[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 1757[/h2][/center] [img]https://i.ibb.co/nmG6kQB/Labelled-Map-1-1.png[/img] [b][u]1st of January[/u][/b] A new year dawns over Europe, but it brings no golden dawn. The war in the east still rages, and only the bitter winter has halted the unrelenting bloodshed. For a brief moment, the naive believed that there was a glimmer of hope, that peace could still be forged from the fires of war, but as new orders are sent across Europe, it quickly becomes clear that neither side is content, and that the bloody carnage will continue into the new year. In stark contrast to the division and bloodshed that plagues the east, the west has seen the emergence of The Western Alliance, a formidable collection of nations brought together by a common cause. With the two alliances of the east locked in war, and the alliance of the west still consolidating it's position, attention quickly turns to those nation's that are yet to declare their allegiance. Power blocs are forming, and to remain out in the cold for too long could spell disaster. [b][u]4th of January[/u][/b] In testament to the trust that is already being fostered between the nations of The Western Alliance, the Imperial Palace of Rivierberg, in the heart of [color=87CEEB][b]The Empire of Grimhout[/b][/color], serves as the staging ground for a monumental gathering. The great military leaders of no less than six European nations are brought together under a single banner. General Fernandez de Malaca and Admiral Bernardo de Bracara from [b]The Kingdom of Hispalis[/b], Admiral Hugues Dubos of [b]The Kingdom of Arhan[/b], General Maximino Torres and Admiral Paulinho Machado of [b]The Kingdom of Kehsi[/b], General Arjen Stork of [b]The Kingdom of Genstadt[/b], General Oskar Gissler of [b]The Principality of Asmont[/b], and General Jean-Luc Masson and Admiral Valery Souchon of Grimhout itself, every man assembled is a formidable commander in their own right, and the meeting may well be the greatest gathering of military minds that Europe has ever witnessed. Men that just months before were pouring over strategy to potentially wage war against each other now find themselves sharing reports, and establishing the combined strength of The Western Alliance. Arch-Duke Jean-Baptise Dervau himself oversees this unusual council, but with war raging in the east, the new alliance cannot rest on it's laurels for too long. Grand strategies are created, battle plans drawn up for a dozen theoretical scenarios, and perhaps even more importantly, the treaties between the nations become bonds of genuine friendship between several of these power military figures. As the gathering draws to a close, the assembled nations pledge to gather again in the early days of next year as well, the War Council of the West, as it has already been dubbed, becoming an annual gathering in rotating capitals of the alliance, with plans already made for Toletum, the capital of Hispalis, to host the council next. [b][u]7th of January[/u][/b] It is only the harsh winter and howling storm that has seen the bloody conflict between [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color] and [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] grind to a halt, but as the weeks pass, the weather begins to show signs of breaking. Men on both sides watch the clouds begin to part with a heavy heart, sailors grim-faced as the winds begin to die down. Perhaps nature has attempted to intervene, to provide both powers with the chance to salvage peace, but nature cannot delay the inevitable for long, nor can it bend wills that are intent on conquest and glory. Komentiolos and Khazaria are ancient enemies, their histories intertwined with each other, and drenched with blood, and in this new age, it is clear that neither power is willing to take a step back, to give any ground to the other. The nations of [b]The Kingdom of Teclav[/b], [b]The Kingdom of Stevata[/b] and [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b] stand beside Khazaria, bonded by cultural heritage, while the alliance between Komentiolos, [b]The Empire of Reria[/b] and [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color] is more complicated in it's origin, but no less formidable. Thousands of souls have been lost, the very face of the land changed by the war, and the echoes of this conflict will no doubt already echo for generations, but as the weather slowly improves, both alliances prepare to march to war once again. [b][u]8th of January[/u][/b] The Fourth Battle of the Black Sea occurred more than a month ago, the combined fleet of [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] and [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b] shattered by the formidable fleets of [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color], [b]The Empire of Reria[/b] and [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color], but since then, the fierce