normally more soft-spoken, Carcharis had a disciplinary “outside” voice that commanded both respect and obedience.

His reputation as an aggressive commander in the pursuit of the Queen’s justice had earned him the position he now held. He maintained it through his genial manner with friends and allies. Carcharis listened to his French and American peers, offered thoughtful advice and suggestions, and made calculated decisions that included the wider perspective. The admiral didn’t get many chances to go swashbuckling anymore, but he certainly relished the few opportunities that arose…and capitalised on them.

Today was to be one such opportunity.

HMS Ferocious was scheduled to return to patrol duty now that she was fully repaired and resupplied. Her previous commander had been killed in action and her new captain was currently serving as executive officer aboard HMS Courageous; Carcharis would assume command of Ferocious and deliver her into the care of her new master. The frigate was a tall ship. Three masts with full rigging made her fast, but the steam-powered screws made her maneuverable and capable of making headway regardless of wind strength or direction. Thirty-three guns, including two chase guns in the bow and one aft, made her puissant. Ferocious was responsible for sinking no fewer than three pirate frigates, and still she was in good fighting trim.

Timmons, the Bermudan clerk who oversaw the delivery of supplies to NAC (called “Knack”) Station, held out a sheaf of papers. The last was strategically curled up to accommodate a signature.

“She’s all stocked and ready to make sail, Admiral,” he said, setting the papers on the leather blotter atop the large mahogany desk.

Carcharis was standing at the porthole – window, he mentally corrected – with his hands clasped at the small of his back. In the harbour, he could see Ferocious at anchor, poised to jump back into the fray. At Timmons’ words, Carcharis smiled.

“Excellent, and thank ye, lad. Bermuda has been a most gracious host and you’ve represented the city as an exemplary liaison.” The admiral’s softly rasping bass was accented with a Scottish brogue.

Timmons had heard the praise before – every time the admiral was able to escape the station and go sailing. Since he was not a member of Bermuda’s modest navy, but a civil servant, Timmons was not entirely shackled to the formalities of martial interaction. “Your spirits are certainly high,” he replied.

Carcharis turned, the morning light glinting off his smoky monocle. After a moment’s pause, he smiled again. “Aye, quite right, dear boy. I’ll be taking Ferocious out to sea this afternoon. I shall return here within a day or two.”

“I had guessed as much when the crew loaded your gig aboard,” Timmons replied with a slightly conspiratorial tone. “I shall collect those receipts from your desk tomorrow, then. As always, the City of Bermuda appreciates the Cambrian navy’s patronage.”

Carcharis barked a short laugh. “Oh, aye. I wager ye do. Tell me, has your city council decided on whether they’ll be purchasing the Devonshire – or is Cambria breaking her up for scrap?” The ship in question was a fifth-rate Pique-class frigate of thirty-eight guns, potentially a significant addition to the Bermudan navy.

“To that, I’m afraid I cannot say. I’ve not heard any news on the matter,” the clerk said.

“Do let me know, won’t ye?” Carcharis said with a wink.

Timmons nodded in response and took his leave. The admiral returned his gaze to the harbour.

* * * * *

HMS Ferocious
One hundred twenty miles off the coast of Cuba

“Hard a-port! Guns make ready!”

Newly-minted but well-seasoned, Captain Maximus Foxworth Axipita ordered the death of the pirate sloop-of-war. Forward and to starboard, the French frigate Artémise was pounding the renegade ship’s bow. The forthcoming fire from Ferocious would finish the blackguards for certain. The black-flagged sloop was already listing heavily; she was taking on a lot of water.

To the other side of the tiller from Captain Axipita, Admiral Carcharis gripped a rail firmly and whooped with delight. The departure from decorum was rare, and heartened the Cambrian sailors further. The men responded with cheers of their own as the frigate’s guns spoke thunderous words to the pirates. Axipita cast Carcharis a quick glance and a tight smile. It had indeed been a good day.

The Cambrian ship was returning Carcharis to Bermuda when they had come across the Artémise in the final stages of pursuing the sloop. Axipita positioned Ferocious well, and the pirates were forced to action. With coordination that bespoke many cooperative actions in the last two years, the French and Cambrian frigates circled and hammered the sloop relentlessly. The battle, it seemed, was drawing nigh to its conclusion.

From the aft of the sloop came a wild shot, desperately aimed if aimed at all. As though guided by the hand of Lady Fate herself, the case shot glanced off the mizzenmast. Eighteen feet above the deck, to the right of the tiller, the powder charge within exploded as it caromed away.

Carcharis was flung heavily to the deck and slid at breakneck speed into the aft rail; the man only narrowly avoided being cast into the sea. All around him, the shrapnel pierced and splintered the planking, tore into the lower spanker sail, and battered the wheel. Heat and sound smashed the Ferocious with volcanic force.

Mercifully, all went dark for Carcharis.

* * * * *

The admiral woke slowly to a symphony of pain. A dull ache in his lower right leg throbbed in crimson rhythm with the pain in his shoulders and neck. He found himself on his back, staring at the lath-and-plaster above the captain’s bunk. All at once, the final moments of battle returned to him. With an immediacy of concern, Carcharis made to sit up. A young officer moved from a stool at the side of the bunk to help.

“You’re awake, sir,” the man said redundantly. He gingerly took Carcharis by the shoulder and placed a helping hand between the admiral’s shoulders for support.

“Aye,” Carcharis growled, glancing at the man’s uniform. “Report, ensign.” The admiral swung his legs off the bunk, finding his right encased in a splint and bandages. Blood stains below the knee were faint. A good sign.

“Uh, the pirates are defeated, their ship is sunk. Survivors were picked out of the water, some by the French and some by us. Our prisoners are in the brig, and we – the Ferocious and the Artémise both, that is – are underway to Bermuda where they will be tried.” The ensign gulped.

“Go on,” Carcharis said. He feared the next part would be bad, but didn’t want to frighten the lad into silence.

It was bad. “Captain Axipita and Lieutenant Commander Godwin were killed by that last shot, sir.”

Bloody sodding hell, he thought sadly. The sadness quickly gave way to anger at the brigands responsible. Calmer thoughts prevailed.

“Who’s in command, now, then?”

“Centurion Erickson, sir. He’s the most senior officer. Uh, aside from yourself, sir.”

Carcharis nodded as the ship’s surgeon entered the cabin.

“I’m heading abovedeck, then,” the admiral stated firmly and in the doctor’s direction.

The man nodded as he wiped his hands on a bloody rag. “You’re fit enough to do that, but you’ll need a cane now, and forever after, I’m afraid.” He stepped close to Carcharis and said quietly, “It’s nothing short of a miracle you weren’t killed too, admiral. The oak for this ship must have been very well consecrated by the druids at Portsmouth.”

Carcharis held the man’s gaze, then hopped to a vertical stance when the doctor looked away respectfully. The ensign – Thomas, wasn’t it? – handed the admiral a crutch to keep the weight off the splint. With a short hop, Carcharis made to move to the hatch leading outside.

“Thank ye, doctor, I understand. I’ll make certain to pay my respects at the Sacred Grove in Bermuda. To the Oak in particular.” With that, the admiral hobbled and plunked his way out to the command deck. As he approached the patched tiller, Centurion Erickson stood aside. The men cheered abortively and Erickson clapped twice before all were halted by Carcharis upheld palm.

“You have my gratitude, men. You have all performed as bravely and well as good Cambrian sailors ought. But this day is for introspection. I would have each of you continue to carry out your duties with typical excellence, but with a mind to the sacrifices of our fallen. Carry on.”

The men returned to their work and Carcharis’s one good eye cast to the horizon. Inhaling deeply, he took a small enjoyment in the tang of salt air. Ferocious sailed on serenely to Bermuda.

by **Second Helghan Empire** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 12:08 pm

EVENT
Western, Oman

The troops had slammed into the city of Raysut rather unanounced. The Oman troops had believed them to still be building forces around Al Ghaydah for an attack on the Persian gulf. They were gravely mistaken. The Oman forces were caught completely off guard and a simultaneous naval and land attack surrounded them trapping them inside a small corner of the city. With the city under Hansa control the Pirates were directed to the nearby coastal city of Salalah while the Hansa Regulars marched north for Mudhay. Both cities fell quickly. Mudhay surrendered at so many troops converging on it and Salalah had accidently let Pirate forces in with their civillians when establishing a defense of the city.

The fast moving forces threatened to become thinned but they kept the number of resistors down by pressing most Oman soldiers and capable males into auxiliary battalions. These groups formed the front ranks in battle and were used to launch the more costly attacks. Relatively small garrrisons were left behind the east moving force as they pressed onward.

By the end of the month the front was now at Marmul, Dawkah, Thamarit, and Sadh having been forced to capitulate and being absorbed into the actually increasing in size force. By the time they reached Marmul, 900 of the 32,000 troops in the Hanseatic force were former Oman supporters. Another 850 were pirates and around 2,000 were Yemeni Volunteers. There were also former muslim pirates and their supporters pressed into service from the conflict in Yemen coming in with 1,200 of the troops. The vast majority numbering 27,050 men, were Hansa troops well trained and most were veterans of the later portions of the Yemen Campaign.

Surrounding the city the largest Oman force faced so far squared off against the Hanseatic troops. Their force numbered only 7,500 men but they held easily defended areas of the city and refused to budge. The Hansa General decided the best course of action would be to bombard them and starve them out of their holes.

After days, small skirmishes had allowed the Hansa troops to seperate the Oman forces from one another, cutting them off and hastening their end. By the end of the twenty second day of the siege of Marmul, with no relief in sight, most Oman troops surrendered. While 450 troops remained in the city, the rest of the army once again bolstered by even more Auxiliary battalions marched south to the coastal town of Sharbatat.

They like all the other cities surrounded, they gave their demands to the scant few defenders and waited. After two days the Hansa troops directed an Auxiliary battalion toward the town with the intent of securing a peaceful surrender. As they neared the town however they were gunned down. Hansa prepared to retaliate, but before they could ready an attack a second Oman force arrived from the east. Pinned between the two the Hansa army was forced to withdraw. They launched the Auxialiaries at the enemy allowing them to waste time and ammo while the bulk of the forces escaped.

Regrouping the hansa force wheeled around the surprise enemy and attacked their north flank with over 7,000 troops. the flank collapsed and in the chaos of the Hansa troops cutting their way through the Oman force, the general of the attacking army was injured and captured. Using the dieing man as a token they managed to lure the majority of the enemy in the town of Sharabatat out and easily gained a foothold before the Oman forces knew what was happening. The Oman General succumbed to his wounds but the Hansa forces had seized the city. The Oman forces withdrew.

Following along the coast however they were ambushed by a small force of pirates and Hansa marines. They lost hundreds of troops and with a bombardment from Hansa Ships they eventually broke through however with less than half the troops they had left Sharabatat with.

