The Caspia-Sutum Express [CLOSED/ATTN: VAPOR]

[Cygnar]

1903

Desaltonia, or Desaltonien, was the south-most continent in Atlia, located just south of the Cygnaran mainland, although kept away by an ocean. With the rise of industrialization and the race for consumer markets around the world, Cygnar seeks to build a railway that will link its Capital Caspia, to one of the biggest cities in North desaltonia, Sutum. The railway will act not only as a means of transport for cygnaran goods, but it will also link cygnar to new markets, like the south Zhaoan zone of influence and the North desaltonian region. Additionally, desaltonian oil fields are becoming very profitable prospects, and Cygnar wants to secure itself oil deposits before competition becomes too violent and expensive. Cygnar is not only to enter negotiations about economic and railway shares with the North-Desaltonian kings, but its major aim to sign an annexation treaty, incorporating several states in North desaltonia that have been historically linked to Cygnar as trade partners and culturally influenced by Cygnar.

---

\\Northern Desaltonien, Diplomatic Envoy
\\The Haranaer Conference, 1903


''How much longer until we reach the frontier Hans?'' inquired Spiel

''Not much longer sir, though we have travelled really far from home since we left Corvis.''

''I dont even know why His majesty wants to negotiate with these savages.. Why would Cygnar, actually, his majesty Leto, want to expand into this scorched dune sea?'' Replied Spiel

''Well, i am sure the council wouldnt approve this mission if it wasnt worth your time, Ambassador Spiel.''

''Wait, is that-'' Hans interrupted the ambassador and continued -'' Haranaer, biggest city in north Haar sir, our destination.''

The motor car, followed by several trucks stopped by the city outer walls. The walls had a light brown tone to them, and appeared to be made of a light material. Atop them, there were several guards, wearing sand-coloured uniforms, carrying antique rifles and red banners of Haar. Two light warjacks were unboxed from a large wooden crates hidden behind one of the trucks, and two men mounted them. The two steel clad machines, bearing the royal blue color of Cygnar began moving towards the other group of guards awaiting on the ambassador near the large wooden gates. Hans opened the motorcar's door to the ambassador.As the two diplomatic envoys left the car and moved towards the city, the squad of guards followed them, while the two warjacks guarded the vehicles and awaited for the party to return. They met the welcoming party at the gates and proceeded into the city.

The interior of the settlement was quite surprising from what Spiel imagined, since numerous buildings in the district had amplectoran and cygnaran architecture. After walking through a small guard outpost, they arrived at a fair, crowded with tapestry clad tents and products not seen in cygnar, such as desert fruits, exotic plants and desert beasts. The guards opened a path through the mass of people, and guided the two envoys to the embassy gates. The embassy had a cygnaran flag on top of it, however it did not resemble Cygnaran architecture. Stone, clay and wood predominated throught the building's structure, and a majestic golden dome laid on top of the ceiling.

''His majesty made quite an investment here.'' reported Spiel. ''We are quite late, let's meet with the other Cygnaran embassadors and head for the conference before we get late'' added the ambassador.

[Servoth]

The Servothian Caravan made their way through the sands of Northern Desaltonia, a pair of Technicals followed by a General's Car, a Cargo truck and a troop's transport truck behind that, followed by a Gun truck. Servothian militarism at its finest.

The General's Car was a bright white color, then trimmed off in polished brass, this all obscured by the sands that had blown unto in the sandstorms. Servothian Standards flew from little flag holders attached on the front of the car, near the headlights. The car was also a convertible, but it would have been a relatively bad idea for the top to be down in such sandy conditions, so the top was up, and all windows closed.

In the back seat of car sat four persons, three of which were members of the Servothian Imperial Military, the final fourth a civilian government clerk of the Ausländische Regionalaufseher rank.
The first was ReichsBeauftragten Van Hauss, age 46, blond haired, grey eyes, average height of 5' 7", male, and chosen speaking ambassador in the diplomatic conference they were going to and were invited.
The second was General Kant, age 48, black hair, brown eyes, average height of 6', male, and representative of the Servothian State's military interests.
The third was Kompaniechef Nosten, age 37, brown hair, brown eyes, average height of 5' 4', and commanding military officer of the allocation of troops on their caravan. She, like the other two of military rank, wore the officer's dress version of safari style outfit.
The fourth man was Mr. Ardok, a civilian government clerk, who had previously been stationed at the Cygnaran-Servothian embassy in Ceryl and was representative of civilian operations in the area. He was aged 39, brown hair, brown eyes, average height of 5' 6", and wore a light pink suit with hat.

