Greater Díenstad News Feed

by **Leonnia** » Mon Sep 10, 2018 7:43 am

Reporting the truth, only the truth.

ONLINE EDITION

LTC announces plans to expand Lenderpool Port
Vitteborg, September 10th, 6:03 AM / Written by Caroline Hauffman

The Lenderpool Port

LENDERPOOL - The current Director of the Leonnian Transport Company, a state-owned company responsible for maintaining the national infrastructure, has announced plans to expand the Lenderpool Port, located in the city of the same name. Mr Henry Thammes, the company's current Chief Executive Officer, told a news conference in Vitteborg yesterday that: "LTC has serious plans to expand Lenderpool Port and increase its productivity by up to 30% over the next ten years." Mr Thammes, who has been in office since 2022, continued by stating the economic benefits that the city of Lenderpool and the national economy would get, stating that Leonnia's growing economy needs a larger port for the flow of its exports.

Earlier this morning, the Bank of Leonnia not only confirmed LTC's plans, but also announced that it would be "poised to invest in the work", proving that modernization plans are in advanced stages. The Mayor of Lenderpool, Mr Donald White (CDP) has not yet spoken to the media. The Port of Lenderpool (pictured) is one of the oldest ports of the Commonwealth, having its creation still during the colonial period, in 1799. It is the largest port of the country, receiving its last reform in 2002.

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by **The Macabees** » Tue Sep 11, 2018 9:24 pm

OOC: Lakota is based in Macabea, the old capital of the kingdom which eventually reunified the old mainland territories of the Golden Throne. It has a pro-imperial bias.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE COLONISTS
OF TIWANAKU AND PALENQUE?

Burgeoning suburbs and towns have been destroyed
and the survivors must abandon their homes or face persecution.

The rebellion stretches into its second year. Palenque and Tiwanaku remain standing, and the Fuermak remains embroiled in a grueling siege that remains without a clear end date in sight. Rebels in the city surely suffer from the blockade and the bombardments, but it has been the provincial colonists who have suffered the most.

We all remember the vicious scenes of the deliberate burning and destructions of the Palenque suburbs. We remember as the cameras caught the indiscriminate murder of imperial citizens. We remember the red blood that flowed along the stones of the street, like rivers. That act of criminality was not contained to just that day, however. It is something that continues to be repeated, as insurgent fighters in southwestern Theohuanacu raid ostensibly secured towns and villages behind blockading imperial lines. Entire communities have been destroyed, swept aside, with survivors left to rebuild or leave.

Most, millions, have fled northward. Those with the hope of returning go to the Zealand Prefecture, still largely untouched by the war. Many have made the long trip to Guffingford, from where they travel elsewhere throughout the empire in search of a new home. And a third group, a sizeable one, has chosen to remain put.

Those who have stayed in southwestern Theohuanacu occupy a long stretch of land that extends from the southern shores of Theohuanacu to just north of Tlaloc. This represents a large, but geographically compact, area susceptible to frequent pirate raids beyond imperial lines. For all of the Fuermak's strength, the insurgents have proven to be particularly skilled in the construction and proliferation of subterranean tunnel networks. Often no wider than a man's shoulders, they allow the enemy to position forces behind imperial lines. Despite the deployment of aircraft and vehicles, as well as the use of autonomous burrowing drones, equipped with ground-penetrating radar, an accelerating pace of destruction has been met in kind by the rebels in their construction. Although many insurgents are killed and captured, some make it through undetected and go on to wreak havoc against the local civilian population.

After ambushing a military logistics convoy earlier this month, one insurgent group withdrew to, and attacked, the nearby town of Nuv Fromm. Over thirty civilians were killed and hundreds wounded. Over one hundred local security officers were killed in the ensuing battle. Nuv Fromm is not the only victim of these tactics, with hundreds of other villages and towns suffering the attacks as well. Smaller populations are often nearly completely massacred, such as the case of the township of Itchxilin. Over five hundred people were executed there by Tiwanakan militants after a large-scale attack conducted the previous summer.

The military has implemented a multi-faceted strategy to combat the attacks. A combination of human intelligence, sensor and surveillance technology, and raw military power has helped minimize the assaults and harshly punish those that do make it through initial defenses, but this is hardly consolation for the victims who still don't see a decisive victory against the pirates in sight.

There are millions of imperial soldiers in Theohuanacu. Yet, most are not involved in the fighting. The Ejermacht maintains strategic reserves throughout the empire in the event of an unexpected threat. The rebellion has not yet been deemed a great enough problem to warrant more than just a limited force intended to blockade the two cities and isolate the insurgency, and certainly not dangerous enough to require the depletion of the reserve.

Furthermore, commitments against the Scandinvan Empire have called for a nearly commanding chunk of the Golden Throne's manpower. It is also where most of the best equipment goes.

After suffering heavy casualties during several attempts to take the cities by force, especially from chemical weapons used by pirate forces, the Ejermacht has switched to the longer-view strategy of slowing tightening the noose around the rebellion and waiting for it to run out of air. And although populations inside Palenque and Tiwanaku have suffered greatly, food, weapons, and other supplies are still smuggled in and the cities still hold out.

While the sieges drag out, civilians within the zone of the insurgency have taken to arming themselves and organizing local self-defense groups that have assisted imperial forces in counterinsurgency operations throughout the area. The majority are veterans of recent imperial campaigns, settled in Theohuanacu in fulfillment of their contract. Though reliance on local colonial militias has led to greater tensions between these colonists and those who preceded imperial rule, it has helped increase security for a group which has found itself persecuted by a rabid criminal rebellion. These local formations have also given the armed forces a tool to extend their security efforts to the non-colonial populations. The method is not universally liked, but it has proven effective in separating the rural population from the rebels. The informal units provide needed muscle in enforcing curfews and repelling rebel incursions against the hundreds of walled indigenous villages civilian contractors have built to better protect the countryside.

Despite these efforts and their success, ultimately the pirates have found ways to score victories of their own. The ambushes continue and the more open colonial municipalities remain in danger, with dozens of dead and hundreds of injured every month. Battlefield reports count mounting insurgent casualties, but the enemy remains undefeated. Neither Palenque nor Tiwanaku seem ready to fall.

The rebellion is destined to fail. The besieging land forces are stable, well positioned, and strengthening. The naval blockade is tightening. Imperial aircraft strike targets throughout southeastern Theohuanacu frequently throughout the day, with no direct rival to contest its aerial dominance.

Yet the two sprawling urban masses of Palenque and Tiwanaku, including their complicated network of subterranean urbanization and tunnel work, have allowed the rebellion to stave off its ultimate defeat. And in response to the naval blockade, insurgent supply lines have transitioned to the more secluded western ports and then moved overland. The tunnels are used to get the supplies into the cities.

Colonists who remain know the dangers of that life. Most still defending their homes have embraced it.

But it is undeniable that pressure mounts for the imperial government to find a decisive end to the conflict.

by **Solisian Union** » Wed Sep 12, 2018 1:57 am

Progress of the Elections - Mandate: Intervention! / Progreso de las Elecciones & Mandato: ¡Intervención!

The Sara Collazo Regiment is one of the oldest armor regiments in the service of the Solisian Union. Today, it is composed of three battalions under the command of Colonel Nina Sánchez and her second in command, Executive Officer Miranda San Martín. 2,400 men and women serve in this regiment with a permanent headquarters near the city of La Plata Flor. Why does this Regiment get a special mention now?

According to the government, the Sara Collazo Regiment shall be sent to intervene in Nicaro. They would be readied, deployed and shall arrive at Nicaro to serve where they are needed. Their mission is to officially protect the colonists, engage hostiles and destroy them, persuade friendly persons on the opposing side to surrender or join them in the fight against the rebels and finally, to begin Solisian intervention for the first time in this governments history.

The Sara Collazo Regiment will be honored with a speech and a dinner by one of the outgoing presidents and by Uyehara Ine. On the other hand, elections have been reported on to have progress. So far, public polls state that there is a growing majority of votes for Uyehara Ine while very few votes went for Nii Hyobe. Time will soon tell the winning candidate as soon as all the votes have been taken and counted.

Male soldiers of the Sara Collazo Regiment marching through their city a year ago.

by **Kuronami** » Sat Sep 15, 2018 12:19 pm

Imperial New Bureau

-Since 1888-

-Two Company Presidents Disappear At the Same Time, Circumstances Suspicious-

Albert Limmer, President of Neptune Fisheries

CALORIS - How do two heads of two different companies disappear at the same exact time? That's what investigators of the Royal Investigation Department are hoping to figure out considering the circumstances. Last week, Albert Limmer, President of Neptune Fisheries, a fish harvest company based out of Caloris, was reported missing by his wife, Alice. Mr. Limmer told his wife he had a sudden business opportunity come up and needed to leave town immediately. "My Albert was like he always was," Mrs. Limmer told to the I.N.B. and R.I.D. "Happy, ready for work. Sudden deals like this come up especially in this part of the world with developing nations. Not that unusual for him to quickly take a trip." However according to RID Investigators, Mr. Limmer's records do not indicate any kind of business trip coming up. Lead Investigator, Douglas Rosenberg looked at Mr. Limmer's records and found "Nothing with his secretarial staff, no hotel records, no transactions that indicate a trip. Nothing on his company records show any kind of deal or partnership being formed that would require an emergency trip."

