The Democratika RP Server

[New Kirov]

Palace of the Tsar, Tehran, Tsardom of New Kirov

Your Majesty, the nation is ready to engage in international politics. For too long we have depended on New Karelograd for our foreign policy, now it is the time we show the world our might! said the Tsar's advisor, kneeling before him.
First things first, we are in an alliance with Amurria, a faraway nation which recently attracted alot of attention. We should honor our pact with them, and stand by their side. calmly replied the Tsar.

Soon the Tsar was on the balcony of the Palace, viewing the millions of people who came here to listen to the first speech held by their leader, excitement was in the air, as cheers were heard in the crowd, until Alexei Romanov, the Tsar, raised his hand.

People of New Kirov, the great successor state to the fallen Russian Empire, the last true Russian nation that seeks world peace, I, Tsar Alexei Romanov greet you.

As we all know, our nation went through troubled times, first with the attempt at the removal of the old Shah from the throne in 1956, then the Dark Republic, established by fundamentalist islamists against the will of the people, until 1989, when the military seized power, until 2018, the year we currently are in, when us, the Russian descendants of the Romanov Dynasty, with and by the will of the people of Persia, have took power. I promise you, you will not regret this decision! Persia will rise again! Our first threat would be the Byzantine Commune in the West, but we do not want to fight a war and thus, we hope our relations with the Commune, brave descendants of Sparta, will only improve.

We are part of the Co-Prosperity Sphere, a decision we took to ensure our protection, and we are willing to remain within the alliance, for we are a loyal people. That means we are allied with New Karelograd, the Empire of Amurria, and the Sultanate of Donvia. May our nations prosper!

The crowd cheered loudly, chanting Alexei's name. This was the beginning of a new Persia, a true Persia, branded as New Kirov, a name which no one was happy with.

[Donvia]

Sultan Wajeeh al-Riaz was sitting in his palace, surrounded by his advisors and his many wives, he was thinking. Thinking about the world's geopolitical situation. His nation's membership within the Co-Prosperity Sphere meant that he will need to go to war with the aggressor nation, should the CPS go to war with anyone. He wasn't too happy with this, but hey, he got protection from a much bigger nation, two in fact, Amurria and New Karelograd.

The Sultanate entered a period of isolation since the late '50s, when, with the instability in New Kirov, and Assyria, and the growing hated for the Sultan in the nation, the decision was taken. The nation's borders will be closed, and the army took out all attempts at rebellion or revolution, until the thought of rebelling against the government was all but gone. But the authoritarian regime continued well into the 21st century, and is still going today. Religion is enforced by the state, but with pressure from the allied governments, belief in it became optional.

The Sultanate is ready to enter the world politics once again, and it already secured trade deals with CPS members, it's oil reserves fueling their militaries.

"Allah bless us!" Wajeeh said as he walked to the strategy room, planning the nation's future.

[Sudardes]

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"Smile for the Camera, Mr. Governor!" Governor of Hawaii Executed by Amurrian Soldiers
Amurrian government releases footage of execution of Governor and body guards prior to withdrawal, mocked by Amurrian Chief of Police before being shot

Felix Harlow
^{13 November, 2018 | Hawaii}

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Honolulu- Local Hawaiian police officers and investigators have cordoned off the Honolulu 1st precinct, serving as the operating base for the Kenpetai during the Amurrian occupation. Inside, a bloody scene. Three bodies, the governor and his two body guards, lie strewn unceremoniously on the floor of the office of the Chief of Police. The coroners office reported that the governor was killed with a single shot to the chest, fired from point blank range, that penetrated the heart and spine. The two others were killed with multiple gunshot wounds to the head and torso.

Video released by the Amurrian government -to take credit for the killing as to serve as a warning for others- shows the governor entering the office of Takagi Minamoto - who was appointed the Chief of Police of the Hawaiian Police Force by Amurrian Forces - with two bodyguards. The Governor then approaches Mr. Minamoto with a plan to end Amurrian imperialism in Hawaii and abroad in a calculated plan to remove key figures within the Amurrian hierarchy from political power. Mr. Minamoto proceeds to tell the governor that "You were chosen by the Imperial Government to lead this State, thus you must obey it's orders." Immediately, two armed Amurrian special operations soldiers rush in with assault rifles and shoot both of the Governors bodyguards. They shout for the governor to surrender, but before the governor could do anything, Mr. Minamoto proudly declares: "Smile for the camera, Mr. Governor," before one of the soldiers fires once at the Governor.

"You were chosen by the Imperial Government to lead this State, thus you must obey it's orders."

Mr. Minamoto is part of the Kenpetai, which upon arrival in Hawaii, took over control of local police forces. "They came into the precinct and told us now that we were to take orders from Mr. Minamoto." Lieutenant Wilford Bradley told the Times. "We were told that he was from the Kenpetai and that orders will coming coming through Mr. Minamoto from Amurria." Widely regarded as one of the most brutal secret police forces in existence, the Kenpetai is responsible for dozens of rights violations abroad in occupied territories in Eastern Russia and Manchuria and an unknown number of internal arrests and extrajudicial killings within Amurria.

This is merely the latest in a series of atrocities committed by the militant wing of the Amurrian government abroad. Earlier this month, Amurrian forces moved to occupy portions of Manchuria and the remnants of A Very Mean Nation Most recently, the group carried out a massacre - killing a priest and blowing up a church using military grade explosives- along the Jazadoan border in Amurria-occupied Manchuria. "They are terrorists, plain and simple," said Jazadoan General Zhang-Fei earlier today in a press conference. "The international community should not tolerate such senseless acts of violence."

Just one day prior, the governor under shore bombardment and threat of invasion, signed a treaty signing away the sovereign rights of Hawaii away to Amurria aboard one of the three aircraft carriers present. Response from the Sudardesian government was swift and mounting international pressure forced the Amurrian government to renege their claims on the island in the face of superior military force, but not before dealing one final blow killing the governor.

"These last few days will go down in infamy in our nations history," Interim Governor Miyuka Kawasaki said in a prepared statement. "We will show the world that we, in the face of adversity, will prevail." There will be no new parliamentary elections until the scheduled election primary in 2020. Until then, the dominant Conservative Party will convene to elect a new governor on Monday.

The Sudardesian Ministry of Defense along with the government of Hawaii announced the construction of a naval base in Honolulu whose namesake will be derived from the late governor in memory of his defiance in the face of tyranny and oppression. A permanent carrier strike group will be stationed in Honolulu to prevent further incursions upon the island nation from hostile powers.

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Julien Stendahl
Horrible. why won't the international community openly condemn such a senseless act of violence?
+2.5k

Larry Zhang
i hope jazado crushes them in a war
+3.0k

Madison Murphie
oh amurrians....
+1.3k

Dustin Walters
Good on Sudardes for driving out the imperialist menace
+7.7k

[Amurria]

"Governor of Hawaii Executed by Amurrian Soldiers" - Lies Spread by the Sudardesian Media Place the Empire in a Bad Light
Amurrian government corrects the mistakes made by the Sudardesian government, which claims the governor of Hawaii was executed, without any proof.

Miki Ari
14 November 2018 | Edo

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---

Edo - The Minister of Internal Affairs gave a speech regarding the presentation of 12 November 2018's events, and their transformation into the news spread by Sudardesian outlets, misinforming the people. The Sudardesian article claimed that the governor of Hawaii, may his soul rest in peace, was "executed" by Amurrian soldiers for treason against the Empire. While he did commit treason against the Amurrian nation, the soldiers themselves never expected they would have to kill him. We were able to take an interview of each of the persons present at the scene. We have many reasons to assume this is a move by the Sudardesian government to bring further shame to the Empire, and with the establishment of a military base in Hawaii, the Imperium became exactly what it swore not to become, an imperialist nation.

The article created by the foreign government, which you can read here, also claims that the Amurrian government is committing crimes against it's own people, accusations made by a nation which ranks among the lowest for Human RIghts Violations. We ask your, our dear reader, to judge this situation. The Sudardesian government did not provide the source material on which they based their article, thus it should already be obvious that it is not to be trusted.

The Minister of Internal Affairs gave a speech today regarding the situation, and here is an extract of it:

Fellow citizens of Amurria, citizens of the world,
As we all know, the Sudardesian government has recently released a news article about the tragic incident in Hawaii a few days ago, during which the governor of Hawaii refused to surrender to the law enforcement units, after he threatened the Chief of Hawaiian Police, Takagi Minamoto, now officer in the Fukuoka Police Department, at gunpoint. His intentions were clear, to end the Amurrian government. And so I ask you, Sudardes, wouldn't you eliminate a person which plotted against your own government and refused capture? I'm sure you would, after all, you eliminated Reuben Lee, a poor man who had a dream. We will not disclose our sources, but we will tell you this. The NOIA is worse than the Kenpetai, and no amount of propaganda will change it.

