[center][u][b]The Year 1902[/b][/u]
[b]World Tension[/b]: [i]10%[/i]
[color=red][b]Vatanno-Galvia stations troops on Salardian border[/b][/color] ([i]+2%[/i])
[color=red][b]Deltora Allies with Soroya[/b][/color] ([i]+8%[/i])
[color=red][b]Survaek Mobilizes Troops[/b][/color] ([i]+3%[/i])
[color=red][b]Honneria Mobilizes Troops[/b][/color] ([i]+3%[/i])
[color=red][b]Vatanno-Galvia Mobilizes Troops[/b][/color] ([i]+3%[/i])
[color=red][b]Grand Survaek Empire declares war for Honnerian Serranthia[/b][/color] ([i]+10%[/i])
[color=red][b]Grand Survaek Empire allies with Empire of Anvegad[/b][/color] ([i]+5%[/i])
[color=red][b]Soreno increases Border Tension with Kalpia[/b][/color] ([i]+3%[/i])
[color=red][b]Anvegad Mobilizes Troops[/b][/color] ([i]3%[/i])
[color=gray][b]Deltora signs a Defensive Alliance with Murenheidt[/b][/color] ([i]-5%[/i])
[color=gray][b]Soroya signs a Defensive Alliance with Kelric[/b][/color] ([i]-5%[/i])
[color=gray][b]Soroya Guarantees Muranheidt[/b][/color] ([i]-5%[/i])
[color=gray][b]Zellonia signs Trade Agreement with Tramel[/b][/color] ([i]-5%[/i])
[color=gray][b]Zellonian signs Trade Agreement with Vatanno-Galvia[/b][/color] ([i]-5%[/i])
[color=gray][b]Anvegad signs a Defensive Alliance with Khernikovia[/b][/color] ([i]-5%[/i])[/center]

[center][b]WORLD TENSION 0-15%:[/b]
- All unaligned nations have +5% National Unity.
- All unaligned nations have +10% GNP boost.
- All Status Quo nations have +20% GNP boost.
- Status Quo nations have +10% National Unity.
(PLEASE USE THESE MODIFIERS IN YOUR BUDGETS / SHOW WORK)[/center]

[u][b]STRATEGIC EFFECTS[/b][/u]
[indent][s][b]Sorenan Corridor[/b][/s] ([i][color=gray]Kalpian Republic[/color][/i]): An important link between all of Varius, this predominantly Sorenan area is bitterly contested between Kalpian political authority and Sorenan rule of the land. Without it's cooperation, much trade in the region is lost. (+$2,000,000,000 per turn when controlled)

[b]Rochefort Passage[/b] ([color=darkgreen][i]Deltoran Republic[/i][/color]): The Rochefort Passage is necessary for nations wanting to ship goods around Varius. A less than ten mile wide strip of sea between Serranthia and Deltoran Varian, control of this is of utmost strategic importance for the nation controlling it. (+5% National Unity, and +$1,000,000,000 per turn when controlled)[/indent]

[hr]

[u]MAY[/u]

[b]May 3rd[/b]: While headed back north, the Avengadian Navy destroyer [i]ANV Dagger[/i], while returning north toward Anvegad is struck by a torpedo at 11:51. The captain orders all hands abandon ship at 12:26 and the survivors are picked up by the light cruiser [i]ANV Fearless[/i] and destroyer [i]ANV Venom[/i]. 7 sailors are lost at sea. The two ships continue northward.

[b]May 12th[/b]: The [color=darkgreen][b]Deltoran Republic[/b][/color] begins modernizing the destroyer [i]TPS Defiant[/i], adding an additional three 5" guns to the deck, for a total of six. The renovations will be complete sometime in 1903.

[b]May 13t[/b]h: The [b][color=red]Battle of Wadke[/color][/b] begins as the [b]First Army Group[/b] of Survaek reaches the Honnerian colonial port city of Wadke. Numbering 170,000 with nearly a hundred guns back them up, the battle started with simultaneous barrage of Survaek artillery batteries and an order forward by General Stae Pjjokhat. The battle begins in proper when probing regiments meet Honnerian defensive embankments and trenches a few miles west of the city. Probing attacks are carried out, while the Survaekoms attempt to find the best places to assault enemy positions.

