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The Kingdom of Griezelland

Something new in the East

Dirk the merchant was trading as usual, taking his cargo and letters to Esbjerg, but on this particular day something struck him. The number of royal agents on the quayside with the local authorities. At first, he thought it was an unimportant story, but he saw it again in several ports. "Hey, do you know why these guys are here?" asked Dirk in Danish to a local in Hanstholm who was running his stall there.

"Oh yes, a provisional government was set up a while ago, and the various settlements managed to reach an agreement. According to the head of our settlement, it's thanks to you and the letters you were carrying. From what I understand, these men have come to help the provisional government, and I think they're from your kingdom.", said the old Dane.

Dirk spent his time at the port, looking for an opportunity to talk to one of the men. In the afternoon, when it was raining, one of the men headed for the tavern. Dirk took the opportunity to approach. He went inside and saw the man at the counter. Dirk moved even closer. The tavern-keeper was chatting to the man in Danish.

"As usual, mister Duchêne ?" said the tavern-keeper before suddently look at Dirk.

"Yes," the man then turned to Dirk. "A problem, friend ?"

"No, I've just got a few questions, I'm a merchant of the Great Company of the Eastern Commerce," began Dirk, surprised and hesitant. "Have you heard of a provisional government ?"

The man smiled, "Ah, you're a Lowlander too ? Yes, the king has sent us to help the new government. Only there are a few difficulties."

"What do you mean ?" asked Dirk.

"We try to manage this territory with the help of the locals but the north refuses to join the negotiations, they're content to open their port to us, but not to join a government, especially one influenced by foreigners, meaning us." The man pointed himself.

"What are the agreements ?" asked Dirk innocently.

"Secret defences, sorry. The only thing I can say is that they should recognise the king as sovereign of these lands».

"Thank you for your reply," finished Dirk. This news was a little mixed for the merchant. If they travelled far, it was to avoid the influence of the kingdom on their economies. Taxes and fees were going to be brought here, which meant that there was a good chance that merchants would have fewer opportunities here in the future.

Dirk was thinking, the East was promising, but too many companies were competing for customers and if they weren't careful, merchants could soon be out of pocket.

Dirk returned to his ship and was looking at a map; his future lay in the west, on the islands. He would have to map the north to find customers before the competition started there, too.
--
The provisional government in Jutland

In old Denmark, the provisional government was made up of five regions that formed a parliament, inspired by the Bundes in the south. But this parliament needed money, recognition and was above all dependent on the mercantile system of the Lowlanders.

Rather than confront it, the most influential members of the communities petitioned the King of the Lowlands for help, without actually believing in it. Only to receive a response in the form of the military steamship, the Vrijheid, and two other steamships as support. These ships of the line brought soldiers to help pacify the region and invitations to form a Danelagen, a land ruled by those who spoke the local language.

At first, not everyone was enthusiastic. Especially with the request to recognise a foreign king as their king. But a few months later, it didn't seem so problematic because, in the end, he would only have a minimal role. The parliament would have the majority of power and royal power would be represented by a prince, cousin to the king and far down the order of succession, who would have to adapt to the people and to the parliament, having more of a representative role.

It took several months of negotiations before this provisional government began to take shape. It was from the moment that the few settlement chiefs who had created and joined this project began to work on it and to take advantage of foreign aid that other local authorities began to join in. Those in the eastern villages feared for their safety with fighting taking place near the islands. In the West, it was the lure of gain that had prevailed. But in the end, everyone had something to gain.

After the formation of this provisional government, the exchanges consisted mainly of agreeing on the Lowlands laws on the territories and to the parliament. This period also served to introduce the new Regent Prince to the people.
The regent prince of Jutland was Johannes Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was a sentimentalist, and his passion was reading books from before the Dark Ages. He was rather shy, which complicated the task of the royal representatives.

One day, the Prince was preparing for his introduction to the parliament. His task was just to turn up, sit down, and sign the laws as the parliament would tell him to. But the young man had never reigned and did not understand well Danish as he only started to learn it.

One of the two royal representatives with him saw him stressing. "Keep your composure, your Highness, you represent the kingdom !" he said, in Flemish, with authority to the Prince in a room that was empty except for their presence.

The other man replied, seeing that it wasn't helping the prince. He said, "Your Highness, breathe in and out, then we'll do it like we practiced". His hand invited the prince to speak.

The prince babbled in Danish, "I, Johannes Saxe-Coburg Gotha, Prince of Jutland declare... Declare... The first session open." The Prince sighed and spoke again in Flemish, "I, I can't do it, they won't understand»

"No, no, it was pretty good, at least you said it in full. They'll understand, I assure you" said the man, smiling.

The other man looked sternly at the prince. "You probably won't understand the papers you're about to sign, but that's normal. We've already negotiated these laws, so all you have to do is sign with peace of mind, that said, try to show some dignity, puff up your chest and speak clearly."

A Danish man in a patched suit entered the room, and spoke in Flemish, "Your Highness, are you ready ?"

