Langenia in dark green, Parador in grey, disputed Avalon Valley in grey and red.
Over the centuries, the lust for power has driven humans to do many things in search of it. They thirst for it, seeking dominance, coming into conflict with those who oppose them. But what sustains power? One needs something important to prove to others that they are dominant. Dominance over something valuable has a way of providing one a form of power, a bargaining chip for dealings and a way to prove their control. Oil. Precious metals. Water. Food.
Two large and vibrant nations, Langenia and Parador, have long thirsted for such resources. The old lines drawn by the former colonial rulers that they defeated hundreds of years ago still remain, straddling a precious piece of land: the Avalon Valley, full of precious metals for exploitation and profit. War after war has been fought for control of the valley, and yet neither side has gained full dominance over the piece of land, continuing to dream of the day they can exploit it entirely for themselves. In recent years, through a series of military victories, the Langenians have inched closer and closer to that goal, making it tantalizingly within reach.
Meanwhile, the Paradorian nation has fallen into an era of corruption and decay, weakening while its old Langenian rival turned into a regional power. As a result, nationalist sentiment in Parador seeking revenge on Langenia reaches an all time high, hoping for the day in which Parador can strike back. The Langenian eagle's talons sink deeper into the Paradorian snake, but the eagle runs the risk of the snake biting back.
Yet despite Langenia's rise, all is not as it seems. Cracks grow as division in the Republic increases in a politically polarized era, with the 2024 elections approaching. Hardline communist insurgents who fled more than two decades ago to Parador after a peace deal that ended their insurgency continue to plot attacks on Langenia with the hope of causing terror and chaos. The threat of unfriendly foreign actors who seek to reshape the world order in their favor poses a threat. It remains to be seen whether Langenians will stand united in the face of internal and external threats or will fall divided.
Somewhere in Southern Parador
The village of Suna, Parador was a humble place, a line of shacks and huts located at the boundary where the grassy flatland of the Avalon Valley met the thick jungle that covered much of southern Parador. Some dirt paths ran through the village, and nearby was a river that was Suna's livelihood. In the distance, the Andan mountains towered over the land. Suna was a quiet place, but its sleepy demeanor hid the marks of wars, old wars from years ago, unknown to the youth but the memories forever seared in the minds of the elders and adults. Bullet holes covered a decaying stone wall like of piece of swiss cheese. A sign with "Danger, Mines" warning residents not to venture too far into the flatlands in case of unexploded ordnance. All of this was the result of a few months of fighting between Langenia and Parador, two nations bent on seizing the Avalon Valley and exploiting it and its residents for resources. As a result, for all the suffering both governments had caused, the residents of Suna hated the leaders in Aragon and Apure, the far-off capitals of both nations. For years, they had sought a savior, someone who could fight for them and their interests, create change and improve their lives.
So when that savior came, guerillas dressed in olive green camo uniforms and bringing assault rifles and machine guns, professing their hatred of the Aragon and Apure regimes, instead of fear, the residents of Suna embraced them, providing them with a home, a hideout, a safe place. Leading Suna's "saviors" was Rafael "Entre" Contreras, a young man who, at first glance, seemed to be a refined person more belonging in a cosmopolitan city like San Jose or Aragon. A glance in his eyes dispelled any such notion, the eyes of a person who had seen brutal things. "Entre," short for "Entre Ustedes" or Among You, came to be known as such by his comrades for his tendency of being able to blend in with any crowd, rich or poor. Originally born to a privileged, wealthy Langenian family, he had been deemed unfit to participate in the family company and rejected from their midst. In his anger, he turned to a life of crime that landed him in prison.
Locked in a cell for days on end, his cell mate had introduced him to a new ideology, in which the believer sought to free the common people of the world from the clutches of corrupt leaders. Upon his release, he was a changed man. Leaving his homeland and arriving in Langenia's rival Parador, he made connections and received military training. Recruiting a band of disaffected men and women and calling it the Ameripachan Liberation Front (ALF), he sought to hasten the removal of the governments in Langenia and Parador by instigating a war between the two powers. Provoking the Langenians by attacking their lands, they would inevitably retaliate by assaulting Parador where Entre and his group were based. In the midst of this crisis Parador's government, weakened by the corrupt excesses of its "socialist" leader, would be overthrown by Entre's sponsors in the military and security services who would draw out the war with Langenia to make it as physically, economically, and diplomatically painful for that country. In the wake of these events, new people's governments would form in both Aragon and Apure, with the Ameripachan Liberation Front playing a major role in their coming to power.
But for now, the members of the ALF would have to wait for that day to come. Entre sat on a tree stump, cleaning an AK-74 rifle. The sound of a car coming up the dirt road quickly made him look up. It was a Paradorian army vehicle, unusual for it to come to a village like Suna, drawing the attention of the locals who stared at it with a mix of curiosity and distrust. The guerrilla narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the car and made sure his weapon was ready. But to his surprise, the vehicle suddenly stopped. Out of it emerged a short man with black hair in a crew cut and dressed in Paradorian Army jungle camouflage. He carried a pistol at his waistband. As he approached, Entre recognized the man. It was Simon, a military intelligence officer who was the liaison between the ALF and the group's backers at the military headquarters in Apure, the Paradorian capital.
"I bring news from your sponsors," Simon said in a cold voice.
Entre raised his eyebrows. "Well?"
"Recently, they got in touch with the intelligence agency of a foreign nation sympathetic to your cause who bears a sort of...dislike for the current Langenian government."
"So what?" Entre prodded, his interest stimulated. A foreign intelligence agency, taking note of the ALF? It seemed a bit...too good to be true.
"That intel agency is willing to support your cause, and even provide certain...materials to ensure maximum impact when you strike at the Langenian military forces across the border."
Now Entre was very interested, but at the same suspicious. What materials would this foreign sponsor provide? What was their motive for helping him and his group?
Remaining silent for a few seconds, he finally responded. "Tell your bosses to put me touch with this...supporter to our cause. If you can, see if we can arrange some sort of meeting or something."
Simon studied Entre with a wary stare, then ultimately nodded. "Fine, I'll see what I can do."
There were no goodbyes as the Paradorian officer walked away, returning to his car to drive off. Entre watched as the car faded away along the dirt path, his head full of thoughts. Perhaps with this sponsor, the chain of events to end the Aragon and Apure regimes had begun...
