Nerevarine

Age of Rebirth: The Rising Tide [Post-Apocolyptic NRP | Always open]

Yeah, I was under the impression I was the least technologically advanced, since the baltic basically got bombed back into the Iron Age after 4 centuries of nuclear winter and rising sea levels in the exclusion zone.

Age of Rebirth: The Rising Tide [Post-Apocolyptic NRP | Always open]

They boy rested on his knees in the snow, dirt and blood adulterating the pure whiteness of the precipitation as it collected on the ground. The young man's chest grew and sunk with each breath that he struggled to suck into his lungs, head down, his face obscured by the long, blonde hair that hung down, caked and clumped together with dried blood. To the left of the boy stood a hooded woman, her dark black cloak trimmed with golden embroidery, loosely hanging over her body, her face clearly visible under her hood, with long, almost white blonde hair and icy blue eyes, as she held the end of a rope strung over a tree, leading back to a noose tied around the boy's neck. In front of both was another man in the same black and gold hood, an elderly bearded man. He spoke loudly to the gathered crowd.

"This man has been found guilty of desecrating the Shrine of Laima in this village. He has incurred the wrath of the Mother of Heaven upon us all."

The crowd roared angrily, their clothes glittering, the colors gone pale from the collection of the snow upon them. They were dressed in simple garments, long shirts over pants, the women wearing long, thick skirts over their pants, and all with hooded, woolen cloaks over their clothing.

The older man spoke once again, "Laima demands a sacrifice to restore the sanctity of her sacred space." As he spoke he instructed the woman with a simple point in her direction. The young woman responded by feeding the rope into some kind of turning machine and began to turn the handle, as the rope rose up over the tree, dragging the young man by the neck off the ground and suspending him. He tried to resist, twisting and writhing as he rose up, though it was clear there was no escape for him. The sounds of his choking could be heard as the older man and the young woman began to sing chants in praise of the goddess Laima, before the young man went limp, hanging by his neck from the maple tree.

With that the crowd cheered, as the young woman fetched a cow, and slaughtered it as well, sprinkling its blood over the site, over herself and the older man, and then turning to splatter the blood over the crowd.

What started as an execution quickly turned into a feast, as the participants of the sacrifice were invited to eat of the slaughtered cow, as parts of it were burned in a fire as tribute to the gods Laima and Perkunas.

The young woman called out during the merriment, "All praise Perkunas, the most merciful God, who gave us all of this!" And so the crowd roared in excitement of the figure. To the unknown, they may just be praising a god, but it was far more than that.

In the new capital, the King Mindaugas I, looked out over the dark, gloomy landscape of the Baltic. Most of the year, the Baltic was in freezing cold, with snow falling all but 3 months of the year. Only the hardiest of plant life could grow here. Much like only the hardiest of men could thrive here. Mindaugas remembered how his father had unified the tribes of the Baltic under the Lithuanian banner, and set them out to conquer and take new land for Lithuanians to live in. It was only befiting of a god king to do so, and now Perkunas had chosen to reside in him after his father's death. Mindaugas would be sure not to disappoint.

Age of Rebirth: The Rising Tide [Post-Apocolyptic NRP | Always open]

Empire of Lithuania

Nation Name:
Empire of Lithuania

Flag/Banner:


Political Environment and Government Type:
Lithuania is a theocratic empire ruled by a high priest called the Krivis (fem: Krivė). The Krivis is believed by the local people to be the manifestation of the god Perkunas on earth and as such, his rule is absolute and his word is final. Alongside the Krivis are high priests called the Council of the Vaidilos. Each member is a priest referred to as a vaidila (fem. vaidilutė) who is believed to be a vessel through which their patron god speaks verbatim. Beneath the Vaidilos are a series of lesser clerical rulers who answer to their local vaidila, and enlist the help of military orders to maintain rule in their jurisdiction.

Location On Map:


Demographics:
Lithuania is comprised of about 70% ethnic Balts, who can be found throughout the empire, but cluster most densely in the central area of the country, radiating outward from Dievomiestas. They are divided into various sub-ethnicities, the Lithuanians being the most important. In the farthest northern areas of the empire are the Finns and Estonians, who mostly inhabit the regions of Estonia and the Finnish Isles and rank about 5%. To the east are people collectively termed Russians (descendants of Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians) who make up about 20% of the population. To the West are the Poles, who make up the remaining population at about 5%.



Religion is a tricky matter, as the religion of Dievugarbinimas incorporates various religious cults that could be found in the Post-War Baltic. It is known that a small minority of "old believers" who worship only Dievas and his two avatars, Kristus and Dvasia, exist in areas, and this cult is especially popular among the Poles and some Russians. That said, they are not viewed as entirely distinct from Dievugarbinimas, as the mainstream religion also accepts that Dievas came to earth through the avatar of Kristus, and spoke through the avatar of Dvasia, and will return as Kristus to fight the darkness on Earth after the tribulations (which Lithuanians believe they are currently living in) and establish Lithuania as his heavenly kingdom on earth.

Some major religious cults in the Post War Baltic that were incorporated into Dievugarbinimas were:

• The Cult of Dievas: Seems to be a mixture of Christian folk-beliefs from the various people of the Baltic, as well as Poland and Russia. These were synthesized into a new cult focusing on a supreme creator named Dievas.
• The Cult of Perkunas: Perkunas was the Lithuanian pre-Christian god of Thunder, and his memory lived on after the war, with a religious cults appearing centered around powerful leaders and warlords, who claimed to get their legitimacy first from the Christian god, but gradually over time taking on the title of Perkunas, to invoke nostalgic and mythological ties to their claims. Eventually, this came to its logical extreme when the new King of Lithuania proclaimed himself to be a reincarnation of Perkunas. As a result, the worship of Perkunas is the main orthodox state religion of Lithuania.
• The Cult of Dawn (Aušra): The Cult of Dawn was a cult that worshiped the destructive power of the Atomic Bombs that decimated the world. They came to worship a goddess named Aušrinė, who had the title of "Dawn-Bringer" and was associated with the Morning Star and the Wind. Aušrinė was believed to be the goddess who created the Sun, and who stands at the gates of paradise and lights the way for those going there. Aušrinė was tasked by Dievas to destroy the world when it became too wicked, and thus it is believe that she gave the power of nuclear bombs to humanity to destroy them.
• The Cult of Saulė: Saulė was the sun goddess, and her cult was the worship of the sun.
• The Cult of Bangpūtys: The Sea God who is extremely popular among Latvians and Livonians.
• The Cult of Kristus and Dvasia: Believed to be the avatars of Dievas, one used to walk on earth, and the other to communicate spiritually with his followers.
• The Cult of Giltinė: The worship of Death, the Death Cult was a common religion in the Post-War Baltic. Followers of Giltinė operate as bands of nomadic assassins, who kill as an act of worship of their goddess.
• The Cult of Gabija: Gabija was one of the daughters of Dievas and the goddess of Fire. She was also seen as the patron of machinery, and thus her followers became collectors and venerators of the machinery of old.

Demographics:
There are slightly more women in Lithuanian than men, with about 55% of the population being composed of women.

Culture:
The people of the Baltic began to regress socially and culturally after the war, with Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Prussia, and Belarus being the main recipients of the nuclear fallout that was emanating out of Russia. The Baltic was plagued with nuclear winter and rising sea levels that were beyond apocalyptic.

