[i]"If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud. Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, my friend, you would not tell with such high zest to children ardent for some desperate glory, the old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori." [/i] -Wilfred Owen

[center][h2]Spring of 1799[/h2][/center]

[center][img]https://image.ibb.co/h7PaMU/Country_Labelled.png[/img][/center]

[b][i][u]4th of March[/u][/i][/b]

General Anlaf Englisson, of [b][color=2e3192]The Kingdom of Aontas[/color][/b] is tasked with beginning the construction of fortifications along the southern border of the Aontas Province of Torrik. As the nation's only foothold on the central mainland of Europe, and in light of the growing tensions, and warlike tendencies of King Otto Fichte, this move comes as no surprise, but it still does significant damage to the relations of Aontas with both the Kingdom of Ubren, and the Hastel Dominions. The success of the fortifications may well be tested.

[b][i][u]9th of March[/u][/i][/b]

To the far east of the known world, from the Colony of Caledonia a fleet of [b][color=00aeef]The Empire of Attolia[/color][/b] sets sail, with the intention to meet and interact with the nations of the East. The presence, and the lengthy experience, of Topi Valtonen is critical to the success of the fleet, and they successfully encounter [b]The Jinje Kingdom[/b]. Impressed by the fleet that they witness, the people of Jinje take the Admiral and his officers to the court of King Kasermsarn I. They exchange stories of their people, and the Admiral is invited to remain as their guest, before he embarks once more on his voyage. 

[u][i][b]16th of March[/b][/i][/u]

Eman Hatul Abdul Ev'Shaaj I of [b][color=92278f]The Eternal Hadeen of Dashkatar[/color][/b], calling for the followers of Hijeen to shed their European oppressors and reunite to form a unified Hijeen state. This announcement is surprisingly effective, and it rouses the natives of the colonies of [b][color=ed1c24]The Redcliff Empire[/color][/b] across North Africa and the Middle East. Already dissatisfied with the treatment they suffer at the hands of the Redcliff Empire, the natives feel their annoyance turn to anger, and riots sweep across the Colonies of Egalpin, Ottomas and Soute Otto. The garrisons of the colonies ruthlessly put down these protests and restore the peace, but there is a growing sense of dissident as the stability of the colony continues to fall. 

[u][i][b]21st of March[/b][/i][/u]

[b][color=ed1c24]The Redcliff Empire [/color][/b]introduces a radical new tax plan, intended to stem the huge drain that Redcliff's army is putting on the nation's economy. The day, and the disastrous events that followed, will be forever etched into history. Protests erupt across Redcliff, predominantly from workers in the Low Industry, the most populous group in the nation, as they find their taxes more than doubled all but overnight. Riots in the Provinces of Centrix and So Tren erupt across the farms and factories, but it is in Travton itself that the protests are largest, and the garrison struggles to retain order without having to resort to martial law. 

But the protests of the Redcliff Empire's homeland pales in comparison to the events of their colonies. The natives, still riled up and angry after the events of just days before, are told that their taxes will be increased fourfold. Unsurprisingly, this has horrific consequences. The colonists number almost the same as the natives across the colonies, and the garrisons of the colonies, highly trained and well-equipped, should be more than capable of maintaining order. But they could not have anticipated the sheer ferocity of the natives. 

In one night, thousands of colonists are slaughtered, the men dying with their throats cut, the children butchered, and the women dragged out into the street. The garrison reacts quickly, but they are faced with total chaos. They begin their work with extreme prejudice. Any colonist is shot on sight, and as they methodically begin clearing the colonies, the natives retreat back into the desert, joining with the more wild elements of their cultures that still live in the sun-baked wastelands. When the sun rises, it rises over a bloody scene. Tens of thousands of the colonists are dead, as are tens of thousands of the natives. Those colonists that remain clamour for passage back to their homeland, desperate to escape the return of the 'native devils'. The army has proven itself to be efficient, but they are now forced to control the colonies with an iron fist.

[u][i][b]26th of March[/b][/i][/u]

Having stayed out of the conflict developing so far, [b]The Kingdom of Vendsyssel[/b] finds itself surrounded by foes, with the alliance of The Kingdom of Claidor and the Empire of Rubrus to the east, and the alliance of [b]The Hastel Dominions[/b], [b]The Kingdom of Ubren[/b] and the [b][color=ed1c24]The Redcliff Empire[/color][/b] to the west, Vendsyssel turns to their closest friends, to the north. They call for [b][color=2e3192]The Kingdom of Aontas[/color][/b] to join them in a defensive agreement, pledging to come to each others aid. 

[b][i][u]30th of March[/u][/i][/b]

In the Province of Emanore, [b][color=92278f]The Eternal Hadeen of Dashkatar[/color][/b] creates the First Army. The formidable force primes itself for a crossing of the Imre Strait, enforcing its stance as it prepares to descend upon [b]The Kingdom of Sescos[/b]. Tensions between the two nations reach breaking point, war can no longer be avoided. Sescos calls on it's allies, and readies it's armies for open conflict. There is no open declaration of war, but it is implied that the battle lines have been drawn, and that once the two sides amass themselves and show their support, war will begin. As a side-effect, relations between Dashkatar and The Akkadian Empire continue to fall, as their stance continues to clash.