(RCN Only) 2020 Roleplay

[Holy Rhinish Islands]

Baruno
10th day of Sangoyo Zaroyni

The 10th day of Sangoyo Zaroyni in the Holy Rhinish Islands was pleasant, to say the least. The late sunrise in the already-bustling city of Baruno. In the past 10 days, COVID-19 was officially eliminated from the Holy Rhinish Islands, with the last infected person recovering from the virus. This caused the celebrations to rock the nation even harder, with the largest festivals of the year along with the new celebrations of COVID-19 dissapearing.

In the palace in Central Baruno, the King, along with several prominent politicians, celebrated the month, and the pandemic, in the vast dining halls. Politicians from both sides of the aisle joking around and celebrating the occasion, a nice break from debating against each other in the Danuno. The Rhopo has made many friends in the Danuno over the years, after several appearances due to lack of many duties. The Guti, the current heir to the throne, as the Rhopo's grandson was not of age, was one of the most prominent ones. After the current Guti, Dango Tirhoto, was elected in his district, was appointed with only 2 years of experience in the Danuno, many cried patronage. However, the Kuto ruled that there was no foul play in the appointment of Tirhoto, citing his actions in the Danuno which line up with some of the Rhopo's mostly unknown beliefs.

Being a developing nation, the Holy Rhinish Islands is a rather conservative-leaning place. Around 5 prominent parties exist, the pro-Monarchist Gingi Donino, the right-leaning Gingi Takiyno, the libertarian Gingi Thinango, the center Gingi Niyo, and the left-leaning Gingi Tho'i Niyo. The current government is a faction of the Donino, Takiyno, and Thinango parties, with the opposition being the Niyo and Tho'i Niyo parties. The current Guti, Tirhoto, hails from the Takiyno party, quite controversially, as the Donino party has far more members. However, many members of the government and opposition coalition state that it is fair, as the Takiyno party doesn't really follow the Rhopo's beliefs as much as the Donino party does.

Many GDs from all parties were present at the feast in the Palace. The Rhopo sat at the head of the table, the Guti sitting to his left, and Yarho Sagyo, businessman behind the company Jabi to his right. All was good. Because all really was good.

[Eldrado]

Monday, June 8, 2020
General: Eldrado is a beautiful and relatively large country in the southeast of the continent of Galia.  The country is divided into 8 provinces: Eildunn (capital city Eden), Sarast (Veritas), Norduul (Vladenheim), Freidhoven (Quantas), Marwath (Evadale), Vlanast (Unira), Romanova (Dragonmire), and Alton (Isesk).  Each province has its own proudly, devolved government.  Federal laws and government are not overreaching and serve as a unifying force.  Most of Eldrado's falls under a temperate climate zone, yet the North-West's tall mountains and high elevations, as well as the far south's distance from the equator, create climates that resemble continental-polar zones.  The vast majority of the population lives within the temperate climate zones (center Eldrado).  Therefore, most city centers and their businesses and services are located here.  Agriculture practices also dot the country-side.  Tourists and immigrants mostly visit/move here.  As for the mountains and highlands, many mining and logging operations exist to harvest the rich natural resources of Eldrado.  These are sometimes protested to the extent where these practices must abide by key environmental regulations.  Nevertheless, these industries still thrive and coexist with the famous national parks.  Further East, Eldrado enjoys a micro-tropical climate.  This area thrives off of tourists who come to enjoy the year-round nice weather, sandy beaches, luxurious resorts, and laid back lifestyle.  Tropical agriculture and fishing are some of the other industries that exist here.  As it is the second-most populous region in all of Eldrado, massive and bustling cities are quite common, same as the temperate climate zone.  Many Eldradonians vacation here or choose to retires here.  The further West you go in Eldrado, the drier the climate gets.  Great deserts border Eldrado's east and are subject to mining, automobile racing, eco-tourism, and many more. 
Geography:Eldrado's most important mountain chain divides the country down the middle, known as the Ertion Mountains.  The tallest of them is Iegor's Fist, a majestic and imposing mountain, one of the biggest on Galia and in the world.  The flora and fauna in Eldrado is diverse and unique across all of Eldrado.  However, unifying national animals such as birds of prey are found throughout the nation.  Many conservation efforts regarding the habitats of Eldrado's creatures exist today.
History:Eldrado has a rich history that starts with the Proto-Eldradonians (also known as Thessians).  They can be traced back to South-Eastern Abos (21,000 B.C.E).  The Great Migration (~20,000-19,000 B.C.E) refers to the Thessian people traversing of the ice land bridge between Abos and Galia to hunt migratory animals.  They quickly moved down the continent to where present-day Eldrado is.  There were enough plants and animals that were domesticable, thus beginning a Neolithic Revolution (10,000 B.C.E - 4,500 B.C.E).  As Thessian people settled into a more agrarian lifestyle, they experienced advancements in cultural, societal, religious, and technological fields, creating roles that never existed before in their once-nomadic society.  Early written scripts show the adoption of the name Eldrado (Land Of The East) to refer to the area where the Thessian chiefdoms lived.  They later (in Late Classical period) called themselves Eldradonians (People Of The East).  Through Ancient and Classical times, forms of government, writing, science, and architecture were formalized and great city-states were formed.  They all shared similarities in language, writing, and technology, yet they differed in governance (some were absolute monarchies, others were oligarchies/autocracies, and others practiced early forms of senatorial democracy) and ideology.  The outbreak of war was not unheard of, the most famous ones being The First Eutrisian (Early Eldradonian War (between the land-based Ralthar League, led by the city-state Elsepta, and the sea-based Cronithian League, led by the city-state Merithia in 345 B.C.E), narrowly won by Elsepta's Ralthar League (a group of city-states that believed in iron fist, militaristic, autocratic rule), and The Second Eutrisian War won by Merithia's Cronithian League (A mixture of early democracies and monarchies, with a love for arts and science) (450 B.C.E).  While advances in technology, literature, and culture occurred as a result of the warfare, each side remained relatively divided and distrustful of each other.  A final war united these city-states into what can first be described as the First Eldradonian Empire (founded by the Eldrado city-state, ruled by King Mihael The First, a city-state that was neutral in both precursor wars) (500 B.C.E - 800 C.E.).  While there were both highlights and dark periods this was overall a golden age in Eldradonian History, spanning the rest of the Classical era and ending in the Early Medieval era.  In the year 800 C.E., many things changed.  The weak and greedy leader, King Malicus of Eldrado (later known as Malicus the Tyrant, Macilucs the Mad, or Malicus the Cruel) decimated the country in a series of costly conquests and invasions of surrounding regions which destroyed the national treasury and angered the nobels.  Many were killed, imprisoned, and banished from Eldrado.  Burnings and the screams of the impaled haunted the night.  The King did as he pleased simply because he could, taking pleasure in the suffering of others and exerting his power in any way possible.  Because of this the Knight Ferdinand Lancaster of the Order of the Dragon and his sister, Lady Errin Lancaster, mobilized an army to rise against the King.  The emerging Galian Empire that was building during this time assisted the young knight and lady to end the tyrannical rule of Eldrado.  Eldrado became a patron state of the Empire as a result.  Emperor Wilhard welcomed Eldrado openly and it was indeed a prosperous time (800 C.E. - 1453 C.E.).  However, in the late 1300's-1400's Eldradonian principalities suffered under the empire as pro-imperial nobles were given the traditional lands of Eldradonian nobility, disregarding the glorious and proud past of the Eldradonian people.  Living conditions drastically worsened as taxes and resources were all being taken away from Eldrado in favor of filling Emperor Cillian's coffers.  Eldrado's main principalities (in the North, Eldrador, in the West, Moravia, in the South, Eremus, and in the East, Carna) each had varying degrees of love for the Emperor and each other.  Some supported the empire to earn their favor (the Northern and Western city-states) while others were very nearly in perpetual states of hostility (the Southern and Eastern city-states).  The Black Death and foreign invasions weakened the empire to a point in which Eldrado was able to declare its independence in 1453.  
Eldrado opened itself to the world during this time, trading across continents and going further than ever before. Each state collectively decided they would find the heir in another way.  Competition among the states to replace the empire spurred innovation and creativity, with each region trying to prove itself to be the true heir.  This period is known as the Eldradonian Enlightenment (or Renaissance, 1453-1600).  It was indeed a prosperous time.  King Agon The Great, a man of both legend and history, united the country under one banner, the banner of the ancient King Mihael. 
During the industrial and modern eras, Eldrado rose in prominence on the World Stage for its technological advancement, economical success, high civil freedoms, and high quality of life.  Will time be good to the Eldradonians, or will all that has been built inevitably end.
Recent Events:   
Coronavirus is the most trending news story these days.  Ever since it emerged in Tesyky in January, it has quickly swarmed the entire world.  Tesky authorities have managed to get the word out to Eldrado early enough for Eldrado to apply a lock-down.  In a country of 270 million, only 20,340 people got infected, with 435 dead.  Early lockdown measures and a compliant population allowed for a relatively brief quarantine period during the months of February and March.  Millions of tests are still being done to contain the disease and avoid a second wave.  Social distancing and business have returned to some degree of normalcy but trade and international relations must be renewed.  Eldrado looks to the nations of Galia and abroad to support its allies during this trying time.