The result was a very clannish and tribal society, where the extended family transitioned from irrelevant to central to society almost overnight. Lithuanians are extremely religious, though their religions have changed over time, with mainstream Christianity largely falling out of favor as "pagan" ideas started to become the norm.

Many Lithuanians are agricultural, with the soil of Lithuania only just starting to recover, and the necessity for farming to surviving. There is also a tradition of semi-nomadic warrior bands, mostly comprised of young men who wander the countryside taking what they need to survive, with their violent existence accepted by their rulers on the condition that they will rally to their master's call when he needs them.

Important States and Cities:
Dievomiestas - The New Capital city, founded by the first warlord in the heart of Lithuania
Vilnius - A major city in Lithuania
Riga - The most important city in the North
Knigsberg - The most important city in the West

History:

Fall of the Old World (2018-2035)

Lithuania was one of the countries hit the hardest by World War 3. Being on the borders with Russia, the NATO alligned Lithuania was one of the first countries to face the brunt of a Russian invasion, with Vilnius being bombed almost immediately in the start of the war. Lithuania became one of the frontlines of the War, with the forces of NATO fighting against the forces of Russia in the Baltic. The Lithuanian population was devasted by the atrocities they faced at the hands of the occupying Russians, as well as the untold loss of life carried out by attempts to retake the small Baltic country from Russia.

Things only got worse as Russia began to take its brunt of nuclear bombing, with the fallout from the bombs being carried across Russia, to settle in the Baltic. The condition became so devastating that even the Russians had to withdraw from Lithuania, the area becoming a living hell that no one wanted to touch. The area was surrounded by an exclusion zone, essentially becoming cut off from the world forever.

The Dark Ages (2035-2387)

At this point, the nations of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, and the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia fell into complete chaos. All law was gone, and families began to band together for protection. The Baltic had effectively regressed back into the Dark Ages.

The Baltic peoples lived as nomads for the majority of this period, wandering back and forth to find the least polluted areas, as nuclear winter hung over them. Powerful tribes formed out of family clans, with the most powerful being the Lithuanians, the Latvians, the Curonians, the Livonians, the Samogitians, the Yotvingians, The Prussians, the Selonians, The Sambians, the Kalinians, and the Lubavians.

Tribal Warfare between Baltic peoples, as well as with the trapped Slavic and Finnic peoples who were in the area resulted in a very violent warrior society brewing in the background.

By this point in time, the Balts had reformed into a new society, with a new religion, new languages, and new ways of life.

The Rise of the first Krivis (2387-2420)

The Lithuanians were a powerful tribe but were in constant war with their southern neighbors, the Yotvingians. The Yotvingians organized constant raids against Lithuanian villages and camps. The leader of a Lithuanian subclan, the Nerisians, sought to organize a meeting with the Yotvingian Varveian clan. The Yotvingian war-chief, Skalvas, poisoned the mead that was consumed in the peace negotiations, allowing the Yotvingians to invade Nerisian territory with little effort. The son of the Nerisian leader, Valdemaras, was forced to go into exile with his mother and sister, as the remaining Nerisians abandoned them when his father died. Later, Valdemaras would be enslaved by Latvian raiders, though he did manage to escape back to Lithuanian lands, where he found favor with the Zemelian clan-leader Titas, who was around his age. The two formed a close friendship, and Valdemaras would go on to marry a woman from another Lithuanian Tribe, Aušra.

Aušra was later kidnapped by a Yotvingian warlord, and Valdemaras and Titas set out to get her back. In the battle, they managed to not only get back Aušra, but the lands of the Nerisians.

Later, after the birth of his son Laurynas, Valdemaras was struck by lightning and began to have bizarre visions about his future and the greatness that the Lithuanians would have. At some point later, Valdemaras and Titas lead a joint invasion of Yotvingia, with Valdemaras gaining strong favor with the warriors of Lithuania and even the men of Yotvingia. With Titas' death in the invasion, Valdemaras decided to continue his conquests, and later took on the Latvians, conquering them whole, and proclaiming himself to be the reincarnation of Perkunas.

Valdemaras later conquered the Western Balts and the Ruska, a Slavic tribe descended from the Russians of Kaliningrad. His final solidification of power, however, would be his invasion and conquests of Belarus and Estonia.

Black Flags from the East (2420 onwards)

Valdemaras died an untimely death, and was succeeded by his son, Laurynas, who later took on the Regnal name of Mindaugas, and set out to make Lithuania a strong nation. Mindaugas conquered lands in Poland, and sent Lithuanian raiders on excursions deep into Europe, and south, even reaching the Caucasus Mountains. Tales would be told of the "Black Flags from the east, of heathens coming to pillage, burn and rape across Europe." Lithuanians became a feared force as they descended like a dark army across the land.

Other

Age of Rebirth: The Rising Tide [Post-Apocolyptic NRP | Always open]

@Nerevarine

FYI. I think most of Estonia was sunk to the bottom of the sea.

Also love the underdog Empire.

@NecroKnight

Estonia in this sense means more "where the descendants of Estonians live" in the New Baltic.

And thanks! My plan was basically to make like, Mordor in Europe. The Baltic in this timeline is basically a barren tundra with darkened skies right now, even with the amount of time thats passed it's still not fully recovered from the Nuclear Winter. If I thought I could get away with it, I may have had them have some kind of regiments of semi-mutated soldiers crossed with unmutated humans to create horrifying monsters for psychological warfare to further the Mordor idea.

If I may ask, would it be possible for you to work as the Map guy with claims so we don't have to put obnoxious circles on the map?

@EveryMemeAKing

absolutely


Just lemme know if I added or took away territories or if you want different colors

Age of Rebirth: The Rising Tide [Post-Apocolyptic NRP | Always open]

Nation Name:
Empire of Lithuania

Flag/Banner:


Political Environment and Government Type:
Lithuania is a theocratic empire ruled by a high priest called the Krivis (fem: Krivė). The Krivis is believed by the local people to be the manifestation of the god Perkunas on earth and as such, his rule is absolute and his word is final. Alongside the Krivis are high priests called the Council of the Vaidilos. Each member is a priest referred to as a vaidila (fem. vaidilutė) who is believed to be a vessel through which their patron god speaks verbatim. Beneath the Vaidilos are a series of lesser clerical rulers who answer to their local vaidila, and enlist the help of military orders to maintain rule in their jurisdiction.

Location On Map:


Demographics:
Lithuania is comprised of about 70% ethnic Balts, who can be found throughout the empire, but cluster most densely in the central area of the country, radiating outward from Dievomiestas. They are divided into various sub-ethnicities, the Lithuanians being the most important. In the farthest northern areas of the empire are the Finns and Estonians, who mostly inhabit the regions of Estonia and the Finnish Isles and rank about 5%. To the east are people collectively termed Russians (descendants of Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians) who make up about 20% of the population. To the West are the Poles, who make up the remaining population at about 5%.



