I. Prelude To War
20 Upton Street, Weston, Phibeta. December 1860
The great age of industrialization. There stands an island empire that rules the waves of Greater Dienstad through the steam-powered iron frigates that it has built, through the small gunboats that protect its shores. To the regiments of light infantry that patrol the vast empire. And technological advancement has proven early on that flight is possible with the advent of observation balloons and airships. For Phibeta, she was the embodiment of power and glory. The perfect example of the greatest democracies in the world. Though it is true that Phibeta has a monarch (three sibling monarchs to be exact), there stands a parliament that votes democratically on the laws governing the empire. A highly refined and civilized society that no longer upholds any single element of barbarity.
Child labor has been officially made illegal. Slavery has long since been illegal, and there has been special care and consideration to protect these interests. Naval forces patrol the seas of its vast empire to crack down on slavery. The Midland Yards have been keeping a close track on factories, mines, and mills to uphold child labor laws. More social reform came about when the government passed an act to allow women the right to vote in 1844. The military made the motion to not only allow women to serve in the military but also to allow them to serve as officers the following year. It is the great age of democratic freedom, where the crown reigns overall, the crown being the Phibetan Empire.
From The far-off Cartune Isles to the rock that is Ribberton, Phibeta rules the waves. Phibeta has taken its seat on the world stage and has been keen on stepping its foot in foreign affairs, especially out East, close by to their colonies in the Cartune Isles.
The quaint townhouse of white shines as a light of democracy contrasting with the dirty clouds of soot of the industrial factories in the capital Weston. This townhouse belongs to the Prime Minister and First Lord of The Treasury, Mr. Louis Partarige. A member of the Conservative Party (otherwise known as the Bowlers) for the county of Kartridge, sips on tea grown from the colonies. He was a staunch supporter of Phibeta’s military conquest and imperial rule over several unclaimed lands that scatter throughout the Greater Dienstadi region. He is also in support of social reform and abolition policies, which Phibeta had led the way on for many years. He has big ambitions for the expansion of this land of hope and glory, from its territorial right around the region to the promotion of the ideals of God’s beckoning city on a hill. He wants nothing more than to make sure that the sun would never set on the Phibetan Empire.
Today, he sits in the drawing-room with his wife Elenor Partridge, having tea that has been grown in the Cartune Isles. He holds in his hands a copy of the Weston Mail, the local newspaper that since 1832, delivered regional and sometimes national news. Since 1855, it has been delivering news from around the world in part thanks to wired telegraph and cables that have been flung from across the empire.
“Elenor, look at this,” he says to his wife showing the newspaper. Their eyes are attentive to the international headlines.
Abetton Declares War On Katase. Neighboring Nations At War. Abetton Shown As Agressor.
“My goodness,” Elenor exclaims. “It would seem that war is on the horizon again. I would have never guessed that Abetton would go after a poor little nation like Katase”.
“Oh, but dear Elenor. I saw this a mile away, and many Bowlers did too. Abetton has been building up its military and that is not including the colonization races with them. They are an aggressive bunch, and their Queen is very irritable and uptight, nothing like our majestic sibling monarchs”. Louis steps up from his seat, and from his window, he sees the vast peninsula on which Phibeta sits.
“Abetton has blatantly attacked its neighbors, clearly in the name of territorial expansion, and racial superiority. We are protectors of the weak, and we as civilized people of a civilized society must not stand for this act of barbary. We as a nation must decide if we are to continue our right to empire, we must make for absolute certain that we are doing this for the goodness and protection of this grateful world”.
“It seems that parliament will be up in arms. But I’m sure you’ll convince them about this little war”.
“I know I can rally parliament, but their majesties will need to get on board as well”.
The 12th Dragoons. The Oysterfield Barracks, Oysterfield, Phibeta.
The horses that belonged to the cavalry of the 12th Dragoons march on parade. The 12th Dragoons, or the “Queen Diane’s Own” is a recently crafted cavalry regiment that has been created for female officers and soldiers to serve their majesties in both ceremonial and combat. So far, they have been assigned as the escort for Queen Diane I for any engagement she has outside of the capitol, and what other engagements are they needed for. Ever since the end of the civil wars and that regional bloodbath that was the Istoloa Wars, Phibeta has been in a perpetual state of peace. The reigns of the Three Sibling Monarchs have begun since then and continued on henceforth. No age has been as peaceful as this. Of course, Phibeta is always ready to carry out its duty, to protect interests overseas.
In their fur cloaks of navy blue over their military uniforms, their horses clad in fine garments, they gallop to their regimental marches. The commanding officer, Major General Lady Jamie McNiel, 3rd Countess of Oysrterfield, looks over her troops on her white steed. The horse riders gallop with their sabers shining their iron off the winter sun. Along with Lady McNiel, another figure marches in with her purple horse. Captain Milena Thompson is a member of one of the newest aristocratic families. Her family opened a textile mill in the town she came from and made their wealth quickly to gain their place in society. Her mother thought it would be a grand idea for both her daughters to serve in the military to gain more prestige for their family name. Her sister Mary is in the army serving as a lieutenant colonel in the 45th Midland Regiment. She is unlike most of the officers in the army, who paid their way into officer commissions where Milena went through the Royal Military Academy of Orkstead.
