Bonus History

[Rhodevus]

Bonus History

Welcome to Bonus History! A history show to learn about the nitty-gritty and interesting parts of, well, history. There is so much history that goes undiscovered and forgotten. Much of it is incredible; both fascinating and strange. Exotic and new. While some may be known in certain countries and cultures, it is just too interesting not to share with the world.

Bonus History Episodes:
The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Part 1
The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Part 2
The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Part 3
The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Part 4
The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Part 5
The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Part 6
The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Part 7

The Decision

The Great Northern Shipyard; Part 1
The Great Northern Shipyard; Part 2
The Great Northern Shipyard; Part 3

Maximilian I of Stokfort; Part 1

Block Pals; Part 1

The Bigger They Are; Part 1

OOC Information:
1. Episodes should be between 1,000 to 5,000 words. There is no steadfast word-count rule, but try to aim between this range.
2. 1,000 words = minisode, 5,000 words = episode. Not necessary, just for your information
3. Multiple chapters or parts are allowed and encouraged, but please label them properly and clearly
4. All episodes should be structured similarly to ExtraHistory. A paragraph introduction, followed by a large title declaring it as a "Bonus History" episode, followed by the meat of the topic
5. After every series, a 'lies' episode is needed, explaining the lies, partial truths or unknown aspects of the story, which were done to make for a more interesting story series
6. Stand-alone minisodes do not require a lies episode, but stand-alone episodes do.

[Rhodevus]

The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Part 1

On the Plains of Frugah, two massive armies stood head to head. On one side stood Mikan Bowell. Bawaka, the Thunderous Death. On the other stood Soaring Eagle. 50,000 Laaban Warriors and Screamers against 20,000 Tanto Riders. The two chieftains stared at each other longingly, shouting across the plains for the other to put down their weapons and remember the alliance. An alliance which had been the scourge of Capslandian Rhodevus.

BONUS HISTORY

The year of our lord, 1524. The Joint Colony; present day Rhodevus has been gaining hundreds of settlers each month, landing along the coasts are stepping off ships in the port cities of French Acadia and English Port Joy. Capslandian Rhodevus had been growing at an increased rate thanks to the 1483 treaty with the native populace allowing them to expand and grow in return for peace. But peaceful coextistence with the Rhodevan Natives had all but ended in 1517, the official start to the Colonial Rhodevan Wars. In 1524, two super-powers of the native world were about to meet.

To fully grasp the importance to the year 1524, we need to first explain the three major factions which will be key players in this portion of history. This first episode of Bonus History will take you the basic history of the Laaban Tribe, Tanto Tribe and Capslandian Rhodevus up until this point in time. And trust me, there is enough history between just these three to fill dozens of episodes.

The islands of Rhodevus had been fished by Capslandian sailors for years prior to the first colonies. It was said that a man could lower a bucket into its waters and raise it to find it filled with fish. To fully capitalize on the bounty of the Bay of Rhodevus, Capsland set up Port Joy in 1435 to act as a fishing outpost and port for further expansion and ship-building. Over the decades, multiple more colonies were established, purchasing the land from natives who lived in it. In Quiniac City and most famously in Kingstown. In 1500, the Wilfrid Bay Company was established and given a monopoly on the fur trade in southern Rhodevus. The company, headed by Capslandian trade magnate Wilfrid Bay weren’t too keen on the natives, who build their homes and tribal grounds in the heart of beaver territory. It gave the natives tremendous control on such an immensely valuable resource. By 1516, it was getting pretty obvious to everyone that peace could not last. The company was pushing too far, too fast. The company’s access to guns and cannon made them a great threat to the minor clans and tribes of the south, but it wasn’t until 1517 that things took a turn for war.

The Laaban Tutzo, a minor clan attacked Port Joy after the Wilfrid Bay Company claimed a large portion of their territory. They burned down the wooden barricades which surrounded the city, and killed fourteen men, women and children. In retaliation, the Port Joyer militia and the Wilfrid Bay Company burned down a nearby village, killing 17. Capslandian settlers were given permission to settle in the fertile Laaban Tutzo territory, pushing the natives off their lands by force if needed. By 1519, their land belonged to Capsland, and the Laaban Tutzo, they fled across the Bay to their allies.

And this brings us to the Laaban Tribe. The Laaban Tutzo were vassals of the Laaban Tribe. A power in the native world for centuries. When the Capslandians first settled in Port Joy, it was the Laaban they asked permission from. When the treaty was signed in 1483, it was signed with the leaders of the Laaban Tribe. They held the respect of the Capslandians, and the fear of the much smaller Southern tribes and clans. Their word was all the mattered when it came to native politics in the South. But, an attack on their allies could not go unpunished.

The Laaban have been around for at least 3,000 years before the events we are going to be discussing in the coming episodes. The tribe has a long history and a unique one compared to the other Rhodevan Natives, as the people sailed to the islands from Philomachus and almost immediately went about creating an empire for themselves spanning much of Southern Rhodevus. Over time, the Laaban population intermixed with the local natives and when the empire collapsed in 1,000 BCE the tribe as we now know them formed, placing itself as the primary tribe on the Bentoshi Island Chain, present day Imperial City of Rhode. Their real claim to fame came about in the year 700 CE, which saw the creation of Laabanra; a part-martial art, part-life philosophy which the tribe has lived by ever since, placing strong emphasis on military power of arms. Both for men and women. What came out of this philosophy was a tribe made up of some of the fiercest fighters of the pre-modern world. The famous Laaban Screamers, who were men known to fight in the heart of Rhodeve winters wearing not a piece of clothing. And Rhodeve Warriors, infamous warrior women capable of ferocious feats of strength and incredible self-discipline.

This brings us to our final key faction, the Tanto Tribe. A tribe so close to the animals in which they rode into combat, they were named after them. The Tanto Moose was an incredible create. The size of a moose, with great antlers and a powerful kick. But possible to train and be ridden into combat. The Tanto were one of the youngest tribes, having only been established in the 1200s separating themselves from the Jhong-Ti Nomads which moved through that area yearly, following the great Bison and Moose migration routes. They discovered the secret of training the Tanto Moose and became a fearsome force in their own regard. They were literally the only cavalry force of the pre-colonial world. And that gave them a tremendous advantage in times of war. Just like the Laaban, you do not mess with the Tanto Riders.

And that summarizes just about everything you need to know before getting into the main event. When two men would meet on Rond-So and together make a pilgrimage to the beating heart of Redento Vihus. To the Soul Tree.

[Rhodevus]

The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Part 2

The High Chieftain Bull Bear stood alone, his face painted black in pin-stripes and claws. Tally marks covered his chest and arms. Each marked a warrior killed in combat. His hands lay bare. A bow was slung over his shoulder, yet he held no arrows. This was not a time to make war. As he stared out over the great horizon from the hills of Rondo-So, he saw whom he was searching for. A man in furs with a headdress of white and brown feathers. His face painted red. Riding a massive Tanto moose.

BONUS HISTORY

The High Chieftain Bull Bear was a young man, though already an accomplished leader and warrior of his Laaban Tribe. His fame for war did not tarnish his true nature; that of a peace-maker. Ahead of him, arriving to this holy place was Chief Soaring Eagle, the leader of the Tanto Tribe. Stepping off his steed, the two men stared at each other, face to face. Sizing up the competition. Not in the history of the tribes did two chiefs of this prominence ever stand together and not dueled. But these were different times. These were harder times.

Neither the Laaban nor the Tanto could declare themselves the strongest on the islands, as two new players had entered the scene. Most notably, the Capslandian Empire. Even here, in the heartland of native territory, the palisades of Capslandian forts, and farms of Capslandian settlers could be seen. They were expanding. And both of them knew that there would be no stopping them once enough arrived. The two shook hands and declared the other blood brother. They would seal this pact with a pilgrimage to the Soul Tree, to carve its bark. Yes, this is the very same Soul Tree which still stands in the center of the Imperial Palace in Kingstown today.

It would be a long month of walking. Of using the time to talk and settled disputes which often plagued the two tribes. But, as they set their eyes on the Soul Tree, and carved their symbols into the bark, they sealed their alliance. To further show their support for peace and defense, Chief Soaring Eagle gave his daughter to Bull Bear as a wife. High Chieftain Bull Bear gave his permission for his youngest sister to marry Soaring Eagle’s eldest son. The alliance was bound. If the either was at war, the other would come to their aid.

The marriages were happy occasions. In the Laaban Tribe, the minor chiefs gave tribute to their high chieftain of fish and cured leather. Bull Bear’s only son, Dances with Wind gave an offering of 100 pounds of carved bone and rock. Remember Dances with Wind. He will become important to the events following.

In the Tanto Tribe, Soaring Eagle held a great celebration for his son and daughter-in-law. Six weeks of games and extravagance for the entire tribe.

News would eventually reach both tribal leaders. It was Flux Plague. It was killing the colonists in droves. Cheers sprang up. A sign from the spirits themselves blessing this alliance and these marriages. The spirits themselves were taking up arms against the new settlers.

And indeed, in Port Joy, Quiniac City, Kingstown and the other major colonial towns, Flux Plague was rampaging through the streets. It cared not for wealth or occupation. It killed hundreds. Two in five second generation colonists and three in five first generation colonists fell ill to the plague. Purple boils sprouted around their throats and upper chests. Their face would turn red. A side effect of the heavy guttural coughing which would keep them up day and night from pain. It was rarely the plague that killed these men, women and children, but exhaustion and pneumonia from a weakened immune system. 20% of all colonists at the time would be killed. Their bodies were piled high into wagons, pulled by draft horses, because the donkeys weren’t strong enough for the loads.
Priests dug burial pits in the outskirts of the towns, marking a single cross with the dozens of names of those killed by the plague. There weren’t enough nails and iron to make coffins.

Now, Flux Plague did not just ravish the colonial population, but did have its effects on the natives as well. But, the Rhodevan Natives had long since discovered an antidote. A small insect which found its home in the Yellow-Grass. Obviously, it was called the Yellow-Grass Mite Hopper. If the insect was crushed and mixed with sage and brewed into a tea, it would relieve the coughing and boils, allowing the sick to get much needed sleep and to heal naturally.