Religion is a tricky matter, as the religion of Dievugarbinimas incorporates various religious cults that could be found in the Post-War Baltic. It is known that a small minority of "old believers" who worship only Dievas and his two avatars, Kristus and Dvasia, exist in areas, and this cult is especially popular among the Poles and some Russians. That said, they are not viewed as entirely distinct from Dievugarbinimas, as the mainstream religion also accepts that Dievas came to earth through the avatar of Kristus, and spoke through the avatar of Dvasia, and will return as Kristus to fight the darkness on Earth after the tribulations (which Lithuanians believe they are currently living in) and establish Lithuania as his heavenly kingdom on earth.

Some major religious cults in the Post War Baltic that were incorporated into Dievugarbinimas were:

• The Cult of Dievas: Seems to be a mixture of Christian folk-beliefs from the various people of the Baltic, as well as Poland and Russia. These were synthesized into a new cult focusing on a supreme creator named Dievas.
• The Cult of Perkunas: Perkunas was the Lithuanian pre-Christian god of Thunder, and his memory lived on after the war, with a religious cults appearing centered around powerful leaders and warlords, who claimed to get their legitimacy first from the Christian god, but gradually over time taking on the title of Perkunas, to invoke nostalgic and mythological ties to their claims. Eventually, this came to its logical extreme when the new King of Lithuania proclaimed himself to be a reincarnation of Perkunas. As a result, the worship of Perkunas is the main orthodox state religion of Lithuania.
• The Cult of Dawn (Aušra): The Cult of Dawn was a cult that worshiped the destructive power of the Atomic Bombs that decimated the world. They came to worship a goddess named Aušrinė, who had the title of "Dawn-Bringer" and was associated with the Morning Star and the Wind. Aušrinė was believed to be the goddess who created the Sun, and who stands at the gates of paradise and lights the way for those going there. Aušrinė was tasked by Dievas to destroy the world when it became too wicked, and thus it is believe that she gave the power of nuclear bombs to humanity to destroy them.
• The Cult of Saulė: Saulė was the sun goddess, and her cult was the worship of the sun.
• The Cult of Bangpūtys: The Sea God who is extremely popular among Latvians and Livonians.
• The Cult of Kristus and Dvasia: Believed to be the avatars of Dievas, one used to walk on earth, and the other to communicate spiritually with his followers.
• The Cult of Giltinė: The worship of Death, the Death Cult was a common religion in the Post-War Baltic. Followers of Giltinė operate as bands of nomadic assassins, who kill as an act of worship of their goddess.
• The Cult of Gabija: Gabija was one of the daughters of Dievas and the goddess of Fire. She was also seen as the patron of machinery, and thus her followers became collectors and venerators of the machinery of old.

Demographics:
There are slightly more women in Lithuanian than men, with about 55% of the population being composed of women.

Culture:
The people of the Baltic began to regress socially and culturally after the war, with Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Prussia, and Belarus being the main recipients of the nuclear fallout that was emanating out of Russia. The Baltic was plagued with nuclear winter and rising sea levels that were beyond apocalyptic.

The result was a very clannish and tribal society, where the extended family transitioned from irrelevant to central to society almost overnight. Lithuanians are extremely religious, though their religions have changed over time, with mainstream Christianity largely falling out of favor as "pagan" ideas started to become the norm.

Many Lithuanians are agricultural, with the soil of Lithuania only just starting to recover, and the necessity for farming to surviving. There is also a tradition of semi-nomadic warrior bands, mostly comprised of young men who wander the countryside taking what they need to survive, with their violent existence accepted by their rulers on the condition that they will rally to their master's call when he needs them.

Important States and Cities:
Dievomiestas - The New Capital city, founded by the first warlord in the heart of Lithuania
Vilnius - A major city in Lithuania
Riga - The most important city in the North
Knigsberg - The most important city in the West

History:

Fall of the Old World (2018-2035)

Lithuania was one of the countries hit the hardest by World War 3. Being on the borders with Russia, the NATO alligned Lithuania was one of the first countries to face the brunt of a Russian invasion, with Vilnius being bombed almost immediately in the start of the war. Lithuania became one of the frontlines of the War, with the forces of NATO fighting against the forces of Russia in the Baltic. The Lithuanian population was devasted by the atrocities they faced at the hands of the occupying Russians, as well as the untold loss of life carried out by attempts to retake the small Baltic country from Russia.

Things only got worse as Russia began to take its brunt of nuclear bombing, with the fallout from the bombs being carried across Russia, to settle in the Baltic. The condition became so devastating that even the Russians had to withdraw from Lithuania, the area becoming a living hell that no one wanted to touch. The area was surrounded by an exclusion zone, essentially becoming cut off from the world forever.

The Dark Ages (2035-2387)

At this point, the nations of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, and the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia fell into complete chaos. All law was gone, and families began to band together for protection. The Baltic had effectively regressed back into the Dark Ages.

The Baltic peoples lived as nomads for the majority of this period, wandering back and forth to find the least polluted areas, as nuclear winter hung over them. Powerful tribes formed out of family clans, with the most powerful being the Lithuanians, the Latvians, the Curonians, the Livonians, the Samogitians, the Yotvingians, The Prussians, the Selonians, The Sambians, the Kalinians, and the Lubavians.

Tribal Warfare between Baltic peoples, as well as with the trapped Slavic and Finnic peoples who were in the area resulted in a very violent warrior society brewing in the background.

By this point in time, the Balts had reformed into a new society, with a new religion, new languages, and new ways of life.

The Rise of the first Krivis (2387-2420)

The Lithuanians were a powerful tribe but were in constant war with their southern neighbors, the Yotvingians. The Yotvingians organized constant raids against Lithuanian villages and camps. The leader of a Lithuanian subclan, the Nerisians, sought to organize a meeting with the Yotvingian Varveian clan. The Yotvingian war-chief, Skalvas, poisoned the mead that was consumed in the peace negotiations, allowing the Yotvingians to invade Nerisian territory with little effort. The son of the Nerisian leader, Valdemaras, was forced to go into exile with his mother and sister, as the remaining Nerisians abandoned them when his father died. Later, Valdemaras would be enslaved by Latvian raiders, though he did manage to escape back to Lithuanian lands, where he found favor with the Zemelian clan-leader Titas, who was around his age. The two formed a close friendship, and Valdemaras would go on to marry a woman from another Lithuanian Tribe, Aušra.

Aušra was later kidnapped by a Yotvingian warlord, and Valdemaras and Titas set out to get her back. In the battle, they managed to not only get back Aušra, but the lands of the Nerisians.

Later, after the birth of his son Laurynas, Valdemaras was struck by lightning and began to have bizarre visions about his future and the greatness that the Lithuanians would have. At some point later, Valdemaras and Titas lead a joint invasion of Yotvingia, with Valdemaras gaining strong favor with the warriors of Lithuania and even the men of Yotvingia. With Titas' death in the invasion, Valdemaras decided to continue his conquests, and later took on the Latvians, conquering them whole, and proclaiming himself to be the reincarnation of Perkunas.

Valdemaras later conquered the Western Balts and the Ruska, a Slavic tribe descended from the Russians of Kaliningrad. His final solidification of power, however, would be his invasion and conquests of Belarus and Estonia.

Black Flags from the East (2420 onwards)

Valdemaras died an untimely death, and was succeeded by his son, Laurynas, who later took on the Regnal name of Mindaugas, and set out to make Lithuania a strong nation. Mindaugas conquered lands in Poland, and sent Lithuanian raiders on excursions deep into Europe, and south, even reaching the Caucasus Mountains. Tales would be told of the "Black Flags from the east, of heathens coming to pillage, burn and rape across Europe." Lithuanians became a feared force as they descended like a dark army across the land.