storm that has descended over the Black Sea has brought an end to any intended naval action by either side. However, as the howling wind slowly begins to weaken, the raging sea begins to settle, Admiral Iraklis Roberto has his orders. The land battle against Khazaria and it's allies may have been dealt a bloody blow, but with the warships of Kalseran and Reria under his command, Iraklis prepares to bring ruin to Khazaria itself. With their own fleet reduced to almost nothing, Komentiolos can only wish it's allies fair sailing, and return the elite soldiers of the Seaguard to the Kalseran cause. When the storm breaks, a formidable fleet will once again sail the waters of the Black Sea, and there is little that Paranas or Khazaria will be able to do to stop them. [b][u]10th of January[/u][/b] When [b]The Kingdom of Stevata[/b] was dragged into war against [b]The Kingdom of Dorist[/b], [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] did not hesitate to ride to their aid, and that is not a blood debt that Stevata intends to forget. Soldiers of [b]The Kingdom of Teclav[/b] have already been serving alongside Khazaria and [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b], but while Dorist has been embroiled in a military coup, Stevata has resolved to lick it's wounds, and cast a watchful eye on their neighbour. And yet in the new year, Dorist diplomats have once again made the journey east, attempting to re-establish diplomatic relations between the two nations, and Stevata has sent it's soldiers to war once again. Thousands of battle-hardened soldiers march south, and yet while many march to join the amassed allied force in the province of Kavatsona, others instead cross the border into Khazaria itself, swelling the garrisons of the coastal provinces that will soon bear the wrath of [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color] and [b]The Empire of Reria[/b]. As Stevata marches to defend it's allies weakest point, Teclav also sends more soldiers south, joining with the forces of Stevata along the coast. When the ships of Kalseran and Reria do strike, it will not be against undefended provinces, but instead against the guns of Khazaria and her allies. [b][u]12th of January[/u][/b] Even as the ships of [b]The Empire of Reria[/b] and [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color] prepare to bring war to the coastline of [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] itself, Khazaria does not sit idly by. The soldiers of [b]The Kingdom of Stevata[/b] and [b]The Kingdom of Teclav[/b] have already been welcome re-enforcement to the sparsely defended provinces, but Khazaria is clearly not content with letting the burden of it's own defence rest on the shoulder's of it's allies. Taxes are raised, and new soldiers of Khazaria are raised in a matter of weeks. The fervour of war has gripped the entire nation, whipped into a frenzy by the string of victories that Khazaria has achieved, and the increasingly legendary status of Alp Tarkhan, and thousands of men flock to the call. With it's own fleet bloodied, there is little that Khazaria can do to stop the inevitable assault from the Black Sea, but the proud nation is clearly determined to make the ships of Reria and Kalseran pay a bloody price. [b][u]15th of January[/u][/b] The marriage between King Niklas IV and Mira Franz is a joyous occasion, celebrated all across [b]The Kingdom of Altenten[/b], although it is likely that few of those celebrating recognise the significance of the pairing. Phillip no controls yet another voice in the young king's ear, and as his power continue to grow unrivalled, Phillip turns his attention beyond the borders of Altenten for the first time. Refugees from the war in the south have been arriving into Altenten as a slow trickle, and the reports reaching the capital of Etterselt makes for very interesting reading. The Altenten royal family is bonded with the dynasties of both [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b], and [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color], tied to both sides of the bloody conflict, and perhaps Phillip believes it is time for Altenten to choose a side. After all, the young nobleman has already proven himself to be a capable opportunist, and throwing in the kingdom's lot with the right side, at the right time, could see Phillip extend his power even further... [b][u]17th of January[/u][/b] Finally, after weeks of howling winds and bitter chill, the storm breaks. The clouds part, and the worst of winter finally seems to have passed, the lashing rain seeming to fade away. And yet there is little celebration. All across the province of Kavatsona, battle-weary soldiers of six different nations grimly take their place in the battle line once more, the ground turned into choking mud by the rain. Both sides know that battle will come once again, and that thousands more will fall, staining the very earth crimson with blood. On