The insect was easy to spot. Brown or dark green around the yellow-grass and quite loud, with chirps similar to grasshoppers. When colonists began noticing natives rummaging through the tall grass in search of these insects, it didn’t take long to discover the Flux Plague antidote. But, they couldn’t step into native land. With the increasing hostility between colonist and native, doing so may result in death.

A side effect of their need to expand quickly and gain as much fertile land as possible, they burned through the seemingly useless yellow-grass which filled the plains. This meant to keep the colony alive, they would need to expand. And fast. As men, women and children died every day, fear was setting in.

In 1525, a rumour spread through the town of Quiniac City. The DeMalha Clan was hording the antidote! A mob formed. Anger spread, as more people died. The mob raided their own militias barracks and stormed off towards the clans lands. They burned and pillaged everything in their wake. Over a hundred died in the three months of attacks. And then, the mob built for themselves a fort in the heart of DeMalha territory. They had claimed this land for Capsland. More importantly, they claimed acres and acres of yellow-grass.

Next time, we will see the outcome of this land grab. A peace treaty. And war.

[Rhodevus]

The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Part 3

An incredible discovery. In the new lands, ruled by Capsland mines were found. Of lead and copper. Two valuable minerals which if developed properly could overshadow even the fur trade. The greedy governor Bartholomew Blake saw wealth in his eyes as he smiled at the news. It was time to rid himself of the locals. It was time to grow his territory.

BONUS HISTORY

Early 1526 was an incredibly joyous time. The antidote for Flux Plague became widespread to the colonists. Just as ships filled to the brim of new colonists and settlers from around the empire landed on the shores of the Joint Colony. New faces to replace those lost, and extras from a time when the fear of many new workers dying. Towns grew with the new labour. Farms could grow. Dozens of new trading posts were erected to cash in on the lucrative fur trade. Forts were built to defend claimed land. The first forts and farms were being finished on the Bentoshi Island chain. From land purchased from the Laaban tribe and Bull Bear for the small price of 8 pigs and 25 guns.

Tensions continued to rise. As fighting between colonials and natives became common news from the north, in French territory.
And then a small mistake would lead to war in the south. A group of teenagers wandered into Laaban lands. Drunk from their fathers’ beer. With the sun descending, they lit torches to continue forward, through a small grouping of huts. A boy tripped, dropping his lit torch. Almost immediately, smoke rose and fire took hold. 15 minutes later, the hut burned down, killing the small child inside.

The teenagers were quickly apprehended by the Laaban and brought before the high chieftain to face punishment. But, Bull Bear did not punish the boys. In a move long since remembered in history, he forgave the boys and sent them back home with a message for the governor.

It was a message of peace. A new attempt to keep the two from descending into war. A train of grain, woven cloth and beaver pelts followed the boys, along with Dances With Wind to return with the response of the governor.
Now, Bartholomew Blake was a smart man. And a greedy one. Of course he would accept the gifts of the Laaban. Of course he would discuss peace. He would most definitely stop making incursions into Laaban territory and native lands. As long as they are allowed to keep what lands they already laid claim to.

And Dances with Wind and his father the high chieftain converted to Christianity.

Dances with Wind was furious. Convert to a foreign religion and away from the native faith? What an absurd notion! He could never do such a thing! And neither would his father! The old ways were engrained into the hearts of every Laaban. But… he would tell his father the terms.

Now, it is important to recognize the difference in language and customs here. When Bartholomew Blake asked for Dances to recognize all the territory claimed by him and Capsland, he meant in the Ventismarian sense. If they planted a flag in it, it was theirs. As in, Capsland had laid claim to all of Southern Rhodevus.

Dances however, believed he meant all claimed territory in the Laaban sense. Anywhere a house was built, was their claimed land.
Now, there is a word which means both territory, and all the islands which made up Rhodevus in the Laaban language. This word, Redento Vihus depended on the inflection of the voice and the proceeding and following words to determine which definition was meant. Bartholomew Blake, a novice in the language used his lack of fluency to his advantage. He knew exactly what he meant, and without a perfect translator, Dances with Wind could only assume what he meant. See? Brilliant.

Dances with Wind returned home to tell Bull Bear the decision. All the demands the governor has made. How it was foolish to assume that they would convert just to appease these foreigners on their land. Dances wanted a fight. But Bull Bear agreed. He would convert to Christianity if it meant a continuation of peace. He would allow the Capslandians to claim their land. He sent out a runner to deliver this message.

Dances with Wind and his father argued that night, before storming out. He called a council of Chiefs. All the minor leaders who served under the high chieftain. Dances tells them of his father’s betrayal of the native ways. How he planned to give up lands that had been claimed by these invaders. The lands of their allies. Most importantly, Dances told them what he wanted. He wanted war. His council of chiefs? They agreed with him.

As the runner reached Bartholomew Blake and accepted the terms of the deal, the Laaban chiefs slipped into Bull Bear’s tent and killed him in his sleep.

Dances with Wind cried in front of the tribespeople when they burned his father’s corpse and spread his ashes. But, he held a glimmer in his eye. With his father dead, he could prepare for war. All he needed was a reason to call for his warriors.
Something Bartholomew Blake would unknowingly grant.

Stay tuned for next time when we finally see the Laaban-Tanto in action for the first time.

[Rhodevus]

The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Part 4

Black plumes of smoke rose through the sky, sending chills into all who witnessed it. Fire continued to spread, engulfing everything in its path. The smell of gunpowder filled the air. Bartholomew Blake looked onwards, resting his weight on the hilt of his sword. Clearing the lands of Wun-Di tribe, while working alongside his native allies in the Tuuk-Di. So much new land to settle. To build newer port town in safer locations. Most importantly, to fish the millions of sea-creatures which made the bay their home. With the treaty of Bull Bear behind him, nobody was strong enough to challenge him. That is, until he saw a child flee into the night.

BONUS HISTORY

The seven year old boy went by the name Mikan Bowell and was born from a native father and Capslandian mother. Most importantly, his native father was the blood brother to none other than Dances with Wind himself. Escaping the carnage, he was able to gain passage on a fishing canoe to take him to Laaban territory, where he could seek out his blood-uncle.

Mikan pleaded with Dances for help. Dances with Wind could only help but smile. He had his reason for war. Runners were sent to his allies in the west. ‘Ready your steeds, the blood of Laaban has been spilled’.

Dances with Wind called for his warriors. 800 Laaban warriors and screamers answered the call and a date for battle was set. He was not Bull Bear, to attack brashly, nor to send an honourable message ahead. No, he was playing to win.

The Tanto arrived. 400 Tanto riders on the backs of their moose. Soaring Eagle shook hands with Dances with Wind, saddened at the news of the death of Bull Bear, but pledging to keep the alliance they had made. All was set to attack.

But, as fate would have it, a massive blizzard swept through. 1526 was turning into the year of many blizzards. Worse, a sympathetic tribesman had escaped during the worst of the storm and warned the Capslanians of the coming attack, giving them time to muster a defense. Dances was furious. But his war would still progress as planned.

As soon as the snow stopped and the clouds cleared, the army of 1200 was on the move. Fort Henry was the first to block their path. One of four forts on their island which would need to be razed before they could even set foot on the mainland again. Outside of it, stood 1900 soldiers in the militia with a handful of armed colonists. All with guns, in neat rows. They wrapped themselves in warm furs and heavy boots. The snow more than 2 feet high in some places.

If they charged the Capslandian lines, they would surely die from volleys of bullets. But no, Dances had a plan. First, he sent his screamers. Men fully nude in the freezing cold of a Rhodeve winter. To throw spears and fire arrows. To attack, then retreat into the snowbanks. They repeated their attack for hours. They could continue it for days if needed. But no, the Capslandians were starting to use rotations, to allow the militia men time to sleep.

From both sides, Tanto riders charged the Capslandian militia, with Laaban warriors and screamers dashing through the thickest snow straight ahead. It was a brutal massacre. Gunshot and screaming blanketed the battlefield. By the end of the day, 550 militia men and colonists lay dead in the snow. 50 Tanto Riders and 108 Laaban screamers were lost. But the Capslandians had broken and fled from the fort, which was quickly put to the torch. Fort Henry burned to the ground, with everyone inside. But this was not over. Not by a long shot. Dances would make the Capslandians pay for taking his land. More so, he would use this foreign empire to help him carve out his own.

It can be said in Laaban tradition that nothing happens without meaning. Those who fall in battle were destined to fall. Those who conquered were destined to conquer. And those who survived… Well, emerging from the rubble of the Capslandian fort was a man. Covered in ash and soot. One arm dangling without feeling. It was broken in four places. Dislodged from his shoulder. This man was named August Jameson.

He had once been a champion of native rights. Wishing them to convert, but retain their lands. But, that was before. Before he lost his home and his wife and unborn child. Now all feeling he could muster was fury and vengeance. It would be his dying wish to end this native alliance and put both chiefs to the sword.

And with our final lead member revealed and a bloodthirsty battle laying in its wake, we will come to an end. Stay tuned for the next chapter, when we move ahead and see the real power of the Tanto-Laaban Alliance.

[Rhodevus]

The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Part 5

Hords. Hundreds, possibly even thousands were beginning to amass near the border to Capslandian territory. Capslandian fur trappers and scouts returned with their wares stolen and bad news on their lips. News also arose that French settlers in the North would not be coming to their aid. They had their own problems to deal with. In the growing border fort town of Riverdale, it looked like they would be standing alone.

BONUS HISTORY

The year is 1528 and Dances with Wind; High Chieftain of the Laaban Tribe, and Soaring Eagle, Chief of the Tanto Tribe now stood arm in arm once again. It had been two years of coordinated raiding on local villages. Nothing too large, as the settlers had essentially given up on expanding into new territories. But, Dances with Wind had been pressuring his Tanto allies into a full out war. And Soaring Eagle had given in. The full strength of the Tanto and Laaban would descend on the Capslandian settlers.
For weeks, the tribes had been assembling their forces. Between 3,200 and 4,800 native Rhodevans amassed near the official border between claimed and unclaimed territory. Signal fires and war tents littered the plains in the dozens. The pens for Tanto Moose were larger than some towns and held more moose than any colonist had seen up until that time. It was clear that an attack was imminent. And the nearest town of Riverdale began to stockpile as much as they could.

