News Thread [Verthandi|Canon|IC]

[Verthandi Admins]

VERTHANDI REGIONAL NEWS THREAD

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From the printing press to the streets and cities of the world of Verthandi, here is a collection of some of the biggest headlines.

* This OP is a work in progress. Formatting options will be available at a later time.

[Enclave Reclamation Authority]

[Ossenland]

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MERCENARY TALES - PROLOGUE
The best and most amazing stories from across Hercynia's many esteemed regiments serving at home and abroad!

by Theophrastus Zorgasté
JULY 21 1936 - ♋︎| PLEROMA, PLEROMA KANTON, ENLIGHTENED KINGDOM OF HERCYNIA

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MEMBERS OF THE MILTSREJIMENKOM "ENOCH" ZB. 22 CLIMB A MOUNTAIN FACE IN BOSANG.
Postcard by Raddalsan Oursteigwad - Fitting, yes?

ACROSS THE GLOBE -

The snow hits your eyes as the cold bites your face. You feel like your nose is going to fall off if you're outside for more than an hour more. Around you, hundreds of your fellow soldiers feel the exact same way. You have a rifle slung over your shoulder and half of your ammunition left. Your friend has a submachinegun, and the nearest officer carries a shotgun, bought from a local vendor to help hunt game in the winter. A cannon, tied up on ropes, swings side to side as it slowly gets pulled up the cliffside as you climb it. You swear, it might almost hit you or someone else and knock you down, onto the snow and rocks and the ice below.

You lean in close to the rock, and the Phurba in your pocket presses itself into your chest. You think to yourself, and remember the distances that people such as Abaris the Skywalker-Hyborean must have gone through, and that to that, your struggle is nothing. It does nothing but encourage you, and within minutes, you're up at the top of the ridge and staring down onto the fortified town below. Shots begin to ring out at you and your fellow soldiers duck down for cover, but their outdated muskets and older rifles can't reach you yet. The cannon crests the ridge and you run over to help them pull it up.

You are a member of the Miltsrejimenkom "Enoch" Zb. 22, and you are in Bosang, helping the Rgyal-ba, a young child, be re-instated onto their rightful throne in Bosang's capitol, Gongdep. Granted, you're not there yet, this is a different city, but you see Gongdep far off in the distance as the storm fades behind you. You are one of many thousands, stationed across the globe.

Maybe it's not the cold in Bosang. It's in Sublustria. It's in Okwone - you're hunting Inupasugjuk to help the natives. Maybe it's a Wendego, further inland. It could be the heat of Nymeria in the Alircan Railplane Security Force, where you and your rag-tag group of mercenaries fight off another rogue Bada attack. You could also end up in the Xaxan Confederation as a peacekeeper, bringing stability to a land racked with ethnic tension, while learning about just how the local Bushman spirituality and metaphysics operate - how they use trance and autosuggestion to heal, much like how the famed Doctor, Kether Vardoshish, does. And they think that they're primitive! Or how certain groups in Hawaiki consider dreamtime to be the most important thing in spirituality - and that it has no beginning or end. Seem familiar?

You will be able to do this, and much, much more. All it takes is a simple signature on a military request board. Unlike all the other militaries in the world, Hercynia, as you know, is unique in that we still commonly not use, but rather, deploy mercenaries across the lands from here to there. Where there is conflict, Hercynians are there to fight until the situation is resolved. Doing so has a great purpose - exposure to those around the world who contain different, or better and more surprisingly yet - similar philosophies. After all, what could be more evident of truth than it sprouting up in various places so far away from one another, or so isolated from the rest of the world?

SOLDIERS OF THE MILTSREJIMENKOM "SAGITTARIUS" ZB. 68 STORM A REBEL POSITION IN THE BORDERLANDS BETWEEN THE XAXAN CONFEDERATION AND VOLKHOV.
Image by Collegiate Expeditionary Force Press Corps (Photographer: Adalar Tregor-Valentinus).

Simply put, there is quite literally no reason not to join. As many of us know, death is simply but an illusion. We are simply here. Why not see the best that the world has to offer? Maybe you'll find something new, or something long forgotten. The world is a big place, and there is space for all of us inside of God's good creation. I say this not as someone working on behalf of the College or the Government, but rather someone speaking simply person to person. I, like many others, joined when I was young, and while it was not easy and while certain aspects of it certainly were not fun (I rather enjoy colder climates and not being shot at by arrows, or removing arrows from my arm for that matter), joining the military was one of the best choices that I have ever made. For some, there is catharsis in combat. For others, it is much easier to put problems aside when you realize just how lucky you are to live where you live or to deal with problems that seem menial compared to some of the things that either you have gone through in the past, or that certain people go through on a near daily basis. I made friends that I have kept for life, and many job opportunities as well - I may have a passion for writing, but so did many of those who served under me.

Nowadays, things here in Cybelleum may seem to have an air of...concern. Things feel as if they may heat up at any moment, even a decade or so after the revolutions in Auvernia and Altenland. But that doesn't change what people feel. Why not prepare yourselves instead?