This has left Investigators baffled as to why he would tell his wife about a sudden trip. "We were starting to wonder if maybe he's intentionally disappearing himself. So we've began to dig a little deeper and still haven't found anything that indicates that. His personal financial accounts are still in place, no activity through banking or finance but we still could not rule that or foul play out."

From there the story has grown more unusual as Mr. Limmer met up with another Company President, Alex Kiley III, President of Loudly Laundry, a textiles company based out of Tanburn.

Alex Kiley III, President of Loudly Laundry

It may not be that odd that two captains of industry as different as they are may meet up however nothing indicates as to why these men met up and to why Mr. Kiley is also missing. Agent Rosenberg looking further into the case found the two men had little in common. "What brings a fishing industry to head with a textile company? Possibly clothing for fisherman at discounted rates? Possibly but much like Mr. Limmer there's no records to be found of these two having a formal meeting so we can't conclude this was the sudden business venture that Mrs. Limmer was talking about that took her husband out of town." The two men were last seen at a sea side restaurant in Cunlumo urbo. The two haven't been seen since though RID is talking to ship captains and private air charters to see if maybe the two boarded a ship or plane to somewhere. "We can't rule anything out we're following all active leads."

by **Haishan** » Sat Sep 15, 2018 6:56 pm

Defending the Skies III; Interview with NAD.C Petrov-Sata of Haize Aerospace Defense Forces on Threat of Cruise Missiles
Transcript by Mizeni-Mus | Defence.Net International™

An example of massed cruise missile launch, from a submarine

In the third informative edition of Defending the Skies, we were given exclusive opportunity to interview Northern Aerospace District Commander (NAD.C) Petrov-Sata of Haize Aerospace Defense Forces on the threat of cruise missiles in context of Greater Dienstad. As one of Haize Officers that devoted on future-proofing Haize means of safe skies, NAD.C Petrov-Sata is one of key Haize military personnel that put theories into practice. Defence.Net journalist Mizeni-Mus reports.

Nihatzi District Commander Petrov-Sata. As we all know, cruise missiles is one of the dangerous elements threatening the existence of nations. Can District Commander Petrov-Sata shed some light on why it is so?

Nihatzi Reporter Mizeni-Mus. Plainly speaking, cruise missiles are construed as dangerous as they offer the conventional precision unaffordable by nuclear weapons. Meaning a well placed strike can, for lack of better words, decapitate the military potential of a nation. Neutralizing the nation's deterrence, upsetting the established strategic balance and parity.

Due to this problem, our nation had the long standing policy where any massed cruise missile threat to Haishan will be immediately met with a nuclear response as they posed the risk to reduce or render our strategic potential useless. This policy is also intended to bring cooler attitude around and persuade trigger-happy polities in the region from threatening the sovereignty of Haishan.

Interesting, District Commander. I never heard of such policy before. Is it still implemented?

We are still discussing with the Defense Ministry but the preliminary conclusion is that such policy is now defunct. Apparently the Ministry had found alternative ways to circumvent the problem. In our side, it came in form of greater budget fraction being invested into Aerospace Defense Forces so we are seeing newer and better equipment, to deal with these cruise missiles. I cannot tell you much on what it is due to secrecy reasons but majority of it involve on detection schemes and more capable weapon platforms.

I see. As I understand it, cruise missiles in past Dienstadi conflict do not seem to be particularly fast and I think even a soldier with a machine gun in the correct place of course, can shoot them down. Why it is a big problem for sovereign nations?

Good question. The problem with cruise missiles is not about their speed but their technical characteristics. They tend to fly low, five meters above the ground. Traditionally, air defenses are focused on engaging fast and high flying objects and such cruise missiles posit another problem as they fly below the altitude of most air defenses' effective engagements.

This is a detection issue where by the time the defender is aware of the attack, the missiles may already penetrated his lines of defenses and start to destroy things. Now nations are very big stretch of lands, correct? Not every nation can invest into having enough eyes and ears to cover all approach lines to their country, allowing these weapons to come in and wreck havoc. To defeat these things, you would need the whole set of tools and fortunately for Haishan, we do have them.

Indeed. We had seen reports on thousands of cruise missiles being used by Lyran Protectorate to utterly cripple the Stevidian Navy. Can District Commander enlighten us regarding it and can Haishan really endure them all?

On the case of Stevidian Navy, we can attribute it to either factor, being operational mistake from the Stevidians or numerical superiority of the Lyrans. On operational mistake, while we are not privy to the entire scene, we can postulate that the Stevidians have failed to adopt the correct strategy of spacing their naval assets correctly and inability to have multi-layered air defense identification zones.

On naval spacing, I suppose it is one of prevalent naval view in the region that naval assets should be concentrated in large battlegroups. This view is pretty much anachronistic, dating back in the age of cavalry where a particular group of combatants are kept together to penetrate into enemy defensive lines in a singular point and then deliver a decisive blow.

The problem in modern setting is that modern weapons have the means to decide when and where to attack and so it doesn't matter where the weapon is, just being in the correct approach vector. Meaning naval warships with adequate armament do not need to group in large numbers at all as their weapons allow them to choose where to engage the enemy.

My alternate view is that this belief held strong on assumption of trading operational stealth for imposing presence or just assuming the defender will know where the attacker at all times and thus why bother to separate the battle groups. This method however brought disaster on the Stevidians as their navy were easily located by the Lyran Protectorate to be destroyed.

The other possible failure on the Stevidian part is the lack of overlapping air defense identification zones. As I said earlier, majority of cruise missiles used in the region tend to fly slow and low. Radar horizon at sea level is just about twenty kilometers whereabouts and so when the barrage come, it would be too late to shoot them all down. There is a high chance that the Stevidian did not have enough airborne assets to fly out and thin up the numbers of the incoming cruise missiles.

Meaning they did not set up enough air combat patrol groups to intercept the missiles in time and suffered horrifically as the result. As I elaborated earlier, early detection is the key. If one miss the critical time window to destroy the missiles, the end result is fairly predictable. On the Lyran numerical superiority, it is easier to explain as the nation possess some of the largest concentration of forces in the region. Whether they can afford it all is a debatable economic question and out of context of current question.

They too, concentrate all of their naval assets in one area. Perhaps when you have way more weapons per capita, you start having problems on where to deploy them; if you spread them out, you might be blocking the naval traffic, haha. The way I see it, the Protectorate is using the mass to stake it all in a single or multiple, decisive blow with cruise missiles. Or they are trying to deter the other party by being imposing. A political tool so to speak, to dissuade combatants by simply showing the numbers of assets.

We do not have to look far on what this achieves; appearance of Lyran battle group deterred a number of nations to cease their conflict in past precedents. It certainly had some effect in our Lower Assembly too where the staggering amount of cruise missiles possessed by such battle group caused a number of our civilian Representatives to consider acquiescing with the Lyrans.

However real world do not work that way. As member of the Aerospace Defense Forces, I am confident that we can now mitigate majority of the risk as the cruise missile question is one of the long standing issue that we are working on to solve. Then there is the unasked question; if the battle group have large amount of cruise missiles, logically they would not have the same amount of defensive missiles as space is finite in warships. Why no one have capitalized on that fact? Perhaps they are just risk-averse or do not have the political will to even consider the situation.

Wow, thank you for such detailed answer, District Commander. As the closing, does the District Commander have additional message to relay?

Right. As one of commanders for Haize Aerospace Defense Forces, cruise missiles remain one of the largest threat to sovereign nations worldwide. One should not underestimate them and should consider to invest a portion of domestic budget to counter them. Precise cruise missile strikes can potentially neutralize the strategic potential of a nation, opening the door for foreign conquest. Investment into your own Aerospace Defense Forces is necessary to ensure strategic balance, even if they are expensive at first. The result will speak for themselves.

by **Potthan** » Sun Sep 16, 2018 9:12 am

IMPERIAL NEWS NETWORK

BRUTAL HOMICIDE SHOCKS NATION

The entirety of Potthan was shocked today after the brutal triple homicide of Count Faraj and his wife and 9 year old son. This morning the family was found stabbed and hung by their necks from telephone poles in the shopping district of Jujalarim, Potthan. According to police reports, the assailant forced his way into the family's estate at around 11:30 at night and proceeded upstairs where the family was sleeping. Faraj detected an intruder and shot 4 .38 rounds from his revolver at the suspect, however only one hit. Blood from the suspect was found at the scene and matched former pharmacology professor Linus Forbojen.

