[h1][center][b][u]The World as We Know It[/u][/b][/center][/h1]

[center][[b]Turn 4[/b] -- October, 1899 to December, 1899.][/center]
[hider=Great Power Privilege (1899)]
1. [b][color=green]Osladian Empire[/color][/b] - None
2. [b][color=skyblue]Kalpian Republic[/color][/b] - - Increased [b]Stability[/b] by 1. ([i]August, 1899[/i])
3. [b][color=beige]Empire of Tara[/color][/b] - None
4. [b][color=purple]Tyro-Redanian Empire[/color][/b] - Increased [b]Die Roll[/b] of [b]Action[/b] by 1 ([i]October, 1899[/i])
5. [b][color=lavender]Empire of Violette][/color][/b] - Increased [b]Stability[/b] by 1. ([i]October, 1899[/i])

[hider=Nations That Have Posted | November]
- Violette
- Zellonia
- Itherae
- Tara[/hider][/hider]

[hider=Rules to Know]
- 1. For your [b]Political Clout[/b] actions to take effect, you must post IC.
- 2. Whomever posts first has precedence. [Example: Nation A declares war on Nation B. Nation C signs Defensive Alliance with Nation B. If Nation A posts first, this means Nation C cannot effectively sign said alliance and be 'called to arms.'
- 3. Once your orders are sent, they cannot be altered or canceled.
- 4. [b]Declaring War[/b] without an [b]Event[/b] or [b]Cassus belli[/b] incurs -2 Stability.]
- 5. All [b]Actions/Events[/b] are open to interpretation by the GM.[/hider]
[hider=Game Mechanics]
I. [b]Clout[/b]
1. A [b]Turn[/b] represents 3 months (Jan-March, April-June, July-September, October-December)
2. Every [b]Turn[/b] a nation has [b]4 Clout[/b].
3. Clout can be used on the following:
- [b][color=green]Colonization / Imperialization[/color][/b]: Advance your culture in the world.
- [b][color=yellow]Economics[/color][/b]: Strengthen your own industry.
- [b][color=blue]Politics[/color][/b]: Pass laws, appoint ministers, generals, admirals and stabilize the government.
- [b][color=red]Army [or] Navy[/color][/b]: Bolster a section of your armed forces.
- [b][color=gray]Foreign Affairs[/color][/b]: The pen is mightier than the sword.
- [b]Home Front[/b]: Listen to the people, or shut them up.
4. So at the start of a turn, you select where you'd like to spend your political clout.
- If you spend 1 Clout on a single action, you roll 1d6.
- If you spend 2  Clout on a single action, you roll 1d6 and receive a +1 on that roll.
- If you spend 3  Clout on a single action, you roll 1d6, receive +2 you lose 1 Stability.
5. If you get a [b]7[/b] you may receive an [b]Innovation[/b].

Results occur on a 1d6. 1 is an abysmal failure and 6 is a resounding success.

6. When you use Clout, give an example of what you're hoping to accomplish. (IE: Foreign Affairs: hope to achieve an alliance with Nation X, or Colonization: Set up a minor colony in Settumu.)

II. [b]Great Power Status[/b]
[list][*]There are [b]5 Great Powers[/b] in [b]The World as We Know It[/b].  [Every 10,000 Active Duty soldiers = 1 Point] + [Number Pre-Dreadnoughts multiplied by 25] + [-1 Point for every $1,000,000 of Debt.] + [1 Point for every 1,000,000 Population] + [Number of Colonies multiplied by 20] + [1 Point for every Infrastructure].