[North Coronado]

Croma City News
building The United Republic of North Coronado begins building up its military. President Steven Karson intends to meet with world leaders as soon as possible.

The economy is booming.

In New Grant City, largest city in North Coronado, the Stock Market explodes (in a good way).

Meanwhile new military bases are built. An ambassador is sent to Fluvannia.

Military advances continue as the government prepares to start trade with the rest of the world.

[Durba-Stobe]

FCGC Fabian Steinheil
International waters, 350km southwest of Furby Island
8:00, 20 February 2020

The FCGC Fabian Steinheil sped along the open ocean off the coast of southeastern Furby Island. At 95 meters, her class, the Steinheil class, is the longest class of cutters operated by the Furbish Coast Guard. Steinheil class ships were designed to have multiple different roles during extended missions far from Furbish shores. While most time is spent patrolling the exclusive economic zone, these ships are able to perform search and rescue missions, maritime law enforcement, and limited military missions. This is reflected in the equipment onboard the ship. Multiple weapons systems are on her decks, including air defense, a few machine guns, a cannon, and some decoy and electronic warfare systems, along with space for more weapons if needed. The back of the ship has a stern launching ramp and two twelve meter long rigid hull inflatable boats, which can carry up to eighteen people each. Just in front of it is a helipad, and a small hangar sits in front of it. Two more boat cranes are on both sides at the middle of the ship, but those are for lifeboats.

Federal law enforcement in Furby Island is done by two agencies, the Federal Security Agency and Gendarmerie. The former is tasked with investigating crime and policing federal buildings and land, and helping other law enforcement agencies throughout the country when needed. It is a civilian agency, unlike the Gendarmerie, which is a branch of the Furbish armed forces, and members have military ranks and training. The Gendarmerie has multiple branches with different tasks, including patrolling highways, border patrol, and the coast guard, which patrols the ocean surrounding Furby Island, enforcing maritime law and helping in search and rescue missions. Depite how remote the islands are, there have been many cases of people trying to smuggle goods into Furby Island on small boats by the sea, or criminals who try to flee the country, and the occasional pirates from a poorer country which managed to make it into Furbish waters. People also often try to enter the country illegally by attempting to sail to there.

Inside the ship, a single man, a lieutenant, sat at the radar. The ship’s helicopter was flying nearby. He tracked the dot on the screen which showed the helicopter. A the ship kept moving, a group of three dots suddenly appeared on the screen. He knew those could not be rocks or corals, the ocean around was too deep for those. The dots were too large and moved too slowly to be a large bird or fish. This only left one possibility. He pressed a few buttons to his right to radio the helicopter. He grabbed the small mouthpiece and said “Charlie golf charlie Steinheil to Steinheil hotel. Located what is presumably three boats forty degrees south of Steinheil hotel. Copy?” Almost immediately the pilot from the helicopter responded, “Steinheil hotel to charlie gold charlie Steinheil. Copy that. Adjusting course by forty degrees south.” The radar operator put his radio down, then watched as the helicopter turned and approached the three dots. He listened carefully for any response from the pilot about the three boats.