The prince looked at him, and the man who was sympathetic towards him said, "You see, they too are trying their best, Your Highness. You will not build the future of these lands alone, but with the people and their representatives. Be proud to do your duty. If not for yourself, for the people you represent."

The prince repeated "The people I represent..." then he replied in Danish to the man who had arrived, "Yes, I...I'm ready".

The Dane smiled and said in Flemish, "Follow me".

The two representatives stayed behind. The harsher one spoke first.
"What can the king be thinking, sending Prince Johannes? He's clearly not ready".

"On the contrary, my friend, he is ready, more than most men in this world, at least. He just needs time." He paused for a moment and turned towards the exit, "I think I know why the king chose him."

"Why ?" asked the sternest, but the only answer he got was an amused whistle from the other representative.

The first session of the Jutland Parliament went well in the end. The Prince continued to learn the local language and took part in events in the local communities. Something that struck the Prince was the inequality in food supplies and the lack of agricultural organisation compared to his homeland.

The provisional government was already working on this, but the Prince tried to put forward his own ideas with the members of the parliament with whom he felt closest. But as expected, they were sceptical about even listening to the prince, the most influential representative and leader of the largest community, Dana Friis took the risk of listening to the prince for his ideas.

The prince lived in the ruins of an ancient palace that had barely been restored to a habitable state. Everything seemed to him poorer in Jutland. With the time spent here, he already spoke better Danish. A woman was announced and then led to the prince by Lowland soldiers. The prince was writing a letter to the king of the Lowlands and did not look up as Dana entered the room.

"You wanted to see me, madam ?" asked the young prince in Danish. The woman with the long chestnut hair, hazel-coloured eyes, and fair skin did not reply directly, but poured herself a drink on the counter against the wall.

"Are you trying to get involved in Jutland politics, Your Highness ?", her face was serious, as if she were accusing him of interference. "I've heard that you tried to speak to some of the members of the parliament"

"Partialy, madam, but the parliament is the only institution that makes laws, and I know that the parliament does its job..."

"However..." continued the woman.

"However, we put money before people. Is trade with the Lowlands and the wealth of few people so important that we let people starve? I want to help, but I didn't know how. I thought if I spoke to some members of the parliament, they might be able to convince the parliament to work on this matter."

The young woman drank the prince's gruit and winced slightly at the bitterness then she spoke. "I see, what did you have in mind? You're still a stranger here. The parliament only accepts you because we needed help from the Lowlands. It is not you whom the parliament has recognised as King. You and your foul drinks will not be welcomed so easily."

"I know that only too well, which is why I'm going to dip into my funds to buy food and give tools to farmers in the name of the Lowlands. That way..."

Dana approached Johannes, who had not laid eyes on her once, continuing to write the letter. She leaned over his desk. The sewn-up parts of the dress were barely concealed and reminded the prince of the difficult living conditions outside the pleasure palaces in the Lowlands.

"Take this decision to the parliament".

The prince raised his head and gulped as he saw the stern look in the eyes of this woman who was barely shorter than he was if he stood up. He was a little intimidated but remembered the advice of the royal representatives. He raised his chest and spoke more slowly but clearly.

"It would be a breach of the agreements. In the name of the Lowlands, it would be a gif..."

"Assume it in the parliament," the woman repeated, more slowly and more serenely. "You're the prince of a powerful country, aren't you? What could the parliament say? Your soldiers are already here. In an instant, you could solve all the problems.". She was talking more and more louder to provoke the man.

The prince listened but replied quickly, this time looking her straight in the eye, "No! The law is the law, even if the parliament refuses to accept me completely and I don't think they prioritise all citizens of Jutland, I won't defy the parliament and I will respect the agreements. Furthermore, if taken to the parliament, this would be passed on to the people, who would have to pay for it in the end.", he was slightly angered by Dana's provocation.

"However, you were going to bypass the parliament by subterfuge," Dana replied more gently.

"Only if it can help the people directly. It's not like it's a law. It's just a gift I want to make to the people, what's wrong with that? You said it yourself, I'm just a stranger" The prince calmed down and looked away again.

"And what do we represent to your foreigner's eyes ?"

"The people of the land I have sworn to serve and protect. A people for whom I am at their service, for better or for worse."

Dana sighed with relief, "I see. Your Danish has improved, at least...", then smiled, "I'm glad to see you have enough respect for our parliament. If this is a gift from the Lowlands, I doubt anyone would say anything." She looked at the various files and books on the desk, decrepit since the end of pre-war times. She saw engineering and agricultural projects, manuals on mechanics, agriculture, and cultivable mutant plants. Clearly, the Prince had plans for Jutland.

Dana pointed to the books, "Any other ideas ?"

The prince looked at the books, "Possibly, I've made inquiries of some farmers and temples-universities to find out what types of plant we should grow, and the economic impact that donations could make, but the rest is unimportant for the moment".