Once a month, I shall release a new mercenary tales, submitted either by myself or other people who are currently serving, or have previously served, so you all get just exactly what I mean. I'm certain that even by halfway through these installments, many of you reading this will have signed up already.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

• DOMESTIC: King Harsef gives lecture in Pleroma city square, accompanied by Pehushon Ribelva. What does this mean for the College?
• WORLD: "Ironside" airship launches maiden voyage in New Haven, Atlesia.
• OPINION: Franz Neumann - friend or foe?
• SPORTS: Skiing down Dholys - new ski trail opens next month.
• ADVICE: Are opposing star signs compatible? (Yes).
• WEIRD: Chassar's Demarchic council slated to enter election recount after 5,000 votes appear all in favor of "the big cheese."

WRITE IN TO THE EDITOR - Mrs. Razel Bourkia.
Dear editor, I was wondering just exactly how I should go about this as it's my first time writing into a newspaper - I've always had an eye and an enjoyment in journalism and journalistic things, but to be honest, I'm quite old and I'm not exactly sure how I would go about doing anything when it comes to following that passion. I certainly know I can do it, anything is possible, but my question is this: is it worth it to follow it? I feel as if I would be fine either way.

[Enclave Reclamation Authority]

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MASS-SCALE MILITARY EXERCISES COME TO A CLOSE
A series of warfare exercises, conducted by all three uniformed services, came to an end today after three weeks; Citadel claims "astounding success"

by Joseph Burton
22 JULY 1936 | ATLAS, FEDERATION OF ATLESIA

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SOLDIERS WITH THE 1ST ARMORED DIVISION CONDUCT LIVE-FIRE EXERCISES IN MONTGOMERY
Photograph taken by PFC Ralph Guretse

ACROSS THE NATION -

Today, a series of military exercises that began on June 28th came to a close, with the Citadel - the headquarters of the Federation's military - reporting "astounding success" on all fronts. Dubbed by the War Department as Combined Forces Exercise 7-36, these operations were conducted across five states over the course of three weeks, and included elements from each of the uniformed services. The Army worked primarily in Faulkner, Whitmond, Montgomery, and Dixon, testing a new "armored spearhead" experiment. According to the Citadel, most details of this experimental doctrine remain classified, but Secretary of War Trevor McNamara released the following statement during a press conference on the exercises:

"The Federal Army's main focus during these exercises was to test a new strategy called 'armored spearhead'. I can't go to deeply into specifics, but I can say that the Federation's military leaders - and the president alike - are reevaluating the traditional roles of tanks and other armored vehicles, and how they are used to support our infantry in action. From what I observed, this new concept shows promise."

The Army carried out a number of force-on-force exercises to test this new concept, which took place within military installations in the previously-mentioned states. These force-on-force drills are designed to simulate a combat environment, and assess the decision-making and skills of leadership of leaders at all levels. The Army Air Corps also carried out exercises of its own, practicing both day and nighttime bombing raids, aerial formations, and close battlefield support.

The Navy and Marine Corps were also busy. Six different Marine Regiments conducted landing operations in the Emerald Isles, testing the speed in which Marines could land on the beach and secure a beachhead, as well as their overall proficiency in securing key maritime terrain. During these landings, the Marines deployed new vehicles and equipment, including the LATVA1 - an armored landing craft designed to supplement tanks - and the Higgins Boat - and armored amphibious troop carrier. In support of the Marines, the Federal Navy expanded testing with its Aircraft Carrier doctrine, using ship-launched aircraft to support landing operations, and developing a new table of organization for its 'Carrier Strike Groups', of which it currently has four of.

The National Securities Act, signed into law by President Granite, is the source of this seemingly-sudden focus on the Federation's military capabilities. The law itself introduced billions in additional funding for the military, and set standards that each branch is now tasked with meeting. These standards range from capabilities to equipment, with the Navy - under the law - being directed to centralize doctrine around the capabilities of aircraft carriers, as well as add eight more to its fleets by 1940. While this is an ambitious undertaking, the Federation remains one of the world's most powerful industrial centers, and President Granite has repeatedly stated that military expansion will work to stimulate the economy and grow jobs. Under the law, the Army has been investing highly in the capabilities of tanks, with a new generation expected to be released by the end of the year. The Marine Corps, a historically-underfunded organization, was given a massive budget expansion as the National Securities Act stipulated that the branch should receive its own funding, rather than be allotted an annual budget by the Navy.

An official Citadel report said the following about the exercises:

"The young men and women of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps have worked tirelessly these last few weeks to yield results, and it is their performance and their actions that have given us the insight needed to prepare the nation for the future of warfare. There is always room to improve on, but these exercises have given us invaluable information about the weapons and tactics of the future, and how the Federation can be successful in future conflicts."