For fifteen days, thirty-two Furbish tourists sailed in three boats along the southern Tenific Ocean, riding the current to Furby Island. They all visited Attancia in late January to early February, in a terribly timed trip, as COVID-19 broke out while they were visiting. Air travel to Attencia ceased, partly due to lockdown measures put in place by the government, and partly due to airlines suspending flights on their own, which was done by some Furbish airlines all ove rthe world before lockdowns. The Furbish government did send charter flights to evacuate Furbish citizens, but for various reasons many refused to go on them. Thirty-two of them would realize their mistake days later, and early morning on the fifth of February, they would get on three inflatable boats and take off. Their journey would take just over two weeks, if they did catch the correct current, but the supplies they stockpiled would last them for over six. They hoped to either be found by the Furbish coast guard or to make landfall in one of the islands. Whichever came first.

The helicopter’s rotor tilted slightly, and the helicopter changed direction. On board was the crew, two pilots and two other crew members. This helicopter was very new, delivered to the Coast Guard only three years earlier. It was designed for to help carry out search and rescue missions and medical evacuations. It has a very short range, but range was not the purpose of the helicopter. Not long after turning, the pilot spotted three dots on the edge of his radar, the three boats which the radar officer told him about. Getting closer, the pilot could make out people, who seemed to be waving towards it. He estimated twenty-five to thirty people on those three boats. Behind them there seemed to be large stacks of supplies. He knew those people could be anything. They could only be refugees who packed supplies before they left. They could be pirates, with some people being their hostages, or smugglers, and a large amount of supplies were goods they seized illegally. He could not make out their expressions, or if all were glad to see him.

The people were eating, and some were talking about various things. The boats still had plenty of supplies, and all people were healthy, especially for people on boats in the middle of the ocean for this long. To make sure they would not be lost, the three boats have been tied up. While people talked, one kid pointed and shouted “Look a helicopter!”. The attention of the rest of the people turned towards where he was pointed. They saw it, and could make out the sound of the rotor. “Fire the flare gun!” someone shouted. “Do we need to? It’s already headed in our direction!” shouted someone else. “But what if they miss us?” shouted the first person. “It won’t, it’s slowing down as it’s getting closer!” said someone from a different boat. The people saw as the helicopter was slowing down and getting lower. A few people from the boat waved at it. They knew the helicopter saw them. But as it got above them, it stopped, only moving ever so slowly to stay above the boats. Intense discussion began on why they were doing that and if they would in fat be rescued.

“The helicopter can’t hover above us forever. It has to be waiting for something.” shouted one woman.

“Why aren’t they sending anyone down here and just following us then?” asked someone else.

Another man shouted “These are the coast guard’s colors, they’re probably sending another helicopter.”

After a few more minutes of arguing, one old man, who seemed to forget young children were there, shouted “Everyone shut the fuck up. Look, boats are approaching!” Once again all the people turned, this time seeing two small boats speeding towards them. They were smaller than the three boats the tourists were on, but were enclosed, and had two machine guns each. The first boat had eight people in it, while the second only had three. Both boats stopped near the ones with the tourists. One soldier opened the door of the first boat, and the driver shouted “Bonjour!”. The old man from the tourists’ boat shouted “Hello” back. The boat driver then asked “What are you doing here” with a strong accent, while mixing in words from his own language. From the colonial period, five major ethnic groups moved into Furby Island, each speaking their own language. One of them is spoken everywhere and used by default, but many, especially higher ranking government officials tend to learn all five. Most Furbishman also picked up some words from various media, and at least know greetings and very basic conversations in all languages.

The man explained what happened, and the soldiers looked more confused than anything else. One soldier grabbed a stack of masks after hearing they arrived from Attencia. The tourists each put them on. The driver then said “Ten more people can fit in my boat fifteen in the other. We’ll return for everyone else.” People boarded all of the boats, some carrying a few belongings with them. Seven, including the old man, were left on the boats. The two from the coast guard ship took off, leaving the remaining seven, with the boats, and a helicopter flying overhead. After a few minutes, both boats returned. The tourists boarded the first one, which left for the ship. The second boat stayed behind, and the three soldiers were seen taking supplies and loading them on. The first boat reached FCGC Fabian Steinheil, where it was pulled aboard the stern launching ramp. They were all directed to a small room in the ship where they would be isolated until she reached a port.

The two boats returned after the last trip full of supplies and the three deflated boats, followed shortly by the helicopter. They will all return to a port, where all tourists and crew members will be tested. The crew all tested negative and were sent back on the ship to continue patrolling. The tourists were flown to another base, where they will be isolated for two weeks. Their story will be in the news for weeks while they are under isolation, including appearances on many talk shows, albeit through video conferences. There have been some calls for a trial, prosecutors refused to press charges, citing no evidence for laws broken.

---

FSM Station, Fort Hillen
Wageborg District, Furby Island
17:30, 26 July 1869

Fort Hillen is a relatively small city, with only just over ten thousand people. It began as a fort created decades earlier after the Furbish Army crossed a major river during one war. It was named after General Besten Hillen, a war hero who retired from the army then. Furbish settlers moved in not long after the fort was established, incorporating it into a city. It developed like any other Furbish city, being densely populated, and connected by railroads built by multiple different companies. The city was quick to expand to both sides of the river, connected by ferry services and a single rail bridge, owned by the army run FSM, but used by a few railroads. Fort Hillen became the new headquarters of the 4th infantry division, as they continued exploring the continent while clearing out all resistance from the native tribes who did not want to come under Furbish rule.