After being shot, Forbojen proceed to attack Faraj and his family with a machete. The bodies were then drug to the shopping district and hung from telephone poles at around 4:30 in the morning. According to the coroner's report, all three victims were missing their kidneys, the reason why is unknown.

Linus Forbojen is still on the loose and suspected to be armed and dangerous. If you see him, please contact authorities immediately. Please do NOT engage Forbojen as he has prior combat experience.

by **Haishan** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 9:39 pm

ICTURK - Haishan Defense Ministry disclosed on successful contract negotiations with the Solisian Union on providing several Haize defense product solutions for said Armed Forces' trials and evaluation. Three separate systems were mentioned in the deal, from Ataza Missile Design Bureau and Malachiz Precision Plant respectively.

The contract from Ataza Missile Design Bureau pertained on supply of one multiple rocket launch system battalion consisting of twenty-seven (27) Grazya multiple rocket launch system while Malachiz Precision Plant supplied ten (10) Vyzgrat-E air defense regiments having the same vehicle count plus delivery of twenty (20) Vetyr-E combined gun and missile system.

The multi-billion contract is expected to seriously bolster the Union's air defense capabilities through Vyzgrat-E strategic missile defense system and the low altitude defense system Vetyr-E. Addition of the Grazya system on other hand will allow the Union's armies to gain significant tactical standoff capability.

It was rumoured that should the Solisian Union armed forces is satisfied with the product samples, more orders would be feasible in the coming years.

Grazya multiple rocket launch system is a flexible guided rocket platform able to deliver wide variety of payloads specific to mission circumstances. Vyzgrat-E on other hand is a long range air defense system designed specifically to eliminate enemy air force multipliers such as airborne early warning and flying tankers up to three hundred and eighty kilometers (380 km) away.

Vetyr-E product was designed specifically to counter threat of low flying objects such as cruise missiles endemic to the region. Some of the aforementioned export products are already in service in multiple nations such as Commonwealth of Morrdh, People Unified Federation of Mokastana and United Vallerian Republics. -HSNS

by **United World Order** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 10:05 pm

ORDENCHE - RUNDFUNK - GESELLSCHAFT

ORDENITE BROADCASTING CORPORATION

REICHS-MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA AND ENLIGHTENMENT

Four Sheikhist clerics killed in anti-terrorist operation in Deutsche Scythia.
Ordenite Gestapo and Inland-SD uncover rebel spies and eliminate them through unmanned aerial vehicles.

Four clerics of the Sheikhist faith have been killed in an anti-terrorist operation begun by the Gestapo and Inland-SD who had been investigating the possibility of these clerics having been involved with rebel groups. Who all four are in the inner circle of the Grand Mufti of Scythia and are held in high regard in Scythian and Shiekhist circles. Intelligence operations conducted by SD agents pin-pointed and tracked the locations of which all four clerics were typically visited in which three locations were identified by the Inland-SD and local police authorities as places where rebel terrorist groups have been known to congregate including lieutenants who have been known to organize and carry out attacks against Scythian authorities and Ordenite forces in the region. In the morning hours of the day the Ordenite Luftwaffe deployed 3 unmanned aerial attack vehicles armed with ground attack missiles and proceeded to the locations where all four clerics were at the time present. Two of the clerics were present in a Mosque in downtown Al Mazbal, a third cleric was located in his place of residence in a town outside of the capital, Ghira. The last cleric was on the move in a vehicle heading towards a Mosque in Hammoud. All four clerics were killed instantly as the two drones used in all 4 ground attack missiles on the targets themselves. Raids were also conducted on their places of residence, and the other locations from which the SD were able to identify leading to the capture of 16 rebel affiliated persons of interest.

by **Morrdh** » Wed Sep 19, 2018 8:29 pm

CHAOS IN NEW GARRACK!

FM Missing Amidst Motion Of No Confidence

DERRY, NG:- The First Minister of New Garrack, Sandra Gibson, is reportedly missing as a Motion of No Confidence is passed in parliament.

As the security situation in the northern region of New Garrack, known as 'The Frontier', worsens it seems that the New Garrack government is set to implode. After the loss of the Cairns airbase to rebel forces, the Gibson ministry's handling of the growing insurgency has been called to account with Robin Flinch, the Minister of Civil Affairs and thought to have been a trusted colleague of the FM, calling for a Vote of No Confidence. The motion came after the FM declared an emergency session of parliament and then failed to appear, though her current whereabouts are unknown.

With few to oppose it, the motion passed with a landslide vote as parliament made clear its lack of confidence in the FM's premiership. Currently there is much political wrangling as to who will form the new government, but it is looking increasingly likely that a coalition government may be necessary for the country to function. The Governor-General of New Garrack, acting on the authority of Her Morridane Majesty, announced a deadline of one week before they would appoint a new first minister to take Gibson's place.

Ser George Whittleton, the Taoiseach of Morrdh, stated that the Commonwealth is 'monitoring the situation' and 'is drawing up contingencies' in case of the 'cessation of governance in New Garrack'.

Questions Raised Over Stevidian 'Activites'

TUKTAR, Norgorka:- With the recent news of Stevidian Knights Templar being active in Krasnova, the government in Tuktar is asking whether the Order is operating out of Norgorkan territory without its consent.

Whilst in agreement with the Stevidian Catholic Church regarding the Fourth Reich, the Norgorkan Republic has voiced concerns over the Knights Templar operating out of its borders without its knowledge or consent. The Republic is particularly displeased with the notion of the Order operating within its borders without its permission and demanded that any and all Order units are to leave the country. There are fears that the Ordenite Fourth Reich may use the Knights Templar as a casus belli at a time when the Republic is still building up its military, even with defence guarantees from the Commonwealth of Morrdh.

The Commonwealth, which has some animosity with the Church stretching back to the Mordentish Tithe War of the 1640s, has been conspicuous by its lack of comment on the matter. Whilst there is strong anti-Ordenite sentiments within the Commonwealth, it is tied with the Morridane historical antagonism towards the Stevidian Catholic Church. Though the Church has a following within Morrdh, it is still very strongly a Pagan country.

by **AHSCA** » Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:02 pm

AHSCA Fortifies Defenses With New Equipment

AURORA:- As AHSCA Enters it's 20th year of nationhood since unifying in the aftermath of the devastation left by the war, AHSCA continues to progress forward in peace, gradually expanding relations and making friends and allies across the globe including forging brand new political, cultural and military relations with The Sultanate of Kyrenaia. The Kingdom of Mervay has also stepped in to bolster AHSCA's self defense forces with some brand new equipment, the first major donation since the Trusteeship set up by Kuronami.

The Royal Trusteeship was lead by Kuronami and set up in the war's aftermath to help broker the peace process by giving recognition to the UIS, rebuild, recover and fortify the island's own defenses to prevent such a regional catastrophe from happening again before being formally dissolved in 2005 and relationships continuing under normal diplomatic circumstances. The other major contributions also came from Mokastana, Lamoni, and Holy Marsh. Since then The Selkie and the above mentioned Kyrenaia have also stepped in to contribute to the stability and security of AHSCA and its people.

Recently, AHSCA had it's Cultural Festival which saw a swell in attendance including Mervay's Ambassador to AHSCA, Jessica Dileva and her family. The experience of Madam Ambassador lead her to a discussion with Mervay Prime Minister, Edward Vianna whom graciously commissioned an order with the Selkie based Silverport Dockyards of:

Head of Congress Pacifica who campaigned on a strong national defense, drafted a joint resolution in Congress to thank the nation of Mervay and the Selkie Workers.

U.I.C. J-RES 43
IN HER MAJESTY'S CONGRESS,
15 October, 2018
Referred to the United Island Foreign Relations Office

Her Majesty's Congress Wishes to Express Gratitude to The Kingdom of Mervay and her Prime Minister, Edward Vianna for the commission and donation of new equipment to Her Majesty's Self Defense Forces. Her Majesty's Congress also wishes to express gratitude to The Freelands of The Selkie and their industry of Silverport Dockyards for the construction and craft of equipment for Her Majesty's Self Defense Forces. May this friendship last ever into the future and keep us guarded from those who wish us harm.

Officer Noir VinoCacao of Foreign Relations, Officer Kuraĝo of Defense have reviewed and accepted the donation by the Kingdom and Her Majesty Duchess Marcella Villa, Second Duchess of the United Island States of AHSCA, has signed the agreement.

"It's with a great humble appreciation we accept this very generous contribution from our friends in Mervay and The Selkie. Nations like them continue to show unconditional friendship to our islands and that no matter how small or insignificant a nation may seem, there's always someone willing to hold them up. We'll continue to repay their kindness in every way we can."