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

• DOMESTIC: Richmond drought drags into fifth month - pg. 4
• WORLD: President Granite meets with Franz Neumann, King Nemanus in Altenland - pg. 2
• OPINION: The Federation should not make Cybellean problems into Atlesian problems - pg. 5
• SPORTS: Blackwater Outlaws take the lead in the ABL after defeating the Oakley Bears 61-37 - pg. 6

[Alouite]

[Enclave Reclamation Authority]

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CRISIS STRIKES BLUMENWALD
Riots erupt in the Federation's southern neighbor as Native Hibernians rise up against the apartheid system

by Joseph Burton
26 JULY 1936 | ATLAS, FEDERATION OF ATLESIA

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THE CHAOS WITNESSED IN THE CAPITAL OF NEW RANSTADT
Photograph taken by Paul Werner

BLUMENWALD -

In Blumenwald, tens of thousands of Native Hibernian sharecroppers have risen up in a coordinated move against the national government, striking in protest of the apartheid system which has maintained steady control of the country since the early 1920s. Partitioned in 1875, Blumenwald was designed to serve as a 'safe haven' for Native Hibernians that had long been mistreated by the Atlesian government, and was supposed to allow the native peoples to have a state of their own, under the protection and guidance of the Federation. Blumenwald was largely for successful for decades after its creation, as a confederation of tribal leaders formed their own system of representative democracy, and prospered under the Atlesian sphere.

While the country itself did not participate in the Great War, thousands of volunteers ventured north to join the ranks of the Federal Army, and served bravely in Cybelleum. It wasn't until the conflict ended that issues began to arise in Blumenwald, culminating in the 1924 National Elections, which saw Otto Meyer and his National Republican Party assume control of government. Following the Federation's declaration of war on Altenland in 1918, thousands of ethnic Altishmen living in Atlesia migrated south, looking for new opportunities in Blumenwald. The mix of far-right ideas among these migrants eventually culminated in Meyer's party, which to this day, many believe took power through election fraud and subversion. Either way, 1924 is the year that began a harsh apartheid system in Blumenwald, in which the Native majority was stripped of its representation in government and its civil rights. The Blumenwald Landowners' Act of 1926 forced tens of thousands of Natives to sell their land for pennies on the dollar to white landowners, and subsequently, put them in a position where they had no choice but to work as indentured servants on Altish land. Widespread mistreatment of Native Hibernians has persisted ever since, with few making a living wage, and many foreign observers dubbing the scenario as modern-day slavery.

Under the document which brought about the creation of Blumenwald, the Federal government had no right to directly intervene in the nation's affairs, which meant that these crimes have gone relatively unpunished. While the Federation has, in recent years, increased the acceptance rate for Native Hibernians attempting to immigrate to Atlesia, there has been little done to fix their precarious situation, and dismantle Meyer's apartheid regime, which has managed to remain in power despite supposedly-free elections, and the fact that a mere 25% of the population is white, and only 17% are of Altish descent.

It seems that the frustrations of the people of Blumenwald have come to a head as yesterday, tens of thousands of sharecroppers and indentured servants announced a nationwide strike, refusing to work until their people are restored a "fair and proportional voice" in government. This quickly led to fighting in the streets of New Ranstadt, as the all-white police force was dispatched to break up the fighting. President Meyer released a public statement later in the day, referring the protests as an "act of insurrection", and promising a "swift and absolute end to the crisis."

Meanwhile, Otetiani - the largest figure in the antigovernmental movement - continues to call upon his people to "stand up against the oppression of the White Man", and has called upon the Federation to intervene on their behalf. "I ask that our Atlesian friends show us mercy, and help us to restore the soul of this nation-- to free us from the shackles of modern-day slavery, and end the tyranny of the Altish minority."

Currently, the Federal government has released no official statement of support for either side of the civil unrest, nor has it hinted towards intervention, though this development is relatively new, so this may certainly change.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

• DOMESTIC: Montgomery Motorcycle Clubs, a threat in the making? - pg. 2
• WORLD: Auvernians march on the capital in protest of 'ineffective government' - pg. 3
• OPINION: Yes, the Federation should come to the aid of Blumenwald - pg. 4
• SPORTS: Catch up on recent updates - pg. 5

[Commonwealth of Hank the Cat]

[Enclave Reclamation Authority]

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ATLESIAN TROOPS MARCH INTO BLUMENWALD - MEYER FIRED!
Thousands of Federal troops cross the border into Blumenwald while forces stationed within the country seize control of key locations, including capital; President Meyer renounces position

by Curtis Walsch
31 JULY 1936 | ATLAS, FEDERATION OF ATLESIA

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SOLDIERS WITH THE 17TH INFANTRY DIVISION, UNDER THE FEDERATION'S 4TH ARMY, SECURE THE OUTSKIRTS OF NEW RANSTADT
Photograph taken by Private Henry H. Frederick

BLUMENWALD -

Early this morning, the Federation launched a series of military operations against the Meyer regime in Blumenwald. At around 4:00am, troops from the 4th Army brushed aside border barricades in Hannover in order to allow more than 100,000 troops to march in from the north. This was done in conjunction with Army and Marine forces stationed at various Federation bases throughout the country, which proceeded to take control of major metropolitan centers, military installations, and key infrastructure. The capital of New Ranstadt was occupied by Atlesian forces as early as 6:00 this morning, with President Meyer announcing his resignation not long after.