Repairs were made in the wooden walls of the fort and cannon were armed. Muskets were cleaned, and extra stores of gunpowder were purchased. The fort was filled with civilian colonists, but it had an armed and trained militia. Professional soldiers who had finished their terms of service fighting wars in Ventismar and now settling down in the colonies with their families. Horses brought from the mainland.

Shouting was heard outside the walls. “Sir! The natives are moving!” Yelled a scout, rushing back towards the fort. “Line up the men! Close the gates!” Ordered the captain of the guard, reaching for his rifle.

The native alliance didn’t remain idle when they were amassing their forces. They knew they would need to come into this fight with a strategy. And one for taking down a well-trained force, all hidden away inside of a fort. Now, fort fighting was new to the native Rhodevans. There had only ever been one fortress constructed on the island prior to the arrival of the Ventismeriens. But that one had burned itself down.

But, that gave Soaring Eagle a brilliant idea. For years, the Tanto had been using black rock which happened to burn surprisingly well as a way to herd animals. Some dust was sprinkled only arrows and around areas to form an invisible barricade. And when a fire as lit, the area would be cordoned off with flame. What the native Rhodevans referred to as fire rock, we call coal and coal dust.
Lines of dozens of archers surrounded the fort, hiding behind makeshift bison hide shields and large stones. First, volleys of arrows were launched at the fort. Each arrowhead containing small bundles of flimsy ceramic containers filled with coal and coal dust. As these containers broke on impact, dust flew into the air around the fort. And then, fire arrows. Within hours, the mixture of wood buildings and coal dust on everything and in the air, the fort was on fire. The musket and rifle fire of the soldiers inside proved ineffective. The natives could use the surroundings to their advantage. Only the dozen cannon could move the native force. But, it was too little too late. Smoke blew into the air as the fort was burning.

The captain of the guard gave the order. A direct attack would be needed to push back the natives before a fire-fighting attempt could be made. It would be impossible to fight inside and outside threats. Horses were mounted and rifle lines were drawn, cannons were loaded and pushed to the front of the gates. And then, the gates were opened.

Native Rhodevans charged on the backs of Tantos and on foot, against the colonists, militia and soldiers on horse and foot. Cannon fire shook the ground. It was a fight to the death, with the Capslandians surrounded.

Tanto-rider fought horsemen and Laaban fought riflemen. Arrows picked off stray fighters on both sides. But at last, the fighting ended. The Capslandian left flank cracked and Tanto rider pushed hard towards the central forces, crashing into the cannons and taking them out of service. Laaban forces wheeled around, attacking colonists in the rear, detaching a hundred men to pillage the fort and help continue the blaze.

And the colonists fled. The fort was defeated. Nearly 5,000 natives against a fort of nearly 10,000. Only a couple hundred were able to flee to the surrounding towns and villages. Another victory for the Laaban-Tanto Alliance. And another defeat for the Capslandian colony.

Bartholemew Blake was worrying. What if this alliance proved too much for his colony? What if it gave the natives the courage to rise up in greater numbers? Potentially to even unite the many divided native tribes into one force, working alongside the two strongest native tribes of the era? No, Bartholemew shook his head. He could never allow that to happen. It was time to call in the big guns. It was time to call in the French colonists.

A letter was dispatched by ship to the French port city of Acadia. A letter was returned post haste. They had agreed. A final battle would need to be planned. It may take months or years to bring in the cannon and militiamen required. And it would need to happen during a lull in attacks on colonists by native Rhodevans all over. But it was a start.

[Rhodevus]

The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Part 6

Minor skirmishes. The gradual push and pull as powers find their footing in a new world with new opponents. But with empires expanding and new people pushing into foreign lands, there are more natives angered and looking towards cooperation to regain their dominion. Tribes and clans align and a new strength emerges. These are the days of the First Rhodevan Alliance.

BONUS HISTORY

It’s been four years without a major battle between both sides. Not that fighting hasn’t been occurring. The Tanto-Laaban Alliance had seen widespread peace to their homelands, with no colonial incursions. The Tanto tribe had begun working alongside the Jhong-Ti nomads, which have started to gain greater use of Ventismarian horses over their own feet for travel. The Laaban had been accepting in refugees from their vassal clans whose lands had been taken over by colonists, boosting their own numbers.

But 1532 was not only a year which saw the Tanto-Laaban alliance reach its prominence and golden age of peace and security. The DeMalha Clan, Sun Yong Clan, Bontswei Tribe and Dezlohra Tribe, taking a page out of the Tanto-Laaban book, decided to create their own alliance to ensure their own safety against Capslandian incursions. This alliance was named the First Rhodevan Alliance.

Now, this group held a very strategic position along the South-East of the main island. An important position for fishing and salt mining. It also held the mainland half to the Imperial straight, a small strip of navigable water between the Capslandian controlled half of Baaven Rhode and the major port city and colonial capital of Port Joy. This placed them in contention with Capslandian trade interests. It also placed them against the Tanto tribe for indirect control over the clans and native groups in the Tanduki Plains.

Now, the Tanto tribe was far away from the Tanduki Plains, meaning that it held little significance to them. They were quite far from most of the tribes and clans of southern Rhodevus, as they were located in the central plains of the mainland. When the Tanto Tribe called out to their allies to help them handle the First Rhodevan Alliance’s rise in power, shifting the power balance among natives in the South, the Tanto refused. They had allied with the Laaban to stop the Capslandians. Not to attack and control their own brothers. This made Dances with Wind furious. It left only one option in his mind. He would need to force the Tanto into his pursuit of power.

First, a runner was sent to the Tanto, asking for a meeting. Soaring Eagle gladly accepted, sending down an envoy; fifteen Tanto Riders, including his only son.

Next, he sent a message to the First Rhodevan Alliance, telling them that his alliance with the Tanto was ended. The two tribes were now at war and he would like to ask for their assistance. The alliance accepted, agreeing to send some warriors to meet a Laaban war party on the edges of what had once been Wun-Di territory.

And then Dances waited. The First Rhodevan Alliance arrived in Wun-Di, only to meet the Tanto envoys. Believing they were assisting their allies the Laaban in their war, they attacked. The war party descended on the Tanto Riders, killing eight, including Soaring Eagle’s son. The remaining escaped, half fleeing for Laaban territory, the rest fleeing back to the safety of the Tanto tribe, to share the news.

Those that reached the tanto tribe? They were greeted with open arms. How could the First Rhodevan Alliance do such a thing? Attack the Tanto tribe without regard or warning? It was most definitely to send the Tanto-Laaban Alliance a message. War was the only option to weaken their hold and stop their growth in power. Even the Capslandians would soon see of the native threat. Dances with Wind smiled, his plan had gone off perfectly. The Tanto agreed to war with the First Rhodevan Alliance.

1533 in the Tanduki Plains. 30,000 Laaban and Tanto warriors lined up against a near equal number of those in the Rhodevan Alliance. Both were backed by some 2,000 warriors each; members of the various Tanduki Plains clans which they were allied to. Many had guns. For the first time, native would be fighting native, armed with this Ventismarian weapon.

There was little strategy during those four days and nights. The attacks only stopped to allow for the thousands of buffalo and bison to pass through for their annual migration. No fighting was to be done when the spirits themselves pushed the bison between their paths. Some saw it as a sign that their fighting was pointless. Danced killed those men himself and spurred on the next round.

By the final day, bodies piled high and men ran through rivers of blood. It was the largest loss of life so far during a conflict in Rhodevus. Over 12,000 lay dead on the battlefield, but there was a clear victor in the end. The Tanto-Laaban Alliance was the native power in the region. And no new native alliance would ever hope to rival it.

The Tanto became the sole power in the Tanduki Plains. All the clans and groups there would become vassals.

But, it is funny how events have greater, more widespread effects that those involved just do not seem to notice. Governor Bartholemew Blake had noticed. He had watched with grim fascination as the two native alliance fought for control over the Tanduki Plains. Spending their valuable resources against one another. And when the dust cleared, he allowed his colonists and settlers to sweep up the mess. In 1534, the Plains of Tanduk were solidified as Capslandian holdings. A year later, the Capslandian colonial army and the First Rhodevan Alliance squared off and fought. And after that victory, the Capslandians swept through their territory, claiming it as their own. Solidifying colonial control over most of Southern Rhodevus.

It was dark times for the native peoples in the mainland. Capslandian colonists were pushing in every direction, reaching the Wun-Di tribe in 1536. French colonists in the North begin pushing into Jhong-Ti nomadic routes, as well as into the Toa te Awa; the famed ocean warriors. In 1536, the Toa te Awa were defeated and the small islands around the country were in colonial hands.

The Tanto were beginning to wain themselves, losing many warriors in the wars spurred on by the Laaban. Soaring Eagle pulled his Tanto Riders back from the South, choosing to put a pause on the alliance, until the Capslandians attack either of them directly.

Dances with Wind was getting older, leading fewer raids himself. His hope for a Laaban controlled island was gone. As was his goal for a defeated Capslandian colony. Mikan Bowell, his adopted son was leading raids against the Capslandians for him; mainly to take hold of guns and gunpowder, as well as horses when possible. But Dances was done. Everyone could see it. He was still strong physically, but the spark he had only a few years ago was diminished.

And then he heard that a new type of Fort was being built near Quiniac City. One made entirely of stone without any wood. With cannon lining every corner. An undefeatable fort built on a river for unlimited clean drinking water and its own farm to make sieges near impossible. If it were to be completed, Capsland would be the unrivalled and complete power in all of South Rhodevus.

And the fire burned once more within him.

Stay tuned for next time with the Battle of Fort Quiniac, Battle of the Alliances and the long awaited conclusion to the Tanto-Laaban Alliance.

[Rhodevus]

The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Part 7

Four years. Four years of war. Four years of destruction. Four years which would shape the future of the subcontinent. Four years which mark the turning point in Rhodeve history. Years which will become the basis for when two colonies became the Joint Colony.