The recording of the incident has been made publicly available, so if anyone wants to make their own conclusions, it can be accessed here. Now we will move on onto the interviews with each of the persons which saw the incident. Below are the main subjects discussed:

Interviewer: So what really happened on that day? The Sudardesians accuse us of executing the governor, but you were there, you saw it happen, so enlighten us, and the world.
Takagi Minamoto: I was just sitting in my office, thinking about the Empire and my family in Fukuoka, when the governor, who was ordered to stay within his residence's premises, to ensure his safety in case of an attack from the Sudardesian Naval Forces, entered the room followed by two bodyguards. When I asked him why he was not respecting his orders, and wanted to call the guards, his bodyguards aimed their weapons at me.
I: And what you do then?
TM: Call the guards, obviously. I was lucky they were close, they eliminated the two bodyguards. When we told the governor to surrender, he wanted to pull out his gun, and thus was shot in the head, effectively killing him. While I do not agree with the situation, I think it was necessary.
I: What do you think about the Sudardesian article?
TM: It's all lies obviously. The only true thing from that whole article were the words that I said, and the fact that at the end of the deal the governor was dead. Nothing else.
I: Would you agree that your choice of words was... not so good?
TM: Yes, but by "Smile to the camera, Mr. Governor" I meant to warn him that his actions were recorded, and that he would not get away from it. I still regret he had to die, but we must move on. Azura bless us.
I: Thank you for your time, officer Minamoto. We hope we will be able to hear more from you soon regarding this incident.

To respect their privacy, we will call the two guards who took part in this incident "Mister Black" and "Mister White".

I: Can you tell us what happened that day?
Black: We were chilling in the station, we didn't expect to have any duties or anything like that that day, when we saw the governor walk in. We asked him what he was doing, and seeing him with two bodyguards we thought he was safe, so we didn't bother. If we did, this incident wouldn't have happened.
White: He was looking a bit suspicious now that I think I about it, and his bodyguards didn't wear any official badges, we thought they were from the Kenpetai, so we didn't say anything. Once again, we were wrong.
B: Next thing we know we are called by Officer Minamoto to his office through the emergency alarm. We get our gear and head to his room.
W: When we hear the governor talking with the Chief, and hear the declarations made by the governor, we open the door and eliminate the two bodyguards.
B: We did shout, pretty loud, to the governor: "Surrender!". But he did not listen, deciding to pull out his gun and try to shoot at us.
W: That is when we got the order directly from Edo to eliminate him. Although reluctant, when we saw him really pull out a pistol out of his jacket, we fired at him.
I: What do you think about the Sudardesian take on the events?
B: Lies. It's all lies! I refuse to believe one word of what they say! And you know what's the bad thing? They portray us as the aggressors while they took over Hawaii, building a military base there for Azura's sake! Why doesn't the international community do anything?!
W: What he means is that the Sudardesian media outlet that produced that article is biased towards an anti-Amurrian stance, either forced by their government, or of their own will. And as we speak, yes, the Sudardesian military is building a base in Hawaii, and houses parts of their fleet there. Exactly the same thing we gained the permission from the Hawaiian government to do.
I: I see. Thank you for your time.

And so, dear reader, we ask you to reach your own conclusions. Are the Sudardesian outlets telling the truth, or are they lying, placing the Empire in a bad light in the international community?
Signed, Miki Ari, of the Rising Sun Magazine, "Emperor Meiji" Street, Nr. 18, Edo.

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Nii Anda
Another perfect example of an authoritarian nation twisting information to suit it's own needs
+3.7K

Nagai Eikichi
Why doesn't anyone say anything about this? Letskia, Akarea, Saint Ryvern, why not stand by our side against this nation's aggressive foreign policies?!
+2.9K

William Harry
Classic Sudardes
+1.6K

Alexandr Tagomi
Just be done with them. Take them to the International Court of Justice!
+1.5K

[Amurria]

Asano Isuzu @PMAMURRIA The governor of Hawaii wasn't executed. He tried to kill @TakagiMinamoto. It was an act of self defence. We regret it had to come to this. #Hawaii #GovernorDead #Sudardes RETWEETSFAVORITE 48.3K39.8K 10:43 PM - 14-11-18

[Minjok]

Mr. Kim sighed as he read the news. "Seems like the argument never ends" Mr. Kim said in a flat tone. He wasn't surprised as they, Amurria and Sudardes have been bitching with each other for a while now.

"Sir! We have other things to worry about to! Jazado and Amurria are yanking at each other again and if this turns out, we could have war on our hands!" said Army General Jin-Yoon Dae.

"How's the Northern Line? Is it complete?" asked Mr. Kim. He knew Minjok couldn't win against Jazado if they crossed the Northern Line. He felt something he hadn't felt before. He felt fear. Fear for his people and nation. If they held out for long enough, they might have a chance.

"Yes sir. We completed the Northern Line. It is the most ambitious project we have done so far. I briefed the defenders personally. I told them that they were there to defend Minjok and defend it with their life’s." replied Gen. Jin-Yoon Dae.

"Say, I would like to visit Amurria. After all, they are our allies." said Mr. Kim as he walked out of the room.

Outside the Blue House

Mr. Kim was walking around the heavily wooded forest. Snow fell as he walked across the path making a faint crunch sound. The trees that was once green now stood brown. Even a little bit of Gray showed itself. He had his hands behind his back, carrying a pistol. A P08 pistol to be exact. While walking, he took this time to reflect on the state of the world. The people would would have their lives potentially cut short. But it was necessary. Few needs to suffer for the many to prosper. He though about it and smirked. If the time came, he would fight with his troops. He would lead them into battle and die beside them. All he wanted was for his people to prosper. He stopped and sighed. Then, he moved forward.

To the Emperor of Amurria

I would like to visit your nation. Not to sight see but to talk. Discuss about some particular nations. Me and my military commanders will discuss with you and your military commanders. How's that sound?

Mr. Kim

[Amurria]

Esteemed Mister Kim, President of the Federal Republic of Minjok,

I agree of your request to come to the Empire, as for a meeting, it will be held in Edo. I am looking forward towards it. We shall discuss the details face to face.

Signed, Emperor Jax Yamato, House of Edo, Empire of Amurria

It was clear that the world was inching closer and closer to a war, one which the Jazado nation would fight happily, but which neither the Empire nor Minjok would be happy to be part of, thus, forces of the Imperial Army have mobilized along the Amurria-Jazado Border and Minjok-Jazado Border. The meeting between the heads of state of these two nations would lead to a coordinated military action, be it war or just border security.

[Jazado]

A message sent to the peoples of Northern India and Tibet

With the Empire of Anerikhan fallen we the Jazadoan,
the holy and the faithful have decided to reclaim
the lands of the old Kingdom of Faith, and the Tibetan people.
Long has it been since they were separated from men of faith
and the Church in the east. Nestorian Kings of India,
faithful men and women of the land.
Rejoin us and let us set aside our quarrels
and be united by our faith.
It is God who brings us together and this fellowship
will last until the end of days
when Christ walks the earth once more.
Join us, and be reunited with the faithful,
and the people of god.
We are true believers and together
we shall withstand the world!

Signed the Chairman Liu of the Peoples Republic of Jazado,

[The Socialist Republics of Combrekniza]

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A Rude Awakening
A New Dawn
Combrekniza, December 2nd 2018

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Combrekniza, long a mostly neutral and dormant nation in the world stage, known for it's mostly peaceful stance over the years and being one of the most overlooked nations in Europe, recently announced that Combrekniza has completed the "Nova Zori" Project which has resulted in Combrekniza recently reintroducing 2 Divisions, the 45th Infantry Division and 47th Armored Division, back into active service. This surprise gesture may be due to the nature of Combrekniza's neighbour, New Karelograd, which is a mostly hostile nation and a nation that Combrekniza suspects to be hungry and interested in it's more Eastern Lands. This surprise gesture is also contributed due to the fact that these newly activated Divisions are concentrated nearby the border alongside with their personnel mostly being trained in the Federal War College which is historically known to mostly produce results that are more dominant on both Offensive and Defensive operations alongside with Special Operations. It's been suggested as of recent that the activation of these forces are saying that Combrekniza will defend itself whatever the cost may be in order to protect it's sovereignty from foreign threats.

This mobilization of 2 additional divisions was also coupled along with increased activity from both the Air Force and Navy alongside with Joint-Branch Training Exercises held by all branches of the Comberknizan Military happening in Crimea, it has made the look and appearance that the nation of Combrekniza is preparing for the future, or specifically, a war for the defense of the Federation. Military experts have long praised the Combreknizan Military for it's professionalism and it's priority of quality over quantity. It's also long known that Combrekniza is home to one of the largest Information Technology companies in Europe alongside having what can be described as the "Technological Capital" of Eastern Europe within it's border which is the City of Kyozska which holds a majority of the Headquarters for IT companies operating in Combrekniza and known for it's slogan of "High Tech, High Life". It's also one of the first cities to integrate AI into public domain and for public use.

However, even with the threat of the East being apparent, Combrekniza remains to retain it's ranks as one of the most tax-free, politically free, press free countries alongside as being one the most easiest places to start a business in. Combrekniza's "High Technology, High Life" model and way of living has made the nation to be one of the most advanced countries within Europe, however Combrekniza also is known for having one of the most militarized borders in Europe which is defined by a continuous line of high metal fences and walls, barbed wire, alarms, anti-vehicle ditches, watchtowers, automatic booby traps, and minefields in order to deter a Eastern Offensive in the case it's neighbor attempts to feast on Combrekniza in where it will result in New Karelograd having to face the Outer Combreknizan Border.