This bold move comes just one week after massive protests struck the nation, condemning Otto Meyer's oppressive apartheid regime. According to sources in the Federal government, President Meyer was made aware of the Federation's intentions just a few hours before the operation began, and ordered national police and military personnel to stand down. The Federal government has yet to announce if there was any bloodshed during this occupation. According to reports, key members of Blumenwald's government - including Otto Meyer himself - are in Atlesian custody.

Atlesian troops entering the cities of Blumenwald were met with joyous celebration, with thousands gathering in the streets to greet them with flowers, Atlesian flags, and chants of liberation. The well-received arrival of the Federation seems to only vindicate what would otherwise be absolutely condemned as aggression by the international community.

This afternoon, President Granite appeared in the State House to brief the press, and the Atlesian people, on the operation:

"Good afternoon. As most of you are aware, this morning - the 31st of July, 1936 - Federal troops launched a series of operations into our southern neighbor of Blumenwald. These actions are not unwarranted, and not carried out lightly, and come in direct response to the volatile situation that we have watched these last few weeks unfold in the country. I am pleased to announce that Otto Meyer, who has managed to keep his apartheid regime in power for over a decade, has resigned from his post, and military forces under his command have stood down to occupying Federal troops. We couldn't have hoped for a better outcome in that regard. Due to this situation still being in development, I will not be taking questions at this time, but my administration will keep the Atlesian people updated as more information becomes available."

According to sources in government, Otto Meyer and more than two dozen of his closest collaborators will remain in Federal custody until further notice, with the Department of Justice announcing that many will face charges. These include a litany of conspiracy charges, and any other crimes committed in order to maintain the white-dominated status quo in Blumenwald.

The military occupation of Blumenwald is coupled by the release of Executive Order 215 by President Granite, which stipulates that, effective immediately, the Constitution of Blumenwald is nullified as the ruling document of the land, the nation's military is effectively disbanded, and the national government is no longer in control. While provincial and local government structures may remain intact, they are to ultimately answer to Atlesian military governors until the reestablishment of national government. In the Senate, Majority Leader David Sutton proposed a motion to form the Blumenwald Reform Committee, which according to sources within the NCP, would explore the Federation's options regarding its southern neighbor. With the massive NCP majority in Congress, it is very likely that this motion will pass.

Despite the general opposition to the National Conservative Party and President Granite, key members of the Federation's left-wing factions offered their approval of his actions, with Senate Minority Leader Francis Harper saying the following:

"While I have my personal qualms with President Granite and the NCP, the issue of Meyer and his apartheid dictatorship is bipartisan. I commend the initiative by the President, and the hard work of our armed forces who facilitated Meyer's removal from power. As we tackle what's next, I only hope that my Conservative friends on the other side of the isle to not opt to strip the people of Blumenwald of their independence. We are there as liberators, not conquerors, and my fellow Liberals will do everything in our power to ensure that remains true."

With the Federation only beginning to strip away the structures of power built by Otto Meyer, it will likely be some time before the situation in Atlesia's southern neighbor begins to calm, and the people of Blumenwald can begin to enjoy a nation free of Meyer and his apartheid government.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

• DOMESTIC: Gang shootout in Veneta, Whitmond, leaves eight dead - pg. 3
• WORLD: Valkist grip tightens over Cybelleaum as Altish police stamp out Reynish insurgency - pg. 2
• OPINION: Has Federal Congress been stacked? Go to page 4 to find out.
• SPORTS: Read latest updates on page 6

[Oscaunja]

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STOCKS PLUMMET AS TRANS-NYMERAN RAILPLANE IS ATTACKED
Cultists Demand Conversion of Laborers, 13 Beheaded

by Ferranno Naviscappa
4 AUGUST 1936| KASTOMARRE, OSCAUNJA

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Artist's rendition of the Trans-Nymeran Railpane after completion.
Jacques Derrida.

12 KM OUTSIDE KASTOVALLE, OSCAUNJA -

The laborers' camp outside Kastovalle in the Vallo do Manzinia became a site of slaughter yesterday, as local laborers hired by the Auvernian Société Internationale nimeriane des chemins (SINDC) were brutally attacked by unknown assailants. Surviving witnesses report that the attackers demanded a proclamation of faith in Ifriseth, a minor deity in Karabism (the region's predominant religion), from their victims. Among those who refused, twelve Karabists and one Catholic Ephiphanian were ritually beheaded before the local gendarmerie arrived and a shoot-out commenced. Two of the assailants were reportedly killed and an unknown number fled, however no clue as to the identity of the attackers has yet been found.

SINDC has yet to release any official statements on the incident, but this silence has profoundly shaken the confidence of Auvernian investors. The possibility of a rail transport network through the Greater Nymerian desert was first proposed in 1903, however, it was not until the development of the railplane in 1922 by Bénie-Saverne Werks that the project was deemed feasible.

Rumours abound that SINDC has issued several contracts to Hercynian mercenaries to patrol the railplane line, under strong pressure from
international investors, but the staff of Leggende do Orro is unable to provide confirmation of this report at this time.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

• DOMESTIC: Massive silver vein discovered in the southern Adraro mountains... pg. 2
• WORLD: Civil Unrest Continues in Altesia, Market Developments are Troubling... pg. 5
• OPINION: Autarky or Autocracy? Free Trade is More Important Than Ever... pag. 7
• SPORTS: Polo making a comeback in Campobasso... pg. 10

[Ossenland]

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MERCENARY TALES - ENTRY 1 - THE RAILMEN
The best and most amazing tales from our noble army starts off with an explanation as to what exactly our boys are doing down in Nymera.

