[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]Winter of 1756[/h2][/center]

[img]https://i.ibb.co/nmG6kQB/Labelled-Map-1-1.png[/img]

[b][u]1st of December[/u][/b]

Far from the chaos of Europe, India has been gripped by it's own war. As tensions between [b]The Viswan Empire[/b] and [b]The Kingdom of Kehsi[/b] show no signs of cooling, blood shed by both sides, the recently arrived colonists of [color=87CEEB][b]The Empire of Grimhout[/b][/color] find themselves caught in the middle of a conflict they have no involvement in. Baptiste Crevier, the man tasked with establishing a foothold for Grimhout in India, finds himself with a difficult choice to make. Although Kehsi are already preparing to retaliate again Viswan for the loss of Fort Ivars, Baptiste carries the seal of Arch-Duke Jean-Baptise Dervau, given the full authority of Grimhout's ruler, and he reaches his own decision. Rather than tying themselves too closely to the abrasive colonists of Kehsi, Baptiste leads his followers north, intending to settle unspoiled lands, away from the brewing war against Viswan. 

[b][u]3rd of December[/u][/b]

The marriage between Salma Al Sadat and Arcadius Koromelas has done much to bring a sense of order to the province of Aegyptus, but as time has passed, the initial joy of the marriage has waned. The rich families of the province, most hailing from [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color], or at least tracing their family line back to the illustrious history of the kingdom, have welcomed the move, yet this influence does not extend far beyond the lavish villas of these great families. Unrest has plagued the tendrils of Komentiolos that dare to stray too far into the desert, and that unrest has only gathered momentum. The province is defended by a respectable garrison, but they are thinly stretched, and it is almost impossible to fight an enemy that seems to dissapear into the sands. Not only that, but it is becoming increasingly clear that these rebellious nomads are not acting alone. Weapons of war have been smuggled into the province, and there seems to be some uniting power amongst the various tribes that call the shifting sands home. Accusations understandably fly towards [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color], but for now, reports continue to reach Arcadius, and in turn, his brother, King Nikolaos II, and they make for grim reading. 

[b][u]5th of December[/u][/b]

Winter continues to close in on the province of Kavatsona, and perhaps a less experienced commander would lower their guard, expecting no army to try and push through the biting chill and frozen ground. [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color] is fortunate then, that Marcian Augustus is far from a less experienced commander. Even as the snow begins to fall, Marcian continues to drill his troops, ever strengthening his defensive lines for the assault that he knows in his bones will come. And as the makes a rare appearance through the clouds, that assault comes. The armies of Komentiolos and [b]The Empire of Reria[/b] have been careful to use the very terrain of the province as their first line of defence, and in truth, there was always one point through which the inevitable attack was likely to flow. The Gelesos Pass is a narrow break in the mountains, and it is around this pass that Marcian has ensured his defences are strongest. Considering the considerable reputation of the assembled leaders that the enemy has gathered, Marcian may have wondered about the validity of such an obvious advance, but for all of his grit and experience, Marcian Augustus is not an imaginative man, and he will always fight the enemy in front of him, and he moves ot take command of the defence personally. As the very ground rumbles beneath marching feet, the roar of cannon-fire from both armies signals the beginning of The Battle of Gelesos Pass. The conscripts of Komentiolos have swollen the defensive lines, tens of thousands of young men valiantly pledging to defend their nation, their numbers only limited by the number of weapons that Komentiolos could provide, and entrenched behind their fortifications, morale is high. The gathered force of [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color], [b]The Kingdom of Teclav[/b] and [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b] is formidable in their own right, but they face an enemy that has dug in, and refuses to be dislodged. Assault after assault is beaten back by massed musket fire, and the roar of cannon, and Marcian commits his reserves to shore up the line wherever it threatens to buckle. Finally, after hours of this bloody cycle, and as the sun begins to fade, the assault ends as quickly as it began, and celebrations erupt all along the Komentiolos and Reria line. The savages have been sent scurrying back, Komentiolos has won an impressive victory, and the conscripts have tasted battle and emerged triumphant. There is only one man who does not celebrate, Marcian Augustus. As the grizzled veteran surveys the carnage of war, he cannot ignore the feeling in his gut. The famed cavalry of Khazaria did not ride through the pass, and for all the supposed brilliance of the Khazaria commanders, surely this attack was always doomed to fail? Regardless, reports are sent back to Komentiolos and Reria, and celebrations continue into the night. 

