[TWI ONLY | OOC] Terror Over Gael

[Dormill and Stiura]

TERROR OVER GAEL
All the wicked shadows coming tramp, tramp, tramp,
With the black night overhead.

- Robert Louis Stevenson, "Shadow March"

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Read the full Tragedy of Gael saga here
Oh Night Unholy (OP: Roendavar)Shadow Over Gael (OP: Balnik)Terror Over Gael (OP*: Dormill and Stiura)Inferno Over Gael (OP: tbd)
OOC | ICOOC | ICOOC |ICOOC | IC
*For the sake of this thread and for Inferno Over Gael, while the primary OP is whoever makes the opening post; Balnik, Dormill and Stiura, and Roendavar shall be considered the primary Co-OPs with respect to plot and story development. We started this project with Shadow and we would prefer to keep a majority of the story's focus in our control. However, since we at TWI pride ourselves on effective collaboration, all TWI map members are welcome to be involved in this story directly or in stories related to the Tragedy of Gael.

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Welcome one and all, The Western Isles and NationStates alike, to Terror Over Gael, the second dedicated story and third so far in the Tragedy of Gael saga. I am your most humble host, Dormill and Stiura, and it is my high hope that you will join me in crafting and enjoying a tale of mystery, intrigue, drama, and conflict as the nations of Gael try to grapple with the aftermath of the events of Oh Night Unholy, Shadow Over Gael, and the News of TWI. The following sections of this OP will overview the situation in Gael immediately following the events of Shadow (alongside recapping it) as well as presenting a preliminary plot overview for the construction of a collaborative plot for this RP. This RP will require plenty of time to plan and more to post in character for given the time dedication of all involved. An in-character thread will be announced and launched in due time but for now, please use this thread to plan, organize, and hype for what should be TWI's next biggest RP.

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Section 1: What is Gael?

Gael

Gael is one of the three primary continents (or subcontinents if you will) of the Western Isles, situated east of Argus, west of the Eterna Sea region, and north of the Southern Sea region. It is the second-largest and second-most-populous continent of the region and is home to some of the strongest and most vibrant economies in TWI. Originally settled by proto-Argean peoples in pre-history before developing into hundreds more distinct groups, Gael is home to some of the most diverse communities in the region as well as the largest home of European and Asian settlers in the form of the north coast nations.

All is not well however in this seemingly tranquil continent, a Shadow now looms over it spreading Terror wherever it falls too close to the ground, from the cultist attacks in Roendavar to the Saela Spring and more, fear is beginning to spread that Gael's stability is waning fast. What was the cause of all this? Who's to blame? In a continent of vibrant democracies and liberalism, why does autocracy have a growing reach? Come with me and explore some recent history.

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Section 2: A history of Gael and a Recap of Shadow over Gael

Thanks in large part to the collaborative nature of TWI's roleplay, the history of any region is subject to fluctuations as people join, leave, or retcon their nations or their relationships with the region as a whole. This history is a recap of what is relevant to the Tragedy of Gael storyline first, and an accurate recollection of the collaborative history of Gael second. Any necessary corrections will be made as they are needed.

To simplify the recollection of history, this section will rely on a numbered list until proper prose can be added to replace them.

1. 1947: The First Imperial War ends
2. 1949: The New Leeuwarden Concord is signed, normalizing diplomatic relations between Dormill and Stiura and several Gaeltic nations.
3. Early 1950s: The United Republic of Balnik stabilizes, however it is rendered dependent on food imports to account for mass industrialization efforts.
4. 1953: De Strijd, the period of heightened civil strife and conflict in north Gael, begins in earnest as the Ardedan National Army forms to resist growing discrimination, their efforts would remain underground for several years.
5. 1958: Responding to the Manifesto of the Forgotten, the Roendavarian Army is officially disbanded.
6. 13 August 1969: Celion Cornelius Decebal Iralethias of Roendavar dies, initiating a Treiorevicos that is hijacked by the Peony Movement and ends in the death of over 1200 people.
7. 14 July 1973: The First Hyacinth Cry begins through student protests, simultaneous related protests begin in Dormill and Stiura to protest Denis' continued rule.
8. January 1975: Antonin Siskind is elected President of Dormill and Stiura, replacing the ailing Merv De Vires in is dying years.
9. 1976: Dimi Mio assumes the position of Chairman of the Balniki Communist Party, and begins pushing economic liberalization in concert with the Association of Gaeltic States.
10. 1977: Neoliberal agendas prevail across Gael.
11. 17 December 1979: Balniki Coup d'état commences, initiating the Horseshoe War.
12. 1980: Gael Finance, a holding company for several venture capital firms, collapses, starting the Gael Crash and 1980 Economic Crisis. This would worsen the Horseshoe War and halt reconstruction efforts in north Gael.
13. 12 February 1981: Ainslie is ejected from the Association of Gaeltic States for its role in the Crash, the organization would collapse by June.
14. December 1981: Democratic Balniki Alliance is destroyed by Valkoi National Front, ending the first phase of the Horsehoe War.
15. 1982: Kapolder Constitutional Convention is held, beginning the reformation of the Doraltic Constitution into the modern instrument.
16. 10 December 1983: Andre Chernobog declares the formation of the Federation of Balnik.
17. 2 November 1989: The Second Hyacinth Cry begins in Roendavar, prompting an end to westernization in Roendavar.
18. 30 October 1995: The second constitution of Dormill and Stiura is formally adopted, Antonin Siskind resigns upon its adoption.
19. 3 December 2001: Baetylus 2000VC04 breaks up over TWI, fragments impact across Balnik and Dormill-Stiura in the largest loss of life to any natural disaster in Gaeltic history.
20. 10 January 2016: Cedar Dyson is inaugurated as President of Dormill and Stiura.
21. 08 December 2020: Balniki forces occupy Faronna Islands.
22. 13 January 2021: The Valcriosi attack the 2021 Erosithegon, the second major attack orchestrated by the group over the 2020-21 winter.
23. 03 March 2021: The Eris Ninth Club is attacked by what is assumed publicly as a third Valcriosi attack, but is in actuality a confrontation between Valcriosi leader Valeris and Balniki Ratgaz agents.
24. 01 July 2021: Dociara Grand Station is attacked in what is assumed publicly as a fourth Valcriosi attack, but is in actuality a confrontation between Doraltic Bureau agents and Balniki Ratgaz agents.
25. 25 July 2021: A secret meeting is held by Gael Four intelligence leaders to discuss the situation in Dociara.
26. 21 September 2021: Cedar Dyson recovers intelligence of a Balniki War Plan against Roendavar and the United Republics from defected pilot Max Rudin. Rudin is left to die in an anticipated attack on the United Republics Embassy by Legion of 500 forces. Later that morning, Cedar Dyson speaks at the Afaril moments before it is attacked. Both he and Celion Faunus survive the attack.