Theophrastus Zorgasté, with story and input from Abraham Oflanna.
AUGUST 31 1936 - ♍︎. STORY WRITTEN AUGUST 18TH, 1936 - ♌︎| PLEROMA, PLEROMA KANTON, ENLIGHTENED KINGDOM OF HERCYNIA

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SOLDIERS OF THE MILTSREJIMENKOM "PLEROMA EMBASSY" ZB. 25 IN VALEL.
Image by Collegiate Expeditionary Force Press Corps (Photographer: Apollonius Zeteko).

ACROSS NYMERA -

Nymera is a land of near limitless opportunity for anyone. While living standards may vary widely from region to region, there is one thing that unites the region as a whole: struggle. This struggle manifests itself in many ways, be it colonial powers versus natives, natives versus natives, or colonial powers versus other colonial powers. Many times, however, it seems to be nature versus everyone who steps foot on the continent, with most people who pass after a certain area passing from malaria. While the treatments to it are difficult to produce and very often not entirely effective on a mass scale, the Hercynian manages to perservere easily and continue on where almost nobody else from Hibernia and Cybelleum to Crocinia can go.

We have outposts in Valel, we have them in Simé, the Xaxan Confederation, Oscaunja, the lands of the Bada, and many of Auvernia and Auberon's colonies. Simply put, other people may own the land, but every Nymeran from the palest colonial, fresh off the Altish boat in Auvernia to the darkest soldier in the Yeyean ranks have all probably ran into one Hercynian or another. We are their couriers, their police, their scouts, and their baggage trains. We understand what the native and the colonial go through on a daily basis, and we watch pretty much everything that goes through the entire part of the continent that civilization has seemed to grace so far.

No truer example could be seen here than in Western Nymera, where every nation that has ever built a boat has either a trade route to here or it has the desire to. Auvernia has lucked out in having a colony, and while further away, the Aventines and Atlesians have no problem reaching it either. In nearby Oscaunja, however, is a marvelous invention put forth after the end of the War of the Grand Coalition. Oscaunja is the northern hub of the trans-Nymeran railway, a railplane system that seeks to unite the population hubs of the continent with the resource rich areas in an effort to achieve maximum efficiency for resource management, primarily by local governments and colonial powers. Currently only really located in Western Nymera, the Negus of Kefalion, Natnael XII, has made plans to expand it Eastwards, in an uncommon show of agreement with neighboring Alytay-owned Kettlai. The railway transports people and resources across the region North and South, with smaller branches going East and West. As is the case with many areas where civilization is few and far between, things such as banditry and even occasional small scale wars are not uncommon for the region. Even a few weeks ago, a religious conflict erupted in Oscaunja and resulted in the deaths of no less than 13 innocent laborers. While not uncommon for us to occasionally handle problems there, Hercynian soldiers have been placed on "high caution" when moving through the region.

When it comes to policing these areas, that is our job. Working alongside any government force we can find, we operate in and around the rail line and ensure it's safe operation. Our troops are generally posted on almost every single shipment that runs about, and through it, we have been granted privileges to almost everything imaginable when it comes to the run of the mill "tell us about your spirituality" deals.

This has proven to be great for Hercynia, and the College.


This, meanwhile, is Abraham Oflanna.

ABRAHAM OFLANNA IN AND OUT OF UNIFORM.
Image by Collegiate Expeditionary Force Press Corps (Photographer: Tsarania Vakalus).

Oflanna is a sergeant in the ZB. 25th regiment, and a bit of a botanomancer. Regardless, his skills in combat are perfectly fine. Below is a simple and rather succinct example of something that our good soldiers have been doing down there to make sure that everything has been going smoothly. As is the case, however, there seems to be a recent increase in general lawlessness and barbarity between minor religious cults and straight up banditry, something that he has quite an amount of experience with, having served around four tours in Nymera over a six or so year period.

"ON THE 14TH OF AUGUST, the 22nd of Leo, we had been dispatched to help carry a shipment of gold and a few other precious valuables from a point down in Valel up north to Oscaunja. This is a commonly travelled route, and for everyone in the regiment, it's generally considered to be the "boring" route. Safe, sound, with not a lot to worry about. It takes around five days from departure of the last station in Valel to reach the first major one in southern Oscaunja in the Adraros, and there are really only two or so areas that anyone needs to be careful about, and most of that is just from inclement weather from the occasional dust storm or flood damage. The worst detail I've ever worked, personally, even including this, was flood repair in January and February of 1934. Nothing but mud and wet sand for weeks on end.

I hesitate to elaborate and get off track...I'm certain that the editor will expunge anything that's not relevant or move it to the back of the newspaper entry if...

Please see page 25 for the remainder of this section.