BONUS HISTORY

The Laaban tribe had been compiling its forces for three months. It was 1538 and this was the last chance to destroy the Fort at Quiniac before the cannon arrived from Capsland at the start of winter. The fort was being built by hundreds of workers, working every day. Professional soldiers, along with experienced militia stood guard all hours of the day and night to stop the constant raiding and harrying of supplies to and from the construction site.

1200 Laaban warriors and about 2,000 warriors from allied tribes and clans would be facing nearly 400 militia and soldiers, armed with rifles and muskets. If they failed today, then the natives could say goodbye to their control over the southern mainland. It would all be under the control of Capsland.

And so, day turned to night. And the war horns were sounded. Amongst the flashes of rifle fire and the shouts and whooping of warriors, Dances with Wind was there. Right in the thick of battle. Alongside him, his adopted son, Mikan Bowell, blowing his war horn whenever he or his father made a kill. He blew that horn constantly, giving him his most famous of monikers. The Thunderous Death, Bawaka.

But then, from behind the half-built fort walls, a line of professional soldiers. Then two. Then three. Each let off a row of gunshots, tearing down everyone in their path. Then they knelt down to reload and the next fired. And then the next. Natives were ripped to shreds. They retreated. And the Battle of Fort Quiniac was lost. Laying in the pile of bodies was Dances with Wind himself.

Mikan Bowell; Bawaka was now the chieftain of the Laaban tribe.

Now, in all this time, The Tanto and its leader in Soaring Eagle were straying farther from the Tanto-Laaban Alliance. It was becoming more and more about Laaban conquest than mutual defense. As a central tribe and not a southern one, the Tanto felt that they had no need to get embroiled in the politics of the South. The Capslandian settlers had not yet even reach their borders yet. The threat, while present, still felt far enough away to truly fear. With Dances with Wind dead, Soaring Eagle decided that now would be the time to call off the alliance. But just as he was preparing to send an envoy with this message, an army rolled through from the north. The French forces, secure in their victory over the Northern tribes and clans had sent a strong and experienced force down to link up with the Capslandians to once and for all destroy the Tanto-Laaban Alliance.

Knowing to put aside his grievances with the Laaban, Soaring Eagle and his strongest Tanto Riders raced down to Laaban territory to deliver the news of the upcoming attack. And to prepare for when it might come about.

1540. The Quincy Plains, now known as the Plains of Gabriel. A Capslandian and French colonial force stood strong. 30 cannons, 400 cavalry and 1700 armed and ready soldiers. Against 2000 Laaban warriors and screamers, 300 Tanto riders and 200 archers. The plains made it a perfect place for flatland Ventismarian war tactics. But, this was an area well-travelled by both Soaring Eagle and Bawaka. They each knew how the river; at certain times of the year would become low enough to show the entrance to a system of underground tunnels, which opened up further down the plains. Too small for horse or cannons, but a few people walking in single file could get through and out of the caves before the water levels rose again.

And so the battle began. With soldier against warrior, tanto against horse. And new warriors popping up around the battle field, taking the enemy from behind throughout the day. It was a decisive victory. The Tanto-Laaban Alliance defeated the combined might of the French and Capslandians. The native alliance was still the dominant power on the island chain.

And so the Tanto and Laaban soldiers cheered and partied that night when they were proclaimed the victors. As what remained of the French force retreated back to French territory and the Capslandian force did the same. Picked off by archers following them, until they got within range of Fort Quiniac.

Soaring Eagle and Bawaka toasted to each other and proclaimed the alliance between the two peoples would stand the test of time. The alliance would collapse that very night.

It started as an argument between a Tanto Rider and a Laaban warrior. Both claimed to have been the one to take out the cannoneer and thus would lay claim to the cannon itself. The argument turned into a brawl. The brawl into a fight and the fight into a skirmish. Twenty three died. Soaring Eagle and Bawaka broke up the fighting before any more could die.

And then they each asked of the other to be the first to apologize. Neither did, believing the other was at fault. And so, the two parted ways, promising that they would settle this dispute in a year’s time. On the field of battle.

And that brings the story full circle to the Plains of Frugah. 50,000 Laaban warriors and screamers lead by Mikan Bowell, Bawaka, the Thundrous Death. All on foot against 20,000 Tanto Riders, all on horse-back. Lead by Soaring Eagle. The two leaders met in the middle of the field, grasping arms and exchanging arrows. Their alliance and pact was officially over and the two now stood as unknowns to each other. As if their friendship forged through blood had never happened. By the grace of the spirits, they could now wage war against one another.

They agreed to sleep the night and fight in the morning. And so they slept. And so they fought.

And in the aftermath and the settling dust, one tribe stood. The Laaban Tribe took their place as the greatest of tribes. One of the few which remained.

From 1524 to 1541, the Tanto-Laaban Alliance shaped Capslandian colonial ambitions in southern Rhodevus. 17 years filled with near constant fighting and war. This time is considered to be the end to the first period of the Rhodevan Colonial Wars, which transpired between 1515 and 1627. The tactics used by the Laaban and Tanto would form the basis strategy for handling stronger military powers for generations to come. It would be how the Rhodeve Empire conquered and claimed territory so quickly. The tactics of Bartholemew Blake, his success with quick expansionism into Southern Rhodevus and his failures in battle became points of discussion in how to bring about an empire.

The Tanto would never fully recover from that final battle on the Plains of Frugah. They would never again be able to muster forces in such great a number and so quickly. In 1553, they would defeat a combined colonial army with a force a tenth of the size. And a quarter century later, they would be snuffed from existence.

The Laaban too, would never field such a large army. But, with the victory came a newfound respect and fear. From then on, until the present day, the Laaban tribe became the face of native military history. The strongest of the strong. And Bawaka? A legend among legends.

[Rhodevus]

The Tanto-Laaban Alliance; Lies


Wow, this was a long one. Seven minisodes spanning about 17 years in history. But, it was great to have it be the first Bonus History series with many more from around the world to come next. But, what is this final episode of the Tanto-Laaban Alliance series? This is Lies.

BONUS HISTORY

Welcome to Lies! This is where I tell all of you what lies, faux pas and false truths were added in order to make the story that much more interesting. It’s also where I tell you small stories that couldn’t fit into the minisodes or small anecdotes that had to be left out. It’s also to discuss any inconsistencies with characters between episodes.

Let’s start with episode 1. Okay, so I used this first episode to quickly explain the histories for the Laaban Tribe, Tanto Tribe and incoming Capslandian Empire. Note that even in that episode I said that it was going to be brief, and indeed it was. Very brief. Getting into some lies, or changes I made in order for the series and this episode to make sense. I mention Rhodevus multiple times as where the events are located. But, in reality, it wasn’t called Rhodevus until the late 17th century. After the Rhodevan Colonial Wars had ended. Up until that point in time, each native tribe called the land something different. The Laaban name for it, which has since become the standard native language, called it Redento Vihus meaning bounty of sea life. The Tanto seem to have called it either Buvo Teilla, meaning Great Plains or Great Land, depending on the translation. The Capslandian Empire called it the Western Colony. Until about the 1530s, when more interactions between the Capslandian South and French North occurred, it was referred to as that. After which, the name became the Joint Colony.

Similar things, the Bay of Rhodevus was known as the Bay of Furley. Oh, the Wilfrid Bay Company. After this episode, I spoke little about it. Was it really at all important to Rhodevus? Yes, very much so. I speak a lot about Capslandian expansion into the South and across the plains, but what I’m really referring to is the Wilfrid Bay Company. They were the ones to first expand into new land, paying for new settlers to move in and fur trap and farm the land, before Governor Bartholemew Blake’s colonies officially moved in, often 15 to 20 years after the Wilfrid Bay Company began their own trade and resource extraction.

Episode 2. High Chieftain Bull Bear, now that was an interesting character and I could have done a full episode about him. A bit about him that I found very interesting, that we didn’t have time to add, the pin stripe markings on his body. This guy was covered in them. How many? Close to 800 tally marks, each mark representing a single person he killed during his lifetime. That’s crazy! And you’d think that with all those marks he’d be a bloodthirsty guy, but from all accounts, he was quite friendly. Shy even.

There’s a story about him when he was younger, leading a war party on a campaign against the… Quiniac clan. He stopped an attack, mid-battle in order to move a wounded deer off the field. It’s why most paintings of him include a deer standing nearby.

Okay, the Journey from Rond-So to the Soul Tree, I kind of brushed through it very quickly. But, it was quite an important occurrence. It was such a symbolic thing in multiple native belief systems. Like, it wasn’t that these people became close friends during the journey. No, it was considered like a rebirth. Rond-So is an area of such importance to the native tribes. It literally was the home of shamans around Rhodevus, who had the task of reading the clouds and stars and determining which clans would be considered tribes; aka the strongest of the clans, for the next year. They would walk to the Soul Tree, which was considered the birthplace of Redento Vihus, or the island itself. The journey from Rond-So was considered as a rebirth and the person you went on the journey with became closer than a brother or sister. They were considered closer family than your actual siblings and parents themselves.

Flux Plague, okay this will be the last thing I run through from this episode. Flux Plague was brutal. The only disease which moved from the continent of Dogmana to Ventismar and not the other way around. It was wild. The natives had spent the last hundred years dying from colonial disease and finally the reverse began happening. It’s what really set all this in motion. The colonials couldn’t field as large of armies as they used to and even then, many in their midst were sick. So, how could so few natives defeat much larger groups. Flux Plague was generally why. Yes, they were able to decipher the antidote, but it still struck pretty much everyone at some point in their lives.

Episode 3, did Bull Bear really sell tribal land to Capsland for 8 pigs and 25 guns? It’s hard to say. Capslandian written sources are widespread and varied. Both Laabans and Capslandian sources say it was sold for very little, but the exact amount of animals and guns ranges quite a lot. Some sources include a hostages. Others include things like beer and wine in the trade.