The Future of Combrekniza remains uncertain, but what it is certain is that the nation will do whatever it can to preserve its little nation, for the sake of future generations.

[Amurria]

Imperial Congress Building, Edo, Empire of Amurria, 15:34, 30th November 2018

"We are in need of six more Yamato Class Super Battleships, we need to be able to dispatch more battleships to the Co-Prosperity Sphere's Grand Navy, and we need to deploy a few in the Atlantic and Arabian Sea. Who knows what enemies might appear there." Said admiral Fukui Katzumi of the 1st Imperial Battleship Fleet and 1st Grand Navy Battleship Fleet.

"Agreed, but we simply do not have the industrial capabilities to build such battleships in such large quantities in a short amount of time. By the time we finish building one in New Osaka, Azura knows we might be dead. It's a miracle we got to build 24 in just these years." replied the CEO of New Osaka Shipyards, the main producer of naval equipment for the Empire.

"Then I got an idea," began the Emperor, "Akarea is a nation renowned for their huge production capabilities, and lower prices than in most places on Earth, right? The New Osaka Group has an office opened in Akarea, and it could bring the proposal of building these battleships to the Akarean Government. I see no reason why they would refuse."

Silence fell into the room as everyone was thinking about the idea. Asking Akarea, a neutral nation, to produce warships, sounded almost ridiculous, but they had to try, before Jazado or anyone else began to threaten the Empire's safety. Everyone reached the same conclusion, and the decision was taken. The following message was composed and sent to the Akarean Government:

Esteemed members of the Federal Government,

We, the New Osaka Group, New Osaka Shipyards Company, propose the construction of six Yamato-Class Super Battleships, as soon as possible.
The Empire is willing to sustain all the production and transport related costs, in the hopes that construction will begin soon.
Any other details will be discussed in a face-to-face meeting in Jingnu.

[Slane]

November 22, 2018

10:53 pm

Emperor Alexander was hosting a dinner in his personal house. Those invited were the governors of the regions of Bosnia, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, and Czechia. It was a pleasant evening filled with joyous tunes and laughter.

10:57 pm

Governors Boldizsar Szâbo of Hungary, Jakub Janošek of Croatia, and Governor Dženan Mešić of Bosnia approach the Emperor with gleaming eyes.

Governor Boldizsar opens up by saying "Guten Abend my liege, Could I offer you a solution to the lands we lost during the Revolution of 1898?"

With this, the Emperor turns to him, curious as to what he would say. "Go on." He says.

Governor Boldizsar continues "The Rumanians are a weak people. They do not know how to handle their own government effectively and efficiently. The people of Transylvania despise the Rumanian government, and will no doubt side with us if we declare a war on the Rumanians. The Rumanian military is also outdated, using only weapons from the 1950s, and their armoured corps is almost non-existent." He finishes up with a pleasant smile.

"Most intriguing, say if the Transylvanians will side with us, what of the Serbians? They used to be part of the empire and still have strong ties with our culture and people." the emperor asks.

"Ah yes, the Serbians. Quite good news sire. The Serbian republic has elected your 3rd cousin Otto von Habsburg. Maybe we can have talks with him, see how he feels reintegrating the Serbian people back into the empire. After all, you are his favourite cousin?" Interjects Governor Mešić.

"Interesting..." Emperor Alexander says, "Send an envoy to him saying I wish to have a talk, I will go there personally to make things more... personal."

"Yes m'lord..." They all reply.

"As for Rumania, position our military on the border, prepare for parachute drop behind enemy lines, and have the new tank on the southern part to avoid the mountains of Transylvania. And send an envoy declaring our just reclamation of lost land." Alexander says, staring off into the night sky."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

December 4, 2018

11:00 am

The War for Rumania was almost at an end, as per what governor Boldizsar said, the Transylvanians had sided with the Austrians. The Battle for Bucharest was all that remained. As for the talks with Otto, it had gone smoothly. Emperor Alexander had persuaded to reintegrate with the empire in exchange for Otto remaining as Governor of Serbia.

1:39 pm

Bucharest had fallen, and the Rumanian government had sued for peace, the Austrian demands: full annexation, with the separation of Transylvania and Rumania as local governments.

This marked the end of a life of strife and separation, but began an age of consolidation.

[Jazado]

Beijing 17th of November 2018
"GOD DAMMIT!!!" Roared Zhang Fei as he hurled the map the floor. "WHY DO THE KOREANS THINK WE WANT TO FIGHT THEM??? Damn, Minjok should know that we are their friends and that the only fight we seek is against the Amurrian menace. They should know that we defended them to the death in the past literally! We saved them in the first Korean-Jap war and we fought of the Japs again in 1895!"

"Calm down Minjok will come to their senses sooner or later," Said Liu Bei as he tried to ease Zhang Fei's mood. "Every Korean in the right mind would side with a Chinese man instead of Japanese dog."

"BUT THEY'RE NOT IN THE RIGHT MIND!!!" Zhang Fei yelled. "THE NORTHERN LINE!?!? THEY ARE PREPARING FOR WAR FOR GOD SAKE, WAR AGAINST US. THOSE BASTARDS ARE PREPARING TO SIDE WITH THE AMURRIANS!"

"We could ask Minjok to stay neutral in our inevitable war against Amurria, that way Koreans won't have to die fighting their Chinese allies." Answered Liu Bei.

"BUT THEY ARE NOT KOREAN! MR. JING WILL ALMOST DEFINITELY FIGHT BY THE AMURRIANS, THOSE DAMMED AMURRIANS, I WISH THE NUKE WENT OF IN JING-DU (京都) AND NOT BAN-SHI (阪市)! Sorry, but the point I'm making is that the Sudardesians won't help us after that non-aggression pact and the Byzantines will only intervene in a defensive war!"

"That is true but when we reclaim the Kingdom of Faith it won't matter." Zhang Fei and Liu Bei turned to see who it was. There before them was a man dawned in a Yellow Turban uniform with a long and uncouth beard. He stood tall and was about ten centimeters taller than Zhang Fei. "They will join us and together our forces will be able to over come the Amurrians and Minjok if it comes to it."

"Who the hell are you?" asked Zhang Fei impatiently.

The man stuck out his had and showed him a long lost relic of old, the heirloom of House Liu of the Han dynasty brazen with ancient symbols and with patterns unseen engraved in iron this signet ring with the character 劉 Liu, the Seal of Han.

"Are you?... is that?...I I need to think." said Zhang Fei before sitting down.

Liu Bei came closer and examined the ring and after staring at it for a good five minutes he finally spoke,

"You're the heir to the Han throne aren't you? Well I don't know what to say, it gonna be god damn near impossible to restore your rule. Who are you anyway?"

"My name is Liu Kang, Commander of the Yellow Turban divisions and like you said heir to the throne."

"Wait, where even is the Chairman?" asked Zhang Fei as he finally grasped onto what had happened.

"He is already working on a way to tell the people of the restoration of my House. The Old Kingdom of Faith supports my claim and so does the Hui, your going to need us if we seek to win any war against the Amurrians." Liu Kang answered. "Let it be known that the Han Emperors are back and let it be known that with this mandate of heaven thrust upon us by god we shall prosper."

"Is your blood even Han?" Asked Zhang Fei,

Before Liu Kang could answer Liu Bei cut in,

"After the fall of the Han dynasty Liu Qiu enlisted in the Protectorate General to Pacify the West and that is where he stayed, his kinsmen were in central China but he dwelt in Wulei, in the Tarim Basin. After his brother Liu Jin died at the hands of the Xiongnu he inherited his holdings and his family returned to those lands when the Protectorate General to Pacify the West was disbanded. His line survived through the Tang dynasty and as tradition the eldest and the youngest son of the family was sent to the Protectorate General to Pacify the West so that they would become great fighters. They rose after the Yuan dynasty fell and restored the Han until 1895 when the Han emperor was poisoned by a Japanese assassin. His eldest son was given the Seal of Han and was unknown to the Japs."

"Yeah but is he Han?" Asked Zhang Fei

"Yes, yes I am." Answered Liu Kang.

"He's the Emperor too." Said Liu Bei.

Liu Bei knelt before Liu Kang and so did Zhang Fei, they both swore fealty to him and pledged their services.

One Week Later, November 24th 2018
The Chairman Liu had notified the people of the Restoration of the Han empire and worked on amending the constitution to ease the transition, now they were at a cathedral in Edessa, Elizabeth Baxton was there with the former Chairman Liu. In front of them the Patriarch of Edessa stood in front Liu Kang as he knelt the Patriarch crowned him with the Silver Crown of Tarim. As the holy man crowned him the Patriarch spoke these words,

"I Patriarch of Edessa, Holy Father of the Nestorian church proclaim you Liu Kang as Emperor of Jazado, The Jade Dragon and Defender of Faith. May God smile at you and prosperity follow!"

