When first the Reiyk was birthed, in the year 1701, it had been a small regional power. One of many states to splinter off from the Great Empire of Sueben, in its infancy the Alfheiches Reiyk was notable only for the extreme society that quickly developed within it. A near fanatical devotion to the military and an obsession with war co-existed with a rigidly hierarchical culture. Soon, the military of the Reiyk swelled beyond what its size would have dictated for the time, and it began to annex its neighbors. In most of the world this was regarded as little more than an idle curiosity. The far continent, smaller and significantly less populous than its larger neighbor, had historically been divided and regarded as an undeveloped backwater. Only at its height did the Great Empire of Sueben amass enough power to be regarded as the hegemon of the continent. But its strength was fleeting, and it fell prey to the growing influence of the Aelban Empire in the south. 

From its ashes the Reiyk rose in blood and flame. Before its armies fell successor state after successor state. It rose, triumphant, slowly engulfing almost the entire continent within its grasp. The Aelban Empire regarded them with contempt - they had laid low the Reiyk’s predecessor, and they would do so this upstart as well. Instead, the Aelban focused on their policy of aggressive colonization of the large subcontinent they had come to call Ehfragich. Though they never achieved the heights of power they had dreamed of, they humbled many powerful foes such as Jingguo and Akiya. At the head of formidable armies and a strong fleet, they seemed content to reign as a great power.

The armies of the Reiyk crossed the border of the large Aelban protectorate of Haneifen, seeking to complete . In response, the forces of the empire were marshalled for war. Early ironclads steamed into the coastal waters of the Reiyk. Armies of khaki clad soldiers marched in steady formation to undo the upstart. 

In turn the armies of the Reiyk marched against them. Though not the equal of Aelban’s fleets, the budding navy of the Reiyk was strong enough to hold them at bay. On land - a century and a half of constant war and military conquest ensured their vast armies were well drilled and experienced. In a series of stunning military disasters, the armies of Aelban were eliminated one by one. A large swathe of the expeditionary fleet fell into the hands of the Reiyk, another of their armies marching ahead even of news of the battle. Panicked, Aelban withdrew its remaining forces, preparing to defend her more valued possessions from further aggression, and abandoning all protectorates on the continent.

So began the Reiyk’s true expansion. 

In a series of battles and treaties, the armies and fleets of Aelban were pushed back inch by inch from their empire forged in blood. Many of these regions within the southern reaches of Ehfragich, though formally under the control of the Reiyk, seized this opportunity to assert their own freedom. Aelban tried to claw back its old prestige, striking out against opponents it saw as weaker, easy pickings. The Kingdom of Akiya and others fell prey to these efforts, losing its only colonies in doing so. But even so, these victories were short lived - for yet again, more of Aelban’s empire would be swallowed up. Smaller nations, too, felt the bite of the Reiyk. Though rarely did it escalate to the same level as with Aelban, more and more did the Reiyk begin to properly supplant Aelban as the preeminent power in the world. Buoyed more by sheer resources and a powerful economy than the alleged superiority of its people, the Reiyk began to style itself as the true, rightful ruler of the world. And subtly, their debates turned to what must be done with those outside of their home continent. 

The Reiyk’s power grew further as industrial technology advanced further. Their population swelled further, and their conquests even more so. Soon, all of the Aelban Empire outside of their home islands had been swallowed up, or declared itself independent. In the year 1935, the stage was set, and the leadership of the Reiyk was ready.

In a move all had seen coming, yet none were truly prepared for, the armies of the Reiyk landed upon the home island of Aelban itself. Aelban, depleted, nevertheless offered fanatical resistance. War correspondents spoke of their dogged resistance in the face of impossible odds. As tank battalions rolled onwards, soldiers of Aelban would rush to bring improvised anti-tank` weapons to bear. Aid rolled in from abroad, some nations wishing to aid Aelban against this new, greater threat. Almost immediately, such aid would be exhausted in the struggle. 

Aelban scored numerous bloody victories, scraping together forces of their own tanks, and captured models from the Reiyk. Though such victories only delayed the inevitable, it gave the diminished fleets of Aelban more time to evacuate as many souls from the island as possible. Knowing well what ill fate awaited those forced to live within lands occupied by the Reiyk, the forces of Aelban fought not for victory, but for the survival of their people. Vast fleets of converted merchant vessels and press ganged passenger liners were escorted by what remained of the once proud navy of Aelban. They fled to distant shores - Longguo,THINGS, and more. With them they brought tales of horrors inflicted, of mass rape and murder, villages burned to the ground. They begged and pleaded with those who would listen to take up arms and strike at the Reiyk as one. Many nations did arm themselves, preparing for the possibility of war - but few anticipated that the Reiyk would strike across the oceans in such strength. Surely, hegemony over their entire region of the world was sufficient? 

