The Republic of Anvegad
The House of Sovereigns, Executive Office
Jan 10th, 1910

"The damn powderkeg isn't being defused." The praetor executive of the Anvegad Republic Kurt Malone sighed as he tossed the daily political newspaper on his desk, with a large bold headline of [b]THE BRINK OF WAR?[/b] putting his heart so-much at ease. "Etresna and Kratoria are stepping into the brink of war, and Uruk and Cethos are following. And I just got another memo from Cethos inquiring about potential alliance again considering our common Etresnan contact."

"If it happens, it happens Kurt. The hotzone is half the world away from us in Rotteburg and the Tsuljin Khanate, and Etresna is dealing with this itself." President Degurechev said, looking out the window with a lit cigar in hand. "Even if we wanted to intervene, the distances are too great and we have no influence in that region. It simply isn't our problem besides staying out of the way and not doing anything on our end to make that bad situation become worse. We will reiterate as in the past that we do not wish to become part of any military alliances and that our ports will remain open under the terms of neutrality."

Kurt quietly suppressed a growl at his superior's offhandedly detached statement, mostly because the vice-president was out sick and he was stuck being the President's sounding board for the evening after finishing the last of the executive business of the day. Not our problem? The world wasn't governed by wind and weather anymore, steam and mana-powered warships and railroads and telephone lines crisscrossed the world now, bringing everyone together so they could share in mutual property as much as their mutual threats and grudges. Like it or not, Anvegad was entangled in this coming storm regardless if it knew or cared because of where it was located strategically between Etresna and Uruk, how much manastone it possessed in mines seemingly without limits to their depths or content, and how much of a grand army it had present and standing even as it proclaimed a wish for peace. But he dared not state so out loud in front of his nominal superior and head of state. There was only so much even the "hatchetman" of the president could say to his face. especially as president was a strawman of the Centrist party and the current Queen Roland and nominal (figure)head of Anvegad was a young girl whose executive authority extended to what dress she wore and what she'd have for lunch, more or less controlled by the Royalists she was supposedly leader of. Moderation and compromise was the rule of Anvegad in this day and age, and though it might have sufficed in peacetime it certainly wasn't enough for wartime when it would come rolling around to Anvegad in due time. 

Exacerbating the problem ontop of that was that it was a election year for Anvegad, and his Centrist party did not have a decisive lead for the vote coming in six months. Or indeed even a significant lead judging by the most recent polls and speeches in the beer halls and coffee houses and the subtle cracks between the coalition lines. Recent economic shakeups and unease caused by the political situation in the North were bad enough, but the Collectivists were stirring up trouble on a regular basis lately. Rallies and protests against "foreign manipulators and agents", strikes for better working conditions or simply to spite the industrial elites, and there was chatter in the backrooms and coffee houses that the Unity and Nationalist parties were doing some shakeups as well besides their regular open campaigning and callouts against Centrist "impotence".

"-not to mention we have problems at home of our own." Kurt discarded his line of thinking as the President started speaking again. "I just received a note from the diplomatic office that Miana and Venucci in the west had a brewup over some land inheritance issue as a pretext to some saber rattling. No gunshots yet, but the Successor States are getting antsy now that it seems Etresna and Uruk's attention will be elsewhere and not present to loom over their heads, to say nothing about the Segon Dynasty and what they might be up to. And you know what the Collectivists will say in regards to that."

"Intervention in the name of liberation." Kurt conceded a nod to his president, where he faltered in foreign policy in regards to the great powers he at least had some idea of what was going on in Anvegad's backyard. Once Anvegad's borders stretched across much of the southern peninsula and into the interior of the continent, but most of those lands broke off during or after the revolution that made Anvegad a republic into a multitude of lesser kingdoms and states in the name of freeing themselves from the stain of the bloody empire, though many did so just to escape the debts of the revolution or hold onto their own traditional rule, shortsighted moves that crippled their economies and governments and led to chronic border squabbles and feuds without anyone to moderate them as the then-nascent Republic was more focused on licking its own wounds. But now..... "The Collectivists have been crowing about how the polls supposedly say the people are behind a reunification effort. Nobody wants to get involved in a continental war with the great powers, but there's a basis of support for a regional campaign."

"Which would only be a step on the road to repeating the mistakes of the past. Nothing is solved by military adventurism." The president said with absolute conviction. "I'm considering offering to host a diplomatic conference to resolve the situation and make sure we don't end up with a flashpoint conflict in our backyard like the north. I'd like you to take point on that."