Hansa completely withdrew from the areas around Sharbatat. They had decided a conservative take and hold then slowly expand policy would work best. The Hansa troops were exhausted form a straight month of marching and fighting they made camp in Marmul and awaited any signs of weakness or strength in th enemy.

Hamburg, Hansa Federation

The map was evolving and Schmidt loved the way it was changing. Hansa now had claims in arabia, North, east, and west africa, and Luxemburg was under Hansa control. He however was not through. Initially starteled by the Movement of Koren foces into the Eastern Persian Gulf he had decided Diplomacy rather than war was his best option. He couldn't spare more troops from the homeland to fight the Koreans, nor did he want to enter a war with another power when they were far closer geographicly to the battlefield.

Instead he attempted a discussion with the Koreans in hopes of reaching a compromise.

Luxembourg and Liege, Belgium

The Hansa troops marched in uniform lines. They had moved so qucklyint the small territories that the Belgian military was given little chance to fight. Garrisons were annihilated, Prisoners marched back to German Luxemburg. The Army had used it's now preferred tactic of a pincer manuever. over 80,000 men had been near the region. However only 50,000 men actually participated in the almost bloodless annexation. The government was given the choice to become a member of the Hanseatic Federation or someone who would cooperate would replace them. By the end of November the Hansa forces had completely secured the provinces and a Peace treaty with Belgium had been signed promising no further advancement into it's native territory.

Hanseatic Kongo, West Afrika

The coastline continued to become more and more colonized by Hanseatic colonists. More and more slaves were required to support this. Having dealt with it for nearly a year Karl was dead to the plight of the tribal africans that were being worked to death surrounding him. He continued doing as told and captured more slaves every week. He disgusted himself but still he could now push the thought from his mind and simply do what his superiors asked of him.

Having been moved to a small fort at the northern most point of the colonized area, so small in fact it was yet to be named. He had entered a normal routine. On Sunday he would leave with his men and spend two to three days looking for africans. Then he would return with their prisoners. They would kill any one too weak, old, or young, and send the rest south in a caravan on thursday. It would return by sunday with quotas and mail and the men men would set back out. He was ready to return to his home.

(OOC:Hello so this will be my last post before the map is updated I believe so my full territorial expansion will be listed here. However do not gro angered by the fact many of these are white areas on the map and will take pages to actually take. I will list adates taken beside each one.)
[spoiler=full expansion between map updates)
Starting in
March: The independent part of Luxemburg aka the furtherst east white spot on Belgium
More west african coastline north of my previous position

April: The final Yemen Pirate Territory

May-August: more of the west african coast

September-november: The western piece of Oman
More coastline in west africa
Belgian Liege and Luxembourg aka the furthest eastern pieces of belgium besides What I took in March[/spoiler]

by **Novacom** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 1:40 pm

[Event]The crack of gunpowder and the creak of timbers filled the air, the world swayed hither and dither and figures dashed about in the morning fog, a great lady bellowed out orders over the din and the men put their backs into their tasks with further vigour. The Golden garter was leading the charge as part of the next phase of the war against Iron Chin’s forces at Cuba, most completely unaware that they were being commanded by another, truthfully it did not matter.

Bloody Mary knew this as she howled to the helm to shift direction and prepare for a broadside, the seas had been swept nigh clear between southern Cuba and the Aztek Ascendancy, both by her own ships and those of her friends. It had been somewhat surprising how effectively they had worked together she had not expected after her short journey to return to what she had, then again neither had she expected the journey to end the way it had. She had spent many an hour reordering her world view and had emerged more determined than ever, it seemed more and more that this was turning into one massive family feud, one that must be ended before any more damage was done.

The ship rocked violently with the broadside as its opponent was sent to the depths, the fleet they faced was already badly mauled, caught as it was in a crossfire, Chi’al’s pride and the others had over the course of the past two weeks made landfall in Cuba. At night they had signalled for more forces to be steadily landed, specifically long range cannons, he had unleashed his prides on lines of communication and patrols seeking the same results as they had achieved on the homeland. One important difference here was to draw attention away from what the Aztek’s had now accomplished, they had through clever gambit lured the Iron Brand home fleet out. By making it seem they were ready to make landfall on the coast a good ways away from Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba they had succeeded in the pirates uniting every ship they had left on the southern coast into one fleet.

This fleet had swiftly made to shield the coast from Aztek Landing ships which had in fact been nothing more than ships loaded stem to stern with Pitch, Tar and gunpowder which were suitably set alight when close enough by suicidally brave skeleton crews. The devastation inflicted upon the pirates was horrific and they swiftly attempted to regroup as the combined Aztek Pirate fleet which appeared to be led by The Golden Garter bore down upon them. No sooner had the two fleets joined battle proper when the pirates to their further horror were to fall prey to bombardment from the coast, the ensuing carnage would see every single ship swiftly sent to the bottom.

During the height of the battle a small force marched into Santiago de Cuba the locals were nigh giddy with sheer shock, many troops had made great haste for the coast to prepare to fend off a potential invasion. They were completely unaware that the force had been engaged and pinned in place near the coast and victim to heavy bombardment by a small support force that had been detached from the main fleet. The Aztek’s had fortified a small hill and the terrain made the advance upon them as difficult as possible, this had been a diversion in the form of several diversions as the units supporting the advance were steadily whittled away by hit and run attacks steadily making the entire force useless in achieving what was to be it’s objective.

At the same time the combined fleet divided itself up and made landings in support of the forces at Santiago de Cuba while the remainder sailed into Guantanamo, the defenders manning the dock defences having not shown up in the morning and those present had abandoned their posts after reports of a possible attack from the north. Both landings were swift with the combined forces taking great care to minimise casualties, the going would be slow, not for any great resistance, indeed both cities appeared to have been left with a skeleton defence force. While the garrisons had been drawn out after much careful action and pinned down while any news of the actions just did not spread, that is not to say however that both invasions were bloodless. Indeed rivers of blood Aztek and Pirate alike flowed in close in street to street fighting the ratios of which were in favour of the defender, however with such small numbers the outcome was little in doubt and several surrendered rather than sell their lives for paltry gain.

By the time the morning fog had cleared both cities were for the most part under control of the Aztek’s and their Pirate allies, and the two garrison forces that had been lured out had been whittled away into nothing. As the day progressed the occupying forces swelled with soldiers and ancillary personnel, Aztek Administrators and their entourages descended upon the city halls and archives seeking every scrap of information they could on their new acquisitions. In the streets aid stations were set up and food and medical aid were given out, the locals were wary of these new occupiers, however many had seen the rise and fall of several pirate bands over the years and the conduct of the latest seemed markedly different.

Before their new lords had demanded their obedience, while these appeared to want to earn their loyalty, soft spoken officials went out with guards to explain to gatherings of the new order and that amnesty and lenience would be shown while they adapted, finally they added that numerous constructions would be undertaken to better the lives of the people. This was all wrapped up in an ideology of empowerment of the people along with more than a few concepts that many did not readily understand however they did grasp the general idea, they were being offered a new future free from the draconian rules of Iron Chin and the pirates before him. Co-operation and consideration that all were equal in their efforts and that united they would stand against the supposed lords and ladies of piratedom who had ground them underfoot, some tried to dismiss the entire idea out of hand though could not argue with the attractive logic of it all.

“Fair Lady, you will need to once again leave your ship in your capable crews hands if you are to pursue your objective, or should I say quest,” the Jade Eagle sounded faintly wistful as he addressed Bloody Mary, in his right hand he held up a large intricate time piece which he appraised with a discerning, albeit hidden eye. “It seems almost like something out of the epic tales I heard and read as a child, travelling to Mictlan to redeem the soul of a friend.”

Bloody Mary could only nod in assent, scant minutes earlier Chi’al and his pride had arrived looking none the worse for wear, albeit completely lacking in ammunition, something Chi’al assured her would be remedied swiftly, and that it was this time the only toll that had been exacted upon his pride. Jingles and Samba had also disembarked while the former looked excited the second was deep in thought when questioned she only replied of trying to think of an approach that would avoid where likely battles were to break out. At this the others nodded sagely, as forces disembarked they swiftly begun their marches north and great care was taken in the offloading’s of cannon and horse, the latter of which the Aztek’s took almost incredibly care off, such creatures were rare and thus should be accorded every care.

Pirate bands accompanied every force and several had started to march in similar style to their allies, efforts had been made to drill Bloody Mary’s men as best as possible though time had been short and many of the ideas were new to people who were used to roaming the seas. The effort had been made nonetheless which if nothing else had made yet another good impression on them which in turn made a similar impression on both the prisoners taken and the locals.

Bloody Mary and what was now a growing entourage made ready for the expedition, at Chi’al’s command they had packed a large number of provisions and at Jingles insistence he had been allowed to inventory them, it was somewhat fitting, both her and Chi’al remembered the discussion well about just what he was.

“Ah, now I can’t claim to be a peerless swordsman or master tactician no My Lady,” Nabonassar or rather Jingles had said as he packed away his things, just how he had managed to bring so much of what was his from Lucians isle was beyond anyone, but he seemed to have everything from that small room. “No I was the keeper of his purse strings, his treasurer and his administrator, it was I who he directed to lay down the foundations of his ambitions, it was I who oversaw the construction of new ships and the training of men, and the cajoling of tributaries.”

Here he lowered his gaze, he sensed perhaps the questions that were to come, after all other several of what were once part of Bloodbeards crew had splintered off and become a threat to her, why should be different. When it didn’t come he continued, “The others, they thought me lost with him, but he had left me behind here, I had identified some irregularities and he wanted me to investigate, next I know he’s gone!” At this he sniffed mournfully before looking up at the three, “No, he may be gone and his legacy shattered but he lives on in you, no matter what you choose My Lady, I shall be at your side and at your service.”

Since then he had been an insistent organiser, he had at first hotly argued with several of the Aztek administrators that had been aboard waiting to make landfall, in time however they had reached an understanding of sorts, mutual respect gained from a belief in efficiency. He seemed to take a strange delight in unpacking and repacking the packs somehow managing to pack ever greater amounts in without increasing the weight, far from it they seemed somewhat lighter.

As they made final preparations the scene at the docks was somewhat different ships had docked unloaded and departed and docked again, it was by now late noon when they departed Chi’al declaring they would be best to travel through the jungles and forests it being harder to be spotted. Samba di Mamba objected only slightly saying that they should make haste for Teary Eye would likely not remain where she was forever, if after all the Aztek’s advanced too close she would likely withdraw elsewhere and then matters would become more difficult. [/Event]

Tletltlan Isles (RL Galápagos)

The journey had been long and somewhat unpleasant to say the least, the ships were overburdened with supplies and settlers, the isles they intended to secure had been scouted several times and positions of interest marked. Out of all of them an initial colony site had been identified, perhaps to say colony was incorrect, soon it would be an integral part of the Aztek state and a cornerstone in their strategy, suffice it to say however a colony for the moment it would be.

