[b][/b][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 1756[/h2][/center]

[img]https://i.ibb.co/RyXVT7S/Labelled-Map-2-1.png[/img]

[u][b][i]1st of February[/i][/b][/u]

Perhaps in preparation for a coming war, or perhaps simply the beginning of a long-planned project, but [b][color=ed1c24]The Kingdom of Hispalis[/color][/b] begins a wide-scale refitting of it's shipyards in the province of Malaca. The docks there have long been the heart of the kingdom's navy, due in no small part to it's close proximity to the vital strait into the Mediterranean. This new project will take time, but it is a crucial sign of intent. For years, Hispalis has relied on other nations for it's naval strength, but control over the strait has seen bountiful gold flow into the kingdom's coffers, and it is clearly high time for Hispalis to claim it's own place as a naval power. 

[b][i][u]3rd of February[/u][/i][/b]

While the news of [b][color=ed1c24]The Kingdom of Hispalis[/color][/b] looking to expand their shipyards is still making it's way across Europe, Hispalis does not rest on its laurels. Envoys are dispatched to [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color] and [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color], two nations that have established themselves as naval powers in their own right. The envoys carry with them a proposed deal, as well as not insubstantial payment. The negotiations are short, and when the envoys return to Hispalis, they are not alone. Not only are they accompanied by shipwrights of Komentiolos, they are also carry with them the promise of warships from Kalseran. This is another clear sign of intent, and the Hispalis navy is beginning to benefit from the kingdom's wealth. 

[b][i][u]7th of February[/u][/i][/b]

While the heir of [color=87CEEB][b]The Empire of Grimhout[/b][/color] works on 'diplomatic' relations to the south, the other child of Arch-Duke Jean-Baptise Dervau is also not sitting idle. Travelling east to [b]The Principality of Asmont[/b], Juliette is welcomed into the palace of her uncle's father-in-law, Prince William Asmont. The rumours quickly begin to circulate through the court's of Europe that it is not William that Juliette has arrived to spend time with, but rather his son and heir, Alexandre. The young prince is recently widowed, with no children, and it is thought that Grimhout are looking to further strengthen their ties with their neighbours to the east. Whether Juliette is able to mend a broken heart, only time will tell. 

[b][i][u]8th of February[/u][/i][/b]

In recent history, [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] has been a nation struggling to find an identity for itself. While it's close relationship with [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b] has seen the nation take great leaps of progress forwards, large parts of the empire still cling to their nomadic and tribal roots. It is in the rich and quickly expanding coastal cities that these tensions threaten to flare up. The young emperor is not oblivious to the plight of his people, and he announces a great feast in the province of Kumbag, with the intention of bringing the great tribes of his empire together, and of finding a solution to this growing problem. Some of the most powerful chieftains still live as nomads in the eastern reaches of the empire, but sure enough, the great tribes begin to gather. 

[b][i][u]11th of February[/u][/i][/b]

Not satisfied with simply signing a treaty with [b]The Kingdom of Kehsi[/b], and perhaps spurned on by the growing influence of [color=87CEEB][b]The Empire of Grimhout[/b][/color] in [b]The Kingdom of Arhan[/b], [b][color=ed1c24]The Kingdom of Hispalis[/color][/b]  sends a military envoy to Kehsi, led by one of the kingdom's most important admirals. Although their role appears to simply be one of observation, learning the art of naval warfare from a nation with a long and decorated history of it, it is still a symbol that the relationship between the two nations is growing, and that inevitably steers Hispalis towards more conflict with Grimhout, even if the tensions between the two still leans more towards a war fought in the shadows than on the battlefield. 

[b][i][u]13th of February[/u][/i][/b]

While one conflict continues to gain momentum to the east, the war further west threatens to reach terminal velocity. Perhaps realising that the balance of the coming war is not quite as in their favour as it once was, [b][color=2e3192]The Kingdom of Dorist[/color][/b] appears to be a nation that is attempting to move all it's pieces onto the board. Emissaries are dispatched to [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color], [b]The Kingdom of Fosbak[/b] and [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color], treaties in hand. Whether any of those treaties bear fruition is yet to be seen, for now, as negotiations are understandably prolonged. 

[b][i][u]17th of February[/u][/i][/b]

[b]The Kingdom of Stevata[/b] is also a nation that is preparing for war. With an ally to the east, a potential ally to the south, and an enemy to the west, it is unsurprising that they look to the north. Their own envoy to [b]The Kingdom of Fosbak[/b] arrives mere days after that of [b][color=2e3192]The Kingdom of Dorist[/color][/b], and it creates a tense situation within the Royal Palace of Elhavn. Many believe that as Queen Marta is the sister-in-law of King Freud, Fosbak will lean towards Dorist, but no queen wants to lead her people to war, and for now, the negotiations continue back-and-forth, often running long into the night. 

[b][i][u]18th of February[/u][/i][/b]

While other nations consider which side of the line they stand upon, some nations do not have that luxury. [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b] not only has a close alliance with [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color], but also a connection with [b]The Kingdom of Altenten[/b] through marriage. They find themselves torn between two sides that seem hell-bent on driving towards war, and all across the kingdom, the debate is raging regarding what action Paranas should take if that war arrives. For now, King Markus is silent on the matter, but it is very difficult for a nation to remain truly impartial in war, and there are supporters of both side within his nation's borders. A decision will have to be made, even if that decision is to make no decision at all. 

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

Finally, the heir of [b][color=ed1c24]The Kingdom of Hispalis[/color][/b] arrives at the Royal Palace of [b]The Kingdom of Arhan[/b] to attempt to court some favour in the northern neighbours. It is unfortunate that he arrives more than a month after the heir of [color=87CEEB][b]The Empire of Grimhout[/b][/color], but he still takes to his task with enthusiasm. While the rest of Europe seems to be hurtling towards war, in the luxurious surroundings of the palace, two young men compete for the affection of a young woman. It is a tale as old as time, in perhaps slightly unorthodox surroundings. 

[b][i][u]25th of February[/u][/i][/b]

The two nations of [b]The Kingdom of Stevata[/b] and [b][color=2e3192]The Kingdom of Dorist[/color][/b] are truly teetering on the brink. With armies amassed on their shared border, it would only take a spark to ignite the powder-keg, as the saying goes. The problem with this gathering of soldiers, and this whipping up of patriotic fervour, is that the spark does not always come with orders, sometimes it comes from a man wanting to be a hero, and then war can begin before it is called for by either side. Perhaps wary of this, Queen Marta begins taking a personal hand. While the negotiations within her palace are aimed towards ultimately bringing [b]The Kingdom of Fosbak[/b] into the war, Marta begins pushing the talks instead towards preventing war entirely. Whether this can be achieved, or whether the tensions between the two nations have already turned too sour, only time will tell. 

[b][i][u]28th of February[/u][/i][/b]

War is not a commodity unique to Europe, and far to the east, India is a nation that has seen it's fair share of bloodshed. While the exceedingly powerful [b]Viswan Empire[/b] has ruled over much of the sub-continent for centuries, their grip is beginning to weaken. The nations that already have colonies in the region, [b]The Kingdom of Kehsi[/b] and [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color], are already beginning to flex their muscles more than before, an opportunity to increase their influence in their area seeming to present itself. The steady crumbling of Viswan Empire also opens the door to other European powers who may be casting their gaze towards the riches that the sub-continent promise.