Okay, Governor Bartholomew Blake. He was a crafty guy. I bet he will pop up from time to time in future episodes around this time period. I do want to explain what this guy looked like, because by all accounts, it was… weird. So, just on his face, he had chicken pox as a kid and scratched constantly, which gave him blemishes and soars everywhere. He had a crooked and pointed nose and a mole named Franklin. Yes, this guy named his mole. He wore only the best silk and furs. This guy honestly compared himself to kings of the time.

In episode 4, I mention Mikan Bowell for the first time. I do brush over him near the end, because this guy deserves his own series, he is just that famous. Escaping the carnage at Tuuk-Di, Mikan fled to Laaban territory. Legend says he hid in a wagon carrying rotten fish, until he neared the beach where he then swam to Laaban territory. This seems highly unrealistic. For one, Mikan would have been 9 years old at the time and probably had a severe case of smoke inhalation. What most likely happened was that he managed to bribe his way onto a fishing boat heading out to that area. Not quite as legendary however.

Did Soaring Eagle know that Dances with Wind essentially plotted his father’s assassination? Most likely. Did he care? Probably not. From all accounts, the Tanto often saw themselves as the most civilized of the native groups and just put down those assassinations and attacks as barbarous actions. That isn’t to say that they were perfect. They just considered themselves better than just about anyone.

I also ended the episode with talking about August Jameson. I had to include his name, because of his importance to the events which brought down the alliance, but it was hard to include him elsewhere as it was really behind the scenes and not quite in your face as these other guys. So, I guess I can talk a bit about him now.

So August Jameson was a protestant priest who championed native rights and integration into the colonies. Well, integration for the natives which were converted to Christianity. So, some good with the bad. Anyways, what did he do during all this time? He escaped to the Tanto tribe, ingratiating himself with Soaring Eagle and even become close enough to him to work as an advisor and confidante. During the next years, August spoke with Soaring Eagle, whispering in his ear about how Dances with Wind was just using the Alliance to increase his own power. It didn’t help the matter that what he was saying was actually true. So, when Soaring Eagle finally put a pause on the alliance, and then agreed to break it and wage war so quickly, it was mainly at the behest of August Jameson. Jameson did die, killed by the Tanto tribe when they returned from the battlefield.

Episode 5 and sack of Riverdale. So, in the episode I said between 3200 and 4800 natives took down a fort of 10,000. I think I forgot to mention that that fort wasn’t just military but also civilian, so the 10,000 number was the total population. It probably came down to some thousand or so militia and the rest being just ordinary people. So, it wasn’t as brave of an attack as I might have made it seem.

Umm, 6. I added in a time skip, because nothing really too relevant happened. No really big important battles. There were battles, especially between native clans and tribes. Even during the Rhodevan Colonial Wars, it wasn’t just natives against colonists, but natives against natives as well. Surprisingly, the only two groups to remain peaceful and cooperative throughout the entire century plus, was the Capslandians and the French, who spent the time playing the natives against each other in order to claim more territory.

The First Rhodevan Alliance was a short run thing. Just two major battles, both of which I covered in the episode and losses in them both. So, not exactly a strong bunch. They did have some minor victories against some other clans in the area as well as the Capslandians, so they weren’t a complete failure. It did lead to the Second and then Third Rhodevan Alliances, which proved more successful than the first, though both were defeated as the Capslandians and French colonial forces became more of a unified group in the coming decades.

Did the Laaban and Tanto really field a 30 thousand person force against a similarly sized one? Like, that’s a huge number of people fighting. It probably wasn’t so big. Capslandian record keepers most likely inflated the numbers in this battle to make it look like the natives were a much greater threat than they actually were. It was probably still a couple thousand warriors though. 12,000 casualties is technically true, but those numbers also account for natives in the area that were massacred post victory, many of them being just regular people in the Tanduki clans and groups.

In episode 7 had a few major events in it, but instead of talking about them, I want to bring them more into context of history and what came about in the future from these battles. For one, the Battle of Quiniac City was a resounding Laaban defeat. It was a huge fort upon completion. It’s actually still around to this day, although in much need of repair and it’s a museum. But from 1540 to around 1860 or 1870, it was one of the centers of Rhodeve military efforts. It became the unofficial center for the military and its largest training facility until the first world war when the Ile du Fleurs took over that mantle.

The Quiniac City Fort had cannon that could reach miles into the distance, and being built on a hill, could see pretty much any incoming attack, if the weather was clear enough.

Mikan Bowell did blow his war horn with every soldier he and his blood-uncle killed. That’s actually a true fact and indeed how he got his name of Thunderous Death. There were rumours that Mikan killed Dances with Wind during the battle, but I couldn’t find enough sources to confirm this claim.

The Battle of Quincy Plains was a resounding victory for the natives and it proved to show how big of a threat both the Tanto and Laaban were at the time. It was no wonder that following this battle, more attacks were done on the Tanto tribe in order to weaken their strength. Similarly, many attacks were done on the Laaban tribe to weaken them after this battle, but between the Laaban and Tanto, the Laaban were just more populous. About 3-5 times as many people in the Laaban Tribe as Tanto, not even including the refugees which the Laaban took in, which the Tanto did not. So the Laaban were better prepared to recover from these attacks, unlike the Tanto Tribe which would begin to fade and then go extinct altogether.

And finally the Battle of the Plains of Frugah. Similar to the previous battles, the main sources we have for this battle are Capslandian scholars and historians who liked to inflate numbers to make the natives seem like more of a threat. What we do know for sure, is that the battle was huge. Most likely the largest native on native battle to occur in history. Was it really tens of thousands of warriors? Probably not. More likely a couple thousand and a couple hundred from allies. Similarly, all accounts say that the tribe warriors charged at one another, in very Ventismarian military fashion. This doesn’t make too much sense as Rhodevan Natives had a very different fighting style to the Ventismarians and most likely did not charge rather fought in small groups in hit and run fashion.

Anyways, that’s the Tanto-Laaban Alliance! I hoped you enjoy the series and this episode of lies.

[City of Novorossiysk]

The Decision

The year is 376 CE- you are a citizen of Rossiya, a member of the Azov Rus. Your kingdom was just razed and sacked numerous times, and now, you must make a decision. Should you follow your leader north into the freezing taiga, or join a new young upstart in the journey west to a new home?

BONUS HISTORY

The Azov Rus- a band of people, at first nomadic, emerging around 1000 BCE in what is modern day Ophioneus. The Azov Rus settled in that area around 800 BCE, founding the kingdom of Rossiya. The kingdom began as a small collection of towns and villages, growing into several larger cities. It lived in relative peace for much of it's existence, with only few hostile encounters with nomadic tribes and other kingdoms. This all changed in the mid 300s CE.

In 350 CE, the ruler of Rossiya, Ivan IV, was confronted with an ultimatum from a nomadic group known as the Konetyans- cede his kingdom or face defeat at the hand of the Konetyan horde. Rossiya had grown prosperous and rich, with an army that had been easily policing the nomadic tribes of the western-Ophions steppes. Ivan laughed at the ultimatum, killing the messenger that the Konetyans had sent and instead returning with his own message: one to be delivered by an army of 10,000 men.

The men were given a simple task- destroy the Konetyan army. Ivan wanted to make an example of the Konetyans and prove that Rossiya was the most powerful force in Ophion. The army set out, and in about two weeks reached their destination. What ensued was a massive battle, with the rival Konetyan force of around 8,000 crushing the Rossiyan army. The Rossiyan soldiers retreated back to the capital while the Konetyan force followed them, sacking and razing the Rossiyan city of Bilye before turning around. The Konetyans met back up with their main force- a staggering army of 30,000 men. The Konetyans immediately began their invasion of Rossiya.

The Konetyans devastated the kingdom, sacking and pillaging every town and village they came across. The capital of Rossiya, Ilva, was brought to rubble after several successful attacks. The war lasted around a year, with the Konetyans finally taking control of the eastern half of the kingdom, driving out the Azov Rus who lived there and leaving the west to the Rossiyans. All that was left had been destroyed, and thousands of Azov Rus refugees from the east flooded into the west. Most people in the west had no homes left, so there was no way the refugees had a place to live.

Ivan decided that the Azov Rus must move, and everyone agreed. The problem was not everyone agreed on where to go. While Ivan began to make plans to move his people north, a young soldier named Sasha Ivachenko had other ideas.

Sasha was a skilled horseman. His father tended horses, so Sasha had been experienced in riding them since he was young. He wanted to take the Azov Rus westward to Ventismar. He had heard tales of the Centismar- a beautiful sea with a warm climate, trade, and prosperity. Sasha began to try and gain the support of the Azov Rus and the former Rossiyan soldiers, and he was successful- but his success caught the attention of Ivan. He saw Sasha's attempts to lead the people elsewhere a challenge to his throne, despite his actual throne literally lying in a pile of debris. Ivan ordered Sasha's arrest, but when the soldiers came to take him, Sasha's new army of supporters killed Ivan's men, sending Ivan into outrage.

Ivan immediately mobilized the his forces and sent them to secure the towns and villages in Rossiya. Sasha was already doing the same, and before long the kingdom had fragmented once again, this time split north and south. Ivan controlled the north, and Sasha maintained a firm grip on the south. Fighting soon broke out, and the result was a bloodbath. Ivan began the fighting with an attempt at catching Sasha off guard and attacking the western border. Ivan's attacking force of 8000 greatly outnumbered Sasha's contingent of 3000, but Sasha had a card up his sleeve Ivan did not expect- cavalry.

Sasha was a firm believer in the importance of mounted combat, and made sure to recruit many of his fellow soldiers, mounting many of them atop horses. Sasha also fought on the front lines with his troops, giving a morale boost. He was skilled in combat and a natural tactician, which both resulted in a great blow to Ivan's soldiers in what is called the Battle of the West. Sasha destroyed Ivan's army and continued to bunker down in defense.

As Sasha continued to fortify his holdings, Ivan made persistent attempts at breaking through the defensive line, most failing miserably at the hands of Sasha's cunning tactics and leadership ability. But the significance of this war wasn't the fighting, but rather, the split of the Azov Rus. Families were split apart as nobody could agree who to follow- either go north to the cold with Ivan, or find paradise through conquest and great danger with Sasha. The nation practically split in two, and finally, after almost a year of fighting, Sasha took his people with him and set out westward. Ivan, noticing Sasha's departure, decided it was time to move as well, and headed north.