The first group had rowed to the shore and begun offloading supplies, the expedition leader a fierce lupine like lady who went by the name of Cizita howled out orders and supervised the unloading of supplies, as more boats came in with both supplies and artisans they began moving further inland, but not before ordering the first stage of a dock to be prepared. Although at first it would be little more than a jetty it would grow to be a major port and naval base, Architects began fanning out carrying their satchels full to bursting with plans, they had during the long monotonous journey memorised the layout of the new town which had already been named Neneteque.

The going would be slow but a steady stream of convoys had been scheduled for departure and several were already on their way, and by nights end several buildings were in varying stages of construction. The idea of rushing one or two to serve in the interim as accommodation had been vetoed early on, instead they returned to the ships moored close to shore by rowboat as until more of the convoys arrived to offload supplies and settlers among other things it was for the best. Of course by then they would need to have completed accommodation, however it was no doubt assured that this would indeed be the case.

Caa’ci had listened intently to the final briefing, he would no doubt be writing more of such letters for destinations further afield, however he was satisfied with his current crop of contacts, that and the Archivists needed more time to assemble briefings on the situation in the regions. It would after all do no good to risk bringing the nation into another nations conflict inadvertently, after all the concept of honour was one the Aztek’s held in high regard, perhaps almost in high a regard as these Koreans. Their culture seemed thoroughly interesting he had had but a short amount of time to acquaint himself with their culture and customs though everything seemed to be noticed and judged, he would need to prepare himself thoroughly for when he met the representative from them.

by **Of the Quendi** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 4:57 am

Palácio Imperial de Verão
The Imperial City of Petrópolis
The Empire of Brazil

Dom Luís de Araújo e Lima, Viscount of Sousa

1852 AD

Seated at his rococo desk, languidly reclining in a matching chair, with his correspondence covering the decorative table as the Aztek ambassador entered Dom Luís quickly rose from his relaxed position to greet the man. Garbed in one of his highly fashionable morning gowns consisting of a black single breasted silk morning coat with peaked lapels and a matching waistcoat, a white satin shirt and black oxford shoes he looked a distinguished gentlemen. But the minister had not resisted the temptation to accessorize himself with a large handkerchief in purple in his pocket, a rose Boutonnière, an ebony cane with a silver pommel and even, instead of a neutral necktie, an extravagant Louis XIV style cravat. Fashionable, some would no doubt call Dom Luís de Araújo e Lima, Viscount of Sousa, but to the right of the liberal faction in the Empire of Brazil, among the landed fidalgo plantation owners, the clergy, and even segments of army and navy, ridiculous might have just as well been the description.

But even if Dom Luís had been the type to take fashion advice from fidalgo's and priests he could at least have taken solace in knowing that next to the Aztek ambassador he looked practically dull. The garbs and trappings of the Aztek ambassador could have no doubt given a conservative catholic prelate a heart attack. Politely the Brazilian foreign minister bowed towards the ambassador. "Monsieur ... Tei-te?" Dom Luís greeted the ambassador, trying his best to pronounce the Azteks name. "Welcome to Petrópolis. Your Excellency have indeed caught me by surprise. It seems the world covets to know the will of the Empire of Brazil on all manners of subjects." Dom Luís declared with a sweeping gesture towards the letters on his desk.

Then Dom Luís gestured towards a comfortable and decorative rococo seating arrangement. "Please have a seat Your Excellency." The minister said, suspiciously wondering why the enigmatic northern neighbor with its strange and alien customs and beliefs had payed a visit. He needed not sate his curiosity by asking about it though, as the ambassador quickly volunteered an Aztek proclivity towards Dom Luís's declaration, which he had promptly and unashamed named "the Sousa Doctrine". Dom Luís smiled as the Aztek ambassador declared his support. At least Dom Luís that settled matters. An ally was an ally no matter what weird faith or customs he practiced. That the conservatives would not see it that way was of course a given.

Pulling out a pocket watch as ostentatious and flamboyant as he himself was Dom Luís quickly checked the time. "Well monsieur ambassador I am delighted that the Aztek Ascendancy shares the apprehension of the Empire of Brazil to a renewed European colonization of our shared continent." Dom Luís declared, pocketing his watch. "I believe that calls for a toast, do Your Excellency enjoy Tokaji?" The minister asked in a purely rhetorical manner as he had already rung for his servants. As one arrived the minister declared; "Aszú for two."

Then the minister took a seat in the seating arrangement he had directed Tei-te towards. "So ambassador, I hear some rumor that you have made the journey from Tenochtitlan ... Over land? Surely this can not be?" The minister jovially asked.

Osaka Castle
The City of Osaka
The Empire of Japan

Dom Pedro Genji Takayama, Brazilian Ambassador to Japan

1852 AD

As the Japanese minister of the right proposed a series of islands for the Brazilian southern hemisphere belt Dom Pedro's brow furrowed as he visualized the suggestions on the many maps of the Pacific region he had had amble time to examine as he crossed the great ocean en route to the Japanese Empire. Slowly Dom Pedro nodded at the first two suggestions, the Pitcairn Islands and the Society Islands. "The Pitcairns and Society islands would indeed seem ideal choices." The ambassador declared. "The distances from Rapa Nui to the Pitcairns and from the Pitcairns to the Society islands are not too great and the three form a convenient route." He said.

But at the second suggestions, the Gilbert Islands and the Elice Islands, the ambassador shook his head. "I am however less convinced by the suitability of the Gilbert and Elice Islands." He spoke. "They are both northern islands groups suited only for a route north of New Guinea. The Empire of Brazil has a preference for a route south of the great island, and if the Empire of Japan are particularly eager to acquire Micronesia and the northern Pacific regions closest to Japan it would seem best also from a Japanese perspective with a southern route." Dom Pedro objected. Truth be told he found the Japanese claim's a tad unreasonable in their scope, and they where bound to raise an eyebrow or two in Rio. Clearly Dom Pedro would have his work cut out for him trying to steer Japanese expansionism westward toward China and Korea instead of into the Pacific region. "I would instead propose Niue and ... Vanuatu?" Dom Pedro suggested, after a moments contemplation. Strictly speaking he was not authorized to settle on specific regions, as the southern belt project was still very much a work in progress, but with the Japanese so eager to establish themselves in the Pacific rather then East Asian region getting a deal done quickly seemed the best course of action.

Nodding slowly Dom Pedro decided that Niue and Vanuatu could serve fine as Brazilian outposts. "Yes." He said. Niue and Vanuatu will do well I should think. If those suggestions are acceptable to the Empire of Japan I believe we can move on to different matters." Dom Pedro declared.

by **Cymrea** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 6:20 am

United Kingdom of Cambria

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

To: Caa'ci Icnoyotl, Commissariat of External Relations of the Aztek Ascendancy

On behalf of Her Majesty Queen Victoria and her Circle of Archons, representing the Crown and Government of the United Kingdom of Cambria, it is my great honour to accept your offer a diplomatic summit to discuss closer relations and the future of a stable and prosperous Europe. We shall attend a convention of our delegations in your shining capital of Tenochtitlan and usher in a new era of cooperation between Cambria and the Ascendancy.

For our delegation, we appoint the Right Honourable Persicus William Doyle as the Legatus Extraterritorialis to the Aztek Ascendancy.

Ever in service,

Right Honourable Meredith Aurelia Rhys-Jones, Praetor Extraterritorialis
Royal Cambrian Senate
for HM Queen Victoria

by **Lenyo** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 7:56 am

[EVENT] It was the greatest feast in the history of the Caribbean. In order to accommodate so many people at once, the Basilica of Our Lady had to be temporarily emptied to make way for the great feast. The clergy were furious that church treasures and Catholicism were put on hold for such profane ends, but they could hardly negotiate with the thousands of pirates converging on Port-au-Prince.

Pirates from across the Caribbean came to pledge loyalty to Lemon Coat, whose inner circle sat at the senior table, gorging themselves on countless meats, fishes, and delicacies imported from France. Bordeaux wine flowed freely. Pirates unworthy of the high table were seated at the long rows stretching almost a kilometer away from Lemon Coat. They were seated very deliberately, with the more important closer to the Body Politic. For many hours everyone feasted, and the basilica echoed with the merriment of thousands of pirates. Joining Lemon Coat was certainly preferable to facing navies and armed merchantmen alone.

Much later in the evening the guest of honor arrived dramatically. The basilica, which had roared with the sounds of shouting and general carousing, suddenly became silent. All the pirates turned towards the central aisle, carefully watching the center of attention swagger towards Lemon Coat. From her white robes, red sash, and elaborate beaded necklaces it was obvious she was a priestess of Santería. This was the Witchdoctor no one had seen in so long. In her absence many rumors had circulated. Some said she had become so spiritual that worldly affairs no longer interested her. Others claimed to have seen her miraculously heal people across the Caribbean. And still others said she must be dead. But here she was, ready to decide pirate history.

The hall remained silent as the Witchdoctor performed cleansing rituals. She bathed Lemon Coat's head in sacred herbs and then bestowed a beaded necklace upon him. The Witchdoctor then gifted him an iron amulet, a symbol of martial power. Finally she turned to the great crowd and proclaimed "The glory is going to start again. We’re going to fight again. We're going to be happy. In ten months, we will be in the Bahamas… Peace will return to the Caribbean. The eagle will fly from steeple to steeple until it reaches the towers of this basilica. There will be a great new nation, a pirate nation."

"Long live the king," exclaimed Lemon Coat. His vassals responded with fanatical cries of support. Now the cathedral echoed with the screams of thousands of pirates, ready to take Hispaniola and bring peace to a war-torn sea. The next day all the ships that had met in Port-au-Prince united into a single pirate fleet, supported by the French and Cambrian navies. Lemon Coat would conquer Hispaniola.

by **Cymrea** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:33 am

25 Augustus 1852

SUEZ CANAL CONSTRUCTION GETS FINANCIAL BOOST!

Fort Said, Cambrian Sinai - The Suez Canal Company, jointly owned by the Crown and Government of Cambria and the Imperium Romanum, has recently received a tremendous boost to its capital reserves. Heavy investments in the form of stock purchases from European neighbours France and Hansa were supplemented by the Aztek Ascendancy in Central America and the Argentinian Republic in South America. Private investments came from two conglomerates in far-away Japan: Mitsui and Sumimoto. With these generous injections of capital, the Grand Suez Canal is significantly ahead of schedule. Additional labour has been secured, as well as medical support to keep the workers happy and healthy! Returns on investment, primarily from toll fees, are expected to continue well into the Twenty-first Century. By which time, Cambria and her allies will surely be colonising the moon!

by **Lenyo** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:33 am

[EVENT] Morale was so high when Lemon Coat's pirates poured from Port-au-Prince into the interior of Hispaniola. They charged east towards Pétionville, securing the town and looting as they went. Lemon Coat's allies, the French and Cambrians, followed the pirate army, moving north towards Croix de Bouquets. In a week's time, the coalition had secured the lowlands around Port-au-Prince. All three armies rested for the upcoming campaign, which would prove more difficult.