[b][u]Great Powers[/u][/b]
1. [b][color=beige]Empire of Tara[/color][/b] = [Army = 52 Points] + [11 Pre-Dreadnoughts = 275 Points] + [Zero Debt] + [30,890,000 Population = 30 Points] + [5 Colonies = 100 Points] + [85 Infrastructure] = [b]542 Prestige[/b].
2. [b][color=green]Osladian Empire[/color][/b] = [Army = 58 Points] + [2 Pre-Dreadnoughts = 50 Points] + [Zero Debt] + [71,000,000 Population = 71 Points] + [0 Colonies] + [69 Infrastructure] = [b]248 Prestige[/b].
3. [b][color=purple]Tyro-Redanian Empire[/color][/b] = [Army = 38 Points] + [0 Pre-Dreadnoughts = 0 Points] + [Zero Debt] + [91,000,000 Population = 91 Points] + [0 Colonies] + [42 Infrastructure] = [b]360 Points[/b]* (*+189 for [b]Wolfram Prestige[/b]. -1/Month). 
4. [b][color=skyblue]Kalpian Republic[/color][/b] = [Army = 75 Points] + [0 Pre-Dreadnoughts = 0 Points] + [-17 for -$17,400,000] + [64,600,000 Population = 64 Points] + [0 Colonies] + [52 Infrastructure] = [b]174 Points[/b]
[hr]
6. [b][color=lightgreen]Imperium of Hiron[/color][/b] = [Army = 13 Points] + [4 Pre-Dreadnoughts = 100 Points] + [Zero Debt] + [54,600,000 Population = 54 Points] + [0 Colonies] + [77 Infrastructure] = [b]144 Points[/b]* (*[b]Non-Continental[/b] -100)

[*][b]Great Power Privileges[/b]: Once per Year, a Great Power may use one of the following:
- May call a [b]Conference[/b] for other nations to attend.
- Increase Stability by 1.
- Increase any die roll by 1 [Before it's rolled]. (Can be used to achieve an [b]Innovation[/b] or [b]Major Success[/b]).
- Increase/Decrease Relations by 1 with a non-Great Power nation.
- [b]Mobilize[/b] or [b]Demobilize[/b] without the use [b]1 Clout[/b].[/list]

III. [b]Designing Weapons of War[/b]
[list][*]During the game, a nation may require new weapons of war. They may do this by using [b]1 Clout[/b] to [b]Request a Design Competition[/b]. [Only 1 Clout can be used].
[*][b][u]Request a Design Competition[/u][/b] [Only 1 Clout can be used].
* Please use the [b]Following Form[/b]:
- [b]Type of Weapon[/b]: [Rifle], [Machine Gun], [Field Gun] [Naval Ship (Specify Class)]
- [b]Companies Involved[/b]: [Name of Company] [Skill of Category], [etc, etc]
- [b]Design Requests[/b]: [What general specifications are hoped to gain with this design]

[*][b]Design Process[/b]:
- After you submit a Design process. 1d12 is rolled for a "Prototype Design" to emerge. This is added to the Company's [b]Skill[/b] and Private Companies will submit always theirs 2 months faster.
- Each design will be randomly named and have an approximated design strength of 1 to 6 + [Skill of the Company]
- If you select the [b]Design[/b] of a Company who developed a [b]Weapon[/b] initially higher than their Skill, they will gain +1 Skill.[/list]