The Honnerians have laid long [b]Trenches[/b] in western desert reaches outside of Wadke, establishing hard to assault positions that overlook long swathes of empty dunes. These trenches are manned by 55,000 Honnerian colonials as well as 20,000 of the [color=gold][b]Honnerian Golden Guard[/b][/color], a well trained fighting force that has its root back in the age of feudal knights.

[b]May 14-15th[/b]: The first major assault along the northern shores totaling 8,700 men, begins after an hour long barrage from Survaek guns. Under Lieutenant Kiraeji, two brigades of men begin a mass assault against the trenches there in a smaller battle known as [color=red][b]Battle of the Long Coast[/b][/color]. Without machine guns, having failed to broker a deal to purchase them from a Varian power, the Honnerians instead focused on massing their rifle fire as best they could on attacking Survaek forces.

Survaek soldiers moved in and set up their own machine guns, often simply laying down across desert dune to rake the enemy positions with fire while their comrades moved up. It was the Honnerian artillery however, that gave the Survaek true fits. The Ssurvaek army had never truly developed their engineering corps, and so under heavy fire, the foxholes constructed by Survaek soldiers were soon to carry the name early graves. Honnerian artillery, numbering around 40 field guns, was heavily concentrated at breaking up the Survaek right at their axis of attack.

The second day of the battle saw a 2,000 man assault repulsed again. It wasn't a stark defeat, but Lieutenant Kiraeji reported back to General Stae Pjjokhat that the northern coast was well defended, and it was unlikely that a flanking attack to the south would be equally unsuccessful.

[color=red][b]Battle of the Long Coast[/b][/color] ([color=gold]Honnerian[/color] Victory)
[u][b]Casualties[/b][/u]
[color=maroon]Survaek[/color]: 6,164 Men
[color=gold]Honneria[/color]: 985 men

[b]May 16th[/b]: The Honnerian submarine [i]Pheonix[/i] sinks the Survaek destroyer [i]Sekhai[/i] while on patrol in the Vicarri Sea 350 miles east of New Byrnia.

[b]May 17th[/b]: The [b]Freedom Debates[/b] begin in Lord, [color=lightblue][b]Luckland[/b][/color]. Soroyan Prime Minister Kevin Notles and Deltoran Prime Minister Eduoard Geier attend to answer the question "What is freedom, and what is worth defending it?" Prominent politicians of all kind attend the debates.

[b][color=purple]Soroyan[/color] Prime Minister Kevin Notles[/b] opened his speech with: "How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is that we should be digging trenches and trying on gas masks here because of a quarrel in a far-away country between people whom we know nothing." Soroyan, and even Deltoran lives were not worth the price of Honnerian sand and oil.

[b][color=darkgreen]Deltoran[/color] Prime Minister Eduoard Geiger[/b] instead asked "What will be enough? Today it is Honneria, and tomorrow Deltora, Soroya, or Kalpia." Both nations found support in the international community, while delegates of the Grand Survaek Empire were said to have declined their invitations to attend.

[b]May 24th[/b]: The [b]Third Army Group[/b] in the far southwest moved on as soon as the dust storms had settled. They encountered no resistance, but found much to their chagrin the Honnerian oil fields had been largely destroyed and made inoperable. It would take months before they'd be back up and running. With his objective complete he ordered his men with all due haste along the road toward the second port city of [b]Keyvah[/b]. A standing garrison of 1,000 men and 5 machine guns were left at the oil fields.

Spirits were high and the men sang [i]Ode to the Prophet[/i] in the dying light of the sun.

[b]May 29th[/b]: Covering the reaches of the [i]Vicarri Sea[/i] to prey on Honnerian shipping, the Survaek destroyer [i]Ndea[/i] alerts the [b]First Fleet[/b] that an incoming Honnerian fleet is headed south with a heavy armed escort. With 2 Pre-Dreadnoughts and 8 Cruisers. The [b]First Fleet[/b] sets sail from Foedinei to make contact with the enemy.

At 15:51, Honnerians on board the Pre-Dreadnought [i]Falcon[/i] make contact with the closing Survaek Fleet. [b]The Honnerian Fifth Fleet[/b] was made up the Pre-Dreadnoughts [i]Falcon[/i] and [i]Eagle[/i], 3 Armored Cruisers, 4 Light Cruisers, and 5 Destroyers. The Survaek ships moved into position, attempting to cross the T against the incoming fleet, while patrolling destroyers converge on them from all directions.