Lemon Coat's pirates, the French Army, and the Cambrian Navy split up to accomplish different tasks. The Cambrians sailed west, blockading Gonâve Island in order to secure a naval stronghold. The French charged north, hoping to secure the island's center. Lemon Coat's men marched south to the ocean. The three armies fared very differently.

Cambria was most successful. After months of blockade, the locals finally surrendered. The United Kingdom moved in, securing the ports first and then combing the island for resistance. This took longer than expected, as the locals were surprisingly adept at guerrilla warfare.

Lemon Coat's pirates charged south, eager to conquer provinces for their new kingdom. However, the pirates were not as adept at terrestrial warfare as they had hoped. Their supply chains were insufficient. The pirates had underestimated the resources necessary to maintain an army, and many essential cartloads of supplies perished en route. Southwestern Hispaniola had almost no road infrastructure, and locals were more than willing to raid poorly guarded supply trains. Lemon Coat's men were hungry.

Furthermore, Lemon Coat's newfound army had no obvious chain of command. While all the pirates were loyal to Lemon Coat, their old rivalries and jealousies persisted. As they marched south, groups continuously argued over strategy, and their heated debates often devolved into fratricidal power struggles. Leadership was either established via unrestrained brutality, or pirates refused to cooperate, preferring desertion over subordination. Lemon Coat's army just didn't have the necessary structure of a professional army. Some groups disbanded, others got hopelessly lost in the mountains, and some just lacked the supplies to effectively fight the locals.

Meanwhile the French moved into the Central Plateau. Their supply chains were far better than Lemon Coat's, but the French had little success. Their maps were embarrassingly outdated, so the troops did not move into strategic positions. Many towns from 60 years ago no longer existed, and there were no locals willing to provide the French any aid. The Haitians seemed to hold a special grudge, although most French soldiers had no idea why. When supply trains did not arrive on time, the French resorted to looting, which only further decreased their 'popularity.'

Disease decimated the French forces. Both malaria and dengue fever prevented many men from fighting, and French patrols were understaffed. Locals ambushed exhausted French patrols, jumping out of the jungle or striking from the darkness. France sent reinforcements to replace the fallen, but it didn't turn the tide. France suffered attrition at the bases the Republic held, and further incursions into the rainforests and mountains proved fruitless. Soldiers stationed in Hispaniola wondered why they were fighting, a terrible question for any army.

by **Second Helghan Empire** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 4:43 pm

Just outside Potsdam, Brendenburg State, Hansa Federation

The engineers had been working for a very long time oon the project, practically since the fall of the Prussian nation early in the century but now it had paid off. The monumental building had used the large Manse as a building block, and now it was the Most beautiful and awe inspiring sight in Hansa.

The Global Academy

The academy would be a Hansa monument to science and study. With entire buildings and in some cases small compounds designed specifically for each accepted field of science, and some less than accepted ones. The facility was large nicknamed UniverCity by many nearby people. It housed it's own maintenance staff, massive dormitories ranging from lavish to cramped single rooms more fit as broom closets. Many of the most prestigous minds of the Generation had been specifically invited. Yet as more the Helghan government dispatched notifications to the people and governments of all nations, in the hopes of forming a global place of learning.

Included was the description of the facility, but not a visual aide, as Hansa wished for people to be caught off guard by it's extravagance. Also by amount Hansa was willing to pay in capital for scientific and technological improvement.

[spoiler:Facility Description]
Dormitories: room for 3,500 students, Room for 850 maintenance staff, room for 600 faculty adn their families.

Forums: Three Forums, one for each main Hansa recognised scientific category, Human(both physical and mental), Philosophical, Technical.

Great Oration hall: Stadium designed for an Orator to be heard easily even in the back. Able to sit over three hundred and forty people.

Labs: While not all technically labs, there is labs for each sub division of the accepted sciences, except Human Physicality, and Technological Experimentation which both have five. Each lab is a small compound of one to four buildings.

Classrooms: Not only do people come to share ideas and knowledge they also come to learn new things.

The Six Plazas, One at each of the four entrances, North, East, etc. One at the center, and one in front of the Dormitories.[/spoiler]

Hansa officials hoped to make plenty of money from the buying and subsequent productiona and selling of Wonders found in the academy. Soon humaity would be progressing even faster if Hansa had anything to do with it.

Aden, Gulf of Aden

The signing of the document cemented the establishment of the branch of the Hansa Nation, The Wolves of the Sea or WeltmereWolfen. Formed from the Pirates serving under the banner of the hansa military this action gave them a serious amount of autonomity and also shirked the Hansa responsibility of any accidents caused by the Wolves. Further more it solidified the Hansa control of the Gulf of Aden, which was now heavily guarded by the ever increasing Wolves.

The standard of the Wolves was to be flown above their individual Pirate flag at sea. Their banner seen below was heavily influenced by Hansa.

Fleet assembly Point, AL Ghaydah

The Arc lamp, having been invented in the early 1800's had failed to find any real use in the military. Until now. With more and more advanced Dynamos being made (early battery like generators) Arc Lamps finally had ways of being kept aboard war ships and staying lit for longer periods of time.

By order of the Admirality, all Hansa ships excluding any vessel smaller than a frigate, or any vessel not of military denomination or part of the Sea Wolves, were to be outfitted with large Arc Lamps. Originally to be used for better communication it became evident in mere days that they could also be used to help target enemy vesells in a nightime conflict.

Aboard the ship, Pride of the Sea, Hansa engineers explained to sailors how their new tool worked.

"This cable contains the volts of electricity generated by the Dynamos, and carries it up to the deck. It then connects to a relay box here...where a switch will be allowing you to control whether or not electricity connects to the Lamp itself. Simply flip the lever up and the Light turns on, flip it back down and it goes off. If your fillament burns out, which it will approxiamtely after 72 hours worth of use, far less if done all at once, simply flip the switch off and replace the vacuum tube. Then switch it back on."

The men were amazed. They had the ability to turn light on and off with the flick of a wrist. However the military wasn't the only one using the lamps, While they burned too brightly and hotly for indoor use they made perfect street lights and had begun to be found situated on the front of trains, often with a color coded cover to communicate with nearby stations.

by **Wasp Town** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 6:55 pm

тнє кιηg∂σм σƒ тнє νιѕιgσтнѕ
(νιѕιgσтнι¢α)

Toledo, Capital of Visigothica and The City of the Goths

It was midday, the sun high in the air over Toledo, baking the rough cobblestone roads and torturing the bare feet of those few who walked the streets during the heat of the afternoon. The usual mundane activities of the small-folk within the city, however, were about to be interrupted. The city, one of the most industrialized in the kingdom, was connected to the rudimentary railroad that snaked it's way throughout the nation, was how this new object of interest would arrive to the city. Hundreds poked their heads out of the windows of their shabbily build wood and stone town-houses at the ear splitting screech of the old rusty train grinding to a halt at the surprisingly large train station. The noise pierced the silence of the sleepy afternoon with a paticular effectiveness due to it being the first train in days, despite the fact they were supposed to arrive twice every single 24 hours. The lumbering, inefficient monstrosity of a steam train, poorly copied off of an early Hansa design, was suddenly flooded by citizens who emerged from their homes to figure out what was going on. The malnourished and starving citizens were, of course, hoping for another food shipment, another thing that always seemed late. However, what emerged from the craft was a surprise. Spilling from the passenger carts near the back of the ship were soldiers, looking just as hungry and poor as the people of Toledo. This was a major surprise, and a joyful event for quite a few of the womenfolk. Just last month all men between 15 and 50 not weighed down by physical disabilities had been shipped off with the City Guard to fight yet another Basque Revolt, and them returning so soon was not a good sign. Dressed in ragged and dirty uniforms, faces gaunt and eyes dead, the mass of soldiers marched past their loved ones towards the Royal Palace, their blunderbusses and swords barely being held up due to the fatigue of the troops. Their metal visors down and their backs slumps, the mass of men continued marching down the road. Their lieutenant, barely past 20, looked just as tired and depressed as them, though his looked better fed, and his uniform was in much better shape. Stepping up onto a nearby cargo crate by the exit of the station, the man cleared his throat and began to speak in High Gothic.
"We, your army, have returned with news of a victory over the Basque scum, their fields and homesteads have been burned to the ground, their men lay dead and their women have run into back towards the Pyrenees, like the cowards they are. We killed one hundred rebels for every man lost."
One of the low born city dwellers responded in the guttural and savage Low Gothic common among those of low birth.
"You don't look like yah won to good of a victory, you look like yah lost bad."
The lieutenant stared at the man for a few moments, his face still blank and slack.
"I can assure you all it was a great victory, and that the Basque are no more."
At this, the high born commander stepped off his box and began to trail his men to the Palace barracks. After a moment of watching the soldiers recede, the citizens disperse back to their own homes as well.

The Northern Hinterlands of Visigothica, Basque lands.

Smoke coiled upwards from the old wheat and grass fields, now burnt to a crisp, with fires raging all throughout the land, as far as the eye could see. The ground was coated in the remains of both Basque and Visigothic corpses, and occasional explosions from the fire reaching un-detonated charges produced even more smoke to rise high into the sky. The Basque leader, Xabi Alonso, looked over the remains of his force, a scraggly band of citizen-warriors armed with, at best, hunting rifles, and more usually rudimentary bows. Though the Basque had lost most of their men in the Battle of the Seven Hills, they had routed the Visigothic forces with their raging fires, and that was a sweet victory for the rebellion. The swarms of Visigothic soldiers had been surprised by the fires that caught in the cheap olive oil soaked fields so well, and as their screaming comrades burned alive around them many chose to flew rather than fight. Though at first their commanders demanded they turn around and fight the Basques, who had already been heavily wounded by the first Rifle volley originating from the further back Visigothic line infantry. However, once the wild fire reached the line infantry the commanders ordered a retreat. Fleeing swiftly with plans to round back and slaughter those who had slighted them, the Visigothic army suddenly found themselves being ambushed by two massive Basque forces from either side. Unable to set up firing lines, the battle soon became a desperate and confusing battle, with swordsmen clashing before one or both were blown to bits by the blunderbuss of some scared Visigothic infantry conscript. The commanders of the force called upon the nearby cavalry that had been deployed behind Visigothic lines to reinforce should they require a final push, however the horn calls were not responded too, the horsemen having lone since fled at the sight of the spreading fires that ravaged the dry grass of the hills. Whilst the Basque and Visigothic forces were locked in conflict, those men who were able to were ordered to flee, with a regiment of conscripts being left to die and hold of the remaining Basques. Though this regiment was inevitably slaughtered, the Basques were reduced to tiny numbers, and the remaining Visigoths had fled to the town of Soria. The town, equipped with a train station, became a rallying point for the more experienced soldiers of the army, with those conscripts too weak or incompetent to fight being shipped to Toledo so as to man the cities drained garrison. With the army of the Visigoths massing in Coria, they prepared to crush the remaining Basque once and for all.

by **Conwy-Shire** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 5:28 am

The Kingdom of Courland
Karaļvalsts Kurzeme

Mitau, Courland Proper

A salute of blanks roared over the Couronian Capital, welcoming their King back from his seasonal sojourn in Pskov. Friedrich Casimir von Biron couldn't suppress a grin as his countrymen observed the traditional protocols of his nation to the letter, and a feeling of pride swelled in his chest as the Biron standard was raised once more above the towering battlements of his royal residence. The king had returned to Mitau, ready once more to govern his majestic country.