Dana tilted her head when he mentioned temples-universities, something unknown in Jutland, but the rest intrigued her. "Very well, I propose this, if your gift allows us to feed everyone, I will agree to listen to you and perhaps even laws in parliament."

The prince looked at her again, "Really? Would you listen to a foreigner about politics?"

"No, I would simply listen to a citizen of Jutland to try to improve life in our land. But I can see that it isn't politics that are in your mind" she said with a smile. "On the other hand, this will have to remain between us, you are not supposed to influence Jutland's politics."

The prince also smiled as he understood the meaning of this sentence. So first he had to prove himself and be discreet.

For the rest of the month and the following month, more and more tools and food from the Lowlands arrived and were given to the various settlements, with some teachers creating small water purifiers all over the place. As it was gifted in the name of Albert VII nobody opposed this gift.

The tools would help the farmers, and the few blacksmiths who lost their jobs as a result were contracted by the Lowlands. The arrival of food posed a slight problem for local farmers, who saw the price of their labour fall in the face of unfair competition. But the parliament, with the help of Dana, who continued to listen to the Prince in spite of everything, temporarily subsidised the farmers and limited distribution to those really in need.

It was only the beginning, but from surviving, the inhabitants would soon be able to think about living. At least, until rumors about people disappearing on the east coast of Jutland began to spread.
--
Reforms in the Lowlands

In the Lowlands, reforms were coming. But not the reforms everyone was expecting. The king began by appointing bilingual judges from the temple universities. Courts began to spring up in the big cities. Each judge had to swear to do fairly their duty and to serve the country and the crown and their laws, in French and Flemish, and German-speakers could substitute their Low German for Flemish.

A senate was also formed, although it seemed more like an optional royal council for the king. This new senate brought together the nobility and representatives of the temple-universities, as well as burghers rich and influential enough to enter politics. The Queen did the same with her territory, as the two Lowlands began to unify their infrastructures and laws to make the transition to a united kingdom. An anthem was adopted by artists sponsored by the King, the anthem was called "Towards the future"

The major problem facing the current government was the language issue, a thorny problem that dated back a long way and had never really been resolved despite various attempts. For the time being, schools were obliged to teach the other language, i.e. French for Dutch speakers and Flemish for French speakers. Although this was accepted by almost everyone, only the Duke of Hainaut refused. Leclercq was opposed to this law as he wanted the establishment of a French-speaking local government only, which the King quickly rejected. King Albert therefore gave Leclercq an ultimatum: accept the new school law or lose his title, an action that no king had ever had to take before. Albert VII had had enough of this vassal's quarrels.

With no other choice, Leclercq accepted; even the Duke of Liège had accepted the new law. The world had changed too quickly for Leclercq.

Despite everything, compulsory language teaching would not solve the country's language problem, but the authorities hoped it would help a little. Financial incentives and tax breaks were sometimes even offered to families to encourage them to move to other parts of the country.

To facilitate the recognition of its population movements and also to help with taxes, the king and his senate ordered the creation of recognition papers, which detailed the surname, first name, and patronymic or name of the parents, address, as well as the year and place of birth. This free paper, which everybody could ask for, also made it possible to claim financial aid and benefit from tax relief for families who had moved to another linguistic area.

----
Metadata,
Annexing Aalborg tile : 2500 inhabitants
Annexing Aarhus tile : 1500 inhabitants
Annexing Ribe tile : 1500 inhabitants
Annexing Aabenraa tile : 1500 inhabitants
Annexing Flensburg tile : 2000 inhabitants

If approuved, 2 pop would make farms (4d 20.000 in total) then again (to total for 4 farms, 8d, and 40.000 caps), 1farm/tile
building a port in Aalborg (14d, 100.000 caps)

In the Lowlands, building 2 basic fuel refiners in The Hague (14d, 100.000 in total)
Changing production from the current civilian cars to civilian ethanol-fueled cars. No change in price or quantity from what was stated before.

Since there is now a bigger uniform factory, transforming two of the smaller ones into civilian clothing factories. The last one would be closed while waiting for a buyer.
Repairing the Medium factory in Limburg (6d, 50.000), then creating the company of Excelsieur (Car (and technically motor/engine) company, perk Backdoor negotiation. As they also make motors/engines for the army and navy, they are less taxed, costing 200.000).
Once finished, the Medium Factory would produce cars (full production, upkeep for 3 lines, 26500 caps including the upkeep of the factory, 30 cars/week)

The Mojave Principality of Santiago AU

The Detrius of Yesterday
"In 20 years, I'll have reignited the high-technology sector," House had proudly proclaimed to the Courier. Even for a man as near-robotic and determined as Mr. House, Veronica had always thought this a little improbable - even the NCR barely had the broad scientific understanding capable of producing the electronics engineers for creating and sustaining high technology sectors. And this was aside from the lack of rare earth metals and manufacturing capability necessary to produce it once it had been designed.