“Captain Thompson!” Shouts Lady McNeil to her, beside her were her loyal subordinates, Corporal Maude Albury and Sergeant Verna Monaghan, both on horses of red and yellow respectively. Captain Thompson rides her horse next to her commanding officer and the other subordinates.
“Don’t you love the smell of soldiers and horses in the early afternoon?” Jamie says, stretching her arms and legs.
“Oh, it is a good afternoon your Ladyship” Milena replies shyly.
“You know, this era of peace is rather nice. Wouldn’t you agree Captain”.
“Yeah. My mother told me that she hasn’t seen such a peaceful time since the Istoloa wars, neither the civil coup of a couple of years ago”.
“Oh, but that is the thing Captain,” Jamie says in a rather ominous voice, something that once could say is very dissatisfied with the current status of the world.
“I will never know the glories of war if I do not go out and charge in against the enemy. Oh, how I would love to do that. Have my sabre pointing at the enemy, ready to kill”.
“That seems a bit too much. War can’t be that glorious if it means death. Of one’s self or friends in arms”.
“Don’t be such a coward captain” Jamie replies. “I will not tolerate cowardice in this regiment”.
“Your ladyship, you might actually get what you are wishing for” Corporal Maude adds on, interrupting the conversation. She carries with her a satchel, of which she brings out a newspaper, the Weston Mail of course.
“War!?” Jamie exclaims with glee, Milena looking a bit worried.
“Not yet ma’am. It would seem that Abetton has declared war on Katase” replied Corporal Maude, “in an act and air of superiority over their neighbor, they launched an invasion on their borders. Think that they could march through the east in full annexation of an independent nation”.
“But, what does that have to do with Phibeta?” Milena replies.
“Well besides trade, it really doesn’t. But I’m sure that parliament will come up with an excuse for us to enter into a conflict” Sergeant Verna replies. “To my understanding, it would seem that the reason for us to be involved is to protect Katase and maintain the balance of powers within the region”.
“Well, that’s alright then!” Jamie replies happily, “I would like to charge in and show those arrogant Abettons a thing or two about might”. The dragoons march past the officers, who give their salutes to. Jamie felt pleased with her fine and glorious regiment.
“Ah, these are fine soldiers. Cogs in this grand scheme of military might. The pride of Phitannia itself. They are to be kept in tip-top shape and in working order”. She continues her little spiel to Captain Thompson. “If they are not fit, they can’t fight. If they can’t fight, then I’ll flog their backs good. Nothing gets in the way of the gallantry that is the 12th Dragoons Captain Thompson”, she finishes with a smirk on her face. Milena could only sit there and smile awkwardly.
The Office of The Admiralty, Porterfield building. Weston, Phibeta.
“Abetton at war with Katase?” First Lord of The Admiralty, Sir Reginald Gutterman, 10th Earl of Rutland, says to one of his captains in his office. The admiralty has always made sure that the seas of trade within their empire and outside around the region are kept clear so that trade with all nations can be achieved without the threat of lost ships, lost lives, and lost revenue. In the past, naval vessels were maintained to send colonists, soldiers, and missionaries (spreading the word of the Cardinal Heroes) around the world, as well as destroy smaller vessels and plunder others. Nowadays ever since the Istoloa Wars early on in the 19th Century, they maintain open seas of the empire.
“It would seem so,” replies Captain Edmund Richardson, captain of the iron-hulled steam frigate, HMS Hillington. “If my crews’ eyes don’t deceive them, they have seen Abetton warships sailing around their little peninsula, and a passing warship heard cannon fire from the ships that were attacking Katase ports”.
“How very… interesting” Sir Gutterman replies. On his desk, he takes a quick glance of the empire and his fleet. There was one warship he feels he can send to assess the situation. That ship is docked at Port Gallagher in their colony of the Cartune Isles, and so he picks up that little token that represented that ship. The HMS Creeton, one of the first kinds of steam-powered iron armored frigates commissioned in the wake of new warships in the region with iron hulls.
“Perhaps, a little gunboat diplomacy should be in order”.
“Sir?”
“Don’t worry. We have no concessions in Abetton or Katase, we are just sending a warship to observe the war and to protect trade in the area”. Reginald puts down the token on the bay of which lays the sea and small land corridor between Abetton and Katase. “I’ll send a telegram to Captain Octavia Winthrop to dispatch her ship to the bay between Abetton and Katase. If any of those two nations wish to mess with trade with us, then they will be met with early retaliation”.
“As you wish sir”.
“Oh, and bring a couple of Royal Marines with you as well. These well-trained soldiers will sure create a wonderful distraction to anyone who wishes to attack us”.
“Of course sir”. Captain Edmund leaves the office, with Sir Gutterman beaming with confidence, secure in the knowledge that his fleet will never falter to any circumstance, for it was the age where Phitannia rules the seas!
The world of Greater Dienstad is once again at witness of another major conflict. The storms of war are overhead. Whether the nation-states of the region wish to be involved is up to them, but as far as anyone is concerned, Phibeta, Katase, and Abetton will be at its center.
