FEDERATION 2020 - FCN Roleplay (IC, FCN ONLY)

[Greater Bastion]

In response to West Phoenicia's banning of tourism from Greater Bastion, Eckard raised tariffs on West Phoenician goods and services, as well as barred any Bastonians from visiting West Phoenicia. Eckard wishes to discuss these matters and resolve them in a timely matter, but will not relinquish until tourism is restored in W.P.

Summit of Bastion-Gagium

A beep is heard from outside the office. A muffled, "They're here, sir," is heard.

"Very well! Invite them in please, Joy." Preparations have been made. Servants mark the walls with platters of small food delicacies and drinks. No matter what, Eckard is going to make a good impression on the leader of Gagium, to increase potential relations between the two nations.

Being escorted by elite Bastion soldiers, the people of the hour arrived and sat in their respective seats. Immediately, they are quietly offered food and drinks by the servants.

"Well, I thank you for making this visit. As I'm sure you know, we have many things to discuss. I, uh, hope you found your accommodations were suffice.

In any case, there are several things that I need to ask you about. I hope you don't mind if my secretary..." He nods to Joy. "...joins in.

The first matter of importance is the arrest of that one troublemaker. It made both my people and me look... idiotic, I suppose. I'm not saying you... were wrong, to take your course of action, but it weakened my regime. And if my regime falls... my republic won't stand.

That brings me on to the next matter. As I'm sure you've noticed as you made your way here, a lot of people wish for the downfall of the republic. Protestors mark every corner of every city. Counter-protests exist, but they are far outnumbered. If it's possible, I'd like your support in propping up my rule. With this in mind, if you apologize for arresting my citizen, it would make it seem like a win for the republic, and it would strengthen my rule, if only a slight bit. Along with this, if we could strengthen ties and maybe sign a mutual defense pact or even alliance, it would strengthen my regime and ensure that if violence ever struck out, I would have the advantage.

Onto other matters, however... I'm sure you have heard of the terrorists that popped up. I still don't know if they were part of an HRI organization or if they just wanted to instill terror... and frankly, I don't have the executive power to order investigations into the matter. If you could help with said endeavor, it would be greatly appreciated, and I could economically aid Gagium back."

With his portion out of the way, Eckard sits back and listens to the response. Joy is taking notes all the while.

[Polish Prussian Commonwealth]

November 30, 2019

After Thanksgiving, it seemed as if the Prussian-Poles were very quick to renounce any faith in dozens of companies that had invested billions into their economy as a bill passed by their Sejm prohibited employees of these companies from staying in their nation. This in itself would mean millions of dollars lost in tourism profits, and yet that’s not all - The Prussians also liquidated assets of these companies, worth billions alone in some retail companies. Media outlets were quick to cover this on the day after the bill passed in the Sejm, despite their King not approving the bill yet. This last fact alone though caused an emergency request from the Dreggler & Carris Investment Group for a meeting with a contact of their King Crassus von Hohenzollern-Jagiellon, in which they stated that they would attempt to lobby against the signing of this bill.

Despite the fact that this bill wasn’t legally binding yet, several local governments had already begun planning retribution - The noble-ran commonwealths of Arseniana, New Brismel, Chapais, and the March of Blackgold had announced that they would be levying or increasing tariffs on Prussian imports by up to 40%, while the Free City of Chatrois had announced that their City Council had come to the decision that Prussian-Polish companies operating within its borders would have their assets liquidated should this bill be approved. Regardless of whether it would be implemented or not, though, it was clear that tensions between Gagium and its sole land neighbor had escalated significantly.

Of course, this wasn’t the only thing that had gone on recently - No, of course not. Asides from the affair with the Prussian-Poles, a terrorist attacking Bayerland had killed hundreds of people in a single day as a peaceful territory became an almost-anarchic Warzone. It was no secret by the 30th that the terrorists who had killed hundreds and injured hundreds more in Bayerland were Alenberg nationalists, and an official response from the Gagiumish government vehemently condemned these terrorists and promised retribution should they not cease and turn themselves in immediately. Whether this threat would be carried out or not was yet to be seen, though, as the government of Gagium soon - privately - turned their attention towards a perhaps greater matter.

The response from the Prussian-Polish public was...well, polarized doesn't even begin to cover it.
The retail companies cried foul, of course. Gagium represented a massive market for them, worth billions, and any tariffs would hurt their profits. The labor unions were more supportive, with many blue-collar workers viewing Gagiumish serfs as both an immoral form of labor, and the chief cause of job loss. Your average citizen was more divided, with some worried about economic collapse, and others viewing serfdom as an evil to be abolished. Massive protests would happen that week, both in favor of and against the bill, across cities in the Commonwealth.

Some frontier militia units that were in favor of the bill went as far as to make aggressive 'shows of force', and demonstrated their capabilities in large exercises near the border, some of which involved (albiet slightly outdated) armored fighting vehicles, aircraft, and artillery.
The message was clear-if the bill passed, they would be all-too-willing, and all-too-capable, of enforcing it.

---

The Dreggler & Carris Investment Group would find a sloppily written letter in the mail the next day, bearing the seal of the House of Hohenzollern-Jagiellon.

I will be free from 1200 to 1300 hours tomorrow. Send a representative to the mess hall of the barracks of the 1st Guards Grenadiers Regiment with the following document. Show it, and this letter or a copy of this letter, to any sentry who stops you.

-C. H-J, King of Prussia and Poland

---

Sheepshead Bay
At last, the Army arrived.
The last gunman was killed as the sun began to set, by a AH-1.
Hundreds were dead. Thousands were wounded. Thousands more were traumatized for life.
Martial law would remain in place for a month, with two mechanized infantry brigades and an armored brigade occupying the city, while the Sheepshead Bay Metropolitan Area Police, in conjunction with Military Intelligence, tried to find the culprit.
Across Bayerland, there was only one thought-find those who did this and kill them.

---

Their resolve was only strengthened by something that happened later that day.
A video was posted online, showing two men in ski masks, both of which apparently were Alenberger Nationalists. One was armed with an AK-style rifle, and the other had a large hatchet.

The hostage, although bound and gagged, was very clearly a member of Bayerland's military-one 'Charles Schmidt', who had gone missing while on leave the previous year.
After a long speech slamming Bayerland's 'imperialism', the man was executed by the hatchet-wielder. This was followed by a threat-this would happen many, many more times, until Bayerland withdrew it's military presence completely from Alenberg.

---

In response to West Phonecia's request for a 'Non-aggression pact', the Bayerlander government accepted but asked the Royal Family to wait until the damage from the attacks was repaired. It also expressed great interest in any upcoming summit it might have with Tesyky.

[Gagium]

December 1, 2019
Federation of Conservative Nations Headquarters, Fort Anfree, Gagium

The Federation of Conservative Nations was truly a hallmark of the 20th and 21st centuries, finally bringing together a long-divided world in the name of international peace and stability. Supposedly, at least - The FCN has done nothing to stop the string of recent terrorist attacks, or the ongoing civil war in the cold Alenberg. The FCN Headquarters in Fort Anfree, however, was still an impressive building, housing numerous offices, the Security Council (Which is composed of delegates from Gagium, Furby Island, Greater Bastion, NATION4, and NATION5 permanently, along with NATION6 and NATION7), and the Senate.

The Federation's Senate was composed of a single voting delegate from each member nation, with all nations of the world being a member unless otherwise noted. It didn't deal with matters such as military deployments and peacekeeping - However, the Security Council did. And the Security Council was what Gagium's inner government workings was focused on, at the moment - With all these recent terrorist attacks and a seemingly sudden decrease in world stability and harmony, FCN Army of Freedom action was certainly warranted. Thus, the Gagiumish delegate in the Security Council, Bailey Baker, requested for the SC to convene in an emergency session to discuss the world's various crises and whether they warranted military action, including the ongoing civil war in cold, mountainous Alenberg and the long-lasted 'rebellion' in northern Inglaterra.

Once the Security Council was convened, Gagium hastened to begin discussion and voting, with the delegation moving to adopt a resolution authorizing the deployment of up to 100,000 Army of Freedom peacekeepers to Alenberg to put an end to the civil war and restore order to the land. However, there was another agenda..it had recently come to light through vague news reports that 'hundreds' of civilians had been massacred by the government of New Inglaterra, in violation of international law. With this in mind, the Gagiumish delegation quietly prepared a batch of sanctions of New Inglaterra..

(OOC: Please telegram me if you want to be a part of the Security Council. All nations are, by default, members of the FCN and thus are entitled to a Senator in the FCN Senate, and they can bring up legislation or debate any time they want to.)