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Section 3: The Oncoming Terror
This section is in progress but will go over the plot summary as planned collaboratively for Terror Over Gael.

• In the interim time between Shadow and Terror, Dormill and Stiura, Altera, and Roendavar deepen their security ties, anticipating further strife in Roendavar in the wake of the 2021 attacks.
• Events start with the abduction of one Silas Pascal, going by the code name Zuse, a agent of the Bureau of Special Intelligence (Dormill and Stiura's principal intelligence agency). Unknown to Dormill and Stiura, this is the first of a coordinated series of attacks against personnel connected to Project: Borehole, an ongoing espionage effort against Balnik started after Baetylus.
• TWI security experts, scholars, and certain political figures will attend a region-wide security conference and exposition which will set the tone for security policy in several nations and be an open presentation of the regional military-industrial complex's newest and best toys. If anyone wants to be known in the security world, they will attend the 2023 International District Security Conference.
• During the IDSC, President Dyson, who is attending as the opening keynote speaker, will announce a Doraltic-Roendavar joint security project aimed at increasing their readiness to respond to future threats (like Balnik) and prevent the previous year's tragedies.
• This announcement will have the side effect of upsetting the status quo of eastern Gael security, where it was once assumed that Roendavar would remain neutral and both Balnik and D&S would remain uninvolved. Faronna changed that and now D&S and Roendavar will respond by strengthening themselves. Balnik will not respond kindly to this development, an anti-Tripartite with Dormill at its center will render the Federation of Gael experiment moot, and Dovesti Chernobog will take whatever effort he can to prevent this from forming.
• At the same time, whispers of a coup against Chernobog within small parts of the Balniki officer corps begin to spread, they all suspect Teklak involvement in Roendavar, and they are incensed that they allowed Dormill and Stiura to kill one of their own (Max Rudin, who was in reality killed by Teklak officers) even if he was a traitor. This will put pressure on Chernobog to act more often and more openly to prevent them from removing him and starting a war against Dormill and Stiura themselves.
• Also at the same time, the Republic of Grottingon, bordering Roendavar and part of Balnik, is holding its state-level election. It is expected that this will be a bellwether for the federal elections at the end of the year and some politicians expect the Republic's government will shift towards the new party alignment (the one between Dyson's Forwards and the anti-federalist Democrats). While not immediately relevant to Terror, this inclusion is meant to set up a line of attack into Doraltic politics to sow terror and confusion and to possibly force Dyson to play a move he might not want to.
• Like with Shadow over Gael, the players will be the intelligence community as they try to keep their shadow war where they can control it, with each complication (as pictured above) undermining their ability to keep their war from spreading out into a full on military conflict, which will ultimately fail by some means I want to discuss.
• The Aegis (more below) forms from Doraltic and Roendavarian dissident ex-intelligence operatives and hostile cultists and attacks a secret Balniki gold store in Keverai revealed through Project: Borehole, this is to finance their coming operations and buy out several companies from McHenry's Port, a major mercenary hub.
• After a particularly nasty tsunami strikes Keverai, Dormill and Stiura is thrust further into the security dilemma of the Southern Sea. Concurrently, Aegis alongside McHenrite mercenaries and the Legion of 500 begin operations in Charbagnia on the side of anti-government insurrectionists in its northern islands. This will begin a proxy war between Balniki-aligned forces and Dormill and Stiura in Charbagnia that will inflame tensions in Gael.
• Eventually, with Doraltic elections looming, President Dyson decides to lean into the military conflicts to win votes. This rhetoric of needing to prepare for a war ends efforts to deescalate. This rhetoric is shared in Roendavar which is increasingly the subject of militarization and anti-dissident activity, culminating in a major raid against Aegis and the hostile cults, which is ultimately botched by overzealous Doraltic commanders and inexperienced Roendavarian commanders. The raid is framed as an attack against Roendavarian civilians, which opens an avenue for Balnik to intervene on the supposed moral high ground.
• Terror over Gael will ultimately end with the start of the open war between Balnik and Roendavar, just before Dormill and Stiura has the time to respond which will begin Inferno over Gael.