IV. [b]Building a Fleet[/b]
[list][*][b]Design a Ship[/b] (Use the following form below) [Requires 1 Clout]
[hider=Minelayer Designs]
- [b]Name of Minelayer Class[/b]: [Name Here]
- [b]Intended Ships in Class[/b]: [Ship 1 Name Here], [Ship 2 Name Here], [etc]
- [b]Displacement[/b] (in Tons): [Tons Here. Starting Maximum is 400 Tons.]
- [b]Hull & Fittings[/b]: [-125 Tons.] [Can be altered with future Naval Advancements.]
- [b]Machinery[/b]: [-35 Tons.] [Can be altered with future Naval Advancements.]
- [b]Naval Range[/b]: [Coastal. +15 Tons.] [Short. No Change] [Long. -18 Tons.]
- [b]Speed[/b]: [Base Speed is 15 knots. +1 Speed is in increments of 12 Tons. +1 = -12. +2 = -24, etc]
- [b]Engine Focus[/b]: [Reliable. -4 Tons]. [Speed. -3 Tons]. [Normal. No change.]
- [b]Mines[/b]: [6 Mines. -6 Tons.] [12 Mines. -13 Tons.] [16 Mines. -17 Tons.]
- [b]Accommodations[/b]: [Cramped. +5 Tons] [Normal. No Change.] [Luxurious. -6 Tons]
- [b]Main Guns[/b]:
- 2' Single Gun [-2 Tons]
- 2' Double Gun [-6 Tons] [Requires [i]Double Gun Technology[/i]]
- 3' Single Gun [-3 Tons]
- 3' Double Gun [-9 Tons] [Requires [i]Double Gun Technology[/i]]
- 4' Single Gun [-4 Tons]
- 4' Single Gun [-12 Tons] [Requires [i]Double Gun Technology[/i]]
[b]Main Gun Ammunition[/b]:
- 2' Shells [-1 Ton per 10 Shells]
- 3' Shells [-1 Ton per 8 Shells]
- 4' Shells [-1 Ton per 3 Shells]
[b]Fire Control Stations[/b]:
- 1 Station Per Caliber of Guns (2', 3', etc) [-10 Tons]
[b]Cost[/b]: [Tons Actually Used x $80 = Ending Cost][/hider]
[hider=Destroyer Designs]
- [b]Name of Destroyer Class[/b]: [Name Here]
- [b]Intended Ships in Class[/b]: [Ship 1 Name Here], [Ship 2 Name Here], [etc]
- [b]Displacement[/b] (in Tons): [Tons Here. Starting Maximum is 600 Tons.]
- [b]Hull & Fittings[/b]: [-175 Tons.] [Can be altered with future Naval Advancements.]
- [b]Machinery[/b]: [-105 Tons.] [Can be altered with future Naval Advancements.]
- [b]Naval Range[/b]: [Coastal. +24 Tons.] [Short. No Change] [Long. -27 Tons.]
- [b]Colonial Service[/b]: [No.] [Yes. -35 Tons.]
- [b]Speed[/b]: [Base Speed is 16 knots. +1 Speed is in increments of 19 Tons. +1 = -18. +2 = -36, etc]
- [b]Engine Focus[/b]: [Reliable. -28 Tons]. [Speed. -24 Tons]. [Normal. No change.]
- [b]Mines[/b]: [0 Mines.] [6 Mines. -6 Tons.] [12 Mines. -13 Tons.] [16 Mines. -17 Tons.] [24 Mines. -30 Tons.]
- [b]Accommodations[/b]: [Cramped. +29 Tons] [Normal. No Change.] [Luxurious. -18 Tons]
- [b]Main Guns[/b]:
- 2' Single Gun [-2 Tons]
- 2' Double Gun [-6 Tons] [Requires [i]Double Gun Technology[/i]]
- 3' Single Gun [-3 Tons]
- 3' Double Gun [-9 Tons] [Requires [i]Double Gun Technology[/i]]
- 4' Single Gun [-4 Tons]
- 4' Double Gun [-12 Tons] [Requires [i]Double Gun Technology[/i]]
- 5' Single Gun [-8 Tons]
- 5' Double Gun [-20 Tons]  [Requires [i]Double Gun Technology[/i]]
[b]Main Gun Ammunition[/b]:
- 2' Shells [-1 Ton per 10 Shells]
- 3' Shells [-1 Ton per 8 Shells]
- 4' Shells [-1 Ton per 3 Shells]
- 5' Shells [-1 Ton per 2 Shells]
[b]Torpedoes[/b]
- Port Swivel Mount [1x Tube] - [-18 Tons]
- Port Swivel Mount [2x Tubes] - [-38 Tons]
- Port Swivel Mount [3x Tubes] - [-58 Tons]
- Starboard Swivel Mount [1x Tube] - [-18 Tons]
- Starboard Swivel Mount [2x Tubes] - [-38 Tons]
- Starboard Swivel Mount [3x Tubes] - [-58 Tons]
- Centerline Swivel Mount [1x Tube] - [-18 Tons] [Can rotate Starboard or Port]
- Centerline Swivel Mount [3x Tubes] - [-38 Tons] [Can rotate Starboard or Port]
- Centerline Swivel Mount [3x Tubes] - [-58 Tons] [Can rotate Starboard or Port]
[b]Fire Control Stations[/b]:
- 1 Station Per Caliber of Guns (2', 3', torpedoes, etc) [-16 Tons]
[b]Cost[/b]: [Tons Actually Used x $80 = Ending Cost][/hider]
[hider=Submarine Designs][/hider]
[hider=Light Cruiser Designs][/hider]
[hider=Armored Cruiser Designs][/hider]
[hider=Pre-Dreadnought Designs][/hider]
[/list]