Other

The Empty Throne: War in the Broken Lands

They were far from Tarukha, far enough away that the seas finally had ceased to gnaw on the keel of the ship like a starving animal, trying to pull the vessel into the depths greedily, as if it was hoarding some preciously rare food, that rare prey that still went out into the seas, praying to the gods to not be swallowed whole into an undulating grave of wine-dark abyss. Grand Duke Bozhda stood on the deck of the ship, calling back to the crew if they had spotted land yet. With each call, the Duke's voice became more strained, more loud, as the crew, in turn, increased the intensity of their replies. Traveling from Necroleste and crossing the ocean to Kingsport was hardly the ideal journey for a Duke to be making. This was more the domain of a salt merchant, but this was far from an ordinary excursion.

Tarukha was far unlike Kingsport, unlike any city in the Brokenlands. The Language of the city was unlike that in the rest of the lands, the language known as Zimij. A tongue that invoked the sounds of liquids, of fluidity in its sounds. A perfect language for the people of the Islands, where the sea and the river controlled all in their lives, where it held supreme. On the ship, one would not hear the normal tongue of the Brokenlanders, but hear the sailors cursing and chatting in Zimij. It always made Bozhda feel like an outsider in these lands. Necroleste was as much a part of the Brokenlands as any other, yet it was no secret it was a black sheep, both in its people and in its very land. How Bozhda wished he need not leave the Valley, that the lands between the Avokha and the Tsikesite would be the only world he needed. Alas, Bozhda Olegasyn did not have the luxury of that ignorance. The Sawtooths needed him, as their strongest member, their leader, they needed any leverage necessary.

The Duke was snapped out of his thoughts at the beckoning of a shiphand, whose high pitched cry signified that Kingsport had come into view. Bozhda sighed as the sailors began to prepare for the arrival to the city. Bozhda resolved to return to his quarters and await the docking.The duke retreated away, pouring some mead into a bone cup inscribed with exotic designs. A soldier had gifted it to him, claiming it to have belonged to a captured Maldpa warrior, taken after local guards speared the would-be raider when he showed up on a local farm.

Bozhda felt a degree of power being surrounded by his guard. Nearly all of the duke's personal guard were local men of Zimij extraction, though their distinctive armor and dress were indicative of their origin in Brokenlander culture. The Duke had changed into something more befitting of their meeting, donning a pure white tunic, decorated on its hems and edges with a distinctive red Zimij pattern embroidered into it. The duke had combed his long blond hair back, secured in place with a headband, assured that his appearance was sufficient for the meeting. The Duke and his guard entered into the King's Hall, making their way to the other assembled vassals.

Bozhda spoke for the first time in what seemed like years in his native language, to announce his presence to the moot. "The Duke of Necroleste has arrived, the Sawtooth Clan has answered the call for a moot."

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

Scene Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11mejVpT6Yg

Somewhere near Vlore, Albania

Darkness seemed to eat away at the trees as the escort made its way down the dirt roads, moving fast enough that looking out of the windows would only enhance the illusion that the sky was some kind of black acid burning away the tops of the forest. Behind the leading truck, were several small vehicles. Niko Sr. had called them the Icarus, for they were fast, but fairly fragile for military vehicles, emphasizing speed over durability. Easy for Alexandros to produce en mass. In the main vehicle, a song was playing on the in-vehicle radio. The captain commented on it to his passenger.
"Valentina Calabresi, the hot new thing out of Italy. The Albanians really love this song, heard it in a bar in my off time."
The passenger, one Enver Hoxha, made no comment on the music choice. Just hoping that the escort from Argyrokastro to Vlore would be over quickly.

Meanwhile in Giannitsa, Pella Department, Greece
Niko's face rested in his empty left hand, propped up only by his arm resting on the table. The foreman of this local factory just outside of Giannitsa, was boring him immensely. Her voice felt empty and monotonous, contrasted by the song playing faintly on the radio in the lobby of the factory. Some song by a new Italian singer, whose name he forgot. Niko's eyes rolled in his head towards the window. Night already. He groaned, he had hopped internally, but the expression of the foreman made it clear that some noise had escaped his lips. Not that he cared.

Albania
Hoxha had almost drifted off to sleep when he was awoken by a sudden jolt. The jerk had knocked the escort up quite a bit, with the soldier cursing as he noticed that his passenger had been pulled out of his sleep.

"We hit something big, comrade. I'll have to go out and look if there's any damage." the soldier began to unbuckle himself as the smaller escorts behind began to pull off to the sides of the road as well. "Just relax here, it shouldn't take very long."

Hoxha waited a bit, as the driver seemed to be eaten up by the darkness as he ran towards the back of the vehicle. However, only a seconds later, he began to hear something over the music, as a line of men, armed with rifles began to march towards the front of the vehicle.

Giannitsa
Niko slammed his hands onto the glass table of the meeting room, once again attracting the attention of the foreman, who quickly grabbed her glass of water.

"Is something wrong, Niko?" she asked

Niko began furiously nodding, "Yeah, there is Zeynep, there is a problem, the problem that I have to sit here in the fucking middle of the night, listening to your prattle on about the most mundane of nonsense, when we all know the factory is doing fine, when at the same time, I have to sit her and listen to you talk to me in Turkish, when I'm here in Greece. We aren't in the Ottoman Empire, we should be speaking Greek!" Niko said, swatting papers off of the table as he stood up. "I'm tired of this, dealing with fucking Turks and Slavs parasitizing off of my father's work. This is Greece, the power should be for Greeks!" Niko stormed out of the room, pushing his way out of the room and descending the stairs towards the lobby so that he could exit.

"Even the music is foreign!" He shouted about the Italian song that played on the radio, as he made his way to the exit, only to open the door and fall back as he collided with a man on the outside.

"What the fuck!" he shouted before he looked up, to see a familiar face. "Boris?"

"Hello, Niko." Boris said, as he revealed the gun he had under his jacket, pointing it straight at Niko. "You thought you could just throw me away, Niko, when I've been running factories before you were even a thought. You think you can send me back to basic labor because your dad gave you a position of power?"

Albania
The soldiers began to line up one by one in front of the vehicle, side by side as they stood at attention, as a final soldier walked up to the vehicle and addressed Hoxha directly.

"Enver Hoxha, I would like to inform you that the Hellenic Socialist Republic is no longer in need of your services. However, as you are a liability to the cause, we have no choice but the dispose of you so you will not stand in our way any further."
With that the Soldiers pointed their guns at the vehicle, as Hoxha began frantically trying to free himself from the safety restraints, the soldiers began their gunfire upon him.

Giannitsa
Niko began crawling himself backward on the floor, unable to bring himself to say anything before Boris began to fire his gun at him, hitting him multiple times in the chest.
From above in the office, a scream could be heard as Zeynep rushed back into her office to call police, as Boris darted out of the building. Niko just laid on the ground in a pool of his own blood, bleeding out as the only other soul in the building hid in a makeshift shelter in her office.

Albania
Hoxha fell out of the door of the vehicle as the bled out in the mud. The Soldiers, satisfied with their work, began to walk back to their transports, as they drove off, the final few notes of the song drifted off in the air as the life began to leak out of Hoxha, and the surroundings turned to black.