Though there are often local concerns about what an increased military buildup, Officer VinoCacao also issued another personal statement to the press, "Though we are continuing to bolster our defenses, AHSCA remains constitutionally bound to never wage war unless attacked first. It's always a great comfort to know we can continue to abide by that most important clause of our nation's foreign policy. " She continued on with another reflection. "Twenty years ago, when we emerged from our darkest moments as a people, we wondered as a young nation, why anyone would ever bother with us? I must echo the sentiments of our Duchess, we may feel small and insignificant but we're a proud people and that pride is enough that others are happy with us the way we are. It's the most true form of friendship we could ever hope for."

Workers from Silverport Dockyards are expected to arrive and help in the training and instruction of equipment within the next month.

by **Eitoan** » Fri Sep 21, 2018 9:23 am

www.News-Herald.et.com

Overseas:
Naval Capabilities to be Evaluated

Joint Northwest Mutual Assistance Agreement Patrol, West of Red Line

The Naval Force Planning Commission (NFPC) has been tasked with a review of Eitoan maritime defense capabilities in light of recent events in the Northern Vanguat Sea and the advent of the Northwest Mutual Assistance Agreement (NMAA). The announcement of the study by the blue-ribbon military-supplier board was made in brief notes today after the weekly cabinet meeting. The not pertaining to the review stated “The President, after consulting with our partners in the NMAA is seeking the advice of the NFPC on how best to meet Eitoan obligations under the Agreement. This review will identify the most effective and efficient means of upgrading Eitoan naval power within the next several years. Recent events have shown the need for reevaluation of growth plans, both in terms of firepower and cost control. The study is separate from considerations for the other branches of the military, except for the necessary overlap between the Navy and the Air Force in aviation and aerospace spaces. To this point, the fleet’s performance west of the Red Line has been adequate, but the Navy must consider the force necessary to secure the interests of Eitoan and it’s allies further into the Northern Vanguat”.

Sources close to military planners point to long standing requests for updating the fleet, particularly in the integration of submarine and aviation/aerospace/cyber capabilities. Some retired senior naval officers have been highly critical of the low priority given to the fleet by the previous Ben-Joseph administration compared to the other service branches, and they have found a friendly reception since President Shrdlu’s appointment of Major General Eugene Maska as Secretary of Defense and External Security. Also coming into play is a general easing of tensions with Ralkovia, as several navies that have extended operations to the Northern Vanguat have given evidence of plans to scale back involvement in the region. Talks between Ambassador Nathan Kransky, and Ralkovian Minister of the Crown David Lieberaman earlier this summer appear to have the effect of easing tensions, and throughout the crisis trade between Eitoan and Ralkovia has been realtively unaffected. Eitoan ships patrolling west of the Red Line have reported few incidents of any significance, both in nearby waters and on patrol south of Relica to the mouth of the Bay of Chains. There have been a total of 12 investigations at sea of cargo manifests in the “deep zone” of patrol north of the bay, and no confrontation between the Navy and Ralkovia’s Zolofan Fleet. Throughout the period after launch of the Zolofan Fleet, Eitoan and Relican Intelligence, Air and Aerospace, and Naval forces coordinated activities as specified under the NMAA. Under the NMAA Eitoan has been providing portside and near shore patrol security for Macabéan submarines, some of which are rumored to be of the nuclear attack category.

With the increase in fleet responsibilities, the Naval Research and Planning Command has been observing carefully the demand on Eitoan resources, and throughout the Northern Vanguat confrontation has been compiling a syllabus of needs to meet treaty obligations in the near future. These obligations have expanded as Triumvirate and other friendly naval presence has waned with the easing of tensions. A target of between 66% and 80% of Ralkovian naval firepower within 4 to 5 years has been bandied about naval, academic, and industry circles since mid-August, but there has been a lively discussion of what aggregate and individual measures would constitute such a buildup. One primary question is whether sea based nuclear weapons are to be included as a criterion: most Eitoan military planners have traditionally considered nuclear capability as a category separate from delivery system. The value of coastal defense craft in planning for greater blue water deployment is also an open question. Although the small fleet of littoral combat ships are among the most modern vessels in the Navy, it is doubtful that a move toward greater deepwater deployment would give much weight to further expenditures in that category. It is very possible that an improved algorithm incorporating speed of delivery, vessel dependability, and payload disaggregated across a variety of likely missions will be conjured as a result of this study.

Concerns have also been voiced in the Ghastak (Upper House) regarding cost effectiveness of expansion plans. President Shrdlu is expected to share the findings of the NFPC with leaders in the Ghastak, and these conclusions have traditionally been accompanied with a price tag for budget guidance. As with all military planning, the analysis will include a rigorous and transparent cost/benefit analysis. The Naval War College is expected to be appraised of the direction the study indicates, as naval manpower would be a concern with an expansion of the scope of fleet responsibilities. Although many of Eitoan's best and brightest opt for the Navy during their mandatory service, it is the smallest of the three armed combat branches. Expansion would need to proceed carefully and senior officers stress vehemently that enlisted and officer quality standards must not slip, given the fleet's greater responsibilities. To this effect, further academic input, both at the public school level and university levels will likely be sought to design more extensive and specialized training for any significant fleet growth. Given the 4 to 5 year horizon it is also likely that many of those officer candidates that have delayed their commission for study overseas, most notably in The Golden Throne, will add broader perspectives upon commencement of officer training. This unprecedented interest in study abroad will likely cement a closer relation with The Golden Throne over time, as the officer candidates climb the Navy's career ladder. The scope of the study is expected to include an outline of the next steps in procurement, most importantly, build vs. buy considerations, a framework for proof of concept projects, and an emphasis of adaptability of new and retrofitted vessels to manpower reduction hardware and software. Beside the traditional domestic vendors, likely foreign sources include Stevidian and Morridane concerns, depending on the terms of licensing agreements and amenability of customization of products to Eitoan specifications.

Politics:
Surprising Right Wing Gains Trending for Ghastak

In current polling for the upcoming the race for the Ghastak (Upper House) conducted by the News-Herald’s Opinion Polling and Analysis Department covering the period from August 14th through 17th the far right National Democrats appear on the verge of landing it's first seat in many years. Applying the latest results, Communists would retain their current 4 seats at stake in this year's round, and President Shrdlu's Free Democrats would increase their share by two members. The conservative Civic Platform remains on track for loss of one seat, and the Socialists would likely fall to second place in the Ghastak, allowing the Free Democrats the whip hand in forming a coalition. The results are viewed by some as a fluke, given the National Democrats likely heavy losses in the Dashez (Lower House). Researchers have been unable to pinpoint issues driving the pro Ralkovian National Democrats rise on the national level, the party having been in decline for the past several elections. Among Civic Platform leadership there has been criticism of the party's shyness about taking on President Shrdlu's initiatives, preferring a "go along to get along" approach in campaigning so as to allow a bid to displace the Socialists as the junior partner in the Ghastak, or at least offer the Free Democrats to form a "broad center" coalition in the Upper House with Civic Platform as well as Socialists. There is speculation that the rise in National Democrat fortunes in Governors-General races in the Southern territories has lifted the party's fortunes nationally, although territorial elections rarely have had an impact nationally.

More likely is a campaign in the coastal cities, home to the National Democrat's few strongholds preying on fears of immigration due to recent action against Sheikhist terrorists by the Ordenite Reich. Although immigration remains capped at 25,000 per year and stringent restrictions remain in place, ND rabble rousing at a local level has been reported in parts of Berwyn and Dolton, with speakers whipping up the crowd warning "let's not have their foreign terrorists become our problem", and graffiti targeting possible asylum seekers as "rapefugees" adorning some commercial buildings in recent weeks. The party is attempting to use the issue to expand beyond it's traditional Ralkoviak base, with one speaker exhorting a medium size crowd last weekend in downtown Berwyn "All of us together, Ralkoviak, mesizo-gemesht, indigenous, all of us are Eitoans First! Eitoan for the Eitoans!" Police reported no outbreak of violence at the rally. To many analysts, the sudden change in far right fortunes inidcated that the major centerist parties, Socialists, Free Democrats, and Civic Platform have been asleep at the wheel regarding immigration concerns. There have also been a few whispers among National Democrats in the Dashez that President Shrdlu's tilt toward The Golden Throne could open the door to immigration from Barjannistan, a rumor hotly denied by the administration and diplomats alike. The Department of Immigration and Naturalization pointed out again on Monday that as over the last 30 years the vast majority of immigrants have been younger liberal minded Ralkovian commoners, with most of the remainder Aurensians, Relicans, and Jesheodans married to Eitoans and resident in the country.

Business:
Arasagin & Glasgow to Spin Off Pharma Lines

Arasagin & Glasgow on Friday said it would spin off parts of its generic-drugs business on the continent in a deal worth up to 2.2 billion quada, the latest move by its new chief executive to refocus the Eitoan pharmaceuticals giant.