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The Aegis

The Aegis is a newly formed anti-statist terrorist organization that aims to bring down Dormill and Stiura, Roendavar, and their allies by tearing down their intelligence services - the Bureau of Special Information and the Agents of the Rose respectively - and isolating them from the international world by exposing the dirty laundry of the two governments. This is done to set the conditions for a revolution in both countries that will depose Celion Faunus and President Cedar Dyson and pave the way for new, more "transparent" governments that the Aegis will be in control of.

This is where I want you all (who haven't come in yet) to feel free to join. The Aegis will be striking out at any target that makes D&S and/or Roendavar and their allies abroad look bad, or expose government secrets relating to the aforementioned intelligence services. In both cases, this will be especially important for those nations that may not believe the response of the Doraltic government due to existing mistrust, or where the public can be swayed by the disinformation campaign to discredit the two Gaeltic nations. This also means that anybody in TWI that wants to have terrorists to fight can start to fight against Aegis. All I ask is that, aside news posts, to use the Terror IC thread for actions made by Aegis or actions made against Aegis, so that we can expand on Terror's story and start setting up the sequence of complications I've mentioned in the post above that will slowly, but surely, compromise the Bureau, HEI, and Balnik to the point where someone somewhere gets it in their head that war is the only way to resolve this crisis.

With all that said, I hope you all can find a way to be affected by the events of this RP and participate yourselves. As for OPing, Balnik and Roendavar are my Co-OPs for Terror and they should be reached if you have any further questions I am unable to answer after I return to school. And as always, please use this thread for further planning of posts and other events relating to Terror as the RP develops. I hope to start the next chapter, where the Bureau gets desperate enough to consider (and start acting on) direct strikes against their enemies in an escalation of the shadow war, where the HEI goes forward with their operation to strike against the cults that have sided with the Aegis, and where Balnik starts mobilizing towards the Inferno!

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Get Involved

Alright, here's how you can get involved in the story of Terror Over Gael:

• Gaeltic nations and allies of Roendavar, D&S, or Balnik: I welcome you all to become involved in the story directly if possible, especially to include other overt unconventional military forces in the growing proxy war between Balnik and myself. While we have not resolved how wide Inferno Over Gael between a limited conflict between just Balnik, Roen, and I or a wider conflict that could include Lesva, Ainslie, Altera, and Keomora. This is a debate that cuts between all three Co-OPs so this will take time to resolve. For the Gaeltic participants, you're welcome to contribute to this discussion but RP without militarizing until this discussion has resolved.
• Eternan, Argean, and Southern Sea nations: Especially for the Southern Sea, this proxy war will be fought on your doorstep so I welcome you to participate in that phase of the RP, especially in the Charbagnian situation. However, I will need you all to detail how you want to contribute to the plot and your plans for your parts of the RP as a whole.
• Anyone else: I unfortunately do not have a place in mind for anyone else to get involved, particularly Raelosi and Mesdernian nations. However, as I am a firm believer that an RP of this scope should have effects on a regional scale, I invite you all to react to the major public events of this RP as they come.

[Balnik]

Excellent as always Dorm. Can't wait for this one to take its form.

[Belantica]

placing a pin here

[Dormill and Stiura]

Welcome back to Terror Over Gael

It's been a while, hasn't it? So what happened when I launched this thread back last December? The simple answer is school but a longer answer is that I had to refocus my energy on my real life obligations and wasn't able to sit down and think about what I was going to do with this RP until very recently, and today, I have the beginning of Terror ready to write. But what's a TWI RP without collaboration? So, let me start the tapestry, and feel free to contribute whatever ideas you feel like as we go.

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Terror's place and plot

Terror over Gael is set almost one year after the attack on the Dociara Grand Station and the attack on the Afrail of 2020. In the year since these attacks the three leaders in Gael involved in these actions have been considering their next moves carefully, the game has only just begun and the strategy has been slowly but surely forming. As the second in a trilogy, Terror over Gael represents the rising action of the overall Tragedy of Gael story.

This means that the incidents and tensions that were incited during Shadow over Gael will start to compound with new complications; Dormill and Stiura will have to reconcile its security role in Gael as the Eastern Tripartite solidifies, Roendavar will have to consider if it can safely maintain its demilitarized policy, and Balnik will have to learn how to face off against its rivals without triggering a third Imperial War. All of these and more will consist of Terror's overall plot, each of us will have to face challenges that question the very nature of Gael's status quo and will boil over into Inferno over Gael, the war between Balnik and the United Republics over the trajectory of regional power.