[list][*][b]Maintaining Fleets & Colonial Possessions[/b]
- Every Ship has a [b]Tonnage[/b] listing.
- Every [b]Overseas Possession[/b] requires X amount of [b]Tonnage[/b] on Station or it's shipping and citizens will be unprotected. Ending a turn without necessary Tonnage will incur a [b]Monetary Penalty[/b] of $500,000 for every [b]1,000 Tonnage[/b] missing.
- Every [b]Overseas Possession[/b] can station 2,500 tons of ships there. This is assumed to be ships that are refueling at neutral or friendly sites.
- Tonnage beyond 2,500 is required via [b]Naval Bases[/b].
- [b]Naval Bases[/b] are built using [b]Naval Clout[/b] and can support 1,000 Tons per 1d6 Rolled. It costs $200,000/Turn for 1d6 turns to build a Naval Base.
- [b]Ships[/b] with [b]Cramped[/b] Accommodations lose -2% Morale per Season that they are on an Overseas Station.
- [b]Ships[/b] with [b]Normal[/b] Accommodations lose -1% Morale per Season that they are on an Overseas Station.[/list]

V. [b]Mobilization[/b]
[list][*]There are three stages: [b]Demobilized[/b], [b]Partial Mobilization[/b] and [b]Full Mobilization[/b].
[*][b]1 Political Clout[/b] in [b]Army[/b] must be used to move from [[b]Demobilized[/b]] to either of the two forms of Mobilization as well going from [b]Mobilized[/b] to [b]Demobilized[/b].
[*][b]Demobilized[/b] is a state where your Active Duty and Reservists are at their local garrisons distributed throughout the nation. In this state, you may only control your Active Duty soldiers. You may not give orders to Reservists.
[*][b]Partial Mobilization[/b] calls up your Active Duty soldiers into a coherent force. They receive a bonus to military operations and you may give orders to Reservists.
[*][b]Full Mobilization[/b] calls up your Reservists, turning them into Active Duty soldiers.[/list]
VI. [b]Civilian Industry[/b]
[list][*]Each Civilian Industry is listed in the following way: [i]Name of the Company[/i] [Skill of the Company], ([i]Category of the Company[/i]) and [Status of the Company]
- [b]Example[/b]: [i]Imperial & Royal Railways[/i] [1] ([i]Railways[/i]) [Nationalized]
[*]An Industry can only build the units of the category it's in.
[*]Civilian industries are either [b]Private[/b] or [b]Nationalized[/b].
[*][b]Private Industries[/b] generate work based on requirement.
- Every Turn, your Private Industries roll 1d10, subtract the [b]Global Economy Roll[/b] and perform according to that number.
[*][b]National Industries[/b] generate work when ordered to.
[*][b]Civilian Categories[/b]: [Shipping] [Heavy Industry] [Rail][/list]
VII. [b]Armaments Industry[/b]
[list][*]Each Armaments Industry is listed in the following way: [i]Name of the Company[/i] [Skill of the Company], ([i]Category of the Company[/i]) and [Status of the Company]
- [b]Example[/b]: [i]Guntherson & Co[/i] [1] ([i]Small Arms[/i]) [Nationalized]
[*]An Industry can only build the units of the category it's in.
[*]Armaments industries are either [b]Private[/b] or [b]Nationalized[/b].
[*][b]Private[/b] Companies fulfill Production Orders using [b]Economic Clout[/b]. 
- [color=0054a6][b]Creating a Private Company[/b][/color]: Every turn, roll 1d100 then subtract [b]Global Economy Roll[/b] and 1 for every [b][color=red]-$500,000[/color][/b] debt you have. Once you accumulate 400 points, you may spend [b]1 Clout[/b] to generate a [b]Private Company[/b] based on demand or spend [b]2 Clout[/b] to pick the starting category and Skill 2.
- They receive a +5% Production Bonus based on their Skill. 
- They receive a +/-10% Production Penalty based on the [b]Global Economy Roll[/b].
- When they fulfill an order, there is a 1d20 chance of their skill increasing on a roll of 12+ with [b]Skill[/b] and [b]Global Economy Modifiers[/b]. On a roll of 18-20, a [b]Private[/b] company will add an additional Category to its repertoire.
[*][b]Nationalized[/b] Companies fulfill Production Orders using [b]Economic Clout[/b].
- [b][color=red]Creating a National Company[/color][/b]: Spend $7,500,000. Begins Skill 1. May pick the category.
- They receive 0% Production Bonus based on their Skill.
- They receive +/-5% Production Bonus based on the [b]Global Economy Roll[/b].
- When they fulfill an order, there is a 1d20 chance of their skill increasing on a roll of 16+ with [b]Skill[/b] and [b]Global Economy Modifiers[/b].
- To add an additional category to it's repertoire is [$X0,000,000 with X being the current Skill of the company.]
- To add a Skill level to the company is [X,000,000+$10,000,000 with X being the current Skill of the company.] 
[*][b]Armaments Categories[/b]: [Small Arms] [Field Guns] [Machine guns*]
* Requires that [b]Technology[/b] or an [b]Export License[/b].[/list][/hider]
[hider=Current Wars]
1. [b]Wauwanti War[/b] ([i][color=beige]Empire of Tara[/color][/i] vs [i]Wauwanti Empire[/i])
2. [b]Zello-Osladian War[/b] ([color=pink][i]Kingdom of Zellonia[/i][/color] vs [i][color=green]Osladian Empire[/color][/i], [i][color=skyblue]Kalpian Republic[/color][/i])
3. [b]Karumi War of Aggression[/b] ([i]Tsardom of Karum[/i] vs [i]Principality of Serona[/i])[/hider]
[hider=Army War Form]
Please fill out and submit this form at the beginning of every [b][u]Month[/u][/b], if at war.