The Vladarsik-based company said it would tranfer assets including the dermatology business and generic oral solids portfolio to MedFabricant, incorporated in Eitoan last month for the purpose of purchase of the portfolio for 900 million quada and 450 million quada in 50 million 6 month installments, while retaining a 40% ownership stake in MedFabricant. Overall it plans to sell around 300 products that generated sales of 400 million in the first half of the year.

Arasagin & Glasgow said the sale was part of its broader strategy to pivot the company toward higher-growth areas, such as more complex generics, value-added medicines and biosimilars—near-replicas of biologic drugs, which are made using living cells.

The sale comes at a tough time for the generic-drugs market. Arasagin & Glasgow’s generics division had been a reliable money-spinner for the company but its performance has suffered in recent quarters because of weaker prices for copycat drugs. As such, Arasagin & Glasgow has been selectively pruning its generics portfolio.

Analysts at CHU Instruments, a broker, said the deal was “the best of the worst options for a business under higher pricing and competitive pressure.”

More broadly, the sale is the latest move by Chief Executive Jacob Dvorak to shake up the company’s wider portfolio since taking the helm earlier this year.

In June, Arasagin & Glasgow said it would spin off its Evsek eye-care unit, a business that analysts think could be valued at more than 6 billion quada. That followed a move in March to sells its stake in a consumer health-care business to joint-venture partner Medical Specialties of Berwyn for 13 billion. The company has also acquired new operations under Mr. Dvorak’s leadership, including the 8.7 billion quada purchase of Kelso based gene-therapy company Chiro Labs.

Arasagin & Glasgow said in the announcement that it expects the sale to spinoff to close in 2019 once it has received regulator approval.

As part of the deal, Arasagin & Glasgow said MedFabricant would take over manufacturing facilities in Stickney and Berwyn with more than 750 employees, as well at the spun off divisions distribution facilities on continent.

by **Morrdh** » Fri Sep 21, 2018 5:27 pm

Here Comes The Navy

Buccaneer Strike Aircraft being launched from the carrier HMMS Dominion

MOD.- The Morridane Admiralty has reported that, due to the deteriorating situation in New Garrack, that some of the navy's carriers will be deployed to the waters off the troubled country.

Up to three Audacious-class aircraft carriers will be deployed so that Fleet Air Arm aircraft can conduct combat operations over New Garrack. The Taoiseach of Morrdh, Ser George Whittleton, has stated that the move was a preemptive measure to contain the northern insurgency before it sweeps the entire of New Garrack. A Morridane Army division is to be released from garrison duty on the New Garrack-Wanderjarian border so that it can be sent north. Ser George also confirmed that talks were underway with the People's Unified Federation about securing the strategic 'Greal Corridor' between eastern and central Greater Dienstad.

by **The Macabees** » Sun Sep 23, 2018 1:29 pm

OOC: Beda Fromm is an important provincial capital and although loyal to Fedor during the War of Golden Succession its press and regional parliament is the most critical of the Imperial Bureaucracy. Beda Fromm Chronicle is perhaps one of the papers that fits this stereotype the most.

THE EMPIRE'S 'SECRET' NAVAL BUILDUP

The blue zone represents what the Fuermak term the 'Interior Waters.,'
representing its heaviest commitments outside of Gholgoth.

OOC: No IC infriction on territorial airspace or water intended, just lazy mapmaking.

The Golden Throne's strategic picture has changed quite a bit since it first emerged from its costly War of Golden Succession. Its strategic highlight was once the heavily garrisoned Guffingfordi Frontier, where it stood off against Stevidian forces of no less formidable strength. Theohuanacu, a year later, was seen as an expensive and unwarranted act of aggression meant only to maintain pace with Stevid in a dangerous game of chess. But the empire was a land empire then, one that focused more on its army than its navy. This reality has changed quite a bit since then and the same dynamic between service arms no longer holds.

A small group of secret Kríermada documents were leaked to the Beda Fromm Chronicle by hackers who penetrated secure ministry servers in a major cybersecurity attack. They detail a defensive revolution that has been hidden by the war in Gholgoth. Intentionally.

Kríermak Gholgoth, a formation so large that the ministry invented the new term for it, commands a force of over 12,000 ships. It represents the largest naval commitment to a single theater in the history of the empire. And for good reason, if one supports the war. It defends a vast surface area of water from New Empire through the convoy routes to the northeastern imperial bases, then to Car'gún Dielaht, until one reaches the Skyan Republic, Golghant, and the southern shores of the Scandinvan Empire. A minimum of half of its strength is focused on the blockade of southern Drana, the Scandinvan mainland island.

Yet, as it continues to engage in an industrial war with the Scandinvans, imperial commitments in Greater Díenstad have only grown. What's more, they have changed in nature. The acquisition of Indras, along with the interventions — and consequent government restructurings — in Holy Panooly, New Empire, Pezlevko-Rubino, and Nicador and Firmador have turned the empire into a maritime one.

Newly leaked documents illustrate this strategic shift by revealing conversations between high-ranking members of the military command and the Imperial Bureaucracy on the ongoing mobilization and the reorganization of military forces. Many revolve around a new term that is used more and more often in the conversations, the 'interior waters.' These are the sea lanes around and between the Golden Throne, its vassals, and its allies, representing the densest and most prosperous routes of imperial mercantile trade. It illustrates how the empire's post-war ambitions have taken shape.

"The interior waters are the veins through which the empire's future lifeblood flows," says one document dated to November of last year. For the Imperial Bureaucracy, sustaining, promoting, and accelerating trade between the provinces, the territories, and the satrapies has become vital to future imperial revenues. The war in Gholgoth has been expensive and it continues to rage, draining the imperial treasury. Neither have the 'Long Wars,' as they have started to be known as, helped in that regard. The insurgencies require considerable manpower to contain and although the Imperial Bureaucracy has found raising taxes and issuing debt sufficient to pay for its expenditures to date, the latter outpaces the former and the empire will need to grow its income to afford the inevitable costs of its leveraging. Trade is seen as a path to increasing incomes, and therefore tax revenues, as well as a way to promote capital investments in the territories and satrapies. In the short-run, it is hoped that incentivizing the construction of the infrastructure for this future world will raise the value of imperial lands, properties that will be parceled, sold, and rented to private enterprises looking to do business in freshly opened markets.

Over ten years ago, an imperial fleet failed to hold the Sea of Otium Aqua, separating the eastern coast of Guffingford from the Holy Empire of Stevid. Now Otium Aqua is just one of may major waterways through which imperial trade ships pass through on their way to imperial ports like Fedorograd in Pezlevko-Rubino, Batis in Nicador, and Bataşani in Indras. Just as many travel farther, to commercial ports as far east as Mokastana and Haishan and as west as United Vallerian Republic, Eitoan, and Potthan. Protecting this expanded space has required an expanded navy.

The size of comparable navies has also helped define this expansion. There are other large fleets within the 'interior waters' and just outside of it, including the Stevidian and Lyran navies. The Kríermada has seen a radical expansion that will surely continue for years to come as shipyards continue to build the required warships, with more ships in regional waters than in Gholgoth.

The distinction between regional fleets and Kríermak Gholgoth is significant, however. The Fuermak had made clear its prioritization of home defense, despite the needy war against the Scandinvans and the inevitability of resource limits — especially with the hunger for ever higher rates of economic growth —, it has successfully raised and armed formidable forces within the empire's lands, waters, and airspace.

When the war against the Scandinvan ends, these returning forces will combine with those strengthening at home to make for a truly colossal military.

And although the Fuermak is absolutely certain to demobilize considerable numbers of personnel, hundreds of millions over a period of no more than five years after the war's end, these will surely come mostly from the ranks of the Ejermacht. The army is bloated, filled with manpower to fight a war against an enemy that has armed over three billion of its people to defend against the Golden Throne's invasion. A billion men are involved with the conflict at any one time, and although this number includes millions in New Empire, Mokastana, Haishan, and Car'gun Díelaht, the sheer bulk are in the trenches that scar the surface of the wartorn Scandinvan mainland. These will be the first to be settled, with the navy unlikely to be touched. Indeed, the Kríermada is likely to continue strengthening, as it fortifies the various approaches into the 'Interior Waters.'

This continued buildup was confirmed by the hacked documents. As was the role of the Gothic War in hiding its true extent. As one official quoted in a conversation dated back to December 2026, "the war against the Scandinvans will obscure the true military potential of the empire. A good thing, if one considers it better that potential enemies underestimate us and therefore under-commit. We should continue to expand subterranean or otherwise concealed military facilities, including mountain air bases, submerged ports, and nuclear-proof command posts."