House guards attired in Winter dress uniform stood at regular intervals along the cast iron bridge, becoming rigid as statues whilst their King rode his coated Arabian gelding past at a trot. The thoroughfare of the bridge had been cleared for his procession, giving Casimir the gift of silent, uninterrupted reflection, broken only by the monotonous *clop* of steel horseshoes on the cast-iron lane. The king was fresh-returned from the marital ceremony of his close friend, the Peer of Narva, though the ceremony itself took place on the outskirts of Pskov, at the home of the betrothed, with all the pomp of an international function. Such was the state of the rural nobility, whilst the citizens under their nominal custody struggled under an isolated economic base.

The issue of economic constraints in the East were of primary concern to Casimir, his own 'wedding gift' as such to the Lord-Peer of Narva was to commission a railroad stretching from Mitau to Narva, his only problem was that whilst Courland had the resources, she had no experience with railroads whatsoever. Their prominence in greater Europe however, bespoke an important role to be played by railroads in the history of the nation, should she wish to become a modern state.

The king was lost in thought as he approached the outer bailey walls, relying solely on the navigational skill of his horse to convey him home safely. It was only when the gentle rocking beneath him ceased that Casimir lurched back to the present, duly registering the normal babble of noise from the staff of the residence in front of him and the royal retinue to his rear. He left the baggage train of courtiers and functionaries behind once within the confines of his residence, shaking the blood back into his stiff legs as they made contact with terra firma for the second time that day. Quickly moving away from the chaos unfolding behind him, the king made straight for the grand threshold of the Inner Bailey, cursing the defensive measures implemented by his ancestors as the bleak steps and steep walkways stretched out in front of him.

It took five minutes in all to reach the royal keep on foot. The archaic fortifications of the Livonian Order had never been torn down, and over the centuries the whole island situated in the centre of Mitau had been encompassed by the towering brick fortification inspired by works such as Marienburg and Torun. A slightly red-faced Casimir charged inside, stumbling over the threshold of his own home. Inside, an administrative orderly stood, eyebrow raised as his king entered the keep.
"You didn't see that," Casimir called out towards him. Taking the silence as an affirmative, the King continued breathlessly "I'll be needing two sheets of parchment and the royal-blue inkpot - direct to my study."
Without pausing to make sure the orderly understood, Casimir turned towards the grand staircase dominating the centre of the room, making the final ascent to his apartments.

That evening, two missives were delivered to the Foreign Office in Riga, one dispatch for the Greater Hansa Federation, one of the 'greater' European nations unto whom Courland now extended a hand of friendship. The other was bound for the colony of St. Helene, after which mail to Fort Jacob and the Biron islands would be delivered.

St. Helene, Couronian overseas territory

Von Sturmer turned the missive from his king over once more, twirling the parchment in his long, manicured hands. Outside, the trade-winds drew a gentle gust across the island, caressing von Sturmer's dessicated skin with cool air. The Löwen des Norden had pulled into harbour the evening prior, bringing sweet words to the old governor's ears, sweet words indeed.

St Helene had been designated as the central port of call for all Couronian ships traversing the mid-and-south atlantic currents, and with the distinction came a promised influx of resources to upgrade the bare piers and dockyard visible as tiny fingers piercing the ocean tides. It would bring more people to the island, also, with repatriation favour granted to the island over the smaller Fort Jacob on the Congo river.

The Löwen des Norden sat in the harbour, distinct amongst the fishing craft von Sturmer made out as he rose from his desk and moved towards the coastal window. Sea salt marked the edges of the thick glass-pane, yet the harbour was still visible to Sturmer's decreasing eyesight. Moored in a place of honour by the resident gunboat, the 2nd Rate Ship of the Line lived up to its name, proudly baring its payload in the deep harbour foreshore. The Lion of the North would make for the Biron islands, her captain having chosen to crawl along the African coast before catching the trade winds out to St Helene. She would tag along with the Westerlies before hugging the coast north and making the break to Mauritius, the most prominent of the Biron islands.

von Sturmer's head hung with tiredness, he was getting too old for his post, and retirement had been on the horizon long before Löwen des Norden first appeared there too. The old Couronian returned to his quaters soon afterwards, unable to watch the sky turn blood-red for one of the last times in his career, and indeed, his life.

Mauritius, Couronian-held Biron islands

The ragged 2nd Rate ship limped into landing-range of Johannes-town just as the colony took to its midday pause. The warm and slightly humid air became abuzz as colonists on the docks sighted the ship, breaking the routine of the calm island with its presence. The ship was named Löwen des Norden, and she had finally found her destination.

In all 18 men lost their lives on the voyage, along with the mizzen-mast and rigging for the fore-mast. She looked like a true wreck, powered by a solitary sail-rig and populated by half-dead crewmen. Were the craft not staffed by Couronians she would likely have sunk, either way the ship would be out of action for the better part of a year, almost paying the ultimate sacrifice to deliver her cargo.

Having received the order to set sail, a small flotilla set out from Mauritius, sails bent towards the green tropics of what would come to be named New Prussia by her inhabitants. The Couronians had mapped the island for months, awaiting the order from Mitau to send civilised souls into the wild. They were led by Captain-general Karl Max Lichnowsky, a Czech immigrant-turned explorer under full commission of the government.

Lichnowsky's flotilla numbered two-hundred souls, none of whom were colonists of Mauritius, but had been swayed by government incentives and land ownership in this new land. The incentives were large, and they needed to be, for this would be a new and dangerous frontier for the Couronian settlers; and already the sharks were circling.

(OOC: only territorial change is claiming the three slivers of land on the eastern side of Madagascar, and I won't mind if the OP shoots some difficulties [the shark reference at the end was metaphorical and literal]).

by **Lenyo** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 1:52 am

[EVENT] Caribbean Governor Matthias Delaplace had received increasingly worrisome reports from the Haitian campaign. Although the Cambrians succeeded in taking Île de la Gonâve, the French plan of using pirates to conquer Hispaniola had utterly failed. The undisciplined ranks of pirates were unprepared for mountainous and jungle warfare, and the natives had resisted French incursions tooth and nail. Perhaps pirates excelled at only one thing: hit-and-run raids on unarmed merchant vessels.

War Minister Henry Picard sailed to Martinique in order to discuss strategy with the governor, because outside of France's core provinces, Parliament's influence was limited. The Republic delegated broad autonomy to colonial governors, who were quite powerful overseas. "This conquest of Haiti is a disaster," began War Minister Henry Picard. "Almost none of our objectives have been completed, and Lemon Coat's men are more disorganized every day."

"I just got a communiqué from Haiti. Lemon Coat died in battle, and his charismatic leadership was the only thing holding the pirates together in Haiti," explained Governor Matthias Delaplace. "Attrition in the mountains was extremely high, so almost all his pirates are dead. The survivors deserted into the jungle. Maybe they'll be incorporated into peasant villages, or they might just perish. The only silver lining is that there are a few hundred abandoned pirate ships in French custody. They're third or fourth-rate quality, but we can slowly unload them in Brazil or Lousianne. Used pirates ships won't sell in Europe."

"The news from our soldiers isn't much better," sighed War Minister Henry Picard. "We hold the lowlands around Port-au-Prince, but we're making no progress expanding into the mountains. France is no more popular in Haiti today than we were fifty years ago. Both the Army and the Colonial Office made no headway in recruiting collaborators. Morale among our troops is dropping fast, and short of a massive French invasion, we will not conquer the island."

"So the campaign isn't worth the cost?" asked Governor Delaplace.

"In so many words, yes," answered Minister Picard. "We're better off cutting our losses."

"OK, agreed." Governor Delaplace turned towards his window, pensively looking at the sea. "After this Haitian debacle I'll surely lose the next election. I guess you can't win them all. I assume you're here to write a joint letter to Parliament?"

"Yes, they need to hear it from both of us," said Minister Picard. "Instead of adventuring into Haiti, we should consolidate our rule in the Eastern Caribbean. Let the Aztecs take Cuba and Hispaniola. They're more adept at jungle warfare anyways, and Bloody Mary appears to be quite the general."

by **Eurasian Hegemony** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 8:54 am

[EVENT]
Mecca

Cannons roared and shells exploded. The Christen forces crashed into the pirate forces, only a short distance from the city. Inside the city pro christen supporters battled the pro pirate forces. In actuallity two battles were being fought. Outside the Christen troops easily crushed the pirate forces but they were following through with eliminating their enemy. Only sending a small detachment roughly 200 men to begin the attack on the city.

The inside of the city had been a battlefield for several weeks. The center specifically around the Holy Mosque. Massive barricades had been erected and the citizens had established control of nearly 1/3 of the city. The army the Christen troops battled had been sent from Al Bahah to end the revolt and establish a prepared defense against the coming Chistens. The pirates had butchered the people of Al Bahah to regain control of the city so they could help their comrades in Mecca. In total the city had been decimated. An entire portion of it was torched and hundreds had been killed in the streets even after the rioters surrendered.

As the Christen soldiers entered the edge of the city pirate forces ambushed them from the rooftops and windows. Forcing them to retreat from the city. Noticing the movement of Pirate forces away from the positions surrounding the barricades, the citizens under the leadership of Khaled al-Wasari a former soldier. They stormed the buildings and defenses under control of the remaining pirates.

Christen forces returned to the city in full strength. Thousands of soldiers marched forward but no cannons fired and the troops could not move further into the city than a few blocks. Trapped between the Christen and Rebel forces the Pirate units cumbled. Their men surrendered or fled in droves.

Following the battle, The Baron and the leader of the rebels, Khaled, met in a square toward the eastern part of town. They shook hands and congratulated one another on victory and moved into a large building to begin negotiations.

They talked over wine and honeyed bread while outside the two armies cooperated in repairing Mecca. Baron Icaro Baldacci was a friendly man having at one time lived amongst many muslims. Khaled was similar but also the opposite, his old village had been predominantly catholic christians.