[b][u]6th of December[/u][/b]

It does not take long for [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] to play it's hand. Thousands of soldiers of Khazaria, [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b] and [b]The Kingdom of Teclav[/b] have sacrificed their lives in the Gelesos Pass in order to provide the opportunity for one gambit. To the east, miles away from the pass, shadows descend from the mountains. Kavatsona was Paranas land, and it is still the men and woman of Paranas that know it's secrets. During the night, a host of Khazaria and her allies have moved along half-forgotten paths through the hills, and an hour before dawn breaks, when the air is still bitingly cold, chaos erupts along the defensive lines of [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color]. Although thousands of civilians fled before the invasion of Komentiolos, there are still mean and woman of Paranas that did not flee, and in the shadows of the night, as the conscripts celebrate the victory to the west, these men and woman have moved silently towards the Komentiolos lines, leaving the nearby village of Drarama. Fires break out amongst the tents, barricades are torn down, and while the soldiers of Komentiolos and [b]The Empire of Reria[/b] are still in disarray, the gathered host charges. The ground is littered with caltrops, so it is the massed infantry that leads the charge, descending upon the defensive lines. The battle is bloody and confined, men often fighting hand-to-hand in the darkness and the chaos, and every inch that Khazaria, Teclav and Paranas advance is watered with blood, but as dawn finally begins to break, the line buckles. A path is quickly cleared through the fortifications with brute force, and as the infantry continues to beat back the reeling defenders, the cavalry of Alp Tarkhan can finally ride to war. The line of Komentiolos has been breached, and as word reached Marcian Augustus to the west, the grizzled veteran realises with a heavy heart that he has been played. The Battle of Drarama has been won by Khazaria and her allies, and now that the line is breached, Alp Tarkhan is free to run riot once more. 

[b][u]7th of December[/u][/b]

Marcian Augustus is an accomplished commander, a man who has looked into the face of death and stood defiant, but he cannot be everywhere at once. The massed army of [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color], [b]The Kingdom of Teclav[/b] and [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b] advances through the Gelesos Pass once more, while the army to the east continues to push deeper into Kavatsona itself. The news of the defeat has almost broken the morale of the conscript soldiers that line the remaining defences, and Marcian quickly realises that The Second Battle of Gelesos Pass will be a very different affair from the first. Reports continue to flood in of the vast advances that Alp Tarkhan and his riders are making, and as he stands over a map of the province, Marcian quickly realises how fragile his position has suddenly become. The claws of the pincer are closing by the hour, and despite the iron will of Marcian, he knows that only death awaits his men if he hesitates. The main battle lines of [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color] and [b]The Empire of Reria[/b] are lost, but there is a second line, close to the coast, and it is to these that Marcian signals the retreat. A valiant rearguard remains to try and hold back the enemy pushing from the north, while Marcian rallies the remaining survivors and pushes south with all haste. The day is surprisingly clear, and that quickly proves to be both a blessing, and a curse. The retreat makes good progress, but the mild temperature suits the riders of Alp Tarkhan, and it is not long before the massed cavalry of Khazaria and her allies descends upon Marcian Augustus and his men. Faced with riders drawn straight from nightmares, the morale of the remaining conscripts finally shatters, and their ordered retreat becomes a frantic flight. Against organised defences, and a wall of dug in defenders, even the famed cavalry of Khazaria is a blunt weapon, but on open ground, against fleeing and panicked men, they become a barbers razor, and under the legendary command of Alp Tarkhan, that razor's blade becomes wicked indeed. The fleeing conscripts are cut down with a ruthless and brutal joy, but in their deaths, they do buy Marcian precious time, and finally, the surviving defenders of Kavatsona reach the second line, built around the provincial capital of Byzantion. With the sea at their back, Marcian does not allow his men a moment's respite, ordering them to man the defences, and prepare to sell their lives to hold the line, but the assault never comes. As the massed infantry of the enemy, under the capable command of Yitzhak ha-Sangari, continues it's steady advance, Alp Tarkhan and his riders occupy themselves with cutting down the last straggling deserters, rather than attempt to break the Komentiolos lines. For now, Komentiolos has survived, but they have been dealt a sickeningly bloody blow, and their control of Kavatsona has been beaten back to the coast. Marcian can only pray that the weather turns, and makes any assault impossible, but with Komentiolos just across the strait, Marcian will not retreat a step further. This is where he will hold the line, until the last soldier of Komentiolos has been cut down. 