But its own naval buildup is not the only element of the Imperial Bureaucracy's new post-war vision. It is striking how far the shadow of the Second Otium Aqua still extends over imperial naval strategy. For many years, the Kríermada had been preparing for another war against the Holy Empire. The division of Guffingford remained a symbol of the instability within the relationship between the two powers and a war was seen as inevitable.

Despite its willingness to fight such a war, that it would be a difficult, risky, and at best inconclusive conflict was never doubted. And even victory, one possible eventuality of too many others, would consume much of the empire's resources, manpower, and focus, something incompatible with the notion of a stable intra-imperial economy dominating central Greater Díenstad.

The Triumvirate, then, is a product of an insecurity rooted in the stalemate of Otium Aqua. Two battles, a victory and a defeat, that led to the use of nuclear weapons. For good reason does this event hold so much weight in strategic imperial defense doctrine. A result of an insecurity it may be, but it is also a solution to it. A developing alliance with Stevid secures friendly relations with the Holy Empire's allies, including Adaptes Astrates and Indepent Hitmen. It also extends the defense of imperial trade routes to South Greal. Likewise, the alliances with Imbrinium and Arcaenia similarly extend this security northwards, protecting a critical route into the core of the region. The Triumvirate accomplishes what many within the Imperial Bureaucracy and its military deem to be an impossible task for the Golden Throne alone, the economic stabilization of central Greater Díenstad. Commentary within the leaked documents confirms as much, with the Triumvirate forming another key element to imperial post-war goals.

This commitment to stability exists beyond the leaked documents, of course. The Golden Throne and United World Order's non-aggression pact, which stipulates that one will not invade the mainland of the other, shows as much. But the documents certainly provide a much more complete picture.

Krasnova is mentioned frequently. Despite the non-aggression pact, relations between the two neighbors remain precarious. Ordenite rule in Krasnova is welcomed, but many imperial officials expressed doubts over the Reich's ability to hold the island in the long-term. Many times the vague term 'coalition' is thrown around, usually always harkening back to the Mokan-centered coalition that had ejected the Reich from the island during the Second Krasnovan War. One document details KODEROJ KRASNOVA, 'Code Red Krasnova,' a highly secretive military operation intended to cut maritime and aerospace access to Krasnova in the event of an undesirable power replacing the Reich there.

Although it is a widely known "secret" that the military has plans for almost any eventuality and the leaked papers offer little in the way of details, that they mention some by name suggests that the Imperial Bureaucracy is very serious in its intention of realizing its vision for central Greater Díenstad.

Another secretive plan mentioned by name in the documents is KODELOEB, 'Code Wolf.' As typical of the documents, little of substance is mentioned on the purpose of the plan or its geographic context, it is used most often in discussions on the security of Hailandkill and with regards to the stability of the Ordenite-Killian border. Of particular concern is the buildup of private military forces in the country.

The consequences of the revelations on imperial politics are unknown. However, the expectation of future conflicts focused on the immediate periphery of the 'Interior Waters' will surely rattle those who long for a sustained peace following what is seen as an unnecessary war in Gholgoth by a growing minority of the provincial population. Despite His Imperial Majesty's veto of Lekos 147.8937, 'The Demarcations and Limitations of the Citizen Army,' the Senatorial Government may very well feel strong enough to pass a similar bill a second time. Indeed, growing anti-war sentiment, most prominent in the Provinces of Beda Fromm, Weigar, and Targul Frumos, will likely fuel such an attempt. And Guffingford, the first territory and the one to have provided much of the auxiliary's core manpower, is tiring of losing its sons and daughters. The Parliament of Guffingford will represent a citizen-dominated voter constituency by 2040 according to even the most conservative of estimates and it may seek to join the Senatorial Government as a way of renegotiating its own political contract with the Imperial Bureaucracy.

To some extent, the Imperial Bureaucracy plays a propagandistic game. Its grand post-war strategy, the foundation of which is being laid down now, is framed within the ambitions of commerce, prosperity, and peace. This is a picture legitimized by the World Assembly's recent commendation. It is celebrated by grand displays of triumph. But it's a picture that we must look at within the context of the 'Long Wars,' which continue to intensify throughout the empire's possessions, and the future that these documents — as limited a story they tell — layout. It's a vision that will continue to ask a lot from the empire's citizens and people, one that said citizens and people will soon have to decide desirability of.

Perhaps the days of Otium Aqua, when the Senatorial Government and the Imperial Bureaucracy were the only two great political bodies of the empire, were best. Then there were only provinces. They were days of more limited outcomes, of more restrained ambitions, of balance.

But now expansion and wars have cost the provinces greatly, not just in men and resources but also in power. The growth in separate territorial governments, all with their own independent social contracts with the Imperial Bureaucracy, give His Imperial Majesty a bloc of disparate allies to leverage during His negotiations with the Kríeror. He has given these people, foreigners, say in provincial politics by introducing the Congress of Kingdoms as a second chamber in the Senatorial legislature. While all the empire, including the provinces, will gain from a growth in trade, more provincials are wondering whether the provinces should continue to bare such a heavy burden in sustaining efforts that benefit more than just themselves.

For its part, the Imperial Bureaucracy has responded to the online publication of the leaked documents by reiterating its intention of using the death penalty to punish hackers and whistleblowers who "threaten imperial security by undermining the government's ability to protect the people." The identity of the hacker is unknown and no suspects have yet been declared. It also reassured that it will heighten cybersecurity to better stop future cyberattacks.

by **The Macabees** » Sun Sep 30, 2018 6:11 pm

OOC: Fedala International is a pro-imperial newspaper.

GUFFINGFORDI SETTLEMENT RATIFIED,
FORMALIZING THREE-WAY POLITICAL DIVISION.

While Hoogenbosch remains the symbolic center of Guffingfordi identity, the partition
represents a major shift in governance, tradition, and beliefs.

It was less than fifteen years ago when Guffingford still represented a stable oligarchy of an elected white aristocracy, their immutable mainland stronghold from which they controlled and influenced Theohuanacu and its other overseas domains. The sudden, and still unbelievable, partition between the Golden Throne and Stevid disrupted this reality, but the two conquerors did not seek to overturn the local status quo that had up to then provided for considerable internal stability. The Guffingfordi Frontier and the heavy military presence on both sides served as a distraction from the frictions that ran across old cultural boundaries. When Stevidian Guffingford was ceded to the Golden Throne, in exchange for Cartesia, the Frontier disappeared and old political problems have resurfaced.

One thing that did change with the partition was Hoogenbosch's direct authority over much of its internal territory. Guffingford, like most of the continent's peoples, are hardly ethnically homogenous. The southern coasts retain their Questerian roots and Cerfonlande still celebrates its colonial Pantocratorian heritage. Hoogensbosch once kept these enclaves in check through military force and police, much of it secret, presence. Many of these institutions, including the country's central intelligence services, ceased to exist when Macabéan and Stevidian forces occupied their respective territorial acquisitions toward the end of the War of Golden Succession.

Ten years are many for old identities, now free of central repression, to resurface and restrengthen. This was made doubly true by the steady draining of Guffingford of its young men and women, who have made up the bulk of the imperial auxiliary manpower since His Imperial Majesty Fedor first established the force. The resulting tension has led to the Imperial Bureaucracy's reorganization of the territory, a new treaty ratified yesterday by the Guffingfordi parliament in Hoogenbosch.

Guffingford formally submitted to the Golden Throne on 14 March 2018, in the Treaty of Hoogenbosch. The treaty text framed the relationship between the two governments, strictly defining the scope of the Imperial Bureaucracy's power over the affairs of the Guffingfordi people. This treaty included stipulations that it would carry forward in the event of a future reunification of the mainland.

When the 2026 Treaty of Hoogenbosch was signed, this one between the Golden Throne and the Stevidian Holy Empire, and the mainland of Guffingford reunited, it was under the 2018 treaty that the reintegration proceded. Cerfonlande and old Questerian Freestates were organized under separate prefectures, largely organized on ethnic lines so that imperial administration could grapple with each independently.

This solution proved to be temporary.

Since the 2026 reunification, civil protests and violence in Cerfonlande have skyrocketed. University students clash with security forces representing the Hoogenbosch administration, as well as with imperial troops when the threat is deemed dire enough. Many of these soldiers remain regulares, but with the increased demand for military manpower territorial security forces have been drawn from increasingly Zarbian or Indran auxiliary units. This has inflamed the nationalist movement, with growing demands for independence from the Golden Throne. Although it is doubtful that the empire would ever peacefully concede to the demand for independence, a new treaty that restructures how the territory of Guffingford is administered takes the form of an imperial compromise. One that addresses the growing tensions, but one that firmly reiterates imperial intentions to maintain all of Guffingford in the federal empire.

Although the situation in the old Questerian Freestates is less drastic, the area shares cultural similarities to the Stevidians. The reunification was not as widely accepted within these areas, especially in the coastal cities that did not suffer as much from the division of communities by the Guffingfordi Frontier. The new treaty seeks to protect this heritage and allows local decisions to better represent local values.