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Plot details

This is where a lot of community effort will come in as we figure out what kind of specific plot Terror over Gael will follow. Fortunately, I've come up with a framework that we can start from, starting with

• TWI security experts, scholars, and certain political figures will attend a region-wide security conference and exposition which will set the tone for security policy in several nations and be an open presentation of the regional military-industrial complex's newest and best toys. If anyone wants to be known in the security world, they will attend the 2022 International District Security Conference. Now with an OOC: viewtopic.php?ns=1&f=4&t=399276&p=39652450#p39652450
• During the IDSC, President Dyson, who is attending as the opening keynote speaker, will announce a Doraltic-Roendavar joint security project aimed at increasing their readiness to respond to future threats (like Balnik) and prevent the previous year's tragedies.
• This announcement will have the side effect of upsetting the status quo of eastern Gael security, where it was once assumed that Roendavar would remain neutral and both Balnik and D&S would remain uninvolved. Faronna changed that and now D&S and Roendavar will respond by strengthening themselves. Balnik will not respond kindly to this development, an anti-Tripartite with Dormill at its center will render the Aprosian-Balniki-Lesvan experiment moot, and Dovesti Chernobog will take whatever effort he can to prevent this from forming.
• At the same time, whispers of a coup against Chernobog within small parts of the Balniki officer corps begin to spread, they all suspect Teklak involvement in Roendavar, and they are incensed that they allowed Dormill and Stiura to kill one of their own (Max Rudin, who was in reality killed by Teklak officers) even if he was a traitor. This will put pressure on Chernobog to act more often and more openly to prevent them from removing him and starting a war against Dormill and Stiura themselves.
• Also at the same time, the Republic of Eppendorf, bordering Roendavar and part of Balnik, is holding its state-level election. It is expected that this will be a bellwether for the federal elections at the end of the year and some politicians expect the Republic's government will shift towards the new party alignment (the one between Dyson's Forwards and the anti-federalist Democrats). While not immediately relevant to Terror, this inclusion is meant to set up a line of attack into Doraltic politics to sow terror and confusion and to possibly force Dyson to play a move he might not want to.
• Like with Shadow over Gael, the players will be the intelligence community as they try to keep their shadow war where they can control it, with each complication (as pictured above) undermining their ability to keep their war from spreading out into a full on military conflict, which will ultimately fail by some means I want to discuss.
• Terror over Gael will ultimately end with the start of the open war between Balnik and Roendavar, just before Dormill and Stiura has the time to respond which will begin Inferno over Gael.

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Some extra expectations

While I dearly hope I can get Terror started before the start of next month I can't make any hard assurances other than I'll try. Hopefully, if things go well and I still have the motivation to keep this story moving, I want this to be well on its way before the end of the summer when I have to go back to school. As for the transition between this and Inferno, they will probably happen at the same time In Character so either they'll happen at the same time as IRL with the Inferno IC thread, or its plot will be carried in another way while the detailed RP is done later. Further discussion on that will be saved for the Inferno OOC thread which will be posted after Terror's IC is underway.

[Uprea]

Can bystanding nations, like myself, participate in this? If so, how can one do that?

[Dormill and Stiura]

Can bystanding nations, like myself, participate in this? If so, how can one do that?

Absolutely, I want this to have as far-reaching consequences as possible. As for how I'm not exactly sure yet but I would initially imagine it would be in the later stages of complications as more people look closer into the situation going on. Something like an investigative journalist putting the pieces together from what happened in Roendavar last year to average people getting in the way or being caught in the crossfire. There are many ways so I'm open to seeing what you would want to be involved in with this RP.

[Uprea]

I see, I see, well I am very open for Uprea to take a part in all of this. I would imagine Uprea (as in almost every conflict) would hold a neutral position.
Especially since I understand that there will be war in Gael. Uprea will (contrary to what happened in the past) not go into an isolationist state during times of war but actively try to negotiate and act as an arbitrator while maintaining a state of armed neutrality.
As for the part I could take during Terror over Gael, my idea was either have something happen out of the perspective of one Uprean, which then escalates into a national issue or just have government officials discuss about the issue and plan potential responses.
Regarding the first option my idea was an uprean diplomat goes missing amidst the intelligence war in Gael, the blame gets shifted from party to party as Uprea struggles with its nation being pulled into a war they want no part of. In the end the guilt cannot be determined. This could continue into Inferno over Gael as Uprea sees the need for an arbitrator to avoid an all out world war as nations are forced to choose a side. I want Uprea to take on more and more of an international role, so this could be one more opportunity for Uprea to show its arbitrator role in international conflicts.
As the RP is just beginning and outside nations, like you said, will probably first start to play a role in the later stages when the intelligence war starts, I will have some time to think about if I would like to flesh this idea out, or if I will go into a different direction. Maybe you could give me some pointers as well, as to what would better fit into the RP.

[The Orwell Society]

Is this RP still open and can I join?

[Dormill and Stiura]

Is this RP still open and can I join?