Then again, the Mojave wasn't necessarily that poor in such materials - they were just buried underground, shaped into the form of the Vaults, sitting like safety deposit boxes just waiting to be opened. If anyone was going to be building spaceships, it would need the materials from the vaults to do so, spaceships of a sort they were themselves.

Veronica wasn't planning on building spaceships - yet, anyway - but she did need the resources from the vaults for her ambitious self-sufficiency projects. The materials could go towards making the life of the average Mojave citizen better, instead of rotting away under the earth, contaminating the substrata and the water tables. Indeed, decommissioning the vaults was rather necessary for the long-term health of the Mojave. Four of the vaults along the outer rim would be decommissioned - Vault 34, Vault 22, Vault 11, and Vault 19. She wanted to decommission Vault 3, but it was currently serving as a homeless shelter and there was no other place to put the residents without substantial investment into the surrounding infrastructure - something which she was not at a point yet to do.

The facilities to scrap and process the materials from the vaults would be massive and hopefully provide a large amount of jobs for the local area - further helping to lift the residents of the Mojave from the poverty House (and the local environment) had inflicted upon them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 Landfills under construction in the Mojave, completion on RL Apr. 17

The New California Republic of Empire Confederation

Santiago AU wrote:Veronica notes that she really needs to invite Crocker inside for a cup of tea at some point - with everything else she's had her hands full with, it's slipped her mind more than once. A reply is written and delivered by Arcade the next day:

"To Ambassador Crocker, as the representative of the NCR,

This letter serves as an expression of interest in your proposal. Pending consultation with my allies in the Pact, I have no doubt we would be happy to assist you in the endeavor of peace.

I would, under other circumstances, offer myself as a mediator, however, I and the Brotherhood did not part under amicable terms, and my personal involvement would be likely to inflame matters. As such I will have to confer with the New Canaanites on the matter; I am sure, however, that they will be more than amicable, and indeed, they are much more experienced in matters of mediation than I.

My regards to President Honeyfield.

Respectfully,

Veronica Santangelo, Chairwoman of the Mojave Governing Coalition and Proprietress of the New Vegas Strip"

(OOC: If you feel like skipping some dialogue, the New Canaanites will say yes and send a mediation team)

I would accept the assistance of any assistance. Though we would ask that the discussing be held within the New Vegas Embasy for the period.

The Mojave Principality of Santiago AU

Empire Confederation wrote:I would accept the assistance of any assistance. Though we would ask that the discussing be held within the New Vegas Embasy for the period.

“That is agreeable, though that begs the question as to whether you are negotiating with the Mojave chapter - or the Brotherhood as a whole. New Canaan has informed me that they would be willing to travel as far as Shady Sands for the talks if need be.”

The Swiss Confederation of The Arthurian Brotherhood

Empire Confederation wrote:"That sound like a wonderful start professor, I can assure you the senate and President would gladly agree to such a deal. Sadly, the sea is a vast expanse and the only other state we know of that had been looking to open the two seas was the Texans. Many were excited of the idea but the fact no one has been to the sues canal has left a question of how much a expense the endeavor would be."

"I am please to hear it!" Oleri says, "As for your comment about the Canal, we are aware of its state. Last I heard, a Swiss Airfleet was on its way to repair the structure and once more link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. We have been working with Texas to map and survey the site so we are aware of the damage and what is likley needed for repairs. We have a surface navy as well which is set to be delivering supplies once the air fleet has made sure the area is fully secured. You would be welcome to make use of the site once it comes online."

The Swiss Confederation of The Arthurian Brotherhood

Knights of Old
Before the fall of the bombs and the start of the Great War, the world was on the edge of a new age of military technology. Lasers, holograms, and robotics all were technologies that the world sought to bring to the table to tip the balance of power in the favor of one nation or another. However, these technologies were all brushed aside by a single American innovation: Power Armor. Operated by a single man and run by a nuclear engine, a small group of these suits could present the same amount of power as a tank at a fraction of the cost and materials. It was an innovation that would have revolutionized warfare if not for the Great War. Since then, Power Armor has been a staple of the American wasteland. While it is primarily used by the Brotherhood of Steel, other wasteland powers like the NCR and Minutemen have dabbled in the technology hoping to make use of its immense power. However, Europe lacked this vital piece of equipment and when the Swiss forces in the New World first laid their eyes on it, they quickly realized how important the technology was. T-45 and T-51 power armor was sent back to the Confederation for study and the University of Zurich began making prototypes of their own suits with varying success. Eventually, they created the first Swiss Made Power Armor - the PA-01.

Based on the design of the T-45, the PA-01 suffers from a number of issues as the first of its kind. To simply and streamline the design process, the complex helmet was replaced with a large bullet resistant dome that offered a much better field of view at the expense of protection. The hydraulic system of the suit, usually located in the back section, was placed along the top portion of the suit to allow for ease of access for the user as the American designs require the user to exit the suit if it is damaged in battle. Unfortunately, the size of the system restricted the visibility near the shoulders of the suit. While the suit was deemed capable of combat, it was viewed as a bit of a step down from the T-45 as it sacrificed protection for usability and maintenance. While it would be accepted by the Swiss Military, it would not be put into production. Instead, the follow up suit design, the PA-02 would be selected as the primary Power Armor variant for the Swiss Armed Forces.