At 16:06 the Honnerian Pre-Dreadnought [i]Falcon[/i] opened fire on the Survaek Pre-Dreadnought [i]Aesthis[/i], who had just bought all it's guns to bear. Four minutes later the Honnerian Armored Cruiser [i]Simeon[/i] also opened fire on the [i]Aesthis[/i]. The Survaek had the benefit of being able to bring their entire battle fleet to beat, while the Honnerians were attempting to protect three merchant freighters carrying supplies or reinforcements to Honneria.

At 16:12 the Honnerian light cruisers Howell and Kamber raged in on the Survaek destroyer Rayani and sank her within minutes. At 16:13 the survaek light cruiser Erdhei heavily damaged the Honnerian destroyer Sparrow, which limped out of the battle line, listing heavily to port.

The battle raged on, with the full brunt of the Survaek fleet bearing its full complement of guns on a Honnerian fleet forced to maintain it's current course or risk exposing the unprotected merchant ships. At 16:31 the Survaek light cruiser [i]Pekhai[/i] went up in flames, presumable from the Honnerian armored cruiser Willow. The Honnerian fleet finally managed to turn, but Falcon was heavily damaged, taking fire from Survaek Pre-Dreadnoughts [i]Aesthis[/i] and [i]Adea[/i]. The Honnerian fleet continued it's long turn, all the while trading fire with a Survaek fleet that for all intents and purposes was neither weaker nor stronger in disposition. By 17:21 the Honnerian fleet had set back out to see beyond the range of Survaek guns.

[color=red][b]Battle of North Vicarri Sea[/b][/color] ([color=maroon]Survaek[/color] Victory)
[u][b]Casualties[/b][/u]
[color=gold]Honneria[/color]: DD-[i]Sparrow[/i] (scuttled), DD-[i]Calvin[/i] (sunk), CA-[i]Franklin[/i] (sunk), BB-[i]Falcon[/i] (61% Damaged), BB-[i]Eagle[/i] (22% Damaged)
[color=maroon]Survaek[/color]: DD-[i]Reyani[/i] (Sunk), DD-[i]Nei[/i] (Sunk), CL-[i]Pekhai [/i](Sunk), BB-[i]Aesthis[/i] (17% damaged)

[hr]

[u]JUNE[/u]

[b]June 15th[/b]: The [b][color=lightblue]Kingdom of Aontas[/color][/b] announces it's adherence to the [i]Sociatatem[/i], the ideology advocating a world free of oppression and tyranny. Also a call for the status quo, this means that the Aontan leadership enjoys it's status in the world and doesn't want to see it lessened. Delegates from the [b][color=gray]Kalpian Republic[/color][/b] and [b][color=purple]Soroya[/color][/b] welcome Aontas into the fold.

[b]June 17th[/b]: The [b][color=gray]Kalpian Republic[/color][/b] finishes research on a machine gun type weapon. Prototypes smuggled from nearby Soroya allow the Kalpian military to finish the project. Bureaucracy within Kalpian Army Headquarters was blamed on the length of time required to finish the weapon. They are now available for production. The machine gun, the [i]FT-19 Mark I[/i] is considered superior to the Soroyan Cruska Gun, offering 250 rounds per minute over 200 rounds per minute.

[b]June 21st-23rd[/b]: The [b][color=maroon]Survaek[/color][/b] [b]Second Army[/b], after fierce fighting at the [b][color=red]Battle of Keyvah[/color][/b] finally takes the city. After two days of heavy fighting, the Honnerians fighting in Keyvah simply laid down their arms after both ammunition and foodstuffs ran down. "[i]It wasn't lack of food that forced our hand[/i]," a Honnerian lieutenant said, "[i]It was that God awful artillery.[/i]"

[b][color=red]Battle of Keyvah[/color][/b] ([color=maroon]Survaek[/color] Victory)
[b][u]Casualties[/u][/b]
[b][color=maroon]Survaek[/color][/b]: 12,743
[b][color=gold]Honneria[/color][/b]: 8,942 (+10,846 prisoners of war)

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/0TKWvoH.jpg[/img]
[i]The World, circa 1902[/i][/center]