Greater Bastion

At the summit, King Arsène Rodier and his various staff listened intently. Greater Bastion housed the world's largest economy and was the (at the time of this post) second most populous country in the world, and yet it seemed that things were going to shit here too. The king nodded his head at various things throughout the Premier's opening and inquiries, before he finally sighed. "There's little we can do regarding the status of the individual in question who has now been deported to your nation. However, I would..Uhm, we'd be willing to send a memo to the city that they've arrested the wrong man, and present some 'evidence' that the person who committed the crimes was really a different person. Who? We don't know, and neither will they..Once this is revealed, I'm sure the city will be pressed to offer a public apology."

"About the terrorists who stroke..I think it would be in all of our best interests to investigate them, Premier. While a lot of our contacts are busy at the moment due to other affairs around this hellhole of a world, I'm sure that we can send an operative or two to find and identify the guys we're dealing with here. While we are on the matter, though - You did say something about a possible alliance? That's a matter for the National Assembly to approve of, but we could definitely do some talking here..What sort of alliance?"

Prussia-Poland

In a small regional office belonging to D&C Investment Group, a much awaited letter was received - This was, of course, an invitation from apparently the King of Prussia-Poland to meet with a representative from the investors. The letter and attached document were quickly digitally copied and sent to the group's main headquarters in Fort Anfree, while a black sedan was readied for the representative to travel to the 1st Guards Grenadiers Regiment's barracks. Meanwhile, the company and others in operation in Prussia-Poland prepared for the worst, with millions of dollars already being sent back into Gagium.

Meanwhile, on the (largely unguarded) border, it became quickly apparent to the small border guard force that the mobilization of Prussian-Polish militia forces wasn't something to fear at the moment, though news coverage of the exercises had already caused a (minor) downturn in traffic going into Prussia-Poland. The closest division to the border, the 4th Infantry, was readied for mobilization if needed, while the nearby 3rd Armored (Located in central New Brismel) was also readied. However, this would be the only official action in response for the day.

Gagium

National news outlets had a field day with the dubbed November Massacre, where army units of Inglaterra carried out what was described as the 'start of a genocide' and a 'heinous massacre of innocents' - Reportedly, over a hundred had been dead and hundreds more injured, though it was hard to verify anything with the heavy military presence and occupation forces. Many in Gagium were outraged by this, and many took to social media to demand that the world be too - Indeed, the Foreign Affairs Ministry had already published a statement heavily condemning the massacre in the harshest words possible while calling for the world to respond appropriately.

[Greater Bastion]

What sort of alliance?"

Eckard grins.

The King can tell it is a grin of relief.

"Mr. Rodier, or should I say, King Rodier... You have made me one relieved man. I understand that you cannot sign things into action without approval from your government, but I do believe we can hash out some details here and now."

The secretary reaches under the desk and pulls out a briefcase. Opening it, she sorts through a pile of papers before pulling out documents of some sort.

"I believe that at the very minimum, a defensive alliance would be in order. I do not perceive the need for an intact military alliance, in which invasions take place. In return for this defensive pact, I'd be willing to open up more economic trade deals to Gagium, lower tariffs, and enable Gagium markets to apply for special interests in the Bastonian economy. Along with this, I can... "help" your nation get classified "deterrents" if needed. My nation has always had strong military ties, after all. I doubt anyone would underestimate the capabilities of my military, as long as my nation isn't fighting itself. But, ultimately, the details of whatever treaty we create is up to you and your nation. One of the sole powers of the Premiership is to make and sign treaties, so it's on your end to come through.

Hey, Joy, hand me the documents, please?"

The secretary grabs a few nondescript papers, along with a fancy fountain pen, and hands it over to the Premier. While this exchange happens, it is noticed that the two briefly touched hands, but the interaction was over before anyone could fully realize what was going on.

Or the Premier hopes.

"Here. Some brief details that you can edit on your own discretion. I am willing to go to far depths to get your aid, King Rodier."

[Annixe Christos]

" Your hairstylist phoned to confirm your appointment for 4pm," Rose Buckley; assistant to President Sylvia Love said, as she handed the President the sorted mail.

Sylvia nodded thanks, her schedule was going to be busy, busy, busy today. A summit was being arranged in the region, between Tesyky, West Phoenicia, Bayerland and Eldrado.
There would be calls of non-aggression pact that she welcomed. Anything to secure her borders and protect the citizens of Annixe Christos. It was a small friendly nation that wasn't a threat to anyone; it deserved to be protected. A non aggression pact with the countries in her vicinity would give Annixe Christos that protection, and Let her sleep peacefully at nights.

Her Department of Foreign Affairs would be issuing their own travel warnings against citizens travelling to Greater Bastion, and New Inglaterra. She had been on the phone last night talking with the Foreign Affairs Minister of West Phoenicia who voiced the continent needed to send a strong message to nations that terrorism was not okay. Countries affected had to reassure the world, their nations were safe to visit. Sylvia agreed Annixe Christos had to stand up in support of the travel restrictions. She prayed Greater Bastion would not issue increased tariffs against her nation.

Her third important piece of business was updating Liam Merry, the new Vice President on everything from policy to protocol. Her former Vice President Emily Nels had been forced to step down after walking away from the Eternal Light faith. It would be a media circus in her office in the next 60 minutes when reporters banged on her door for answers.

The resignation of the Vice sent shockwaves through her devout Cabinet.

There would be a court case. If found guilty her former Vice President may find herself in Judas Fields with the other criminals of society. It could also cause damage to her own reelection bid. Sylvia made a mental note that a hefty donation to the Eternal Light faith would ensure the people she was not an apostate like her former Vice President.

Oh the drama.

[Furbish Islands]

Furby City-Noorderstein High Speed Rail
Northwestern Furby Island
Afternoon, 29 November 2019

Much of Furby Island is covered in dense jungle, nearly untouched by humans since they first arrived on the island a millennium and a half ago. Even with a population of one hundred fifty million people, the majority of the country remains undeveloped. This region is also one of the most biodiverse in the world. Many animals live in the undeveloped Furbish jungle, including many endangered species, and thousands of animals and plants that have not even been discovered by humans. Though Furbish soldiers have searched the entire jungle a century ago, making sure no native tribes were uncontacted and all accepted rule from Furby City, much of the jungle has been untouched since. The sole exception is railroads, which run all over the Furbish jungles, connecting small villages and larger cities to passenger and freight networks. The track is owned by the government, but many companies operate various passenger and cargo routes along the rails. While these railroads have been around for nearly two centuries, newer high speed railroads, where trains travel at the speed of 355 km/h, connecting a several large cities around the country, are being built.

Noorderstein and Furby City are two large coastal cities that are about eight hundred kilometers apart. Furby City is the largest city in the country, and the capital, and sits on the west coast. Noorderstein is located in the north, and is smaller, but still a cultural hub in its area. The two cities are connected by a high speed railroad, which has been in operation for over a decade. Construction on a high speed railroad began in the early 2000s following the passage and signing of the High Speed Rail Act of 2000. It tasked the Ministry of Infrastructure and Department of Railroads with identifying corridors and constructing high speed railroads, to be operated by state owned Ferbieilandse Spoorwegmaatschappij, or FS. Currently a few lines exist, connecting large cities, like Furby City and Bolsrade in the west, Noorderstein and Tauvaki in the north, and Kanton in the south, with more under construction. While these projects were underway, the Ministry was accused of putting high speed railroads above other projects, including a plan to fix much of the Furbish highways, which are infamous for being in a terrible state and riddled with potholes.

While only half as fast as taking a plane between both cities, the high speed railroad has many advantages that make it the preferred mode of travel between the cities. Airports are often built far away from the city center and require another mode of transportation to reach the city center, while trains lead there directly. There is also no security in front of trains, unlike in airports, which are infamous for their long lines. But the main advantage to high speed rail over planes is the inside of the cabins. With a dozen double decker cars, even the economy class seats of FSM trains have plenty of room, comparable to premium economy or even business class on planes, for a lower price. First class tickets on trains have their own rooms. The high speed trains also have cafe, restaurant, and bar cars, with food and drinks prepared on an on board kitchen, and has been rated very highly. The trains also have observation decks on a few cars, where the Furbish wilderness can be seen. But by far one of the most popular amenity is the free high speed internet, provided without interruption by two antennas located on the front and back of the trains.