Liu Kang stood up bearing the Silver Crown and the Seal of his House, he turned to face the men and women who came, he smiled and it was as if he was born anew and the world he lived in once more had a chance for salvation.

Later that evening,

The new Emperor Liu Kang with an Ambassador from the Byzantines and Elizabeth Baxton were having dinner with a few other accomplices, Liu Kang looked up to see the room filled with people. He stood and they followed, then a toast for the new Emperor, for the Jade Dragon, for Defender of Faith, and for Defender of Jazado, may goodness and prosperity follow in the days to come!

[Ebrilond]

Voided.

[Montgomere]

Trent wakes up, tired, but excited. He is excited to see who gets promoted in the middle of the day. "Boy, I need to get dressed." Trent says, looking at his pajamas. He changes, then walks out in a blue shirt and Jeans. He walks down, on polished wood stairs. He looks down at the marble floor, somewhat polished. He walks into the garage, to come up to his blue ram diesel truck. It has a shiny blue surface, with white leather seats, a cover for the trunk, and completed with a cooling and heating system. Trent jumps into the truck, and drives up the clean newly painted road.


As Trent walks into the coffee shop, A welcoming worker with a warm smile greets him. "Welcome to Jay's coffee shop!" The worker welcomes. "What would you like from here?" The worker asks. "Oh, I will have a latte decaf with white chocolate, please." Trent says. "Okay, coming right up." The worker writes then walks into the kitchen. Trent sits down in a marble chair. He looks at the table, also marble, except with different shades of colors in it. He notices that his name gets called, then he gets the latte and walks out.


He drives for a few miles, then reaches his workplace, also known as the exporting station. He starts to pack up some marble and some steel. He swipes his hand across the cardboard surface of the box. It feels really blocks feeling, He thinks, as he puts the marble and steel into the boxes. He grabs some of the gold at his station and starts to put it into a cardboard box. He finished, to notice that it is almost noon. He has been waiting for this moment forever, to finally be promoted to exporter. He just has a feeling that tells him that the manager was going to choose him. When it hits noon, everyone pops up from their stations to head to the auditorium, where most of the meetings happen. Everyone sees the manager and applauds. "Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, to this special occasion where I will appoint one of you to be an exporter." The manager explains. "And that person will be......" The manager says, holding a paper. Everyone jumps up from their chairs, as he says "Trent Zenor!" He says, as Trent hops from his seat. "Thank you, thank you, sir!" Trent says, as he walks into stage, shaking the manager's hand rapidly. This is normal excitement, being that Montgomereans are kind and excited mostly. "Thank you so much, sir." Trent says his last thank you to the manager.

[Dominance]

Kredik Shaw gleamed in the backdrop of the hellish warzone as guns blazed from all fronts. A large infantry of the Dominator's Justice has just penetrated into the region of Venezuela and Colombia, backed by intimidating coalitions of combat aircraft consistently bombing population centers as the sizable force had slowly pushed their way through the borders and penetrated into the regions. The Dominator's Navy had fleets positioned on the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia and sounds of constant explosions and firing pierced the battlefield as the warships were bombarding ports and factories to prevent civilian evacuations and military organization. Losses were significant on both sides; yet the Dominator's Justice spared no expense in throwing body after body against the resistance forces fighting against Domination of their territory. Children, women, heretics, even the elderly (those who were not yet executed for being a burden, due to their age) were outfitted and equipped, and promptly dispatched to the warring zones. Their only mission debriefing; enslave all civilians and capture freedom fighters alive, so as to crucify and make examples out of them following the Domination of the regions. It was a popular method of psychological terror to discourage the former civilian population from rebelling. Of course, the Dominance paid no mind to their losses due to a reckless penetration into the regions. The Eternal Empire had enough bodies and slaves to throw into the fray; not to mention the artillery and heavy weapons deployed to provide suppressive fire in order to dismantle enemy forces and cause hysteria. The infrastructure of the regions would be little but rubble following the Domination, but rebuilding the regions were not a concern. The population of slaves that resided in the Eternal Empire would be forced to toil the fields and rebuild everything from the ground up. Surely, countless would succumb to the harsh treatment but forced breeding programs would replenish the slave populations and cancel out the deaths.

The corpses of slaves would be fed to the still living slaves to provide sustenance. To do dispose of them would be wasteful, and the Lord Dominator despises a lack of efficiency. It was a common practice in the Dominance, to feed the corpses of slaves that succumbed to their living conditions to other slaves. It was an excellent method of subduing the population and proved to be quite effective in sustaining them. As the battles raged on, large platoons of soldiers occupied many territories lining the border between the Dominance and Venezuela, as well as Colombia. Tanks and other artillery were positioned to be largely stationary and ordered to provide around-the-clock suppressive fire and support for the forces of the Dominator's Justice. Villages and towns were pillaged, women raped, children disemboweled in front of their families, and burning buildings. This was what remained in the wake of Domination, later to be replaced by oppressive plantations and forced labour camps, managed by the apathetic aristocracy, with the ever-looming invisible gaze of the Lord Dominator and His Enforcers ensuring the nobility never get overconfident. Little of the Dominance is known to the international community; save for the existence of a noble class. This information had come across as a surprise to the nations of the world that had long assumed the entire population remained oppressed and enslaved by the Dominated government, yet this proves to be false. It was certain; a higher, aristocratic class indeed exists and enjoys lavish and luxurious 21st century lives bestowed to them by the Lord Dominator. Although the Submissives had far outnumbered the nobility, they still represented a notable sector of the population and were rumored to even maintain close ties to the Lord Dominator himself; who himself was a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. To the surprise of no governing body outside of the Dominance, little was known of him. Nevertheless, the battle raged on, but not without a cost besides the bodies. All Dominated presence in the southernmost region of the Eternal Empire had been wholly evacuated. Submissives were transported directly to Kredik Shaw, the metropolitan capital, and the nobility that governed over the Submissive population in those areas have not yet been heard from.

...

Two noblemen sat in comfortable seats, overlooking the expanse that covered their designated land, as well as the Submissives that worked in them. Most areas in the Eternal Empire were agrarian and rural, mostly those where Submissive populations were most dense. Sprawling cities existed too, although they were mostly populated by more fortunate Submissives that served the Eternal Empire in ways other than physical labour; such as scientists and engineers. Make no mistake, they were slaves nonetheless and lived in conditions only marginally improved over the labourers.

One of the noblemen lifted his wine glass to his mouth and took a conservative sip. "There exists opportunities for you and I, brother. The Lord Dominator is carrying out his Domination in the oil-rich lands north of the Dominance. We must double productivity of our Submissives to prove to him that we're worthy to govern over that land on his behalf. Imagine the wealth, brother. It will be extraordinary."

The second nobleman nodded in agreement and clinked glasses with his companion. "Ambitious, but the Enforcers have not yet informed to us the purpose of this Domination. I would not jump to such conclusions so soon. You wouldn't want to misinterpret the Lord's will, would you?" said the second nobleman, giving the first a sly look.

"Drop it. You're just jealous that I have earned the Lord's favor and not you. How many slaves do you own, hm? Have you ever even spoken to an Enforcer?" questioned the first nobleman.

"Try speaking face-to-face with the Lord himself." The first nobleman snorted at this comment, as if it were a joke.

"You're a lousy comedian, you know that?" said the first nobleman.

Suddenly, the large gates behind them creaked open and a tall man covered in elaborate tattoos and piercings entered the balcony room. He was accompanied by two heavily armed soldiers, bearing the Dot. He wore long black robes, similar to those of the Lord Dominator, but far less extravagant.

He was an Enforcer.

"The Lord demands your presence in Kredik Shaw. Transportation has been arranged and your Submissives will be accounted for. Do not keep our Lord waiting."

[Minjok]

“Oof. The Chinese are really mad.. said Mr. Kim.

“Well they see the Northern Line as a sign that war is coming sir” replied Maj. Han.

“Well, then they wouldn’t really appreciate the deal we had with the Amurrias. Would they... said Mr. Kim.

“Ahh, yes. We should keep that a secret. They are really pissed off and of they hear of this, they would see it as a declaration of war. Hey, didn’t they fail to defend us in the first Sino-Japanese war.” Maj. Han replied.

“Well yes. Anyways, I should write a letter to Jazado informing them about our actions. Anyways, Thank you for coming. You are dismissed. said Mr. Kim. Kim got out a piece of paper as the door closed.

To the Leader of Jazado

We would like to take some time in clearing up some beliefs. First of all, we are obligated to fight with our allies. As you may know, WE ARE IN THE CO-PROSPERITY SPHERE. Second, we follow a simple doctrine, we stay peaceful until we or one of our allies at attacked. The Northern Line, yes is a military installation, but it’s a precaution with the tension in the world. Third and finally, YOU FAILED IN THE FIRST SINO-JAPANESE WAR. You lost and we were reduced and soon annexed. I hope this cleared up some misconceptions about us. Good luck.

Mr. Kim


Mr. Kim was tired. He had a headache and found out he had a cold. He laided in his bed as he stared up to the ceiling. It was a very eventful week. 10 minutes later, he was out cold.