Despite the city being the headquarters of an entire division, it was uncommon for soldiers to be at the station in the center of the city. Seeing two in front of the station caught Zonnenberg off guard. But before he could react, one said “Guten tag, Herr Zonnenberg!” This attracted the attention of more soldiers nearby, who were all quick to greet the general of their division. Like Zonnenberg, they wore dark blue and black uniforms. There were only a few thin gold stripes on their lower sleeves, being enlisted men, not officers. They wore hats different from those worn by officers, but the coat of arms of their. Bradford Monoghan, being a journalist who travels all over the country, who knew the five major languages spoken throughout the country, understood their conversation. The other three men next to him did not. They stood patiently while Monoghan was taking notes. He noticed that one of them was looking over his shoulder, so he immediately changed the language he was writing it to one the others could not understand.

Zonnenberg finally turned back to the group after a few minutes with the soldiers. “Our omnibus will arrive in seven minutes.” he said. Waiting was something they were all too used to by that point. They all stood silently. Occasionally some soldiers would walk by and salute Zonnenberg, but they all seemed to know that he was there. After even minutes, horses pulling a large coach arrived in front of the station. Many got off, but few boarded. Zonnenberg fished out a few more coins from his pocket to pay the driver. It then raced along the city’s cobblestone streets, shaking more than the horsecar along smooth steel tracks. The city outside looked different from Tauvaki. It was not deserted, but far less active. Many windows were boarded up, while others were completely dark. The sun was setting, but only two thirds of the windows seemed to have a light source turned on behind them. The omnibus made fewer stops at intersections, and went faster than the horsecar in Tauvaki, even without the steel rails which usually made horsecars faster.

The horsecar came to a stop near a large building and the driver announced it as the army headquarters, and Zonnenberg signaled to get off. The entrances of the building had some soldiers holding rifles standing front of them. Near the building at the omnibus stop stood another soldier, who unlike the others did not hold a rifle. His lower sleeves were gold, and he had an officer hat. Getting off the omnibus, Zonnenberg came face to face with him, once again caught off guard.

“Goedendag.”

To be continued

[Fluvannia]

Scottsville, Duchy of Piedmont

Tony Richards jabbed the button on the unit clipped to his truck's sun visor, opening the garage door behind him. It was already bright at this time of the morning, and today looked to be hot; it was 75 already. Twenty-four degrees, Tony reminded himself after doing the mental math. Fluvannia had been undergoing metrication for almost a year, but weather in centigrade took some getting used to. He made sure the stacking bento his wife had packed that morning were secure on the passenger floor and started the truck. For a 15-year-old Windmotor Jackrabbit, it still started pretty well, but this winter he knew it would be time for a rebuild. The fuel gauge and odometer didn't always work properly, the rain tray would leak into the floors if it rained very heavily (which it did along the coast), and the shift linkage bushings were starting to make it hard to find either reverse or first gear. Luckily, this morning reverse chose to work on the first try, and he was able to back out of the house's basement garage and up the driveway.

Tony and his wife Corinne lived in a house about 10 kilometers outside Scottsville; the town they actually lived in was barely more than a town, as Carysbrook was fairly rural in character. This was common in Fluvannia: cities were somewhat sprawling and generally had a healthy hustle and bustle about them, but outside of that the population density was effectively nil for large parts of the country. In Carysbrooks' case, the town benefited from being within the triangle formed by Scottsville, Charlottesville, and Palmyra. The rural feel was nice -- having two acres for dirt cheap left lots of possibilities open -- but equally nice was being less than an hour from the three biggest cities in the duchy. Fifteen minutes and they could be on the Jacobs River Walk for a night on the town; twenty at highway speeds and he already crossed the river and was at Windmotor's corporate campus, where he worked as a mechanical engineer.

There was no way around it -- Tuesday was his least favorite day of the week. Meetings typically dominated the day, and in this case they were all about testing, the most monotonous part of the job. Windmotor was finally considering a next generation for the Lynx, but because it was slightly heavier, a new suspension would need to be tested and confirmed as meeting targets. After a day split between conference calls (in-person meetings still being viewed with apprehension due to social distancing measures) and working with Testing and Development (which bored Tony beyond linguistic description) -- brightened only by a lunch of leftover curry rice and makizushi -- Tony decided to take advantage of flex time and leave a little early. He had to stop at Vigman's for some groceries anyway; after procuring what he needed, he made his way to the Catholic church down the block. He noticed it was running a car wash for hurricane relief for Attancia before going into the store, so he had gotten M50 back in cash. It had rained on his way home yesterday, his truck wasn't really dirty, but it felt good to try and help others.

His truck newly re-cleaned, Tony got back on the highway and drove home. It wasn't long before the exit for Carysbrook came up, and after a few he found himself entering the hamlet at the center of town. Carysbrook Center, as it was sometimes called, was little more than a six-by-four grid of relatively small blocks, split by Cary's Brook. Water St. ran parallel to the stream, and its intersection with Main St. just before the latter crossed the stream (on "Carysbrucke", the old stone bridge) formed the core of town. Turning right on Water Street, Tony headed northeast out of town towards home, where a loving wife, several pets, a full garage of toys, and a steaming pot of gnocchi awaited him -- and as he would find out, so did two tickets to the hockey tournament quarterfinal tomorrow night in Scottsville.

[Durba-Stobe]

4th Division Headquarters, Fort Hillen
Wageborg District, Furby Island
17:57, 26 July 1869

The horse drawn omnibus sped away. Brigadier General Machiel Zonnenberg exchanged a few words with the man in front of him, then stepping aside. The man stepped to the small group behind Zonnenberg, first towards Clayton Klempner, a retired general who serves as the adviser to the President. They shook hands. Klempner recognized the man immediately. He was an officer who served under Klempner for years, and he was one of his best officers. Klempner remembered his frequent arguments with his own superiors, how he would always want to promote him when there were vacancies, but his superiors would refuse, even when he was the most qualified or the only one qualified enough. They had many reasons, but Klempner knew these were simply because he is a northerner. Discrimination existed against all ethnicities besides the largest one, which was seen in many places, including the military, where the highest positions lacked diversity compared to all the soldiers, and many had to work harder to rise up the ranks.