While I am highly encouraged to make this as open as possible to TWI, the specific nature of the plot and the writing requirements I ask from participants are limiting factors. Like with Uprea, there are shockwaves from this is certainly something I want to see spread across TWI and that's where this RP is the most open. As for a specific role for you to play, that ultimately depends on answering these questions:

• Does the Orwell Society care about what goes on in Gael?
• If it does care about Gaeltic affairs, is it well informed about the relationship between Balnik and the United Republics?
• Does Big Brother want to take sides in the conflict between Balnik and D&S?
• What kind of capabilities does the Orwell Society have in acting in Gael in support of whatever policy objective it has?

Otherwise, reacting to the events in this RP as they become open knowledge (and I'll indicate when) is more than good in my book for interacting with this RP. Balnik, Roen, and I all want this RP to have wide-reaching impacts and embed itself into TWI canon for the future and anything that expands the impact across the region works for me.

Maybe you could give me some pointers as well, as to what would better fit into the RP.

I do actually have a role in mind for you if you're interested. Part of the opening of this RP will be the kidnapping of a Doraltic Bureau agent by Balniki intelligence via a criminal syndicate. Details on the syndicate are sparse for now but I have thought of having the kidnapping happen in your territory, meaning you'll be on the front of investigating the kidnapping and tracing it back to whoever ordered it and why which will require interfacing (or even confronting) the Bureau for information. Eventually, this external investigation and other events will drag this conflict out of the shadows and into the open war of Inferno over Gael.

[Uprea]

I do actually have a role in mind for you if you're interested. Part of the opening of this RP will be the kidnapping of a Doraltic Bureau agent by Balniki intelligence via a criminal syndicate. Details on the syndicate are sparse for now but I have thought of having the kidnapping happen in your territory, meaning you'll be on the front of investigating the kidnapping and tracing it back to whoever ordered it and why which will require interfacing (or even confronting) the Bureau for information. Eventually, this external investigation and other events will drag this conflict out of the shadows and into the open war of Inferno over Gael.

Sounds awesome, I am in!
The POV I currently have in mind is that out of a investigator taking the lead on the case and maybe a few side roles. I imagine this RP would take serious collaboration on the planning part, as to what information the investigation could get out of the bureau? What leads can the detective find? What methods of investigation are necessary? etc.
I think it would be best if I asked the questions as we go along in the RP, for otherwise things are pretty stagnant in the way the can evolve.
One more question I do have, is if Uprea would consequently get dragged in the war as a participant or if it is possible for Uprea to remain in the investigative corner and stay neutral in the war?
Not staying neutral in the war, would mean a massive governmental crisis and immense pushback from the uprean populace I would have to figure out. It is possible but if avoidable, that would be preferable.

[Dormill and Stiura]

I do actually have a role in mind for you if you're interested. Part of the opening of this RP will be the kidnapping of a Doraltic Bureau agent by Balniki intelligence via a criminal syndicate. Details on the syndicate are sparse for now but I have thought of having the kidnapping happen in your territory, meaning you'll be on the front of investigating the kidnapping and tracing it back to whoever ordered it and why which will require interfacing (or even confronting) the Bureau for information. Eventually, this external investigation and other events will drag this conflict out of the shadows and into the open war of Inferno over Gael.

Sounds awesome, I am in!
The POV I currently have in mind is that out of a investigator taking the lead on the case and maybe a few side roles. I imagine this RP would take serious collaboration on the planning part, as to what information the investigation could get out of the bureau? What leads can the detective find? What methods of investigation are necessary? etc.
I think it would be best if I asked the questions as we go along in the RP, for otherwise things are pretty stagnant in the way the can evolve.
One more question I do have, is if Uprea would consequently get dragged in the war as a participant or if it is possible for Uprea to remain in the investigative corner and stay neutral in the war?
Not staying neutral in the war, would mean a massive governmental crisis and immense pushback from the uprean populace I would have to figure out. It is possible but if avoidable, that would be preferable.

Now that Terror is opened I can answer your questions.

"I imagine this RP would take serious collaboration on the planning part, as to what information the investigation could get out of the bureau? What leads can the detective find? What methods of investigation are necessary? etc. "
Yes, we'll need to talk about this as your investigation develops but my current plans are that the knowledge of the investigation remains within Uprea until someone leaks it to our Embassy, which spreads the info back to the Bureau, then to Dyson. From that point forward, Dyson, the Bureau, and your investigators will start to work together on figuring out the source of the kidnapping and the goal (as revealed in my opening post). Details will be determined as we RP.

"Uprea would consequently get dragged in the war as a participant or if it is possible for Uprea to remain in the investigative corner and stay neutral in the war?"
It is ultimately possible for Uprea to remain out of the war. We are not formal allies and though Dormill and Stiura will try to appeal to the League to intervene for peace enforcement, this does not oblige anybody in the region to join the war.

[Kilat]

This will be a major shift in Gaelitic geopolitics. Kilat should be far enough to weather the direct conflicts, but the shifting geopolitcs stance (considering Kilat ties with the three nations and Ainslie) might intertwine Kilat in minor ways. Also economically, i assume such sign of instability might prompt some market downturns? Like rising tensions between russia and ukraine? Or would it be less candid?