[Jazado]

A message to Minjok

Attention! Traitors and scoundrels,
Your people have forsaken tradition
And broke all bonds of fellowship
between the Chinese and Korean,
We do not wish to fight your people
Nor do we wish to take any of your lands.
I will have you know that we fought the
Sino-Japanese war to protect Korea
And the Japanese fought it to annex your nation.
We would like to ask you to remain neutral in
a war between Amurria and Jazado as it would
be unfit for a Chinese man to strike his Korean ally.
Come to your senses and spare your people of death.

Signed the Emperor Liu Kang of Jazado,

After finishing his letter to Minjok the Emperor turned to his councilors, Liu Bei was still fascinated by the old maps brought to him and Zhang Fei was busy redrawing defensive and offensive lines. As of the current map the gaps between Jazado's holdings in Mongolia were the most troubling as Liu Kang, the Mongols had agreed to join they just hadn't checked in.

"The Kingdom of Faith, huh I thought that was just a legend, made by the Church to gain more influence." Said Liu Bei as he glossed over the forgotten and ancient map brought back by Liu Kang.

"It was as real as the Kingdom of David, Christian Kings were bound together in desperation and it was the common faith they shared that made them unite and come together under one banner." Answered Liu Kang who seemed to know the History of the Nestorian Church better than any theologian or lore master there was.

"They should join with us soon, we already have soldiers deployed in Multan, Delhi and Sindh." Commented Zhang Fei as he contemplated the possibilities of a new military with the addition of the Indian people.

"Yes yes the Brhamin, Sudra and Vaishya seem to integrate and accept our rule, its just the Kshatryia, they still have old allegiances to their previous lieges." Answered Liu Bei.

"The Tibetans are complying and have already signed a treaty adding them into our realm." Cut in the Chairman who had just returned from diplomatic talks with the Tibetans.

"Untouchables supporting the succession of their land to Jazado seem to dismay some people and stop them from wanting to join with us." Stated Liu Bei still concerned with the Indian Hierarchy.

"We can't break it down it will be too much work, but if we can make the untouchables equal to the Sundra we might be able to keep stability and manage to keep order." Suggested Liu Kang, he had studied the Indian Hierarchy and the Old Kingdom of Faith alongside the Folk Lore and history of Jazado and the East.

"We would not be able to pass that until we have annexed their lands, and the backlash from the Sundra would be devastating." Countered Liu Bei who was strongly against Liu Kang's idea.

"Well what do we have to deal with aside from that?" asked Liu Kang, wanting to shift the topic of the conversation to something else.

"Saint Ryvern is another option we could try, our religion and faith will be able to form a strong alliance with them, then we would have more allies that could back us." Answered the Chairman.

"Then I shall write to them.." Responded Liu Kang looking forward to a new and holy alliance.

A message to Chinua Azebry

We the Jazadoan, people of the Faith
Would like to create an alliance,
One that is bound by faith and God.
So that we may help each other
In our times of need, join with us
And let the heathen hordes that assail us
Taste the wrath of God and our steel!
Heathens from the Heathen Isles
Threaten our borders with their allies,
But we can overcome the challenges ahead
Through Faith in God and in our men,
May the word of Christ spread far and wide!
Now my brothers in faith will you join us
And aid us in this fight and struggle?
Will you help us fight of the heathens that surround us?
Will you help us reclaim our fallen lands?
Will fight alongside us standing shoulder to shoulder?

Signed the Emperor Liu Kang of Jazado

Looking at the letter Liu Kang handed it to Liu Bei,

"Make sure they get the message." He said.

"Sir the military has just sent in the most recent report of what happened in India." Said Zhang Fei. "Here is what it says."

The Current Status of the State of Sindh

The local Kshatryias have accepted our authority and stand down,
They are willing to cooperate without any use of force,
You will find that they meet our needs and will be most useful when we annex their lands.
The Kshatryia has offered help during the transition and looks forward to joining Jazado,
Their armed forces will join with ours and help us secure unstable lands and ensure a smooth transition.

The Current Status of the State of Multan

The Kshatryia was uncooperative at first but diplomatic negotiations have convinced him to join us,
No actual use of force was needed to sway him to our cause,
The Brhamin have offered their help in swaying the people as well as the Kshatryias to our side,
Minor protests were put down by the Kshatryia and the Brhamin,
No other signs of resistance were shown,
Over all the Kshatryia are willing to help and have offered their services in the annexation of their lands and look forward to a smooth transition.

The Current Status of the State of Delhi

The Kshatryia did not see eye to eye with our ideas and diplomatic talks broke down,
The Brhamin sided with us as well as the Sundra and Vaishya and tried to negotiate with the Kshatryia,
The Kshatryia responded with heavy fire and we returned fire,
After three hours of fighting we managed to storm their fort and capture the Kshatryia with minor causalities,
A local Kshatryia who agreed with our views was established as the new Kshatryia with the approval of the Brhamin,
The Kshatryia of Delhi is extremely cooperative and will help us in our efforts to annex the land and to smooth the transitio .

The Current Status of the State of Bengal

The local Kshatryia let our forces in and we began talks,
The Kshatryia seemed to like the idea of joining Jazado but ask for autonomy when dealing with trade,
Our diplomats agreed, the Bay of Bengal is to be run by the Bengali and they will share their profits with us something around 15%,
The populace enjoyed the idea of a large state that could help them in a time of need,
The Brhamin and the Sundra gave us their full support,
The Kshatryia will be cooperative and help us with the annexation of their lands as well as the transition as long as we keep our word.

The Current Status of the State of Jangledesh

The Kshatryia was unwilling to negotiate,
He opened up talks after sighting the 5th Armor division,
The Kshatryia demanded autonomous rule,
Our diplomats agreed as long as they gave us a split of their profits and military aid,
The Kshatryia was hesitant to agree but the Brhamin talked him into agreeing,
The Kshatryia is cooperative but will not offer too much aid in the annexation and transition of his land.

End

"That's good to see, now we know we're making progress, though it is a shame what happened to the Kshatryia of Delhi." Said Liu Kang who was eager for the annexation of Northern India and also who would personally oversee the transition.

"I think that's about all we have on our hands." Said Liu Bei who was now satisfied with the state of things.

"Yeah I think so, Mongolia will be connected and we will have a larger manpower pool by the end of the week. No internal problems have happened other than the Uhyghurs trying to rise up again..." Said Liu Kang

"Oh, we need to strengthen our naval garrisons and drill more of our troops in Manchuria, Right now we have two Armies in Manchuria half of which is in the border of Mongolia. Two more in South and central China, the naval garrisons are complete and stand 100,000 strong each. I think that we need better naval organization if we are to fight the Amurrians sir." Cut in Zhang Fei as the thought of a fight reentered his mind.

"Yes I am aware of that, I'll go see what I can do about the Navy and as for the Army you have full permission to use any and all resources that you might need unless we are running short." Answered Liu Kang, "The establishment of another Western Protectorate would be able to secure our borders to the west and allow us to station our main armies in the east. I will personally lead them as I am both emperor and have combat experience previously, what difference would there be between me and the Amurrian Pretender if I didn't fight and train alongside my men?"

"Well first of all you're not a dog, nor are you a bastard or illegitimate." Answered Zhang Fei, "And secondly the Amurrians would not be able to draft such plans when threatened with war."

"Speaking of threats I think its high time that we ask for Taiwan." Suggested the Chairman as the thought of Taiwan still plagued him.

"I forgot about that, never mind I will start to draft another letter." Said Liu Kang as he was reminded of the situation in Taiwan.

A message to the Pretender King of Amurria

Release your hold of Taiwan and return it to us,
We are the rightful owners of the Island and not
You heathens from a savage land, return it to us
So that we may avoid all future conflicts over the island.
We not only have a De-jure claim on the land
But we also have a claim on the Chinese people who dwell there,
They are of our blood and of our kin and we will not rest
Until we are reunited with our brethren.
If you do not relinquish your claim to Taiwan and hand it to us
We will respond by attacking your holdings in Manchuria
As well as proceeding to destroy your navy in a more extreme way
When compared to the Sudardesian,
Your sailors and captains will be cleansed by steel
And baptized in fire if you do not return those lands to us.
Your soldiers will find that their shoulders are relieved of their heads
And we will show you the wrath of God and Jazado!

Please do consider,

Signed the Emperor Liu Kang of Jazado

"How do you think they'll respond?" Asked Liu Kang as he turned to Liu Bei.

"We'll see soon enough." Liu Bei answered.

[The Socialist Republics of Combrekniza]

---

RISING STORM
Cornered Fox
Combrekniza, December 18th 2018

---

With the situation in the east deteriorating rapidly with the nation of Jazado making threats towards Amurria and Minjok alongside a Cold War between the nation of Letsika and New Karelograd continues, Combrekniza remains as a cornered fox with it's present situation as it is bordered in all sides by powers that are considered a major threat to Combreknizan Sovereignty, this has prompted Combrekniza to increase border patrols and military activity alongside the border alongside increased reconnaissance operations and missions in order to maintain up-to-date intelligence on it's neighbors.
The situation however, is not hopeless due to the recent events which resulted in Combrekniza becoming a member of the Alliance of Free Nations. This involvement into a alliance prompted some minor protests in Combrekniza which said that the nation should have not abandoned it's neutral stance in world politics, but due to the situation, many would think otherwise and the decision is supported by a majority of Combreknizan's. Meanwhile the nation has also began to export and import more after it's involvement and a new hope has been established with Combrekniza's involvement in the AFN which gives Combrekniza a large amount of breathing space and assurance in the case of war against it's Eastern neighbor.