The PA-02, nicknamed ‘Valaris’, took the lessons from the PA-01 and improved upon the design. The suit did sacrifice some of the heavier armor seen in the T-51, however, it was replaced by lightweight ceramic-composite plating which was lighter allowing for improved movement. Servos, actuators, and the hydraulic system were and reduced in size while keeping the same output and the bulky over top section of hydraulics was once more moved to the back of the suit. The shoulders, back, wrists, and waist plates were fitted with modular clams allowing for future expansions and improvements to the armor to be made without having to conduct a complete rework of the design. Lastly, the helmet of the suit completely scrapped the original bubble design of the PA-01 and followed suit with the T-51 having a narrow visor surrounded by armor plating. The helmet also came standard with an air filtration system, modal sections on both sides for lights and sensors, and direct commlink access to Swiss radio and computer systems. The suit was a step up in every aspect to the PA-01 and was considered to be equal to the American T-51 due to this. However, the staff in Zurich were not quite done.

The PA-02 program began making preparations for module improvements to the armor system, better known in the former US as mods. Lights, sensors, armor layering, even jetpacks were now being researched by the University. However, the Army was not willing to wait for the development of these systems. With the completion of the Panama Canal in the New World, there was now a very real possibility that Swiss Forces could see combat with Power Armor and needed to field their own. PA-02 production was approved by the Federal Assembly and training to operate the armored suit began in the Special Forces units. This in tandem with the new Vertibird program meant that the Swiss Military was now on an equal playing field with any of the powers rising in the American wasteland.

----------------------------
125 Lines of PA-02 “Valaris” in Production
20 Lines of VB-01 Vertibirds in Production

The Baltic Federation of The Moonsund Lands

Griezelland wrote:The Baltic-Lowlands Military Pact- Weapon demonstrations

Albert smiled when Artur mentioned Misha and the horse. He could understand, especially if it was the first time. When Misha spoke, however, he was surprised; it was surely a species typical of the Baltic region. He was intrigued, but his thoughts were suddenly cut off by Arvo, who began to talk to him. He then took the book Arvo was giving him, "All the more reason to learn your native language, then. Thank you, a book is a nice gift in this age."

After Hans had replied, Albert spoke in a friendly tone, "Well, he'll be on board with yours in that case. We've got to go, we have got some other business to attend to, so make the most of our hospitality. ». He then looked at Hilda and Edmund, "And when we return, give us a demonstration. Our armies are improving, but we'd like to know just how different we are."

Just as the King was about to leave to visit his wife in Amsterdam, the Duke informed the Baltic representatives of the usual demonstrations and advised them on how to set up their own. To do this, he would work with the military to find suitable locations for the demonstrations. Invitations were also sent to the dukes, high-ranking army officers, and representatives of guilds and temples-universities linked to the army, as well as members of the Fabrique Nationale.

Five days later, the guests, including the King, were there, while the Queen remained in Amsterdam as the war in the northern Lowlands was beginning to end.

The day began with an outdoor banquet to put the guests at ease, but was located close enough to one of the demonstration sites to minimise walking time.

Suddenly, Albert, who was previously speaking with some of his loyal subjects, approached the person who would be presenting the Baltic weapons and spoke softly, "You may begin". The eyes of the guests turned to the foreigner to whom the king was speaking to follow the instructions.

Thus, the Home Guard Didn't Fight There!

The delegation of military officers stood around, watching squads of home guard soldiers set up targets along a field, and set up examples of the donated weapons. The General is conspicuously absent, having sacrificed optics in favour of immediately returning home to do her job. Artur and Lukas sternly watched their troops, exchanging a few curt, expressionless words.

Artur Pitka: "The General left Arvo and Edmund in charge here, huh?"

Lukas Lightstone: "I didn't know we had an official slapstick corps."

Meanwhile, the two in charge watched the gathering dignitaries, with the rather nervous little butler still around, just behind them. Lieutenant Edmund, threatening to blow over in the breeze, looked to his counterpart reassuringly.

Edmund Lauri: "Nervous, old bean? Don't be. You know, perhaps it would be of use to-"

Arvo Thorne: "Please, if you're going to tell me to imagine them in their underwear again, don't bother."

Edmund Lauri: "Now now, my advice never fails. Got you through officer school graduation, no? Though I recall, chuckling the entire time. I jest, of course, comrade. Simply try to think about your tasks, no? Compartmentalize. That's what my chums in the Coast Guard say you ought to do, if there's a bit of the boat you can't control the problems in."

Misha Yusupov: "Thanks, Sir! I know that wasn't for me, but I'll keep it mind. Don't worry, Arvo, if you say something that makes no sense, I'll just uh, brush it up a bit in translation."