It accomplishes this while still retaining Hoogenbosch as the capital of pan-Guffingfordi identity.

The restructured Treaty of Hoogenbosch, the one between Fedala and the Guffingfordi government, was formally signed on 21 February and ratified by the Hoogenbosch parliament on 4 August of the same year. It radically reduced the overall power of the renamed Guffingfordi National Parliament, with its capital at Hoogenbosch, transforming its purpose to arbitrate legislative debuts within what is now called the Guffingfordi Territories. It will draw an equal amount of parliament members from each of the three territories, equaling ninety in all. The imperial territories of Knootossian Guffingford, Cerfonlande, and the Questerian Freestates will each self-organize their separate and autonomous legislative branches. The executive branch remains held by the imperial governor, who is shared between all four separate Guffingfordi governments.

The new treaty is designed to transfer self-ruling powers to the ethnic subdivisions of old Guffingford, building greater homogeneity within voting blocs. It is believed that this approach will help mitigate nationalistic tendencies caused by friction over pan-Guffingfordi law, making for a more stable environment that will ultimately fully integrate with the empire over the long-term.

Not all demands could be met. Aside from the unrealistic demand for independence, the National Guffingfordi Parliament still holds considerable legislative power. It is the only body that votes for the Kríeror responsible for directly negotiating treaty restructurings with His Imperial Majesty and the Imperial Governor. It also holds the right to veto any legislation passed by the territorial legislatures underneath it, although this requires a two-thirds majority vote. This provision is balanced by the right of the National Guffingfordi Parliament to overturn imperial veto by two-thirds vote, although as is the case with the provincial Senatorial Government this veto is not binding.

The new treaty also grants the Imperial Bureaucracy the rights to administrate foreign relations as well as intra-imperial trade concerning the Guffingfordi Territories, and formalizes Díenstadi as the primary official language of all three territories represented by the National Guffingfordi Parliament. The power to enforce a secondary official language is relegated to the territorial legislatures. The commitment to Imperial Commercial Law was reiterated in the treaty, which enforces a host of laws revolving around property, entrepreneurship, and financial regulation. In effect, the power of the Imperial Bureaucracy remains intact.

The treaty's ratification has been received by a mixed reaction in the provinces. Guffingford is expected to become a citizen-majority territory by 2040, after which it will have a voting body that could very well vote for provincial status. Analysts believe this to be a foregone conclusion and accuse the Imperial Bureaucracy of populism and hiding its true motives. Many in the provincial Senate have noted their displeasure as well.

Guffingford's path to provincial status is built on hundreds of millions of soldiers recruited to the Fuermak over the past decade. Originally a 20-year contract, this requirement was reduced to 10 years in 2026. A territorial who completes a full contract of auxiliary service is entitled to a retirement payout and a lot of farmland somewhere in the conquered territories. The land, however, is always a foreign territory and never in Guffingford. Many have sold their allotments, instead preferring to return to Guffingford with their families. Their children are entitled to citizenship, as are their spouses, with citizen-majority areas eligible for provincial status after a successful two-thirds vote. This constitutional feature is designed to provide territories with an eventual avenue toward full rights, as well as a lower imperial tax rate.

By dividing old Guffingford into three separate autonomous administrative divisions, regardless of the symbology of the National Guffingfordi Parliament, elements of academia and within the Senate are accusing the Imperial Bureaucracy of safeguarding itself against the full cost of losing the entirety of the territory. They point to the geographic concentration of the recruits eligible for citizenship by 2040 and 2050, all who came from areas occupied by the Golden Throne in that time. Stevidian Guffingford did not begin contributing the Fuermak until a year after its reintegration.

Even so, if the empire benefits it has only come with much greater benefit to the Guffingfordi people. Surely, one cannot deny the political tensions that had been for decades repressed by secret police and military force. One must commend the Imperial Bureaucracy for a resolution that has found a way to satisfy most affected by the treaty. The Guffingfordi parliament in Hoogenbosch remains largely intact, although now with a different role, and the newly redrawn Guffingfordi Territories enjoy the local autonomy to protect their own identities.

Benefits accrued by the Imperial Beauracracy distribute to the individuals within in different ways, of course. There are rumors of consternation with the decision to maintain the singular imperial governor in Guffingford, despite the creation of two new territories there. Imperial governorship is the final and highest honor of an imperial official on the senior career track, the honórekro. The opening of two positions would have supposedly meant the promotion of two Kríerlords, opening positions for those in the tear below that. Internal disagreements rarely become more than minor disgruntlement, however, and the case of Zarbia and Nuevo León provide precedent for this unusual structure of imperial oversight.

Regardless, the Imperial Beauracracy surely hopes this arrangement to hold for a long time to come. It eyes full integration of all territories over the long-run, yet it knows how long of a process this will take. By conceding ground in the early stages, it hopes to instill a sense of political stability and avoid the outbreak of the sort of hostility characteristic of the wider 'Long Wars' that have begun to plague imperial forces elsewhere.

The negotiation period is also symbolic of the federal nature of imperial relations with its subjects. It is a cooperative political culture that the Golden Throne seeks to ingrain throughout the provinces, territories, and satrapies, positioning the Imperial Bureaucracy as a supra-national imperial authority seeking to provide a common framework for freedom, progress, and prosperity.

The treaty's proponents promise that history will ultimately validate this imperial vision. Detractors disagree. Yet, what is known for sure is that the redivision of Guffingford will have implications on imperial politics for years to come.

by **Solisian Union** » Wed Oct 03, 2018 1:18 am

Exercise Quemar el Bosque - Ashian Interests

A Solisian soldier, together with an officer, took out her binoculars and began to scan the landscape before her as her officer did the same in the other direction. After a while, the pair took off from the place they came from (They went behind very thick shrubs on top of a small hill to conceal themselves) and in moments, the area they scanned with their gadgets was subject to a long, devastating barrage of both smoke and high explosives. The ground shook, the air burned and the smoke overflowed. The barrage ended when the batteries expended all the ammunition they had allocated for this part of the operation.

This kind of thing happened on the western and eastern flanks of the BLUFOR participating in the Solisian Army Exercise Quemar el Bosque (Burn the Forest) until finally some peace returned. Then came the infantry, who were running in loose formations of platoons, as did the IFVs and APCs, who came behind them or by their sides. That was when the gunfire started and the helicopters zoomed in from the hills nearby, showering empty enemy positions with laser guided missiles or dumb rockets. Vehicle cannons and machine guns gave covering fire for the infantry as platoons turned into squads and they ran faster, soldiers often stopping, diving, shooting, standing then running again as officers wearing yellow armbands on their right arms observed them and officers with green armbands on their arms guided the men and their NCOs.

This simulated battle between four of the finest divisions stationed near the border of Solisia with Ashia and REDFOR forces represented by dummies and the Dritano Training Division began this morning under the command of Generals Nazarena Ros and Lorena Luisa de la Torre. Field Marshalls Sara Sofía Botín and Ignacio Asignera were also present, observing the battles as they unfolded in the cool morning of Western Solisia.

Over 40,000 men, 150 aircraft, over 1,948 vehicles and several artillery and air defense, especially assets purchased from Haishan, as well as other military hardware were used in this exercise to improve the readiness and organization of the divisions, to prepare the Solisian military for future operations and to test Solisian abilities to infiltrate and penetrate enemy defenses.

Solisian infantry communications specialists gather and compare maps and share information in a field before the exercise.

On the other hand, more and more interest was shown by the Solisians in their neighbor, Ashia, especially in terms of military. The border that separated the smaller nation from the Union is manned by both forces of the nations. However, tensions rise on the part of the Ashians as they suspect Solisians of "increasingly aggressive military behavior and attitude" towards them. They stated that Solisian border guards have slowly been replaced by active troops from the divisions who participated in the military exercise for today and that also there were unconfirmed reports of Solisians attempting to infiltrate the border and to scout Ashian positions not known to the public.

The Ashian government has issued a strong warning to the Solisians but the Union has chosen to ignore their issue as they assured the Ashians that the Solisian Union has no interest or design upon the Ashian nation.

by **Haishan** » Fri Oct 05, 2018 4:50 am

SOLZOT - Haize Aerospace Defense Forces reported successful trial of long range multipurpose missile 2MD2 launched by Vyzgrat-M aerospace defense complex. "The launch have exceeded 450 km and hit the simulated target" as quoted from Northern Aerospace District Commander Petrov-Sata from the Forces.

2MD2 is an unique product parallel to MSA-380 missile used by the exported Vyzgrat-E, intended for destruction of airborne force multipliers such as flying tankers, strategic bombers and to some degree, medium ranged ballistic missiles. The domestic 2MD2 was stated to be more capable than the export MSA-380 in all aspects.