Ivan reached his destination around 379 CE, founding the city of Novorossiysk and the kingdom of Azovskaya. Sasha meanwhile began his conquest into Ventismar, passing through dozens of kingdoms and city states, searching for a prosperous place for his people to settle. Some kingdoms welcomed the Azov Rus, allowing them to pass freely through their lands. Others were hostile, attacking Sasha's men. Sasha finally reached the Centismar in the year 382 CE, finding a bay surrounded by mountains. It is here Sasha founded the city of Novorossiysk. Two Novorossiysks, founded just 3 years apart, still around until this day. Why is that? Novo means new, and Rossiysk means Rossiya. Both cities were the New Rossiya, just built by different leaders, but the same people.

One people, split into two through a bloody war and a great decision. Two visions, two leaders, and two new civilizations, founded in the ashes of Rossiya. Both cities still stand today, and so does the Azov Rus.

[Rhodevus]

The Great Northern Shipyard; Part 1

More than 85,000 planes, 12 million rounds of munition every day. 5,000 ships. The Second World War was more than a military conflict. It was one which shaped everyday life for nearly a decade. Thousands of people worked in the massive manufacturies of Rhodevus to make the tools necessary for men and women to fight overseas. None was larger, more staffed, more profoundly Rhodeve than the Great Northern Shipyard.

BONUS HISTORY

Before I get started on discussing the Great Northern Shipyard and how beneficial it was to the Rhodeve Protectorate Program and allied war efforts, it is first good to look back at the history which would eventually lead to its construction during the early years of World War Two. What would eventually become the Great Northern Shipyard was located in Northern Rhodevus, about 100 kilometers North of Fantasia, Iylan and stretched for six kilometers along the coast. Now, before the shipyard became ‘great’, it was actually a section made up of 8 separate shipyards. All of which had been quite old. The first of these northern yards were built in the 1730s to allow for more ships to be built and launched into the Bay of Rhodevus.

The area became an important zone for building wooden mast and then metal mast ships during the 18th and early 19th centuries, due to the large uninhabited wooded regions only steps away, as well as dozens of iron mines in and around Acadia and Rome which could easily transport supplies via rail and river to the shipyards.

Following the Republic’s collapse, it was left fairly underused and incredibly understaffed. All 8 shipyards became remnants of their former selves, wasting away and falling into rust and disrepair. That is, until about 10 years before the first world war, when Queen Maya Angellos called for their repair in secret, using it as a minor way-station to help undermine Aznazian influence in the country. It did see some use, building about 30 small to medium sized ships among the 8 yards, but it was still relegated to picking up the slack of the superior yards in the South of the country as well as those on the Ile du Fleurs.

And then the inter-war period came. Finally, a chance to put these yards to work without truly impacting Rhodeve naval production. And that’s when things seemed to take a turn for the worse. You see, up until that point – Actually, since the early-1800s – Rhodevus was not really a strong naval ship-building influence. As in, since 1820 and particularly after the fall of the Republic, Rhodevus was not the place to look, when looking for new and advanced naval designs. Even during the Great War, all Rhodeve ships were lame knock-offs of Aznazian models and many others were influenced from building plans of the Rezuan Empire. But, hoping to bring back some old glory, the northern yards were tasked with designing and building multiple new classes of war-ship.

Now, let me just say. This was not a good time to be in the naval business in Rhodevus. 8 new models were designed and built from 1921 until 1937. And all were – excuse my language – butt ugly. First in 1921 was the Humphry Class, it was an ugly ship, but it floated. Until a gun was fired and literally shot itself out of the water. 4 were discontinued from production.

A year later in 1922 was the April Class, which was so poorly micro-managed it could barely move itself through the water. 9 were discontinued. And the yards didn’t give up. 2 years later in 1924, they designed the John Wilson Class, which looked so bad on paper than the Rhodeve government didn’t even buy one, leading to the 7 in production to be scrapped. 1928 saw the Suyy class, with 1 ship constructed. It was workable, but slow. Very. Very. Slow. 3 were discontinued.

1933 saw two ship classes, the Quazar class. Hoping to build a ship to counter fast moving Aznazian and Englean ships used in the first world war. It was indeed fast, but too underpowered to actually cause much damaged. But two were produced and given to the coastal service. 6 were discontinued. Then the Presence class, Rhodevus’s first real attempt at a new submarine design, which failed whole-heartedly, with 1 built and then sold for scrap and 9 discontinued.

1934 was supposed to be the turning point. The Godfrey Class. It had been in the works since 1925. It would be fast, powerful. With amazing and strong forward and side guns allowing it to take out any modern ship. It was placed into the water with great success and managed to do fifteen laps around the Bay of Rhodevus. But then a weapons test. The strong guns had a slight error. It backfired into itself, rupturing its hull. And a gunpowder magazine stored well below deck. The ship exploded. It became the largest explosion during the inter-war period. It sunk beneath the waves in six minutes. 2 of the class were discontinued.

It wouldn’t be until 1937 before a workable design was created. The Sufi Class. A smaller class of cruiser which worked well in groups and were quick enough to defend convoy ships. It was based off of a Rhodeve design in the southern yards. But at least it was something and 29 were built with 37 discontinued, due to the second world war breaking out.

And that was it. 16 years with only one design to show for it. Worse, it was one design from a different set of shipyards. It proved how truly worthless the northern yards were. And so, even when war began in 1939, the yards were closing up shop.

Stay tuned for next time when we see how a random turn-of-phrase turns Rhodevus into a naval superpower.

[Lindenholt]

Maximilian I of Stokfort, Part 1

"Push!" the attending nurse told Mrs Van Stokfort. The woman, now in her forties, was already exhausted from nine months of pregnancy, the physical stress of giving birth weighed heavy on her. "Come on madam; you can do it!" implored the nurse. The mayor of Stokfort's fourth child showed its head to the world. Was it a boy? Or a girl? There was no telling, unless mother continued doing her best to bring this child to the world. "Almost!" the nurse exclaimed.

Moments later the halls of the mayor's residence was filled with the wailing of an infant. "It's a boy!" the nurse said whilst taking the newborn in her arms, "Do you have a name?" she asked. With a tired, yet relieved voice, the woman answered "Maximiliaan" just before she fell asleep. The maid that was waiting in the corner noted: "Ten past six, November 20th the year of our lord 1739".

♪♪ DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN, DUN DUN DUN, DUNDUNDUN ♪♪
BONUS HISTORY

The man who would come to shape one of Ventismar's great powers was born on a cold November night in 1739. Born in to a somewhat low-tier aristocratic family, his father was the mayor-for-life of one of the country's largest cities and was the lord of the lands just outside of its walls. Owing the position to his father - as mayoral positions at the time were hereditary. His mother on the other hand, Ella of Stokfort, lacked any sort of royal house to claim as her own. She was a commoner that birthed the mayor's three other sons and a single daughter. All of them older than little Maximilian.

Despite the age gap between Maximilian and his siblings, the shortest gap being three years, the longest being twelve with his oldest brother, Maximilian demonstrated a mental capacity that rivalled that of the city's aldermen. Or so his father, Jacobus of Stokfort, would describe his son. While that comparison might be an overstatement, Maximilian was a bright kid. Just like his brothers his formal education started at the age of seven, when a teacher would come to teach the Stokforts how to read, write and do arithmetic and much later on teach them the basics of French and Latin. While his brothers failed at their maths, Maximilian proved to be a jack of all trades and completed his courses earlier at the age of fifteen, rather than the more usual eighteen. During his early studies his teacher got him interested in philosophy and the classical mythologies of a, presumably non-existent, nation called "Greece". The story of Dionysius II of Syracuse, a tyrant king, and Damocles, who switched places with the king only to find that a sword hung above his head by only a single strand of hair. The moral of the story: with great power came great responsibility.

Tradition dictated that a Van Stokfort's alma mater would be the Royal Military Academy in the city of Aten; located in the centre of Lindenholt, where his father, three brothers and basically any of his noteworthy family members went to get a degree. Upon learning that his father had arranged for him to attend lectures in Aten in the fall of 1756, Maximilian objected fiercely arguing that he wanted to learn the classics at the University of Artwingen. His father deemed a career of book learning and speaking in foreign tongues unfit for the son of a man of his status. With reluctance Maximilian was sent to Aten two months before his seventeenth birthday.

There, according to his own words, he wasted five years of his life. He fist enrolled in the naval school, as was tradition for most Van Stokfort males. Taking part in expeditions to the new world, and being away from home for almost two years; doing up experience to become a naval officer - like his brother and father. Life at sea bored him, there was a constant stench and the rough movements of the waves made him ill on more than one occasion. Four years at the naval academy and he had not even reached the rank of captain. One stormy night, whilst on board a frigate called "De Zuster" whilst he was in his cabin, the ship made a sudden and erratic movement. Screams from up top could be heard “Heavy waves ahead!” could be heard coming from the crow’s nest. “Oh God, look at the size of that wave” one sailor exclaimed. “Role up the sails” the captain commanded.

During the commotion Maximilian kept to his cabin, reading a book, oblivious about the struggles the sailors had to deal with in the rest of the ship. Only the sound of falling objects and wood creaking louder than normal got his attention. He stood up to inspect what was going on, only to find that moments after he set his feet on the ground the floorboards became walls.
Maximilian fell down and bit his lips once he hit the ground. Blood now covered his chin. It took a few minutes, but it was now apparent to Maximilian that the vessel had capsized. Water started to enter the cabin. If it weren't for a junior officer then Maximilian would have drowned in the Nordismar. When writing about the event, Maximilian wrote: "My utter lack of sea legs signals to me that it is time that I find new employment" in his memoirs.

Upon reaching the shore in the early morning he immediately called for a courier to inform his father of the incident that took place the night before. Making sure to tell him that, if it weren't for a young officer with some fine sea legs he would have been dead. Not forgetting to mention him by name; in the hopes of getting him some sort of promotion. The end of his message was not so much a request, as it was more akin to a plea. "Please father, let me study the classics in Artwingen".
When in the late afternoon his son's message reached Jacobus he looked at the paper in front of him and shrugged. Maximilian received no reply.