[Dormill and Stiura]

This will be a major shift in Gaelitic geopolitics. Kilat should be far enough to weather the direct conflicts, but the shifting geopolitcs stance (considering Kilat ties with the three nations and Ainslie) might intertwine Kilat in minor ways. Also economically, i assume such sign of instability might prompt some market downturns? Like rising tensions between russia and ukraine? Or would it be less candid?

Yes, expect rising tensions to become openly prominent around the mid-point of this RP and subsequent market woes from there through Inferno. Overall we're looking at a pretty large recession and market scare so if there's any industry that is particularly vulnerable right now or may be overvalued, they're gonna be in some serious pain by around the end of this year.

Additionally the outcome of Inferno will obviously see a major upset in the supply chain from Western Gael so anybody reliant on Balniki or Doraltic manufacturing (which is most people East of Argus) is also going to be seeing a lot of pain.

[San Jimenez]

This whole story seems super interesting! Since San Jimenez is increasingly dependent on Gael for trade and economic survival, how would the country fit into this RP? Is there any room for involvement in Terror Over Gael for SJ? I know SJ would feel the implications of war so I would really like to be involved with Inferno Over Gael when that time comes.

[Costavozka]

This is quite interesting, and I would like to get involved if possible. Since Costavozka has a somewhat close proximity to Gael and tensions with Lesva and Balnik (because of the Eastern Tripartite), would this be alright with you? I feel that while Costavozka might not have positive relations with some members of the ET, the stability in that sector of the region would upset the trade flow, and hurt Costavozka’s economy, so therefore stability would be in Costavozka’s best interests. This would also mean that there is a possibility for involvement in Inferno Over Gael. I guess what I want to know is: is there any room for Costavozka in the Tragedy of Gael saga?

[Ainslie]

As for me, I will likely be skirting around the edges of this RP in a way that fleshes out the impacts for Ainslie and further afield. I imagine that Dormill, Roen and Balnik will be busy exploring the deep story elements but through my ICs I plan to show the true impacts that could occur and how an 'outsider' is going to have to go all hands on deck in order to prevent major catastrophe for its citizens. As far as IC posts I have planned, this is a general outline of what Im thinking:

• Terror IC: Stocktake - ainslie mulls what’s going on, national security meeting, discussing potential war - neutrality but obviously supporting one side over the other whilst taking new opportunities…
• Terror IC: Contingencies - getting ready for the prospect of war in gael, the arrangements that need to be done, discussing potential problems or how we’d respond to escalations… asking and answering all of the questions… and also getting rid of the weeds in ahnslen society that could pull them into the armed conflict… start ordering around the large ahnslen companies

If you've got any ideas/suggestions/things you think are good to bring to my attention please let me know! Happy to fit in more deeply or participate in any arcs that arise that i could fit in well.

[Dormill and Stiura]

New post is out, alongside this OOC Update. Read the latest here: viewtopic.php?ns=1&f=5&t=519901&p=39802561#p39802561

So, what's next from this point? The simple answer is that I will work on my next post, but I highly encourage you all to start getting involved based on the events presented in whatever way you feel.

This whole story seems super interesting! Since San Jimenez is increasingly dependent on Gael for trade and economic survival, how would the country fit into this RP? Is there any room for involvement in Terror Over Gael for SJ? I know SJ would feel the implications of war so I would really like to be involved with Inferno Over Gael when that time comes.

For San Jiminez, I imagine you would want to offer support to D&S at this stage, thoughts and prayers for the Pascal family, and so on while also talking with the Doraltic government about the next steps for safety and whatnot. The important shake-up in relations is set for my upcoming posts so for now, slot yourself in where you feel comfortable.

This is quite interesting, and I would like to get involved if possible. Since Costavozka has a somewhat close proximity to Gael and tensions with Lesva and Balnik (because of the Eastern Tripartite), would this be alright with you? I feel that while Costavozka might not have positive relations with some members of the ET, the stability in that sector of the region would upset the trade flow, and hurt Costavozka’s economy, so therefore stability would be in Costavozka’s best interests. This would also mean that there is a possibility for involvement in Inferno Over Gael. I guess what I want to know is: is there any room for Costavozka in the Tragedy of Gael saga?

As for you, most of what I said about San Jim applies to you, though probably in a more distant relationship towards D&S since you're further away I guess.

Overall, I apologize that Terror has been slow to start, but I am trying my best to set up the story in a way that is engaging overall. If anybody would like to offer advice for how I should do that with my upcoming post or ideas as to how you want to involve yourselves like Ainslie had, please let me know.