all sides of the Black Sea, sailors return to their vessels with heavy hearts, knowing that the waters will be choked by splintered wood and bloated corpses in the coming weeks, the roar of cannon like rolling thunder. Both sides of the war have only doubled down on their intent to wreck havoc, and for the soldier on the ground, there is seemingly no end in sight. They can only fight onwards, until they find peace in the bittersweet embrace of death. [b][u]18th of January[/u][/b] The contrast between the two sides of Europe continues to grow more stark by the day. While the young men of the east prepare to sell their souls for those that they care about, lives cut tragically short by the remorseless scythe, the west can concern itself with pursuing love, with the careful dance of courtship. [b]The Kingdom of Arhan[/b] is still ruled by Queen Ameline, with the angelic Marie the soul heir to the proud nation. The love triangle between Marie and the respective heirs of [color=87CEEB][b]The Empire of Grimhout[/b][/color] and [b][color=ed1c24]The Kingdom of Hispalis[/color][/b] had been a significant battle before the Arhan conspiracy was unearthed, but now that The Western Alliance has been forged, the borders are once again open. Perhaps it is the result of some unspoken trust, or perhaps it even comes from some secret treaty, but it is only Christophe Dervaux, heir to Grimhout, that travels to the Palace in Cappes. The two young adults, with the weight of two nations resting on their shoulders, reunite, and it seems certain that their love will only continue to flourish. If a wedding is agreed between the two, it will signify not only a hugely significant bond between the two nations, but also arguably one of the most significant pairings that Europe has ever seen, Grimhout and Arhan becoming inseparably intertwined. It is not lost on anyone that any child born from their union would be the heir to dual crowns. [b][u]19th of January[/u][/b] Even as the ground continue to thaw, the armies of [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] do not descend upon the ragged defensive line of [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color], and Komentiolos does not make the mistake of wasting the respite. Tired bodies are driven onwards to their work, and as the days pass, the battle line becomes a formidable fortress in it's own right. It is around the city of Byzantion that the bedraggled survivors rallied, and it is around the city that these new defences are centred. Under the masterful eye of General Marcian Augustus, deep trenches are cut into the earth, and stake pits, moats and walls of earth appear all along the battle line. Villages and farms are seized and ransacked to form a part of the defensive line, and soldiers of Komentiolos appear to line these new defences at every hour, no matter the weather. As the few remaining civilians are evacuated across the strait, and into the relative safety of Komentiolos proper, and unusual arrivals make the reverse journey. Imperial-Era siege weapons, relics from a bygone era, are brought forth from the forgotten corners that had been left in, and are erected along the new defence lines. Beside the surviving cannons of Komentiolos, they look archaic, but just as a sharpened stick is still a dangerous weapon, so too are these siege weapons. Not only that, but rumours begin to swirl that the Alchemist's Guild have been pouring over their volatile supplies of Greek Fire, and that this mysterious relic of the past has also been brought to the front lines. When the hordes of Khazaria do come, the horse-lords riding against ancient weaponry, there will be many crusaders that find their mind cast back to 'The Golden Horde of Khazaria against the Western Crusaders', some three centuries earlier. [b][u]20th of January[/u][/b] Just as the forces [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color] continue to dig in, bracing for the surely inevitable assault, the soldiers of [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color] do not sit idle. General Sotiris Manlio has already proven himself to be a capable commander, leading the recapture of Calassa, but he has been given a new task, in the face of the threat from Khazaria. While General Bettino Gianni commands the extent of the Kalseran defensive line, the soldiers of the republic supported by soldiers of [b]The Empire of Reria[/b], Sotiris has busied himself with training a new division of troops. The Seaguard are formidable soldiers, finely attuned to be the master of their specific battlefield, and it is these practices that Sotiris has attempted to ingrain in these new soldiers. How they will be used still stands to be seen, but it is quickly becoming clear that whether Khazaria and her allies turn to the south, or to the west, they will face a bloody fight to break through. [b][u]23rd of January[/u][/b] Whether it is due to the increasingly fortified defensive lines