Vyzgrat-M is Haize-exclusive modification of Vyzgrat complex built by Malachiz Precision Plant on request of Haize Aerospace Defense Forces. Similar to its export brethren, Vyzgrat-M is a high capacity strategic missile defense system devised to blunt enemy airpower including within the heaviest jamming environments.-HSNS

by **Morrdh** » Fri Oct 05, 2018 6:51 pm

All Change In Mordent

MORDENT.- Her Morridane Majesty's Government announced earlier today that changes were going to be made concerning the governance of Mordent.

The position of Lord Protector, a de facto military governor, is to be replaced by the revived position of Lord Steward of Mordent. The position of Lord Steward was first created in the 1830s when the Mordentish monarch Robert Cathmore moved his seat of power to Morrdh in the aftermath of a war with the First Empire of the Golden Throne. Though a decade ago the position became defunct as a series of conflicts over Mordent were fought between the Commonwealth and the Kingdom of Imbrinium. Following the most recent conflict, the position of Lord Protector was created, now to be abolished after two and a half years of existence.

The new position of Lord Steward will be more civilian in nature and will act as the viceregal representative of Her Morridane Majesty in Mordent. Additionally, the Lord Steward will form the Commonwealth part of the new Triumvirate Council alongside the premier of the new Mordent Assembly and the Kingdom of Imbrinium's own governor or representative. In effect, the Council members would be the joint heads of state of Mordent and be the executive body for the new government. Sean Gallagher, Chieftain of Clan Gallagher, has already been confirmed as the new Lord Steward and the position is believed to be heredity. Clan Gallagher was one of the few clans to remain in Mordent following the 1834 exodus and retained extensive holdings, but the clan has suffered greatly due to the recent conflicts and is only now beginning to recover after the atomic bombing of Lindun. With their chieftain being made the Crown's agent in Mordent, it is expected that the clan's fortunes and influence will be boosted tenfold.

Though the new position will be divorced from the military command of its predecessor, the Lord Steward will be given the honourary title of Captain-General of Commonwealth Forces Mordent in a purely ceremonial role. The premier of the new government will assume the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Mordent Defence Forces whilst both the Commonwealth and Kingdom will retain their own forces in what is being dubbed 'Sovereign Base Areas', both of which will be territory under the direct control of their respective country.

Some have question whether the revival of the position means a Commonwealth attempt at creating its own version of the Macabean Kríerlords in the various Commonwealth Realms. If this is the case it would mean the current governor-generals, largely ceremonial positions, being replaced by a position that wields far greater power and will allow Her Morridane Majesty to exert more influence over the Realms that she reigns over. Though if this is to happen it will depends on how well the revived Lord Steward of Mordent functions before any decision is made on the matter.

by **United World Order** » Sat Oct 06, 2018 12:44 pm

ORDENCHE - RUNDFUNK - GESELLSCHAFT

ORDENITE BROADCASTING CORPORATION

REICHS-MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA AND ENLIGHTENMENT

DAS REICH: Wanderjar Sea Fleet conduct freedom of navigation missions.
12th and 17th Squadrons of the Wanderjar Sea Fleet participate in freedom of navigation missions in international waters.

As is the duty of the Kriegsmarine to safeguard the interests of the Ordenite nation and people in Dienstad it comes with no surprise that in international waters off the coast of Wanderjar and San Castello and even further north towards the Lyran Isles, New Garrack and even East Varessa that the 17th and 12th Squadrons of the Wanderjar Sea Fleet have begun to organize elements for missions regarding freedom of navigation. In particular a Carrier Strike Group from the 17th Squadron had recently returned to port in coastal Wanderjar after a week long voyage towards the Lyran Isles and back in which it's mission was purely to go from point A to point B in normal fashion and to also note any particular reactions from neighboring navies. This comes with what has been perceived as harassment of trade between the Ordenite Reich and Wanderjar mostly by what is being speculated to be the Mokan Federal Navy whose presence stretches throughout the Eastern half of the Dienstad region and even in the West as well including in the Morridane Tuktar area. With past hostilities against the People's Unified Federation in the Krasnovan wars, the security of all interests in regards to the Ordenite State is paramount especially when involving our allies such as Wanderjar.

IN OTHER NEWS:
- Red Sea Fleet to include green-water Krasnovan Navy, as part of the Ordenite-Krasnovan Military Integration Initiative.
- General Government in Krasnova announce new economic 5 year plan.
- 50,000 former Union Red Army POWs set for integration into the Krasnovan Ground Forces.

by **AHSCA** » Sun Oct 07, 2018 1:33 pm

Late Season Storm Causes Problems with Stranded Travelers; Nations Respond

AURORA ISLAND - Late season hurricanes are not unheard of as AHSCA Transitions seasons between it's relatively dry period but rarely has a late season storm come at a very inopportune time. As AHSCA's Holy Light Festival drew to a close matters suddenly took a turn for the worse as a category one hurricane made a long trek across three of the five islands at a time when tourism has peaked at an all time high. Early enough forecasting and tracking by the United Island Office of Meteorology alerted to the potential of a quick but strong storm moving through the AHSCA Area by mid-end week of the festival. The festival which drew in a huge amount of tourists from around the world and the islands put this into a pinch. Issues as many foreign flagged cruise liners which weren't due back for at one or more weeks. Now many tourists stranded some happily choosing to ride out, others nervous and frustrated were ushered to shelters around the island. While some animosity among locals swelled as a result. police report no violent incidents resulted from this. Many were just as eager to open their homes or keep inns going through the worst of it and willing to house them as long as needed.

Tsubasa Kinoshita, owner and proprietor of the Kitan Resort gave away rooms for free and opened her doors to anyone local or tourist who needed a place to stay including laying out futons for guests in the lobby and wherever they need. "It's important to help each other. Many folks were planning on stays but now suddenly many have left. It hurts business a little but we'll bounce back."
Duchess Villa readied the UISDF to respond to all islands in need of assistance in the aftermath and to ensure safety of everyone, local and non local alike. With so many people crowded onto the islands many of AHSCA's friends stepped up with immediate aide. Usually, AHSCA will call for aide if it's likely the storm will be intense enough for wide spread damage and likely will cause an high strain and overrun on resources. UNIMO forecasted the storm would be a low end Category one and would be moving quickly enough to not cause incredible or wide spread damage. Ambassadors represneting AHSCA's close friends stood to call their home nations ready for support. Jonah Müller, Kuronami's Ambassador to the UIS was ready and waiting "We know the UIS is usually very self reliant but given circumstances we figured they appreciate the extra help. Her Majesty is always ready to help the fine people of AHSCA, we know others will be too. We understand this is a bit unusual time because they have so many people touring and traveling the festival."

Foreign Officer Noir VinoCacao expressed her gratitude to many nations assisting AHSCA. "I can't help but feel we're raising a big fuss for something relatively minor but we always appreciate those wanting to show their friendship to us." The storm made landfall packing winds of 119 km/h (33 m/s 64 kn, 74 mph) and causing coastal flooding and stream and river flooding along the afflicted storm's path. The path crossed Animalpolis into Hoshino and Aurora. Damage has been reported to moderate to heavy in some locations and light in Port of Aurora, Port Aya with severe damage in Port Asuka in Animalpolis. Port Haruhi, Animalpolis' capital was largely spared the worst of the storm. Governor Biscotti and Viceroy and Vicerine Li toured damage sites of their respective states in Hoshino and Animalpolis and Duchess Villa is coordinated efforts nationwide from Aurora and has a meeting with her state Governor planned in the immediate future.

Reports also of the King of Danceria and Princess Aurelia of Kyrenaia are in the nation likely in the storm's path but these reports could not be corroborated. Also reported was the Ambassador of Mervay, Jessica Dileva along with her family are also visiting the islands off duty. Madam Ambassador and her husband have been accounted for as being secured in the Embassy Isle, which was not hit by the storm. Her daughter, Tess Dileva was not with the family but UIPD are reported that she remained behind on Aurora Island with a friend. Thirty deaths have been attributed directly to the hurricane with five indirect. AHSCA calling the deaths while sad are thankful the toll is low knowing how much worse things could have been. UNIMO reports the storm has since dissipated.

These nations all pledged assistance in some way, some details are incomplete and may not be reflective of actual final assistance to the UIS.

Holy Marsh
- The Holy Marshite Church deployed rescue and relief aid.

Mervay
- Pledged Aid

Mokastana
- Mokan Naval Base in Aurora Island on Standby, forces ready to evacuate citizens and arrange travel.

Kuronami
- The Royal Navy was deployed with extra ships and equipment.

Kyrenia
- Deployed hospital ships Rahma and Niematan, and units of the Fleet Ground Forces to aid in case the worst happens.

Lamoni
- Pledged Aid

by **Mokastana** » Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:10 pm

MNN: SPECIAL REPORT!!!
News so short your can't help but read the full story...

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