After several hours they came to a compromise and both parties seemed happy.
[box]The Christen Army would help to build a peaceful muslim nation with the capital in Mecca. In return this kingdom deemed the Arabian Kingdom would give a tithe of 25,000 soldiers to the Christen forces, and all Arabian ports would be open to Chisten traders and other ships.
The Kingdom of Aradia would span from the south of the Nefoud desert to Yemen and from the red sea to the An Dahna desert in the east. This territorial boundary wouldn't effect any other nations boundaries save minor emirates and would allow for a peaceful arabia. Currently while the area claimed was not yet under control and wouldn't be for quite a while. the Kindom of Arabia only contained the coastal slices along the red sea. and only the long narrow ones at that. It would be a long road to securing the rest of the region but with both the Kingdoms perhaps it would be easier.

Sicily

The brutal tactics paid off. Only a short distance from Catana a small collection of smuggler docks sat waiting. A few men walked about cleaning or inventorying the goods. After a decent amount of thime passed a set of boats rowed up to the docks and tied on. They unloaded ammunition and weapons and loaded money and food. The two groups chatted like old friends and prepared to set out again.

The Count flicked his hand and a whistle screamed. The Saints sprinted forward tackling pirates and swinging cutlasses. Behind them the Count's men fired accurate shots covering the Saint's charge. Count Fiorenzo Pergola was dissapointed to find the Saint wasn't there either and no pirates had survived. He ordered the dock area be cleaned and he prepared an ambush for any more pirates that might land there.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catana had grown rather peaceful and quiet in the last few weeks. Many people now simply enjoyed living rather than piracy and the towns traders and artisans began to flourish as the Catana port reopenned. This new trade and influx of currency was beginning to help the Island return to glory. Many newcomers had begun to arrive and for the first time in a long time Sicily had begun to feel like part of the Christen Kingdom.

by **Tracian Empire** » Mon Sep 07, 2015 9:09 am

The Roman Empire
Imperium Romanum
"Emperor of Emperors, Ruling over Those who Rule!"

Alexandria

The Roman Empire won't recognize Hansa's ambitions in Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia was and will be again a Roman province, as soon as our legions crush the pirates and the Neo-Akkadians. In exchange for Hanza's cooperation, we will support their ambitions in the Persian Gulf. We also want to announce our possible future intention of taking over the continental Persia.

Regarding Israel, the only proposal the Imperium will ever accept was already presented. We won't give up on any of our African territories.

[EVENT]

Following the recent events, a certain group of Roman military officers has started to suspect that people in both the Imperial Military and Administration are working with the pirates. In order to combat that, the Emperor has created a special organization that will investigate the matter. Everyone that is suspected will be carefully investigated. No corruption must exist inside the glorious Imperium.

Also, having received reinforcements from the Black Sea Fleet, the Roman Imperial Navy has increased it's anti-piracy operations in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Roman-Neo-Akkadian Border

4 Roman Legions, including the elite Legio I Thraciae have begun the Roman attack against the pirates. The Legions are going to move towards Antioch, hoping to meet little to no resistance from the pirate land units.
[/EVENT]

by **Novacom** » Mon Sep 07, 2015 4:43 pm

[Event] It had been days since they had departed, the going had been hard and there had been no small amount of close calls, if it were not for Chi’al and his pride’s vigilance they would likely have been captured or worse. Perhaps the most harrowing time of all had been when they had needed to wait for Samba to return from an errand, she had before the group had departed sent word ahead to Teary Eye, and had needed to go and find word that she was indeed waiting for them. They had had to wait in the dense undergrowth of the Cuban Jungle for three days, although in truth it seemed more like it had stretched on for weeks, the threat was more from the wildlife than pirates who seemed to be rushing what they could south.

The flow had begun to diminish away to nothing much to the concern of all, surely the pirates had more forces to throw at the main forces to the south, if anything it made the long wait even more fraught with tension. It was approaching the night of the seventh day by the time she returned, looking distinctly worse for wear but apart from that unharmed, she wasted little time explaining simply telling Chi’al to continue onwards to where they had originally discussed.

With little preamble they started their trek again, they were to say the least relieved to be on the move again though most would not have admitted it, Bloody Mary had been deep in thought after hearing tales from Jingles. She wasn’t altogether sure of the ideas being mooted, her a Pirate Queen, it seemed all too much to her, she and her modest band had carved out a decent living and she knew that would have to change. Lucian had been right the age of piracy was coming to an end, but what would happen to her and her crew, never mind those who were gathering to her banner, she had never asked for any of this but now it seemed she would need to lead the way, but what way, what path lay before her.

Before they had left Jingles had called in several of his markers who had swiftly answered the summons, he had told them to call in all who would answer the call, that the Heir to Bloodbeard had been found. As a result the docks at Guantanamo were being nigh overloaded even as the Aztek’s were frantically trying to expand them, with them came word of what was happening elsewhere in the Caribbean. Lemon Coat was missing presumed lost and there were rumours Isla de la Gonave had been assailed, between these events and other efforts scant few pirates bands remained, though what remained seemed to be answering the call.

The Aztek’s were holding part of the port at Guantanamo for their own purposes they were still offloading fresh troops, while several ships arriving set sail again elsewhere, thus far they had secured up to Camaguey but troops had raced so far as Moron. The navy had been key to such advances whenever the pirates attempted to form a defence line naval landings swiftly outflanked them, by this point several set piece battles had been fought. However losses were beginning to mount and a great deal of troops were being tied up in pacification efforts, and more than a healthy amount were moving up to join the main force once more.

The populace of the conquered territory had been greatly bemused at yet another occupier so swiftly yet many adopted a wait and see attitude, they were distinctly unsure what to make of these strange people and their customs however they had not made an example of anybody in the fashion of the pirates. This if nothing else endeared the Aztek’s to them and many were more than willing to adhere to the new laws and ways these newcomers were bringing about, it was as a result of this that many holdouts and pirates who had attempted to blend in were given up. Despite the fact they were for all intents and purposes at war with the pirates they were granted mercy and the hand of friendship even as they were sent back to Guantanamo for processing.

---

The man stormed out slamming the door behind him, leaving it’s occupants bemused and more than a little relieved, Chairman Xiya looked distinctly nonplussed, and the commissariats were stifling laughter and bewilderment. “That man is truly insufferable, I don’t know why you put up with or even tolerate him,” the Xiya finally said into the pregnant silence. His tones a stark contrast, a quiet timbre to the thunderous bellows which would have put a raging bull to shame, then again the angled stone walls of the chambers with their mosaic murals made for poor acoustics when it came to cacophoonus howls of any volume.

“Quite simple chairman, I was put into a position where I had to accept a political appointee and he," she paused as she reorganised the mess of paperwork that had been in no small part been caused by the grand gestures of slamming fists upon the carved stone desk. "Had the distinction of being the least terrible out of all of them,” Iuitl Xiloxoch, Commissariat for War replied, her tone weary and resigned. She was known as something of a battleaxe and a mark of distinction in regards to having rose to her position in what was a male dominated profession, but even she was not immune to pressure and had small desire to wage war on several fronts.

“The Guild Congress came to me and made clear that in no uncertain terms that they wanted executive input in replacing the late General Moctezuma,” she continued wearily a touch of forlornness in her tone. “and if I’m honest I still don’t quite understand the circumstances behind his passing, however that horrible man has been in charge since, and he is barely adequate at his job and has been in here frequently complaining about his southern counterpart Jade Eagle.” Her tone became somewhat bitter as she recalled that particular session, the Congress was at best riven by divides by both differing strains of ideology and by differing interests, the Aztek system given it's current state of being frozen midway through reform was riven with imperfections.

“That does sound somewhat suspicious, Jade Eagle has an unblemished record and his conduct of the war against the pirates has been nothing short of inspired,” interjected Commissariat Catlitla, it was she who oversaw the lifeblood of the nation. Under her guidance the Obsidian Way had come to be and in the past few months it had been radically expanded with many thousands of miles of track and hundreds of new rolling stock added to the system. She by her nature was the most politically minded Commissariat in the Ascendancy, her remit required great negotiation skills and political instinct, after all the need to persuade others it was in their best interests to acede to changes and then have them co-operate in persuading others when they were themselves uncertain was an art form.

"It is, and what’s more he stepped up his tirade a few days before the invasion," replied Iutil mildly, she had begun to perk up somewhat by now, "I'm almost of mind to say something were amiss about that," she trailed off uncertainly, no sooner had she mentioned this then another person came through the door, "I just saw the general in the hallway, such a thunderous expression he had, dare I ask what he was complaining about this time?” enquired Commissariat Tlihuite mildly. It was he that oversaw the industry and economy of the Ascendancy.

The others swiftly filled him in on the mans tirade leaving the newly arrived Commissariat shaking his head disapprovingly at the entire situation, “He has something of a point however he just doesn’t understand that numbers in a vacuum or simply not important, yes casualties are a catastrophe, but it must be balanced against what they accomplished, if anything our casualties have been incredibly light in comparison to what has been accomplished.” This was hardly arguable, in less than four months the entirety of the homefront had been completely and utterly swept of Pirates, Jamaica, Isla de la Juventud and the Cayman Islands had also been completely pacified. On Cuba the story was somewhat different, Jade Eagle’s forces had established a battle like from Manzanillo to Mayari, however most of these gains were as of yet concrete.

The idea that a price in manpower could be put upon success of such scale was somewhat insulting, the men and women of the Ascendancy would gladly put their lives on the line, even now that the focus of the war was beginning to shift once again to the sea’s. Preliminary reports from The Jade Eagle was that the resistance his forces were meeting was beginning to evaporate, it was hardly surprising given how wide by now he was casting his net, he had achieved his initial goal of securing a foothold after all.

His forces had been swift moving rarely storming towns unless the odds were favourable instead preferring to encircle and cut off such places from outside help, this did not diminish the speed of advance of the main forces as instead of being reinforced instead new forces making landfall instead took over the sieges. There were still some notable holdouts however they were not expected to hold out for much longer however it was undeniable that the momentum lay with the Azteks who had on their side scope of Tactical Manoeuvre.

This nebulous factor greatly magnified the capabilities the Aztek’s had at their disposal, and although the Aztek’s wielded in most engagements a small force in comparison to the undisciplined mobs they were wielded with a surgeon’s precision. With a number of smaller subsidiary forces being used to supplement every offensive, often outflanking by land and by sea making it supremely difficult for the Pirates to form a coherent defence line.

Seeking to fully secure the sea’s around Cuba and with it his lines of communication, supply and attack he had pared off a small force to assault the Bahamas, the results were similar to that of Jamaica with the isles for the most part having been evacuated of all living souls. Some battles had taken place as they began to engage naval forces in position on the northern coast, as sweeping attacks and set piece naval battles steadily eroded the remaining pirate strength at sea.Casualties were however steadily mounting mainly in the ranks of the pirates, however the most notable source of casualties had been at sea with over forty ships sank, mostly in a single engagement, a massive Pirate fleet had attempted to swing round the southern tip of Cuba.