[Ainslie]

Additional thing i talked with roen about but forgot to post here so here it is albeit slightly delayed:

The more extensive part of my involvement here will be setting the Henrites up against each other though - from McHenry’s port near razzgriz these folk are well trained mercenaries and PMC types who have an array of friends and jobs all across the Isles. However their Governor will ally with the Roendavarian Government and seek the support of the operatives he’s in charge of using the chequebooks of the roendavarians. Only problem is that the operatives have been working for Balnik for a long time and they’re not keen on getting embroiled in a political conflict. This will cause a soft split in the henrite ranks and will bring Henrites to face off one another as both sides seek their services. This will become a precondition to a new rp later down the track. Essentially, the next two over Gael rps will act as a way to divide the ranks amongst the henrites

[Uprea]

Hope you enjoyed the first IC post I posted a couple days ago. Now that the first post from my side is out, I wanted to ask the main constructors of the RP, Balnik and Dormill and Stiura on how you guys want me to further contribute to the RP. In particular I mean in what kind of direction the investigation that is now underway in Uprea should go. As you can read in the post, I already hinted the discovery of a potential suspect unknown origins, who might have been surveying the abduction area.
Here is now how I would continue:
Investigator Paolo Botelho will now dig himself into the investigation and try to find connections. He will also contact the doraltic embassy for information (here it is up to Dormill and Stiura if he wants to collaborate with the investigation or not).
The identity of the potential suspect will be unveiled, when security camera footage shows him leaving in a car with a license plate that can be tracked to a car rental service outside of Cantavila. From there the investigators are able to track him to a motel, which he entered as a temporary residence in the car rental agreement.
Here is where I also need your input. I personally would have him either already be balniki or have him admit he has ties to the balniki abductors. From there I would ask for more input once we have cleared the picture we want to paint with the next post(s).
Let me know your thoughts on all of this!

[Dormill and Stiura]

Welcome back to Terror Over Gael

It's been a while, hasn't it? So what happened when I launched this thread back last December? The simple answer is school but a longer answer is that I had to refocus my energy on my real life obligations and wasn't able to sit down and think about what I was going to do with this RP until very recently, and today, I have the beginning of Terror ready to write. But what's a TWI RP without collaboration? So, let me start the tapestry, and feel free to contribute whatever ideas you feel like as we go.

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Terror's place and plot

Terror over Gael is set almost one year after the attack on the Dociara Grand Station and the attack on the Afrail of 2020. In the year since these attacks the three leaders in Gael involved in these actions have been considering their next moves carefully, the game has only just begun and the strategy has been slowly but surely forming. As the second in a trilogy, Terror over Gael represents the rising action of the overall Tragedy of Gael story.

(Image)

This means that the incidents and tensions that were incited during Shadow over Gael will start to compound with new complications; Dormill and Stiura will have to reconcile its security role in Gael as the Eastern Tripartite solidifies, Roendavar will have to consider if it can safely maintain its demilitarized policy, and Balnik will have to learn how to face off against its rivals without triggering a third Imperial War. All of these and more will consist of Terror's overall plot, each of us will have to face challenges that question the very nature of Gael's status quo and will boil over into Inferno over Gael, the war between Balnik and the United Republics over the trajectory of regional power.

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Plot details

This is where a lot of community effort will come in as we figure out what kind of specific plot Terror over Gael will follow. Fortunately, I've come up with a framework that we can start from, starting with

• TWI security experts, scholars, and certain political figures will attend a region-wide security conference and exposition which will set the tone for security policy in several nations and be an open presentation of the regional military-industrial complex's newest and best toys. If anyone wants to be known in the security world, they will attend the 2022 International District Security Conference. Now with an OOC: viewtopic.php?ns=1&f=4&t=399276&p=39652450#p39652450
• During the IDSC, President Dyson, who is attending as the opening keynote speaker, will announce a Doraltic-Roendavar joint security project aimed at increasing their readiness to respond to future threats (like Balnik) and prevent the previous year's tragedies.
• This announcement will have the side effect of upsetting the status quo of eastern Gael security, where it was once assumed that Roendavar would remain neutral and both Balnik and D&S would remain uninvolved. Faronna changed that and now D&S and Roendavar will respond by strengthening themselves. Balnik will not respond kindly to this development, an anti-Tripartite with Dormill at its center will render the Aprosian-Balniki-Lesvan experiment moot, and Dovesti Chernobog will take whatever effort he can to prevent this from forming.
• At the same time, whispers of a coup against Chernobog within small parts of the Balniki officer corps begin to spread, they all suspect Teklak involvement in Roendavar, and they are incensed that they allowed Dormill and Stiura to kill one of their own (Max Rudin, who was in reality killed by Teklak officers) even if he was a traitor. This will put pressure on Chernobog to act more often and more openly to prevent them from removing him and starting a war against Dormill and Stiura themselves.
• Also at the same time, the Republic of Eppendorf, bordering Roendavar and part of Balnik, is holding its state-level election. It is expected that this will be a bellwether for the federal elections at the end of the year and some politicians expect the Republic's government will shift towards the new party alignment (the one between Dyson's Forwards and the anti-federalist Democrats). While not immediately relevant to Terror, this inclusion is meant to set up a line of attack into Doraltic politics to sow terror and confusion and to possibly force Dyson to play a move he might not want to.
• Like with Shadow over Gael, the players will be the intelligence community as they try to keep their shadow war where they can control it, with each complication (as pictured above) undermining their ability to keep their war from spreading out into a full on military conflict, which will ultimately fail by some means I want to discuss.
• Terror over Gael will ultimately end with the start of the open war between Balnik and Roendavar, just before Dormill and Stiura has the time to respond which will begin Inferno over Gael.