Luke Nicholson, an official in the Department of the Army, took a look at the man. He wore the same uniform as all other soldiers, with a dark blue coat and black trousers. His lower sleeves were almost completely gold, except for a few dark blue stripes. His hat had the coat of arms of the fourth infantry division. The man had red hair, and the most noticeable feature on him was his large red mustache. The man approached Nicholson after speaking with Klempner, and greeted Nicholson. He introduced himself as Major General Gabriël van Aarle. Nicholson did not say a word besides a simple hello. This man had a heavy northern accent. Nicholson, like most Furbishmen from his area, did not like northerners. He hoped van Aarle would just give a quick hello and move on, but he wanted to have a small conversation. Nicholson talked, reminding himself that this man was not his friend, while wondering what could have possibly happened to make him a major general and put him in charge of an entire division. Nicholson breathed a sigh of relief when van Aarle finally moved on. If the general share the same feelings towards him, he did not show them.

Benedict Vabsley was next. He was the Secretary of the Army, making him the de jure leader of the Army, answering only to the Secretary of Defense and the President. He felt the same was about van Aarle as Nicholson. In his past few years as Secretary of the Army, he looked for every excuse to force van Aarle out, along with other northerner generals. After some words with him, van Aarle moved on to the last person, Bradford Monoghan. He recognized Monoghan, who was a well known journalist, who was with van Aarle during many of his campaigns. Monoghan stood out from many at his time because he was staunchly opposed to the prejudice which existed. He followed many officers, most of whom were from the four largest minority ethnic groups, but he was still respected among the general public and many politicians, even those who are part of the majority. Monoghan was not the only journalist who felt this way, even at his own newspaper, but he was one of the earliest, who inspired many more.

Monoghan did not plan on arriving to Fort Hillen when he did, and with the group of four other men he arrived with. He planned on arriving to the city two months earlier, and after speaking with van Aarle, taking another train deeper into the jungle. He at first was on the island of Tasman, which was over a thousand kilometers west of the main island Furby Island sat on. A gold rush was taking place there. Monoghan was with Colonel Roberto Vaquero, who commanded a battalion, and tasked with defending the people against the natives. He took a ship to the main island, but a strong storm forced the ship to deviate from its course and stop at another port for a few hours, delaying him by a full day, and causing him to miss the ship to Tauvaki. The next available ship would arrive in only two weeks, during which he was stranded in the capital. He eventually did arrive in Fort Hillen, but due to a crisis faced by the city he was forced to leave the city on the same train he arrived on. He was in the city once again, speaking with the general under different circumstances than how he first envisioned.

Van Aarle said where the group was going, and they would be taken there by a small horse drawn coach, which was already sitting on a street on the side of the building. Two soldiers opened the doors, and a third was sitting in front, behind two horses. Once the six men got in, the soldiers closed the doors and the horses moved forward, pulling the coach with them. The sun was near the horizon, and while there was some time before it completely set, streetlamps were already being lit. Van Aarle and Zonnenberg spoke about the previous month and a half. Not too long ago, they walked the same path from the headquarters.

---

4th Division Headquarters, Fort Hillen
Wageborg District, Furby Island
Morning, 17 June 1869

The land on what at the time was the Wageborg District has been heavily contested between the Furbish and natives for decades, beginning with the first Furbish settlements at the turn of the last century. The 4th infantry division was assigned to the eastern half of the district, including the city of Fort Hillen. Fort Hillen became the division’s headquarters, while the three brigades which the division is made up of were sent to smaller cities and villages further south, to the front lines of the conflict. They were joined by the division’s cavalry and artillery companies. The soldiers in the front lines remained in contact with the headquarters by telegraph, and sometimes by sending couriers on horseback. Some regiments were positioned further back to act as reserves, and as backup defense lines in case the Furbish front lines were breached. A single infantry regiment, the 2nd Neusachsen, remained with the headquarters in Fort Hillen, and while de fact it was under command of the third brigade, in practice the regiment was under the command of the headquarters directly, at least until it was rotated in and replaced another regiment in the front lines.

What felt like a normal mid June day to the people of Fort Hillen was suddenly interrupted when one man on horseback galloped into town. He stopped at the first group of he came across. He wore a green coat, a color which was worn by light infantry and by couriers. His upper sleeves were dark gray, which was only in the uniforms of couriers. The man told the soldiers he needed to see van Aarle immediately. “I don’t believe he can see you at the moment.” one said, followed by another who said “There’s a problem with the telegraph wires he’s dealing with at the moment.”. The courier replied “It’s about that.”. He was lead to another group of soldiers, including van Aarle, Zonnenberg, and some communications officers, who all stood in front of the telegraph office. “Herr van Aarle, dieser Mann sagt, er weiß, was mit den Telegrafendrähten passiert ist.”. The soldier said that the courier said he knows what happened to the wires, saying it in his own language. The general turned to see the courier, responding in the same language, asking “Was?”.

“Fourth and second Wageborg were attacked at night”, the courier began, in the same language, “Almost completely surrounded. Looked like there was a near endless swarm of them. I was sent to give the message after they destroyed the wire. They probably attacked other cities as well. A large group split off and was going in the direction of the city.”

An attack on this scale was something rarely seen in Furbish history, and both van Aarle and Zonnenberg realized the difficult position they were now in. If the courier is correct about how large it is, then the single regiment would not be able to hold out against the attack indefinitely, and a breakout without reinforcements would be impossible. However, getting the reinforcements would be extremely difficult. The Furby City based high command had little respect for northern officers such as van Aarle, or northern citizens, who live in Fort Hillen and the rest of the Wageborg District. They may let the natives reach as far north as Tuavaki, or reach the coast entirely, until either their own people are at risk, or they send a general of their own ethnic group who will take the glory of defeating the native onslaught while the high command gets the excuse they need to get rid of van Aarle, one which they have looked for since his success as an officer. He would be facing two separate battles at the same time.