...and the way that these security details operate is that around fifty men go, divided up into teams of three. Twenty on the ground, twenty on the rail car, and another ten are in either helicopters or slowly flying planes, though this is for the bigger shipments such as this one. Primarily, if it's a smaller shipment, only two or sometimes even one team is dispatched, typically no more than twenty five or thirty men, most of whom stay on the rail car. I, as a squad leader, was kept on the squad car with my team of ten men. As is the case with many of these dispatches, we typically spend most of it doing a small amount of exercise, or sleeping, or eating. Three times a day we have a scheduled check in with the squad below or a local outpost, or even a friendly tribe, and once a day we check with the aerial support we have. Generally, the ground team runs into the most issues, and they do this by generally attempting to damage the foundation or the rail line itself - damaging the cars aren't really worth it for them, from what we've found. They do this either by mining at them, hitting the wood and concrete or stone bases with picks and explosives, attempting to separate the metal from them and causing a dip in the rail, or by attempting to block it by making rather elaborate scaffolding to elevate wood or stone to cause damage to the railing.

Now, what happened this most recent time was special, and I attribute it largely due to a religious fervor swiping up the region that makes monetary exchanges less of a desire for the local populace, but for some reason, there was a larger crowd this time, of around 100 or so tribesmen, the majority of whom were likely cultists. Alternatively, it could be the hint at something larger threatening southern Oscaunja and parts of Auvernia and the Bada Confederation. I trust Auvernia, Valel and Simé to deal with the threat accordingly. It took us by surprise. Around 6 PM or so, the time of our aerial check in, we got word through a Kaplic code that there was a "large gathering ahead," and that we'd likely have to deal with it.

Typically, when these attacks happen, they happen mid day or during full moons. There's no point in attacking without light, as these people have no access to selin glasses, and attacking in broad daylight is essentially their only choice, and they are left to finding good natural areas to do so. The area we were upcoming to was not part of the Adraros, but rather something akin to a valley where the rail line passes between two series of hills, and later on passes over a canyon. Due to a lack of fuel, the aerial support had to continue on to the next outpost to refuel and restock. For us, as we entered, the local tribesmen began to fire at the back of the railcar, and additionally, they had constructed what appeared to be a series of long and skinny planks and ladders, that would in turn be used to block the rail car.

To avoid damage to the rail line, the conductor stopped the car and we opened the windows that weren't shattered from rifle fire. We had mounted machine guns and materiel rifles, and turned to those, and the ground team below began taking heavy fire while we attempted to cover for them while they moved to a rocky outcropping below, where they would only need to deal with fire from one side.

It was...impressive, to say the least - usually most people assume that tribespeople are nothing but savages, regardless of where one goes, but human ingenuity is something that is innate to all humans regardless of where they are from, like souls. It was crude, but they managed to get it to work, the ladders and planks hit the top of the rail car with a series of thuds, and while the first ones on were easily cut down by fire, we started taking casualties of our own whenever we attempted to return from the windows, leading to two of our machine gunners being wounded, and one rifleman felled by fire. The rest of the tribesmen were able to carry themselves over, with minimal accidents relating to falling, and then board the top of the rail car. Most rail cars have an emergency entrance and exit hatch on top of them, and they began to bash them in and attempt to enter. Seeing no other hope, we grabbed the more powerful rifles and started to shoot through, attempting to scatter them off while not hitting the delicate cables atop the middle of the cars, lest we fall and deal with that. Behind us was a shipment of gold and a few other valuables, as I have stated previously, but what seemed...off to us at the time was that they did not choose to board that car, but rather ours. Bandits would simply go ahead and take the valuables, if they were after us, then the valuables were secondary.

By now, in later August, the sun begins to set earlier than it does in the height of summer, and by the middle point of our skirmish, darkness had began to cast itself over us, with gunshots and the occasional tossed grenade being the only sources of light credible enough to us. After a few minutes of tense fire, primarily spent down on our stomachs and backs, or curled up in corners, we had managed to scatter the majority of the ones on top off, and we sought out our Lieutenant, a man named Plot, a great man by the way, rather amicable and quite intelligent on gemstones. Seeking his assurance, me and the other squad leader aboard, a local medicine man and soldier by the name of Khalil who had joined us in exchange for citizenship, formulated a brief plan with the intent to fully repel all the attackers. Khalil took part of what was left of his squad, which has hit quite hard by the opening wave of fire, and attempted to link downwards via a rope and ladder to the ground team, which by now had taken a substantial amount of casualties, the majority of them thankfully only wounded.

I, meanwhile, was the first one on top of the rail car. I felt like a soldier going atop a trench in the War, a sword in one hand and a weapon devised by engineers for close quarters fighting, commonly referred to as a "wrist snapper" or "elbow breaker." Essentially only issued to security teams and the military because of the cost - you can buy it in a catalog, but I'd advise just getting something more run of the mill like a shotgun - these things are essentially a large, think leather gauntlet and vambrace with a small, three magazine tube that can fire off a blast at incredibly short ranges by throwing a punch and pulling a trigger with the thumb. I climbed atop the car, and found myself assailed by what I can only say was either one or two, my initial reaction to the fires in the distance was seeing spots in my eyes and wildly swinging my blade around and yelling, I cannot tell if what I hit was a person or a skim against wood or metal, but I felt something. As my eyes came to, I saw another of them draw their knife upon me, whereupon I, with my wrist snapper, punched them in the stomach and pulled the trigger, firing a blast off and sending them back across the rail car before they fell below.