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Some extra expectations

While I dearly hope I can get Terror started before the start of next month I can't make any hard assurances other than I'll try. Hopefully, if things go well and I still have the motivation to keep this story moving, I want this to be well on its way before the end of the summer when I have to go back to school. As for the transition between this and Inferno, they will probably happen at the same time In Character so either they'll happen at the same time as IRL with the Inferno IC thread, or its plot will be carried in another way while the detailed RP is done later. Further discussion on that will be saved for the Inferno OOC thread which will be posted after Terror's IC is underway.

Welcome to Chapter 2
IC Update: viewtopic.php?ns=1&f=5&t=519901&p=39868427#p39868427

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So, welcome to the second major update to Terror Over Gael! It's taken me a while to reach this point and I do apologize for how slow this started, putting in the energy to produce posts long enough and detailed enough to my satisfaction is hard and time-consuming, and I wish I could've done more with the time I had.

Aside that, I'm here to provide a major update and help set the direction of Terror Over Gael as we start to slip into the end of the northern Summer. As most of you should be aware, I still go to college and that means during most of the year, I'm away from NS to focus on my real-life obligations. That means for the next few months, I'll be even less able to progress the story of Terror Over Gael. But, in this moment of possible adversity, I see a place where I can finally open up this RP to TWI's full participation.

What does this entail though? Say hello to The Aegis!!

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The Aegis

The Aegis is a newly formed anti-statist terrorist organization that aims to bring down Dormill and Stiura, Roendavar, and their allies by tearing down their intelligence services - the Bureau of Special Information and the Agents of the Rose respectively - and isolating them from the international world by exposing the dirty laundry of the two governments. This is done to set the conditions for a revolution in both countries that will depose Celion Faunus and President Cedar Dyson and pave the way for new, more "transparent" governments that the Aegis will be in control of.

This is where I want you all (who haven't come in yet) to feel free to join. The Aegis will be striking out at any target that makes D&S and/or Roendavar and their allies abroad look bad, or expose government secrets relating to the aforementioned intelligence services. In both cases, this will be especially important for those nations that may not believe the response of the Doraltic government due to existing mistrust, or where the public can be swayed by the disinformation campaign to discredit the two Gaeltic nations. This also means that anybody in TWI that wants to have terrorists to fight can start to fight against Aegis. All I ask is that, aside news posts, to use the Terror IC thread for actions made by Aegis or actions made against Aegis, so that we can expand on Terror's story and start setting up the sequence of complications I've mentioned in the post above that will slowly, but surely, compromise the Bureau, HEI, and Balnik to the point where someone somewhere gets it in their head that war is the only way to resolve this crisis.

With all that said, I hope you all can find a way to be affected by the events of this RP and participate yourselves. As for OPing, Balnik and Roendavar are my Co-OPs for Terror and they should be reached if you have any further questions I am unable to answer after I return to school. And as always, please use this thread for further planning of posts and other events relating to Terror as the RP develops. I hope to start the next chapter, where the Bureau gets desperate enough to consider (and start acting on) direct strikes against their enemies in an escalation of the shadow war, where the HEI goes forward with their operation to strike against the cults that have sided with the Aegis, and where Balnik starts mobilizing towards the Inferno!

[Dormill and Stiura]

A Clarification

For the sake of the people reaching out to me asking “How should I get involved in Terror,” I’m going to clarify what I meant from my post last night.

In general, I am opening the plot of Terror Over Gael to the TWI community as a whole, the Aegis is one way you can become involved by interacting with them; from having them attack your nation to your own intelligence services fighting them, even to harboring them or praising their actions because your government has a bone to pick with the Doraltic government.

At the same time, I am also going to make President Cedar Dyson, Vice President Kiera Aalders, Defense Minister Hector Causey, Foreign Minister Keyvn Shepard, and all of my listed ambassadors free to use for posts here. If you want to have a phone call or meeting with any of these characters to discuss what is going on, I leave that option open. Just, don’t handicap their intelligence too much, they’re caught between a rock and a hard place and will be selective about what they reveal depending on whom they’re talking to.

If anyone reading this has further ideas for posts they want to do, I highly encourage working on them and building on Terror’s story, if there’s any limit, major named characters already in the RP (unless you reach out to their OP) should remain alive and healthy. Everything else as far as I feel concerned is fair game so long as you all have fun with it.

[Dothrakia]

tagging,
Dothrakia would be watching these events closely from across the eternal sea but wouldn't get involved (at least right away) but would be concerned with far right/left governments making power grabs

[Kaskalma]

I presume this is limited to Gael nations?

[Dormill and Stiura]

I presume this is limited to Gael nations?

While the core rebooted IC thread will be limited to Gael nations (specifically the participants of Shadow Over Gael plus the Gael Four members) plus a few other select people probably pending an application process, the wider story and its impacts will be open for the rest of TWI.

Stay tuned for updates in the coming weeks.

[Lesva]

So, how much is already pre-planned? Is there still a possibility to step into the part of the story that revolves around the Balnik-Roendavar war?