[b][u]8th of December[/u][/b]

News of the bloody battles between the allied armies under [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color] and [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] are read with an almost morbid curiosity by nations all across Europe, but one of Khazaria's former enemies, [b]The Kingdom of Dorist[/b], has it's own issues to handle. The powerful noble families of Dorist have been plotting against General Albert Riechsand for weeks, but they have been betrayed. In the darkness of the night, soldiers of Dorist, all across the nation, burst into lavish manors and drag nobleman from their beds. The self-proclaimed leaders of the plot are executed with brutal efficiency, with their followers thrown into prison. Younger noble families, who had no love for the older, established families, are all too happy to take the places of their predecessors, and they are wise enough to pledge their loyalty to Albert Riechsand. Overnight, the young general has all but seized control of the nation, and it quickly becomes clear that the royal family has become a mere figurehead, allowed to keep their title and position only due to the whim of Albert. Wolfgang Draton looks on, doing nothing to challenge his young peer, but the other military leader of Dorist does not sit so idly by. However if Admiral Karl Young wanted to challenge Albert, then he is quickly foiled. Seized by his own men, and arrested for treason, Karl is accused of leading the disastrous naval action against [b]The Kingdom of Stevata[/b] of his own will, acting against Dorist, and against his king. His protest falls on deaf ears, and a message is sent north, to [b]The Kingdom of Fosbak[/b], to offer the disgraced admiral as a peace offering between the two nations. 

[b][u]10th of December[/u][/b]

Even as their allies are swept away, the soldiers of [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color] watch nervously on. General Bettino Gianni has been ordered to hold the line, and he has constructed formidable fortifications all along the border between Kalseran and [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b], preparing for the offensive that he thought was inevitable. After all, the Kalseran line was stretched thinner than that of [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color] and [b]The Empire of Reria[/b], and yet [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] has already played it's hand, pushing south rather than west with almost shocking success. Kalseran suddenly finds itself holding an even longer line, rushing to plug the hole in the defences in the province of Helensa. For now though, as the weather continues to deteriorate, Bettino can only continue to dig in. The foothold that Komentiolos and Reria has forged has been all but wiped away, and with their allies almost shattered, Kalseran suddenly find's it's own position to be increasingly precarious. All too aware of this, Luisa A'Dera writes to her brother, Isidoro, and implores him to ask for even greater aid from his father-in-law, Emperor Clarenzio III. Reria blood has been spilt, but as the entire region seems to teeter on the brink, Kalseran calls for more sons to be sent to war. With a heavy heart, even as chaotic and damning reports continue to flow in, Clarenzio agrees, and soldiers of Reria travel to the Kalseran lines. After all, if Kalseran should fall, then Reria would be the one with the most to lose.   

[b][u]13th of December[/u][/b]

Tsesarevich Petya Barinov has been a guest of [b]The Kingdom of Fosbak[/b] for weeks, and in truth, Petya seems to have found a kindred spirit in Queen Marta II. Despite the age difference between the two, they have quickly become fond friends, sharing similar interests in music and the arts. This bond seems to reflect the solidarity that is felt between Fosbak and [color=ed145b][b]The Empire of Stabuga[/b][/color], two nations that find themselves in very similar situations. New power blocs are emerging all across Europe, and it seems to be quickly becoming a race for the remaining nations to choose sides. Fosbak did not interfere in the war just south of it's borders, despite lobbying from both sides of the line, but that has all but severed what bonds Fosbak did hold with the south, and with [b]The Kingdom of Kehsi[/b] continuing to align itself with [color=87CEEB][b]The Empire of Grimhout[/b][/color], and even the historical ally of [b]The Kingdom of Orvag[/b] seeming to be drawn to the increasingly powerful alliance of [b]The Kingdom of Teclav[/b], [b]The Kingdom of Stevata[/b] and [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color], Fosbak is in need of friends. In Stabuga, Queen Marta seems to see that, and treaties are drawn up on both trade and friendship. The murmurs of a potential alliance in the future is warmly greeted, and it is with a heavy heart that Petya finally embarks on his journey home, promising to write to Marta before long. The heir to the empire has not only proven himself a capable diplomat, but he has also made a very valuable friend. 