Meanwhile, Combreknizan Police, Border Troops alongside the secretive DSB(Derzhavna sluzhba bezpeky) have recently began increasing operations along the border regions, mostly conducting Operations to scout and gather intel around the Border Regions alongside with maintaining National Security alongside with preventing any form of New Karelogradian Operations into Combrekniza and to crack down on any form of intelligence ring from any nation that has operatives in Combrekniza. The Combreknizan budget on Military has also began shifting it's focus to Individual Personnel, attempting to prioritize training in order to make sure that the Combreknizan's would have a chance in defending themselves against massive swarms of Karelograd Military Forces.

[Amurria]

Imperial Palace, Edo, Empire of Amurria, 12:34, 2nd December 2018

"Shall we prepare the War Plan Orange Victory, Your Majesty?" Asked the Shogun, while looking again over the plan. "We may be able to cease the tensions with Jaz-"

"I honestly couldn't care less about Jazado! Them filthy communists, who turned face the moment their "Emperor" came back, demand we give them back Taiwan! It's not theirs, it's ours! Send the order to all Imperial Fleets, and redirect the 2nd and 3rd Fleets of the Grand Navy back to the Sea of China and Sea of Amurria. We need to be prepared for a war against those dogs!" The Emperor shouted angrily. His subordinates dared not to speak, for they knew that it would mean their death. The only thing they were allowed to say was ways to defeat Jazado quickly and without many losses.

"Gather the ministers, we need to talk." He said to one of the guards.

Balcony of the Imperial Palace, Edo, Empire of Amurria, 13:01, 2nd December 2018

"People of Amurria, friends, citizens, brave soldiers, I am afraid I bear grave news." He said as silence could be felt in the atmosphere.

"The government of Jazado, the communist dogs from overseas, who are a shame to communism itself, have demanded we give up Taiwan, an integral part of our Empire and our nation. We have long expected them to claim this small island in the Pacific, and thus we are prepared. We will begin a mobilization of our Empire to counter this Chinese threat! All able bodied men are to go to the nearest Recruiting Center and join the Imperial Army! Our brave sailors are already preparing for the crisis, and we wish their ships good luck!

Do not get me wrong, the Empire is not declaring war on Jazado, but we are preparing for one, because you can never trust a Jazadoan! And so, I warn you, citizens of the Empire, prepare for a cruel war!"

With that he ended his speech, which was shown all around the Empire. Amurria and Jazado were both inching closer and closer to war, but could it be avoided, on terms that both sides agree with? No one knows...

[Saint Ryvern]

Saint Ryvern Administrative Complex,
Lagos, Saint Ryvern
December 3, Local Time- 1:32 pm

It had been, or was still, a busy week for the President, and his body was starting to show signs of the immense stress the past several days and past three years in office were putting on him. Chinua was a young man, not even forty years old, but as he was shaving this morning he had found several white hairs tucked away in the scruff starting to form along his chin. Just a few, not enough to be noticeable, even to someone engaged in conversation with the President, but white hair was not something the President expected to encounter in his morning routine. He had not known his father or either of his grandfathers, so he did not know when it was typical for men in his family to start going gray. His mother, his mama, always did an amazing job tending to his hair when he was growing up. Chinua's hair is dense, easily coiled and incredibly greasy if not properly cared for, but as a poor family growing up in Lagos he could not afford to go to the barber regularly. Mama Azebry doted over his son when he was younger, he was meant to be a star, she knew it, and stars have good hair. Chinua knew his mother went to great lengths to help him feel confident and sure of himself as a child. When they would go to store together she would loiter in the magazine aisle, leafing through the pages of as many fashion magazines as possible before a manager showed up. When he was a teenager, Chinua would rock long curls with a surgical line, adding several inches to his stature with the cut. However, when he started to enter the public eye more, near the end of his secondary schooling, he opted for a more muted, less braggadocios haircut unlike a cut one would use on the streets to stunt on fools and pick up chicks, as the hood rats in Lagos would say. He went through several rotations as he moved up the political ladder in the city and the country, opting for a high-low fade with the edges up recently. The general public tended to take notice of the President's hair, for some reason, but Chinua enjoyed seeing young boys walking the streets with his haircut, freshly cut and feeling good about themselves.

Hair was a matter of great concern in the history of Saint Ryvern and the contemporary nation. Hair was a symbol of pride in the early tribes of the nation. Tribal leaders would have the thickest hair, the medicine men and soothsayers would have long, tangled hair like the stories they would weave for little ones. Great warriors would have short hair, if they fought valiantly in a war or killed an important singular foe they had the right to adorn their hair with colored beads. When the African Orthodox church first took root in the southern reaches of the country, hair became central to participation in the church. At first, the missionaries urged the tribes people to shave their hair, they tried to persuade the warriors to give up their beads, signs of pagan success and vanity. However, like All Saint's Day and Christmas trees elsewhere, the pagan rituals of Saint Ryvern's natives were absorbed into the fabric of the church's traditions. Priests, like their tribal counterparts, were urged to keep their beards, to grow their hair long, to coil it and curl it to their delight and to the delight of God. The Creator gave the African people gorgeous hair, so it was only right to encourage people to flaunt it. At a baby's baptism the parents were given a series of beads, which should be cherished by the child and applied to their hair as they grew in age and in their faith. Most children never wore their beads, even among the faithful in Saint Ryvern, those who did wear them only broke them out on their baptismal birthday. In the streets of Lagos when a gang member killed someone wearing beads they would wear them around their neck, an immense sign of disrespect. Modern celebrities prided themselves for pioneering new ways to wear one's hair, or took joy in reviving hairstyles long thought to be dead. Rappers insulted each other's hair in battles, some of the harshest disses coming from lines about the cut or style of someone else's hair. For a politician like the President to have an impact on the national concern about hair was unprecedented, but China always smiled when his influence was brought up.

And that morning he had found gray hair. There were some notable public figures with gray hair, but it presented a startling reality to the President that some of his influence might start to fade soon. The shouts of the protesters outside the administrative complex only brought these concerns further to mind. The geopolitical situation of the world was becoming more and more complicated, day by day, and the President had jumped feet first into the thick of it. Historically an isolationist, anti-imperialist nation, Saint Ryvern had citizens conditioned to believe that their nation could flourish in the world without taking any sides. "Akarea does it," many people often said, whether it be the average citizen or the crackpot pundits on midday political talk shows, too washed up to have an opinion important enough for prime time. Well, the President would often retort mentally, Akarea is an unrivaled economic and industrial powerhouse. Our nation may be well off, but we are not comparable to Akarea, nor is anyone else in the world. Success in these times, at least for a nation like Saint Ryvern, meant formally joining forces with like-minded nations around the world. Nations like Letskia, the Byzantine Commune, Combrekniza, Rostokia, and Slane; these were nations that Ryvernians adored, nations they regularly acknowledged having a positive relationship with. Universities around the country had young, able-minded citizens from all those nations and more filling their seats and honing their minds. The President's advisers were on board with joining the Alliance of Free Nations, the polls of citizens showed that the majority of people would be alright with joining an international body, but the hundreds of protesters gathered outside were certainly not thrilled when photos of Mariana Ejaiti signing a document in New Eden started circulating on the front page of newspaper or flashing on their TV screens with a "breaking news" logo. Chinua welcomed resistance to his ideas, certainly among the public, but the vile shouts of the crowd, cries about how his administration is destroying the integrity of Saint Ryvern or the jabs at his personal life, those shouts stung a bit too much. The range of the media in Saint Ryvern made it difficult for the President to equally reach all citizens, as his words would often be twisted to support the views of whichever network was quoting him.

Yet Chinua persisted. He was confident in his long-term vision for Saint Ryvern, a powerful nation standing alongside other powerful nations, rooted in their common vision for justice and peace abroad. A shared vision many Ryvernians called into question, given the conquests of Slane and the Commune, and Chinua tried his best to avoid pointing towards the harsher imperialism of Amurria and New Karelograd in his retorts, but sometimes you have to side with people who you don't agree with completely, just people you agree with mostly, and so the Alliance of Free Nations became the best group of allies for Saint Ryvern. It would take time for the Ryvernian people to see that, but with the conflict in the East heating up every hour it was only a matter of time before the AFN's relevance became clear to the general population. Jazado, Amurria, and their allies were careening towards a conflict, on track for a regional, perhaps global, war. It was something the papers did not want to cover, but something that the President tried to refer too often. He had the support of his Cabinet, especially Ms. Ejaiti, the Ryvernian delegate to New Eden. She gave him a full report about the meeting between various leaders and diplomats, speaking kindly of the proceedings, but cautiously about the Byzantian people. It was brave of her to go, she came from money and had plenty of it, something not often appreciated in the Commune.