Arvo Thorne: "Alright. Listen, if all the shots are too much for you, we can always take a breather for a bit. Er, I believe we're ready to begin, then. Is the range clear?"

Lukas Lightstone: "Yes sir."

An ensign salutes, reporting everything is ready, the two take over speaking to the assembled Lowlanders, though they mainly direct their attention towards the Officers in the crowd. With that, Arvo walks back and forth, and holds up a musket, hopefully temporarily (and very briefly) borrowed from the stocks of their new allies. He passes it to Lukas, who, owning several Prussian war trophies, is most familiar with its operation. He aims down the field, and fires towards a distant target, the startling crack and smoke marking the start of the demonstration. Owing to the range, and Lukas's own inexperience with the gun, the shot misses.

Arvo Thorne: "Assembled comrades, Your Majesty, thank you for coming. Those of you connected to military affairs, you are doubtless already familiar with the capabilities of firearms. A sword will, at the least, take years to master. Almost anyone can be trained on a musket, far faster. Regardless of experience, who they are, and even in the face of some armor, any human foe can be felled by such a weapon. Formidable, if deployed correctly. But there are plenty of disadvantages."

Lukas Lightstone: "I'm told a well-drilled soldier can fire this weapon up to three times per minute. In a moving battlefield, after a soldier has fired a shot or two, the combat may turn to swords and bayonets. It can be rather inaccurate, which is a fine reason to have a line of soldiers, firing in volley. The smoke blinds the user, attracts attention, and there is the danger of fouling. The ball and powder must be loaded separately through the muzzle, and the ammunition can be ruined in poor weather."

Artur Pitka: "The bulk of the new weapons are a, er, unlicensed copy of the Winchester Rifle, model year 1886. Yes, our own home guard uses a different kind of rifle, but we believed learning to use this one would be easiest for soldiers to quickly make the jump to. It's reliable, fast to load and fire, rifled and accurate, capable of firing smokeless ammunition. And it's powerful, enough both to hurt your shoulder, and to hurt even large wasteland monsters. The sort of weapon my ancestors used to kill bolsheviks. Here you are, sirs.

He passes the rifle to the two in charge. Edmund takes it, holds it up, and walks it around for the dignitaries to see.

Edmund Lauri: "This one's origin is in the continent of America, where it was famously used by their Knights of yore, who got their name from their tendency to gloriously ride cows into battle. Actually, the Kuressaare Theatre troupe back home is using mockups of these in their new play, 'frontier carol', where the ancient bolshevik tyrant Joseph Stalin, watching cowboy movies on his electronic cinema, is magically transported through the screen, and is confronted for his sins by his fictional hero, the gunslinger Buffalo Westwood, along with the vengeful souls-"

Arvo elbows his friend, to get him to shut up about theater. He moves to the front rather sheepishly, displaying a round. Artur helpfully gestured to a much larger, wooden mockup of one that has been painted on a stand.

Arvo Thorne: "save it, lawrence of america. Uh, esteemed allies, my apologies, back to it. As you can hopefully see, this little piece of metal's called a cartridge, it's what we load into the rifle. The bottom part contains the powder, which is ignited by a pin, on firing. The top part is the bullet, which, of course, goes towards the enemy. So you see, our soldiers don't need to load the shot and powder separately - the factory making the ammunition does it for them. This means reloading is far faster. I just put the cartridge in through this flap, called the king's gate. Ed, would you do the honours? Put that thespian mind to use, pretend we're on that frontier of yours."

Edmund Lauri: "Yes sir. Let's say we're on a little homestead, when all of the sudden, oh no, what's that riding towards us in the distance? Why, heavens to betsy, it's uh, say, Sitting Bull himself, headed right for us!"

Arvo Thorne (twirling hair and fluttering eyelashes for the bit): "Oh my, oh my, sweet apple pie. I knew we shouldnta named that cow of ours 'Custer'. Darlin', what in the jack rabbit christmas tree are we gonna do? Can't you give the gent a good scare?"

Edmund Lauri: "Don't worry baby, I'll protect you. I'll give that bless-his-heart amigo a warning shot afore he gets close, since I feel like we might be the baddies here. Uh, yee haw rule waves and so forth."

He points the rifle down a firing range. After taking slow, careful aim, he sends up a little cloud of dirt around a sign marking 100 meters. He then moves to a much closer, more visible target, a stalhelm nailed to on a post, already with a hole through it. Rubbing his shoulder in pain, he thinks for a minute, then passes it off to his less twiglike friend.

Edmund Lauri: "Here, please. I'm a staff officer, you're field, plus this is heavier than our usual cartridge."

Arvo Thorne: "Alright, alright, tiny man. That was one round, comrades. We used to use single-shot weapons ourselves, back in the day. However, you may have noticed the lower tube on this rifle. It's not a second barrel, but a magazine, a container which can hold multiple shots before the need to reload."