[b][u]14th of December[/u][/b]

Winter has truly arrived with vengeance, and even as temperatures plummet, and most of eastern Europe is buried beneath snow and ice, Marcian Augustus allows himself a silent prayer of thanks. The advance of [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] and it's allies at the start of the month was a surprising move, and the soldiers no doubt paid a price for the effort of pushing through the bleak weather, but in these hellish conditions, even the hardy men of Khazaria cannot hope to mount any significant assault. Fate has apparently intervened, and until the weather clears, the line of [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color] and [b]The Empire of Reria[/b] will hold. The winter storms have swept across the Black Sea, sending ships of all nations scattering to the safety of their own harbours, and in the howling wind, there is a brief moment of peace. 

[b][u]16th of December[/u][/b]

Despite the aid of their allies, [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color] and [b]The Empire of Reria[/b], the fleet of [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color] has been all but wiped out, the wrecks littering the coastline of the Bosporus, but King Nikolaos II clearly wants to try and salvage something from the defeat. The surviving cannons are rescued from these wrecks, and dragged to the front lines in Kavatsona, the sailors that survived the bloodshed given muskets, and sent to bolster the defending army. The numbers are meagre, and few guns can really be salvaged from the wrecks, but it is still the first bit of good news to reach the beleaguered defenders, and any boost to morale is welcomed by General Marcian Augustus, the man ordered to hold the line.  

[b][u]19th of December[/u][/b]

While the east continues to descend into chaos and bloodshed, [color=87CEEB][b]The Empire of Grimhout[/b][/color] continues to serve as a paragon of peace in the west. With [b]The Principality of Asmont[/b] and [b]The Kingdom of Kehsi[/b] already brought into the fold, influence growing in [b]The Kingdom of Arhan[/b] by the day, and treaties delivered to [b]The Kingdom of Hispalis[/b], Grimhout turns it's attention to the west once more, and [b]The Kingdom of Genstadt[/b]. Queen Margriet I is accustomed to finding herself caught in the middle, but as unrest grips Dorist to the east, and Asmont is already benefiting from it's new bond with Grimhout to the south, the young queen finds it hard to argue against the case put forward by the Grimhout diplomats. It is only the silence from Hispalis that gives Margriet cause for hesitation, and for now, no treaties are signed. Both Grimhout and Genstadt turn to Hispalis again, as the wait for a response continues to grow. However, Grimhout is not idle in the shadows either. Rumours have always circulated of the network of spies and informants that have operated under 'Monsieur Pierre', and as chaos continues to bleed from the east like a cancer, shadowy figures move to the courts of Dorist, and [b]The Kingdom of Altenten[/b], keeping a watchful eye on the tumultuous situation that both nation's are currently in the grips of. 

[b][u]21st of December[/u][/b]

Finally, [b]The Kingdom of Hispalis[/b] breaks it's silence. As the development of the Vera Engine continues to revolutionise the very fabric of the nation, the diplomatic party of [color=87CEEB][b]The Empire of Grimhout[/b][/color] embarks homewards. When they finally arrive at the court of Arch-Duke Jean-Baptise Dervau, the news they bring is just as revolutionary as the engine. Jean-Baptiste had implored for peace, and clearly that note has struck true with King Charles XII, and treaties have been signed that will shape western Europe for generations. The two historic rivals have not only settled their differences, but have effectively become allies, and as the momentum of this groundbreaking revelation sweeps through Grimhout and it's neighbours, [b]The Kingdom of Genstadt[/b] quickly falls in line, and the influence over [b]The Kingdom of Arhan[/b] see's another nation flock to this new testament of peace and brotherhood. Trade routes are drawn all across the west, and while the east continues to war, the powers of Grimhout, Hispalis, [b]The Kingdom of Kehsi[/b], [b]The Principality of Asmont[/b], Arhan and Genstadt have united under a single banner of peace.

[b][u]22nd of December[/u][/b]

As the wind continues to howl over Kavatsona, the disparity between the east and west of Europe has never been more obvious. While the nations of the west unite, the nations of the east continue to engage in bloody war. The soldiers of [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color] and [b]The Empire of Reria[/b] that still hold the line are ragged, and bloodied. They have seen war, they have seen their brothers and friends cut down beside them, and frozen corpses litter the province. What advantage the conscripted soldiers gave has been all but lost, and the storm has blunted the strength of the combined fleet. The that will come, the weather will clear, and when it does, Marcian Augustus knows that he will be facing the combined strength of [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color], [b]The Kingdom of Teclav[/b] and [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b] yet again, and despite his own grit, Marcian knows that holding the line will be bloody, but he cannot break. If the line breaks here, then Komentiolos itself will be open to the savages, and that cannot be allowed. 