As he sat in his office, reflecting on his hair and the global situation, glancing over paperwork about the fantastic performance of Ryvernian schools on international metrics, there is a soft knock on the door to the President's office. "Come in," he says clearing his throat, waiting for a moment, "come in." Louder the second time, a nervous looking government aide pushes the door open and waddles in. Chinua took the time to learn everyone's name that worked in his office, trying to learn a bit about their background too. This aide, Becka, was the child of immigrants from Europe, working while in graduate school with hopes of one day working for the State Department. "A letter, Mr. President. From the new leader of Jazado. It just came in." Seemingly frightened, or perhaps just very stressed, the aide quickly turns and leaves the room. "Thank you," Chinua mutters, reading the letter carefully:

A message to Chinua Azebry

We the Jazadoan, people of the Faith
Would like to create an alliance,
One that is bound by faith and God.
So that we may help each other
In our times of need, join with us
And let the heathen hordes that assail us
Taste the wrath of God and our steel!
Heathens from the Heathen Isles
Threaten our borders with their allies,
But we can overcome the challenges ahead
Through Faith in God and in our men,
May the word of Christ spread far and wide!
Now my brothers in faith will you join us
And aid us in this fight and struggle?
Will you help us fight of the heathens that surround us?
Will you help us reclaim our fallen lands?
Will fight alongside us standing shoulder to shoulder?

Signed the Emperor Liu Kang of Jazado

A request for an alliance? Based on our nation's religion? What does this Emperor know about Saint Ryvern? Surely he must know that we are a secular nation, not one aligned with the African Orthodox Church, despite our somewhat religious population. The letter and its contents greatly displeased Chinua, it signaled that Jazado wanted help not because of any shared interest or goal, but because they wanted another nation to help them throw bodies at Amurria and her allies. "Heathens from the heathen isles," what a line. Chinua places the letter to the side, dialing up Mariana's office. After a few moments of waiting he is patched through to her office phone.

"What do you want, Mr. President? I'm in a meeting with some members of the Taro's Foreign Policy Committee. You're on speaker, they can hear you." His Minister of Foreign Affairs always sounded upset with him, but he had realized over time that she always took that tone, no matter who she was speaking to. She wanted to get work done, and if you didn't start going right away she felt like you were wasting her time.

"I just received a letter from the Emperor of Jazado, I'll read it for you..."

"It seems to me," cuts in the voice of Representative Tajaiti Maron, a small weasily man from the northern districts, "that the Emperor of Jazado has presented us with a way to opt out of the terrible alliance you've roped up into, Mr. President. He's presented a way for us to ally with a powerful nation that shares the views of a lot of devout Ryvernian citizens." Maron was a member of the SRRP, the main force that opposed the President and his policies in the National Assembly. SRRP representatives had always held a majority in the legislative body, but he was charismatic and oftentimes swayed people to vote across the aisle. He had secured enough votes to join the AFN, but resistance is always sharper after the fact, it seems.

"We cannot back out of our relationship with the Alliance of Free Nations, Tajaiti. Nor should we violate the Constitution by moving the nation around like a chess piece based on our personal religious convictions. We will respond to Jazado, kindly, of course, but with a letter of rejection. I proudly acknowledge the rich religious history of our nation, but we are in no place to ally ourselves based on a religious minority-majority, nor should we." Chinua's response seemed to shut his opposition up, at least enough for him to work out the exact language he should use in the letter with his Minister.

The Emperor of Jazado receives this letter:

To the Emperor of Jazado, Liu Kang

Emperor, your nation is honorable and just, but at this time and for the foreseeable future Saint Ryvern is not in a position to stand besides Jazado in the capacity that you laid out in your correspondence. While many citizens of Saint Ryvern are faithful believers in the cross, worshiping the same God as those faithful people in Jazado, the government of our fair country cannot, as laid out in the Constitution, act according to the religious beliefs of her leaders. There are many diverse religious communities in Saint Ryvern, and it would be unjust to ally our nation based on the religious beliefs of 35% of our population. May your nation fight honorably and fair well in any impending conflicts, without the help of the whole of Saint Ryvern.

Chinua Azebry, President of the Independent African State of Saint Ryvern

[Slane]

December 4, 2018

In the Hofkriegsrat,

Emperor Alexander calls for his Minister of Defence, and other high ranking generals in the capital to discuss the new plans for the Maximilian Line that would be at the borders of the Great Aeternum, and the Montgomerian territories in the south.

"Before we discuss the upcoming plans for our defensive line, I would like to send an ambassador to the leaders of the Great Aeternum, and Montgomere saying that we are only planning so for the protection of our people due to rising world tension, and that we don't mean to invoke the wrath and anger of their governments." Emperor Alexander said to his aide.

"Very well sire, I shall be off then." His aide said as he closed the door.

"Now, for the topic at hand. How goes the planning of the Maximilian Line General Jakob?" the Emperor asks mildly.

General Jakob von Amadeus, a distinguished General who has been serving in the military since 2001, coldly says "All is well m'lord, we have plans to set up multiple SAM sites, as well as FOBs along the border, specifically in the regions of Tyrol, the Sudetenland, the Istrian Peninsula, and others."

"Aside from that..." General Johann cuts in. "Our naval guns along the Adriatic coast have been updated to the latest technology, as well as I suggest putting up SAM sites along the coastline as well to protect against any aerial invasion from the Adriatic."

"Yes, indeed. An invasion from the Adriatic isn't impossible." Says Alexander critically. "Come the advent of a war, god forbid, have mine ships ready for deployment to cut off entry into the Adriatic."

"Yes sire." Says Chief Admiral Otto. "Our ships are ready at your command when needed, our capital ships are undergoing training in the Atlantic and Pacific for now, but when war breaks out, we will have control of the Mediterranean."

"Very good Chief Admiral Otto, very good." Says Emperor Alexander. "Very good reports, I will approve the establishment of SAM sites near the coastline. I expect everything to go smoothly and quickly." He continues.

"Yes m'lord!" Everyone in the room shouts, as Emperor Alexander looks around pleased with his war cabinet.

[Letskia]

The Unitary Republic of Letskia

Oslo, the Storting

Elias Henrikson was sitting in his office, consulting the Councillor of State on a potential peace treaty between New Karelograd and Letskia. The conflict between the two nations had arisen some time ago, and ever since the two nations have been deadlocked in a tense showdown to see who would make the first move; but in light of the events unfolding to the east, Jazado and Amurria are on the brink of war and it threatens to throw the whole world into turmoil. It was time for Letskia to set aside its differences with old enemies so as to begin making preparation in case the Alliance of Free Nations, of which Letskia was a founding member of, would happen to find itself at the center of the conflict. The nation has been running on a wartime economy with a complete shutdown of immigration and emigration agencies. The nation was an iron fortress, and for far too long as the current economic and foreign policy situation was becoming increasingly unpopular with the populace as the empty conflict dragged on with seemingly no end in sight. The Grand Assembly had convened earlier this day, and a two thirds majority vote had approved the lifting of economic sanctions on New Karelograd in return for reparations of 475 million kroner to be paid to the Letskian government. A state letter had been written to government officials in New Karelograd written personally by the Prime Minister was already in mid-transportation, eventually to reach Alexei Kivisto, the chief diplomat and leader of New Karelograd.The Letskian government, preferably, preferred not to strengthen relationships with a regime such as that of New Karelograd, but at the very least to ease tensions in the region. In preparation for Letskia's contribution to fellow AFN nations, the Grand Assembly had nigh unanimously approved for scientific and military expeditions and operations to be carried out in the volcanic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago. Albeit a costly endevour, the two landmasses would soon become formal territories of Letskia and no sooner would bases of operations and infrastructure projects as well as supply lines be established between the landmasses and mainland Letskia. Unfortunately, a state visit was not a possibility in these trying times; yet both nations must've had a mutual understanding that now was a time of caution and sleeping with one eye open and there was little time to spare.

Fleets dispatched from the Letskian navy would soon be mobilized to begin establishing connections with Jan Mayen and Svalbard. Although Letskia maintained a smaller military, its operatives were no less skilled and equipment was state-of-the-art and kept in top shape. Evidently, the focus of funds had paid off as the nation now looked towards contributing resources to aid the war effort, should the AFN find itself pulled into the war. The foreign policy decisions were not particularly popular in Letskia, a nation cultivated of pacifists and internationalists, but the Social Democrats party held strong in the unicameral Grand Assembly, but in a government historically governed by coalitions of minority parties, pressing issues of national concern were hardly ever a partisan subject. Nevertheless, the nation held strong despite increasing pressure from the AFN to mobilize and prepare for the disastrous consequences of a Jazadoan-Amurrian conflict.

"What do we hope to achieve in claiming Jan Mayen and Svalbard as territories of our republic? Small islands and archipelagos are difficult to imagine as real boons." said the Councilor of State, hastily filling out paperwork next to an exhausted Prime Minister doing much of the same work.