The Empty Throne: War in the Broken Lands

Grand Duchy of the Necroleste Islands

Clan Name: Grand Duchy of the Necroleste Islands
(The Duchy consists of the human Sawtooth Clan, Zimij tribe, and allied harpy tribes)
Jarl/Chief/King Name & Description:
The Grand Duke of Necroleste, Bozhda, is a tall, blonde man with a serious demeanor. He has been at work trying to quell the behaviors of dangerous harpy tribes like the Maldpas. Bozhda has a significant interest in the goings on of the Sawtooth clan in the mainland and considers Necroleste the ideal state to back their interests.

Alias: The Forgotten Isles

Government Type: Grand Duchy with varying control over indigenous tribes.
Non Human Species Descriptions:
Harpies are the indigenous people of the Necroleste Islands. Presumed to be an autochthonous people, the harpies exist in tribal organizations of varying loyalty to the Duke. For the most part, the rule of thumb is that the farther one goes from the Ducal Island, the less control the Duchy exerts over the tribes.

Notable Tribes:

My Hider

Vuts- The Vuts, are the largest of the harpy tribes, the first to have come into contact with humans when they finally reached the Necrolestes. Primarily a people interested in trade, they were quick to ally with colonists and help in the conquest of neighboring tribes. Like most of the harpies, the Vuts are a Vutsic speaking people. Their langauge, Vuts, is a lingua franca through out much of the duchy.
Bäws- The Bäws are another major tribe that exists in the more eastern Islands of the Duchy. The Bäws were conquered by the Humans of the Duchy, and have since been pressed into an alliance that uses them as military forces. Like the Vuts, the Bäws are speakers of a Vutsic language.
Maldpa - The Maldpa are a hostile harpy tribe that causes significant trouble in the Duchy. The Maldpa have resisted control by the Duchy for centuries, and are known for their brutality and hostility. The Maldpa practice ritual cannibalism of their enemies, and practice human and harpy sacrifice. The Maldpa belong to the Lung Language and Cultural complex, however they are also hostile to the Lung tribe, and have few allies, though they hardly need them.
Solithi- The Solithi are a tribe that are largely the slaves of the Humans. Conquered sometime in the past, and linguistic and cultural isolates, the Solithi found few allies that could help them, and have since been utilized for labor and other uses by the humans of the Duchy.

Appearance of the Harpies:
Do not be fooled by their appearance, there is nothing human about them.

The Harpies are bipedal and stand erect much like humans do. Harpies are mostly covered in skin, with the usual colors ranging from a pale white to a ruddy, almost pinkish color. Harpies have eyes that range in color from blue to green or bright yellow. The Average height of a harpy is 4'7" (140 cm), with an average weight of 50 lbs (23 kg). Harpies have hollow bones due to their avian heritage, and as such are succeptable to broken bones more easily than humans or other races. Harpies have mouths filed with sharp teeth, that they constantly lose and replace throughout their lives. Harpies have wings that portrude out of their backs and are quite large, and fold back flat over the back.

Hair is an important trait for the harpies, as males have very bright colorful hair, with bright greens, reds, blues and other colors naturally growing, while females have brown, black, gray or other such neutral colors.

Harpies show very little sexual dimorphism, all looking feminine by human standards. Their voices are very high pitched and warbily, all sounding almost like young women. Harpy languages are noted for being full of clicks, whistles, ejectives and buccal sounds. As well, most harpy languages are tonal, another hint at their songnbird heritage.

Harpy society varies according to culture, but the general trend on Necrolest is toward matriarchal and matrilineal societies. Many societies in the Islands view the male harpies as excitable, emotional, and irrational, and that women possess naturally superior logical and intellectual abilities that make them better leaders and heads of household. Male Harpies usually take on roles such as laborers, soldiers, and hunters, which are regarded as lowly professions, while women take on roles such as farmers, communal childrearing, and leadership of tribes, as well as being viceduces to the Grand Duke. Many have noticed that Harpy societies emphasize looks and beauty for males, while emphasising reputation for women, and shun strong emotions in females.

Biology of the Harpies:
When the first colonists came to this land, they believe that it was inhabited only by women! Now we know that is not the case, and yet,
it is not hard to see why there are so many folktales about colonists trying to pursue a beautiful harpy, only to discover she is actually a man!

Harpies are a humanoid species with avian traits. It is believed that they derived from native avian life forms on the islands, and it is speculated that they share a common ancestor with the large, bipedal "terror birds" that exist all over the duchy. Harpies show very little sexual dimorphism, and the only immediately observable sign of their sex is their "hair" color, which comes in various bright colors for males, but very drab, neutral tones for females. Harpy hair is not true hair as in mammals, rather it appears to be a further development of avian feathers. The ancestors of the harpies began to transition their feathers into dense, hairlike pycnofibers around the same time the species began to become erect and develop a warmer internal body temperature. The immediate observation is that harpies have very dense "hair" on their head, and members of both sexes have very thick 'body hair' all over. The only remnants of their old feathers are on their wings and some vestigial feathers that grow along their arms and wrists.

Harpies do not have breasts nor do they give birth to live young, with female harpies laying one egg, preferably during the spring. Harpies do not have genitalia like humans or some other mammalian species, instead of having a system called a "duocloaca", in which the excretory and reproductive cloaca have separated, giving genitalia superficially resembling a mammalian vagina for both species. This has further pushed the myth that the harpies were a mono-sexual species when humans first encountered them. Harpy children are born roughly 2 months after the egg is laid, and are dependent entirely on their parent for the first year of their life until they develop into a self-sufficient state. Harpy children are born with teeth.

Location:

Necroleste, in spite of it's proximity to the mainland, has been devoid of a human population until the arrival of the Zimij, and is characterized by its massive coastal mountains in the north, and salt marshes and salt flats that make arrival in the few mountain passes impossible.



Religion:
Sawtooth Gods -
The Sawtooth pantheon is a leftover of their Brokenlander heritage. Among their deities, the two most important are Mora, the god of the stormy sea, and Torris, the god of storms. These two are appeased with sacrifices for ever clear skies and calm seas for the Necroleste, and for crushing storms for any looking to invade. As the Sawtooths become more and more Zimij like, Torris and Bozh are beginning to fuse into one deity.

Zimij Religion -
The Zimij are ancient, as are their gods. Lost to sands of time, they survived in a foreign land like their chosen.
The Zimij worship an exensive pantheon of deities that they imported from their original homeland. Chief among their gods is Bozh, a powerful sun god. Bozh is honored at a shrine erected some ways away from Chornagrad, with a massive wooden idol in his honor,as well as a site for sacrifices to the god. The worship of Bozh is a state religion that the duke wishes to impose on all of his subjects. Other minor deities worshipped by the Zimij include the fox goddess Liš, the dragon god Zel, the sky god Sviet, and the thunder god Kverk.

Vutsic Gods
The Gods of these lands are alien to us. They worship strange entities, and yet there are some familiar faces.
The primary god of the Vuts and related tribes is the sun god Itlé. Itlé is said to have grown the harpies out of his blood, which he spilled by slashing open his wrists and bleeding onto the islands, and where his blood spilled, the Harpies grew from the ground. Inté is thus worshiped by the spilling of one's own blood, with daily worship at the family shrine involving the cutting of ones own flesh with a knife, soaking of dry reeds in blood, and burning the blood for the smoke to rise and meet with Inté. Zimij gods such as Bozh and Liš are becoming popular, under nativized names of Votś and Rīś.