A curious Furbish jungle cat looked at the fence, and started touching it with its paw. At that moment train sped by, scaring away the cat. When the train was gone, it walked back to the fence. These tracks and their ability to split up ecosystems has not gone unnoticed. This caused numerous green bridges to be built over the track, one of which was very close to the cat. But the train continued speeding by, with no one on board noticing the cat it just drove past. The train is making a trip between the cities of Noorderstein and Furby City. In the front of the train, in one first class seat, sat Prime Minister Thomas Norup, who was returning from a campaign rally at the city. He did not bother to observe the jungle from his window, instead scrolling through news on his phone. He got his news from a variety of major sources, including several major Furbish news organizations, and a few foreign ones. There was usually a variety of articles focusing on different events, but today they were all focused on only three.

Yesterday, the 28th of November, two unrelated terrorist attacks happened, in two different nations. New Inglaterra has been becoming more unstable since conquering some land to its north. A new extremely controversial far right party, the Centralists, was emerging, which caused numerous Furbish officials, including Norup himself, to be concerned, especially with elections in the country soon, and their growing support according to the polls. Yesterday, a bomb went off in New Inglaterra, and the Centralists were blamed for it. On the same day, in Greater Bastion, a bomb went off during a parade in the country, followed by terrorists coming out of nowhere and opening fire on the civilians watching, before promptly being driven back. It is believed that the terrorists came from the Holy Rhinish Islands, a neighbor with a territorial dispute with Greater Bastion. Then today, in Bayerland, numerous car bombs went off, followed by more terrorists appearing and opening fire. A man reportedly shouted “Long live Alemberg and her sons!” before he fired upon some crowds.

Norup looked away from his phone after reading some of the articles, and into the window next to his seat. Glimpses animals could be seen in the jungle as the train bolted past them. It went at a speed of nearly a hundred meters per second, and the fence is the only thing stopping the railroad from being littered with animal carcasses. While Norup knew the three terrorist attacks were unrelated, something seemed off about their timing. Never have two major terrorist attacks happened in two days, nevermind a third. Norup looked back down at his phone. All the news was about the attacks, but there has been some more. In Gagium, a group of twenty serfs have escaped, but eighteen of them have been apprehended, and two who so far managed to avoid authorities. Many Furbish citizens and government officials voiced their support for the serfs and their attempt to escape slave like conditions. The strongest voices of support came from southern Furby Island, which was practically built on slavery. The practice was abolished in the early 1870s, and currently nearly all residents are descendants of former slaves.

Norup closed the news and decided to check out how social media was responding to these attacks. Immediately after opening one site he saw some strong words directed at Gagium from many government officials, mostly Members of Parliament from all over Furby Island, but mostly the south. While the modern feudalism practiced in Gagium was known, the recent escape by twenty serfs has put it back in the attention of the Furbish people, and more than ever are taking to social media their opposition to it, and more than ever are informed of it happening to begin with. But yesterday and today discussions about the two terrorist attacks began. While the Holy Rhinish Islands and Centralists were only the suspected attackers in their respective attacks, to the people on social media this was already a fact, and any opposition was met with a whole swarm of insults. Norup has seen this social media mob at work many times before, fueled by the way people act and the social media cites’ algorithms designed to take advantage of them.

There was a few posts that wanted Norup to comment on all of the events that unfolded yesterday and today. A few of them referenced that he was on a train reading them, and another post gave the exact train, car, and seat which he sat on. This did not take Norup by surprise, because as with any well known person he is going to be recognized anywhere he goes and there are many people who want to find out where he is. Whoever first found the Prime Minister on that train may have spotted him boarding back in Noorderstein, or saw him from his window in one of the other stations. That person may have been waiting near the station for a different train, or be sitting somewhere on the train where Norup sat. But Norup did not know or really care when and where he was found, as long as there were not people who were extremely desperate to talk to him, and would go at great lengths to do so, ranging from impolite to illegal.

The social media platform Norup was using is a Furbish based site called Tjilpen. The website is based in northern Furby Island, in a region nicknamed Silicon River, due to all the technology companies that were based in the area. Tjilpen was created over a decade ago, and now has millions of accounts worldwide. Many are ordinary citizens, posting about events in their lives, but many celebrities and politicians have accounts as well, often commenting on world events and causing large arguments among the rest of the people in every post they write. Tjilpen limits posts to two hundred eighty characters, though posts are allowed to be linked together in threads. People may like and comment on posts, and repost them to their own accounts, with or without an additional comment to it. The site also lets people follow certain users, usually peoples’ friends, or celebrities and politicians they want to keep track of, or accounts representing groups, like sports teams. Norup himself has a few million followers, mostly from within Furby Island, as well as some foreign nationals.

Norup began typing up a post about the three recent attacks. He carefully thought it through, proofread it, then hit the send button. Somewhere on the train, there probably may have been a whistling sound the site makes whenever a person posts.

I am appalled by the terrorist attacks committed in New Inglaterra and Greater Bastion yesterday, and in Prussia-Poland today. No matter what the terrorists were trying to accomplish, violence is never the answer. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of these attacks.

[Greater Bastion]

I am appalled by the terrorist attacks committed in New Inglaterra and Greater Bastion yesterday, and in Prussia-Poland today. No matter what the terrorists were trying to accomplish, violence is never the answer. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of these attacks.

Minister Henry Conroy, after receiving notice of this message sent through this foreign website, had decided to create his own profile on the lesser known social media service. Carefully and thoughtfully crafting his first ever message on the foreign site, he decided to write:

@PMNorup What the hell are you talking about? Thoughts and prayers don't help, you idiot. This religious fervor needs to be quelled, and in doing so, maybe terrorism will actually be curbed. After all, that's what we're doing and not you. And we don't believe in your religious superstitions. Think before you tweet next time, eh?

After sending the tweet, he thinks that he may regret sparking an internet war. But then again, he likes war. Although this would be just a war of words, it's better than nothing.

[Fluvannia]

From the desk of Paulos Dimitrios, Fluvannian Minister of Foreign Affairs

TO: His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince

Monday, December 2nd, 2019

Your Highness,

It has come to the attention of the Foreign Affairs Ministry that the Federated Principality's borders with neighboring states, though long-defined as a matter of custom, have never truly been defined in law, and as such the borders of our union are essentially held in place by nothing other than our own restraint and that of our neighbors. While we enjoy good relations with some, the border with those with whom we share little contact is less able to be trusted.

That being the case, I have taken the initiative on the issue and shall immediately contact my counterparts in the governments of Scotia, New Waldensia, Alenberg, and Bayerland regarding the establishment of defined borders, bilateral survey committees, and the handling of any slight discrepancies that may arise.

Faithfully Yours, etc.,
(signed)

Dimitrios

[Gagium]

Snip

Greater Bastion

After hearing what the Premier had to say, King Rodier gave a soft exhale before glancing at the premier and then at a slightly-visible piece of paper, and then at the alliance plans. After a quiet cough, he said, "Huh, you sure had this figured out, Mr. Premier. I can speak for my nation when I say that a defensive and economic pact would be mutually beneficial, if not a full blown military alliance if you so desire..The world is a dangerous place these days. Hundreds of people have discovered that the hard way recently..unfortunate tragedies. It's unfortunately not as simple as sending the army in to destroy any terrorists, though..Back to the topic, right. We'll have to send any proposed treaty to the legislature for ratification, though I'm sure our legislators will see a benefit in this alliance..Ah, one more thing though."

The King looked at his piece of paper before continuing. "Your nation has a space program, no? From what I've been informed, a quite formidable and well-funded one at that..Could you enlighten me moreso on the current progress of it? I believe we could arrange for a few joint missions and launches in the future to strengthen cooperation and ties.." Rodier slid a look towards the Diplomat to Greater Bastion, who gave a nod and a faint smile.

Fort Isle, Gagium

Fort Isle was the southernmost landmass of Gagium, being a rather small-ish island lying on at around 25 degrees latitude. Fort Island sheltered a relatively untouched tropical savanna climate, still being home to several species of tropical reptile and bird species. Small coastal towns dotted the rather smooth coastline of the Isle, with the most notable feature from the coast being the hill that the Fort sat upon. The Fort was built during the early 1800s to maintain a stronghold in the mid of the Stratean continent whole bolstering the Gagiumish navy, later becoming one of the last coastal forts to be decommissioned in the 1900s. After the decommissioning of the Fort, the small island again became relatively quiet, only serving as a small tropical resort for the wealthier nobility in society. With the island's bulkier military presence and associated industries gone, the residents of the island decided to keep the Fort maintained but bring down and sell any other sign of the military's previous ventures on the isle. Near the Fort, wildlife once again reigned supreme.