The four of them sat in the car uncomfortably. It was hot and to open the windows would be to curse them all to be buried in sand. Which none of them, all of which were at least of the Academia or some wealthy class, wanted to do. There was also an Abergraph which had been bolted to the board behind the headrest of the back seat, which was playing music but was barely audible in the noisy conditions. In all, it was not a pleasant experience for any of the four in the car, although it was better than that of the driver's experience.

It would not be long before the Servothian arrived to the conference, late.

[Cygnar]

\\Nord Desaltonien, Haranaer
\\The Haranaer Conference, 1903


Spiel had met with the other Cygnaran ambassadors and representatives, to name a few, Cygnaran Steel and railroad tycoon Pieter Montucci, VKN founder Viktor Norder, several high ranking military officials and also several members of the high council of Cygnar. The emperor himself could not participate in the convention, given that he was occupied with other affairs in Amplector. After the Cygnaran representatives had taken their seats in the conference room, several more men came in. Nobles, lords and emirs from all over North Desaltonia, that were to take part in the conference. To name a few, Kasım Murat, emir of Baghden; Muhammet Ediz, king of Haar; Serhan Ediz, lord of Caenbourg, and lastly, Fuat Bahadır, king of Progda and lord of Sutum. After the Desaltonian representatives took their seats after greeting the Cygnaran men, the parties awaited for the Servothian comittee to arrive.

[Servoth]

The Servothian envoy pulled up to the front gate of the desert city. The sun was still high in the this clear sky, taking itself as absolute paramount in the northern landscape of Desaltonia, here the sun was a god to be praised and feared as the decider of life and death.

Below, mortal men, men of iron and steel who had forged their nation, and had built it without a superstition's god. Men of the Servothian State, men born of the Servothian nations, but men of all kinds united under great flag of red, white, and black.

But in all only mortal...

The General's Car pulled slowly to the gate and stopped. The Technicals and Gun Truck broke from their positions and moved to behind the cargo and transport truck, as well as the car. The soldiers jumped out of the transport and formed a block, now standing at attention.
The driver of the General's car quickly left the driver's seat and ran the back door and opened, saluting as the Servothian VIPs as they stepped out of the car.

Nosten took point, saluting the platoon of soldiers as she passed; followed by Van Hauss, who didn't take notice and Kant who was talking to Van Hauss; Ardok was the last to leave the car, all the while, ogling the fine muscular soldier in the first row of the platoon.

The Servothian VIPs made their way through the city, taken by guide, and finally making passage to the capitol building of Haranaer. They entered, and greeted the Cygnarans and the Desaltonian native who represented their respective governments and kings.

The Conference could now begin.

[Cygnar]

\\Nord Desaltonien, Haranaer
\\The Haranaer Conference, 1903


After the Servothian comittee greeted the other parties and took their seats, a moment of silence reigned. The lord of Sutum, accompanied by a Desaltonian translator, began to speak:

'Greetings, fellow neighbours and Amplectorans.' the translator repeated the sentences in a flawless Cygnaran accent. 'We meet here today to discuss the proposals brought forward by the nation of Cygnar, and to discuss a possible cooperation pact with the nation of Servoth in the occupation of Eastern Promethia, our traditional enemies and rivals.' the emir paused, and the translator caught up 'We, the people of north desaltonia, now pass the word to the Cygnaran ambassador, let us hear what you have to offer.' He finished speaking, and sat down, along with the translator.

'Good day, Emirs and Lords of Desaltonia. On behalf of cygnar and its people, I came to represent his majesty in this conference, and together, we should discuss opportunities that could create an infallible bond between the people of Cygnar and Desaltonia. For centuries have our people traded and fought together side by side. Desaltonian soldiers fight along Cygnaran armies for centuries. Desaltonian traders reach as far as Ceryl since the Holy Promethian empire was at its height! Our tongues and dialects have shaped each other, and even distanced by our religions, our culture shares countless similarities. Cygnar and North Desaltonia have been partners for ages, and we believe this bond should be fostered and taken to a new level!' The ambassador paused, with several representatives from the different parties clapping 'The first proposition Cygnar has to offer to North Desaltonia is the creation of a railroad that will connect both our worlds: linking Caspia to the great city of Sutum, and extending to reach as far as the port of Baghden. Not only would this route facilitate trade, transport and cultural exchange, but it would also aid the development of a transport network in North Desaltonia.' he paused again, and continued 'And the whole enterprise would be funded by Cygnaran corporations, with no cost to Desaltonia. Finally, we propose the union of the seven desaltonian kingdoms with the Cygnaran empire, forming a stronger and powerful entity, where each member state will share equal rights, and where cultural and economical exchange between the people of Cygnar and Desaltonia will flourish.' the ambassador finished, and walked back to his seat.