[b][u]23rd of December[/u][/b]

Unaware of the great strides that his home nation has made in Europe, Baptiste Crevier makes his own strides in the name of [color=87CEEB][b]The Empire of Grimhout[/b][/color]. In the northern reaches of India, a colony of Grimhout is finally established, a humble trading port and rudimentary fort now, but Baptiste has ambition, and with the rich trade that the new alliance of western Europe will inevitably bring, the colony of Grimhout will only grow. However, Baptiste is not the only leader with grand designs for India. Even while [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color] braces itself for war, a ship has sailed west, carrying most precious cargo. The wishes of Maria Toleas have been granted, and the noblewoman has been granted almost total authority of the republic's own colonies in India, and although she has been issued with a stern warning that she is of the republic and for the republic, the bloodshed for [b]The Kingdom of Kehsi[/b] has already proven how cumbersome it is for the powers of Europe to try and control their colonies directly. With Maria and Baptiste attempting to carry out their own ambitious schemes, and Kehsi preparing to seek vengeance against [b]The Viswan Empire[/b], India is a powder keg, just waiting for someone to strike a match. 

[b][u]26th of December[/u][/b]

The alliance that has emerged in western Europe may well champion peace, but it boasts a formidable military strength. The combined fleets of [color=87CEEB][b]The Empire of Grimhout[/b][/color], [b]The Kingdom of Hispalis[/b], [b]The Kingdom of Kehsi[/b], [b]The Kingdom of Arhan[/b] and [b]The Kingdom of Genstadt[/b] simply dwarfs anything that other nations of Europe can produce, and yet it quickly becomes clear that Grimhout is not willing to rest on these laurels. The shipyards along the empire's coast come to life, and work begins on almost a dozen new ships of the line. It will be months, if not years, before these ships can sail under the Grimhout flag, and who knows what they will face when they do, but it is still a clear sign of intent, and perhaps even a warning to the rest of Europe, that this new alliance is all too aware that the greatest symbol for peace, is military strength. 

[b][u]27th of December[/u][/b]

In less than a month, the situation in the province of Kavatsona has been upended. The armies of [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color] and [b]The Empire of Reria[/b] have been broken, driven back almost into the sea itself, and the defensive line of [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color] is stretched precariously thin, even with the welcomed re-enforcement from Reria. Of Kalseran's twin strengths, the formidable fleet has been forced to seek safe harbour as the tempest continues to rage, but the Seaguard is still a formidable weapon. Perhaps in simple recognition of the fact that the generals of Komentiolos are more accomplished than those of the republic, this weapon is effectively placed in the hands of Komentiolos. While their allies no doubt decide what to accomplish with these elite soldiers, Kalseran does not rest idle, and General Sotiris Manilo begins work on a task that for now, is spoken about only in hushed whispers, and murmurs in the shadows. 

[b][u]28th of December[/u][/b]

The sailors of [b]The Kingdom of Hispalis[/b] that left their home nation months ago to settle a trading port on the western coast of Africa will scarcely recognise the face of Europe now, and as the first reports and traders reach the newly established port, they certainly make for surprising reading. Beneficial service is offered to the ships of [b]The Kingdom of Kehsi[/b] and [color=87CEEB][b]The Empire of Grimhout[/b][/color] that pass the port, sailing back and forth between Europe and the rich bounty of India, and as the port continues to grow in influence and prosperity, it serves as an open reminder of the fact that the western alliance commands influence in not only Europe, but Africa, India and the Americas. The treaties that have been signed by the five nations has created what has to be considered the first truly global power. 

[b][u]30th of December[/u][/b]

Anna Koromelas has seen her entire life change in just a year. Her marriage to King Nikolaos II seems like a lifetime ago, and as she stands in the narrow window of the Cyprus villa that has served as her home for the last weeks, heavily pregnant with the heir of [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color], she allows herself a moment of calm. Anna is a bright young woman, and she has not been ignorant to the slew of reports and letters that her husband has been receiving. She is all too aware that the war against [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] has faltered, that Komentiolos blood has been shed, just as she it all too aware of the problems that her own home nation faces. So significant is the child that she bears, that she was unable to safely attend her own father's funeral, but in the aftermath, she can easily read between the lines of her sister's letters. She knows how meek her younger brother is, and she knows that there will be those who enforce their own will on his. But from this narrow window, what can she do? Pulling her coat tighter around her against the chill that has descended even over the Mediterranean, Anna wonders, not for the first time, what kind of world her child will be born into.