[h2]Army War Form[/h2]
1. Once war is announced, so will the [b]Fronts[/b]. A front is where your soldiers oppose enemy soldiers. Fronts may be opened or closed depending on events/actions.

Please fill out and submit this form at the beginning of every [b][u]Month[/u][/b], if at war.

[code][[b]Army Training[/b]: [% Here] - [[b]Army Supply & Logistics[/b]: [% Here]

[b][Name of Front Here][/b]
[list][*][b]Name of Army[/b]
[list][*]Name, Rank and Age of Commanding Officer
[list][*]Description of Commander Officer
[*]Preferred Tactics & Strategies of Commanding Officer
[*]Weaknesses of Commanding Officer[/list][*][Name of Division #1 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Equipment in Division]
[*][b]Objectives of Army[/b]:
[*][b]Start Date of Operation[/b]:
[*][Name of Division #2 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #3 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #4 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #5 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #6 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #7 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][etc][/list][/list]

[b]Garrison Duty[/b] ([i]These will be deployed in strategically important areas to protect from naval invasion and internal sabotage[/i])
[list][*][b]Name of Army[/b]
[list][*]Name of Commanding Officer
[list][*]Preferred Tactics & Strategies of Commanding Officer
[*]Weaknesses of Commanding Officer[/list][*][Name of Division #1 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #2 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #3 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #4 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #5 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #6 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #7 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][etc][/list][/list]

[b]Colonial Garrison[/b] ([i]These will be deployed in your colonies to protect from naval invasion and internal sabotage[/i])
[list][*][b]Name of Army[/b]
[list][*]Name of Commanding Officer
[list][*]Preferred Tactics & Strategies of Commanding Officer
[*]Weaknesses of Commanding Officer[/list][*][Name of Division #1 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #2 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #3 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #4 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #5 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #6 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][Name of Division #7 of Army Here] - [Men in Division] - [Name and Number of Equipment in Division]
[*][etc][/list][/list][/code][/hider]
[hider=Naval War Form]

[h2]Naval War Form[/h2]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/yNrimWt.png[/img]
[i]Sea Zones[/i][/center]

[code][b][u][Location Here][/u][/b]
[[b]Navy Training[/b]: [% Here] - [[b]Navy Supply & Logistics[/b]: [% Here]

- [b]Minelaying[/b] ([i]Ships engaged in mining enemy territory[/i])
* [Ship Name 1 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed]
* [Ship Name 2 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed]
* [Ship Name 3 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed]

- [b]Active Fleet[/b] ([i]Ships engaged in seeking out enemy combatant ships[/i])
* [Ship Name 1 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed]
* [Ship Name 2 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed]
* [Ship Name 3 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed]

- [b]Commerce Raiding[/b] ([i]Ships engaged in rooting out and sinking merchant ships[/i])
* [Ship Name 1 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed]
* [Ship Name 2 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed]
* [Ship Name 3 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed]

- [b]Convoy Escort[/b] ([i]Ships engaged in protecting merchant and transport ships[/i])
* [Ship Name 1 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed]
* [Ship Name 2 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed]
* [Ship Name 3 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed]