of [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color], the thinner stretched lines of [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color], or something else entirely, reports from the province of Kavatsona quickly begin to suggest that the formidable strength of [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] has turned it's attention to the west. No grand offensive has been launched against Komentiolos, to cast the survivors into the sea, and although reports are admittedly scarce, it is difficult for even a commander of Alp Tarkhan's quality to manoeuvre thousands of cavalry without watchful eyes taking notice. Military commands on both sides of the conflict frantically move to adjust their war plans, and it quickly becomes clear that Kalseran's respite from the wrath of Khazaria was only temporary. Komentiolos has been bloodied, now it is the turn of Kalseran to pay the blood price for this war. The soldiers of the republic will soon be tested in fire, their numbers spread thin across the extensive battle lines between Kalseran and [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b], and as the legend of Alp Tarkhan and his riders only continue to grow, the faith of the republic is placed on the shoulders of General Sotiris Manlio and General Bettino Gianni. [b][u]24th of January[/u][/b] While the forces of [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] may be turning their attention away from the defences of [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color], Khazaria's allies make so much move. The soldiers of [b]The Kingdom of Teclav[/b] and [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b] were crucial in the bloody defeats inflicted upon Komentiolos at the Gelesos Pass, and at Drarama, and the Teclav commander, General Luka Volodin, is a more than capable commander in his own right. Not only that, but fresh soldiers from both Teclav and [b]The Kingdom of Stevata[/b] arrive every day, swelling the forces under Luka's command. The Komentiolos fortifications are formidable, but perhaps they have been caught flat-footed. After all, control of the province has been all but wrested from Komentiolos hands, and while the combined strength of Stevata, Teclav and Paranas dissuade Komentiolos from abandoning their foothold, the strength of Khazaria is free to turn west. If the Kalseran line breaks, then Komentiolos will quickly find itself caught between holding their own defences, or marching to the aid of the ally that so readily sailed to theirs. War is never easy, and the delicate balance of power between the two alliances continues to swing one way, and then the other. [b][u]26th of January[/u][/b] With the storm broken, war comes to the Black Sea once again. Admiral Iraklis Roberto commands a truly formidable thirty-nine ships of the line, drawn from the naval strength of both [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color] and [b]The Empire of Reria[/b], supported by almost a dozen frigates, and this fleet dwarfs the scattered remains of any fleet that [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] could hope to call upon. The fleet of [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b] is in slightly better shape, but they are still dwarfed by the force gathered against them, and for now, they do not sail to war with their ally. The gathered fleet of Reria and Kalseran fall upon the coastline of Khazaria, and begin to lay waste. Countless coastal villages and fishing ports are all but wiped off the map by the overwhelming firepower, but the major harbours of Khazaria do not prove as easy prey. The less than a dozen surviving ships of the line in the Khazaria fleet have retreated behind the coastal defences of these harbours, and they lend their firepower to that of the coastal batteries that the harbours already boast. Newly raised soldiers of Khazaria, as well as men of [b]The Kingdom of Stevata[/b], man these defences, and even the strength of the Kalseran and Reria fleet find that they cannot break through this roar of cannon-fire. The prize of Khazaria's naval heart lies just out of reach, but natural defences are only bolstered by modern ones, and for now, Iraklis resorts to bringing ruin to the harbours that cannot defend themselves. [b][u]28th of January[/u][/b] The fleet of [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color] and [b]The Empire of Reria[/b], continue to wreck havoc, and although the naval strongholds and vital shipyards remain untouched, the people of [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] cannot ignore the charred husks that are being left in the wake of the enemies ships as they continue to raid the coastal settlements. Refugees flock inwards, and with them, the mood begins to turn. War is glorious when it is distant, romanticised by epic poems and songs about braze Khazaria warriors, but when the brutal and ugly reality of war comes to your own