While difficult, it is not impossible to defend Fort Hillen with a single regiment. The city sits on two sides of a river. Most of the city sits on the south side, further from larger Furbish cities in the northern coast. Only a small portion sits on the north. Multiple bridges cross the river, mostly railroads, but some pedestrian and horse pathways. Roads and railroads stem from all directions. Van Aarle decided to speak with the other officers in the headquarters in the evening. Until then, he already began drawing up some plans. Evacuating the citizens to the north side would be difficult and unpopular, so trenches would be dug around the south side of the city. All bridges would be blown up with the exception of a single rail bridge, served by the army run FSM, and armored trains would be sent along it. Other railroads were sent with requests to stop all services to Fort Hillen until further notice, and all complied. Cannons from the armory would be positioned all over the city. Van Aarle telegraphed all remaining regiments he could reach, ordering them of the situation and to orderly evacuate to Fort Hillen. None of them will make it.

During the day, van Aarle will supervise construction of defenses and patrolling the city. During the night, while he is asleep, Zonnenberg, his second in command, will take over. Zonnenberg got in his horse and left for the headquarters building after being told the plan. Van Aarle got on his own horse, going first to the city’s bridges. They would be laid with explosives first, then blown up on the general’s orders. As he headed towards the bridges, he remembered that warning signs of this attack have existed for months. Soldiers reported less resistance than usual, out of nowhere. Van Aarle’s main concern at the time was making sure his soldiers did not advance too quickly and outpace their supply lines. Some soldiers have reported seeing larger and larger amounts of natives, who would scout then retreat rather than fight. He did not ignore these signs, relaying his concerns to the northern command and to Furby City, but his concerns were dismissed. He knew ethnicity played a part in this, and something like this attack was a matter of when, not if.

That evening, the 4th division headquarters officers all met at the meeting room in the headquarters building. They were all northerners, which will not help convincing the high command that they need reinforcements. Van Aarle gave the basics of his plan, about the defensive works he planned, detonating the bridges, and the placements of all the cannons. He planned on having trenches around the north side of the river as well, in case efforts for preventing the natives crossing fail. Any path leading into the city, whether it is a dirt road or railroad, will be blocked off and guarded by multiple soldiers, with the exception of the FSM railroad. Keeping trains running on it will be important. Van Aarle suggested giving limited training and firearms to civilians as well. Officers discussed the plan in detail, working out any perceived flaws. Another problem was convincing Furby City to send reinforcements. All were unsure how to accomplish the task.

Van Aarle dismissed the officers after debating, and Zonnenberg left the building to patrol the city at night. Defenses were being built, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Van Aarle took over in the morning. A full day after the first announcement, contact from all his soldiers was cut off, but no sign of the natives. Every hour when they did not attack became more and more tense. Zonnenberg took over in the evening, patrolling and inspecting defenses for the second night. Like van Aarle, every minute Zonnenberg did not see any natives became more tense, and the soldiers felt the same way. False alarms were reported. Soldiers claimed they heard rustling in the trees, but it turned out to be either an animal, or nothing. Several reported firing into what they thought was a native, only to see a monkey or Furbish jungle cat fall out of a tree. Zonnenberg on his horse walked slowly, holding his lantern to the jungle, as he did the night before. Officers and soldiers still reported nothing.

The clock struck four, but still no reports of natives. Zonnenberg felt that they would not arrive today, but not long after, there were gunshots in a distance. He was too used to hearing soldiers say what they shot turned out to be a monkey, but the gunshots continued. They began in more places. An arrow then arrived out of nowhere, hitting Zonnenberg’s lantern. He did not have time to react before soldiers near him fired towards the jungle. The south side of the city was under attack from all sides. The north side, on the other hand, was completely quiet. Van Aarle woke up a few hours later, and greeted almost immediately by Zonnenberg. He simply stated “We’re under attack” and showed his lantern with an arrow lodged in it, one which would be stored in a museum years later. The two generals left the building and got on their horses. The sun was out by then. They arrived on a hilltop, giving a view of the trenches, where soldiers took turns firing at charging natives, who shot back. The courier has been correct about the scale of the attack.

---

4th Division Headquarters, Fort Hillen
Wageborg District, Furby Island
18:05, 26 July 1869

The coach stopped at the same hill as the two generals did. Zonnenberg and Monoghan recognized the scene, changing little since both men were last at the city. The entire group got a full view of the attack. A single regiment holding a city for this long was a miracle. Zonnenberg turned to the group, and spoke in his heavy northern accent. “About the reinforcements...”.

[Logon]

[align=center] June 27th, 2020, Athedence, Canton of Phraxos[/center]

Sweat rolled down Timothy Myer’s face has he labored under the hot sun.

The harsh glare shone from a clear blue sky as he trimmed the trees in front of his small lawn, in a suburb outside of Athedence. He grabbed his hand clippers, essentially glorified scissors, and sliced through another branch. The imported cherry trees gave sweet and tasty fruit, but they grew too fast for his liking. Snip went the clippers as another branch which dared to get too close to the fence fell to the ground. It had been a few weeks since a hurricane impacted the islands, but Attancia bore the brunt of the storm, and Athedence had suffered hardly more than a bad thunderstorm.

A low rumble rose in the background. On a normal day it would be considered thunder, or on a Saturday such as today it could perhaps be the waste management trucks doing their weekly pickup. But on the road were not the usual waste management vehicles.

Oh no, these were not Windmotor trucks, painted navy blue with the Cantonal seal and flags on the side, driven by men clad in black cloth jumpsuits. No, these were not city waste management trucks.

No, these were Phraxos Cantonal Guard trucks. Military surplus, painted gray, driven by men in the green uniforms fabricated but never used a generation ago. With the start of the anti-Protestant riots by the Catholic minority, normal law enforcement was struggling, and extra security had been called in in the form of Cantonal militias and police assault teams.

Nordhagen’s foundation began to crumble.