- [b]Submarines[/b] ([i]Submersibles engaged in attacking enemy ships[/i])
* [Submarine Name 1 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed]
* [Submarine Name 1 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed]
* [Submarine Name 1 Here] [Ship Type] [Ship-class] [Maximum Speed][/code]

[hr]
[b][u]Example[/u][/b]

[b][color=crimson]Empire of Mille-Sessau[/color][/b]
[list][*][b][u]North Sea[/u][/b]
[b]Active Fleet[/b]
[list][*][i]Massim[/i] [Pre-Dreadnought] [Savieux-class (1894)][/list][b]Commerce Raiding[/b]
[list][*][i]Taveau[/i] [Light Cruiser] [Taveau-class (1899)][/list][/list]
[/hider]

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/VYRYrUP.png[/img]
[i]The Continent, December, 1899[/i][/center]

[h2][u][b]December[/b][/u][/h2]

[b][u]December 1st-7th[/u][/b]
[b]Battle of Kreogen[/b] ([i]1899[/i])
The greatest enemy of the Zello-Osladian War was neither the man standing across the front nor the rifle in his arms, but the frigid frost and blithering snowfall that picked up. By the end of November, a total of five and a half inches of snow now snaked it's way across the Zellonian flat lands. The entire front line, stretching through the city of Kreogen, held by the infamous [b]Memoital I Corps[/b]. The front quickly stretched to the entire of Zellonia's length, running to the Marnish Mountains in the North to the half frozen waters of the Zeelian Sea to the South.

[center][img]http://lh6.ggpht.com/-DE9f74NRhrU/Ullemg4qyRI/AAAAAAAAAOE/0EwVn_G_cBI/s1600/photo-2013-10-12-16-29-42-509.jpg[/img]
[i]Zellonian Winter of 1899[/i][/center]

On December 1st, the soldiers of [b]Voskreya Army Group North[/b] received their orders. "On the 5th Day of the December, you will be tasked with destroying entrenched Zellonian positions and achieving a breakthrough." That day however, would have to wait. As at 0900 hours, the Zellonians--in the very same front--the [b]8th Army[/b] under General Hawthorne, began their offensive. 40 Zellonian field guns opened up, a destructive rain of fire that was quickly answered by a superior amount of Osladian field guns.

Private Merrick Daniels of the [i]2nd Jovington Division[/i] remembers the day, in an interview in 1903 from his memoir [i]Through the Blood and Snow[/i]: "[i]There were whistles. Hundreds of whistles from the commanding sergeants. Most of us didn't even have guns. They told us. 'Across the field. Engage in hand to hand. Find a weapon. Take it from the enemy, if you have to.' It was madness. Absolute madness. I lost, I lost a lot of friends that day. Sent to their death without much of a chance. Sent to their death without a rifle." [/i]

The Zellonian Offensive takes the Osladians by storm, who don't quite anticipate an attack by the Zellonians in the harsh weather. Two entire infantry divisions are sent forward: the 2nd Jovington and the 2nd Arrington divisions. 20,000 men, only 6,000 of them are carrying rifles. Still, unprepared Osladian positions are ransacked, but by 1215 hours they begin to offer resistance as they find their feet. General Hawthorne was out for blood. The Osladian breastworks allowed direct enfilade fire, and Hawthorne ordered the offensive continue well into the 6th and 7th day. His orders from Zellonian General Command in Zeel were the following: "[i]If possible push through the southern flank and acquire new rifles as needed. Do not commit yourself to any single battle we can’t let the Osladians gain more land[/i]." [PM from [u]LordZell[/u]]

The Osladians were back on their heels. They resisted, but even static rifle fire had it's limitations. With orders not to commit to any single battle (offensive), General Hawthorne called off the offensive after pushing only 19 kilometers. At the end of the 7th day, over 13,000 Zellonians had been killed. Most of them died without ever a chance to find a rifle and return fire. By nightfall, their corpses would freeze in the very position they died in. General Hawthorne was a glory seeker, and he had sent men to die looking for it. Whether or not stopping an Osladian offensive he didn't know was coming was among that repertoire, only history would tell.