This all changed with the 1963 United Space Commission Act, which founded the Gagiumish Space Commission, the nation's first official space program. The GSC's mission goal from the 1963 act is to 'Pave a way through the heavens to a brighter future'. However, the newly-created Gagiumish Space Commission lacked a permanent launch station that could launch rockets into space on a regular basis, resulting in the GSC granting several commercial contracts to begin construction on a space launch center on Fort Isle. With billions of dollars coming into the island for the construction of this launch center, the island was once again rejuvenated, and the Fort Isle Launch Complex was completed in 1968, allowing for rocket launches to occur. In 1981, a small lunar rover was landed onto the surface of the Moon, and continued to operate for two months before being decommissioned after transmission stopped. The launch site also launched the small Amethyst I space station in 1983, which orbited the planet for four years and hosting 5 crews of 3 people before it re-entered the atmosphere in 1988.

Today, Fort Isle Launch Complex is still one of the largest and most used space launch sites on the face of the planet, but it's increasingly becoming rivaled in both size and mission capacity by other facilities across the world. Though the last manned launch was made relatively recently in 2018, there is talk of reviving the GSC and getting a man to the moon in the early 2020s. The GSC's reusable Hyperion spacecraft, capable of carrying up to 6 astronauts into space, has been used since 2003 for manned missions, with 18 manned launches since its inauguration into the program.

Today, however, a rather mundane launch for a communications satellite would take place at around three in the afternoon. No problems occurred after launch, and the satellite was in orbit ready for use within hours.

[Furbish Islands]

Noorderstein, Furby Island
Morning, 3 December 2019

Noordelijk Energiebedrijf was formed from a merger of multiple electricity companies, and now provides electricity to millions of homes in northern Furby Island. However, the company is currently facing some hard times, due to more people preferring renewable energy. The company only runs fossil fuel power plants, which does not help, especially with rising prices from its suppliers. The current CEO, Paul Doyle, had a plan to have his company continue making more money, though only in the short term. All the news going around about twenty serfs who escaped in Gagium made him realize that cheaper oil can be found there. Taking costs of transportation into account, it would still be cheaper than Furbish oil, and by a wide margin. The main concerns about the plan were that it may not hold up in the long term, with more Furbish government support going to renewable sources of energy, and a nationwide push to open more nuclear power plants. There was also the concern about how ethical this idea is, by making money at the expense of people working in slave like conditions abroad.

Doyle planned a meeting to discuss his plan with other executives of his company, then make a deal with a Gagiumish oil company and a Furbish shipping company, and present the deals to the board of directors. Doyle lives in a large apartment in central Noorderstein, which is still powered by his company, many buildings that are are making the switch to solar power. The company is based in a different part of the city, but fortunately for Doyle, both his apartment and the company headquarters are just across the street from tram stops, from the same line. Doyle walked out of his house just in time for an inbound tram to arrive. He tapped his card then took a seat. Being before rush hour, the seats were not folded up yet. The tram sped along the tracks in its own right of way, while beside it the thin roads of Noorderstein were already full of gridlocked traffic. After a few stops, Doyle walked out of the tram. He crossed the street and entered the company headquarters, not bothering walking to the nearby crosswalk and waiting for the pedestrian signal.

Doyle walked into the building, pressed the button to call an elevator, rode it to one of the top floors, walked down the corridor, and into a meeting room. The company’s COO, Jensen Richards, and CFO, Eliot Gibson, were both sitting at the table, waiting for him. “Good morning, Paul.” said Richards. “Good morning.” replied Doyle. He grabbed a seat near him and sat down. He did have a presentation prepared for them, that was for the board of directors. The three men sat at a large table, meant for a group larger than just them. To one side were large windows which overlooked the Noorderstein skyline. To the other there were only plain walls, without any decorations. A single door lead to this room, from a corridor that went around the entire floor. This floor is the top floor of several which was reserved by the company. The floor above is the top floor of the building, and is owned by a restaurant. There is another restaurant on the first floor of the building, which is where Doyle intends to meet with a Gagiumish oil CEO later that day.

“As you know, oil prices are rising, and so are our electricity prices,” began Doyle, “Furbish oil workers are expensive. With all this government mandated vacation time and employee benefits, and them demanding higher and higher salaries, the companies don’t really have any other choice but raising prices. Our supplier told me that their oil is at the lowest price they can sell it at.” Doyle paused. “It’s understandable that they would want good salaries. Oil drilling is a pretty high risk job.” said Richards. “I was not arguing against that,” replied Doyle, “But many people are switching to renewables, some because they are good for the environment, but now they are the cheaper option too. Not to mention nuclear power. Many people claim it is the best source of energy, and a growing amount are supporting the construction of new plants.”

“It sounds like we should invest in these sources in the long term, because there is no way we are going to survive by being fossil fuels only.” said Richards.

“I’ve ran the calculations. If oil prices continue rising at their current rate, we’re going to need to invest way more money to get plants with alternative sources running, money that we don’t even have.” Doyle took a paper out of his briefcase and showed it to Gibson and Richards.

“I can’t disagree with your calculations here.” said Gibson, “but what is your proposed solution?”

“Gagium has been in the news lately.”, said Doyle, “I believe both of you are aware of the twenty serfs who escaped a week ago?” The two men nodded, and Doyle continued, “These oil companies, running wells with unpaid serfs, who have been described as slaves. That may be a good source of cheap oil.”

“I see two problems with your idea.” said Gibson.

“What are they?”

“First off it is only a short term solution. We can’t be reliant on oil forever. Think of the long term.”

“I see where you are coming from, and understand your concerns. But there will be no long term if we continue the status quo. This may only be short term if we build more nuclear power plants, with more money that we have. Is there any other concerns both of you have?”

“Well of course there’s the elephant in the room.”

“What do you mean?”

Richards and Gibson looked at each other, then at Doyle as if something was wrong with him. “Well you see,” said Richards, “We are essentially profiting at the expense of others, and given the social media storm that the recent escape has caused, we are not going to be the most popular company if anyone finds out,”

“Relax”, replied Doyle, “Nobody will find out if we are smart with our prices. And if we do get negative press, often times the people don’t decide, it’s the landlords that do. And they will prefer prices.”

The two men seemed unconvinced, but Doyle managed to get them to agree with his plan. Doyle exited the meeting room and walked down the corridor. The Gagiumish CEO should be arriving soon, and then they can discuss the deal. A Furbish shipping company will be involved, and Doyle was in contact with one. He went inside the elevator and pressed the button to go to ground floor. The elevator began going down the shaft, while Doyle calmly stood to the side, holding his briefcase. A few other people entered the elevator, at his floor and some others, and after that the elevator began its descent downwards. Falling from a high altitude so quickly, Doyle’s ears began to pop, which he was used to by this point with the amount of trips he made up and down that elevator. A few seconds later the display changed to say “ground floor”. Doyle and the other people exited. He stepped outside, waiting for the Gagiumish CEO to arrive so they can discuss the deal.

Doyle hoped to make a deal with Todd Feryle, the CEO of the Yulico Oil Corporation, a Gagium based oil company. From Doyle’s research, the Yulico corporation seemed like the best candidate of the options that were available. The two men sat down at the restaurant, ordered some food, and began discussing. "Good afternoon, Mr. Feryle, I'm glad you made it.", began Doyle.

“Thank you, and good afternoon indeed. That aside, I believe we have business to discuss..care to outline your proposal?” replied Feryle.

"My company, Noordelijk Energiebedrijf, provides cheap electricity to millions of homes in the north of this country, this city included. My proposal is to purchase your company's oil and have it be shipped to this city or other nearby ports, where it can be used in our power plants to continue providing cheap electricity."

"Excellent, we can certainly provide your oil that you so desire."

"I thank you for that. And at what port should our oil tanker be sent to?"

"Our company will have the oil ready at our refinery in Lochen"

(OOC: last part co-written with Gagium)

[Holy Rhinish Islands]

la wanst karidaron, kngab pmagin la pmii, December 4, 2019

The first Rhinish polls were taken today, in advance for the December 15 Parliamentary/Presidential Elections. The rather unusual two party system of the Holy Rhinish Islands would split the nation into two halves politically, with the Greater Bastion backed Peace Party and the New Inglaterra backed Nationalist Party fighting neck and neck in the polls. In the northern regions, the Peace Party would sway a majority of voters, as well as about half in the cities of la wanst karidaron and la karidaron. Meanwhile, the Southernmost islands would have their votes toward the Nationalists. Voters from the Special Administrative Region would be more swayed towards the Nationalist Party because of the Rhinish Nationalism in those areas. Poll results are shown below.