Edmund Lauri: "So let's say we're good old Union boys, sitting in camp, munching whatever on earth a hellfire stew is, and Johnny Reb over there has launched a cavalry raid. That's contemporaneous with this gun, right?"

Arvo Thorne: "Er, maybe? Sure? God bless America?"

Edmund Lauri: "Well, make uncle abe proud."

Arvo loads seven more rounds. Then, taking aim at the helmet, he quickly works the lever, emptying the rifle in around 12 seconds. The stahlhelm takes several more holes, and is finally knocked to the ground. He yields the floor to Artur, who brings up a large rifle with a telescope, and a hole cut through the stock. He lays down, checks the wind, and then puts a couple of holes through the furthest sign on the range, marked 400 meters.

Artur Pitka: "Comrades. The Winchester is more accurate than a musket, but it operates at similar ranges. This, however, is called the Dragunov. It's a marksman's weapon, and it's still accurate at twice the distance I just demonstrated. It's perfect for targeting priority targets, for instance, officers." (he says the last word with a little grin, despite his own rank). "We also have the PTRS-41 here, which if you'll notice, is a much bigger rifle. You might use that one for breaking through light armor, such as a vehicle covered in steel plate, or the carapace of a particularly tough wasteland monster. Both guns automatically make the next round ready to fire, until your magazine is empty."

The next targets to be arranged were a handful of dummies wearing various broken, salvaged armour taken from battles with the ex-neo-teutons. stahlhelms, chainmail, shields, and pieces of plate. a rapid burst of fire cut through them all easily, all from one smoking barrel.

Arvo Thorne: "You've seen guns that can fire quickly, and guns that can hold more than one shot. The logical extreme here is the machine gun."

Edmund Lauri: "The machine gun first saw major use in the European war of 1914-1920 - confusingly also called the Great War, but less civilization-ending. Not for lack of trying, apparently. It's tied up with the Baltic's independence - they covered it quite well in school, I'd say. Imagine, if you would, a charge of gleaming cavalry, all instantly cut down like a farmer harvesting wheat. Through much of that war, the technology of defense was quite advanced, but that of breakthrough was not. The eastern front stayed mobile, but on the western front, around, well, here, years of deadly, futile infantry assaults, while the Generals very slowly learned the changing nature of war. Lukas?"

Lukas Lightstone: "Yes, Lieutenant. What you've just witnessed is the PKM. At its simplest, you hold down the trigger, and a lot of bullets come out, all at once. This has its limitations, namely the risk of the barrel overheating, which is why we fire in quick bursts. It may use a box magazine, or an assistant may constantly feed in ammunition by a belt. Perhaps you may need to kill a large amount of enemies very quickly. If not, perhaps to suppress them, and break the momentum of an attack. Perhaps you need to fire from a rapidly moving vehicle, or at one. It can be fired while standing, but if you want to hit something, I suggest emplacing it. As Comrade Lauri said, it is most easily used in a defensive role. Compare this to the DShk, a heavy machine gun. As it sounds - more difficult to move, capable of bringing down harder targets."

Arvo Thorne: "We certainly don't dictate your military's tactics. We ourselves used both tight battle lines along with rifles a few years ago. But if you encounter an enemy with a similar amount of firepower, I hope you can see how a close formation, standing in the open, could be immediately broken. We've prepared a little example of the sort of tactics we might use in a protracted battle. Along with a demonstration of the man-portable mortars we've delivered. Unfortunately, Moonsund can't spare our own field artillery - we don't even enough for our own units. It's the same issue with radios, which is how we'd typically contact fire support. However, a trained bird, or even a message runner might do in a pinch."

A platoon of Selenian infantry begins a demonstration. A full pair of model trenches has been dug out in another section of field, separated by a fair distance. The closest one is open to the rear, allowing the delegates to view the wood supports, firing positions, and simple dugouts within. The opposing one has a wire fence, there to simulate its barbed equivalent. The Federation soldiers continue to fire, duck, and reload, trying to minimally expose themselves to the pretended enemy in the other trench. Marksmen fire at a mound, hitting a wooden mockup of a machine gun. Machine gun fire rakes across the simulated enemy line, churning up dirt. Then, a battery of mortars open up.

"Half load!"

"Half load, ready!"

"Fire!"

"Impact... now!"

"Good effect. Again!"

The mortar rounds slam into the other trench, visible just before the sound arrives. They continue with only a brief delay, swapping to illumination rounds, then explosives again, this time exploding midair, raining shrapnel down into the other trench. There is the noise of splintering boards, as wooden cutouts of soldiers are broken and hurled about. Next, rounds land in the distance between the trenches, in two volleys. The first leaves small shell holes, and breaks apart the wire fence. The second contains smoke rounds, creating a screen. Then, aided by machine guns on the other side of their trench, Federation troops scale the ladder, into the open. They don't dally, either staying low, or staying fast, and with one group advancing, and the other one firing. Some crawl with cutters, searching for openings in the fence. Once they find it, the Federation soldiers pour into the other trench. They keep weapons up, covering one another, and every corner and angle. But for the reason that they'd no longer be firing directly away from the dignitaries, no more shots are heard. Instead, the exercise ends with grinning soldiers emerging with the intact wooden cutouts of their enemy held at bayonet-point, taken prisoner.