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/ubx1jJv.png[/img]
[i]The Zellonian Offensive ends, December 1st-7th, 1899[/i][/center]

[b][u]December 8th[/u][/b]
While transporting a pair of merchant freighters to Xerotith to Voskreya--a measly 24 kilometers--the armored cruiser [i]ZRN Gathering Storm[/i] and two light cruisers happen upon Osladian freighters and their three destroyer escort. The [b]Battle of the Coast[/b] lasts a sobering two and a half hours. The [i]ZRN Gathering Storm[/i] sinking the Osladian destroyer [i]OIN Zhutkiy[/i] in a single barrage, while the Zellonian light cruisers cut off and sank the [i]OIN Gromkiy[/i]. The [i]OIN Maleev[/i] turned and fled, the captain giving a much different account of the action when he made port in Voskreya.

[center][img]http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/5869050-3x2-940x627.jpg[/img]
[i]Osladian freighter [/i]Sumov[i], sinking in the Zeelian Sea[/i][/center]
[[b]Event[/b]: [color=green]Osladian Army[/color] -1% Morale, -1% Supply & Logistics]

[b][u]December 12th[/u][/b]
In the [b][color=beige]Empire of Tara[/color][/b], G.L.T. Industries opens it's doors. A private company with expertise in railways, the owner--George Lyricelle-Taunton--takes on the head role, expressing the promise of a railway through every city in the near future for Tara.
- [[b]Event[/b]: [b][color=beige]Empire of Tara[/color][/b] gains [b]G.L.T. Industries[/b] [1] ([i]Rail[/i]) [Privatized]]

[b][u]December 13th[/u][/b]
In [b]Veletian Settumu[/b], the trial of Governor Droulez is finished and he is removed from power, instead put into a civilian role. The trial, which garnered front page news back in Confluence, is lauded as a giant success by the monarch and her civilian administration. Morale--and trust--in "The Heads Back Home," in far away colonies such as Cotê d'Or, as well as in Veletian Settumu, where the military hierarchy there was fiercely loyal, is shaken. With conditions often questionable at best, local garrisons feel as though the monarchy could have turned it's head. Not only was Droulez fondly remembered abroad, but a seething editorial in [i]Le Patriote[/i] characterizes him as almost a father like figure to hundreds of cadets who had been placed under his command. "[i]The allegations of a sex trafficking ring,[/i]" the editorial writes, "[i]are undoubtedly the doing of an administration that has lost faith in it's most able bodied commanders.[/i]"
[[b]Event[/b]: [b][color=lavender]Veletian Gendarmerie[/color][/b] loses [b]6% Morale[/b].].

[b][u]December 14th[/u][/b]
An additional 14,400 Z.88 rifles are finished by [i]Guntherson & Co.[/i] in Vorl. They're sent to the front lines immediately.

[b][u]December 15th[/u][/b]
The [b][color=beige]Empire of Tara[/color][/b] sends out a request for a new field cannon. [b]Vulcan Foundries[/b] promises a prototype within 10 months, while the [b]Imperial Dockyards & Arsenal[/b] promises a prototype within 6 months.

[b][u]December 16th[/u][/b]
The [b]3rd Colonial Rifles[/b] dispatch to [i]Jardin, Counties Palatine[/i] on garrison duty. The people there are scared, proud and full of courage. Brigadier Sir Thomas de Lacy, CGM, RAM and Double Bar, in command, he's notified early on the morning of the 16th of an incoming Mauwanti scouting force. Dutifully, he wards off a runner to Harkins at White Haven.

What comes next is again the masterful deception of the Mauwanti. A few dozen riders meander around, with members of the [b]3rd Colonial Rifles[/b] well entrenched. For a second time Sir Thomas de Lacy refuses an inquiry as to whether to send a runner, grumbling: "[i]The boy Harkins has enough to deal with from the Navy and Her Majesty, I'm sure."[/i] At 1125 hours, a second Mauwanti raiding party is seen but retreats after fire from 4th Company's entrenchment to the Northeast.

[center][img]http://www.almrsal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/The-First-Anglo-Boer-War-1880-.-1881.jpg[/img]
[i]Entrenched soldiers of the 3rd Colonial Rifles[/i][/center]

At 1340 hours the Mauwanti return, in force. 6,600 raiders in all--mostly on foot with some mounted in an attempted flanking maneuver. At 1346 the first field battery opened up, and Brigadier de Lacy gave a "fire at will" order. The Mauwanti charged, with no apparent concern for their own safety. They closed to twenty yards before the withering fire from the assembled riflemen clouded the battlefield in so much smoke from the discharge of their rifles that it was impossible to see which direction to run.