Join us next time as we see how Maximilian decides to have a career change!

[Umbrellya]

Block Pals, Part 1

Many Umbrellas today remember Umbrellya’s transition from a military autocracy to a representative democracy with the Magenta Revolution in 1953. However, those behind bars continued to experience dictatorship-style policing and control as legally second-class citizens under the old constitution. People sentenced to time in any maximum security prison in the country were well aware of a certain expectation of death. In fact, by 1975, an average of 20 inmates would die a day, predominately by prison guards. That average should be ‪around 1-2‬ weekly, proportionally speaking. It would not be until 1986 where the Incarceration Act would significantly curb the rate of deaths behind bars to its contemporary level. The 1990s saw hundreds of lawsuits filed by inmates and their families to seek restitution for years of damages. 

BONUS HISTORY

June 8th, 1980 
Weycozi Maximum Security Institution

“Remember, if you see anything suspicious. Point a gun at ‘em.” Jaki just transferred from a small minimum security prison to one of Umbrellya’s largest maximum security prisons. So hearing orders such as this are definitely unordinary. “If anyone gets in the way, put one in their leg.”

Jaki is part of a circle of 6 other guards, all dressed to the nines in black armor, with not an inch of skin in sight. Not even faces are allowed in security, any inmate could easily jab their fat, diseased fingers into a guard’s eyes and that was it. Wearing a mask all day would definitely be an adjustment; fresh incarcerated air would have to wait until break at 3.

“We’re going. Now.” The local Commanding Guard’s luxurious Northern Arapachi accent is almost a beacon of human in a group of unidentifiable masks in armored suits. In fact, everyone pretty much looked the same. Almost everyone has the same South Parcan accent - so far it sounds like Jaki is one of the only females here too. She remembers how much emphasis her gender had on her orientation meeting with the Security Executive. “You’ll always have a male counterpart to make sure they don’t give you extra trouble.” Jaki doesn’t really mind that. Inmates here are known to be extra volatile.

“Beckyr. We’re entering J block. Stay alert!” Jaki got lost in thought, but refocused when her name came out. “Yes sir!”

Jaki’s circle passes through the steel gates joining this hallway to Cell Block J. Immediately, the guards in front of her raise their weapons and proceed quickly. Jaki is nudged by one of her circle members. “Hey Beckyr. Did you hear they’re gonna change the inmate clothes from white to brown?”

“Why would they do that?” The circle starts to pass cells, scattered with inmates in and out of them. “Less money for bleach. They keep turning pink in the laundry!” The guard chuckles. Jaki does one of those fake exhaling giggles so he wouldn’t be the only one laughing. 

After only a minute of patrol, the group is outnumbered by bald and tattooed men. Each with varying muscle tones, colors and heights. Jaki isn’t surprised by their serious posture and expressions. It’s good that she’s behind a mask, she feels intimidating and kinda powerful. It’s a rush just to walk in front of them. 

Jaki hears a loud and sharp crackling noise and her gaze jumps to the front of her circle. In front of 5 pairs of black leather boots, she could faintly see a body, wincing under white clothes. “Well, I said in the leg.” The guard sighs. “It’s fine, at least you didn't miss. Keep moving this way!” The man on the floor is covering the side of his neck with both hands. His clothes are already discolored. It looks like he’s moping the floor with himself. In orientation, Jaki was told not to approach inmates with injuries. They were supposed to go to the infirmary. 

“What the fuck! Help him!” Jaki heard a much deeper voice curse at her from behind. The inmate is walking towards her with his arms open in disbelief. Without warning, besides footsteps, the guard talking to her earlier uses the butt of his gun and smashes the inmate’s nose in - sending him backwards on the floor. “Got your back, Beckyr.”

The group leaves the area soon after and proceeds towards the cafeteria on the other side of the cell block. Upon passing through the cafeteria entrance, Jaki notices several guards crowding around multiple bodies lying beside messy benches and tables. The Commanding Guard in their circle, indicated by the red tag on his mask, approached Jaki’s group. 

“You missed a pretty fun brawl - of around 8.” Jaki looks around at the unfinished and thrown-about food all over the table. “This one had a shiv. He was the first one we put down.” The guard points at a disfigured man with glossy-red skin. She looks down under the tables and sees a few more bodies, some of them moving. “4 of them are fine. Once they’re up they’ll be able to walk to the infirmary.” 

Jaki’s Commanding Guard faces towards one of her circle-mates. “Weylof! Take the group to the security lounge, you’re on break for now.” Without another moment of hesitation, he leads the group in an unfamiliar direction. Jaki passes by one of the injured prisoners and notices how violently his eyes are darting upwards. It looks like his pupils are trying to escape the sockets. His lungs are forcing honking noises out of his beaten lips. “Eugh. Wonder why they didn’t kill him too. Woulda been easier for Mr. Bagpipes here.” A fellow guard scoffs from behind. “Weylof! I was notified that there’s a lack of guards available for an execution. I’ve assigned your circle to be there by ‪4:30‬."

[Rhodevus]

The Great Northern Shipyard; Part 2

September 24, 1939. Rhodevus has been at war for three days and John Binkman has been called upon to take his position in the Council of Strategists as the Fourth Strategist. From his home in Acadia, where he worked as a teacher in the Acadian Military Academy, he would need to take a train across the entire country to Port Joy, before setting sail to his true location in the Ile du Fleurs. There, standing on a train platform, surrounded by soldiers gearing up for war and his own team of underlings, he said the three words which would change Rhodeve Naval History.

BONUS HISTORY

“I. Hate. Trains.” Yup! You heard me correctly. John Binkman, the architect of Rhodeve military strategy and the most influential military strategist in Rhodeve history hated trains. Why was this fact such a big deal? Well, at the time, John Binkman was a Fourth Strategist, or the lowest ranking member of the Council of Strategists. What he did not realize, was that this position put him just below the generals and other strategists. He was, for all intents and purposes, one of the leading men in the Rhodeve army. And when your commander says something, his words are orders.

What did he say? John Binkman said, “We really need to build a port up here so that I don’t need to travel by train.” And just like that, a messenger wrote down his words and rushed it to other members of staff to determine how quickly his orders could be done. Turns out, when a member of the Council of Strategists says something, especially during times of war, it would be done without question. And so, on October 28, a bit more than a month after he said those few words and promptly forgot about them, the first bricks were being laid in the creation of a new port and dry-docks near 8 small but functional shipyards.

It wouldn’t be until mid-1940 that Binkman, now the Second Strategist would here about the construction of the port and docks. And then of the shipyards nearby. They were all owned by separate companies, but had been commissioned by the Rhodeve government to pump out ships. But, they were slow compared to the docks to the South and West. But Binkman saw hope for these yards. Especially now that there was a port. Leaving behind the war, Binkman returned to Rhodevus and proceeded on to Kingstown, where he spoke with the king directly. In many hours of meetings, he finally convinced the king that the 8 small yards could function better as one big yard. And more to the point, they should be run by students and professors at the Academy.

Students and Professors! Madness. And yet, the king agreed. Multiple millions of dollars were pledged to the construction and development of Binkman’s shipyard and Binkman forwarded the money to the Academy at Acadia, where he hand-picked students and professors to lead the operation. He set down multiple basic steps which were needed to ensure its success.
Step one. The eight yards would need to be owned by a single company. To accomplish this, Binkman’s team bought out two shipyards themselves and gave them to Suusea, the largest shipbuilding company in Rhodevus. Which happened to own one of the six remaining ports already. Then, it was proposed that a merger be made between three other yards to create one big yard. The two remaining ports, now surrounded by two much larger ship-building companies would either fold or go out of business. They chose to partner with Suusea. And now, with two companies owning the ports, Rhodeve Galleon Society; the organization charged with organizing naval construction in Rhodevus, forced the two companies to share resources and merge shipyards or lose everything. Not the most friendly, or altogether legal of methods, but hey. It was in the middle of the Second World War. Corners were allowed to be cut.

Step two. A new rail system and road network would need to be established. This would bring in fresh steel, iron and resources from the mines nearby as well as from the rest of the country. Luckily, this could be done quickly.

Step three. Naval engineers and officers from across the RPP would be brought to the shipyard and choose naval designs which were the best for the war effort. With a bit of finagling and pleading, dozens would make the move to Rhodevus to get in on this project.

Step four. A prototype aircraft would be built, using a design made by the shipyards in Port Joy, but modified to be larger and carry more planes. If successful, then the shipyard would be staffed and allowed to continue production. If a failure, then… well, they were hedging their bets that it wasn’t going to be a failure.

Hundreds of millions of dollars were already sunk into Binkman’s shipyard project. And Binkman had spent considerable amounts of time on it. Time which he could have spent leading the strategy of war. If it failed, it would be a disaster for Rhodevus, if not Binkman himself. It had to go perfectly. And there was only one man who Binkman trusted to lead the job.

Stay tuned for next time when The Great Northern Shipyard gets its legendary name!

[Bravo Rio]

Intro
Today Bravo Rio may seem like a humble, yet successful nation. But taking a closer looks at Bravo Rio's history shows the blood stained roots from which the prosperous country came. The Brovan Civil war left a bad taste in the mouth of many Brovans years after it's conclusion. And many to this day -to varying degrees- have had their lives changed.

Bonus History

Bushwack Parade Grounds, Hobart, Bravo Rio, 1876
Unsurprisingly, it was a fairly hot and humid day in Bravo Rio. The 1876 presidential election was over and it left most confused. Newly elected President Andrew was a fairly controversial president. His election was the source of many theories, the voting count of that year was astonishingly high compared to previous years which lead most to question the legitimacy of his rise to power. President Andrews promised socialist reforms throughout the country and played his election particularly to the cities and developed counties of the country. Bravo Rio at the times had a constitution with many holes in it. It didn't take a scholar to know that the president of the country basically had the last say in every activity happening in the country. Most presidents weren't this controlling and delegated their power evenly.