The ensuing combat had resulted in the complete destruction of the Pirate fleet with in turn the utter mauling of the Aztek fleet, the losses while heavy were of small concern to the Commissariat of Military Affairs, with the push towards Ironclads away from ships of traditional timber, yet still such losses were hard to swallow by some. “I think however we could be sinking a great deal more Pirates however some of them are flagged, we suspect under false livery of other nations.” The implications of this were to say the least concerning and were grasped by all present, the potential for blowback were also easily grasped, with each considering just what could be done. “I know what can fix that, however it will cause us some issues I suspect in foreign circles, as for the general, I think this bears further investigation,” replied Xiya mildly before exiting the room with little further preamble, the impromptu meeting evidently over the others made their way about their business.

---

Greetings and Kind Regards,

We shall be most delighted to welcome him to our home and our lands and eagerly await his arrival upon his shores, upon which we shall gladly discuss matters of mutual benefit and an exchange of embassies.

In service to the Aztek people and state

Caa'ci Icnoyotl,
Commissariat of External Relations of the Aztek Ascendancy.

Coatzacoalcos was a key site for the Aztek Navy, it had in the past two years become home to an extensive set of dockyards and naval base, the town itself had expanded rapidly and could by now be called something of a bustling city, much of which was built in Neo-Classical Aztek style, with steadily sloping heights and fascias set with artistic works from local artisans. The Obsidian Way had recently been linked to the city connecting it to the rest of the growing network and a steady stream of resources needed as they were to feed the Naval Yards and their supporting industries as they grew the elite Aztek Third Fleet which as a force had been held in reserve during the current conflict while it's traditional vessels were replaced with the new designs crafted completly from Iron.

It was here that the Cambrian envoy was expected to make landfall, of course the Aztek's maintained a great many ports and all were by now connected to one another and to the Obsidian Way network and ultimately to Tenochtitlan, and all had been informed to convey such honoured guests to the Radiant City upon the Great Lake with all due haste. The city was a hive of activity at this time of year and even moreso given the current situation in the Caribbean, throughout the city the Proud Aztek citizenry went about their business even more birskly and swiftly than usual, a hard working people by in large seemed to have even more of a spring in her step. In the public plazas patriotic murals with narrow Nahuatl text at the bottom invoking the people to join the fight for the nation in their own way in front of which lively discourse was held by the people.

Caa'ci cast his gaze out over the city from the balcony of his office, he had finished signing off orders for one of the old Royal Ziggurats to be recommissioned and refurbished for a new purpose to serve as an embassy quarter, it would of course require some repair and restoration work but it would serve it's purpose quite well in time. He had since received several new staff capable of performing the roles required of them, incentives had been provided to further enrollment in the small foreign language classes the Aztek's had, although it would take some years for this particular failing of the Ascendancy's isolationism to be eroded, it was something however that would likely be mutual.

It turned out indeed that the preparations had been well planned indeed, the Cambrian Envoy and his entourage were received with no small measure of pomp and circumstance at Coatzacoalcos, before being conducted through the city which like all Aztek Cities was a marvel of city planning filled with bustling activity and fresh clean faintly scented air. They were swiftly conveyed onto a carriage and sent down the Obsidian Way to the capital Tenochtitlan, the journey to which would take scant hours, during which a functionary accompanied them politely answering a great deal of questions, the carriage was well appointed and had been cleared for the sole usage of the Cambrians, upon their arrival in the city they were ushered on foot through the great wide streets bordered with great ziggurats of varying type and size along with compounds of smaller buildings. Every surface was covered with artful mosaic murals which writhed and moved in the light of sun and moon and phases in between, the fragrant air was spicy and aromatic, a rich harmony of music and soft spoken murmurs seemed to permeate everything, even the factory districts were a place of beauty the area richly decorated and festooned with greenery, the journey through the great city was mercifully short as they were brought to the central square. They were swiftly conveyed inside, and upstairs to an office where Caa'ci awaited who greeted him warmly, "Ah you must be Legatus Doyle, my warm welcome to Tenochtitlan, I hope your journey was uneventful?" he asked mildly as he beckoned the man over to the far side of his office to the balcony overlooking the bustling city where a selection of chilled drinks had been prepared.

---

Tei-te looked at the bottle from which the beverage had been poured deep in thought, his mouth moving reflecting his thoughts before finally replying, “Ah, I’ve heard of such things, I believe it’s from the Carpathians?” he queried mildly before taking a sip. He paused to run the fluid around his mouth before swallowing the small mouthful before taking a second to do the same again his expression growing more appreciative before then taking a final one and smacking his lips in pleasure. “Quite the aroma, and a very heady bouquet, somewhat sweeter than what I am used to I must admit,” he said after a short pause, “it is somewhat different from our drinks, and the import of foreign drinks and indeed much else foreign has long been complicated by the Pirate Scourge.”

I must apologise for the bluntness of my earlier statement, my people are not given to wasting time with excessive formalities, my people have a saying when it comes to such things, We prefer to cut to the heart of the matter,” he smiled wryly, the opinions of the Aztek's held by foreigners were hardly unknown to him or his superiors, the Age of Blood was considered something of a Dark Age in their history, however it was not considered a source of shamme. After all he had read much on the nations he would likely be dispatched to and was more than prepared to debate the finer points of shame when it came to history, While many had died during the Age of Blood the death toll was lesser than that of these inquisitions he had heard tell of. Tei-te was softly spoken and mild of tone, his Portuguese was excellent though he spoke it with a slight almost curling accent. “I believe it is in our mutual interests to prevent further footholds in our mutual sphere to a minimum, with force if needed,” he paused again to take another sip of the sweet wine, “furthermore I believe while we prevent our potential enemies from growing stronger we should take measures to strengthen ourselves through reduced trade barriers and bonds of friendship.”

“As for how I got here, indeed I did travel by land,” he replied mildly to the question quite enjoying the company, “The seas are most dangerous as of late and comparatively the jungles are far safer, then again long have they been safe for my people.” Here he smiled wryly, the Aztek’s mastery of jungle warfare was noted, “Myself and my escort made the trip in roughly two weeks, indeed the hardest part was finding our way to a family who had agreed in advance to take us in for the night.” He decided to not go into all the details, the Aztek’s fastidiousness when it came to cleanliness and personal hygiene was mocked by outsiders.

---

Caa’ci responded most enthusiastically to Marcel as he rifled through the sheaf of papers he had been handed, for the most part these treaties seemed agreeable, “I am sure we can find a great deal of common ground between us, and these treaties seem most agreeable, I believe we can sign these forthwith and have them ratified swiftly thereafter.” He replied, it seemed only fitting that they make treaty with the French first if nobody else, the two nations shared a deep bond that had only deepened in past few years and although the two did not agree on some details of ideology, the nascent conflict between Proto-Communism and Proto-Syndicalism had not seeped into relations proper.

If anything the live and brisk exchange of ideas had strengthened these bonds, with a few months ago an official invitation had been extended to Karl Marx to debate with notable Aztek leftist theorists such as Pilne Ilan'zō who proposed an altogether interpretation of class struggle. As the two discussed matters of mutual interest and diplomatic niceties, outside below mothers were about with their children as they brought them home from the Academies, yet at even such a time the city was alive with hustle and bustle.

[/EVENT]

by **Novacom** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:04 pm

[Event]The sight in the distance was unusual to say the least, a great galleon perched atop a mountain peak, the climb would be long and treacherous but not impossible, Jingles appeared ready to say something for a moment before eying up Blood Mary who seemed undaunted and if anything more determined than ever. “I need to know, we’ve come this far, we can’t give up now!” had been all she had said before beginning her climb, Chi’al swiftly signalled his pride to fan out ahead, they had been lucky so far, or perhaps something more.

They were all by now extremely jumpy, when Chi’al and his pride had went on ahead to scout up the path ahead, when a bear had snuck up upon the camp, Bloody Mary had immediately froze at the sight of the great beast. It’s matted fur and sharp teeth were thick with dried blood and it’s foul maw gave forth a foul odour of spoiled meat and carrion, it padded it’s way slowly to the motionless Bloody Mary while Jingles had not yet noticed while he rooted around in a pack. It sniffed the air as it made it’s way closer to the fair lady before with a great roar and a shower of leaves as Chi’al burst out of the bushes wielding his Macuahuitl. With one great overhead swing he brought it down upon the creature’s neck through which it went with the merest whisper parting the animals head from it’s torso with a fountain of gore and viscera, the body realising not what had befallen it took a few steps forward before collapsing in a heap while the head gave one final grunt before rolling into the underbrush.

They had not remained camped long after that and although the climb was arduous and the group was forced to rest for short periods but they did not remain for long, on one such rest as they were nearly halfway up the peak they had an impressive view, as they looked down they could see much of the Island and the seas around. Smoke, smoke and fire dominated their views, the aftermath of war, the pirates to the west were fighting themselves into complete and utter exhaustion while to the east the Aztek’s had advanced swiftly. To the north the ships of the Aztek fleet could be seen, it seemed that after having swept the south of Cuba of Pirate ships they had moved north and several flagged Pirate ships accompanying Aztek flagged vessels appeared to be making for the Bahamas.

As they ascended the heights the view became more expansive and the vegetation became sparser, causing Chi’al and his pride to begin casting uncertain looks at one another, the idea of moving out into open terrain during the night went against their every instinct. Bloody Mary cut in abruptly declaring there was little to fear, they were expected and the hard part of their journey was behind them, what mattered instead was now swiftness. Chi’al looked somewhat sceptical though he did signal for his men to prepare their rifles. Which they did so with great care, they had had scant opportunity to use them, their ways had little call for it, however they had only the best equipment and the Aztek’s spared little effort or expense in equipping their forces and especially the Jaguar Prides, perhaps the best equipped force in the world, certainly the best trained and most effective.

They were by now nearing the peak, they were altogether unsure of how much time had passed by now, day and night had blurred together into nothingness, all that mattered now was their ultimate objective lay in sight, the climb had become much easier as they found something of a well-worn path. The going became easier as they strode up the path which was bordered with well-kept wooden fencing, they would arrive at the peak in scant minutes at this rate, in the distance could be seen the underbelly of the galleon which was opened up and built into a porch.

As they neared they could see a tall buxom lady waiting for them leaning against the frame of the door, her piercing blue eyes could be seem glinting in the fading light, as a warm glow emanated from the open door. As they approached they could see the woman in greater detail, a wry smirk graced her sly features she was wrapped tightly up in a shawl against the growing chill, as they neared she turned and cast her gaze back towards them clearly giving a come hither look as she made her way inside.