Maldpa Religion
Those things can hardly be called sapient. I am offended you would even call them animals.
The Maldpa are in service to various spirits they call the Tsaldedch. The Tsaldedch are divided into an individual Ldedch that is patron of each band. The Tsaldedch demand blood and war as their offerings. They feed in the misery and suffering of infidels, and thus the Maldpa are required to go out and wage war on unbelievers. Maldpa tradition dictates that the Maldpa consume their prisoners alive, creating specialized utensils for tearing living flesh off of prisoners of war. This practice comes from a legend of their chief Ldedch, Nyetsetch, who is said to have eaten his fallen enemies alive. The Maldpa religion calls for the sacrifice of other Maldpa, the consumption of the fallen as part of the ritual.
The Tsaldedch are described by the Maldpa as being reptilian, almost serpant like in their appearance.

Clan Description:
The people of the Necrolestes are the remnants of a now extinct mainlander tribe that migrated across the sea to the Islands of Necroleste after hopping from island to island looking for a new homeland. Added to their heritage are nobles of brokenlander extraction, the sawtooth clan. They are masterful sailors and have a reputation for being dangerous pirates, as well as traders and fishermen. Much of the human population lives in the wilderness as farmers, and etch out an existence in communal farming with their neighbors. Much of the clan is broken down into "bands", which are small familial groups that tend to live together in farming communities in the countryside. Allied harpies are also considered to be part of the clan, while those who are enslaved are considered outsiders under clan authority. A major goal of the clan is the subjugation or integration of all harpy tribes into the Necroleste Clan.

Clan History:

Arrival of the Zimij on Necroleste

In prehistory, the people of what would become the Necroleste Islands, were a fairly small tribe of people called the Zimij. Though war, the Zimij were nearly driven to extinction, with some members of the tribe taking to the seas and seeking refuge in various islands, though never staying in one. That was until they came across a very inhabitable island chain that they came to call Necroleste. These islands were pristine in a sort of splendid isolation, having not been touched by Humans ever before. The Humans came to colonize the islands, eventually running into the indigenous harpy population. The Harpies at first waged war on the humans, but were subsequently defeated and subjugated by the colonists.

The War with the Maldpa:
It was around this time that the humans came into contact with the Maldpa.

The Maldpa inhabited massive tracts of land in the south of Gard and were brutally hostile even towards other harpies. Human encounters with them ended with the death and consumption of several Zimij farmers by the hands of the Maldpa harpies. The Duke waged war on the Maldpa, and the battles have been ongoing since. The Harpies show little interest in ceasing their aggression towards the invaders, and likewise the Zimij and allies are unwilling to simply allow them to exist.

The Arrival of Hrorik and the establishment of the Petty Kingdom of Gard

Hrorik was a distinguished warrior of a Brokenlander clan called the Sawtooth Clan. Hrorik had made a few voyages to the far west before, eventually, he had come across the lands of the Necoleste islands. Hrorik was enchanted by the pristine condition of the Islands, and accepted a proposition by local Zimij warlords to ally with them as their king if he would destroy their enemies. Hrorik returned the next year with an army seeking glory. Hrorik and his Sawtooth Clan set about conquering the largest island, Gard, with Hrorik establishing his clan as the ruling nobility of the newly established clan. Thus the Sawtooths became the ruling class over the Zimij, at this time significantly different than their subjects, and maintaining connections to their Sawtooth kinsmen in the mainland.

Valdemarr the Great and the Establishment of the Jarldom of Necroleste
Among Hrorik's successors was the king known as Valdemarr, called Vladimir by the Zimij. Valdemar began the extensive centralization of the Kingdom, waging nearly 2 decades of bloody warfare on rebellious and unsubjugated harpy tribes, being the only Sawtooth king to conquer the Maldpa. Valdemarr also followed the decision of the mainland Sawtooths, pledging the fealty of the Necroleste Nobility to the High King, feeling that this would secure the Islands in the face of potential danger. Valdemarr thus began an extensive economic opening of the islands to outsiders, establishing trade routes to keep the islands relevant in the confederation. Valdemarr/Vladimir would be considered first true ruler of Necroleste, as well ad the last Brokenlander to be King/Jarl, as soon the nobility would become increasingly Zimij in their ways and culture.

The Grand Duchy and the decay of Necrolest
As time went on, the final Jarl would come to power, Oleg Vladimirasyn. Oleg came to view the Necroleste Islands as a Zimij enclave in a brokenlander union, but an integral part none the less. Oleg ceased to call himself a jarl, but a duke.

Oleg II marked the beginning of the gradual loss of ducal authority over the more rogue harpy tribes. While the Vuts and Bäws remained strongly loyal, and have been integral in maintaining the territorial integrity of the Duchy, however, the duchy has lost much of its reputation in the confederation, and the future remains uncertain with the ascension of Duke Bozhda, who is keen to solidify the ties between the mainland Sawtooths and back their interests in the new high king.

Regional Geography/Resources/Economy Details:
Necroleste is a chain of large temperate islands, dominated by a mixture of dry forests and grassy lands.


Wildlife
The animals of these islands are unlike any in the world, owing to the millenia of splendid isolation.

The endemic fauna and flora of the Necroleste Islands have had millions of years to diverge from the creatures of the main continent. Animals representing ancient forms, as well as completely new innovations have developed in the islands, with their separation from the nearest land being massive, and even separation from each other on the islands being significant. Necroleste had few large carnivorous mammals until the arrival of the Zimij and their domesticates, leading to unique creatures to fill the ecological niches of the islands.

Ungulates:
The first of the major mammals to arrive on the islands, ungulates have come to fill several niches in the island's ecology, and many were domesticated by the harpies for use as work animals, mounts, and food sources.

My Hider

Trunked Horse -

The Trunked horse (Vutsian: Tsāsụ, Maldpa: Dchal) is an endemic ungulate found dispersed throughout the islands. Early on, the harpies domesticated the animals for use like horses, and they continue to serve the function of work animals and mounts, even replacing the use of the horse by the humans.

Savage Pig

The Savage Pig (Vutsian: Qxov, Maldpa: Mbaras) is a large, pig-like creature noted for its agressive, predatory behavior. They remain a major threat for their agressive actions towards even harpies and humans.

Rabbit Deer

The rabbit deer (Vutsian: Mara, Maldpa: Malnd) is a small ungulate domesticated by the harpies for use as a food source. They behave much like rabbits, and serve largely the same function as them, though humans have imported rabbits that compete with them for food.

Tchach

Known as the Ţénu by the Vuts, and the Tchach by the Maldpa, the hoofed wolf, is a carnivorous ungulate and has taken the position of mainland wolves. They are considred dangerous by the majority of people on Necroleste.

Marsupials and Non-Therians - Marsupials are a subset of mammal that birth essentially fetal young that develop externally in a pouch on the mother. Non-Therians are mammals that give birth to their young through the use of an egg.