(OOC: Link cuz NS doesn't want me to post something over 1800 px high/wide)

Here are the seating arrangements if these polls were to be final:

NATIONALIST PARTY - Yona Poso - 48 Seats, Deputy Leader takes over due to loss of Seat.
PEACE PARTY - Jami Madok - 35 Seats, Leader becomes Leader of Opposition.
TOSS-UP - 17 seats

The Nationalist Party needs 3 more seats in order to win the election, and for the Peace Party to win, they would need to collect 16 seats, and keeping all of their own. This election could still go either way, with more seats being contested than the difference between the two parties. However, the majority of the contested seats are in the Central area of the nation, which has a tendency to vote Nationalist. Madok and Poso are both going to have to plead to around 20 seats; 17 being less than a 0.5% gap and 3 being less than a 1% gap. Luckily for Poso, none of those seats belong to her, and she only needs 3 seats to win and keeping her lead in her other 48. On top of those 20, a total of 33 seats have a gap less than 5%, meaning that over a third of the Rhinish districts could possibly flip in this election from Poll 1 to December 15th. The elections are only 10 days away in the Rhinish time (FCN+3), which is not a lot of time for the candidates and parties to get campaigning. We'll see what happens next.

[Eldrado]

Current Events

Eldrado has been in a time of great cheer and happiness.  A new King (King Mihael V of House Ion Maier) was appointed by the Casa de Voiavods (House of Lords, the senate), succeeding his aged great-uncle, King Aleksander.  This is a sacred and important time for patriotic Eldradonians as it respects and upholds the tradition and role of the monarchy ever since the Second Unification of 1550.  The event remembers the sacrifices and the achievements of the architects of the union of the four competing states.  It is both a day of joy and solemn remembrance.  In such a modern world that largely values democracy and freedom, the presence of the monarchy could seem unimportant or even backward.  However, for Eldrado, the monarchy was the governing body that allowed for the liberal ideals of democracy and freedom of the individual to grow by restricting its own governing power, placing limits on the monarch (no man holds ultimate power in Eldrado, limits on veto and law-making, bound withing constitutional legislation, is elected by both the Casa De Voiavods and the Casa De Popor), and ending a centuries-long division.  After the formal inauguration ceremony performed by Eldradonian Church and televised nationwide.  The brightly coloured flag (Red, White, Blue, and Yellow) can be seen everywhere, the country is in a patriotic fervour.  A 1-week vacation is customary to celebrate this event so plenty of citizens crowd the street to see their new King's procession.  However, in light of recent terror attacks and global distress (Bayerland, New Inglaterra, and Greater Bastion), there is a strong military presence.  
The young King Mihael gives his first speech in the Great Plaza of Eden, Eldrado’s capital city.  The summer air (because I am positioned where Australia is so I assume it is summer) was crisp and the blue Rohinian Ocean glimmered proudly.

“Fellow Eldradonians!  Today we celebrate the nation!  We celebrate our history!  We celebrate our hard work and achievements which have made Eldrado famous!  Time has shown that our unity brings us courage and through courage we get strength.  I am honoured to be your King and I shall always serve you, the sons and daughters of Eldrado!  Our peaceful and prosperous time is will be maintained and I hope that together we will continue to achieve greatness!  We must also remember the monumental sacrifices and the bravery it took to join our fighting ancestors and the people that continue to keep Eldrado safe and free.  We owe our individual freedoms and rights to them!  We owe our country to them!  Never forget!  Strength as one, strength together!!!"
When a new monarch takes the throne, customary renewals of treaties and pacts are sent to Tesyky, Bayerland, West Phoenecia, Annixe Christos (The countries of the continent of Galia), and to the rest of the nations of the world as a show of goodwill and friendship (dignitaries are sent to all nations except New Inglaterra due to the danger... a message is sent to the wartorn nation inviting dignitaries of the surviving government and the rebelling group to discuss and possibly mediate a conversation in the hopes of establishing peace).  Prime Minister Ion Arges and King Mihael offer their deepest sympathies to the countries who suffered under the deplorable acts of terrorism and all forms of terrorism are denounced officially.  The situation in New Inglaterra is particularly worrying as well and Eldrado will keep its eyes peeled in the days to come.  

[Greater Bastion]

The King looked at his piece of paper before continuing. "Your nation has a space program, no? From what I've been informed, a quite formidable and well-funded one at that..Could you enlighten me moreso on the current progress of it? I believe we could arrange for a few joint missions and launches in the future to strengthen cooperation and ties.." Rodier slid a look towards the Diplomat to Greater Bastion, who gave a nod and a faint smile.

"Heh, well, I suppose in our newfound friendship, I can give certain confidential details on our program." He nods to Joy, who takes out even more documents. "I hope these will suffice. Oh, and yes, we came prepared for whatever could be needed, so if there is anything else you'd wish to know, feel free to act upon your curiosity." He smiles towards the King.

Handing over the documents, the King can see details on advanced rocketry research, satellite locations, and the like. From what Rodier can tell, the Bastonian satellite network is robust, and very secure. However, only the satellite coverage over Bastion itself is given. Other satellites, not in Bastion, are marked in black ink. There are plans for a large Bastonian space station that would serve as a gateway to further space endeavors, but the rockets and satellites are still being developed.

"I do believe we have plans for a new space station. We were considering that Bastonian only, but seeing our future partnership, I can expand operations into Gagium as well. But these efforts will remain between our nations, I do not wish for other... potentially hostile nations to obtain access. I'm sure you understand."

---

Elsewhere

A blackened puff of cigar smoke distorts his view. Wafting it out of the way, slightly coughing all the while, he pats his belt to make sure it's still there. "Can you stop smoking in front of me? Damn, it's killing my lungs just as fast as yours."

Looking over, he sees the tall, disgruntled man in a blackened leather jacket patting his own belt. "Sorry, boss. Bad 'abit of mine." He discards his cigar with a flick of the wrist, and begins the trek down to the tram station.

Following close behind, Lohr finally starts to feel the adrenaline kick in. Looking down at his hands, he notices them slightly shaking in the cold air. "Shit." He whispers to himself. "I hope I keep my nerves and go through with it." But for him, it doesn't matter. The Republican Squadron is on his tail, and he needs to have a final bang before being put away. That's the problem with being a so-called "radical" autocrat. No protection by the moderates, and he's able to be hunted down and "contained."

He sighs. This walk from the car park to the tram was unbelievably long, the path running and winding through a boreal forest. Luckily, after what seemed to be thirty or more minutes of walking in silence, the trees peel off and the outskirts of the nearly rundown and rusty tram is seen.

"See, up ahead? Steier, this is exactly why the Republic needs to be destroyed. The politicians in the MilBur of Administration appeal to the foreign bigwigs and domestic fat cats. The autocracy actually cared about the people and the strength of the domicile. It didn't have some... corrupt mentality of money and thievery. The Republic let this tram degrade and fall apart, since it doesn't appeal to the businessmen and wealthy donors. Shameful. Utterly shameful." It was clear from the raising of his voice that he was becoming heated in the moment. He stopped his spiel and saved his breath.

"Whatev'a ya say, boss. I'm just here for the paycheck. You needed muscle, and I was available." Right. Part of the problem, Lohr thought. But his help would be needed more than finding an ideologically-compatible partner. Lohr began to speak up, but stopped himself short.

"We're pretty much here. Just follow my lead, Steier." A faint, "You got it boss" is heard.

Walking up to the tram, they register their tickets and get on board. An obviously bored and tired sounding train driver greets them: "Welcome to... Silverman Lines. Enjoy your... travels."

The two men sit opposite each other, jerking as the tram comes to life. "Soon, Steier, soon." The hired muscle just nods.

The tram stops at a few more locations, picking up almost an entire cab of people. This was their time to strike.

"Alright, it's time. Remember, don't use our real names." Lohr was used to taking extra precautions, so he ensured they had codenames.

"Yes, sir, boss man. I'll just follow ya lead." Lohr stands, and pulls out a B1912 pistol, and Steier pulls out a more recent Slock B22. Lohr begins his spiel, but with renewed purpose:

"Men and women of Greater Bastion, of the provinces of Bastonia, Wesserland, Easserland, New Crierman,and more, hear my plea!
My plea for remembrance! For collectivism! For family and future! For the Autocracy!
I plea for a renewed uprising! Our time has finally come, komrades! Join me, and dump your precious valuables out the tram window into the lake below.
Create a new, better life for yourself! Join the Autocrats, and with us, a return to a better time is upon us!"

No one moved.

Other than the tram, everything onboard was silently still.

Lohr sighs. "Well, it seems like I'll do this the hard way. Red, make sure the tram driver is... loyal, yeah?"

"Got it boss."

"Now..." Lohr points his pistol at the tram ceiling and fires. The people on board scream, and a small child, maybe 5 years old, begins bawling her eyes out.