[Durba-Stobe]

Werfel High Speed Train Factory, Santa Barbara
Columbia, Furby Island
13:00, 2 April 2020

One bogie sat on the ground of the giant room, surrounded by multiple engineers inspecting it. While they are supposed to stay two meters apart, most seemed to forget about the government restriction. They did all wear masks, which was required in the province. A few meters away, another bogie was being moved to its location, and inspected, with the help of giant machines. The process normally would have been automated, but the machines were working with larger wheels and axles, as well as larger traction motors sitting on top. Suspended above both bogies was a completed train car, which would be lowered on to both bogies after the engineers finished inspecting both. It was fitted with many instruments and sensors, per request of the customer which ordered it. Further behind it, a third bogie was being moved, while a second car was suspended. Bogies will be put between every car, and two in the front and back of the train. A third car sat on the ground, being lifted slowly, while a machine carried a fourth bogie below it.

Two engineers observed the process from above, from a window facing into the large room. One checked his watch, and said that they should be at a conference. Both men walked down a corridor to their offices. With restrictions on who is allowed to work, and most working at home, video conferencing took off across the country. While some did not like working from home, whether it was people who did not like being confined to their homes in general, or managers unable to make sure their workers are not completely distracted, many preferred it to the older system. People were now more free in terms of their schedules, could avoid congestion during rush hour commutes, and could speak with any person in the world. The two engineers, sitting in a factory in Santa Barbara, in the province of Columbia, were able to speak with the company CEO and other company officials in their apartments in Southampton, not too far away from the capital, and another team of engineers at the company headquarters, also in Southampton.

“The train is in its final assembly, it should be ready for testing today.” said one of the Santa Barbara engineers. “After it is painted.” he said, remembering the customer requested it to be painted with a specific livery.

“Good.” replied one of the executives, “Any more problems with the parts?”. He asked this knowing that part failures have plagued the entire construction process.

“The engine on the last bogie is failing to work.” said the engineer. An engineer in the Southampton headquarters responded quickly, “What machine are you testing this on? Half of them did not get the needed software update.”

The other Santa Barbara engineer took out his phone and dialed a number, called it, and briefly explained the situation. After around thirty seconds, he said “The motor does work.”

The CEO asked “When can we expect the train to be completed and ready for testing?”

“Should be finished assembling soon,” said the first Santa Barbara engineer, “After that we need to connect up all the engines and instruments, paint it, and of course test it. It should be ready to get on the track within two days.”

During the end of the discussion, the fourth car was being lowered on to the fifth and sixth bogies in the assembly room. Engineers then inspected the entire train, testing all components, and installing multiple new ones, as requested by the customer. After a few hours, the final part began, painting the train. Multiple coats of paint were sprayed. The final one had the standard high speed train livery of FSM, or Furbish Railway Company. On it was also the letters HSL 160, HSL for FSM’s high speed brand, and 160 is the target speed, in meters per second. This would make it the fastest train in the world, behind only maglev trains, hovering above the ground. The company then added their logo, which was simply their name, Werfel. It is a Furbish based conglomerate, and among the three companies which supplies FSM with high speed trains. A few months ago, all three companies bid for FSM’s project of breaking the world train speed record on a newly completed stretch of track. While Werfel’s bed was not the cheapest, they were believed to be the most promising by FSM, and spent the past months designing and making another version of one of their popular trains for the task.

The new stretch of track, about five hundred kilometers in length, was built to connect the island of Orange and some northern provinces to the Furbish high speed rail network. Multiple tracks were built through and branched around the island. Two tunnels were then built to connect Orange to Cook Island, a thirteen kilometer tunnel to Gelderman, and a twenty-five kilometer tunnel to New Drenthe. The Gelderman section connected to Noorderstein. The New Drenthe section split, with one track going south to Gelderman, and the other going north along the coast, terminating at Fort Willem. The track was built with future extensions and branches in mind, all of which are going through environmental review. It is relatively straight with some gentle curves, connecting large and small cities. Smaller cities do not get stops from every train, since multiple types of services will exist along the track, from express services stopping at only the largest cities, to local ones stopping at every stop, all arriving at frequent intervals and serving different types of customers.

The section of track began construction in 2015, and finished four years later. The remaining time was spent by FSM testing it by sending trains along it hundreds of times to make sure it is completely safe. Before its opening date, which has been pushed back to the autumn of 2020 due to COVID-19, FSM wanted to attempt to break the world speed record for conventional trains. 574.8 kilometers per hour was the record they needed to beat. This will be done on the three hundred fifty kilometer long section between the end of the longer tunnel and Fort Willem. Werfel was picked following the bidding process, where they proposed a modified version of their articulated electric multiple unit, which was already designed to go at 400 kilometers per hour. People from the company then joked that while Dubuisson, a company which also placed a bid, was able to make bilevel electric multiple units, which were liked by FSM more due to their greater capacity, higher capacity will not break any speed records.

After a few days of testing, in the factory and on the test track, multiple Transportation Ministry engineers arrived to the Santa Barbara factory. They wore masks, and the engineers at the factory all stayed two meters apart, for the only time during the pandemic, knowing that the bureaucrats may be a lot less lenient. While most would have not cared, since they did not even work in the medical field, they did not want to risk it. The train was completed and tested, it just had to be certified by Ministry of Transportation, then the train will travel to New Drenthe where it will begin its runs. The Transport Ministry engineers inspected the train carefully, just after asking for the entire train to be disinfected, then made sure it met all safety requirements, and the specifications requested by FSM. The train was tested at three hundred kilometers an hour. Just over half the speed of what the train was planned to go, but it was certified. When they left, they asked for the train to be disinfected again, but it was ready to go to its attempt to break a world record.

---

FSM Station, Fort Hillen
Wageborg District, Furby Island
10:20, 26 July 1869

Away from the two generals, on top of another hill, Bradford Monoghan observed the native attackers and the soldiers working to fight them off. He was told by locals that the attackers came out of seemingly nowhere. Two days ago, it seemed like a normal day, until one courier arrived, and not long after, travel was ended entirely, except for a single train to Tauvaki via some smaller settlements. Some have heard about problems with telegraph wires starting that night, but thought nothing of them until attacks two days later. All bridges crossing the river were blown up, except for one, which remained heavily guarded. Any person south of Fort Hillen was likely killed by the natives, or taken prisoner. This ruined most of Monoghan’s plans, since he intended to speak with an officer in the front lines after his stop in Fort Hillen, however, this siege would still make a good story. He decided to go to the headquarters and speak with the 4th division commander. He boarded the next horsebus leading to the train station.