My Hider

Opossum -

These animals are largely considered pests and game animals to hunt for food (Vutsian: K'āvo, Maldpa: Nytchar)

Great Wolf

These animals are not true wolves, rather a carnivorous marsupial that has largely taken the ecological role of bears. They are solitary and timid, but are considered a danger by harpies and humans when they are encountered. Some harpy tribes have rites of passage that invole hunting the creatures. (Vutsian: Uli; Maldpa: Gedchtchach)

Sītl

The Sītl (Maldpa: Ngul) is a small burrowing animal, notable for being a source of eggs and meat for the harpies, though largely replaced by the chicken for humans.

Birds

My Hider

Terror Bird

The Terror Bird, called the Detal by the indigenous, is a large carnivorous bird that wanders around the islands. They are believed to be closely related to the harpies, possibly sharing a common ancestor with them.

Giant Eagle

The Giant Eagle, or Rok, is a massive eagle spawned from island gigantism. They are known to hunt harpies and humans occasionally.

Abominations:
In a place like this, is it any surprise entities like this would exist?

These creatures do not exist naturally, and are unfortunate mutants who exist by way of the Old One's influence.

My Hider

Bauk - The Bauk is a mysterious entity found in areas of the islands. These shadowy monstrosities are said to flow like black liquid in the grasslands and forests, before rising and solidifying to attack and feed upon a victim.

Beda - The Beda are faceless, pale ape-like entities that wander the grasslands at night, caputuring travellers to drag them into caves and torture them for their amusement until they die.
Buvac - reptilian creatures that inhabit swamp lands, are said to screech loud before they drag their prey into the swamps to drown and eat them. The Maldpa have a rite of passage that involves hunting and torturing Buvac before they are permitted to marry.

Vilenjak - These plant like abominations plant their spores in human or harpy hosts. The spores then begin to mature in the hosts body, eating them from the inside out, until the plant grows bursts out of its hosts body to anchor itself into soil and begin its own lifecycle.

A host completely overtaken by the plant
Drekevats - small goblin like creatures that howl and hut in swarms.

Veles: The Beasts of the Sea
These things have inhabited waters around Necroleste for centuries. They're hostile towards anything, but they're far less active they were in the past but still pose a significant danger to travellers.
The Veles are a collection of monstrous beasts that live in the oceans around Necroleste. Mutated creatures, they are large, covered in tentacles and teeth, said to be capable of sinking entire ships with their tentacles. It is believed that they have begun to go extinct, as a decline in their numbers is thought to have made the migration of the Zimij, and the arrival of the Sawtooths possible at all.

Important Characters:
Duke Bozhda of Necroleste
Chief Tụś of Vuts
Chieftess Ara of Baws

Important Holdings/Territory/Possessions:
Chornagrad - The Ducal City and the capital of the Duchy. This is the home of Duke Bozhda and his family, and a city primarily inhabited by humans, though some Vutsians live here as well. The City was called Līgàvéqxe by the Vuts prior to the arrival of the Zimij. The Sawtooths called the city Svartgardr, which now refers to areas where the Sawtooths proper live.


Novopol - a large city at the crossroads of the two major rivers of Grad, serves as a trade hub for the island for goods on their way to the capital.

Tarukha - Called Ta'ruqxha in Vutsian, serves as the main port of the Grand Duchy. Is controlled directly by the duke rather than the Vutsian vicedux, though it lies in Vuts lands.

Solothaheim - A major port city that serves as a port for Necroleste Ships heading out of the duchy. Formally inhabited by the Solothi, before their enslavement and deportation.

Satonnheim - An enclave of Brokenlander Sawtooth culture in the Islands, the head of Sawtooth Island.

Relation to other Factions:
TBD

The Empty Throne: War in the Broken Lands

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

Mystras, Greece, 1943

(Collab with @Letter Bee)
It had been two years since the soldiers of Vafeiadis had the honor of hanging their greatest enemy from the gallows of Athens. Dionysios Hatzi had had the pleasure of being there first hand when he watched the old man die. The feeling of watching the nationalistic pig twitch and flail so pitifully in his final moments was indescribably satisfying and pleasurable to him, almost erotic in a way. He felt no shame, no guilt in his reactions. Metaxas was a chauvinistic monster, an enemy of basic decency. What kind of person...no, not a person. As far as Dionysios was concerned, men like Metaxas had lost any right to be called human. For 22 years, Dionysios had lived in squalor, huddling with his family for shelter in the gutters of Corinth. It wasn't like this was unusual, many lived like this, more than should ever have been acceptable. Yes, one family in poverty is a crime, so what of the blood of hundreds that the Kingdom had on its hands? Metaxas' stances could only mean that he supported the death and starvation of thousands. He had deserved to die like an animal on the gallows. Now, Dionysios was determined to enact justice on those who stood against the communists, against a better Greece. They were just as guilty as Metaxas in his eyes, and they too would pay the price. All of them.

The Democratic Army had entrenched themselves around Mystras, hoping to force the defenders to attack out of desperation once the siege had taken its full toll on them.

Within Mystras

The commander of the motley coalition of conservative militias holding Mystras, one George Batazes, gave his final orders:

“Alexandros, Markos, and Basileos, you three stage the breakout attempts to the south of the city. Escort the women and children in three groups; escape to Gytheo. I and the remaining militias will stage a final diversionary charge to wound the foe as much as possible. Like Leonidas, we will hold back the enemy as much as possible before dying a final, glorious death. Any questions?”

There were none. And so the defenders of Mystras made their final defense of the city, the last roar of Old Greece...

Meanwhile, outside of the city, the commander of the communist forces, Orestes Panagos, began the advance into the small town. He was certain that there was only one final outcome for Mystras. Like Sparta before it, the city would fall, and with it, there was little doubt that Laconia, the final enclave of the anti-communist resistance, would fall.

"Alright, comrades," Orestes shouted as they began the advance towards the city. "Let's end this once and for all. Do not hold back, this battle was already over before it we even got here.

And with that, the communists began their assault. Dionysios was in the initial infantry divisions, entering into the city. The initial advance from the north, however, was met with brutal resistance. Dionysios would remark in just how brutal the incursion was, the resistance fighters attacking like wild animals, running into battle as if in a berserk frenzy, nothing left to lose. It was something intense and mystifying to the young soldier, the sheer ferocity of it all, the passion and the suffering in the fight. The North would be a bloodbath, though Orestes had already called the majority of the encircling force to begin advancing on the east and west. The order called for the soldiers stationed to the south of the city to leave and move either east or west to join the advancing parties, leaving the roads leading out of the city to the south virtually undefended.

George’s men were in close combat with the enemy, shooting until their guns overheated, then pulling out their daggers and hacking at the closely-packed ranks of the enemy. When the daggers broke on the bones and armor of the foe; they bit with teeth and clawed with lengthenef nails. They would make history.

Markos, meanwhile, was only slightly more lucky. He and his breakout group had overwhelmed the remaining besiegers to the south, but had attracted a patrol of foes that were going to head for the east. His men were now being cut to pieces, but most of the women and children had gone on under him, leaving behind their remaining menfolk. He looked back to see if his people were safe; they were.

Except for his wife and nineteen-year old daughter. They had been left behind.

With a heavy heart, the church painter turned militia commander gave the order to move on to Gytheo...