"Shit... Look what y'all made me do. Now, empty your belongings into the sea below us or I'll do it again."

Every person moves to dump their belongings, but while this was happening, Steier came out of the drivers' cabin. "Uh, boss, we have a problem."

"What is it now?" Fuck. It's over, isn't it?

"Boss, the Squadron followed us. It was a trap. The tram line was rigged with explosives, and we have maybe... 25 seconds before we all go kaboom." Well, smooth sailing, huh?

Lohr makes a split second decision. "Steier, we can't both get out of here. If the tram stops, we both get arrested. I'll stop the tram, and you jump out. I'll give you some time to escape." What the hell was he thinking? He's not a hero, damn it.

"Well, I won't pass an opportunity like that. Thanks, boss."

Yeah. This went well, didn't it?

---

Back to the Regular Programming

"So, we have everything sorted out. I do, indeed, believe that you have saved my regime. Thank you, King Rodier. You will have my eternal thanks."

Looking over at Joy, the Premier quickly looks her up and down before standing. "I apologize, I have some surprisingly urgent news to take care of. Please, feel free to continue negotiations with my secretary. She's more than competent. But if you believe that will be all, then so be it." He quickly walks off, and a man with dark shades and a dark suit is seen approaching Eckard as soon as he walks outside of the room.

Joy looks over at the King and his diplomat. "Well? Do you have any questions?"

[Fluvannia]

DIVISION STREET JOURNAL

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

1 Mark

AUTOMAKER CELEBRATES MILESTONE

SCOTTSVILLE -- Windmotor celebrated a milestone today with the fifteen-millionth Lynx hatchback produced. The Lynx, originally introduced in 1985, has seen successive updates to its powertrain over the years (most notably with the introduction of the range-extended hybrid in 2006) but the timeless styling has proven eternally popular with motorists both in Fluvannia and abroad. Static national safety standards have allowed the vehicle to retain its shape, which remains surprisingly aerodynamic even now. The Lynx hatchback shares its platform with the Venta sedan, itself nearing the twelve-million-units mark. Other offerings from the manufacturer date back even further, including the Jackrabbit compact pickup truck, the entry-luxury Torino touring coupe, the Minibus, and the venerable "Bubble" itself, the original Windmotor Type 1.


A Windmotor Lynx makes its way down the assembly line at the New Stanton Assembly.

"It's a testament to Windmotor's ability to create designs that improve constantly while maintaining their character," said WM CEO Ivan Hirst. "We don't just change things for the sake of change. The public has made it clear they value that degree of continuity." Hirst's claim has merit; under his leadership, the firm regained its spot as the nation's best-selling brand in 2006, after spending a dozen years in second place to Sudatsuyo. In addition to the Windmotor brand, the company also produces the Ostblock line of ultra-inexpensive vehicles.

[New Inglaterra]

Election Day, December 4th, 2019
The day that has been dreaded has finally come.

Election Day (Confederate News Corporation Article)

Today, Confederates all around the country marched in droves to the polls.

What was up for election? Well first, the legislature, known as the Convention of the States, consisting of a Popular Assembly and a Senate.

The Popular Assembly had 290 members. Each of the nine states receives 10 representatives and the remaining 200 are apportioned by population, each serving up to three consecutive five year terms. The Popular Assembly’s electoral results were as follows:
144 Centralists (+124)
73 National Democrats (-104)
58 Federalists (-16)
15 Populists (-4)

The Senate had 45 members. Each of the nine states receives up to five members to be in their delegation, but each state only has one vote, delegations vote as a unit in most cases. Senators are our elder statesmen, being former Consuls, Censors, or state Governors, and each serves for twenty years. Senators are not elected, but are chosen by our state legislatures, and serve as a check on the Popular Assembly. They cannot totally block legislation except in extraordinary situations, but may delay it.

Four delegations had National Democratic majorities, Hanover, New Hastings, Beaux Terrains, and Arcadia, down from five for the 2015-2020 term.
Three delegations had Centralist majorities, East Charlotte, West Charlotte , and Cranmer, up from one delegation in the 2015-2020 term.
Two delegations had Federalist majorities, Sainte Vierge and Nouvelle Burgundy, down from three for the 2015-2020 term.

The membership composition was:
23 National Democrats (-2)
11 Federalists (-3)
9 Centralists (+6)
2 Populists (-1)


And of course there are the Censors. Each state elects one Censor, who sit on the Censoral Tribune. The Censor’s have some executive power, but their most significant is providing a check on the Consul, in a way much like the Senate’s influence on the Popular Assembly.

Their most significant power? Choosing the Consul. The Censors can serve up to five five year terms. The new composition is:

• Ronald “Red” Rivers, Centralist from West Charlotte (reelected for a third term)
• Julia Livingston, Centralist from Cranmer (newly elected)
• Hannah Black, Centralist from Hanover (newly elected)
• Joseph Savoy, Centralist from New Hastings (reelected for a second term)
• Charles Goodman, National Democrat from East Charlotte (reelected for a third term)
• Jean Luc Follete, National Democrat from Arcadia (reelected for a second term)
• Emmanuel Gudreau, National Democrat from Beaux Terrains (reelected for a fifth term)
• Andrea Boucher, Federalist from Sainte Vierge (newly elected)
• Achille Caron, Federalists from Nouvelle Burgundy (reelected for a second term)

It has been announced that the National Democrats and Federalists will cooperate and select Emmanuel Gudreau of Beaux Terrains for the position of Consul, and that Consul-Elect Gudreau will likely select Charles Goodman to be his Presiding Officer, who chairs the Censoral Tribune and is the Consul’s immediate successor. This would put Centralist Censor Rivers as the third in line for the Consulship. Consul-Elect Gudreau has said that he will appoint Representative Damien Valls to be his replacement as Censor from Beaux Terrains.

The official vote for the Consul will be tomorrow, and inauguration will be January 1st.

---

The election was over. Rivers knew as such.

Of course there were other ways to gain power. He was third in line. An unfortunate accident would thrust the Consulship onto him, after all.

[Gagium]

Snip

Greater Bastion

King Rodier wasn’t sure whether to be amused or confused by the Premier’s preparedness and on-hand documents regarding the nation’s space program..The meeting certainly seemed like it was a success though. He figured that Premier Eckard was indeed a desperate man, and yet Rodier liked the guy as a person so far. The King and his diplomatic staff were ready to indulge the Premier on more possible agreements and stipulations of a deal, until he suddenly left and had the King, ruler of the great United Commonwealths of Gagium, to negotiate with a secretary.

Giving a slightly smile, Rodier remarked, “No. I believe that the meeting has been very productive and beneficial to both of our countries in the long term, but I would like to seek our legislature’s thoughts on the matter to continue further negotiations. This meeting can be wrapped up now.”

December 4, 2019
Gagium

Many in Gagium (and especially within the government) watched the results of the New Inglaterran elections closely, their nation possssing the fifth largest economy in the world after all. The Centralists seemed to make massive gains in the elections, gaining numerous seats in the Confederacy’s legislature and electing new Censors. While there were plenty of centrists in the nation who condemned the Centralists as being radical extremists or other this or that, the inner Gagiumish government was pleased with the gains made by their beneficiaries..

[Greater Bastion]

Law of the Land

The Premier

About 24 hours ago, while the Premier was in negotiations with his now good friend King Rodier, he received a transmission from his hidden earpiece.

"Mr. Premier, we have another terrorist attack on our hands. Need urgent action."

Just when things were looking up, he thought. Well, nothing can be perfect, can it? He excused himself from the meeting with King Rodier and, upon leaving the room, met with a secret service agent who briefed him.

"Sir, there was an incident on a rural tram line not 30 minutes ago. A young man was apprehended on lines of threatening the public and anti-government actions, however a skirmish broke out and the man was executed. He was barely 19 years old. Following this, many Autocrat terrorist groups openly rebelled and resisted government actions against the tram line incident."

Well, shit. That's a lot of info to take in. Eckard realizes that, unless drastic action is taken, the situation will spiral out of control. He puts his finger up to his ear and orders the Minister of War and Defense to initiate the Conroy Protocol.

---

The Minister

Henry Conroy gladly accepted. Putting on his soldier uniform from back in the day, he tidied his look, slicked back his hair, cleaned his glasses and medals, and trimmed his beard.

Leaving his villa, he drives down to his personal speech stadium in his flashy sports car. Stepping out, he sees an already enormous crowd, flashing him with pictures being taken. Putting on his devilish smile, he walks through the back entrance, and eventually finds his way on stage.

"Dear my ladies and gentlemen of Greater Bastion..."