Van Aarle and Zonnenberg arrived at the station. Van Aarle explained the plan on the way. Zonnenberg was to take the next train to Tauvaki, with papers dismissing him so he will not be accused of desertion, and explain the situation to the army run Furbish Railroad Company, or FSM, which had an office in the city. Van Aarle knew they would understand and send armored trains with the supplies he needs. Zonnenberg then was to find a journalist and explain the situation, who would record everything he did from there. He first would talk to branches of the northern command, based in Tauvaki, and in Noorderstein. If he failed to get reinforcements, which he likely will, he will go to Furby City and speak the army command, Department of the Army, War Department, and government officials. At the very least, he should try to convince some high ranking officials to travel to Fort Hillen and see the situation for themselves. In the worst case scenario, if he is unable to get reinforcements, van Aarle hoped to show the country that he lost because of discrimination and not through any fault of his own.

Monoghan exited the horsebus in front of the station and it sped away. A timetable stood next to the station, saying when he can expect one to arrive to the place he needed. One should arrive soon, according to it, so he turned around and was about to walk back towards the street, but he instead came face to face with two generals on horseback. “Goedemorgen”, he said, then continued in the same language, “I was just looking for you”.

“The first part was easier than I thought.” Zonnenberg said to van Aarle, and both laughed, then he turned to Monoghan. “Fort Hillen is under attack by a large group of natives. Seems like and endless swarm of them just outside city limits.”

“I saw them.” replied the journalist, “Why are you at the train station?”

“We need reinforcements.” began van Aarle, “I am sending Zonnenberg to Tauvaki, Noorderstein, then Furby City to convince the high command to send them. We need you to come with him. You have seen the attackers, and are respected among them. If they do overrun Fort Hillen, you know the truth, that discrimination and refusal to send reinforcements was the cause, not northern generals being incompetent.”

“I will do so.” said Monoghan. He looked at his notes. He was about to cross out the title for the second time, but decided to add to it instead. He then wrote some more notes about what he heard from both generals. Zonnenberg at this time dismounted and bought two train tickets to Tauvaki. Monoghan joined them and both approached the only train sitting at the platform. The locomotive detached from the train and turned around using the station’s circular track, then moved backwards towards the cars, where a conductor slid nail between the couplers of the locomotive and the last car, now the first car after the locomotive. Another conductor was checking tickets for the people who were taking the train. Zonnenberg and Monoghan sat in the first class car, now at the back of the train. He was recognized by some people, and his uniform was known by everyone, but no one stopped to question what a general was doing on a train out of the city. In case anyone did, he did have proof that he was sent by his commanding officer outside the city and was not deserting.

To be continued

[West Phoenicia]

WP||The West Phoenicia Times

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Religious Party poised for change!

Christian People's Party President and Leader Mrs Karen Woods announced plans to improve the party and woo in more voters.

The Christian People's Party was formed in 2018 from a merger of The Christian Democratic Party and the Catholic People's Party. It was hailed a victory, as both parties moving in the right direction, the merger helped both parties by avoiding splitting votes between them both.

For years they suffered, as each province elects three representatives, as separate parties they were often placed second or third among religious voters. Religious voters primarily voted tactfully by voting for one of the major parties first to ensure their chosen major party received representation over the opposition.
The Catholic People's Party relied on Catholic voters while the Christian Democratic Party had more freedom by targeting Independent Protestants and those within the True Path Faith, the nation's State faith.

As a unified party, they were able to woe voters to place them first or second during election day. It allowed them to secure additional seats in the House of Representatives.

At the 2019 National General Election, they obtained 206 seats, making them the second most powerful party in the Coalition. Behind The Antebellum Conservative Party which obtained 320. And in front of The Aristocracy Party on 192 seats, The Segregation Party on 127 seats and the Nationalist Party on 90 seats.
All up the Coalition has 925 of the 1590 seats in the West Phoenician House of Representatives, making them the most powerful coalition in government.

The newfound power granted them extra representatives for the Cabinet as well as pushing faith-based policies to the forefront of bills introduced into parliament by the Coalition.

One could wonder why when everything is looking perfect the party would want to make changes?
Numbers have gone up in the House of Representatives, stayed the same in the Senate, they were able to pick up 71 seats in City-state Parliaments and Father Barry Sengali is the governor of the city-state of Agape which they hold by 89.5%

Mrs Karen Woods said "There is always room to move and grow and woo in more voters. A major change coming in 2021 will be a party name change. During the Christian People's Party's National Congress, leadership and party members voted 60% to 40% to change the name of the party to The People of Faith Party.

"We want all citizens to understand we represent all people of faith. True Path Faith, Paganism, Buddhism, Judaism, Sikhism etc. Any faith not listed as a banned religion by the Ministry of Faith, we want to know we are here for you too. Keeping up the fight to allow you to practise your faith healthily and productively.
All approved faiths will be respected, while a small minority are calling for a lifting of the banned religions, we will not be advocating such drastic actions. We understand and respect the decisions of the Ministry of Faith who include destructive religions in that list, and feels it is not our place to champion for them to be removed.

We will continue to push a conservative agenda, while supporting social welfare reforms to support our most vulnerable members of society, such as increased funding to welfare programs, increased support and payments for those unable to work and assistance for struggling families.
We also want to increase the amount people receive towards interest-free loans, towards those wishing to start up a small business which will assist our continued growing economy. As well as tax cuts for Middle and Low-Class families.

We will review the Judiciary to see if areas can be improved. Everyone receives the same level of fairness and justice, no matter how rich or poor. We will work towards reducing capital punishment but not removing it as an option. We need to see why people commit violent crimes and implement ways to reduce these crimes from occurring.

We will push for More rights towards the West Phoenician Anti Corruption Taskforce, to stamp out corruption in all levels of government. And work towards increasing access to hospitals and other healthcare for not just those who live in the city, but the same level and access for our rural brothers and sisters.. 2021 will bring a lot of good chances, that will benefit every West Phoenician."