I put my sword leaned up against the middle cables, and helped pull a few of my companions out and we began to return fire, loosely and inaccurately, into the night before us. We saw a crack or a pop of fire from somewhere else, and we would immediately pelt at it with fire from our wands. They would repeat the same to us, and then we would return the favor again. The Lieutenant gave an order to advance, and we gave a hasty and slow half-advance on the ladders. I was the first one to reach the hill, and the first thing I did on it was reach down and grab the rifle of a fallen attacker. We regrouped, and promptly began taking fire from someone up ahead, when one of our machine gunners was hit in the chest and keeled over. We returned with shot and grenade, and the remaining attackers began to dissipate from both sides, with the frequency of fire becoming slower and slower, and eventually melting away into the night, and the next hour or so was spent with seeing a flash, hearing the whizz or whirr or crack of a bullet flying over or smacking rock or dirt or metal, followed by hearing the gunshot.

The rest of the night was spent partially on guard and partially reclaiming what weaponry we could.

And with that, the Bada, or what I believe to be them were bested, and the remainder of them quickly fell into a rout and we decided that we had better things to do for the night than to follow them. We carried on and reached the Adraros within 12 hours, and were promptly relieved and sent to local medicine men and doctors for medical assistance, and the dead were shipped back to Hercynia to be given a proper funeral, God rest their souls."

Those who have died have been commended for their sacrifice and service by the King, and their families have been given aid to help them with their loss.

As stated, these will appear once a month. Next month, September, we move from the hot deserts of the Adraros mountains to the cold, isolated southern Kingdom of Kalriki, where our boys are training the local military. Surprisingly enough, many things can happen in such a small, remote area.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

• DOMESTIC: Preparing for the fall harvest - what can you do?
• WORLD: Is Atlesia having a refugee crisis after the Blumenwald invasion?
• OPINION: War might come to Cybelleum again. We would get invovled.
• SPORTS: Hornussen league starts soon!
• WEIRD: Pleroma man wakes to find another man sucking on his toes. Full police report included.

[Ossenland]

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MERCENARY TALES - ENTRY 2 - POLICING THE ICE
Our adventures continue with a few tales of our adventures in isolated Kalriki.

Theophrastus Zorgasté, with story and input from Abraham Oflanna.
SEPTEMBER 30 1936 - ♎︎. STORY WRITTEN SEPTEMBER 28TH, 1936 - ♎︎| PLEROMA, PLEROMA KANTON, ENLIGHTENED KINGDOM OF HERCYNIA

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A POSTCARD OF OUR SOLDIERS IN KALRIKI.
Postcard by Collegiate Expeditionary Force Art Corps (Artist: Barnabas Tykkat).

[align=justify]KALRIKI -

Kalriki is a small but interesting place. You could easily compare it to Hercynia if it were an island. Cold. Mountainous. Isolated. Full of interesting people. A monarchy, if you're more politically inclined. A place that hasn't lost it's spirituality, if you're more like...well, the average Hercynian politician or Collegiate affiliate.

The Island Kingdom, as said, is small, isolated, and spiritually unique. Linguists have found numerous things in common, linguistically, with both Hawaiki to the West and Anzulab to the North. This presents...interesting scenarios, seeing as of now, many "established" historians take most founding "myths" to be nothing more than stories and conjecture and place absolutely no thought whatsoever into them being correct. This doesn't explain why the Kalrikan "korr" for "tooth" corresponds to the Anzulabi "urr" for "tooth" or even "urrah" for "bite." Or why the Kalrikan "rrakka" meets the Hawaikan "rakau," both meaning "wood" or "tree."

Then again, certain languages in Pregost have eerily similar sounds and connections to High-Auberian, so take that what you will. Makes you wonder sometimes, though.

The isolation of Kalriki in modern history has left it what many would consider somewhat of a "backwards" place, though this certainly isn't the entire case. Yes, cannibalism is still practiced in some areas as a ritual, and in others incest and blood feuds are "common," but one would be quick to forget whenever people, say, in rural (or even urban) Volkhov do the same, or when different Altish or Atlesian companies get into bidding conflicts over some dumb family spat caused by children with too much time and money on their hands. Is that not the same? Regardless of tangents, this should illustrate just exactly what the situation here is. As is the case in many nations, the established Monarchy, a mixed-race, part Native and part Cybellian monarchy originally under a Reynish family brought over by Freijian merchant ship (as is the case with many peoples meeting one another), sits atop the efforts to modernize the nation. Queen Elizabeth I of the Windbaton dynasty (this is actually a translation of a native word, more will be explained later) rules the nation, legally speaking, with an iron fist, though this isn't necessarily the case in day to day life. Kalriki has been open only recently, and yet it's cities and ports are bustling with activity.