The battle raged on for a while more, but in the end, it came to the expected end. The Eastern and Western divisions made quick advances into the city. What few defenders remained in its walls were killed. When the northern division made its way into the city, Orestes made an example of the town, and ordered it to be burned to the ground. In a few short hours, where once stood a city was only a smoldering pile of ashes and rubble. From the ruins of Mystras rose a pillar of smoke, rising like a dark tower to loom over Laconia, like an omen telling all that the battle was over, and Laconia, the final fortress of resistance, had fallen.

Ioannina, South Epirus Department, 1960

Dionysios twisted neck to the side a couple times, lifting his arms up in a stretch before walking over to the burnt out pile of rubble that remained on the streets.

"I haven't seen something this badly demolished since I was in Laconia." he quipped to his partner, who simply rolled her eyes at the joke.

Souroupo was barely recognizable, little more than a skeletal structure of a building. The nightclub had become the final sight of 22 people, with another 50 injured in the bombing. Little was known about the assailant, other than that he had allegedly pledged allegiance to the House of Zogu before he detonated his explosive. It was suggestive that he was involved with Skanderbeg's Own, and thus the case moved from the jurisdiction of the Ioannina Police to the Prefecture Level Authorities. Epirus was a busy prefecture for crime.

"You can't take a piss without getting called out to go check out another terrorist attack in Argyrokastro or Ioannina." Dionysios had said this once, and there was some truth to it. He often compared it to his time in the Civil War, when the was fighting guerillas in Laconia. He drew parallels often.

"Back in Corinthia, you had guys hiding in the mountains with guns, blowing up buildings every night. I didn't think I'd have to deal with it again when I was 39!"

Eleni was getting tired of hearing war stories with her coffee and casual racism every investigation. Dionysios had a habit of sneaking in a joke about her Albanian heritage every chance he got.

"Hey, Dervishi; they say this guy was a Muslim. What're the chances he had a Catholic name?"

Eleni rolled her eyes and stood up once again.

"As Hilarious as that'd be, turns out the guy's name is Muhammat Burim, from a little hick town called Cassiopeia. Authorities over there gave us his address, and witnesses say he met up with a family member, one Aleksander Burim, before he came to Ioannina, so we're gonna pay them a little visit."

The drive to Cassiopeia was long and arduous, navigating through the twists of mountains. Somehow Epirus never benefited from those infrastructure programs Vafeiadis was always bragging about in his speeches. The only way to access most of these little hamlets was through mountain passes half of the time, and Cassiopeia happened to be one of those. The village was certainly nothing to look at. Dionysios estimated about 500 people probably lived there, likely all Albanians. Chams to be exactly.

"Lucky they put us on this case, huh?"

Eleni shook her head, "They won't like me. If anything they'll probably like me less than you."

Dionysios laughed heavily, "Eleni, I really couldn't give a shit if they like us, but I do give a damn that we can understand them." Eleni made a face of disgust, knowing that the aging cyclops couldn't see her from the right. If anything the eyepatch he wore probably hid her better from his one good eye. "I don't know how to say much in that language. Sounds a lot like the sounds their goats make."
He then hit her lightly on the shoulders a couple times. "Thankfully that's what I've got you for. Hell, you even speak the right dialect for this place."

Cassiopeia was far from inviting. As the agents entered into the city, what little faces they passed stared at them in judgment, in disgust at the presence of the outsiders, watching, tracking their every movement as they made their way through the quickly darkening village. Night had fallen by the time that Dionysios and Eleni reached the residence of their mark. A little house out in the boondocks of the backwoods. The sounds of sheep echoed through the night, the little white shapes of the creatures faintly visible in the misty darkness. The rotting steps creaked under the two detective's weight, as Dionysios gave a couple heavy knocks at the door.

It took a few minutes before a response was made. The door slowly prying open as a single dark eye peered out from behind the crack, a golden brass chain holding terse between the door and the frame.

"Good evening," Eleni said firmly, clearing her throat a bit. "I am Detective Eleni Dervishi, and this is my partner, Detective Dionysios Hatzi, with the Epirus Prefecture Department of Investigations. We're investigating a suicide bombing in that took place a few days ago in Ioannina. It's become apparent that the attack was carried out by Muhammat Burim, and we know that he came here shortly before the attack." Eleni continued, speaking in Cham Albanian the entire time, "We have questions that we would like answered."

Aleksander said nothing, only making a gesture for the agents to wait as he closed his door and opened it up once more, motioning for them to enter.

The dwelling of Aleksander was quite empty, almost barren. The man motioned for the agents to sit as he joined them, sitting from across. Dionysios was the first to speak.

"Let's get straight to the point. Your cousin has known connections to Skanderbeg's Own. A search of his house found copies of texts by one Gjergj Kastrioti. Atdha, The Case for the Nation State, Against Communism, The Kosovo Question, you name it, he had it. And it doesn't take a genius to read through one of his books and know he's planning something against Greece."

Aleksander's expression remained blank

"I'm fairly certain that Skanderbeg didn't just rise out of the grave and start writing books in Argyrokastro in a couple years ago, so the question I have is, what do you know about Ahmet Pashaj?"

Aleksander finally spoke up, the man's raspy voice tinged in a very thick Albanian accent. "Ahmet Pashaj is the oracle of our times, the one who will make Albania a great nation, and prove to the world the greatness of Albania and her people."

Aleksander continued, "Ahmet Pashaj is a friend of the Burim Clan, and we are loyal to him. He is what the Albanians need. And we will do anything to aid his cause."

"So Muhammat wasn't just a lone wolf, the whole clan here is affiliated."

Then, a creak came from behind the agents, as the door opened, moonlight pouring in as several figures came into the small house, armed with various makeshift arms. A Shovel, A Cudgel with nails hammered into it, a baseball bat, knives, and one armed with a shotgun. Aleksander himself picking up a knife as he lunged at the agents. In that moment, Dionysios reverted back to the civil war days, grabbing the would-be assailant by the arm and throwing him across the room into a wall. Eleni grabbed her gun and fired a couple shots at the approaching group, hitting one in the chest while another fired the shotgun, obliterating one of the chairs. Dionysios quickly ducked under a swing by one of the clansmen, grabbing the arm of another and breaking it, causing him to drop his cudgel, which he quickly grabbed and swung at the leg of another attacker, causing the nails to stab into his knee. As the attacker fell to the ground, Dionysios delivered a blow to his head, only to be tacked by another one of the Burim clansmen. As they wrestled onto the ground, Dionysios managed to reach up, digging his hands into the attacker's face, digging his fingers into his eyes, twisting them into the sockets before taking hold and slamming his forehead into the attackers' nose, freeing himself as the assailant went unconscious. Aleksander had returned to consciousness and ran at Eleni, who grabbed the lamp next to her and swung it, hitting the man in the ribs and knocking him down. Eleni then fired her gun once more, hitting the shotgun carrier, causing him to pull his trigger inadvertently, killing the knife-wielding clansman to his left.

Aleksander was the last surviving attacker in the house, with Eleni quickly jumping on top of him, holding him down as she restrained him, cuffing the man, as Dionysios grabbed him by the back and forced him to his feet.

"We've got a lot of questions that you're going to have to start explaining once we get to Ioannina."

As Eleni escorted the restrained man to the car, Dionysios took a look around at the carnage that had gone down here.

He shuttered, feeling that same intensity, that same stimulation he felt in the war.

Yeah, it was just like old times.