"You have my full agreement on that sir, we really don't need this....distraction. Any preliminary thoughts on my marching orders?"

"Keep the peace, keep the borders, and when in doubt back Miana, they have the right in this dispute. We should also do something to assuage the rest of the Successor States in the face of all the fears about this upcoming war and prevent any other fires from popping up. We'll need to sit down with the rest of the cabinet to figure out how we can avoid being too much exposure, but if we present a common front and keep our ports and railroads open I bet we can keep our economies stable even if the rest of the North decides to dogpile into this war they are bent on getting into. That ought to be reason enough for them to come to the table and stay there with us."

[i]Not a bad plan as a start and sweetener, and credit to your wishes to reduce exposure with Etresna even if you don't have the courage to say it even to me in private. But no closure mister president. This isn't a era of conservative moves, and the luster of independence isn't holding sway over them as much anymore.[/i] Kurt wanted to say, but instead- "Very good sir. As you said, we need to convene the cabinet and figure out what we can afford to offer. Personally I think we should crank up some pressure on Venucci first to show we mean business.  General Crowe is certain to call for moving troops to the border but we can get the point across in other ways. Perhaps some selective tariffs on Venucci's energy exports, that's a rap on the teeth they can't ignore-"

Fortunately, he knew of other ways to get the job done. That why he was the Praetor afterall, and why the President kept him around despite his hidden dissent and youth in office. Appearances had to be kept afterall, and a Praetor was given a wide means to get the job done.

* * * * * *

Jan 11th
8:45 PM
Private Telephone line

[i]M: .....

X: It's your friend in the high castle.

M: Report.

X: President has called for a diplomatic conference to resolve the Miana-Venucci dispute. He's sending the Praetor, no formal orders yet but I can guess it's conciliatory and limited.

M: Of course it will be. He's doing his best to stave off the inevitable. Where will it be held?

X: Preliminary talks are placing it at Vernazza, Condottieri Castle bordering the disputed territory to the west.

M: How historic, and protected. Suits us just fine. What will the president be doing?

X: Staying home drafting more letters asking for diplomacy and consulting with the Queen for guidance......which really means Earl Tigre. Don't count on much from them.

M: Of course not. Besides the new young Praetor they only look out for their own skins and pocketbooks. Keep observing this conference and the local unions, depending on how things go someone else might provide a spark before us, but if we need to move....

X: I know what to look for. Don't worry, I got the scent of what we're looking for. Even if we have to make it ourselves. 

M: Goodnight then comrade.

X: Goodnight.[/i]

Maria Farrell put down the phone handset and took in a deep breath. The leporikin leader of the Collectivist party of Anvegad knew that war was coming, but actually having the sparks and hints of fire so close at hand was another experience entirely. And put far more urgency into her actions to prepare Anvegad. The Centrists had their day, but their ideals were crumbling in the face of the grudges of antiquity given a excuse to be unleashed again and the machinations of the elitists that infested so much of the old powers. The Successor States had to be reunited and the people brought under one Collective banner for mutual defense.

Fortunately a good reason to do so was right in Anvegad's backyard and looking to ignite with or without her. And if it happened, the Collective Union of Anvegad would be there to stand for the people of all Anvegad and not just for the elites who thought themselves above the people and thought lines on a map were enough to divide the poor against eachother.

But first she had to make a few phone calls to the Collectivists in Vernazza. There was a big conference to be had, and everyone had to do their part to dress up for the occasion, including her handy comrades on the streets and in the janitorial staff of the castle in case the worst happened, like someone bombing the conference or the Venucci delegate shooting the Mianan one (or stabbing, they did stick to that antiquated dueling law). Or if it needed to happen for that matter.

* * * * * * *

Summary

- Anvegad sends diplomatic notes calling for negotiation and peaceful resolution, while doing its best to present itself as a neutral party in regards to initial overtures to bring Anvegad into alliances. Though the reliability of such statements is in question due to Anvegad closing on a major election with a looming internal political shakeup.
- Diplomatic messages are sent to the Successor States (local NPC nations around Anvegad) to set up a conference to resolve a regional disputes as well as confront the probable shakeups of a Etresnan-Kratoria war with a regional economic treaty instead of dependence on trans-oceanic trade routes.
- Anvegad Collectivists are on the prowl and in tight observance of the diplomatic conference and the President of Anvegad for their own agenda.