Elias sets down his pen and straightens out his outfit before he sighs and leans back into his chair. "Weren't you listening to the MP's? There's great scientific value to those regions, Leif. Meteorological stations, radio communications. Perhaps even natural gas resources, among other things. Besides, securing Svalbard will provide us with a strategic sphere of influence, a sort of buffer zone. Don't get too relaxed just because we have friends now." Elias snorted and returned to his paperwork, of which there was typically a great deal to sift through following such momentous meetings of the Assembly.

"What of the Dominance? Surely, we cannot do our best to ignore them forever. Espionage operations say the Dominance has been waging chaos in Venezuela and Colombia. Those are large territories, Elias. Much of South America already exists under the oppressive and cruel banner of that deluded cult. What do we do about them?" said the Councilor, with a frank expression on his face that seemed to betray his orderly and controlled aura.

Elias stiffened at the news, well aware of what this entailed. "Madmen cannot be negotiated with. The mere existence of a place like the Dominance betrays all of our efforts of spreading peace and cooperation. There is nothing we can do about the Dominance yet, but the day will come when the world have to turn their attention west."

Reports indicated that the Dominance had established covert communications with external powers. With whom and to what end remained a mystery, but it was not hard to imagine that it would have to be intercepted eventually.

"If those bastards decide to come out of their echo chamber now, I-" said the Councilor, interrupted.

"Focus on the task at hand, Councilor. In the meantime, let's ensure that we can do something to defuse the situation with New Karelograd. Starting with this treaty." said Elias.

[Minjok]

Mr. Kim was in his military attire. A black trench coat paired with black gloves. A black pants with a WW2 style German officer uniform. He always marveled at the German Uniform during WW2, but didn’t agree with the German policy’s during WW2. He walked passed the blue guard on to a balcony. There, below was Army and soon, this speech would be broadcasted throughout the Nation. He took a deep breath and spoke.

Due to recent events that has happened, we are on standby. On any given moment, we are ready to defend our allies. Recently, Jazado has issued a statement demanding the Island of Taiwan from our ally, the Empire of Amurria. It is almost certain the Empire of Amurria is going to refuse. With that, and the tension rising in the East, war is almost certain. I would like to prevent this war, but it maybe impossible. We joined the Co-Prosperity Sphere for a economic and military boost. Many nation joined this alliance and will stand by our side.

Jazado wanted us to stay neutral, silent. But we are the Minjokian people. We fight the injustice that effect us. We have allies for a reason and we are not going to abandon them. If war is inevitable, remember that you fight for the people of Minjok, you fight for the Co-Prosperity Sphere and our allies. The dead will be remembered and mourned for the centuries to come. This will be the hour we stand together.

Cheers erupted from the crowd. And with that, Mr. Kim walked back to his room.

[Jazado]

"Everything is stacked against us! Our claim on India wasn't even recognized by Akarea! This is an outrage, obviously the Akareans are working with the Amurrians in an effort to thwart our nation! Goddammit I wish I could strangle that bastard!" Yelled Zhang Fei as he threw a newly bought chair across the room.

"And whats with the Chinese in the Japanese propaganda!? Huh its like those bastards had to steal our language as well as our rightful lands!" His face now red Zhang Fei was flipping tables and smashing chairs.

"Calm down for god's sake, we have other alternatives." Said Liu Bei, being the diplomat he was and with a silver tongue he found that he could get what he wanted. "There's always the AFN, they would provide us with allies that could back us in a war and we would surely be able to win any war with them on our side."

"But what about Sudardes? They were our long time ally how can we-" Asked Zhang Fei

"They won't be able to help us anymore, not after that non-aggression pack they signed. We need other options and they're running out fast!" Answered Liu Bei who was still clinging to the thought of a massive alliance to counter the Amurrians.

"Minjok will fight us, Amurria, Ebrilond all of our neighbors will fight us, but you have to respect those Koreans, even though they stand against us they stand true to their cause, its truly a shame that we have to fight them." Liu Kang spoke as he contemplated on all the alternatives he had. "The AFN seems more useful than the IDC and we will need their help, Byzantium and the others would be more than eager to have a new addition to their ranks. I will draft a letter and hopefully we will get aid."

"Let us not forget the strength of our armies! We have more soldiers than all of Amurria's allies combined!" Said Zhang Fei who believed that the Chinese armies could fight a war all on its own.

"It is true, but we cannot fight a war on all flanks without help. The Byzantines have soldiers and factories and we share a similar ideology, we will be able to overcome any threat that we face with their help." Answered Liu Kang who at this point seemed to have forgotten about the Sudardesians.

"He's right and we would at the very least secure our western borders." Added Liu Bei who was looking forward to a new alliance with the AFN.

"Let us not loose faith in the Sudardesians now, they may come to our aid when the time comes." Commented the Chairman who still believed in their Sudardesian comrades. "After all they helped us in the past, they might help us again."

"Might, they just might. The Sudardesians are men of Honour who would never break their word, no aid will come from them, we are abandoned unless we join with the AFN!" Stated Liu Bei as he lost all faith in the Sudaresians and their ability to help Jazado.

"Forget about all that for a moment, we still have to clear some issues with India. The people there are willing to join and Naochen may join in an alliance with us though I doubt it. The Kshatryias of Multan and Sindh will still join us, but alas we must come to reality, Akarea would not redraw the maps no matter what claim we make, they won't even fill in the lands between Mongolia and our holdings in Manchuria our Xingjiang. It is time that we stop clinging to the past and focus on the present." Said Liu Kang with a heavy sigh, he had lost hope in his claims west and he had also lost faith in his oldest ally Sudardes.

"Then the AFN it is, we have no other option, our claims won't matter until we settle our business in Taiwan and send the Amurrians back to the Heathen Isles." Said Liu Bei who was prepared to join the AFN.

"Then I shall check on the armies and drill our men even more." Said Zhang Fei who always looked forward to a fight.

"I will go to Sudardes and see what I can do, I doubt that the Sudardesians will let us down, you must have faith!" Said the Chairman who still clung to the times of old and the past.

"Then go and do your duties when the time comes we shall see what fate has stored for us." Said Liu Kang as he sat back down into his chair.

A message to the AFN

We the Jazadoan are in need of help,
Sudardes has left us no other option
And we must seek you out for another
Chance so that we may once more
Fight the Imperialists that assail us.
We call to you for aid and for an alliance,
So that we may live to prosper in times ahead.
Please accept my offer.

Signed the Emperor Liu Kang of Jazado.

A message to the State of Naochen

We would like to offer you and your people
An alliance so that we may work together,
And so that our peoples can be safe from
The Amurrian menace and their allies.
We the Jazadoan are strong and will
Protect you in your conflict we only ask
For your aid when it comes to our times of need.
Please do consider this offer of mine.

Signed the Emperor Liu Kang of Jazado.

Liu Kang stared out the window thinking to himself, his claims in India had to wait and the Amurrian threat was ever greater. As he thought the word VAE VICTIS came to mind, Woe to the Conquered. But who is the conquered?

[Amurria]

Sea of Jazado, 02:30, 3rd December 2018

The sea was quiet, the 1st Imperial Battleship Fleet was sailing slowly towards Taiwan, going to protect the people of Hawaii from the Jazadoan aggression.

"Sir, we are closing in on the island. Should we prepare to dock?" said one of the sailors aboard the flagship of the fleet, the Yamato-class Super Battleship Kongou.

"No, we will remain at sea, but send the order to all the ships in the fleet to patrol the coast of Jazado. While not at war, we must be prepared for one."

"Yes sir!" the sailor responded, then headed out.

The Admiral was looking out the window of the ship's control room, in the horizon he saw the coast of Jazado, more than 20 kilometers away. The battleship's naval turrets were aimed at the coast, as recon intelligence suggested there are anti-air installations on the shore. The battleships were ready to launch their rockets at the enemy cities, but their objective now was the protection of Taiwan, rightful Imperial territory. He could see the lights of the Jazadoan cities in the distance.

"Too bad we might soon need to fight in those cities, but should it come to that, they will soon fall into Amurrian control, which means giving their citizens a better life." Or so he thought. Although they did not fight a war in decades, each member of the Imperial Navy was both scared and excited to go to war.

Sea of Jazado, 8:12, 3rd December 2018

"Sir, the ships have reached their positions. Beginning patrol now." one of the sailors said.

"Great." The Admiral said pleased. "Let's begin the patrol now, and send this speech to the Jazadoan cities on the coast."

People of Jazado, respectable citizens, this is Emperor Yamato of the Empire of Amurria.

I come to you with a message. Allow the Amurrian troops to pass through your lands. While this may sound like an ultimatum, it really is not. We do not want to have to destroy such great cities built by such a great people just because their government doesn't understand the concept of national sovereignty. We hope it will never come to war, but it seems the Jazadoan government is gathering allies, preparing to launch an attack against us and our nation. And who will suffer? You, the common people who will be enrolled in their Armed Forces, forced to fight a nation which will not go down until total defeat. If you accept, no blood will be spilled, and your great cities will remain intact, and, in fact, will flourish under our rule. We guarantee your rights, because you deserve them. Your government is trying to turn you against a nation which will fight to the bitter end, bringing many more casualties to your nation than any of us would wish for.

Please consider this offer,
With respect, Emperor Yamato of the Empire of Amurria