He stationed soldiers behind, in the shadows, ready to move in once the announcement was made.

"Following the recent events throughout our glorious nation..."

If anyone even dared to boo him...

"And the rampant terrorism made apparent by recent actions..."

The time for greater power has arrived!

"I officially declare martial law throughout every province of Greater Bastion. Elections will be suspended until the tensions are resolved. I will be the martial governor of Bastonia, with the Premier ruling all of the martial governors."

He grins.

"That will be all. Dismissed."

---

The Secretary

"I apologize for the Premier running off so urgently. He... had business to attend to. Now, if that's all you wish to discuss, I would advise you leave now or stay in Bastion for a few more days, so we can offer you proper safe travels. It's your choice, and no matter what, we will ensure your utter safety in this time of crisis."

She cleans her papers and documents, then closes her briefcase.

"And, don't try to leak any information we gave. The Premier is not a push over, trust me. Any information he gave, he gave with the knowledge that you are trustworthy, and I hope he's correct. In any case, the truly important information is still classified, so anything he gave wasn't too important."

She checks her watch. "Well? I can escort you to your transport, or I can escort you to your given rooms. Or you can go your merry way, I suppose."

[Tesyky]

The Grand Assembly, Central Puzin, West Tesyky, Tesyky 5rd of November

Over the last couple of days preparations have been made for the upcoming summit, newly named the Galia Summit (Originality is not commonly used word in Tesyky) The Goal of it being to bring unity to the continent, and to stop the rampart rise of terrorism from spreading to the continent, as with the Sheepshead Bay Incident clearly shows. Such as the creation of a Galia-Frigo Canal, they would open movement of ships around Frigo and Galia and drastically decrease travel times around the south of the continent and open it up to trade, it would affect the nations of Eldrado and Annixe Christos. Another point of discussion is the signing of “good-will pacts” The idea that lead to the summit’s creation, the idea first came from West Phoenicia. So far, the following Schedule has been made:

7th: Delegates arrive, any opening matters discussed, canal plan first revealed

8th: Security meeting and good will agreements signed

9th: Delegate Leave or summit continued if needed

10th Delegates leave if the summit was continued

The Atmosphere is Puzin was that of building suspense, it had been years since foreign delegations had gone to Puzin, let alone a summit being held there. The First Tesykyain armored division and the 7th Infantry had been called in not just for both parade duty and Demonstration of military might, but also for security. The Grand assembly was being used for the Summit and was having small design changes to account for foreign representatives, and their flags had been risen outside the assembly. A local apartment block usually used for regional leader staying in the capital received an overall to make both room for all the delegates and to fit their needs.

The Director himself had spent his time making phone calls to all sections of the Tesykain government, from military to transport. However, towards the end if the day he took some time to respond to world events. The election in New Inglaterra had come the day before and it seemed there were little report of violence and uprising. “Somewhat surprising given the context but let’s hope the future may continue to be as peaceful, given the rise in violence over the last weeks.” The declaration of martial law and suspension of election after a teenager shooting up a tram in Greater Bastion was very worrying, with the autocrats and the nation past taken into context. “Let’s hope they keep it together better then New Inglaterra has so far”

After Leonid had gone over the plans for the summit the 14th time and had started the planning of his speech, he received the final call of the day, from the Honurable General Lavrov.

“We have taken care of everything; we won’t have any problems from them at the summit” Leonid knew better to ask into the details

“And operation Red dawn?” After a short pause his old friend on the over side of the line continued

On hold, given recent events you should know why, but we are ready to proceed when ordered”

“Good, I will phone after the summit, you and I both know this is risky, but it’s for the greater good.”

[West Phoenicia]

December 4th,

West Phoenicia was in a day of mourning. The date had been set aside since 1992 when Queen Juno Gryphon-Bush had died. Murdered by poison mushroom by her second eldest daughter Princess Jezebel, or so the rumours whispered. While it was a known fact, it was never proven as a post tem by the royal doctor had been postponed due to the civil war that thrust itself into the nation when Queen Juno's husband Thaddeus Gryphon-Bush was supposed to abdicate choose not to and instead had his lawyers declare the children of Queen Juno and her first husband illegitimate and stripping their right to inherit the throne.
Queen Juno's two eldest daughter's Princesses Aphrilis and Jezebel and their supporters waged a war to inherit the throne, their birthright that was written into the West Phoenician Rules of Succession.
What ensued was the 5th West Phoenician Civil War that lasted from 1993 to 1997, followed by the 6th West Phoenician Civil War that lasted from 2008 to 2010 and started due to citizens unhappy with the rule of Queen Jezebel backed Thaddeus Gryphon-Bush and his supporters to reclaim the throne.

During the 5th West Phoenician Civil War, citizens petitioned Most High Reverend Darius Mckay, head of the True Path Faith, the nation's official religion to canonize Queen Juno as a saint. December 4th, the day of her death was set aside as the date of observation.

The day was set aside as a day of mourning, all government buildings had their flags at half mast. The True Path faithful would attend a St Juno's special service at their nearest church. Citizens would offer flowers to the statues of Queen Juno. Mothers would ask her to bless their children and newly married couples would seek her blessings for a strong marriage.
Many wore black the symbol of mourning or black armbands throughout the day. Come sundown the mourning clothes would be removed and families would come together for a family meal and invite those in the community who had nobody to come and share the meal.
Afterwards, citizens would write messages of thanks and ask Queen Juno to watch out for them in the coming year. They were placed in balloons and Let fly across the country. If a citizen was to see their balloon bursts whilst in the sky, it was a sign that Queen Juno had heard their pleas.

Jack Portland, Minister of Foreign Affairs sat in his office, overlooking the capitol. He was far too busy to attend the St Juno special service this year but he wore the tributary black armbands. He planned to add a successful summit to a balloon tonight, to have Queen Juno watch over the summit.

He was preparing to head off to Puzin; Tesyky for the Galia Summit.
A number of items on his agenda would be 1. Non aggression pacts with other nations on the continent, 2. Encouraging other nations to issue travel restrictions against Greater Bastion and New Inglaterra. 3. Putting measures in place to stamp out terrorism or at least keep it off the continent. 4. New embassy commitments.

Accompanying him as part of the West Phoenician delegation would be;

* Senator Guru El-Shamwood; Assistant Minister for Trade and Commerce. Who would be given a brief talk, encouraging free trade agreement with the other nations to increase everyone's treasury.

* A security detail of 5 Imperial Guards for protection.
* Two aides per minister
* Personal secretary
* Press Secretary and members of the press.
* Ten servants to care for their needs while away.
* A priest from the True Path Faith to ensure the summit was blessed.

Jack Portland hoped for a successful summit, it would benefit everyone on the continent. It would make them even richer and stable in the world.

[Polish Prussian Commonwealth]

Warsaw-1st Guards Grenadiers Regimental Barracks
Is a structure still a barracks if it's built in a (albeit outdated) fortress?
Or does that make it a fortress?

Either way, the old 17th-century bastion fort still hosted troops-3,000 of them, in 4 battallions, comprising of one of the elite mechanized infantry regiments of the Reichswehr-the 1st Guards Grenadiers. If there was some piece of new equipment, or some reform, they-and the rest of the Guard regiments-would be the first ones to receive it.

After being held up for some time by a column of APCs entering, the sedan would be redirected to the regiment's motor pool by the sentry manning the guardbox.

As soon as they exited the car, the representative would be accompanied by MPs armed with automatic shotguns to the waiting room of the office of the regimental commander.

The sound of laughter and muffled Polish came from the room, and after some time, an NCO, or at least someone with the insignia of an NCO, probably in his late 30s or early 40s, exited the room.
After sizing up the representative for a few seconds, he spoke.
"Investment Group, tak? Follow me."
He started off

Bayerland-Sheepshead Bay
A long line of grey-uniformed troops snaked down the streets, all marching to one destination-the port facilities of Sheepshead Bay.

In the hours and days after the terrorist attack, the nation rallied behind the idea of intervention. The single brigade of infantry in Alenberg would no longer do-if the attack was any indication, a massive surge of troops would be nessecary.
For now, the attachments for the brigade on question would be sent over, turning it into a division. Soon more would follow-2 or 3, at least, and, if the FCN Security Council approved it's resolution, even more.

FCN SC
The Prussian-Polish delegate to the FCN frowned upon hearing the Gagiumish delegate propose intervention in Alenberg.