Regardless of the outcome of the election most people were optimistic about the future of the country. Socialism was a new political ideology in the country at the time and even though the vote counts were very suspicious, socialism still had a hearty following among some of the Brovans. The idea of fair pay and equal treatment sounds fantastic to most people struggling to survive in the nearly broken Brovan economy. The last president had nearly run the country into the ground, focusing on failed attempts of oversea expansion he payed little attention to the bigger problems happening at home, the economy was slowly declining and it was all but ignored by the last administration.

As is tradition with every election, a large celebration and performance was put on at the famous Bushwack Parade Grounds in central Hobart. Plays and music and a plethora of foods were all put on display to celebrate the election of the president. Bushwack Parade Grounds was located in the center of a industrial district of Hobart, surrounded by many struggling factories and office buildings. The factories operated day in and day out to pump out as much profit in these hard times. A quick look inside the Redmond textile factory adjacent would show many employees sewing and toiling away trying to make a meager living. However on the roof sat a lone man in his twenties.

Allen Powell had worked at the factory for the last three years and decided to come in on his day off and spectate the wild celebration happening in the park. As the night went on and the parties got crazier, Allen patiently waited for the president to give his end-of-night speech. The speech typically thanked the voters and was just another opportunity for the president to reinforce their agenda. Finally, at roughly 10:45 the parade grounds quieted down as the president entered the center stage to give his speech. As he rambled on about pointless things that could be undone in the next election Allen shifted his attention to ta canvas bag he brought with his. As he opened the bag his mind raced. He was about to make history.

Inside the bag lay a Bear Mountain Seven, an extremely popular hunting single-shot rifle at the time that was capable of delivering extreme power from a fairly decent distance. Along with the rifle lay four 577/450 cartridges. Allen loaded a cartridge into the rifle, got into the prone position and took aim. As he waited for an opportune moment to pull the trigger his mind wandered 'how did we get to this point?' and 'this nation is in need of a serious change.' came up in his mind over and over. He grew up in the wild lands of Southern Bravo Rio where life was hard and you were rewarded by putting in hard work and doing the right thing. Socialism stood for everything he was against and he knew he needed to take a stand somehow. His goal wasn't just to kill the president, the vice president was also in his sights. The vice president this election was even more radical than the president and everyone knew should the president meet an untimely death, the country would turn to full blown communism.

Finally, Allen settled down and slowed his breathing. The time is now. Just as the president began to spew lies about the prosperity of socialism Allen squeezed the trigger and his gut dropped. As the smoke cleared from his rifle he could hear muffled screams and cries about the president and saw him laying on the floor, heavily bleeding. Allen was surprised at the range of the rifle, part of him was scared he couldn't pull this off. But before too much time passed he loaded another round and took aim at the vice president. By now guards were surrounding the stage and rushing all political figures to safety. Allen rushed to identify the president and saw someone who looked vaguely similar being quickly escorted to safety. Allen figured it was now or never and fired the second shot. When the smoke cleared from his rifle he was disappointed to see the vice president upright and moving, albeit a guard in the posse around him was clutching his arm and fell to the ground.

Today was the day Bravo Rio was never the same.

[Rhodevus]

The Great Northern Shipyard; Part 3

Some called him a nerd, a loner, a knuckle-less man. Others a genius, a madman, an artist. John Binkman called him the greatest naval mind in modern history. Gabriel LaFray has joined Binkman’s shipyard project, and things begin to change.

BONUS HISTORY

It was late 1940 when John Binkman called on his close friend Gabriel LaFray to lead his shipyards project while he returned to the front lines as a now-promoted second-high strategist. He put quite a bit of trust into LaFray, and for good reason. The two had gone through military school together. And while John Binkman was considered smart, especially when it came to strategy and military history, none could question Gabriel LaFray’s knack for economics, management, and above all else, his insanely risky stratagems. Suffice it to say, that when there was a prank on campus, all heads turned to the two of them.

But by 1940, LaFray had seemed to become a recluse, having lost his job as a ship designer a few years before, after some terrible plans. Do you remember in our first episode in this series where we rang off some ship models that all crashed and burned? Well, three of them were his designs. Ya, the Rhodeve ship-building community was none too pleased when Binkman offered him a job. They were even more worried when LaFray accepted.

But, for all that he is considered a madman, he was truly intelligent. Learning from his mistakes, he purchased the building rights of a small cargo and supply ship model from the southern shipyards, known as the Sea King Class Transport Ship. Ah, I know my fellow ship aficionados can recognize that name. Maybe it’s nickname would help. These guys are known as the Rhodeve canoes. Between 1939 and 1940, these ship were unarmed and meant to be built quickly and most importantly, cheaply, so that Rhodevus could start sending soldiers and supplies around the RPP (Rhodeve Protectorate Program). Well, with some fancy micro-managing, the shipyards began spitting out these things at an every growing pace, finally allowing the other shipyards to go back to producing military warships and leaving these often overlooked vessels to their sister shipyards up north.

Well, LaFray liked these canoes quite a bit. So much, he redesigned them. The redesign gave these ships a bit more protection and fire-power without reducing the speed at which they could be built, nor the cost by that much. By 1941, the shipyards were spitting these out at a rate of one per day! But, this wasn’t the end of the story for these shipyards, just the beginning. Because LaFray had another idea. And a brilliant one.

You see, thanks to Binkman’s earlier efforts to put the shipyard under the Acadia Military College, LaFray was able to work with some of the best minds in military tactics and naval engineering. Together, they designed a ship which would revolutionize Rhodeve naval power: the Montgomery class aircraft carrier. The largest and most powerful carrier to be built at the time on the continent, it was meant to replace the Fittle class transport carriers which were being used as aircraft carriers, and being built and sunk all over the world.

The first was built in 1941 and tested to little fanfare. It was a success. The first time LaFray had designed a truly successful warship. 19 were built between 1941 and 1943. This design was followed by the Machin class, which was even stronger than the Montgomery carriers; 13 of those were built.

1944 was truly the year that the shipyards began to gain their legendary status. Now pumping out canoes at a rate of 2 per day, light cruisers at 2 per week, and anti-plane ships (known as destroyers) at 6 per month, Binkman’s shipyard project, now firmly operating under the helm and leadership of Gabriel LaFray, was the primary shipyards of the country, pumping out ships at a faster rate than any other.

And LaFray wasn’t done yet. You see, he had a unique idea in the works. It truly hinged entirely on Binkman and their shared love of whimsy. At this point, Binkman had been promoted to lead strategist of the RPP; which was the combined military force of nearly a dozen nations. While not technically outranking the generals in charge of the militaries, his word was as close to law. He was just that good. But, while we can most assuredly do a Bonus History series on his life, now is not the time. We are just about ready to see where the Great Northern Shipyards got its name!

The two met in a small diner on the south side of Acadia. A diner which they had frequented in their youths. In LaFray’s hand, a stack of papers. Shipyard designs. A full restructuring of ship-building practices in Northern Rhodevus. In Binkman’s hand? A chequebook with the stamp and signature of King Julius himself.

The meeting would last for hours, well into the night and long passed when the diner usually closed. But for a LaFray who was economically revitalizing the entire city, and a Binkman at the height of his power, the diner would remain open as long as they needed to.

By the end, Binkman would leave with a copy of shipyard plans, which would were marked up in red and blue ink; nearly a thousand minor and major changes to a massive project for a war that none were sure how much longer would continue.

LaFray left with a chequebook.

Binkman, and by extension the king of Rhodevus, had given LaFray what truly amounted to a blank cheque. And boy was he going to use it well. The first major change was the purchasing of additional space along the shores of the shipyards. A new port would be built to be used purely for supplies and cargo. A lot of supplies would be needed.

The next was the introduction of what LaFray referred to as the Acadian Shipping Route Time-Schedule; what was supposed to be a short-term organization of ship traffic around the Sea of Arretz, right in front of Fantasia, so that cargo and manpower could arrive and be sent out more efficiently. The schedule itself became the backbone for the LaFray Schedule, which tracks, organizes and schedules all ship traffic in the Bay of Rhodevus to this day.

The last was by far the riskiest. The entire shipyard was shut down for a single week. You see, ships were being built constantly in Rhodevus from three major locations: The southern shipyards in Tundos province, the western shipyards in Cundas province, and finally, the northern shipyards in Iylan province. But, what was troubling to Binkman and LaFray, was that both were unsure how many ships were being sold, sent to allied lead fronts in the RPP, used for their own coastal defense and used themselves in combat. Sure, everything was tracked, but not between the three shipyards. Both knew how important this information would be. So, with two off-line and using that time to start development of their newest port, Rhodeve ship-building ground to a halt.

Three days into the pause, Rhodevus began running out of canoes. They were fast ships, but their cheapness meant that they could be quickly sold and used for valuable scrap metal after just a few trips, instead of refitting them. It was a boon to areas where their metal industries were taking a beating, and canoe engines were strong enough for multiple purposes.

A week into the pause, High General Maximillian; in charge of overseeing the entirety of the RPP military, visited Binkman personally to ask him to bring the shipyards back.

Ten days in, the king all but commanded it.

And restart it did. The Great Northern Shipyards sprung back to life and was once more at full operating speed by the end of the two weeks the pause was supposed to last.

By the end of the war, in 1948, over five thousand ships of all classes were built and sent across the world to over ten separate fronts. Over half of Rhodevus’s 4,500 Sea King Class ‘canoes’ were built in the Great Shipyards. Eleven of Thirty-Two aircraft carriers, multiple dozens of destroyers and cruisers of all classes.

The new port finished construction in mid-1947, just in time for the final push to victory. A week before Binkman was set to return from the front-lines to visit the port, he was shot in the head; assassinated by an elite sniper in the Ziambani theatre. The LaFray schedule became Rhodeve transport doctrine in the Bay of Rhodevus in 1954.

The Great Northern Shipyards post-war would never match the speed and ferocity it did during its start, but it is still producing top of the line ships to this day. LaFray himself would die in 1986, and hailed as one of Rhodevus’s most legendary organizational and economic minds.

The Military Academy in Acadia would gain a new department in 1988 called the John and Gabriel Naval Academy; named for the two prominent figures.

Tune in next time, for our lies episode!