By 1450, 3,800 Mauwanti and 290 Colonials had been killed. 1 Field Gun, fired until the barrel burned red, was considered "beyond use."

[b][u]December 16th[/u][/b]
The Mauwanti approach White Haven with a shaman. He's nearly killed by a rifleman on duty, then taken before Harkins in the city proper. After much discussion, the shaman, named Na'atami, requests that peace come between the two nations. Harkins and three guards are escorted to a nearby Mauwanti camp--so well hidden that it officially lay in Palatine land--where Na'atami discusses the peace. There, over 100 Mauwanti warriors are present, though they do not attempt to disarm Harkins or his men.

[center][img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/The_National_Archives_UK_-_CO_1069-44-5-1-001.jpg[/img]
[i]A photo snapped of Na'atami's camp, 1899[/i][/center]

The Mauwanti wish to continue to govern their lands and cite "tribal raiders" started the conflict, of which the Mauwanti later believed to have been coaxed into attacking by trespassing Tarans. The Mauwanti wish to see a [b]White Peace[/b], with promises of stricter control on their border people.

[b][u]December 17th[/u][/b]
The [b]Survian Republic[/b] colony of [i]Madasta[/i] along the Northern Serranthian coast has revolted. It's former leader, Sultan Neffa, has risen up with 3,000 of his followers. The Survian's--in a crisis of succession on The Continent--have little time to reinforce the 800 man garrison there. Minister of the Navy Wolfgang von Kestenbaum of the [b][color=purple]Tyro-Redanian Empire[/color][/b] immediately calls for a council with the Emperor, citing a possible maneuver to send an Expeditionary Force to take control of the Survian colony--now claiming it's own independence as the [i]Heffan Caliphate[/i] and take it's first step into colonialism. This will bring great prestige to the Wolfram Dynasty and an influx of possible resources as the colonies infrastructure is largely in place. It may however upset either the Veletians or the Tarans, who have colonies nearby.
[[b]Event[/b]: The Minister of the Navy Wolfgang von Kestenbaum of the [b][color=purple]Tyro-Redanian Empire[/color][/b] seeks permission to send an [b]Expeditionary Force[/b] to claim the Survian colony of [i]Madasta[/i] in Northern Serranthia. This requires an [u]IC Response[/u] in depth.]

[b][u]December 26th[/u][/b]
In the [b]Madasta Affair[/b], the [b][color=purple]Tyro-Redanian Empire[/color][/b] agrees to send an Expeditionary Force. The ships arrive near the end of the month and after a very short, but intense shore bombardment, the Heffan's there surrender. That night, the Tyro-Redanian flag flies over the capitol building and messages that a third party has joined the race to Serranthia arrive in Confluence and Rigour.
- [[b]Event[/b]: gains [i]Madasta[/i] ([i]Serranthia[/i]), +$240,000/Turn, +2 Grain, -2 Relations with [b][color=lavender]Veletian Empire[/color][/b], -2 Relations with [b][color=beige]Empire of Tara[/color][/b].]

[b][u]December 31st[/u][/b]
Brigadier General Bernhard Ewald Larenz of the [b][color=skyblue]Kalpian Republic[/color][/b] was a daring man. In fact, he was so daring; he intended to end the Zello-Osladian War with one fell swoop. That swoop was [i]Operation Hanzmich[/i].

The landing craft hit the beach at 0310 hours. An entire brigade dispersed in forty-four different landing craft, the [i]Light 63rd[/i] moved in and by 0338 had entered the palisades, moved in through the Royal Garden, taking out a dozen guards using close quarters combat and knives. 1st Platoon entered the building, the most ornate building in all of Zellonia. Brigadier General Larenz himself was among the troops, his K.87 revolver holstered at his side. Troops moved up to the pair of Radenan oak doors, Larenz off to one side. He gave the signal and the soldiers yanked in the door.

A brief firefight ensued, the three men dead on the deck were Zellonian Royal Guardsmen. The last man alive--now standing--was the most important figure in all of Zellonia. "What is the [i]meaning[/i] of this?" He shouted, then stumbled back when Larenz brought the revolver to the man's face.

"Uhm, excuse me, your majesty. I am [u]here[/u] to end this war."

[center][End of [u]December[/u]][/center]