"While I appreciate and understand the need for a peaceful solution to the Alenberger question-" he said. "-I must say that I fear that this will be a potential disaster. The Republic of Bayerland has already stationed a brigade of mechanized infantry within Alenberg, and it has failed to achieve substantial gains. In addition, I must express my concern that the peacekeepers will be used to suppress those with legitimate greviances against the Alenberger Government, such as the Dessuare Seperatists.

[Greater Bastion]

In the Emergent Fighting

Following the initial uprising and rebellion of the Autocrats, a clear leader hadn't emerged. Sure, there were always the supporters of the Autocrats who sparked it. The men who spread propaganda online, and spoke openly about the dangers of the Republic. But they weren't the true figureheads that people were looking for. No, the figurehead came out from the fighting itself.

A singular 'Edith Dallmeyer', a woman who, after seeing many of her komrades die in the streets of her local town, took up command and started organizing an effective resistance.

With her efforts, the Autocrats repelled the Republicans long enough to escape without being captured or killed. After this stunt of hers, and the news of her "winning" a battle against all odds, she became a defacto figurehead of the rebellion.

With that said, Edith openly called for talks with New Inglaterra, the Furby Islands, the HRI, and any other major nations that wish for a beneficial transaction by the end of this conflict. She promises that, even if you are ideologically opponent, you will gain great fortune through supporting her side in this conflict. She proposes a meeting wherever needed, even if it has to be in Autocrat-controlled territory.

[Gagium]

Snip

Greater Bastion

Before leaving the door, King Rodier turned around to face the secretary as his staff left. He silently muttered to himself before glancing at the secretary and responding, “We’ll be flying out in a few hours with information to present to our legislature about this productive meeting. I do bid you farewell and pray for the best for your people, though, and it is my desire that the leaders of our nations meet again shortly, once your crisis is resolved. I personally thank you and the Premier for the services you have provided us for our visit here, though - The Gagiumish Embassy is always open.”

Rodier and his two security guards left the meeting hastily with whatever Bastonian security would be provided, and made due haste to the airport and their jet to depart after paying for accommodations and their stay in Greater Bastion. The jet would take off after contacting control tower to maintain communications. It was due time to leave the now coflict-embroiled nation, though they may be the world’s richest country...What fools the autocrats were!

Prussia-Poland

The representative from Dreggler & Carris Investment Group nodded towards the NCO and made due haste to keep up with the soldier. Very interesting that a meeting regarding his group’s assets and those of many more companies be held with the leader of the Prussian nation in a military barracks within an old fortress, but whatever floated their boats.

FCN Security Council

The Gagiumish delegation to the Security Council silently acknowledged the Prussian-Polish delegate with a scornful glare. After clearing his throat, the Gagiumish delegate remarked, “The failures of Bayerland’s intervention is precisely why it is necessary for the stability of Alenberg and the stability of the world at large to intervene in the nation and put an end to the deadly, costly conflict that has resulted in so many deaths and poverty. There are millions living in poverty and starving while these folks continue killing each other in an endless cycle, while the nation of Bayerland capitalizes off of this in their occupation. This is a nation of 30 million people, and all of them are endangered by the continued conflict.”

ATTN: PPC, Furby Island, Greater Bastion, New Inglaterra

[Annixe Christos]

Mary Ann packed the last of her bags for the trip to the non-aggression pact talks at the Galia Summit. It would be her first trip as the new Leader of Foreign Affairs, and her first trip to Tesyky. Which had been on her bucket list to visit for a while.

She was confident she could do this and it would go well, after all she had been the aide to the outgoing Leader for six years, and had seen many a talk go smoothly.

She was glad the Press Secretary, Peridot O'Cinneide, had taken her under her wing for the preparations for this trip and that she could be a support while they were there too. The much older Peridot was wise and friendly; even if she couldn't hear you half the time.

Mary Ann giggled inwardly, she swore any time something really important had to be said, Peridot would lean in "Eh?? What was that?" To whoever she was speaking to. Maybe she's just pretending she doesn't hear, Mary Ann thought, lol. That would be classic. Hehehe.

She checked her watch, better head for the private plane, don't want to miss first drinks with the others when we arrive in Tesyky. I hear the social scene is awesome there.

She enjoyed the breeze as it flooded in the cab window on the way to the airport. Taking a last little look around the capital as the car sped by.

As the car pulled up on the tarmac, she was pleased to see everyone was in attendance, so the flight could take off on time.

Her two attendants came and helped her with her bags into the underneath of the plane, "Hey guys, glad you could make this trip." She turned to the woman, "Thanks Nat for squeezing this in last minute. I know you'd been looking forward to the book launch party, but this trip will rock I'm sure,". The attendant nodded agreeingly, "I agree, I've been to Tesyky before and LOVED it. Wouldn't have missed it for the world. Of course I wasn't working then but hey, I'm sure we'll find a chance for a few good times while we're there lol".
"That we will hehehe" Mary Ann happily agreed, while nodding.

They all boarded the plane, and buckled in for take off. Soon feeling the solid vibrations as it thundered down the runway. Then finally they were off.

Excitement was in the air, and Mary Ann quelched any newbie nerves she had all the way to Tesyky.

Her assistant, Steven, handed her a stack of papers which she noted were specs on the other nations in attendance. "Oh great idea", she said, thanking him. Boning up on the other countries would be a great idea. She'd read these while they journeyed through the air.

Time flew by as she read about West Phoenicia, Bayer Land and Eldrado, her closest neighbour. Startled, she looked up as the Put Seatbelt On sign pinged and lit up. Already here. Wow that was fast, She looked out the windows at the view below. Both thrilled and a little trepidatious.

As they touched down on the new tarmac they all looked out their windows and saw the twinkling lights of the airport and the city beyond.

[Snow Hill]

The Confederacy of Snow Hill, is an small country on the Frigo continent and it consists of 9 states. It is a small, developed country, with an average GDP per capita around 71,000 USD, and a population around 10 million. The nation has a small military that consists of about 77,000 active duty and 25,000 reserve duty members. There is also a conscription in which from men ages 18-25 must serve 2 years in any ranch of the military. The military is broken down into 3 branches; the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Each branch has around 24,000 members. Snow Hill used to be 3 separate smaller countries. However in the Winter War of 1892 the 2 countries that were democratic attacked the 3rd country in order to free its citizens from their brutal dictator. The upcoming election in January 2020 had many candidates that are wishing to make Snow Hill a world power. We will see what happens.

[Tesyky]

The Grand Assembly, Central Puzin, West Tesyky, Tesyky, 7th of November

Director Leonid had made a point of meeting all the leaders or minsters attending the summit at the runway, in Puzin international. After a brief greeting with them, they were taken to a waiting car with armoured cars ready to form a convoy all the way to the hotel which is going to housing them for the next few days in central Puzin. After being given some time to unpack and get ready the summit began with a military parade to demonstrate Tesykain military might, it featured elements from the First Tesykyain armoured division and the 7th Infantry. After this the summit official starting in the Grand assembly building

The Grand Assembly main hall was a large rounded room, with sections set up for members of the Tesykain press at the back, then governmental minsters and other VIPs closer, and then at the centre a large rounded table was set up in the place in which Grand officers of the state would usually have been sat. At the table was the leader of Tesyky, Director Leonid, representing West Phoenicia was Senator Guru El-Shamwood. Mary Ann, the Leader of Foreign Affairs in Annixe Christos represented the previously mention Annixe Christos. And Bayerland and Eldrado representatives were also present at the table. After the teams of diplomats, leaders and guests had taken their seats, Director Leonid made his planned speech:

“Hello and welcome to Tesyky, I hope you have felt welcome to Puzin, but let’s not drag on about the greatness of Tesyky as this is not the reason you are here. We are here because we recognise the inherit value in working together as a continent for common interests, now they may be for profit or for security, but I hope the agreements we make here can lead to greater cooperation between our nations”

“ And to start this summit I have some great news for you my fellow leaders, as you may know there is a land bridge between Frigo and our own home Galia, we in Tesyky have design a canal to make sea travel from the Depain and Rochian Oceans possible, making trade between these regions possible, creating a new major shipping lane, and benefiting all on the continent and beyond.”

“And now I formally make and offer to you, for those who wish to avoid tolls along this soon to be major sea route, Tesyky will allow your own nation to invest in the project, making it so you will not have to pay tolls whilst using it for 100 years after its completion. I put this offer forward as a message of cooperation through action, and I hope you will consider it,

The Summit then continues with more details of the plan, location, rough costs estimates and time predictions for its construction are all explained and detailed. And with the end of the day fast approaching, the summit is held until tomorrow in which the security meeting and good-will agreements are planned to take place. Delgates from other nations are free to go back to their Hotel floor given to them or can visit the rest of Puzin, given they have a tour guide and a armed escort.