Slowly but surely, Aelban fell back further and further. The convoys of refugees grew ever more desperate, every vessel more overcrowded than the last. The situation upon Aelban grew more and more dire with each passing day, and the world knew the victory of the Reiyk must be imminent. A final wave of vessels fled the doomed island, practically spilling over with refugees. world, sealing them into a shrinking enclave within their own lands came with the ferocity of a bolt of lightning. Battleships were captured with their crews still desperately attempting to prepare to sail. Ships laden with refugees were sunk with gunfire from newly captured coastal batteries. Attack planes soared out into the sea, sinking many more such vessels with torpedoes. Tens of thousands of civilians drowned at sea as their overloaded ships capsized beneath them, gaping holes torn in their hulls by the warplanes of the Reiyk.

[hr]

Though they are not the true champions in any one field, the Reiyk is strong within all of them - and it is thus where their true strength lay. A large population, fertile lands, powerful fleets, vast armies, a booming economy, enormous industrial might, and more. Certainly, other nations are their betters in numerous fields - but only the Reiyk can claim to be such a strong contender within so many. Against such, no foe could hope to stand alone. And it was so that the August of the Reiyk, Magnus Erstus von Vilkstern, spoke from the Reiykspalatium in the capital city of Urbehr in 1939:

“Alfheichen people! Since time immemorial, when our ancestors descended from the cold worlds beyond to rule over this world, we have been the heirs to a proud and ancient heritage. Long have the devils of the world looked down upon us, knowing that they had diluted our people. Long have we strove for the heights of our ancestors. Long have we borne this injustice to our glorious race. When the Great Empire of Sueben fell to the ravages of the dogs of Aelban - who was it who seized the dead imperial mantle? The Reiyk! The Alfheichen people! True, blooded heirs of our noble ancestry. We took upon our shoulders the duty of unification - of subjugation! From our blessed lands we have swept the taint of the devils of this world. Our ancient heritage sullied no more by their touch.”
 
“And now? My friends - look around us. The Reiyk stands supreme within the world! The devils tremble before us, cowering before our might! They [i]fear[/i] us! Our armies are the envy of the world! Our battleships rule the waves! Few can match our industry! What has the Reiyk to worry about, friends? We are the strongest nation of all!”

“I will tell you. The Devils - those beings of lesser blood that blight the earth around us. They and their spawn look upon us in fear and hatred! They know the threat we pose to their order and they will not stand for it! It is for this reason we must stand as strong as ever!”

“And of Aelban? What has become of them? What has become of their proud empire? What has become of their mighty armies and their fleets? What has become of their colonies in the east? What has become of everything they built? Ruination! And now they flee to all corners of the world! Beneath our boots they have been crushed like so many insects, and yet they beg and scream to all who will listen for aid against us! They flee to their kin, who before they had shunned. Little more than animals they scheme to destroy us from afar.”

“They fear us for they know the truth, my friends - that we, the Alfheicher, are destined to rule the world! This world is ours by right! It has been overrun by the devils and their half breed spawn! They seek to choke us out from it, and yet we persevere! Is there no stronger attestation to our inevitable dominance over the world than this? Can we know no peace? No! Not until we have brought the whole world to our heel, my countrymen. The Reiyk is powerful, prosperous, and beautiful. It is the nation I love more than anything - and the whole world must bask in our glory! 

“But it is not only for the betterment of the world that we must bring it to heel. Against us the devils are aligned, my countrymen. Against us, they scheme and prepare for war. And it is so that we must bring war to them first! Before they can destroy us, we must destroy them! We are entering a war for our very existence, and it is one we shall win! The Alfheicher people are supreme throughout the world, superior to all others! Our victory is foretold within the universe itself, for against us the devils who seek our end must falter!”

“And what then, you ask? What then shall we do when the world is as it should be, when all the lands beneath the sun belong to their rightful rulers? Must we tolerate the devils within our midst? The half breeds and blood traitors who serve alongside them? I say no! They are beneath us! Animals to be done with as we see fit! We have purged their ilk from the shores of our home! Ensured only those of our pure stock remain! But the whole world belongs to us, the Alfheicher - would we allow these animals to defile our home, when the whole world is to be our home? There can be no tolerance of these savages, I say! We must not allow them to use resources needed to raise more Alfheicher families. It is our right - our [i]imperative[/i] as Alfheichen to secure living space for our future generations! And it is equally our duty to ensure this land is free of the taint of the devils who would see them destroyed! The Alfheiches Reiyk will rule for eternity!”

[hr]

Since 1938, the Reiyk had been engaged in low level conflict with numerous nations across the world. 

In 1939, this conflict exploded into what would come to be called the Great World War, beginning with formal declarations of war following the speech from the August of the Reiyk in the early part of the year. Against the dire threat posed by the Reiyk, it was imperative that the nations of the world ally together to stem the tide against the enemy let loose upon them.