The Altish and the Auberonians fight over economics. Chassois occasionally pop in to talk about the benefits of liberalization or democratization. Sometimes even Anzulabic or Hawaikian diplomats show up to attempt to form ethnic bonds. Us Hercynians, meanwhile, are what is taking the Kalrikian militia and royal guard from a bunch of, in Cybellian terms, "disorganized riff-raff" into one of the best fighting forces that Sublustria has to offer.

One regiment, the Miltsrejimenkom "Emperor" Zb. 14, is deployed actively in Kalriki, though occasionally other regiments that are doing police duty in and around Sublustria take up support roles. Without further ado, let us dive into the tales. We have three:

1. The isolated, rural areas of Kalriki may as well be considered more than a different nation than the urban or coastal areas, or better yet, another world. In these areas, the sunsets are odd, the sunrises are odder, and the mountains sometimes cover up the light to the point where you may as well just spend the entire time walking around in the dark. The people here have been hardened to this, and have a quite remarkable way of avoiding this - elaborate systems of living in caves and coal mines, essentially never running out of light or heat. They live outside during the sunny seasons, of course. The inside these caves smell is abysmal, but let me tell you, these places are arguably some of the comfiest places I have ever set foot in.

All isn't stellar, however. Tales tell of two monsters, as is the case usually, that threaten these places. One from the outside, and one from the caves itself. The one inside the caves is called the burrower, and is essentially what I would describe as a lizard of some sort with a massive set of drill like jaws and acidic spit that can, with enough time, erode itself into the caves. These aren't as bad. The one on the outside is supposedly much worse. This is what they describe as "the crawling man," or a spirit that haunts the forests in and around these cave entrances.

Occasionally, we'll get calls during the dark season about the "crawling man" or even occasionally "crawling men" the morning after an event happens.

2. Sacred areas in Kalriki, especially sacred woods, are marked very clearly. In traditional Kalriki spirituality, many objects have spirits, as is the case in many other places, and this remains the same even to this day. Sacred groves or woods are unique in the fact that the trees have faces, as in, they quite literally have faces. Each tree, depending on age, has one or more wooden masks that are elaborately carved and put onto the trees, and depending on how young these trees are, can sometimes be absorbed into the bark or grown over, leaving an indent. The older the tree, the more faces it has. Many shamans consider this to be something of a reading on a "spiritual power level" that each tree has, and there are quite a few stories of young children, naïve as they be, wandering into the woods and intentionally taking one of these masks, only to never walk out of the woods again.

One of the absolute worst experiences I ever had as a soldier here was dealing with something similar to that. Occasionally, we are called out to do search and rescue operations with a team of Native soldiers that we have trained. In recent years, the amount of search and rescue operations has become almost directly inversely proportional, with Cybellians and other foreigners becoming more and more frequently lost or encountering trouble, and the Native population needing assistance less and less. What this means is still up for debate.

As is the case in many places around the world, a man from Volkhov, one Ilya Lopatin, arrived to Kalriki as an investor, hoping to gain some sort of official government favor with some Volsovan company and attempt to gain influence there as well. In the interior of the nation, in a small village called Lasfkorr, a couple members of our company ran an operating post where we primarily dealt with telegraph issues and delivered mail to passing foreigners. Nearby is one of those sacred groves, and while we have attempted to prevent a large amount of people going in there, we, obviously, cannot prevent every single one of them.

Mister Lopatin arrived one day in May, during the end of the Winter, and seeing as everything was (comparatively) thawing out, he decided that it would be a great idea to go ahead and visit one of these forests. Of course, there isn't anything wrong with visiting one of these places in and of itself, but the problem is generally that many people who visit have a lack of respect for these things, as tourists do, and tend to get themselves involved in some problems. Nobody is really above this.

Lopatin went into the forest, and he did not come out. We sent out a search and rescue team after two days, and they found nothing. The next day, we sent out another party, only to find what remained of Mr. Lopatin in front of the woods, completely bloodless and impaled on a tree branch that had nearly doubled in size. I cannot describe it any simpler than that.

The case of Mr. Lopatin isn't anything more than...odd, even to me. I'd consider myself a man who has no problem dealing with supernatural elements on a conceptual level, but what happened here was something that left me, and most of my team, scratching our heads for weeks. Removing the body wasn't a big deal in and of itself, but the amount of foreigners that have come to visit has drastically increased, primarily due to the story getting out and every person desiring some sort of adventure or risk taking deciding that Lasfkorr is the best place on the planet. On top of a few angry letters from Volsovan diplomats, nothing has really been done to "resolve" the situation at hand.

3. For the sake of anonymity, all of these names have been changed, but the message still remains: the nobility of Kalriki are not above doing some more..."out there" activities.

October will conclude with a story that relates to one of everyone's favorite Holidays - Halloween. We're sure you'll enjoy it.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

• DOMESTIC: King Harzu to host international summit in November!
• WORLD: How is Herr Neumann?
• OPINION: Rural Volkhov is better than Urban Volkhov. Change my mind.
• SPORTS: Hornussen league continues!
• WEIRD: Growing cranberries in Hercynia: easier than you think!

(allow me to break character for a moment - this will be finished soon on 10/1)

[Altisches Reich]

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