[Cygnar]

\\Nord Desaltonien, Haranaer
\\The Haranaer Conference, 1903

Right after the Ambassador had taken a seat, Viktor Norder promptly stood up and walked towards the center of the room.

''Good afternoon, Emirs of Desaltonia. My name is Viktor Norder, and I am the founder of VKN, Cygnar's largest shipping and port authority corporation. My story was marked by effort and hard work, so I could lather gather the bounty of my toil. I believe progress is what defines a man's and a country's character, and that is why, I am here to offer and opportunity to the people of Desaltonia: VKN will modernize the four major ports in the northern coast, those of Caenbourg, Sutum, Dûpalan and the far-west port of Korlenstadt. Additionally, The seven kingdoms of North desaltonia will have special trade permissions on the ports of Nuln, Skellstadt and Telmar, with discounted tariffs and rates for Desaltonian ships and products, respectively. Through hard work and committment, Cygnar and Desaltonia should grow and prosper together, and through blood and steel our nations should rise up and stand as beacons of industry and culture, respected by our allies, and feared by our foes.'' Norder finished talking, and after a large round of applause, went back to his seat.

[Servoth]

The Servothians had gathered in a small group, in comparison to the others such as the Desaltonians and the Cygnarans. Out of those present they were the smallest of those represented. They huddled in closer, and after van Hauss and Kant, and some threatening from Nosten, Ardok stood up. The man now realized his predicament, of all those in the room, those who were military leaders and kings, Ardok was the only one in a pink suit. Among those here, most wore military uniforms or their cultural heritage clothing, the Servothain clerk stood out, greatly.

Franz Ardok suddenly became very embarrassed. He bothered not to walk to the center of the room like the other speakers, and he turned his head slightly in order to speak to the ReichsBeuftragten. van Hauss simply made the stop motion with his hand and made another motion for Ardok to speak. General Kant gave only a stone-cold stare, and Nosten only smiled. But she, Nosten, had two fists, knuckles white, clenched in her lap; a fake air of kindness on her part. Having been forced to, Ardok turned back to face the assembly.

"Ahem, uh... The Servothian State, on behalf of the Kaiser, Heinz Sigmandus Holf Krauss IX, as represented here today by ReichsBeuftragten Ormand van Hauss, would like to know to what extent and how Servothian interest benefit from this venture." Franz stopped talking for a minute and looked around the room very subtilely for some relief, there was none, he coughed then continued, "By investing in this venture, by allocating our resources and men, as well as, all other costs, materials, and services provide in order to help complete this project; what do we gain in return?

"It seems natural that Cygnar, great ally, will receive the benefit of fine exotic good from these lands as well as new income, and that the good people of Northern Desaltonia gain fine new technology and stable wealth for kind partners; but what does lonely Servoth, far north of these lands and waters, gain?
Why yes, we all charge forth to protect all allies, both direct and indirect, in order to assist them. Why yes, we wish for new allies from the nations of thee Desaltonia. But we need more incentives, what do we gain, we the Servothian State and his people, gain from partaking in this rail line.

"How does Servothian interest enter into the creation of a Caspia-Sutum Line? That is what we would like to know!"

Franz quickly fell backwards into his seat, he was sweating, Nosten gave him a pat on the shoulder, that helped him none either. van Hauss stood quickly, say that that was all from the Servothian delegation for the moment, then sat back down again as quickly as he had taken stand.
Franz turned his head toward van Hauss, saying never again in a laboured and tired breath.

[Cygnar]

The Servothians had gathered in a small group, in comparison to the others such as the Desaltonians and the Cygnarans. Out of those present they were the smallest of those represented. They huddled in closer, and after van Hauss and Kant, and some threatening from Nosten, Ardok stood up. The man now realized his predicament, of all those in the room, those who were military leaders and kings, Ardok was the only one in a pink suit. Among those here, most wore military uniforms or their cultural heritage clothing, the Servothain clerk stood out, greatly.

Franz Ardok suddenly became very embarrassed. He bothered not to walk to the center of the room like the other speakers, and he turned his head slightly in order to speak to the ReichsBeuftragten. van Hauss simply made the stop motion with his hand and made another motion for Ardok to speak. General Kant gave only a stone-cold stare, and Nosten only smiled. But she, Nosten, had two fists, knuckles white, clenched in her lap; a fake air of kindness on her part. Having been forced to, Ardok turned back to face the assembly.

"Ahem, uh... The Servothian State, on behalf of the Kaiser, Heinz Sigmandus Holf Krauss IX, as represented here today by ReichsBeuftragten Ormand van Hauss, would like to know to what extent and how Servothian interest benefit from this venture." Franz stopped talking for a minute and looked around the room very subtilely for some relief, there was none, he coughed then continued, "By investing in this venture, by allocating our resources and men, as well as, all other costs, materials, and services provide in order to help complete this project; what do we gain in return?