Arvo Thorne: "That's the show, comrades. That's a look at how we Moonsund types fight, at least when we're up against other humans. Somewhat different, no? And not very much of it at a range where you can look the enemy in the eyes. A lot of units dispersed from their command, acting on a mix of previous orders, and their own initiative. A lot more spent bullets, anyway - and believe it or not, a lower ratio of shots on target, despite all the rifled guns."

Misha Yusupov: "oh, sweet perkunas, my ears... Ahem, thank you all very much for coming. I hope it all hasn't been too much, haha.. I'm afraid some of these soldiers have deployments to return to. However, at the moment, misters Thorne and Lightstone will remain on hand with the training mission. They'll be glad to take any questions."

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thing i forgot to mention earlier:
-- the Sunfish II blimp has begun manufacturing. It is gas powered, and while non-rigid, is the size of a small airship.

The Swiss Confederation of The Arthurian Brotherhood

The Moonsund Lands wrote:snip

(Due to Icing, we are wrapping this up a bit unconventionally)

After a few days of festivities, introductions, and closed door meetings, the members of the Moonsund delegation were brought back to the Ritom where they were given a farewell from the members of the Swiss government. The airship would then take off and return to Riga where it would rejoin the Baltic Airfleet and disembark its cargo of passengers. Overall, the reception of the Baltic visitors in Switzerland had been a positive one and the government looked forward to establishing closer ties with the Federation in the future on issues such as trade and military affairs thanks to the new port access in Genoa.



The Swiss Confederation of The Arthurian Brotherhood

Helvetica Rules the Waves

Across the history of Switzerland, the idea of a Navy had been dismissed as impossible. The alpine nation had never ventured beyond its mountain borders, nor did it see the need to project power using naval force to parts of the world that had no bearing on the Swiss People. However, with the advent of the Great War and the subsequent destruction of the world, the Swiss government had to readdress this idea. The lost knowledge across the Swiss Plateau that had been preserved an expanded upon needed a mode of transport across the vast reaches of the world. While the Airfleet had been quite able when it came to exploration, mapping, and first contact, it lacked the ability to have staying power in a region, provide large scale transport, and act as a military asset capable of projecting power. All three of these needs could be addressed by a practical blue water navy, so when Genoa was settled and the dockyards constructed, work on the Swiss Fleet began.

While many of the designs need work and several of the ships have seen several ‘accidents’ occur during their operations, progress on the fleet has been steady. The Lake Geneva class guided missile destroyers have been preforming well in tests across the Mediterranean and outside of Panama, though power issues still plague the class due to its underpowered gas turbine. The ships lack a high speed, maneuver poorly, and have had difficulties handling in harsh weather conditions as well, causing the ship class to be reduced from the original 24 vessels to only 18. For the time being, the ships will serve as the mainstay of the Swiss Navy until a new design which is built from the lessons of the Lake Geneva can be created. However, while it lacks handling and speed, it more than makes up for in weapons as the missile and railgun systems of the ship make them some of the deadliest vessels on the planet. However, a lack of understanding on underwater and surface warfare led to the massive oversight of missing the installation of depth charges and torpedo tubes, another flaw that will be rectified in future vessels.

While the Lake Geneva class has flaws, the Helvetica Class seems to be performing well. Based on the hull design of an American escort carrier, the amphibious assault ship preformed well during its testing trials. The two vessels currently in service, SCN Helvetica and SCN Genoa, have shown promise during their testing in the Med and the recent landing test using new VB-01s have proven the ability of the ships to fulfill their primary function. Additionally, their Cold Fusion Reactors have prevented similar power issues seen on the Lake Geneva destroyers. While their speed is still low due to poor propeller design and the ships handling leaves much to be desired, the ships overall quality is a step up from the Navy’s destroyers.

With the mainstays of the fleet now established, the Swiss Confederation has authorized the deployment of the 2nd Fleet to the New World to act as the naval defense force for the Panama Canal to keep the area free of piracy. Six destroyers and the SCN Helvetica departed from Genoa this morning, bringing with them what VB-01s and PA-02s had rolled off the production line to bolster the assault ship’s complement. The vessels will be conducting anti-piracy operations in Gulf of San Blas and the Gulf of Mosquitoes in the Atlantic as well as the Gulf of Panama in the Pacific. Each Gulf will host two destroyers with the SCN Helvetica rotating between each of the destroyer squadrons to provide air support and additional scouting assistance. The operations will include the sinking of pirate vessels, the destruction of pirate ports and hideouts, and the escort of trade ships to and from the Panama Canal. The ships are expected to be bolstered by additional vessels in the coming days as the remaining six Lake Geneva destroyers are set to launch soon.

*Swiss 2nd Fleet departs for Panama*

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