The inside of the galleon was much akin to a well-appointed manor house, the entrance hall as it was, was festooned with trappings and finery, treasure piled idly about in great open wooden chests, priceless vases set upon plinths and chains of precious jewels and gold strewn carelessly about. The Lady did not linger as she made her way around the stairs and in through a door, Chi’al simply signalled for his pride to remain while he and the others followed in through the door, a roaring fire burned in the fireplace above which was hung a portrait very similar to that which had hung in Lucian’s chamber. Around Bloodbeard was gathered a small group instantly recognisable as a younger looking Jingles, Teary Eye, a dark skinned woman clutching a fetish and a necklace of bone, a rakish looking man in a garish and bright yellow coat and finally Lucian who was locked in an underarm embrace with the man and in this situation the two bore a very close resemblance…

Speaking of the man, he sat reclining in a soft squishy chair in the corner with a big grin playing about his features much to the surprise of the group, Bloody Mary in particular seemed floored, while Chi’al simply had a stoic yet respectful smile upon his strong features. The Lady had shucked her shawl, as she stood next to the fire her sharp features had a youthful sheen to them and her sapphire eyes appeared to be able to look in multiple directions at once and they appeared to be eying up the group summing up and measuring potential. “Ah, our esteemed guests have finally arrived,” she purred, her strong accent seemed to make every word sing, “Is it true Jingles, is she really his?” she enquired of the Akkadian, her imperious tone was shot with almost pleading undertones.

Jingles merely smiled broadly and nodded, his coiled beard and hair bobbing with the motion while Lucian merely smirked, Teary Eye cast her gaze to the portrait before padding over to a small desk nearby with a large cutlass resting upon a set of maps festooned with crosses, Chi’al stiffened for but a moment as she lifted the cutlass before setting it back down again to move it off of the maps. “I thought Iron Chin could draw together the pieces,” she mused, as she padded her way over to Chi’al and brandish the rolled up maps, “I was mistaken, and by that point it would have been difficult to extricate myself, however I then heard tell of Bloodbeard’s daughter having appeared, it was one of the last things he said, he did it to create a better world for his daughter.”

Lucian smiled thinly at the mention of last words and Teary Eye flashed him a warm smile, as she stepped back into the warmth of the fire, at this point it became clear why she was named so, a pair of birthmarks each under an eye looking much like a single tear drop could be seen, “At that point I thought merely to preserve what I could.” She paused to motion to the maps, “However when Lemon Coat cast his lot in with the French and Iron Chin hurled himself at your friends I knew then that it was all over, and that instead what I had usurped here would be overrun, I knew that the best course of action would be to smash Lemon Coat’s foothold here.”

Chi’al had by now unfurled the maps and was poring over them, at this last he looked up at Xuxa and squinted before nodding respectfully, “She has done so most admirably I suspect,” he chipped in, he decided it diplomatic to not mention that her efforts would have been greatly aided by the landings he had heard being planned, “but what made you think you would be so swiftly overrun?” At this The Lady smiled wanly, “we are pirates, we are not suited to formal battles, now my dear, what are your plans?”

Bloody Mary pried her eyes away from the portrait to look at Lucian and Xuxa, “He’s still out there,” she mumbled quietly, as she mulled things over she clenched her fists and repeated more forcefully this time, “He’s still out there and we need to deal with him, or else he shall come back to haunt us.” Her eyes blazed and all present nodded approvingly and Xuxa immediately rushed forward to embrace Bloody Mary, “Oh you are your father’s daughter,” The Lady gushed warmly, Lucian who had thus far remained silent only smiled even more, “I can swear little to you in the way of forces, however your allies I think would appreciate what knowledge I can provide.” With this she cast an almost wicked gaze at Chi’al, “look at the last pages young warrior,” obligingly he rifled through the great sheets and eyed up the last ones, his confused expression at first only seemed to delight The Lady before light began to dawn in turn causing her to grin wickedly.

“Iron Chin thought to utilise knowledge and technology as a weapon, something I believe you and yours believe in as well,” with this she padded her way over to a window with it’s rich plush purple curtains and grasping a gold braided cord and pulling upon it above a heavy footfall could be heard above before a great clamour broke out in the hall. Xuxa immediately fled from the room to the hall and exclaimed, Chi’al was at her side in less than a moment and eyed up the situation, and with a hand motion his Pride shouldered their weapons, the heavily armed men who had came down did likewise and immediately began packing up everything in sight. “I shall join you and yours as Bloody Mary has, but naturally I cannot of course abandon everything here,” she replied simply, Lucian finally rose, “And what aid I can muster shall be yours, with the fall of Lemon Coat and the battles here the end draws near, oh and before I forget, we have one more to join our number I believe you shall be most keen on meeting…

---

You were right to be suspicious,” murmured Xiya his lips barely moving, “between what we have uncovered ourselves and what has been forwarded, I think it's safe to proceed as we mentioned earlier," Iutil simply nodded as she feigned interest in what the delegate at the front was declaring, denouncing the idea of further reform to instead return back to how things were in order to stabilise matters. The idea was ill received by some to say the least while others made no secret of their support, leaving the pair to eye each other up with worry, they had read the report from Chi'al, it having come at a time of further good news, with a key breakthrough having occurred shattering what seemed to be more a rearguard defence. Much of the Eastern half of Cuba had been pacified and an earlier effort at landing to the east had caused no small amount of chaos, Iutil in particular seemed somewhat pleased with the reports, seeing a long term solution...[/Event]

by **Tracian Empire** » Wed Sep 16, 2015 11:03 am

The Roman Empire
Imperium Romanum
"Emperor of Emperors, Ruling over Those who Rule!"

Roman-Neo-Akkadian Border

Sumus legionsque Romae
Aufer te, de via decedite,
Cornu sonat pedem inferre,
Milites Romani procedite!

Long formations of Roman Legionnaires in their dark purple uniforms crossed the Imperial border with the Neo- Akkadian Army. The disciplined Romans crossed the border in formation, marching and singing. Their red-yellow flags with the Imperial flags were waving in the wind. Progedi, Roman soldiers! Progedi, Legio I Thraciae et Legio III Moesiae, towards Antioch!

Sive sequimur aquilas, sive progredimur ad cornices soli,
Nostra superbia est in legione
Et pugnans peditatus est domus gensque,
Et pugnans peditatus est domus gensque!

Led by two members of the so called Triumvirate, the best generals of the Imperium, the Roman troops crossed the border, ready to crush any resistance and bring back those provinces under Rome's flag, while the Roman Imperial Navy started a massive pirate hunting campaign in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Progedi, Legio IV Macedonica, Legio VII Peloponneso! Towards the heart of Syria!

Nos signa sequimur, quocumque nos ducunt,
A barbara Orientalem deserta,
Ad Occidentis agros,
Milites Romani procedite!

Progedi, Legio XVI Pontum, Legio XVII Armeniae! Forwards, advance, for the eternal glory of the invincible Rome! Roma Invicta Est!

by **Cuprum** » Wed Sep 16, 2015 6:49 pm

House of Goverment - Downtown

Urquiza sat in his room in the Central Palace of Goverment, breaking his fast on spiced eggs and some strongwine. The smells of the city wafted into his room, most notable traces of lavender and jasmine. Where it came from, only the gods knew, but Urquiza enjoyed it well enough. Across from him, the captain of his escort was breaking his own fast on peppers stuffed with sheep meat, seared with excited spiced.

He had been reluctant when they first arrived at the Palace. "I command your escort," he had said. "It is not my place to dine with with you." He was hearing none of it, though. His men had done a fine job getting him here, now he would allow them some comforts. Besides, he enjoyed the conversation.

"Our flesh is well received in this land, shall our reing last for thousand of years" He shouted.

He was not a fast eater. He took his bites slowly, not letting the food control him. Always ready to fight, to defend. His underlings respected that. "Well, my lord," an spirit said, wiping his mouth stiffly with a cloth from his vest. "Our return to the cold land will be a smooth one, so long as we do not run into any trouble. I have been consulting with the ten kings as you instructed, to ensure we do not get trapped by any storm."

Urquiza nodded his approval. "Well done..." He said. He didn't have any plans to return to the land of the always winter yet, but it was good to know that his underlings had all the information at hand. It was one of those things that separated the demons from other. They were a cautious and prepared people.

"Today I may have a few visitors, or may be visiting people around the nation," Urquiza informed his underlings.

They nodded, "Yes, my lord."

"Good," I reply, standing up and putting the last egg into my mouth, my eyes looking out over our proud nation. "Let us hope today proves interesting."

Urquiza's manor Outdoors

Lantern bugs blinked in the darkness, little pinpricks of light outside the campfires lit beneath the walls of the old Urquiza Manor. From the outskirts where his own tent sat, President Urquiza counted hundreds on the sloping hillsides that surrounded the fortress. The night was warm and muggy, and crickets sang in the tall grasses.

With no rain clouds in sight, a stomach full of properly cooked food, and his wife by his side, for the second time in a single day Urquiza found that he had no cause for unhappiness.

He sat on a bench beside her, their knees touching, and apart from their own campfire he could feel the warmth of her body through her riding pants, the same ones she always wore beneath her short gowns, this one blue. Urquiza was staring at its stitching while Theo spoke, the barely noticeable embroidery on the neckline, the seams that crisscrossed the bodice:

“Eight - you hear that, Father? Your Grace, I mean?” One of the spice kings was standing on the other side of the fire, in the middle of pantomiming his charge through the Lion’s Gate. “Eight!” he declared, holding up that many fingers. “Eight wild boars felled by my blade alone.”

Their group was a strange assortment. Seated behind Theo was Leopold, and William and James lurked on the edges of the circle. Their Lord and his servant shared a log, Santiago sharpening a dagger with enthusiasm, Louis supervising warily. Owen had been sitting on the ground, slumped against an iron banded barrel of ale, and his head rested against the oak as he slept snoring softly with a half empty cup between his legs. Behind them squatted the royal tent, in all its simple splendor.

Lucía laughed, her violet eyes sparkling mischievously in the glow of the flames. “Eight, Theo? Your boasting will make our precious father feel inadequate. I’ve only heard of how he slew a poor creature without soul. That’s merely one little pig.”

“A big one,” Urquiza offered in defense, smiling and leaning into Lucía, giving her a playful shove with his shoulder. “Fourteen feet tall if we’re using Theo’s measurements.”

He held a mug of ale in his hands, and it spilled when she pushed him back, making little splotches in the dirt at his feet. The drink was warm and too sweet for his liking, but the cup was a useful conversation prop, and it seemed to make Wudao happy when he complimented its taste.

“Lesser pigs are slow and stupid,” Theo retorted, plopping back down beside the Great President and waving a hand dismissively. “Not like wildcats. If you could’ve seen me during the conquest-”

“Do you mean to claim that you were quick?” María laughed. “Noble blood and a head start didn’t make you faster than a common man. Cats aren’t strong swimmers, I suppose!”

''Good nite! Tomorrow will be a great day'' Urquiza said with a warming look in his eyes

Outside the tent, in the sticky wet air, the sounds of a quick and badly tuned melody drifted on a miracle of a breeze. Urquiza could hear the voices of their fireside companions, slurring the words to the song.

“Lucía took off her sandal!”

He found the bed by accident when Urquiza bumped into it and outside the men sang on.

“Urquiza took off his crown and the family will remember that!”

''Much ado about Nothing'' Urquiza said with a serious face.

1850 : Alternative Divergence [AH][IC][HIATUS]

Who is online