"It seems natural that Cygnar, great ally, will receive the benefit of fine exotic good from these lands as well as new income, and that the good people of Northern Desaltonia gain fine new technology and stable wealth for kind partners; but what does lonely Servoth, far north of these lands and waters, gain?
Why yes, we all charge forth to protect all allies, both direct and indirect, in order to assist them. Why yes, we wish for new allies from the nations of thee Desaltonia. But we need more incentives, what do we gain, we the Servothian State and his people, gain from partaking in this rail line.

"How does Servothian interest enter into the creation of a Caspia-Sutum Line? That is what we would like to know!"

Franz quickly fell backwards into his seat, he was sweating, Nosten gave him a pat on the shoulder, that helped him none either. van Hauss stood quickly, say that that was all from the Servothian delegation for the moment, then sat back down again as quickly as he had taken stand.
Franz turned his head toward van Hauss, saying never again in a laboured and tired breath.

The Cygnaran Emissary stood up after the servothian embassador had finished talking. ''Dear Servothian allies, trust me, this railway will be of your interests. The North-Desaltonians have always had feuds with the petty eastern kingdoms, and I also believe servoth has colonial goals in some eastern islands of Desaltonia.'' he paused ''The railway would facilitate transport of materials and troops if your nation should eventually go to war, and you would receive military aid on your campaign from most of the kingdoms, I could imagine. Eastern Desaltonia is the bridge to Zhao, and accessing those vast markets is very profitable, I believe.''

[Servoth]

After the Servothian delegation spoke amongst themselves for a moment then van Hauss stood. Van Hauss adjusted his tie, then spoke, "After short review, the Servothian State and ReichsBefehl is stratified with its inquiry. You may proceed with the conference without further interference. Thank you for your time."
Van Hauss then returned to sitting position with the rest of his delegation.

Kant leaned over to van Hauss and whispered, "I don't know how being able to use a train to get to islands on the other side of the landmass is useful, but if it keeps them happy..."

[Cygnar]

Nord Desaltonien, Haranaer
The Haranaer Conference, 1903

After both parties had finished their dialogue, silence reigned the conference room. All that was heard was the movement of the pendulum of a great golden clock hanging from the entrance door. The most prominent and the representative of the north Desaltonian dominions, Fuat Bahadır, stood up. He signaled to his two towering guards, who moved aside. He stood up from his seat, and began to talk, with a heavy Desaltonian accent. ''We have heard what you have to say, fellow Cygnaran brothers. We can see the benefits and the tradeoffs of this proposal you have extended to us. However, it is not my sole decision, especially when your proposal involves the joining of our various kingdoms into your empire. Therefore, on behalf of the North-Desaltonian realms, I call a vote on the matter, where the lords and emirs of Desaltonia will decide what is best in their own visions.''

Another two men stood up behind Fuat, carrying a golden clad urn, which appeared to be remarkably heavy. They moved the urn to the center of the room, and placed it on the ground. The two men then proceeded to distribute a piece of paper to each of the Desaltonian statesmen, so each would be granted the right to vote. After handing out the papers, they patiently awaited next to the urn. The Cygnaran delegation cautiously and anxiously awaited. Kasım Murat, the Emir of Baghden, was the first man to stand up. One at a time, they proceeded to insert their papers in the urn. After the 6 representatives of Desaltonia had made their votes, Fuat once again stood up, and moved towards the urn and slipped his piece of paper in. ''Now, we shall see what is the desire of the Desaltonian people. Let us open the urn'' He grabbed a key handed to him by an auxiliary, and unlocked the urn. He then opened the ornate door, and collected the pieces of paper. He opened each folded paper, and began to tally the results. Kaiser Leto was extremely anxious, staring the urn as Fuat opened the slips of paper. He then proceeded to speak again.

''It seems a decision has been made. The 7 lords of North Desaltonia have given their wise insights, and we have reached a vote of 6-1. The peoples of the 7 Desaltonian realms are now under official union with Cygnar and her empire, and we shall build the Caspia-Sutum railway to further foster this bond between our newly united people!'' A round of applause then followed. Kaiser Leto and many from his delegation stood up and proceeded to greet Fuat and the other representatives. The rest of the ceremony was filled with signing papers, and traditional Desaltonian rites. The conference itself lasted for 6-7 more hours, with intervals in between, with a larger focus on signing treaties, and solving the myriad amount of bureaucracy of adjoning 7 more states into the Cygnaran empire.