shores, it is harder to see the artistic side. Khazaria sleeps while her people are slaughtered, their livelihood burnt and plundered. The people cry out for the fleet of Khazaria to defend it's shores, rather than cower in it's harbours. For now, these voices are largely echoed only by those who have been driven from their homes, but discontent is a dangerous spark, and if it finds kindling, then it can spread like wildfire. Admiral Iraklis Robert may not have struck a killing blow against Khazaria, but his actions have soured the morale of the nation, and that poison can prove just as deadly as any naval action, if it is allowed to spread. [b][u]29th of January[/u][/b] The tensions all across the long border between [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color] and [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b] has been building into a fever pitch. It is by now clearly apparent that [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] has brought it's full strength west, and stand poised to ride against the soldiers of Kalseran and [b]The Empire of Reria[/b] that hold the line. For now though, an eerie silence seems to have descended over the two armies, the calm before the storm, the land itself seeming to hold it's breath. Both sides have drawn up elaborate plans of attack, countless scouts crossing the border to assess the strength of the enemy, and in truth, it is not immediately apparent which army will advance first, which nation will cast the first stone. The famed cavalry of Khazaria are a formidable strength in their own right, but while the soldiers of the republic are far from the well-trained and disciplined men of the line that Khazaria has faced in [b]The Kingdom of Dorist[/b] or [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color], Kalseran does boast one great strength. More than two hundred field guns line the barricades, one of the largest gatherings of sheer firepower that Europe has ever seen, and if Khazaria does throw itself against another nation's defences once again, the roar of cannon-fire will echo all across Europe. [b][u]30th of January[/u][/b] [b]The Kingdom of Altenten[/b] finally breaks it's silence on the war raging beyond it's eastern border, but if anyone expected it to be a clear stance, then they have underestimated the burning ambition, and calculating cunning, of Philip Lehner. Diplomats are sent to both Kalseran and Alirgos, the capitals of [color=BA55D3][b]The Republic of Kalseran[/b][/color] and [b]The Kingdom of Paranas[/b], with the offer of aid, extended to the two nation's respective alliances. It quickly becomes clear that the Altenten aid comes at a price, and that King Niklas IV, and the puppeteers behind his throne, will patiently wait to see which side makes a more attractive offer. Sharing a border with both Kalseran and Paranas, and boasting a substantial army that has not yet been bloodied by war, Altenten represents a serious strategic boost to whichever side can tempt them. After all, if Altenten dies with Paranas, they would stretch the defensive line of Kalseran beyond breaking point, whereas if they join with Kalseran, they would open a whole new theatre of war against Paranas and [b]The Kingdom of Stevata[/b]. Altenten could yet decide this war, but only for the right price. [b][u]31st of January[/u][/b] For decades, [color=FFD700][b]The Empire of Khazaria[/b][/color] has attempted to leave it's nomadic and savage history behind it, attempting to embrace the new age that it finds itself in. And yet in the recent wars, it has been the steppe-riders that have been so devastating, led by Alp Tarkhan, a man who could have stepped from the pages of history. Perhaps in this, [color=#018c85][b]The Kingdom of Komentiolos[/b][/color] has learnt a bloody victory. In a move than is poignantly reminiscent of when Komentiolos could claim a great empire, the war against Khazaria becomes inherently the war of Komentiolos, the entire nation used to feed the war machine. Every man and woman, all but overnight, is drafted into service. Farmers now provide their yield straight into the mouths of soldiers, every industry is committed to producing more weapons of war, and the first conscription effort of Komentiolos is dwarfed by the second. Tens of thousands of new soldiers are raised from all across the nation, and the army swells to a scale that has not been seen in generations. As these new conscripts already begin to filter across the strait, General Valens Flavius, a man gifted with a silver tongue, travels to take command of the Komentiolos forces in Kavatsona. Beneath Valens, the conscripts find their steel, whipped into a fervour by inspiring words and promises of glory. Komentiolos is now focused on the war, and the war alone, and while the repercussions of this move could well echo across the kingdom for years, it has provided King Nikolaos Andreas Koromelas II with a war machine that is unrivalled in Europe.